Making a positive impact on the world can change a life forever. My goal in life is to be able to succeed and become the person that makes a change in the world for the better. I want to be able to help others in need. By doing that I need to be involved. Being involved I need to become a healthcare provider. I want to help others feel loved when they might not have anyone there for them. To be able to recover, one needs hope. I plan to give hope to everyone so they know they’re not alone. No one in the world should have to feel like they’re struggling alone. I want to change the healthcare system. To do that, I have to stand up and fight for what I believe is right. It’s unfair for one to have to pay thousands just to be able to feel better. The patient might get worse having to stress about medical bills with the absurd prices and bills being sent to them. People are already struggling to keep up with their family, let alone more bills being stacked up. Not everyone has the ability to pay for the bills in full or even in general. That’s where I want to be able to help. Find ways to help people be able to afford living and to pay their medical bills. Having local events to raise money to be able to help those in need. Having these events every so often to be able to help more than just a couple of people. Having people volunteer to help that way more people are involved. Spreading the word around the states so others can help as well. Get in contact with organizations willing to help others in need in other countries. Not all of us are given the opportunity of a good life in the Americas. I want to help everyone even if I have to visit other countries. Becoming a healthcare provider. I am given the opportunity to make people feel better. To make people want to live life. Give them hope even if they are scared. I want to be able to make a difference in the world. By doing that I have to keep working hard so that I can achieve my goals of being able to help others in need. Everyone deserves a chance to live a happy and healthy life. I will achieve that soon.

When I was young, I didn’t have the opportunity to be raised by the ideal family. My father passed away before my mother had given birth to me. Given the circumstances in his country, Honduras. There wasn’t much left for the doctors to do. With the lack of resources in Central America. Before my father passed, he made my mother promise him to take care of me. To make sure I would strive to become the person i’m meant to be. I like to believe that i’m doing just that. When I think about how my mother would sit down and talk with me about why it was just her in my life. I didn’t quite understand it since I was so young. But, now that i’m older. It makes me realize that her telling me the truth at a young age. It didn’t cause a disconnection in our relationship. It made us stronger, since it wasn’t me upset with her about not telling me the truth. It makes me strive to do better in life. To make my father proud because I know he’s watching over me. To make sure that I make my mother proud for having to raise me alone as she was also still growing at the time. Having the memory of my dad trying to make sure I strive in life. Makes me want to become a better person. Strive to help this world and help people. I thank my mom for keeping the memory of my father alive. I believe that life isn’t perfect. Even if that is living without a parent. But, other people could be dealing with the same thing maybe even worse. I sometimes think that the death of my father was meant to happened. As much as I wish I could’ve grown up with a father figure in my life. I had my mom and she did a pretty good job. Everything in life happens for a reason. Things in life happen to teach us a lesson or to even help us grow as a person. Still trying to think of reasons to why the death of my father could’ve been a good thing. But, it did make me believe in myself and strive to become the best person I can possibly be. Without the support of the both of them. Even if one wasn’t physically here. I wouldn’t have accomplished everything I’ve achieved in life without them.

My name Jessika Ruiz is worth a thousand conversations. I am a student at Eastside High School and I can say, I love going there. I get to pursue my passion for music and learning. I play in a group called Orchestra where I play the viola. I enjoy reading books and that's probably why I have to wear glasses. One thing I was told by my mom as a kid was to always believe in myself. I thank her for this because hearing this I now believe I can always accomplish what I want to do if I work hard for it.