Deciding to make a positive difference in the world and take risks, or to stand aside being passively unconcerned can be difficult. Leadership is an indispensable role that embraces integrity, inspires and encourages, and fosters diversity of thought. To me, these are essential characteristics and are a part of my core values. Integrity is a cornerstone of leadership and arguably the most important. Working in healthcare in particular has taught me the value and importance of integrity; that it is necessary to uphold ethics and do the right thing even when no one is watching or no praise is to be given. When I started working in the field of dialysis, I knew I would have to refine my leadership skills to excel in such a fast-paced environment. I quickly became a preceptor, training new teammates. As a leader, I guided others in their pursuit of knowledge rather than dictating. I have always made sure to be fluid with their learning style and share my expertise to allow others to grow in their role, encouraging them to step up as a leader as well. I also had to be vigilant that patient safety was not being sacrificed; It is easy to cut corners in healthcare, but I made sure to correct behavior when it was needed. I ensured teammates were documenting vitals correctly and wearing appropriate PPE. I collaborated with nurses, social workers, and dieticians to encourage integrated care for our patients. In addition, I ensured we were well prepared and organized for state checks; therefore, I reviewed all of our documentation logs weekly and made sure to communicate with fellow teammates on what needed to be properly recorded. In these ways, I was able to refine my leadership skills and take on new roles that challenged me. Altruism is another aspect of leadership I admire. A leader is someone who can be selfless. I want to be able to work as a team with the purpose of achieving the same goal, listening and caring about the well-being of members of your team. In 2018, I led a team of my peers to Atlanta, Georgia to volunteer with communities experiencing homelessness. While coordinating the details was daunting at first, it became effortless as I worked with my team and listened to their ideas. I wanted to ensure that my teammates were learning from and reflecting on the work we were doing. This experience helped to spark my interest in the importance of leadership. This leads to my final assertion on why I believe leadership is something worth being passionate about. Looking at a situation through another lens can oftentimes be beneficial. Embracing others’ ideas who have different backgrounds, cultures, and ways of thinking expands skill sets. In all these ways, I hope to apply these aspects of leadership to my role as a physician assistant. Honesty and integrity will foster trust with my patients, kindness will give me the strength to work in a variety of settings, and open-mindedness will encourage the communication that is important for a leader. I aspire to work alongside a team of practitioners to enhance communication between providers and increase access to education and resources for patients so that we may improve the overall health outcomes of the community we serve. With these characteristics in mind, I hope to improve patient care and increase access to education and resources. In this way, my patients can demonstrate their leadership qualities by taking a more active role in their healthcare.

I may have started with a B- in a Pilates class, but physical activity has allowed me to achieve an A+ in my well-being. Wellness has many dimensions, all of which are easy to neglect. I struggled to prioritize my mental wellness which impacts other aspects of my well-being. Intertwining my physical and mental wellness is what led me to a more serendipitous way of living and allowed me to achieve my goals. To me, life is all about balance. In college, it was hard to get my footing; between working two jobs, a full class load, extracurricular activities, and at least attempting to have a social life, I lost time to focus on MY wellness. I was a resident advisor in college and had to educate students on the eight different realms of wellness: physical, social, mental, occupational, spiritual, environmental, intellectual, and financial. While I felt well-versed in sharing the information, I was not practicing what I was preaching. My anxiety was reaching new heights and exercise didn't even make it on my to-do list. My energy levels were low and I found it difficult to concentrate on my classes, let alone my goals of getting into a physician assistant program. With some encouragement from friends, we decided to sign up for a yoga class. I was forced to prioritize going to the class since I was taking it for credit and I started my morning with the class three times per week. Yoga quickly became my form of meditation and I found myself doing it on off days as well. Once I got comfortable in the gym environment, my friends and I started going to free workout classes offered at the gym as well. Doing this was a respite from work and school. Not only did I get to spend time with friends, but I was caring for my body which had positive impacts on my mental and physical health. Prioritizing my mental health through exercise helped me to balance life. Cardio alleviated my anxiety and yoga lightened the stress of work and exams. As a result, I had more energy for studying which improved my grades and overall happiness. I also improved my time management skills which allowed me to spend time preparing for graduate school. Engaging in physical activity for my emotional well-being allowed me to flourish in many ways. I was inspired to do a Pilates class to maintain this delicate balance. I connected with the philosophy of Pilates; there is an intimate connection between our mind and body. Our minds should be the master of the body. Even though I ended the class with a B- due to forgetting to submit an assignment, I continued the practice post-college. Focusing on an activity that cares for my physical and mental health has benefited me greatly. As I move on to grad school this year, I know continuing my journey with Pilates will be crucial. Movement with a purpose helps to settle my mind and soul. To me, my personal wellness is finding this harmony; when I am doing physical work with the purpose of strengthening and improving my mood, I feel more apt to tackle challenges and more ambitious in my academic pursuits.

As someone with an interest in a wide array of hobbies from crocheting to hiking mountain trails, I have always known I wanted to do something that would allow me to explore multiple interests. I am currently on track to become a physician assistant, studying at Ohio Dominican University. The wonderful part about this field is that it allows me to pursue an array of different specialties. While in school, I will participate in multiple clinical rotations to discover my niche. However, my current experiences have allowed me to hone down the three fields that would make me excited to get up in the morning and go to work. To begin, I've known for a long time I wanted a healthcare career. From a young age, I cared for my grandmother who was plagued by dementia, Parkinsons', schizophrenia and other health conditions. Seeing her struggle with these diagnoses and crooked doctors inspired me to want to be a better practitioner for the people like her. With how expansive the healthcare field is, it was hard to narrow down exactly what role I wanted to play. For a while, I was set on psychology. I want to understand the mind and help others express their inner turmoils and how work through those thoughts. But that felt too limited. I needed to be able to have a larger scope of practice to help with other problems than just psychological ones. This led me to the fascinating world of our brain and nervous system. In my undergrad, I studied neuroscience. The fascinating world of the brain and its pathologies lead me to discover a career as a physician assistant. A career in neurology as a PA would offer much fulfillment. It challenges me as neurological disorders tend to have unique presentations depending on the individual and approaches to caring for them can vary. I would also still be able to work in a capacity where I can help people who may feel they are in a hopeless situation. I am specifically interested in working with stroke patients. I am very passionate about this field and I know I would have a successful career. Secondly, both genetics and nephrology and their intricacies have captivated me. There is a need for mid-level practitioners to help people with their genetic conditions and who have the patience for nephrology. A career in genetics would allow me to be able to research the answer to questions that may not have an answer yet and solve the puzzles of congenital conditions. I would be able to help others understand the complexities of rare diseases. In nephrology, I could develop close relationships with patients I would see frequently and be an important part of their dialysis and kidney-health journey. Both would be invigorating and fast-paced careers where I can give guidance to people who need it most. The PA field is quickly expanding and there is a need for physician assistants to have a passion for working with neurological diseases, in nephrology settings, and an interest in genetics. I will be able to master a variety of these roles by utilizing my tenacity, ardor, and flexibility to expand my horizons while providing an integrated care approach for my future patients. I aspire to work alongside a team of practitioners to enhance communication between providers and increase access to education and resources for patients. This is my passion and I will find it in this career path.

I went vegetarian for my cat. I went vegetarian for all the cows, pigs, birds and countless other animals caught in the avaricious cycle of consumption due to American practices. I did it so I could provide education and resources to those in disadvantaged settings so that they too can lead healthier lifestyles. Vegetarianism (and being vegan) can be implemented into clinical nutrition practices to promote health equity and stop perpetuating hateful cycles that abuse life and hurt those in lower socioeconomic situations. As a physician assistant, my main goal is to break down these barriers and provide education while creating better access so that everyone can make informed decisions about their health. I had never been a huge fan of consuming meat. I never really had a great experience with it and it always left me feeling unfulfilled. It wasn't until my sophomore year of college when I met my roommate, Farrah, that I fully committed to living a better lifestyle. Farrah had been vegan most of her life and with a mother committed to a holistic diet, I started to do more research on what we humans put into our bodies consistently. I felt more energized and empowered as I transitioned to a plant-based diet. At this point, I have completely omitted meat from my diet and most dairy products. I hope to one day be completely vegan when I am more financially stable. Limiting the consumption of meat and dairy products has proven to have multiple health benefits, not to mention the economic impacts these industries have on our country. Dairy can be extremely inflammatory to our bodies contributing to worsening symptoms in multiple pathologies. People consume red meats and dairy at such an alarming rate, it is not surprising that we see so many cases of cancer and other inflammatory conditions.If healthcare practitioners were provided with a more comprehensive curriculum on nutrition, including how the body breaks down and utilizes different food products and their respective impacts on the body, I believe that they would be more likely to promote cleaner eating and plant-based diets in the healthcare setting. In turn, these practitioners can go on to educate patients about the power of food as medicine and be able to give credible, empirical evidence to support their teachings. I also hope more research will be dedicated to looking at how whole vegan/vegetarian diets can be beneficial, and not restrictive, to healing the body. As someone in medicine, it is easy to turn to pharmaceuticals to solve health problems, but returning to a more natural approach in some cases would allow for improved conditions for patients. This would also allow patients to take a more active role in their own healthcare and grant more attainable care for those in disadvantaged situations. As a practicing physician assistant, I hope to have informed discussions with my patients about their diets and what we can do with them to tackle their conditions. By continuing to educate myself and spreading awareness, I hope to use plant-based eating as a tool for improving health outcomes and promoting social justice. Food can be medicine and I hope to utilize it as such in my role as a practitioner.

I have known anguish, and I have overcome. I still have goals that I plan to fulfill - What happened to me will not define me nor destroyed me; rather, it has and will continue to strengthen me. From the time I was four years old, I endured sexual abuse inflicted by my father until I was 11. He was imprisoned in 2011 with a 100-year prison sentence, leaving my mom as a single parent to me and my younger sister. This adjustment was financially and emotionally challenging. These circumstances have made me want to pursue a career where I can provide comfort and aid to those in need. The artist Walter Anderson once said, “Bad things do happen; How I respond to them defines my character and my quality of life. I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my life, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have- life itself.” For a while, I did sit in what felt like a sadness that would never end. I was spiraling down but there was a small part of me that knew I could not stay in that darkness; I knew that I did not want to remain in that place. I knew that I had to rise above for my sister, my mother and most importantly myself. I began to focus my energy on my interests. I became fascinated with the inner workings of the brain and medicine. I also started my journey in mindfulness and meditation. I found that redirecting the negative energy that was pent up in me to something productive and making a conscious choice to be positive, helped to light the darkness. By choosing to be positive, I have been able to focus my attention on school and work. I am currently on track to become a physician assistant at Ohio Dominican University. In my role as a PA I will not only be able to help people find a better quality of life, but I will provide comfort and a positive outlook in tough situations. Being able to directly work with an individual and provide them with resources, will contribute to their overall well-being. I can work with individuals to help find solutions to their hardships. My education is incredibly important to me as my mother never had the opportunity to pursue her dreams. She has done everything in her power to ensure that I could follow a path to reach my goals. Obtaining my master's degree would fulfill my sense of purpose as I would be able to put my values into practice. My experiences have allowed me to cultivate characteristics of integrity and diligence that have prepared me for the rigor of this program and career. The field is quickly expanding and there is a need for physician assistants to have a passion for working with neurological diseases, in nephrology settings, and an interest in genetics. I will be able to master a variety of these roles by utilizing my tenacity, ardor, and flexibility to expand my horizons while providing an integrated care approach for my future patients. I aspire to work alongside a team of practitioners to enhance communication between providers and increase access to education and resources for patients so that we may improve the overall health outcomes of the community we serve.

Haloperidol. Lorazepam. Seroquel. These were just a few medications that were prescribed to my grandmother for schizophrenia and other comorbidities. Caring for my grandmother was one of the many experiences that inspired me to pursue medicine. Becoming familiar with the presentations of her disorders, assisting individuals with low health literacy, and shadowing healthcare providers have encouraged me to strive for an education and a career as a physician assistant. My tenacity, ability to overcome adversities and experiences in medicine have established my kismet for this profession. My grandmother had no understanding of her diagnosis and spent her days in an anxious stupor. After years on a first-generation antipsychotic, the resting tremors were worsening and her doctor did not seem concerned despite her diminishing quality of life. I took it upon myself at the age of 16 to learn about my grandma’s disorders and medications. I advocated for her to a new doctor who agreed to a medication change. My grandma experienced an improvement in her quality of life before congestive heart failure took her life in 2019. Caring for her and seeing her struggle with schizophrenia that was unmasked by abuse in her young adulthood, led me to begin deciphering the intricate world of the brain, medicine, and caring for people. I adamantly believe that patients must take an active role in their healthcare. As a dialysis technician, I have primarily cared for patients from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Without proper education in healthcare or access to resources, they have struggled to fully comprehend their diagnosis or treatment. Providing conscientious patient education and resources will not only assist in decreasing rates of low health literacy but work to improve outcomes for patients struggling with chronic health conditions. Collaboration with healthcare providers such as dietitians, social workers, and other professionals allowed for the most optimal delivery of care to these individuals. This integrated approach has encouraged my desire to work with a multi-disciplinary team to provide the most beneficial care. My motivation to work with those from disadvantaged situations is also due to my perseverance with adversity. I endured sexual abuse inflicted by my father for several years. His imprisonment caused both financial and emotional devastation for myself and my family; however, it has made me an incredibly empathetic and resilient person. These experiences have taught me to care for others with compassion and listen when someone is in need. I hope to provide the resources, care, and comfort to those in need as a physician assistant, just as it was provided to me in such a traumatic situation. My experiences have allowed me to cultivate characteristics of integrity and diligence that have prepared me for the rigor of this program and career. The field is quickly expanding and there is a need for physician assistants to have a passion for working with neurological diseases, in nephrology settings, and an interest in genetics. I will be able to master a variety of these roles by utilizing my tenacity, ardor, and flexibility to expand my horizons while providing an integrated care approach for my future patients. I aspire to work alongside a team of practitioners to enhance communication between providers and increase access to education and resources for patients so that we may improve the overall health outcomes of the community we serve.

I have known anguish, and I have overcome. I still have goals that I plan to fulfill - What happened to me will not define me nor destroyed me; rather, it has and will continue to strengthen me. From the time I was four years old, I endured sexual abuse inflicted by my father until I was 11. He was imprisoned in 2011 with a 100-year prison sentence, leaving my mom as a single parent to me and my younger sister. This adjustment was financially and emotionally challenging. These circumstances have made me want to pursue a career where I can provide comfort and aid to those in need. The artist Walter Anderson once said, “Bad things do happen; How I respond to them defines my character and my quality of life. I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my life, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have- life itself.” For a while, I did sit in what felt like a sadness that would never end. I was spiraling down but there was a small part of me that knew I could not stay in that darkness; I knew that I did not want to remain in that place. I knew that I had to rise above for my sister, my mother and most importantly myself. The depression I struggled with impacted every part of my life. It put a strain on my relationship with my mother and sister, I was detached from school and did not spend time with my peers. I constantly felt so drained and fatigued from the weight of anxiety and depression, I felt almost frozen. My mother also struggled with severe depression and that divided us. I felt I had no support system, no one to lean on. I was wading through this darkness alone. I would not be able to pinpoint an exact date when that darkness started to retreat, but slowly I began to have more good days than bad days. The most difficult part of overcoming the trauma of childhood sexual abuse was learning to deal with the Guilt, the Shame, and the Loss. The Guilt: I felt that I had failed my little sister who also endured the same abuse. The Shame: I did not dare tell a soul that my father was actually in prison - he simply was not a part of our lives. And the Loss: I grieved for a father that was never a true parent because the little girl in me loved him. I was able to conquer this Guilt, Shame, and Loss by bonding with my friends and taking an interest in medicine. Having more of those "good" days - the days where the darkness was smaller than me - I had the energy to focus my attention on school and my goals. I am currently on track to become a physician assistant at Ohio Dominican University. In my role as a PA I will not only be able to help people find a better quality of life, but I will provide comfort and a positive outlook in tough situations. Being able to directly work with an individual and provide them with resources, will contribute to their overall well-being. I can work with individuals to help find solutions to their hardships. An important quality for anyone to have is integrity. I have lived and learned a lot because of adversity. I have been led to serendipity and have a beautiful journey in front of me left to finish.

The first thing I felt insecure about as a child was the constellation of birthmarks on my right flank, which I called my "splotches". They were poked and prodded by adults and laughed at by other kids. I covered them at all costs in my youth to avoid the embarrassment of being different. At some point, I remember someone telling me they were fatal wounds from where I was killed in a past life. While the commentator had good intentions, it only left me with an unsettling feeling; if that was the case then not only did I die a lot, but someone really wanted me dead. The café au lait spots eventually stopped bothering me and I forgot they were even there. Until one day after a breast cancer seminar in high school. I am guilty of being a web-MD- paranoid practitioner. Following the breast cancer awareness assembly, I went home to check myself for ominous lumps. And to my surprise and horror, I found one. Just slightly below my right breast, sitting on top of my ribcage was a subcutaneous lump. The lump was soft and moved slightly when opposing pressure was applied. This drew my attention back to the cluster of coffee splotches on my side. And thus began my introduction into the world of healthcare as a patient. After a round of surgery on the tumor, I was diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis type I (plexiform). While the diagnosis did frighten me at first, it also explained a lot of other conditions; my café au lait spots, my short stature, and the ADHD diagnosis which was a hindrance for me in college. My second round of surgery in college taught me the importance of patient advocacy. The tumor had grown back larger and more painful this time. A sharp, shooting pain down my side would have me hunched over and gasping for a handful of seconds before it subsided. I asked the surgeon I saw this time to do imaging, but he declined. Because the tumors are plexiform, the ones at my side twist around down into my ribcage; the risk of removing them outweighs the benefits. The surgeon deemed them inoperable after keeping me open on the operating table for two hours longer than anticipated. To go with my tumor and splotches, I was left with a very large scar measuring over 7 inches. I wish I would have insisted on imaging before surgery. It would have saved me thousands of dollars and pain. I am passionate about patients taking an active role in their healthcare. I currently work in dialysis and provide education to increase health literacy among my patients. I encourage them to advocate for themselves in the care they're receiving. I am currently working on my master's degree in physician assistant studies. In my role as a PA, I will continue to encourage this advocacy. I have taken an interest in NF and I enjoy educating others about it. Receiving this scholarship will ease the financial burden that accompanies grad school. I will be able to focus more on my studies and further learn what it means to be a good provider. I know what it is to struggle with a diagnosis, whether that be the NF1, ADHD, or depression and anxiety. I want to be a provider that eases difficult diagnoses and provides the necessary resources to help patients through it. I am a good candidate for this scholarship because I can draw from my own experiences with NF1 and ADHD to help others from the scope of physician assistant.

From the time I was four years old until I was 11, I endured sexual abuse inflicted by my father. He was imprisoned in 2011 with a 100-year prison sentence, leaving my mom as a single parent to me and my younger sister. This adjustment was financially and emotionally challenging. The artist Walter Anderson once said, “Bad things do happen; How I respond to them defines my character and my quality of life. I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my life, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have- life itself.” For a while, I did sit in what felt like a sadness that would never end. I was spiraling down but there was a small part of me that knew I could not stay in that darkness; I knew that I did not want to remain in that place. I knew that I had to rise above for my sister, my mother and most importantly myself. The most difficult part of overcoming the trauma of childhood sexual abuse was learning to deal with the Guilt, the Shame, and the Loss. The Guilt: I felt that I had failed my little sister who also endured the same abuse. The Shame: I did not dare tell a soul that my father was actually in prison - he simply was not a part of our lives. And the Loss: I grieved for a father that was never a true parent because the little girl in me loved him. I was able to conquer this Guilt, Shame, and Loss by becoming passionate about medicine. I did deal with a lot of that imposter syndrome; my shame overtook any self-confidence and I did not believe myself good enough for what I thought of as a good career or life. I struggled with self-harm and suicidal ideation and was even hospitalized a couple of times in my adolescence. It is incredibly difficult to get yourself out of such a dark place - next to near impossible to escape your own dark thoughts. As cliche as it sounds, I had to choose to be positive. I couldn't tell you the day or time when the darkness started to retreat. It was gradual. I began to slowly have more good days than bad days. This gave me the energy to formulate goals for myself and work on pursuing them. While some of that darkness will always linger, it is so much smaller than it ever has been. My goals, friends, and hobbies can outshine it. By choosing to be positive (and it is a choice I have to make every day), I have been able to focus my attention on school and work. I am currently on track to become a physician assistant at Ohio Dominican University. In my role as a PA I will not only be able to help people find a better quality of life, but I will provide comfort and a positive outlook in tough situations. Being able to directly work with individuals and provide them with resources, will contribute to their overall well-being. I can work with individuals to help find solutions to their hardships. An important quality for anyone to have is integrity. I have lived and learned a lot because of adversity. However, I have been led to serendipity and I have a beautiful journey in front of me left to finish.