Everyone has an idea on who they want to be

Simply because they were asked from age five to thirteen

They grew up with different ideas in their head

and changed it several times because of what they read

But when that question is directed towards me

All you will hear is pure honesty

What I want to be is a pediatric surgeon that thrives

Thrives to be the best and save hundreds of lives

That's all I ever wanted to be

since age nine when I got surgery

But why do I want to do something so bold?

Well in my past... it was very very cold

At age nine I was supposed to die

I wasn't supposed to come out of the surgery room alive

I had to suffer the pain of telling my mom goodbye

One last time, and look at the tears from her eyes.

But fate decided to give me a second chance

and I will use this to save lives, to enhance

I want to give others a blessing

Like I was given from God who was listening

Listening to my pleads and cries

while tears flooded my eyes

I want to pay it on and save others

and let children always be with their mothers

But obstacles are constantly in my way

And I have to fight them off each and every day

Intuition money is definitely a problem

and negative comments are also one of them

“Come on, you know that's not what you're gonna be”

“You're just gonna end up packing groceries”

I also have to get a Bachelor's degree

and in college I have to pay a lot of money

But with the lack of income in my home

I have to do this all on my own

I want to prove them all wrong

and show them I was right all along

I want to be a pediatric surgeon that cares

and give second chances to show life is fair

So I took the first steps I could

and started volunteering like I should

Surrounded by children and making them smile

Something you can see from a mile

I am starting to get involved with the medical scene

Even if I'm out of place because I'm “just a teen”

I will search for as many scholarships as I can

and hopefully they will help with my future plans

Later in two years I will graduate

from school and open the gates

to my future and new start

doing something I love by heart

My name is Stacy Reyes and since I was nine,

I knew what career I wanted as mine

I knew what I wanted to be.

I wanted to be involved with lifesaving surgery.