Hometown:
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
For as long as I can remember, I wanted to become a doctor like my father. His dedication to caring for others inspired me. After starting medical school in Honduras and serving a volunteer mission for my church, I felt prompted to study abroad. Coming to the U.S. as an international student opened my eyes to new possibilities. Exploring those paths was overwhelming, but ultimately led me to study psychology, a career that allows me to pursue my dream of caring for others and helping them become who they are meant to be.
Exploration Experience: For as long as I can remember, my dream has been to become like my father. Witnessing my dad’s resilience and sincere dedication as a doctor, who strived in the art of caring for and healing those in need, inspired me to do the same. As I grew up, that dream only gained strength. In high school, I was good at chemistry and biology, which reinforced my vision of becoming a physician.
As I was about to start college, the path seemed clear and direct: I was going to medical school. In my country of origin, Honduras, an admissions exam is required to enter medical school. I passed the exam and was one step closer to my childhood dream. After a challenging and demanding first year, I found the experience to be extremely rewarding, but I decided it was time for me to go serve a volunteer mission for my church.
Serving as a full-time missionary in Guatemala strengthened my desire to dedicate my life to the service of others, but it also helped me realize that I had not partnered with God in co-creating my future. After a few months of regular religious prayer and fasting, I started to feel prompted to study abroad as an international student. It was a miracle how fast my visa got approved, allowing me to come to BYU.
Being overwhelmed by the realization of the different majors and career paths I could pursue, I started to explore my different options. As I engaged in that process, I was blessed with advisors, professors, and mentors who guided me and helped me realize there are multiple paths that can take me to my longed-for dream of serving, caring for, and healing people.
I’m currently majoring in psychology with a goal to go into organizational psychology. I feel sure about my path and feel relieved knowing I’m co-creating my future with my Heavenly Father. As I have experienced this never-ending journey of self-exploration, I have found comfort in believing that I’m neither too early nor too late, since God guides me every step of the way when I decide to act and follow His leading hand.
Why is Exploring Important to Me? Exploring my major and what I could do with it has been a crucial aspect of my college experience. This process allowed me to meet with my academic advisor, who then connected me with a professor to talk about therapy, since I was interested in that profession. I chatted with the professor for thirty minutes about what therapy involves. As I learned more about the dynamics of therapy, I realized I might not enjoy the rigor the job would require. I became more open to looking at other related career paths. Now, I love the new path I’m pursuing in organizational psychology. If I hadn’t had that conversation, I would have continued to believe therapy was the best career path for me. While there is still more to learn about organizational psychology, I know I can talk to even more people. Because of this, I recommend getting information early on from people working in the field you are considering.
Looking Back: I wish I had understood sooner how far I can go when I don’t put limits on myself or let my circumstances define me. Moving to the U.S., embracing a different culture, starting a new school system, meeting new people, and much more have helped me realize how adaptable I can be. These experiences have made me more confident in myself and in my capacity to become more than I ever imagined. I believe that’s true for others as well. The sky is not the limit, and that’s a fact!
Favorites:
- Book: The Count of Monte Cristo
- Movie: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
- Food: Baleadas
- Animal: Cheetah
- Color: Red
Does Pineapple Belong on Pizza? Noooo!! That’s a crime!!
Boring Fact About Me: I can spend an unreasonable amount of time researching something before buying it.
Hobbies: I love playing soccer, eating, sleeping, reading, and traveling.