Over the past few decades, the medical community has made great strides in treating chronic illnesses. Even so, African Americans in the United States are one of the most significant demographic that falls fatally ill due to chronic illness, even more so than their white counterparts. From diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease to less discussed illnesses like depression and anxiety, these illnesses have and continue to afflict the African American community. With many factors to blame in these disappointing statistics, the direst medical issue the African American community faces is the lack of medical advocates. This need in the Black community and my dream to touch the lives of young adults and teens is why I decided to pursue a career in medical psychology. Growing up, I did not see many social or medical representatives that looked like me. Many African Americans in my community lacked the tools to reach higher-paid jobs. If they did reach them, they experienced more incredible difficulty in obtaining and maintaining their positions. Being in an environment that failed to foster the growth of African Americans made it difficult for kids in my community, such as myself, to imagine themselves in positions that build wealth that can further wealth. It wasn't until I moved to another city did my perspective changed entirely. Suddenly my healthcare providers looked like me, and so did my counselors. Seeing people who looked like me confirmed that African Americans could reach these positions no matter the difficulty and that I could do the same. Due to several incidents in the past which concluded with white healthcare providers giving African Americans poor maltreatment, to this day, African Americans are often hesitant to visit hospitals and get the treatment they desperately need. An example of this is the infamous Tuskegee Study which exposed hundreds to thousands of African Americans to syphilis, causing a stream of deaths and a lack of trust in our medical institutions. To counteract the years of mistrust and hurt, we need to provide reassurance to the Black community that there are people in the medical field who look like them, they can not only relate to but also trust with their health. Being a medical psychiatrist means being a voice for my community, providing mental healing to those needing an advocate, and creating a safe space for young people to talk and discuss their problems. As an upcoming sophomore at Mercer University, many expenses come with being a private school student taking the pre-medical route. Many of my required classes have lab fees and require equipment for those said labs. On-campus housing is required for the first three school years and costs thousands of dollars each semester. Despite my parent's selfless efforts to pay for my schooling, my school expenses have required me to take out loans. Receiving this scholarship would release some of the financial burdens of being a full-time student allowing me peace of mind to focus on my studies entirely. After graduating from undergraduate school, I plan to attend medical school to further my degree in psychology. After being established in my career, I plan to start travel clinics that go to low-income communities worldwide and give back by providing care to those without insurance for no cost because everyone deserves access to healthcare regardless of their demographic or financial state. Thank you so much for providing this great opportunity and taking the time to hear my story.

Over the past few decades, the medical community has made great strides in treating chronic illnesses. Even so, African Americans in the United States are one of the most significant demographic that falls fatally ill due to chronic illness, even more so than their white counterparts. From diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease to less discussed illnesses like depression and anxiety, and substance abuse, these illnesses have and continue to afflict the African American community. With many factors to blame in these disappointing statistics, the African American community's direst medical issue is the lack of medical advocates. This need in the Black community and my dream to touch the lives of young adults and teens is why I decided to pursue a career in medical psychology. Growing up, I did not see many social or medical representatives that looked like me. Many African Americans in my community lacked the tools to reach higher-paid jobs. If they did reach them, they experienced more incredible difficulty in obtaining and maintaining their positions. Being in an environment that failed to foster the growth of African Americans made it difficult for kids in my community, such as myself, to imagine themselves in positions that build wealth that can further wealth. It wasn't until I moved to another city did my perspective changed entirely. Suddenly my healthcare providers looked like me, and so did my counselors. Seeing people who looked like me confirmed that African Americans could reach these positions no matter the difficulty and that I could do the same. Due to several incidents in the past which concluded with white healthcare providers giving African Americans poor maltreatment, to this day, African Americans are often hesitant to visit hospitals and get the treatment they desperately need. An example of this is the infamous Tuskegee Study which exposed hundreds to thousands of African Americans to syphilis, causing a stream of deaths and a lack of trust in our medical institutions. To counteract the years of mistrust and hurt, we need to provide reassurance to the Black community that there are people in the medical field who look like them, they can not only relate to but also trust with their health. Being a medical psychiatrist means being a voice for my community, providing mental healing to those needing an advocate, and creating a safe space for young people to talk and discuss their problems. As an upcoming sophomore at Mercer University, many expenses come with being a private school student taking the pre-medical route. Many of my required classes have lab fees and require equipment for those said labs. On-campus housing is required for the first three school years and costs thousands of dollars each semester. Despite my parent's selfless efforts to pay for my schooling, my school expenses have required me to take out loans. Receiving this scholarship would release some of the financial burdens of being a full-time student allowing me peace of mind to focus on my studies entirely. After graduating from undergraduate school, I plan to attend medical school to further my degree in psychology. After being established in my career, I plan to start travel clinics that go to low-income communities worldwide and give back by providing care to those without insurance for no cost because everyone deserves access to healthcare regardless of their demographic or financial state. I hope to give back to my community and inspire future youth so they may know they too, can reach for the stars. Thank you so much for providing this great opportunity and taking the time to hear my story.

Over the past few decades, the medical community has made great strides in treating chronic illnesses. Even so, African Americans in the United States are one of the most significant demographic that falls fatally ill due to chronic illness, even more so than their white counterparts. From diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease to less discussed illnesses like depression and anxiety, these illnesses have and continue to afflict the African American community. With many factors to blame in these disappointing statistics, the direst medical issue the African American community faces is the lack of medical advocates. This need in the Black community and my dream to touch the lives of young adults and teens is why I decided to pursue a career in medical psychology. Growing up, I did not see many social or medical representatives that looked like me. Many African Americans in my community lacked the tools to reach higher-paid jobs. If they did reach them, they experienced more incredible difficulty in obtaining and maintaining their positions. Being in an environment that failed to foster the growth of African Americans made it difficult for kids in my community, such as myself, to imagine themselves in positions that build wealth that can further wealth. It wasn't until I moved to another city did my perspective changed entirely. Suddenly my healthcare providers looked like me, and so did my counselors. Seeing people who looked like me confirmed that African Americans could reach these positions no matter the difficulty and that I could do the same. Due to several incidents in the past which concluded with white healthcare providers giving African Americans poor maltreatment, to this day, African Americans are often hesitant to visit hospitals and get the treatment they desperately need. An example of this is the infamous Tuskegee Study which exposed hundreds to thousands of African Americans to syphilis, causing a stream of deaths and a lack of trust in our medical institutions. To counteract the years of mistrust and hurt, we need to provide reassurance to the Black community that there are people in the medical field who look like them, they can not only relate to but also trust with their health. Being a medical psychiatrist means being a voice for my community, providing mental healing to those needing an advocate, and creating a safe space for young people to talk and discuss their problems. As an upcoming sophomore at Mercer University, many expenses come with being a private school student taking the pre-medical route. Many of my required classes have lab fees and require equipment for those said labs. On-campus housing is required for the first three school years and costs thousands of dollars each semester. Despite my parent's selfless efforts to pay for my schooling, my school expenses have required me to take out loans. Receiving this scholarship would release some of the financial burdens of being a full-time student allowing me peace of mind to focus on my studies entirely. After graduating from undergraduate school, I plan to attend medical school to further my degree in psychology. After being established in my career, I plan to start travel clinics that go to low-income communities worldwide and give back by providing care to those without insurance for no cost because everyone deserves access to healthcare regardless of their demographic or financial state. I hope to do this to not only give back to the community but hopefully inspire the next generation of youth to reach for the stars.Thank you so much for providing this great opportunity and taking the time to hear my story.

At school, my features always differed from many students. Others had smooth hair with thin lips and narrow noses. I stood out with my full lips and my gap, both of which are prominent hints of my West African heritage. Throughout elementary/ middle school, I consistently felt out of place, almost like a foreigner in a new land. I was often called derogatory names after sharing my identity as a West African, ‘African booty scratcher” or “monkey” seemed to be the favorites among my peers. Strangely enough, these terms were thrown around by those of my complexion. At the time I found it strange that people who looked exactly like me would share degrading remarks to me, a person who could easily be taken for as their sister. Now that I am older I understand that to some extent it wasn’t their fault, those African Americans also felt like foreigners and out of place. African American representation in the media has just recently become a priority for social/media outlets in the US.Tv shows, movies, commercials often white actors and stars, with publicity to black stars. American /European culture constantly preached to African Americans that their culture, their style, and their slang are insignificant, ghetto, and ugly. At school, we were taught that our ancestors were born to serve the white man with little mention of the heroic African Americans in history. Being fed these things from a young age ruins your sense of identity and confidence in who you are and what your culture represents. There is a high probability that when my African American peers saw me prideful in my culture they felt confused. The medical problem facing the African American community is not being adequately represented in the healthcare system. Unforentatley there isn’t much African American representation in the medical field either. This leaves the community at a disadvantage with a lack of advocates for something vital to the well being our communities. In being a Medical psychiatrist, I can aid people from all backgrounds and demographics to find their identity even if society doesn’t necessarily agree with it. In doing so I can become an advocate for those in my community and create change never done before has always been needed. Creating a path so the next generation finds it easier to reach this higher education opportunity. To counteract the years of mistrust and hurt we need to provide reassurance to the Black community that there are people in the medical field who look like them, they can not only relate to but also trust with their health. Being a medical psychiatrist means being a voice for my community, providing mental healing to those needing an advocate, and creating a safe space for young people to talk and discuss their problems. After graduating from undergraduate school I plan to attend medical school to further my degree in psychology. After being established in my career my plan is to start up travel clinics that go to low-income communities around the world and give back by providing care to those with no insurance and of no cost care because everyone deserves to have access to healthcare.

Over the past few decades, the medical community has made great strides in the treatment of chronic illnesses. Even so, African Americans in the United States are one of the most significant demographic that falls fatally ill due to chronic illness, even more so than their white counterparts. From diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease to less discussed illnesses like depression, and anxiety, these illnesses have and continue to afflict the African American community. With many factors to blame in these disappointing statistics the direst medical issue the African American community is facing is the lack of medical advocates for the community. This, along with my dream to touch the lives of young adults and teens, is why I decided to pursue a career in medical psychology. Growing up I did not see a lot of social representatives or medical representatives that looked like me. Many African Americans in my community lacked the tools to reach higher-paid jobs and if they did reach them they experienced greater difficulty to obtain and maintain their positions. Being in an environment that failed to foster the growth of African Americans made it difficult for kids in my community such as myself to imagine themselves in positions that build wealth that can further wealth. It wasn’t until I moved to another city did my perspective change entirely. Suddenly my healthcare providers looked like me and so did my counselors. Seeing people who looked such as myself was a confirmation that African Americans can reach these positions no matter the difficulty and that I could do the same. Due to several incidents in the past which concluded with white healthcare providers giving African Americans poor maltreatment, to this day African Americans are often hesitant to visit hospitals and get the treatment they desperately need. An example of this is the infamous Tuskegee Study which exposed hundreds to thousands of African Americans to syphilis causing not only a stream of deaths but also a lack of trust in our medical institutions. To counteract the years of mistrust and hurt we need to provide reassurance to the Black community that there are people in the medical field who look like them, they can not only relate to but also trust with their health. Being a medical psychiatrist means being a voice for my community, providing mental healing to those needing an advocate, and creating a safe space for young people to talk and discuss their problems. After graduating from undergraduate school I plan to attend medical school to further my degree in psychology. After being established in my career my plan is to start up travel clinics that go to low-income communities around the world and give back by providing care to those with no insurance and of no cost care because everyone deserves to have access to healthcare.

Growing up I did not see a lot of social representatives or medical representatives that looked like me. Many African Americans in my community lacked the tools to reach higher-paid jobs and if they did reach them they experienced greater difficulty to obtain and maintain their positions. Being in an environment that failed to foster the growth of African Americans made it difficult for kids in my community such as myself to imagine themselves in positions that build wealth that can further wealth. It wasn’t until I moved to another city did my perspective change entirely. Due to several incidents in the past which concluded with white healthcare providers giving African Americans maltreatment, to this day African Americans are often hesitant to visit hospitals and get the treatment they need. To counteract the years of mistrust and hurt we need to provide reassurance to the Black community that there are people in the medical field who look like them, they can not only relate to but also trust with their health. Being a medical psychiatrist means being a voice for my community, providing mental healing to those needing an advocate, and creating a safe space for young people to talk and discuss their problems. After being established in my career my plan is to start up travel clinics that go to low-income communities around the world and give back by providing care to those with no insurance and of no cost care because everyone deserves to have access to healthcare.

Over the past few decades, the medical community has made great strides in the treatment of chronic illnesses. Even so, African Americans in the United States are one of the most significant demographic that falls fatally ill due to chronic illness, even more so than their white counterparts. From diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease to less discussed illnesses like depression, and anxiety, these illnesses have and continue to afflict the African American community. With many factors to blame in these disappointing statistics the direst medical issue the African American community is facing is the lack of medical advocates for the community. This, along with my dream to touch the lives of young adults and teens, is why I decided to pursue a career in medical psychology. Growing up I did not see a lot of social representatives or medical representatives that looked like me. Many African Americans in my community lacked the tools to reach higher-paid jobs and if they did reach them they experienced greater difficulty to obtain and maintain their positions. Being in an environment that failed to foster the growth of African Americans made it difficult for kids in my community such as myself to imagine themselves in positions that build wealth that can further wealth. It wasn’t until I moved to another city did my perspective change entirely. Suddenly my healthcare providers looked like me and so did my counselors. Seeing people who looked such as myself was a confirmation that African Americans can reach these positions no matter the difficulty and that I could do the same. Due to several incidents in the past which concluded with white healthcare providers giving African Americans poor maltreatment, to this day African Americans are often hesitant to visit hospitals and get the treatment they desperately need. An example of this is the infamous Tuskegee Study which exposed hundreds to thousands of African Americans to syphilis causing not only a stream of deaths but also a lack of trust in our medical institutions. To counteract the years of mistrust and hurt we need to provide reassurance to the Black community that there are people in the medical field who look like them, they can not only relate to but also trust with their health. Being a medical psychiatrist means being a voice for my community, providing mental healing to those needing an advocate, and creating a safe space for young people to talk and discuss their problems. After graduating from undergraduate school I plan to attend medical school to further my degree in psychology. After being established in my career my plan is to start up travel clinics that go to low-income communities around the world and give back by providing care to those with no insurance and of no cost care because everyone deserves to have access to healthcare.

Over the past few decades, the medical community has made great strides in the treatment of chronic illnesses. Even so, African Americans in the United States are one of the most significant demographic that falls fatally ill due to chronic illness, even more so than their white counterparts. From diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease to less discussed illnesses like depression, and anxiety, these illnesses have and continue to afflict the African American community. With many factors to blame in these disappointing statistics the direst medical issue the African American community is facing is the lack of medical advocates for the community. This, along with my dream to touch the lives of young adults and teens, is why I decided to pursue a career in medical psychology. Growing up I did not see a lot of social representatives or medical representatives that looked like me. Many African Americans in my community lacked the tools to reach higher-paid jobs and if they did reach them they experienced greater difficulty to obtain and maintain their positions. Being in an environment that failed to foster the growth of African Americans made it difficult for kids in my community such as myself to imagine themselves in positions that build wealth that can further wealth. It wasn’t until I moved to another city did my perspective change entirely. Suddenly my healthcare providers looked like me and so did my counselors. Seeing people who looked such as myself was a confirmation that African Americans can reach these positions no matter the difficulty and that I could do the same. Due to several incidents in the past which concluded with white healthcare providers giving African Americans poor maltreatment, to this day African Americans are often hesitant to visit hospitals and get the treatment they desperately need. An example of this is the infamous Tuskegee Study which exposed hundreds to thousands of African Americans to syphilis causing not only a stream of deaths but also a lack of trust in our medical institutions. To counteract the years of mistrust and hurt we need to provide reassurance to the Black community that there are people in the medical field who look like them, they can not only relate to but also trust with their health. Being a medical psychiatrist means being a voice for my community, providing mental healing to those needing an advocate, and creating a safe space for young people to talk and discuss their problems. After graduating from undergraduate school I plan to attend medical school to further my degree in psychology. After being established in my career my plan is to start up travel clinics that go to low-income communities around the world and give back by providing care to those with no insurance and of no cost care because everyone deserves to have access to healthcare.

Diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, cancer, and stroke; these are only a few of the diseases that are continuously plaguing the African American community. These chronic diseases are impacting our community at a much more significant impact than other racial groups in the US. Statistics show that African Americans are generally more likely to fall ill and pass away at the hands of diseases than their white counterparts. With many factors to blame in these disappointing statistics the direst medical issue the African American community is facing is the lack of medical advocates for the community. African Americans account for a large percentage of the population and the patient population in the US. We see more African Americans dying faster from diseases yet we have one of the lowest minority percentages in the medical field. The fact is in order to make our community healthier we need more young people such as myself to pursue careers in the field to be advocates for the community because if we don’t stand up for our people then who will? Due to several incidents in the past which concluded with white healthcare providers giving African Americans poor maltreatment, to this day African Americans are often hesitant to visit hospitals and get the treatment they desperately need. An example of this is the infamous Tuskegee Study which exposed hundreds to thousands of African Americans to syphilis causing not only a stream of deaths but also a lack of trust in our medical institutions. To counteract the years of mistrust and hurt we need to provide reassurance to the Black community that there are people in the medical field who look like them, they can not only relate to but also trust with their health. As we enter a new era our nation is becoming more and more diverse just recently we elected our first African American vice president. With that being said we need to also diversify our medical fields to not only serve as advocates but also inspire future generations to step into these high demanding/paying fields. In being a Medical psychiatrist, I can aid people from all backgrounds and demographics to find their identity even if society doesn’t necessarily agree with it. In doing so I can become an advocate for those in my community and create change never done before but has always been needed. Creating a path so the next generation finds it easier to reach these higher education opportunities. As a minority, it can be difficult to walk into a hospital and not see anyone that looks like you, and because of that, you may even receive a lower level of care than those around you. The only way to combat this is to create the change I’d like to see and dismantle the unfair system which has been in place for too long. As the daughter of immigrant parents from Ghana, my parents have always served as primary examples of the fact that entering the field is possible. My mother is currently a Licensed Practical Nurse serving at a local nursing home while pursuing her ASN. My father, also an immigrant, has completed his educational journey and is a Registered Nurse. Through hard work and the grace of God, they have provided a path for me to step into the field and have inspired me to go forward. I know that the journey towards reaching my career won’t be easy but my parents have taught me that hard work always pays and the end result will be a stronger and healthier community.

One part of my identity that has shaped my upbringing, future career choices, and the way I view my life would be me being a first generational US citizen. My actions all the way leading up to this point of applying for colleges have been influenced by my identity as a Ghanaian American, so much so that I believe that in order to truly understand who I am I need to share this with you. Growing up, my parents have always placed emphasis on the importance of two things: knowing who are you and what you stand for and the importance of hard work and education. With both parents from Ghana, West African culture spread throughout all parts of my life. Stories of life in villages weren’t uncommon in my house and often followed with Ghanaian proverbs which advised my siblings and me to stay true to our morals always. But one thing that was revealed to me at an early stage in life was the only way to get what you want in life is not only through Christ but hard work. Growing up with immigrant parents, I saw firsthand how much harder my parents had to work than natural-born citizens. For most of my childhood, we spent years moving from city to city due to my parent’s need to further their degree in nursing. Many days were spent in cheap hotel rooms and many years were spent in old, often bug-infested apartment buildings. My dad was often attending college while my mom balanced working and raising us without our father. Even so, my parents managed to make it work, somehow we always found a place to stay, something to eat, and clothes to wear. Seeing this at a young age I never really realized how abnormal this experience was until I talked to other kids my age, in my head I was a normal American kid. At school, my features also differed from many students. Others had smooth hair with thin lips and narrow noses. I stood out with my full lips and my gap, both of which are prominent hints to my West African heritage. Throughout elementary/ middle school, I consistently felt out of place, almost like a foreigner in a new land. I was often called derogatory names after sharing my identity as a West African, ‘African booty scratcher” or “monkey” seemed to be the favorites among my peers. Strangely enough, these terms were thrown around by those of my complexion. At the time I found it strange that people who looked exactly like me would share degrading remarks to me. Now that I am older I understand that to some extent it wasn’t their fault, those African Americans also felt like foreigners and out of place. American constantly tells African Americans that their culture, their style, their slang are ghetto, and ugly. At school, we are taught that our ancestors were born to serve the white man with little mention to the heroic African Americans in history. Being fed these things from a young age ruins your sense of identity and confidence in who you and your culture represent. There is a probability that when my African American peers saw me prideful in my culture they felt confused or envious. In being a psychiatrist I can aid people from all backgrounds and demographics to find their identity even if society doesn’t agree with it. I know that the journey towards reaching my career won’t be easy but my parents have taught me that work always pays and the end result will be a stronger community.