Growing up in a Native American household that encouraged the strength in women was the very foundation that allowed me to become who I am today. Growing up, not many of my peers were of the same background or tradition as me, and that made me feel excluded, as if I was out of the ordinary, which is something no child aims at feeling. However, I was taught to embrace my true self and embrace my native culture, which was filled with aspiring strong women. The small number of Navajos in my community made me question whether most Native American students were given the opportunity to attend school. With this thought, it caused me to believe that not many believe in the potential that Native Americans had. By that age, I had a firm belief that everyone should be given a chance to prove themselves. So, with that goal in mind, I tried my very hardest throughout school. Even though it was difficult to balance school and family, with the ambition I had, I always found a way to make it work. Not only did I want to prove myself and the Native community, I also wanted to impact my community in positive ways. Something that stuck out to me at a young age was the medical field. I wanted to provide my learned knowledge and put it towards something that could save someones life. I grew up being taught the importance of empathy and care, which is why I aim to be the compassionate, understanding woman I am today. Additionally, I wanted to dedicate my future career to contributing aid towards the reservation in order to show my recognition towards my community. Growing up with family members who suffered from various health problems caused me to feel compassion for those around me and help those in similar positions. During my senior year of high school, I chose to apply for the Chief Manuelito Scholarship, which asked for the passing of a Navajo Government class and a Navajo Language Class. The difficulty of balancing 5 classes on top of the two online Navajo classes I had to take, while also being a club officer in Future Business Leaders of America was strenuous. However, my drive was unwavering. Not only did I persevere through this because of University tuition, but also because I wanted to learn more about my culture. Growing up outside the reservation made it difficult to experience Navajo culture which is why I thought this scholarship was the perfect opportunity. Driven by the gaining of knowledge, the possible impacts I can make, and the recognition of Navajo women, I powered through my senior year graduating with a rank 11/416, having a 3.96 GPA, and being awarded the NAU Lumberjack Scholarship and Chief Manuelito Scholarship. This emphasizes the importance of finding your drive because with that, you are able to power through anything which is something I learned. Because of growing up in a family that inspired me to be myself, I became someone who wanted to prove themselves which has taught me the importance of ambition, self-love, drive, and perseverance. Now, I am currently an undergraduate at Northern Arizona University, majoring in Biomedical Science, hoping to someday help those in need!