In my ninth-grade year, I felt unchallenged due to the lack of advanced classes at my school. So, after begging my parents to swap schools, I entered into one of the best high schools in the state of Georgia, Buford High School. It is there that I have been offered a multitude of AP classes, as well as a healthcare pathway that leads to certification as a patient care technician. At Buford High School, I have been equipped for higher education through rigorous courses taught by highly intelligent and interactive teachers. Through clubs including HOSA, the National Honors Society, and BETA Club, I have grown in leadership and confidence. I have participated in regional and national competitions for HOSA, a club that prepares and educated future healthcare professionals, and I have also lead as an officer on our HOSA chapter’s board. In my National Honors Society service project, I organized school-wide card collections for healthcare workers, in order to encourage and express gratitude for all their dedication and hard work. And I have participated in many community service projects through BETA Club, a service club offered to students with high grades. From these experiences at my second high school, I have grown as an individual and as an intellectual. I used to be known as the shyest girl at my previous high. school, but changing schools allowed me to change my identity. After years of watching charismatic people and longing to be outgoing, I decided to follow their examples. Despite changing schools in 2020, the year when COVID guidelines required masks that muffled my already-quiet voice, I forced myself out of my very-limited comfort zone. In a place where no one knew me, I could be whoever I wanted. So I was bold, confident, outgoing, and bubbly. I am now the one to initiate conversations with strangers. I now serve at my local church, leading a small group of middle school girls that I have helped grow in size from a variable few girls each week into a consistent twenty or more girls. In my church, I also was invited into our Student Leadership and Student Serve Teams, of which I now lead Prayer and Host Teams. I work with the pastor’s wife to plan the curriculum of Prayer Team, where we focus on growing discipleship through small messages she and I write and share. On Host Team, I give weekly feedback on hosts and help them to become better communicators on-stage. I also go on-stage multiple times a month and engage the audience with games, share relevant information, and prepare them for the night to come. From being the shyest girl in school to the girl who repeatedly speaks on-stage in front of hundreds of people, I have challenged myself to be bold in the face of discomfort and fear. As seen by my taking a healthcare pathway as well as leading within our school’s healthcare club, I have a profound and long-time interest in the medical field. For my undergraduate degree, I am planning to major in neuroscience, psychology, biology, chemistry, biochemistry, or another related biomedical major. I also will complete a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Spanish because I am deeply intrigued by the language, which is shown by taking three years of Spanish as well as being accepted into the Spanish Honors Society. Spanish will also be very useful in the medical field, so that I am able to render aid to more patients by becoming fluent in a second language. After receiving my two bachelor’s degrees, one in science and one in arts, I will enroll in a medical school to pursue my lifelong goal of becoming a doctor. I have always had a passion to serve others, and I believe the best way to achieve this is through obtaining my medical degree. By completing a doctoral degree, I will have a better ability to conduct research, treat patients, and overall improve the lives of people. I especially feel called to aid those in need, such as victims of assault and abuse, so I would like to promote reform and aid people in those circumstances. Although medical school and the post-graduate residencies are extremely rigorous and time-consuming, as well as costly, I am willing and prepared to spend my twenties equipping myself to change lives, communities, and the world as a physician or surgeon. The challenges ahead, rather than inspiring fear, excite me to work harder towards my goal of becoming a doctor and reformer. I have overcome many obstacles in the past to grow as a person and help my community, and I know that with continued perseverance and hard work, I can accomplish more than I could ever imagine.

During my first time as a community-group leader at my church’s summer camp, a student in the middle of a manic episode attempted to break into our cabin by smashing in the windows. My middle-school girls’ screams filled the room as glass shards fell to the floor, so I lead them to a back closet before rushing to see the window’s damage. I reached the window to see the manic girl beginning to retreat, eerily laughing while she ran. Two camp workers handled the situation outside, but I was left alone to console my girls inside the room. As only a 16-year old myself, I am not the most experienced person to calm ten middle-school girls from a traumatic attack, however I instinctively took charge of the room. Although adrenaline was rushing through my veins, I spoke in a calming and confident voice to reassure the girls. One girl began hyperventilating, with demands to leave the “dangerous camp” in between her gasping breaths. I crawled into the neighboring bunk and rubbed her back while comforting the terrified girl, and she soon returned to normal while my other girls watched and waited. Before the student pastors arrived to debrief and offer their support, my girls and I gathered in a circle to pray. After the madness had passed, my girls thanked me for being an anchor when everything around was going wild. Their kind comments made me realize that I had stepped into the role of leader and comforter without a second thought. And that realization has truly impacted my life. I have been unsure of my future career, worried that I did not have what it takes to become a doctor, and thinking I should settle for something less. However, in that moment, everything changed. I had seen a part of myself I had been doubting. I saw that I could be a leader in the midst of unexpected trouble. I found that my first instinct was to protect the girls and care for them. With this discovery, I decided that I would pursue my lifelong dream of being a doctor. I have had the grades and intelligence for it, and now I have the confidence to chase my dreams and turn them into reality. From a situation full of danger and fear, I found that I have a instinct to serve others. Now, I believe in myself and my abilities. Now, I can accomplish my goals. Now, I can change the world by impacting and improving the lives of others. Now, I can be me.

Before I realized the importance of being bold and brave, I was terrified to start conversations, even with people I already knew. But after years of watching charismatic people and longing to be outgoing, I decided to make a change. I chose to swap schools in order to have a new start. Despite changing schools in 2020, the year when COVID guidelines required masks that muffled my already-quiet voice, I forced myself out of my very-limited comfort zone. In a place where no one knew me, I could be whoever I wanted. So I was bold, confident, outgoing, and bubbly. I am now the one to initiate conversations with strangers. I have joined the National Honors Society and compete in HOSA’s national healthcare competitions, and I have now become a leader in our HOSA chapter. I now serve at my local church, leading a small group of middle school girls that grew in size from a variable few girls each week into a consistent twenty or more girls. In my church, I also was invited into our Student Leadership and Student Serve Teams, of which I now lead Prayer and Host Teams. I work with the pastor’s wife to plan the curriculum of Prayer Team, where we focus on growing discipleship through small messages she and I write and share. On Host Team, I give weekly feedback on hosts and help them to become better communicators on-stage. I also go on-stage multiple times a month and engage the audience with games, share relevant information, and prepare them for the night to come. From being the shyest girl in school to the girl who repeatedly speaks on-stage in front of hundreds of people, I have challenged myself to be bold in the face of discomfort and fear.