My deepest condolences to Amber D. Hudson’s family and loved ones. I can only imagine the enduring pain and heartbreak caused by witnessing a loved one suffer and lose them to the disease. I share in your mission to change the face of disease prevention and management by harnessing the therapeutic properties of food in honor of a loved one. My aspiration to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist specializing in Oncology Nutrition was inspired by my mother’s journey of battling cancer. After ten years of fighting cancer, my mother passed away in February 2023. I am an only child raised single-handedly by my mother. She was my model for resilience and source of unconditional love. When she passed, I lost my sense of purpose. Several months later, I mustered the courage to clean her room where I discovered nutrition pamphlets and meal charts that we created together. I vividly recalled immersing myself in researching anti-cancer foods that can support her body’s ability to overcome the disease. We assumed a primarily plant-based, organic diet in hopes to slow the progression of cancer while nourishing her healthy cells. Eventually, my mother was unable to return to work due to the debilitating side effects of her treatment. I then took on the responsibility of providing for our family, which made it impossible to financially sustain her diet with my entry-level income. This inspired my long-term professional goal to provide nutrition education to cancer patients in underserved communities at no cost. In my persistent determination to prolong my mother’s life, I became fixated on crafting her meals based on foods that produced the greatest health benefit. In doing so, I reduced the value of food to the sum of its nutritional components and neglected the complex aspects that inform our relationship with food. Gradually, I witnessed my mother withdraw from her meals and grew isolated from her friends because her diet became significantly different from what they would eat. Ultimately, eating became a transactional activity to nourish her body which deprived her from enjoying her meals. Back then, I failed to recognize that a nutrient-dense diet was not adequate in recovering her health. Food helped her express her identity, feel connected to our culture, and resonate with her social network. I was practicing a siloed approach to revive her physical health without recognizing the equally essential psychosocial factors that support her healing. From my experience with caring for my mother, I gained an intimate understanding of the value of food beyond health and the various socioeconomic factors such as affordability and social connections that influence how we negotiate our food choices. Moreover, I learned that reducing food to its nutritional value can be incredibly isolating, especially when a person is already dealing with a life-changing disease. I therefore intend to practice medical nutrition therapy from a heart of compassion and gratitude for allowing me to be part of the journey of the person faced with a disease. I will exercise a patient-centered approach which meets the person where they are in terms of readiness for change, supports their personal goals in restoring their quality of life, recommends food options that are cognizant of their present economic situation, and curates meals that incorporate their traditional cuisines and uplifts them in their social circles. This academic year, I am beginning my journey as a graduate student of the University of New England’s Master of Science in Applied Nutrition program. With the help of this scholarship, I will be able to earn the formal education necessary to become an Oncology Dietitian.