Challenge Name: Truth or Trade The goal of this challenge is to test how well the Islanders know each other while creating plenty of funny moments, surprises, and a little bit of drama. Each Islander starts with a suitcase containing five cards. Some cards have true facts about themselves, while others contain fake statements written by the producers. One at a time, an Islander reads a statement aloud without revealing whether it is true or false. The rest of the Islanders must secretly vote on whether they believe it. If the majority guesses correctly, the Islander earns no points. If they fool the group, they earn a point. However, there is a twist. After every round, another contestant can challenge the statement by offering one of their own suitcases in a "trade." If the challenge is accepted, both Islanders must answer one personal question from the host before continuing. These questions would focus on relationships in the villa, such as who they trust most, who they think is playing a game, or who they believe is the strongest couple. Refusing to answer means automatically losing the point. Throughout the challenge, the host keeps a live scoreboard. The winning Islander earns a private sunset date with the person they are coupled up with, complete with dinner and the chance to ask one anonymous question submitted by the public. The Islander in last place receives a humorous consequence, such as wearing a ridiculous outfit chosen by the other contestants for the rest of the evening or serving everyone breakfast the next morning. This challenge would be entertaining because it combines humor, strategy, and relationship dynamics. Contestants have to decide whether to tell believable truths, invent convincing lies, or risk revealing personal opinions about the people around them. Viewers would get to learn unexpected facts about the Islanders while also seeing how much trust exists within the villa. It would create funny moments, spark conversations between couples, and likely reveal information that could change the course of the season.

Being raised in a Haitian immigrant household, I quickly learned not to take any opportunity for granted. My parents moved to the United States in pursuit of a better life for our family, and their sacrifices inspired me to strive for success through hard work, perseverance, and a commitment to serving others. My passion for healthcare developed over time, but it truly grew during my volunteer experience at Dr. Bahrami’s medical office. Over the course of 150 hours, I was exposed to healthcare beyond what I could learn in a classroom. I greeted patients, assisted with rooming, took vital signs, and observed physicians interacting with patients throughout the day. Although these responsibilities may seem simple, they taught me how much trust patients place in their healthcare providers. I noticed that the moments patients appreciated most were often the smallest ones, such as a calm voice that eased their worries or a physician taking a few extra minutes to answer their questions. Those experiences showed me that medicine goes far beyond treating symptoms. It is also about empathy, reassurance, and helping people feel respected during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. These experiences confirmed my desire to study biochemistry on a pre-med track and eventually become an anesthesiologist. I am drawn to anesthesiology because it combines scientific precision with compassionate patient care. Anesthesiologists are entrusted with keeping patients safe during surgery while helping relieve the fears of both patients and their families. I hope to become the kind of physician who remains calm under pressure while providing the highest level of care and reassurance. Beyond healthcare, I have sought to make a positive impact within my school and community. As Treasurer of FBLA and Vice President of the North Miami Beach Y.E.S. Center Youth Advisory Council, I learned that leadership is about serving others rather than holding a title. In these roles, I helped organize fundraisers, supported community events, worked with other students to increase participation, and learned the importance of listening, communicating, and putting others first. My involvement in Student Government, UNICEF, Robotics, and marching band also strengthened my ability to work with diverse groups while balancing demanding academic responsibilities. Academically, I challenged myself by earning my Associate of Arts degree through dual enrollment while still in high school. Balancing college coursework with extracurricular activities required discipline, organization, and effective time management. More importantly, it taught me that meaningful growth comes from stepping outside of my comfort zone. As a future physician, I hope to make a lasting impact by providing compassionate, high-quality care, especially to underserved communities with limited access to healthcare. I also hope to mentor students from backgrounds similar to mine and encourage them to pursue careers in medicine. Representation matters, and I want others to see that their background does not limit what they can achieve. Medicine brings together my love of science and my desire to serve others. Every experience I have had, from volunteering in Dr. Bahrami’s office to serving my community through leadership, has strengthened my commitment to becoming a physician who makes a positive difference in the lives of others.

I believe that I am an outstanding candidate for this scholarship due to my consistent record of excellence not only in the classroom but also my genuine commitment to leadership, service, and my pursuit of a future career in medicine. From an early age, my education became more than just a path to success; it became a process of shaping me into an individual with the capacity to impact my community. As a Haitian-American and the first member of my family to attend college, I have embraced the essential skills of perseverance, discipline, and intentionality in all my endeavors. I have taken advantage of each opportunity to build a well-rounded educational experience. In high school, I pursued a rigorous academic path including completing an Associate of Arts degree through dual enrollment courses that challenged my time management skills as I balanced university requirements with high school responsibilities. I am proud to have maintained a 5.303 weighted GPA and a 3.93 unweighted GPA, testaments not only to my dedication to academic excellence but also my ability to excel under pressure. While these grades represent a focus on accomplishment, my dedication to achieving them was a far more formative experience; they necessitated a commitment to overcoming periods of self-doubt and academic struggle by building on skills such as self-discipline and active learning that helped me manage demands and insecurities more effectively. My perspective on academic challenges now has evolved, seeing difficulties as catalysts for growth, not as marks of failure. I remained active in numerous extracurricular and leadership activities to gain a breadth of experiences and to cultivate my own interests and skills. As FBLA treasurer, managing the organization's financial resources and collaborating on the planning and implementation of member and student events allowed me to develop strong organizational, financial responsibility, and teamwork skills. During my time as vice president of the North Miami Beach Youth Advisory Council (NMB Y.E.S. Center), I was involved in initiatives to increase community engagement and empower local youth, facilitating park cleanups and forum on civic engagement to encourage youth participation in local government processes. This opportunity affirmed my belief in leadership through community-focused service. Additional experiences in Student Government, UNICEF, the Robotics Club, and the marching band further shaped my perspective and skillset; student government honed my skills in advocacy and representation, UNICEF broadened my international awareness and social impact understanding, the Robotics Club developed my problem-solving abilities, and marching band reinforced the importance of discipline, teamwork, and unity. I committed more than 150 hours of volunteering at Dr. Bahrami's medical office, where I gained invaluable insight into the practice of medicine. Direct exposure to a clinical setting was immensely informative, teaching me the importance of empathy, compassion, and calm communication with patients. Observing the daily flow of a practice and assisting in the provision of supportive care-from welcoming patients to accompanying them to rooms-revealed the impact of a welcoming atmosphere on patient experience. This profound experience illuminated my path to medicine, and in particular to anesthesiology, where a deep sense of responsibility for ensuring patient safety and a keen attention to detail are of the utmost importance. I am motivated to pursue an anesthesiology residency not only because of the intellectual challenge but also because of the essential component of human connection, alleviating anxiety, and fostering an environment of trust in moments of extreme vulnerability. I plan to pursue a degree in Biochemistry in anticipation of my goal to become an anesthesiologist, a specialization that requires precision, stability, and sharp focus. Furthermore, it demands a strong sense of personal responsibility in making life-or-death decisions and the capacity for calm and empathic interaction, characteristics that I strive to refine. As the first in my family to attend college, the financial undertaking represents a significant hurdle for my family. Although my parents are committed to supporting my education to the best of their ability, the additional cost of a college education, particularly medical school, places immense pressure on them. This scholarship would alleviate this substantial burden, allowing me to dedicate more of my time to academic pursuit and preparation for the rigors of medical school. This scholarship would not only financially assist my immediate educational goals but also provide me the opportunity to broaden my experiences, further contributing to my community. I come from a community where consistent access to education and healthcare is often elusive, and I am driven by the ambition to help diminish those disparities. I aspire to use my medical knowledge and skills to care for patients and to mentor and inspire hope in underserved areas. I believe I am deserving of this scholarship because of my history of academic excellence, my dedication to service and leadership, and my clearly defined vision for making a positive and meaningful difference. Your support of my education would be a critical factor in helping me achieve my aspiration to serve others as a compassionate and skilled physician.

To my Parents - A Journey toward higher education can be uncharted territory. For Haitians immigrants, this can be an opportunity you weren’t sure existed, it requires to be equipped and prepared with all you can know. Though my parents, instilled value of perseverance and dedication, they did not navigate American college system. Every information, such as; learning to research grants and scholarships; selecting appropriate college courses to pursue my bachelor’s to completing my application, required more work and diligence; these steps which many of your peers take seem to come easier for most due to many exposure of the education system. Many steps were acquired due to teachers’ encouragement and personal guidance of mentors. Yet, despite any uncertainty of any steps that may deter one from taking further steps toward college education; there are many avenues and options you would not otherwise be knowledgeable of were you to rely on an outsider guiding you. Through such learning experiences, you were compelled to be more initiative in your endeavors, question the knowledge that was set before you and assume accountability for your own education and goals that lay ahead rather than waiting for some external guide that might come along. “Hard work and persistence lead to victory” would seem a fitting quote but to express how your sacrifices have made a significant part of how i hope to pursue my own goals. Having grown up observing the hard works and sacrifices from Haitian immigrant parents is invaluable and have contributed to our survival here on this side of the Atlantic Ocean; to provide us with more than they ever had, not knowing where they will come from but believing it with all of their hearts it had to appear someday. They had no clear path for their success but because of perseverance, they have made sacrifices a better way for their children and i plan to do likewise. Despite coming from immigrant families and pursuing medical education as the only field I had ever considered, it’s never quite been about following anyone, but building my own trail - a challenge many immigrants I imagine can attest to - that is, building on your families success through dedication, hard work, but through your unique talents to attain your goals. For years, as a Haitian-born I was under theimpression i didn’t have an authentic place in the american university system; instead of considering myself and such as “other” I’m going to view them and I'm now going to embrace that “outsider” status and become “one of” The american university and its systems have many pathways and my own personal road to medical career has presented itself. I see the world of academia as a different landscape from the immigrant family home; and while i see many “native students” within this landscapes; and while I'll be another addition to that landscape i will make my contribution one, one that has meaning to those back home. I’m going to bring some culture with me; those with such will be welcomed with an outstretched hand. A healer should reflect the community from which he or she has emanated, or is working with;; And i believe I have done my homework-

“Be More”: the anesthesiologist who practices with intent. “Be More” in medicine: an anesthesiologist, not just with proficiency but a keen awareness of the patient’s experience of their care during a profoundly vulnerable period. My pursuit of medicine is grounded in biochem to understand how medication affects a person on a scientific level, but also to help inform the intentional ways I want to “show up” for my patients; intentionally calm, clear, and with respect for their fears which, sadly, are almost inevitable in a hospital setting. I’m intent on not only doing good work, but also ensuring patients feel treated well within a system that sometimes overlooks patients of varying linguistic backgrounds, cultural values and experiences, especially the nuances specific to an anesthesiologist, who’s only briefly with a patient before they undergo medical treatments they may or may not be fully comfortable with or informed about. I want to not only be a good anesthesiologist, but the doctor that patient would actually feel grounded talking to throughout their time being cared for, a safe harbor for patient uncertainty, building trust in places they feel powerlessness and a champion for a culture of care. I'm a Haitian American and first generation college student who wants my presence in medicine to mean more. I want to represent myself within the community that molded me, and, in turn, ensure those from traditionally marginalized communities in healthcare feel welcome and understood, both for their needs as patients as well as their desire to serve communities like my own. My turning point towards medicine was witnessing a patient's profound fear of a simple procedure; despite knowing medicine’s capabilities, he was utterly overwhelmed. What I saw transformed him was not medicine, but a pause in the technical process for a few sentences of clarity and acknowledgement of the fear I saw clear in his eyes. In this simple human interaction, I realized medicine isn't only about the mechanics of care, it’s about my presence. This idea was strengthened through volunteer experiences as I saw firsthand the unnecessary stress born from missed nuances of communication, and the resulting frustration from patients. This experience makes me desire to become the bridge that fills such divides. And I will, as much as I can, continue the trajectory of that lesson. I’ll be the physician that takes the time to listen, even with a packed schedule. I’ll explain, even if I’ve done so multiple times. And I’ll “Be More” for other younger, underrepresented students like myself and guide them to realize how much their individual experiences will enrich this field.

My aspiration to study biochemistry in college was born from a desire to understand the biological processes of life at their most fundamental level, and to leverage those discoveries to improve the quality of care provided to patients. The interest I developed over the years coalesced into a specific and firm desire to be an anesthesiologist – a specialty that draws me because of its demanding precision and significant responsibility. In this specialty, decisions at moments of extreme vulnerability can have profound consequences and can serve as a vital means of ensuring patient stability. It is this synthesis of the precision of pure science, the urgency of decision-making in life-or-death situations, and the deeply earned trust of my patients that inspires me. To this end, my short-term goals consist of building a robust foundation at the undergraduate level through rigorous coursework in chemistry, biology, and physiology, supplemented with meaningful clinical exposure in healthcare settings through volunteer positions and work opportunities. My experience observing how this classroom knowledge can be applied in a clinical environment will undoubtedly provide greater insight into patient needs and challenges. Moreover, I look forward to sharpening my communication, time management and critical thinking skills, essential traits to excel in medical school and beyond. I see myself long-term not only successfully matriculating into medical school but subsequently specializing in anesthesiology, where I can bring calm, attentiveness and compassion to the Operating Room by caring for patients as they undergo surgery. I, like many other first-generation college students and Haitian Americans, know the challenges of navigating space in the medical field as a group with limited representation. Having grown up, I rarely had the opportunity to see or meet doctors who came from a similar background, making a career in medicine seem quite far off, though now it has become a very real aspiration and a potent one: I want to be a doctor who represents possibility and is accessible to the many underserved communities that feel that medicine does not represent or trust them. The pursuit of a higher education has been an immense financial sacrifice for my family. As first generation immigrants, my parents bear not only the burdens of living, but are responsible for the welfare of a large extended family. This means that their ability to pay the costs associated with college tuition are necessarily stretched very thin. The assistance from this scholarship would dramatically lighten their financial burden and allow me to devote my full attention to my academic studies, clinical experiences and long-term aspirations, unburdened by pervasive financial anxiety. Ultimately, this scholarship would allow me to build my own future while supporting my family as I progress on my path toward a career in anesthesiology, providing careful and compassionate care in diverse hospital communities.

I have always been drawn to understanding how science connects to real people’s lives. Over time, that curiosity developed into a clear goal: to pursue biochemistry as my major and continue on a pre-medical path toward becoming an anesthesiologist. What interests me most about medicine is not just the science behind it, but the responsibility of caring for people during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. I hope to be the kind of physician who helps patients feel safe, respected, and genuinely cared for. As the child of Haitian immigrants, I grew up seeing firsthand the sacrifices my parents made to build a better future for our family. Their work ethic and resilience shaped my own mindset and pushed me to take advantage of every opportunity I could. In high school, I challenged myself academically by earning my Associate of Arts degree through dual enrollment while maintaining a 5.303 weighted GPA and a 3.93 unweighted GPA. At the same time, I stayed active in my school and community through FBLA as Treasurer, Student Government, the NMB Y.E.S. Center Youth Advisory Council as Vice President, UNICEF, Robotics, and marching band. These experiences helped me grow as a leader, learn how to manage responsibility, and understand the importance of working with people from different backgrounds. One cause that is especially important to me is improving access to healthcare and supporting underserved communities. Through 150 hours of volunteering at Dr. Bahrami’s medical office, I was able to see healthcare from the inside. I helped welcome patients, took vital signs, organized information, and supported the daily flow of the clinic. While these tasks may seem small, I learned that they can make a real difference in how comfortable and respected a patient feels. That experience made it clear to me that medicine is not only about diagnosing and treating illness, but also about communication, empathy, and trust. If awarded this scholarship, it would significantly ease the financial burden of college for my family, who also supports relatives in Haiti while managing everyday expenses. Having that support would allow me to focus more fully on my studies, participate in research opportunities, and continue building experience in the medical field without constantly worrying about financial stress. It would also bring me closer to achieving my long-term goal of becoming a physician who gives back to the community. Ultimately, I want my education to be more than a personal achievement. I want it to be a tool for impact. Whether it is through patient care, mentorship, or community involvement, I hope to contribute to a healthcare system that is more compassionate, accessible, and equitable. I believe that even small actions, when done consistently and with intention, can create meaningful change in the world.