When life gives you lemons, make lemonade right? But why just stop there? Throughout my life I’ve always been told to make sure I know what I want to do in life. Seems simple enough. Except it wasn’t always that easy for me. Growing up, I often encountered a lot of rejection because of my race and economic background. This consisted of my mother, my three younger brothers, and myself. It was unmanageable making ends meet. At the age of six, I had to step up and take responsibility for the household and tend to my brothers while putting my childhood on hold. Despite these difficulties, I always had big aspirations. I refused to let obstacles dim them. Since no one stood as a representative for me and my ambitions, I became a representative for myself and eventually others. My career goal is to succeed and flourish in my field. But I don’t want to just stop there. I want my ambition, hard work and dedication to serve as a beacon of light to other women of color in the STEM field. There are so many stigmas against us in the STEM field and I want to encourage minorities that we are more than capable of success. Our creativity is needed and we are the change the world is looking for. I have had the pleasure of witnessing the fruitful labors of minorities in the STEM field. We are so diverse and our ability to manifest a single idea into an abundance of new creations is astonishing. So why just make lemonade, when we create a lemon enterprise!

In a world of chaos, sickness and negative stigmas, would you be the one to rise and make a difference? Florence Nightingale’s courage to stand firm in the midst of troubling times is not only inspiring but a true that attests to her desire to change the medical field. Dispute the negative stigmas surrounding women in the medical field at the time, Nightingale’s resolve was unwavering; it was her resolve that created a new path for medicine and healthcare. Her resilience and dedication to the health field has encouraged women and has given us a light of hope.