I was born in 1997 in Guelph Ontario to father, Edison, and mother, Brigida. Briefly thereafter, my parents moved to my father’s homeland, Chile. Three years were spent in Chile in an arid coastal town named Coquimbo. As abruptly as we had come, we left. As many 3-year olds would, I became completely terrified with the cultural and linguistic change. My mother tells me that for nearly a year I was silent. They say you can see the character of a person even as a child, and for me that certainly was true. I was a toddler of few words and fewer friends. However, when I attended high school I began to step out of my shell. It started with me learning who I was. I realized that I am the son of a Latino man and a Caribbean woman, I have brown skin - some would call it black skin. None of my classmates in the affluent Toronto school that I attended were like me physically, or culturally. With that realization in the back of my mind, I finished high school and chose the University of Guelph.

During the summer prior to entering university, I had an experience which shaped me. However, few know that I had this experience. I went on a 33-day wilderness excursion (via canoe) which ended in the northern community of Moose Factory. It gave me an enticing glimpse into a completely different but no less Canadian culture - the indigenous culture. I was captivated by how different and beautiful their culture was. It inspired within me a desire to learn about all types of cultures around the world.

In Guelph, during my second year, I discovered another passion. The health sciences (particularly nutrition). In a recent trip to Dominican Republic, where my mother is from, I discovered an avenue to explore both of my passions of cultural curiosity and the health sciences. I met a doctor who was working to provide care for unserved and remote people. Although I forget his name, his mission is something that I strive to be a part of. To be embedded in a foreign culture, learning a new way of life, a new land and practicing healthcare simultaneously is my career goal.

Perhaps the best way to realize my career goals is through charitable organizations like Doctors Without Borders. Their mission resonates with mine at a very fundamental level and I dream of doing charitable work on behalf of Doctors Without Borders.

All that is left is to accomplish my dreams and add them to my bio. I hold you, reader, accountable for reading my bio when they are eventually accomplished!