My interest in medicine began in my freshman year of high school. I have always loved and had a natural aptitude for the sciences and helping others, but it wasn't until high school that I realized how I could combine these two passions by pursuing medicine. Another inspiration was seeing how the doctors in my life advocated, learned, collaborated, and worked diligently to do their jobs well and improve the quality of life for their patients. Growing up, my youngest brother was practically constantly in the hospital. He has a wide array of medical conditions that result in him visiting specialists in different fields of medicine frequently. Though he hated being at the hospital, the doctors and nurses always found ways to improve his mood and raise his spirits. They all worked together to help identify the problem and the best solution moving forward, so that he could live his best life possible. His medical team worked hard to advocate for him, especially when it came to working with the schools to determine the best way for him to learn. Seeing this type of passion and teamwork, and how it truly benefited my family, has been my biggest inspiration to pursue medicine. I want to make a difference in the same way. My end goal is to open my own pediatric practice and conduct genetics research. As a pediatrician, I could be a safe space for children who don't have one, an advocate for those in need. I can help improve the quality of life for someone and provide comfort to families. At the same time, I wish to conduct research in the field of genetics, particularly regarding the microduplication of chromosome 17q12. This is a genetic mutation that both my mom and my youngest brother have. I have seen how it affects their lives and the lives of everyone around them. Very little is known about this mutation- what causes it, what is the full range of its effects, could it be prevented, and I want to aid in filling in the knowledge gap to improve the quality of life for those affected by this rare mutation. Overall, I want to use the knowledge that I will gain through my schooling to help others by pursuing medicine. I want to be able to brighten someone's day or provide comfort through using medical skills and research to improve the quality of life for people.

My interest in medicine began in my freshman year of high school. I have always loved and had a natural aptitude for the sciences and helping others, but it wasn't until high school that I realized how I could combine these two passions by pursuing medicine. Another inspiration was seeing how the doctors in my life advocated, learned, collaborated, and worked diligently to do their jobs well and improve the quality of life for their patients, especially when it comes to working with children. Growing up, my youngest brother was practically constantly in the hospital. He has a wide array of medical conditions that result in him visiting specialists in different fields of medicine frequently. Though he hated being at the hospital, the doctors and nurses always found ways to improve his mood and raise his spirits. They all worked together to help identify the problem and the best solution moving forward, so that he could live his best life possible. His medical team worked hard to advocate for him, especially when it came to working with the schools to determine the best way for him to learn. Seeing this type of passion and teamwork, and how it truly benefited my family, has been my biggest inspiration to pursue medicine. I want to make a difference in the same way. My end goal is to open my own pediatric practice and conduct genetics research. As a pediatrician, I could be a safe space for children who don't have one, an advocate for those in need. I can help improve the quality of life for someone and provide comfort to families. I have always wanted to work with kids. When we are young, we are easily moldable, and I know firsthand that a pediatrician can play a large role in helping shape the youth that will become the future. I want to be a part of that. I want to help kids feel better and help shape them into the leaders of tomorrow. Overall, I want to use the knowledge that I will gain through my schooling to help children by pursuing pediatric medicine. I want to be able to brighten a kid's day or provide comfort through using medical skills and research to improve the quality of life for them. I want to provide a safe environment where kids and their families can be treated with care and respect, and help them get back to feeling their best.

My interest in medicine began in my freshman year of high school. I have always loved and had a natural aptitude for the sciences and helping others, but it wasn't until high school that I realized how I could combine these two passions by pursuing medicine. Another inspiration was seeing how the doctors in my life advocated, learned, collaborated, and worked diligently to do their jobs well and improve the quality of life for their patients. Growing up, my youngest brother was practically constantly in the hospital. He has a wide array of medical conditions that result in him visiting specialists in different fields of medicine frequently. Though he hated being at the hospital, the doctors and nurses always found ways to improve his mood and raise his spirits. They all worked together to help identify the problem and the best solution moving forward, so that he could live his best life possible. His medical team worked hard to advocate for him, especially when it came to working with the schools to determine the best way for him to learn. Seeing this type of passion and teamwork, and how it truly benefited my family, has been my biggest inspiration to pursue medicine. I want to make a difference in the same way. My end goal is to open my own pediatric practice and conduct genetics research. As a pediatrician, I could be a safe space for children who don't have one, an advocate for those in need. I can help improve the quality of life for someone and provide comfort to families. At the same time, I wish to conduct research in the field of genetics, particularly regarding the microduplication of chromosome 17q12. This is a genetic mutation that both my mom and my youngest brother have. I have seen how it affects their lives and the lives of everyone around them. Very little is known about this mutation- what causes it, what is the full range of its effects, could it be prevented, and I want to aid in filling in the knowledge gap to improve the quality of life for those affected by this rare mutation. Overall, I want to use the knowledge that I will gain through my schooling to help others by pursuing medicine. I want to be able to brighten someone's day or provide comfort through using medical skills and research to improve the quality of life for people.

I have always loved the sciences, but it wasn't until my freshman year of high school that I realized what I wanted to do with that passion- become a doctor. I love the sciences because they help me see the world around me in a different light and connect all things. It is amazing to me how STEM can be applied in every area of life and how it can change a mindset. I also love how it is an ever-evolving field, how new research can always add to our knowledge, or correct previous beliefs. STEM provides many opportunities to collaborate, learn, explore, and connect. It is also not some abstract concept that has no real-world relevance, but connects how we function in the day-to-day tasks of life. I love comprehending the chemical processes that take place to make my coffee and breakfast in the morning, understanding the biological view of how the nature around me became what it is today. It's absolutely amazing! But I especially love how the sciences can be used to help the people around me, which is why my particular area of interest is medicine. I am currently attending Olivet Nazarene University, pursuing a biology degree on the premed track. My end goal is to earn my medical degree and eventually start my own pediatric practice. Growing up, my youngest brother had many hospital visits with a variety of specialists. I admired how all his doctors advocated for him and worked diligently to improve his quality of life using their knowledge in STEM, which got me invested in pursuing a medical degree. I want to specialize in pediatrics because I believe working with kids is an opportunity to shape young minds and provide a safe place for those who don't have one. Especially in medicine, working with children allows you to watch so much growth, and being able to contribute to that would bring so much joy. I also wish to conduct research in genetics, particularly regarding microduplication of chromosome 17q12, since it is a genetic mutation that both my mom and my brother have, and about which little is known. I have been able to witness how this affects my family and others in both positive and negative ways. I want to be able to fill in the knowledge gap to hopefully improve the quality of life for others who share this rare mutation through conducting research. I want to use what I learn in STEM to help others and shape my worldview and the worldview of others to see the magnificence of this world we live in.