My passion is to bridge the gap between medical necessity and accessibility. Growing up, I watched family members navigate illnesses like cancer and Parkinson’s disease while facing challenges of the healthcare system, job lock, insurance and affordability. I understood that access to care can be limited by financial and employment barriers. This realization fueled my interest in making healthcare affordable, if not completely free. I took a small step through founding a non-profit called Miracle Blue (www.miracleblue.org) to provide free mobility & medical equipment to those in need. I recycled the used medical devices such as wheelchairs, knee scooters, walkers, hoyer lifts, monitors from homes that no longer need them, and restored and renewed them to loan or provide them to those who couldn't afford them . I saw how small actions to support can restore independence for older adults and ease the burden on caregivers. These experiences strengthened my desire to design solutions that allow people to age in place with dignity while preventing avoidable hospitalizations. It is being used by those who need these equipment and are unable to afford them or don't have insurance. I have helped several families in my city and neighboring areas. I have also led volunteering initiatives as President for a national service called Smilecard (www.smilecard.org) to create personalized cards to patients and senior citizens. Visiting care homes and helping those who needed companionship, I witnessed how small acts of compassion can combat loneliness and uplift spirits. I plan to study Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, which will help me to develop health systems and assistive mobility technologies that are affordable to all. Learning entrepreneurship will help me transform emerging ideas and prototypes into scalable solutions at lower costs. Through my service and volunteer interactions, one area of recent particular interest for me is assisting older adults to age in place both safely and comfortably. I have seen how older adults often desire to remain independent; yet, many are challenged by mobility, transportation, and daily living support. When I created the community initiative for recycling used medical equipment to people who couldn't afford it, I was enlightened on how vital in-home care tools are and learnt that the growing demand of assisted living facilities may not scale in the next 5 years. So aging in place becomes a problem to solve so senior citizens can age with comfort, safety and dignity. This has spurred my interests in investigating how technology, community partnerships, increased mobility and access can go a long way in easing the burden on caregivers, preventing avoidable hospital trips, and keeping older adults connected from the comfort of their homes for longer. Through health monitoring devices, advanced mobility equipment, preventative care, seamless systems for coordinating care, and community-based support networks, I want to find ways to prevent and solve healthcare challenges. My long-term goal is to solve some of the broader healthcare problems through innovation driven by community-centered solutions. By combining engineering and entrepreneurship with a service mindset, I aspire to create innovative wellness solutions that improve quality of life and make them universally available and affordable.

My passion is to bridge the gap between medical necessity and accessibility. Growing up, I watched family members navigate illnesses like cancer and Parkinson’s disease while facing challenges of the healthcare system, job lock, insurance and affordability. I understood that access to care can be limited by financial and employment barriers. This realization fueled my interest in making healthcare affordable, if not completely free. I took a small step through founding a non-profit called Miracle Blue (www.miracleblue.org) to provide free mobility & medical equipment to those in need. I recycled the used medical devices such as wheelchairs, knee scooters, walkers, hoyer lifts, monitors from homes that no longer need them, and restored and renewed them to loan or provide them to those who couldn't afford them . I saw how small actions to support can restore independence for older adults and ease the burden on caregivers. These experiences strengthened my desire to design solutions that allow people to age in place with dignity while preventing avoidable hospitalizations. It is being used by those who need these equipment and are unable to afford them or don't have insurance. I have helped several families in my city and neighboring areas. I have also led volunteering initiatives as President for a national service called Smilecard (www.smilecard.org) to create personalized cards to patients and senior citizens. Visiting care homes and helping those who needed companionship, I witnessed how small acts of compassion can combat loneliness and uplift spirits. I plan to study Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, which will help me to develop health systems and assistive mobility technologies that are affordable to all. Learning entrepreneurship will help me transform emerging ideas and prototypes into scalable solutions at lower costs. Through my service and volunteer interactions, one area of recent particular interest for me is assisting older adults to age in place both safely and comfortably. I have seen how older adults often desire to remain independent; yet, many are challenged by mobility, transportation, and daily living support. When I created the community initiative for recycling used medical equipment to people who couldn't afford it, I was enlightened on how vital in-home care tools are and learnt that the growing demand of assisted living facilities may not scale in the next 5 years. So aging in place becomes a problem to solve so senior citizens can age with comfort, safety and dignity. This has spurred my interests in investigating how technology, community partnerships, increased mobility and access can go a long way in easing the burden on caregivers, preventing avoidable hospital trips, and keeping older adults connected from the comfort of their homes for longer. Through health monitoring devices, advanced mobility equipment, preventative care, seamless systems for coordinating care, and community-based support networks, I want to find ways to prevent and solve healthcare challenges. My long-term goal is to solve some of the broader healthcare problems through innovation driven by community-centered solutions. By combining engineering and entrepreneurship with a service mindset, I aspire to create innovative wellness solutions that improve quality of life and make them universally available and affordable.