Elenamary

I applied for Hsipanic Business Magazine Woman of the Year Scholarship.

Last years winners were quite amazing. Then I realized I was in for some competition but I still couldn’t help but get excited about it. The scholarship was based on a essay with the following requirements:

“The focus of this essay should be your long-term goals and aspirations, as well as the challenges you face in meeting these goals. Judging will also assess creativity, motivation, and inspiration. Your essay may also include your family background, scholastic achievements, educational and career goals, commitment to the Hispanic community, financial need, and any other relevant information. The essay should be limited to 500 words.”

It is hard to get that all down in just 500 words. I did my best and unsuccessfully tried to not get my hopes up. In the end I was not selected for the honor. I am sure the women they did select are amazing Latinas and I tip my hat to them. Now if only, they had listened to Matt Ortega. Below is my essay.

I grew up determined to be the President of the United States of America so that I could help people, and while my goal of being president has changed, my goal of helping others has not. I am going to be a medical doctor for an urban minority community.

It was during my coursework in economics that I was approached by a professor who was starting a medical clinic for Spanish-speaking people without health insurance. She needed a bilingual volunteer to help communicate between patients and staff, and this was how I became involved in La Clínica Latina. It was at La Clínica Latina I found my vocation – becoming a doctor.

My mother immigrated to this country so that my siblings and I could have the opportunities to receive an education. I have helped my mother realize part of her dream by being the first in my family to go to college. My mother encouraged: “I may be poor, but I can make sure you get an education. An education is something no one can ever take away from you.” She proudly tells people that all three of her children have graduated from high school. For many, a high school diploma may seem like a minimal accomplishment, but it would have been unattainable had my mother stayed in Mexico. To have her daughter go to college was unimaginable.

Because I earned my bachelors’ degrees in economics and in Spanish, I do not have the traditional medical student background and do not have some science prerequisites required for medical school. While I am financially eligible for assistance, I do not qualify for aid because the classes I am taking are only for medical prerequisites and are not part of a bachelor’s degree program. To ease the financial burden, I have returned to community college to obtain the necessary course work.

I continue to work full-time as a Spanish language interpreter in hospitals, women’s shelters, and social service agencies. Interpreting has granted me a fulfilling job, flexibility to attend school, and full-time employment. It will take me longer than a traditional student to complete my coursework, while holding down a full-time job. However, I believe in the end it will be worthwhile and will allow me to become a good doctor.

My work at the clinic has given me the opportunity to see good doctors firsthand. For six years now I have been the manager of La Clínica Latina, a free medical clinic for uninsured Spanish-speaking people. I have helped create a culturally aware, fully bilingual staff of nurses, doctors, and support staff. We have expanded our services to offer dental care. Our excellent reputation has allowed us the luxury of selecting the best volunteers in our community. It is one thing to be able to speak to your medical provider through an interpreter, and another to speak directly to a doctor, who has been to your home country, speaks your language, and recognizes cultural differences. I want to be that doctor.