Diana Martinez – LatPro Scholarship Finalist for August 2012

Some of my peers have told me that Biology is a difficult major. In reality, the only difficulty is pursuing a major you are not in love with. I am not afraid to dream big and build a career. My perseverance to become educated is a challenge that I am fighting for and I want to show those who tried to put me down and said “not everyone can go to college” that I can and will graduate with a B.A. in Biology.

As a little girl my curiosity for science flourished and I imagined that someday I would use science to change the lives of people I saw suffer day to day, due to chronic diseases that did not have a cure. I sometimes wished for a miracle, but I soon learned that the solution to so much suffering could be adequate medical treatment, yet many of the people I knew did not have access to. With new technology developing quickly, the hunt for cures is only a matter of time and I want to be part of these new discoveries and share a smile. My vision for the future remains a dream that life has set me far apart because of the circumstances I have faced growing up.

I remember when the coughs started, light at first, but they became louder and frightening as I began to dread that any breath could be the last for my dad. It took 20 years of milking cows for the wet and dirty work conditions to destroy my dad’s health, in which he had to have several surgeries which did not work, leaving him without a sense of smell and a medical debt. Since then, my dad has been on medications that no longer have an effect. My dad’s health has encouraged me to pursue a major that I enjoy learning about, and can give me the opportunity to help my dad live a longer life and share a day without his respiratory problems taking advantage of every second of his life.

I did not come from a professional background and English was not my first language but I still challenged myself to excel academically. I remember when I would help my parents go to their doctor appointments, because I was the only one in the family who knew how to translate. After that, I became inspired to someday work in the medical field and help people get the right treatments just like I would do with my family.

I want to make my dreams a reality and break the chain of generations of family who have had to break their backs and sweat to earn barely enough to make ends meet. I have faith that my knowledge and skills gained in college will make my degree worth the effort because it would mean to me that I will have a secure, happy, and rewarding future where I get to help my community and family through my future medical career.

LatPro.com’s scholarship program for Hispanic students is proud to announce Diana Martinez as one of the six finalists for its August 2012 application deadline. Vote for her essay (Facebook ‘Like’ and other social media sharing options in left column), and/or leave comments of support to help us with the selection process.