The human heart is portrayed through film as love and emotion that an individual can feel, through scientific definition the human heart allows blood to be distributed across the body. The heart being a control center for the body is a part that I want to save through its purpose of keeping a human alive and the symbolic nature of the heart that centers the idea of love. I want to pursue a career as a cardiothoracic surgeon so I can allow people to be able to live through emotion and love after a devastating injury. I hope to make a positive impact by pursuing a degree in healthcare as a woman to serve as a role model to young women across the world to prove that gender is not affiliated with a career or position. The ability to have one’s life in your hands is both daunting and serious. Being in an operating room requires skill and concentration. The thrill of the operating room is what drives me to become a surgeon. Saving someone's life to provide family joy is what drives me to become a surgeon. The passion is what drives me to become a surgeon. Through my passion for becoming a surgeon, I want to leave a positive impact on my community through my job and being a woman in healthcare. Women make up 8% of cardiothoracic surgeons, according to AAMC data in 2020. As women are underrepresented in cardiothoracic surgery, I hope to be a role model to young women who want to pursue a career in this role or in the realm of healthcare. Through my high school experiences, I was able to complete an internship at Cleveland Clinic. Experiencing the ability to be exposed to clinical environments only confirmed my passion for surgery. The strengths and skills that are required are what attracts me to this career path. While observing a CABG surgery, I noticed that there was not a single woman in the room. Every surgeon, nurse, assistant, and technician was a male. Through this experience, my passion for medicine only increased more. I want to become a surgeon so when young female students come into the operating room they realize that no position is defined by gender. I hope to make a positive impact as a woman in healthcare by directly contributing to medical research that directly correlates to the heart. I want to push boundaries in my desired field and create possibilities for patients and families that have never been achieved before. Besides being a cardiothoracic surgeon, my love for community service will allow me to contribute positively to my environment. My future impact will move past the walls of the operating room, and contribute directly to the community around me. Touching families through my medical research, community service, and a role model to young women. By pursuing a degree in healthcare, I will create a positive impact on my community by becoming a surgeon who prioritizes love and compassion.

“How it happened he did not know. But all at once something seemed to seize him and fling him at her feet. He wept and threw his arms around her knees. At first instant, she was terribly frightened and she turned pale. She jumped up and looked at him, trembling, but at the same moment she understood, and a light of infinite happiness came into her eyes. She knew and had no doubt that he loved her above everything else and that at the last moment had come… They wanted to speak but could not; tears stood in their eyes. They were both pale and thin; but those sick pale faces were bright with the dawn of a new future, of a full resurrection into a new life. They were renewed by love; the heart of each Health infinite sources of life for the heart of the other”(Dostoevsky 1866) "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky delves into the study of the human psyche and the complexities of humanity. The themes of guilt, redemption, religion, and the transformative power of love. This passage depicts a keen changing point in the character’s transformation of emotions and a man turning to his humanity. This moment outlines the protagonist Raskolnikov, who has been struggling with the struggle of killing a woman, and experiences powerful character development as he falls to the feet of his lover Sonia. Raskolnikov’s innocent act of submission expresses a breakthrough in Raskolnikov repenting the sin of murder and signals the beginning of his redemption. In this excerpt from "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky, the author employs multiple literary techniques to illustrate love's metamorphic power and reveals how one can be redeemed through love and the indomitable human spirit. The main theme of the passage is that forgiveness can occur through human connection. The fall that Raskolnikov displayed showed his need for her love, and his immediate repentance at her feet. Even though Sonia has been through her suffering and hardships, Raskolnikov still viewed her in the utmost positive light. The moment where Raskolnikov falls at his lover's feet serves as significant as Sonia’s immediate reaction is “frightened and she turned pale”, but then is transformed into “infinite happiness”, revealing Sonia’s understanding of this important shift in demeanor in Raskolnikov. Without Raskolnikov even having to speak, Sonia understood his love for her and his display of vulnerability is the largest sign of his repentance to a new life. Raskolnikov’s fall symbolizes his once isolated and confused mind has transformed into light and a willingness to embrace love. Dostoevsky’s use of dialogue conveys the internal conflict that Raskolnikov once faced and the eventual transformation that comes with it. The important conversations between Raskolnikov and Sonia show the depth of Raskolnikov’s guilt and the hope that leads to his redemption. Through their raw exchanges, the dialogue captures the immense crime that Raskolnikov has committed and the emotional damage that comes with the crime. Sonia is a character that is used as a moral compass to Raskolnikov making him realize the emotional consequences to his actions. The use of commentary creates a growing connection between Raskolnikov and Sonia but also shows that human connection is the most important ideal to resurrection. The author employs the use of imagery to emphasize light and resurrection which is assimilated with the feeling of love. After Raskolnikov reunites with Sonia, their “sick pale faces were bright with the dawn of a new future”, symbolizing the shift of repentance and spiritual rebirth. The spiritual shift that is emulated is not just Raskolnikov’s souls getting renewed, but can instead be viewed as a shared experience that unites them in their love for each other. This shared meaningful experience created a “source of life” for both of them. With this shared experience, Dostoevsky suggests that their love is not just an emotional bond to each other but a force that has healed the discrepancies that they once had. As the two of them are, “renewed by love”, their relationship depicts that their love has redeemed their lost souls. The passage reflects the author’s belief that harsh suffering can be the most beneficial for spiritual growth and being closer to God. Raskolnikov’s actions throughout the book represent a man that has been through challenges mentally and physically, as he realizes the consequences of his crime. The suffering that he has faced after committing this crime provided him with the ability to repent from his sins and redeem himself from his broken soul. Dostoevsky creates a juxtaposition by comparing his harsh suffering to the “tears” that he has faced to the “new life” that is created through his repentance and undying love for Sonia. This contrast displayed the author’s purpose that the suffering Raskolnikov faced was needed for his eventual spiritual awakening into a new life with God in his path and a life of love. This section from "Crime and Punishment" shows Dostoevsky's purpose of the redemption that love can provide and what it offers to human morale. Raskolnikov's transformation is shown through his vulnerability and surrender to his lover Sonia, and her compassionate response illustrates the power of unfailing love between two people. Dostoevsky conveys his inner turmoil that redemption is only possible with a powerful connection with another that overcomes human darkness and transforms the light within another.

To build my ideal bookshelf inspired by #BookTok, I would include books such as My Year of Rest and Relaxation, Daughter of the Moon Goddess, and The Secret History. These various books have unique themes that made me engage with the complex characters and the purposes conveyed. Some of these books were loved by the #BookTok community, and others were not. Still, the purpose of this bookshelf selection is to depict a recollection of my self-exploration of serious themes and ignited my love for reading again. My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh is a complex book illustrating dark humor and dramatic irony portraying the female experience of death, love, and numbness. The narrator was an unnamed character that was depicted as an arrogant, rich, twenty-year-old that had no spatial awareness for the people around her. The narrator showed serious mental health problems of narcissism, addiction, and abuse. She attempts to escape reality with induced sleep paired with heavy medication to experience rest and relaxation. #BookTok introduced me to an incredibly ironic book that depicts femininity that is not often written in the fiction realm. This book impacted the #BookTok community by stirring a debate over the narrator’s character structure and the dark theme that encompasses the book. Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan follows Chinese mythology that offers a captivating experience of fantasy, love, and war. Xingyin is the daughter of the moon goddess and hopes through her journey into the celestial kingdom she can save her mom from an eternal prison. #BookTok introduced me to a great book that showcases a work of fiction through fantasy themes and descriptions. The #BookTok community also had mixed emotions about this book. Many liked the book because of its unique setting and character, while others said that the book was too simple and hard to complete. Lastly, The Secret History by Donna Tartt is a remarkable book that follows a group of college elites who become trapped in a murder and have to face the ramifications that come with killing a person. The group of characters were extreme narcissists believing they were simply better than others through their study of Latin, literature, and language. The Secret History relates to My Year of Rest and Relaxation through the bleak theme and the lack of morale, but The Secret History provides a more complex story illustrating the psychological downfall of the characters. The complex characters depict self-destruction pertaining to the obsession to be intellectual. The #BookTok community appreciates this work of literature and many people love this book, there is very little debate if this book is good or bad, it is a clear statement that many people relish this book. #BookTok played a crucial role by amplifying these titles, even though these books were not published recently and throughout the years. Through the community review, analyses, and enjoyable reaction, #BookTok centralized a community around the love for reading and analyzing in-depth characters and disproves the generalization that #BookTok is concentrated around romance books by Colleen Hoover. The collection of books I made for my bookshelf does not simply just represent books I have enjoyed, but books that have made an impact on my life. Through a reading slump in 2020, these books made me enjoy reading again through the deep themes and emotional tones. Each unique story reminded me of the passion I had for curling up with a good book, escaping reality just with a simple book. #BookTok brought my love for reading back with a passionate community and distinctive recommendations.