Growing up in the border town of Laredo TX, I became aware at a young age of the internal and external challenges ethnic minorities face to be successful professionals. Like many other Hispanics in Laredo, I grew up in a paycheck to paycheck household where the highest level of education is that of high school. Unfortunately, due to the socioeconomic circumstances grew up in, a college-level education was never a possibility for my parents. Despite the lack of college-level education, my family has done the impossible to ensure that I would go beyond. This determination and faith from my “familia” have been the driving force that has ensured my academic success thus far and beyond. Now, as a woman, Hispanic, border-town native, and first-generation college student in STEM, I seek to serve as an inspiration for other Hispanic women aspiring to pursue a career as a medical scientist (MD/PhD) like me. I firmly believe that the UT-Southwestern summer program will not only get me closer to achieving this goal but will allow for my academic and personal growth. Laredo is a medically underserved community. In part, I believe this is due to the tendency of the community to be “close-minded” and suppress what might be perceived as an impractical or unachievable career goal. This mentality unintentionally creates a vicious cycle that deters the younger generation from pursuing higher degrees including MD and PhD. Thus, obtaining an MD/PhD will make me a living example that these degrees can certainly be achieved by Laredo natives. Additionally, it will also let me serve my community as a medical professional and as a scientist where I can pioneer outreach activities to expose the Laredo community to scientific research. Wanting to be an agent of change for my community was what prompted me to pursue a baccalaureate degree in science. Tirelessly working towards obtaining a MD/PhD degree has never been an option for me; and frankly never will. My force of drive to succeed in all areas stemmed through my fathers’ display of leadership. There are 86,400 seconds in 24 hours: a single day. Through different experiences, I have come to quickly appreciate the immense value in life. Having purpose is what fuels my motivation. The drive I possess to further fulfill my education is beyond description but everything I do is for one purpose and my motivation: mi familia (family). What I can contribute to the experience is unlike any other: my unique perspective. In high school I became interested in pursuing a medical degree. This desire led me to enroll in the chemical biology program at OLLU. However, this path soon changed during my sophomore year after taking the chemical biology course led by Dr. Teresita Munguia and UT Southwestern alumnus Dr. Charles Fermaintt. Here, we tested plant extracts that we chose and generated for antimicrobial activity. As a McNair scholar, I had my very first research experience during the summer of 2021 where Dr. Munguia and Dr. Fermaintt served as my mentor. Through this project, I discovered that the extracts of plants displayed strong antimicrobial activity. Additionally, those same plants extract exhibit anti-triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) activity suggesting they might contain compounds that could be isolated to treat this disease. This experience awoke an interest in drug discovery research, drug development, and oncology. I am certain I am the best fit for this program by contributing a unique perspective as a first-generation, woman in stem, Hispanic, minority, student who comes from an uneducated background and will be a leader who leads by example who gain from experience and expand her career.