As a child, my mom called me her "miracle" and reminded me constantly that she was so lucky to have me. I would always think, "Well, of course, she has to say that—she's my mom," but that couldn't be further from the truth. Later in my childhood, my mom decided I was old enough to know the backstory of why she called me her miracle. She had suffered from ovarian cancer, which damaged her fallopian tubes. While in the early stages of pregnancy with my brother and sister, she lost both babies and was devastated. The doctor ensured she knew that she would most likely not be able to have another child, but as you may have suspected, the unlikely became reality. After having me through the complications, my mom always considered me her greatest blessing. While this whole story may seem irrelevant to the topic of positively impacting the world, it's what drives me to continue working to become an ultrasound technician. By studying Diagnostic Medical Sonography at Seattle University with the intention of becoming an ultrasound technician, I hope to bring future mothers the joy of knowing they will have a miracle of their own and protect them from any underlying medical complications as early as possible. I continuously get questions about why I want to pursue sonography out of all areas of the medical field. With a high-grade point average, participation in varying sports, and hours of community service, many people assume I would have done something else—something "bigger." Of course, surgeons are extremely significant in the medical field, essential really, but many individuals tend to forget about the work that comes before the surgery. Sonography is just as important in the aspect of being able to find and diagnose conditions and diseases. An ultrasound technician's job is critical in not only finding what may be wrong with the body but also assuring patients that nothing is wrong. Being thorough, precise, and accurate are all part of a sonographer's job. In my eyes, I see this career path as a way for me to continue my community service and volunteering. Although this type of service to others is vastly different than the type of volunteering I have experience with, I am more than willing to be able to contribute to bettering my community in the form of this work. With my experience of volunteering at a physical therapy office, I know that working in the healthcare field is something I can be successful in and enjoy doing. Working with patients and being able to treat and assist them in any way I can is something I want to include in my future. I believe I am more than capable to do this job effectively, but more importantly, I am passionate about it.

There's one question that I continuously ask myself when I need the motivation to get up and create change in my life: If I don't, then who will? Essentially this question serves as a reminder that if I don't put in the effort and dedicate time to things that are important, they won't get done. If I don't volunteer this weekend, how will things change? If I don't go to practice, how will I get better? If I don't study tonight, how will I pass tomorrow? As a student, being ambitious and putting yourself out there play a large role in being successful. In retrospect, school isn't the only thing this mentality can be applied to. Thinking in the mindset of "if I won't, who will" can prove beneficial in other aspects of our lives. Thinking this way has gotten me into the National Honor Society, where I have volunteered and tutored for over 100 hours. It has also motivated me to be a part of different clubs to learn more about how I can create positive change in my community. These clubs included Soroptimist Club, where I attended various service events to impact the community even more. I've branched out into clubs I never thought I'd be interested in like Engineering Club and STEM-Med Club—which have shown me how interesting the STEM field can be. One of the newest clubs I've joined is Cards for a Cause, where I am able to create encouraging cards to send to young cancer patients at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children. Alongside being a part of these different organizations, I have participated in different sports throughout my high school career. I have done basketball since the 6th grade for Sacred Hearts, and also played for two different club teams: Kalakaua Basketball and Sharks Basketball. Last season during my junior year, my varsity team made it to the D2 state championships and finished second. In my freshmen year of high school, I began bowling for my school. This year my team finished 1st in ILH D2, and I qualified for states next week. In my junior year, I did track and field—participating in the 100m, 200m, and 800m. On top of extracurriculars, I balanced my schoolwork and maintained a cumulative GPA of 4.04 throughout my years of high school. In total, I have completed 7 honors classes and 1 AP class, and am currently enrolled in AP Biology and AP Literature. These classes have strengthened me academically and challenged me to work harder. Now that I am nearing the end of my senior year of high school, I have decided that I want to pursue sonography. During an internship at Rehab Therapy Partners Kaimuki, I discovered my interest in sonography. I plan to attend a university that offers a Diagnostic Medical Sonography program to follow through with my career plan of becoming an ultrasound technician. I want to be able to utilize my education opportunities and efforts through being successful in the future. I'm excited to be a medical care worker and be able to create positive change by providing service to others.