My passion for making a positive impact in both the medical and public health fields has been shaped by a series of transformative experiences throughout my life. From a young age, I aspired to become a social worker, driven by a deep desire to help vulnerable communities and alleviate social inequalities. However, as I grew older, I witnessed the pressing need for equitable healthcare resources in my community, which shifted my focus toward the intersection of medicine and public health. Growing up in a neighborhood where access to quality healthcare was limited, I saw firsthand the disparities in healthcare outcomes based on socioeconomic status. My own family's struggle with health bills, despite being on Medicaid, opened my eyes to the broader issue of inaccessible and unaffordable healthcare in underserved populations. These experiences fueled my determination to pursue a career in the healthcare field to address these systemic challenges. Upon entering college, I chose to study health sciences as a means to bridge my aspirations of becoming both a physician and a public health advocate. The curriculum allows me to gain a comprehensive understanding of medical principles while also providing insights into public health strategies to improve population health outcomes. I've actively sought internships and volunteer opportunities that allow me to work closely with underprivileged communities, where I witnessed the far-reaching impacts of social determinants of health on individuals' well-being. Witnessing patients in my local clinic and hospital face preventable health issues due to lack of access to basic healthcare services motivated me to be a future physician with a concentration in public health. In my envisioned career, I see myself practicing medicine to directly address individual health needs while actively engaging in public health initiatives to tackle health disparities on a broader scale. By working at the community level, I aim to identify and address the root causes of health disparities, collaborating with local organizations and policymakers to implement targeted interventions and improve healthcare access. Furthermore, I aspire to conduct research that explores the intricate connections between social determinants of health and disease outcomes, contributing valuable insights to the field of public health. I will be advocating for healthcare policy reforms that prioritize equitable distribution of resources and ensure affordable healthcare for all. By combining my medical expertise with a deep understanding of public health strategies, I aim to address the systemic barriers to healthcare access and work towards creating a healthier and more equitable society for all individuals, irrespective of their socioeconomic background. My journey toward this goal will be fueled by empathy, determination, and an unwavering commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of those in need.

According to statistics, black women currently make up about 2.8% of the population of U.S. physicians. This percentage has progressed very little, despite the increase in innovation and advancement in the field of medicine. I believe a part of what motivates me is the odds against my becoming a physician. Being a black female physician will be a small yet gradual decrease in the lack of diverse health environments and its effect on the healthcare of predominantly black communities. I remember the eighth grade was the first time I told my mother I wanted to be a physician. She asked, "Are you sure?" I replied, "Yes ma'am. I'm sure". Since then, she did everything in her power to ensure I could have the chance to pursue my career goal. The career field I am striving to be a part of takes more than brains, it takes integrity. It takes knowing the weight of having an M.D. besides my name began as soon as I openly stated my goal. Growing up in a single-parent household, my mother always told me to be confident in whatever I do. Do not do it for the family, whatever you do, do it because you have a passion for it. Being in the health care field is my primary career goal because I can take my lessons growing up and apply them to my career, not leave them behind. My mother knew once I expressed my goal to become a physician that the journey will be far from easy. It seemed like every scholarship I applied to resulted in an encouragement to apply again the next cycle. My university increased the cost of attendance and my mother began to ask me whether this road of debt accumulation is worth it, given that it was only the beginning of my undergraduate degree. What I've learned from my household is that sacrificing my goals is much more detrimental than financial factors. I intend to graduate from Howard University and attend medical school to eventually receive my license to practice medicine. With this scholarship, I will be able to lessen the financial burdens of getting into medical school and decrease the amount of debt I will have accumulated by the completion of my degree. I aim to be a mentor to aspiring physicians to reassure them of their endless possibilities despite the circumstances they may face in the present.

I remember the eighth grade was the first time I told my mother I wanted to be a physician. She asked, "Are you sure?" I replied, "Yes ma'am. I'm sure". Since then, she did everything in her power to ensure I could have the chance to pursue my career goal. The career field I am striving to be a part of takes more than brains, it takes integrity. It takes knowing the weight of having an M.D. besides my name began as soon as I openly stated my goal. Being a pre-medical student in college, pressure is applied to be successful in everything I do. Service is my reminder of the true meaning of success. I want to continue to serve as a medical professional to remind myself that regardless of my accomplishments, I must continue to act with integrity and humility. According to statistics, black women currently make up about 2.8% of the population of U.S. physicians. This percentage has progressed very little, despite the increase in innovation and advancement in the field of medicine. I believe a part of what motivates me is the odds against my becoming a physician. In a way, my motivation to beat the odds is a paradox. How can I be encouraged by seemingly discouraging statistics? By relying on the strength of black women before me. They have and still are working to increase the percentage, in spite of the obstacles they may have faced to get through the door. Being a black female physician will be a small yet gradual decrease in the lack of diverse health environments and its effect on the healthcare of predominantly black communities. Another reason as to I am pursuing a degree in Health Science is my community. Fort Pierce is a small city on the eastern coast of Florida. Although the size is small, the support I've received from the time I entered grade school until now can last me a lifetime. The natural willingness of individuals to mentor the youth was a factor in who I am today. I was and still am nurtured by a community that doesn't have much, but uses every bit of what they have to make a difference. They poured into me the beauty of love, grace, and compassion. They continue to believe in me, even when I begin to doubt my ability to become a physician. I intend to graduate from Howard University and attend medical school to eventually receive my license to practice medicine. For my community and the black women who have paved the way, I want to enter the field of medicine with a strong heart and an open mind. Open to stepping out on faith and trusting that what I am doing as a physician will motivate black girls to follow in my footsteps, as I have followed in the footsteps of those before me.

I remember the eighth grade was the first time I told my mother I wanted to be a physician. She told me that being a physician holds a lot of weight. As I went from high school to currently an undergraduate, I didn't register the full meaning behind her statement until now. The career field I am striving to be a part of takes more than brains, but also humility. It takes knowing the weight of having an M.D. besides my name began as soon as I openly stated my career goal. Humility is something that many don't understand beyond doing good to others and being modest about their accomplishments. I struggled at first with understanding the correlation between humility and being a premed student. What helped me see the connection was the Alternative Spring Break program. Alternative Spring Break is a program that offers undergraduate and graduate students of Howard University the opportunity to serve communities nationally and internationally. Over the first weeks of planning Alternative Spring Break, I went from an intern eager to serve in any capacity to a co-site coordinator who was determined to make an impact. What I appreciate the most about service is that above all else, it teaches you about integrity. When I served during this past spring break in South Carolina, I realized that whether or not anyone sees us picking up this trash, making these plates, or wiping down these windows, someone is being impacted by this. I was humbled by the fact that even though my group was full of educated students with various majors, none of that matters if we aren't giving back to communities that have paved the way for us knowingly and unknowingly. I intend to graduate from Howard University and attend medical school to eventually receive my license to practice medicine. Being a black female physician will be a small yet gradual decrease in the lack of diverse health environments and its effect on the healthcare of predominantly black communities. For my community and the black women who have paved the way for me, I want to enter the field of medicine with a strong heart and an open mind. Open to stepping out on faith and trusting that what I am doing as a physician will motivate black girls to follow in my footsteps, as I have followed in the footsteps of those before me.

One thing my late Apostle Brown would always tell my youth members and me is that “Knowledge is Power”. I believed that with this statement, he wanted us to be aware of the endless opportunities that knowledge can grant to those who dare to seek it. According to statistics, black women currently make up about 2.8% of the population of U.S. physicians. I believe a part of what inspired me to attend Howard is the odds against me becoming a physician. In a way, my motivation to beat the odds is a paradox. How can I be encouraged by seemingly discouraging statistics? By relying on the strength of Howard premedical graduates before me and all around me at my HBCU. They have and still are working to increase the percentage, in spite of the obstacles they may have faced to get through the door. Another part of what inspired me to attend my HBCU is my community. Fort Pierce is a small city on the eastern coast of Florida. Although the size is small, the support I've received from the time I entered grade school until now can last me a lifetime. The natural willingness of individuals to mentor the black youth was a factor in who I am today. I was and still am nurtured by a community that doesn't have much, but uses every bit of what they have to make a difference. My church family and the black mothers of my community poured into me the beauty of love, grace, and compassion. They continue to believe in me, even when I begin to doubt my ability to become a physician. I need that encouragement from my home community and my Howard community in order to continue this long and challenging journey. Service is at the heart of everything I am involved in. Alternative Spring Break is a program that offers undergraduate and graduate students of Howard University the opportunity to serve communities nationally and internationally. What interested me most and the reason why I decided to join the Alternative Spring Break program is the fact that student coordinators are able to propose initiatives about the service they will conduct. Having the freedom to advocate for issues directly related to you and your community is something that changes you as a leader and as a student. Over the first weeks of planning Alternative Spring Break, I went from an intern eager to serve in any capacity to a co-site coordinator who was determined to make an impact. What I appreciate the most about service is that above all else, it teaches you about integrity and humility. The location that was decided for my service initiative was South Carolina. When I served during this past spring break, I realized that whether or not anyone sees us picking up this trash, making these plates, or wiping down these windows, someone is being impacted by this. I was humbled by the fact that even though my group was full of educated students with various majors, none of that matters if we aren't giving back to communities that have paved the way for us knowingly and unknowingly.

One thing my late Apostle Brown would always tell my youth members and me is that “Knowledge is Power”. I believed he repeatedly told us this statement to assure us that despite our circumstances, we should never forget the power of listening, viewing, and learning. I also believed that with this statement, he wanted us to be aware of the endless opportunities that knowledge can grant to those who dare to seek it. I was reaffirmed that no matter what pathway I decide, or the obstacles I may face, God's will for me will always prevail. According to statistics, black women currently make up about 2.8% of the population of U.S. physicians. This percentage has progressed very little, despite the increase in innovation and advancement in the field of medicine. I believe a part of what motivates me is the odds against my becoming a physician. In a way, my motivation to beat the odds is a paradox. How can I be encouraged by seemingly discouraging statistics? By relying on the strength of God's promise over my life. Knowing this, I am accepting daily challenges as a black female premedical professional with open arms and an open mind. Growing up in a single-parent household, my mother always told me to be confident in whatever I do. Do not do it for the family, whatever you do, do it because you have a passion for it. I have grown up with people who only go into careers to pay off never-ending debts that their families unintentionally have. Whether they were left with little or no choices, they did it in order to “make it out”. I want to be an example in my endeavors that “making it out” is not realistic because that means you are leaving a stepping stone in your life behind. Being in the medical field is my goal because I can take my lessons growing up and apply them to my career, not leave them behind. My passion to help others medically does not have to be a burden on me or my family, because we know that the God we serve shall provide for our needs. Being in college has shown me that despite the circumstances and challenges I am facing and how they may attempt to end my journey to becoming a doctor, God is using me as inspiration for my family and my community. That with him, I can be the first, but surely not the last.

I remember the 8th grade was the first time I told my mother I wanted to be a physician. She asked, "Are you sure?" I replied, "Yes ma'am. I'm sure". Since then, she did everything in her power to ensure I could have the chance to pursue my career goal. She told me that being a physician holds a lot of weight. One thing she was sure of though, was that I had integrity and that itself would carry me through. As I went from high school to currently being a sophomore, I didn't register the full meaning behind her statement until now. The career field I am striving to be a part of takes more than brains, but also integrity. It takes knowing the weight of having an M.D. besides my name began as soon as I openly stated my career goal. Integrity is something that many don't understand beyond doing good to others and being modest about their accomplishments. I struggled at first with understanding the correlation between integrity and being a premed student. Being a pre-medical student in college, pressure is applied to be successful in everything I do. Service is my reminder of the true meaning of success. When I serve, I leave with more wisdom than I entered with. What I appreciate the most about service is that above all else, it teaches you about integrity. Being a site coordinator in Howard University's Alternative Spring Break program helped me better understand the importance of serving communities that knowingly and unknowingly paved the way for where I am today. I want to continue to serve as a medical professional to remind myself that regardless of my accomplishments, I must continue to act with integrity and humility. I realized that having integrity isn't about my overall career goal, it's about recognizing that despite my prior academic accomplishments, every step that's taken to becoming a physician will have its challenges and it is up to me to continue being humble through the journey. With my passion for science and my desire to help others, being a medical professional would allow me to fulfill my aspirations and contribute to the evolution of inclusiveness and diversity in the healthcare field. Acknowledging the community that has shaped me into who I am today and the characteristics of integrity, humility, and ambition they have instilled in me will guide me far in life.

One thing my late Apostle Brown would always tell my youth members and me is that “Knowledge is Power”. I believed he repeatedly told us this statement to assure us that despite our circumstances, we should never forget the power of listening, viewing, and learning. I also believed that with this statement, he wanted us to be aware of the endless opportunities that knowledge can grant to those who dare to seek it. Where I'm from, trade school or rather vocational learning is prioritized to maintain the economy of the city. While these career choices are respected and offer immediate benefits, many of those growing up felt as though this pathway was the only pathway that guaranteed success. Why risk going to a University and graduate school when there are careers lined up and open to new employment. Why should I spend so many years and dollars to become a medical professional when I can have a career established in under two years. These are the reasons why my former classmates and many other small-town students second guess their true goals and eventually take the route for immediate benefits. It is a risk worth taking in the eyes of my late mentor because knowledge is only as powerful as it is perceived. I was reassured that with devotion and knowledge, the goal of becoming a physician can very well become a reality. I was reaffirmed that no matter what pathway I decide, knowledge is the root of success. I knew I wanted to help others medically in the 8th grade of middle school. I had my mindset on becoming a foreign social worker, traveling the world to help young people who lacked resources. It wasn't until the spring of that school year I indulged in my passion for astronomy and was awarded the highest achievement in science in my grade that I pondered on a career in astronomy. It wasn't until that summer I realized my aspirations could both be satisfied by becoming a healthcare professional. Majoring in health science is being immersed in an educational experience that addresses all spectrums of healthcare. I am growing in my knowledge as a black pre-health professional, and that is a goal that I can gratefully say I am accomplishing. With my passion for science and my desire to help others, being a medical professional would allow me to fulfill my aspirations and contribute to the evolution of inclusiveness and diversity in the healthcare field. A field where patients look to professionals for reassurance as I looked to my mentor the late Apostle Brown.

Growing up in a single-parent household, my mother always told me to be confident in whatever I do. Do not do it for the family, whatever you do, do it because you have a passion for it. I have grown up with people who only go into certain careers to pay off never-ending debts that their families unintentionally have. Whether they were left with little or no choices, they did it to “make it out”. Being in the health care field is my primary career goal because I can take my lessons growing up and apply them to my career, not leave them behind. I remember the eighth grade was the first time I told my mother I wanted to be a physician. She asked, "Are you sure?" I replied, "Yes ma'am. I'm sure". Since then, she did everything in her power to ensure I could have the chance to pursue my career goal. The career field I am striving to be a part of takes more than brains, it takes integrity. It takes knowing the weight of having an M.D. besides my name began as soon as I openly stated my goal. Being a pre-medical student in college, pressure is applied to be successful in everything I do. Service is my reminder of the true meaning of success. When I serve, I leave with more wisdom than I entered with. I want to continue to serve as a medical professional to remind myself that regardless of my accomplishments, I must continue to act with integrity and humility. My mother knew once I expressed my goal to become a physician that the journey will be far from easy. Having grown up in a diverse south Florida city, I was oblivious to the direct obstacles I would face as a young, black, and female pre-health professional. It wasn't until college that I was no longer able to indulge in oblivion. It seemed like every scholarship I applied to resulted in an encouragement to apply again the next cycle. My university increased the cost of attendance and my mother began to ask me whether this road of debt accumulation is worth it, given that it was only the beginning of my undergraduate degree. What I've learned from my household is that sacrificing my goals is much more detrimental than financial factors. I intend to continue my education to eventually receive my license to practice medicine. I want to establish a health program that provides free medical resources to marginalized communities. I aim to be a mentor to aspiring black physicians to reassure them of their endless possibilities despite the circumstances they may face in the present.