Teresa

Since I was young, there has been significant financial instability in my household. My mother had her accident, leaving her partially paralyzed and on disability; therefore, I assumed the role of her caretaker in 2nd grade. My father has worked tirelessly, often working 2-3 jobs to financially provide for my family and support my aspirations. I am the first of my family to pursue higher education, and the journey has been challenging. Since my first year, I have been split between supporting my family and finding direction in my career. I found psychology to be particularly fascinating, specifically, understanding how the nervous system functions. I want to continue studying the brain to understand how chronic pain changes reward and motivation to reduce addiction to prescription opioid medications. Additionally, my mother modeled self-advocacy in her doctor or lawyer appointments, moving me to participate in student government, prioritizing students’ basic needs as a foundation for education success. In my third year at CSULB, I was elected as the Executive Vice President and created programs that promoted food and housing security. I want to continue advocacy at an academic level while pursuing a Ph.D. in Neuroscience.

California State University, Long Beach – Psychology