“May God grant you ease as you have granted me ” were the blessings uttered by a distressed mother crying in relief as I handed her a bag of medicines worth she could barely afford. My mother had paid on behalf of a lady weeping in the hospital pharmacy to pick up eye drops for her son who had a cataract causing blindness. At the time, we lived in Dhaka where neither routine eye exams nor health insurance was a concept. In Bangladesh, you only ever went to an ophthalmologist for refractions or the occasional serious issues. If this was the situation in a private hospital in the city, I shuddered to imagine the scarcity of proper eye care in rural villages. That afternoon as I exited the hospital it sank in how privileged I am. I wondered how many more parents are sitting in waiting rooms watching their child lose vision holding bills they cannot afford? How many more parents are sitting in that waiting room suffering because they never realized a condition had progressed so far it would render their child blind by the time it was addressed? I had grown up knowing I wanted to be a doctor but have barely seen women that look like me in the medical field. Furthermore my experiences ignited in me the desire to change the way access to patient care looked for underserved populations as an eye care provider. Quality patient care is important for me to give to others because I saw how life-changing it was for my mother when she battled breast cancer. It was the doctors who emphasized maintaining hopeful views towards life, proper nutrition and how she can cope through her beliefs. I want to take a similar approach to changing the trajectory of someone's life by providing them with culturally competent care on how they can preserve their vision. Community health is vital because it can be a domino effect - when one person is treated properly it encourages others to seek help and changes their mindset about the healthcare system. While I likely won’t change the world, I know I can make a difference in people’s lives every time I help to restore and maintain their vision. I aspire to have a practice where patients from all walks of life leave feeling educated and empowered to take care of their health. In order to give back to my communities that lack eye care resources, I aim to go on mission trips to rural villages and host mobile clinics that provide free vision care. Growing up witnessing the necessity of exceptional patient care in a multicultural world, has made being an optometrist a goal that has only intensified with time. Currently, I am a senior at NYU applying to optometry school this cycle. I truly believe I have chosen the right profession for myself to improve the lives of people in the communities I worked in. I want to build a network of female optometrists within my clinics, academic organizations and social media to change the message of what career options a woman should and should not pursue. I want to change the narrative laid out for women of color for generations of what they are and are not capable of. Every optometric experience has given me insight into the intricacies of the field of optometry. It has instilled in me utmost ardor and gratitude that I too will one day find peace in improving the quality of people’s lives daily.

“May Allah grant you ease as you have granted me”, were the blessings uttered by a distressed mother crying in relief as I handed her a bag of medicines worth she could barely afford. My mother had paid on behalf of a lady weeping in the hospital pharmacy to pick up eye drops for her son who had a cataract causing blindness. At the time, we lived in Dhaka where neither routine eye exams nor health insurance was a concept. In Bangladesh, you only ever went to an ophthalmologist for refractions or the occasional serious issues. If this was the situation in a private hospital in the city, I shuddered to imagine the scarcity of proper eye care in rural villages. That afternoon as I exited the hospital it sank in how privileged I am. I wondered how many more parents are sitting in waiting rooms watching their child lose vision holding bills they cannot afford? How many more parents are sitting in that waiting room suffering because they never realized a condition had progressed so far it would render their child blind by the time it was addressed? I had grown up knowing I wanted to be a doctor. Hence, that experience ignited in me the desire to change the way access to patient care looked for underserved populations as an eye care provider. Quality patient care is important for me to give to others because I saw how life-changing it was for my mother when she battled breast cancer. It was the doctors who emphasized maintaining hopeful views towards life, proper nutrition and how she can cope through her beliefs. I want to take a similar approach to changing the trajectory of someone's life by providing them with culturally competent care on how they can preserve their vision. Community health is vital because it can be a domino effect - when one person is treated properly it encourages others to seek help and changes their mindset about the healthcare system. While I likely won’t change the world, I know I can make a difference in people’s lives every time I help to restore and maintain their vision. I aspire to have a practice where patients from all walks of life leave feeling educated and empowered to take care of their health. In order to give back to my communities that lack eye care resources, I aim to go on mission trips to rural villages and host mobile clinics that provide free vision care. Growing up witnessing the necessity of exceptional patient care in a multicultural world, has made being an optometrist a goal that has only intensified with time. Currently, I am a senior at NYU in the process of applying to graduate programs. I plan to pursue a dual degree on the OD/MS track that allows me to become a doctor and also pursue clinical research in the field of glaucoma. I truly believe I have chosen the right profession for myself to improve the lives of people in the communities I worked in. Every optometric experience has given me insight into the intricacies of the field of optometry. It has instilled in me utmost ardor and gratitude that I too will one day find peace in improving the quality of people’s lives daily.

“May God grant you ease as you have granted me ” were the blessings uttered by a distressed mother crying in relief as I handed her a bag of medicines worth she could barely afford. My mother had paid on behalf of a lady weeping in the hospital pharmacy to pick up eye drops for her son who had a cataract causing blindness. At the time, we lived in Dhaka where neither routine eye exams nor health insurance was a concept. In Bangladesh, you only ever went to an ophthalmologist for refractions or the occasional serious issues. If this was the situation in a private hospital in the city, I shuddered to imagine the scarcity of proper eye care in rural villages. That afternoon as I exited the hospital it sank in how privileged I am. I wondered how many more parents are sitting in waiting rooms watching their child lose vision holding bills they cannot afford? How many more parents are sitting in that waiting room suffering because they never realized a condition had progressed so far it would render their child blind by the time it was addressed? I had grown up knowing I wanted to be a doctor. Hence, that experience ignited in me the desire to change the way access to patient care looked for underserved populations as an eye care provider. Quality patient care is important for me to give to others because I saw how life-changing it was for my mother when she battled breast cancer. It was the doctors who emphasized maintaining hopeful views towards life, proper nutrition and how she can cope through her beliefs. I want to take a similar approach to changing the trajectory of someone's life by providing them with culturally competent care on how they can preserve their vision. Community health is vital because it can be a domino effect - when one person is treated properly it encourages others to seek help and changes their mindset about the healthcare system. While I likely won’t change the world, I know I can make a difference in people’s lives every time I help to restore and maintain their vision. I aspire to have a practice where patients from all walks of life leave feeling educated and empowered to take care of their health. In order to give back to my communities that lack eye care resources, I aim to go on mission trips to rural villages and host mobile clinics that provide free vision care. Growing up witnessing the necessity of exceptional patient care in a multicultural world, has made being an optometrist a goal that has only intensified with time. Currently, I am a senior at NYU applying to optometry school this cycle. I truly believe I have chosen the right profession for myself to improve the lives of people in the communities I worked in. Every optometric experience has given me insight into the intricacies of the field of optometry. It has instilled in me utmost ardor and gratitude that I too will one day find peace in improving the quality of people’s lives daily.

At first, I would try to be a positive influence by introducing them to the benefits of a certain career path they're interested if they were to go to college vs if they were not. For example, if they are interested in starting a business or boutique, I would remind them that getting a degree is an investment because you have background knowledge on entrepreneurship but as long as the business is in its initial stages or not profitable enough, your degree can serve as a backup to be able to get a job that allows you to make a living and be able to invest into your business. I would be willing to listen to their concerns as to what is stopping them from choosing to go to college in the first place. Then I would try to work through those concerns by reasoning or finding data and pathways that can be taken to minimize whatever concerns they are. One other thing I would do is try to connect him to a college student or alumni who is in a similar career path about their experiences, all the benefits as well as any similar doubts they had when they were entering college that were resolved with time.

My name is Ahona Chowdhury and I am an Applied Psychology major at New York University planning to minor in Public Health as well. In my family of four and greater extended family, I am the first person to pursue a bachelors degree in the United States. Growing up in Bangladesh for a portion of my teen years, I was exposed to a variety of socioeconomic groups and the inaccessible corrupt healthcare system. I have been inspired by the amazing PAs and medical team who intervened during my mothers breast cancer treatment to pursue a career in healthcare. I want to be a part of a team, to advocate for my patients and to place an emphasis on patient education when I practice. This desire has become more intense for me as in the recent past, I have been diagnosed with PCOS. When I talk about advocating for my options and the importance of women's reproductive health, I see firsthand the stigma and taboo attached with being open and informed about such conditions in minority communities. I am tired of watching my fellow sisters not be informed about their gynecological and sexual health because establishing a connection with healthcare providers due to cultural barriers and understanding is harder as a minority. I am tired of women in my community and minority communities receiving vague consultations and not having detailed and thorough care especially in specific states. I know for a fact my calling is assisting in infertility, ob/gyn clinics in suburban and rural communities where there is a lack of physicians that female patients, especially those that minority ones can connect to. Besides my interest in the profession, I am passionate about mentoring. As a first generation Bangladeshi Muslim, I am currently working with a non profit organization called The Link Scholars. I am currently in the process of mentoring middle and high school students in the New York City as they apply for high school and college admissions. Previously, I have done similar work in mentoring and tutoring peers and younger students at my old high school through college admissions - a few of which actually got into colleges like Vanderbilt or their dream teaching programs. My volunteering experience is not limited to education. I love taking care of people and this translated into working with a nursing home right before college started. I worked with dementia patients alongside occupational therapists to plan recreational activities and exercises. As a pre-health student at New York University who plans to pursue PA school(God willing), I plan to continue to mentor first generation students like me no matter what profession I step into. Additionally, the act of caring for minority communities would naturally translate into my duties as a healthcare worker. I believe I can continue making an impact by being considered for this scholarship, It would mean that I can use it to keep funding for my higher and graduate education to keep making a positive impact in people's lives as well as for my own parents.

My name is Ahona Chowdhury and I am an Applied Psychology major at New York University planning to minor in Public Health as well. In my family of four and greater extended family, I am the first person to pursue a bachelors degree in the United States. Growing up in Bangladesh for a portion of my teen years, I was exposed to a variety of socioeconomic groups and the inaccessible corrupt healthcare system. I have been inspired by the amazing PAs and medical team who intervened during my mothers breast cancer treatment to pursue a career in healthcare although I have kept my mind open to other fields such as the research and development of medical products as well. As a first generation Bangladeshi Muslim, I am currently working with a non profit organization called The Link Scholars. I am currently in the process of mentoring middle and high school students in the New York City as they apply for high school and college admissions. Previously, I have done similar work in mentoring and tutoring peers and younger students at my old high school through college admissions - a few of which actually got into colleges like Vanderbilt or their dream teaching programs. My volunteering experience is not limited to education. I love taking care of people and this translated into working with a nursing home right before college started. I worked with dementia patients alongside occupational therapists to plan recreational activities and exercises. As a pre-health student at New York University who plans to pursue either PA or optometry school (God willing), I plan to continue to mentor first generation students like me no matter what profession I step into. Additionally, the act of caring for minority communities would naturally translate into my duties as a healthcare worker. I believe I can continue making an impact by being considered for this scholarship, It would mean that I can use it to keep funding for my higher and graduate education to keep making a positive impact in people's lives as well as for my own parents.