For much of my academic career, I struggled to present my best work for reasons I didn’t fully understand. Every year, I’d tell myself, “Next year is the year I get everything together.” But that year never came—at least, not until I began to understand the root of my struggles. Until the beginning of my junior year, I kept falling behind. By then, it felt too late to turn my grades around, though I never stopped trying and never gave up hope entirely.
There were many reasons I was disadvantaged in high school. And while I don’t like to use them as excuses, they help explain where I was mentally, emotionally, and socially during that time.
Although I never faced financial hardship and was generally considered a bright learner with high hopes, I entered high school already behind. I had an I.E.P. and constant support from paras and special education teachers, but we never found the root cause of my difficulties. Over time, this wore down my academic confidence, and I stopped putting in effort beyond what was required.
Then it all made sense. In my sophomore year, I was diagnosed with stage 2 thyroid cancer—a softball-sized tumor pressing against my neck. Treatment, combined with serious emotional turmoil at home, pushed school to the background. I missed countless days for doctor’s appointments, surgeries, and recovery. The days blurred together. Each absence widened the gap between me and my goals, and catching up felt impossible. My math, english, and biology scores suffered the most.
But more than the time lost, it was the toll on my body. The removal of my thyroid led to chronic hypothyroidism, which brought on fatigue, brain fog, and rapid weight gain. At the same time, I was also struggling with undiagnosed and untreated inattentive ADHD—a combination that made academic success feel almost out of reach. It was a recipe for failure that felt overwhelming and isolating, causing me to question my abilities and future.
Then things began to change. I got the medication I needed, started believing in myself again, and slowly began taking on responsibilities I actually wanted. That shift—believing I could contribute something meaningful—made all the difference. I’m not done proving what I’m capable of, and my goals have only grown bigger. I enrolled in a technical school for biomedical sciences. and that is where my passion for biomedical engineering and helping people began. and it was the first place where i knew i was capable of more.
Last month, I was accepted to the University of Northern Colorado. While the school provides generous financial aid to qualifying students, I don’t qualify for any of it due to my GPA falling just below the 3.0 threshold.
My parents are both hardworking professionals—my mother was a dentist for 30 years, and my father is a police sergeant. But after putting two older brothers through college, managing a mortgage, and covering my ongoing medical expenses, they are deep in debt and working hard to avoid delaying their retirement.. Any support I receive to help fund my education would be deeply appreciated. It would not only ease the financial burden but also represent belief in someone who refuses to let their past fully define their future.