My name is Grace Hutton and I am currently a senior at G. Ray Bodley High School in Fulton. I aspire to become a physician and currently plan to specialize in pathology either carrying out diagnostics within a hospital or carrying out research into various diseases that affect humanity. All my life I have felt a pull toward the medical field which has increased as I grew and learned more and had personal and professional experiences that fostered this interest. When I was seven years old my little brother, Henry, abruptly passed away from spinal cancer. As a result of this I became interested in pediatric oncology and hoped to cure cancer.By the time I turned nine I became engrossed in documentaries about various rare diseases and disorders, primarily those stemming from genetic disorders. My interest in diseases and disorders morphed into an interest in cellular and genetic research to help diagnose and target disease as early as possible thus rendering my desire to specialize in pathology. This year, I entered into the New Vision Allied Health program which is offered to high school seniors through CITI BOCES. As part of this program I have had the opportunity to gain skills in writing and professionalism, college credits, and experience by shadowing medical professionals. Over the course of the year, I have visited various departments within the Oswego Health System and spent six weeks in the pathology department where I shadowed histotechnologists, the cytologist, and pathologists. While at this site I gained understanding of how samples are collected and prepared for viewing, what the pathologist and cytologist look for when viewing slides under a microscope, and the tissue storage policies and procedures required by the state. This experience broadened my knowledge of the field and supported my desire to enter into the field of pathology. Apart from medicine, I also have an interest in technology. In the future I want to contribute to research and Innovation when it comes to using AI to analyze tissue for the presence of abnormal cellular activity in order to diagnose cancer early, possibly to find abnormalities before cells become cancerous, and use technology to remove or develop other treatments for them. At the very least, I want to contribute to the creation of a culture that benefits from, but does not rely on, technology for patient diagnosis and care. From my current perspective my academic future seems long and intimidating, but I will do all that I can to ensure I learn, make connections, and contribute to innovation within the medical field.