Student Spotlight

Dear Montgomery College Foundation,

I am writing to express my sincere gratitude for having been chosen to receive a scholarship. My name is Nayelli Reyes and I am currently in my final year of study at Montgomery College. Completing an associate’s degree has been a long path due to the coronavirus and realizing that my true passion lies in the medical field. My major is biological science. Learning about the body and life as a whole under a microscope is truly fascinating to me. From a young age, I knew I wanted to pursue something in the medical field, but I was always afraid of not being good enough. Witnessing my immigrant family’s struggles with access to medical care and with the language barrier, which is humiliating for them, I knew I had to be the change the medical care system needs.

I am a first-generation college student who fortunately had the opportunity to witness firsthand how immigrants and people of color are treated differently. I say fortunately because my experience has helped me become passionate about wanting to create equal opportunity in medicine. I believe everyone should have access to quality care despite their background or ethnicity.

I have a long journey ahead of me as I plan on going to medical school. Every day I remind myself why all of this is worth it. My education is very important to me, and I want to be a part of the 5% of surgeons who are Latino, let alone female Latinos. I want to represent my culture and strive for a better system.

Again, I truly appreciate your support and I hope you know that you have genuinely made a difference in my life by allowing me to study what I love most and by breaking the boundary of financial need. I hope to be a student who proudly
represents Montgomery College and what it stands for.

Sincerely,
Your future surgeon
Nayelli Reyes