I had just picked my jaw up from the floor when I finished the first episode of Criminal Minds late one Saturday night when I knew that this was something I wanted to learn more about. Seeing how every suspect’s childhood and traumas affected their brain and character development never failed to intrigue me. With the start of each new episode, I found myself asking, “What happened to them?” more often than, “How could someone do such a thing?”. This led to my enrollment in AP Psychology sophomore year, where I became even more fascinated with the topic. Studying scenarios with make-believe mental patients and learning about the role upbringing plays in our development, made it the one class I looked forward to. In search of more, I inquired about my aunt’s experiences as a psychiatrist at every opportunity I got. She shared her most fascinating cases, as well as her most scarring. Despite her many stories attempting to deter me from pursuing psychiatry, I found myself unable to imagine pursuing anything else. My primary drive for pursuing an education is my passion for obtaining a career in which I am passionate, and the fact that I have the opportunity to obtain an education available to me. Thankfully, I have found that passion in psychology and plan to go into neuropsychiatry. As a Chemistry major pursuing the psychiatric field, studying brain chemistry and how dramatic levels of dopamine exposure in the womb can lead to psychopathy is one of many rabbit holes I see myself going down in college. Seeing groundbreaking research in the University of South Carolina’s psychiatry department, such as utilizing psychedelics like “magic mushrooms” in mental treatment, gives me confidence in the fact that my fear of pursuing a career I am not passionate about is just that, a fear. Another reason for my educational drive is the lack of black representation in STEM and medical fields. As a black swimmer growing up, my younger sister and I were always the only black swimmers on our swim team. Given how passionate I was about competitive swimming, I was always disappointed to turn my television to the Olympics and never see a swimmer who looked like me on the podium. However, in the 2016 Olympics, when I witnessed Simone Manuel win a gold medal on my television it gave me the confidence that I could achieve whatever I wanted. With this same lack of representation in both the STEM and medical fields, it is a fact I have learned to overlook through my experience as a swimmer and a statistic I refuse to let hold me back. Instead, it pushes me to work even harder to increase the number of black medical professionals and allow younger, possibly medically aspiring, individuals to be treated by someone who looks like them.

I had just picked my jaw up from the floor when I finished the first episode of Criminal Minds late one Saturday night when I knew that this was something I wanted to learn more about. Seeing how every suspect’s childhood and traumas affected their brain and character development never failed to intrigue me. This led to my enrollment in AP Psychology sophomore year, where I became even more fascinated with the topic. Studying scenarios with make-believe mental patients and learning about the role upbringing plays in our development, made it the one class I looked forward to. In search of more, I inquired about my aunt’s experiences as a psychiatrist at every opportunity I got. She shared her most fascinating cases, as well as her most scarring. Nevertheless, despite her many stories attempting to deter me from pursuing psychiatry, I found myself unable to imagine pursuing anything else. A time I have demonstrated perseverance was in my time as a competitive swimmer. While my mother was adamant about introducing me to numerous sports throughout my childhood, nothing could match the feeling I got every time I was in the pool: a simultaneous rush of excitement and peace. Swimming was not only enjoyable, but it poured lessons into me that I was able to use in and out of the pool. Our swim team was run by a Black family and was relatively diverse. However, when we swam against other teams, I noticed this was not the norm. In fact, it was rare to see other teams have more than two or three Black swimmers. I started to notice how my motivation to win became increasingly unhealthy. As I stood on the diving board, awaiting the horn to signal the start of the race, all I could think of was how I was the only Black girl in my heat, feeling as though I had to prove myself. However, it was my mother who told me that swimming is mainly a race against yourself, attempting to improve your time every race. I was able to apply this lesson in my daily life, as the pool will be one of many places I will experience not being the majority. Swimming prepared me to navigate and cope with the feeling of being one of the few Black students in my classes. From it, I realized that I am not responsible for cleaning up society’s false perceptions of me and that I do not need to work twice as hard just to prove myself. And if I ever do try twice as hard at anything, it will be because I am passionate and not to prove a point. I plan to positively impact the world by becoming a neuropsychiatrist, diagnosing patients with mental illnesses or diseases of the nervous system. I look forward to making an impact on both the patients I treat and the field as a whole, including uncovering some of the vast mysteries of the brain. As I experience working in it, I would like to continue making progress in the field of neuropsychiatry, including conducting research to tackle consistent issues within the field, including the mental health crisis within younger generations like Gen Z. I am passionate about this field and am grateful to pursue a career where I help others within my passion.

I was just ten years old when my father took me to see the new film "Hidden Figures" inspired by the mathematicians Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson. Although, more specifically, Taraji P. Henson's effort in reenacting Katherine Johnson's role in the Space Race inspired me to look into mathematics and a career in STEM. Her calculations causing the successful launch of multiple NASA spaceflights, especially as a black woman during segregated times, was primarily inspiring to me as a child. How she went from being the employee that was not even allowed into staff meetings, to being the sole calculator for a NASA spaceflight never ceased to amaze me. While my passions have changed numerous times since then, I have and always will have a place in my heart for science and mathematics. This I can accredit to Katherine Johnson and all of her many accomplishments. While I have always wanted to pursue medicine because of my passion for both science and helping people, I have come to focus on neuropsychiatry. In light of this, I inquired about my aunt’s experiences as a psychiatrist at every opportunity I got. She shared her most fascinating cases, as well as her most scarring. However, despite her many stories attempting to deter me from pursuing psychiatry, I found myself unable to imagine pursuing anything else. As I am pursuing my undergraduate degree before heading to medical school, it is my desire to major in Chemistry considering it was my favorite subject in high school. Therefore, studying brain chemistry and how dramatic levels of dopamine exposure in the womb can lead to psychopathy is one of many rabbit holes I see myself going down in college. I hope to also complete research in my time pursuing my Bachelor's and to be able to uncover medical mysteries within my field. By completing my degree, I hope to continue into medical school and study to become a neuropsychiatrist. I hope to work with patients to diagnose and treat mental illnesses and injuries as well as continue to study and make discoveries about the brain. Not only would I be pursuing something I am passionate about, but I will also be setting up financial security for myself and my family. Seeing how historic events such as those portrayed in "Hidden Figures" contribute to the lack of black representation in both the STEM and medical fields, is a fact I have learned to overlook and one I refuse to let hold me back.

"Community service is the rent we pay for living" is a quote my service coach told me that has stuck with me throughout the past years that I have been involved in service. One significant experience comes to mind when I think of a time I helped someone in need, which was on a service trip to Belize in 2023. While my introverted nature has previously made me shy away from major opportunities, the opportunity trip to Belize taught me to step out of my comfort zone and pursue my purpose. Our trip's primary focus was to assist in the reconstruction of a single mother's home after it had been destroyed in a natural disaster. We spent the start of our day working on clearing her land of weeds and tall grass as well as starting the foundation of the home. Once we finished our shift there, we would go into a specific neighborhood that was one of the most impoverished in the country, called "London Bridges". It is called this by the locals because of how each of the houses are elevated, in case of storms, and how they are connected by planks that form into bridges to allow the residents to get around. In London Bridges, we went door-to-door seeking anyone we could donate food to, which were bags we had put together filled with non-perishables. On the days we did not go into London Bridges we set up chairs inside of a church to wash the feet of anyone looking to get away from the heat. At the end of the wash, we were able to give each person a new pair of shoes. I sometimes served children who could not even speak English, and yet I found I could connect with them by simply making them laugh or doodling on their hands. I realized that I didn’t have to find the perfect words or prayer; simply being present and showing care was enough. It was the moments where I connected with those who come from a completely different walk of life than I do, while I pampered and washed their feet, were the most beautiful throughout the entire experience. To be able to impact a community at such a young age is a blessing I am still, almost a year later, unable to fully comprehend. Service to me means identifying a need in a community and seeking to meet that same need, and has developed into more than just what my service coach quoted to me. It no longer feels like an obligation or something to boost my application but rather a privilege. Starting the habit of helping others at a young age is a value I have realized and one we should strive to instill into future generations.

In the summer of 2016, while watching the Rio Olympics, I was in awe as Simone Manuel had just become the first Black female swimmer to win an Olympic gold medal. Manuel was one of two Black swimmers on the US team that year. Seeing someone who looked like me on the top of the Olympic podium was inspiring. Manuel showed me and other young Black swimmers that it was possible to not only participate but be successful in sports without a significant minority presence. I had not truly realized the significance of her win until I was met with hardships and obstacles that required me to process it. My mother was adamant about introducing us to numerous sports throughout my childhood, from golf and softball to basketball and gymnastics. However, nothing could match the feeling I got every time I was in the pool: a simultaneous rush of excitement and peace. Swimming was not only enjoyable, but it poured lessons into me that I was able to use in and out of the pool. Our swim team was run by a Black family and was relatively diverse. However, when we swam against other teams, I noticed this was not the norm. In fact, it was rare to see other teams have more than two or three Black swimmers. I started to notice how my motivation to win became increasingly unhealthy. As I stood on the diving board, awaiting the horn to signal the start of the race, all I could think of was how I was the only Black girl in my heat. I could not help but feel that I was in competition with all of the White swimmers, feeling as though I had to prove that not only myself, but my community, was good enough. However, it was my mother who told me that swimming is mainly a race against yourself, attempting to improve your time every race. I was able to apply this lesson in my daily life, as the pool will be one of many places I will experience not being the majority. Swimming prepared me to navigate and cope with the feeling of being one of the few Black students in my classes. From it, I realized that I am not responsible for cleaning up society’s false perceptions of me and that I do not need to work twice as hard just to prove myself. And if I ever do try twice as hard at anything, it will be because I am passionate and not to prove a point. Now, I swim, focusing on my own lane, and outside the pool, I get the best grades I can, refraining from any academic comparison. Remembering Manuel and the significance of her win, I strive to make breakthroughs such as hers. As I imagine the determined girl who stayed after practice perfecting her form, I am reminded never to give up.

I had just picked my jaw up from the floor as I finished the first episode of Criminal Minds late one Saturday night when I knew that this was something I wanted to learn more about. Seeing how every suspect’s childhood and traumas affected their brain and character development never failed to intrigue me. With the start of each new episode, I found myself asking, “What happened to them?” more often than, “How could someone do such a thing?”. This led to my enrollment in AP Psychology sophomore year, where I became even more fascinated with the topic. Studying scenarios with make-believe mental patients and learning about the role upbringing plays in our development, made it the one class I looked forward to. In search of more, I inquired about my aunt’s experiences as a psychiatrist at every opportunity I got. She shared her most fascinating cases, as well as her most scarring. Despite her many stories attempting to deter me from pursuing psychiatry, I found myself unable to imagine pursuing anything else. While my initial desire was to major in Psychology, my pursuit of medical school and interest in Chemistry inspired my reconsideration. Despite my class being held first thing in the morning, studying elemental reactions every day never failed to intrigue me and fulfill my academic curiosity. As a Chemistry major pursuing the psychiatric field, studying brain chemistry and how dramatic levels of dopamine exposure in the womb can lead to psychopathy is one of many rabbit holes I see myself going down in college. Seeing groundbreaking research in the psychiatry department such as utilizing psychedelics, specifically “magic mushrooms”, in mental treatment gives me confidence in the fact that my fear of working in a career that I am not passionate about is just that, a fear. Furthermore, with that passion, I plan to utilize my career as a neuropsychologist to diagnose patients with mental illnesses and disorders by running various tests to explain sudden changes in mood and behavior within my patients. I look forward to making an impact on both the patients I treat and the field as a whole, including uncovering some of the vast mysteries of the brain. As I experience working in it, I would like to continue making progress in the field of neuropsychology, including conducting research to tackle consistent issues within the field. I am passionate about this particular field and am grateful to have the opportunity to pursue a career where I help those with an issue I am most passionate about.