If I could go back to those two winter days to tell my ten-year-old self not to be afraid of the desert, I would let her know she would have the chance to fulfill her most ambitious calling. Filled with the terror of getting caught by the border patrol, the journey to this country was full of obstacles. Once I physically pulled my mom over the dividing line between the United States and Mexico, it dawned on me that she was trying to provide a better life for us in this new country. As a young immigrant in this country, after assimilating and mastering the English language, I was sought out by family members to interpret at their medical appointments. Through interpreting, I eased my family's anxiety when they could not communicate with their provider. It was during these appointments that I fell in love with medicine. After high school, I started working as an interpreter for the broader community. The many hours of interpreting illuminated many disparities in healthcare that existed due to socioeconomic status and language barriers. I cherished and will remember how that sigh of relief sounded when the patients left the office feeling like they were heard and understood. I knew then I wanted to pursue a career in healthcare. When I chose to become a physician assistant (PA), it was after shadowing a PA who navigated meetings with all his patients very professionally, particularly with his Spanish-speaking patients. He was the physical manifestation of my dream, a linguistically and culturally competent Latinx provider. Getting to this point, being a first-year PA student has not been easy, and it has taken ten years. At first, I was not even sure I could access higher education as an undocumented immigrant and a first-generation college student. I joined the DREAM Movement in 2009, a movement led by undocumented youth to create a pathway to citizenship for themselves through legislation called the DREAM Act. Although the DREAM Act failed in the Federal Senate in 2010, I decided to form a group of activists in my community to fight for change locally in Maryland. Through our relentless advocacy and the support of many others, we passed the Maryland Dream Act, legislation allowing undocumented immigrants to pay in-state tuition prices at public universities, in 2012. I grew the most during these years. On a personal and professional level, I learned power dynamics, interpersonal relationships, accountability, and realizing the power of my voice. After graduating from college, I worked as a scribe and pharmacy technician to continue to get the picture of medicine. I quickly realized the holistic care required outside of the clinic. As a scribe, I was present with the provider, taking notes during patient visits and seeing prescriptions sent to the local pharmacy. Working in a clinic and pharmacy allowed me to see the bulk of communication and collaboration required to complete a patient's treatment and the need for bilingual providers at ALL levels. Our experiences do shape and drive us for the present and the future. The challenges I have endured thus far have afforded me the ability to have a more comprehensive approach to impacting people across many cultures and languages. Minimizing the barriers people face during their health and wellness journey is one of the drives that keep me pursuing a career as a PA.