I actively listen to others around me by making sure to pay attention to what exactly they are saying and the emotions behind it. I watch their hand gestures to get more of what they are trying to portray. When I am talking to others, I can tell when they aren't listening and I can tell when they are. A lot of the times when I vent, talk, etc. it is just to vent and for someone else to listen to how I feel and what I have to say. Other times I want someone to hear me and see something from my perspective and how I view it. Listening is a key way of communication nowadays and half of the communication is listening. By actually listening can solve so many more problems than people think. Miscommunications won't be had as much, and people may actually understand how the other one feels.

I traveled to Ecuador and Peru to provide free healthcare clinics to low-income families through MEDLIFE: medicine, education, development for low-income families everywhere. We were at one of the community meetings and I connected with a little girl. She lived in an unhealthy environment with little access to healthcare, which is why we were there to change that; however, the smile on her face dancing and singing is a memory I will always remember. The staff on the trip had more of a connection with the community living in the area; however, during the clinics helping in the littlest way possible can make the biggest difference for someone. I was drawn to medicine, even more opening my eyes to the challenges that people who aren’t as lucky face, yet they still have a smile on their face. This made me realize that medicine is a dynamic and challenging profession that I would be ecstatic to be given the opportunity to pursue a career in the medical field with the same dedication and joy that the staff had to these communities and that I gained from being there.

My mom has a video of me feeding my younger sister, when I was four years old. “Julia is a great big sister helping mommy feed Sarah” my mom said. “Jul what do you want to be when you grow up?” I looked at my mom and said, “I want to be a doctor.” From then on, being a pediatric doctor has been my dream. My passion for medicine resulted in my accomplishment of getting straight as throughout my education. There was just one obstacle I had to overcome. Due to the fault of a drunk driver—in an unimaginable tragedy—my mom was killed when I was only eight years old. I lost someone I had learned from, admired, and loved unconditionally. After her loss, I mourned deeply and wished that I could have had the time to grow the type of inseparable mother-daughter bond like most daughters have. The grief still fulfills me, but I have learned to channel it to effect positive change in the world today. My grief over her loss, however, has made me stronger. She still makes me stronger, strong enough to never let me give up until I reach my goal of being a pediatric surgeon. My persistence has only gotten stronger to do anything and everything I can to achieve that goal. I knew from then on out I had to do everything in my power to prepare myself for the rigors and challenges of medical school. I then began to volunteer, shadow, and work in different aspects of healthcare and specialties with the goal of graduating with a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry. Even though there are times where it can get challenging, everything that I have experienced has deepened by understanding and motivation with medicine thus increasing resilience, capabilities, and work ethic when facing any challenge that comes along in life. Working with my general chemistry professor, I became engaged in becoming a teacher’s assistant and then a tutor for his students. Being a tutor for his students was a challenge for me at first. It led me to gain the ability of engaging, establishing, and explaining the connections between concepts to each student in a variety of ways for each student to understand. The aspects of tutoring have allowed me to share my passion and love for learning and knowledge; however, every experience has opened my eyes to challenges in medicine. For instance, I traveled to Ecuador and Peru to provide free healthcare clinics to low-income families through MEDLIFE: medicine, education, development for low-income families everywhere. We were at one of the community meetings and I connected with a little girl. She lived in an unhealthy environment with little access to healthcare, which is why we were there to change that; however, the smile on her face dancing and singing is a memory I will always remember. The staff on the trip had more of a connection with the community living in the area; however, during the clinics helping in the littlest way possible can make the biggest difference for someone. I was drawn to medicine, even more opening my eyes to the challenges that people who aren’t as lucky face, yet they still have a smile on their face. This made me realize that medicine is a dynamic and challenging profession that I would be ecstatic to be given the opportunity to pursue a career in the medical field with the same dedication and joy that the staff had to these communities and that I gained from being there.

I traveled to Ecuador and Peru to provide free healthcare clinics to low-income families through MEDLIFE: medicine, education, development for low-income families everywhere. We were at one of the community meetings and I connected with a little girl. She lived in an unhealthy environment with little access to healthcare, which is why we were there to change that; however, the smile on her face dancing and singing is a memory I will always remember. The staff on the trip had more of a connection with the community living in the area; however, during the clinics helping in the littlest way possible can make the biggest difference for someone. I was drawn to medicine, even more opening my eyes to the challenges that people who aren’t as lucky face, yet they still have a smile on their face. This made me realize that medicine is a dynamic and challenging profession that I would be ecstatic to be given the opportunity to pursue a career in the medical field with the same dedication and joy that the staff had to these communities and that I gained from being there. This gave me a passion for helping people who need it.

Due to the fault of a drunk driver—in an unimaginable tragedy—my mom was killed when I was only eight years old. I lost someone I had learned from, admired, and loved unconditionally. After her loss, I mourned deeply and wished that I could have had the time to grow the type of inseparable mother-daughter bond like most daughters have. My grief over her loss, however, has made me stronger. She still makes me stronger, strong enough to never let me give up until I reach my goal of being a pediatric surgeon. My persistence has only gotten stronger to do anything and everything I can to achieve that goal. I knew from then on out I had to do everything in my power to prepare myself for the rigors and challenges of medical school. I then began to volunteer, shadow, and work in different aspects of healthcare and specialties with the goal of graduating with a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry. Even though there are times where it can get challenging, everything that I have experienced has deepened by understanding and motivation with medicine thus increasing resilience, capabilities, and work ethic when facing any challenge that comes along in life.

Friendship means everything to me. Growing up without a mother and only a father who worked countless hours, was tough. Family was always complicated after the passing of my mom so I had to rely on my friends more than most. Friendship became family. My friends were there for me more than my family ever would. They have picked me up when I'm down or hyped me up when I had an accomplishment or needed a little pick me up. Sometimes you don't realize how much they have done for you until someone asks you who do you want by your side and without hesitating you say your best friend. They are there for you through thick, thin, upside down and backwards. They become your life and you become there's. Friendship is a lifelong bond that can never be broken, and those friendships are the true ones that you will never have to second guess.

Self care has honestly changed my life for the better in every way shape and form. I am one who tends to forget about themselves and is always making sure everyone else is okay before myself. I was reminded one day by a very special person to make sure to take care of yourself first before you can go on and help everyone else and that stuck with me. From then on out I make sure my mind is at ease before helping others. It has changed my mentality putting a positive light on my life full of constant negativity. I have watched my show at night even if it's for ten minutes before bed, or treated myself to ice cream that night. I also exercise four to five times a week. Exercising is my happy place it puts my mind at ease when it may be scrambling, and it is sort of a reset like I'm okay everything will be okay. It can also be a distraction for me from everything and everyone else getting out every emotion that may be building up. I also sometimes, when things get tough, allow myself to cry and not be okay which is also very okay.

Anything that has to do with a medical discovery that could be in any assistance to me by the time that I become a doctor to change millions of lives. Whether it has to do with any sort of disease that I could be of use of would bring me so much joy. Even if it's part of a cure that I could help research and use the technology to find that cure and save that one person. I know that it is an impossible ask, but for no one to suffer as I had with the death of my mom. Due to the fault of a drunk driver—in an unimaginable tragedy—my mom was killed when I was only eight years old. I lost someone I had learned from, admired, and loved unconditionally. After her loss, I mourned deeply and wished that I could have had the time to grow the type of inseparable mother-daughter bond like most daughters have. If there's some technology in the future that can prevent everyone and anyone from getting into their car intoxicated would be the ultimate thing that I would be excited about. I know there's a few new technologies now in regards to people who have been convicted with a DWI or DUI and have to use the certain technology to even start their care. However, even if you haven't been convicted I want to see every person be sort of scanned when they are about to drive if they are intoxicated in new electric cars.

My mom has a video of me feeding my younger sister, when I was four years old. “Julia is a great big sister helping mommy feed Sarah” my mom said. “Jul what do you want to be when you grow up?” I looked at my mom and said, “I want to be a doctor.” From then on, being a doctor has been my dream. My passion for medicine resulted in my accomplishment of getting straight As throughout my education. There was just one obstacle I had to overcome. Due to the fault of a drunk driver—in an unimaginable tragedy—my mom was killed when I was only eight years old. I lost someone I had learned from, admired, and loved unconditionally. After her loss, I mourned deeply and wished that I could have had the time to grow the type of inseparable mother-daughter bond like most daughters have. The grief still fulfills me, but I have learned to channel it to effect positive change in the world today. For instance, now that I am older, I have become more and more involved with MADD. To that end, I have helped with the MADD walks, the golf outings to which I will be the keynote speaker summer 2021, and other events to fundraise, spread awareness for this worthy cause, and deter drunk driving with school presentations such as Power of Youth and Power of Parents. “Team Karen” is emblazoned in all capital letters on the front of my shirt and “Forever in our Hearts” on the back in her memory, for she has greatly impacted my life. I want to prevent other inebriated drivers from taking loved ones away from their families. Because of this experience, I have also come to appreciate the courage of my dad who has had to endure this ordeal and play the roles of both mom and dad, which he does with grace and dignity as he showers my sister and me with love. Through his sacrifice, he has given me greater values: determination, compassion, and faith. Having to care for my younger sister and make sacrifices myself but not to the extent of my dad, I have come to understand that life is complex and challenging. It is also precious. Based on my life goals and experiences I know this money could make a real difference in my life by helping me get the opportunity to pursue a career in the medical field with the dedication and joy. I would be another step closer into getting everything I've ever wanted; being able to afford medical school and make that difference and be that difference in the world whether it's with drunk driving or a new discovery or changing a patient's life.

My mom always used to tell me to enjoy the little things, and that is what I do. In any of my relationships, I cherish the small things over the big as I feel that all of the small things matter more than the big things. These are what bring me joy in life. In my relationship with my boyfriend, opening the door, extra hug when I'm down, going for a walk, all of those things hold a special place in my heart and add so much more love. In a friendship, leaving a little pumpkin on my desk for fall, buying a drink at the bar, picking me up so I don't have to drive, all of those little things mean the world. In my relationship with my dad, buying my favorite snack at the grocery store for when I come home or doing my laundry for me when I forget. It is the every day events just showing that they love and care about me mean more to me than just a birthday gift or Christmas gift. It all puts a smile on my face. Giving shows appreciation, way to say thank you, and/or show someone that you care. I always give back in either physical or verbal to mainly show that I care and have compassion. The gift of giving can go a long way even is it is so small. It can mean more to the people receiving than you think most of the time. This is why the holidays are so important it gives you an opportunity to show the ones that you love that you care about them the most. I would rather give than receive the joy that gifting gives me always puts the biggest smile on my face that lasts a lifetime.

My mom always used to tell me to enjoy the little things, and that is what I do. In any of my relationships, I cherish the small things over the big as I feel that all of the small things matter more than the big things. In my relationship with my boyfriend, getting him his favorite candy, extra hug when he's down, going for a walk, all of those things hold a special place in my heart and add so much more love. In a friendship, leaving a little pumpkin on his/her desk for fall, buying a drink at the bar, picking them up so they don't have to drive, all of those little things mean the world. In my relationship with my dad, doing extra things around the house to give him a break. I would rather give than receive the joy that gifting gives me always puts the biggest smile on my face that lasts a lifetime.

My mom always used to tell me to enjoy the little things, and that is what I do. In any of my relationships, I cherish the small things over the big as I feel that all of the small things matter more than the big things. In my relationship with my boyfriend, opening the door, extra hug when I'm down, going for a walk, all of those things hold a special place in my heart and add so much more love. In a friendship, leaving a little pumpkin on my desk for fall, buying a drink at the bar, picking me up so I don't have to drive, all of those little things mean the world. In my relationship with my dad, buying my favorite snack at the grocery store for when I come home or doing my laundry for me when I forget. It is the every day events just showing that they love and care about me mean more to me than just a birthday gift or Christmas gift. It all puts a smile on my face.

Giving shows appreciation, way to say thank you, and/or show someone that you care. I always give back in either physical or verbal to mainly show that I care and have compassion. The gift of giving can go a long way even is it is so small. It can mean more to the people receiving than you think most of the time. People have always given to me showing that they care, and it is only way to show that you care back by giving back to them. This is why the holidays are so important it gives you an opportunity to show the ones that you love that you care about them the most. I take to heart any gift that I have ever received from someone because it could be their way of saying thank you to me, saying how much they love me, and it could be their way of showing it instead of through words or actions. I would rather give than receive the joy that gifting gives me always puts the biggest smile on my face that lasts a lifetime.

I will be graduating from Binghamton University this spring where I will continue onward with my medical studies in pursuit of becoming a pediatric oncologist, to help countless/other children out there in any way that I can. Due to the fault of a drunk driver—in an unimaginable tragedy—my mom was killed when I was only eight years old. I lost someone I had learned from, admired, and loved unconditionally. My grief over her loss, however, has made me stronger. She still makes me stronger, strong enough to never let me give up until I reach my goal of being a pediatric surgeon. My persistence has only gotten stronger to do anything and everything I can to achieve that goal.I knew from then on out I had to do everything in my power to prepare myself for the rigors and challenges of medical school. I then began to volunteer, shadow, and work in different aspects of healthcare and specialties with the goal of graduating with a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry. Even though there are times where it can get challenging, everything that I have experienced has deepened by understanding and motivation with medicine thus increasing resilience, capabilities, and work ethic when facing any challenge that comes along in life. Working with my general chemistry professor, I became engaged in becoming a teacher’s assistant and then a tutor for his students. Being a tutor for his students was a challenge for me at first. It led me to gain the ability of engaging, establishing, and explaining the connections between concepts to each student in a variety of ways for each student to understand. The aspects of tutoring have allowed me to share my passion and love for learning and knowledge; however, every experience has opened my eyes to challenges in medicine. For instance, I traveled to Ecuador and Peru to provide free healthcare clinics to low-income families through MEDLIFE: medicine, education, development for low-income families everywhere. We were at one of the community meetings and I connected with a little girl. She lived in an unhealthy environment with little access to healthcare, which is why we were there to change that; however, the smile on her face dancing and singing is a memory I will always remember. The staff on the trip had more of a connection with the community living in the area; however, during the clinics helping in the littlest way possible can make the biggest difference for someone. I was drawn to medicine, even more opening my eyes to the challenges that people who aren’t as lucky face, yet they still have a smile on their face. This made me realize that medicine is a dynamic and challenging profession that I would be ecstatic to be given the opportunity to pursue a career in the medical field with the same dedication and joy that the staff had to these communities and that I gained from being there.

My mom has a video of me feeding my younger sister, when I was four years old. “Julia is a great big sister helping mommy feed Sarah” my mom said. “Jul what do you want to be when you grow up?” I looked at my mom and said, “I want to be a doctor.” From then on, being a doctor has been my dream. My passion for medicine resulted in my accomplishment of getting straight As throughout my education. There was just one obstacle I had to overcome. Due to the fault of a drunk driver—in an unimaginable tragedy—my mom was killed when I was only eight years old. I lost someone I had learned from, admired, and loved unconditionally. After her loss, I mourned deeply and wished that I could have had the time to grow the type of inseparable mother-daughter bond like most daughters have. I knew from then on out I had to do everything in my power to prepare myself for the rigors and challenges of medical school. I then began to volunteer, shadow, and work in different aspects of healthcare and specialties with the goal of graduating with a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry. Even though there are times where it can get challenging, everything that I have experienced has deepened by understanding and motivation with medicine thus increasing resilience, capabilities, and work ethic when facing any challenge that comes along in life. I feel that I should be awarded this scholarship because throughout my whole life I have been working harder than I would ever have imagined I could, and I have never gave up. The death of my mom has not stopped me from doing anything that I have ever dreamed of doing, the only thing that it does is help motivated me more to being the best person that I can be. This scholarship will make a difference in paying for college. Anything that I can be awarded to help me pay for my college makes a huge difference; making it easier on my dad and I. In order for me to be able to become a pediatrician one day, is for me to not have as many loans in the end of my undergraduate. I want to strive and do anything and everything I can to be successful in my life; making my mom proud of me wishing that she was here to watch me go through it all. Knowing that she is watching over me only makes me push harder in achieving anything I have ever wanted: making me feel rewarded and grateful for everything that I had in the end. By winning this scholarship, I will know that I made an impact with my story causing me to be chosen, and I will only be grateful.

1. My mom has a video of me feeding my younger sister, when I was four years old. “Julia is a great big sister helping mommy feed Sarah” my mom said. “Jul what do you want to be when you grow up?” I looked at my mom and said, “I want to be a doctor.” From then on, being a doctor has been my dream. My passion for medicine resulted in my accomplishment of getting straight As throughout my education. There was just one obstacle I had to overcome. Due to the fault of a drunk driver—in an unimaginable tragedy—my mom was killed when I was only eight years old. I lost someone I had learned from, admired, and loved unconditionally. After her loss, I mourned deeply and wished that I could have had the time to grow the type of inseparable mother-daughter bond like most daughters have. My grief over her loss, however, has made me stronger. She still makes me stronger, strong enough to never let me give up until I reach my goal of being a pediatric surgeon. My persistence has only gotten stronger to do anything and everything I can to achieve that goal, motivating me to do anything I set my mind to. 2. In my future, I will strive to succeed in my professional and academic goals in medicine. My undergraduate years, future medical school will give me so many opportunities to do research and be able to problem solve further helping me make a difference in this world, which is what STEM will allow me to do. With STEM, I will be able to take my education to the next level and use their way of thinking to be able to think beyond the ordinary. I will be challenged in order to succeed and with that atmosphere I push myself further beyond my limit and see what I can do. Moreover, I am able to a further insight on how to take more than one field of study and blend them together with a couple of my academic goals. STEM will allow me to develop new research found in pediatric surgery that will, furthermore, help more children survive. Being able to read about these new studies, makes me want to jump in and discover more. I want to strive in medicine and have the knowledge to put my best effort forward. 3. After the passing of my mom at such a young age, I knew from then on out I had to do everything in my power to prepare myself for the rigors and challenges of medical school. I then began to volunteer, shadow, and work in different aspects of healthcare and specialties with the goal of graduating with a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry. Even though there are times where it can get challenging, everything that I have experienced has deepened by understanding and motivation with medicine thus increasing resilience, capabilities, and work ethic when facing any challenge that comes along in life. Working with my general chemistry professor, I became engaged in becoming a teacher’s assistant and then a tutor for his students. Being a tutor for his students was a challenge for me at first. It led me to gain the ability of engaging, establishing, and explaining the connections between concepts to each student in a variety of ways for each student to understand. The aspects of tutoring have allowed me to share my passion and love for learning and knowledge; however, every experience has opened my eyes to challenges in medicine. For instance, I traveled to Ecuador and Peru to provide free healthcare clinics to low-income families through MEDLIFE: medicine, education, development for low-income families everywhere. We were at one of the community meetings and I connected with a little girl. She lived in an unhealthy environment with little access to healthcare, which is why we were there to change that; however, the smile on her face dancing and singing is a memory I will always remember. The staff on the trip had more of a connection with the community living in the area; however, during the clinics helping in the littlest way possible can make the biggest difference for someone. I was drawn to medicine, even more opening my eyes to the challenges that people who aren’t as lucky face, yet they still have a smile on their face. This made me realize that medicine is a dynamic and challenging profession that I would be ecstatic to be given the opportunity to pursue a career in the medical field with the same dedication and joy that the staff had to these communities and that I gained from being there.

Due to the fault of a drunk driver—in an unimaginable tragedy—my mom was killed when I was only eight years old. I lost someone I had learned from, admired, and loved unconditionally. After her loss, I mourned deeply and wished that I could have had the time to grow the type of inseparable mother-daughter bond like most daughters have. Because of this experience, I have also come to appreciate the courage of my dad who has had to endure this ordeal and play the roles of both mom and dad, which he does with grace and dignity as he showers my sister and me with love. Through his sacrifice, he has given me greater values: determination, compassion, and faith. Having to care for my younger sister and make sacrifices myself but not to the extent of my dad, I have come to understand that life is complex and challenging. It is also precious. So, too, was my mom. My grief over her loss, however, has made me stronger. She still makes me stronger, strong enough to never let me give up until I reach my goal of being a pediatric surgeon. My persistence has only gotten stronger to do anything and everything I can to achieve that goal. I knew from then on out I had to do everything in my power to prepare myself for the rigors and challenges of medical school. I then began to volunteer, shadow, and work in different aspects of healthcare and specialties with the goal of graduating with a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry. Even though there are times where it can get challenging, everything that I have experienced has deepened by understanding and motivation with medicine thus increasing resilience, capabilities, and work ethic when facing any challenge that comes along in life.

Due to the fault of a drunk driver—in an unimaginable tragedy—my mom was killed when I was only eight years old. I lost someone I had learned from, admired, and loved unconditionally. After her loss, I mourned deeply and wished that I could have had the time to grow the type of inseparable mother-daughter bond like most daughters have. My grief over her loss, however, has made me stronger. She still makes me stronger, strong enough to never let me give up until I reach my goal of being a pediatric surgeon. My persistence has only gotten stronger to do anything and everything I can to achieve that goal. I knew from then on out I had to do everything in my power to prepare myself for the rigors and challenges of medical school. I then began to volunteer, shadow, and work in different aspects of healthcare and specialties with the goal of graduating with a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry. Even though there are times where it can get challenging, everything that I have experienced has deepened by understanding and motivation with medicine thus increasing resilience, capabilities, and work ethic when facing any challenge that comes along in life. These qualities I believe make me the person that I am today making them valuable in all aspects of my life.

Due to the fault of a drunk driver—in an unimaginable tragedy—my mom was killed when I was only eight years old. I lost someone I had learned from, admired, and loved unconditionally. She left her mark on this Earth before she left. Everyone and anyone that surrounded her remembers here even years and years later. I want that to be my legacy. I want to be remembered as the person who was always there for them, the one who was passionate, loving for the people surrounding me. Being a doctor has been my dream. My passion for medicine resulted in my accomplishment of getting straight As throughout my education. I want to leave a mark through medicine as well; be remembered as a successful doctor to my patients the one who cared for them beyond words changing their lives especially kids ones who will be forever changed as adults by what I was able to do for them.

Everything happens for a reason. This sentence helps me in that it reminds me that sometimes when things don't work out it could be for a reason. This sometimes helps ease my mind in that the universe has a plan for me, you, all of us. By everything happening for a reason, it gives an answer and a reason for everything with the hopes that something good may come along next and then that is meant to be for you. When you think about certain things, and how they lead to other things with the fact that you wouldn't be the amazing person that you are today without the things leading up to it occurring giving you a purpose.

Friendship means joy, happiness, passion, caring, love, and so much more. Friends are like family who aren't blood related as many would same blood doesn't define family. It is where the love is is where family is, and for me my friends are my family. They are there when I am at my all time best, and when I am at my all time worst as I am there for them as well. My friends are my rock, my inspiration, my everything. Friendship for me was hard to recognize at first. One can have so many so called friends, but it takes time to realize if they are really your true friend or not. Past experiences have shown me friends can take advantage and use you, but the ones that stick by you no matter what and truly like you for you those are the friends that you want to surround yourself with. The do or die friends, the forever friends.

Due to the fault of a drunk driver—in an unimaginable tragedy—my mom was killed when I was only eight years old. I lost someone I had learned from, admired, and loved unconditionally. After her loss, I mourned deeply and wished that I could have had the time to grow the type of inseparable mother-daughter bond like most daughters have. Because of this experience, I have also come to appreciate the courage of my dad who has had to endure this ordeal and play the roles of both mom and dad, which he does with grace and dignity as he showers my sister and me with love. Through his sacrifice, he has given me greater values: determination, compassion, and faith. Having to care for my younger sister and make sacrifices myself but not to the extent of my dad, I have come to understand that life is complex and challenging. It is also precious. My grief over her loss, however, has made me stronger. She still makes me stronger, strong enough to never let me give up until I reach my goal of being a pediatric surgeon. My persistence has only gotten stronger to do anything and everything I can to achieve that goal. I knew from then on out I had to do everything in my power to prepare myself for the rigors and challenges of medical school. I then began to volunteer, shadow, and work in different aspects of healthcare and specialties with the goal of graduating with a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry. Even though there are times where it can get challenging, everything that I have experienced has deepened by understanding and motivation with medicine thus increasing resilience, capabilities, and work ethic when facing any challenge that comes along in life.

I practice self-care by once a week I make sure to do one thing for myself. I exercise every other day giving myself time to let out my emotions whether it is field hockey practice, a walk, or a session at the gym. I also try and make sure before bed I either watch a show, read some of my book, or just get to bed early and get a good night's rest. This impacts my life tremendously. I have noticed without it, I forget a lot of things, and do not feel like myself. Practicing self care has allowed me to be myself, be genuinely happy, and do things for me for once. I tend to forget about myself and only do things for other people; however, I have realized that if I do not take care of myself first I won't be able to help other people.

My mom has a video of me feeding my younger sister, when I was four years old. “Julia is a great big sister helping mommy feed Sarah” my mom said. “Jul what do you want to be when you grow up?” I looked at my mom and said, “I want to be a doctor.” From then on, being a doctor has been my dream. My passion for medicine resulted in my accomplishment of getting straight as throughout my education. There was just one obstacle I had to overcome. Due to the fault of a drunk driver—in an unimaginable tragedy—my mom was killed when I was only eight years old. I lost someone I had learned from, admired, and loved unconditionally. After her loss, I mourned deeply and wished that I could have had the time to grow the type of inseparable mother-daughter bond like most daughters have. The grief still fulfills me, but I have learned to channel it to effect positive change in the world today. For instance, now that I am older, I have become more and more involved with MADD. To that end, I have helped with the MADD walks, the golf outings to which I will be the keynote speaker summer 2021, and other events to fundraise, spread awareness for this worthy cause, and deter drunk driving with school presentations such as Power of Youth and Power of Parents. “Team Karen” is emblazoned in all capital letters on the front of my shirt and “Forever in our Hearts” on the back in her memory, for she has greatly impacted my life. I want to prevent other inebriated drivers from taking loved ones away from their families. Because of this experience, I have also come to appreciate the courage of my dad who has had to endure this ordeal and play the roles of both mom and dad, which he does with grace and dignity as he showers my sister and me with love. Through his sacrifice, he has given me greater values: determination, compassion, and faith. Having to care for my younger sister and make sacrifices myself but not to the extent of my dad, I have come to understand that life is complex and challenging. It is also precious. So, too, was my mom. My grief over her loss, however, has made me stronger. She still makes me stronger, strong enough to never let me give up until I reach my goal of being a pediatric surgeon. My persistence has only gotten stronger to do anything and everything I can to achieve that goal. I knew from then on out I had to do everything in my power to prepare myself for the rigors and challenges of medical school. I then began to volunteer, shadow, and work in different aspects of healthcare and specialties with the goal of graduating with a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry. Even though there are times where it can get challenging, everything that I have experienced has deepened by understanding and motivation with medicine thus increasing resilience, capabilities, and work ethic when facing any challenge that comes along in life. Working with my general chemistry professor, I became engaged in becoming a teacher’s assistant and then a tutor for his students. Being a tutor for his students was a challenge for me at first. It led me to gain the ability of engaging, establishing, and explaining the connections between concepts to each student in a variety of ways for each student to understand. The aspects of tutoring have allowed me to share my passion and love for learning and knowledge; however, every experience has opened my eyes to challenges in medicine. For instance, I traveled to Ecuador and Peru to provide free healthcare clinics to low-income families through MEDLIFE: medicine, education, development for low-income families everywhere. We were at one of the community meetings and I connected with a little girl. She lived in an unhealthy environment with little access to healthcare, which is why we were there to change that; however, the smile on her face dancing and singing is a memory I will always remember. The staff on the trip had more of a connection with the community living in the area; however, during the clinics helping in the littlest way possible can make the biggest difference for someone. I was drawn to medicine, even more opening my eyes to the challenges that people who aren’t as lucky face, yet they still have a smile on their face. This made me realize that medicine is a dynamic and challenging profession that I would be ecstatic to be given the opportunity to pursue a career in the medical field with the same dedication and joy that the staff had to these communities and that I gained from being there.

WhatsApp: I believe makes the world a better place. I have friends all around the world/country through Leadership Conferences I have been to. I have friends in Peru, Ecuador, Israel and without WhatsApp I would not be able to communicate with them freely. When it comes to technology and phone plan, it becomes to complicated to be in another country and just speak to your family at home. With WhatsApp it allows you to do that under wifi making life ten times easier. I traveled to Ecuador and Peru to provide free healthcare clinics to low-income families through MEDLIFE: medicine, education, development for low-income families everywhere. We were at one of the community meetings and I connected with a little girl. She lived in an unhealthy environment with little access to healthcare, which is why we were there to change that; however, the smile on her face dancing and singing is a memory I will always remember. The staff on the trip had more of a connection with the community living in the area; however, during the clinics helping in the littlest way possible can make the biggest difference for someone. I was drawn to medicine, even more opening my eyes to the challenges that people who aren’t as lucky face, yet they still have a smile on their face. This made me realize that medicine is a dynamic and challenging profession that I would be ecstatic to be given the opportunity to pursue a career in the medical field with the same dedication and joy that the staff had to these communities and that I gained from being there. After being on these trips, my way of viewing life has changed. I have found a new way of seeing things from a different perspective and about everyone's ways of life. I saw people at their lows and at their highs. Being able to see both has shown me that there's other ways that people live outside of my bubble on Long Island. Everyone's lives aren't just like mine, and I was able to see that first hand through these trips.

My mom has a video of me feeding my younger sister, when I was four years old. “Julia is a great big sister helping mommy feed Sarah” my mom said. “Jul what do you want to be when you grow up?” I looked at my mom and said, “I want to be a doctor.” From then on, being a doctor has been my dream. My passion for medicine resulted in my accomplishment of getting straight as throughout my education.

Due to the fault of a drunk driver—in an unimaginable tragedy—my mom was killed when I was only eight years old. I lost someone I had learned from, admired, and loved unconditionally. After her loss, I mourned deeply and wished that I could have had the time to grow the type of inseparable mother-daughter bond like most daughters have. The grief still fulfills me, but I have learned to channel it to effect positive change in the world today. For instance, now that I am older, I have become more and more involved with MADD. To that end, I have helped with the MADD walks, the golf outings to which I will be the keynote speaker summer 2021, and other events to fundraise, spread awareness for this worthy cause, and deter drunk driving with school presentations such as Power of Youth and Power of Parents. “Team Karen” is emblazoned in all capital letters on the front of my shirt and “Forever in our Hearts” on the back in her memory, for she has greatly impacted my life. I want to prevent other inebriated drivers from taking loved ones away from their families. Because of this experience, I have also come to appreciate the courage of my dad who has had to endure this ordeal and play the roles of both mom and dad, which he does with grace and dignity as he showers my sister and me with love. Through his sacrifice, he has given me greater values: determination, compassion, and faith. Having to care for my younger sister and make sacrifices myself but not to the extent of my dad, I have come to understand that life is complex and challenging. It is also precious. By making a difference through MADD, hopefully the goal of less drunk drivers in the world. I would be saving my children's lives in the future so that they do not end up like my mom or my kids don't end up without a mother as well.

Due to the fault of a drunk driver—in an unimaginable tragedy—my mom was killed when I was only eight years old. I lost someone I had learned from, admired, and loved unconditionally. After her loss, I mourned deeply and wished that I could have had the time to grow the type of inseparable mother-daughter bond like most daughters have. The grief still fulfills me, but I have learned to channel it to effect positive change in the world today. For instance, now that I am older, I have become more and more involved with MADD. To that end, I have helped with the MADD walks, the golf outings to which I will be the keynote speaker summer 2021, and other events to fundraise, spread awareness for this worthy cause, and deter drunk driving with school presentations such as Power of Youth and Power of Parents. “Team Karen” is emblazoned in all capital letters on the front of my shirt and “Forever in our Hearts” on the back in her memory, for she has greatly impacted my life. I want to prevent other inebriated drivers from taking loved ones away from their families. Because of this experience, I have also come to appreciate the courage of my dad who has had to endure this ordeal and play the roles of both mom and dad, which he does with grace and dignity as he showers my sister and me with love. Through his sacrifice, he has given me greater values: determination, compassion, and faith. Having to care for my younger sister and make sacrifices myself but not to the extent of my dad, I have come to understand that life is complex and challenging. It is also precious.

Being patient means being calm, slow for the right moment to happen. It means not rushing into anything and letting the universe decide what happens next. For me, being patient allows for less mistakes to occur. It allows for a step back to look at the bigger picture, everything as a whole when making a decision. It allows me to live my life with no regrets, adventure, have fun, let loose, achieve my dreams in the way that I want. By rushing into things, I have less of a chance of having control over what will happen next and less time to think things through making sure I am doing exactly what I want. When I rush, I regret, I make mistakes, I then wish I could take it all back and have a do over. By being patient, I allow myself to think, develop, and decide what is best for not only me but my friends, family, colleagues.

One investing tip I took to heart was everything happens for a reason. Due to the fault of a drunk driver—in an unimaginable tragedy—my mom was killed when I was only eight years old. I lost someone I had learned from, admired, and loved unconditionally. After her loss, I mourned deeply and wished that I could have had the time to grow the type of inseparable mother-daughter bond like most daughters have. This was when my dad told me that everything happens for a reason, and yes the situation was very tragic but it was the only thing to help me heal. With that being said the grief still fulfills me, but I have learned to channel it to effect positive change in the world today. For instance, now that I am older, I have become more and more involved with MADD. To that end, I have helped with the MADD walks, the golf outings to which I will be the keynote speaker summer 2021, and other events to fundraise, spread awareness for this worthy cause, and deter drunk driving with school presentations such as Power of Youth and Power of Parents. “Team Karen” is emblazoned in all capital letters on the front of my shirt and “Forever in our Hearts” on the back in her memory, for she has greatly impacted my life. I want to prevent other inebriated drivers from taking loved ones away from their families.

I think the best way to live a long, healthy life is to just be genuinely happy. This is done by doing what you want and love to do surrounded by the people you love and care about most. You can't let people bring you down, or make you think otherwise about yourself in order to keep a strong positive mind. I believe everything happens for a reason and what is meant to be will happen. There is no point to dwell on the past or future when all you have is now which is what matters most. Everyone says exercising and eating right is the only way to stay healthy and yes that is true physically; however, mental health is just as important as physical health. Making sure your body is healthy by getting annual checkups and doing some sort of exercise three times a week is definitely important as well. However, some people can be physically fit but not mental and that won't do any good. Being both mentally and physically healthy will help live a long and happy life.

My mom has a video of me feeding my younger sister, when I was four years old. “Julia is a great big sister helping mommy feed Sarah” my mom said. “Jul what do you want to be when you grow up?” I looked at my mom and said, “I want to be a doctor.” From then on, being a doctor has been my dream. My passion for medicine resulted in my accomplishment of getting straight as throughout my education. There was just one obstacle I had to overcome. Due to the fault of a drunk driver—in an unimaginable tragedy—my mom was killed when I was only eight years old. I lost someone I had learned from, admired, and loved unconditionally. After her loss, I mourned deeply and wished that I could have had the time to grow the type of inseparable mother-daughter bond like most daughters have. The grief still fulfills me, but I have learned to channel it to effect positive change in the world today. For instance, now that I am older, I have become more and more involved with MADD. To that end, I have helped with the MADD walks, the golf outings to which I will be the keynote speaker summer 2021, and other events to fundraise, spread awareness for this worthy cause, and deter drunk driving with school presentations such as Power of Youth and Power of Parents. “Team Karen” is emblazoned in all capital letters on the front of my shirt and “Forever in our Hearts” on the back in her memory, for she has greatly impacted my life. I want to prevent other inebriated drivers from taking loved ones away from their families.

My mom has a video of me feeding my younger sister, when I was four years old. “Julia is a great big sister helping mommy feed Sarah” my mom said. “Jul what do you want to be when you grow up?” I looked at my mom and said, “I want to be a doctor.” From then on, being a doctor has been my dream. My passion for medicine resulted in my accomplishment of getting straight as throughout my education. There was just one obstacle I had to overcome. Due to the fault of a drunk driver—in an unimaginable tragedy—my mom was killed when I was only eight years old. I lost someone I had learned from, admired, and loved unconditionally. After her loss, I mourned deeply and wished that I could have had the time to grow the type of inseparable mother-daughter bond like most daughters have. The grief still fulfills me, but I have learned to channel it to effect positive change in the world today. For instance, now that I am older, I have become more and more involved with MADD. To that end, I have helped with the MADD walks, the golf outings to which I will be the keynote speaker summer 2021, and other events to fundraise, spread awareness for this worthy cause, and deter drunk driving with school presentations such as Power of Youth and Power of Parents. “Team Karen” is emblazoned in all capital letters on the front of my shirt and “Forever in our Hearts” on the back in her memory, for she has greatly impacted my life. I want to prevent other inebriated drivers from taking loved ones away from their families. I knew from then on out I had to do everything in my power to prepare myself for the rigors and challenges of medical school. I then began to volunteer, shadow, and work in different aspects of healthcare and specialties with the goal of graduating with a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry. Even though there are times where it can get challenging, everything that I have experienced has deepened by understanding and motivation with medicine thus increasing resilience, capabilities, and work ethic when facing any challenge that comes along in life. Every experience has opened my eyes to challenges in medicine. For instance, I traveled to Ecuador and Peru to provide free healthcare clinics to low-income families through MEDLIFE: medicine, education, development for low-income families everywhere. We were at one of the community meetings and I connected with a little girl. She lived in an unhealthy environment with little access to healthcare, which is why we were there to change that; however, the smile on her face dancing and singing is a memory I will always remember. The staff on the trip had more of a connection with the community living in the area; however, during the clinics helping in the littlest way possible can make the biggest difference for someone. I was drawn to medicine, even more opening my eyes to the challenges that people who aren’t as lucky face, yet they still have a smile on their face. This made me realize that medicine is a dynamic and challenging profession that I would be ecstatic to be given the opportunity to pursue a career in the medical field with the same dedication and joy that the staff had to these communities and that I gained from being there.

My mom has a video of me feeding my younger sister, when I was four years old. “Julia is a great big sister helping mommy feed Sarah” my mom said. “Jul what do you want to be when you grow up?” I looked at my mom and said, “I want to be a doctor.” From then on, being a doctor has been my dream. My passion for medicine resulted in my accomplishment of getting straight as throughout my education. There was just one obstacle I had to overcome. Due to the fault of a drunk driver—in an unimaginable tragedy—my mom was killed when I was only eight years old. I lost someone I had learned from, admired, and loved unconditionally. After her loss, I mourned deeply and wished that I could have had the time to grow the type of inseparable mother-daughter bond like most daughters have. The grief still fulfills me, but I have learned to channel it to effect positive change in the world today. For instance, now that I am older, I have become more and more involved with MADD. To that end, I have helped with the MADD walks, the golf outings to which I will be the keynote speaker summer 2021, and other events to fundraise, spread awareness for this worthy cause, and deter drunk driving with school presentations such as Power of Youth and Power of Parents. “Team Karen” is emblazoned in all capital letters on the front of my shirt and “Forever in our Hearts” on the back in her memory, for she has greatly impacted my life. I want to prevent other inebriated drivers from taking loved ones away from their families. Because of this experience, I have also come to appreciate the courage of my dad who has had to endure this ordeal and play the roles of both mom and dad, which he does with grace and dignity as he showers my sister and me with love. Through his sacrifice, he has given me greater values: determination, compassion, and faith. Having to care for my younger sister and make sacrifices myself but not to the extent of my dad, I have come to understand that life is complex and challenging. It is also precious. So, too, was my mom. My grief over her loss, however, has made me stronger. She still makes me stronger, strong enough to never let me give up until I reach my goal of being a pediatric surgeon. My persistence has only gotten stronger to do anything and everything I can to achieve that goal. I knew from then on out I had to do everything in my power to prepare myself for the rigors and challenges of medical school. I then began to volunteer, shadow, and work in different aspects of healthcare and specialties with the goal of graduating with a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry. Even though there are times where it can get challenging, everything that I have experienced has deepened by understanding and motivation with medicine thus increasing resilience, capabilities, and work ethic when facing any challenge that comes along in life.

My mom has a video of me feeding my younger sister, when I was four years old. “Julia is a great big sister helping mommy feed Sarah” my mom said. “Jul what do you want to be when you grow up?” I looked at my mom and said, “I want to be a doctor.” From then on, being a doctor has been my dream. My passion for medicine resulted in my accomplishment of getting straight as throughout my education. There was just one obstacle I had to overcome. Due to the fault of a drunk driver—in an unimaginable tragedy—my mom was killed when I was only eight years old. I lost someone I had learned from, admired, and loved unconditionally. After her loss, I mourned deeply and wished that I could have had the time to grow the type of inseparable mother-daughter bond like most daughters have. The grief still fulfills me, but I have learned to channel it to effect positive change in the world today. Because of this experience, I have also come to appreciate the courage of my dad who has had to endure this ordeal and play the roles of both mom and dad, which he does with grace and dignity as he showers my sister and me with love. Through his sacrifice, he has given me greater values: determination, compassion, and faith. Having to care for my younger sister and make sacrifices myself but not to the extent of my dad, I have come to understand that life is complex and challenging. It is also precious.

I stay true to myself in my daily life by reminding myself that I am human, it is okay to make mistakes, it is okay to have crazy thoughts, and it is okay not to be okay one hundred percent of the time. I make sure to remember where I came from, my roots, my dad, my sister the people who make me who I am the ones who make me whole. Everything happens for a reason, and it's the little things that matter most so enjoy those.

My mom has a video of me feeding my younger sister, when I was four years old. “Julia is a great big sister helping mommy feed Sarah” my mom said. “Jul what do you want to be when you grow up?” I looked at my mom and said, “I want to be a doctor.” From then on, being a doctor has been my dream. My passion for medicine resulted in my accomplishment of getting straight as throughout my education. There was just one obstacle I had to overcome. Due to the fault of a drunk driver—in an unimaginable tragedy—my mom was killed when I was only eight years old. I lost someone I had learned from, admired, and loved unconditionally. After her loss, I mourned deeply and wished that I could have had the time to grow the type of inseparable mother-daughter bond like most daughters have. My grief over her loss, however, has made me stronger. She still makes me stronger, strong enough to never let me give up until I reach my goal of being a pediatric surgeon. My persistence has only gotten stronger to do anything and everything I can to achieve that goal. I knew from then on out I had to do everything in my power to prepare myself for the rigors and challenges of medical school. I then began to volunteer, shadow, and work in different aspects of healthcare and specialties with the goal of graduating with a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry. Even though there are times where it can get challenging, everything that I have experienced has deepened by understanding and motivation with medicine thus increasing resilience, capabilities, and work ethic when facing any challenge that comes along in life. Working with my general chemistry professor, I became engaged in becoming a teacher’s assistant and then a tutor for his students. Being a tutor for his students was a challenge for me at first. It led me to gain the ability of engaging, establishing, and explaining the connections between concepts to each student in a variety of ways for each student to understand. The aspects of tutoring have allowed me to share my passion and love for learning and knowledge; however, every experience has opened my eyes to challenges in medicine. For instance, I traveled to Ecuador and Peru to provide free healthcare clinics to low-income families through MEDLIFE: medicine, education, development for low-income families everywhere. We were at one of the community meetings and I connected with a little girl. She lived in an unhealthy environment with little access to healthcare, which is why we were there to change that; however, the smile on her face dancing and singing is a memory I will always remember. The staff on the trip had more of a connection with the community living in the area; however, during the clinics helping in the littlest way possible can make the biggest difference for someone. I was drawn to medicine, even more opening my eyes to the challenges that people who aren’t as lucky face, yet they still have a smile on their face. This made me realize that medicine is a dynamic and challenging profession that I would be ecstatic to be given the opportunity to pursue a career in the medical field with the same dedication and joy that the staff had to these communities and that I gained from being there.