Behind all of the accomplishments in my life is a woman who never had the chance to chase her dreams: my mother. Her life has been marked by sacrifice, resilience, and hardship. My mother, Angelina, was born in a small village in Guatemala. She was pulled out of school at the age of ten to help raise her younger siblings. Her education ended before it even had a chance to begin, and she has spent her entire life persevering in a world that offered her very few opportunities. Despite never learning how to read or write, my mother has been the most influential person in my life. I grew up watching her work tirelessly, long hours, in physically demanding jobs, embodying quiet strength in everything she does. She has never complained, asked for praise, or sought rewards. Her actions are her version of a love language, and everything she did was to provide for my family. To this day, she remains the most selfless person I know. Some of the most humbling and impactful moments of my life have been watching her try to read. I’ve witnessed her sitting on our living room couch, attempting to read our mail with a mixture of determination and frustration. As she traces the words slowly with her finger, and her eyes follow each letter, a part of me breaks, knowing my mother was denied something so simple and essential as literacy. The shame that poverty and circumstance have instilled in her breaks my heart, and it reminds me of the privilege I have to pursue my education. Her struggles have become my motivation. Because of her, I don’t take a single opportunity for granted. Her story fuels my academic and personal ambitions. I work hard not just for myself, but for her and the sacrifices she made and the dreams she gave up. I carry a deep sense of responsibility to succeed, not only to honor her journey but to one day give back in a way that truly matters. My greatest hope is that I can one day provide her with the education she was denied, and one day sit beside her as she learns to read and write with pride instead of shame. My mother’s impact on my life goes far beyond inspiration. She is the reason I am so driven to succeed. She has taught me that strength isn’t about recognition but about showing up for the people you love, no matter the cost. She has taught me that resilience is quiet and constant. She shaped me into someone who values hard work, humility, and purpose. Although she never had the chance to chase her dreams, my mother has given me every reason to chase mine. Every step I take toward success is a step I take for her.

My whole life, I've wondered why I am the way I am. I struggle to understand and connect with everyone who has encountered my life. The issue is I know who I am, just not why I am this way. I like to see myself as a growing woman who shares compassion, intelligence, curiosity, integrity, and self-awareness with this world. Being self-aware also means I'm fully aware of how truly messed up I am. I can be a hypocrite, ignorant, selfish, angry, stubborn, procrastinator, perfectionist, and impatient. The list goes on. I'm most certainly not perfect. Nor do I consider myself anywhere near perfection. Yet every day, I strive to better myself so that one day, I can make everyone who's encountered my life proud. I've hurt a lot of people in my life. For the most part, it's been unintentional. Other times, like my extensive, almost humorous amount of suicide attempts, I've been fully aware of how my leaving this world would significantly affect those unfortunate enough to love me. At times, my suicide attempts have been out of spite. The rest have stemmed from an overwhelming feeling of loneliness. That feeling that every single person feels at some point in their life, whether in the shower while sleeping, or even at birth, is why I struggle so much in life. The funny thing is that I have loved before, and I have felt love from another human being, yet I can't help but feel lonely. One of my most recent suicide attempts led me to my first stay at a psychiatric center. Ironically enough, this attempt to end my life is what sparked my interest in a better future. I've realized that every person struggles just like I do, ultimately giving me an overwhelming desire to help in any way I can. It may be my "superhero complex," but I genuinely believe my compassion creates this desire to help others. I'm self-aware enough to understand that creativity is not my prime aspect; thus, I search for a way to help those I can. I have a love for chemistry and psychology. I intend to take that love and convert it into something useful by becoming a psychiatric pharmacist. I have never doubted that my life would eventually lead to a career in the healthcare profession. I've always intended to make my immigrant parents proud and to make due of all their sacrifices by becoming a doctor. I wish to help people, and luckily, I've found and now pursue a career that will ultimately lead me to accomplish all my goals. I'm now a second-year pharmacy student, and my experiences have undoubtedly reinforced my passion for this career. My excitement for learning small things, such as memorizing the top 20 over-the-counter medications and learning how to give vaccines, has taught me that this will bring me joy and help those struggling. Another reason why I struggle so much is my diagnosis of depression. I understand and empathize with people who share this illness, and I wish to help just like many others have helped me. In 6-8 years, I will be Dr.Solis-Mendoza. The thought of "Dr." in front of my mother, father, ancestors, and my last name has ignited a flame in me that has never been there before. That flame is what will propel me through pharmacy school and allow me to help as many people as possible.