My highest priority career goal at the moment is to increase my skills and ability to make a positive impact in relation to the overall health of the individuals in my community. I also aim to elicit the same joy that I have seen while helping clients achieve success during my time as a therapist aide within the public health department. And I believe attaining such a generous award would support those goals by contributing a portion of the funds I require to complete the Master of Public Health program I have been accepted into at San Jose State University. While working as a physical and occupational therapy aide, one of my notable accomplishments has been being part of the process of helping children with special needs reach important milestones. Seeing them overcome obstacles has been a constant source of motivation to continue my educational endeavor. Another accomplishment of mine that involved a leadership aspect revolves around acquiring experience working with individuals from many different cultures, backgrounds, and communities. This contact has helped me grow into someone who is more aware of specific preferences that a client might have due to their upbringing or cultural background. To help make communication easier for many of these individuals, my supervisor assigned me the task of managing something called an AMN interpreting machine, and seeing relief come to parents once they can explain what they need for their child has been very fulfilling for me. The goals I have for my education and future career seem very similar to the ACHE of Southern California's purpose and objectives. For one, I have a passion for deepening my understanding of how I can better address the healthcare needs of the community I live in. Since working with vulnerable populations for the Department of Public Health, I have gained a strong love for healthcare, and I know my calling is rooted in improving the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of the individuals my work puts me into contact with. I believe this closely aligns with the education objectives that ACHE of Southern California wants to help students fulfill. I also desire to expand upon my leadership skills so that I am well equipped for any situation, especially when it is related to bettering the health needs of others. I strive to have a career where I wake up every day and know that when I walk into work, I am uplifting the community in a positive and health-centered manner. I see tough challenges to tackle and the need for people who are ready to face them in order to better the lives of others. I am driven to be one of those people, and I believe that ACHE of Southern California is truly aligned with supporting individuals with that goal in mind.

Many individuals today still believe marijuana is harmless for recreational use, but I implore you to take some time and listen to how my addiction to that same drug put me in a mental facility for 20 straight days. I was a young, fresh college student sitting in an on-campus dorm room with some of my dorm mates and a few new friends we had made. In the center of the room was this glass vase-looking contraption that I would be told was called a bong. Five minutes later, the fumes I inhaled from such a device led me to have uncontrollable giggles and a very relaxed demeanor. This was my first time experiencing what this plant was capable of, but it would also lead to some unfortunate events in the future. Although I was introduced to the drug in the first year of my studies, the concrete manifestation of my addiction didn’t come about until I was in my second year of college. I assume it had to do with the fact that being in an off-campus setting gave way to less supervision than I had the year before. I had also moved off-campus with the roommate who had the most access to cannabis. In hindsight, I believe part of the reason for these choices had to do with lessening the obstacles of using my drug of choice. With the freedom and desire to do so, I began smoking marijuana every day. It was my way of being social, and although unhealthy, it was my coping mechanism for the stressors of this world. But soon, it began to turn into a problem. I would smoke through the night and rush to finish assignments in the morning, sleeping only four hours at a time. I’d also skip entire meals because a smoke session with friends seemed more fun. That devolved into me going from one hundred and forty pounds to one hundred and twenty-seven pounds within three months. But the worst was yet to come. Near the end of my third month in sophomore year, I began having erratic mood swings. Paranoia was slowly creeping in on me, and I had started losing touch with reality. Luckily, my roommates were worried enough to call my parents. Within twenty-four hours of hearing the situation, my parents had driven to my college residence, brought me back to my hometown, and admitted me into a psychiatric facility. While inside, the combination of being unable to comprehend why I was there, mixed with my delusions, made me believe I had died and was transported to a place of eternal punishment. My parents, during visitation hours, and some wonderful nurses, occasionally convinced me that it was all in my head. I sometimes wince at the thought of my parents having to suffer watching me go through so much fear and mental anguish. But with time, care, and education, I healed from what was labeled a drug-induced psychotic break. Afterwards, I swore off cannabis and similar drugs for the foreseeable future. Miraculously, I made a full mental recovery and went on to finish my Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science drug-free! I am also honored to say that I have been accepted into a Master’s Program in Public Health, which I aspire to use one day to provide individuals with the health services they need and to promote a life without the need for recreational drugs to operate in this world. I hope my words urge you to support this dream, and I thank you for listening.