Over the years as an active individual in the healthcare industry I have developed a passion for helping others, but most importantly helping communities that are underserved. Most of my desire to help these individuals root from the way I was raised. Being the firstborn in an immigrant household consisted of a lot of sacrifice but everything we did was heavily founded on the idea of community and helping others that were less fortunate. Despite all the support, seeing people in my community fall through the cracks of the healthcare system was far too common. Experiencing this first hand only strengthened my desire to make an impact in the lives of the very same people I saw being affected around me. I plan to make an impact on the world by serving and investing more into underserved communities. I would develop programs that offer key opportunities for the youth like mentorship and education on health and fitness. Aside from fulfilling my duty and service to the community as a health practitioner I also plan on creating sustainable resources for BIPOC to create real change. These include creating jobs and leadership programs. Ultimately, pursuing a career in physical therapy can be narrowed down to caring for people's health. It's intriguing to see how a physical therapist can have such a positive effect on a patient. These are the exact experiences I would love to bring to communities that need it the most and I believe the aide from this scholarship will help me get closer to achieving this goal. I aim to build a practice as a physical therapist where I can address the needs of patients not only from a physical and psychological standpoint but also a cultural one in order to tackle disparities in healthcare amongst underrepresented populations.

With a passion to empower others and a love for athletics, working in the health industry has always felt like the right career path for me. After graduating from SFSU in 2018, I decided to expose myself to multiple settings in the healthcare industry in order to better understand where my true passion laid. These included health clubs, fitness studios, and sports teams. But, it wasn't until I started working as a physical therapist aide that I felt a true fulfillment and an eventual passion for the physical therapy field. Although the career path of a physical therapist comes with its challenges, learning about what the field and what it entails brings me a lot of excitement for the future of healthcare. Over the years as an active individual in the healthcare industry I have developed a passion for helping others, but most importantly helping communities that are underserved. Most of my desire to help these individuals root from the way I was raised. Being the firstborn in an immigrant Mexican household consisted of a lot of sacrifice but most importantly everything we did was heavily founded on the idea of community and helping others that were less fortunate. Despite all the support, seeing people in my community fall through the cracks of the healthcare system was far too common. Experiencing this first hand only strengthened my desire to make an impact in the lives of the very same people I saw being affected around me. I have come to understand that being a physical therapist encompasses a body of work that not only tends to the physical and mental health of a patient but also requires the awareness of how socioeconomic factors play a role in the patient's health as a whole. I believe the future of physical therapy involves the diversification and emphasis on increasing cultural competence of practitioners in order to effectively treat patients. This is how I plan on making an impact in healthcare. The Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education says about six percent of physical therapists are of Hispanic descent, and with demographics of the United States changing quickly it's important to have a workforce that mirrors the population. Therefore, in order to push the forefront of rehabilitation, I realized that becoming a Doctor of Physical Therapy would be able to provide me with a key opportunity to bridge a gap in healthcare in order to help underprivileged groups. The money that this scholarship provides will enable me to put more energy towards issues that truly matter. Accruing massive college debt can be debilitating for under privileged students like myself. Once we enter the workforce we're forced to focus on paying back the debt we owe which in turn is draining. Instead I would rather invest that money into underserved communities. With the money I would save through this scholarship I would develop programs that offer key opportunities for the youth like mentorship and education on health and fitness. In my opinion this is what paying it forward should look like. It is important to pay things forward because it is an effective way that a safe space can be created for any person in the BIPOC community. Aside from creating better representation in the field of physical therapy I believe it is necessary to provide resources in underprivileged neighborhoods in order to develop the future practitioners of tomorrow. Specifically practitioners that identify as BIPOC. In five years I see myself doing exactly this. I see myself having about two years of experience in the field as a physical therapist and opening up a clinic in a neighborhood that is under served. In my eyes it is the perfect way to give back in a sustainable way because it provides jobs and education for the community. Ultimately, pursuing a career in physical therapy can be narrowed down to caring for people's health. It's intriguing to see how a physical therapist can have such a positive effect on a patient. These are the exact experiences I would love to bring to communities that need it the most and I believe the aide from this scholarship will help me get closer to achieving this goal. I aim to build a practice as a physical therapist where I can address the needs of patients not only from a physical and psychological standpoint but also a cultural one in order to tackle disparities in healthcare amongst underrepresented populations.

Pursuing a Doctorate degree in Physical Therapy teaches me how being an active listener is a vital and necessary trait in order so that I can grow into a successful practitioner. In this field I see about seven patients per day so I am required to be an active listener in order to provide the best healthcare and tend to their injuries effectively. Being an active listener to me goes beyond just hearing the words that come out of another person's mouth. To me it is about hearing the words and then going the extra step to help that person out. Any time a patient of mine opens up to me about their injuries I automatically start to construe a rehabilitation program in my head. Through actively listening I am able to address the concerns of the patient in a professional matter that also shows them reassurance that I will be taking care of them. Being an active listener plays a key role in becoming a great physical therapist and this is a skill I practice on a daily basis.

Over the years as an active individual in the healthcare industry I have developed a passion for helping others, but most importantly helping communities that are underserved. Being the firstborn in an immigrant household consisted of a lot of sacrifice but most importantly everything we did was heavily founded on the idea of community and helping others that were less fortunate. Despite all the support, seeing people in my community fall through the cracks of the healthcare system was far too common. Experiencing this first hand only strengthened my desire to make an impact in the lives of the same people I saw being affected around me. Being a physical therapist encompasses a body of work that not only tends to the physical and mental health of a patient but also requires the awareness of how socioeconomic factors play a role in the patient's health as a whole. I believe the future of physical therapy involves the diversification and emphasis on increasing cultural competence of practitioners in order to effectively treat patients. This is how I plan on making an impact in healthcare. I realized that becoming a Doctor of Physical Therapy would be able to provide me with a key opportunity to bridge a gap in healthcare in order to help underprivileged groups. Ultimately, pursuing a career in physical therapy can be narrowed down to caring for people's health. I would love to bring to communities that need it the most and I believe the aide from this scholarship will help me get closer to achieving this goal. I aim to build a practice as a physical therapist where I can address the needs of patients not only from a physical and psychological standpoint but also a cultural one in order to tackle disparities in healthcare amongst underrepresented populations.

Over the years as an active individual in the healthcare industry I have developed a passion for helping others, but most importantly helping communities that are underserved. Being the firstborn in an immigrant household consisted of a lot of sacrifice but most importantly everything we did was heavily founded on the idea of community and helping others that were less fortunate. Despite all the support, seeing people in my community fall through the cracks of the healthcare system was far too common. Experiencing this first hand only strengthened my desire to make an impact in the lives of the very same people I saw being affected around me. I have come to understand that being a physical therapist encompasses a body of work that not only tends to the physical and mental health of a patient but also requires the awareness of how socioeconomic factors play a role in the patient's health as a whole. This is how I plan on making an impact in healthcare. In order to push the forefront of rehabilitation, I realized that becoming a Doctor of Physical Therapy would be able to provide me with a key opportunity to bridge a gap in healthcare in order to help underprivileged groups. Ultimately, pursuing a career in physical therapy can be narrowed down to caring for people's health. These are the exact experiences I would love to bring to communities that need it the most and I believe the aide from this scholarship will help me get closer to achieving this goal. I aim to build a practice as a physical therapist where I can address the needs of patients not only from a physical and psychological standpoint but also a cultural one in order to tackle disparities in healthcare amongst underrepresented populations.

With a passion to empower others and a love for athletics, working in the health industry has always felt like the right career path for me. After graduating from SFSU in 2018, I decided to expose myself to multiple settings in the healthcare industry in order to better understand where my true passion laid. These included health clubs, fitness studios, and sports teams. But, it wasn't until I started working as a physical therapist aide that I felt a true fulfillment and an eventual passion for the physical therapy field. Although the career path of a physical therapist comes with its challenges, learning about what the field entails brings me a lot of excitement for the future of healthcare. Over the years as an active individual in the healthcare industry I have developed a passion for helping others, but most importantly helping communities that are underserved. Most of my desire to help these individuals root from the way I was raised. Being the firstborn in an immigrant household consisted of many sacrifices but most importantly everything we did was heavily founded on the idea of community and helping others that were less fortunate. Despite all the support, seeing people in my community fall through the cracks of the healthcare system was far too common. Experiencing this first hand strengthened my desire to make an impact in the lives of the very same people I saw being affected around me. I have come to understand that being a physical therapist encompasses a body of work that not only tends to the physical and mental health of a patient but also requires the awareness of how socioeconomic factors play a role in the patient's health as a whole. I believe the future of physical therapy involves the diversification and emphasis on increasing cultural competence of practitioners in order to effectively treat patients. This is how I plan on making an impact in healthcare. The Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education says about six percent of physical therapists are of Hispanic descent, and with demographics of the United States changing quickly it's important to have a workforce that mirrors the population. Therefore, in order to push the forefront of rehabilitation, I realized that becoming a Doctor of Physical Therapy would be able to provide me with a key opportunity to bridge a gap in healthcare in order to help underprivileged groups. This scholarship money would enable me to put more energy towards issues that truly matter. Accruing massive college debt can be debilitating for under privileged students like myself. Once we enter the workforce we're forced to focus on paying back the debt we owe which in turn is draining. Instead I would rather invest that money into underserved communities. Within the next ten years, thanks to this scholarship, I would be closer to my dream of developing local programs that offer key opportunities for the youth like mentorship and education in healthcare. Ultimately, pursuing a career in physical therapy can be narrowed down to caring for people's health. It's intriguing to see how physical therapists can have such a positive effect on a patient. These are the exact experiences I would love to bring to communities that need it the most and I believe the aide from this scholarship will help me get closer to achieving this goal. I aim to build a practice as a physical therapist where I can address the needs of patients not only from a physical and psychological standpoint but also a cultural one in order to tackle disparities in healthcare amongst underrepresented populations.

With a passion to empower others and a love for athletics, working in the health industry has always felt like the right career path for me. After graduating from SFSU in 2018, I decided to expose myself to multiple settings in the healthcare industry in order to better understand where my true passion laid. These included health clubs, fitness studios, and sports teams. But, it wasn't until I started working as a physical therapist aide that I felt a true fulfillment and an eventual passion for the physical therapy field. Although the career path of a physical therapist comes with its challenges, learning about what the field entails brings me a lot of excitement for the future of healthcare. Over the years as an active individual in the healthcare industry I have developed a passion for helping others, but most importantly helping communities that are underserved. Most of my desire to help these individuals root from the way I was raised. Being the firstborn in an immigrant household consisted of a lot of sacrifice but most importantly everything we did was heavily founded on the idea of community and helping others that were less fortunate. Despite all the support, seeing people in my community fall through the cracks of the healthcare system was far too common. Experiencing this first hand only strengthened my desire to make an impact in the lives of the very same people I saw being affected around me. I have come to understand that being a physical therapist encompasses a body of work that not only tends to the physical and mental health of a patient but also requires the awareness of how socioeconomic factors play a role in the patient's health as a whole. I believe the future of physical therapy involves the diversification and emphasis on increasing cultural competence of practitioners in order to effectively treat patients. This is how I plan on making an impact in healthcare. The Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education says about six percent of physical therapists are of Hispanic descent, and with demographics of the United States changing quickly it's important to have a workforce that mirrors the population. Therefore, in order to push the forefront of rehabilitation, I realized that becoming a Doctor of Physical Therapy would be able to provide me with a key opportunity to bridge a gap in healthcare in order to help underprivileged groups. The money that this scholarship provides will enable me to put more energy towards issues that truly matter. Accruing massive college debt can be debilitating for under privileged students like myself. Once we enter the workforce we're forced to focus on paying back the debt we owe which in turn is draining. Instead I would rather invest that money into underserved communities. With the money I would save through this scholarship I would develop programs that offer key opportunities for the youth like mentorship and education on health and fitness. Ultimately, pursuing a career in physical therapy can be narrowed down to caring for people's health. It's intriguing to see how a physical therapist can have such a positive effect on a patient. These are the exact experiences I would love to bring to communities that need it the most and I believe the aide from this scholarship will help me get closer to achieving this goal. I aim to build a practice as a physical therapist where I can address the needs of patients not only from a physical and psychological standpoint but also a cultural one in order to tackle disparities in healthcare amongst underrepresented populations.