Think of the things you are passionate about; what do you make time for despite how busy you are? Do you pursue a creative hobby, play sports, or spend time with friends and family? Do you have a designated “relax time” of playing video games, watching YouTube, or engaging in social media?
Meet Escarleth, a Biology major here at Cal State LA who gives back to the community in her spare time. Born in Honduras, she grew up there with one older and one younger brother before moving to the U.S. at the age of eleven. She is working toward a career in pediatrics, and spent her free time in high school volunteering in various workshops with children and caring for post-surgery patients at the Valley Presbyterian Hospital. There, she became fascinated by surgery and its capacity to heal and started considering a career in surgery as well as pediatrics. Now, she regrets not being able to volunteer as much because of her job— she does have to work to pay for her education, after all— and wishes to return to it once she has more free time.
One of the most significant contributions to her chosen field was her grandmother, who looked after her throughout her childhood. Escarleth spoke about how she liked and took responsibility in caring for her grandmother in Honduras, who suffered from asthma, by preparing her medications and making sure she was taking them. Once her grandmother passed away when Escarleth was twelve, she was set in her profession. “I want to give back everything she did for me, but to other people because I wasn't able to do it for her anymore”, she explained. In addition to this, she was looking after children starting at a young age- mostly her cousins in Honduras- and she discovered her inclination to working with kids. She describes herself as being really good with them; babysitting was even her first job.
Escarleth also enjoys reading fiction, watching Netflix, and dancing. As a result of having to move around a lot throughout middle and high school, she didn't become too close to her friends as part of her defense mechanism— the pain of separation wouldn't be as bad in the end— and engages in writing not only as a hobby but as a form of self-healing: “I would just write everything down- it was my outlet”, she told me about writing journals.
Regarding previous thoughts on career paths, she had thought before about becoming a lawyer- “I’m very good at arguing and debating with things”, she said. But her experiences growing up- working with children, wanting to give back to others after her grandmother passed away, and volunteering in the hospital during high school, have resulted in Escarleth’s ultimate choice in terms of how she wants to spend her life. She now is leaning most toward becoming a pediatrician after all, although she tells me she still is intrigued by surgery and wants to keep it in mind. Becoming a pediatric surgeon is definitely a viable option for Escarleth, bringing together what she has learned about herself from childhood until her time in college right now.
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