Leaving the Navajo Nation has made me realize that living under impoverished conditions was a massive setup for failure. Recognizing I had alcoholic parents with gambling addiction and witnessing domestic violence was hard to swallow. As a child, I remember feeling that I was never enough by family members because I was not meeting their expectations of perfection. Learning that my grandparents attended “Indian” residential schools where they endured various forms of abuse was just the beginning of this toxic pattern. As the second youngest of six children, I felt like breaking this generational curse. I graduated high school in 2010 as co-valedictorian. I continued to the University of Arizona and completed three years in the College of Architecture in Sustainable Built Environments program. Unfortunately, I did not receive my Bachelor of Science due to academic challenges while becoming a mother and wife. My peers, however, have successfully graduated, and knowing their successes gives me hope that I, too, will graduate and reach my educational and career goals. In 2017, I worked as an office specialist at the Tohono O’odham Nation. Although I enjoyed my efforts and accomplishments, I felt I was not living up to my full potential. I had already been out of school for six years and knew I needed to return to school to move up the career ladder. I took a career break, signed up for full-time status at the Pima Community College, and started taking my general education courses. A “Choosing My Career” class led me to take my first engineering course, which piqued my interest in environmental engineering. The class incorporated team projects, technical writing, and introductory chemistry, biology, and physics knowledge. As a first-generation college student from the Navajo Nation who grew up without necessities like running water and electricity, I sought out research that focused on providing clean, accessible water and high-efficiency, low-cost energy to impoverished communities. While attending Pima Community College, I expanded my engineering knowledge through my “Intro to Engineering” class. The class consisted of group assignments, presentations, and learning the basics of engineering. The technical writing portion of the course showed the importance of utilizing critical thinking, data analysis, and mathematical calculations of Physics and chemistry for real-life applications. I decided to pursue Environmental Engineering. Through Pima Community College’s Engineering Department, I had the opportunity to participate in the Pima-UAZ STEM Bridge program, a transfer program to the University of Arizona. The program supports low-income students majoring in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. I transferred to the University of Arizona in Fall 2021. As a low-income transfer student, a mother, and a woman in STEM, I soon became overwhelmed with imposter syndrome and struggled during my first year back at the University of Arizona. On top of that, I became a victim of a domestic violence dispute that affected my mental health. With all these challenges I faced, I didn’t drop out. I completed yet another year at the University of Arizona and will be graduating in Spring 2025. I will continue on a Ph.D. program in Environmental Engineering, at the University of Arizona, and use my research skills and knowledge for environmental projects. I will take my Fundamentals of Engineering Exam and become an Environmental Engineer so that I can assist with the planning and design of projects to protect the public human and ecological health of rural communities. I am determined to be strengthened by my educational values so that I can help and share my expertise and technical knowledge with my native community and the world beyond it.