It was always a surprise what animal I was ahold of. Some days it was lizards and frogs, other days it was a pack of stray dogs following me, watching eagerly as I placed a bowl down full of food and water. My earliest memories are with animals, at 2 months old I was already mounted on a horse my uncle had at his ranch. I loved going there. What others viewed as an untamed, rustic, old ranch I viewed as an amusement park, that was my Disney World. When I wasn't outside playing with dogs or picking up rocks and examining the rollie pollies under them, I would immerse myself in the world of The Incredible Dr.Pol to see what new animal he was treating or The Wild Kratts and the new mission Chris & Martin had to save endangered species from being exotic food or fashion. Although my young mind couldn’t quite understand what Dr. Pol was doing since it was in English, I knew I wanted to be like him. I knew I wanted to work with animals and make them feel better. It wasn’t until personal research in high school that I clearly understood what a Veterinarian was and the different animal careers I could pursue. Although I knew what I wanted, I never heard of this field in school. I felt odd, I was the only one wanting to work with animals in our grade. I tried to fit in by changing interests. Yet every day coming home, seeing the multitude of abandoned stray animals in my low-income neighborhood, many of which were abandoned for lack of money and no Vet nearby, made me feel helpless. Deep down inside, I knew I had to do something about it. This desire was confirmed when I was selected nationwide to work at Banfield Pet Hospital through the NextVet internship program. I would wake up with a smile eager to go to work. My manager would get on to me for staying past my scheduled hours, but I did not want to go home. Every day was something different, and every day I learned something new. Restraining patients, getting blood work, and providing care was a beautiful experience. Being able to see the progress of patients who came in with severe cases, such as Demodex, and seeing how they got better and better until they were smiling and wagging their tails again was something that touched me. I keep all the patients I helped treat in my heart because their paws left a mark on my soul. Of course, there were bad days, having to translate to Spanish-speaking clients who couldn’t afford the life-saving treatment was hard but it made me stronger and even more dedicated to spreading awareness about preventative care. This opportunity made me realize that there are two sides to the leash. You’re not only treating the patient but the client as well. It is so important to educate people and this gave me the courage to make a change in my school for the lack of animal career exposure by starting my own club, United Paws Animal Club. We have partnered up with the SPCA shelter of Dallas to provide community service opportunities, help shelter animals, bring speakers in animal careers to school, etc. But it doesn’t end here, I have many more ideas to continue helping animals. Every animal has their story and I will make sure their stories are heard. Animals are here with us, not for us. I am Estrella and I will continue being the voice animals don’t have.

"It all started with a mouse"- not only for Walt Disney but for me as well. I grew up in the world of Disney animated features, spending hours and hours watching the fantasy worlds the Disney Princesses lived in or Mickey and his friends going on remarkable adventures. I gradually fell in love with the Disney World, the magical realm where I was safe with the knowledge that endings would always be happy-ever-after. As I grew up, I became more aware of the harsh realities of the world. There was hunger, poverty, pollution, corruption, and not all people were enchanting when greeting them. Animals didn't talk and people weren't able to fly no matter what amount of pixie dust (or baby powder in my case, I tried). I became angry at the magical world of Disney, it was just an idealistic and absurd false portrayal of the world. The happy-ever-after endings I assumed applied to everyone did not seem so definite anymore. With maturity, I soon realized who I was in the world as well, a person in seek of the American Dream. Even with my anger toward the magical world of Disney, I was far too reluctant to give up on the hopes that Disney films ingrained in me. Perhaps rubbing a lamp three times wouldn't make a genie appear or wishing upon a star would not always come true. But the words "If you can dream it, you can do it" from Walt Disney and the words "Anything your heart desires, Will come to you" from Pinocchio were embedded in me and I knew with hard work they were true. Slowly, I realized that Disney films offered more than just magical worlds and entertainment but rather reminders of the goodness in the world. This realization has influenced my view on the world, to not focus on the negative things but to "celebrate what's right with the world." I wanted to learn more about the man who built this majestical empire of dreams which meant so much to me. I began researching and came to found out Walt Disney didn't come from riches, he was an ordinary man from humble origins just like me. He was no stranger to setbacks, with many failed attempts before he finally struck success with Mickey Mouse. We shared several similarities, we both had that hunger for success. These attributes and the other values Disney characters have taught me, such as selflessness, facing your fears, and courage to follow your dreams, have shaped who I am today. Disney has taught me to not escape and hide in my own idealistic world of comfort, but instead go out to venture into the world and meet new people, learn and grow from other's experiences, and not lose that spark within me. That is why I love Disney so much because it has inspired and motivated me to keep working towards my goal of being the first one in my family to take the big leap into going to college. I see myself as Mickey Mouse, a small little guy whose strong work ethic and bravery made him a hero. Of course, I might never live to see a day in the 'Perfect World' but the idea of having made a significant step towards the Happy-Ever-After dream, or the American Dream in my case, is encouraging enough. It won't be easy, but I know my dream of furthering my education & breaking the poverty cycle in my family can become possible. Just as Walt Disney said, "If you can dream it, you can do it".