I attempt to assist others as much as I can. I am a Chemistry, History, English, and Algebra tutor at my school. I mentor students in these subjects and aid them in every possible way. As the President of the Mentorship Club, I ensure that everyone who needs assistance in a particular area receives guidance and support while also tutoring others myself. I conduct meetings, go over weekly agendas, and lead peer tutoring at my school. Serving as Vice President of Student Government and School Representative on the Bronx Student Advisory Council has allowed me to grow not just as a student but as an individual. I have begun to identify my interests and realize that aiding others is what I am passionate about, and that's the reason why I desire to go into medicine. The most revolutionary action I can take is to become a doctor because I hail from a society in Pakistan where women are never appreciated for their efforts or acknowledged equally to men. For all the Pakistani females who have been instructed they cannot pursue the same jobs as the boys, I want to be a ray of hope and a source of optimism. The primary reason I want to become a doctor is to be capable of assisting others. Being a medical professional is significant, but it's also crucial to be someone who genuinely cares about the health of their patients and fellow employees. I want to offer my patients a nurturing environment where they can feel comfortable and assured about their welfare. Patients should never be viewed as a burden to their doctors and should always feel free to express their worries while also feeling acknowledged. In accordance with respect for their personal boundaries, I would give my patients a voice and ensure that they never felt abandoned. That is one of my top long-term objectives after graduating from medical school.  By choosing biology as a major, I'm merely one step closer to becoming a doctor with the ambition of making a substantial difference in the medical industry that will not only benefit my patients in their walks of life but also enhance my work atmosphere through my continuous support and service.

I am incredibly intrigued by the medical research course due to my passion for writing and medicine. As a published writer, I have written articles that spread awareness on particular topics and exhibit my stance on various situations. For instance, some social topics that I have written about include abortion, women's rights, racial inequality, police brutality, coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 presidential election, the #MeToo movement, Black Lives Matter Movement, etc. I like to promote change and leave a mark on this world through my writing. In terms of my future career, I aspire to become a Primary Care Physician and go into the medical field. The STEM field needs more diversity, and I must advocate for this topic through my work, especially as a woman of color myself. Some STEM activities that I have undertaken are being a part of the 1000 Girls, 1000 Futures program offered by the New York Academy of Sciences, taking a Neuroscience course at Columbia University through a merit scholarship, and taking Advanced College Algebra through City College's STEM Institute Program. As a member of the 1000 Girls, 1000 Futures program, I received mentoring from female STEM experts. I also gained access to college readiness and leadership coursework and networked with other girls passionate about STEM. I continue to develop my skills in STEM by using the knowledge that I acquired in my science classes and applying them to further my education. I aspire to become a Medical Doctor in the future, and the technological skills and dexterities that I will be developing through this program can take me far in life. I currently attend sessions and workshops offered by female scientists conducted by the New York Academy of Scientists, receive advice from them, and use them as a source of motivation to accomplish all my career-oriented goals. Furthermore, I worked with a software company called Figure 8 Federal last summer to label rooftops in the scenario of an environmental disaster. Through their Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence course, I developed technological skills like labeling, identifying, and matching data. Hence, all my experiences related to STEM have shaped me into a more adept individual, and they have not just prepared me for the medical field but also for other STEM careers. Moving forward, I hope that I can apply my writing skills to the medical field by conducting research and publishing it. My interest in oncology has been piqued as a result of my participation in the Yale University Innovations in Science and Technology course through the Yale Young Global Scholars program and my study of autoimmune diseases and cancer. I hope to pursue some form of oncology study in the future in order to help those affected by cancer and other debilitating immune diseases. Furthermore, I am also thrilled to participate in the Becoming a Surgeon course because it is related to medicine, and the surgery sector of the medical field might captivate my interest and encourage me to pursue surgery instead of Primary Care or Family Medicine. Since there is a wide array of options in the medical field, it’s challenging to pick one specialty, but it will become clearer once I enter the medical field itself. I'm hoping that this scholarship will support me in my STEM journey.

I am incredibly intrigued by the medical research course due to my passion for writing and medicine. As a published writer, I have written articles that spread awareness on particular topics and exhibit my stance on various situations. For instance, some social topics that I have written about include abortion, women's rights, racial inequality, police brutality, coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 presidential election, the #MeToo movement, Black Lives Matter Movement, etc. I like to promote change and leave a mark on this world through my writing. In terms of my future career, I aspire to become a Primary Care Physician and go into the medical field. The STEM field needs more diversity, and I must advocate for this topic through my work, especially as a woman of color myself. Some STEM activities that I have undertaken are being a part of the 1000 Girls, 1000 Futures program offered by the New York Academy of Sciences, taking a Neuroscience course at Columbia University through a merit scholarship, and taking Advanced College Algebra through City College's STEM Institute Program. As a member of the 1000 Girls, 1000 Futures program, I received mentoring from female STEM experts. I also gained access to college readiness and leadership coursework and networked with other girls passionate about STEM. I continue to develop my skills in STEM by using the knowledge that I acquired in my science classes and applying them to further my education. I aspire to become a Medical Doctor in the future, and the technological skills and dexterities that I will be developing through this program can take me far in life. I currently attend sessions and workshops offered by female scientists conducted by the New York Academy of Scientists, receive advice from them, and use them as a source of motivation to accomplish all my career-oriented goals. Furthermore, I worked with a software company called Figure 8 Federal last summer to label rooftops in the scenario of an environmental disaster. Through their Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence course, I developed technological skills like labeling, identifying, and matching data. Hence, all my experiences related to STEM have shaped me into a more adept individual, and they have not just prepared me for the medical field but also for other STEM careers. Moving forward, I hope that I can apply my writing skills to the medical field by conducting research and publishing it. My interest in oncology has been piqued as a result of my participation in the Yale University Innovations in Science and Technology course through the Yale Young Global Scholars program and my study of autoimmune diseases and cancer. I hope to pursue some form of oncology study in the future in order to help those affected by cancer and other debilitating immune diseases. Furthermore, I am also thrilled to participate in the Becoming a Surgeon course because it is related to medicine, and the surgery sector of the medical field might captivate my interest and encourage me to pursue surgery instead of Primary Care or Family Medicine. Since there is a wide array of options in the medical field, it’s challenging to pick one specialty, but it will become clearer once I enter the medical field itself. I'm hoping that this scholarship will support me in my STEM journey.

I am incredibly intrigued by the medical research course due to my passion for writing and medicine. As a published writer, I have written articles that spread awareness on particular topics and exhibit my stance on various situations. For instance, some social topics that I have written about include abortion, women's rights, racial inequality, police brutality, coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 presidential election, the #MeToo movement, Black Lives Matter Movement, etc. I like to promote change and leave a mark on this world through my writing. In terms of my future career, I aspire to become a Primary Care Physician and go into the medical field. The STEM field needs more diversity, and I must advocate for this topic through my work, especially as a woman of color myself. Some STEM activities that I have undertaken are being a part of the 1000 Girls, 1000 Futures program offered by the New York Academy of Sciences, taking a Neuroscience course at Columbia University through a merit scholarship, and taking Advanced College Algebra through City College's STEM Institute Program. As a member of the 1000 Girls, 1000 Futures program, I received mentoring from female STEM experts. I also gained access to college readiness and leadership coursework and networked with other girls passionate about STEM. I continue to develop my skills in STEM by using the knowledge that I acquired in my science classes and applying them to further my education. I aspire to become a Medical Doctor in the future, and the technological skills and dexterities that I will be developing through this program can take me far in life. I currently attend sessions and workshops offered by female scientists conducted by the New York Academy of Scientists, receive advice from them, and use them as a source of motivation to accomplish all my career-oriented goals. Furthermore, I worked with a software company called Figure 8 Federal last summer to label rooftops in the scenario of an environmental disaster. Through their Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence course, I developed technological skills like labeling, identifying, and matching data. Hence, all my experiences related to STEM have shaped me into a more adept individual, and they have not just prepared me for the medical field but also for other STEM careers. Moving forward, I hope that I can apply my writing skills to the medical field by conducting research and publishing it. My interest in oncology has been piqued as a result of my participation in the Yale University Innovations in Science and Technology course through the Yale Young Global Scholars program and my study of autoimmune diseases and cancer. I hope to pursue some form of oncology study in the future in order to help those affected by cancer and other debilitating immune diseases. Furthermore, I am also thrilled to participate in the Becoming a Surgeon course because it is related to medicine, and the surgery sector of the medical field might captivate my interest and encourage me to pursue surgery instead of Primary Care or Family Medicine. Since there is a wide array of options in the medical field, it’s challenging to pick one specialty, but it will become clearer once I enter the medical field itself. I'm hoping that this scholarship will support me in my STEM journey.

I am incredibly intrigued by the medical research course due to my passion for writing and medicine. As a published writer, I have written articles that spread awareness on particular topics and exhibit my stance on various situations. For instance, some social topics that I have written about include abortion, women's rights, racial inequality, police brutality, coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 presidential election, the #MeToo movement, Black Lives Matter Movement, etc. I like to promote change and leave a mark on this world through my writing. In terms of my future career, I aspire to become a Primary Care Physician and go into the medical field. The STEM field needs more diversity, and I must advocate for this topic through my work, especially as a woman of color myself. Some STEM activities that I have undertaken are being a part of the 1000 Girls, 1000 Futures program offered by the New York Academy of Sciences, taking a Neuroscience course at Columbia University through a merit scholarship, and taking Advanced College Algebra through City College's STEM Institute Program. As a member of the 1000 Girls, 1000 Futures program, I received mentoring from female STEM experts. I also gained access to college readiness and leadership coursework and networked with other girls passionate about STEM. I continue to develop my skills in STEM by using the knowledge that I acquired in my science classes and applying them to further my education. I aspire to become a Medical Doctor in the future, and the technological skills and dexterities that I will be developing through this program can take me far in life. I currently attend sessions and workshops offered by female scientists conducted by the New York Academy of Scientists, receive advice from them, and use them as a source of motivation to accomplish all my career-oriented goals. Furthermore, I worked with a software company called Figure 8 Federal last summer to label rooftops in the scenario of an environmental disaster. Through their Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence course, I developed technological skills like labeling, identifying, and matching data. Hence, all my experiences related to STEM have shaped me into a more adept individual, and they have not just prepared me for the medical field but also for other STEM careers. Moving forward, I hope that I can apply my writing skills to the medical field by conducting research and publishing it. My interest in oncology has been piqued as a result of my participation in the Yale University Innovations in Science and Technology course through the Yale Young Global Scholars program and my study of autoimmune diseases and cancer. I hope to pursue some form of oncology study in the future in order to help those affected by cancer and other debilitating immune diseases. Furthermore, I am also thrilled to participate in the Becoming a Surgeon course because it is related to medicine, and the surgery sector of the medical field might captivate my interest and encourage me to pursue surgery instead of Primary Care or Family Medicine. Since there is a wide array of options in the medical field, it’s challenging to pick one specialty. I'm hoping that this scholarship will provide me with the opportunity to support my path in both medicine and writing. Since I am the hold of immigrants, we are not the most stable financially and need support to accomplish all our dreams and aspirations.

Personal Essay on Mental Health: Bollywood music makes me feel as though liquid adrenaline has been pumped directly into my bloodstream- not so powerful as to make me flip out, but just enough to make me tingle and start to move my body. I have been doing Contemporary/Western and Bhangra Bollywood dance since I was five, always being the first one to volunteer to perform at Pakistani weddings and occasions. After long draining days of school with my profuse extracurricular activities and a part-time job with Social Capital Builders, dancing was the perfect way to alleviate stress. I desired to obtain high grades, maintain an exceptionally rigorous workload, earn college credits, maintain all my leadership positions, thrive in my church community, publish work, get closer to becoming a Primary Care Physician through internships and enrichment programs, and also financially support my family–I wanted to do it all. I was fueled by this fire of ambition after I moved to the United States five years ago. My parents had already sacrificed enough for me and my sisters. When we moved here, my mom resigned from her position as a Nursing Instructor/Professor, and my dad compromised his flourishing real-estate business. They had to start all over again. Since then, I have worked extremely hard, remained focused and dedicated, and seized every opportunity. I bombarded myself with work and aimed to excel at every single task. When I entered high school and craved success more than anything, I reverted back to the old cycle of persistently being in action. It became grueling and enervating in my Junior year of high school when I was diagnosed with moderate-to-severe depression with a Generalized Anxiety Disorder as a result of chronic stress and was referred for psychotherapy. I lacked the energy to do anything anymore, not even to dance. I lost interest in every activity that brought me joy. Even getting up from my bed appeared to be a strenuous task. In addition to having low energy, I had constant headaches and experienced restlessness. Remembering details seemed foreign. Constantly worrying seemed like a habit. I felt like a corpse. My lively, outspoken, bold, free-spirited, and cheerful personality faded. As advised by my therapist to care for myself, I turned to Bollywood dance as a form of meditation, a way to rejuvenate myself. When I flowed in dance, it was as if it were the only way my body truly knew how to speak. To dance was to be liberated, to dance was to transform into an opening flower or a soaring bird. To feel the movement was a new breath for my body and nourishment for a soul so weary. I could dance till my reflection revealed crimson cheeks and sweat trickled across the glossy wood. After that, sleep came easily, and my dreams featured more spinning and leaping to the music that had always been a part of me. After much deliberation and self-reflection, I arrived at the conclusion that I should only take on what I could handle. I shifted my focus from work-related productivity to general well-being. I scheduled joy into my life by engaging in leisure activities. After so many years of forcing my way through life, trying to make life conform to my idea of what I thought it should look like, I have learned to follow life’s guidance. Surrender has shown me that I don’t have to make it all happen. That when I get myself- my mind, my doubts, my second guessing, my interference- out of the way, life will lead me perfectly to where I need to be. That the universe has its own timing. I learned that each situation that we have faced in our lives has been orchestrated for our growth. From this internal battle, I learned how to set boundaries for keeping work from creeping into my personal life. All this prompted me to start a non-profit organization called MeNetwork Mental Health Initiative aimed at destigmatizing mental health and connecting individuals from developing countries like Indonesia and Pakistan to mental health experts. Although it wasn’t until a mental crisis that I realized that I was doing TOO much, I still don’t regret partaking in any of my extracurriculars. They were indeed insurmountable, but it was a mere reflection of my strong motivation and future aspirations. I still have a fire of ambition blazing inside of me, but I know how to contain it now. I believe that I should be awarded this scholarship because I highly value my strong work ethic and how I have applied it to writing/publication and my interest in the STEM field thus far. As a published writer, I have written articles that spread awareness on particular topics and exhibit my stance on the situation. For instance, some topics that I have written about include abortion, women's rights, racial inequality, police brutality, coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 presidential election, the #MeToo movement, Black Lives Matter Movement, etc. I like to promote change and leave a mark on this world through my writing. In terms of my future career, I aspire to become a Primary Care Physician and go into the medical field. The STEM field needs more diversity, and I must advocate for this topic through my work, especially as a woman of color myself. Additionally, I am an exceedingly hardworking and dedicated student. When it comes to completing work, I will go out of my way to ensure that my assignments portray the best version of myself and depict that I went above and beyond to complete that task. Also, I am very ambitious because I never let anything get in the way of my success. I am self-driven to be on top of my academics while managing multiple extracurricular activities at the same time. I am deeply interested in studying disorders of the brain, and I took neuroscience with Columbia University where this was thoroughly covered.

I have played a vital role in my school community specifically by serving as Vice President and Secretary of Student Government. I took notes at weekly meetings and helped keep track of the ideas of my peers and club members. I created online posters for school events as well and organized and executed school projects and services, such as Student of the Month, food drives, clothe drives, etc. I am also a part of the Navy Junior Reserve Officers' Training where I hold the rank of Public Affairs Officer as Cadet Lieutenant Junior Grade. I have and continue to promote NJROTC unit events on social media, post YouTube videos, attend drill practice after school, and decorate and update the bulletin board. I also created the official website for this unit https://gwnjrotc.mystrikingly.com/ I try to assist others as much as I can. I am a Chemistry, History, English, and Algebra tutor in school. I mentor students in these subjects and aid them in every possible way. As the President of the Mentorship Club, I ensure that everyone who needs assistance in a particular area receives guidance and support while also tutoring others myself. I conduct meetings, go over weekly agendas, and lead peer tutoring at my school. All these experiences have allowed me to grow not just as a student but as an individual. I have begun to identify my interests and realize that aiding others is what I am passionate about, and that's the reason why I desire to go into medicine. Some STEM activities that I have undertaken are being a part of the 1000 Girls, 1000 Futures program offered by the New York Academy of Sciences, taking a Neuroscience course at Columbia University through a merit scholarship, and taking Advanced College Algebra through City College's STEM Institute Program. Moreover, a religious community that I am a part of is my Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Brooklyn. I attend the Pakistani Holy Mass at that church, and I serve as an Altar Server. My role is to provide assistance during liturgy by carrying the cross, ringing bells, and conducting other tasks for the altar every Sunday. I work with two other Altar Servers, and this is my third year working with them. I became an Altar Server after receiving my Holy Eucharist and being confirmed in the Catholic faith. I aid the priest in every possible way and perform tasks, such as bringing the gifts, holding the gifts, and participating in the offering process. At this church, there have been multiple events being planned by the Pakistani community members, such as a Christmas play. Moreover, I served as an altar server at the 25th Sacerdotal Silver Jubilee of Reverend Nasir G. Paul and represented the Brooklyn Diocese in the year of 2020. Helping individuals from my community and giving back to the church has been a blessing.

Individuals say that losing a loved one is calamitous. I believed them but never realized the horror of it. Death was something beyond my understanding until March 12, 2020. It was the day when I thought I would never collect the pieces of my broken heart, the day when God delivered his first blow, the day of my grandfather's death. When I was in Pakistan (before moving to America at the age of 11), I lived with a large family, including my uncles, aunts, cousins, and grandfather. I spent the most time with my grandfather, or Dada in Urdu, discussing everything with him, going to the rooftop together, etc. We had a special bond. However, when Dada passed away, my heart was shattered into pieces. I kept repudiating the truth because I couldn’t process it. I felt as if I was paralyzed as if it would be real if I moved. I just had this blank look on my face. I wished they had made a mistake or that it was a nightmare. To my complete horror, I was wrong. To make matters worse, I couldn’t attend his funeral due to immigration limitations. My sisters and I didn’t have our green cards at that time, which was why we couldn’t travel. Part of me wanted to cry my heart out, and the other part wanted to hit something with the anger raging inside me. I felt dejected, knowing I couldn't do anything. When I was watching the funeral virtually with the rest of my family, my heart kept telling me that I failed Dada by not being there, but my mind insisted otherwise and told me that it was the system that failed me. I didn’t know what to believe at that particular moment. My aunts and uncles showed the live footage to us, and I saw my Dada in the coffin with a white cloth wrapped around his body and cotton balls in his nostrils. I couldn’t stop the tears from falling down, but I quickly wiped them off because I didn’t want my aunt to be even more distressed. I pretended to be fine even though I wasn’t on the inside. I learned that grief is like living two lives. One is where you pretend that everything is fine, and the other is where your heart silently screams in pain. With my Dada’s passing, I realized that everybody would eventually die, including my family, which is why we must adapt to it. Days dragged by. I resumed my regular schedule by attending school remotely and doing my chores. However, everything seemed different, unnatural. I did not cry anymore, but I would clutch Dada's photograph to my chest. As time went on, things became a lot better. I learned that not everything can be in our control. We were all created to leave this world one day, which is why we must accept the truth if it’s time for someone else to encounter the last phase of their life. Holding the belief that Dada was up in heaven brought me internal peace and it allowed me to overcome misery. A life lesson that can be taken away from this is that we must cherish and appreciate every moment and the memories we get to make with our family since those are the only things that will be kept after they are gone forever. And most importantly, those memories allow you to keep living even after your loved ones pass. Hence, the struggles present in my life as an immigrant and the detachment of my loved ones have shaped me into the individual I am today by inculcating the strength in me to combat any obstacles that life throws at me and valuing family above all things.

When my family moved to the United States, my mom resigned from her position as a Nursing Instructor/Professor, and my dad compromised his flourishing real-estate business. They had to start all over again. Since then, I have worked extremely hard, remained focused and dedicated, and seized every opportunity. I bombarded myself with work and aimed to excel at every single task. When I entered high school and craved success more than anything, I reverted back to the old cycle of persistently being in action. It became grueling and enervating in my Junior year of high school when I was diagnosed with moderate-to-severe depression with a Generalized Anxiety Disorder as a result of chronic stress and was referred for psychotherapy. I lacked the energy to do anything anymore, not even for dance. I lost interest in every activity that brought me joy. Even getting up from my bed appeared to be a strenuous task. In addition to having low energy, I had constant headaches and experienced restlessness. Remembering details seemed foreign. Constantly worrying seemed like a habit. I felt like a corpse. My lively, outspoken, bold, free-spirited, and cheerful personality faded. As advised by my therapist to care for myself, I turned to Bollywood dance as a form of meditation, a way to rejuvenate myself. When I flowed in dance, it was as if it were the only way my body truly knew how to speak. To dance was to be liberated, to dance was to transform into an opening flower or a soaring bird. To feel the movement was a new breath for my body and nourishment for a soul so weary. I could dance till my reflection revealed crimson cheeks and sweat trickled across the glossy wood. After that, sleep came easily, and my dreams featured more spinning and leaping to the music that had always been a part of me. After much deliberation and self-reflection, I arrived at the conclusion that I should only take on what I could handle. I shifted my focus from work-related productivity to general well-being. I scheduled joy into my life by engaging in leisure activities. After so many years of forcing my way through life, trying to make life conform to my idea of what I thought it should look like, I have learned to follow life’s guidance. Surrender has shown me that I don’t have to make it all happen. That when I get myself- my mind, my doubts, my second guessing, my interference- out of the way, life will lead me perfectly to where I need to be. That the universe has its own timing. I learned that each situation that we have faced in our lives has been orchestrated for our growth. From this internal battle, I learned how to set boundaries for keeping work from creeping into my personal life. All this prompted me to start a non-profit organization called MeNetwork Mental Health Initiative aimed at de-stigmatizing mental health and connecting individuals from developing countries like Indonesia and Pakistan to mental health experts. Although it wasn’t until a mental crisis that I realized that I was doing TOO much, I still don’t regret partaking in any of my extracurriculars. They were indeed insurmountable, but it was a mere reflection of my strong motivation and future aspirations. I still have a fire of ambition blazing inside of me, but I know how to contain it now.

Personal Essay on Mental Health: Bollywood music makes me feel as though liquid adrenaline has been pumped directly into my bloodstream- not so powerful as to make me flip out, but just enough to make me tingle and start to move my body. I have been doing Contemporary/Western and Bhangra Bollywood dance since I was five, always being the first one to volunteer to perform at Pakistani weddings and occasions. After long draining days of school with my profuse extracurricular activities and a part-time job with Social Capital Builders, dancing was the perfect way to alleviate stress. I desired to obtain high grades, maintain an exceptionally rigorous workload, earn college credits, maintain all my leadership positions, thrive in my church community, publish work, get closer to becoming a Primary Care Physician through internships and enrichment programs, and also financially support my family–I wanted to do it all. I was fueled by this fire of ambition after I moved to the United States five years ago. My parents had already sacrificed enough for me and my sisters. When we moved here, my mom resigned from her position as a Nursing Instructor/Professor, and my dad compromised his flourishing real-estate business. They had to start all over again. Since then, I have worked extremely hard, remained focused and dedicated, and seized every opportunity. I bombarded myself with work and aimed to excel at every single task. When I entered high school and craved success more than anything, I reverted back to the old cycle of persistently being in action. It became grueling and enervating in my Junior year of high school when I was diagnosed with moderate-to-severe depression with a Generalized Anxiety Disorder as a result of chronic stress and was referred for psychotherapy. I lacked the energy to do anything anymore, not even to dance. I lost interest in every activity that brought me joy. Even getting up from my bed appeared to be a strenuous task. In addition to having low energy, I had constant headaches and experienced restlessness. Remembering details seemed foreign. Constantly worrying seemed like a habit. I felt like a corpse. My lively, outspoken, bold, free-spirited, and cheerful personality faded. As advised by my therapist to care for myself, I turned to Bollywood dance as a form of meditation, a way to rejuvenate myself. When I flowed in dance, it was as if it were the only way my body truly knew how to speak. To dance was to be liberated, to dance was to transform into an opening flower or a soaring bird. To feel the movement was a new breath for my body and nourishment for a soul so weary. I could dance till my reflection revealed crimson cheeks and sweat trickled across the glossy wood. After that, sleep came easily, and my dreams featured more spinning and leaping to the music that had always been a part of me. After much deliberation and self-reflection, I arrived at the conclusion that I should only take on what I could handle. I shifted my focus from work-related productivity to general well-being. I scheduled joy into my life by engaging in leisure activities. After so many years of forcing my way through life, trying to make life conform to my idea of what I thought it should look like, I have learned to follow life’s guidance. Surrender has shown me that I don’t have to make it all happen. That when I get myself- my mind, my doubts, my second guessing, my interference- out of the way, life will lead me perfectly to where I need to be. That the universe has its own timing. I learned that each situation that we have faced in our lives has been orchestrated for our growth. From this internal battle, I learned how to set boundaries for keeping work from creeping into my personal life. All this prompted me to start a non-profit organization called MeNetwork Mental Health Initiative aimed at destigmatizing mental health and connecting individuals from developing countries like Indonesia and Pakistan to mental health experts. Although it wasn’t until a mental crisis that I realized that I was doing TOO much, I still don’t regret partaking in any of my extracurriculars. They were indeed insurmountable, but it was a mere reflection of my strong motivation and future aspirations. I still have a fire of ambition blazing inside of me, but I know how to contain it now. I believe that I should be awarded this scholarship because I highly value my strong work ethic and how I have applied it to writing/publication and my interest in the STEM field thus far. As a published writer, I have written articles that spread awareness on particular topics and exhibit my stance on the situation. For instance, some topics that I have written about include abortion, women's rights, racial inequality, police brutality, coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 presidential election, the #MeToo movement, Black Lives Matter Movement, etc. I like to promote change and leave a mark on this world through my writing. In terms of my future career, I aspire to become a Primary Care Physician and go into the medical field. The STEM field needs more diversity, and I must advocate for this topic through my work, especially as a woman of color myself. Additionally, I am an exceedingly hardworking and dedicated student. When it comes to completing work, I will go out of my way to ensure that my assignments portray the best version of myself and depict that I went above and beyond to complete that task. Also, I am very ambitious because I never let anything get in the way of my success. I am self-driven to be on top of my academics while managing multiple extracurricular activities at the same time. I am deeply interested in studying disorders of the brain, and I took neuroscience with Columbia University where this was thoroughly covered.

I highly value my strong work ethic and how I have applied it to writing/publication and my interest in the STEM field thus far. As a published writer, I have written articles that spread awareness on particular topics and exhibit my stance on the situation. For instance, some topics that I have written about include abortion, women's rights, racial inequality, police brutality, coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 presidential election, the #MeToo movement, Black Lives Matter Movement, etc. I like to promote change and leave a mark on this world through my writing. In terms of my future career, I aspire to become a Primary Care Physician and go into the medical field. The STEM field needs more diversity, and I must advocate for this topic through my work, especially as a woman of color myself. Additionally, I am an exceedingly hardworking and dedicated student. When it comes to completing work, I will go out of my way to ensure that my assignments portray the best version of myself and depict that I went above and beyond to complete that task. For example, if the task is to create a presentation on a social issue, I would not only follow the directions to do that but also add extra details for every description and be creative with the slides so that my project stands out from everyone's work. Also, I am very ambitious because I never let anything get in the way of my success. I am self-driven to be on top of my academics while managing multiple extracurricular activities at the same time. I currently utilize my skills in the writing field and participate in writing contests to get a head start on everything. It's tough to take AP classes and handle after-school clubs and programs; however, my persistence has helped me endure and become a well-rounded student. Moreover, I try to assist others as much as I can. I am a Chemistry, History, English, and Algebra tutor in school. I mentor students in these subjects and aid them in every possible way. As the President of the Mentorship Club, I ensure that everyone who needs assistance in a particular area receives guidance and support while also tutoring others myself. I conduct meetings, go over weekly agendas, and lead peer tutoring at my school. All these experiences have allowed me to grow not just as a student but as an individual. I have begun to identify my interests and realize that aiding others is what I am passionate about, and that's the reason why I desire to go into medicine. Some STEM activities that I have undertaken are being a part of the 1000 Girls, 1000 Futures program offered by the New York Academy of Sciences, taking a Neuroscience course at Columbia University through a merit scholarship, and taking Advanced College Algebra through City College's STEM Institute Program. I hope that I can contribute to the STEM field by going into it as a published writer and Catholic Pakistani female immigrant.