Some of the most important things I have learned about healthcare did not come from a textbook. They came from working in a dental office while also trying to figure out the kind of future I wanted for myself. I started at Emergency and Family Dental as an intern during high school. What began as an opportunity to gain experience eventually turned into a paid position as I earned more responsibilities and became someone the office could rely on. Since then, I have worked directly with patients by scheduling appointments, communicating in both English and Spanish, discussing treatment plans, handling insurance, and occasionally assisting with patient care. Balancing work and school has not always been easy, but it has made me more independent and shown me a side of healthcare I could never fully understand from a classroom. Science feels different when there is a real person sitting in front of you depending on that knowledge and care. That experience is one of the reasons I chose to study Biochemistry at the New Jersey Institute of Technology on the pre-med track. I love that biochemistry allows me to understand the human body from two perspectives. Biology helps me understand what is happening, while chemistry helps me understand how and why it happens at a molecular level. My long-term goal is to take that knowledge into medicine and become a neonatologist, caring for newborns and supporting their families during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. Pursuing this path also means entering spaces where women are still underrepresented. Attending a STEM-focused university with a heavily male student population has made me more aware of that imbalance, but it has never made me feel like I should choose something easier. If anything, it makes me want to prove that I belong there. I have become involved in HOSA and the Pre-Health Club at NJIT, and I hope to continue pursuing research, clinical experience, and opportunities that prepare me for medical school. There is also a financial reality behind everything I am working toward. My parents are currently supporting two children attending STEM-focused colleges, and I continue working while pursuing my degree. Tuition is only part of the cost. Transportation, textbooks, supplies, fees, and everyday expenses add up quickly. Receiving this scholarship would relieve some of that pressure and give me more freedom to focus on my academics and pursue opportunities such as research, volunteering, and clinical experiences that may not come with a paycheck. College was not always considered the obvious path for the women in my family, which makes being here even more meaningful to me. I was the youngest child who loved competitions, science fairs, earning honors, and seeing how far I could challenge myself. That curiosity eventually became something bigger than getting a good grade. It became a future I could actually picture for myself. I am not pursuing biochemistry simply because I enjoy science. I am pursuing it because I want to understand science well enough to someday use it to care for someone else. I hope to become part of a generation of women who continue making space for themselves in STEM while becoming the kind of physician whose knowledge, compassion, and determination can make a difference in a family's life.

I was born in Hoboken, a city that has always felt like home, even though my family couldn’t afford to stay there. Growing up nearby, in an overpopulated town called Union City, I saw both sides of the city: the charm and opportunity, and the quiet sacrifices it took for my parents, especially my mom, to keep us close to it. Hoboken was where my mom worked long hours, as a factory worker, and as an iron presser in a dry cleaner, and now as a housekeeper for several families. She’s one of the hardest-working people I know; strong, independent, and endlessly selfless. As a kid, I used to feel embarrassed telling people what my mom did for work. Everyone else’s parents had “business” jobs or worked in offices, and it made me look and feel little compared to everyone else. But now that I’m older, I see how much strength it takes to do what she does. My mom’s jobs gave us stability, and her sacrifices taught me what true independence looks like, and to me, that moral is worth more than money will ever be. When my brother and I begged to join Taekwondo, my mom never told us no, even though she knew the classes were expensive. She worked extra hours and shifts to make it possible. Thanks to her hard work, I studied for nine years, and my Taekwondo center became my second home. It taught me perseverance, discipline, and how to lead with compassion, skills I now use every day when I teach and guide my younger students. Unfortunately, I recently decided to quit so I could help with bills. I now work part-time at a dental office, and I don’t earn a lot, but it's everything to me because it allows me to ease her load even a little. Every step I take now is driven by gratitude for her sacrifices. My dream is to become a neonatologist, helping newborns who need the same kind of care and dedication my mother gave me all my life. I want to make her proud, not just by earning a degree, but by building a career that reflects her strength and compassion. This scholarship would mean more than financial help; it would be a reminder that everything my mom worked for wasn’t in vain. It would allow me to continue my education without adding any more financial burden to her stress, and bring me closer to becoming the doctor I’ve always dreamed of being. I may not have grown up in Hoboken, but the lessons born there, hard work, humility, and courage, are what shaped me into who I am today.