Just imagine walking beside a child who is sitting on a horse. You can feel their excitement and see it on their face, even though they may not be able to use words to express it. Their brain is working so hard to be able to tell their hands to reach up and put plastic rings over a pole, to coordinate the movement to open a mailbox to find a stuffed animal inside, and to throw a ball in a bucket. This is just a small picture of what some of my little friends with Cerebral Palsy and other motor disorders experience during my time with them. I have been volunteering at this non-profit farm organization since I was 8 years old, which uses horses in 1:1 sessions with children to work on speech, fine motor and gross motor skills. Mrs Bencita, the owner of the farm, and my mom are the Speech Language Pathologists who work with these children every week on a volunteer basis to build their skills, using the movement of the horse to support organizing the child's neurological systems, building their strengths and developing communication skills. My role as the horse leader or side walker has given me a front row seat to interact with these children and to watch them grow and learn over the years, making this one of the most rewarding experiences I could ever imagine. I believe in what this farm is doing and have helped set up, clean up, gather donations, and serve food at the fund raisers over these past years. I also volunteer in a preschool Sunday School classroom every Sunday at my church, as well as being a crew leader for the past few years in Vacation Bible School. Working with children in these settings has built my dream for becoming a Speech Language Pathologist so that I can work with children with special needs in order to help build their communication skills and quality of life. I have a passion for helping others and I recognize that I have so much to be thankful for in my life. Working with these children has shown me how much I take for granted every day, such as being able to walk and talk, complete daily life activities without help, and to plan a future career. My parents have always modeled volunteering to help others and it taught me the importance of serving others. Service above self is one of the strongest leadership traits and I hope to carry this on throughout my life, giving back every chance I get.

The mission of the non-profit De La Cruz Farms states "De la Cruz Farms exists to provide therapy services, recreational equine sessions and outreach opportunities to our community as inspired by our Christian faith." I have volunteered at De La Cruz since it opened in 2014, when I was 8 years old. I mucked pastures, groomed horses, and assisted with sessions for children at a very early age. As I have gotten older, I have been serving as a sidewalker, horse leader, and helper during therapy sessions with the children we serve. I have also helped set up and serve at the fund raisers we hold each year, which has taught me how much love and compassion exists in my community, as people come together to support this ministry. The children that we serve at De La Cruz have a variety of needs, including Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, and other rare conditions that affect their ability to walk and talk. These children have taught me to never take for granted the simple things that come so easily for me but are so difficult for them. They have shown me how to have joy in all circumstances. I am amazed by their persistence to complete a difficult task, such as the motor coordination required for placing a hoop over a pole in the arena, which has inspired me to work hard to meet any challenge I face. These children have also given me a perspective in life, recognizing what is truly important and what really does not matter. Material things and small problems in daily life do not compare to the challenges they face every day, which has helped me to focus on other people more than I focus on myself. The perspective that De La Cruz has given me over the years helped me through a difficult time in 2021 when my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and my dad developed an adrenal carotid artery tumor that involved a risky surgery to remove. The lessons I learned through these chidlren with special needs helped me to understand how to face challenges and to have faith that God would see me through the hard times. I am very thankful to be a part of this non-profit and plan to continue to serve there for many years to come, supporting the children and their families. When I become a Speech Language Pathologist, I hope to receive Hippotherapy training in order to add to my knowledge of using horses to provide therapy for children and adults with special needs. I appreciate any support that you can give to help me achieve my goals for the future.