I come from a low income family and began my academic journey in community college. There, my classmates were richly diverse: of many nationalities, young and old, parents or caregivers, international students, first generation college students—the majority of us low income, serious, and working. I had passionate science teachers, but there was no research on campus and I began conducting research only after I transferred to a large public university. Quickly, I found that I was behind my peers who had started in the lab as freshmen. I didn’t believe I could get into a graduate program, so I worked in industry after college. Yet, my curiosity for neuroscience drew me back to academia and to inspiring mentors who believed in me and supported my dreams. I am driven to pay forward their gift of mentorship to the community of students I come from, many of whom face greater challenges than I and who are well deserving of opportunity.