My name is Samantha Pina and I currently attend an online public school. I love reading and I read a chapter every night before I go to sleep. I am currently in the book club and CSF/leadership club. I take part in runs on behalf of the Glioblastoma Research Organization to raise money and awareness for Glioblastoma, a stage four brain cancer. I also attended Head to the Hill to advocate for the passing of the BRAIN (Bolstering Research And Innovation Now) act to increase funding for brain tumor research and for a day in July dedicated to awareness of Glioblastoma. Here my family and I met with representatives of California and our senator. My plans post high school are to obtain my biology (BS) degree to set me up for a medical career. I am going to shadow several professions including ones in neurology and neuro-oncology. I want to be able to help brain tumor patients and provide better treatment and an extended and improved quality of life. If I could start my own charity, my mission would be to increase funding and awareness surrounding brain tumors. My father was diagnosed with Glioblastoma in 2020 and we had no idea what it was. We were uninformed and forced to navigate the journey with the information we had from the internet (because our doctor told us to simply “look it up.”) After he was diagnosed, he lost the ability to walk, talk, and the right side of his body was essentially left paralyzed. He went through the standard cycles of radiation and chemo and was not eligible for surgery or any clinical trials. Our goal as an organization would be to aid patients and caregivers. We need funding for improved treatment plans and we need more information. Volunteers would organize bake sales and organize runs to raise money. To raise awareness, we would put together our pamphlets and donate them to hospitals (because the hospital we went to told us that there was no dedicated pamphlet). I don’t want anyone else to have to be told to “look it up.” In addition we would dedicate groups of volunteers to help patients and caregivers. When my father couldn’t walk, my mom and I had to carry him up and down the stairs by ourselves. We had no one else to help but these volunteers would change that. They could help transport patients to their appointments, cook meals to drop off, and help pick up medications or medical devices that patients may need over time. We would essentially be the extra pair of helping hands that so many families need when they are battling a brain tumor. I hope to inspire the community to come together and really see just how challenging brain tumors can be. I want to do everything I can to improve the lives of patients and caregivers within the brain tumor community. No one should have to fight this fight alone. If we work together, we can can achieve our goals and make a lasting impact.

During the height of the pandemic in 2020, we dropped my father off at the hospital due to him experiencing persistent, throbbing headaches and increasingly blurry vision. Later that week, we received a phone call from the doctor. Glioblastoma. What even is that? I would soon learn that it was stage four brain cancer. All the doctor could tell us was to spend as much time together as possible. My mom quit her job and I decided to continue going to school online. We were determined to take care of my dad especially as he got worse. He would soon lose his ability to talk, his ability to walk, and the right side of his body was essentially left paralyzed. I would feed him, bathe him, brush his teeth, and help my mom carry him up and down our apartment stairs to his appointments. On August 6th of 20203, he experienced two back to back seizures and took his last breath. His death affected me in more ways than one. How could something so horrible, so frightening, teach you the most important lessons in life? His death ignited my passion to help others experiencing a similar journey. From that moment on, I knew that I wanted to do everything in my power to prevent others from experiencing that major loss of autonomy, from experiencing the horrors of losing yourself or the person you loved. I have taken part in runs such as the Turkey Trot for the Glioblastoma Research Organization in order to raise awareness and funds for research. However, there is one experience in particular that has made the biggest impact on me. Last year, my family was fortunate enough to receive a scholarship to advocate at Head to the Hill on behalf of the National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS). We met with representatives of California and with our senator. We advocated for the BRAIN (Bolstering Research And Innovation Now) act and for a dedicated day in July for Glioblastoma awareness. It is extremely important to inform the government of the funding needed for diseases such as deadly and life destroying diseases. During my time though, I found meeting other advocates to be the most profound experience. I met people from all over the country as far as New York and as close as Arizona. I met patients, caregivers, nurses, doctors. Fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, wives, husbands. All these people who had been touched by a brain tumor in one way or another. I saw my father in those patients, my mother in those caregivers, and myself in those doctors. I felt all kinds of emotions: sorrow, compassion, determination. I felt my passion ignite within my soul. My father taught me how short life is. He taught me how important it is to help others and to continue to pursue your education. No matter what career path I choose, I know that I want to continue to aid the brain tumor community. We need more funding, more awareness, and we need better qualities of life. I plan to obtain my biology (BS) degree in order to set myself up for a career in neurology or neuro-oncology. This scholarship would bring me one step closer to my goal of having better treatments, an extended life expectancy, and a better quality of life. I don’t want anyone else to experience or see the horrors that my father experienced. I also want to start my own organization to increase awareness and funding for brain tumor research. I am committed to aiding the brain tumor community, no matter what.

Glioblastoma. A word I’d never thought I’d hear. The doctor would call us later and tell us: “spend as much time as possible together.” During the height of the pandemic in 2020, we dropped him off at the hospital because he’d begun to experience piercing headaches and blurry vision. He came home, stumbling and needing a walker. My mom quit her job and I decided to continue going to school online. We were determined to stay with him until the end. My mom and I helped him up the stairs, the same stairs he had walked down all by himself a week prior. Soon after, his condition worsened. He lost the ability to talk, to walk, and the right side of his body was left paralyzed. I realized just how much we take for granted. I fed him, brushed his teeth, bathed him, pushed him in a wheelchair, and helped carry him up and down the stairs of our apartment to appointments. I helped him do all the things that we normally would not think twice about in our daily lives. It was also the little moments though that warmed my heart and gave me hope. Every night, I would sit down with my father and tell him how school went. Afterwards I would put on one of his favorite cartoons and tuck him in. It is always the little things that bring you the most joy I realized. It was me holding his hand as he drifted off to sleep or him staring intently as I recalled my day that I felt the closest to him even if I wasn’t sure if he understood anymore. On August 6th 2023, my father would experience two back to back seizures and become one with the universe. Seeing firsthand his loss of autonomy had already pained me but seeing him convulse left me devastated. I felt a fire ignite within my soul. Born from the heartbreak and the lessons that shaped me over the last three years. I was determined to do anything I could to raise money and awareness for brain cancer. We take part in runs such as the Turkey Trot for the National Brain tumor society in order to raise money for research. Last year our family received a scholarship from the National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS) to advocate for brain tumor awareness in Washington DC. We met with our representatives and California's senator to advocate for the BRAIN (Bolstering Research And Innovation Now) act to increase funding for research and a dedicated day in July for Glioblastoma awareness. The most memorable moment though was meeting fellow advocates. Patients, caregivers, nurses, doctors. Fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, husbands, wives. All people who have been touched by a brain tumor in one form or another. I saw my father as I met patients that couldn’t speak, patients who couldn’t walk. I saw my mother in the caregivers who were determined to raise more funding, determined to prevent this fate for others. I saw myself in those doctors. Those doctors who had the most compassion I’d ever felt, the brightest fires I’d ever seen. Receiving this scholarship will put me one step closer to my goal. My goal is to obtain my biology degree and become a neuro-oncologist. I want to improve the quality of life and ensure that no one else has this experience. I am going to continue to advocate in person and online and I plan to start my own organization to raise the awareness and funds needed to better the lives of brain cancer patients.

Glioblastoma. A word I never thought I would hear. A word that I did not even know the meaning of. Yet, on October 31st, of 2020 during the height of the pandemic we would drop my father off at the hospital due to him complaining of piercing headaches and blurry vision. About a week later I would learn that Glioblastoma was stage four brain cancer. All the doctor could tell us was to spend as much time together as a family as possible. During that time, he slowly lost his ability to walk, talk, and the right side of his body essentially became paralyzed. My mom and I carried him up and down our apartment stairs because we could not afford any other apartments. We fed him, bathed him, brushed his teeth, and helped him do all the things we normally would not think twice about. It was during the late hours of the night when I would sit and watch him stare back at me with his silent child-like eyes that I realized just how much we take for granted. August 6th of 2023 was the night he suffered from two back to back seizures and the night he would take his final breath. How could his life have been cut so short? How could his quality of life have been so poor? I felt a fire burning in the depth of my soul. Born from the heartbreak and the lessons that had molded me for the past three years. There had to be more that we could do. My family then participated in events such as the Turkey Trot on behalf of the Glioblastoma organization in order to raise money and awareness. The most life changing experience though was when we volunteered to advocate on behalf of the National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS) during Head to the Hill. We were fortunate enough to receive a scholarship to advocate in Washington DC to our representative and our senator. We advocated for the Bolstering Research And Innovation Now (BRAIN) Act and for a dedicated awareness day for Glioblastoma in July. We emphasized the importance of increased funding for research and increased public awareness about brain tumors. I did not even know about glioblastoma or about any brain tumors in general before my father was diagnosed. We shared our stories and highlighted the poor quality of life that many brain tumor patients had. During my time in Washington DC I got to meet so many people. I met patients, caregivers, nurses, doctors, students. I met fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, sisters, brothers. All these people who have been touched by a brain tumor in one way or another. Brain tumors such as meningioma, astrocytoma, Glioblastoma and so many more. My time here stoked the fire within as I realized just how widespread across the country this disease was. Honestly, I saw my father as I noticed patients that couldn’t speak, patients who couldn’t walk. I saw my mother in the caregivers who were determined to raise more funding, determined to prevent this fate for others. I saw myself in those doctors. Those doctors who had the most compassion I’d ever felt, the brightest fires I’d ever seen. I continue to volunteer within the brain tumor community whether it be through walks or advocating online. My goal is to obtain my biology (BS) degree in order to set me up for a medical career. In college, I plan to shadow professions in neurology and in neuro-oncology. No matter what, I will continue to give back as long as the fire within me burns.

Glioblastoma. The day I heard that word was the day everything changed. My father was diagnosed with stage four brain cancer in 2020, the height of the pandemic. All the doctor could say was to spend as much time as possible with him. We had never been in a good place financially. I still remember growing up and constantly moving from apartment to apartment because we couldn’t afford the rent. When the pandemic began, my father was fired and my mom was sent home to work. After his diagnosis however, my mom quit her job and instead became an IHSS caregiver. I decided to continue going to school online not only so that I could spend as much time with my dad as possible, but so that I could take up odd jobs such as babysitting, dogsitting, and tutoring. During the time my dad was sick, I realized just how much we take for granted. My father lost his ability to talk and walk early on. We would push him in a wheelchair and carry him up and down our apartment stairs to get him to appointments. I would help feed him, bathe him, brush his teeth, and all the things we do everyday without even thinking twice about. August 6th 2023, he suffered from two back to back seizures and took his last breath. I had begun to feel the reality of how short life truly is. How precious and equally painful this entire experience was. I only regret that it took my dad getting sick to teach me the most important lessons in life. My mom is still working as an IHSS caregiver although we now take care of my grandma who is on dialysis. We are now surviving on her income along with the survivor’s benefits we receive for me and my brother. I have continued to take local jobs and I now have a potential city job. Despite our financial situation, a fire ignited within my soul. A fire pushing me to earn my degree and help others who have met a similar fate. This scholarship would mean the world to my family because it would allow me to focus on my education and continue to advocate for brain tumor awareness without worrying about making money. I am committed to earning my biology degree and helping brain tumor patients such as my father.

I still remember dropping my dad off at the hospital on October 31st, 2020. The pandemic was at its height and at that time my father had begun having blurry vision and piercing headaches. A couple days later, the doctor would tell us to spend as much time as possible with him before it’s too late. My father was diagnosed with Glioblastoma, a stage four brain cancer, and our whole lives were turned upside down. All of a sudden he needed a walker and we needed to take him to radiation appointments Monday through Friday. At this point, I was going to school online and I am extremely grateful to have been able to keep going online during this period of time. Over time, he slowly deteriorated as he lost his ability to talk, walk, and the ability to use the right side of his body. My mom and I carried him up and down the stairs of our apartment to appointments, fed him, bathed him, and pushed him around in his wheelchair. When he became bed bound, we would turn him over to prevent bed sores and watch over him (because at this time he had begun having seizures). One thing stayed the same though. I was determined to spend as much time as possible with him so every night I always sat down with him and told him about my day. He had always loved hearing about school and I thought there was no reason to stop even if I was not sure whether or not he understood me. I felt a fire within me. A fire guiding me to take care of him the best I could while still maintaining my grades in school. A fire that has only intensified over time. My father passed in August of 2023, a few weeks from the start of my tenth grade year. I had already begun to feel how short life was but his death placed those feelings under a magnifying glass. Life is too short to not achieve your goals. If there is an opportunity, take it. If you want to earn a degree, earn it. I have taken the opportunity to advocate for brain tumor awareness by advocating at Head to the Hill on behalf of the National Brain Tumor Society. I have always taken the initiative to go on runs to raise funds and awareness for brain tumors. My goal is to pursue my biology (BS) degree to set me up for a potential career in neurology or neuro-oncology. I now live every day like it could be my last because unfortunately no one knows when they are going to go. I take the initiative in participating in clubs at school, I do the awkward dance in public when everyone else is too embarrassed to do it, I take the time to laugh, cry, and enjoy life to the fullest. Life is too short so I encourage everyone to live their lives to the fullest.

Jack Terry is inspirational because despite not being able to speak English and only having an elementary school education, he continued to pursue a degree and even attend medical school. Not only that but he survived the concentration camps and lost his entire family. He had to navigate life in America while simultaneously navigating the emotional and physical toll he took in Poland. His story is a story of hope as he continued to pursue opportunities in America while devoting time to spreading his knowledge to students and inspiring them to pursue higher education as well. My father was diagnosed with Glioblastoma (stage four brain cancer) in 2020. Covid had just hit and I am thankful to have been home already when he was diagnosed. During this time, my father had a walker and needed help around the house. I learned to balance my time studying with the time I spend caring for him. Over time he had lost his ability to walk, talk, and move his right side of his body. Monday through Friday we would carry my dad up and down the stairs to appointments and radiation. I would feed him, bathe him, and help my mom adjust his position in the hospital bed to prevent bed sores. It was during this time that I truly realized how short life is and how important it is to take every opportunity you can. After my father passed, my family and I received a scholarship to advocate on behalf of The National Brain Tumor Society in Washington to pass the BRAIN (Bolstering Research And Innovation Now) and suggest a day dedicated to awareness for Glioblastoma in July. We have also taken part in runs to raise money and awareness for brain tumors such as the Turkey Trot. I plan to continue to be an advocate for more funds for research, more awareness, and more support from the government regarding brain tumors. I am planning to obtain my degree in biology (BS) to set me up for a potential career in the health care field. I plan to shadow certain professions in neurology and neuro-oncology in order to better understand potential career opportunities. I also plan to continue to look for volunteer opportunities with organizations such as The National Brain Tumor Society and the Slay Society in order to further emphasize the importance of brain tumor research and awareness. I plan to use my studies to further my advancement in brain tumor research and find better treatment plans.

I plan to go to college and earn my biology (BS) degree to set me up for a potential medical career. My father was diagnosed with grade four brain cancer (Glioblastoma) back in 2020 and he later passed in 2023. I have advocated with The National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS) in Washington DC for funding for brain tumor research. I have also gone on runs to raise money such as the Turkey Trot to raise money for brain tumor awareness and research. Because of this I have decided to shadow neurologists and neuro-oncologists when I get to college. My parents and grandparents were not able to obtain a degree. I want to change that and aid the community by expanding my knowledge. I plan to volunteer for NBTS and continue to advocate for the BRAIN (Bolstering Research And Innovation Now) Act and policies that will bring more awareness of brain tumors to the government and the public. I have also met an amazing community of caregivers at the support groups in Slay Society. I plan to volunteer for Slay and continue to emphasize the need for more resources and funding for the brain tumor society. I plan to achieve my goal of entering the health care field and use my education to give back to the brain tumor community. I have realized that we need more funding, awareness, and more research into potential treatments. No matter what career path I take, I will always continue to advocate and volunteer.

Shortness of breath, vomiting, weakness, swelling, itching. These are all symptoms my grandmother began experiencing before the doctors finally told her that her kidneys were failing. She has been on dialysis ever since and both my mom and I help take care of her. Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday we drop my grandma off at dialysis and pick her up. Every Sunday I go over to visit her and every time we have our routine. I’ll make her machaca with scrambled eggs or a greek yogurt parfait if she does not feel like eating eggs. She’ll take her insulin about thirty minutes before and then I’ll serve her. Afterwards, I’ll help her down the stairs and push her around the neighborhood in her wheelchair. When we get home, she exercises with her foot paddler and she’ll use her weights. Then I’ll make her a grilled shrimp salad for lunch and she’ll take her insulin again before she eats. Afterwards we’ll do more of her exercises and go for another walk around the neighborhood. For dinner, I’ll make her our favorite dish: caldo de pollo (my modified version of chicken soup). She’d eat after she took her next dose of insulin. As I have spent more and more time with my grandmother, I realized just how demanding diabetes is both emotionally and physically. My grandma is resilient despite her emotional hardships as she navigates her constant care. Through her journey I see the determination and perseverance that one needs to navigate life. Her lifestyle changed dramatically due to diabetes and she has become stronger as a result of it. It’s a difficult journey but she is more determined than ever to take care of herself and emphasize the importance of others preventing diabetes. I intensely aware of how important it is to lead a healthy lifestyle both physically and mentally. My grandma has taught me how important it is to take care of my health. I have adopted my own routines allowing me to eat healthy and exercise. I have also grown as a person by seeing my grandmother persevere. It’s extremely important to continue to make yourself a schedule and set yourself up for success in all aspects of your life. Whether emotionally, physically, or professionally taking care of your health and having organization in your life. Taking care of my grandma has shown me the importance of navigating life not only prioritizing your goals but also your own health. My schedule will adjust as I head into college but I will continue to persevere as I am determined to attain my goals while taking care of myself.

Success means achieving a balance in life. It means achieving your goals and going above them to continue looking for opportunities to better yourself. Success means that you have fulfilled your goals while growing as a result of your journey. Because you have achieved that balance, you can now help those around you as they strive for success. Growing up, I remember my parents always being in debt. We had to decide whether to pay the rent or buy groceries and we moved from apartment to apartment. However, we persevered and now we found an affordable apartment that allows us to be able to buy groceries and everything else we need. My parents succeeded at raising my brother and I to be healthy and determined children. They succeeded at volunteering for the community while working full-time. They succeeded at tackling life’s challenges and getting through the debt together rather than letting it drive them apart. We have grown as people because of our journey, and I will continue to learn as I continue to strive for success. Although my parents and my grandparents were not able to attain a college degree, I am determined to follow my dreams and take the opportunity to live a fulfilling life. My desire for success has only intensified over the years especially after my father passed to brain cancer in 2023. Life is too short to not take advantage of its opportunities. Essentially, I have realized that success is being able to lead a fulfilling life and positively impacting not only yourself but those around you. I have gone to advocate at Head to the Hill for brain tumor awareness. I met so inspiring people: doctors, patients, nurses, caregivers, and more. Despite their hardships, I saw a fire within every single one of them. In their eyes I saw the fire of perseverance. They’ve grown as a result of their hardships and that is why they come every year to continue to advocate for change not only for their loved ones but for everyone else’s. I want to be like them and continue to advocate and look for more opportunities to aid the community. Success makes you grow as a person because you learn to persevere despite your circumstances. This scholarship will allow me to continue to strive towards my goals without having to worry about burdening my family. I will be able to continue putting all my effort into passing my classes and taking internships to gain valuable experience rather than having to worry about working and paying off my student loans. I want to continue to volunteer with the National Brain Tumor Society and continue to advocate for brain tumor awareness rather than have to dedicate my time to working so I can pay off my loans. This scholarship would mean the world to me because it will allow me to reach my full potential and take full advantage of my resources.

I am a fan of Wicked because Elphaba is the embodiment of authenticity. Despite her differences and her hardships she continues to defy society’s expectations. Elphaba is constantly made an outcast because of her looks and abilities despite this she perseveres. I admire the fact that she stays true to herself and chooses self love over expectations. Oftentimes we can feel pressured to conform to authority figures and to blend in with society even if we know that it is morally wrong. I’ve realized that the entire Wicked series challenges you to really think about the definition of “wicked.” Elphaba is known as the wicked witch of the west but is she truly wicked? No, in fact she is misunderstood and deemed to be bad because she is trying to expose the truly wicked people. Meanwhile, Glinda is known as the good witch but is she truly good? She is not inherently evil but she proves that she is more concerned with the appearance of being good and therefore is complacent with those who are actually wicked. The entire film franchise is a masterpiece simply because it forces the audience to think deeply on the meanings of “good” and “wicked.” It also highlights the importance of being your authentic self especially when you are different despite the hardships you may face.