I suffer from a rare genetic condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. I struggled in high school due to hospitalizations nearly all of my sophomore and junior year, and I was placed on the homebound program my school district offers for students with chronic and life-threatening illnesses. It was incredibly isolating due to the program restricting its participants from any extracurricular activity, which hindered my ability to experience research or medical programs my peers did, as well as my social and mental health. I used this experience as an opportunity for growth rather than a burden, and I became the first student to ever complete AP classes successfully as a homebound student. I learned perseverance, dedication, and self-motivation as well as strengthening my desire to learn through hardship. I used my experience to inspire others and I spoke at a board of education meeting over the inequitable policies of the homebound program, pushing my school district to facilitate change as it gained over 60,000 views on social media. It sparked a movement in my district and other students found the courage to speak in front of the board like I did over other issues concerning racial discrimination, accessibility, sexual assault, and LGBTQ rights. I issued a proclamation in my city naming May Ehlers Danlos Syndrome Awareness Month. I also work to raise awareness about being disabled in higher education, and I am working on opening a chapter of Students for RARE at my university to combat the stigma around disability, raise awareness, and provide a place for disabled students to share experiences and get help for accessibility issues they may face. I plan on pursuing a career in research and to get a PhD in Biophysics. I worked my spring freshman year as a Clinical Research Assistant for the DICE study, working with underserved children with type 1 diabetes to improve health literacy. This past summer, I was a RADIANCE Scholar at Washington University School of Medicine where I worked in the Sah Lab studying small molecule inhibitors of the SWELL1 channel, an anion channel involved in cardiovascular and metabolic function, strokes, and type 1 diabetes. I tested several small molecule inhibitors for potential drug use and I am currently a co-author on a publication in review. I will present my research at the Biophysical Society's Annual Meeting in 2025. This summer, I learned that I didn't need to become a Physician to make a difference. While my disability prevents me from becoming a Physician, I am able to contribute to improving the quality of life of others with rare conditions like mine by researching novel treatments, medical devices, and drugs. The RADIANCE program was designed for underrepresented minorities in biomedical research, and for the first time I was treated like an equal rather than a burden because of my disability. I recently joined the Chakrapani lab at my university, now studying glycine receptors and their involvement in pain. I am using the technique of electrophysiology I learned this summer to improve patients' treatment options for pain. I will use my PhD to improve access to healthcare for underserved communities and patients with rare conditions with a lack of options.

Growing up with a rare genetic condition, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS), the lack of diagnostic tools and awareness led to my diagnosis only occurring when I was 16. I spent years in and out of the hospital not understanding why I couldn't do the things my friends could do. I spent my sophomore and junior year of high school hospitalized for the majority of the time and unable to walk. After 18 months of intensive physical therapy, mobility devices, and custom knee braces, I was able to walk again. While my high school's inequitable policies for students on the homebound program (like prohibiting student from participating in any extracurricular activities and only receiving 4 hours of instruction per week rather than 40), I decided to fight back for those who couldn't. I spoke at the board of education meeting in my school district over the IDEA and 504 law violations. I posted the video on social media, and it gained over 50,000 views and interactions. My speech ultimately put pressure on the school district to change their inequitable policies for disabled students. I also issues a proclamation in my city naming May as Ehlers Danlos Syndrome Awareness Month. I participated in the Emergency Medical Technician program my senior year, and became a nationally certified EMT. I treated patients who had rare conditions like mine, and learned I wanted to make a difference by pursuing a career in medicine and advocating for rare conditions and invisible disabilities. Moving to a university where Cleveland Clinic and 2 other major hospitals are in walking distance made me think I would have an easy time getting access to healthcare. However, I immediately struggled with my health when arriving in Cleveland. I couldn't receive home health care like I did in high school because being a college student automatically disqualified me from it. I went 3 weeks without the treatment I had been getting for the past 2 years, and my health instantly decline to the point where I was hospitalized. I had to get a PICC line placed, which severely limited my quality of life because I couldn't lift anything over 10 lbs, swim, or take showers normally. I had to visit Seidman Cancer Center 3x a week and have my partner help me with things I could do before. After 6 months, I had a mediport placed which gave me my independence back. I am now able to administer my own treatment and visit the hospital less often. While I wanted to become a Physician, the degenerative arthritis in my hands and my unpredictable health makes residency nearly impossible for me. However, after being selected as a RADIANCE Scholar at Washington University St Louis School of Medicine, I spent the summer doing research on the SWELL1 channel and testing small molecule inhibitors in the Sah Lab for potential drug use. I have always loved learning, and I learned research is the place for me. I can make an impact on peoples lives by contributing research. I learned how much of an impact I can make on peoples lives from the lab, and I plan to pursue a PhD in Biophysics or Genetics and one day be the PI of a lab that works to increase treatment options for rare genetic conditions. I currently work in the Chakrapani Lab at CWRU school of medicine, studying glycine-3 receptors and their involvement in pain management. While my body and its health is unpredictable, I have always found that education and learning is the one stable thing in my life.

I suffer from a rare genetic condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. I struggled in high school due to hospitalizations nearly all of my sophomore and junior year, and I was placed on the homebound program my school district offers for students with chronic and life-threatening illnesses. It was incredibly isolating due to the program restricting its participants from any extracurricular activity, which hindered my ability to experience research or medical programs my peers did, as well as my social and mental health. I used this experience as an opportunity for growth rather than a burden, and I became the first student to ever complete AP classes successfully as a homebound student. I learned perseverance, dedication, and self-motivation as well as strengthening my desire to learn through hardship. I used my experience to inspire others and I spoke at a board of education meeting over the inequitable policies of the homebound program, pushing my school district to facilitate change as it gained over 60,000 views on social media. It sparked a movement in my district and other students found the courage to speak in front of the board like I did over other issues concerning racial discrimination, accessibility, sexual assault, and LGBTQ rights. I issued a proclamation in my city naming May Ehlers Danlos Syndrome Awareness Month. I also work to raise awareness about being disabled in higher education, and I am working on opening a chapter of Students for RARE at my university to combat the stigma around disability, raise awareness, and provide a place for disabled students to share experiences and get help for accessibility issues they may face. I plan on pursuing a career in research and to get a PhD in Biophysics. I worked my spring freshman year as a Clinical Research Assistant for the DICE study, working with underserved children with type 1 diabetes to improve health literacy. This past summer, I was a RADIANCE Scholar at Washington University School of Medicine where I worked in the Sah Lab studying small molecule inhibitors of the SWELL1 channel, an anion channel involved in cardiovascular and metabolic function, strokes, and type 1 diabetes. I tested several small molecule inhibitors for potential drug use and I am currently a co-author on a publication in review. I will present my research at the Biophysical Society's Annual Meeting in 2025. This summer, I learned that I didn't need to become a Physician to make a difference. While my disability prevents me from becoming a Physician, I am able to contribute to improving the quality of life of others with rare conditions like mine by researching novel treatments, medical devices, and drugs. The RADIANCE program was designed for underrepresented minorities in biomedical research, and for the first time I was treated like an equal rather than a burden because of my disability. I recently joined the Chakrapani lab at my university, now studying glycine receptors and their involvement in pain. I am using the technique of electrophysiology I learned this summer to improve patients' treatment options for pain. I will use my PhD to improve access to healthcare for underserved communities and patients with rare conditions with a lack of options.

I suffer from a rare genetic condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. I struggled in high school due to hospitalizations nearly all of my sophomore and junior year, and I was placed on the homebound program my school district offers for students with chronic and life-threatening illnesses. It was incredibly isolating due to the program restricting its participants from any extracurricular activity, which hindered my ability to experience research or medical programs my peers did, as well as my social and mental health. I used this experience as an opportunity for growth rather than a burden, and I became the first student to ever complete AP classes successfully as a homebound student. I learned perseverance, dedication, and self-motivation as well as strengthening my desire to learn through hardship. I used my experience to inspire others and I spoke at a board of education meeting over the inequitable policies of the homebound program, pushing my school district to facilitate change as it gained over 60,000 views on social media. It sparked a movement in my district and other students found the courage to speak in front of the board like I did over other issues concerning racial discrimination, accessibility, sexual assault, and LGBTQ rights. I issued a proclamation in my city naming May Ehlers Danlos Syndrome Awareness Month. I also work to raise awareness about being disabled in higher education, and I am working on opening a chapter of Students for RARE at my university to combat the stigma around disability, raise awareness, and provide a place for disabled students to share experiences and get help for accessibility issues they may face. I plan on pursuing a career in research and to get a PhD in Biophysics. I worked my spring freshman year as a Clinical Research Assistant for the DICE study, working with underserved children with type 1 diabetes to improve health literacy. This past summer, I was a RADIANCE Scholar at Washington University School of Medicine where I worked in the Sah Lab studying small molecule inhibitors of the SWELL1 channel, an anion channel involved in cardiovascular and metabolic function, strokes, and type 1 diabetes. I tested several small molecule inhibitors for potential drug use and I am currently a co-author on a publication in review. I will present my research at the Biophysical Society's Annual Meeting in 2025. This summer, I learned that I didn't need to become a Physician to make a difference. While my disability prevents me from becoming a Physician, I am able to contribute to improving the quality of life of others with rare conditions like mine by researching novel treatments, medical devices, and drugs. The RADIANCE program was designed for underrepresented minorities in biomedical research, and for the first time I was treated like an equal rather than a burden because of my disability. I recently joined the Chakrapani lab at my university, now studying glycine receptors and their involvement in pain. I am using the technique of electrophysiology I learned this summer to improve patients' treatment options for pain. I will use my PhD to improve access to healthcare for underserved communities and patients with rare conditions with a lack of options.