When imagining living the life of my dreams, several different aspects come to mind. Beginning with my dream career as a Physician Assistant. Becoming an integral part of the medical field has always been the finish line for me. As a young girl growing up in the inner city of Flint, Michigan; I did not see providers who looked like me. I want my community to see providers who look like them and can identify with their issues and concerns. There are a lot of African Americans who do not trust the medical field. The history behind the distrust is understandable. I want to become a PA to allow African-American patients to see more providers who look like them, allowing for more trust in healthcare and the medical field. I will begin my Physician Assistant program at the University of Michigan Flint in January 2024. As long as I can remember I pictured myself in a white coat with a stethoscope and this is only the beginning of my journey. I am considering specializing in Obstetrics and Gynecology or infertility treatments specifically. Due to some health concerns of my own regarding reproductive health, I have grown a lot of interest in those fields. In addition to becoming a Physician Assistant, I would love to mentor students within the city of Flint focusing on those who will be first-generation college students. I want to allow those students to receive the advice and guidance I wish I obtained before and during my college experience. Outside of my professional career aspirations, my dream life includes an amazing personal life. Having a healthy work and personal life balance is an important factor in my dream life. I imagine myself married to a wonderful loving husband and having a few children. I picture having a modestly sized home with a great yard for family barbecues and a large kitchen. I see my home as the go-to place for my kids' friends to hang out. I imagine giving my children the childhood I wished I had growing up. Suffering a childhood filled with trauma including an absent father, a drug-addicted mother, abuse, and poverty; I am going to do anything necessary to end the generational curses. I imagine eating dinners at a dining room table almost every night, enjoying family game nights and vacations. My dream life includes being a role model to my future children and all others.

Surrounded by poverty, most individuals around me barely graduated high school with no desire to attend college; they must get a job and help their families. I knew I did not see myself settling for a future like the things I witnessed around me. Suffering a childhood filled with trauma including an absent father, a drug-addicted mother, abuse, and poverty; school became an outlet for me. I knew it was my only chance to end generational curses and remove myself from the unhealthy environments around me. The impact of my childhood began the trajectory of my path into the medical field. Becoming an integral part of the medical field has always been the finish line for me. As a young girl growing up in the inner city of Flint, Michigan; I did not see providers who looked like me. I want my community to see providers who look like them and can identify with their issues and concerns. There are a lot of African Americans who do not trust the medical field. The history behind the distrust is understandable, for example, the Tuskegee Study. I want to become a Physician Assistant to allow African-American patients to see more providers who look like them, allowing for more trust in healthcare and the medical field. The combination of my childhood and my desire to become one of the medical providers who look like me fueled my nontraditional journey to PA school. Entering college after high school as a first-generation college student, I became overwhelmed with the stress of maintaining good grades, working, and the lack of understanding from my family. After completing two years, I chose to take a break from school to allow myself to become better prepared mentally and financially. During this break, I completed my Surgical Technology certification. In the operating room, I was first introduced to the PA profession. While working with PAs in Plastic surgery opened my eyes to the different options of medical providers. Given a front-row seat to the ins and outs of the PA profession; my interests and desires pulled me into making it my goal. As a Certified Surgical Technologist for the last seven years, I have experience with Vascular, Plastic, Obstetrical and Gynecological, Orthopedic, Trauma, and General Surgery. Within this experience, I work with surgeons, PAs, NPs, nurses, residents, and medical students. Working alongside the different providers allows me to understand the flow needed to effectively communicate and take care of patients. Once I received experience in the healthcare field, I chose to return to college and finish my degree. With more maturity entering college this time, I was able to stay in good standing each semester and make the Dean’s List for two semesters. This hard work and determination led to becoming a first-generation college graduate with honors. Taking the time to grow and mature allowed me to understand how to balance school, work, and life stress. As long as I can remember I pictured myself in a white coat with a stethoscope and this is only the beginning of my journey.

I immediately think of my childhood, and the desire and need to change the world around me. Surrounded by poverty, most individuals around me barely graduated high school with no desire to attend college; they must get a job and help their families. I knew I did not see myself settling for a future like the things I witnessed around me. Suffering a childhood filled with trauma including an absent father, a drug-addicted mother, abuse, and poverty; school became an outlet for me. I knew it was my only chance to end generational curses and remove myself from the unhealthy environments around me. The impact of my childhood began the trajectory of my path into the medical field.

The dream version of my future self is having a career as a Physician Assistant.