For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be a person who inspires change and makes a difference. While many individuals do not have a defining moment that influenced their decision to pursue healthcare, mine came at an early age. My interest in medicine, particularly cardiology, began when my brother was diagnosed with a rare and life-threatening heart condition, leading him to receive two high-risk surgeries at the age of six. I was in awe of the team of medical professionals who saved him and became determined to become a healthcare professional, making profound differences in the lives of people all across the world. The ability to solve complex problems, seemingly so easily, fascinated me and led me to inquire further about medicine and the treatment of patients. However, as I grew older and became more aware of the social implications of the field I idolized, I learned of the shocking disparities in medicine that are faced by a number of individuals each day. The field I admired so dearly was plagued by the prevalence of racism, sexism, homophobia, and other discriminations and inequity. This unforgiving truth instilled a new kind of passion in me, a passion for tackling these issues at the societal level, and changing how the medical system operates as a whole. My desires grew from wanting to treat people to wanting to implement innovative ways that change the policies and the delivery of healthcare as a whole. Thus, I discovered the field of healthcare administration, the field that truly can make a difference in the system itself, while still having a profound impact on patient lives. My educational and career goals lie in the pursuit of this field. I plan to obtain my bachelor’s degree in Health Science from the University of Florida, then achieve a Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration, allowing me to develop the skills necessary to work within the health administration field. The Health Science major at the University of Florida allows me to expand on not only my educational skills, but also my communication, leadership, and professional skills. I chose this major due to its holistic approach to the healthcare field, rather than one that simply focuses on science and math. The information and experience I have and will continue to obtain through my time in this major truly continue to remind me why I want to work in healthcare. Within the field of healthcare administration, I plan to work in the sector of delivery and quality of care. My passions truly lie in creating a more equitable healthcare system, therefore, this field of healthcare would allow me to expand on that specific goal. This sector focuses on researching and developing methods to ensure that healthcare is delivered in an efficient and equitable fashion within any healthcare organization. My goal to work in this specific field of delivery and quality of care allows me to be a small part of the effort to reform the current healthcare system that values profit, insurance companies, and larger corporations. By working in improving the delivery and quality of care, the healthcare industry can transform into one that focuses on patients and their needs, overall improving the quality of health within society.

While many individuals do not have a defining moment that influenced their decision to pursue a career in the STEM field, mine came at an early age. My interest in medicine, began when my brother was diagnosed with a rare and life-threatening heart condition, leading him to receive two high-risk surgeries at the age of six. I was in awe of the team of medical professionals who saved him and became determined to become a healthcare professional, making profound differences in the lives of people all across the world. The ability to solve complex problems, seemingly so easily, fascinated me and led me to inquire further about medicine and the treatment of patients. However, as I grew older and became more aware of the social implications of the field I idolized, I learned of the shocking disparities in medicine that are faced by a number of individuals each day. The field I admired so dearly was plagued by the prevalence of racism, sexism, homophobia, and other discrimination and inequity. This unforgiving truth instilled a new kind of passion in me, a passion for tackling these issues at the societal level, and changing how the medical system operates as a whole. My desires grew from wanting to treat people to wanting to implement innovative ways that change the policies and the delivery of healthcare as a whole. Thus, I discovered the field of healthcare administration, the field that truly can make a difference in the system itself, while still having a profound impact on patient lives. This passion for promoting change in situations that are unjust stems from the impact of the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School while I was in the ninth grade, something that occurred not far from me and involved several of my close friends. Just one week after the shooting at MSD, I stood in front of the student body of my high school and expressed my frustration with the failure of those in power to control gun violence in our country. Tired of not using my voice to speak on important issues, I found the courage to speak to other students about gun violence and the need for gun control. However, not only did I recognize the importance of speaking about the issue of gun control, I used my passion for medicine to discuss disparities in medicine, as well as other issues that affect everyday humans, especially patients, including climate change and inequalities in every aspect of life. The biggest tragedy in my life became the moment that boosted my confidence, allowing me to grow as a person, discover new strengths, and develop new passions. These passions have not only allowed me to recognize the need for change in healthcare but allowed me to merge the major events that occurred in my life to discover a major and career that will fulfill my goals to make a difference within my own community and alter the healthcare system in an effective and positive manner.

The place I feel I can positively impact the world is within my future career in healthcare administration. My interest in medicine, particularly cardiology, began when my brother was diagnosed with a rare and life-threatening heart condition, leading him to receive two high-risk surgeries at the age of six. I was in awe of the team of medical professionals who saved him and became determined to become a healthcare professional, making profound differences in the lives of people all across the world. The ability to solve complex problems, seemingly so easily, fascinated me and led me to inquire further about medicine and the treatment of patients. However, as I grew older and became more aware of the social implications of the field I idolized, I learned of the shocking disparities in medicine that are faced by a number of individuals each day. The field I admired so dearly was plagued by the prevalence of racism, sexism, homophobia, and other discriminations and inequity. My desires grew from wanting to treat people to wanting to implement innovative ways that change the policies and the delivery of healthcare as a whole. Thus, I discovered the field of healthcare administration, the field that truly can make a difference in the system itself, while still having a profound impact on patient lives. Within the field of healthcare administration, I plan to work in the sector of delivery and quality of care. My passions truly lie in creating a more equitable healthcare system, therefore, this field of healthcare would allow me to expand on that specific goal. This sector focuses on researching and developing methods to ensure that healthcare is delivered in an efficient and equitable fashion within any healthcare organization. My goal to work in this specific field of delivery and quality of care allows me to be a small part of the effort to reform the current healthcare system that values profit, insurance companies, and larger corporations. By working in improving the delivery and quality of care, the healthcare industry can transform into one that focuses on patients and their needs, overall improving the quality of health within society. Outside of my career, I plan to help people in need by creating an organization focused on providing automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and other basic medical supplies to high schools in my hometown and beyond. At the time, my high school only had one AED meant to serve a very large campus. This was something that could have put multiple lives at risk if an emergency took place. However, due to funding, the school was unable to obtain more. This was the case for many of the schools surrounding me, resulting from the prioritization of funding school supplies, with little of the budget left for expensive medical equipment. By providing medical supplies and technologies to schools that need them, institutions can focus on education and not fear accessibility to healthcare products and services. I strive in the future to help diminish this fear by combining my educational and career experiences to develop this organization that can make a crucial change in communities across the country.