Growing up in a lower socioeconomic neighborhood, my family and I experienced first-hand many of the conditions that contribute to health disparities and social determinants of health such as poverty, place, and education. For example, I attended educationally disadvantaged schools that lacked the necessary resources needed to ensure a positive educational trajectory and there was a high accessibility to drugs and gang violence in my community. Thus, it is not surprising that we have endured a disproportionate amount of physical and mental health illnesses. For example, in 2008, my grandfather, a non-smoking migrant farm worker, died of a cancerous lung tumor. Furthermore, many of my family members and I have experienced significant barriers to accessing health care such as insurance and language barriers. As such, seeking medical health attention as a child was not a viable option. However, being raised in a low-socioeconomic community provided me the opportunity to not only better understand the importance of receiving medical attention for the medically underserved, but how crucial it is to have a comprehensive understanding of community medicine and an efficient healthcare operation in order to address these disparities properly. My volunteer work through Healing Hearts Across Borders and Scripps Mercy Hospital provided me the opportunity to not only apply my skills as a Spanish medical interpreter, but through gaining an early introduction of the healthcare community among medically underserved patients. The patients I worked with had severe chronic health care issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and other health complications because there was no emphasis on primary health care and prevention in their community. Furthermore, these disparities are a consequence of the contextual and social barriers that prevent many medically underserved patients from accessing health care. Moreover, my volunteer experience gave me the opportunity to further understand the importance of having the proper and adequate health care goals and initiatives in place to combat these chronic health issues. In conclusion, my disadvantaged upbringing will be used as a strength, particularly as it relates to pursuing my long-term goal of eliminating health disparities amongst the most medically disadvantaged and vulnerable communities through Brown University. My upbringing and hardships will enable me to apply the proper cultural methodologies in providing high quality patient-centered care to the underserved communities and minority populations. Thus, my unique upbringing and personal experiences significantly relate to the person I am, my educational goals, and have culminated to an avid interest in my pursuit to work towards eliminating health disparities among the medically underserved communities. In summary, it would be an honor to be awarded the Bevell Health Equity Scholarship this application cycle. Given my short and long-term professional goals, background, and life experiences, I am highly dedicated to and passionate about providing a high-quality health care approach to the medically underserved populations and healthcare organizations of our nation.