Before coming to college, my expectations of the workload were highly skewed. I thought my schedule would be jam-packed all the time, but I was very wrong. In High School, I was so busy either with school work, sports, or work that I had little time for myself and when I did have free time, I spent it with my family. This busyness started taking a toll on me especially having my last year and a half of high school moved online. The virtual switch gave me new free time, which I had never really had before. Having so much time on my hands started making me feel quite anxious like I was never doing enough and I was missing something. I overanalyzed why I kept feeling like I wasted so much time, but then it clicked. I never fully relaxed. In the back of my mind, I always had something to stress about or plan. Being the overthinker I am, I needed a way to relax that still made my brain think. I channeled my thoughts from this idea of wasting my time into an appreciation for the arts, music in particular. For me, relaxation looks like sitting outside on the back porch, listening to a new album, and reading the lyrics as I listen. I love interpreting the meaning and the storyline of a song especially compared to the full body of work in an album. An artist often shares a vulnerable piece of them in their music if you really listen. The poetry of their words draws my attention to fully appreciate their work. When I listen, it takes the focus off of myself, and I truly feel relaxed listening to the artist's story and hearing about things that have influenced them as a person.

Every day we wake up to a new task that a boss, a family member, or even a stranger demands us to complete. These tasks can seem to add up quickly, and once they start to accumulate, life can feel pretty stressful. With all this stress put on us by others, we fail to take time for ourselves, even though we are only supposed to be living for ourselves. I believe the meaning of life is to find things that bring you joy and happiness and preserve these moments in memories. These various tasks seem to take over our lives to leave little room for ourselves, but are we even living if we are not living for ourselves? Happiness is provoked in so many different ways and varies by person. My joy often comes from my nature to disconnect from what feels like an over-connected life through social media and technology. I love playing with my dogs, painting, and being active outdoors, especially after a long day. Activities like these often let me reset and recharge after all the demands and expectations from the world around me. Moments like these that I share with my friends and family become core memories and reinforce my own values of taking time for those that matter and leaving a friendly reminder that you don't have to be perfect. Each tree in nature is different, thus there is no perfect tree, yet everyone has a different perception of which one they think is the most beautiful. This idea is what brings me the most joy, peace, and comfort, putting on a display that I can live however I am the happiest, and that might not look the same for everyone.

As a student, I have interacted with many different teachers and mentors who encourage me to broaden my knowledge and engage in learning. I believe one of my talents is teaching. Growing up, I was a little bossy, always wanting to tell others what to do or what I had learned to do. Over time, I think this evolved from bossing others around to wanting to teach in many different settings. Throughout middle and high school, I was a highly competitive volleyball player. Once I started getting older, I loved spending time at the younger kids' practices to help them develop their skills and grow as players. During my senior year of high school, I became co-captain of my team. Being co-captain allowed me to share insights like why we chose certain offenses and defenses based on our opponents. I felt my explanations gave my teammates greater insight into the game, altering their perceptions and allowing them to compete at a higher level. Beyond just volleyball, I have found my teaching skills to be a valuable asset within an academic setting. It has allowed me to develop better study habits, understanding where I need to invest more time and what I fully understand by explaining it to others. I will be continuing to expand on my teaching skills in practice as a learning assistant this upcoming year in the general chemistry classes at my college, the University of Texas at Austin. I believe my talents in teaching have strengthened my communication skills and have also taught me how to interact with a wide variety of people in many different settings. As I continue practicing in a teaching role, I have also seen my patience and listening skills grow over time.

Did you know that the infant mortality rate for black babies is roughly 3.8 times higher than the average infant mortality rate? Beyond higher infant mortality rates, Black mothers are also more likely to receive limited or no prenatal care. Under the treatment of Black doctors however, researchers found these rates to be cut in half. Within dentistry, only 3.6% of dentists are Black, yet periodontal diseases are twice as frequent in Black adults than White adults. Oral hygiene can be one of the earliest indicators of chronic diseases such as Crohn's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease. Although, due to the limited number of Black dentists, many black adults feel discouraged from regularly attending visits. This then causes many of these diseases to be identified much later and requires more extensive treatment. Although these statistics may be scary, they are necessary with the intention to spread awareness for the lack of equity within healthcare. They are also important when identifying why there should be a high demand for Black professionals specifically, with the purpose to provide proper care for everyone. I am a biochemistry pre-health student at the University of Texas at Austin interested in pursuing a career in dentistry with hopes for greater equality in healthcare for those of all races, but especially in the Black community. I believe the work starts from the inside out, beginning with educating others about healthcare disparities and encouraging other Black students to pursue healthcare careers to diminish these disparities and provide adequate care. At the University of Texas, I am a part of the Black Health Professions Organization. Here, we have various Black health professionals speak to us about what it is like to be a person of color in healthcare and how they got to where they are today. Anecdotes from these speakers, evolution of treatment equality, and the ability to change the lives of others keep me pursuing a career in healthcare. Without students like myself wanting to put themselves through 8+ years of extra education, we will be unable to break these barriers and healthcare will never have the full potential to meet everyone's needs. As a future healthcare professional, I hope to improve patient care and encourage regular appointments with trusted dentists and physicians. Beyond just appropriate treatment, however, I also hope to give back to my community by sharing my anecdote and helping students interested in healthcare build connections.

The internet is constantly evolving and updating with new information, similar to how we, as humans, are progressing every day towards our future selves. It is difficult to determine what to do with your life at 18, 19, or even 20 years old when you have your entire future ahead of you, especially when your path is unique to those in your family. I am a first-generation biracial African American and Hispanic student attending the Hispanic Serving Institution, the University of Texas at Austin. One thing no one seemed to have told me is just how insightful the internet can be when navigating your career path, especially when you don't have a particular person to guide you. Everyone in my family works in a trade or a corporation, but I have never really shown the same interest. I have a passion for science, particularly regarding the application to healthcare. Although, with the state of the pandemic, it has been increasingly difficult to get information and gather experience in hospitals. This year especially has been crucial for me to utilize online sources to gain information about events going on around campus and to communicate with researchers or other people within health professions, both to assist me in progressing my career. The internet is a powerful networking tool that has enabled me to contact researchers and even join a laboratory where I also navigate through databases housing endless amounts of information. Although the vast number of resources can feel overwhelming, similar to figuring out where I will be in 20 years from now, I can refine my search to specialize and gain specific knowledge geared towards my laboratories research with traumatic brain injury within pediatrics. These virtual tools have allowed me to share my knowledge with peers and also assisted in finding my niche within the broad world of health professions. Before this year, I was unsure whether I truly wanted to pursue a career within medicine or even health at all, but the endless access to information has only strengthened my interest. I now find myself exploring fields within neuroscience and watching videos on youtube that reignite my passion for learning. The internet is such a powerful tool, but it is all about finding a particular interest and knowing how to be specific when searching the web. As we constantly progress, everyone goes through their path, finding a niche subject for themselves. I have found that the internet can be your best friend or your worst enemy when aiding your career discovery. Once you get over the hump of finding a general area you enjoy, endless opportunities are exposed at your fingertips and begin to set you up to aid your fit, ruling out what you dislike and increasing passion for your interests.