1. Please tell us a bit about yourself and what specifically motivates you. If you could do anything with your life, what do you imagine you’d do? My name is Salo, and I was born and raised in Cartagena, Colombia, where I lived until I was eleven. My mother, a single parent at the time, brought us to the United States in search of a better life. Our first two years here were incredibly difficult, we lived in a small studio apartment, sharing a bed and struggling to adjust to a new language, culture, and financial reality. But my mother’s courage and determination gave me strength. Watching her sacrifice so much to give me opportunities she never had is what motivates me most. If I could do anything with my life, I would become a pediatrician and open a community health center that provides affordable, holistic care for children and families in underserved communities. I want to be the kind of doctor who doesn’t just write prescriptions but listens deeply and treats children with compassion, cultural understanding, and respect. I also dream of returning to Colombia one day to help bring improved healthcare access to communities like the one I grew up in. My passion for helping others, especially children, drives everything I do. I believe that every child, no matter where they are from, deserves to grow up healthy, supported, and seen. My dream is to make that belief a reality through medicine, advocacy, and education. 2. What excites you about STEM? How do you feel you could make a positive impact on the world through a job in information technology? What excites me most about STEM is its power to solve real-world problems and improve lives. As someone who wants to go into medicine, I see STEM not just as a field of study, but as a toolkit for transformation. Science helps us understand how the human body works, technology allows us to deliver care in new and accessible ways, and innovation drives every advancement in healthcare. I am especially fascinated by how information technology is transforming medicine from telehealth services to digital health records to mobile health apps that support families and patients in real time. While my ultimate goal is to become a pediatrician, I know that technology will play a critical role in my career. I want to learn how to use digital tools to make healthcare more inclusive and efficient. I imagine creating or working with health tech systems that help underserved families manage their child’s care, find affordable treatment options, or access multilingual resources that empower them to advocate for their children. The intersection of information technology and medicine is where I see the greatest potential for equity. Through a job or collaboration in information technology, I believe I can help close the gap in healthcare access and create tools that meet people where they are. Whether it’s using data to identify healthcare trends or developing more user-friendly systems, I’m excited by the opportunity to use STEM not just to cure, but to connect, inform, and uplift entire communities. 3. Please describe the greatest challenge you’ve had to overcome and how you managed to get past it. The greatest challenge I’ve had to overcome was adjusting to life in the United States after immigrating from Colombia at the age of eleven. I arrived with no knowledge of English, a completely different cultural background, and the emotional weight of leaving behind the only home I had ever known. On top of that, my family faced financial struggles. We shared one bed in a cramped studio apartment, and my mom worked long hours trying to support us. I often felt out of place in school, overwhelmed by the language barrier, and unsure if I would ever catch up to my peers academically or socially. What helped me get past this challenge was resilience, community, and the example set by my mother. I threw myself into learning English, spending extra time on homework, asking for help when I didn’t understand, and using every resource available. I started watching TV with subtitles, reading children’s books in English, and practicing every chance I got. Over time, I not only learned the language but began to excel in my classes. I also found strength in my identity, learning to be proud of where I come from and using my experiences to connect with others. This experience taught me that I’m capable of adapting, growing, and thriving even when the odds are stacked against me. It also gave me a deep sense of empathy, which I carry with me as I pursue a career in healthcare. I want to support others through their challenges the way I was supported through mine.

Graduating with a college degree will be one of the most important milestones of my life, not just because of what it represents academically, but because of the doors it will open and the cycles it will help me break. For me, a degree in Child Development is more than just a credential; it’s a stepping stone toward a future in medicine, specifically pediatrics, where I can combine my passion for working with children and my desire to serve underserved communities. It will be proof to myself, my family, and the community that raised me that resilience, purpose, and hard work do lead to transformation. With this degree, I hope to begin building the foundation for a life of service, advocacy, and impact, starting with the children who need it most. My long-term goal is to become a pediatrician, but more than that, I want to be a doctor who understands a child not just medically, but emotionally, developmentally, and culturally. That’s why I chose to major in Child Development first. I believe that before you treat a body, you must understand the whole person. Understanding how children grow, think, and respond to their environments will make me a better doctor, someone who doesn’t just prescribe solutions but truly listens and responds to the needs of families. I plan to use my degree as a launchpad into medical school, where I will focus on pediatric care with an emphasis on culturally competent and community-based health. This dream is personal. I was born and raised in Cartagena, Colombia, where access to quality healthcare was limited for many, especially those in lower-income or Afro-Colombian communities like mine. When I was eleven, my mom, who had been a single parent up until then, brought us to the United States in search of a better life. Our first years here were incredibly difficult. We shared a bed in a studio apartment, struggled to find stable work, and faced constant financial uncertainty. But my mom never gave up, and watching her sacrifice everything for my future is what pushes me to reach higher. Her strength taught me that education is the key to breaking cycles of poverty, and that’s exactly what I plan to do. As an immigrant, a woman of color, and someone who has experienced economic hardship firsthand, I know what it’s like to feel invisible in systems that weren’t built for people like me. That’s part of why I want to become a pediatrician: I want to represent and advocate for the kids who often fall through the cracks. I want to create a space in healthcare where children of color, immigrant families, and low-income communities feel seen, heard, and respected. I want to work in underserved areas, whether urban or rural, and bring not just medical care but empathy, understanding, and trust to the communities I serve. I also carry a deep sense of responsibility to those who’ve supported me along the way, my mother, my teachers, and my community. I want to make them proud by using my education to uplift others. This scholarship would not only ease my financial burden but also honor the sacrifices that brought me here and fuel the purpose that drives me forward. Receiving this scholarship would mean more than financial relief, it would mean validation. It would be a sign that others believe in my potential just as much as I do. Scholarships like this one make higher education possible for students like me who don’t have a financial safety net to fall back on. Every dollar I receive in support brings me one step closer to graduating debt-free, which means I can focus on my education and prepare for medical school without the constant worry of how I’m going to pay for books, tuition, transportation, or even basic needs. It also allows me to invest more of my time in leadership, community service, and research opportunities that will make me a stronger medical school candidate and, eventually, a better doctor. But beyond the practical, this scholarship would help affirm my belief that I deserve to be in these spaces. Like many first-generation students and immigrants, I’ve battled imposter syndrome. I’ve sat in classrooms and wondered if I belonged, especially when I didn’t see others who looked like me or shared my story. Scholarships help combat that doubt by saying, “Yes, you belong. Yes, we see you. Yes, you are worth investing in.” That kind of support means everything. Looking to the future, I plan to continue my education through medical school, ideally at an institution that values service, equity, and innovation in pediatric care. After completing my medical degree and residency, I want to work in a children’s hospital or clinic that serves low-income populations. Eventually, I’d love to open a community health center that not only provides pediatric care but also family education, mental health services, and early childhood development support. I believe in a holistic approach to health, one that recognizes how social, emotional, and environmental factors affect a child’s well-being. My dream is to build a space that supports the whole child and uplifts the entire family. I also hope to return to Colombia one day and contribute to pediatric care there, especially in communities that lack access to consistent healthcare. Whether it’s through short-term medical missions or long-term collaborations with clinics, I want to give back to the place where my journey began. I want to show children in Cartagena that someone who walked the same streets, faced the same challenges, and shared their dreams made it and so can they. In the end, my goal is not just to graduate with a degree, or even just to become a doctor. My goal is to create change. I want to be part of a generation of healthcare professionals who not only treat illness but fight inequality, challenge injustice, and make care accessible to all. This scholarship is not just funding my education, it's fueling a purpose much greater than myself. It’s helping me rise so that I can lift others.

I was born and raised in Colombia and lived there until I was about eleven years old. Growing up, I saw my mother work tirelessly as a single parent, doing everything she could to support me and my grandma. Life wasn’t easy, but she was determined to build a better future for us. When I was in sixth grade, she made the brave decision to move to the United States, hoping to find more opportunities and financial stability. The transition was difficult. During our first two years in the U.S., we shared a bed in a small studio apartment. There were nights when we didn’t know how we’d pay for rent, and moments when pride had to be set aside just to make it through the week. Those experiences shaped my understanding of money not as a tool for luxury, but as a lifeline. Back then, I didn’t know what budgeting, credit scores, or savings accounts really meant. Everything I learned about money came from watching my mom, how she stretched every dollar, juggled bills, and put my needs before her own. Unfortunately, like many immigrant families, we didn’t have access to formal financial education. Even when I entered school in the U.S., there weren’t classes that taught me how to manage money, apply for financial aid, or prepare for the future. That lack of information stuck with me. Now, as I prepare to study Child Development and work toward becoming a pediatrician, I understand how crucial financial literacy is. Medical school will be a big investment, and I want to go into that chapter of my life with the tools to manage my finances wisely. I’ve started teaching myself,watching videos, reading articles, and asking questions. I’ve learned how to budget, how credit works, and how student loans should be approached carefully. More importantly, I want to take what I learn and help others; especially kids and families like mine who didn’t grow up with access to financial guidance. As a pediatrician, I hope to be a resource not just for medical care but also for education and empowerment. Understanding money gives people choices and freedom, and I want to be part of breaking that cycle of financial struggle for my community, for my people, for anyone who shared or shares my same experience and for anyone who is also looking to progress in life like my mom and I did.