Esperanza grew up in South Los Angeles. She always wanted to pursue a career in healthcare, but being a doctor or a nurse didn’t feel like the perfect match for her. After taking a career aptitude test in high school, she discovered POP. She was intrigued by how POP careers combined her dream of working in healthcare with her desire to express her creativity, including her love for drawing and sewing.

During this time, Esperanza worked as a computer science intern and gained valuable experience building computers. While she enjoyed problem-solving and working with her hands, she wanted to help people more directly. POP seemed the perfect way to combine everything she enjoyed into one career.

Esperanza earned her undergraduate degree in health science at California State University-Dominguez Hills and is now finishing her master’s in orthotics and prosthetics there. She often reflects on a moment when she helped a struggling patient find her voice and express her needs. She looks forward to empowering her future patients to do the same and helping other young people find their path to POP.