My name is Erica Freeman, and I am a rising senior at North Carolina Central University majoring in Pharmaceutical Sciences. Anesthesiology has always been my dream career, as I am amazed by the way anesthesia can set a patient at ease during some of the most painful events of their lives. My life goal is to create a safe, supportive space where patients can voice their medical concerns and feel seen, as well as ensure every patient receives the best care possible during surgery. This dream is tied with my desire to do research to continue the improvement of care and livelihoods. To pursue this dream, I have immersed myself in various activities that support my goals. While at North Carolina Central University, I have started my pursuit to become a physician by receiving my OSHA and phlebotomy certifications and by joining several clubs to maintain my focus in service and community. I serve as the Head of Community Outreach for The National Society of Black Women in Medicine, as I help bring in healthcare professionals to give advice to our members. I am a member of the BRITE program, where I volunteer in the BRITE lab at Central, helping middle school–aged children perform experiments. On weekends, I volunteer with the Museum of Durham History, helping people learn more about Durham’s rich history. Currently, I intern at Duke in Staci D. Bilbo’s lab, researching how microglia interact with the extracellular matrix through an immune pathway in a mouse binge-drinking model called DID. As I work and volunteer with these various organizations, they allow me to delve deeper into the field of science and medicine. Along with my education I work a part-time job at Burn Boot Camp as the Child Watch Attending. I supervise children ages 6 months to 13 years, ensuring a safe, fun environment while planning engaging activities and crafts they can enjoy and take home. In my time of working with children, their everchanging needs refine my skills of compassion and problem solving. I also maintain open communication with parents, providing updates on their children’s activities and any concerns. This way, parents are aware of what’s going on and feel comfortable working out knowing their child is safe and having fun. It feels great that parents trust you to take care of their child and ensure their safety. I love to help them make new friends by including everyone in different activities. That way, when the kids come back they have a familiar face play with. To inspire growth and positivity, I plan to become an anesthesiologist with a specialty in obstetric anesthesiology. In addition to clinical work, I hope to contribute to research in women’s health and/or sexually transmitted diseases. I also plan to take all of this experience and mentor other students at HBCUs to gain insight into the medical field. I believe it is important to increase racial diversity in healthcare so that minority patients feel safe and understood when receiving treatment. If granted this scholarship, I would be better equipped to focus on my career and relieve my family of the financial burden. Currently, my father is battling kidney failure, and a large portion of our family’s income goes toward his care. I am currently working part time to help pay for school expenses. Seeing my father go through this has deepened my interest in medicine and strengthened my commitment to making a difference in others’ lives. With your support, I can continue my journey and begin giving back to the community that has poured so much into me over the years.

My name is Erica Freeman, and I am a rising senior at North Carolina Central University majoring in Pharmaceutical Sciences. Anesthesiology has always been my dream career, as I am amazed by the way anesthesia can set a patient at ease during some of the most painful events of their lives. My life goal is to create a safe, supportive space where patients can voice their medical concerns and feel seen. This dream is tied with my desire to do research to continue the improvement of care and livelihoods. During my freshman year of college, I faced significant challenges in chemistry and physics. I recognized these difficulties within the first two weeks of classes and began searching for tutors on campus. Although I thought I had found help at one point, I was quickly let down. I spent two semesters actively seeking a tutor but was unsuccessful in finding one. By the end of the semester, I had received a C in General Chemistry twice and had to withdraw from General Physics 1. After my first year at North Carolina Central University, I felt incredibly defeated. However, this experience became a turning point, driving me to confront my challenges and build strength. I had to retake physics, which was my hardest class, and ended up with two C’s. After spring semester finals, I felt as though I had reached my breaking point. I was promised assistance, nothing ever came through. I was on the verge of losing my scholarship and my honors status. I came to a realization that I still want to become a doctor, and I can’t give up when times get tough. This determination became the motivation I needed to push through challenges and recommit myself to my goals. In the fall semester, I knew I would be taking more challenging courses like Organic Chemistry and Molecular Biology. To prepare, I started reviewing my more challenging courses concepts earlier on. I familiarize myself with the material to build a strong foundation before the semester started. All of my preparation and persistence in office hours during the semester granted me a 3.42 GPA. It also gave me a A in Physics. These experiences remind me that the road to my success will come with challenges. And I will have to continuously refine my practices to get there. This solidified my commitment to becoming an obstetric anesthesiologist and mentor to future physicians. While at North Carolina Central University, I have received my OSHA and phlebotomy certifications and joined several clubs to maintain my focus in service and community. I serve as the Head of Community Outreach for The National Society of Black Women in Medicine. I am a member of the BRITE program, where I volunteer in the lab at Central, helping middle school aged children perform experiments. I volunteer with the Museum of Durham History, helping people learn more about Durham’s rich history. Currently, I intern at Duke in Staci D. Bilbo’s lab, researching microglia. As I work and volunteer with these organizations, they allow me to delve deeper into the field of science and medicine. If granted this scholarship, I would be better equipped to focus on my career and relieve my family of the financial burden. Currently, my father is battling kidney failure, and a large portion of our family’s income goes toward his care. In addition to that, I am currently working part time to help pay for school expenses. With your support, I can continue my journey and begin giving back to the community that has poured so much into me over the years.

During my childhood, I watched my family give to others by donating clothes to kids in our neighborhood and church. Seeing how something as simple as a pair of shoes could light up a child’s face inspired me to one day be in a position to give back and pass that value on to future generations. Charity became a way for me to connect with my community, live out the values I was raised with, and be the kind of person who shows up, cares, and gives what they can. Today, I continue that work by donating clothes and volunteering at a local food bank in Durham, NC, as well as at the Museum of Durham History, where I help people learn about the city’s rich past. As a future physician, I plan to support organizations that promote Black maternal health and causes related to anesthetics, while also contributing to charities that serve the homeless. I am especially passionate about providing resources for underrepresented and low-income families in Durham and Greensboro, both through education and healthcare. Whether it’s offering school supplies, mentoring young adults in STEM, or helping those who cannot afford medical care, I see charity as a lifelong commitment to building stronger, more compassionate communities.

My name is Erica Freeman, and I am a rising senior at North Carolina Central University majoring in Pharmaceutical Sciences. Anesthesiology has always been my dream career, as I am amazed by the way anesthesia can set a patient at ease during some of the most painful events of their lives. My life goal is to create a safe, supportive space where patients can voice their medical concerns and feel seen, as well as ensure every patient receives the best care possible during surgery. This dream is tied with my desire to do research to continue the improvement of care and livelihoods. To pursue this dream, I have immersed myself in various activities that support my goals. While at North Carolina Central University, I have started my pursuit to become a physician by receiving my OSHA and phlebotomy certifications and by joining several clubs to maintain my focus in service and community. I serve as the Head of Community Outreach for The National Society of Black Women in Medicine, as I help bring in healthcare professionals to give advice to our members. I am a member of the BRITE program, where I volunteer in the BRITE lab at Central, helping middle school–aged children perform experiments. On weekends, I volunteer with the Museum of Durham History, helping people learn more about Durham’s rich history. Currently, I intern at Duke in Staci D. Bilbo’s lab, researching how microglia interact with the extracellular matrix through an immune pathway in a mouse binge-drinking model called DID. As I work and volunteer with these various organizations, they allow me to delve deeper into the field of science and medicine. When I am done with undergrad, my career goal is to become an anesthesiologist with a specialty in obstetric anesthesiology. In addition to clinical work, I hope to contribute to research in women’s health and/or sexually transmitted diseases, by exploring alternative methods of contraception beyond traditional birth control. Specifically in STD treatment, I want to contribute to finding a cure for herpes, as its prevalence increases every year. With this in mind, I plan to take all of this experience and mentor other students at HBCUs to gain insight into the medical field. If granted this scholarship, I would be better equipped to focus on my career and relieve my family of the financial burden. Currently, my father is battling kidney failure, and a large portion of our family’s income goes toward his care. In addition to that, I am currently working part time to help pay for school expenses. Seeing my father go through this has deepened my interest in medicine and strengthened my commitment to making a difference in others’ lives. With your support, I can continue my journey and begin giving back to the community that has poured so much into me over the years.

My name is Erica Freeman, and I am a rising senior at North Carolina Central University majoring in Pharmaceutical Sciences. Anesthesiology has always been my dream career, as I am amazed by the way anesthesia can set a patient at ease during some of the most painful events of their lives. My life goal is to create a safe, supportive space where patients can voice their medical concerns and feel seen, as well as ensure every patient receives the best care possible during surgery. This dream is tied with my desire to do research to continue the improvement of care and livelihoods. To pursue this dream, I have immersed myself in various activities that support my goals. While at North Carolina Central University, I have started my pursuit to become a physician by receiving my OSHA and phlebotomy certifications and by joining several clubs to maintain my focus in service and community. I serve as the Head of Community Outreach for The National Society of Black Women in Medicine, as I help bring in healthcare professionals to give advice to our members. I am a member of the BRITE program, where I volunteer in the BRITE lab at Central, helping middle school–aged children perform experiments. On weekends, I volunteer with the Museum of Durham History, helping people learn more about Durham’s rich history. Currently, I intern at Duke in Staci D. Bilbo’s lab, researching how microglia interact with the extracellular matrix through an immune pathway in a mouse binge-drinking model called DID. As I work and volunteer with these various organizations, they allow me to delve deeper into the field of science and medicine. When I am done with undergrad, my career goal is to become an anesthesiologist with a specialty in obstetric anesthesiology. In addition to clinical work, I hope to contribute to research in women’s health and/or sexually transmitted diseases, by exploring alternative methods of contraception beyond traditional birth control. With this in mind, I plan to take all of this experience and mentor other students at HBCUs to gain insight into the medical field. I believe it is important to increase racial diversity in healthcare so that minority patients feel safe and understood when receiving treatment. Representation not only improves patient care but also serves as inspiration for future generations. If granted this scholarship, I would be better equipped to focus on my career and relieve my family of the financial burden. Currently, my father is battling kidney failure, and a large portion of our family’s income goes toward his care. In addition to that, I am currently working part time to help pay for school expenses. Seeing my father go through this has deepened my interest in medicine and strengthened my commitment to making a difference in others’ lives. With your support, I can continue my journey and begin giving back to the community that has poured so much into me over the years.

My name is Erica Freeman, and I am a rising senior at North Carolina Central University majoring in Pharmaceutical Sciences. Anesthesiology has always been my dream career, as I am amazed by the way anesthesia can set a patient at ease during some of the most painful events of their lives. My life goal is to create a safe, supportive space where patients can voice their medical concerns and feel seen, as well as ensure every patient receives the best care possible during surgery. This dream is tied with my desire to do research to continue the improvement of care and livelihoods. To pursue this dream, I have immersed myself in various activities that support my goals. While at North Carolina Central University, I have started my pursuit to become a physician by receiving my OSHA and phlebotomy certifications and by joining several clubs to maintain my focus in service and community. I serve as the Head of Community Outreach for The National Society of Black Women in Medicine, as I help bring in healthcare professionals to give advice to our members. I am a member of the BRITE program, where I volunteer in the BRITE lab at Central, helping middle school–aged children perform experiments. On weekends, I volunteer with the Museum of Durham History, helping people learn more about Durham’s rich history. Currently, I intern at Duke in Staci D. Bilbo’s lab, researching how microglia interact with the extracellular matrix through an immune pathway in a mouse binge-drinking model called DID. As I work and volunteer with these various organizations, they allow me to delve deeper into the field of science and medicine. If I were given the opportunity to improve my community, I would use my role as a physician to provide comfort and a safe space for my patients. Many studies show that minority groups feel like health care professionals do not listen to them or believe their concerns don’t matter. This distrust stems from many historical events within each community. As a black woman, this is important to me as I have seen this first hand. However, the best possible care for all patients should be the standard, not the exception. Studies show that increasing diversity in health care helps patients feel more comfortable and confident in their treatment. It is my goal that I can continue to encourage them to seek care earlier during medical concerns and emergencies. This is where my passion lies for my future career endeavors. If granted this scholarship, I would be better equipped to focus on my career and relieve my family of the financial burden. Currently, my father is battling kidney failure, and a large portion of our family’s income goes toward his care. In addition to that, I am currently working part time to help pay for school expenses. Seeing my father go through this has deepened my interest in medicine and strengthened my commitment to making a difference in others’ lives. With your support, I can continue my journey and begin giving back to the community that has poured so much into me over the years.

After receiving my bachelor's degree from the illustrious North Carolina Central University in Pharmaceutical Sciences I will be going to medical school. Once I complete medical school, I plan to match into my dream career of being an anesthesiologist. Medical school is my main goal because I love everything about medicine. The fact that a simple drug can put you to sleep and keep you from experiencing pain during surgery has always amazed me. I also want to make connections with other students. Medicine is a field that is always changing to help diverse groups of people, which is another reason I love it. I love how medicine is a challenge because different people can have the same illness, but it can affect them in different ways. I love how you can learn something every second and the fast-paced environment. Once I become an Anesthesiologist I plan on furthering my education to become an Obstetric Anesthesiologist. Here I can advocate for African American women in labor, to ensure they have the best quality of care possible. I plan to give back to my community by making the healthcare field a safe place for African American people and other People of Color to receive the help they need. Many Black people do not believe in going to the doctor because of all the experiments that white doctors put Black people through. This results in Black people having medical issues that go untreated and could lead to other health problems. Black people and other People of Color are not taken as seriously as they should be when it comes to medical treatment. For example patients with sickle cell have been accused of lying about the pain they are in, when in reality doctors choose to look past it. Or why African American women are more likely to die during childbirth. Advocating for my patients would be an important part of my job. I want to make sure the patients can get the best care and the help they need. In the medical field, this should be talked about more and I would love to start shedding light on this topic. We can talk about this issue all day but taking steps to make these changes is the part where I want to help. Helping black people come into a space where they can feel safe to talk about what is going on with them and them leaving knowing that they received the best treatment. Medicine is a career that I know I can be happy with by helping people and discovering new treatments for patients. Advocating for the treatment of my patients is one of the main reasons I want to become a doctor. It is more than just treating patients its about advocating for them as well. This is how I want to help my community grow to become healthier and live their best lives. There is nothing better than to reach your career goal while also giving back to the community where you came from.

After receiving my bachelor's degree from the illustrious North Carolina Central University in Pharmaceutical Sciences I will be going to medical school. Once I complete medical school, I plan to match into my dream career of being an anesthesiologist. Medical school is my main goal because I love everything about medicine. The fact that a simple drug can put you to sleep and keep you from experiencing pain during surgery has always amazed me. I also want to make connections with other students. Medicine is a field that is always changing to help diverse groups of people, which is another reason I love it. I love how medicine is a challenge because different people can have the same illness, but it can affect them in different ways. I love how you can learn something every second and the fast-paced environment. Once I become an Anesthesiologist I plan on furthering my education to become an Obstetric Anesthesiologist. Here I can advocate for African American women in labor, to ensure they have the best quality of care possible. I strengthened my commitment by becoming OSHA and phlebotomy certified. These certifications not only build my confidence and competence but also deepen my commitment to providing quality care in a medical setting. Outside of academics, I am in the BRITE Program at Central and volunteer with them. I teach middle school students about science. At church, I teach Sunday school to kids. Through my community service, I have developed strong communication skills by working closely with diverse groups, learning to connect with people from different backgrounds. I plan to give back to my community by making the healthcare field a safe place for African American people and other People of Color to receive the help they need. Many Black people do not believe in going to the doctor because of all the experiments that white doctors put Black people through. This results in Black people having medical issues that go untreated and could lead to other health problems. Black people and other People of Color are not taken as seriously as they should be when it comes to medical treatment. For example patients with sickle cell have been accused of lying about the pain they are in, when in reality doctors choose to look past it. Or why African American women are more likely to die during childbirth. Advocating for my patients would be an important part of my job. I want to make sure the patients can get the best care and the help they need. In the medical field, this should be talked about more and I would love to start shedding light on this topic. We can talk about this issue all day but taking steps to make these changes is the part where I want to help. Helping black people come into a space where they can feel safe to talk about what is going on with them and them leaving knowing that they received the best treatment. Medicine is a career that I know I can be happy with by helping people and discovering new treatments for patients. Advocating for the treatment of my patients is one of the main reasons I want to become a doctor. It is more than just treating patients its about advocating for them as well. This is how I want to help my community grow to become healthier and live their best lives. There is nothing better than to reach your career goal while also giving back to the community where you came from.

After receiving my bachelor's degree from the illustrious North Carolina Central University in Pharmaceutical Sciences I will be going to medical school. Once I complete medical school, I plan to match into my dream career of being an anesthesiologist. Medical school is my main goal because I love everything about medicine. The fact that a simple drug can put you to sleep and keep you from experiencing pain during surgery has always amazed me. I also want to make connections with other students. Medicine is a field that is always changing to help diverse groups of people, which is another reason I love it. I love how medicine is a challenge because different people can have the same illness, but it can affect them in different ways. I love how you can learn something every second and the fast-paced environment. Once I become an Anesthesiologist I plan on furthering my education to become an Obstetric Anesthesiologist. Here I can advocate for African American women in labor, to ensure they have the best quality of care possible. I plan to give back to my community by making the healthcare field a safe place for African American people and other People of Color to receive the help they need. Many Black people do not believe in going to the doctor because of all the experiments that white doctors put Black people through. This results in Black people having medical issues that go untreated and could lead to other health problems. Black people and other People of Color are not taken as seriously as they should be when it comes to medical treatment. For example patients with sickle cell have been accused of lying about the pain they are in, when in reality doctors choose to look past it. Or why African American women are more likely to die during childbirth. Advocating for my patients would be an important part of my job. I want to make sure the patients can get the best care and the help they need. In the medical field, this should be talked about more and I would love to start shedding light on this topic. We can talk about this issue all day but taking steps to make these changes is the part where I want to help. Helping black people come into a space where they can feel safe to talk about what is going on with them and them leaving knowing that they received the best treatment. Medicine is a career that I know I can be happy with by helping people and discovering new treatments for patients. Advocating for the treatment of my patients is one of the main reasons I want to become a doctor. It is more than just treating patients its about advocating for them as well. This is how I want to help my community grow to become healthier and live their best lives. There is nothing better than to reach your career goal while also giving back to the community where you came from.