As of May 2025, I officially graduated with a degree in Radiologic Technology. Since then, I’ve been working two jobs as an X-ray technologist—one at a rehabilitation hospital and the other at a Level II trauma center. During the X-ray program, I worked as a student radiologic technologist to help pay for school and develop my clinical skills. Prior to that, I worked at Nothing Bundt Cakes and served as a manager at a Hollister location. These roles not only helped fund my education but also built a strong foundation in customer service. That customer service background has translated seamlessly into my work in healthcare. Whether someone is panicking about finding the right outfit for an event or worried they’ve broken their leg, both situations require empathy, patience, and a calm presence. Caring about the person behind the moment is what truly matters. I want a career in healthcare because I genuinely care about others. Doing a job that has a meaningful impact on people’s lives motivates me to give my best every single day. In high school, I initially planned to major in communications and pursue a marketing career, but that path never felt fulfilling. After many late nights researching and soul-searching, I discovered medical imaging—“the eyes of healthcare.” It was exactly the combination of purpose and science I had been looking for. Because I had earned college credits through dual enrollment at Georgia State University while still in high school, I was able to jump straight into applying for the X-ray program, and was accepted thanks to my GPA and test scores. I originally planned to work in X-ray full-time after graduation, But during a school presentation that introduced us to the various imaging sciences, I saw a talk on nuclear medicine, and something clicked. I was fascinated not only because it was diagnostic like X-ray, but also because it involved functional studies and even therapeutic treatments. It’s a field that doesn’t get much spotlight, yet is full of discovery, like targeted therapies and radiopharmaceutical advances. After spending a week observing in a hospital’s nuclear medicine department, I saw firsthand the depth of care, the complexity of the cases, and the relationships formed with patients. I knew then that this was the field for me. I hope to bring everything I’ve learned from customer service, X-ray training, and a heart for patient care into nuclear medicine. Patient care is always at the center of my work. Whether it's offering a smile, explaining a procedure clearly, or grabbing a warm blanket, I believe the little things make a big difference. My goal is to be a positive presence in every room I enter, providing compassionate care that leads to better outcomes. That’s the kind of impact I want to make as a nuclear medicine technologist.

The healthcare system underserves black men and especially black women. Their worries are dismissed, the awareness of predisposed conditions as African Americans is not talked about, and racial prejudice has officials, healthcare, or otherwise, turning a blind eye to our humanity. Black women have a higher mortality rate when it comes to giving birth in American hospitals, not in other countries, but in the United States of America. Socioeconomic disparities should not be what is driving our women to death. It should not allow for black men to have little access to healthcare, even though they have more medical predispositions than other races. Bias treatment, and discrimination have made it hard for black people within my community to even want to go to the hospital. They would rather come to me and my mother, a proud black nurse, to see answers rather than put their trust in the healthcare system. As I begin my education to become a nuclear medicine technologist, my position on the career ladder is relatively low. Yet, that doesn't mean I can't speak out and show out to help change patient outcomes. Knowing that I can accurately charge for the medications given to all my patients, because I understand that Medicare coverage is ever-shrinking, and hospital bills are wrongfully ever-growing. Showing up in a patient's room with a smile and them being able to see someone who is a part of their community. They can see representation through me, which will allow trust in knowing I will understand their worries and take them seriously when they express their concerns. Not only showing my strong black presence to patients, but to the future healthcare students who don't know if they can because they have never seen someone who looks like them working in their dream field. There is a distinct importance to having culturally competent providers, and I will encourage and shine a light on anyone who has the compassion and understanding needed to be a provider in the medical field. Proper healthcare for everyone in this world is tied to how they feel when they stay at a facility. Do they feel safe? Cared for? Understood? I know my family doesn't, I know my community doesn't, I know so many black men and women do not. We take the Hippocratic oath and a code of ethics that tells us to do no harm and act in the best interest of our patients. That is not only our obligation, but it is a human decency, which needs to be brought back to the forefront for all people of color. I strive to push through hate and prejudice by being myself for those who don't feel like themselves.

Patient care is often only talked about when something goes wrong or there is a bad experience, but I hope to change that. As an X-ray technologist working within the Atlanta perimeter, I’ve seen how dramatically a patient’s mental and emotional state can shift based on how they’re treated. Small moments of kindness, empathy, and even humor can make a huge difference. It’s true what they say: laughter really is a form of medicine, and in many cases, it’s just as important as the physical treatment itself. Growing up, I had three close family members hospitalized by the time I was 13. What I remember most isn’t just the illnesses, it’s the anxiety and stress my family felt whenever they had to leave our loved ones in the hospital’s care. They often felt that the staff were rude, rushed, or unsympathetic. I vividly recall them feeling like they needed to pack a bag and stay overnight, just to make sure my uncle got what he needed, when he needed it. That sense of helplessness left a lasting impression on me. It’s what first inspired me to enter the medical field, not just to treat people, but to truly care for them like they were my own family members. Now, as a technologist, I go beyond the clinical side of my job by simply being present, respectful, and attentive. Whether it’s taking extra time to reassure an anxious patient, learning to read body language, or explaining the imaging process in simple terms, I make it my mission to bring a sense of comfort to those in distress. I also informally mentor newer techs on how empathy and compassion can be just as essential as technical skill in creating positive patient outcomes and building trust in healthcare environments. As I now pursue my studies to become a nuclear medicine technologist, my goal is to continue delivering excellent care while also bringing humanity back into the clinical experience. After college, I plan to advocate for a healthcare environment where emotional support is valued just as much as clinical expertise. I hope to work in underserved communities and eventually contribute to training the next generation of technologists. To me, healthcare isn’t just a profession—it’s a chance to change someone’s experience during one of the hardest times in their life. I want to be a reminder that they are seen, heard, and valued, because every patient deserves more than just treatment; they deserve dignity.