In Yoruba culture, one's mission is to work on your Iwa, or character, with the intent to consistently evolve towards righteousness. My childhood library contained several character-shaping books, such as Anansi The Spider, focused on community, knowledge, and triumph through adversity. These tales shaped my personal, academic, and professional goals to serve humanity.
When the world stopped in 2020, I launched a podcast discussing issues concerning mental health, politics, and my academic experiences as a thirteen-year-old college student. The podcast grew exponentially as other girls saw themselves in the topics I discussed, leading the podcast to gain a global audience. This was the catalyst for creating my non-profit organization, Pragmatic Prodigies.
While moving the conversation from theory to action, I began mentoring and encouraging participation in early college courses to the young ladies at Morningside Middle School in Fort Worth, Texas. This zip code has the lowest life expectancy in Texas due to historical disenfranchisement. I learned that many girls would miss school because they did not have enough period products to last during their monthly menstrual cycle. Deeply concerned about how the lack of access to these necessities affected them academically, I was shocked to learn that nearly 1 in 5 American girls missed school due to a lack of period protection.
To address these demoralizing and often embarrassing issues, I used pragmatism, skills, and resources to collect period products to be housed in a portable building on the school grounds. In partnership with the local community college, social service organizations, and local government officials, over 20,000 period products were collected in 60 days. This effort to raise awareness and combat period poverty has expanded to serving students in neighboring states, communities, school districts, and countries across the diaspora.
Though the immediate need of providing girls with period protection has been met, I am dedicated to a permanent answer by eliminating the Pink tax, feminine products marketed as more expensive than male products. Pragmatic Prodigies hosts a Teen Summit where local and state elected officials conduct workshops on increasing public awareness and creating a bill to address the Pink Tax.
Through advocacy in action, my passion is to help educate students while building agencies to address systemic inequities. As an academic, entrepreneur, and Pragmatic Prodigy, I am committed to working on my Iwa by using critical thinking skills, intellectual prowess, and resources to serve my community.
As a student majoring in Political Science and minoring in English at Spelman College, my life experiences inspire me to use my voice to serve as a Civil Rights attorney specializing in education reform and, ultimately, a Supreme Court Justice, where around 3% of all attorneys in the US are black women. This scholarship will alleviate financial barriers by empowering me to pursue my dreams and make a meaningful impact in my field. This is not just for me; it's for my family, community, mentees, and the next generation.
Growing up in a predominantly Black community in Northern California, I was constantly exposed to the health disparities that disproportionately impact communities of color. I watched family members and loved ones battle diabetes, strokes, and heart disease—conditions that became normalized in my environment but were starkly absent in the lives of my White peers. These early experiences prompted my questions about healthcare access and quality, which later evolved into a deep commitment to pursue a career in medicine.
My academic journey was not linear. While at UCLA, I struggled with imposter syndrome and the burden of being one of the few Black women in pre-med courses. Yet, those challenges cultivated my resilience and shaped my compassion for underserved populations. I leaned into community service, chairing the Youth Health Festival for the Black Pre-Health Organization and joining medical relief trips to Tijuana, Mexico, with the Flying Samaritans. These formative experiences solidified my calling to medicine, not just as a career, but as a means to serve and advocate.
During my post-baccalaureate studies and professional work in clinical research, I began to understand the critical role of research in shaping patient outcomes. At Clovis Oncology, I supported early-phase oncology trials, while at Diablo Clinical Research, I worked hands-on with patients—drawing labs, taking vitals, and facilitating device studies. This direct patient interaction, combined with my growing scientific curiosity, drew me to orthopaedic oncology: a field that merges surgery, research, and complex cancer care.
Now a medical student at the University of Houston College of Medicine, I’ve continued to hone my interests through leadership, research, and advocacy. I currently serve as President of the Class of 2027 and the founding President of the UHCOM Chapter of the Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society, where I work to build mentorship pipelines for women interested in orthopaedic surgery. As a medical student researcher at MD Anderson Cancer Center, I conduct clinical research under Dr. Valerae O. Lewis, Chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Oncology, studying financial toxicity in sarcoma patients and imaging characteristics of rare tumors. Presenting this work at national meetings has sharpened my commitment to both academic medicine and equitable cancer care.
The financial hurdles I’ve faced throughout my journey have not only shaped my work ethic but also fueled my passion for advocacy. As a first-generation medical student, I lead a monthly, student-run grocery pop-up that combats food insecurity among my peers. These efforts, combined with my entrepreneurial platform “Melanated Med,” which supports over 30,000 women of color in medicine, reflect my belief in community-driven solutions to systemic problems.
I chose orthopaedic oncology because it allows me to serve vulnerable patients during the most life-altering moments of their lives, combining technical precision with emotional depth. In the future, I envision myself not only as a surgeon and researcher but also as a health equity advocate—building culturally competent care models, mentoring underrepresented students, and transforming the patient experience through advocacy and education.
This path has never been easy, but every challenge has reaffirmed my purpose. Medicine is my platform for impact, and orthopaedic oncology is the precise space where my passion, skill, and lived experience converge to make meaningful change.
