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Mayra Ceja Arellano

1,325

Bold Points

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Finalist

Bio

I am currently entering my Senior year at Brookfield High School. Throughout my high school career, I have strived for greatness and pushed myself to achieve my personal goals. I have maintained a 4.0 GPA while balancing extracurriculars such as UNICEF, Best Buddies, Psychology and Mental Health club, HOSA, National Honors Society, Science honor society, and the Spanish honor society. While working at my current job at Jersey Mikes, I learned the importance of stepping up while training new employees to further my leadership and grow as a team within my work environment. Furthermore, as the Best Buddies Vice President, I have learned that building a community with the people around you is just as important as being a leader. My experiences have helped me develop patience and compassion while allowing me to think quickly under pressure and be aware of my surroundings. Being the first person in my family to go to college and not learn English until age eight has given me much perseverance and pushed me to do my best in everything I do. However, through all this, I have maintained a positive attitude and been as kind as possible to the people around me. If I earn the scholarships, I will use them to further my growth and education to give back to my community and the people around me for all I have learned from them.

Education

Brookfield High School

High School
2020 - 2024

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)

  • Majors of interest:

    • Medicine
    • Human Biology
    • Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
    • Criminology
    • Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other
    • Dentistry
    • Psychology, General
  • Planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Hospital & Health Care

    • Dream career goals:

      Pediatrician

    • Crew Member

      Jersey Mikes
      2022 – Present2 years

    Arts

    • Brookfield High School

      Theatre
      Greece
      2021 – 2022

    Public services

    • Volunteering

      Key Club — Volunteer
      2021 – 2022
    • Volunteering

      UNICEF — volunteer
      2022 – Present
    • Volunteering

      Brookfield High School — Teachers Assistant
      2023 – Present
    • Volunteering

      Pediatric Dental Associates of Southbury — Shadowing
      2023 – Present
    • Volunteering

      Classroom Friends — Teachers assistant
      2022 – Present

    Future Interests

    Advocacy

    Volunteering

    Philanthropy

    Ed and Flora Pellegri Scholarship
    I have taken advice and learned from a very impactful modern writer. One night, I was sitting on the edge of my bed, going through my playlist and seeing what work from them I could listen to now. As I began to scroll, I saw the song “Mirrorball” by Taylor Swift. So I hit the start. It began with the lyrics, “I’ll show you every version of yourself tonight, get you out on the floor, shimmering beautifully.” As I listened to this lyric, I felt a connection to it. I grew up in a Hispanic community with my immigrant parents, that spoke almost no English. This experience gave me the title of being their translator, meaning anything from essential grocery shopping to important government documents. Being in the middle of these interactions exposed me to advanced topics like medicine at the doctor’s office. These experiences improved my Spanish and English speaking skills and sparked my interest in the medical field. From then on, I decided that although I didn’t know much about my future, I knew I loved the medical field. The song continued singing, “Hush, I know they said the end is near, but I’m still on my tallest tiptoes Spinning in my highest heels, love. Shining just for you” This reminded me of when my brother was one year old and would randomly get sick. We would go to doctors’ offices every time it happened, and for months, doctors couldn’t detect my brother’s rare thyroid problem. I was always very close to my brother and was used to being able to solve the issues around me, but knowing I had no control over the situation was challenging. However, one thing that stuck with me throughout that experience was how one of the nurses accommodated us in any way she could. Even though the fear of not knowing what was wrong was haunting our family, that nurse’s kindness and comfort made our experience just a little bit better. So after that, I looked into nursing and realized that I wanted to make that impact in a person’s life. Although I may not always have control over everything, I could help people get better, work closely with their families, and help give them a sense of comfort and hope. Finally, by the song’s end, she sang, “I’ve never been a natural; all I do is try, try, try. I’m still on that trapeze. I’m still trying everything to keep you lookin’ at me.” My parents constantly remind me that I have four younger siblings who look up to me as an example. Since I will be the first person in my family to attend college, I strive for greatness in any way I can. Being a role model and growing along with my sibling, although challenging, taught me that throughout my life, I want to be able to help other kids. Finally, after much searching, I found a job that fits all of my wants—pediatric nurse practitioner. Working with kids and helping them improve not only accommodates my interests within the medical field but it allows me to work closely with children and their families. My experiences have taught me the importance of perseverance and pushing through the difficulties surrounding me. While moving through hardship, I make sure I smile and work hard for my future so I can have a career in nursing. There will always be difficult times that break me, but every time it does, I grow and become stronger because I am a mirrorball.