As a child, I often walked around with a mini white coat on and a toy stethoscope checking everyone’s heartbeat pretending to be a doctor. For as long as I could remember, medicine has always been my passion. My uncle is a doctor and one of the people I looked up to growing up and I knew one day I wanted to do what he does; save lives. When I was eight years old, my family and I moved to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This was the first time we had been around people that did not particularly look like us. I remember a couple of months after living there, my older brother had gotten seriously ill and was quickly rushed to the hospital. Upon arriving there, the doctor was not able to figure out exactly what was wrong with him and at that point, his situation was getting worse. The lack of empathy displayed by the doctor was not comforting to my parents so they ended up taking him to a different hospital where we met the doctor that helped save my brother’s life. Thankfully, my parents had decided to take quicker action because the doctor said if they had delayed any longer, his condition could have been permanent. The care and love the doctor showed to my brother whilst making sure he was getting the treatment he needed reassured me of why I wanted to become a doctor in the first place. Also the fact that she looked like me; a woman while also being black made me realize how important and necessary black female doctors are. A couple of years down the line, I realized that what we had faced in the first hospital were neglect and medical racism. I lost someone I knew due to the same neglect that black women face especially during pregnancy. My friend was about 8 months pregnant, and she suddenly started having chest and back pains. She complained about the pain she felt and was told by the nurses and doctor that it was normal she was experiencing those types of pain and that she should be fine and sent her home. She was a very active woman prior to pregnancy and had no underlying health issues. She ended up being rushed to the hospital and was able to have her baby boy, unfortunately for her she lost both her life and her son a few moments later. Her death is one of many that has happened due to the lack of proper care that black women face in the medical field. Their complaints are not being taken seriously which results in some of them losing their lives. I am currently working on getting my MBS. It is getting me one step closer to my goal. After Medical school, I will do my residency in either psychiatry or pediatrics. Being a doctor I want to help people who do not get the proper help they need. I want to prevent anyone from experiencing what my friend’s family experienced when they lost their daughter to a death that could have been prevented. During the pandemic, the mortality rate of African Americans was higher than any other race due to the fact that most of them already had pre-existing health conditions that made COVID 19 more dangerous to them. Also, New York City being the epicenter of the virus inspired me to want to pursue a career in medicine even more. With this scholarship, my dreams of being a doctor can be a reality.

“We don’t choose where we come from, but we can choose where to go from there”. My mother drilled this phrase into my head since I was a little girl. I came to this country at the tender age of 10 to escape the harsh realities of living in Nigeria. My family and I came to this country not knowing anyone and only had each other to rely on. Growing up, I was made fun of because I did not look like any of my classmates, I did not dress like them, nor did I sound like them. Having a complicated last name did not help my case either. I remember coming home from school in tears most days because I could not understand why my classmates made fun of me both in-person and online for things I could not control. It got to a point where I did not like speaking in class because I did not want them to make fun of my accent. I kept all this information from my mom because I did not want her to worry or make her second guess her decision of bringing us here. It wasn’t until the parent-teacher conference that my teacher informed my mom of my lack of participation in class discussions. Later that night, I informed my mom of everything that was going on with tears dripping down my face. She gave me a big hug and once again told me that phrase. She let me know that my accent does not take away from my intelligence or my ability to do anything, she reminded me of the beautiful meaning behind my name and why I should be proud to bear it. She let me know that I was born to stand out and not look like everyone else. That conversation changed the way I perceived life. As a teenager, I started to accept myself and stopped trying hard to fit in with everyone else. I started to take pride in my name and was quick to correct anyone that tried to mispronounce it. I stopped hiding my voice and loved speaking regardless of whether my accent was strong or not. The confidence my mom instilled in me has empowered me to want to do the same for others. It is so important to empower people because you never know what someone is going through and a simple word of encouragement could change how they view the world. Words have the power to make or break a person. I can proudly say my circumstances will not determine what my future would look like. I have been blessed to have positive and loving people around me who continually push me to reach my full potential. From all my experiences, I have learned confidence, patience, leadership, and adjustment. I can boldly and confidently talk in front of an audience and go to interviews without being nervous. I work well with people, and in cases where people are not motivated to work efficiently, I try to reason with them and try to motivate them to do their possible best. I don't give up even when situations are not going the way I want them to go, I've learned that endurance can go a long way. My end goal is to become a physician. I want to inspire and empower people that anything is possible if they believe in themselves. Being a black woman in today’s society is not the easiest, especially one that comes from an Immigrant family. With this scholarship, my dream of becoming a physician can become a reality.

When I was eight years old, my family and I moved to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This was the first time we had been around people that did not particularly look like us. I remember a couple of months after living there, my older brother had gotten seriously ill and was quickly rushed to the hospital. Upon arriving there, the doctor was not able to figure out exactly what was wrong with him and at that point, his situation was getting worse. The lack of empathy displayed by the doctor was not comforting to my parents so they ended up taking him to a different hospital where we met the doctor that helped save my brother’s life. Thankfully, my parents had decided to take quicker action because the doctor said if they had delayed any longer, his condition could have been permanent. The care and love the doctor showed to my brother whilst making sure he was getting the treatment he needed reassured me of why I wanted to become a doctor in the first place. Also the fact that she looked like me; a woman while also being black made me realize how important and necessary black female doctors are. A couple of years down the line, I realized that what we had faced in the first hospital were neglect and medical racism. Medical racism is the systematic oppression that people of color face in the healthcare system. I lost someone I knew due to the same neglect that black women face especially during pregnancy. My friend was about 8 months pregnant, and she suddenly started having chest and back pains. She complained about the pain she felt and was told by the nurses and doctor that it was normal she was experiencing those types of pain and that she should be fine and sent her home. She was a very active woman prior to pregnancy and had no underlying health issues. She ended up being rushed to the hospital and was able to have her baby boy, unfortunately for her she lost both her life and her son a few moments later. Her death is one of many that has happened due to the lack of proper care that black women face in the medical field. Their complaints are not being taken seriously which results in some of them losing their lives. I am currently working on getting my MBS. It is getting me one step closer to my goal. After graduate school, I am going to Medical school to get my medical degree. After Medical school, I will do my residency in either child and adolescent psychiatry or pediatrics. Being a doctor I want to help people who do not get the proper help they need. I want to prevent anyone from experiencing what my friend’s family experienced when they lost their daughter to a death that could have been prevented. There are numerous health problems that people of color, especially black people face due to lack of access to nutritious foods, types of environment, and the overall experience a black person might face compared to their white counterparts. During the pandemic, the mortality rate of African Americans was higher than any other race due to the fact that most of them already had pre-existing health conditions that made COVID 19 more dangerous to them. Also, New York City being the epicenter of the virus inspired me to want to pursue a career in medicine even more. With this scholarship, my dreams of being a doctor can be a reality.

As a child, I often walked around with a mini white coat on and a toy stethoscope checking everyone’s heartbeat pretending to be a doctor. For as long as I could remember, medicine has always been my passion. My uncle is a doctor and one of the people I looked up to growing up and I knew one day I wanted to do what he does; save lives. I always had the need to help people in any way that I could. When I was eight years old, my family and I moved to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This was the first time we had been around people that did not particularly look like us. I remember a couple of months after living there, my older brother had gotten seriously ill and was quickly rushed to the hospital. Upon arriving there, the doctor was not able to figure out exactly what was wrong with him and at that point, his situation was getting worse. The lack of empathy displayed by the doctor was not comforting to my parents so they ended up taking him to a different hospital where we met the doctor that helped save my brother’s life. Thankfully, my parents had decided to take quicker action because the doctor said if they had delayed any longer, his condition could have been permanent. The care and love the doctor showed to my brother whilst making sure he was getting the treatment he needed reassured me of why I wanted to become a doctor in the first place. Also the fact that she looked like me; a woman while also being black made me realize how important and necessary black female doctors are. A couple of years down the line, I realized that what we had faced in the first hospital was neglect and medical racism. Medical racism is the systematic oppression that people of color face in the healthcare system. I lost someone I knew due to the same neglect that black women face especially during pregnancy. My friend was about 8 months pregnant, and she suddenly started having chest and back pains. She complained about the pain she felt and was told by the nurses and doctor that it was normal she was experiencing those types of pain and that she should be fine and sent her home. She was a very active woman prior to pregnancy and had no underlying health issues. She ended up being rushed to the hospital and was able to have her baby boy, unfortunately for her she lost both her life and her son a few moments later. Her death is one of many that has happened due to the lack of proper care that black women face in the medical field. Their complaints are not being taken seriously which results in some of them losing their lives. I am currently working on getting my MBS. It is getting me one step closer to my goal. After graduate school, I am going to Medical school to get my medical degree. After Medical school, I will do my residency in either child and adolescent psychiatry or pediatrics. Being a doctor I want to help people who do not get the proper help they need. I want to prevent anyone from experiencing what my friend’s family experienced when they lost their daughter to a death that could have been prevented. There are numerous health problems that people of color, especially black people face due to lack of access to nutritious foods, types of environment, and the overall experience a black person might face compared to their white counterparts. During the pandemic, the mortality rate of African Americans was higher than any other race due to the fact that most of them already had pre-existing health conditions that made COVID 19 more dangerous to them. Also, New York City being the epicenter of the virus inspired me to want to pursue a career in medicine even more. With this scholarship, my dreams of being a doctor can be a reality.

As a child, I often walked around with a mini white coat on and a toy stethoscope checking everyone’s heartbeat pretending to be a doctor. For as long as I could remember, medicine has always been my passion. My uncle is a doctor and one of the people I looked up to growing up and I knew one day I wanted to do what he does; save lives. I always had the need to help people in any way that I could. When I was eight years old, my family and I moved to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This was the first time we had been around people that did not particularly look like us. I remember a couple of months after living there, my older brother had gotten seriously ill and was quickly rushed to the hospital. Upon arriving there, the doctor was not able to figure out exactly what was wrong with him and at that point, his situation was getting worse. The lack of empathy displayed by the doctor was not comforting to my parents so they ended up taking him to a different hospital where we met the doctor that helped save my brother’s life. Thankfully, my parents had decided to take quicker action because the doctor said if they had delayed any longer, his condition could have been permanent. The care and love the doctor showed to my brother whilst making sure he was getting the treatment he needed reassured me of why I wanted to become a doctor in the first place. Also the fact that she looked like me; a woman while also being black made me realize how important and necessary black female doctors are. A couple of years down the line, I realized that what we had faced in the first hospital were neglect and medical racism. Medical racism is the systematic oppression that people of color face in the healthcare system. I lost someone I knew due to the same neglect that black women face especially during pregnancy. My friend was about 8 months pregnant, and she suddenly started having chest and back pains. She complained about the pain she felt and was told by the nurses and doctor that it was normal she was experiencing those types of pain and that she should be fine and sent her home. She was a very active woman prior to pregnancy and had no underlying health issues. She ended up being rushed to the hospital and was able to have her baby boy, unfortunately for her she lost both her life and her son a few moments later. Her death is one of many that has happened due to the lack of proper care that black women face in the medical field. Their complaints are not being taken seriously which results in some of them losing their lives. I am currently working on getting my MBS. It is getting me one step closer to my goal. After graduate school, I am going to Medical school to get my medical degree. Being a doctor I want to help people who do not get the proper help they need. I want to prevent anyone from experiencing what my friend’s family experienced when they lost their daughter to a death that could have been prevented. With this scholarship, my dreams of being a doctor can be a reality.

“We don’t choose where we come from, but we can choose where to go from there”. My mother drilled this phrase into my head since I was a little girl. Coming to America was not something I had dreamed about. I came to this country at the tender age of 10 to escape the harsh realities of living in Nigeria. My family and I came to this country not knowing anyone and only had each other to rely on. Growing up, I was made fun of because I did not look like any of my classmates, I did not dress like them, nor did I sound like them. Having a complicated last name did not help my case either. I remember coming home from school in tears most days because I could not understand why my classmates made fun of me both in person and online for things I could not control. It got to a point where I did not like speaking in class because I did not want them to make fun of my accent. I later informed my mom what was going on, She let me know that my accent does not take away from my intelligence or my ability to do anything, she reminded me of the beautiful meaning behind my name and why I should be proud to bear it. She let me know that I was born to stand out and not look like everyone else. That conversation changed the way I perceived life.

“Tough times don’t last, tough people, do” Dr. Robert Schuller. That quote has helped me stay optimistic through times I thought I was not going to make it. I realized that everything we go through is for a reason, and we do not go through more than we can handle. Also, my faith in God has helped me stay optimistic as well. Whenever I feel I am in a situation that is taking a toll on me, I pray to God, and He always makes a way for me every time. It has taught me that no problem is permanent. If you have breath, you have hope. As long as you are alive, you have the power to change your situation around. A positive mindset will always be better than a negative one. If you believe you can do something, and you apply yourself, it will work out in your favor.

The journey to self-love has not been an easy process, but it is one of the most important journeys to take. My resilience over the past years has made me grow to love myself beyond measure. Growing up as an immigrant, I was made fun of because I did not look like any of my classmates, I did not dress like them, nor did I sound like them. Having a complicated last name did not help my case either. I remember coming home from school in tears most days because I could not understand why my classmates made fun of me both in-person and online for things I could not control. Through it all, I can proudly say my circumstances will not determine what my future would look like. I have been blessed to have positive and loving people around me who continually push me to reach my full potential. From all my experiences, I have gotten to learn more about myself.

To affect positive change for my community, I volunteer at my local soup kitchen to help feed the homeless, and I also volunteer at the hospital as well. I am part of the CITY project at Central Queens YM & YWHA. In that program, we go to different elementary and middle schools and we help them with afterschool activities by tutoring them, helping with homework, arts and crafts, and we also host dance classes to make sure that kids are getting the physical activity they need. During the holidays, we go to nursing homes and sing Christmas carols to the residents and we spread the Christmas spirit to them since some of them don't have families to do that for them. Every other Saturday, my program organizes a park clean-up day, where we go to the parks and clean up as much as we can, and in the summer we help clean up the beaches.

With my experiences and all the adversities, I have been through, I hope to encourage others that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. Regardless of what you look like or where you are from or what you sound like, no one can make you feel less than what you are unless you allow them. It is so important to empower people because you never know what someone is going through and a simple word of encouragement could change how they view the world. I have been blessed to have positive and loving people around me who continually push me to reach my full potential. From all my experiences, I have gotten to learn more about myself. I have learned confidence, patience, leadership, and adjustment. I don't give up even when situations are not going the way I want them to go, I've learned that endurance can go a long way.

One thing I do to improve the lives of the elderly in my community is going grocery shopping for them. When the pandemic first started, a lot of the elderly were scared to leave their house since they are at high risk, so members in my church and I volunteered to do their grocery shopping for them. We put up flyers all around the neighborhood, and if they need us to get something they call us and we get their information and then deliver the product to them. At the start of the pandemic we used to do it every weekday, but now that things are getting better we do it twice a week and try to help out in other ways that we can as well. During the Christmas season, we go to nursing homes and spread the holiday spirit around by singing Christmas carols and spending time with them.

“We don’t choose where we come from, but we can choose where to go from there”. My mother drilled this phrase into my head since I was a little girl. Coming to America was not something I had dreamed about. I came to this country at the tender age of 10 to escape the harsh realities of living in Nigeria. My family and I came to this country not knowing anyone and only had each other to rely on. Growing up, I was made fun of because I did not look like any of my classmates, I did not dress like them, nor did I sound like them. Having a complicated last name did not help my case either. I remember coming home from school in tears most days because I could not understand why my classmates made fun of me both in-person and online for things I could not control. It got to a point where I did not like speaking in class because I did not want them to make fun of my accent. I kept all this information from my mom because I did not want her to worry or make her second guess her decision of bringing us here. It wasn’t until the parent-teacher conference that my teacher informed my mom of my lack of participation in class discussions. Later that night, I informed my mom of everything that was going on with tears dripping down my face. She gave me a big hug and once again told me that phrase “We don’t choose where we come from, but we can choose where to go from there”. She let me know that my accent does not take away from my intelligence or my ability to do anything, she reminded me of the beautiful meaning behind my name and why I should be proud to bear it. She let me know that I was born to stand out and not look like everyone else. That conversation changed the way I perceived life. As a teenager, I started to accept myself and stopped trying hard to fit in with everyone else. I started to take pride in my name and was quick to correct anyone that tried to mispronounce it. I stopped hiding my voice and loved speaking regardless of whether my accent was strong or not. The confidence I have now has allowed me to achieve all the goals I’ve set for myself.

As a child, I often walked around with a mini white coat on and a toy stethoscope checking everyone’s heartbeat pretending to be a doctor. For as long as I could remember, medicine has always been my passion. My uncle is a doctor and one of the people I looked up to growing up and I knew one day I wanted to do what he does; save lives. I always had the need to help people in any way that I could. At eight years old, my family and I moved to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This was the first time we had been around people that did not particularly look like us. I remember a couple months after living there, my older brother had gotten seriously ill and was quickly rushed to the hospital. Upon arriving there, the doctor was not able to figure out exactly what was wrong with him and at that point, his situation was getting worse. The lack of empathy displayed by the doctor was not comforting to my parents so they ended up taking him to a different hospital where we met the doctor that helped save my brother’s life. Thankfully, my parents had decided to take quicker action because the doctor said if they had delayed any longer, his condition could have been permanent. The care and love the doctor showed to my brother whilst making sure he was getting the treatment he needed reassured me of why I wanted to become a doctor in the first place. Also the fact that she looked like me; a woman while also being black made me realize how important and necessary black female doctors are. A couple years down the line, I realized that what we had faced in the first hospital were neglect and medical racism. Medical racism is the systematic oppression that people of color face in the healthcare system. I lost someone I knew due to the same neglect that black women face especially during pregnancy. My friend was about 8 months pregnant, and she suddenly started having chest and back pains. She complained about the pain she felt and was told by the nurses and doctor that it was normal she was experiencing those types of pain and that she should be fine and sent her home. She was a very active woman prior to pregnancy and had no underlying health issues. She ended up being rushed to the hospital and was able to have her baby boy, unfortunately for her she lost both her life and her son a few moments later. Her death is one of many that has happened due to the lack of proper care that black women face in the medical field. Their complaints are not being taken seriously which results in some of them losing their lives. Being a doctor I want to help people who do not get the proper help they need. I want to prevent anyone from experiencing what my friend’s family experienced when they lost their daughter to a death that could have been prevented. There are numerous health problems that people of color, especially black people face due to lack of access to nutritious foods, types of environment, and the overall experience a black person might face compared to their white counterparts. During the pandemic, the mortality rate of African Americans was higher than any other race due to the fact that most of them already had pre-existing health conditions that made COVID 19 more dangerous to them. With this scholarship, my dreams of being a doctor can be a reality.

As a child, I often walked around with a mini white coat on and a toy stethoscope checking everyone’s heartbeat pretending to be a doctor. For as long as I could remember, medicine has always been my passion. My uncle is a doctor and one of the people I looked up to growing up and I knew one day I wanted to do what he does; save lives. I always had the need to help people in any way that I could. At eight years old, my family and I moved to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This was the first time we had been around people that did not particularly look like us. I remember a couple months after living there, my older brother had gotten seriously ill and was quickly rushed to the hospital. Upon arriving there, the doctor was not able to figure out exactly what was wrong with him and at that point, his situation was getting worse. The lack of empathy displayed by the doctor was not comforting to my parents so they ended up taking him to a different hospital where we met the doctor that helped save my brother’s life. Thankfully, my parents had decided to take quicker action because the doctor said if they had delayed any longer, his condition could have been permanent. The care and love the doctor showed to my brother whilst making sure he was getting the treatment he needed reassured me of why I wanted to become a doctor in the first place. Also the fact that she looked like me; a woman while also being black made me realize how important and necessary black female doctors are. A couple years down the line, I realized that what we had faced in the first hospital were neglect and medical racism. Medical racism is the systematic oppression that people of color face in the healthcare system. I lost someone I knew due to the same neglect that black women face especially during pregnancy. My friend was about 8 months pregnant, and she suddenly started having chest and back pains. She complained about the pain she felt and was told by the nurses and doctor that it was normal she was experiencing those types of pain and that she should be fine and sent her home. She was a very active woman prior to pregnancy and had no underlying health issues. She ended up being rushed to the hospital and was able to have her baby boy, unfortunately for her she lost both her life and her son a few moments later. Her death is one of many that has happened due to the lack of proper care that black women face in the medical field. Their complaints are not being taken seriously which results in some of them losing their lives. Being a doctor I want to help people who do not get the proper help they need. I want to prevent anyone from experiencing what my friend’s family experienced when they lost their daughter to a death that could have been prevented. There are numerous health problems that people of color, especially black people face due to lack of access to nutritious foods, types of environment, and the overall experience a black person might face compared to their white counterparts. During the pandemic, the mortality rate of African Americans was higher than any other race due to the fact that most of them already had pre-existing health conditions that made COVID 19 more dangerous to them. With this scholarship, my dreams of being a doctor can be a reality.

As a child, I often walked around with a mini white coat on and a toy stethoscope checking everyone’s heartbeat pretending to be a doctor. For as long as I could remember, medicine has always been my passion. My uncle is a doctor and one of the people I looked up to growing up and I knew one day I wanted to do what he does; save lives. I always had the need to help people in any way that I could. At eight years old, my family and I moved to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This was the first time we had been around people that did not particularly look like us. I remember a couple months after living there, my older brother had gotten seriously ill and was quickly rushed to the hospital. Upon arriving there, the doctor was not able to figure out exactly what was wrong with him and at that point, his situation was getting worse. The lack of empathy displayed by the doctor was not comforting to my parents so they ended up taking him to a different hospital where we met the doctor that helped save my brother’s life. Thankfully, my parents had decided to take quicker action because the doctor said if they had delayed any longer, his condition could have been permanent. The care and love the doctor showed to my brother whilst making sure he was getting the treatment he needed reassured me of why I wanted to become a doctor in the first place. Also the fact that she looked like me; a woman while also being black made me realize how important and necessary black female doctors are. A couple years down the line, I realized that what we had faced in the first hospital were neglect and medical racism. Medical racism is the systematic oppression that people of color face in the healthcare system. I lost someone I knew due to the same neglect that black women face especially during pregnancy. My friend was about 8 months pregnant, and she suddenly started having chest and back pains. She complained about the pain she felt and was told by the nurses and doctor that it was normal she was experiencing those types of pain and that she should be fine and sent her home. She was a very active woman prior to pregnancy and had no underlying health issues. She ended up being rushed to the hospital and was able to have her baby boy, unfortunately for her she lost both her life and her son a few moments later. Her death is one of many that has happened due to the lack of proper care that black women face in the medical field. Their complaints are not being taken seriously which results in some of them losing their lives. Being a doctor I want to help people who do not get the proper help they need. I want to prevent anyone from experiencing what my friend’s family experienced when they lost their daughter to a death that could have been prevented. There are numerous health problems that people of color, especially black people face due to lack of access to nutritious foods, types of environment, and the overall experience a black person might face compared to their white counterparts. During the pandemic, the mortality rate of African Americans was higher than any other race due to the fact that most of them already had pre-existing health conditions that made COVID 19 more dangerous to them. With this scholarship, my dreams of being a doctor can be a reality.

As a child, I often walked around with a mini white coat on and a toy stethoscope checking everyone’s heartbeat pretending to be a doctor. For as long as I could remember, medicine has always been my passion. My uncle is a doctor and one of the people I looked up to growing up and I knew one day I wanted to do what he does; save lives. I always had the need to help people in any way that I could. When I was eight years old, my family and I moved to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This was the first time we had been around people that did not particularly look like us. I remember a couple of months after living there, my older brother had gotten seriously ill and was quickly rushed to the hospital. Upon arriving there, the doctor was not able to figure out exactly what was wrong with him and at that point, his situation was getting worse. The lack of empathy displayed by the doctor was not comforting to my parents so they ended up taking him to a different hospital where we met the doctor that helped save my brother’s life. Thankfully, my parents had decided to take quicker action because the doctor said if they had delayed any longer, his condition could have been permanent. The care and love the doctor showed to my brother whilst making sure he was getting the treatment he needed reassured me of why I wanted to become a doctor in the first place. Also the fact that she looked like me; a woman while also being black made me realize how important and necessary black female doctors are. A couple of years down the line, I realized that what we had faced in the first hospital was neglect and medical racism. Medical racism is the systematic oppression that people of color face in the healthcare system. I lost someone I knew due to the same neglect that black women face especially during pregnancy. My aunt was about 8 months pregnant, and she suddenly started having chest and back pains. She complained about the pain she felt and was told by the nurses and doctor that it was normal she was experiencing those types of pain and that she should be fine and sent her home. She was a very active woman prior to pregnancy and had no underlying health issues. She ended up being rushed to the hospital and was able to have her baby boy, unfortunately for her she lost both her life and her son a few moments later. Her death is one of many that has happened due to the lack of proper care that black women face in the medical field. Their complaints are not being taken seriously which results in some of them losing their lives. Being a doctor I want to help people who do not get the proper help they need. I want to prevent anyone from experiencing what I experienced when I lost my aunt to a death that could have been prevented. There are numerous health problems that people of color, especially black people face due to lack of access to nutritious foods, types of environment, and the overall experience a black person might face compared to their white counterparts. During the pandemic, the mortality rate of African Americans was higher than any other race due to the fact that most of them already had pre-existing health conditions that made COVID 19 more dangerous to them. Also, New York City being the epicenter of the virus inspired me to want to pursue a career in medicine even more. With this scholarship, my dreams of being a doctor can be a reality.

As a child, I often walked around with a mini white coat on and a toy stethoscope checking everyone’s heartbeat pretending to be a doctor. For as long as I could remember, medicine has always been my passion. My uncle is a doctor and one of the people I looked up to growing up and I knew one day I wanted to do what he does; save lives. I always had the need to help people in any way that I could. At eight years old, my family and I moved to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This was the first time we had been around people that did not particularly look like us. I remember a couple months after living there, my older brother had gotten seriously ill and was quickly rushed to the hospital. Upon arriving there, the doctor was not able to figure out exactly what was wrong with him and at that point his situation was getting worse. The lack of empathy displayed by the doctor was not comforting to my parents so they ended up taking him to a different hospital where we met the doctor that helped save my brother’s life. Thankfully, my parents had decided to take quicker action because the doctor said if they had delayed any longer, his condition could have been permanent. The care and love the doctor showed to my brother whilst making sure he was getting the treatment he needed reassured me of why I wanted to become a doctor in the first place. Also the fact that she looked like me; a woman while also being black made me realize how important and necessary black female doctors are. A couple years down the line, I realized that what we had faced in the first hospital were neglect and medical racism. Medical racism is the systematic oppression that people of color face in the healthcare system. I lost someone I knew due to the same neglect that black women face especially during pregnancy. My friend was about 8 months pregnant, and she suddenly started having chest and back pains. She complained about the pain she felt and was told by the nurses and doctor that it was normal she was experiencing those types of pain and that she should be fine and sent her home. She was a very active woman prior to pregnancy and had no underlying health issues. She ended up being rushed to the hospital and was able to have her baby boy, unfortunately for her she lost both her life and her son a few moments later. Her death is one of many that has happened due to the lack of proper care that black women face in the medical field. Their complaints are not being taken seriously which results in some of them losing their lives. Being a doctor I want to help people who do not get the proper help they need. I want to prevent anyone from experiencing what my friend’s family experienced when they lost their daughter to a death that could have been prevented. There are numerous health problems that people of color, especially black people face due to lack of access to nutritious foods, types of environment, and the overall experience a black person might face compared to their white counterparts. During the pandemic, the mortality rate of African Americans was higher than any other race due to the fact that most of them already had pre-existing health conditions that made COVID 19 more dangerous to them. With this scholarship, my dreams of being a doctor can be a reality.

“We don’t choose where we come from, but we can choose where to go from there”. My mother drilled this phrase into my head since I was a little girl. My freshman year of college was a point in my life when I truly understood what my mother meant. We were financially challenged and my brother was starting graduate school the same year. In my mind, I knew I could not use finances as an excuse not to excel or live up to the expectations those around me had for me even as an Immigrant. I decided right there and then that my college years would set a pathway for my success in life so my mother would not have to struggle to send me off to graduate school. To ensure success, I started interacting with my advisor, and she exposed me to numerous opportunities that I never knew existed: the CITY project at Central Queens YM & YWHA, extracurricular activities, and community service. At first, the exposure to all of the different activities was overwhelming. Every opportunity presented to me was all new, and I was afraid. However, my motivation was my mother. I did not want her struggling to send me to graduate school as she did with my brother. I knew I had to adjust if I wanted to succeed. I can proudly say my circumstances will not determine what my future would look like. I have been blessed to have positive and loving people around me who continually push me to reach my full potential. From all my experiences, I have gotten to learn more about myself. I have learned confidence, patience, leadership, and adjustment. I can boldly and confidently talk in front of an audience and go to interviews without being nervous. I work well with people, and in cases where people are not motivated to work efficiently, I try to reason with them and try to motivate them to do their possible best. I don't give up even when situations are not going the way I want them to go, I've learned that endurance can go a long way. With the skills I have built up from my experiences in the classroom and my various activities, I know that I can fulfill both mine and my family's dream of being one of the first women in my family to go to graduate school. I will not let my family's financial status limit me from aiming for the sky. I am capable of helping those in need, especially in the field of medicine and within my own community. I will go into graduate school with my mother's words and do my absolute best to succeed knowing I am setting an example for my younger sibling.

When I was eight years old, my family and I moved to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This was the first time we had been around people that did not particularly look like us. I remember a couple of months after living there, my older brother had gotten seriously ill and was quickly rushed to the hospital. Upon arriving there, the doctor was not able to figure out exactly what was wrong with him and at that point, his situation was getting worse. The lack of empathy displayed by the doctor was not comforting to my parents so they ended up taking him to a different hospital where we met the doctor that helped save my brother’s life. Thankfully, my parents had decided to take quicker action because the doctor said if they had delayed any longer, his condition could have been permanent. The care and love the doctor showed to my brother whilst making sure he was getting the treatment he needed reassured me of why I wanted to become a doctor in the first place. Also the fact that she looked like me; a woman while also being black made me realize how important and necessary black female doctors are. A couple years down the line, I realized that what we had faced in the first hospital were neglect and medical racism. Medical racism is the systematic oppression that people of color face in the healthcare system. I lost someone I knew due to the same neglect that black women face especially during pregnancy. My friend was about 8 months pregnant, and she suddenly started having chest and back pains. She complained about the pain she felt and was told by the nurses and doctor that it was normal she was experiencing those types of pain and that she should be fine and sent her home. She was a very active woman prior to pregnancy and had no underlying health issues. She ended up being rushed to the hospital and was able to have her baby boy, unfortunately for her she lost both her life and her son a few moments later. Her death is one of many that has happened due to the lack of proper care that black women face in the medical field. Their complaints are not being taken seriously which results in some of them losing their lives. Being a doctor I want to help people who do not get the proper help they need. I want to prevent anyone from experiencing what my friend’s family experienced when they lost their daughter to a death that could have been prevented. There are numerous health problems that people of color, especially black people face due to lack of access to nutritious foods, types of environment, and the overall experience a black person might face compared to their white counterparts. With this scholarship, my dreams of being a doctor can be a reality.

When I was ten years old, my family and I moved to Oklahoma from Nigeria. This was the first time we had been around people that did not particularly look like us. I remember a couple of months after living there, my older brother had gotten seriously ill and was quickly rushed to the hospital. Upon arriving there, the doctor was not able to figure out exactly what was wrong with him and at that point, his situation was getting worse. The lack of empathy displayed by the doctor was not comforting to my parents so they ended up taking him to a different hospital where we met the doctor that helped save my brother’s life. Thankfully, my parents had decided to take quicker action because the doctor said if they had delayed any longer, his condition could have been permanent. The care and love the doctor showed to my brother whilst making sure he was getting the treatment he needed reassured me of why I wanted to become a doctor in the first place. Also the fact that she looked like me; a woman while also being black made me realize how important and necessary black female doctors are. A couple of years down the line, I realized that what we had faced in the first hospital were neglect and medical racism. Medical racism is the systematic oppression that people of color face in the healthcare system. I lost someone I knew due to the same neglect that black women face especially during pregnancy. My friend was about 8 months pregnant, and she suddenly started having chest and back pains. She complained about the pain she felt and was told by the nurses and doctor that it was normal she was experiencing those types of pain and that she should be fine and sent her home. She was a very active woman prior to pregnancy and had no underlying health issues. She ended up being rushed to the hospital and was able to have her baby boy, unfortunately for her she lost both her life and her son a few moments later. Her death is one of many that has happened due to the lack of proper care that black women face in the medical field. Their complaints are not being taken seriously which results in some of them losing their lives. Being a doctor I want to help people who do not get the proper help they need. I want to prevent anyone from experiencing what my friend’s family experienced when they lost their daughter to a death that could have been prevented. There are numerous health problems that people of color, especially black people face due to lack of access to nutritious foods, types of environment, and the overall experience a black person might face compared to their white counterparts. During the pandemic, the mortality rate of African Americans was higher than any other race due to the fact that most of them already had pre-existing health conditions that made COVID 19 more dangerous to them. Also, New York City being the epicenter of the virus inspired me to want to pursue a career in medicine even more. With this scholarship, my dreams of being a doctor can be a reality.

As a child, I often walked around with a mini white coat on and a toy stethoscope checking everyone’s heartbeat pretending to be a doctor. For as long as I could remember, medicine has always been my passion. My uncle is a doctor and one of the people I looked up to growing up and I knew one day I wanted to do what he does; save lives. I always had the need to help people in any way that I could. When I was eight years old, my family and I moved to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This was the first time we had been around people that did not particularly look like us. I remember a couple of months after living there, my older brother had gotten seriously ill and was quickly rushed to the hospital. Upon arriving there, the doctor was not able to figure out exactly what was wrong with him and at that point, his situation was getting worse. The lack of empathy displayed by the doctor was not comforting to my parents so they ended up taking him to a different hospital where we met the doctor that helped save my brother’s life. Thankfully, my parents had decided to take quicker action because the doctor said if they had delayed any longer, his condition could have been permanent. The care and love the doctor showed to my brother whilst making sure he was getting the treatment he needed reassured me of why I wanted to become a doctor in the first place. Also the fact that she looked like me; a woman while also being black made me realize how important and necessary black female doctors are. A couple of years down the line, I realized that what we had faced in the first hospital were neglect and medical racism. Medical racism is the systematic oppression that people of color face in the healthcare system. I lost someone I knew due to the same neglect that black women face especially during pregnancy. My friend was about 8 months pregnant, and she suddenly started having chest and back pains. She complained about the pain she felt and was told by the nurses and doctor that it was normal she was experiencing those types of pain and that she should be fine and sent her home. She was a very active woman prior to pregnancy and had no underlying health issues. She ended up being rushed to the hospital and was able to have her baby boy, unfortunately for her she lost both her life and her son a few moments later. Her death is one of many that has happened due to the lack of proper care that black women face in the medical field. Their complaints are not being taken seriously which results in some of them losing their lives. Being a doctor I want to help people who do not get the proper help they need. I want to prevent anyone from experiencing what my friend’s family experienced when they lost their daughter to a death that could have been prevented. There are numerous health problems that people of color, especially black people face due to lack of access to nutritious foods, types of environment, and the overall experience a black person might face compared to their white counterparts. During the pandemic, the mortality rate of African Americans was higher than any other race due to the fact that most of them already had pre-existing health conditions that made COVID 19 more dangerous to them. Also, New York City being the epicenter of the virus inspired me to want to pursue a career in medicine even more. With this scholarship, my dreams of being a doctor can be a reality.