My name is Josh. I love my family. I love to crochet. I love to hike and camp. I love to gaze upon the star's and I love to go on walks with my dogs. I'm going to pursue a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in the Fall of 2025 once enrolled into a 4-year college. Many describe me as detailed, sincere, and patient. Many of these qualities have developed within me thanks to the way I was raised. Coming from a family of Mexican immigrants, my life was never set with smooth sailing. Up until I was 14, I lived at my grandparent's house with my other family. Here, my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and siblings came to call the house our home. Growing up with over 15 people in my home at one point, I'm no stranger to sharing and putting up with countless people. While staying with my grandparents, it was my mom, my five siblings, and I living in one room. Occasionally, my Stepdad would be there, at least before he was sent back to prison. We shared two old beds so worn out that they had the imprints of our bodies on each mattress. It was always chaotic: scribbles on the walls and crayons left on the floor, hot air from the sheer number of bodies in one room, and a basket of laundry overfilled to the point it was no longer visible. Living in these conditions was a death sentence if I could not remain patient. That’s where I learned that having patience was the key to life. I saw it within my own mother and the sweat and tears she put into getting us out of our single room and into our home. After all, watching and giving attention to six kids was no easy task, especially after a twelve-hour shift, five days a week; her weekends then consisted of trips to wealthy neighborhoods with my grandmother to clean houses. Her patience and dedication to working for us rubbed off onto me. Hispanic men account for some of the lowest graduation rates from a bachelor's degree in our country. As a Hispanic male and first-generation student, I hope to contribute to the growing community of Hispanic college graduates who have attained their dream career. Receiving this scholarship would allow me to not only pursue my personal ambitions but also bridge the gap between college education and my family/community. As my college career approaches, college applications have been strenuous to say the least. Since I am the first to attend, I'm left without the proper support needed since no one in my family has gone through the same process I will endure. With 7 siblings, accomplishing my goals only becomes further demanding as my parents do not have the savings or extra income to fully cover the cost of my academic endeavors. However, through winning this scholarship, becoming the first to attend college switches from a financial burden to a dream come true. Through my hard work, I'll bridge the gap challenging my family by supporting my 7 siblings; my experience will show that we all have a chance and have someone who has gone through the college and scholarship process. Although intimidating, I know I can tackle the experiences that come with being first-gen and a Hispanic-scholar, I'll just need the extra support through scholarships. However, my dedication and perseverance to maintain all As, take and pass college-level courses, and involve myself in STEM activities will translate into my college career which is why I believe I should receive this award.

According to Mr. Google, healthcare is the organized provision of medical care to individuals or a community. In other words, healthcare is caring for others in one’s community, either mentally, physically, or emotionally. My biggest life passion is to take part in the healthcare field and become a certified registered nurse anesthetist, while representing a community that has strongly supported my growth and confidence, the LGBTQIA+ community. As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, I can most certainly say my experience growing up relates to millions of other queer kids. I was confused, lost, and embarrassed. I felt ashamed and as though if the truth was revealed, my family would despise me and even refuse to consider me their own. Suffocated by the thoughts lingering in my head, I began believing that being gay made me less than my family, friends, and strangers who were ‘normal.’ Feeling alone, I sought validation from others. Whether on tv, social media, or in person, I remember searching and looping the earth 3 times just to find others who were like me. I was looking for others who were queer like me. I wanted to find any source of evidence that being gay did not mean I was less capable than a straight person. However, in any instance I did see others like me, they were made fun of, assaulted, or even bullied solely for expressing themselves. As I became interested in the medical field through shows such as The Good Doctor, Greys Anatomy, and Untold Stories of the ER, I began noticing, or therein lack of, representation of doctors who were queer. I knew from then on that I wanted to fix the issue that had been following me my entire life. By doing so, I would prove to my family and strangers that I was ‘normal’ by pursuing my passion in the healthcare field. Thus, I would prove others wrong that despite my sexuality, I had a bright future, could be someone proud of, and was just as normal as anyone else. My passion for proving others wrong translated into my academics. Not only did I achieve high grades, but I also began involving myself into the community around me. Through electronic tech support, STEM engagement, a medical assisting CTE program, HOSA, and volunteering at the food bank, I made sure to join groups that I knew I could make a difference to. Eventually, through the medical assisting CTE program, I began learning the true skills in administering health care to others which only furthered and solidified my passion in the medical field. The judgements and lack of representation of queer people became the fuel to my passion in the healthcare field. I plan to attend college and receive education so that I am able to provide the representative voice for other queer people and assure them that we are just as ‘normal’ and our sexual orientation does not inhibit our potential.