During my Senior year of High school I earned my Certified Nursing Assistant Certification and Medical Assistant Certification, to get these I spent many clinical hours in the nursing home and in the Hospital. One new (ish) technology that inspires me in my pursuit of a Biomedical Engineering degree is the PureWick, an alternative to the classic catheter and it is used solely on women. The device is placed on the outside of the urethra and is connected to suction as opposed to a normal catheter. This technological development may seem small, and even a but gross to some, but to me it has such a large impact. Normal catheters are extremely uncomfortable and cannot be inserted by a CNA, making more work for the already busy RN who has a plethora of other responsibilities, who is likely underpaid and overworked. The PureWick has a much lower rate of infection especially for UTI's an issue faced primarily by women. Medical research and technology has been primarily focused on men for literally all of history, clinical trials for drugs are done on primarily on men, symptoms have been analyzed largely on men, especially within mental health. This discrepancy as well as many other important factors that are affecting women's health have been overlooked for far too long. As medicine and technology move forward the pure wick gives me hope, hope for women, both in the hospital and those that work in the hospital. This device gives me hope for women's health and I hope to continue to pave the way in technology designed to help women. As I pursue my degree I hope to bring a voice for women to the table that has always been dominated by men.

My name is Emma Cameron and I was born in Samford North Carolina, both my parents were drug addicts and struggling to provide. I was taken from their custody under a court order and my grandmother has raised me ever since. Because of the countless hours of effort my grandmother has put in and the sacrifices she has made I was able to graduate high school, and was accepted into the Georgia Institute of Technology, and I am currently pursuing a degree in Biomedical Engineering. Because of my Grandmother I have made it where I am today, but not without challenges, some I am still facing. I am currently a recipient of the PELL grant, but with the increasing cost of housing, meal plans and fees out of pocket costs are rising. College is extremely expensive and I am hoping to ease the burden I am currently putting on my family. My grandfather is currently retired, but is still working whenever he can and my Grandmother has been so incredible in providing for me over the years. I am hoping to give back to them and show them how thankful I am for all they have done for me and the sacrifices they have made. During my time in High school I received my CNA (Certified Nursing Assist) certification and my MA (Medical Assistant Certification), to obtain those certifications I spent many hours in the hospital and nursing home on clinical rotations. In the nursing home, the ICU , rehab, the ER and the Medical surgery floor, everywhere I went I saw a need. So many developments have been made in medicine and in technology in recent years, but there is so much more to do. I am passionate about improving quality of life, for the elderly, for those who are in a rehabilitation period, for those fighting for their lives and for those who just want comfort in the end of life. Through my degree at Georgia Tech I have such and incredible opportunity to study with like minded individuals and professors who are looking to make change, and through Biomedical Engineering I have the most incredible opportunity to make the change I want to see in the world. After reading the stories of Richard and Rebecca Whiddon, I was greatly impacted. The Whiddons' drive and ambition is so encouraging to me in my journey to help others. Rebecca in her success as a young female in STEM and Richard in his love for Biomedicine and his drive to help others. I hope to carry on their legacy in both my academic success as a woman and passion for helping others. I hope that maybe my life's work can make even a portion of the impact that this wonderful couple has had on the lives on those around them.

Fifty- four percentage of college students identify as first- generation (NASPA), only twenty percent of engineering graduates are women (Philip Morris), and the Georgia Tech acceptance rate for 2024 was 16 percent (Georgia Tech). My name is Emma Cameron and I am a non- traditional student because of the hand I was dealt and what I have done with what I was given. I am a first generation college student who comes from a challenging childhood. I was born in North Carolina and my mother was a drug addict and my Father was never in the picture, at a young age I was adopted by my Grandmother and have been raised in Augusta Georgia since then, and I am beyond thankful for the time and effort she has put in to raising me. Thanks to her efforts and patience I was accepted into Georgia Institute of Technology and am currently in my first Fall Semester! I was so grateful to be able to participate in the First Year Semester Abroad program and have spent the last three months studying in France, thanks to various scholarships I've earned . Despite the stereotypes associated with my gender and family background I have fought hard to make it where I am today and am currently pursuing a degree in Biomedical Engineering at one of the top Engineering colleges in the United States. My grandmother has worked so incredibly hard throughout the past 40 years, she has gone through divorce, been a single mother, raised three kids (plus her bonus child, me!) , worked full time and attended college, all at the same time. She has worked in the burn ICU for 18 years and has shown incredible grit, drive and determination. I hope as I age that I will continue to follow in her footsteps, and show even just an ounce of her ambition and be able to impact others the way she does. My family works very hard, but college is extremely expensive. I am hoping to ease the burden I am putting on my family and give back, even if it is just a little, in thankfulness for what they have done for me. Having financial security throughout my education is extremely important to me and my ability to obtain my degree. Many times I have thought about returning home and attending community college for the ease of it, both academically and financially. Despite all these factors I have decided to push forward, classes may be hard and I may not be completely certain as to what the future holds, but I know with enough determination and ambition I can do anything I set my mind to, because that's what my grandmother did.