"I aspire for a leadership career in academic medicine where I can not only mentor minority and first-generation college students, but also design programs to recruit, and retain them in Academia."

"I plan to open my private practice in the future not only to provide care to people who cannot afford regular care but also to provide students an opportunity to learn more about college and expand their horizons."

"I have also been working on a book which aims to provide medical students with strategies and skills to foster well being in order to address the crisis of mental health problems in medical students and trainees. Sections of the book are targeted directly
toward First Generation students, detailing problems we often face in medical school like
imposter syndrome, feeling like family members don’t understand what you go through, and
more."

"I have a vision of creating pipeline programs between medicals schools and community colleges with the hope of decreasing the stigma associated with attending community colleges and helping
disadvantaged students pursue medical school admissions."

"One of my goals within pharmacy is to educate future generations of leaders, inspiring people
from disadvantaged backgrounds like myself to pursue their own passions."

"One effort I have been investing more energy into is recruitment and engagement of Native American and Indigenous Youth into healthcare professions. I hope to continue exploring this avenue and someday work with a program actively doing this work."

"Through my own lived experiences, it has become
evident that financial investment within this community is paramount. It can be the bridge
between a high potential student and social mobility. I have benefited from the bridges built by
others before me, and I hope to build bridges for others."

"As an SJV PRIME student and future physician, I hope to become a local leader who advocates for a healthier and brighter future for the Valley."

"I launched a blog (https://www.thepredentalguide.com/) aiming to virtually assist and share gems of wisdom I picked up along the way with aspiring pre-dental students. With over 22,000 views, my blog has also given me the pleasure to personally mentor over 40 pre-dental and college students."

"A first-gen’s best superpower is the ability to channel sweat and tears from navigating
uncharted territory on their own into distributable knowledge that can help smoothen and
streamline a fellow first-gen’s introduction to higher education and beyond."

"A recent event I went to was speaking to 3rd graders. My favorite moment was telling them
“Anyone can be a doctor,” and in their thank-you letters to me, one of them mentioned that
this phrase stuck with them."

"The unique circumstances I have experienced as an Afro Latina, daughter of immigrants and
first generation student has formed me into the strong scientist that I am. As I continue
reaching my goals, I plan to contribute to the first generation to college community by inspiring
and mentoring other first generation students that just like me, felt that going to college and
achieving higher education was just not an option."

"As a high school student, I was completely unaware of all the amazing career opportunities that are within the STEM and healthcare fields and I feel that by raising awareness and interest of these careers to students that would otherwise not receive this type of mentorship can bring in
valuable resources in their academic journeys."

"I intend to increase awareness about healthcare services and simplify navigation for first generation to college students who may be primary caretakers for their loved ones."

"My military experiences taught me to appreciate other cultures and customs and, most prominently, revealed discrepancies in health and socioeconomics that drive my ideas in science innovation."

"Committed to increasing provider diversity and supporting students passionate about
addressing medical inequalities, I became a founding member of MiMentor.org in college.
MiMentor.org is a student-run, non-profit organization that concentrates on mentoring
students underrepresented in health careers."

"Education has become a centerpiece to the life I am building. It is not only a way for me to
grasp a better understanding of the world, but it is also a powerful tool to uplift those around
me: my family, my community, and the underserved."

“The signposts in my journey were the mentors, sponsors, and advocates who guided me on this journey. Thus, being a first-generation student meant I needed to pave the road for those behind me to ensure that other first-generation students had a light to follow. And, thus being a first generation student not only influenced my journey but taught me I could influence the journey of others.”