The experiences from my life have shown me first-hand the struggles minorities and low-income communities face. I was raised in a household with a father from Colombia and a mother raised in the south side of Chicago. From the time he arrived here in the U.S. to the present day, my father has experienced various forms of prejudice from co-workers, bosses, doctors, and even strangers. The people who judge my father unfairly are ignorant of the struggles that many immigrants face and it's what motivates me to speak up. Thus as the first generation born here in the U.S. I have a voice that cannot be ignored as easily and have pushed my way into these conversations. While my mother currently works in the business side of healthcare, she was raised in a low-income household in Chicago. Her experiences allowed her to teach me more about the inequalities many low-income families face as many struggle to find affordable healthcare. It’s what pushes me to work harder towards my career as I hope to make an impact on these deficits in the future. I have also had my own experiences that inspire me to work for better healthcare. I have a neurogenetic disorder called Charcot Marie Tooth disease. This disease has required multiple surgeries in order for me to walk normally and prevent it from fully impairing my life. However, as a person of color, I have found myself in situations with doctors and nurses where I must reiterate my need for treatment. Despite genetic testing done to confirm my diagnosis and a family history of this disease, doctor’s may still insist on alternative origins for my ailments. Having to go through this every time I speak to a new physician is absolutely frustrating and there are no doubts in my mind that other people of color have experienced similar frustrations. My goals for the future involve obtaining a doctorate in clinical psychology in order to change the narrative for under-served populations. These experiences have deepened my knowledge about the obstacles that many under-served communities face and has allowed me to develop a unique perspective regarding this issue.

The American artist, Joseph Stella, was born in a village near Naples, Italy and is recognized as a significant artist in the American 1930s. Stella’s artwork incorporates many art movements which is what made him so well achieved in the futurist movement and have an influential legacy in the Precisionist movement. One of the most intriguing pieces of Stella’s work is “Flowers, Italy” for it’s blend of realistic and abstract as it influences the eye to see faces or figures within the flowers.

Over twenty years ago, my father immigrated from Colombia to the United States. He came here looking for a better life and for an education. He started life here in the U.S. at Job Corps, a vocational school, taking classes geared towards I.T. while working part-time at a local restaurant. From the time he arrived here in the U.S. to the present day, my father has experienced various forms of prejudice from co-workers, bosses, doctors, and even strangers. Despite the fact that he can speak English quite well or can show how skilled he is, it is never enough and people will still overlook what he says. He struggles to break away from these biases even now at his current job where coworkers will make comments about his abilities. Regardless of the fact that he works late to complete reports or other tasks that his coworkers forget to do themselves. I have seen this type of thing happen in front of me time and time again. The impact of this began when I was very young and continues today. It never felt right so I always make an effort to correct the people who dare do this in front of me. The people who do this don’t know the kinds of things my father has lived through. He lived in Bogota, Colombia throughout the reign of Pablo Escobar. He has seen people sucked into the violence and spit back out. The people who judge my father unfairly are ignorant of the struggles that many immigrants face and it's what motivates me to speak up. As the first generation born here in the U.S. I have a voice that cannot be ignored as easily and have pushed my way into these conversations. The impact from these experiences have made me strong enough to push through any difficulties that come my way. The lessons taught to me by my father’s resilience inspires me to become the best version of myself that I could possibly be. I am currently studying Neuroscience as an undergraduate that wants to continue an education into healthcare. The opportunity provided by this scholarship would have a major impact on my ability to achieve any of my future goals. These goals include attending graduate school and conducting research for the treatment of any number of illnesses. My education in neuroscience encompasses a wide range of disciplines which include biology, chemistry, and psychology, all of which provide a strong basis for understanding the complexities of various illnesses and has fostered critical thinking skills required to do this. Thus, this scholarship would assist in making this goal a reality by being dedicated towards the financial costs of finishing my senior year at Bethel University.