My name is Maria Paola Vargas Cesario. I'm an Arizona State University undergraduate majoring in Global Health (BA). I graduated from Glendale High School (2022-2024) with an advanced diploma. I’ve played the flute for over 8 years of my life, joining the high school's concert band. Marching band, jazz band, and stagecraft. This experience allowed me to have a deep passion for the arts program. While I don’t anticipate doing this again in the future, I've learned to go above and beyond and validate my hard work and achievements For all my life, I grew up as a low-income Hispanic child. Both of my parents are Mexican and immigrated to a new country at a young age, between 17 to 21 years old. As the youngest of three daughters, I witnessed firsthand the financial struggles my parents sacrificed. Despite them working long hours every day of the week, they still managed to care for me and my two older sisters. Unfortunately, we were impacted by the 2008 recession. Our family lost our home, car, and even our pets, as we couldn't continue to afford that privileged lifestyle. We moved into a trailer mobile home park in a small two-bedroom and one bathroom house. Both of my parents worked overtime, sacrificing their free time away from us. I shared a room with my two older sisters with little to no privacy. I understood the value of money as my sister and I translated bank transactions and the cost of items, and listened to family conversations about the increase in prices. Yet, despite all of our struggles and challenges along the way, my parents encouraged my siblings and me to escape our once small lifestyle. To always rise above and never forget where we come from and who we are, and to never let our struggles undermine our hard work in life. Our once small lifestyle becomes a reminder to always stay humble and resilient. Throughout high school, I voluntarily worked for other clubs and school boards during concert seasons and awards, doing everything from ushering to working backstage, lights, to even sound. Navigating and communicating with students' family members in Spanish during their performances or award ceremonies. I cared for not only my community but also for any individual who entered the opening doors with a smile on my face and say, “Thank you for coming; enjoy the show!” My passion is to one day repay the kindness of my parents, family members, and friends who are a part of the Hispanic community by expanding my assistance to other communities. With a degree in Global Health, I aim to work closely with low-income areas and underdeveloped countries to provide aid and education and prevent the spread of diseases and illnesses across borders. Living through the COVID-19 pandemic showed me how critical it is for Global Health students to advocate for the well-being of individuals, communities, and entire nations, especially when access to healthcare is limited during times of crisis. This experience strengthened my commitment to improving health equality and ensuring that even the most vulnerable populations receive the care and support they need.