“I am beyond grateful for this momentous scholarship that has been awarded to me. It is through the alumni’s generosity, that students like myself are able to continue to pursue their academic passions, without feeling the burden of financial insecurities. I am incredibly fortunate to have been chosen to receive the financial assistance I need to finish my last semester here at the University of Florida. As a first-generation student, my entire college career has been funded through scholarship and financial aid, due to my family’s inability to financially support my education. Being awarded the Dr. Rafael and Mrs. J. Fe Padron de Angulo scholarship has significantly helped lift the financial burden of paying for my education and living expenses on myself and my family. Having this scholarship plays a large role in not only covering the costs of my education, but also allowing me the time to focus on my academics and participate in extracurricular activities that would otherwise be taken up from working to pay for my education. I currently serve as the Spanish Translation Director for UF HELO and contraCOVID Gainesville, working on translating educational and medical materials for the Gainesville community. As a student aspiring to work in the medical field, these experiences have given me the opportunity to work with diverse patient populations and help me discover my passion for health disparities. I have made it a focus of my time here at UF to get exposure to organizations whose mission is to bridge the gap between patient populations with low health literacy and having fair access to medical education and care. Thank you again to the UF Association of Hispanic Alumni for funding these scholarships that allow students to continue pursuing their dreams to one day support future students like themselves in their aspirations.“