What motivates me most to confront gender disparity is the fact that women have been, and are expected to suffer in silence. Women are making their true feelings, and injustices known more publicly now thanks to social progress. The female mind is a mystery it is often said, and of course that would be the case when throughout history they were not allowed to voice their opinions. I work full time in the healthcare industry and I see blatant ignorance against women everyday. Women carry the healthcare industry on their shoulders.Yet men are still perceived as the doctors. Nursing is a noble and challenging profession yet people still assume any woman in healthcare is only a nurse and could never be a doctor. When a woman does happen to be a doctor her expertise is still overlooked. Male doctors ignore the suggestions of women practitioners, as do patients. They put more trust in the words of a man because of his gender, even if the woman is a renowned expert in her field. I hope to attend either Texas State University or Abilene Christian University this fall due to the flexibility within their online bachelors programs. After obtaining my bachelors I wish to go to Baylor to obtain an accelerated nursing degree. From there I will choose the specialty I feel most passionate about. I hope to make an impact in the way women are perceived and heard. Many women face inequality on the other side of healthcare, being a patient. Countless women are misdiagnosed by providers every year. If a woman was to go to the ER for severe abdominal pain it is highly likely that she will be told to take ibuprofen for her menstrual cramps and turned away. Was it menstrual cramps, no it was an ovarian cyst that fatally ruptured days later. Just a realistic example of how women are unable to take control of even their own health. Even medical studies in healthcare are inaccurate for women. Up until recently many of the participants in studies were predominantly white males. How can providers make informed decisions about patient care when the data did not include a single woman. This is something I feel very passionate about changing. I have volunteered in my church on many occasions providing care packages to homeless women. These care packages have included menstrual products, toothbrushes and other hygiene products. As well as socks, blankets, snacks and resources on women's shelters in the area. In my day to day life I stand my ground and do not let others silence me or other women for our gender. I will continue volunteering to further women's equality, especially when I am a licensed nurse, I wish to volunteer at low income clinics in my spare time.

Hello my name is Julia Mendez I am a current undergraduate student studying to become a speech pathologist, and a full time medical assistant. I have always had an interest in the medical field from a very young age. My parents did not get the opportunity to go through college. I am very blessed that I can while working thanks to asynchronous classes. I originally began studying early childhood education, but found that my true interests reside within the healthcare field. My end goal is to become a nurse practitioner or maybe even a nurse anesthetist. I may not be set on a specific specialty yet, but I can confidently say I want to work in healthcare to provide quality care to those in need. In healthcare I feel as though it has become more about quotas and profit and less about patient care. As a future healthcare provider I want to bring back that familial connection people may have had with past doctors. This has been unfortunately lost in translation as many things are rushed for efficiency. Regardless if efficiency is in the benefit of the patient. Becoming a nurse anesthetist is a lengthy process, it is a program for someone who is determined. There is little to no room for error. It can be daunting, but I have a great family support system in place to help me excel. Working as a medical assistant has gotten my foot through the door, and it has also strengthened my love for the field in general. I am filled with eagerness to continue on my journey through higher education and healthcare. Even though my journey has not been as straight a path as others I have been consistent in always prioritizing my education. Making slow progress. Only taking two classes a semester at times to balance my workload. I know now that progress is progress no matter how slow it may seem. After all my aunt, a single mother of two recently attained her masters degree in marine biology at 37. I may have strayed a little off topic, but my point being my passion for healthcare has stayed consistent throughout my journey so far, and I will not let anything come between me obtaining my degree. whether i have to continue working full time, depending upon others, having issues financing the degree. I will achieve my goal of becoming a nurse anesthetist, and making an undisbuted difference in the healthcare world.