I was raised in a home where dreams were non-existent, “goal” was an unfamiliar term, and I struggled daily to portray a normal lifestyle. As a victim of domestic violence, I endured physical, mental, and emotional abuse for 10 years starting from when I was 6. One may wonder how a person with this kind of background can become successful in life. Thousands of studies predict the outcomes of people with a past like mine, beaten, broken, and scarred. Do they become criminals, do they dedicate life to drugs and prostitution? Specialists may conclude that we inevitably become social deviants and flood the outskirts of society and more importantly contribute to financial and economic failure. The past is tragic, the present is exciting, and the future is promising. This is the mantra that I live by. I aspire to be a Physician Assistant. It is not a requirement to manifest the “typical” profile of what society expects to become a Physician Assistant. Socially affluent, rich, stable young prospective medical provider with a staunch support system. I flunked out of college in high school. I couldn’t handle the challenges of my home life, surviving abuse, neglect, and intermittent homelessness. However, real-life experiences will guide me down the path to helping others with troubled backgrounds. In the hospital, there are alcoholics, drug addicts, patients with metastatic cancer, AIDS, and various diseases. These are struggles that often lead to depression, financial insecurity and contribute to medical mistrust in healthcare. I aspire to provide support, comfort, advice, and healing to these patients and those who are underrepresented like myself. It is my dream to work in a variety of settings and lead the way for change, especially in a climate where discrimination is occurring in the healthcare setting. Literacy through Quality Healthcare: Studies have proven that people in communities of color distrust medicine, hospitals, and doctors. When researching the health outcomes of these patients, I found many lack financial support due to illness, inability to work and gaps in education. I plan to focus on the “Whole Person Healthcare” approach as a practicing Physician Assistant. This methodology incorporates 4 specific patient indicators when administering treatment or creating healthcare plans; Mental, Physical Health, Spiritual Practice and Social Economic Status (SES). It is a systematic approach to treating all patients within their comfort zone. It follows the ideology of “meeting patients where they are.” If medical professionals would address these indicators, the probability of an increase in quality healthcare would skyrocket. This would be due to the individualized approach to healthcare planning. As a result, patients in these communities would begin to trust providers and medicine, schedule follow-up appointments and improve their current health baseline. I hypothesize that a healthy individual is more likely to make sound financial decisions. By utilizing the “Whole Person Health” methodology, healthcare providers contribute to financial literacy inadvertently. Economic Growth: Lastly as a credentialed medical professional, I can educate people on Health Awareness and its effects on our economy. Youth within the inner cities lack the educational resources to understand the importance of scheduling a yearly physical and wellness checkup. In addition, geriatric communities lack the resources to book appointments and find competent healthcare and supportive services to support physical health. Through outreach and educational programs, I can change the trajectory of the community and reinforce the establishment of proper healthcare. If I can improve the physical and mental health of these patients, I can directly improve the financial literacy and well-being of my community. As a result, contributes to economic growth within a low-income population.

As a Physician Assistant, I will have the ability to work in a variety of settings and lead the way for change, especially in a climate where discrimination is occurring in the healthcare setting.

Hi, I was raised in a home where dreams were nonexistent, “goal” was an unfamiliar term, and every day was a struggle to maintain sanity or close to what was considered societal normal for a child. I was abused by my stepfather physically, mentally, and emotionally for 10 years starting from when I was 6 and not ending until my 16th year. I would lay awake at night, listening, looking for the light in the hallway to turn on. One dirty dish and all the dishes would go back into the sink, he would purposely destroy the kitchen. My older sister and I would be dragged out of our bedroom by our hair and beaten. One may wonder how a person with this background can become successful in life. Thousands of studies predict outcomes for people with my past, beaten, broken and scarred. Do they become criminals, or do drugs? Specialists may conclude that we inevitably become deviants and flood the outskirts of society only to move on with no hope or direction. The past is tragic, the present is exciting, and the future is promising. This is the mantra that I live by. My story isn't unique or unheard of and I know my experiences can positively influence others. The book: Donbas written by Jacques Sandulescu is a must-read for everyone. This story is about a young boy who escapes the concentration camps and flees Russia at a very young age. He is faced with adversity that many can relate to. Every country around the world has its struggles political or socioeconomic. If one is to say their country is perfect, it would fall short of the truth. You may say that I'm partial because of my personal experiences. True... But I believe that these experiences sharpen our character and perspective into a spear that can be used in battle. We are facing a worldwide crisis where apartheid and poverty is rampant. Hatred and war are spewed from the tounges of leaders that forge the way. This book embodies all of these things and puts them into perspective. It is an inspiring story that will open the eyes of those who need understanding. Those who know nothing of hardships and life's failures. The terror of being ripped from your family as a child with no one to turn to. This story can change the way humans perceive life.

Hi, I was raised in a home where dreams were nonexistent, “goal” was an unfamiliar term, and every day was a struggle to maintain sanity or close to what was considered societal normal for a child. I was abused by my stepfather physically, mentally, and emotionally for 10 years starting from when I was 6 and not ending until my 16th year. I would lay awake at night, listening, looking for the light in the hallway to turn on. One dirty dish and all the dishes would go back into the sink, he would purposely destroy the kitchen. My older sister and I would be dragged out of our bedroom by our hair and beaten. One may wonder how a person with this type of background can become successful in life. Thousands of studies predict the outcomes of people with a past like mine, beaten, broken, and scarred. Do they become criminals killers or do they dedicate life to drugs and prostitution? Specialists may conclude that we inevitably become deviants and flood the outskirts of society only to move on with no hope or direction. The past is tragic, the present is exciting, and the future is promising. This is the mantra that I live by. My story isn't unique or unheard of and I know my experiences can positively influence others. Goal to be a Physician Assistant: One does not have to fill the “typical” profile of what society expects to become a PA. I took college courses in high school and flunked out. I couldn’t handle the challenges of my home life, surviving abuse, neglect, and intermittent homelessness. However, I have real-life experiences that will guide me when helping others with troubled backgrounds. In hospitals, there are alcoholics, drug addicts, patients with cancer, AIDS, and various diseases. These struggles lead to depression and contribute to medical mistrust in healthcare. I aspire to provide support, comfort, advice, and healing to these patients and those who are underrepresented. Patients who are black, brown and belong to the LGBTQ community. As a Physician Assistant, I will work in a variety of settings and lead change in a climate where discrimination is rampant in healthcare. Minority Representation: Studies have proven that people in communities of color distrust medicine, hospitals, and doctors, it is my goal to bridge this gap. Many of these people may be older and considered to be part of the geriatric community. I had a recent experience where an older black man asked me if I was “medicine-like”. I was on an Instagram video call with my cousin, and she had a few friends at her house. This man asked me about specific symptoms and what they meant such as; frequent urination, and extreme thirst. He said it had been years since he had a physical, but the doctor told him he was “borderline with his sugars”. To put this into context: this man was diagnosed as a borderline diabetic seven years ago. After an extensive conversation, I found him a doctor and convinced him to schedule a follow-up appointment! Community Outreach: Lastly, as a Physician Assistant I will continue to volunteer and do community outreach. Once I become a credentialed medical professional, I can speak to members of the community and tell my story. This may help others like me to be inspired to work in medicine. It was not my intention to tell my life story, however, past experiences lay the framework for who we are today. I am a strong, motivated positive and influential woman who will make a difference in my community! Thank you, Kia