In my home country, sexism is deeply ingrained, affecting women unless they belong to a wealthy class or have exceptional intelligence. Success and opportunities hinge on who can best prove their worth to the community, leading many women to roles like housemaids or street vendors as their main sources of income. My aunt used to say, “Books fill your brain with knowledge, so seek an education" Like many, she was never given that opportunity so $20 or less was her monthly salary. Determined to escape such fate, I viewed my relocation to the U.S. as a chance rather than a setback. I believed in a world where individuals could pursue their passions without gender constraints. This newfound opportunity allowed me to immerse myself in my education, focusing on personal development and acquiring the knowledge needed to impact the lives of others, particularly women facing similar challenges globally. But the one who inspired me the most was my late father, who often told me about food insecurity back home. Ever since then, I wanted to pursue medicine as a means to break the poverty cycle. So, at seven years old, I started providing nutritious meals to villagers, cultivating their vegetable plantations, and mowing their forestry backyards. My hands were used to hard work and blisters that never bothered me, because the smiles I created made every effort worthwhile. There were joy and familiarity in cleaning fields, carrying heavy baskets, and selling tomatoes in the hot scorching sun to support them. The love of medicine for me sparkled back then, where these early experiences shaped my desire to fight for sustainable nutrition and health equity. Reconnecting with those once-familiar sensations of farm life in high school and college reminded me of the power of small acts of service and how they can transform communities. Surrounded by the struggles of those underprivileged women, the adage “knowledge is power” became my guiding principle. It inspired me to seek medical professionalism while contemplating broader factors contributing to gender inequality. And then, through the Yoga Institute on YouTube, hosted by Dr. HansaJI, whose teachings about natural remedies resonated with me, I started envisioning a world where “natural remedies” could also be adapted into contemporary ones. Although many believe in such an equitable world for those unheard and unseen, those same individuals—like me—are unable to afford their education. I have always considered myself a challenger, one who will wrestle and battle for those suffering. I would volunteer a lot, not for my own gain, but because I knew the "hardship." However, such a goal is nearly unattainable at elite institutions, especially when you come from a lower-income class. In the future, I simply seek to be an individual whom people could aspire to be. I would love to continue pursuing my medical goals and research ambitions, but with the support necessary. Months and even years from now, I hope to engage with non-profit organizations that raise awareness about meaningful causes as a means of advocacy. I wish to raise funding for incurable diseases and research organizations. Lastly, with my foreign language acquisitions and personal background, I hope to be an emblem of perseverance and support for others—whether regionally or internationally.

As cliché as it sounds, my high school experience lacked structure, and when I first started college, the wide gap in educational advantages became impossible to ignore. My hometown state wasn’t privileged, so I never had the opportunities that could have fostered my education. When I first arrived at my “meant-to-be” college, my freshman year revealed that gap sharply and felt like a pitfall. When the first semester started, I had to rely entirely on myself—paying my tuition, navigating inscrutable college resources, and searching for scholarships—while others seemed to have everything at hand. Saddening as it is, this is the reality many first-generation students and immigrants face at elite universities. Yet, knowing my intelligence and capabilities, I remain resilient. I believe I could simply immerse myself fully in my purpose and seize every opportunity available to me. Life at times felt like a punch in the gut, like a survival game where there was a 0.001% chance of making it to the first round. Being a STEM major, especially Biological Sciences with an interest in neurobiology, college was not an easy feast. But knowing my African roots helped me push past these challenges. With all the worries in the world—homesickness from being hours away from my four younger siblings and watching my mom take an underpaid job while caring for the kids—I knew my education had to be my top priority so I could help them. But plot twist: I was financially struggling, and all I could do was laugh it off. In the back of my mind, though, I knew I had to reconnect with the question: why was I being pre-med? To explain it, my passion for medicine began at the very young age of seven. Growing up, pervasive sexism limited women’s opportunities in my home country, often relegating them to roles as housemaids or street vendors unless they belonged to a wealthy class or had exceptional intelligence. My aunt used to say, “Books fill your brain with knowledge, so seek an education.” Like many women, she was never given that opportunity, earning $20 or less a month. Determined to escape such a fate, I viewed my relocation to the U.S. as a chance rather than a setback. I believed in a world where individuals could pursue their passions without gender constraints. This opportunity allowed me to immerse myself in my education, focusing on personal development and acquiring the knowledge needed to impact the lives of others, particularly women facing similar challenges globally. But the one who inspired me the most was my late father, who often told me about food insecurity back home. Ever since then, I wanted to pursue medicine as a means to break the poverty cycle. So, at seven years old, I started providing nutritious meals to villagers, cultivating their vegetable plantations, and mowing their forestry backyards. My hands were used to hard work and blisters that never bothered me, because the smiles I created made every effort worthwhile. There were joy and familiarity in cleaning fields, carrying heavy baskets, and selling tomatoes in the hot scorching sun to support them. The love of medicine for me sparkled back then, where these early experiences shaped my desire to fight for sustainable nutrition and health equity. Reconnecting with those once-familiar sensations of farm life in high school and college reminded me of the power of small acts of service and how they can transform communities. Surrounded by the struggles of those underprivileged women, the adage “knowledge is power” became my guiding principle. It inspired me to seek medical professionalism while contemplating broader factors contributing to gender inequality. And then, through the Yoga Institute on YouTube, hosted by Dr. HansaJI, whose teachings about natural remedies resonated with me, I started envisioning a world where “natural remedies” could also be adapted into contemporary ones. Although many believe in such an equitable world for those unheard and unseen, those same individuals—like me—are unable to afford their education. I have always considered myself a challenger, one who will wrestle and battle for those suffering. I would volunteer a lot, not for my own gain, but because I knew the "hardship." However, such a goal is nearly unattainable at elite institutions, especially when you come from a lower-income class. In the future, I simply seek to be an individual whom people could aspire to be. I would love to continue pursuing my medical goals and research ambitions, but with the support necessary. Months and even years from now, I hope to engage with non-profit organizations that raise awareness about meaningful causes as a means of advocacy. I wish to raise funding for incurable diseases and research organizations. Lastly, with my foreign language acquisitions and personal background, I hope to be an emblem of perseverance and support for others—whether regionally or internationally.