My current studies as a second-year medical student at the University of Colorado School of Medicine (CUSOM) are preparing me to achieve my dream of becoming a doctor. Since I was in high school, when I thought about becoming a doctor, I have always thought about it in a research capacity. My academic and volunteering experiences have all strengthened my long-term goal of becoming a teaching physician who also conducts research. At CUSOM, I am a part of the Doctor of Medicine’s research track. My research is with Dr. Huang’s transplant and plastic surgery lab focusing on tissue rejection in skin grafts. I have completed 6 ELISA experiments so far, and I am very interested in helping this specific patient population. With the research track, I am allowed to spend more dedicated time on research, which is very important to me as I want to produce quality scholarly work that has a meaningful impact on the skin transplant community. Throughout my time at medical school, I intend to contribute in several ways to CUSOM’s research work to help further medical advancements, while pursuing my medical education. My continued research inspiration stems from my time working as an undergraduate researcher in an animal-based cardiology research laboratory headed by Dr. Steven Goldman at the University of Arizona Tucson. This experience ignited my passion for research. I led a team of three with data collection and synthesis on the activity of the research animals. In October 2023, the University of Arizona sponsored me to present my scholarly work at the National American Association of Laboratory Animal Sciences (AALAS) conference as a poster and platform presentation in Salt Lake City, Utah. Recently, my research with Dr. Steven Goldman took an exciting turn. Our research manuscript on the impacts of cardiac swine socialization was accepted by the AALAS Journal. The research will be published in the Journal of AALAS, with myself listed as the first author. The multiple undergraduate poster presentations, conference presentations, and soon-to-be-published research have allowed me to practice my academic writing and discuss my findings with distinguished researchers. Last month, I began my second year of medical school, the Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship year. I am assigned to the University Hospital in the inquiry concentration, which means I am allowed to explore research opportunities throughout the clinical year. This experience will continue to nourish my spirit of inquiry, as patients with very rare medical conditions chose the University Hospital for their care, and I am excited to help patients presenting with the most unique cases in Colorado and beyond. The prospect of being a part of clinical trial teams and clinical case reports at University Hospital excites me as I will be a part of life-changing medical initiatives. As for academic achievements, I am proud of completing my first year of CUSOM medical school. My prior academic honors received at the University of Arizona included graduating summa cum laude and from the W.A. Franke Honors College. At Lakewood High School, Colorado, I graduated as valedictorian of the International Baccalaureate program. As I progress in my medical career, I eagerly anticipate assuming greater research responsibilities and refining my teaching skills. I try not to think about it, but I do need financial help with my educational expenses. As exciting as it is to be a second-year medical student, I have almost three more years of school ahead of me and the thought of how much debt I am accumulating makes me hyperventilate. I would be honored to receive the Women in STEM Scholarship.

“Spirit Week was so much fun, and I feel like we all came together as a group. Thank you!” As the class representative for the MS1s, I felt such pride that my Spirit Week in the fall semester was well-received and enjoyed by my fellow students. Leadership to me is a confident, skilled, and compassionate person, or group of people, who can motivate others to meet a common goal or mission. From my own leadership experiences, I know that inspiring others to be the best that they can be through positivity is one of my leadership strengths. The Spirit Week lightened the mood of the rigorous pulmonary and cardiovascular block and students/staff celebrated the holidays together. Hello! My name is Natasha Barton, and my father is a Navy Veteran. I am a second-year medical student at the University of Colorado School of Medicine (CUSOM). My resilient nature, focus and strong work ethic are my driving force in everything I do. I attended the University of Arizona, graduating summa cum laude in 2023. I attained degrees in Physiology and Spanish, with a minor in Biochemistry. At Lakewood High School, Colorado, I graduated as valedictorian of the International Baccalaureate program. My passion for healthcare combined with community service has been a driving force throughout my life and academic journey. Becoming a caring, unselfish, attentive and knowledgeable medical doctor is my primary goal for going to school. After completing my first year of medical school, my focus has shifted from physically and mentally surviving medical school to enjoying medical school! My second-year clerkship rotations have just begun, and my enthusiasm to provide direct patient care during my practical rotations is off the charts (please pardon the pun). The most significant experience that helped me finalize my desire to become an MD was observing how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the underserved population of Agua Prieta, Mexico. Working as one of the Spanish translators for the physician during a clinic, I began to gather a new patient's health history. I remember seeing tears welling up in the patient's eyes as she told us that she had been unable to monitor her blood glucose levels for weeks because her glucose monitor broke. Dr. McReynolds immediately ordered supplies for this Type 1 diabetic patient. After the patient left, we sat in silence. This was the first time I had witnessed the direct impact of healthcare underrepresentation on a patient, and from that point, I knew my future career path was set in stone. Three years ago, one of my leadership roles took an exciting turn. I was promoted to serve as the director of operations for the Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY) Colorado Seminar. HOBY is a non-profit national organization that encourages high school sophomores to expand their leadership skills, cultural awareness, and service. During the past three summer seminars, I led the operations for our annual five-day leadership conference. I try not to think about it, but I do need financial help with my educational expenses. I have three more years of school ahead of me and the thought of how much debt I am accumulating makes me hyperventilate. I would be honored to receive the Boatswain’s Mate Third Class Antonie Bernard Thomas Memorial Scholarship.

With every scratch and metal clink sent down my auditory canal, tears ran down my face and my toes curled more and more. Part of my youth revolved around Dr. Nosan’s seventh-floor office in Denver, shifting from audiology testing to the examination room. These early experiences led to my initial interest in a healthcare career. My time as a patient for a large portion of my life has given me an ability to empathize with future patients and gave me a desire to help cure patients through research. The most significant experience that helped me finalize my desire to become an MD was observing how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the underserved population of Agua Prieta, Mexico. Working as one of the Spanish translators for the physician during a clinic, I began to gather a new patient's health history. I remember seeing tears welling up in the patient's eyes as she told us that she had been unable to monitor her blood glucose levels for weeks because her glucose monitor broke. Dr. McReynolds immediately ordered supplies for this Type 1 diabetic patient. After the patient left, we sat in silence. This was the first time I had witnessed the direct impact of healthcare underrepresentation on a patient, and from that point, I knew my future career path was set in stone. My current studies as a second-year medical student at the University of Colorado School of Medicine (CUSOM) are preparing me to achieve my dream of becoming a doctor. Since I was in high school, when I thought about becoming a doctor, I have always thought about it in a research capacity. My academic and volunteering experiences have all strengthened my long-term goal of becoming a teaching physician who also conducts research. At CUSOM, I am a part of the Doctor of Medicine’s research track. My research is with Dr. Huang’s transplant lab, focusing on tissue rejection in skin grafts. I work with ELISA kits to evaluate if Galectin-3 is a biomarker for graft rejection on porcine models. We collect sera samples each day leading up to the transplant surgery, and every day thereafter. Then, I use the samples to run the ELISAs. I have completed 6 ELISA experiments so far, and I am very interested in helping this specific patient population. With the research track, I am allowed to spend more dedicated time on research, which is very important to me as I want to produce quality scholarly work that has a meaningful impact on the skin transplant community. Throughout my time at medical school, I intend to contribute in several ways to CUSOM’s research work to help further medical advancements, while pursuing my medical education. After completing my first year of medical school, my focus has shifted from physically and mentally surviving medical school to enjoying medical school! My second-year clerkship rotations have just begun, and my enthusiasm to provide direct patient care during my practical rotations is off the charts (please pardon the pun). I try not to think about it, but I do need financial help with my educational expenses. I have almost three more years of school ahead of me and the thought of how much debt I am accumulating makes me hyperventilate. I would be honored to receive the Manny and Sylvia Weiner Medical Scholarship.

“Spirit Week was so much fun, and I feel like we all came together as a community. Thank you!” As the class representative for the first-year medical students at the University of Colorado School of Medicine (CUSOM), I felt such pride that my Spirit Week in the fall semester was well-received and enjoyed by my fellow students. The Spirit Week lightened the mood of the rigorous pulmonary and cardiovascular block and students/staff celebrated the holidays together. In August 2023, I was nominated by my classmates to be the class of 2027 representative on the CUSOM Medical Student Council. I run elections for our student representatives and organize events for our class and students of the other three years of medical school classes, such as the 2024 CUSOM Gala. A large part of my leadership style is to bring people together, especially in times of stress or need. In November, I organized a Dedicated Dinner with Chipotle burritos and socialization for our third-year medical students, who were preparing to take their step one exam. My role as a class representative centers on fostering inclusivity by tapping into each classmate's innate need to be heard, and consistently seeking common ground and connection. These values underpin my effective leadership style, creating a supportive space for all to thrive. Being chosen as the DAWN dermatology clinic workgroup leader and first-year president of the dermatology interest group in October 2023 involves my planning and organizing the DAWN dermatology free community clinic. A couple of months ago, I submitted and was awarded a grant from CUSOM to purchase $1,000 worth of sunscreen and facial soap to support my research on the clinic’s participants' information-seeking habits. As for academic achievements, I am proud of completing my first year of CUSOM medical school. My prior academic honors received at the University of Arizona included graduating summa cum laude and from the W.A. Franke Honors College. At Lakewood High School, Colorado, I graduated as valedictorian of the International Baccalaureate program. Three years ago, one of my volunteer leadership roles became very interesting. I was promoted to serve as the director of operations for the Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY) Colorado Seminar. HOBY is a non-profit national organization that encourages high school sophomores to expand their leadership skills, cultural awareness, and service. During the past two summer seminars, I led the operations for our annual five-day leadership conference, and I will be leading the event again this summer. After completing my first year of medical school, my focus has shifted from physically and mentally surviving medical school to enjoying medical school! I am extremely excited that my second-year clerkship rotations are about to begin. My enthusiasm to provide direct patient care during my practical rotations is off the charts (please pardon the pun). I try not to think about it, but I do need financial help with my educational expenses. As exciting as it is to be starting my second year of medical school, I have three more years of school ahead of me and the thought of how much debt I am accumulating makes me hyperventilate. I would be honored to receive this scholarship.

With every scratch and metal clink sent down my auditory canal, tears ran down my face and my toes curled more and more. Part of my youth revolved around Dr. Nosan’s seventh-floor office, shifting from audiology testing to the examination room to surgery. These early experiences led to my initial interest in a healthcare career. My time as a patient for a large portion of my life has given me a unique ability to empathize with future patients, and fuelled my determination to overcome my physical challenges. Being able to care for patients with compassion and understanding would be my absolute privilege and honor. My current studies as a second year medical student in the University of Colorado School of Medicine (CUSOM) are preparing me to achieve my dreams of becoming a doctor. Since I survived my first year of medical school, I am extremely excited that my second-year clerkship rotations are about to begin. My enthusiasm to provide direct patient care during my practical rotations is off the charts (please pardon the pun). I aspire to continue channeling this interest into community service throughout my time at medical school. This desire has already begun as I volunteer with a clinic at the University of Colorado. My passion for healthcare combined with community service has been a driving force throughout my life and academic journey. I currently volunteer with the Dedicated to Aurora’s Wellness and Needs (DAWN) clinic, which continues to shape my healthcare career plan. To further my commitment to serving patients at the DAWN clinic, I became my school of medicine’s first-year president of the DAWN clinic in October 2023. While I help lead and organize patient care for the DAWN clinic, my service has helped me recognize that my passion is to support the patients with direct hands-on care. The most significant experience that shaped my MD career path was observing how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the underserved population of Agua Prieta, Mexico. Working as one of the Spanish translators for the physician during a clinic, I began to gather a new patient's health history. I remember seeing tears welling up in the patient's eyes as she told us that she had been unable to monitor her blood glucose levels for weeks because her glucose monitor broke. Dr. McReynolds immediately ordered supplies for this Type 1 diabetic patient. After the patient left, we sat in silence. This was the first time I had witnessed the direct impact of healthcare underrepresentation on a patient, and from that point, I knew my future healthcare career path was set in stone. I try not to think about it, but I do need financial help with my educational expenses. As exciting as it is to be a medical student, the thought of how much debt I am accumulating makes me hyperventilate. I would be honored to receive the John Young ‘Pursue Your Passion' Scholarship.

With every scratch and metal clink sent down my auditory canal, tears ran down my face and my toes curled more and more. Part of my youth revolved around Dr. Nosan’s seventh-floor office in Denver, shifting from audiology testing to the examination room. These early experiences led to my initial interest in a healthcare career. My time as a patient for a large portion of my life has given me an ability to empathize with future patients. Being able to care for patients with compassion and understanding is my absolute privilege and honor. The most significant experience that helped me finalize my desire to become an MD was observing how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the underserved population of Agua Prieta, Mexico. Working as one of the Spanish translators for the physician during a clinic, I began to gather a new patient's health history. I remember seeing tears welling up in the patient's eyes as she told us that she had been unable to monitor her blood glucose levels for weeks because her glucose monitor broke. Dr. McReynolds immediately ordered supplies for this Type 1 diabetic patient. After the patient left, we sat in silence. This was the first time I had witnessed the direct impact of healthcare underrepresentation on a patient, and from that point, I knew my future career path was set in stone. My current studies as a second-year medical student at the University of Colorado School of Medicine (CUSOM) are preparing me to achieve my dream of becoming a doctor. Since I was in high school, when I thought about becoming a doctor, I have always thought about it in a research and teaching locally capacity. My academic and volunteering experiences have all strengthened my long-term goal of becoming a teaching physician who also conducts research in my community. At CUSOM, I am a part of the Doctor of Medicine’s research track. My research is with Dr. Huang’s transplant lab, focusing on tissue rejection in skin grafts. I work with ELISA kits to evaluate if Galectin-3 is a biomarker for graft rejection on porcine models. We collect sera samples each day leading up to the transplant surgery, and every day thereafter. Then, I use the samples to run the ELISAs. I have completed 6 ELISA experiments so far, and I am very interested in helping this specific patient population. With the research track, I am allowed to spend more dedicated time on research, which is very important to me as I want to produce quality scholarly work that has a meaningful impact on the skin transplant community. Throughout my time at medical school, I intend to contribute in several ways to CUSOM’s research work to help further medical advancements, while pursuing my medical education. Although my future is not set, I see myself as a practicing research-oriented physician who also serves as an adjunct professor at CUSOM to help my local medical community. Having served as an undergraduate teaching assistant for three semesters of general chemistry, one semester of general physiology/anatomy II, and two semesters of the physiology of the immune system, I have realized how passionate I am about teaching. During my time at the Arizona Simulation Technology and Education Center, I was always enthusiastic about teaching during my practical hands-on training. My role included teaching hospital room simulations to healthcare professionals and trainees using mannequins that I controlled with the professor. Whenever I left my shift after training others, I knew that my future would involve teaching and leading others in the field of medicine.