At the National Children’s Cancer Society, survivorship is defined as a lifelong journey. For me, that definition is not abstract; it is the only way I have ever understood life. I was diagnosed with cancer at four years old, and again at eight. I don’t remember a version of my childhood untouched by it. Those experiences shaped how I grew, learned, and understood the world around me, and they continue to influence the person I am becoming.
Much of my childhood was spent in hospitals instead of in classrooms. Chemotherapy took a physical toll through the damaging effects of “chemo brain,” making focus and retention difficult, especially in school. Rebuilding a foundation required persistence, patience, and a newfound willingness to keep going even when progress felt slow.
Continuing on reflected something cancer had already begun to teach me: perseverance is not about avoiding hardship, but about continuing forward despite it. Survivorship, to me, means understanding that challenges may continue, but so will I.
Cancer also deeply impacted my family. Raised by a single mother after losing my father, I watched her carry the emotional weight of my illness while supporting us. Seeing her handle those challenges strengthened my own sense of responsibility and resilience, and shaped how I view strength as something steady and enduring.
At the same time, my experience showed me the power of compassion. The kindness I received from doctors, nurses, and volunteers stayed with me long after treatment ended. It changed how I see helping others not as something occasional, but as something intentional. Which is why I’ve obtained over 80 hours of service in high school and continued in college with about 20 hours this year.
That same compassion is what drives my goals. The care and empathy I received during my treatment is something I want to give back, and I have chosen to do that through engineering. It is a demanding field, but my experiences have prepared me to handle challenges that require a lot of grit. I want to create tools and technologies that can improve people’s lives in the same meaningful way others once impacted mine.
Today, I am a Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Texas at San Antonio with a 4.0 GPA. My goal is to design practical, user-centered technologies that improve quality of life through medical and sustainable innovations. I have already started working toward that by developing a pillbox prototype inspired by my own experience managing daily medication and an innovative walking stick concept to support independence for the visually impaired. I am also part of a medical device innovation lab focused on creating better suction devices for emergency situations.
Cancer shaped my life early, and it continues to shape how I see the world. It has given me a perspective grounded in determination, patience, and purpose. As a lifelong survivor, I carry those lessons with me into everything I do and everything I hope to achieve.