Growing up, I always knew I wanted to go into medicine. I loved everything involved within the healthcare profession. I loved the idea that I would be helping people daily and improving their quality of life and their health. Imagining myself helping others and ensuring that I was doing my absolute best to improve their health for them to live their life to the fullest made my heart jump with happiness. I imagined myself working within a clinic and providing the best care I could. I checked vitals, talked to my patients, listened to them, and gave them the best care plan to improve their health and quality of life. I would also stream international classes for aspiring medical professionals and private health consults for individuals who did not have insurance or healthcare access. However, this dream started to slip away as I grew. Growing up, I always stood out of the crowd due to my identity, causing me to face adversity and harassment. As an Asian Pacific Islander transgender woman, I endured verbal abuse, mental abuse, emotional abuse, and even physical abuse. All the adversity and pain I endured caused me to become hopeless for the future. I became hopeless and began to give up the idea of not only having a career in medicine but even being alive. I struggled with many health conditions of my own; physically, mentally, and emotionally. I lacked family support and had to deal with all my adversity and issues on my own. I started to truly feel I had no future in store for me and didn’t even deserve to imagine such a future. I believed I was worthless and undeserving. I then realized that I wasn’t going to give up my life or my dream. I wanted to help those who struggled like me and give them hope for their future. I wanted to be there for people and provide them not only medical care but love and support. From that moment on, I made it my goal to change the world through my career in medicine. I decided that I wanted to become a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and a Nurse Midwife. I decided that I wanted to focus on the women and children population however my work would improve the lives of all individuals around the world regardless of any factor such as gender, sexuality, race, age, etc. As a Nurse Practitioner and Nurse Midwife, I plan on providing care and resources for women and children to improve their lives and ensure that they have a safe and healthy life ahead of them. I hope to expand my care from not only a hospital or clinic setting but also through an educational foundation that focuses on advocating human rights and educating all individuals on a healthy lifestyle. The foundation would be international and host clinics that provide health services for little or hopefully no cost. It would be concentrated on areas where medical care is either unavailable or where care such as women’s health, children’s health, mental health, and LGBTQ+ health is excluded. As I grow, my plan changes and evolves but I never lose my focus on providing compassionate care for all individuals. All my struggles and experiences have caused me to become an individual filled with so much love to give and drive that nothing can ever break. I hope to be the catalyst for change the world needs and deserves; and a role model for future generations. A role model that proves obstacles are merely just obstacles and do not define you or your capabilities.

Instagram: @_iidanii_ What makes me proud to be a Transgender Asian Pacific Islander Woman is my passion and ability to increase diversity, inclusion, and opportunities. As a Transgender woman, I have already created a pathway within my school by becoming the first transgender athlete. I have been able to increase diversity, inclusion, and opportunities within my school's athletics and I hope to strive to continue this change in the future on a much larger scale.