Goals have always been a huge part of my life. When I was twelve years old, I wrote down a list of all the things I wanted to accomplish. I did it on a poster board and decorated it with things related to my goals. This is one of the things that help me to maintain a growth mindset. I believe that there is always some way to better yourself, and goals make it easy to identify those things. They also give a finish line for the growth that you want to achieve. However, I also believe that some goals require fluidity. I have set many goals during my time playing softball, but a lot of them continue to change as I improve. For example, I once had a goal to hit an overhand velocity of sixty-three mph. Once I finally achieved that goal, I wasn’t going to stop there. I increased my new goal to sixty-five. As I continue to grow, whether it be sports, school, or finances, continuously setting goals is the way that I work to maintain a growth mindset.

As I grow up in a generation surrounded by social media, it is easy to compare myself to the people I see online. This goes beyond just looks. Lifestyle, social status, and other things are also displayed on social media. Whether someone is a highly influential person, or a peer from my community, social media displays their lives. Or, what we think are their lives. If I were a highly influential figure, I would encourage people to stay away from comparison. Comparison is the main reason that social media has such a negative affect on our mental health. I would show my followers the real sides of me, and remind them that most of the things they see online are edited and photoshopped. I would help them remember that no one is posting the bad moments online-- only the good ones-- so it is okay to have bad moments. I would stress the fact that worth is found in so much more than the amount of followers or likes that they have.

1. Like many kids my age, my high school experience has been a juggling act. I have played travel and varsity softball, played junior varsity volleyball, participated in health science club and the National Honor Society, and had many jobs. On top of that, I have four younger siblings at home, with the youngest just being a year old. During my sophomore year of high school, I was given the opportunity to take two of the hardest classes in my school: Honors Chemistry and AP Biology. However, as much of a challenge as those classes were, I enjoyed every second of them. This was when I fell in love with science. Throughout high school I continued taking classes like these, and they have only confirmed my belief that I should pursue something in the Science part of the STEM field. I would love to work somewhere in the medical field, with the ultimate goal of becoming a physician. On top of that, I hope to conduct research in biochemistry, and become published in a medical journal. I want to contribute to the growing population of females in STEM. Most of my motivation comes from these goals. They are the reason that I worked so hard in my sport of softball, so that it could help me get into the school of my dreams. They are the reason that I work three different jobs, to ease the financial burden of college tuition for my family and I. If I am ever struggling to get through a challenging day, I remember what my future could look like if I keep pushing forward. 2. STEM is so exciting to me because it is the definition of the future. The people that work in these fields are the ones creating new technology and curing diseases. I have always loved things that are challenging, and my exposure to STEM has given me that challenge. Additionally, jobs that involve STEM are going to continue to be more and more in demand in the coming years. I also think it is great how much STEM encourages innovation and creativity. Information technology is becoming increasingly relevant to the healthcare field, which is where I’m most passionate. I believe that we can continue to apply the abilities of technology to conduct better research, create new treatments, and practice procedures. One of the specialties that I am most interested in is interventional radiology. IT is incredibly important to this field, as they are using highly advanced machines to conduct procedures in more effective ways. Additionally, IT has made data storage and retrieval so much easier for those in the healthcare field. I currently work in a Pediatrician’s office, where we use it daily. We are able to upload patient information into a single database, making it easy to gather patient data and give them the best experience possible. If I’m blessed to have a career like this someday, I want to make a positive impact by ensuring people leave my office happier and healthier than when they came in. 3. First days of school are hard, often filled with syllabuses and icebreaker activities. Often this includes sharing a fun fact about yourself, mine has always been “I was born in Charlotte, North Carolina.” This is significant because ever since, I have moved around various places in Michigan. I have never been in the same school district for more than a few years. Since I was born, I have moved ten times. This is the biggest challenge that I have faced. Being the new kid in school is never simple, and I had to do it many times. I would finally get acclimated to the new place, and then find out I would be leaving once again. It was easy during these times to slip into a “poor me” mindset. I still battle with this sometimes. But instead of focusing on why the moves were hard, I try to be grateful for the ways that they have benefited me. I have had to make new friends everywhere I go, cultivating my people skills. I have been exposed to many different cultures, strengthening my appreciation for diversity. I have learned that no matter where you are in a certain part of your life, you are exactly where you are supposed to be. I’m grateful for these experiences as I head to college. They have strengthened my ability to be independent, and I’m confident that this will benefit me when trying to find my niche in my new home.

The first time that I was introduced to the idea of setting goals, I was around twelve years old. I had huge aspirations and I wrote them down on a poster that I kept in my closet.I love Norman Vincent’s quote, “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” This has been the basis for the way that I set goals. I always study to try and get 100% on a test, so that I may fall short but still end with an A. I worked hard at my sport with the mentality to go Power 5, and even though that did not happen, I will be playing softball in the Ivy League the next four years. While this may have not been the original goal that I wrote down on that poster, I would not change a thing. I believe that while setting goals is important, it is equally as important to assess them routinely, and adapt as time passes. I still set a lot of goals today. My biggest long term goal is to become a physician. I am interested in radiology, pediatrics, and anesthesiology. I currently work at a pediatrician office, and am gaining a lot of exposure to the medical field. The next four years, I am going to work hard in the classroom, while becoming the best softball player that I can be for my school. I am also learning how to become financially smart. Along with applying for scholarships and working multiple jobs, I have begun investing so that my family and I can have as little student debt as possible. No matter what aspect of my life, I will continue to shoot for the moon.

Someday far in the future, I jump out of bed at 3:30 am. Normally it would take everything in me to drag myself out from under the covers, but not right now. It's time for my first 30 hour shift in the hospital. I have begun my third year of medical school, the clinical rotations, and am ready to take on the challenges that the work force brings. The epinephrine is pumping nerves and excitement through my body as I anxiously walk in to the next part of my life. I'm sure you will receive a lot of submissions of people who want to become doctors. But as much as I am striving to become a physician, I will be happy anywhere in the health care field that I feel I can make a positive impact. During my Medical Skills class this semester, we read a book about the ways that people in health care can better show empathy and compassion. This book struck me deep, and changed the way that I feel about my future career. I want to become someone who can put a smile on the face of a patient who is going through the most trying time of their lives. I want to give them reassurance, even if there isn't much to give. I want to be someone that patients truly trust to provide the best treatment possible. So whether I become a nurse, a physician assistant, or I earn my medical degree, my true dream for my future career is to see a patient become filled with hope.