My work in medicine began at the age of nine-years-old, on January 7, 2010, when a CT scan revealed a pituitary tumor and the surgical pathology of the tumor later revealed it was cancerous. Throughout 2010, I worked on recovering from the secondary conditions I developed because of the brain surgery; regaining my short-term memory, ability to walk, run, eat, dress myself, and adjusting to life as a cancer patient. By the end of 2010, MRI scans revealed I was cancer free! It was this experience in seeing the immense efforts to make my second chance at life possible that inspired me to pursue a career as a pediatric neurosurgeon or neuro-oncologist. On January 7, 2017, my seventh cancer anniversary, I learned my latest scan revealed metastatic brain cancer: eight tumors throughout my brain and spine. The Friday before my scheduled brain surgery and ensuing full brain and spine radiation, my surgeon canceled the operation because the risks outweighed the reward; particularly the brain radiation challenging my future independence and my aspiration of becoming a physician. In an effort to maintain my quality of life and independent abilities, while halting the growth of my tumors, the tumor board decided to shift my treatment for surgery to 13-months of weekly chemotherapy infusions. Alongside my cancer treatment in the summer of 2017, I engaged in my first active brain cancer research experience at the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. During the week, I was the scientist contributing to the development of an immunotherapy targeting pediatric medulloblastoma tumors. On the weekend, I was the patient receiving the best medicine had to offer at the time, experiencing the full spectrum of chemotherapy’s side effects. This duality of patient & scientist experience is keystone to my interest in translational research as a future pediatric physician and desire to bringing science's newest developments to the community, particularly communities like my hometown of Wilmington, CA, of predominantly Latinx and undocumented people, under-represented, -resourced and -served in medicine. I went on to college, attending the University of Rochester, where I pursued my degree in biochemistry in honor of understanding the biological interactions that make cancer challenging to treat and understand what made successful treatments successful. During my enrichment year between college and medical school, amid my application to medical school, I had a unique opportunity to serve my community as a clinical trials research associate at the Hunt Cancer Center. This experience became particularly exciting when I noticed a greater than anticipated volume of patients coming from my hometown. These patients often met me with an “orgullo de ver un joven como [yo], echándole las gana y representando la raza!”, especially after their treating physicians shared with them that I would soon be on my way to medical school at UCLA. Most recently, I had the privilege of having my neurosurgeon Dr. Ramin Javahery don my white coat in the ceremony which traditionally marks the beginning of one’s medical education. He shared with my family that he is incredibly proud of my sustained determination to pursue pediatric medicine over the 13 years since my diagnosis. He noted many other patients of his have expressed interest in becoming physicians, but I am the first to truly have made those aspirations a reality. As a medical student, I hope to engage in clinical research in the UCLA and Charles R. Drew University (CDU) Medical Program, increasing the pediatric and Latino access representation in oncology research in honor of Noah Jon Markstrom’s Legacy and the challenges he and I may have had in common in our remarkable battle against brain cancer.