My struggles with education began back in high school. My parents moved halfway through my sophomore year which meant I too tagged along. At my first school, I played varsity volleyball and excelled in all of my classes. After moving, however, my motivation slowly decipated knowing I had no one and simply felt like an outcast and behind. My personal life had also gone downhill and nothing felt worth it anymore. I kept going back to the times I felt secure knowing everyone and creating tech projects I never knew I could do. I didn't feel like myself as I no longer had a sense of direction or worth. Halfway through my junior year covid struck and I decided to hone in on my work with all this extra time I had on my hands. Senior year I decided to take online classes except for one that single-handedly changed the trajectory of my life. This was a CNA course where I made a group of friends and met one of the best teachers. I finally felt at peace knowing I wasn't alone. That spark that i hadn't had for over a year emerged and drew me closer to nursing. Once I graduated high school I did something that to many people seemed crazy after my previous experience. I decided to move to Florida from Chicago. Many advised me not to however, I wanted to overcome my fear of change and this was my way of doing it. So I packed my bags and moved. I began attending Hillsborough Community College to save money as I would be paying for my own schooling. Here I quickly made friends and began working on my medical pathway. My grades were much better and I was proud of myself however I was worried that my pathway was too broad for my ultimate goal. I decided my next move would be to try lab research. I asked my chemistry teacher if she was aware of any opportunities going on towards my interest. She looked into it and helped me apply for a summer research internship at FSU. To my surprise, I got in. I wasn't sure what to expect out of this trip but I knew I was meant to do it. I'm not sure how to express how life changing this experience was. To put it simply it changed the trajectory of my life and I finally had a sense of direction when it came to what I wanted to do in life. I met so many amazing people and through this experience, I continue to do so. Up until now, I have never been so happy and secure with the choices I am making and I realized it was all because of change. Trying something new led me to where I am. My research was based on Salmonella use in cancer therapy and I hope that the research I am currently doing on this specific topic could lead to revolutionary cancer therapy. It's a far reach but I hope that through collaboration and hard work, this can be achieved.