I was one of only a handful of Asians attending school in my small city. Growing up, I experienced discrimination and racism from my peers at school. My parents worked hard and struggled to make ends meet for our family, and being with them at their jobs opened my eyes to the discriminatory attitudes that they face every day. As a first-generation family, we struggled financially. While my parents tried their best to provide for my siblings and me, schooling was extremely expensive. Considering our situation, I held back from attending university over fears of burdening my parents with overwhelming debt. My interest in healthcare grew directly from these experiences. During my junior year of high school, I often accompanied my mom on her doctor visits to help translate. I saw firsthand how language barriers and cultural differences could make patients feel unheard in medical settings. My various interactions with medical professionals, alongside a drive to help people, pushed me to pursue healthcare as a career. My mom struggled with numerous health conditions: gastroesophageal reflux disease, peptic ulcer disease, thyroid disorder, anemia, and osteoporosis. A couple of years ago, she was in a car accident over a faulty brake and had an L1 fracture. I witnessed firsthand her struggles with recovering and then with her trying to balance work while maintaining her health. This experience further cemented my desire to be in healthcare. I always knew I wanted to be in the health field. I looked into nursing but was more drawn towards surgery. Surgical technology particularly interested me. What draws me most to becoming a surgical tech is the opportunity to provide direct care to patients during the most critical moments of their lives. In the OR, I want to be the person who ensures every patient receives attentive care regardless of their background. The idea of being able to focus on a patient one-on-one in the OR, alongside a dedicated team all working toward the same goal, is exactly the kind of meaningful work I've been searching for. I want the chance to help people during what may be the most vulnerable and possibly frightening moment in their lives. I want to contribute to society and find real fulfillment in knowing that every day I am making a difference to at least one person's life. While other professions involve helping people as well, healthcare provides the most direct impact because everything stems from staying healthy. I want to be in a position where I can help people like my mom. To me, empathy means truly seeing the whole person in front of you. As someone with over 7 years of customer service experience, I learned not only how to interact with people but also how to connect with them. In my current field of work as a nail technician, I have various one-on-one times with clients. I come to learn their hardships and worries. Being able to imagine oneself in another’s situation and understand them is what empathy is. This is an important trait for healthcare professionals to have because they can anticipate needs before the patient has to ask. Some people may have trouble asking for help or don’t have the right phrase to express their feelings, especially when language barriers exist. By being empathetic, they can recognize discomfort or confusion and respond with compassion. I would ensure my work maintains a human-centered lens by remembering that everyone is someone’s mom, dad, or child. In the OR, when patients cannot speak for themselves, I want to be the one to ensure they receive the respectful care every human being deserves.

I was 1 out of only 3 Asians at my elementary and middle schools. Growing up, I experienced much discrimination and racism from my peers at school. My parents worked hard and struggled to make ends meet for our family, and being with them at their job open my eyes to the discriminatory attitudes that they face every day. Being a minority in our community, it is hard for us to stand up against bigotry in our everyday interactions without consequences. Furthermore, there is a lack of privileged individuals who actively oppose racist behaviors. Most would even make light of such situations. Growing up with these kinds of dynamics influenced a lot of my current values and beliefs, as I strive now to challenge racist behaviors in others and advocate for people who may not have a voice. My interest in healthcare grew from a similar place. During my junior year of high school, I often accompanied my mom on her doctor visits to help translate. I saw firsthand how language barriers and culture differences could make patients feel unheard in medical settings. My various interactions with medical professionals alongside with a drive to help people pushed me to pursue healthcare as a career. Surgical technology particularly interested me. What draws me most to becoming a surgical tech is the opportunity to provide direct care to patients during the most critical moments of their lives. In the OR, I want to be the person who ensures every patient receives attentive care regardless of their background. The idea of being able to focus on a patient one-on-one in the OR, alongside with a dedicated team all working toward the same goal, is exactly the kind of meaningful work I've been searching for. I aspire to take a big step forward in life. I want the chance to help people during what may be their most vulnerable and possibly worst moment in their life. I want to contribute to society and find real fulfillment in knowing that every day I am making a difference to at least one person's life. This scholarship would allow me to take one step forward towards that goal. I plan on attending Carrington College, a sister college to San Joaquin Valley College (SJVC), because it may provide me with the fastest possible way towards becoming a surgical tech. Additionally, it comes with an in depth learning experience to give me a comprehensive education. Because this college is extremely expensive, winning this scholarship will help ease the financial burden, allowing me to complete my training and begin serving my community without the burden of overwhelming debt.