Music and science have always been intertwined to me. I wouldn’t be where I am today without support from both. Science encourages physical discovery and fosters curiosity about the world. Music does the same within ourselves. Without my passion for music, heavy metal in particular, I wouldn’t have developed my passion for science. Whether it’s helping me study, giving me a break from homework, or simply serving as the soundtrack to my life, music and science are inseparable. Both are unapologetically raw and alive and exactly how I want to be in my career and everyday life. The way I represent this has changed with me through the years, from falling asleep to Metallica lullabies to my dreams of assisting in surgeries. My first heavy metal concert arrived when I was 13. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Evanescence, and Shinedown took the stage. While I had enjoyed heavy metal before, this was the show that made me fall in love with it. Coincidentally, this was also the year that I fell in love with medicine. Entering seventh grade, I had shifted my childhood fascination with forensics to health sciences. I was fairly confident in my dream of becoming an anesthesiologist. The idea of helping people during one of the scariest moments and offering reassurance in my own way really appealed to me. Looking back, I recognize this time as the turning point when I truly discovered a deep appreciation for both metal and medicine- two things that would shape me forever. My next concert experience comes in 8th grade. I was beginning to panic about high school, still recovering from COVID, and nursing a budding Halestorm obsession that would only be fueled by seeing them perform live with Evanescence. Around the same time, softball was becoming a bigger part of my life. Because of that, I developed an interest in sports medicine. Orthopedics fascinated me. It offered the chance to connect with patients on a deeper level as an athlete myself, and I loved the idea of being in the OR. I also learned that the field is notorious for being tough on women. But Halestorm’s lyrics became a huge source of strength and power. I was a woman. I was strong. Like Lzzy said. A few years later, I got my first taste of a music festival. Senior year brought the stress of college applications and GPA pressure, but listening to Extreme, Bush, Halestorm, Alice Cooper, and Shinedown was just the break I needed. The one thing not stressing me out was my future. I had finally pinned down what I wanted to do with my life. I was still interested in medicine, but I didn’t want to take on the debt of medical school. After tearing my ACL and going through surgery, I was introduced to physician assistants. I fell in love with the role. PAs are active providers who get to build relationships with patients but also get to be involved in the operating room. One of my favorite memories from high school was getting the chance to shadow an orthopedic surgeon and his physician assistant. This experience made me certain that I wanted to become a PA. To make that dream a reality, I’ll be majoring in biology at the University of Pittsburgh. I plan to find a job that provides a steady income while allowing me to gain patient care hours for PA school. Loans remain the biggest piece of the puzzle when it comes to affording college. Winning this scholarship would help to ease that financial burden, allowing me to focus more on my education and begin saving for a PA program. Throughout this experience, though, one thing is certain. I will continue to be loud and alive and raise my horns. Just like metal taught me.

From a young age, I knew I loved science. I was eager to understand the world and how it worked, especially the human body. As I grew older, my fascination deepened into medicine, and I spent my free time reading up on new medical technology. At 13, I set my sights on becoming an Anesthesiologist. At 15 I thought I'd become an Orthopedist. Now, at 18, I'm confident I will become a Physician Assistant. Being a PA allows me to combine my passion for medicine with my drive to help others. But this career path also reflects something deeper: my commitment to addressing inequities in women's healthcare. I want to be part of the solution by providing compassionate care and advocating for patients whose concerns have too often been dismissed. Women's healthcare has long been underfunded, under-researched, and underserved. Despite technological and educational advancements, female patients still face a significant gap in care. Women are more likely to have their symptoms minimized or misdiagnosed, often because those symptoms don't align with the male-centric medical model. Conditions like endometriosis can go undiagnosed for years, with patients told their pain is "just a part of life". These disparities are not just frustrating- they are dangerous. They reveal a healthcare system that hasn't been designed with all patients in mind. To me, being a woman in medicine is essential. I want to form meaningful relationships with patients who know they can trust me to listen, truly listen, and advocate for them. My goal is not just to treat, but to push for a more inclusive, informed, and responsive healthcare environment. I plan to stay up to date on gender-based research, pursue continuing education, and always bring a critical and compassionate lens to my work. Beyond the hospital and over the course of my high school career, I've worked to promote women's empowerment through leadership and outreach. As president of my school's Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Club, I've created spaces for women to shine in STEM. I spearheaded the publication of our yearly magazine celebrating female scientists, helping highlight role models who often get left out of conversations. I led efforts to secure WISE our first-ever booth at our school' science day, which put women in science front and center for many of my peers as well as younger students. I also launched an elementary school outreach program to inspire young girls to explore science and normalize women in scientific and leadership roles. In conjunction with my position as my school's Chief Science Officer, I also organized a Women in STEM Career Day, connecting students with real-world mentors and careers they could envision for themselves. Representation matters. Not only in who provides care, but in who conducts research, who designs clinical trials, and who shapes policy. Women have historically been left out of these spaces, resulting in systemic biases that affect everything from medical school curriculum to drug development. Increasing diversity in these roles bring new perspectives, fosters innovation, and ensures women's health receives the attention it deserves. Ultimately, I see my future in medicine as a platform to continue my advocacy. I want to be the kind of healthcare professional who recognizes the social and structural issues in medicine and work to change them. And in doing so, I hope to inspire others to do the same.

To make my dreams of becoming a physician assistant a reality, I’ll be majoring in biology at the University of Pittsburgh. Being a PA also means that I will have to go through a master's program, which accrues more costs over the 7 years of schooling. In order to cover these costs, I plan to find a job that provides a steady income while allowing me to gain patient care hours for PA school. Loans remain the biggest piece of the puzzle when it comes to affording college. Winning this scholarship would help to ease that financial burden, allowing me to focus more on my education and begin saving for a PA program. A majority of the scholarship would go towards paying off tuition and loans, with some of it possible being used to buy books or meal plans.