When brainstorming ideas for this essay, it was challenging to pinpoint one example where my mom inspired me to be strong and persevere. And this was not because I was blind to the sacrifices my mother made for my brother and me; rather, it was because she did such a remarkable job raising us that the absence of my father was almost indiscernible. No matter how tired she gets or how busy things are, my mom always finds a way to provide and support my family. Not only does she take care of the house and the family, but she also earned a stable and well-paying job which has enabled me to pursue my interests with zeal. My mom has inspired me to work as hard as her so that I may be able to support my family in the way that she does. As a teenager on the verge of adulthood, I have come to appreciate all that my mom does for me with a new perspective. When you’re a kid, it’s almost impossible to understand the amount of time, energy, and money that your parents put into you. When I was little, I would always take our huge Costco grocery hauls for granted, enamored and distracted by the tasty samples at every aisle. I’d go around the store without a care in the world, grabbing my favorite snacks and asking my mom to pick up items that were too heavy for myself. Now when we go shopping, I find myself noticing every price tag and calculating the cost in my head. However, my mom has worked tirelessly for years in order to be able to support our family. Supporting two boys with rather expensive hobbies and empty bellies is no easy feat, especially when you’re a single mother who emigrated to the United States after doing all your schooling in South Korea. Regardless, my mom works and works and works without complaint in order to set my brother and me up for success. Even after a full day of work, she cooks dinner for us and takes us out to have fun. Now that I have a job, I have come to realize exactly how hard it is to come home after work and do even more work. And that has really stuck with me. Seeing my mom give her all in order to raise me has burned a strong work ethic into my core values. When I take on new responsibilities, I remind myself that she never gives up, no matter how tired she is, and I try to do the same. After all she has sacrificed in order to raise me, I have learned that I have no excuses for not achieving my goals. No matter what life throws in my way, I know that I can persevere and thrive just like my mom. Although my mom makes it look effortless, I have a newfound appreciation for all she does. Especially in this day and age where gas and groceries have become more and more expensive, it’s inspiring to see my mom work hard so that my brother and I don’t have to worry about where our next meal will come from. As a soon-to-be adult, I will take the work ethic, the drive, and the integrity of my mom with me. I know that they will suit me well as I face the challenges of adult life. I cannot wait to show the world the fruits of my mom’s labor in the form of my own hard work.

“I want to become a doctor” is a phrase that many parents would be thrilled to hear. I mean, who wouldn’t? Doctors are well-respected, well-paid, and have stable jobs. For the longest time, those three aspects of being a doctor attracted me to the medical field. As a kid, I wanted to become a neurosurgeon or an anesthesiologist simply because I went on the internet and looked up “top-paid doctors.” It wasn’t until recently that I seriously considered what I actually hoped to accomplish as a doctor. As a high school student, my school requires at least 20 hours of community service in order to graduate. This led me to find and secure the opportunity to volunteer at Providence St. Peter Hospital as a Comfort Cart Rounder. In this role, I made rounds on patient floors and offered a variety of items that might make patients’ hospital stays a bit more comfortable. Even though we had a broad selection of personal care items and activities for patients to choose from, I found that many of them simply wanted another person to connect with. I will never forget how a patient’s face would light up when I walked in and started talking. I will never forget the wise advice and life guidance that some of the older patients shared with me. And I will never forget the feeling of helping people through their times of need. Of course, after hours of walking into dozens of patients’ rooms, my feet felt as if they were filled with lava, and my back screamed with every step. However, the pain and fatigue would go away soon enough after a night’s sleep. In contrast, the smiles of the patients I visited and spoke with will stay with me forever, shaping how I view the world and my future. This volunteer experience led me to revisit the question: “Why do I want to become a doctor?” Why did I keep gravitating toward medicine, even after all the ‘What do you want to be?’ questions? After just an hour of deep introspection, I came to a realization: I simply want to help people feel better. Through medicine, I hope to not only heal but also continually learn and apply scientific knowledge in real-time, directly improving lives. As an emergency room physician, I would have the privilege and opportunity to mend both the physical and emotional wounds of not only the patients but their families as well. I know I’ll thrive in stressful situations and grueling hours. I don’t need it to be sugar-coated; I know it’ll be tough. But I want to help people. I want to give them a second chance at life. I want to embrace the pressure and help ease the worries of patients and their loved ones. Medicine lets me turn science into healing. That’s the difference I want to make.