My background

Application Letter
In my quest to be what I am, I have gone many challenges. My journey has been a long and arduous one, and I am grateful to be where I am today. As a small boy, I lost my father, and for quite a long time, it was just my mother and me. Truth be told, I would not have anybody else raise me because I believe no one could have done as good a job as she did. She worked several jobs to ensure my brother, and I never lacked anything. There were tough times, but she always saw us through them. Although we led a life that can mainly be categorized as hand to mouth, we always had something to eat and never slept on an empty stomach. Not having a vast amount of wealth has made me learn to appreciate the little things that come my way. My mother always taught me to be humble and to do good to everyone. The life lessons she imparted to me have been invaluable. Helping her to take care of my brother also helped me grow up quicker than most people who are my age.
The biggest challenge to date has been overcoming my stuttering problem. Up until the fourth grade, it severely affected me and dented my confidence. I was unable to speak in public and always felt shy around people. My mother was instrumental in helping me overcome the issue. She made me embrace it rather than hate it. As soon as I took her words seriously, things began to change. I steadily worked on the problem and rectified my speech. I am no longer the shy boy who was always afraid to speak. On the contrary, I am more talkative than most people are and have learned to be positive about things.

I smile more than I before and although the death of my father at age eight came when I was struggling to improve my speech, I still did not quit.
Watching my mother work as hard as she did help to understand the real value of work. From her, I learned if you work hard enough, moving through the social ladder is not difficult. All I have to do is apply myself and do the best that I can. I also learned from an early age not to accept average grades and that mediocrity is not for me. From that young age, I have been working towards becoming a plastic surgeon, as I want to make a change in the world. Living in an outreach program since age six has brought out the competitive part of me and this has motivated me to become a volunteer and help other people who live in outreach programs. My desire to go into medicine is driven by the fact that I was also affected by a speech impediment. I believe that I can inspire those who have a similar problem and help them work towards achieving their goals.
Knowing the rest of my family has inspired me to work because I discovered that I would be the first member of the household to attend college. Other members might learn from me and do just as well as I have. As soon as I had the chance, I flew to Mexico to see them because my family is predominantly Mexican. My mother says she is Afro-Mexican and is of Guerrero and Mexican descent. On the other hand, my father is entirely Mexican. I also flew to California to meet other members of my family. I have always believed that family is an integral part of life and it is because of it that I have tried as best I can to meet all of them. As a youth, faith was instrumental, and attending missions in places like Colombia and the Dominican Republic changed my life for the better. It helps me build my faith and drew me closer to God, which in turn helped me put my life in perspective.
I believe that I was destined for great things and because of that belief, I ran for and won the seat of the treasurer of the Latino Organization where I worked for about two years and was also involved in sports. Motivation from my family spurred me on because most of them believed that I was better than what other people thought. I rose above the Latino stereotype and decided that I would not succumb to any peer pressure. My biggest inspiration is my mother, and the time I spend with her as she cooks makes me loved and appreciated. During the weekends, the house smells of spice, and we take the time to bond. We listen to music like Cumbia and Bachata and remember never to take anything for granted. I hope to make things better for her and my fellow Latinos. I also want to show everybody that there is more to us than just corruption and violence. I want to show we are world movers.