A black woman that has inspired me in my mother, Lucy Kioko. She is the most hardworking and kindest woman I know and have met in my lifetime so far. My mom always tried her best to show up for me. She always made it to every performance, even when she had to leave in the middle of them. I realized later she was trying to make it to her shifts to provide for us. She has taught me fearlessness by joining the church choir she was scared to join. She was then even later voted into the church council by constantly exemplifying compassion and generosity. In my middle school days, she was actively attending cosmetology school while simultaneously being a single mother of three. She ended up being the student with the highest grades in her classes because of that drive. With her work ethic inspiring me I was able to achieve the good grades in middle school and the principal’s honor roll multiple times in high school. In high school, I was also able to become more sociable and involved with my peers because of her push for me to get out of my comfort zone. I was an officer in our Black Student Union, Student Council Senior Representative, Youth Equity and Stewardship Member, and etc. I was picked for my school’s women in leadership council when I didn’t believe that I was a leader but because of her speech to me that “Catherine, all women can lead. They are all leaders in their own way, and they can all bring something to the table”. I filled out the application that day. She single-handedly changed my anger as a kid into generosity and my greed into work ethic. She introduced me to my love of medicine. While going through school she was nursing. Her compassion for others helped inspire me to help others. Healthcare is one of the most compassionate fields you can go into because you are constantly taking care of others. She also led me into my love for engineering. She would always ask for my help building or fixing different things around the house. It’s instilled in me a sense of mechanical curiosity and being able to break down how things work. Figuring out my two main passions I thought why not combine them. That's how my dream of biomechanical engineering was born. This is why a black woman that has inspired me is my mother.