Simply put, I am many adjectives: first-generation college student, family-oriented, passionate, fearful, and determined. I come from a tiny community that has given me ethics and morals. I was raised by a single mother who gave me courage and determination. I now live in Orlando where I attend the second-largest university in the United States and worked for the number one hospital in Florida which has cemented my passion. And fearful, well I feel that every day. Being a first-generation college student has come with an immense amount of pressure. Despite possessing the ambition, talent, and potential to thrive academically, I was deterred from pursuing higher education simply because of its exorbitant cost. Furthermore, choosing a healthcare career was not a decision made lightly. Weighing the risks against the passion I have to become a physician is an ongoing battle with every new challenge that arises. I knew the commitment I was making to this field entering undergrad. My ambition besides my goal of becoming an OBGYN physician is to be a voice for underrepresented communities, with a focus on women and people of color. I want to advocate for better health education. Support healthy sex lives and stop reinforcing society's pressure on women. I want to challenge gender norms and create a safe, healthy, and happy future. I want to be able to help young girls, women, and mothers understand their bodies and treat them fairly. To end harmful stigmas against bodily autonomy and crush degrading stereotypes in society with knowledge. To acknowledge the taboo topics and start new medical research that is fully inclusive, so that statistics can accurately represent minorities. This is one of the reasons why I chose to work full-time as a medical scribe in the emergency department. To not only remove some of the financial stress from my mother and cover the extra costs that come with college but also to be exposed to a wide variety of issues. Through this job, I was able to find an organization that helps the homeless with medical conditions. Being able to contribute to my community is very important to me since I was raised in a rural community that supports each other in difficult times. This organization allows the homeless a free basic check-up each day. For some people, this can be life or death as they aren’t able to afford their medications. Furthermore, we provide them with information for other free clinics or coupons/vouchers for discounted medication. If we have the supplies we provide meals and other necessities. Currently, I work at a small clinic that focuses its attention on veterans in the United States. We review veterans' disability claims and assist the veterans' in finding information and documents to support their claims. In addition, we evaluate the current treatment plan(s) that each veteran is receiving for their condition(s) and make further suggestions. I transferred to my current job due to my personal connections to the military. I felt I could make a greater impact on a few in the clinic rather than a minimal impact on many in the emergency department. My grandfather served in the Korean War and my husband is currently serving time in the Army. Due to my personal and JROTC background of working with veterans, I feel this job is my calling at this time. I try to do all that I can with the little experience and education I have in the medical field at the moment. Eventually, I will be able to accomplish more and have the capability, resources, and teams to fulfill this promise.

Choosing a healthcare career was not a decision made lightly. Initially, my dream was to become a veterinarian. However, one of the most influential moments that pushed me into the healthcare field happened after I started to volunteer at the nursing home where my mother worked. The event that pushed me towards a healthcare career sadly came with the death of a sweet and kind elderly man. I volunteered on the weekends to assist the residents with entertainment activities. With one resident I would walk with him down the hallways, listening to him tell stories about his family. He used to own a dairy farm before coming to the nursing home and at this time I still wanted to be a veterinarian; so I loved to listen to his stories. After his death, my mother told me that he would ask about me during the week and would get more excited each day that my mother told him I would be returning on the weekend. While spending time with him during my volunteer hours I learned that his family did not visit him, even during the holidays. This is not uncommon for residents at nursing homes, but I considered this man as part of my family at this point. So, when my mother got home from a 12-hour shift on Friday and told me that I would not need to come to the nursing home this weekend; I initially laughed and said “Why?” I remember the look my mother gave me that day every time I sign another volunteer sign-up sheet. I prepare myself for every possibility by remembering what my mother told me. They were understaffed that day in the nursing home and didn’t have enough nurses to cover each wing of the nursing home. My mother walked into his room to prepare him for his afternoon medication and lunch. She told me that he didn’t complain of any pain, just that he was holding his left arm. She immediately asked if he was okay and called for a nurse. She knew that he needed his medication, but she was a CNA and was not able to administer medication legally. By the time the nurse was able to make it to his room, he had passed away. My mother decided a week later to enroll in an LPN program at our local college. To this day I don’t believe my mother forgives herself for not being able to help this man even though she had the knowledge to help. My mother's decision to go back to school was the last push that I needed to finalize my decision to go into the medical field. She was unable to enroll in this program the first time because she did not have a high school diploma. So, she immediately enrolled in the GED program. Her tenacity to improve her education to be able to help others is why I was inspired to be a doctor. I could have become a nurse and follow in her footsteps. However, I always wanted to do more and give more to the residents. Now, I work as a scribe and volunteer at a hospital in the emergency department. I see these physicians consulting multiple other physicians to advocate for each patient to get the care they need. I see the care team that they build for a patient. I see them call patients back a week later to check in and see if they are improving or followed up with a specialist. I see myself becoming the physician that advocates for her patients.