My name is Leslie and I am a Philippino-American. I am the 2nd youngest of 5 children and I am the only girl. Ever since I was younger I always aspired to do something in the medical field because I was very passionate about helping people. Being the first member of my family to go away to college at University of Texas at Austin, I felt that my life experiences there helped shape and mold me as a person. I came into college as a Biology major but discovered that it wasn't for me, so then I discovered Human Development and Family Sciences in the College of Natural Science. As an HDFS major I learned that I could study science in a new and interesting way and still finish my pre-requisites for Physician Assistant School.

My main concentration as an HDFS major was child development and from there I discovered my new found passion for children. To fulfill my degree it was a requirement to take classes that involved working at the lab school they provided at UT. The children that went to the lab school were aged from 1 - 5 years old. In the lab school, I observed children and documented certain behaviors to see if they were developing at the right speed for their age. Also, I was able to work hands on with the children in the lab school and be able to promote developmentally appropriate behaviors in their classroom.

It was also a requirement to take a practicum, where I decided to intern at Collins Elementary School in Houston, TX. My role at Collins was to be a Communities in Schools Case Manager Intern, which is a non-profit organization that helps student to excel in school. I assisted my Project Manager during her small group activities for her caseload of students, home visits, and documentation. There were times I was needed to do special projects for my Project Manager; from making bulletin boards to organizing the curriculum for the caseload groups. Also, at times I would be sent to the 1st grade classrooms to assist teachers by practicing the students' math skills through math lessons or math games that I would create every time I came in. It helped those students who were struggling to still be up to speed with the rest of the class without having to feel like they were falling behind. My time at Collins helped me realize that I wanted to work with children because I clicked with them and I knew that even if I made a slight difference in their life it was still a rewarding feeling.