My name is Oluwasefunmi Oluwafemi and I am many things: a sister, a daughter, a proud Nigerian-American, a future cardiothoracic surgeon, and a Christian, among others. I may be considered somewhat of an outlier because ever since childhood, I have always been regarded differently from most kids. I always liked mathematics and science. However, after my father died, my mother was in no place to feed my interest. My third-grade teacher, Mr. Cummings, sparked my interest by giving me a book titled "Anatomy and Physiology of the Heart". At this time I did not understand most of the terms in this book, so I went to the Enoch Pratt Free Library and listened to the audiobook. Despite my inability to understand much of the anatomy of the heart, I began to memorize the description of the papillary muscles. In middle school, I began to watch live heart surgery on YouTube and I thought about pursuing a career in cardiothoracics. Towards the end of my freshman year, I was able to begin a Biomedical Sciences track with Project Lead The Way (PLTW) which provides high school students with a transformative learning experience to reimagine how they see themselves and their interests. Within the Human Body Systems course of PLTW, students were assigned a career to research in the biomedical sciences every week. Unsurprisingly, I chose to research heart surgeons in America. Through my research, I found that only 6% of African-American surgeons make up the population of all surgeons. I wondered if I could possibly be successful in the medical field. During my junior year of high school, Mr. Rajendran, my Human Body Systems teacher, noticed my excitement during dissection labs, when the other girls in my class turned away in disgust. So he allowed me to mentor my peers through labs after school and during lunch. I assumed that the same fire that fueled my love for science would grow when I began college, but being the only African American out of 20 students in my summer research program at Bucknell made me doubt my decision to pursue a career in the medical field. I was indisputably treated differently, and this was the point at which I realized why I have always been considered an outlier. Within my first few days of classes, I could not help but notice that I was the only student of color in the majority of my STEM classes. I subconsciously assumed that everyone else noticed as well and that they assumed that I must be taking the wrong classes. I am a proud person, but something about not seeing anyone from my cultural background got to me. As my first semester progressed, I found more startling statistics that collectively, African Americans, Native Americans, Alaskan Natives, and Hispanics account for only 10% of students in STEM fields. This is extremely unfortunate and shows the dilatory progress that has been made in STEM fields. Although the percentage is small, many underrepresented groups have made revolutionary changes in STEM. Due to diversity in STEM fields, the artificial heart, invented by Domingo Liotta, and the computer software which was invented by Grace Hopper were created and have become advancements used in our everyday lives. The absence of diversity in my STEM classes during my first semester made me question my capabilities and faith. I questioned whether I have what it takes to complete the cell biology/biochemistry program. I questioned why God placed a love for science in my heart, but not in so many of the hearts of others who look like me. At that moment I acquired even more motivation than ever to become the physician I aspire to be. I realized that as a scientist, I would be in a position to create change, but in the process, I could also inspire change. Earning this award would be an amazing opportunity that would inevitably equip me with the skills and knowledge to reach my goal of becoming a physician. In turn, I would be able to mentor other students of color so that they realize there is a place for them as scientists in what was formerly seen to be a "white man's field." Growing up in Baltimore city, youth were not encouraged to dream big and pursue a career that required a college degree. But because of my passion for cardiothoracic medicine, I turned down several jobs after high school and applied to the cell biology/biochemistry program at Bucknell. At times, I am overwhelmed with uncertainty, especially when the statistics are not in my favor, but I remain strong and dedicated to accomplishing my goals. I am a first-generation daughter of immigrants and a first-generation college student so I have made it my mission to be the best I can be.

My name is Oluwasefunmi Oluwafemi and I am many things; a sister, a daughter, a proud Nigerian-American, a future surgeon, a Christian, etc. Although I can be tallied up into just one word; outlier. I see myself as an outlier because ever since childhood I have always felt different than most kids. Since I was a child I have liked mathematics and science. Although after the death of my father, my mother was completely distraught and had little to no opportunity to feed my interest. Although I had the opportunity to further my interest as I matriculated into high school. Towards the end of my freshman year, I was able to begin a Biomedical Sciences track with Project Lead The Way (PLTW). PLTW Biomedical is a three-year track with four medical courses which is offered to high school students with the premise of providing a transformative learning experience to reimagine how they see themselves and their interests. During my junior year, Mr. Rajendran, my Human Body Systems teacher noticed my excitement when the class was assigned a new task to complete. So, he gave me another opportunity to guide students through labs after school and during lunch. I assumed that the same fire that fueled my love for science would progressively grow as I began college, although my thoughts got the best of me. Upon my acceptance into a summer research program before my freshman year at Bucknell. I was the only African American student among 20 others and was indisputably treated differently. This was the point at which I realized that I was an outlier. Within my first few days of classes, I could not help but notice that I was the only African American in my STEM classes. I subconsciously assumed that everyone else noticed as well, and further assumed that I must be taking the wrong classes. I am a proud person, but something about not seeing people from the same cultural background as I got to me. The absence of diversity in my STEM classes during my first semester made me question my capabilities and my faith. I questioned whether or not I would have what it takes to get my four-year degree in cell biology and biochemistry. I questioned why God put a love for science in my heart, but couldn't in the hearts of other people that look like me. And at that moment was when I gained more motivation than ever to become the biochemist I was meant to be. I realized that not only as a scientist would I be someone to create change, but I could also inspire change. Being able to be a part of a project would be an amazing life accomplishment for me, but being able to inspire another black kid like me would be the greatest achievement I could achieve in my career as a scientist. Uncertainty at times can be quite overwhelming, especially when the statistics are not in your favor, but I remain strong and dedicated to obtaining my four-year degree. I am a first-generation daughter of immigrants, so I have made it my mission to be the best I can be so that whatever they accomplish will inspire many other kids like us and so on. In order to achieve this first, I have applied and been accepted into Bucknell University where I plan to finish out the remaining years to obtain my bachelor’s degree in science. Then I will go on to pursue a medical degree so I can be a physician and further ensure equity to all applicants.

My name is Oluwasefunmi Oluwafemi and I am many things; a sister, a daughter, a proud Nigerian-American, a future surgeon, a Christian, etc. Although I can be tallied up into just one word; outlier. I see myself as an outlier because ever since childhood I have always felt different than most kids. Since I was a child I have liked mathematics and science. Although after the death of my father, my mother was completely distraught and had little to no opportunity to feed my interest. Although I had the opportunity to further my interest as I matriculated into high school. Towards the end of my freshman year, I was able to begin a Biomedical Sciences track with Project Lead The Way (PLTW). PLTW Biomedical is a three-year track with four medical courses which is offered to high school students with the premise of providing a transformative learning experience to reimagine how they see themselves and their interests. During my junior year, Mr. Rajendran, my Human Body Systems teacher noticed my excitement when the class was assigned a new task to complete. So, he gave me another opportunity to guide students through labs after school and during lunch. I assumed that the same fire that fueled my love for science would progressively grow as I began college, although my thoughts got the best of me. Upon my acceptance into a summer research program before my freshman year at Bucknell. I was the only African American student among 20 others and was indisputably treated differently. This was the point at which I realized that I was an outlier. Within my first few days of classes, I could not help but notice that I was the only African American in my STEM classes. I subconsciously assumed that everyone else noticed as well, and further assumed that I must be taking the wrong classes. I am a proud person, but something about not seeing people from the same cultural background as I got to me. The absence of diversity in my STEM classes during my first semester made me question my capabilities and my faith. I questioned whether or not I would have what it takes to get my four-year degree in cell biology and biochemistry. I questioned why God put a love for science in my heart, but couldn't in the hearts of other people that look like me. And at that moment was when I gained more motivation than ever to become the biochemist I was meant to be. I realized that not only as a scientist would I be someone to create change, but I could also inspire change. Being able to be a part of a project would be an amazing life accomplishment for me personally, but being able to inspire another black kid like me would be the greatest achievement I could achieve in my career as a scientist. Uncertainty at times can be quite overwhelming, especially when the statistics are not in your favor, but nonetheless, I remain strong and dedicated to obtaining my four-year degree. I am a first-generation daughter of immigrants, so I have made it my mission to be the best I can be so that whatever they accomplish will inspire many other kids like us and so on. In order to achieve this first, I have applied and been accepted into Bucknell University where I plan to finish out the remaining years to obtain my bachelor’s degree in science. Then I will go on to pursue a medical degree so I can be a physician and further ensure equity to all applicants.

A substantial amount of my motivation is derived from revolutionary people. Dr. King's contributions to Civil Rights and Social Justice have motivated thousands of people across the globe, including myself. Dr. King's spirit of action-taking has motivated me to proceed in my journey by taking action. Witnessing the impact one man-made in society truly motivates me to serve my community. Dr. King once said, "life is most persistent and urgent question is, "What are you doing for others?". This quote reminds me of a problem I am passionate about and would like to pursue for my future career. Within the United States, over 655,000 people die from heart disease each year; meaning one out of every four people suffers from heart disease. In my community, it is very prevalent; because of the factors that promote heart disease. One factor is food deserts; this inclines people in my community to consume intangible food, later resulting in detrimental health. I will continue addressing this problem by providing healthier alternative foods in my community, as a Cardiothoracic Surgeon. My life's mission marks a point in extending STEM opportunities for all underrepresented groups ranging from youth to women of color all over the world. I have noticed that with a passion such as mine, not many people are taking action. I have been acclimated to the nature of taking action through my current role as co-owner of a youth-led business (Made@Dent), youth-activist, and founder of a youth empowerment program (Baltimore Youth Intermission). Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many young people have suffered from a lack of motivation. This lack of motivation rages from no motivation to complete schoolwork to the lack of motivation to execute daily activities. This is a large problem that a few other youths and I have realized. We decided to come together and utilize the Design Thinking Process to discover a way to improve motivation for young people. We decided young people needed a Youth Intermission. The Baltimore Youth Intermission is a youth-led incentive/reward program created to support students in Baltimore City. This program gives students a way to divert from school and be productive by gaining motivation. Within sessions, students will learn about potential careers to pursue through Food For Thought speakers. The purpose of this program is to motivate students to be productive in and outside of school so they can learn about different potential careers among their peers. We start our events off by stating our mission, doing an icebreaker, inviting the Food For Thought speaker, and dividing into breakout rooms. Breakout rooms include vent sessions; where students can discuss any problem they have with each other, scavenger hunts, among our games, water coolers, and college information sessions. Thus far, my team and I have hosted our first event on January 20th, 2021, with a 100% success rate. Within Baltimore Youth Intermission, I have found that students are more likely to be engaged if they are being rewarded incentives. So, my team and I integrated incentives into the program. In search of this solution, I noticed the lack of motivation within Baltimore City youth due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, research drives me to the fact which was proven by Dr. King; if Baltimore youth continue to lack motivation, our future will be in a great measure of trouble. I am of great confidence that this experience will follow me in my future career as a Cardiothoracic Surgeon as I mentor students and expose them to the work opportunities that have been kept from them.

The lack of diversity and inclusion in STEM is a critical issue affecting our nation’s health and the future of research. Our nation is growing to become more and more diverse in all aspects, and diversity must be spread evenly within the biomedical workforce. To address the health needs of our rapidly diversifying population with cultural sensitivity and inclusiveness – and make progress toward health equity– we need to cultivate the talents of individuals from all backgrounds. Collectively, African Americans, Native Americans, Alaskan Natives, and Hispanics account for only 10% of STEM fields. This is extremely unfortunate and shows the dilatory progress that has been made in STEM fields. Acquainting the scientific process with diverse perspectives is essential to the future success of biomedical and STEM research. Overcoming these hurdles will necessitate continuing creative changes and improvements to the study preparation models we employ, as well as ongoing results assessment. The development of untapped potential among underrepresented and marginalized students involved in careers in biomedical science is more critical than ever because of demographic patterns, research manpower trends, evidence that research teams achieve problem-solving ability by diversification, and that improvements in underrepresented groups engagement in biomedicine are expected to energize efforts aimed at underrepresented minorities. I would primarily respond to the diversification of underrepresented groups in the biomedical workforce with my knowledge of empathy from my academic and professional experience through identifying and documenting causes that contribute to the diversity and its lack so that evidence-based interventions can be planned and applied promptly. I will further contribute with my experience by taking action with the communication of marginalized groups amidst outreach to diverse communities and others with similar interests in the biomedical workforce.

The lack of diversity and inclusion in STEM is a critical issue affecting our nation’s health and the future of research. Our nation is growing to become more and more diverse in all aspects, and it is vital that diversity is spread evenly within the biomedical workforce. My long-term goal is to become a Cardiothoracic surgeon, primarily serving adults with cardiovascular disease and complications. I am from Baltimore City, where there are many aspects of cardiovascular health to be addressed. Due to low-income areas that are surrounded by food apartheid inevitably because of systemic attempts to segregate individuals through redlining and gerrymandering. It is common for Baltimore city residents to result to consuming food in reach; which typically looks like corner stores with food that lacks a vast amount of nutrition. This results in the leading cause of death being cardiovascular disease. I want to work with adults to provide affordable surgical treatment to those suffering in the city. I plan to accomplish this goal by earning my B.S. in Cell Biology/Biochemistry, conducting research, attending medical school, gaining client interaction as a CNA, completing my residency, and working in a hospital that best suits my vision with the expansion of diversity within underrepresented groups. The actions taken to provide nourishment displays the lack of care administration has for city residents and the lack of knowledge that residents bestow. Such unawareness has posed scarce systemic issues that are inevitably killing us and leaving many stranded to reach for the food that is most convenient to them rather than the food that is available more exclusively within areas that are mainly populated by more privileged individuals. I would primarily respond to the diversification of underrepresented groups in the biomedical workforce with my knowledge of empathy from my academic and professional experience.

My life's mission marks a point in extending STEM opportunities for all underrepresented groups ranging from youth to women of color all over the world. I have noticed that with a passion such as mine, not many people are taking action. I have been acclimated to the nature of taking action through my current role as co-owner of a youth-led business (Made@Dent), youth-activist, and founder of a youth empowerment program (Baltimore Youth Intermission). In order to address the health needs of our rapidly diversifying population with cultural sensitivity and inclusiveness – and make progress toward health equity– we need to cultivate the talents of individuals from all backgrounds. Collectively, African Americans, Native Americans, Alaskan Natives, and Hispanics account for only 10% of STEM fields. This is extremely unfortunate and shows the dilatory progress that has been made in STEM fields. Acquainting the scientific process with diverse perspectives is essential to the future success of biomedical and STEM research. Overcoming these hurdles will necessitate continuing creative changes and improvements to the study preparation models we employ, as well as ongoing results assessment. I would primarily respond to the diversification of underrepresented groups in the biomedical workforce with my knowledge of empathy from my academic and professional experience through identifying and documenting causes that contribute to the diversity and its lack so that evidence-based interventions can be planned and applied in a timely manner. I will further contribute with my past experience by taking action with the communication of marginalized groups amidst outreach to diverse communities and others with similar interests in the biomedical workforce. As I accomplish my career goals I plan to share my learnings of the workplace with youth in generations to come; this will not only motivate them to stay open-minded but also fight for what they desire.