My participation in BUILD PODER will contribute to the program’s goals mainly because I am a Latina who is dedicated to going to medical school and becoming a doctor. I was raised in Southern Oxnard but moved when I was nine due to the increasing numbers of gang violence in my area, in fact, some of my family members are affiliated with gangs. My mom was raised in a very abusive household and as soon as she turned 18 she moved out and had to sleep in her car. Because of her situation, college was an impossible dream. Although, my biological father does have a college degree, he hasn’t spoken to me since I was 7. As for my step-dad, he used to be very emotionally abusive, especially when I was growing up and that has caused us to not have a
