. My career goals lie within advocacy as a Physician's Associate. The medical field is riddled with apathetic providers who need more motivation to care for patients. I have the power to change that. I am going to become a Physicians Associate working towards creating a safe space for marginalized communities within the healthcare network. Seeing the growing amount of patients who feel abandoned by their providers isn’t a new phenomenon, especially with OB/GYNs. I chose the Community Health Education emphasis to obtain the ability to address the mistrust between patients and providers. For my educational goals, in five years, I’d hope to be in medical school, starting my clinical rotations. In seven years, I’d start my residency, working towards rebuilding the trust between OB/GYNs and patients. Lastly, in my fellowship, I’d be studying the systems which can make healthcare more accessible as well as doing research on finding different (and less painful) ways to perform procedures like a pap smear. I’ve been told that my ultimate goals in eradicating health disparities among race, ethnicity, ability status, gender, sexual orientation and religion is impossible. However, it isn’t once there is a merger between Community Health Education and the medical field. This is where I make a difference. I am a black woman in the United States, in Utah to be specific. I am what many would call, “diversity”. My existence is chalked up to that. I live with that. However, there are more identities than just me. I am surrounded by friends with various ethnic backgrounds and disabilities. But I felt like I wasn't addressing everything. That’s why I started to volunteer with Connect2Health.I have seen how drugs and homelessness affected my family. Learning from how they all could’ve helped, I have dedicated my later teenage years to giving back to the community. I believe my biggest impact has been volunteering at the 4th Street Clinic with Connect2Health. Connect2Health is a volunteer organization that strives to bridge the gap between the community and its resources. Within the non-profit organization, I also volunteered at the SUPeRAD clinic where I would help pregnant people with substance abuse disorder obtain housing, addiction counseling as well as services for their children. With this population, I'm not only able to help them in their current situation but also set them up for future success. Their journey with me doesn't stop at one visit but rather I leave an open line of communication with all patients if they ever need a community resource. Those who come into the clinic are from all walks of life and are at different chapters in their story. Compassion is something that many people can’t conceptualize completely. I embody compassion. Including someone, is one thing. But to humanize an experience of shame and won’t go through is another. To address equity, diversity, and inclusion, I must broaden my view of life. I must take in the unjust truths of the world and do my part in improving it. Currently, I am obtaining my certification in Medical Assisting as I believe my social impact starts there. I am taking my experiences in patient advocacy and injecting them into the healthcare field by becoming a Medical Assistant then, a Physician's Associate. Patients and their concerns will always come first. As healthcare workers, it is our duty to listen and care. No matter what title I hold, no matter what initials come after my name, I will always be a health advocate.

I am a black woman in the United States, in Utah to be specific. I am what many would call, “diversity”. My existence is chalked up to that. I live with that. However, there are more identities than just me. I am surrounded by friends with various ethnic backgrounds and disabilities. But I felt like I wasn't addressing everything. That’s why I started to volunteer with Connect2Health.I have seen how drugs and homelessness affected my family. Learning from how they all could’ve helped, I have dedicated my later teenage years to giving back to the community. I believe my biggest impact has been volunteering at the 4th Street Clinic with Connect2Health. Connect2Health is a volunteer organization that strives to bridge the gap between the community and its resources. Within the non-profit organization, I also volunteered at the SUPeRAD clinic where I would help pregnant people with substance abuse disorder obtain housing, addiction counseling as well as services for their children. With this population, I'm not only able to help them in their current situation but also set them up for future success. Their journey with me doesn't stop at one visit but rather I leave an open line of communication with all patients if they ever need a community resource. Those who come into the clinic are from all walks of life and are at different chapters in their story. Compassion is something that many people can’t conceptualize completely. I embody compassion. Including someone, is one thing. But to humanize an experience of shame and won’t go through is another. To address equity, diversity, and inclusion, I must broaden my view of life. I must take in the unjust truths of the world and do my part in improving it. Currently, I am obtaining my certification in Medical Assisting as I believe my social impact starts there. For many of my patients, I am their voice. I am their advocate. There's an epidemic of fatalities due to negligence among doctors. The victims are often part of marginalized groups. I am taking my experiences in patient advocacy and injecting them into the healthcare field by becoming a Medical Assistant then, a Physician's Associate. Patients and their concerns will always come first. As healthcare workers, it is our duty to listen and care. No matter what title I hold, no matter what initials come after my name, I will always be a health advocate.

My career goals lie within advocacy as a Physician's Associate. The medical field is riddled with apathetic providers who need more motivation to care for patients. I have the power to change that. I am going to become a Physicians Associate working towards creating a safe space for marginalized communities within the healthcare network. Seeing the growing amount of patients who feel abandoned by their providers isn’t a new phenomenon, especially with OB/GYNs. I chose the Community Health Education emphasis to obtain the ability to address the mistrust between patients and providers. For my educational goals, in five years, I’d hope to be in medical school, starting my clinical rotations. In seven years, I’d start my residency, working towards rebuilding the trust between OB/GYNs and patients. Lastly, in my fellowship, I’d be studying the systems which can make healthcare more accessible as well as doing research on finding different (and less painful) ways to perform procedures like a pap smear. I’ve been told that my ultimate goals in eradicating health disparities among race, ethnicity, ability status, gender, sexual orientation and religion is impossible. However, it isn’t once there is a merger between Community Health Education and the medical field. This is where I make a difference. I am a black woman in the United States, in Utah to be specific. I am what many would call, “diversity”. My existence is chalked up to that. I live with that. However, there are more identities than just me. I am surrounded by friends with various ethnic backgrounds and disabilities. But I felt like I wasn't addressing everything. That’s why I started to volunteer with Connect2Health.I have seen how drugs and homelessness affected my family. Learning from how they all could’ve helped, I have dedicated my later teenage years to giving back to the community. I believe my biggest impact has been volunteering at the 4th Street Clinic with Connect2Health. Connect2Health is a volunteer organization that strives to bridge the gap between the community and its resources. Within the non-profit organization, I also volunteered at the SUPeRAD clinic where I would help pregnant people with substance abuse disorder obtain housing, addiction counseling as well as services for their children. With this population, I'm not only able to help them in their current situation but also set them up for future success. Their journey with me doesn't stop at one visit but rather I leave an open line of communication with all patients if they ever need a community resource. Those who come into the clinic are from all walks of life and are at different chapters in their story. Compassion is something that many people can’t conceptualize completely. I embody compassion. Including someone, is one thing. But to humanize an experience of shame and won’t go through is another. To address equity, diversity, and inclusion, I must broaden my view of life. I must take in the unjust truths of the world and do my part in improving it.

I know it’ll be a long journey to become a Physicians Associate. A person in medical school won’t start working in their respective field until their residency (after they graduate PA school). However, that doesn’t deter me from chasing my career goals. My career goals lie within advocacy. The medical field is riddled with apathetic providers who need more motivation to care for patients. I have the power to change that. I am going to become a Physicians Associate working towards creating a safe space for marginalized communities within the healthcare network. Seeing the growing amount of patients who feel abandoned by their providers isn’t a new phenomenon, especially with OB/GYNs. I chose the Community Health Education emphasis to obtain the ability to address the mistrust between patients and providers. For my educational goals, in five years, I’d hope to be in medical school, starting my clinical rotations. In seven years, I’d start my residency, working towards rebuilding the trust between OB/GYNs and patients. Lastly, in my fellowship, I’d be studying the hormonal effects of the reproductive system as well as doing research on finding different (and less painful) ways to perform procedures like a pap smear. I’ve been told that my ultimate goals in eradicating health disparities among race, ethnicity, ability status, gender, sexual orientation and religion is impossible. However, it isn’t once there is a merger between Community Health Education and the medical field. This is where I make a difference. I am a black woman in the United States, in Utah to be specific. I am what many would call, “diversity”. My existence is chalked up to that. I live with that. However, there are more identities than just me. I am surrounded by friends with various ethnic backgrounds and disabilities. But I felt like I wasn't addressing everything. That’s why I started to volunteer with Connect2Health.I have seen how drugs and homelessness affected my family. Learning from how they all could’ve helped, I have dedicated my later teenage years to giving back to the community. I believe my biggest impact has been volunteering at the 4th Street Clinic with Connect2Health. Connect2Health is a volunteer organization that strives to bridge the gap between the community and its resources. Within the non-profit organization, I also volunteered at the SUPeRAD clinic where I would help pregnant people with substance abuse disorder obtain housing, addiction counseling as well as services for their children. With this population, I'm not only able to help them in their current situation but also set them up for future success. Their journey with me doesn't stop at one visit but rather I leave an open line of communication with all patients if they ever need a community resource. Those who come into the clinic are from all walks of life and are at different chapters in their story. Compassion is something that many people can’t conceptualize completely. I embody compassion. Including someone, is one thing. But to humanize an experience of shame and won’t go through is another. To address equity, diversity, and inclusion, I must broaden my view of life. I must take in the unjust truths of the world and do my part in improving it. Currently, I am obtaining my certification in Medical Assisting as I believe my social impact starts there. Patients and their concerns will always come first. As healthcare workers, it is our duty to listen and care. No matter what title I hold, no matter what initials come after my name, I will always be a health advocate.

Coming from a single-parent household, financial struggle is a common theme. I am lucky to have my mother helping me pay for my college. If my paychecks aren’t going towards the tuition, they are being spent on basic needs such as groceries. Same with my mother in addition to taking care of a minor. Being awarded a scholarship will reduce the financial burden for my mother and I. In the fall, I’ll be working two jobs. The first as a teaching assistant for an introduction to biology lab class and the second as a Medical Assistant. Academically, I realized while taking science courses like Biology and Chemistry, I need more time to digest and understand the information. This scholarship will eliminate me from limiting the classes I take as an attempt to perform cost control. I know it’ll be a long journey to become a Physicians Associate. A person in medical school won’t start working in their respective field until their residency (after they graduate PA school). However, that doesn’t deter me from chasing my career goals. My career goals lie within advocacy. The medical field is riddled with apathetic providers who need more motivation to care for patients. I have the power to change that. I am going to become a Physicians Associate working towards creating a safe space for marginalized communities within the healthcare network. Seeing the growing amount of patients who feel abandoned by their providers isn’t a new phenomenon, especially with OB/GYNs. I chose the Community Health Education emphasis to obtain the ability to address the mistrust between patients and providers. For my educational goals, in five years, I’d hope to be in medical school, starting my clinical rotations. In seven years, I’d start my residency, working towards rebuilding the trust between OB/GYNs and patients. Lastly, in my fellowship, I’d be studying the hormonal effects of the reproductive system as well as doing research on finding different (and less painful) ways to perform procedures like a pap smear. I’ve been told that my ultimate goals in eradicating health disparities among race, ethnicity, ability status, gender, sexual orientation and religion is impossible. However, it isn’t once there is a merger between Community Health Education and the medical field. This is where I make a difference.

I am a black woman in the United States, in Utah to be specific. I am what many would call, “diversity”. My existence is chalked up to that. I live with that. However, there are more identities than just me. I am surrounded by friends with various ethnic backgrounds and disabilities. But I felt like wasn’t addressing everything. That’s why I started to volunteer with Connect2Health.I have seen how drugs and homelessness affected my family. Learning from how they all could’ve helped, I have dedicated my later teenage years to giving back to the community. I believe my biggest impact has been volunteering at the 4th Street Clinic with Connect2Health. Connect2Health is a volunteer organization that strives to bridge the gap between the community and its resources. Within the non-profit organization, I also volunteered at the SUPeRAD clinic where I would help pregnant people with substance abuse disorder obtain housing, addiction counseling as well as services for their children. With this population, I'm not only able to help them in their current situation but also set them up for future success. Their journey with me doesn't stop at one visit but rather I leave an open line of communication with all patients if they ever need a community resource. Those who come into the clinic are from all walks of life and are at different chapters in their story. Compassion is something that many people can’t conceptualize completely. I embody compassion. Including someone, is one thing. But to humanize an experience many shame and won’t go through is another. To address equity, diversity, and inclusion, I must broaden my view of life. I must take in the unjust truths of the world and do my part in improving it. Currently, I am obtaining my certification to in Medical Assisting as I believe my social impact starts there. For many of my patients, I am their voice. I am their advocate. There's an epidemic of fatalities due to negligence among doctors. The victims are often part of marginalized groups. I am taking my experiences in patient advocacy and injecting them into the healthcare field by becoming a Medical Assistant then, a Physician's Associate. Patients and their concerns will always come first. As healthcare workers, it is our duty to listen and care. No matter what title I hold, no matter what initials come after my name, I will always be a health advocate.

I know it’ll be a long journey to become a Physicians Associate. A person in medical school won’t start working in their respective field until their residency (after they graduate PA school). However, that doesn’t deter me from chasing my career goals. My career goals lie within advocacy. The medical field is riddled with apathetic providers who need more motivation to care for patients. I have the power to change that. I am going to become a Physicians Associate working towards creating a safe space for marginalized communities within the healthcare network. Seeing the growing amount of patients who feel abandoned by their providers isn’t a new phenomenon, especially with OB/GYNs. I chose the Community Health Education emphasis to obtain the ability to address the mistrust between patients and providers. For my educational goals, in five years, I’d hope to be in medical school, starting my clinical rotations. In seven years, I’d start my residency, working towards rebuilding the trust between OB/GYNs and patients. Lastly, in my fellowship, I’d be studying the hormonal effects of the reproductive system as well as doing research on finding different (and less painful) ways to perform procedures like a pap smear. I’ve been told that my ultimate goals in eradicating health disparities among race, ethnicity, ability status, gender, sexual orientation and religion is impossible. However, it isn’t once there is a merger between Community Health Education and the medical field. This is where I make a difference. I am a black woman in the United States. I am what many would call, “diversity”. My existence is chalked up to that. I live with that. However, there are more identities than just me. I am surrounded by friends with various ethnic backgrounds and disabilities. But I felt like wasn’t addressing everything. That’s why I started to volunteer with Connect2Health.I have seen how drugs and homelessness affected my family. Learning from how they all could’ve helped, I have dedicated my later teenage years to giving back to the community. I believe my biggest impact has been volunteering at the 4th Street Clinic with Connect2Health. Connect2Health is a volunteer organization that strives to bridge the gap between the community and its resources. Those who come into the clinic are from all walks of life and are at different chapters in their story. Compassion is something that many people can’t conceptualize completely. I embody compassion. Including someone, is one thing. But to humanize an experience many shame and won’t go through is another. To address equity, diversity, and inclusion, I must broaden my view of life. I must take in the unjust truths of the world and do my part in improving it.

I had the privilege to grow up surrounded by black women. Each relative taught me something different. However, each had something in common. Fertility issues. My mother, grandmother, and great grandmother either suffers a severe uterus disease or had a hysterectomy due to a reproductive system decline. Now, my family is fortunate enough to have physicians that believe the pain of my mothers, other members in the black community aren’t. I am passionate about healthcare equality. Specifically, I dedicate my life to bettering the lives of those who suffer from reproductive issues. There’s a silent killer among black women, and that’s pregnancy. That all stems from the “Father of Gynecology” J. Marion Sims falsely believing that black women do not endure pain due to skin color. This ideology is still being taught today. It’s engrained in our medical field. Preeclampsia is the main killer of black women while giving birth. But, it can easily be stopped if doctors listened to the patients symptoms or closely viewed the patients vitals. One fatal example was with Doctor Chaniece Wallace. She was a 4th year pediatric chief who died in child birth due to the complications of preeclampsia. Another example (non fatal) was world-famous Tennis star Serena Willams was vocal about her complications while delivering her daughter. Even after her C-section, her heart rate dropped significantly and she had developed a blood clot leading to her lungs. The CDC reported that black women are 3 times more likely to die in childbirth or pregnancy. This statistic is the catalyst for my major and career path. Currently, I’m studying Health and Kinesiology with an emphasis in Community Health. Then, I plan to go onto medical school with a degree in Obstetrician and Gynecology degree with a specialty in reproductive endocrinology. I believe that having more women of color, who understand and have the nuance that comes with caring for a black women in the medical field. Someone who knows the hesitations we may gave against a system that was literally built off the pain of our ancestors. I will forever be grateful for the Black OB/GYN’s saving the lives of black women in the labor and delivery room. Those doctors who have flipped the narrative that black women don’t feel pain, who have flipped the narrative that black women are incapable of being in the higher stature of an OB/GYN. I want to continue to bring the conversation of Cultural Competency and Social Determinants to doctors of other demographics but also help black women feel safe in the delivery room. Thank you.