At the age of 10, I lost my only uncle to police brutality. At the time, my mother remained silent about what truly transpired. He died in a car accident, my siblings and I were told. A few months later, at church, my brother saw a poster for a march for my uncle's life. That day, my life changed forever. My mother told us everything that happened and since then we've been attending Black Lives Matter protests. Every time I read a story about police brutality, it brings back memories of how I felt when my uncle passed away. Fast Forward to 2022, I lost my great-uncle to sickle cell. He was 69, it was a miracle how long he fought. My great-grandfather passed at the age of 65, and although we've lost both of them, my uncle had one desire, and that was to live past the age of 65 and he did. He may be gone, but at least he is no longer suffering, and that gives me comfort. My passion is the reason I share these two stories. My narrative is what it is because of them, and I am who I am because of them. Everybody I've lost so far only wants me to succeed, therefore I put a lot of effort into doing that. My great-grandparents never had the opportunity to finish high school. Despite having no formal education, my great-grandmother was one of the sharpest people I've ever encountered. She placed a high value on education and wished for me to never stop learning. Success is something I strive for in everything that I do, and I'll work hard to get there. As my great-grandmother used to say “If you’re going to do something, do it with all your heart and effort.” Although she is no longer here, her impact on me influences me to be the best scholar I can be and to appreciate my own hard work. I was born in Summit, New Jersey, but I've lived in Irvington, New Jersey my entire life. My surroundings are considered to be a dangerous area, and I agree. My community has taught me that curiosity is a vital quality. One's curiosity will inspire a passion for learning new things as well as a sense of morality to put in the effort necessary to succeed. Living in an urban community is very draining, but it teaches you patience and kindness. I believe learning isn’t limited to only school subjects or academics. Learning is about the skills we acquire over time and the new ideas we develop. When learning, we should gain an understanding of different concepts and topics throughout our life. Some urban communities are known for their criminal activity and the negative events that transpire. In my community, there are churches and recreational centers that provide their time to give you advice and resources for the future.

At the age of 19, my mother got pregnant with my sister. She was in college when this occurred. Over time she has never been able to go back and get her degree. My great-grandparents never had the opportunity to finish high school. Despite having no formal education, my great-grandmother was one of the sharpest people I've ever encountered. She placed a high value on education and wished for me to never stop learning. Success is something I strive for in everything that I do, and I'll work hard to get there. As my great-grandmother used to say “If you’re going to do something, do it with all your heart and effort.” As of now, I have decided on what I would like to achieve when I get older. One of my many goals is to major in neuroscience in college in hopes of becoming a neurosurgeon after medical school. Along with being a doctor, I look forward to owning some of my own dance schools. Some may say my goals are random when compared to each other. My career goals involve two topics I have a lot of love for, dance and medicine. Being a first-generation college student I have an open mind. I'm curious about the opportunities for me and my future.

Medicine is fascinating. Studying medicine isn’t studying one single subject. Studying medicine is studying everything there is to know about the human body. A commitment to medicine requires serious thought and a complex understanding of what being a doctor means. To me being a doctor is being able to help people in a significant and beneficial way. It’s essential to value your health, but for some, their life is painful or difficult because of it. Doctors play a huge role in situations like this, some doctors have the ability to help patients heal back to their normal selves. Seeing patients put their lives in the hands of doctors and nurses is amazing. I would consider being trusted an honor. To speak about my personal life I was raised by a single mother who put her children before anything. I have an older sister who graduated from law school and I have a twin brother. My mother has always been a huge supporter of her children no matter what it is they want to do. My mother is also sick. My mother has gone to many doctor's appointments and she’s been to the hospital multiple times. However, she still hasn't received answers as to what is wrong. She tries to keep a lot of that hidden because she doesn’t want us to worry. She also had brain surgery when I was younger which prevents her from working. Even though she doesn’t have the ability to work, she makes sure her kids always have what they need. Being a doctor means helping people with a situation similar to my mother's. My mother is my biggest motivation for becoming a doctor. While living in the urban community, I’ve noticed that a lot of people don’t have access to the same medication or doctors as those who live in rural and suburban areas. Sadly, this has caused some people to have negative experiences with hospitals or just simply healthcare. When becoming a doctor you shouldn’t forget how to be human and how to feel for other people regardless of their differences. However, one person isn’t able to fix this issue as a whole. We need more doctors of color in the health system. In addition to my first paragraph, becoming a doctor is being able to interact with different kinds of people every day. A variety of experiences will also bring some sort of excitement. Being a doctor is the ability to critically think and problem-solve. The main thing I admire about being a doctor is the challenge. Every day a doctor is challenged in figuring out the best way to treat their patient. Surgeons are challenged to find a way to use their hands and fix the problem. When I become a doctor I will see my job as not only a profession but also as a service where I put others first. Growing up I've always been raised in the church. Since I was about 8 I've been visiting Nursing Homes and helping the elders that reside there. When I turned 13, I started helping the food pantries at my neighborhood churches. This has shaped me into becoming a caring and patient person, but this also helps with my academics. I've always loved to read and lately, I've been buying a lot of anatomy books. This was my first year taking an anatomy and physiology class, and I love it. The books that I've bought over the years become super useful in that class. I like how I can get information from a book instead of online.