Similar to India, I went to the Xavier University of Louisiana on a merit scholarship. I did well the first semester maintaining a "B" average. But during the second semester, my grandfather died and I did not have the funds to travel home to say goodbye to him. Due to this, I lost my scholarship immediately causing my family to pay more out of pocket. It also led to me working up to three jobs at a time while being a full-time student-athlete. I was mentally and physically drained throughout my undergrad to attempt to remain afloat. I know I cannot change the past I do want to decrease the financial burden of my future for myself and my family. To decrease the financial burden I ensured that I graduated from Xavier in three years instead of four. When looking for Master Programs I first found schools that had a program I was interested in. I then shortened the list by determining the cost of living in the area. This removed a lot of schools from the list. But eventually, I fell in love with a program. What I did not count on happening was the renting market becoming so terrible. Due to COVID-19, realtors explained that fewer people are moving. This has created a saturation of people wanting to look without enough properties to look at. Ultimately, I had to opt-in for student housing. This $14,400 bill needed to be paid halfway down within three weeks. Now while my tuition is significantly low due to a scholarship the housing bill was a hard pill to swallow. So I need this scholarship to ensure this year where I am required not to work during my courses does not turn into a financial burden for my family. While I am super excited to continue my education I am nervous about the outcome of not being able to work for a year.

As a child, I was lucky or blessed enough to not experience silliness. Despite this, I watched countless family and friends go through health battles. My grandfather was always impacted by a sickness so we spent fourteen years in and out of the hospital. This led to having many conversations with his healthcare team. I was invested in learning about his care but I also became invested in his team's career. It did not take long for me to observe that none of his doctors were black. However, many of his nurses were. Many explained to me why they could not or did not go the route to become a doctor. They also explained why income and debt would prevent them from working in underserved communities. I believe these conversations gave me a focus on why I wanted to become a doctor. Until the age of 20, I never had a doctor of color. Once I did acquire one I noticed a significant difference in our interactions. I felt significantly more comfortable in explaining my home and school life which was needed for my treatment. The treatment as a whole made me feel like someone was actually listening to how I felt. This was very unlike the past where I had gone a month with a fracture because my doctors did not believe I was showing the pain levels a fracture would produce. My experiences with doctors and going to an HBCU showed me how important representation is. My experience with visiting family in underserved communities and the Belleville Peace Festival taught me the importance of unity in underserved communities. East Saint Louis, IL is the murder capital of the United States however there are only eighty-nine blocks. This community is where most of my family grew up. It used to be primarily a white community until black people began moving in. This led to "white flight" and the community essentially being abandoned. Now the members only depend on each other to fulfill their needs. Due to all of these circumstances, most people are forced to leave their city just to find healthcare. Often they are met with doctors telling them to eat foods that they cannot obtain in their community or with government assistance. I know the importance of knowing the area that you are providing healthcare for I would like to work in an underserved community. While each community is not the same I would do my best to learn what the community offers. I would also volunteer with local organizations. I would do this because it would allow me to adequately provide a treatment plan for my patients.