I keep a growth mindset by always looking toward my future. I always have a plan for when things fall through or just don't go my way. Knowing that there are many opportunities out there helps keep me motivated to continue going. When I feel like I am struggling I stop whatever I am doing and breathe, breathing helps me release any emotion that I have held in so that I don't bottle it up and stay stressed. Keeping a growth mindset can sometimes be hard especially when you are met with failure at almost every corner you start to think that there is no more growth for you and you should just quit. At times I felt like that but everyone around me motivates me to keep going and meditation helps a lot for me too. I have a business venture that I started a while ago and trust me it was hard getting it out there. At first, I made very few sales and no one wanted to buy anything. After a while, I just said that I will continue to do what I do because I enjoy it and the money will come after. I don't beg for things to go perfect the first time but rather enjoy my time doing things and let whatever success I may get come after me. With that mindset, I continue to push myself and grow.

My disability didn't start out with being physical, it progressed slowly. I was diagnosed at the age of 12 with Lupus and it changed my life forever. Having Lupus has taught me that I have to speak up and fight for my own rights and what I stand for. I also learned that people aren't going to believe that I am disabled. When I got to college it was hard to keep up with my academics but I always did my best. At the age of 12, I didn't know what was to come for me. I always kept my head up no matter what was coming my way. At the age of 18, I graduated high school leaving bullies behind, and was granted a kidney after being on the list for a year. I was happy even though I couldn't start college right away I still looked forward to going. At the age of 20, I started having knee pains just to find out I had avascular necrosis meaning parts of my bone are dying. I have to get part of my shoulder and knee replaced just so I can at least stop some of the pain. In early 2020, before the pandemic, my grandfather passed away. He was my idle and my rock. He kept my hopes up and told me to continue doing what I need to do no matter what obstacle is put in my way. His words of wisdom will forever ring in my ears as I continue to go through school. Just this year my fate couldn't get any worse. I went into emergency surgery for a torn aorta. My life changed and now I have more physical limitations than I already had. This surgery happened 2 days before the new semester started but it didn't stop me from continuing to go. With things being online it made it easy for me to still attend my classes and attend to my needs Going through school I also learned that I have to make sure that I am not the disability but rather the disability is what I have. Getting this scholarship will help me continue to pursue my goals into graduate school then onto my career. I hope to inspire people like me to continue their goals no matter what obstacle is put in their way. Life is hard but reaching your goals while disabled is harder. I vow to never stop and rise to the top of every mountain of an obstacle.

My favorite scientist is Marie Curie. Her ever-loving joy of going through as many obstacles as possible inspires me. Her accomplishments from being the first woman to win a noble peace prize and becoming a professor at the University of Paris inspire me, while I may not be the first I would like to make an impression.