I was only 17 when my dad was diagnosed with cancer. It was the summer before my senior year of high school, and we found out he had Stage IV lung cancer with tumors that had spread to his brain. He was given four months to live. The months that followed were a whirlwind of doctors’ visits, hospital stays, and various treatments until ultimately my dad died on September 11, 2013. I often didn’t understand the specifics of what was going on and had questions. Why hadn’t my dad eaten in days? Why was his body swelling? Why was his skin turning yellow? I was feeling overwhelmed and terrified. Three and a half years ago I started training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) and in many ways it parallels my life experiences. My first week of BJJ I found myself pinned to the ground. The pressure from all sides made it hard to breathe and I felt completely overwhelmed. Scott was sitting on my chest, pushing his knees into my rib cage and holding my arms on the mat. Noticing the fear in my eyes he paused, allowing me a moment to focus my mind. Slowly, he talked me through my escape route: bridge my hips and put him off balance, grab his left arm and cling it to my body, then roll as hard and fast as I can until I flip him onto his back. With a little guidance and perseverance, I found myself back in the dominant position. Just like Scott talking me through my BJJ escape route, my dad’s doctor, Dr. Stein, helped me process my dad’s disease and ultimate death. Each day he would come in and patiently answer all of my questions. He set the tone and used his medical knowledge to provide some clarity in what felt like an impossible situation. That season of life sparked my interest in medicine and set me on the path to where I am today. As I was faced with my dad’s death, I felt confused and angry. In the same way that Scott talked me through my BJJ escape route, Dr. Stein helped guide me through that season. I saw how he used his medical expertise and emotional intuition to help me navigate a tragedy, and I wanted to do the same for others. My journey to medical school has not been linear. There have been many challenges along the way. My freshman year of college my mom had a quadruple bypass surgery and my junior year of college my brother had an aortic dissection. Each medical emergency was difficult to navigate both personally and academically. Each emergency also validated in me the desire to become a physician and use my skills to help those around me. After obtaining my bachelors degree it took another 4 years and two application cycles in order to obtain an acceptance to medical school. But each step of the way I’d reflect on my dad’s legacy and what that meant for me moving forward. His legacy as a missionary and pastor was serving and investing in others. With his life my dad taught me what it looks like to serve others, and through his death I saw how impactful a life of service can be. Physicians have the incredible privilege of entering into their patients’ most vulnerable moments and providing a sense of stability. I am humbled and honored to be selected for that kind of training and look forward to carrying on my dad's legacy as I care for my future patients. As part of how I honor my dad, I recently competed in Tap Cancer Out’s charity BJJ tournament to raise money for cancer research. At the competition, I suffered a tibial plateau fracture. The recovery has been long and painful, but I have my team for support. I’ve been on crutches for 8 weeks, with 3 more to go then I can begin to rebuild my strength and return to BJJ . In BJJ you face each match alone, but you rely on the help of training partners to prepare for competition and recover from injury. In the same way, to make it through medical school I will need to rely on my team – my husband, family, classmates, church and community. Winning this scholarship would make you a part of my team helping me as I train to become a doctor. Will you join my team?

Two of my favorite hobbies are Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) and Muay Thai. I have been training in both sports for three years and in addition to being fun hobbies and a good way to relieve stress, training in BJJ and Muay Thai have taught me a lot about myself. I have learned how to deal with failure in a controlled environment. I have learned to keep pushing and working hard in the face of exhaustion. I have experienced the growth that comes from entering into challenging situations and learned how to make others feel safe in uncomfortable situations. I will be starting medical school this summer, and I know that the discipline and perseverance that I have developed through training in BJJ and Muay Thai will continue to serve me well as I enter a career as a physician. I also know that continuing to make time to pursue these two hobbies will help keep me balanced and help me maintain my own mental health while in school.

I was 17 when my dad was diagnosed with cancer; it was the summer before my senior year of high school. He had stage IV lung cancer with tumors that had spread to his brain. He was given four months to live. Those months were a whirlwind of doctor visits, hospital stays, and various treatments until ultimately my dad died on September 11, 2013. As I was faced with my dad’s death, I felt confused and angry. One of his doctors, Dr. Stein, helped guide me through that season. The reality of death is never easy to navigate, but during some of the most crucial moments Dr. Stein used his medical knowledge to provide some clarity and insight into an overwhelming situation. These interactions sparked my initial interest in medicine. I saw how he used his expertise and emotional intuition to help those around him, and I wanted to do the same. I was pre-med in college, however, when it came time to apply to medical school, I was afraid. I was struggling with imposter syndrome so instead of applying to medical school, I accepted a job teaching middle school science. My interest in medicine stayed in the back of my mind and after a semester I left the classroom and became a medical scribe in the Emergency Department. In the ED I watched the incredible providers I worked with use their knowledge and expertise to turn chaos into calm. Each day was different and I never knew what to expect. This experience confirmed my passion for medicine. I will be starting medical school this May, and while my goals for the future still scare me, I know that medicine is the only option for me.

I want to practice as a physician in an underserved community internationally. I was born in Bamako, Mali with the power dropping multiple times during my mom’s caesarian section. Growing up this was just a crazy story to me; until I traveled to Niamey, Niger and spent time shadowing Dr. Beebot and I realized how privileged both my mom and I were that the delivery ended with a healthy mom and baby. During my time in Niger Dr. Beebot took me with her to visit a friend who was in the regional hospital after an ectopic pregnancy. The hospital was very crowded and ill equipped. Mothers and their children were lying on mats in the courtyard because there were not enough beds and Dr. Beebot’s friend was sharing a tiny room with three other women. The situation was not fair to the hospital, healthcare providers, or patients. Everyone should have access to quality healthcare. Healthcare workers and hospitals should have the resources they need. I know that I cannot solve this problem myself and that there’s much I need to learn to begin addressing any aspect of it. However, my goals for the future include educating myself, both formally and informally, on the practice of medicine internationally and cross culturally and working to bring more equitable healthcare to those who are underserved and overlooked.

Math is black and white and the clarity is comforting. Your answer is always correct or incorrect. It is not subjective to personal preference or mood. This is one of the many reasons I’ve always been drawn to the subject. As a college student I would procrastinate much of my other coursework by focusing on my math homework. I knew that if I followed the equations I was given and implemented them correctly I would eventually arrive at an answer. I knew that there was a correct answer to find, and with perseverance I could get to it. I took calculus 1 and 2 as a freshman in college because they were prerequisites for medical school. I was pursuing a degree in psychology and did not plan on taking anymore math courses. However, the summer between my freshman and sophomore years of college I was flipping through my calculus notes and found myself feeling sad that I would not be taking any additional math courses. So, once I got back to Stetson I promptly met with my advisor and changed my schedule around, allowing me to take Calculus 3 and Introduction to Logic and Proof. I was not a math major; I did not even intend to get a math minor; I just simply enjoyed the analytical process of math problems. These courses challenged me significantly, after all they were two of the hardest courses I took in college, but they taught me so much more than what was on the syllabus. Up until this point, math had come fairly easily to me. It was not until Introduction to Logic and proof that I truly questioned my ability to pass the course. I was faced with the decision to either drop the course, or persevere and test my limits. I stayed in the class and met with my professor regularly. I learned the value of overcoming adversity and pushing myself out of my intellectual comfort zone. These courses, and math in general, also taught me different ways to think. Math has taught me how to systematically solve problems and notice patterns. To solve a math problem, you have to understanding the big picture of what is being asked while also picking up on the relevant details and equations needed to answer the question – a valuable skill in life and work. Whether you identify as “math person” or not, there is value for everyone in studying the subject.