Grandfather’s diabetes battle leads to career goal

Her family moved from Mexico to Baytown when she was 11.

“Ever since I was little, I’ve wanted to become a doctor. I’ve always been interested in helping people.

“We used to live in Matamoros, Mexico, and most of my family there studied to be teachers. They thought I was going to be a teacher, too, until I said no. Or they wanted me to be a beautician. I was like, ‘Uh, no.’

“A lot of people in my family have been sick, mostly with diabetes but also some heart problems. It actually hit me hardest when I was 15. My grandpa passed away that year. He had diabetes and had most of his toes cut off. I really set my mind then on becoming a doctor with a goal of finding a way to make sure that nobody else would have to go through something like that. That’s what’s motivating me.”