Hello!

Living underneath a microscope is truly difficult, it becomes emotionally unstable and physically impossible. Every child grows up and prospers with their families, however, that was not the case for me. I always viewed life as a constant struggle with a momentous weight of obstacles that are waiting for my own demise. Without both of my parents being present due to their personal feats of drug addiction and abuse, I was a failing case. Everyone who looked at my situation saw a bleak future and a repetition of generational trauma. However, this is not another chapter or narration of a lost case. 

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Throughout life I have proven to be resilient in the face of adversity. Within my lifetime, I had countless struggles with my ability to learn and successfully continue my education. Every day of my life since childhood has always been about surviving. My reading capability and lack of understanding came from both not knowing English and undiagnosed form of dyslexia. This required me to work overtime, essentially becoming a teacher to myself in order to find tactics to gain basic knowledge. Outside of my academic struggles, I faced homelessness multiple times to the point where it became a cycle. Without my parents in the picture and my grandmother only to raise me and my siblings it became a struggle. We had unstable housing and understood that we had to work hard to find solutions to some of the most basic issues. There were moments where we would bathe with canal water since we had no running water or moments where we solely depended on school lunch as a source of food. Life's purpose was to solely survive. 

 

However, this did not halt me from pursuing dreams of having much more from life. I successfully graduated high school, Center for International Education, with a full ride to each university I applied for. I choose Florida International University (FIU) and pursue a STEM degree with difficult courses ranging from graduate-level scientific computation to physical chemistry. It was my most difficult challenge that required an immense amount of reading and dedication to understand these topics. It allowed me to go beyond the classroom and conduct research underneath Robert E. McNair Research Fellowship with the brilliant guidance of Dr. Alexander Mebel as well as research for Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine with the amazing guidance of Dr. Masafumi Yoshinaga. Every moment I had at FIU has been life-changing and made me believe that I am capable of more. 

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Although I have encountered many tribulations growing up, it has never stopped me from wanting to pursue medicine. As a future physician scientist, my goal is to help those in their darkest hour and provide a sustainable life to others. My time at Florida International University is the beginning of a journey that will forever bring opportunities and happiness into my life. It has given me a sense of hope and clarity in what I want to be and who I can be for others. Today, I can proudly say that I am capable of being resilient and push through difficult tribulations that are placed in front of me.