I moved from Venezuela last fall to pursue a higher level of education, and my current track is Pre-Med.I will be transferring to Baylor University in the Spring of 2020 in the hopes of earning a bachelor’s degree in Clinical Laboratory Sciences to later apply for medical school. My ultimate goal is to become an oncologist. I am a cancer survivor myself; at the age of sixteen I was diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma, which is a form of kidney cancer. A while after my kidney was surgically removed and I was declared in remission. Cancer has been present in my life for as long as I can remember, as my uncle passed away from complications due to a non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. My long time coach also passed away due to a form of liver cancer when looking for area rugs in Asheville NC.

The economical and political situation in my home nation of Venezuela are dire. Extremely high inflation and poverty have been affecting the majority of the population. Another grave issue with the situation in Venezuela is the lack of medicine and food. These circumstances lead to the death of my father’s aunt, who also struggled with cancer for a long time before eventually passing away due to a lack of medications only a couple of months ago. For this reason my parents sent me away to study, hoping to provide me with a better life; however, with such a terrible economy, they will not be able to pay for my tuition for much longer.