Survival is not just part of my story—it is the foundation of who I am. Time and again, sepsis has brought me to the edge of death. Yet each time, I returned stronger, with a deeper purpose to transform my suffering into service, and my survival into a legacy of resilience. My journey began in 1994, when a membrane rupture during pregnancy at twenty-eight weeks placed me in premature labor. The hospital could not provide a suitable antibiotic, leaving me in critical condition until infectious disease specialists intervened with IV therapy. In 1999, after a motor vehicle accident left me with a C5C6 spinal cord injury, I faced another battle: hospital-acquired infections of VRE, MRSA, and pneumonia. My left lung collapsed, my skin broke down, and I coded blue—passing beyond the threshold of life until, moments before being pronounced, I came back. The years that followed carried more trials. In 2004–2005, I endured osteomyelitis requiring thirty days of IV antibiotics. In 2018–2019, an untreated thigh wound nearly cost me my leg and my life, again requiring long-term infectious disease care. Most recently, in 2022–2023, a severe skin infection landed me in the hospital on Christmas Day. Even today, I continue IV antibiotic treatments for a resistant strain of E. coli. Each encounter with sepsis tried to close the door on my future. Instead, it opened one. I learned that resilience is not only surviving—it is choosing to build something meaningful in the aftermath. In the summer of 2025, I proudly earned my Associate Degree in Psychology. That accomplishment was more than an academic milestone; it was proof that even through medical setbacks, I could thrive in my education. Fueled by this achievement, I am preparing to continue my studies at San Francisco State University, where I plan to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Psychology in the Spring of 2026. Beyond education, my survival sparked a vision for leadership and service. I founded The C.A.P.E.A.B.L.E. Foundation, a nonprofit rooted in courage, awareness, and empowerment for people facing adversity. During my residency in a nursing home, I also found inspiration to create Jez Nubbin, a business born out of crafting badge reels and creative items that bring individuality and joy into healthcare spaces. What began as a spark of creativity grew into a vision of ownership, independence, and dignity. Sepsis shaped me, but it did not define me. Instead, it inspired me to define my life by courage, education, and service. This scholarship would not only recognize the many times I fought for my life—it would help me carry that fight forward, turning survival into purpose and resilience into impact. My mission is simple yet profound: to use what I have endured to uplift others, showing that even after life’s deepest struggles, greatness can still rise—in kindness, in courage, and in legacy.