The film Beautiful Boy directed by Felix Van Groeningen depicts a family shrouded in conflict after a father struggles to take care of his child who dealt with drug addiction. When I was first introduced to the movie, I was immediately fascinated by the premise. The young, beautiful boy, soon became corrupted by illicit substances. He turned into a shell of who he once was. Despite becoming unrecognizable, his father continued to look for him. His father continued to advocate and help him overcome his addiction. The movie ended with the son overdosing, however, it was based on a true story. The real family successfully overcame addiction and became authors. This movie showed me, despite how low the son was in life, he continuously had his father caring for him. His father never gave up hope for his beautiful boy., In life, people will continue to be challenged. They will be changed by experiences and situations, but the movie showed me that it was human nature to continue to love and care for one another. No matter how low someone can be, it is possible to still receive support. If I ever fall in life, which I most likely will, I will feel comfortable knowing that there will be someone in my corner that will help me get up from my struggles. This movie has also inspired me to pursue a new endeavor as I pursue my education. The influences of drugs were all around me. Drugs became the evil of my world but also the savior of those who I truly hold close to my heart. I developed a passion for pharmaceutics. This past year I threw myself into the world of Pharmacy. I researched, interviewed and visited until I found where the path to my true goal existed. I want to make a difference and help those who are struggling. I wanted to create or influence something that is even bigger than myself. It was not until I met with Professor Jeffrey Bratberg from URI that I truly figured out what I wanted to do with my life. As soon as I heard his story and what he is doing now, I knew that the program was right for me. I'm willing to take all the sacrifices needed to truly succeed in this field. I know that I will make a difference as a Pharmacist once I graduate from the program. I will work harder than everyone else to truly make a difference in my world. I will lead by example and show others who grow up in similar circumstances that it is possible to become successful. I will overcome any challenge that may come my way. The main dream of mine is to help fund/create an addiction rehabilitation center from my hometown of Central Falls. If I manage to save one person, one family, from addiction, I will truly accomplish my life goal and mission. “Have you seen my beautiful boy? Tell him I miss him” - David Sheff Beautiful Boy

I always was proud of myself in school. I loved learning new material. It felt good knowing things, especially when I could teach it to others. This all changed in my life as I was put in an entirely different world. People who did not look like me. People who did not act like me. Could I truly keep up with them even though I was different? I grew up in a low-income latino household in Central Falls, Rhode Island, but growing up I tried to not let that affect me. Despite my circumstances I still loved to learn and I continued to make myself and my family proud. This mentality changed when I moved to the nice white neighborhood of Riverside, Rhode Island. I felt out of place. I felt pressured to make up for my appearance. I constantly felt judged solely for being different. Despite this feeling I still wanted to keep my confidence high as I believed that I would continue to succeed no matter the circumstances. As I continued into Middle school and High School, I struggled with my inner conflict. I took the hardest classes and I studied day and night, not because I wanted to learn, but more to prove to everyone else that I am more than just some latino from Central Falls. I wanted to show them that I can keep up just as much as them even though I came from different circumstances and backgrounds. This mentality however, consumed me as I struggled with myself and my identity. I continued to get good grades, but I wasn’t satisfied with myself. This inner conflict was heavily affecting my work and my education. Throughout my junior and senior year of high school I really wanted to figure out this problem I was facing. This conflict was truly taking away from my passion for learning and growing. I began to use my differences to push myself forward instead of holding me back. I wanted to act as an example for those who looked like me. My differences made me who I am today and it makes my accomplishments even more impressive. It became something that I was constantly proud of. As I continue into higher education, I always notice just how underrepresented I am. However, I never let this deter me and I strive to make the most of my opportunities. My identity was something that I struggled with heavily in my life, but I grew to learn and accept myself for who I truly was.

Growing up in Central Falls, Rhode Island has left a lasting impression on my upbringing and character as I continue to grow and learn. Central Falls is a low-income hispanic community. Throughout my childhood, I experienced the many effects of poverty as my family struggled economically being immigrants from the nations of Colombia and Guatemala. Witnessing the troubles firsthand has prepared me and inspired me to truly make a difference in my life. I will make the most of my opportunities that my family and I have worked for. When looking for colleges and majors to decide my future, I first had to decide what I wanted to dedicate myself to and If I was willing to go along with the sacrifices that I needed to make to truly achieve said goal. I took some time to truly self reflect on where I came from and how I got to the position that I hold now. The influences of drugs were all around me. Drugs became the evil of my world but also the savior of those who I truly hold close to my heart. I developed a passion for pharmaceutics. This past year I threw myself into the world of Pharmacy. I researched, interviewed and visited until I found where the path to my true goal existed. I want to make a difference and help those who are struggling. I wanted to create or influence something that is even bigger than myself. It was not until I met with Professor Jeffrey Bratberg from URI that I truly figured out what I wanted to do with my life. As soon as I heard his story and what he is doing now, I knew that the program was right for me. I'm willing to take all the sacrifices needed to truly succeed in this field. I know that I will make a difference as a Pharmacist once I graduate from the program. I will work harder than everyone else to truly make a difference in my world. I will lead by example and show others who grow up in similar circumstances that it is possible to become successful. The main dream of mine is to help fund/create an addiction rehabilitation center from my hometown of Central Falls. I will continue my goal and education no matter what challenges come my way. If I manage to save one person, one family, from addiction, I will truly accomplish my life goal and mission.