I am probably the most type-A person you’ll ever meet. At fifteen years old, the roadmap was officially drawn: undergrad, medical school, residency, fellowship, and Dr. Arenas, Board Certified OBGYN. I've barely made it out of high school and I'm already itching with anticipation to begin my journey in college. I could bore you by talking about the endless hours of studying and the sleepless nights it took to get me here, but let’s get real, you've probably heard it all before. My story doesn't begin and end with studying (and believe me I've done a lot of it), for me, at the center of it all is women. There has never been a shortage of strong women in my life. I was raised by women, most notably a single mom who was willing to do everything in her power to ensure I had every tool necessary to be the best I could be. She thinks it’s the science and my passion for women's rights that makes me tick, but mostly it's her. Every day, she inspires me to know better and do better, and to teach other women the same. I love the science, problem solving, patient care, and innovation that comes with being a physician, but most of all, I love the idea of being able to empower other women with knowledge about their health. If selected for the BYTE into STEM Scholarship, I would use the funds to help me begin my pre-med education at my dream school, Clemson University. The decision to attend Clemson University, although expensive, was an easy choice due to its passion for excellence in education, its flexibility in tailoring the biological science program, and its high graduation rates. With the money from this scholarship, I will be able to spend more time enhancing my experience and my studies through extracurriculars rather than working a job to fund my housing and board. For example, I would like to expand the organization I founded in high school, HHS Women in STEM, into something at Clemson that provides fellow female STEM majors with resources for breaking down barriers in STEM fields. Being awarded the BYTE into STEM Scholarship may even provide me with the means to fulfill one of my long-time dreams of studying abroad in Ireland to learn about their deep-rooted history of midwifery practice. An opportunity like study abroad in Ireland will allow me to apply the holistic knowledge of midwifery to my future practice as a traditional OBGYN. All with the anticipation of creating better overall outcomes for patients regarding birth trauma and maternal mortality. I could give a million reasons why I want to be a doctor; however, nothing outshines my desire to create strong women in our society through education and empowerment in healthcare. I am grateful to the Campbell Family for considering my application because my vision aligns with their dedication to black excellence and building strong, educated professionals who will spearhead the next generation of innovation.

“I want you to think about trash”. It seems like an absurd assignment but, in my sophomore year my AP World History teacher decided that for our first assignment we would think about the things we throw away. At first I was confused, but to my surprise, Mr. Russel was onto something. After hearing so many things about the rigor and the tenacity it takes to succeed in an AP class, I never imagined my first assignment would be to think about trash. Trash and history class? The idea seemed laughable; I believe I actually did laugh out loud. I went home with this assignment and mulled over what could be the possible motive for having your students think about trash. I first thought about my overuse of Q-tips, the piles and piles of protein shakes I throw away every month, and the amount of uneaten food I’ve wasted because I don’t have the heart to tell my mother I hate when she uses green peppers in her cooking. How do the things we throw away show our history? I believe that trash isn’t limited to what we throw away. In some ways, trash can be the things we choose to keep. My mother is a hoarder—not literally—but from preschool to 12th grade she has not thrown away a single one of my assignments. Every finger-painted Mother’s Day card, Christmas ornament, school project, poster, essay, and book report are piled in a closet in the guest bedroom in what I like to call “The Ultimate Shrine to Angelina”. As I sat on the floor in the closet and went through the piles of multicolored paper, I thought back on Mr. Russel’s assignment. Think about trash. Is this trash? Maybe to a stranger, but these dusty pieces of construction paper are a tangible record of my growth; not to mention a beloved keepsake. Unlike the fossilized oyster shells Mr. Russel used to demonstrate how some early civilizations were organized, my second-grade hand turkey might not be around a million years from now. What can I leave behind that will make an impact? Knowing your life’s purpose is as complicated as knowing what is waste and what is value. Which path of service do you take and how will what you contribute matter as much as or as little as a trivial hand turkey. For as long as I can remember I have been drawn to midwifery. To me, midwifery is about positively impacting people’s lives during a time that is intimate and personal. Childbirth like any major event in someone’s life, has the potential to be traumatic. Many people don’t realize that the collective experience of mother and baby at birth can affect how people make connections for the rest of their lives. As a nurse-midwife my efforts could create lasting impacts for families and determine the experiences felt through entire lineages. It is through this impact that I can leave behind something that isn’t trash, but a legacy of care that will echo through generations.