Thank you for viewing my bold.org profile! My name is Annelise and in May 2025 I will be graduating a year early as my high school's valedictorian, while earning my International Baccalaureate Diploma. I created this account to help financially support my education after high school, as I hope to earn a Bachelor's of Science in Public Health, a Master's in Public Health, and attend medical school. My passion for medicine and healthcare reform is deeply personal. When I was eight, I lost my father to a rare and aggressive cancer, an experience that shaped my understanding of both the preciousness of life and the inequities within our healthcare system. Determined to make a difference, I have dedicated myself to advocacy and action. As the founder of the first high school chapter of Students for a National Health Program, I have worked to eliminate medical debt in my community and mobilize youth for systemic healthcare reform. Volunteering in hospitals and at organizations around San Diego has further strengthened my commitment--not only to practicing medicine, but to transforming it. My drive and tenacity push me to capitalize on every opportunity to better both society and myself. Beyond academics, I find joy and balance in soccer, poetry, and leading mental health initiatives at my school. In college, I plan to study public health to bridge the gap between medicine and policy, ensuring that healthcare is a right, not a privilege. Every day, I endeavor to live with purpose--learning, leading, helping others, and striving to change a world that so desperately needs it.