As I nervously settled into my seat in my new fourth-grade classroom, I noticed that the chairs beside me were empty. Puzzled, I wondered why my two best friends would miss the first day of school, and I jealously decided they must have been on vacation together. A couple of days passed, and my bitterness morphed into worry. That evening, my parents explained that my suspicions were partially correct: my best friends had been together that week, but they were not on vacation. They had both been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes—three days apart and at the same hospital. While I spent my fourth-grade year learning how to add fractions, write cursive, and perform cartwheels, they spent the year learning how to monitor their blood glucose, treat hypoglycemia, and count the carbohydrates in their lunches. Seeing my friends walk this journey, I promised myself I would work to eradicate diabetes. Growing up in a household of physicians, I encountered every aspect of medicine, both the positive and the negative. Dinner table conversations revolved around the frustrations of hospital bureaucracy, the lack of accessibility to medical care, and the injustices within the healthcare system. These shortcomings did not dissuade me from pursuing a career in medicine; instead, they fueled my desire to become a beacon of change within the field. I wholeheartedly believed that I could change the medical field for the better. As I matured, I recognized this naiveté—not as a weakness but as my greatest ally. High school ushered in a plethora of opportunities to develop and refine my interests. I became involved in Youth and Government, a national mock legislature program that furthered my understanding of the legislative process. This program taught me how to convey empathy and respect amidst discourse, and it eventually allowed me to become a National Youth Advocate for Y-USA. I was able to voice my concerns about the Social Determinants of Health and inequities within healthcare in meetings with senators and House representatives. I also enlisted their support for legislation to improve the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program. During my junior year, I became interested in diabetes research, but I was told that research programs were reserved for undergraduate and graduate students. Impatient and determined to spend my summer in a meaningful way, I applied and received acceptance to the NIH STEP-UP research program. Through this program, I conducted full-time research during the summer and first-authored a manuscript that will be published in the ADA DiabetesCare journal in February 2023. These opportunities have shown me that I do not have to wait for an arbitrary age limit to begin making a difference. I have realized that change does not only occur at the macro level: it begins in everyday actions. In college, I plan to pursue degrees in biology and public health to prepare myself for medical school. As an endocrinologist, I hope to practice medicine at the intersection of public policy and research, eradicating biases within healthcare at its grassroots. My fourth-grade self set a lofty goal, and I am determined to surpass her expectations.

As I nervously settled into my seat in my new fourth-grade classroom, I noticed that the chairs beside me were empty. Puzzled, I wondered why my two best friends would miss the first day of school, and I jealously decided they must have been on vacation together. A couple of days passed, and my bitterness morphed into worry. That evening, my parents explained that my suspicions were partially correct: my best friends had been together that week, but they were not on vacation. They had both been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes—three days apart and at the same hospital. While I spent my fourth-grade year learning how to add fractions, write cursive, and perform cartwheels, they spent the year learning how to monitor their blood glucose, treat hypoglycemia, and count the carbohydrates in their lunches. Seeing my friends walk this journey, I promised myself I would work to eradicate diabetes. Growing up in a household of physicians, I encountered every aspect of medicine, both the positive and the negative. Dinner table conversations revolved around the frustrations of hospital bureaucracy, the lack of accessibility to medical care, and the injustices within the healthcare system. These shortcomings did not dissuade me from pursuing a career in medicine; instead, they fueled my desire to become a beacon of change within the field. I wholeheartedly believed that I could change the medical field for the better. As I matured, I recognized this naiveté—not as a weakness but as my greatest ally. High school ushered in a plethora of opportunities to develop and refine my interests. I became involved in Youth and Government, a national mock legislature program that furthered my understanding of the legislative process. This program taught me how to convey empathy and respect amidst discourse, and it eventually allowed me to become a National Youth Advocate for Y-USA. I was able to voice my concerns about the Social Determinants of Health and inequities within healthcare in meetings with senators and House representatives. I also enlisted their support for legislation to improve the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program. During my junior year, I became interested in diabetes research, but I was told that research programs were reserved for undergraduate and graduate students. Impatient and determined to spend my summer in a meaningful way, I applied and received acceptance to the NIH STEP-UP research program. Through this program, I conducted full-time research examining the epidemiology of type 2 diabetes and drafted a manuscript for publication. These opportunities have shown me that I do not have to wait for an arbitrary age limit to begin making a difference. I have realized that change does not only occur at the macro level: it begins in everyday actions. In college, I plan to pursue degrees in biology and public health to prepare myself for medical school. As an endocrinologist, I hope to practice medicine at the intersection of public policy and research, eradicating biases within healthcare at its grassroots. My six-year-old self set a lofty goal, and I am determined to surpass her expectations.

As I nervously settled into my seat in my new fourth-grade classroom, I noticed that the chairs beside me were empty. Puzzled, I wondered why my two best friends would miss the first day of school, and I jealously decided they must have been on vacation together. A couple of days passed, and my bitterness morphed into worry. That evening, my parents explained that my suspicions were partially correct: my best friends had been together that week, but they were not on vacation. They had both been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes—three days apart and at the same hospital. While I spent my fourth-grade year learning how to add fractions, write cursive, and perform cartwheels, they spent the year learning how to monitor their blood glucose, treat hypoglycemia, and count the carbohydrates in their lunches. Seeing my friends walk this journey, I promised myself I would work to eradicate diabetes. Growing up in a household of physicians, I encountered every aspect of medicine, both the positive and the negative. Dinner table conversations revolved around the frustrations of hospital bureaucracy, the lack of accessibility to medical care, and the injustices within the healthcare system. These shortcomings did not dissuade me from pursuing a career in medicine; instead, they fueled my desire to become a beacon of change within the field. I wholeheartedly believed that I could change the medical field for the better. As I matured, I recognized this naiveté—not as a weakness but as my greatest ally. High school ushered in a plethora of opportunities to develop and refine my interests. I became involved in Youth and Government, a national mock legislature program that furthered my understanding of the legislative process. This program taught me how to convey empathy and respect amidst discourse, and it eventually allowed me to become a National Youth Advocate for Y-USA. I was able to voice my concerns about the Social Determinants of Health and inequities within healthcare in meetings with senators and House representatives. I also enlisted their support for legislation to improve the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program. During my junior year, I became interested in diabetes research, but I was told that research programs were reserved for undergraduate and graduate students. Impatient and determined to spend my summer in a meaningful way, I applied and received acceptance to the NIH STEP-UP research program. Through this program, I conducted full-time research examining the epidemiology of type 2 diabetes and drafted a manuscript for publication. These opportunities have shown me that I do not have to wait for an arbitrary age limit to begin making a difference. I have realized that change does not only occur at the macro level: it begins in everyday actions. In college, I plan to pursue degrees in biology and public health to prepare myself for medical school. As an endocrinologist, I hope to practice medicine at the intersection of public policy and research, eradicating biases within healthcare at its grassroots. My fourth-grade self set a lofty goal, and I am determined to surpass her expectations.