Throughout this text, there are many conflicts that Millennials and Gen-Z face, ranging from the economic crisis, scarcity of healthcare, and the systemic challenges that this demographic faces. As a fellow Gen-Z American citizen, I believe that this passage highlights the downward spiral of the state of living that we see on a daily, continuous decline. From past generations, there has been a collection of injustices, social conflict, abuse seen on a mass economic and political scale, where it is now a call of concern that recent generations are burdened with the task of undoing the carnage that has accumulated after decades of what seems as a macabre dance; When we look at the objectives that millennials and generation z face, it now seems to be a pressure instated on us to make changes necessary for the survival and prosperity of our communities, however, this does come with an underlying conflict: We are in desperate need for innovation and exponential change, yet it appears that we have a small time frame in which we need to achieve this without facing devasting consequences. When evaluating the history of our preceding generations, everything from culture, society, technology, environmental state, and technology had a different narrative and understanding compared to modern times. When we look at our elders, it appears that there was a higher degree of conservative values that were strongly emphasized, and as a result, this has contributed to the mindsets present within individuals a part of an older generation. Traditional values have been a key part of every society, however, the environment around us constantly changes over time, making it necessary for customs, ideologies, and traditions to be altered in a way that accommodates gradual changes in society. For example, it was once a common belief in history that science, medical advancements, and illness were products of negative forces that vary with different religions or ideologies; if our society refused to accept the developments associated with technology or medicine, public health and global productivity would appear much different than it does today. How the community interprets a particular matter heavily impacts how the situation is handled. Many people from older generations are in positions of power where stagnant beliefs and resistance to change will indeed damage our society more than it will "fix"; the text addresses that the youth will be a victim of inheriting a bankrupt world in many aspects, and I believe that this is aggravated by our predecessors' refusal to adapt to a world that was different from the one they lived in before us. When looking at the current situations presented in our society, it appears that millennials, and especially those a part of gen-z are a part of the most recent communities to be more accepting of the idea of change, but most importantly, it appears that we are aware of how desperately in need we are in for changes to be made, which is why I disagree with the statement in the text about how most of us are polite and kind; when living under certain conditions, this results in a degree of dysfunction in our upbringing, and based on the current state of the country, our society regardless of generation is significantly damaged. When we live under conditions where over 50% of the average American is barely making enough in salary to survive, in combination with the inadequate healthcare distribution and efficiency, we have provided an environment that makes being "kind" about these conflicts difficult. The example of gun violence within schools has never been so horrendous in history as it is in the present day, and many individuals ranging from millennials to Generation Z have been victims of these crimes. The trauma that we have inherited from the institutions spearheaded by our elders has accumulated into a state of uneasiness. As an argument, I would say that our generation attempts to be lighthearted about the carnage that was left for us. The reality is that we do not want to be responsible for fixing the damages instilled by past generations; we are angry, yet we have a determination to fix the damages and hope that by the time it happens, it isn't too late. In past generations, it was common to suppress emotions that were generated as a result of the state of the world or environment they were in, however, when it comes to our psychological well-being of today, it appears to be presented in a way that is not taken seriously; the darkness that was grown in past generations are still present within our generation, however, we live in times were the youth are largely ridiculed for expressing the manifestations of that darkness in a way that reflects the change of times. The survival of our society is still largely in question, however, the presentation of our generation masks it with our characteristic humor or light-heartedness. The potential for our generation to become the next greatest generation is a large possibility, as we are on track towards making the necessary individual growth we all need to provide a better society for the future, however, our potential remains threatened by a modern macabre dance that has been forged by the elders that still govern us; the biggest question we ask ourselves is: With these odds, will we win this race against time?

It is a common conception to believe that it is human nature to fear the unknown; this has been a food for thought for all concepts of life. There are overwhelming amounts of concepts, ideologies, studies, and practices that have been integrated within existence that many strive to understand, however, there are many that may reject particular studies, research, or beliefs that flood the concepts of existence. When we instill the desire to learn more about our surroundings, rather than to fear, chastise, or ignore the underlying ideas about it, we can promote a society that is capable of critically analyzing our environments; when we think about existence, it could be a topic that is more simple than many may claim it to be; when we have controversies about truths about the world we live in, it causes a variety of division that steers us farther from a common goal of understanding the universe we live in. There's the truth that the world has many variations of life, regions, planets, society, matter, atoms, and many more, yet it appears that even with the diversity of life and material within the universe, a lot of us focus on piecing the puzzle of life that has never been fully solved; attempting to understand the universe compared to trying to define it are two different things that are not synonymous to each other, and many of our ideologies in society focus of defining everything in life, which is something too complex to define. Understanding the idea of the universe is something that needs to be proceeded patiently with an open mind and willingness to learn; In some ways, you might consider the study of the universe to be a science or art within itself, and with science, things are subjected to change overtime, and requires the willingness to accept the wrongness of a precedent; to say that all of us agree with being wrong would be a false testament, and this is one of the issues that we face in society that obscures the path towards existential and external understanding of the world. For example, when we consider the existence of religion, it is one of the major foundations of many individuals' basic comprehension of the state of the universe, and it can be agreed that religion is a sensitive topic to many people of faith. While there are commonalities between many religions, there are also many differences, which proves it difficult to convince a large majority of the population to agree on certain theories about our existence; I mention this because this signifies how important it is for there to be a way for us to understand our nature in a way that can be agreed on uniformly. The fear of the unknown or what strays away from the established norms is something that people react to passionately, and has caused many global issues that affect us as a whole; while there should be room for religious freedom and practice, there needs to be a way where we can all meet each other halfway, otherwise the goal of understanding the world and everything beyond will remain divided and unfocused. It is important for us to all understand our environment to be aware of what truly harms and benefits us all, however many do not live in a reality where this ideology is possible; when we consider the vast inequalities and social divisions that are present in the world, we have a current environment where being able to understand specific topics of the world is a privilege; When we look at societies or communities of people that are not given the opportunities to access education, this becomes a roadblock towards understanding the world, and to solve this issue, I believe that it is required to advocate for more people of different backgrounds to accept that education is a critical factor that is required for people to contribute towards understanding the bigger picture. When people can educate themselves on complex subjects in life, we can provide an influx of people with a variety of skills and information that contributes towards a collaborative society. If different parts of the world continue to maintain magnitudes of suffering and injustice, we are doing the opposite of equipping a society of the skills needed to improve our understanding of the world. The way the world works is subjective to everyone, and while many of us are living in different truths, our external world becomes the environment and setting of all of us living our truths simultaneously; the major concept I believe should be employed for all of us to improve our comprehension of our surroundings is to have an open mind; we are all different, and our stories may not be the same, however something we can all work on collectively is learning to respect and learn from each other, because the alternative does not contribute to a world of understanding. The issues we face around the world are the product of refusing to respect, learn, and grow collectively amongst ourselves. My long-term goal is to encourage others to grow as a unit, rather than focus on singular or individualistic beliefs; we require the allowance for each other to learn and grow as a collective, and that can not be accomplished if we fail to understand how indefinitely different and complex the world may be. Regardless of the field of study or career we're in, it should not prevent us from practicing habits that benefit us as a whole rather than focusing on individual interests exclusively.

In some cases, education is not simply a straight shot; in addition to the academic workload, you'll also have to take daily life and experiences into consideration. In terms of my goals, I aspire to receive a graduate-level education in a clinical setting, therefore I decided to major in biological science at Georgia State University. My aspirations have been unconditionally supported by my friends and family, especially my father, and it was easy to become comfortable with the way life was, not expecting the worst to come at any point in time. The most challenging experience I have faced during my time in college has been grief. After the end of my first semester of college, I experienced the loss of my friend due to a car accident caused by a drunk driver; at the time, this was my first proximity to death; I have never experienced the loss of any friend throughout my life, and it made the transition back into the next semester overwhelming. My friend that passed away had plans to transfer to my college after that fall semester; returning to GSU was melancholic because I was then attending a place that also represented the possibility of more memories to share that, in a change of event, was no longer possible. The overlap between academia and personal life began to increase. At the beginning of my sophomore year at GSU, my dad became sick, and towards the end, his illness resulted in his passing in the end. The devastation that this caused in my life proved to be the most intense situation I've experienced in my life; I had winter break of that semester to prepare myself for my return back into the 2021 spring semester of the school year, however, 3 weeks was an unrealistic time to cope with a loss that close to me. Although the grief associated with loss was all-encompassing, I was determined to continue my education and use the ones I've lost as motivation to do the best I could with the life I have to live. After overcoming my junior year in 2021 with my associated losses, The initial wave of grief I felt during previous semesters felt manageable, however after beginning my senior year during the fall semester of 2022, I experienced the death of another close friend due to suicide. Throughout my college experience so far, I've had to push myself more than I would've ever anticipated, however, health and loss are themes I will have to associate with in the world of healthcare. In certain cases, some individuals beginning a career in the healthcare field have not experienced many magnitudes of loss, and it becomes an obstacle they have to face at the forefront of their medical careers, however, I have experienced a personal fraction of loss that is seen throughout millions of people's lives. I have refused to give up on my degree program because of the people I have lost so far, and I understand the devastation that chronic disease and mental health can wreak on others' lives and those around them. With the experience I've gained, I encourage emphasizing the involvement of empathy and sympathy for those who have struggled similarly to my loved ones who are no longer here. With the growing concern about the empathetic and sympathetic capacity of health professionals, I hope to contribute to safe spaces for individuals to feel comfortable when seeking help from medical professionals, because when more providers can establish trust and safety between patients, the quality of care can be significantly improved.

Many people would agree that life in itself is a traumatic experience that every living person has to endure; we all struggle with many different or similar aspects of life, however, the way we cope with these struggles are heavily dependent on the type of person we are at our core. Although we all experience many roadblocks in life, not everyone is privileged enough to break through towards the end. While there are many adversities that I have faced in my life, I have a long history of defeats, but with those losses, there have been accompanying wins to my prevail. The biggest obstacle that I have had to overcome was the death of loved ones: Towards the end of December 2019, I lost a friend who was killed by a drunk driver, in December of 2020, I lost my father to illness, and In September of 2022, I lost a close friend to suicide. Throughout this series of devastating losses, there was a moment where giving up and abandoning every pursuit of my longstanding goals seemed like a fair option, however, I've learned to continue in their name. Grief in anyone's life has the potential to consume you in the darkest ways possible. Everyone will experience a loss in some way possible, or someone to mourn for throughout our lives; it is an inevitable truth that others may attempt to avoid for as long as possible, however, in my case, one of the worst has already reared its way within my life. To say I have overcome these issues is not a question I can truthfully answer, because I find myself warped in these struggles, and I spend every day attempting to overcome them; Learning to live my life in light of these adversities is something that I have worked towards, but I do hope that one day, with time and age that I will be confident and proud to say that I have truly overcome them. To redirect, I can confidently say that I have learned so much in my life from every person that I have lost, and I believe that each takeaway will help me build a repertoire of skills and wisdom. Each person I have lost was affected by significant, universal issues that other people have the misfortune to endure. Suicide has affected millions of Americans, and access to proper mental healthcare is something that presents as a call for concern; In the future, I hope to provide aid to the community in raising awareness towards mental health and contributing towards the elimination of stigmas that are associated with suicide; I believe that we as a community have the capabilities of doing so much more for our communities, rather than just focusing on matters that intimately affects us individually. My friend being killed by a drunk driver has given me a different perspective on substance abuse; while my anger towards the offender has been intense, it has also reminded me that substance abuse is a growing epidemic within this country that needs to be addressed, especially with its connection to the mental health crisis nationwide. While I hope to become a medical professional to aid the improvement of physical health, I hope to become a figure of advocacy for the mental health crisis; too many loved ones have been lost as collateral of the restrictions of mental healthcare, moreover, the state of healthcare within this country is a growing concern in general. By becoming active in the healthcare world in these aspects, I hope to use my losses for healing and prevention for others.

When people think of the Black community, we can conclude that controversy is presented at every corner. For centuries, the Black community has faced crimes against humanity that started from colonialism and branched out into roots of hatred, prejudice, discrimination, and dehumanization. Taking into account the repressive actions placed upon people of color would also require the confirmation of the mental degradation that those repressive actions have caused. When I envision a universe of social perfection for the Black community, I see a world where all cultures across the globe are educated and taught to stray away from ideologies that contribute to racism, colorism, prejudice, and hate; moreover, I envision a world where universal values of humanity are accepted and practiced. The vision I imagine is hard, and impossible to attain with completion since the world is full of unique minds and individuals; our differences yield the beauty of civilization, yet also its hideousness simultaneously. The root of the problems faced within the Black community is a series of phenomenons from both a psychological and sociological standpoint, which has contributed to cultural, political, and systemic toxicity that has impacted the state of the community severely. The Black community faces the obstacle of healing decades worth of generational trauma, and the only way I believe this can be achieved is for the Black community to universally accept that there are fundamental problems that have been born from abusive, inhumane environments that have been passed on from generation to generation; this concept appears to be a trend within communities of color alike, therefore this is also a universal conflict. When we live under harsh conditions in denial of the problems that we face, we create an atmosphere that will repress growth and progress into something stagnant and destined for decline. Many things are undeniable in the basics of human survival and wellness; as a collective, if many of us do not have the common goal of overcoming mental obstacles, they will lead to dark manifestations that will harm the state of the human condition globally. Things such as racism and discrimination did not stop as being just a psychological conflict, because it has sequentially led to figures of power acting upon their mentalities to promote violence, repression, marginalization, and the dehumanization of the Black community and other communities of color. Since certain figures of power have avoided their psychological turmoil, we currently have a broken society with unequal distribution of power. Obvious imbalances of the power dynamics of any person or community will always yield clusters of mental anguish that may manifest into a variety of psychological disorders. In theory, it can be agreed that when a problem is identified, the only solution to the issue is to acknowledge the situation and formulate a strategy to resolve it. By every community discovering a way to meet each other halfway, we will become steps closer to resolving the social injustices we face today. When civilization can recognize the value of humanity within others that are different from another, attaining a world closer to the impossible state of perfection can be possible. Life in itself is full of many stressors and traumas that can be connected to demographic or race, and encouraging everyone to acknowledge the past and present will help us strive toward an improved awareness of mental health struggles. Mental health affects everyone; we are all products of our environment, and we are interpersonally holistic to each other, therefore educating everyone to strive toward mental fitness can help undo the damages caused when it is ignored.

Actions of service is both an act and a concept that is scarce to find throughout today's society. Whether the situation presents people in need, awareness, or contribution, we live in a world where others do not feel like they have the time to invest into a greater good. As long as I was able to comprehend my existence, I have always wanted formulate different ways I could contribute to others, since this desire is not withhin the hearts of everyone. There are many incentives that volunteer work presents to many people; some view volunteer work as an action to polish their image in the eyes of various figures of power, and don't sincerely value the importance of volunteering. While it can be easy to see philanthropy or humanitarianism as a complimenting touch to add to their resume' of skills and contributions, the only thing that should be taken away from volunteering is the impact it posses on those on the recieving end. While I was in highschool during 2018, I was a member of the Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), where I participated in various volunteering opportunities for organizations such as Toys for Tots, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and partnerships with the American Red Cross; During my time of volunteering, It reminded me of the struggles that others face during times of adversity. My volunteer work for Toys for Tots highlighted the darker realities that many children face. Although I did not grow up with riches, resources, opportunites, and leisure, providing aid for services to distribute holiday gifts to disadvantaged children reminded me of how fortunate I am to not endure those darker fates that some children are burdened with; the chance to contirbute to the gift of giving helped me realize that although I do not live a perfect life, I have the opportunity help those that may see my life as something to wish for. During my volunteer work towards Light the Night for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, I was reminded of something personal as a motivation to help others. My step-father had battled leukemia throughout his life, and had remained in remission for years. At the time, volunteering for the cause to walk through Piedmont Park of Atlanta, Georgia to honor those who have won or lost the fight against leukemia and lymphoma gave me the opportunity to connect with others who have experienced similar struggles as I experienced when my father survived cancer; reflecting on it now, that moment was symbolic for my desire to persure a career in the healthcare field. I figured, why just stop at volunteering when I could be a more "hands on" piece of the puzzle for the pursuit of wellness? These experiences helped me realize that we might all be victims of the struggles of life to an extent, but we all can be benefitied if the world's surviving victims rise to become the battalion to guide others past situations of turmoil. As a person who grew up in a low income household with parents that suffered and continue to suffer from health issues, receiving any scholarship will greatly help me pursue my academic and career goals, without placing additional anxiety on my mom. The career and academic path I have chosen doesn't put me in a place of financial stability, and If I was given the chance to recieve a scholarship, I could use it for additional academic and extra curricular goals for myself, as well as a stress relief for my mom's concern for my education.

During our youth, our environment has the responsibility to shelter us from the horrors that the world contains; we are expected to go to school, make meaningful memories, form heartfelt bonds, and grow into the promising new individuals in our society as a generation of adults with variety. When we are young, the issues of race and underrepresentation are something children of color should never endure, however, this is an unfortunate reality. Where children's innocence is supposed to be preserved and protected by the adults that were responsible for the quality of our environment, many people of color like me have had pieces of our childhood youth neglected, and in return, this has formed an alternative experience as a person of color living in America. As a black American, I have felt that my identity has already been written and declared from the start based on the perception of my community, which made my interpretation of my own identity a center of conflict ever since I was a child. Society throughout history predetermined my identity as a black individual, and I have often felt that there were limitations in many aspects of my life such as individuality, creativity, uniqueness, value, and worth. We live in an unfortunate reality; though I have my desire to pursue a career in the healthcare field, to form seamless bonds among people with different demographics, and to live in a world that uniformly believes and respects my significance as a person in life, the world does not uniformly appreciate and respects my existence based on what I was born as. In a country that has a background of systemic oppression and racism, my pursuit of what seems like a utopia is now engaged with obstacles of social conflict. It becomes a harsh truth that people might not accept or value the complexion of my skin, the texture of my hair, and the features throughout my body that don't fit the social preferences established from the past to the present. Although the world is filled with glimmers of love, it is shrouded in shadows of hatred, bias, prejudice, and confusion. Where my community and I have to navigate through the tides this world has bestowed on us, I realize that I must remain confident in who I am as a human to continue to spread as much light within my life as possible. In a world that may feel as if darkness came with the life we were given, I believe that my identity as a black man must collaborate with all other aspects of my character and personality to embark on the steps needed to materialize the world I imagined within my youth. It can be an emotionally exhausting journey to be told from a very young age that some people might see the worst in me, or regard me with little worth as a minority; this is especially a challenge since all I have ever wanted since I was a boy was to heal and give love back to as many people as physically possible. It can be easy to develop an unhealthy hatred towards the outside world because of societal rejection, however, this has taught me to do everything in my power to proceed on my journey in life with the light that was missing for many others in the past within my community; I will continue this so that one day, future children of color will never have immense darkness taint their innocent light like before.

My mother once said, "Saying you aren't capable while you are under my roof is not allowed and nonnegotiable; you have a strength that you have no idea you even have. My job as a parent is to help you realize that strength and strive higher than anything I have ever done in my lifetime." Over time having numerous conversations with my mother, this is a statement that will always stay close to me no matter how swift time may be. My mother's strength is something that not every person is lucky enough to witness in their lives, and I find myself fortunate enough to witness her capabilities as her son. While there have been many odds formed against the progression of her life, my mom has been a figure of perseverance that inspires me to face any obstacle that obstructs my path. Ever since I was younger, my mother has tried her best to shield me from the many horrors that life presents to us. Whenever I think about my childhood, I see an environment that was full of love, but reinforced with strictness and discipline. Education has been a priority that was originally instilled within me due to my mother's influence, therefore the priority of education has cast much dominance within my life. Since I grew up with only a step-father figure that was no longer with my mom, my mother had to assume a constant role between being both a mother and an additional father figure simultaneously; I grew up in a household surrounded by women, therefore femininity has been instilled within my truth of masculinity. Ever since I was a little kid, I always had the dream of working within the medical field, providing aid and assistance to others with their hopes of living the most fruitful lives, for as long as possible. Having such a strong woman's presence overseeing my life has resulted in my ability to care for others in a capacity that may not be commonly seen in men. My mother goes to lengths far beyond the horizon to ensure that I have had a safe and productive childhood; watching my mother being the most selfless person I know inspires me to do the same within the healthcare setting. Seeing a parent endure so much while battling pre-existing health conditions such as sickle cell disease and disability has made me view life in a way others in typical conditions do not. There are many people like my mom that struggle to afford healthcare and the expenses life requires, especially while dealing with illnesses or disability; Witnessing how that amount of stress can deteriorate health gives me the drive to use the education that my mother has fought so earnestly for me, and using it to fight for the well-being of other citizens that may not have the opportunity to ensure their voices are heard. With the history of experiences I've shared with my mother, she has always reminded me that one of the greatest achievements in life is using the experiences and lessons learned from trial and error to provide for those in need. My mother made the biggest sacrifice of her life by raising me in adverse conditions present; she has been a muse in my journey to use everything she has been able to give to me to my advantage. In the name of my mother, I will perfect what she has given to me so that her contribution will indirectly yield services of protection to preserve the life of others by my hand.

During the beginning of a new year, there is an anticipation of a fresh start and the excitement of the unknown; when 2020 started, I was an 18-year college freshman, and I thought that the beginning of a new year marked a new chapter of my life. I expected the new year to act as a rebirth of goals, much like a phoenix, where life resurfaces from the ashes, starting a new era of promise, happiness, prosperity, and growth. Never did I imagine the year to be overwhelmed with fear, uncertainty, and tragedy. The end of the year marked a period of my life that I never expected to face as a teen. The end of 2020 departed with the death of my father. My father was a man that provided me with everything to the best of his abilities; he was dedicated to assisting me with my journey to pursue higher education and has been with me every step of the way, reinforcing authentic parental support for my aspirations. His presence in my life was a symbol of commitment and irrevocable love, something that I did not receive from my biological father that contributed to my existence in this world. The man that contributed to the birth of my eldest sister before the abrupt divorce between my mother restored color to my life; the relationship between my mother and my birthfather became estranged, leaving a trail voided with greyness within my life. As a consistent and devoted father figure for my sister, he intervened and gave me the same love and kindness that he gave to his first-born daughter. When my father was diagnosed with end-stage heart failure after his birthday in February of 2020, my world began to crack beneath the surface. Taking to account the pandemic occurring in March, coping with life was laborious for me. Attempting to do the best I could in adverse situations to ensure I maintained the same spirit that my father manifested within me provided a magnitude of stress in my life that I had never experienced before. As his illness rapidly progressed, I watched my father deteriorate daily; social-distancing and online school provided an environment for me where I had to witness my father's frailty grow by the day. After an intense fall semester concluded for me on December 14th, 2020, my father succumbed to complications of his illness on December 15th, 2020 at 10:43 at night. A wave of despair and emptiness flooded me upon hearing the news from my sister at night. The color that my father shrouded upon me my entire life drifted into the greyness I once felt before. After winter break, I resumed my studies toward my bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences at Georgia State University the following spring semester; Reflecting, I'm unsure how I made it through, and what significantly surprised me was being fortunate enough to pass all of my classes that year. My father was a man that valued family, friends and love above all regardless of circumstance, and I knew that I had to follow the same example. Rather than living in isolation, I took comfort in my loved ones. Although the parental figure that taught me how to appreciate the world was no longer here, I knew his spirit would live on as long as I carry on his life's work of pureness and affection within my personal or professional environment; His legacy will never pass on, because I am determined in spreading the same love he gave me onto others that may live in greyness as well.

As soon as I was born, I was always told from the start that I was born to do something great; coming from an immigrant family full of superstition, tradition, and expectation, as I grew older, I understood that there was a great burden to bare to uphold and satisfy the expectations that I was given from birth. Ever since I was younger, I was always a sensitive boy; in a society where men are viewed as figures of strength, and masculinity is pre-determined by societal expectations, sensitivity and vulnerability has always been seen as a trait of weakness and emasculation. Although my characteristics as a man have been seen as softer, and against the status quo of what men are supposed to be, I have always seen this to be something that will work out in my favor; men of color, in general, come from a variety of backgrounds and ideologies, where there is a common conception about men and stereotypical roles of men relating to the image of masculinity and strength, so I believe that as an African-American man, I want to model a reform on the habits of masculinity. In any professional field that requires patient-provider interaction, sensitivity, empathy, duty, and sympathy are something that should be valued; regardless of my sex or ethnicity, it does not change the fact that I am human in conclusion, and to be able to provide the best care as possible requires that I forfeit any misconceptions of what society desires a man to be. I must not be a figure of what society wants, rather I should be a figure of what society needs. Many of the unconventional beliefs and practices that are inflicted upon many men, most importantly men of color, can be seen as self-destructive, and hinders a lot of the potential of what we can be in the end. I have always been assured of who I am, and I've never forced myself to paint a facade that does not agree with my soul. Growing up, I experienced a lot of negativity regarding the person that I am in nature; this experience has been predominantly within my years of schooling over time, and this has led to a lot of self-doubts as a consequence. Despite the negativity faced, I have never stayed ashamed of who I was as a person, because I knew that who I am as a person will prevail over what certain children or adults thought about me in the past. Obstacles we see within people of color are numerous, and in the present, women of color remain as one the most delicate and targeted demographics in the world, however because of this harsh truth, the conversation about the actions of men tends to be avoided. If we are to improve the conditions of all people within the world, everyone of every demographic should actively practice self-reflection to focus on the progression the world needs; as a man who is proud of their sensitivity and emotional capacity, I believe that living my truth serves as an example that anyone in my presence benefits from. Our world's issues are too menacing for half of the human population to remain unscathed from situations that require emotional intelligence; My pride in vulnerability is something that I hope penetrates the hearts of others, and produces an infection of duty, positivity, and understanding that this world requires desperately. Women are our main sources of comfort and shelter in the world, however, my goal is to inspire other men to welcome the world in that same embrace.

From the minute my parents boarded a plane and arrived in what they saw as a country of promise was the minute every single action they made afterward counted towards the improvement of the family. As my parents spent their daily lives within the communities and workforce here, the discipline their parents instilled within their motherland of Ghana supported them with the armor they needed to combat the obstacles life may formulate against citizens of any country; as the monetary condition is a subject of concern for anyone choosing to immigrate to America, their distress was concentrated within the substance of their health and personal affairs. My mother's main adversary upon her arrival in the U.S. was in the figure of sickle cell disease. Working proved to be a difficult feud with her condition, as everything from stress to environmental temperature triggered illness within her, and affected her ability to work and provide the money necessary to maintain the household she created; as a divorcee and a single mother, I have had to watch my mother struggle with health inconsistencies in her lone status while raising both me and my sister. The burden that weighed on her shoulders to support a family overseas, as well as a family within this land, has been crushing, and watching my mother take on a horde of battles has been an emotional whirlpool for my sister and I. Watching my mother experience levels of pain that most people often don't experience in their lives has opened my heart to people in ways that I find to be crucial in an empathetic and sympathetic sense. If I am to join the healthcare field, my mind and my heart must have an expanding capacity; Everything I do today is to ensure that I can bare some of the crushing weight that my mother has experienced for a large majority of her life. Observing the endurance of my mother has been both a melancholic and inspiring experience; I now know that there are many people with similar experiences and backgrounds as hers, which makes my motivation to become an instrument to alleviate the health concerns of others even more powerful. My capacity to care for others and humanity has everything to do with my mother's capacity for love and sacrifice within a land that is foreign to her. As my birth father has never been in the picture, my eldest sister's father assumed his role as my stepfather; his biggest obstacle during the early years of his settlement within America before his recent passing was leukemia. During this period, there was uncertainty of his fate, and stress revolving around his health after his diagnosis. Although his leukemia eventually went into remission, it remained as a phantom that followed him throughout his time here. Although his death was not related to his cancer, watching him experience the repercussions of this illness has motivated me to strive to become a critical element that can help people living with conditions like this to achieve a long-lasting life to support and enjoy life with their loved ones. The conditions and complexities that followed the tracks of my parents have been a sight that has made me value simplicities in life; because of the obstacles my parents pushed through when coming into this country, It has conditioned my heart to become a provider (both professionally and interpersonally) with an emotional and humane understanding that people go through so much that we may not be aware of.

When my mother first came to this country, she arrived with the anticipation of prosperity. The relationship between my parents proved to be a complicated one. I am the youngest child between me and my sister: Me being 22 and my sister being 36. When my mom came to this country, she arrived with her husband, my sister's father, and my father figure. My mom came to this country to help provide for her family members that remained in Ghana. She came to this country in hopes of both a better life and better resources to manage her sickle cell anemia. Growing up, my mom has always incorporated elements of Ghanaian culture within my day-to-day life, whether that be film/media, food, or dialects. In my culture, education is held as one of the most prestige values, and my mom emphasized obtaining a post-secondary education. In Ghana, my grandpa was a pharmacist, therefore achieving advanced education was always encouraged within my household. As I pursue a career in the healthcare field, the academic aspect of it proves to be intense and rigorous, however with the background of my grandpa, and my mom's lack of both a high school and postsecondary education, these circumstances have motivated me to push beyond my limits, knowing how rare advanced education was for my ancestors, and knowing the perseverance and success that my grandfather made with his accomplishment of achieving a higher education in pharmacology. My Ghanaian heritage motivated me to not only successfully innovate the health and minds of the American people, but also keep the hearts of my parent's motherland in consideration. My identity as a Ghanaian-American man has made a crossroads within my own heart; I desire to one day contribute to both Ghanaian and American soil.

A Lyft driver I once had told me, " Life isn't a competition. You are young, and I see a lot of young people making big financial mistakes. Choose simplicity and make life easier until you accomplish your goals." The interaction that I had with her felt genuine; I asked her age and discovered she was only 43. The conversation that we had on the car ride back to my house inspired motivation in me to be financially responsible because everything she told me made sense. Given my background, money has always been an issue. As I am older now, I live with my mother whose main stressors involve her bills and the questioning of how she can afford to pay them, so when I reflect on myself, I have always known that I have no room for financial illiteracy to pave a future where I can ultimately help my family financially. After my Lyft ride, I made a realization; the advice that the woman gave me is something that I've seen expressed indirectly, but never simplified into a few words. The financial literacy within my household has suffered a complicated fate, as I have seen my parents and my sister suffer serious, reckless monetary fates. Since there is a 14-year age gap between me and my sister, as I was younger, I witnessed my sister make these financial mistakes when she was in college, and I have seen them wreak havoc in her life. Due to the stress this caused between my parents and my sister at the time, there was immense pressure on me growing up to not make those same mistakes that my sister, unfortunately, brought upon herself due to inexperience and young age. My parents' way of educating me on finances wasn't centered on specific processes, terms, or other pieces of critical financial education; their main method was to encourage me to achieve good grades, go to school, and then get a well-paying job, and everything in between was not spoken. Being as young as 22, there is an expectation, especially within this generation, to be as independent and self-sustainable as you would expect a mature, well-established adult to be when the reality is that around this age, our identities, careers, and desires in life are just now being set into motion without concrete achievement. There is a lifestyle that is glamourized to have the most technologically advanced phone to date, the most recent cars, the most lavish accommodations, and other miscellaneous items, in addition to the unrealistic idea of having the finances left to take care of monthly living necessities; its as if there's a lack of worry about the implications our material desires may cloud over us. Financial literacy alone does not scare me, because that will come with experience, age, and research; the decision-making relating to finances outside of financial literacy is what concerns me the most. As I have witnessed individuals around my age group attempting to satisfy this social idolization of luxury, the advice that was given to me in the convenience of a car ride makes it resonate and reverberate in my head significantly louder; it allowed me to further understand that even though we are young adults, we are freshly navigating how the financial world works around us; we see an image that is glamourized behind the screen of a smartphone on social media, seeing influencers or celebrities living lifestyles we desperately want to achieve, but little do we know the carnage that is left within their lives in real-time, away from the screen and cameras. Our lives are not specifically represented on a social media page, and we cannot blindly volunteer ourselves for financial suicide. I could then see what my Lyft driver meant by choosing simplicity first and worrying about luxuries after. When people around my age that are young adults make these dramatic financial decisions, they risk ruining their financial health and their abilities to utilize benefits that will prove to be important in the future when we think about establishing foundations of our adult lives, such as the desire to start a family, taking out a loan to buy a house, and other circumstances that requires seeking lenders or credit unions to obtain items we might desperately need to purchase as adults. The luxuries we want are not necessities; they are a choice that may blindly follow, and in return, can lead to unnecessarily difficult obstacles to maintaining adult independence and responsibilities. I've seen consequences of impulsivity and recklessness reflected in people close to me, and even in grown adults, such as my older sister, which is why I significantly value what a stranger making small talk with me said. I do not need to follow what other people are doing. Remaining patient, and making thoroughly thought-out decisions regarding my future financial state is critical. Simplicity is a gift that can enrichen your life.

Being a product of your environment holds a degree of truth, however many claim they are a product to justify the mistakes they've made; In my case, I see that my accomplishments have been made because of how I've chosen to utilize my environment. When I look into the mirror, I see myself as not only Calvin Biney; what's reflected back to me is someone that is pushing against all odds. I see myself as a legacy planted into the world by immigrants, and what I hope to blossom into is an individual that will spread the wisdom that permeated into me from my parents. I want the wisdom I gain from my life experiences to metastasize into others, with the intention that others will continue that chain of growth. When my father was alive, he lived a mantra of living surrounded by growth; that we can establish the roots of our identities together, not separately or against each other. When my father died from complications due to his heart failure treatments, I initially could no longer hear his mantra echo in the space within my mind. To replace that silence that settled after December 15th, 2020, I pushed through the entirety of the spring and fall semesters of 2021. It came to a point where I was lost in the confusion of my life because of the absence of his voice. Even though the mental desolation felt crippling, a specific event changed everything before that year's end. In a clinic, I saw an elderly woman with similar Intravenous lines connected to her as my late father, carrying a pouch containing a device pumping medication helping her heart pump enough blood throughout her tissues to survive; every step she took was physically tasking, but despite that, she continued her efforts to try; in my heart, I wanted to grab her hand and help her take each step as I did with my dad. I wanted to help the stranger to push through, and after this experience, I could hear the faintness of my dad's mantra increasing in volume. There is a way I can help individuals like them, or individuals much younger realize their voices and share them amongst the community as a whole, and I understood that I can achieve this by being a healthcare figure, like a physician assistant, that helps maintain and preserve life so that the voices we need to hear are not stolen. My objective became clear, and my dedication to staying in college and pushing past my limits to ultimately help others grew. I can help figures like my father, alike or different, by becoming a member of the healthcare field. As time is unpredictable, and goals may alter accordingly, I am determined to provide in the health setting regardless of what specific specialty or health occupation I am in. Every struggling step is a moment to appreciate the beauty that life can produce, and I am determined to use the steps I struggled to take to inspire development, research, and growth in the health profession so that another person gets the chance to live their life and blossom change in another.

Parents serve as an essence of our being, providing a fundamental foundation of who we are, and paving a pathway leading into our adulthood. Never would any child lucky enough to have a parental figure envision a world without them, and unfortunately, I became that child; the death of my step-father felt as if a curse was inflicted on me, and learning to navigate life proved to be the most overwhelming experience I have ever experienced in my life. There is an expectation that a child has: an expectation to have their father figure watch their milestones throughout the early and critical stages of life, to feel the reward pathway your body produces with the brain when your parent expresses how proud they are of you; at the promising age of 19, I could no longer experience this phenomenon that my dad could signal. He was the only father I've ever known, and although this felt like a curse the world inflicted on me, the greyness his grave shrouded over my life blossomed into a journey that restored the color I once thought would never return. The year 2020 appeared to be a year overgrown with despair, uncertainty, and confusion for a lot of us worldwide. As the pandemic created worldwide desolation, life was felt with difficulty. My father turned the golden age of 80 in February of that year, and while that age seemed like an omen of close mortality, my family and I saw it as a year of celebration and promise. shortly after, he fell ill with a stroke, and he was diagnosed with end-stage congestive heart failure. A year I thought would be full of academic growth was hindered not only by a pandemic but also by the sickness of my late father. A series of lifestyle changes occurred with the transition of in-class lectures to online school, to my father that was once still working on his feet at 80 years of age and living on his own now inflicted with illness, moving back in with my mom, sister, and I to take care of him. Social distancing was critical for me since my mother has sickle cell anemia, and my father was then sick with heart failure. To protect my parents, I lived a great majority of that year in isolation and fear for the fate of both parents. When my dad died from complications of end-stage heart failure treatments, my world cracked beneath my surface, and I did not know how to repair it. I refused to take a gap year from college to keep myself distracted, and college became a struggling battle I wasn't certain I could win. It wasn't until time passed with new experiences, friendships, relationships, and wisdom to navigate living past my grief that I learned to persevere. Life is an overflood of chapters and traumas that we are all predisposed to; although I felt like the little boy in me was gone with my father, I had a revelation of who he was as both a father and as a man; my father was the model foundation of what a kind human being is, and although I can no longer speak to him, laugh with him, and share my failures and successes with him, his passing matured me into a person willing to share his legacy of love into this world. Although the world feels as if there is not enough warmth, I've learned that I want to give the world the same love he bestowed on me.

Throughout my pursuit of higher education in the background of biological sciences, the information that I was able to gather throughout the coursework I've taken has provided me with tools for my journey to help innovate communities and individuals. In my quest to improve the conditions of our environment and surroundings in all aspects, the major way I believe this could be accomplished is with education, understanding, sympathy, and empathy; I believe that we are all products of our environment and that any difficulties we may see in various aspects of life are due to conflicts of ideologies, opinions, levels of education achieved, differences in age, and all other demographics that relate to this concurrently. Improving the conditions of the world is not an easy task, especially with the many obstacles that I have stated, however, the improvement of us as a community starts with taking action and achieving victories, no matter how large or small they may be. It can be easy to declare that there is an issue, however, solving a number of these issues can be difficult for the world and the community since we all possess characteristic differences that arise due to the complexities of our livelihoods. I enjoy having conversations about this with friends, family, and strangers for a significant reason: we all have different professions, demographics, and backgrounds, however having meaningful and productive conversations about our vast amounts of differences is a capability we all possess, and encouraging more people to put themselves out of their areas comfort will progress into changes that we will see generation to generation. While it may seem that conversations about these difficulties and differences alone may not seem to hold a significant impact on certain people's perspectives, these conversations are ultimately what ignite flames of curiosity and inspire goals for an ultimate understanding. The world cannot truly grow unless there is a degree of universal understanding, acceptance, and acknowledgment of our many differences and capabilities; we have tools for innovation and a plethora of studies, creations, and technologies that have significantly changed the world in comparison to the degree of change we have seen in past centuries, however, these growths may be made in vain if we refuse to come together and implement our progressions in unison. By completing my current educational journey and embarking on a new one, I am determined to use the information I obtain to provide more informative and progressive conversations to people outside of my profession that may not have been exposed to this magnitude of content or information that I have the privilege to study. Conversation breeds curiosity, and curiosity breeds action. Change can spread wildfire if we fuel it with conversation encompassed with the knowledge and development that civilization has worked so hard to achieve today.