In the future, I hope to develop intervention policies aimed at reducing social inequality, dismantling barriers, and enhancing access to early educational opportunities. I firmly believe that intervening at the earliest stages is often underestimated and undervalued. Yet, the formative years of childhood play a critical role in shaping lifelong development.  

Additionally, early intervention holds the promise of achieving more favorable outcomes compared to interventions implemented in adulthood or during higher education. Past adulthood, many perceptions, schemas, beliefs, and thought patterns are already set and stone due to our prior experiences and emerging beliefs becoming cemented in the way we approach issues. By intervening before these belief sets become permanent, we hold the potential to foster greater equity through a multifaceted approach.

It’s well documented that children who start behind often stay behind. The power to change this is right in front of us. By prioritizing early intervention, we can address the developmental delays in areas such as communication, reading, language, and socialization, thereby mitigating the potential problems that might occur later in life stemming from unequal access many children facing racial, economic, or social barriers often endure.  

Growing up, I witnessed firsthand the struggles my parents faced as immigrants to the United States. With limited English proficiency and no prior schooling, they encountered significant obstacles, including insecure housing, financial instability, and limited access to healthcare. Their educational experience was marked by consistent falling behind and catch-up, most likely because they started behind many of the other kids. Once they reached adulthood, they had to spent their time, money, and energy in addition to doubling their efforts to reach the professional and economic point of many other middle class citizens. Witnessing their struggle first hand, I became highly motivated to improve this experience for minority groups across the board.

My personal history has directly shaped my desire to pursue a career as a clinical psychologist and address the mental and physical health inequities faced by historically marginalized populations. Additionally, I recognize the intersectionality between intervention, educational outcomes, race, and class, and aim to implement this understanding in my future work. There exists direct relationships between mental and physical health and educational and future career success. My overarching goal is to evaluate, improve, and disseminate community and school-based interventions for marginalized youth and families. I firmly believe that early educational interventions holds the key to advancing the promising line of research grounded in a social justice and community-centered approach. This approach could be a large step towards a more equitable society.  

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