At age seven in 2015, I was diagnosed with a brain stem tumor. I had undergone three surgeries to help with CSF flow and debunking the tumor. my neurosurgeon cold not fully remove the tumor or there would be possible lifelong damage to my brain. After spending two weeks at the hospital, I was discharged. Unfortunately, my treatment journey wasn’t over. Because part of the tumor remained, doctors recommended radiation therapy. At the time, Arizona did not offer proton radiation, so my family and I temporarily moved to San Diego so I could receive treatment at Scripps. We lived there for six weeks while I completed my radiation. Radiation was difficult. Eventually my treatment ended, and we were able to return home to Arizona. For a while, life began to feel normal again. However, when I was ten years old and in fifth grade, my tumor began to grow again and my symptoms returned. I went back to Phoenix Children’s Hospital, where my neuro-oncologist recommended trying a new oral chemotherapy drug that was part of a clinical trial. I remained on that medication for three years. Thankfully, it worked—the tumor shrank and eventually stabilized, allowing my doctor to stop the treatment. Even now, I continue to manage long-term effects from my tumor, including vestibular migraines, reduced sensation on my right side, and mental health challenges such as anxiety and depression. Physical therapy helped me regain strength and function over time. Over the years I have been apart of a non profit organization called Students Supporting Brain Tumor Research, SSBTR. This group aims to raise awareness and find a cure for brain tumors through fundraising. I have been part of SSBTR for five years, and have raised $1,600 all by myself with thanks to my wonderful friends and family. Despite everything, I am incredibly grateful to now be in a stable place. My journey has been long and challenging, but it has also shown me how resilient I can be. My current plan is to attend Glendale Community College and get my associates in behavioral health. After I get my associates I want to attend GateWay Community College and get certified as an MRI technician. Due to my medical history, I think that I can relate to patients and understand how they might feel. With this scholarship I can achieve my goals of higher education and help those who may be going through similar things I had gone through.

At age seven in 2015, I was diagnosed with a brain stem tumor. At the time I was in second grade and struggled just to get through the school day. I had severe vision problems, constant dizziness, and terrible migraines. My family took me to several doctors in our area, but none of them could figure out what was wrong. Some even suggested that I was exaggerating or imagining my symptoms. It wasn’t until I visited an optometrist that someone finally noticed something unusual—a growth behind my eyes. Later that day, I was admitted to Phoenix Children’s Hospital in Arizona, where I was diagnosed with a Grade 1 ganglioglioma on my brain stem. My first surgery was to place a drain because the tumor had caused hydrocephali’s. After that, I underwent another surgery to debulk the tumor. Because of the tumor’s location, my neurosurgeon could not remove all of it without risking serious damage to my brain functions. The surgery was successful, and eventually the drain was removed during a third procedure. I remember very little from my time in the hospital. Most of what I know comes from stories my parents have shared. However, one lasting effect I experienced afterward was the loss of sensation on the right side of my body. After two weeks in the hospital, I was discharged and began routine MRI scans every three months to monitor the remaining tumor. Unfortunately, my treatment journey wasn’t over. Because part of the tumor remained, doctors recommended radiation therapy. At the time, Arizona did not offer proton radiation, so my family and I temporarily moved to San Diego so I could receive treatment at Scripps. We lived there for six weeks while I completed my radiation. Radiation was difficult. I had to fast for six hours before each treatment, so I was always extremely hungry afterward. I also had to be placed under anesthesia each time, which often left me irritable and emotional when I woke up. I sometimes lashed out at my mom, something I still feel guilty about today. Eventually my treatment ended, and we were able to return home to Arizona. For a while, life began to feel normal again. However, when I was ten years old and in fifth grade, my tumor began to grow again and my symptoms returned. I went back to Phoenix Children’s Hospital, where my neuro-oncologist recommended trying a new oral chemotherapy drug that was part of a clinical trial. I remained on that medication for three years. Thankfully, it worked—the tumor shrank and eventually stabilized, allowing my doctor to stop the treatment. During that same time, I was also diagnosed with absence epilepsy, which I later outgrew at age thirteen. Even now, I continue to manage long-term effects from my tumor, including vestibular migraines, reduced sensation on my right side, and mental health challenges such as anxiety and depression. Physical therapy helped me regain strength and function over time. Despite everything, I am incredibly grateful to now be in a stable place. My journey has been long and challenging, but it has also shown me how resilient I can be. My current plan is to attend Glendale Community College and get my associates in behavioral health. After I get my associates I want to attend GateWay Community College and get certified as an MRI technician. Due to my medical history, I think that I can relate to patients and understand how they might feel. With this scholarship I can achieve my goals of higher education and help those who may be going through similar things I had gone through.