My trip to Ethiopia at 13 marked a turning point in my worldview, which social media had initially shaped. Leading up to this solo trip, my mom, an immigrant from Ethiopia, often spoke about the harsh realities that were still prominent in her homeland, such as extreme poverty and a lack of healthcare resources. It seemed the days were longer leading up to this trip, but the days couldn't go by any faster after landing. During my stay, everything I saw was exactly what my American ego needed for development. I expected poverty, but only the American version—which often goes unacknowledged. In Ethiopia, I was able to witness a more extreme reality. One day, while riding in a taxi with my grandma, we stopped at a light, and after getting a good look at us, people began banging on our windows, begging for money. At first, I was shocked and confused, wondering why they would bang on the taxi like that. Then, I realized that they were in need. Later on, I thought, “What is wrong with me?” and felt ashamed as I grappled with the thought that I might have done the same if I were in their position. This experience was humbling, but most importantly, it led to the eye-opening realization that I needed to appreciate the privilege I had taken for granted. Adapting to the realities around me, I looked forward to returning home. However, in my third week, I fell mysteriously and violently ill. I entered a hospital with my entire body completely inflated, red, and on fire. Through the tears in my eyes, I struggled to comprehend my surroundings as I searched for an indication of being in a hospital, not knowing I was already in one. I soon found out when I saw the used and scattered needles on the countertops; this came as a culture shock, even when the culture was mine. I completely forgot the circumstances of a developing world and jumped straight to judgment. I still don't know if my lack of thought and sympathy was due to the hospital itself or my sensation of being on fire. However, I do know that during this experience, I was given exceptional care with the available resources. The healthcare workers persevered while showing me great patience and sympathy throughout my uncomfortable stay. My lens was widened just as I had begun to make a stereotypical assumption about healthcare in countries other than my own. I was too quick to be critical of my community, even though I had been raised to avoid this my entire life. This experience ignited a period of personal growth as I began to shift my focus from the differences in healthcare between countries to the current efforts being made to improve them. I was fascinated by nonprofits like Doctors Without Borders and the dedication of healthcare professionals and volunteers who devote their expertise and time to aid those in need. I understood the development within myself that had occurred; I now had a passion for impoverished people who lack healthcare in developing countries. The healthcare workers of Ethiopia not only led me to appreciate and develop my worldview of being here in America, but they also sparked my fuel to persevere as I desire to make a difference. This event has profoundly shaped my sense of purpose, fueling my determination to one day join a team dedicated to making healthcare accessible to those in need around the globe. I wouldn't trade this for anything, as it continues to inspire me every day to keep striving toward that vision.

My trip to Ethiopia at 13 marked a turning point in my worldview, which social media had initially shaped. Leading up to this solo trip, my mom, an immigrant , often spoke about the harsh realities that were still prominent in her homeland, such as extreme poverty and a lack of healthcare resources. As I nodded to her words, the only thing on my mind was being on an international trip with my cool grandma and being on a plane for the first time. It seemed the days were longer leading up to this trip, but after landing, the days couldn't go by any faster. As I adapted to the realities around me, I looked forward to returning home. However, in my third week, I fell mysteriously and violently ill. I entered a hospital with my entire body completely inflated, red, and on fire. Through the tears in my eyes, I struggled to comprehend my surroundings as I searched for an indication of being in a hospital, not knowing I was already in it. I soon found out when I saw the used and scattered needles on the countertops; this came as a culture shock, even when the culture was mine. I completely forgot the circumstances of a developing world and jumped straight to judgment. I still don't know if my lack of thought and sympathy was due to the hospital itself or my sensation of being on fire. However, I do know that during this experience, I was given exceptional care with the available resources. The healthcare workers persevered while showing me great patience and sympathy throughout my uncomfortable stay. My lens was widened just as I had begun to make a stereotypical assumption about healthcare in countries other than my own. I was too quick to be critical of my community, even when I had been raised to avoid this my entire life. This experience ignited a period of personal growth as I began to shift my focus from the differences in healthcare between countries to the current efforts being made to improve them. I was fascinated by nonprofits like Doctors Without Borders and the dedication of healthcare professionals and volunteers who devote their expertise and time to aid those in need. I understood the development within myself that had occurred; I now had a passion for impoverished people who lack healthcare in developing countries. The healthcare workers have not only led me to appreciate and develop my worldview of being here in America, but they also sparked my fuel to persevere as I desire to make a difference. Now as a senior looking forward to college I continue striving to experience various kinds of health studies centered around global health everyday in my high school experience.This event has profoundly shaped my sense of purpose, fueling my determination to one day join a team dedicated to making healthcare accessible to those in need around the globe. I wouldn't trade this for anything, as it continues to inspire me every day to keep striving toward that vision.

My trip to Ethiopia at 13 marked a turning point in my worldview, which had initially been shaped by social media. Leading up to this solo trip, my mom, an immigrant from Ethiopia, often spoke about the harsh realities that were still prominent in her homeland, such as extreme poverty and a lack of healthcare resources. As I nodded to her words, the only thing on my mind was being on an international trip with my cool grandma and being on a plane for the first time. It seemed the days were longer leading up to this trip, but after landing, the days couldn't go by any faster. During my stay, everything that I saw was exactly what my American ego needed for development. I expected poverty, but only the American version—one that often goes unacknowledged. In Ethiopia, I was able to witness a more extreme reality. One day, while riding in a taxi with my grandma, we stopped at a light, and after getting a good look at us, people began banging on our windows, begging for money. At first, I was shocked and confused, wondering why they would bang on the taxi like that. Then I realized that they were in need. Later on, I thought, “What is wrong with me?” and felt ashamed as I grappled with the thought that I might have done the same if I were in their position. This experience was humbling, but most importantly, it led to the eye-opening realization that I needed to appreciate the privilege I had taken for granted. As I adapted to the realities around me, I looked forward to returning home. However, in my third week, I fell mysteriously and violently ill. I entered a hospital with my entire body completely inflated, red, and on fire. Through the tears in my eyes, I struggled to comprehend my surroundings as I searched for an indication of being in a hospital, not knowing I was already in it. I soon found out when I saw the used and scattered needles on the countertops; this came as a culture shock, even when the culture was mine. I completely forgot the circumstances of a developing world and jumped straight to judgment. I still don't know if my lack of thought and sympathy was due to the hospital itself or my sensation of being on fire. However, I do know that during this experience, I was given exceptional care with the available resources. The healthcare workers persevered and showed me great patience and sympathy throughout my uncomfortable stay. My lens was widened just as I had begun to make a stereotypical assumption about healthcare in countries other than my own. I was too quick to be critical of my community, even when I had been raised to avoid this my entire life. This experience ignited a period of personal growth as I began to shift my focus from the differences in healthcare between countries to the current efforts being made to improve them. I was fascinated by nonprofits like Doctors Without Borders and the dedication of healthcare professionals and volunteers who devote their expertise and time to aid those in need. I understood the development within myself that had occurred; I now had a passion for impoverished people who lack healthcare in developing countries. The healthcare workers of Ethiopia not only led me to appreciate and develop my worldview of being here in America, but they also sparked my fuel to persevere as I desire to make a difference. This event has profoundly shaped my sense of purpose, fueling my determination to one day join a team dedicated to making healthcare accessible to those in need around the globe. I wouldn't trade this for anything, as it continues to inspire me every day to keep striving toward that vision.

By getting a degree and taking it to a country where a degree is a luxury. That's my dream because it's so crucial to understand to not stay comfortable when you know that there are people very uncomfortable. My goal is centered around healthcare, and as a junior in high school, I already have started that journey by exploring different healthcare departments/sectors by being a part of my Clinical Rotations program at my school. This program helped narrow down which healthcare professional I want to be, which is either a physician or a PA(physician assistant). With either degree, I need to help my community here by working in a sector that I love, helping patients, but also doing the same in my community in Ethiopia, where Healthcare is a luxury that most people die not experiencing. I decided this when I went on my first "vacation"( I put quotation because it was more of a struggle learning experience instead of a relaxing one) to Ethiopia 3 years ago. During my trip, I stayed with my uncle for the entire 1 month and 1 week duration of the summer break. During this time, however, my young cousin, about 3 at the time, got extremely sick and wasn't eating for 3 days. I wondered why my uncle didn't just take him sooner, but I later learned why it wasn't that simple. When we make it to the hospital and get out of the taxi, I'm wondering where the hospital even is. We enter a very small but medium-tall building and are immediately met with horrific screaming by a mother who is grieving the loss of her daughter. We see this as the mother gipping onto the dead teen. In this hospital, there is no luxury of privacy or even cleanliness. When my cousin was checked in, I was able to wander freely into rooms where syringes of god knows what were used and spread along the counter! This came as almost a culture shock. The prices didn't come so much as a culture shock to me because healthcare, even in America, with insurance is very expensive. However, for the average person in Ethiopia paying a bill as large as the one my uncle got was out of question. So much so, that my dad my chipped in. Seeing these circumstances and others was depressing, but not everything you see needs to be joyful because some aren't as fortunate and you can't always do things to help immediately. This is why I believe that devoting time to organizations like Doctors Without Borders or even taking a degree somewhere where it is needed will have an impact on a huge community that is in extreme need of healthcare support. When any country is deprived of a basic necessity it's up to people who are blessed with the opportunity of education to step in and share the gift of knowledge, just like doctors without borders!