An impactful PA recognizes the intersectionality of people's health and their lived experiences. An impactful PA is committed to being present for their patients in a way that allows them to feel seen, heard, and cared for. Patients are engaging in an act of vulnerability to ask for help with their health. Therefore, even on our hardest days, we must remain committed to empathy and showing up. In my seven years of diverse academic and professional experiences, I had many opportunities to strengthen my understanding and execution of the aforementioned qualities that would transition into my career as a PA. One of the first classes I took in undergraduate school allowed me to explore the intersectional nature of people’s lived experiences and health. This class studied sex and sexual identity from the foundations of biological science to societal implications. Most notable was learning the impacts of implicit and explicit androcentric practices on the treatment of women. It was my first exposure to how imperative it is for health professionals to approach care with a culturally responsive mindset. I then explored courses outside of my degree requirements in public health, such as contemporary health issues and health policy management. I began to gain knowledge of the structure of our healthcare system, persistent inequities within vulnerable populations, and the impact of informed policy advocates on systemic change. Over time, the facts I learned in these courses began to present themselves in the lived experiences of patients, students, health systems, and government bodies I supported. I knew a patient who took their own life due to not being able to afford their medication after their insurance denied coverage. I witnessed students fall behind in school after being diagnosed with easily treatable illnesses, but their parents were not provided translators for proper health education, causing comorbidities to occur. I learned some health teams did not have the tools to know which patients were due for their value-based care preventative measures, causing high-risk patients to slip through the cracks. Furthermore, I witnessed how government agencies furthered the fragmentation of care coordination among diverse stakeholders in social care progress. These are just a few of the most salient experiences that propel me to pursue a healthcare career that is focused on being my patients' biggest advocate and providing compassionate care. Lastly, one of the hardest things I have seen great PAs do is show up for their patients even on the challenging days. Each encounter with a new patient is their first encounter with you. I have watched great healthcare providers build trust in ways that supersede any lines of difference by simply leaving their external pressures at the door and committing to being present in the room. As an educator during the COVID-19 pandemic, I was given 3 days' notice for return to in-person work when living in a different state. I managed to uproot my life and move within that timeframe to keep my job. I struggled with housing for weeks, sleeping on friends' couches, borrowing friends' cars, or Ubering to work. Simultaneously, I balanced being a full-time graduate student and having a part-time job on top of teaching. Yet every day that bell rang, I opened my door as the smiling Ms. Tinsley, ready to show them the wonders of science education. With the support of my village, I was able to accomplish this goal. I have great confidence that I have the foundation in place to continue to show up for others. Now, as a future PA excited to provide health education.