ABOUT ME
I’m certain that there’s at least one question on your mind right now, so let’s get that out of the way first. My name is pronounced “kay-sah” —yes, same as “quesa-dilla”— and my last name is pronounced “gar-see-ah” as in, well, García. I think most of us are familiar with that surname at this point!
Now that I’ve formally introduced myself, let me tell you a little bit more about me. I’m 22 years old and was born and raised in beautiful Miami, FL, where I attended school from elementary to college (and, hopefully, medical school), all within two miles from home!
I know the phrase “American Dream” may seem trite and overused, but trust me when I say that, at least in my case, it’s very much a reality that has guided my life as a result of my upbringing. My parents immigrated to the U.S. from Cuba with little more than a change of clothes and some photos of their loved ones. My mother left Cuba at age 2 in 1960, and my dad did so as a 25-year-old in 1984. Although their journeys were different in many ways, they shared one common thread: the promise of a better future in America. My maternal grandparents risked their and my mother’s lives fleeing the newly established communist regime by plane and, soon after arriving in the U.S., abuela found employment as a seamstress for the wealthy and abuelo worked as skyscraper-window cleaner in downtown Boston, MA. My father, a young cattle herder at the time of his departure, made the decision to leave on his own, and his voyage was undoubtedly much more harrowing on a makeshift “raft” that somehow stayed afloat on shark-infested waters. He set foot on Miami sand and made that city his home to this day. My father held a series of random, entry-level jobs, and years later, opened a residential air-conditioning business which is still in operation to this day.
My parents eventually met and married in Miami, and I was born in 1998. They each have children from previous marriages, but I’m the only child they share: their “little girl,” la niña. As a child, and throughout my life, I’ve witnessed the pursuit of the American Dream first-hand and can say without hesitation that it’s real and achievable, but not guaranteed. Their example has shown me that it involves hard work, dedication, an unimpeachable work ethic, and a relentless desire to overcome. I’ve applied this philosophy of life throughout my schooling and upbringing, and it’s served me beyond my expectations. But at no time did this relentless desire to overcome become more crucial than the moment my brothers explained to me that my mother had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Some time between that day (at the age of five) and my mother’s eventual deterioration from strong, vibrant woman to rail-thin, hairless weakling, my desire to become an oncologist was born. She fought hard, survived, and has been in remission ever since.
But you may be wondering, “Why pediatrics?” More specifically, “Why would anyone want to become a pediatric oncologist? That’s heartbreaking!” Over the years, this has been the general reaction whenever the subject comes up. In truth, there’s no simple answer to that question, but if I had to narrow it down, it would not only be my mother’s cancer diagnosis, but specifically one of my routine yearly check-ups at Nicklaus Children's Hospital where I witnessed a very young girl in very bad shape get wheeled into the elevator. She had no hair, was very thin, and looked generally unwell. She seemed sad and hopeless. I couldn’t stop thinking about her that entire day, and when we got home I asked my mom what was wrong with her. The answer, of course, was cancer.
Realizing that my mom now faced the same fate as that young girl could have been devastating for me. But instead of crumbling to pieces and feeling sorry for myself, I became obsessed with the subject and with learning everything I could about it. I woke up earlier than usual to go online and do research. As far as I was concerned, the better I knew what I was dealing with, the better I could prepare myself. That obsession eventually became my life’s mission.
Yes, I’m relentless when it comes to pursuing my goals, a trait that was ingrained in me by my parents. My time at Florida International University has shown me that it’s not enough to simply excel academically, but to be “worlds ahead” by combining my studies with a desire to be compassionate, perseverant, and strong. These attributes will be invaluable necessities during my pursuit of a career as a pediatric oncologist, as I aspire not only to treat children successfully, but give them the one thing that is so difficult to come by when diagnosed with cancer: HOPE. This desire to medically help the most innocent among us and give them a second chance at life is the reason I get up every day and pursue my goals, relentlessly, as I was taught by my parents’ example.