I am deeply honored to receive the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) Prize for Excellence in Inclusivity made possible through a grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. This generous award of $5000 will go toward travel and registration support for underrepresented students from the University of Wisconsin-Madison to attend the ASCB and SACNAS (Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science) conferences. In this essay, I have woven together a few stories on how my life experiences have shaped my passion for diversity and inclusion in STEM.