I could tell you that the adversity I had to overcome was living in an unstable household. Being thrown back and forth between divorced parents. Maybe it was the fact that being mixed, I was never good enough for either side. Each of these things made school an escape, it was a place I could just focus on my schoolwork and thrive in at least one part of my life. At the end of the day, the thing holding me back the most was me. I would get so wrapped up in everything else in my life and I focused too much on what others thought. It wasn't until I realized, and I mean truly realized, that nothing I do will ever make everyone happy. I had to focus on what made me happy, which was school. It was a safe space for me and it took me a while to figure out how to appreciate it. To figure out how to not let others take that safe space away from me. It didn't matter if I was too this or too that, all that mattered was my future. All that matters is how I protect my future and prepare for my future. I am passionate about pursuing a degree in STEM because I can't see myself doing anything else. I think of surgery and saving lives and I can physically feel my heart light up. It's a feeling so hard to describe. I am meant to make a difference even if it is just in one person's life. Every decision we make impacts others, I just want to make decisions that will impact others for the better. I want to feel that feeling of my heart lighting up every time I go to work doing what I love to do. I want to feel my heart light up as families feel the relief that their family will be okay. I selfishly want to be the person that makes all the difference in their lives, even if it is just in one day. My financial circumstances are okay, I am grateful that I have a roof over my head. I am grateful that I have a job that is willing to give me extra hours. I am grateful for everything that I have, but I do need some way to continue paying for school. Financial aid has been a lifesaver for me, but school will always be expensive and the future is uncertain. I could use the money and will forever be grateful for anything that gets me closer to making any difference that I can.

Community service can mean a lot of different things to different people. For some, it can prove to be a checkmark on their list of how to get into a good school and gain experience for a good job. Community service has always been a great way to give back to your people. To give back to the community that raised you. To me, community service is all about taking time out of your day to make someone else's day a little better. I have participated in many different programs that have helped my community. From running races to raise money to working as a documenter at a vaccine clinic to ensure community health. I hope to continue doing so because I have seen the positive impact that community service has on the community. I have seen how relieved parents are when their kids can get vaccinated and a check-up for free. They are finally able to make sure that their kids are healthy without worrying about things like insurance and money. The joy on a child's face when they get a toy that they've been wanting. That is what community service means to me. The actual proof on someone's face shows that you did something that impacted them in a good way. The feeling that you get knowing you made a difference in someone's life even for a day is unmatched and I plan to chase that feeling for the rest of my life. The career that I plan on pursuing will be within the medical field. There are many ways to make a difference but I believe that the medical field is the place best suited for me. I have always taken a liking to STEM and I have always loved helping others, the medical field allows me to combine the two. I always remember how relaxed I felt in clinics and hospitals thanks to the staff making me feel supported and heard. They always took the time to help work with my mom when she voiced her concerns and that made all the difference for her as well. It made my whole family feel more secure in an environment that in the past has treated my family poorly. Anything medical-related can be scary which is why it is so important to have good people working in the medical field, people who are there to genuinely help others. I want to be able to help others on a day-to-day basis at work, but I also plan to help in other ways outside of work. I want to use my medical knowledge to go out and help those who may not have access to affordable healthcare. I also want to minor in law to see if there are ways for me to make a difference in terms of medical policy to make medicine more accessible. I truly want to make a difference and see people get the care that they need on a surface level, but I also want to create a lasting difference that will benefit generations to come.

The most common answer that someone gives when being asked why they want to become a medical doctor is, "I want to make a difference." This is a valid answer and it also applies to me. I want to make a difference not just by saving lives. I want to make an impactful systematical change that saves millions of lives even after I die. It is a dark thought but I want to make such a difference that even after I'm gone it helps people. For context, I grew up with a single Mexican mother raising five children. Financial hardship was nothing new. I remember growing up not always being able to go to the doctor just because we couldn't afford it. I remember seeing Latinos waiting longer than everyone else just because "they need a translator" rather than just asking them if they spoke English. I grew up seeing all these situations and all I could think of was how disgusting it was. That anyone not be able to get the treatment they need in order to SURVIVE. America doesn't even provide for its own citizens, so think about how immigrants are taken care of. Medical access is already so hard for white citizens and it is that much more scarce for immigrants of color. There is so much discrimination in the medical system for people of color, women, LGBTQ+. However, this isn't just an issue in terms of medical treatment but also for those who work in the medical industry. It is important to make a change that is meaningful and lasting, this is what I want to provide with my career. I want to change the system put into motion different protocols and change contracts with insurance companies. I want this to make healthcare easier and more affordable. The medical industry generated 4.3 trillion dollars of revenue in just 2023, yet medical staff still pays to park to go to work, they have to pay for food at the cafeteria, all while being understaffed and overworked. The math doesn't make sense. How does a multi-trillion dollar industry drain patients of their funds but also their workers? I have seen how patients can be treated and I have seen how workers can be treated. I want this to change because as we make technological and medical advancements there is NO need for anyone to not be getting the help they need.

I lost my Abuela a few years ago. She was the type of Abuelita that cooked for you, hugged you, pinched your cheeks, smiled sweetly, and said "Hermosa". She was always so kind and made me feel loved. Her connection to god was always her driving force in being the kind of person she was. She had diabetes and severe kidney failure, so we knew that her time to return to god was soon. It still hurt. It hurt when I woke up one morning, went to the restroom to wash my face, and heard my mom calling me to her room. Telling me that my dad was calling and when I asked my dad what was going on, he explained that she passed away April 3rd, ten days before my birthday. My heart sank and I had no clue what happened. Loss is never easy and this was the first family member that I had lost. The room felt like it was spinning and I could feel my eyes flood. My mom said that I could stay home from school if I wanted, but I knew that I needed the distraction. It was in fact the perfect distraction because the workload seemed to weigh more for a while after that. If I'm being entirely honest, when it came to managing my grief and my schoolwork I didn't do so well. This was the first person I had lost and they meant a lot to me. I was not well equipped and my family wasn't a good support system. Instead of grieving and coming to terms with her death, I shoved it down. Buried myself in my schoolwork and never let myself think about her. It wasn't until one day when I was driving with my dad through the town that I started seeing places that my Abuela and I had gone. All of the different memories came flooding back. We passed her old apartment building and it still felt like I could go in and visit her. It felt like I could call her and she was still there. That is when it sunk in that she was gone and she wasn't coming back. That someone probably moved into her apartment and they were living out their life where she once did. It sunk in that I could not just call her and that I would never physically hold her or see her ever again. I lost myself in the schoolwork so that I didn't have to admit that she was gone. She was and I had to accept that. It wasn't until I accepted that she was gone that I felt connected to her once again. I held our moments closer to my heart and her death taught me how much to appreciate those in my life that were still living. I didn't let myself grieve but in doing so I postponed the lesson that her death gave me. She will always hold a special place in my heart and she will be the reason that I will always make sure those around me know they are loved. She is the reason I am so appreciative of life and won't let my time here go to waste. <3

I am pursuing a degree in biochemistry or neurosciences in the hope of gaining a good stepping point on my path to becoming a surgeon. For a long time now I have been passionate about becoming a surgeon. Ever since I was young I excelled in my studies. However, math and science tended to be where I was happiest. Taking this into account and my experiences growing up in a diverse but poor neighborhood I found that I wanted to be a surgeon. Growing up my family wasn't able to afford medical treatment and this was the same for many other families in my community. As a child, I never thought much of it because my mother always managed to make things work. As I grew older I began to become more aware of how not only my family was being affected, but my entire community as well as many other communities in the country. From personal experiences, I saw how a lot of Hispanic or undocumented people, both in my family and community, would refuse even trying to receive treatment for fear that they may be deported for not having papers or from the language barrier. Anyone who needs medical treatment should be able to receive medical treatment regardless of the languages they speak, where they come from, or what ethnic/racial background they have. Thankfully, a clinic opened up that had many bilingual and understanding doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel. When this clinic opened many different types of people were able to receive the medical treatment they needed. This clinic was an example of many people, who have the money and resources to do so, coming together to help others. I want to pursue a degree in STEM so that I may one day use my knowledge, money, and resources to give back to not only the community that raised me but other communities in need. Though I grew up in a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood and was raised by a Hispanic family, I was lucky enough to still have an extremely diverse place to grow up in. There were many different cultures that were combined into one huge community. This allowed me to see the world in all of its beauty through dances, food, music, and stories. Due to my upbringing, I will always value diversity. It exposes people to different ideas and concepts which can be critical in the workplace. The world is always growing ad always changing. However, it can be easy to forget there is a world out there once you get busy and preoccupied with your own life. That is why you always want to surround yourself with people who can bring a little piece of the world to you. Every country and every culture has much to offer so concentrating people from all different backgrounds brings so much perspective on different issues. Perspective is important especially in STEM since it is already a field that has greatly underrepresented BIPOC and women.

The STEM majors that I am pursuing are neurochemistry as well as biochemistry in hopes of eventually becoming either a neurosurgeon or a cardiovascular surgeon. For about six years now I have done everything I could to plan for this career path. From the very beginning, I have always seen the value of what doctors, nurses, surgeons, and other medical careers do. I want to be part of the community that wakes up every day and chooses to save the lives of others. The medical industry has been something I have always been passionate about as it is both a challenging but also rewarding career path. Having the ability to not only save lives but also, through science, figure out ways to overall improve the lifespan and health of society is my dream. I have personally always excelled in science and math, but my passion for helping others through a medical lens came from my volunteering hours at a COVID clinic where I worked as a translator, assistant, and record keeper. People who have dreamed beyond the known and science have worked together to get technology, healthcare, education, and many other things to where they are now. Without science, we wouldn't understand that the universe does not, in fact, revolve around us and that we are just a small figment of it. Without science, we would still be losing people to the common cold. Everyday science saves lives, improves the quality of life, and makes it easier to take care of the more important things. Society would still be living in the "caveman" days if not for what scientists have accomplished. We have not only managed to leave Earth's atmosphere, but we have also managed to reach entirely different planets. During the COVID-19 pandemic is when we truly saw the power of science. Within a matter of two weeks, entire businesses and education systems were put online to keep education and the economy going. During this pandemic, an entirely new vaccine was created. Though the entire pandemic was emotionally, physically, and mentally damaging the main thing that got society through it was science. Families were able to communicate from thousands of miles away and be with their families in the safest way possible through scientific innovation. Science not only helps us understand our universe but it keeps society going like a steam engine, and those who pursue science every day are the conductors.

Ever since I walked into the Village Exchange Center clinic I knew that helping others was something that I was capable of doing. Elizabeth Andrew once said, “Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.” This quote is something that I held dear to me since the first time I heard it. More often than not I catch people saying, "I would help if I could." Even though this could be considered an excuse it is completely valid because sometimes others have to help themselves before helping others. However, I am capable of helping others. I may not have the money but I have the work ethic and the time to put myself out there and help others. Throughout the years I have taken my downtime to make scarves, all of which I donated to homeless shelters. I have organized and run multiple toy drives with the help of the student government and was able to give toys to a bunch of different children! I have also donated and helped with shoe box drives where the shoe boxes were filled with different everyday necessities for the homeless. I have volunteered at a clinic where I had many different responsibilities. I translated from Spanish to English and vice versa between doctors and patients. Patients would come in a receive different vaccines that they needed and I would help them fill out their medical paperwork. I also filled out different paperwork to keep the vaccines organized and put them on record for future medical providers that our patients would go to. I plan to go into the medical industry in hopes of changing things for the better. It is common knowledge that women, people of color, and those in the LGBTQIA+ community are extremely underrepresented in the medical field. They need a voice that will advocate for them since those in power don't listen to them. By improving the medical industry in relation to women, BIPOC, and those part of the LGBTQIA+ community I feel like this will be my way of giving back to the different communities that raised me and shaped me into who I am today. Naturally, I also want to make enough money to start up different places that will help different groups of people. I want to start a no kill shelter that is much more private but also much more helpful in housing animals found on the streets. I want to eventually work my way up in the medical field and start a clinic specifically for those who are trans to come and receive proper medical treatment. These are just a few of the different things that I have laid out and planned ahead for.