Poverty tends to conjure up imagery akin to a lack of reliable meals or housing, which is true, but it can be more subtle than that. My parents immigrated from Pakistan to the United States of America before I was born. We have faced racism, islamophobia, and other types of bigotry in this country, but our main struggle has been with money. My father is our main source of income, which is under the poverty line for a household of five people. Despite these circumstances, I never considered my family to be poor until I turned 19 and stopped being qualified for Medicaid. Our family could not afford any other types of health insurance offered, and annual checkups and dentist appointments suddenly became luxuries. I had issues with wheezing during this time, and when I went to refill my Diskus inhaler, I realized I could not afford it anymore. After a few months, my family found a clinic that made patient care more affordable to people without insurance. I am thankful for these health professionals who have made healthcare accessible to me again. Family doctors provide resources that allow patients to thrive, especially during uncertain times. They helped inspire me to become a medical doctor and pursue a career in primary care because I learned that I also wanted to serve as a first point of care for others, especially those who cannot afford it. Although my family can now afford healthcare, affording the cost of medical school is a different story. Since I will be unable to work while focusing on my education, I will be forced to take out the maximum amount of loans to be able to afford tuition, books, room and board, and other costs associated with daily living. This scholarship will go a long way in helping me afford to achieve my dreams of becoming a doctor. Financial hardship should not exclude someone from getting the care or the education they need. Everyone has the right to be healthy and happy. I want to receive the maximum amount of education to best serve people who are in situations similar to mine. I know what it is like to avoid medical care due to financial reasons, so I want to become a doctor and work for clinics in socially and financially disadvantaged areas. All patients, especially those who are disadvantaged, deserve a team of medical professionals to provide well-rounded care, and I hope to be a part of that team someday.

A national and global health issue I am passionate about is the lack of access to healthcare for underserved populations. Around the world, people face significant barriers to care, including financial hardship, lack of insurance, and lack of reliable transportation. These issues worsen health outcomes and create a cycle of poverty that people struggle to break out of. During a summer internship at my local family medicine clinic, I spent most of my time shadowing physicians and learning about the needs of patients in the community I grew up in. One day, a patient came in to discuss her asthma. When the doctor asked how she was doing, she shared something that shocked me. Although she had recently qualified for disability benefits, she was now ineligible for food stamps. She also talked about how she was having a difficult time managing her asthma symptoms. The doctor listened and connected her with resources that could help, which she was grateful for. Many individuals in that family medicine clinic were financially insecure in one way or another, which made it difficult for them to focus on their health. The day after that experience, I was scheduled to volunteer at a food bank near that clinic as a part of my internship. I prepared food trays, served them to people, and sorted through donations. I enjoyed having the opportunity to serve these meals to people who might have struggled with food insecurity. Food and financial insecurity are widespread, but everyone still greeted me with a smile. By preparing and serving meals to these people, I helped to fulfill an immediate need by ensuring that the food bank ran more efficiently and fed more people. My internship exposed me to many aspects of family medicine, even issues that were outside of the clinic itself. Those experiences inspired me to pursue family medicine. I want to be the kind of doctor who not only treats illnesses but also helps patients overcome the social and financial barriers that prevent them from getting the care they need. I want to help patients enroll in assistance programs, educate them about preventive care, and listen to them and their families. I want to be someone who empowers people to take control of their health. Limited access to care is such an important problem, as there can be multiple reasons that may cause people to either be unable to or avoid access to health care. Everybody deserves proper care, regardless of income or background. As a future physician, I am determined to be part of the solution by providing accessible care and advocating for a healthcare system that serves everyone.

1. I am nonbinary, and while I have the opportunity to be out at college, my home life is a different story. My parents, who immigrated from Pakistan to the United States, unfortunately have transphobic views that have prevented me from coming out to them. I cannot be my true self around them. This issue has made it difficult for me to access resources that would be more readily available to openly queer students because I am afraid of accidentally being outed to my family. Additionally, my father is our main source of income, which is under the poverty line for a household of five people. Although I do receive a few scholarships and grants based on financial need, this year, I learned that my university does not have the funds to provide my usual grants. I might have to take out a loan, which I want to avoid because I am planning to attend medical school in the future, which is a huge financial burden on its own. I know that I am taking a leap of fate by risking being in debt to follow my passions, but in order to have a chance to become a doctor, I need my undergraduate years to be as financially secure as possible. This will make my future debt much more manageable to eventually pay off years down the line. If I am awarded this scholarship, then I will be able to focus on my studies, instead of worrying whether I can afford university. 2. Currently, I am majoring in biology, and I hope to go to medical school in the future. My educational goals extends far beyond simply learning. I want to teach, as well. As a chemistry tutor, I have had the opportunity to aid my peers in grasping complex concepts and developing effective study habits. These roles have solidified my desire to pursue a career that combines my love for science with my commitment to education and community service. 3. My career goal is to become a family medicine physician because that will allow me to treat a wide variety of patients. I have always been interested in diversity in healthcare, and I believe family medicine doctors have the wonderful opportunity of being one of the first people that patients go to for help, which may include gender-affirming care. Last year, I joined the diversity, equity, and inclusion committee at a pre-health organization, which allowed us to lead events that promoted racial, gender, and overall diversity in our organization and healthcare as a whole. This experience has strengthened my desire to go into family medicine. 4. As a future physician, my goal is to provide affirming care to LGBTQ+ patients and address the health challenges they may face. This includes advocating for better healthcare policies and practices for transgender and nonbinary people. I also want to continue to participate in organizations and committees that work to provide care and equal opportunities for queer patients. I will continue to advocate for the rights of queer people in healthcare to ensure that they feel safe.

n the first grade, I spent most of my time next to the tissue box in the back of the classroom. My nose constantly ran, and my eyes watered and itched. When I ran out of tissues, I resorted to using my shirt, too embarrassed to ask for more. I felt gross and my classmates made fun of me, but I kept quiet because I was too shy to talk about my issues. Eventually, my parents noticed my symptoms and took me to an allergist. The allergy test on my back itched as I waited for what felt like an eternity. When the allergist read my test, he explained that I was allergic to dust mites and prescribed me a pill to take daily. The first day I took my medication, the stress lifted off of my shoulders. My nose was dry, my eyes were no longer irritated, and I slowly stopped being bullied by my peers. That routine allergy test meant the world to me. As a child, I did not have the language to describe what was wrong, but my allergist helped me find the answer. He inspired me to become a physician and helped me realize that I want to similarly advocate for patients who cannot do so for themselves. My shyness persisted when I started college, but I did not want to pass up on opportunities out of fear of socializing, so I strove to push myself out of my comfort zone. I decided to apply to be a Supplemental Instruction Leader at the end of freshman year and was elated when I was accepted. As I forced myself to stand in front of groups of people and teach chemistry, I came out of my shell, and some of my students began to feel comfortable enough around me to discuss their problems. One student, “Lisa,” came to me after her first exam and told me how upset she was after failing. Leading up to the second exam, I worked with her to try different strategies from creating concept maps to doing practice problems, until we found ways to help her remember the material. After her second exam, Lisa earned an A and eventually passed the class. I had inspired change in myself and another person. Giving Lisa the resources to allow her to flourish reminded me of how my allergist would give me pamphlets to teach me about allergies and my overall health. Those resources gave me the knowledge necessary to guide me on my health journey. I want to be a doctor because I aspire to teach others the same way my physician taught me and the way I taught Lisa. Although I used to be timid, I became strong by empowering people to improve and instilling trust within them. As I continue my life journey, I want to go to medical school, so I can serve my future patients. I plan on making a difference by teaching my patients about their health and changing their lives. Becoming a physician will allow me to aid people with managing their physical and mental health to encompass their entire well-being. Medicine is not an easy journey, but I am excited to immerse myself into the field and continue learning about healthcare.

My greatest achievement was giving a TEDx Talk last year. My talk was about my relationship with my American culture and my religion, Islam. I discussed how these two aspects of myself seemed at odds with each other at times. Although Americans value individualism and doing your own thing, Islam values collectivism and doing what is best for the family. I mentioned how I would have arguments with my mother about whether I would move away for college because Muslims usually stay with the family until marriage. However, Americans tend to move out of the house when they turn eighteen. I also talked about how my friends would make me feel embarrassed over my desire to dress modestly. I was accused of being forced to do so by my family, despite the fact that my way of dress was my choice. My story is not unique. I know many Muslim-Americans who have gone through similar experiences as I have. but it can be taboo to share our experiences, especially when growing up in a strict Asian household. I hope my story was able to impact others and help at least one person feel less alone. I was a shy person growing up, so I never thought I would be capable of giving a speech in front of an entire crowd. However, I did not want to stay stagnant in life, so I pushed myself to write my speech, present it in front of my family and friends, and practice until I felt confident. Doing this TEDx Talk taught me that I am truly capable of anything if I put my mind to it. Although I can be shy, I can also be loud and bold. Writing and presenting such a speech taught me the discipline it takes to be a public speaker and how important practice is in perfecting any subject area. Currently, I am majoring in biology because I want to become a physician. As a child, I was allergic to dust, which made my nose run constantly. My life changed when I was referred to an allergist because he prescribed medication that allowed me to breathe fully and easily. From that day, I knew I wanted to become a doctor, which is why I shadowed several physicians, volunteered at my local hospital, and took an internship where I learned more about family medicine. My main goal is to go to medical school, become a physician, and change lives the same way my allergist changed mine.

This scholarship will be vital in funding my academic journey, which will help me to complete my dream of attending medical school. My parents immigrated from Pakistan to the United States of America before I was born. My father immigrated here in 1993 to search for better job opportunities and later married my mom to help her immigrate here in 2001. Both of my parents have worked hard to care for my two siblings and me, so I am extremely grateful for them. We have faced racism, islamophobia, and other types of bigotry in this country, but our main struggle has been with money. My father is our main source of income, which is under the poverty line for a household of five people. Last year, I found out we were no longer qualified for Medicaid. Since we can not afford other types of health insurance, proper medical care is difficult for us to access. Not wanting to be left without any healthcare, my mom and I worked together to go through our options. Thankfully, we found a clinic run by nurse practitioners and physician assistants that helps make patient care more affordable to people without insurance. These health professionals are vital parts of the healthcare team, and I put my full trust in them for my health. I am grateful for all of them. Although we no longer have to worry about our health, our family still struggles with money at times. To aid my family’s financial situation, I have been working an on-campus job as a chemistry tutor. Although the pay is not much, I adore my job because I love helping out my peers with whatever work they are struggling with. It is fulfilling due to how I was in their shoes when I was a freshman. These tutoring sessions not only help the students gain a better understanding of chemistry, it teaches them how to transition from high school to college, how to develop better study habits, and, most importantly, how to have confidence in themselves. Although I am passionate about teaching, my main aspiration is to go to medical school and become a doctor. I adore learning about the human body and how it operates, which is why I am majoring in biology. The classes about human physiology have been my favorite so far, and I want to dedicate my life to the medical field. Although I do receive a few scholarships and grants based on financial need, this year, I learned that my University does not have the funds to provide my usual grants. I might have to take out a loan, which I want to avoid because I am planning to attend medical school in the future, which is a huge financial burden on its own. I know that I am taking a leap of fate by risking being in debt to follow my passions, but in order to have a chance to become a doctor, I need my undergraduate years to be as financially secure as possible. This will make my future debt much more manageable to eventually pay off years down the line. If I am awarded this scholarship, then I will be able to focus on my studies, instead of worrying whether I can afford university.

Growing up, my father always told me that knowledge is power. He said that a proper education is one of the few ways to find opportunities and prosper, which is why I constantly pushed myself in high school and college to succeed academically. Unfortunately, getting an education is a privilege that many people are unable to receive, even in college. Some of them may not have the money to afford tutors and some students may have learning disabilities that may make it harder to gain a proper education. One of our biggest social issues in the United States is the education inequality that many students face. I witnessed many of my peers, who are very intelligent, struggle in college due to the lack of access to these opportunities. Some of the classes they were struggling with, like chemistry or physics, were prerequisites for medical school. Due to the barrier of receiving help with education, some of these students would have been unable to live out their dream professions. These issues inspired me to join my college’s Student Success Center, which provides tutoring, financial aid, and other help to students for free. I became a Supplemental Instruction (SI) leader for general chemistry four semesters ago. Throughout the week, I hold three sessions in which I tutor students to help them learn chemistry and also develop better study habits for their future classes. Since the tutoring I provide is for free, many students do not have to worry about affording a tutor or other supplemental materials if they are struggling in class. As an SI leader, I work with students to help them understand the material, which is especially beneficial to students who are looking to pursue medical school or other higher education. Once I began working as an SI leader, some of my students began to feel comfortable enough around me to discuss their problems. One student came to me after her first exam and told me how upset she was after failing. Leading up to the second exam, I worked with her to try different strategies from creating concept maps to doing practice problems, until we found ways to help her remember the material. After her second exam, the student earned an A and eventually passed the class. It is satisfying to make changes in students’ lives and help bridge the education gap in any way I can. Additionally, some of my students struggle in class due to learning disabilities, mental health struggles, or other personal reasons. As an SI leader, it is my job to provide resources to these students to help them flourish. For instance, one student stated that he was struggling to pay attention in class due to his ADHD. I asked him if he was registered at our college’s disability center, which would provide him accommodations. When he said no, I showed him the disability center’s website and told him how to contact them. Accessing a proper education is such a vital part of our society, but there are many reasons why some people may not receive the same opportunities as others. As an SI leader, I work hard to inspire students who are struggling and help them achieve their education goals.