Having majored in Public Health as a Black woman, I have a deep commitment to helping marginalized and economically disadvantaged members of our global community through an interdisciplinary approach. I believe we have a moral and social obligation to support those living in disadvantaged and underserved communities, and as a woman, I have an even stronger desire to empower other women through their reproductive health. This is why, after I graduate as a Certified Nurse-Midwife, I want to open my own women's health clinic to support these initiatives in combination with addressing access to healthcare through public policy. I am an action and goal-oriented individual with a strong set of organizational and management skills. During my time in college, I served as the Senior Editor of a female-run online magazine, where I wrote about women’s health topics such as using a menstrual cup, de-mystifying the pap smear, and why everyone should identify as a feminist. I’ve also written extensively about women’s health in my academic career, particularly black maternal health, and the historical factors that create environments for continued discrimination in our modern healthcare settings. These issues are integral to the health care provider I want to become, and serve as the inspiration for the clinic I want to open down the road. There is so much negative and false information about women's health, and I want to help with countering these dangerous narratives and help women of all ages take ownership of their own bodies. In my senior year in college, I wrote a research paper about how white, male physicians in the Antebellum south perceived of, engaged with, and understood enslaved women's bodies and pain during childbirth and other gynecological operations. Further, I examined how the experiences of these women were portrayed and constructed within the pages of medical journals as a way to attest to physicians' prowess. The women were objectified, literally thought of as chattel that could be handled, managed, and disfigured as the physicians saw fit. These mother's voices were erased, and their experiences at the hands of these men were largely portrayed as being lucky for being subjected to such treatment. It is elevating these stories and the attitudes that still supplant our medical institutions today, and dismantling systems that contribute to one of the worst maternal mortality rates in the world. More recently, during my time volunteering as a doula, I learned about the Caldwell-Moloy Classification, which is a racially-informed pelvis shape classification system for women. During one of our trainings, we learned about the inaccuracy of this system, even though it is still being taught in obstetrics and midwifery programs throughout the US. We talked about how this system has been used to reinforce the false notions that black bodies are able to withstand more pain. It is racially-informed knowledge like this, that can be so embedded into our educational institutions, public policies, and training, that I want to work to destabilize and eventually remove from core curriculum and policies that exert control over countless people within a system. Further, I want to educate women about their bodies and empower them to make their own choices regarding their reproductive health. I want to be a provider for underserved and refugee populations, bridging language and cultural divides to ensure that healthcare is being provided to the most vulnerable among us. Currently, I work as a Research Assistant in the Maternal-Fetal Medicine division at Brigham and Women’s Hospital where I help to build and manage one of the country’s largest voluntary prenatal tissue banks in collaboration with the Obstetrics and Gynecology department. I want to use the skills I have learned in these and other positions to continue to affect positive and meaningful change for women and their families, all while amplifying women’s voices and learning from their lived experiences. My core values include empowering women through economic and educational opportunities, advocating for gender and racial equality, and working to dismantle structures that perpetuate poverty, marginalization, and stigma. I can think of nothing more rewarding than getting the opportunity to do this as business owner and certified nurse-midwife. Being able to run my own women's health clinic for all women, disadvantaged and affluent would be the ultimate culmination of my career ambitions. I want to create a space that not only provides health care, but also serves as a community center where women can interact with other mothers and families, have access to childcare facilities, engage in health and wellness programming, and overall feel supported as they build their own communities and networks during the challenging but exciting time that is pregnancy. My passion for maternal and child health stems from years of providing child care services, working with Neonatal and Pediatric physicians, examining maternity and gender roles in different cultures, now working with prenatal populations in regards to research, and—most importantly—growing up around strong women. Combining my passion with a Public Health approach, I am interested in pursuing the intersections of Maternal and Child health with other biological and social health determinants, finding ways to address these issues through a policy approach. I intend to support grassroots organizations to support community based care, allowing community members to dictate and direct policy changes that might affect them. Moreover, I want to improve vulnerable populations’ access to healthcare, especially where women and their children are concerned. I also want to address cultural norms that maintain gender-based discrimination through a public health and policy approach by encouraging dialogue across various disciplinary and cultural boundaries, and dismantling policies and systems that work to oppress those most disadvantaged members of our local and global communities.

Put simply, I believe that legacy is building the foundation for future generations to further add to your work, without necessarily knowing what it will look like. It is in essence constructing the scaffolding of a house, and trusting that your care, attention to detail, and the integrity of the structure are strong enough to support the full house in the future as it gets built. I hope my lasting legacy will help to make the practice of midwifery, my chosen profession, more equitable, diverse, and inclusive, and that I will impact how we understand maternal health, especially as it relates to communities of color. In my senior year in college, I wrote a research paper about how white, male physicians in the Antebellum south perceived of, engaged with, and understood enslaved women's bodies and pain during childbirth and other gynecological operations. Further, I examined how the experiences of these women were portrayed and constructed within the pages of medical journals as a way to attest to physicians' prowess. The women were objectified, literally thought of as chattel that could be handled, managed, and disfigured as the physicians saw fit. These mother's voices were erased, and their experiences at the hands of these men were largely portrayed as being lucky for being subjected to such treatment. It is elevating these stories and the attitudes that still supplant our medical institutions today, and dismantling systems that contribute to one of the worst maternal mortality rates in the world. More recently, during my time volunteering as a doula, I learned about the Caldwell-Moloy Classification, which is a racially-informed pelvis shape classification system for women. During one of our trainings, we learned about the inaccuracy of this system, even though it is still being taught in obstetrics and midwifery programs throughout the US. We talked about how this system has been used to reinforce the false notions that black bodies are able to withstand more pain. It is racially-informed knowledge like this, that can be so embedded into our educational institutions and training, that I want to work to destabilize and eventually remove from curriculum. After getting my Certified Nurse-Midwifery degree, I want to get my DNP, or Doctorate of Nursing Practice, so that I may head a department or branch as a medical director whose objective it is to target racial social determinants of health and vulnerable populations. I want to be trained as a clinician, but also as a leader who can enact public policies to achieve the health-based goals of maternal and child health. This would also enable me to teach and train the next generation of midwives and healthcare professionals, as well as be a healthcare provider for families and their children. These are my career aspirations that inform my personal goals, as well as the legacy that I hope to leave behind for future health care providers to follow and spread throughout their own communities.

Having majored in Public Health as a Black woman, I have a deep commitment to helping marginalized and economically disadvantaged members of our global community through an interdisciplinary approach. I believe we have a moral and social obligation to support those living in disadvantaged and underserved communities, and as a woman, I have an even stronger desire to empower other women through their reproductive health. This is why, after I graduate as a Certified Nurse-Midwife, I want to open my own women's health clinic to support these initiatives. I am an action and goal-oriented individual with a strong set of organizational and management skills. During my time in college, I served as the Senior Editor of a female-run online magazine, where I wrote about women’s health topics such as using a menstrual cup, de-mystifying the pap smear, and why everyone should identify as a feminist. I’ve also written extensively about women’s health in my academic career, particularly black maternal health, and the historical factors that create environments for continued discrimination in our modern healthcare settings. These issues are integral to the health care provider I want to become, and serve as the inspiration for the clinic I want to open down the road. There is so much negative and false information about women's health, and I want to help with countering these dangerous narratives and help women of all ages take ownership of their own bodies. I want to educate women about their bodies and empower them to make their own choices regarding their reproductive health. I want to be a provider for underserved and refugee populations, bridging language and cultural divides to ensure that healthcare is being provided to the most vulnerable among us. Currently, I work as a Research Assistant in the Maternal-Fetal Medicine division at Brigham and Women’s Hospital where I help to build and manage one of the country’s largest voluntary prenatal tissue banks in collaboration with the Obstetrics and Gynecology department. I want to use the skills I have learned in these and other positions to continue to affect positive and meaningful change for women and their families, all while amplifying women’s voices and learning from their lived experiences. My core values include empowering women through economic and educational opportunities, advocating for gender and racial equality, and working to dismantle structures that perpetuate poverty, marginalization, and stigma. I can think of nothing more rewarding than getting the opportunity to do this as business owner and certified nurse-midwife. Being able to run my own women's health clinic for all women, disadvantaged and affluent would be the ultimate culmination of my career ambitions. I want to create a space that not only provides health care, but also serves as a community center where women can interact with other mothers and families, have access to childcare facilities, engage in health and wellness programming, and overall feel supported as they build their own communities and networks during the challenging but exciting time that is pregnancy. My passion for maternal and child health stems from years of providing child care services, working with Neonatal and Pediatric physicians, examining maternity and gender roles in different cultures, now working with prenatal populations in regards to research, and—most importantly—growing up around strong women. Combining my passion with a Public Health approach, I am interested in pursuing the intersections of Maternal and Child health with other biological and social health determinants. Moreover, I want to improve vulnerable populations’ access to healthcare, especially where women and their children are concerned. I also want to address cultural norms that maintain gender-based discrimination through a Public Health approach by encouraging dialogue across various disciplinary and cultural boundaries. While the scope of the intended demographic may appear limited on the surface, I would argue that ensuring that the physical and mental health of women are prioritized, as the cornerstone of their communities, we would all experience the positive impacts.

I was born and raised in a fairly affluent community, and because of this I know I can be rather ignorant about how other people in the world live. My mom’s grandparents were illiterate and her parents were born impoverished in Jamaica with no opportunity to go to high school. Despite the limitations of their own educational and financial resources, my grandparents persevered, and after years of economic and political obstacles, were able to immigrate to the United States with their three children. They struggled for years working minimum wage jobs, but through determination were able to ensure that their children successfully completed college. However, I have not only my mom’s family to thank for my appreciation of education, but also my dad’s. As a first generation college graduate, my great-grandfather paved the way for his family in educational opportunities by being one of the first African Americans to graduate from MIT. Although he was denied a diploma due to racial discrimination, his son and grandson, my dad, continued his legacy and earned their degrees from his Alma Mater. While my parents’ economic backgrounds were at opposite extremes, what they have in common is the value of education to a successful future. My parents, as well as my grandparents instilled in me the value of education and hard work, molding me into the person I am today. Also having majored in Public Health, I have a deep commitment to helping marginalized and economically disadvantaged members of our global community through interdisciplinary approaches. I believe we have a moral and social obligation to support those living in disadvantaged and underserved communities, and as a woman of color, I have an even stronger desire to empower other women and their families by promoting health and well-being through education and compassion. I want to educate and empower women to make choices about their own reproductive health. For instance, while serving as the Senior Editor of HerCampus, a female-run online magazine, I made positive contributions to the women’s health discourse, challenging dangerous misinformation and propaganda. I want to be a provider for vulnerable populations, bridging language and cultural divides to ensure access to healthcare, a human right. I want to use the skills I will learn as a nurse to continue to affect positive and meaningful change for women and their families, all while amplifying their voices and learning from their lived experiences. I’ve learned that people who need health-related services most often have the least access to them. I want to be these communities’ advocate, serving them with compassion they may not find in other areas of their life or society. My core values include empowering women through economic and educational opportunities, advocating for gender and racial equality, and working to dismantle structures that perpetuate poverty and marginalization. These experiences, and many other peer mentorship ones like it, have demonstrated my desire to become an educator and teach the generations who come after me to use education as advocacy and empowerment.

I come from a family of immigrants of Jamaican, Indian, Vietnamese, African, and Western European descent. Growing up exposed to diverse cultures and ethnicities enriched my understanding of our global community, and inspired me to study public health. I value the interdisciplinary approach to understanding social determinants that impact health outcomes. The discussions I have with my family and peers are always more comprehensive and nuanced when considering the diversity of experiences represented among us. My background and education have taught me how essential it is to take diversity into account when addressing issues, because it ensures the development of more holistic solutions. Regarding my intended career as a nurse-midwife, it’s impossible for me not to think about the women of color who have contributed to our medical knowledge. This includes the enslaved African midwives who brought their expertise and practice to America, and the enslaved women who were experimented upon against their will. Modern medicine would not be the same without the contributions of these women and their role in developing obstetrical techniques. I want to recognize these women and interrogate their frequent erasure from history to contribute to a diverse environment in school and beyond. Moreover, I’m a strong advocate of bringing communities we serve to the table, and facilitating open conversations that engage everyone’s perspective. We should strive for cultural competence, but also know when to listen empathetically, since inclusion and diversity are some of the best practices health professionals can employ when faced with new challenges. Having majored in Public Health, I have a deep commitment to helping marginalized and economically disadvantaged members of our global community through interdisciplinary approaches. I believe we have a moral and social obligation to support those living in disadvantaged and underserved communities, and as a woman of color, I have an even stronger desire to empower other women and their families by promoting health and well-being through education and compassion. I want to educate and empower women to make choices about their own reproductive health. For instance, while serving as the Senior Editor of HerCampus, a female-run online magazine, I made positive contributions to the women’s health discourse, challenging dangerous misinformation and propaganda. I want to be a provider for vulnerable populations, bridging language and cultural divides to ensure access to healthcare, a human right. I want to use the skills I will learn as a nurse to continue to affect positive and meaningful change for women and their families, all while amplifying their voices and learning from their lived experiences. While volunteering with the Nashville Volunteer Doula Program, I was gratified to be invited into families’ most intimate and intense moments to provide a needed service. I’ve learned that people who need health-related services the most are often the ones with the least access to them. I want to be these communities’ advocate, serving them with compassion they may not find in other areas of their life or society. My core values include empowering women through economic and educational opportunities, advocating for gender and racial equality, and working to dismantle structures that perpetuate poverty, marginalization, and stigma. A variety of experiences have influenced my decision to pursue advanced practice nursing—providing childcare services, shadowing in the NICU and L&D, mentoring women of color, volunteering as a doula, and working as a Maternal-Fetal Medicine Research Assistant. Studying public health taught me to approach health issues from interdisciplinary angles, and how social determinants, such as race, gender, and socio-economic status, can adversely affect health outcomes. For my final project in a women’s health course, I used historical documents, including J. Marion Sims’ autobiography, to analyze how physicians perceived the bodies of enslaved women during childbirth and gynecological operations in the Antebellum South. I argued that physicians endorsed false beliefs about black pain tolerance, and only understood enslaved women’s health in terms of their fecundity. Engaging with these women’s untenable trauma has compelled me to think about the ways such discourse remains entrenched in our healthcare systems. While volunteering as a doula for a black mother, I believe I witnessed the implicit biases that supplanted my thesis. Desperate for relief, she opted for an epidural, and a resident spent twenty, unsuccessful, minutes trying to place the spinal catheter. The attending did finally step in, though it seemed her pain was prolonged because of her race. This incident demonstrated to me how people of color can still find themselves in vulnerable positions within healthcare settings. As a nurse, I would be in a position where I can empower and advocate for vulnerable patients. While serving as the Senior Editor of a female-run online magazine, I published positive contributions to the women’s health discourse, challenging dangerous misinformation and propaganda. I attempted to demystify the pap smear, and chronicled my experience with using a menstrual cup. My receptiveness to others’ questions about my articles empowered their own self-perceptions, increased their health literacy, and made them want to engage others in similar conversations—things I would hope to continue to inspire as a nurse. A career as an advanced practice nurse would fulfill my future professional goal of empowering others through education, care, and empathy. I value nursing’s holistic model when approaching health, compared to the “disease pathology” medical model, and the emphasis placed on creating interpersonal relationships with patients. While this is not unique to the nursing profession, I do believe that it is a foundational tenet, and often lost in the interest of efficiency in other medical professions. I witnessed as much while volunteering as a doula. It wasn’t unusual for the attendings to make brief appearances. The nurse-midwives, however, stayed and supported mothers as they worked through contractions. This commitment to serving with compassion and empathy during women’s most intense and intimate moments is what draws me to the nurse-midwifery specialty. Moreover, I believe that my specialized MSN training as an advanced practitioner would allow me to have broader impacts by working at the intersections of social health determinants.

I come from a family of immigrants of Jamaican, Indian, Vietnamese, African, and Western European descent. Growing up exposed to diverse cultures and ethnicities enriched my understanding of our global community, and inspired me to study public health. I value the interdisciplinary approach to understanding social determinants that impact health outcomes. The discussions I have with my family and peers are always more comprehensive and nuanced when considering the diversity of experiences represented among us. My background and education have taught me how essential it is to take diversity into account when addressing issues, because it ensures the development of more holistic solutions. Regarding my intended career as a nurse-midwife, it’s impossible for me not to think about the women of color who have contributed to our medical knowledge. This includes the enslaved African midwives who brought their expertise and practice to America, and the enslaved women who were experimented upon against their will. Modern medicine would not be the same without the contributions of these women and their role in developing obstetrical techniques. I want to recognize these women and interrogate their frequent erasure from history to contribute to a diverse environment in school and beyond. Moreover, I’m a strong advocate of bringing communities we serve to the table, and facilitating open conversations that engage everyone’s perspective. We should strive for cultural competence, but also know when to listen empathetically, since inclusion and diversity are some of the best practices health professionals can employ when faced with new challenges. Having majored in Public Health, I have a deep commitment to helping marginalized and economically disadvantaged members of our global community through interdisciplinary approaches. I believe we have a moral and social obligation to support those living in disadvantaged and underserved communities, and as a woman of color, I have an even stronger desire to empower other women and their families by promoting health and well-being through education and compassion. I want to educate and empower women to make choices about their own reproductive health. For instance, while serving as the Senior Editor of HerCampus, a female-run online magazine, I made positive contributions to the women’s health discourse, challenging dangerous misinformation and propaganda. I want to be a provider for vulnerable populations, bridging language and cultural divides to ensure access to healthcare, a human right. I want to use the skills I will learn as a nurse to continue to affect positive and meaningful change for women and their families, all while amplifying their voices and learning from their lived experiences. While volunteering with the Nashville Volunteer Doula Program, I was gratified to be invited into families’ most intimate and intense moments to provide a needed service. I’ve learned that people who need health-related services the most are often the ones with the least access to them. I want to be these communities’ advocate, serving them with compassion they may not find in other areas of their life or society. My core values include empowering women through economic and educational opportunities, advocating for gender and racial equality, and working to dismantle structures that perpetuate poverty, marginalization, and stigma. A variety of experiences have influenced my decision to pursue advanced practice nursing—providing childcare services, shadowing in the NICU and L&D, mentoring women of color, volunteering as a doula, and working as a Maternal-Fetal Medicine Research Assistant. Studying public health taught me to approach health issues from interdisciplinary angles, and how social determinants, such as race, gender, and socio-economic status, can adversely affect health outcomes. For my final project in a women’s health course, I used historical documents, including J. Marion Sims’ autobiography, to analyze how physicians perceived the bodies of enslaved women during childbirth and gynecological operations in the Antebellum South. I argued that physicians endorsed false beliefs about black pain tolerance, and only understood enslaved women’s health in terms of their fecundity. Engaging with these women’s untenable trauma has compelled me to think about the ways such discourse remains entrenched in our healthcare systems. While volunteering as a doula for a black mother, I believe I witnessed the implicit biases that supplanted my thesis. Desperate for relief, she opted for an epidural, and a resident spent twenty, unsuccessful, minutes trying to place the spinal catheter. The attending did finally step in, though it seemed her pain was prolonged because of her race. This incident demonstrated to me how people of color can still find themselves in vulnerable positions within healthcare settings. As a nurse, I would be in a position where I can empower and advocate for vulnerable patients. While serving as the Senior Editor of a female-run online magazine, I published positive contributions to the women’s health discourse, challenging dangerous misinformation and propaganda. I attempted to demystify the pap smear, and chronicled my experience with using a menstrual cup. My receptiveness to others’ questions about my articles empowered their own self-perceptions, increased their health literacy, and made them want to engage others in similar conversations—things I would hope to continue to inspire as a nurse. A career as an advanced practice nurse would fulfill my future professional goal of empowering others through education, care, and empathy. I value nursing’s holistic model when approaching health, compared to the “disease pathology” medical model, and the emphasis placed on creating interpersonal relationships with patients. While this is not unique to the nursing profession, I do believe that it is a foundational tenet, and often lost in the interest of efficiency in other medical professions. I witnessed as much while volunteering as a doula. It wasn’t unusual for the attendings to make brief appearances. The nurse-midwives, however, stayed and supported mothers as they worked through contractions. This commitment to serving with compassion and empathy during women’s most intense and intimate moments is what draws me to the nurse-midwifery specialty. Moreover, I believe that my specialized MSN training as an advanced practitioner would allow me to have broader impacts by working at the intersections of social health determinants.

I come from a family of immigrants of Jamaican, Indian, Vietnamese, African, and Western European descent. Growing up exposed to diverse cultures and ethnicities enriched my understanding of our global community, and inspired me to study public health. I value the interdisciplinary approach to understanding social determinants that impact health outcomes. The discussions I have with my family and peers are always more comprehensive and nuanced when considering the diversity of experiences represented among us. My background and education have taught me how essential it is to take diversity into account when addressing issues, because it ensures the development of more holistic solutions. Regarding my intended career as a nurse-midwife, it’s impossible for me not to think about the women of color who have contributed to our medical knowledge. This includes the enslaved African midwives who brought their expertise and practice to America, and the enslaved women who were experimented upon against their will. Modern medicine would not be the same without the contributions of these women and their role in developing obstetrical techniques. I want to recognize these women and interrogate their frequent erasure from history to contribute to a diverse environment in school and beyond. Moreover, I’m a strong advocate of bringing communities we serve to the table, and facilitating open conversations that engage everyone’s perspective. We should strive for cultural competence, but also know when to listen empathetically, since inclusion and diversity are some of the best practices health professionals can employ when faced with new challenges. Having majored in Public Health, I have a deep commitment to helping marginalized and economically disadvantaged members of our global community through interdisciplinary approaches. I believe we have a moral and social obligation to support those living in disadvantaged and underserved communities, and as a woman of color, I have an even stronger desire to empower other women and their families by promoting health and well-being through education and compassion. I want to educate and empower women to make choices about their own reproductive health. For instance, while serving as the Senior Editor of HerCampus, a female-run online magazine, I made positive contributions to the women’s health discourse, challenging dangerous misinformation and propaganda. I want to be a provider for vulnerable populations, bridging language and cultural divides to ensure access to healthcare, a human right. I want to use the skills I will learn as a nurse to continue to affect positive and meaningful change for women and their families, all while amplifying their voices and learning from their lived experiences. While volunteering with the Nashville Volunteer Doula Program, I was gratified to be invited into families’ most intimate and intense moments to provide a needed service. I’ve learned that people who need health-related services the most are often the ones with the least access to them. I want to be these communities’ advocate, serving them with compassion they may not find in other areas of their life or society. My core values include empowering women through economic and educational opportunities, advocating for gender and racial equality, and working to dismantle structures that perpetuate poverty, marginalization, and stigma. A variety of experiences have influenced my decision to pursue advanced practice nursing—providing childcare services, shadowing in the NICU and L&D, mentoring women of color, volunteering as a doula, and working as a Maternal-Fetal Medicine Research Assistant. Studying public health taught me to approach health issues from interdisciplinary angles, and how social determinants, such as race, gender, and socio-economic status, can adversely affect health outcomes. For my final project in a women’s health course, I used historical documents, including J. Marion Sims’ autobiography, to analyze how physicians perceived the bodies of enslaved women during childbirth and gynecological operations in the Antebellum South. I argued that physicians endorsed false beliefs about black pain tolerance, and only understood enslaved women’s health in terms of their fecundity. Engaging with these women’s untenable trauma has compelled me to think about the ways such discourse remains entrenched in our healthcare systems. While volunteering as a doula for a black mother, I believe I witnessed the implicit biases that supplanted my thesis. Desperate for relief, she opted for an epidural, and a resident spent twenty, unsuccessful, minutes trying to place the spinal catheter. The attending did finally step in, though it seemed her pain was prolonged because of her race. This incident demonstrated to me how people of color can still find themselves in vulnerable positions within healthcare settings. As a nurse, I would be in a position where I can empower and advocate for vulnerable patients. While serving as the Senior Editor of a female-run online magazine, I published positive contributions to the women’s health discourse, challenging dangerous misinformation and propaganda. I attempted to demystify the pap smear, and chronicled my experience with using a menstrual cup. My receptiveness to others’ questions about my articles empowered their own self-perceptions, increased their health literacy, and made them want to engage others in similar conversations—things I would hope to continue to inspire as a nurse. A career as an advanced practice nurse would fulfill my future professional goal of empowering others through education, care, and empathy. I value nursing’s holistic model when approaching health, compared to the “disease pathology” medical model, and the emphasis placed on creating interpersonal relationships with patients. While this is not unique to the nursing profession, I do believe that it is a foundational tenet, and often lost in the interest of efficiency in other medical professions. I witnessed as much while volunteering as a doula. It wasn’t unusual for the attendings to make brief appearances. The nurse-midwives, however, stayed and supported mothers as they worked through contractions. This commitment to serving with compassion and empathy during women’s most intense and intimate moments is what draws me to the nurse-midwifery specialty. Moreover, I believe that my specialized MSN training as an advanced practitioner would allow me to have broader impacts by working at the intersections of social health determinants.

I come from a family of immigrants of Jamaican, Indian, Vietnamese, African, and Western European descent. Growing up exposed to diverse cultures and ethnicities enriched my understanding of our global community, and inspired me to study public health. I value the interdisciplinary approach to understanding social determinants that impact health outcomes. My background and education have taught me how essential it is to take diversity into account when addressing issues, because it ensures the development of more holistic solutions. Regarding my intended career as a Certified Nurse-Midwife, it’s impossible for me not to think about the women of color who have contributed to our medical knowledge. This includes the enslaved African midwives who brought their expertise and practice to America, and the enslaved women who were experimented upon against their will. Modern medicine would not be the same without the contributions of these women and their role in developing obstetrical techniques. I want to recognize these women and interrogate their frequent erasure from history to contribute to a diverse environment in school and beyond. Moreover, I’m a strong advocate of bringing communities we serve to the table, and facilitating open conversations that engage everyone’s perspective. We should strive for cultural competence, but also know when to listen empathetically, since inclusion and diversity are some of the best practices health professionals can employ when faced with new challenges. Having majored in Public Health, I have a deep commitment to helping marginalized and economically disadvantaged members of our global community through interdisciplinary approaches. I believe we have a moral and social obligation to support those living in disadvantaged and underserved communities, and as a woman of color, I have an even stronger desire to empower other women and their families by promoting health and well-being through education and compassion. I want to educate and empower women to make choices about their own reproductive health. For instance, while serving as the Senior Editor of HerCampus, a female-run online magazine, I made positive contributions to the women’s health discourse, challenging dangerous misinformation and propaganda. I want to be a provider for vulnerable populations, bridging language and cultural divides to ensure access to healthcare, a human right. I want to use the skills I will learn as a nurse to continue to affect positive and meaningful change for women and their families, all while amplifying their voices and learning from their lived experiences. While volunteering with the Nashville Volunteer Doula Program, I was gratified to be invited into families’ most intimate and intense moments to provide a needed service. I’ve learned that people who need health-related services the most are often the ones with the least access to them. I want to be these communities’ advocate, serving them with compassion they may not find in other areas of their life or society. My core values include empowering women through economic and educational opportunities, advocating for gender and racial equality, and working to dismantle structures that perpetuate poverty, marginalization, and stigma. I intend to practice by Yale’s mission statement, improving health for all and working to bring disenfranchised people into the folds of healthcare access. A career as an advanced practice nurse would fulfill my future professional goal of empowering others through education, care, and empathy. I value nursing’s holistic model when approaching health, and the emphasis placed on creating interpersonal relationships with patients. While this is not unique to the nursing profession, I do believe that it is a foundational tenet, and often lost in the interest of efficiency in other medical professions. I witnessed as much while volunteering as a doula. It wasn’t unusual for the attendings to make brief appearances. The nurse-midwives, however, stayed and supported mothers as they worked through contractions. This commitment to serving with compassion and empathy during women’s most intense and intimate moments is what draws me to the nurse-midwifery specialty. Moreover, I believe that my specialized training as an advanced practitioner would allow me to have broader impacts by working at the intersections of social health determinants. A variety of experiences have influenced my decision to pursue advanced practice nursing—providing childcare services, shadowing in the NICU and L&D, mentoring women of color, volunteering as a doula, and working as a Maternal-Fetal Medicine Research Assistant. Studying public health taught me to approach health issues from interdisciplinary angles, and how social determinants, such as race, gender, and socio-economic status, can adversely affect health outcomes. For my final project in a women’s health course, I used historical documents, including J. Marion Sims’ autobiography, to analyze how physicians perceived the bodies of enslaved women during childbirth and gynecological operations in the Antebellum South. I argued that physicians endorsed false beliefs about black pain tolerance, and only understood enslaved women’s health in terms of their fecundity. Engaging with these women’s untenable trauma has compelled me to think about the ways such discourse remains entrenched in our healthcare systems. While volunteering as a doula for a black mother, I believe I witnessed the implicit biases that supplanted my thesis. Desperate for relief, she opted for an epidural, and a resident spent twenty, unsuccessful, minutes trying to place the spinal catheter. The attending did finally step in, though it seemed her pain was prolonged because of her race. This incident demonstrated to me how people of color can still find themselves in vulnerable positions within healthcare settings. As a nurse, I would be in a position where I can empower and advocate for vulnerable patients. While serving as the Senior Editor of a female-run online magazine, I contributed to the women’s health discourse by challenging dangerous misinformation and propaganda. I attempted to demystify the pap smear, and chronicled my experience with using a menstrual cup. My receptiveness to others’ questions about my articles empowered their own self-perceptions, increased their health literacy, and made them want to engage others in similar conversations—things I would hope to continue to inspire as a nurse.