After completing my undergraduate education at Dominican University of California, I hope to pursue my medical degree in Pediatrics and Child Health. As a child, I always knew that I wanted to have a career that involved helping people. Though I didn't know what I hoped to pursue at the time, there was nothing more gratifying than offering my support to another and bringing a smile to their face. Over the years, I realized that I wanted to work in healthcare, a career that would always be filled with helping others. 

There was an awe-inspiring sense that filled me when I thought about the medical field. It was the way that another person could trust you with an intimate part of their life, the way someone comes to you in hopes that you'll be able to give them answers, the way you could make a difference in their lives that made me realize that this was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life. It is such a privilege to be given the trust of a person to see such a vulnerable and sensitive side of them, and that gift is one that has kept me captivated no matter the years that pass me by. 

After medical school, I hope to work at Kaiser Permanente, hopefully staying in the Bay Area. 

Pursuing higher education was a choice that I made for both myself and my family. Through their sacrifices and risks to come to the United States of America, I was able to grow up in a home where I didn't have to worry about starvation, poverty, or war. In their stories I have learned about the culture that has brought me here today, stories about strength, resiliency, and determination. In a way, pursuing higher education is my way of paying homage to my ancestors and all those who have helped me along the way. 

My family is a huge motivation for me to continue with my studies, no matter how long or how hard it may be. During times when I doubt myself, they have always been there to reassure me, to tell me that everything's going to be alright and to take things one step at a time. They have been my rock throughout it all, and it is my hope to make them proud for all they have done for me to reach this point today.