My name is Elissa Duran and my mother is a Registered Nurse. She is what makes me want to go into the medical field. I have dreams of pursuing a degree in physical therapy to help assist high school athletes recover from injuries so they can continue to perform in their chosen sport. My mother has been a great influence in my life. I saw her graduate as a Licensed Vocational Nurse when I was only six years old. I remembering sitting in an auditorium as a child and being in wow of my mom and thinking she was the best person in the world. Then when I was sixteen years old I saw my mother go through her Registered Nurse program and saw all her sacrifice to make sure she got her degree. I never understood what sacrifice really met until I saw my mother fight for what she wanted and the fruits of her labor have paid off. My mother now works as a pediatric Registered Nurse and I have seen how happy she is in her field and I want to have that satisfaction of knowing I can make a difference in someone's life. Exactly as my mother does. I have always seen how she gives so much to her patients because she knows they need her. My mother is always ready to help someone in need. I remember about 4 years ago we were driving home and my mother looked to the side of the road and she noticed a motorcycle on its side. She pulled over as she noticed a young man around 18 years old thrown from that bike in a grassy area. My mother ran to him and of course with a stocked Nurse bag in hand and she helped him. The young man was very blessed he only had some scrapes, nothing broken. My mother called 911 in a hurry to get him sent to the hospital. She gave him a once over and did what she could while waiting for the ambulance to arrive. The young man was very grateful. My father was a police officer for seven and a half years and now works for US homeland security/customs officer for the past nine years. My father had participated for several years as an event coordinator for the Special Olympics and also assisted in organizing toy drives during Christmas time as a police officer. As a customs agent he has organized several fundraisers for agents who have been out of work due to a family incident or an illness that has prevented them from going back to work. I have always looked up to my father he is always the first one to help someone in need from anyone stranded on the road to anyone else in need of assistance. In high school I was an active cheerleader from 7th grade in junior high school up until my 10th grade year in high school. I also participated in powerlifting my 10th grade school year until my graduating year as a senior in May of 2022. Trying to juggle cheerleading, powerlfting and all the homework that went along with school was a challenge that was greatly accepted. I learned to manage my time efficiently and have assignments completed on time and to keep my grades up to par so I could participate in my chosen sports. I hope to gain a greater understanding of the physical therapy field while continuing my education at UTRGV. I hope to one day own my own therapy clinic and provide services to those in need.