First and foremost, as a Black American I take the utmost level of pride in excellence. Both of my parents were born and raised in Haiti, immigrating to the United States in high school and college. They constantly remind me of Black excellence, working to be excellent in everything I do as a young Black man, to run faster and jump higher in every way. They both worked to earn STEM degrees through adversity; my father is now a physical therapist and my mother is a nurse practitioner. I believe that I would be doing myself, my family, and the United States of America a disservice if I would not use my education and platform in STEM to make advancements in racial equity. Black people in America are too smart, talented, and powerful not to have the opportunities and resources they need to succeed, and our nation as a whole is missing out as a result. My advancements in racial equity will not be in the form of petition, seeking pity, or asking for a hand down, but rather in educating and empowering the black youth from their homes outward into their communities. I will provide them with STEM, musical, and athletic resources and show them that there is nothing that can stop each individual one of them. To show them that they can be so great, so excellent, that they cannot be denied. My aunt Luneda, my father’s youngest sister, passed away on October 3rd, 2023. The funeral was the only the second time I had cried with my father, the first being after the death of his mother. She had a leg infection and became septic while visiting home in Haiti. As I prepared to play “Kol Nidrei” on the cello at her funeral, I became more determined than ever before to become an excellent physician so I can stop the infection that killed her from harming anyone else I love. I stand where I do today because of the countless sacrifices of my family and trailblazers who have come before, individuals like my aunt who worked with all their heart despite the seemingly insurmountable obstacles in their path. It is my deepest desire and goal to bring this impact full circle by inspiring and uplifting those who come after me through my speech, life, and love. I will work at and research the intricacies of neuroanatomy, rediscovering how the body works in relation to the mind. I will continue to express my passion for the wonders of music and will be dedicated to leading by example.

“SAMUEL!” yelled my mother, “GET INSIDE!” I’ve heard these words more often than I should. I have a basketball hoop in my driveway, and I’ve spent 2-5 hours on it each day since I received the hoop as a gift from my uncle at age nine. My parents have a rule that I must be inside by 9 PM, partially due to the fact that we are the only black family in an affluent neighborhood and we go out of our way to live our lives in excellence in every way, such as to leave no room for disrespect. I have played the piano for fourteen years, and the cello for eight. I remember and still experience the nights where I slave over my instrument for hours on end late into the night, and then set my alarm for 4:45 AM to get to the gym for strength training. I have been honored as an All-State cellist in Florida, 3x Broward All-County cellist, Principal cellist in the Florida Youth Orchestra, and 2x Outstanding Musician Award recipient. I am a three year varsity basketball starter and team captain at FAU High School, on track to score 1,000 career points, a 20 point per game scorer, 20x Player of the Game, and honored 2nd team All-Palm Beach County. Working hard is my way of life. It always pays off, even if I cannot see how in the moment. “Sorry mom, coming inside now,” I reply. Music is powerful; in a sense, it is a microcosm of life itself. Harmony. Tension and release. Music gives us the power to create what nothing else can. It requires collaboration between people of different specializations; the bassoon is just as important as the timpani and the cello as important as the flute. Unique sounds combine to form a beautiful symphony. There is a hidden beauty, a second layer to music only revealed to those who have learned it and worked at it over time; it allows one to see the world in a new light. I started playing the piano at age four, and the cello at age ten. Being immersed in the intricacies of music over the course of my comprehensive upbringing has given me possession of a unique perspective that has allowed me to interpret things not spoken or seen. I make it my goal to share this gift with as many as possible, that they too may begin to explore the potential of their minds through the gift of music. For this reason, I believe the art of music should not only be for those who seek to be professionals, but for all. Florida Youth Orchestra STEPS is a branch of the Florida Youth Orchestra that brings violins and teachers to children in underprivileged communities. Upon learning about the program, I worked to bring FYO STEPS to my church where families cannot afford for their children to learn music. We started with twenty kids in 2022 and added another twenty in the fall of 2023, with hopes to grow into a full orchestra at First Haitian Baptist Church from the ground up. Words cannot express how grateful I am to contribute to giving these children this opportunity that they would have never had otherwise. Wherever I am, that place must be brought up with me in excellence. I am blessed with an array of experiences like movements of a perfectly orchestrated sonata, blessed to have witnessed the power of athletics at a high level and its ability to sharpen the mind, to inspire, to unite.

My aunt Luneda, my father’s youngest sister, passed away on October 3rd, 2023. The funeral was the only the second time I had cried with my father, the first being after the death of his mother. She had a leg infection and became septic while visiting home in Haiti. As I prepared to play “Kol Nidrei” on the cello at her funeral, I became more determined than ever before to become an excellent physician so I can stop the infection that killed her from harming anyone else I love. I stand where I do today because of the countless sacrifices of my family and trailblazers who have come before, individuals like my aunt who worked with all their heart despite the seemingly insurmountable obstacles in their path. It is my deepest desire and goal to bring this impact full circle by inspiring and uplifting those who come after me through my speech, life, and love. I will work at and research the intricacies of neuroanatomy, rediscovering how the body works in relation to the mind. I will continue to express my passion for the wonders of music and will be dedicated to leading by example. In the summer of 2023 I spent a week shadowing my uncle, Dr. Brunel Joseph, MD, in his family and sports medicine practice in Tampa, Florida. As the week went on, a realization came to me: Heal the mind, and the body will follow. In my experience of seeing over thirty patients that week, I learned that the body and its functions are nothing but a result of the condition of the mind. I have a newfound determination to discover the deeper connection between the body and the mind. All is comprehensive. Leading a group of men in prayer or cooking my family’s signature legume directly affects how I score 30 points in my basketball game and drive to the hospital to play the cello for sick patients that same night. In the same way, what an individual watches, practices, and thinks directly affects the subconscious reactions of their body. The mind and the body should not be consulted as separate entities in the field of medicine, but rather a unit working together for the good of one’s soul. I am looking forward to continuing to explore this connection in my career as a physician. I see nursing as a shovel with which I begin to dig into the earth, resulting in a deep well that overflows and brings vegetation to all around it.

My aunt Luneda, my father’s youngest sister, passed away on October 3rd, 2023. The funeral was the only the second time I had cried with my father, the first being after the death of his mother. She had a leg infection and became septic while visiting home in Haiti. As I prepared to play “Kol Nidrei” on the cello at her funeral, I became more determined than ever before to become an excellent physician so I can stop the infection that killed her from harming anyone else I love. I stand where I do today because of the countless sacrifices of my family and trailblazers who have come before, individuals like my aunt who worked with all their heart despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles in their way. It is my deepest desire and goal to bring this impact full circle by inspiring and uplifting those who come after me through my speech, life, and love. I will work at and research the intricacies of neuroanatomy, rediscovering how the body works in relation to the mind. I will continue to express my passion for the wonders of music and will be dedicated to leading by example. In the summer of 2023 I spent a week shadowing my uncle, Dr. Brunel Joseph, MD, in his family and sports medicine practice in Tampa, Florida. As the week went on, a realization came to me: Heal the mind, and the body will follow. In my experience of seeing over thirty patients that week, I learned that the body and its functions are nothing but a result of the condition of the mind. I have a newfound determination to discover the deeper connection between the body and the mind. All is comprehensive. Leading a group of men in prayer or cooking my family’s signature legume directly affects how I score 30 points in my basketball game and drive to the hospital to play the cello for sick patients that same night. In the same way, what an individual watches, practices, and thinks directly affects the subconscious reactions of their body. The mind and the body should not be consulted as separate entities in the field of medicine, but rather a unit working together for the good of one’s soul. I am looking forward to continuing to explore this connection in my career as a physician. I see the medicine as a shovel with which I begin to dig into the earth, resulting in a deep well that overflows and brings vegetation to all around it.

I am ecstatic, shouting with a beaming smile on my face. As soon as I enter the house after each of my basketball games, the first thing my grandparents want to know is how many points I scored, and if my team won. On this particular night, I had thirty-seven points and made the game winning shot. They somehow exceed my energy level and respond with dancing, hugs, and shouts of joy. Their joy is not founded in tonight’s results, but in seeing the work I’ve put in paying off. They have witnessed the literal blood, sweat, and tears; the work done alone out on my brick driveway; and the daily 4:45 AM rise to get to the gym before school. It is an absolute joy and privilege to be their caretaker along with my older brother Josh and younger brother Aaron. Wherever I am, that place must be brought up with me in excellence because of the boundless blessings that have been poured upon me. I am blessed to have suffered, blessed with a wealth of opportunity, and blessed with an array of experiences like movements of a perfectly orchestrated sonata. I have witnessed the power of athletics at a high level and its ability to sharpen the mind, to inspire, to unite. I have experienced the power of music and its ability to convey what words cannot. I have learned to dedicate myself to a craft and express it in a beautiful way. I am blessed to have walked the streets of Cap Haitien and of Tokyo, to have been surrounded by friends and to have walked alone, to have experienced great happiness and sorrow, and to have worked for all that I’ve achieved. Music is powerful; in a sense, it is a microcosm of life itself. Harmony. Tension and Release. It gives us the power to create what nothing else can. It requires collaboration between people of different specializations; the bassoon is just as important as the timpani and the cello as important as the flute. Unique sounds combine to form a beautiful symphony. There is a hidden beauty, a second layer to music only revealed to those who have learned it and worked at it over time; it allows one to see the world in a new light. I started playing the piano at age four, and the cello at age ten. Being immersed in the intricacies of music over the course of my comprehensive upbringing has given me possession of a unique perspective that has allowed me to interpret things not spoken or seen. I make it my goal to share this gift with as many as possible, that they too may begin to explore the potential of their minds through the gift of music. For this reason, I believe the art of music should not only be for those who seek to be professionals, but for all. Florida Youth Orchestra STEPS is a branch of the Florida Youth Orchestra that brings violins and teachers to children in underprivileged communities. Upon learning about the program, I worked to bring FYO STEPS to my church where families cannot afford for their children to learn music. We started with twenty kids in 2022 and added another twenty in the fall of 2023, with hopes to grow into a full orchestra at First Haitian Baptist Church from the ground up. Words cannot express how grateful I am to contribute to giving these children this opportunity that they would have never had otherwise.

My story does not begin on July 21, 2006 when I was born in Boca Raton, Florida, or 3 and a half decades earlier when my parents were born in Cap Haitien and Novion, Haiti. It does not even begin in 1865 when the 13th amendment was ratified. My story begins before the dawn of time when I was only a thought in the mind of God. Only He knew the path He would lead me on according to His perfect will. I am incredibly blessed and grateful to be the first generation of my family born in the United States. Even as I write this I am speaking Haitian Creole with my grandparents staying in the US for a little while before returning to their home in Haiti. I trained with the Florida Vipers in middle school, a South Florida based basketball organization geared toward underprivileged kids whose only hope was basketball. I have played and coached Lighthouse Point recreational soccer, basketball, baseball, and football since I was ten years old and been the only black kid participating. These experiences, just to name a few, have shaped me into who I am today by exposing me to people of different cultures and backgrounds. Growing up, being in these spaces has made me uncomfortable at times so I can now be comfortable in any space. I have learned that there is rich diversity among people who appear to be similar, and remarkable kindred between people who are not considered similar at all. Jesus Christ is the answer to all confusion, injustice, and evil in this world. As I lead and mentor young black men and women in my community, church, and school I remind them of this fact while constantly encouraging them to see being black as an opportunity, a blessing, a privilege. To carry themselves in such a way that they cannot be denied, and to do all things in excellence. I will continue to be a leader in building a healthy and diverse community at Wheaton College and in my career by being an example in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity for Christ and His Kingdom. I will help to build a community of black students at Wheaton who are dedicated to excellence and honor God. I will build up my community as a whole; students, professors, colleagues, friends, family, and all of God’s children alike; through the gifts, talents, experiences, and blessings the Lord has poured upon me. In today’s culture people find identity in their race, orientation, or status. I will not. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand. Wherever I am, that place must be brought up with me in excellence because of the boundless blessings that have been poured upon me. I am blessed to have suffered, blessed with a wealth of opportunity, and blessed with an array of experiences like movements of a perfectly orchestrated sonata. I have witnessed the power of athletics at a high level and its ability to sharpen the mind, to inspire, to unite. I have experienced the power of music and its ability to convey what words cannot. I have learned to dedicate myself to a craft and express it in a beautiful way. I am blessed to have walked the streets of Cap Haitien and of Tokyo, to have been surrounded by friends and to have walked alone, to have experienced great happiness and sorrow, and to have worked for all that I’ve achieved.