Hello! My name is Ekaete (eh-ky-tay). I have a B.A. in Psychology from Johns Hopkins University, and I am starting medical school this summer. As an aspiring physician, I am motivated by my desire to learn, grow, and serve others. I am passionate about mental health and promoting patient-centered care, and these passions fuel my interest in medicine, mental health care, and health disparities research. Two of my missions are to help reduce health disparities and to be a true advocate for underserved patients. Since starting college, I have committed to research and volunteer initiatives that uplift marginalized groups, particularly people with stigmatized mental illnesses (at the NIH), people living with socioeconomic adversity (at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center), and Black undergraduates dealing with underrepresentation in academia (at Johns Hopkins' School of Public Health). In medical school, I plan to continue to support members of these communities by prioritizing their needs, collaborating with them in my workplace, and advocating for their interests in clinical environments. After medical school, I want to continue investigating factors that affect patients’ access and responses to clinical interventions. I plan to practice in an underserved metropolitan area and form meaningful long-term relationships with a diverse range of patients and colleagues.