I am honored to be part of the CU School of Dental Medicine, class of 2026, where I have embraced both leadership and growth opportunities. Elected by my classmates, I represented them in the Anschutz Student Senate, joining the financial committee to help allocate funds for student initiatives. I later became Vice President of the Senate and had the privilege of representing our campus at the Colorado Capital Conference in Washington, D.C., all while pursuing my passion for dental anesthesiology and supporting Colorado's Armenian community. My academic journey has been marked by financial hurdles due to my immigration status. As an asylum applicant, I’m ineligible for federal financial aid or most scholarships. Therefore, I worked 20-24 hours a week in a dental lab during my undergraduate years to support myself, balancing full-time school with work. I was fortunate to secure private loans for my first two years of dental school with a cosigner’s help, but due to the financial difficulties of my cosigner, my third-year loan application was rejected. This setback forced me to step down from my leadership roles and focus on finding employment, though my job search has been challenging. I continue to volunteer as an on-call provider at our clinic during every holiday, gaining valuable clinical experience while supporting our patients. I am grateful for this opportunity to pursue my dream of becoming a dentist in the U.S., and any assistance would make an invaluable contribution to my continued professional development.