My happiest memory is of when I met my partner for the first time in person. We had been long distance for 3 months prior to meeting, so when I finally saw him pull up to my house in his dark blue, 2016 Volvo crossover, I melted. Seeing his amazing smile in person and hearing his voice, I couldn't believe he was finally with me. I knew I loved him before I met him and my love for him was amplified a thousand times more when I was finally in his arms. The love of my life was finally here.

I can’t quite pinpoint the exact moment in which my passion for learning began. Many of my childhood memories are filled with images of doing brain teasers and multiplication with my mom. When I was smaller, I was well known by my classmates and teachers for being smart, and a little bit disorganized and disruptive. My behavior card was usually flipped from green to yellow, but the teachers could hardly fault me for being so excited about learning. I remember my field trip to the California African-American Museum, which I hold to be the unrivaled best day of my life. I had answered so many questions that the instructors had to specifically call on, “anyone but Roberta,” in order to give the rest of the class a chance. In fact, most of the standout moments of my life have revolved around some form of education. Some of my best school moments were created during a 14 hour time period spent at school on a Saturday, surrounded by four of my closest classmates, competing in the Moody’s Mega Math Competition. I am certainly not to be trusted at art museums; on one occasion I got so excited to see Frank Gehry’s exhibit at LACMA that I lost one of my group members. On another occasion, I was so distracted by the history and beauty of the architecture, I fell down the stairs. For some reason, it has always been my personal quest to get as much out of my education as possible, and in as many ways as possible. Going into education, I hope that I can bridge the gap with disparities for students as well as help them find their passion for learning as well. I am excited to face my personal challenge of balancing the engagement and enthusiasm of my childhood with dedication and assiduity of my college years. I want nothing more than to study what I am passionate about and engage with students and faculty who share my enthusiasm. As I pursue a career in the education field, I know that I will not only receive what I am seeking but I know I will also bring a genuine passion to learn and help others learn as well.

During the my first-year at UCLA, I became the leader of a group of 15 people for a two-month-long project called 'Exhibition'. My entire class was divided into multiple groups of 11 to 16 people, and each group was tasked with building an Escape Room, which embodied the essential skills learned from each of our core learning objectives. I was tasked with leading a group of people that I never worked with before, as well as some who had a well-known reputation for not doing work. When we had our first reviews, my group looked/felt disorganized and dysfunctional, and we received multiple pieces of negative feedback. Instead of allowing negative feedback to define our project, I decided that we needed to change our strategy and direction. I created multiple subgroups to make it easier to delegate work. This changed the group dynamic immediately, and soon we began operating like a well-oiled machine. We were no longer acting as a group of individuals; we became a team. When Exhibition night arrived, the group's efforts were on display for everyone to see. Each subgroup performed perfectly as I watched professors, faculty members, and school board officials try to solve the escape room. The night was a success. This experience was terrifying to say the least and humbling to say the most. Not only did I feel a sense of pride in leading my team, but also a large sense of gratitude and appreciation for every single one of my group members. Despite the intense stress, I am so grateful for this experience. Being the leader has inspired me to take leadership roles in other areas of my life because I love seeing how trust and faith can make the difference between a group of people and a 'team'. Being a leader and consistently working to be a fair and equitable leader is important to me because I know that I can carry those traits into my career. As I am getting closer towards my first step in the the medical profession, I hope to carry the lessons I learned from that experience as well as the lesson I am currently learning, to create a trustworthy and safe environment for me, my peers, and my patients. When I become a leader in the medical field, I hope that I can help bridge the gap of a " group of people and a 'team'" in all aspects of medicine.