Imagine this, one day you wake up with a swollen leg. You go to the hospital, but the doctors cannot seem to figure out your diagnosis. Three weeks of daily blood tests, frustration, anguish, and anxiety pass. Eventually, they agree to do a biopsy as their last resort. Three days later the results come back: it's cancer. This is how my story began. It all started when I was twelve. I got the diagnosis on December 17th of 2018. I remember one of the doctors asking to speak with my mom outside the room. When my mom came back, she immediately broke down while telling me the words that changed my life forever, "You have cancer. It is going to be a long process..." I immediately broke down as well. My first and only thought was, "I don't want to die." I was in denial. I felt like I was stuck in a nightmare. I wanted my normal life back and the process hadn't even begun. Moments later a nurse came in. She comforted me and told me that her sister also had cancer once. Her sister was a survivor and the advice she gave me stuck with me throughout my entire journey. She told me, "Faith and support are the key for getting through this process." After the diagnosis, things moved pretty quickly. We found out that the cancer was Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and we had caught it very early. That same week, they scheduled me to get my port and first round of chemo. Once we got released to go home, my mom cut my hair short to lessen the shock when it would fall out. Throughout this change, the hospital became my second home. One month into the treatment I went into remission and have been ever since. That was the good news. The bad news is that I was very sensitive to many things. One time I ended up in a coma after reacting to the methotrexate. I practically lost all movement in my body, but after months of physical therapy, I was back to my old self again. I earned myself the title of the "Miracle Child" at my hospital because of that. Overall, it was a hard two- and 4-month process, but in the end, I beat it. As of April 2nd, 2021, I am an official cancer survivor. This process really gave me a different outlook on life. My mom had to stop working and my dad became the only source of income. That transition from a dual income into a single one was not easy. Throughout my journey, I was always on top of my studies. School was the only “normal” thing I had left from my life before cancer, and I gave it my all. I had hope that one day I would be able to put this behind me and resume with my goals. Along the way came the pandemic, but once again school was my way of disconnecting myself from the situation. All of this taught me the importance of being prepared with a career and your education because you never know what life will throw at you. That is why I’m trying to get as many scholarships as I can. I want the opportunity to get into a college that I like and make my hard work of being a studious student pay off.

I keep a growth mindset by having an open mind. I learn from my own mistakes and from others' mistakes. I like to stay educated and keep my mind away from judgment, discrimination, hate, and overall negative feelings. I'm not opposed to changing my way of thinking if it's wrong and I learn why it's wrong. This not only helps me mature but also helps me grow as a person, and shape me into the person I am. I don't like having a narrowed mind that is unfair and hurts others, whether intentionally or unconsciously. The world is cruel enough as it is, and there's no reason for me to add to that cruelty.

Being patient is important to me because I believe that good things come to those that wait. When you want something in life, it doesn't just come right away. There's a process you have to get through to get what you're striving for, and that process requires a lot of patience. Rushing leads nowhere. For good results, one must take the time to put in their best efforts. I can be impatient sometimes, and I can testify that in those situations I only make things even more challenging for myself. Whereas at times when I'm patient, I think with a clear mind, I'm not stressed, I get my work done smoothly, and I'm able to work to my full potential. I also believe that patience is connected to having faith and hope. There's a time for everything, and that timing is not when you think it's best, but when God claims it's best for you. Patience teaches you how to stay positive and how to wait to see the results.

School isn't easy. If I had to give my view on school, I would say it's stressful, a lot of work, and at times nerve-racking. But those are only the cons. Like with everything, school has its pros too. School is the essential tool that gets you to where you need to be in life. It provides you with knowledge, sets the path for you to be successful or someone in life by preparing you for the future, and gives you cherishing moments and friends that you will carry with you forever. So, why are the negatives the first things pointed out when asked about our opinion on school? Because it's challenging. It's a daily struggle. A repetitive cycle that we have to push through, and it gets tiring. It's also a long process, but one that's worth it. These thoughts go through my mind every day: Why does homework exist, why do I have to do this, why can't I be free, I just want to relax, this is too stressful, I want to give up, etc. But then after such train of thoughts, I think about what my dad and teachers have told me, "work hard now, and have fun later." This phrase is my motivation. It's what keeps me going and striving for success, encouraging me to put in the effort now because it's going to pay off. This mentality is what's going to get me to where I want to be in life. At that point is when I'll be able to afford to relax, catch a break, be carefree, and have countless fun without facing consequences because I have already succeeded and sacrificed it earlier in life.