There are many values that represent who I am, but values that I deeply hold close to me are compassion, curiosity, and purpose. I believe that all of these values are a clear sense of how I represent myself to others or how they look up to me. All of these values encourage me to find new ideas to explore to ask questions when I'm lost or look over the horizon into a different perspective. Purpose pushes me; life from a young age presented me with difficult experiences, but what was harder was losing family members and having to keep going. The characteristics I have will sustain me in college. Having compassion will benefit me with adapting to living with a roommate, to meeting diverse new people, and to working in groups in my college classes. Having curiosity will enable me to do research projects during my college education and to explore new avenues of my career path. My purpose has always been to earn a college degree for as long as I can remember. I can improve myself by earning a university education. I believe I will be able to benefit my family by earning an advanced degree. Coming from a Latino community, where community is an essential part of our culture, I wish to incorporate my background into making a difference. I will include my background coming from a low-income household and how I strengthened myself to become who I am. During my junior year in high school, I took five dual credit courses, AP classes, and topped it off with a CNA at Johnson County Community College. It was an extremely challenging semester of junior year. By having a broken leg it was a step back for me. For my CNA course during this time we were doing clinicals at a nursing home. Although there were many challenges, I still managed to get my certification. I was able to push past my obstacles and achieve my goal. The experience with working with patients who suffer from dementia and were in hospice made me dedicated to learn as much as I could to serve others. I felt fulfilled helping other people. I want to be able to demonstrate to others that they are also capable of accomplishing anything that they set their mind to achieving. Although life may have its ups and downs, there is always an opportunity.

College represents an essential step toward my dream of becoming a nurse practitioner, a goal deeply rooted in my family’s influence and, specifically, in the legacy of my grandmother. My grandmother's passing in 2021 was a life-altering moment for me, but it also served as a powerful inspiration. In her final years, she encouraged me to pursue my dreams, emphasizing that I have opportunities she never did. Her words continue to motivate me to work hard, stay dedicated, and value the chance to pursue my education. She once told me, "You can turn your dreams into reality if you are willing to work hard for it and understand that it takes time and dedication." Her wisdom reminded me that dreams don’t happen overnight, and achieving them requires resilience and determination. I hold onto her words as I work to make her proud by advancing my education after high school, pursuing a career in healthcare, and positively impacting my community. The scholarship I am applying for would be a tremendous asset in reaching this goal, especially as I am a student who not only excels academically but also consistently strives to improve my community. I am passionate about healthcare, and I've demonstrated my commitment through several initiatives aimed at learning more about the field and helping those around me. For example, during my sophomore year of high school, I had the opportunity to job shadow at North Kansas City Hospital. This experience gave me a real-world perspective on healthcare, teaching me the importance of prioritizing patient needs and the dedication required to make a difference in someone’s life. Observing professionals in action deepened my understanding of what it means to serve others in healthcare, and it strengthened my desire to pursue a career as a nurse practitioner. My high school journey has also included Project Lead the Way (PLTW) courses, a biomedical program that introduces new medical concepts each year. These courses have expanded my understanding of healthcare and provided me with hands-on experience in areas that will be invaluable as I pursue a career in nursing. In my junior year, I took a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) course at Johnson County Community College, where I gained firsthand experience in patient care. I attended the Saturday Academy program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where I am further developing my academic and practical skills. My aspirations are not just personal; they are also deeply connected to the sacrifices and support of my parents, who have shared with me their own struggles and achievements. They have worked hard to build a better life for me, and I am determined to honor their efforts by creating a meaningful career that makes a difference. Their perseverance and encouragement remind me every day to push myself toward excellence, knowing that my success is a testament to their sacrifices. As I look forward to college, I am driven by a desire to succeed academically and professionally. My commitment to healthcare is rooted in a sense of purpose and responsibility—to give back to my community, to honor my family’s sacrifices, and to fulfill the legacy my grandmother left me. I am a self-driven individual who values education, and I am willing to overcome obstacles in pursuit of my goals. This scholarship would provide me with the support needed to continue on my path, allowing me to focus on my studies and prepare for a future in which I can make a lasting impact as a healthcare professional.

There are many values that represent who I am, but values that I deeply hold close to me are compassion, curiosity, and purpose. I believe that all of these values are a clear sense of how I represent myself to others or how they look up to me. All of these values encourage me to find new ideas to explore to ask questions when I'm lost or look over the horizon into a different perspective. Purpose pushes me; life from a young age presented me with difficult experiences, but what was harder was losing family members and having to keep going. The characteristics I have will sustain me in college. Having compassion will benefit me with adapting to living with a roommate, to meeting diverse new people, and to working in groups in my college classes. Having curiosity will enable me to do research projects during my college education and to explore new avenues of my career path. My purpose has always been to earn a college degree for as long as I can remember. I can improve myself by earning a university education. I believe I will be able to benefit my family by earning an advanced degree.

During my first grade class starting as a new kid I was nervous and scared. I remember everyone that surrounded me talked English. I was fluent in Spanish; it was the only language I grew up with. My first classes of ELL were confusing. It was strange being pulled away from classmates. I felt like something was wrong with me or I wasn’t smart enough to be a part of a normal class. Having to struggle with learning English, being behind on certain homework assignments, not being able to spell correctly were barriers that I had to face at a young age. I repeated first grade because I struggled with reading and writing another language. Another major challenge I unfortunately faced was being a “young Hispanic girl.” The difficulties come from the thought of other people thinking or pointing out that being a hispanic person can’t have access to the same job opportunities or be at the same standards as others. In another person's perspective they see a person doesn’t have the same opportunity or the capacity as other people do. People tend to put each other down without giving us the chance to show them that we are capable and willing to put in the time and effort to keep the job. I am aware that these challenges may slow down my plan considering that prices in the country have increased which means my parents would have to work twice as hard to help me accomplish my dreams and long-term goals in my higher education. But with such immense aid, it would be much more facile to obtain this goal and learn about different needs to continue my aspirations. During my junior year I experienced having to adapt myself to situations and become more determined. While attempting to attend my clinicals with a broken leg, my instructor initially denied my entrance into the facility because of my injury. He told me that I would have to take the course again. I felt anger and confusion about my instructor’s comments. I wasn’t going let him tell me this was my limit. I pushed myself and tried to convince myself that I could bear weight on my leg and try to manage with my clinicals. In the end I managed to pass my exam and become a Certified Nurse Assistant. Struggles that were met along the way became challenges for my parents to save money such as the passing of my grandmother. That situation made us spend a significant and unexpected amount of money due to the funeral expenses as well as the money they had to spend to travel to their hometown. My grandma passed away in 2021, she motivated me to go after my aspirations and mentioned to take any opportunity that was given to me. Her words remain one of my major motivations to study and succeed in my education. My grandmother was filled with many good life lessons, but one that I will always treasure is that “you can turn your dreams into reality if you are willing to work hard for it and be aware that it takes time and dedication.” She meant that dreams don’t magically become reality from one day to another. Her words have impacted me in such a positive way. For her and myself, I have the strongest desire to continue my education after my four years in high school. What I have learned from the passing of my grandmother is that I am worthy of this scholarship because I am a student who persistently works hard academically and shown improvement.