Ever since I was a little girl, I always had an interest in providing help to others who may need it. My attraction to medical professions and health-related fields first started with me being exposed to Veterinarians. At the time, I was obsessed with animals and wanted to be the person that was able to make them feel better whenever they were hurt. Then after my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer later on, I started to become interested in other health-related fields such as Gynecology, Dermatology, and Optometry. Many members of my gigantic family have some sort of medical problem and I was not aware of that until I got to high school. A lot of them needed surgery of some sort and so I shifted my interest again to cater to my family. That is when I decided that I would pursue a Health Sciences Degree and later become an Anesthesiologist. I imagined myself working alongside surgeons and other medical professionals to ensure my people were being treated with care and comfort. After more research and exposure to health-related fields, I noticed that there are not many African Americans and other Afro-people in this field. Looking at statistics back then and even now motivates me to continue to strive high in academics and communication to be that one black woman that people remember from the operation table. I want people that also look like me to feel comfortable and taken care of during any surgery. There are too many "accidents" and unnecessary deaths across the U.S. regarding black people in healthcare. It is unacceptable, and I will be the change. I will speak up for all my patients in any given setting when something is not right, or when patients feel they are not being heard, especially for my black sisters and brothers. It will be my duty to make sure they are getting adequate care during any operation where I am in the room. I am so passive about the Health Sciences degree I am currently pursuing because I know I can and will graduate from Howard University, Medical/Graduate School, and all the other programs and schooling I need to become an Anesthesiologist. In addition, I am also pursuing a minor in Spanish because we love a bilingual black queen (me). With that being said, my name is JaKhia Dismukes. I am from Milwaukee, WI, which is one of the most segregated cities in the United States. I am majoring in Health Sciences, and minoring in Spanish to better assist Latin and Hispanic patients as well. Moreover, this scholarship will help me achieve my goals by worrying less about how I will pay my tuition here at Howard University. I am currently a Sophomore undergrad student. Anything I get will help me pay my tuition. I am grateful for this opportunity to apply to the 'Robert F. Lawson Fund for Careers that Care', regardless if I am chosen or not. Thank you for allowing me to share my dreams and aspirations as your future Black Anesthesiologist.

I’ve thought about becoming a doctor of some sort for a long time now. And now that I am in college (one of the top HBCUs at that), I can see my purpose. I was first interested in becoming a Veterinarian at a young age because I loved animals. I still do, however, my vision changed once I got to middle school. I started getting the questions any adult would ask a child: “What do you want to be when you grow up?”. I would start by saying a Veterinarian. Then after puberty, I started to gain more interest in sports, so I would say a Sports Medicine Doctor. High school was when I really started thinking about my future. I’ve always excelled in academics, and being good in sports was just a plus. But, growing up in the situation I was in made me realize that my community needed me. I was stuck in a dilemma of pursuing an education in a field where my people needed me the most, or following my own dream. At this time, I wanted to be either an Ophthalmologist, OBGYN, or Dermatologist. But so many of us were getting brutally beaten and killed by the cops, and I felt that I needed to be someone in the field of Law to help save us and get the justice we so deserve. A friend and I decided that I would pursue healthcare, and she would pursue Law, which gave me peace of mind. Now that I’ve grown, I changed my career interest once more. Due to high statistics of black people dying in the healthcare field over things that could have been easily avoided, I want to become an Anesthesiologist. I want to be in the room when patients are coming for surgery. I want to be the comfort my people feel when they see a black Doctor taking care of them. I want them to feel heard and seen when they voice any type of concern about their body. I want to be the one who changes how our community sees healthcare. And I also want to open my own practice, build a community of black healthcare professionals, and be licensed to have multiple locations all over the U.S. If given the opportunity to improve my community, I would open my own practice. My name is Ja’Khia Dismukes and I am a current sophomore attending the illustrious Howard University. I am majoring in Health Sciences and minoring in Spanish. I want to become an Anesthesiologist. With that being said if allowed to improve my community, I would open my own practice that accepts all types of insurance and payments so that people in my community have affordable and high-quality healthcare.

My name is Ja’Khia Dismukes and I am a Health Science major, Spanish minor from Milwaukee, WI, and an unpopular opinion I have is that I don’t think non-Black people should attend or be accepted to HBCUs. Whenever I bring up this unpopular opinion I have, I usually get mixed reviews about it. Some people agree with me, and others don’t, which is fine. I can understand why this is not a mentality I should have because it gives off the aspect of segregation. However, here are some reasons why I feel the way I feel. First of all, I was born and raised in Milwaukee, WI, which is one of the most segregated cities in America. The irony here is that being in that type of situation growing up even after the Jim Crow era should make me more open to other points of view. Dr. Martin Luther King had a dream of blacks and whites coming together and establishing peace between themselves, which is cool and all. However, why should we be the only people trying to make the world a better place? It feels one-sided and nonblack people still continue to push African Americans and Black people out of spaces that we need or want to be in. Having colleges and universities around the U.S. specifically for Black people makes a safe space for us. Secondly, I am Pro-Black all the way. There are only a few people who say that I am biased but is that a bad thing? Absolutely not. I’m rooting for everybody black over here. With that being said, I like to support things like HBCUs, restaurants, fashion brands, healthcare professionals, businesses, etc., that are BLACK. I have a BLACK doctor, a BLACK dentist, I buy from BLACK-owned brands and businesses, I eat from BLACK-owned restaurants, and I attend a BLACK college because what’s better than Black support? Oh ok. Lastly, I honestly believe that a majority of white people only attend HBCUs for clout or brownie points. There are probably a couple who attend and have pretty good reasons why they do, but the majority of non-black people I’ve seen that go to an HBCU don’t have a serious mission for helping my community at all, and that spot could have been given to an actual African American or black student. Overall, I just think there’s more work to be done on their side before they start integrating into Black safe spaces. I think more effort and action should be done to accept Black people into predominantly white spaces to establish a more genuine and comfortable relationship before we allow them into ours. As I said before, the relationship between us still feels one-sided.

If given the opportunity to improve my community, I would open my own practice. My name is Ja’Khia Dismukes and I am a current sophomore attending the illustrious Howard University. I am majoring in Health Sciences and minoring in spanish. I want to become an Anesthesiologist. With that being said, I plan to open my own practice that accepts all types of insurances and payments so that people in my community have affordable and high quality healthcare. I’ve thought about becoming a doctor of some sort for a long time now. And now that I am in college (one of the top HBCUs at that), I can clearly see my purpose. I was first interested in becoming a Veterinarian at a young age because I loved animals. I still do, however, my vision changed once I got to middle school. It was brought to my attention that not only was I given away at birth, but my biological mother has mental health issues which is why she couldn’t take care of me and my siblings. I have a younger brother, an older sister, and a twin brother. No one in my family graduated from college and only some have a highschool diploma. I am a first generation college student with little to no financial help. My mother gets SSI and possibly disability from the government, which is why this scholarship would help me continue pursuing my bachelors degree at Howard University. High school was when I really started thinking about my future. I’ve always excelled in academics, and being good in sports was just a plus. But, growing up in the situation I was in made me realize that my community needed me. I was stuck in a dilemma of pursuing an education in a field where my people needed me the most, or following my own dream. At this time, I wanted to be either an Ophthalmologist, OBGYN, or Dermatologist. But so many of us were getting brutally beaten and killed by the cops, and I felt that I needed to be someone in the field of Law to help save us and get the justice we so deserve. A friend and I decided that I would pursue healthcare, and she would pursue Law, which gave me peace of mind. Now that I’ve grown, I changed my career interest once more. Due to high statistics of black people dying in the healthcare field over things that could have been easily avoided, I want to become an Anesthesiologist. I want to be in the room when patients are coming for surgery. I want to be the comfort my people feel when they see a black Doctor taking care of them. I want them to feel heard and seen when they voice any type of concern about their body. I want to be the one who changes how our community sees healthcare. And I also want to open my own practice, build a community of black healthcare professionals, and be licensed to have multiple locations all over the U.S.

If allowed to improve my community, I would open my own practice. My name is Ja’Khia Dismukes and I am a current sophomore attending the illustrious Howard University. I am majoring in Health Sciences and minoring in Spanish. I want to become an Anesthesiologist. With that being said, if given the opportunity to improve my community, I would open my practice that accepts all types of insurance and payments so that people in my community have affordable and high-quality healthcare. I’ve thought about becoming a doctor of some sort for a long time now. And now that I am in college (one of the top HBCUs at that), I can see my purpose. I was first interested in becoming a Veterinarian at a young age because I loved animals. I still do, however, my vision changed once I got to middle school. It was brought to my attention that not only was I given away at birth, but my biological mother has mental health issues which is why she couldn’t take care of me and my siblings. I have a younger brother, an older sister, and a twin brother. No one in my family graduated from college and only some have a high school diploma. I am a first-generation college student with little to no financial help. My mother gets SSI and possibly disability from the government. My biological family didn't try to reach out to me and my twin brother growing up. We were raised by a different family who was loving and very supportive but also had health issues. After a little while, I started getting the questions any adult would ask a child: “What do you want to be when you grow up?”. I would start by saying a Veterinarian. Then after puberty, I started to gain more interest in sports, so I would say a Sports Medicine Doctor. High school was when I started thinking heavily about my future. I’ve always excelled in academics, and being good in sports was just a plus. But, growing up in the situation I was in made me realize that my community needed me. I was stuck in a dilemma of pursuing an education in a field where my people needed me the most or following my dream. At this time, I wanted to be either an Ophthalmologist, OBGYN, or Dermatologist. But so many of us were getting brutally beaten and killed by the cops, and I felt that I needed to be someone in the field of Law to help save us and get the justice we so deserve. A friend and I decided that I would pursue healthcare, and she would pursue Law, which gave me peace of mind. Now that I’ve grown, I changed my career interest once more. Due to high statistics of black people dying in the healthcare field over things that could have been easily avoided, I want to become an Anesthesiologist. I want to be in the room when patients are coming for surgery. I want to be the comfort my people feel when they see a black Doctor taking care of them. I want them to feel heard and seen when they voice any type of concern about their body. I want to be the one who changes how our community sees healthcare. And I also want to open my own practice, build a community of black healthcare professionals, and be licensed to have multiple locations all over the U.S.

Ever since I was a little girl, I always had an interest in providing help to others who may need it. My attraction to medical professions and health-related fields first started out with me being exposed to Veterinarians. At the time, I was obsessed with animals and wanted to be the person that was able to make them feel better whenever they were hurt. Then after my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer later on, I started to become interested in other health-related fields such as Gynecology, Dermatology, and Optometry. Many members of my gigantic family have some sort of medical problem and I was not aware of that until I got to high school. A lot of them needed surgery of some sort and so I shifted my interest again to cater to my family. That is when I decided that I would pursue a Health Sciences Degree and later become an Anesthesiologist. I imagined myself working alongside surgeons and other medical professionals to ensure my people were being treated with care and comfort. After more research and exposure to health-related fields, I noticed that there are not many African Americans and other Afro-people in this field. Looking at statistics back then and even now motivates me to continue to strive high in academics and communication to be that one black woman that people remember from the operation table. I want people that also look like me to feel comfortable and taken care of during any surgery. There are too many "accidents" and unnecessary deaths across the U.S. regarding black people in healthcare. It is unacceptable, and I will be the change. I will speak up for all my patients in any given setting when something is not right, or when patients feel they are not being heard, especially for my black sisters and brothers. It will be my duty to make sure they are getting adequate care during any operation where I am in the room. I am so passive about the Health Sciences degree I am currently pursuing because I know I can and will graduate from Howard University, Medical/Graduate School, and all the other programs and schooling I need to become an Anesthesiologist. In addition, I am also pursuing my bachelor's degree in Spanish because we love a bilingual black queen (me). With that being said, my name is JaKhia Dismukes. I am from Milwaukee, WI and I am double majoring in Health Sciences and Spanish to become an Anesthesiologist in the future. Moreover, this scholarship will help me achieve my goals by worrying less about how I will pay my tuition here at Howard University. I am currently a Sophomore undergrad student. Lastly, I am grateful for this opportunity to apply to the 'Analtha Parr Pell Memorial Scholarship', regardless if I am chosen or not. Thank you for allowing me to share my dreams and aspirations as your future Black Anesthesiologist.

Ever since I was a little girl, I always had an interest in providing help to others who may need it. My attraction to medical professions and health-related fields first started out with me being exposed to Veterinarians. At the time, I was obsessed with animals and wanted to be the person that was able to make them feel better whenever they were hurt. Then after my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer later on, I started to become interested in other health-related fields such as Gynecology, Dermatology, and Optometry. Many members of my gigantic family have some sort of medical problem and I was not aware of that until I got to high school. A lot of them needed surgery of some sort and so I shifted my interest again to cater to my family. That is when I decided that I would pursue a Health Sciences Degree and later become an Anesthesiologist. I imagined myself working alongside surgeons and other medical professionals to ensure my people were being treated with care and comfort. After more research and exposure to health-related fields, I noticed that there are not many African Americans and other Afro-people in this field. Looking at statistics back then and even now motivates me to continue to strive high in academics and communication to be that one black woman that people remember from the operation table. I want people that also look like me to feel comfortable and taken care of during any surgery. There are too many "accidents" and unnecessary deaths across the U.S. regarding black people in healthcare. It is unacceptable, and I will be the change. I will speak up for all my patients in any given setting when something is not right, or when patients feel they are not being heard, especially for my black sisters and brothers. It will be my duty to make sure they are getting adequate care during any operation where I am in the room. I am so passive about the Health Sciences degree I am currently pursuing because I know I can and will graduate from Howard University, Medical/Graduate School, and all the other programs and schooling I need to become an Anesthesiologist. In addition, I am also pursuing my bachelor's degree in Spanish because we love a bilingual black queen (me). With that being said, my name is JaKhia Dismukes. I am from Milwaukee, WI and I am double majoring in Health Sciences and Spanish to become a bilingual Anesthesiologist in the future. I will achieve my goals. Moreover, this scholarship will help me achieve my goals by worrying less about how I will pay my tuition here at Howard University. I am currently a Sophomore undergrad student. Anything I get will help me pay my tuition. I am grateful for this opportunity to apply to the 'She Rose in Health Scholarship', regardless if I am chosen or not. Thank you for allowing me to share my dreams and aspirations as your future Black Anesthesiologist.

As a black girl, growing up in Milwaukee, WI was not relatively easy. As most people do not know, Milwaukee, WI is one of the most segregated cities in the U.S. With that being said, I attended public school all the up until I graduated high school and was always around other children who did not look like me. Of course, I had a few friends who were also black/ African American, but we were always the minority at school. It wasn't until I was put into the Teen Achievers program sponsored by the YMCA by my mom. It was then, that I was given the opportunity to go on an HBCU Tour with other black girls and boys in the neighborhood. Before going on this tour, I was not aware that Historically Black Colleges even existed. Unfortunately, that is not something that is glorified or brung to students' attention at predominantly white schools in general. During this tour, we visited 5 different HBCUs in the south. Those HBCUs were: Tuskeegee College, Jackson State University, Alabama State University, Tennesee State University, and Tougaloo College. I felt the most emotion at Tuskeegee College. During the tour, we were informed that the campus was actually built on an old plantation. I felt so many emotions during this tour that I immediately felt like going to an HBCU was a must. My favorite was Jackson State University. I felt at home almost. Student life was on point, everybody was welcoming and warm, and just being around all my black sisters and brothers was just the cherry on top of my experience visiting HBCUs. I loved it. Once I got home, I immediately started making a list of colleges to apply to; with HBCUs as my top priority. And now, I attend Howard University.

The most helpful piece of financial advice I have ever received is "Spend your money wisely". This small piece of advice has helped me for such a long time. People will probably think "oh, that's very vague" or "that's not saying much". However, I have saved a pretty good amount of money as a part time employee and am now in college as a first year undergraduate. I took this small piece of advice and used it to the best of my ability. With that being said, I now mostly spend my money on what can make me money in return. Of course I buy myself nice things but I have disciplined myself to the point where I am still making small amounts of change in order to survive the college life without working (Im not eligible for work-study as a freshman right now).

I wouldn't say I had the best relationship with my mother, but she did influence my decision to attend college. I was adopted at 16 years old along with my twin brother to a woman who I can say gave me everything. My biological mother has a disability and was going to give me up for adoption, but the woman I have called mom since birthed, has instilled in me morals and values that I still hold today. My mom (legal guardian) went to college and graduated with a bachelors degree from a community college in my hometown. With that being said, she always told me to invest in my education, no matter how much it would cost, because at the end, she will figure out a way. Ive held onto these words since middle school, and am now a first year undergraduate at a top HBCU in the U.S.; Howard University. Of course, as a child, you think you know everything, so being put in your place feels like disrespect. However, at the same time, me and my mom was not always close. I was neither a momma's or daddy's girl. I was a grandma's girl. So being at home with my mom was something I did not like. I always stayed to myself, comped in my room, reading books and teaching myself new skills. The relationship I had with my mom was rocky. I felt like she always tried to be right and likes to throw her one degree in my face saying "Im smarter than you, Ja'Khia". Now I am enrolled in a 4 year private HBCU in Washington DC. Although our relationship has gotten a little bit better, I still remember the times she has made me feel small, and stupid. All of this has influenced me to attend college along with other things such as my life goals and dream careers. Looking back, I can say that I am proud to be where I am today, especially in times like this, where the world feels like it is falling apart around me. I know I will graduate on time in 4 years with a great GPA and a starting career in Anesthesiology. I'm claiming it !