Ambitious, Level-headed, and driven are words often used to describe me. As a young adult growing up in West Virginia, many hurdles have proven difficult and made attempts to block me from doing what I am most passionate about; pursuing education. I grew up with 7 younger siblings and, prior to being adopted, witnessed the firsthand grief of food not being on the table, the scarcity of a stable home, but equally as important, never having access to basic human commodities such as regular hospital checkups, vaccines, or eye appointments (which later resulted in many vaccines falling behind and 3 out of 8 of us children requiring glasses.) One scarcity that stuck with me the most was dental care. In an out of many elementary schools in our life, on occasion my siblings and I would have access to traveling school dentists. When we visited these, we were often told we had a cavity or two, or required braces, only to never have this problem resolved. Curiosities began to fill my head. What is all of this equipment for? What is a cavity, anyways? What makes someone need braces? My child mind became fascinated with dentistry as a form of medicine. Empathy. This word goes hand in hand with other learned skills my situation made me aware of, such as gratefulness, or respect. After being adopted, cavities were quickly filled, wisdom teeth pulled, and braces completed. I always enjoyed impressing various dental professionals with my knowledge of their work. This led me to wish to pursue dentistry myself, if ever able to afford it within my financial circumstances. To my upmost joy, I began excelling in college, working hard to reach goals. I took the ACT exam 5 times until satisfied with my scores and obtaining a handful of scholarships, nearly enough to get me through college hassle free. With these achievements, I knew what I wished to do. When the opportunity arose in high school, I decided to job shadow my local dentist for the day. I hope that as the world evolved, others can hold these values and wish for a more reformed society where individuals of all shapes and colors are accepted for being themselves, and everything can live peacefully in a society where some are not counted as being any less than others. It is time to move forward and, in turn, make the world a better place.

As an omnisexual identifying individual pursuing the pre-dental field following my prerequisites as a biology major, I have faced many harsh stereotypes and cruel remarks by many as the field I am pursuing isn't very common with minorities of any sort. I am a firm believer that race, gender, sexual orientation, or religious beliefs do not dictate a person's performance in any medical field. I have been told I do not look like a dentist, don't deserve to be a dentist, or that if patients knew I experienced same-sex attraction, they would never attend my practice. One of my goals in life aside from continuing my education, in which I'm very adamant about, is to prove these people wrong. This has proven difficult in a state such as West Virginia, where hate seems abundant and it's almost as though that's all peers in my age group seem to learn. This being said, I still wish to work locally and give back to my local community because in truth it has already given so much to me. This makes the challenge of overcoming small town stereotypes even more difficult, though I'm steadfast and willing to take on this challenge. I may never understand why throughout life those my age have always seen me as inferior or less than, just because I have so much love to give and don't wish to live my life in complete secrecy. Society as a whole is evolving and I believe all humans are in fact, humans and acceptance for these ideals will eventually grow. To expand on this idea, I dream of opening a practice that is affordable and welcoming for all, at lower costs and a friendly atmosphere for all walks of life. By doing so I can only hope to open the eyes of others and bring awareness to various situations in hopes to prove we are truly all equal at heart. In summary, I believe in equality for all (and have hopes of doing so given the opportunity of opening my own business/practice,) hope that someday the harmful stereotypes that come with living in a rural town will vanquish, leading to peace for all walks of life, and by working together as human beings within the same society we can create peace and unison with our words and actions, together we are one, and each day the world is advancing in society and views.

Persevering is the best word to describe my experience competing for an education and career in a male dominated STEM feild. As a young woman studying biology to someday get accepted into dental school, I constantly remind myself that though I've faced many struggles to get to where I am, I am stronger than the stereotypes thrown my way on a daily basis to achieve my dreams. Often I am told I don't look like the type to pursue dentistry, and most often I am told these cruel things by males my age, regardless on if I have the same qualifications or expertise. One of the most hurtful things I have ever been told was my junior year of high school, by my very own teachers. "Dentistry is too hard for a girl, why not be a hygienist or even a nurse instead like most girls do, and leave doctor jobs for the boys?" These comments often lowered my self-esteem and began to make me second guess my own aspirations. Ultimately, I was devastated and told my favorite former English teacher of these remarks when she inquired about my plans for college. The following day, she left a note addressed to me. In short, this note said that with my grades and level of talent, I could achieve anything I wanted and I was more than what other people tried to lead me to believe. I had potential, and with my perseverance I could do anything I wished to do. Feeling newly inspired and having a direction on what to do next, I was accepted to West Virginia University Institute of Technology where I am a freshman studying biology for the pre-dental pathway and just recently applied for the school's STEM club program. I now keep the teacher's note taped to my bedroom mirror at home and always read it when I feel unsure of myself for anything, and in my dorm room when I wake up, I keep a wooden plaque on my desk with a quote that reads "Little girls with big dreams become women with vision." I smile at this while studying, a subtle reminder to remind me of where I've come from and how much I have grown. Many more trials and far more hurtful comments may come my way along my journey to the career of my dreams (I have set as my end goal and now always keep in mind with everything I do) but now I know I am stronger than the remarks and my voice is louder than ever before.