In my youth, I had often wanted to pursue a 'cheap' career. I believed I would end up going to BOCES through my school, then start a career directly out of high school, not having to deal with the tremendous loans. Then I slowly realized that was simply not possible. I have a gift, and my need to help animals is well beyond others and needs to be put to use. Growing up with a young single mother, money has always been an issue. She had me at 17, and my sister at 19, and with being the oldest I knew what responsibilities came entangled with it. Never allowing myself to ask for nice things simply because I knew we couldn’t afford it, hiding the truth from my sister, or letting my sister choose a toy instead of arguing and picking what I want because I knew it was my Mom’s bonus and she was excited to finally treat us. Throughout all of this--I knew college would still be a struggle. I have worked endlessly to maintain my 4.0 GPA, and to put all of my extracurricular activities on display, alongside working two jobs. Alongside this, my father, who has been moving across the country, does not help or plan to assist us in this process. Pursuing a career of Veterinary Medicine on the terms I am is never easy, but I know in the end it will all be worth it. I started volunteering at the Nassau County’s Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and with this I have been allowed to interact with many different animals--it insanely increased my certainty that this is my purpose. I truly believe I have a gift with animals, and it would be a waste to not spend this time and effort pursuing a career that I love. With this, I have been applying for every scholarship possible in an attempt to ease the financial burden on my mother--as my sister will soon be in my shoes in two years. I am so thankful for the opportunity that has been presented to me, to heal, love, and support animals, and I cannot wait to see where my journey leads me. I believe I should be awarded this scholarship not only because of my hardships and how beneficial it would be, but for my dedication to this profession despite these tribulations I've faced, and what will come in the future.

My faith has driven me countless amounts of times, and I like to think of faith as taking one step when you don't see the whole staircase. Many say God has a plan for everyone, and while throughout hardships many don't believe this--faith is believing in his plan. Throughout my childhood faith was always one of my biggest priorities. Being baptized Catholic, but raised Christian, my faith has always been prominent. My mother had my sister and I very young, so a lot of my childhood rested on my faith as well. With growing up with undiagnosed (at the time) but chronic anxiety, my faith helped me through all of the hardships. If I felt uneasy, hopeless, or felt someone I loved was in danger--I prayed. God has always been a figure in my life, and the one time in specific where he, and my faith, helped me the most was in my eighth grade year off middle school. Throughout middle school I went back and forth between Queens on the weekends and Long Island on school nights, as my parents were separated. On my thirteenth birthday, my father decided to reveal that he and his brand new girlfriend would be moving across the country to Washington State. I had already been going through hardships by myself and with my mother, so this news devastated me. I felt that his love for his real children was lost, and he wanted a 'new life'. With this, I fell into a deep depression. I was already falling, but this almost took me over the edge. I struggled with self-harm and suicidal idealations--but also felt alone and as if I had to deal with this by myself. With this, I knew what I had to do. I pleaded and begged God to make things better, but it seemed like nothing had changed. I began to have doubts about my faith, but I was quickly reminded why I shouldn't. In my freshman year of high school, God allowed me to be met with my boyfriend, of now three years. This boy has shaped mine and God's relationship, alongside my faith as a whole. When I felt at my lowest, he allowed me to come to church with his family and reconnect with God, and I will forever be thankful for that. I will forever be thankful that God didn't allow me to give up on my faith, and that he presented me with this opportunity. I took a step, and my faith has now blossomed into a beautiful staircase.

Growing up in a single parent household had its own hardships--but what really sticks out in my life is how that came to be. I grew up in Queens, NY, but soon before entering second grade my mother decided to move us out to Bethpage. Despite everyone advising her not to, she still pursued the dream to get us out and to award us with more opportunities than she had. My father, still living in Queens at the time, would pick us up on the weekends. As I started getting older, his presence became less prevelant. He spent most of his time with his 'new family', his girlfriend and her daughter, and soon after my thirteenth birthday he announced that they would all be moving to Washington State. Devistaded, my sister and I just sobbed in eachothers arms. It felt as if he was choosing these people he just met over his biological family. With this, my father began moving all around the country, to washington, then he returned to dominican republic, and north carolina. When he and his girlfriend finally broke up, he decided to come back to New York--but the damage was already done. He had already wrecked the relationship we once had. Aside from my father, both of my mother's parents died when I was one and five--so she hasn't had much help. My father revealed to my mom that he would not assist her in paying for my education, which obviously stung. I have gone back and forth debating whether veterinary medicine was the correct carrer path for me, simply based on the expenses. I feel terrible everyday that my mother has to deal with this on her own, which is why I apply for as many scholorships that I can. Despite my fathers negligance, I have still perservered. I have never let only having one parent stop me--infact it fuels me. Yes, I do have to work two jobs to assist my mother in the necessities for college, I did practically raise my sister and I due to my mom's attempt to finish college (as she had me at sixteen and was unable to attend university, but later went on to get a bachelors degree), but all of it has shaped me into the person I have become today. I am excited to pursue my dream of becoming a veterinarian, despite the challenges I have had to encounter along the way.