I have done almost everything in my power to ensure that a price tag would never stop me from experiencing opportunities thrown my way, but to say that doing so hasn’t been tough with a low-income background would be misleading. I was raised by my single mother in a poor city of Connecticut known for its high crime rate and low expectations of its residents. The greatest impact that this has had on my pursuit towards my education has been the lack of financial resources. Although I come from a poor background, my mother made sacrifices to put my siblings and I in the top schools within our vicinity. I took advantage of this and made sure to excel in my AP and honors courses in spite of my limited resources. I essentially became aware even during high school that receiving a good education wasn’t going to be a walk in the park for me. My brothers and I used to have conversations about the amount of work demanded from us in efforts to get the attention of our top colleges of interest. While our classmates could afford to regularly attend after school programs that would provide them with the top tutors or could fill pages speaking about incredible lessons learned from trips abroad, we knew we didn’t have these advantages. During the time that I was surrounded by students with great connections and financial backing to provide them resumes that would ensure their acceptance into top universities, my siblings and I worked full time jobs all while making sure we got all of our school work done by the end of the day. We came to terms with our reality early on and instead of feeling sorry for ourselves we agreed that whereas most people work twice as hard to get ahead of the pack, we’d have to work twice as hard to get to the start line. This realization helped us understand that we truly needed to use the limited resources that we did have to our advantage. My top attribute that I can say that has provided me with the strength to overcome this obstacle is undeniably my strong work ethic. It is my work ethic that has gotten me this far and it is my work ethic that will continue to get me further. I know that I can forever count on myself to make ends meet even during the toughest of times. I’ve heard of many stories where people have overcome the obstacle of poverty, so what would make me not able to? I would like to benefit the world through my STEM education by helping to provide affordable healthcare to those that need it. I want to eventually go back to my home town one day and work for a practice that distributes health and safety to families that grew up similarly to me. Life becomes even more of a challenge when you aren’t healthy, so I hope that by one day providing health care to those in low income families It will be one step towards empowering my generation to lift our communities out of poverty.

“You’ve graduated high school what more can you do?” This was the response my mother received from her mother when she approached her about attending university. She was 18 at the time living in the developing nation of Haiti. She had graduated top her class in secondary school; but due to her impoverished living conditions, the needs of her 7 younger siblings, and the unforeseen circumstance of her father being murdered a year earlier her mother saw it unnecessary for her to attend college. The response that my widowed grandmother provided to my adolescent mom when she wanted to continue her education completely crushed her dreams of ever having a lucrative job in healthcare. Once my mother came to America in her late twenties, she took alternative routes to accomplish her goals of working as a healthcare provider. First by learning English and completing a CNA program, then attending an LPN program, then finally partaking in a bridge program to become an RN. This process took her a total of 10 years as she had to knuckle down to defy the odds of not only providing for her family, but to afford her education. My mother is much older now and since her kids have all grown she is finally on her way to obtaining a degree. Even now my mother constantly reminds me of the struggle she had to endure for her education. Every day that I go to class I notify myself that I have an opportunity that at my age she didn’t have. Unfortunately, just like my mom, many intelligent girls around the world my age don’t get this opportunity. I believe that education should be a universal human right. Sadly, that is not the case. I’ve always been able to sympathize with such individuals which is why I don’t take my education for granted. To me education is so valuable. Not only will it allow me to progress personally, but it will help me help others. I can use the knowledge I obtain over the years to educate, heal, and benefit the lives of many people. Education allows myself and other women to prove ourselves to those who may doubt us. It provides equity to myself and men I may encounter. It places me in rooms with different people no matter what their class is, what they believe, or where they are from. It is essentially the key to empowering my generation to lift our communities out of poverty so we can defend our basic human rights. Accessible education is what will save girls who have similar stories to my mother, it is what will help girls like me tackle male-dominated fields in healthcare, and it is one aspect that may bring harmony to an already unjust world.

As someone who has dealt with depression and anxiety I’ve developed my fair share of coping mechanisms to assist in making college feel less of a challenge. Therefore, I’d like to share my top mental health tips that I personally like to use when tackling the stress of being a student. 1.) Make time for yourself It is important that in between all the responsibilities of being a student, you ensure self-care. Whether its ten minutes at the end of your busy day to apply a face mask or even a chill night where you can watch favorite show. These small increments of time in a day where you are just focusing on yourself, and doing what it is that you desire can be very crucial to your mental health. 2.) Be active When making time for yourself I truly suggest using some of that time to do some type of activity in which you are moving your body. It’s been proven that physical activity helps the production of your brains feel-good neurotransmitters, called endorphins. So next time you aren’t feeling your best try a workout, or a quick stroll around campus. 3.) Prioritize your physical well-being I’m sure you’ve heard of the saying “you are what you eat.” Well as cliché as it sounds it’s true. Have you ever eaten a greasy meal and just felt horrible afterwards? Well that’s because the excess of fats that can be found in unhealthy foods can trigger an inflammatory response that is also linked to anxiety and depression. In addition to being active, you want to make sure you’re taking care of your body. By eating nutritious foods not only will you feel great, but you’ll have an overall happier outlook. 4.) Pick up a hobby One of my favorite tips is to pick up a new hobby. When being a student 5 days out of the week your days can start to look the same. If you find yourself getting bored of the same daily routine I suggest you try something new. This past year I spent some afternoons painting at a nearby park and learning to roller-skate and these new pastimes helped me clear my mind. 5.) See a therapist/ counselor I recommend a therapist to everyone whether you think you need one or not. Sometimes it’s just good to have someone to vent to that’ll give unbiased advice. Who better to go to than a trained professional? A lot of colleges have counselors on campus- utilize them! They are there to help you. 6.) Work on organization Nothing good comes from keeping all the things you must complete in your head. Form a habit of writing things down in a planner. Being able to visualize your tasks at hand will allow you to take just one day at a time. Learning time management and prioritizing your duties will definitely reduce stress. To also help, try to keep your space clean and belongings organized. 7.) Understand that it’s okay to not be okay In this era of social media, it can seem as though everyone is doing better than you. We are able to broadcast the highlights of our lives for all to see. Despite this, it’s important to know that these posts we come across are merely just a glimpse of an individual’s life. Nonetheless, we all can agree to one thing which is that life can be hard. As humans, we all struggle, have bad days, and fail at times. Fortunately, through various resources and the support of those who love you just know you’ll get through this.

As a child I remember thinking I had no talent. I grew up around kids whose parents could afford to put them into extracurricular activities to discover what their interests might be. As high school approached these kids grew up to be captains of their lacrosse team, the star role in their schools “Wizard of Oz” production, and the lead dancer for every celebratory event that their school held. I began to question what exactly my talent might be. I couldn’t sing, or dance, and I sure wasn’t athletic or coordinated enough to be a star in sports. Although, when I would bring my concern up to my parents or friends their response would always be “well at least your super smart.” But with all the pressure I put on myself I never felt smart enough. I was 9 years old when I participated in my first spelling bee. My teacher had provided a list of 45 words to remember. On the day of the contest, it was down to three finalists within the class. On my turn I was given the word ‘Wednesday’, the very word that I struggled with when studying. As I stood there in front of my class, I battled with my thoughts when trying to remember if the first d came before or after the letter n. “W-e-n-d-e-s-d-a-y, Wednesday” I nervously said. The same night I asked my mother to get me a library card because “I would’ve known how to spell the word if I had just read more.” I continued to beat myself up about my response for weeks as I delved inside the books I would check out from the local library. This small insignificant moment in my elementary period became a pivotal foundation to how I viewed my education for the years ahead. From a young age I knew that I could always count on my academic abilities to make me successful. I knew that if I had just applied myself and studied a little harder I could achieve the grades that I very much so wanted. Being one of the few minorities in my middle school and high school classes I made sure to prove myself through my studies. I formed a habit of studying late nights, and tucking every assignment I received a good grade on in a bin that I kept in my closet as a token of my hard work. I valued the hours I’d spend at the library after school, and the detailed notes I’d take after reading a chapter in a textbook. Most importantly the grades I obtained, the joy I received from my parents, and the knowledge I’m able to continue to share to help others is what provides me with the motivation to keep trying my hardest. Although my passion never lied in sports, or the arts I grew a passion for school and increasing my knowledge about the world. I never diminished any subject and kept an open mind whether it was Anatomy or Humanities. I’ve come to the realization that although not a traditional talent, education is my talent. Learning and applying what it is that I’ve learned is essentially what I am good at. The willingness to increase my knowledge has gotten me thus far and can only take me further in life. It is with this passion that I’ll be able to be of service others and accomplish my goals. From the beginning education was all I really had, and despite the hobbies I’ve formed to this day it is what I continue to decide to fall back on.