Scratchy and uncomfortable chairs have always been the bane of my existence. But I was forced to get quite used to them as I progressed through my childhood. Between hospital visits to see my mom with her knee problems, my cousin with a congenital heart defect, and my aunt who had neurological issues, the number of anxiety-inducing visiting chairs I sat in was astronomical. It is probably clear to you by now that I have always been known to make a big deal out of small problems. But even though this tiny detail is unimportant in the grand scheme of the overall issue - which is the structural problems in our healthcare system - it speaks to why I have always been interested in healthcare. However, to my kid brain, the worst part of visiting relatives in the hospital was those evil chairs. As I grew older, I replaced that insignificant detail with the vivid anxieties many people think of when reflecting on healthcare in the United States. For one, underrepresented minorities have a disproportionate number of negative outcomes when it comes to quality healthcare. Black women are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy complications than white women. I could list a thousand more statistics that paint the depressing picture of our societal mishaps within healthcare. This ties directly to why I want to pursue a STEM degree in health professions; I want to repair the brokenness of our system from within. As an African American woman, I feel that I possess a unique culture and background that could be helpful when working with patients of various minority populations. But there are also other goals I have for my future in STEM. I plan to be an outspoken advocate of reform to a variety of systems within the United States’ culture. As I’ve mentioned, making our healthcare system a better place for underrepresented minorities is one of my focuses. But I also feel that the way our country runs its prison system is an overlooked issue, especially for minorities and Black people. Black and Brown people are being incarcerated at alarmingly high rates, and the monetization of our prison systems is one cause of negative outcomes for those who are imprisoned. I could reference an absurd number of statistics to prove this point, but I’ll settle on speaking broadly about my future goals. I want to make the most positive impact on the world that I can, and I believe that advocating for political and systematic change is an effective way to do so.

Scratchy and uncomfortable chairs have always been the bane of my existence. But I was forced to get quite used to them as I progressed through my childhood. Between hospital visits to see my mom with her knee problems, my cousin with a congenital heart defect, and my aunt who had neurological issues, the number of anxiety-inducing visiting chairs I sat in was astronomical. It is probably clear to you by now that I have always been known to make a big deal out of small problems. But even though this tiny detail is unimportant in the grand scheme of the overall issue - which is the structural problems in our healthcare system - it speaks to why I have always been interested in healthcare. However, to my kid brain, the worst part of visiting relatives in the hospital was those evil chairs. As I grew older, I replaced that insignificant detail with the vivid anxieties many people think of when reflecting on healthcare in the United States. For one, underrepresented minorities have a disproportionate number of negative outcomes when it comes to quality healthcare. Black women are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy complications than white women. I could list a thousand more statistics that paint the depressing picture of our societal mishaps within healthcare. This ties directly to why I want to pursue a STEM degree in health professions; I want to repair the brokenness of our system from within. As an African American woman, I feel that I possess a unique culture and background that could be helpful when working with patients of various minority populations. But there are also other goals I have for my future in STEM. I plan to be an outspoken advocate of reform to a variety of systems within the United States’ culture. As I’ve mentioned, making our healthcare system a better place for underrepresented minorities is one of my focuses. But I also feel that the way our country runs its prison system is an overlooked issue, especially for minorities and Black people. Black and Brown people are being incarcerated at alarmingly high rates, and the monetization of our prison systems is one cause of negative outcomes for those who are imprisoned. I could reference an absurd number of statistics to prove this point, but I’ll settle on speaking broadly about my future goals. I want to make the most positive impact on the world that I can, and I believe that advocating for political and systematic change is an effective way to do so.

Scratchy and uncomfortable chairs have always been the bane of my existence. But I was forced to get quite used to them as I progressed through my childhood. Between hospital visits to see my mom with her knee problems, my cousin with a congenital heart defect, and my aunt who had neurological issues, the number of anxiety-inducing visiting chairs I sat in was astronomical. It is probably clear to you by now that I have always been known to make a big deal out of small problems. But even though this tiny detail is unimportant in the grand scheme of the overall issue - which is the structural problems in our healthcare system - it speaks to why I have always been interested in healthcare. However, to my kid brain, the worst part of visiting relatives in the hospital was those evil chairs. As I grew older, I replaced that insignificant detail with the vivid anxieties many people think of when reflecting on healthcare in the United States. For one, underrepresented minorities have a disproportionate number of negative outcomes when it comes to quality healthcare. Black women are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy complications than white women. I could list a thousand more statistics that paint the depressing picture of our societal mishaps within healthcare. This ties directly to why I want to pursue a degree in health professions; I want to repair the brokenness of our system from within. As an African American woman, I feel that I possess a unique culture and background that could be helpful when working with patients of various minority populations. But there are also other goals I have for my future in the medical field. I plan to be an outspoken advocate of reform to a variety of systems within the United States' culture. As I’ve mentioned, making our healthcare system a better place for underrepresented minorities is one of my focuses. But I also feel that the way our country runs its prison system is an overlooked issue, especially for minorities and Black people. Black and Brown people are being incarcerated at alarmingly high rates, and the monetization of our prison systems is one cause of negative outcomes for those who are imprisoned. I could reference an absurd number of statistics to prove this point, but I’ll settle on speaking broadly about my future goals. I want to make the most positive impact on the world that I can, and I believe that advocating for political and systematic change is an effective way to do so. If I am awarded this scholarship, the stress and financial burden that I currently have on my shoulders will be lightened. To set myself up for success in the field, I need to be able to focus on studying and achieving impeccable grades. Doing so is quite difficult when I'm also worried about how I will purchase expensive textbooks for my courses. Thus, this scholarship will aid me in my journey of obtaining my degree in the healthcare system. It will propel me one step closer to giving back to my community in the future, by making sure I use my background and experience to cater to patients who have been historically underrepresented and mistreated.

Scratchy and uncomfortable chairs have always been the bane of my existence. But I was forced to get quite used to them as I progressed through my childhood. Between hospital visits to see my mom with her knee problems, my cousin with a congenital heart defect, and my aunt who had neurological issues, the number of anxiety-inducing visiting chairs I sat in was astronomical. It is probably clear to you by now that I have always been known to make a big deal out of small problems. But even though this tiny detail is unimportant in the grand scheme of the overall issue - which is the structural problems in our healthcare system - it speaks to why I have always been interested in healthcare. However, to my kid brain, the worst part of visiting relatives in the hospital was those evil chairs. As I grew older, I replaced that insignificant detail with the vivid anxieties many people think of when reflecting on healthcare in the United States. For one, underrepresented minorities have a disproportionate number of negative outcomes when it comes to quality healthcare. Black women are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy complications than white women. I could list a thousand more statistics that paint the depressing picture of our societal mishaps within healthcare. This ties directly to why I want to pursue a STEM degree in health professions; I want to repair the brokenness of our system from within. As an African American woman, I feel that I possess a unique culture and background that could be helpful when working with patients of various minority populations. But there are also other goals I have for my future in STEM. I plan to be an outspoken advocate of reform to a variety of systems within the United States’ culture. As I’ve mentioned, making our healthcare system a better place for underrepresented minorities is one of my focuses. But I also feel that the way our country runs its prison system is an overlooked issue, especially for minorities and Black people. Black and Brown people are being incarcerated at alarmingly high rates, and the monetization of our prison systems is one cause of negative outcomes for those who are imprisoned. I could reference an absurd number of statistics to prove this point, but I’ll settle on speaking broadly about my future goals. I want to make the most positive impact on the world that I can, and I believe that advocating for political and systematic change is an effective way to do so.

Similar to many bureaucratic systems within the United States, our healthcare system is far from perfect. Access to high-quality healthcare is simply an economic commodity to be fought for in our modern-day time. This fight for empathetic doctors and effective care disproportionately affects underrepresented minorities. It is also important to note that the actual workforce of healthcare professionals does not accurately represent our US population; while African Americans represent 11 % of the U.S. population, only 4% of our doctors are of the same race. Because of these stark differences in representation and overall healthcare quality, I am determined to work against the obstacles minorities face in gaining effective healthcare. This is the main motivation why I am pursuing a career in Occupational Therapy. My goals for my future medical career include accurately providing treatment to those of minority populations, working to increase healthcare access to low-income communities, and advocating for more political action to counteract these deficits that African Americans may face in our healthcare system. These goals may seem quite difficult, and I am aware. But when I think of how hard it may be to accomplish these tasks, I just remember my mother’s pain through all of her health problems when I was younger. My mother faced many hardships in her life, but I witnessed the stress that hospital bills, waiting times, and ineffective care put on her. It was heartbreaking, especially for a young daughter. I have always wanted to become a part of the healthcare force, but recent research into the complex difficulties that underrepresented minorities face has strengthened my aptitude for the career even further. Just to call attention to the importance of this issue, Black women are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy complications than white women. That is alarming! Racial diversity in the workforce is the first step in repairing a decades-long trend of mistreatment towards underrepresented minority patients in the healthcare system. Diversity in the workforce means people of all different cultural and ethnic backgrounds can find a provider who understands the complexities of how their culture may affect their needs regarding treatment. It is also true that doctors with backgrounds in minority racial and ethnic groups are more likely to work in low-income communities than white doctors. The benefits of having a racially diverse set of US doctors are crucial to advancing our healthcare system. For these reasons and many more, I have an unbreakable determination to become part of the healthcare workforce. As an African American woman, I feel my background and my culture will be useful in providing quality care and treatment to low-income communities. This goal of mine will hopefully leave me feeling satisfied that I am making a difference in our country, and that is also why I plan to be an advocate for political and economic decisions that will better the entire system. To fix the cracks in the system, radical and efficient change is necessary.