Compassion for others is one of the greatest lessons my mother has taught me. Growing up Catholic, I was taught certain values. I was taught to put the needs of those who are going through difficult situations before my own. One day after church, my mother took me to meet a man. His name was Jose Contreras, and he was told he was unable to attend church because of his condition. Jose had stage-four cancer. I was offered the opportunity to go to church and bring communion for him to eat. Our relationship soon turned into a friendship. I went to church, looking forward to visiting him after. My mother would read him stories, and when I gave him the body of Christ, it made me happy to see him smile, despite his situation. It was difficult to see someone I considered a good friend incapable of doing everyday activities. I met him knowing his passing was inevitable, but when the time came, it hurt. I was able to fill his last few days with even a speck of happiness, and that small realization helped me grieve. This hardship made me realize that, when I grew up, I wanted a career that helped others. Health science is the link to my desire to help people and my ability to do so. It is something that I now find invaluable.

Ever since I was a little girl, I knew helping people was something I wanted to do. My mom is a hard-working, independent woman. However, she has had some health-related battles throughout her life. In the times that she has struggled with her health, I’ve had to take on more responsibilities. I had to help her up the stairs, pick up and organize her medications, cook for us, and when it was needed, I had to clean and pack her surgical wound. It was difficult to see someone I considered the strongest person I knew incapable of doing everyday activities. But I felt accomplished knowing I was contributing to her recovery in any way I could. Although it was upsetting to see her lose her independence, these experiences brought us closer together, and because of that, we have a strong bond. These hard times made me realize that when I grew up I wanted a career that helped others, but I was not entirely sure how to do that. Being raised in Southwest Detroit, it is rare to hear of anyone graduating from college or even wanting to attend. It was really hard for me to picture someone like myself becoming a doctor, lawyer, or really anything that required a higher education. I felt discouraged, believing my future was not going to be much different from my present. That was until I saw my older sister leave for college. She was the first in my family to do so. Because of her, I learned that it was possible to do something ambitious with my life. Our parents came to this country with nothing but the motivation to create a better future for their children. I realized it was up to us to make the most of the advantages we were born with in the United States. I want to set an example for the young people in my community. I have to show them that it is possible for people like us to do something with our lives. However, I was still not sure what that would look like. Then, in my freshman year of high school, I attended a field trip to a medical school's anatomy lab. That lit the spark for my fascination with health science. I learned that science was the key to understanding the world around me. It is the link between my desire to help people and my ability to do so. It is something that I now find invaluable and am passionate about. As time goes by, I realize that becoming a doctor would achieve my main goals in life. As a doctor, I would have a stimulating career that would help me change the lives of others and uplift my community.

Ever since I was a little girl, I knew helping people was something I wanted to do. My mom was very sick when I was growing up, and I helped her a lot. It ranged from helping her up the stairs to thoroughly cleaning her wound and replacing her packing dressing. It was difficult to see someone I considered the strongest person I knew incapable of doing everyday activities. It filled me with joy to know that I was contributing to her recovery in any way I could. Although it was upsetting to see her that way, that experience brought us closer together, and because of that, we have a strong bond. This hardship made me realize that when I grew up I wanted a career that helped others, but I wasn't entirely sure how to do that. Being raised in Southwest Detroit, it was rare to hear of anyone graduating from college or even wanting to attend. It was really hard for me to picture someone like myself becoming a doctor, lawyer, or really anything that required a higher education. I felt discouraged, believing my future was not going to be much different from my present. That was until I saw my older sister leave for college. She was the first in my family to do so. Because of her, I learned that it was possible to do something ambitious with my life. Our parents came to this country with nothing but the motivation to create a better future for their children. I realized it was up to us to make the most of the advantages we were born with in the United States. I want to set an example for the young people in my community. I have to show them that it is possible for people like us to do something with our lives. However, I was still not sure what that would look like. Then, in my freshman year of high school, I attended a field trip to a medical school's anatomy lab. That experience lit the spark for my fascination with health science. I learned that science was the key to understanding the world around me. Health science is the link between my desire to help people and my ability to do so. It is something that I now find invaluable. As time goes by, I realize that becoming a doctor would achieve my main goals in life. As a doctor, I would have a stimulating career that would help me change the lives of others and uplift my community.