It was in the winter of my junior year of high school and I had just received an email stating: Volunteer Opportunity. I had volunteered at church the summer before and the summer before that… I gave it some thought. I wanted to volunteer. I wanted to do something meaningful for others. I wanted to make an impact whether it was on one person or several. I went to volunteer the first weekend, then the next and the next. The truth was, it changed my life, my mindset, and my hope for the future. I realized it was fun to teach children. It was fun to see the next generation learn and grow little by little. Simultaneously, I was growing in wisdom and motivation. Not only was this a volunteer opportunity, but it was guiding and advising all high schoolers who came and showed genuine interest. It captivated me. I had no idea this even existed and wished I knew about it my freshman year. Suddenly, college became important, doing well in school was crucial, and scholarships are needed for financial support. It clicked in that I undoubtedly wanted to succeed, and become the veterinarian I had always wanted to be. Allow me to emphasize that before I started volunteering weekly, I knew school was important. However, it was as if my eyes had opened to a whole new exciting world filled with opportunity. My mindset changed from: I must do well to I want to do better because it has meaning to me. From volunteering, I wanted to join clubs, volunteer more, get my first job, etc. It was simply the most exciting thing for me and I wanted to live a life that would help others whilst allowing me to prepare for the real world. It has been over a year since I joined that volunteering opportunity and I will never regret that one email that changed it all for me. During the summer I started an internship, got my first job, and volunteered as much as I could, even joining an amazing microbiology club to study bacteria and other interesting specimens. I'd like to say that volunteering urged me to do more than just finishing homework, it motivated me to do all that I set out to do in high school. Senior year I joined several clubs, continued to volunteer, kept my job, and committed to harder classes for an extra challenge. I feel that if I had not received that email, I wouldn’t have ever seen the love and joy in helping others. I 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 my mindset has been forever changed in the hopes of everyone to feel wanted and loved. I need this scholarship financially to, of course, pay for college, but most importantly allow me to continue to help others by volunteering. I would like to volunteer in hospitals and animal shelters and not solely commit to work. I believe if I had a scholarship I would be able to focus more on others, rather than hoping to pay next month's rent. Any amount of money will always be helpful, appreciated, and given lots of thanks to those who are there helping students achieve their goals. One day, I wish to do the same and donate to help others, as that is my purpose. I realize that most people don't know their purpose, but I feel wonderful and happy in giving others a smile on their face. This is why I can say confidently that my purpose is to help people and animals for the remainder of my life.

Ironically, my plans for my life were already mapped out by the time I was six years old. I knew what I wanted to be from the start, and have never had any doubts with what I wanted to be. It is very assuring that I am not undecided in my college major, and have held a passion for animals for quite literally my entire life. Back to when I was six, I had no pets. I begged my parents for a dog since when I was 4 and wanted a dog more than anything in the world. Finally, as a Christmas present in 2011, my parents gifted me a puppy. I was thrilled. However, my dog came with a backstory. His mother died, and he and his siblings were alone until found and rescued. My heart cried out for him, as I understood the feeling of fear and loneliness. I was put up for adoption, and also alone for a few years until my parents adopted me. In the back of my head, sometimes I feel pain that I was unwanted, alone, neglected, and unloved. I knew what it felt like, and I knew my puppy may have felt that way too before he was adopted. I've had him since he was eight weeks old and have never left him to feel abandoned again. My dog’s name is Happy because he was happy when I first saw him. I felt a deep amazement to have him as my own. Because of Happy, I decided right then and there, as a six-year-old little girl that I wanted to be a veterinarian. I would like to state that Happy has impacted my life the most. Simply because I felt his pain, I decided that my purpose in life was to help all animals, big or small, to feel loved, wanted, cared about, and happy. Since then, I have vowed to do my best in school, and later work. I know becoming a veterinarian will take many years of study, and will require dedication and motivation to fulfill. A lot of people ask me why I chose to study a career that will take years to accomplish. And my answer is simple: I want to help all animals in their weakest moments to become strong once again. One day, I aspire to work in an animal sanctuary to help animals that are in need of care and aid. I also wish to work in an animal hospital, for sick animals that desire to be well again. I just truly want all animals to be in the best of health, feel that they are worth it, feel loved, and live the happiest life they can possibly have. I know I did say that already, however, I want to emphasize my goals in life. I want everyone to know that I want nothing more than the best for all animals and people, and I want everyone to know that it is my biggest passion. What I feel makes me unique is my ability to connect with other people no matter the circumstances. Many people come to tell me that they feel comfortable telling me anything. It makes me feel good that most people come to me with their problems. I enjoy helping people and animals. I am currently in the process of overcoming depression, however one thing I learned while in my lowest moments is that I have worth and so I wish to help others find their worth. Thus, I will help all who ask with a willing and happy heart.

I have always been the student that works hard on anything I'm responsible for. Sometimes it was rewarding, other times it was not. I want to work hard, and do my best because I love helping people. It's my passion, my goal, and my purpose. Either way, my goals in life are to help animals. I love my pet, and through him, I've felt the need to help others who have experienced hardship in their young, innocent lives. Because of him, I want to be a veterinary surgeon, and because of him, I want the best for all animals whether or not they have been through misfortunes. I volunteer and contribute to community service in my area, thinking of the well-being of anyone who needs and wants it. Though they have no relation to animals, I find it beneficial for everyone involved to give my all. My passion is simply to help. I realize that it's a very simple purpose, but simultaneously, it gives me fulfillment and joy to be there for others the way I would like people to be there for me. I volunteer to help children read, and learn to love STEM and other wonderful topics. Sometimes, it feels like they don't want to learn, and it's discouraging at times to go on. However, I know in the end they will remember those who wanted to teach the children of the future, and I know that the future is what the present should focus on. I love volunteering, helping to clean the environment, and giving hope to those who have none. Again, I know this does not have any relation to animals, however, I hope to one day give my all to animals, as well as people. I feel that the biggest obstacle I will face in college is my mental health. I have been through some struggles, and have been diagnosed with major depressive disorder. The reason I have depression is truly because I don't feel worth it. I feel as though I haven't helped enough, and I feel that so many have done more to contribute to their communities. I feel sad that I can't help more. On top of that, I was adopted and it feels sad to think that I was not wanted by my biological mother. However, through all the sadness, depression, and suicidal thoughts, I find a reason to live. That reason is to achieve my goal. And my goal is to help animals that are sick, hurt, emotionally hurt, and abandoned. I relate most to those that were abandoned, and I feel their pain. I simply wish to make others feel like THEY are worth it, that THEY are happy, that they are loved, and wanted. I will overcome my obstacles by looking towards the future, and towards my goals. I will overcome them by finally having the opportunity to give the love that people and animals need. I have overcome my suicidal thoughts by remembering how much I love humanity, how much I love animals, and how much I love my own pet (his name is Happy.) I aspire to instill hope, love, joy, happiness, and anything that is needed to feel that worth. I understand that self-worth is important to feel confident and motivated. I also understand good mental health is crucial for a successful life. I have been through my worst moments (as for now), and wish that none go through the same feelings I did, and that is why I will live to give others that feeling of worth that I did not have.

For the majority of my life, it was uneventful, lonely, and boring. However, things took a sudden turn when I went to a public school for the first time in my junior year of high school. There were so many classes to choose from, clubs, service, and opportunities. My goal, the goal I had since I could remember, is to one day become a veterinary surgeon. I knew very early that it takes a lot of work and determination and skills. Skills that I never learned. I knew it takes many years of study after post-secondary school. And I knew I needed to work diligently to get there. I took advantage of the new opportunities provided in my new school. I joined many clubs, but there was one that made the biggest impact on my life. Achieve Miami started as just a community service opportunity, but it then turned into so much more. I became a member, an intern, a helper and it made my life fulfilling. Achieve Miami has helped me learn the hard work, determination, and skills that I was lacking. I learned the value of work and teamwork, and how to make the most out of anything thrown my way. I endeavor to do my best in school, at home, at work, and anywhere I go. I used to believe it meant making straight A’s and being at the top of my class. However, it is not. It is doing my best at all times and working towards my goal without forgetting the importance of relationships. With the help of my Success Coach, I started doing my best in school, learned time management, and learned responsibility. All of which is extremely important to me and my future. I have not even started college yet, or done anything related to veterinary practice. I do it because I love it. I do it because it creates a myriad of opportunities that I will use in college and beyond. And I do it because I know it will help me reach the biggest dream of my life. Senior year has been a major struggle for me due to mental health reasons. Depression feels as though I’m being eaten alive. However, one thing that I learned from my darkest moments is this quote from Denise Bidot: “All I can say is that the only person that can stop you from achieving your goals is yourself. If you believe, then everyone else will too.” I know I can become a vet if I try my best and that is all that matters. If I win, I will use this scholarship to help pursue my dreams and aspirations of becoming a Veterinary Surgeon. I've had a goal of helping animals, saving them, and caring for their needs when no one is there to provide it for them. I aspire to do that, and hopefully more. It's been struggling to work toward some things, however, it has made me stronger and allowed me to learn the value of love and motivation. A scholarship will help me pay for what I am working for, and for what I truly believe in with all my heart. I've held this dream since I could remember and truly feels like my purpose. My desires are much deeper than simply saving a puppy, it's giving love when they need it the most. This scholarship is necessary for desperately needed financial aid as I am moving from home, with little experience, and would greatly help me financially as well as allow me access to help others in college and beyond.

ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ As a first generation college student, it has been a bit difficult to find support within my home for a higher education. I've been dreaming about college since a young age, and I've come to realize that the sooner I come to finishing high school, the more insecure I feel about where I'm going to college, where I'm going to get the money for it, and how do I pay back what money I borrow. To me, not going to college would eliminate everything I've worked for in high school. I genuinely love school, I love learning, I love the challenge, and most importantly, going to college will help me attain the career I've always hoped for. It will help me be who I aspire to be. The sole opportunity to be on the path to becoming a veterinarian would be really exciting for me as I will be able to learn and experience what my future job would be like, as well as develop skills that will help me be the best that I can be in my chosen field. ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ I intend on going to vet school after attending college. As expected, it's very costly to go to college plus vet school, nonetheless it's really worth it for me because I deeply love caring for animals. I wish they would all be taken care of and loved. I wish no animal ever felt pain. It's my biggest passion. As stated previously, it's quite expensive to become an animal surgeon, this scholarship would help me cover costs, and help me pursue my future. Even though there's been times where I've wanted to stop or give up, I always feel a “come back” where I realize that if I stop here, I didn't have the motivation, and lost my opportunity to actually fulfill my dream career. My goal in life is to help, and any sort of money helps me get there. I genuinely look forward to studying as an undergraduate and starting the journey of becoming a veterinarian. So in reality, the reason college is so important to me is because it will open the doors for me to pursue my aspirations and ultimately be able to help all those who need it. ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ

ㅤ While I changed schools for Junior year, I was honestly really unprepared for everything that occurred, I wasn't ready for the amount of people, the classes, the work, the time, and it was a really stressful time because I couldn't easily adjust to the change. I feel like this event in my life changed myself, and my outlook due to the way I see people or things around me. Throughout the year, I was given assignments that would require me to ask questions, interact with other team members or peers, send emails, and that took me out of this “shy” personality that I had. I realized later on in the year that I was able to independently communicate with anyone without a fear of being social/interactive, and that I was, in fact, increasingly collaborative with a lot of people whom I had only met months before. This was a big step forward that I never would have taken if it wasn’t for my teachers. My communication skills are what really grew, and therefore I am able to accomplish so much more, simply because I have learned the importance of team membership and communication. ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ What really helped shape me was my experience in a larger school, a different environment, and the people themselves. I was never really able to figure out who I wanted to be until then. Either I was jumping from idea to idea or not thinking about it at all. I've been volunteering at school, and got my first job this summer. All with the help of my teachers and counselors. And I know I would never have gotten any of these opportunities if it weren't for them, if it weren't for me speaking out and telling someone what I wanted to do with my life. I felt really behind when I first switched schools, but I noticed that the harder I tried, the more confidence I had in myself to be who I was. I remember a lot of times I was about to cry from the stress of everything happening all at the same time, but for some reason it's given me inspiration to keep going. And even though at times it is difficult to keep being motivated, I feel extremely satisfied and accomplished from this new experience. Therefore, I feel that my memory of transferring to a new school literally changed and shaped who I am today and for the better. ㅤ