I never realized how dysfunctional my family was until I grew older and realized there were better ways to treat a kid. I was born in Puebla, Mexico, and migrated to the United States in 2006, at the age of six. My mother and father had migrated first to the USA three years prior. My sister and I, ages five and three, were left in Mexico with abusive relatives. During that time, there was not a single night that I did not cry myself to sleep yearning for my mother’s love. When the time came to migrate to the USA, my father tried to convince my mother that it would be a disaster to bring my sister and me to America. He claimed that we would become drug addicts and low-lives. My mother did not listen, and in 2006 my mother, sister, and I were reunited. I remember waiting for this very moment for three long years, but when I finally met my mother again, she felt cold and distant. My mother suffers from the physical and mental abuse she faced from my father. In 2008, my father threatened to kill my mother with a knife. That day she decided enough was enough and fled, taking my sister and me with her. As I grew into a teenager, my mother became more like my father. She insulted me every day and reminded me of how useless I was to her. As I became an adult, I decided not to hold any resentment towards my parents, despite them never once telling me “I love you”. Over the years, I have learned to love the person I have become and found peace with my upbringing. I worked to heal my inner child in order to move on from my harsh childhood. My outlet during all these difficult times was my education. I knew I could not control my parents' behavior. Instead, I could take control of my education by continuously being on the honor roll. In my free time, I volunteered as a Spanish translator for the police department, library, and schools. I used my connections to advocate for higher education by spreading awareness about financial aid and scholarship opportunities to parents and students. In 2020, during the pandemic, my mother was diagnosed with kidney failure and became a dialysis patient. Over the years as I accompanied my non-English-speaking mother to doctor appointments, surgeries, and treatment sessions, I discovered my passion for medicine. Those experiences made me realize that I wanted to become a nurse. Currently, I am a Patient Care Technician at Riverview Medical Center in New Jersey. Working at my hometown hospital has solidified my decision to obtain my nursing degree. Unfortunately, the cost of obtaining a nursing degree is another barrier I need to overcome. As a “DACAmented” student, I do not qualify for federal student loans. Being a low-income student has made it very difficult to fund my education. Over the past two months, my mother has been unable to work, as she has needed two life-saving surgeries. As a result, I have much financial responsibility, both for myself, my family, and my education. Because of the rigorous nursing courses, I will not be able to work as much, resulting in my income decreasing drastically. I know that I have the motivation and work ethic to achieve my goal of becoming a nurse. I just need the extra help to get there. The scholarship would provide me with financial aid to achieve my dreams of becoming a nurse and the opportunity to give back to my community.