Prior to attending PA school, I was working as a Certified Medical Assistant in the float pool at Atrium Health Urgent Care for 8 years. During that time, I had the opportunity to work alongside so many phenomenal PAs which is what initially sparked my love for the profession. Having the opportunity to assist during patient examinations/procedures and understanding the role that PAs play within the healthcare system further solidified my decision to pursue the profession for myself. Even though the process of returning to school was far from easy, I knew it would equip me with the skills to better serve my future patients. Once I graduate from my PA program, I truly hope to accomplish the following three goals. My first goal is to increase access to medical care for individuals living in underserved communities. I desire to accomplish this goal because I quickly noticed the harsh realities of certain populations having less access to medical care while working in the float pool as a CMA. Over the years, I encountered many patients who had chronic diseases in need of management but who were unable to find PCPs accepting new patients. For the few who did have PCPs, the earliest available appointments were often times several weeks out. The projected shortage of PCPs in the U.S is one of many issues that plague our healthcare system. By working in underserved communities after graduation, I’ll be able to play an active role in providing healthcare to those who need it most. My second goal is to spread awareness about the PA profession to minority students by volunteering to speak about the profession at HBCUs and other educational institutions that value diversity. This goal particularly hits home for me because I was the only black girl in my PA program that consisted of 37 students in total. I was truly disheartened by this because my cohort wasn’t representative of the diversity that exists in the medical field as a whole. When I was working at Atrium Health Urgent Care, I had the honor of working with outstanding clinical staff members and healthcare professionals from all walks of life. Many had different religious beliefs, ethnic backgrounds, various experience in healthcare, and so forth. Despite our differences, we all shared a common goal of providing quality healthcare to our patients. By spreading awareness of the PA profession to minority students, I hope to see future cohorts be as diverse has the patients we serve. Lastly, my final goal is to become a preceptor so I can give back to the PA profession by helping to educate the future generation of PAs. I’m currently in the second year of my PA program and will be starting clinical rotations on August 22nd, 2022. The second half of my PA journey wouldn’t be possible without the help of dedicated preceptors who are passionate about educating the future generation of PAs. I'm truly excited about this second half of my PA journey and I'm looking forward to one day helping others along their PA journey as well.