My introduction to the medical field began with my mother coming home to read pages out of a children’s anatomy book to me, after she had worked long hours as a neonatologist. I wanted to be a doctor just like my mother; I wanted to get my own pager, use a stethoscope, and inject fluids with a syringe. But it wasn’t until many years later - in 8th grade - that I gained true interest in medicine. One day at fencing practice, during the fall of 8th grade, I watched my younger sister’s knee violently hyperextend past her ankle, causing her to fall to the floor. This resulted in a pulled hamstring and a fractured hip. It was painful for her to just sit, much less fence. However, with physical therapy and high-quality medical attention, in a few months my sister, Esha, was back to winning tournaments. After seeing Esha’s condition improve, I knew that I wanted to be able to prevent and treat injuries. I consequently took sports medicine and exercise physiology classes to learn how to avoid, assess, and treat injuries. My interest in the medical field grew as I explored and competed in the Science Olympiad. In Anatomy and Physiology, I found my fascination with the human body had grown as I taught myself the “sliding filament theory” - the fundamental mechanism for movement through muscular contractions. Through competing in Parasitology and Epidemiology, I gathered an understanding of common infectious diseases that are prevalent worldwide. I read articles about Naegleria fowleri - a brain]-eating amoeba - and how in only a few weeks this parasite can travel through the olfactory nerve and into the brain, where it ultimately kills the host. Learning about the populations of people affected by these diseases made me curious to learn more about the brain’s role in humans and how problems in the brain can turn into dangerous symptoms. Over the next few years, I began to become interested in the nervous system. My curiosity grew as I saw the effects of stroke and Parkinson’s in both my grandmother and great-grandmother. Seeing the physical and mental deterioration caused by these neurodegenerative conditions prompted me to seek out research opportunities in the field of neuroscience over the next few summers. First, I attended Hofstra University’s Summer Science Research Program, where I analyzed the concepts of wakefulness and arousal using electroencephalograms and LED displays. The following year I had the opportunity of researching neurological pathways in mice through an evolutionary biology lens at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Observing the extent of the brain’s influence in behavior fostered my interest in treatments that could prevent neurodegeneration in humans. Seeing how injuries and damage to the muscular and nervous systems could greatly alter a person’s quality of life has led me to gain interest in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation - which treats both systems in order to provide patients with mobility and the full mental capacity to live a fulfilling life. From walking in the park to lunging in a fencing bout to cooking for grandkids, the ability to move provides humans with endless opportunities for happiness. Seeing my own family members struggle to maintain their day-to-day activities after suffering from injuries has encouraged me to pursue a career where I can make a difference in the quality of life of patients.