My parents immigrated to America to escape the ongoing civil war in Cameroon. They came with empty pockets and hopes for a better life. My parents didn't want their children to experience the consequences of war and wanted us to receive a good education. We lived in a low-income community, thus our education was limited. My parents wanted us to expand our knowledge, so we moved to an area with better schools. I thought this was great because it would have more opportunities, but my responsibilities made it so that I couldn’t pursue them. After school, I worked to help my parents pay the bills or I would have to babysit my brothers. I’m thankful for having determined parents, however I wanted to participate in clubs to fulfill my passions. Also, it was hard for me to fully pursue my education because I was concerned about fitting in. I would burn my hair to imitate my friends and dress like my classmates to feel worthy. My English wasn’t good because I spoke French at home and I was self-conscious about it, thus shying away from socializing. As I got older, I realized I’m lucky to have access to an education. My grandparents didn’t know how to read or write, thus my ability to type this essay demonstrates how far I've come. My parents were able to work their way up by working hard, proving that anything is possible when you put your mind to it. My grandparents passed away from poor healthcare in Cameroon and this fuels my passion of becoming a physician. Many of my family members have tried to discourage me from this career because in my culture, it’s expected that women stay home with the children while the men work. They’ve told me if I spend years in school, I won’t be able to have a family. The discouragement has made me question my career path, but I’ve been able to turn it into motivation to prove them wrong. This fall, I plan to attend Boston University to major in biology. Given the opportunity to go to college, I hope to work in low-income communities in an effort to improve their health equity. I want to be able to provide my patients with the appropriate care so one one loses a grandparent the way I did. I want to create non-profit organizations to provide to hospitals in low-income communities to give back. Winning this scholarship will increase my probability of going to college without a financial burden. Getting a college education means that I can live a better life. Not only will a college degree set me up for success, but it will also allow me to pursue my passion for medicine. My grandparents’ stories inspire me to become a physician. Their lives were cut short due to limited access to healthcare. Knowing that I could’ve met my grandfather if his diabetes was properly treated motivates me to work hard and achieve my goal. With a college education, I will be able to focus on bringing attention to hospitals in low-income communities to improve their health equity. A college education will allow me to inspire young women that have faced adversity to never give up. Most importantly, a college education will prove to my parents that their sacrifices were all worth it; everything they gave up in Cameroon to immigrate thousands of miles away from home. To me, a college education goes far beyond getting a degree, it signifies my passion and resilience. I wake up and get my brothers ready for school then I’m off to start my day. I go to my first class, calculus, where I prove to myself that I’m smarter than I think. Then responsible citizenship, where I learned about the responsibilities of an adult such as filing taxes or buying a house. I appreciate this class because it’s difficult for my parents to guide me with these situations because they weren’t in America at my age, so having a teacher to guide me is beneficial. Then, AP Government where I learn how I can participate in the government to create a positive change for our democracy. The 2020 Black Lives Matter demonstrations proved how Black America is oppressed. With the knowledge from this class, I was able to inform Black Americans on our rights, so we know when they are violated at the hands of government officials. My last class is empowering young women, where we learn how women can uplift each other. When school is over, I go to work at an after school program where I tutor students. I enjoy working with the youth because they’re the future. Teachers are very influential on students, therefore I lead by example. I help my students, showing them that helping others is a way to spread kindness. After work, I go to gymnastics or I volunteer. Gymnastics has made me the person who I am today, being the source of my determination. After practice, I go home and do my homework, then my day is complete. I started a club called Students for Diversity. My goal is to bring awareness of different cultures and to encourage my peers to find unity in diversity. I want to show my peers that we are all human despite differences and I’ve done this by making presentations on diverse individuals, showcasing their accomplishments. This club has made a difference in my school because my peers have received exposure to people and they’re beginning to understand that everyone has a story. I also volunteer at my local doctors office as a scribe, for expose into the medical field which I hope to work in. I’m the president of the National Honors Society, thus I organize fundraisers and I give back to my community by volunteering. To dig into my heritage, I explore Cameroonian literature. I love learning about my heritage because I come from a long line of hardworking individuals who ultimately made me who I am.

Just two years after the Bamileke War, my father was born into a polygamous family which was still dealing with the trauma of war. My grandfather had thirteen wives and eighty-three kids, forcing my dad to become independent at an early age. My dad dreamed of a better life, knowing that courage would lead him there. In 1978, my mother was born into poverty and a few years later, found out that her father was dying. She studied under candles because her father’s final wish was her success. My grandfather passed away from medical errors related to his diabetes. Wanting to further her education, my mom immigrated to the United States. Despite my parents living the American dream, being a first generation African-American made me feel isolated. I was surrounded by different cultures, which made navigating difficult. The easy solution was fitting in. I would burn my hair to imitate my friends' and dress like my classmates to feel worthy. Even though I consistently made efforts to fit in, it was proven that I’m not meant to be like the others. My heritage became the roots of forming my individuality. I used the lessons I learned from my parents' stories to set my morals instead of relying on the cultures around me. Thinking of my mom's candles as I sit under these lights and knowing that my grandparents didn’t know how to read as I type this essay, demonstrates how far I’ve come. The differences that once made me feel isolated are the ones I value the most. Embracing my heritage ultimately made me who I am; a confident black woman. One who is no longer afraid to shine her light and one who wears her hair in braids to make her standout instead of fitting in. I value my education, knowing that it’s not accessible to everyone. I use my privileges not only to further my success, but to help others and to serve my community. My parents motivate me to be passionate and resilient. They found the light when facing adversity and because of their strength, I have the courage to dream big. My biggest goal in life is to pursue a career in emergency medicine and serve low income communities to improve their health equity. I unfortunately lost two of my grandparents because of the poor health equity in Cameroon and this inspires me to focus on health equity because many factors impacts the healthcare that we receive. I want to be able to treat my patients with the appropriate care despite where they come from. I’m passionate about STEM because it provides us with the knowledge necessary to improve the world. Not only is STEM innovative and always evolving, but it challenges my critical thinking and problem solving. I plan to major in biology at Boston University this fall in hopes of becoming an emergency medicine physician. Also, my STEM major will allow me to improve the lives of others. STEM can be used to give back and care for those less fortunate. As previously mentioned, I plan to service low income communities in an effort to close the health equity gap between races. I know that I not only want to practice medicine, but I also want to contribute to making the world a better place. Being a black women fuels my passion for social justice. I hope to use my STEM degree to fight for social justice through medicine. Having a STEM major will allow me to reach this goal and inspire other young women to pursue a career in STEM. I enjoy how STEM allows us to apply our knowledge to real world situations and watch our predictions turn into reality. Coming from a low income household, I couldn’t afford the newest toys when I was younger but none of that really mattered to me because I had a big blackboard and colorful chalk and I would do math on that board all day. STEM became an outlet of self-expression and happiness. I also couldn’t control my parts of my day like what clothes I would wear or what’s for dinner, but with my science experiments, I could control the results. STEM gave me a sense of excitement, but also control and that’s a feeling I seek for the rest of my life. The greatest challenge I’ve had to overcome was finding my identity. Being a first generation African American, my parents were focused on making sure I received a proper education so I won’t have to struggle the way they did. I’m very thankful to be living in an environment where I have easy access to education to expand my knowledge. However, this somewhat made me feel lost. My home life and school life were very different because I followed different cultures and rules in each environment and this made it difficult for me to fit in. Being the eldest child and the first to go to college, I put a lot of pressure on myself to be perfect because I have my three brothers looking up to me. Being the only girl made me feel pressured to fit in with the boys but society told me I had to act “ladylike”. Overcoming this was difficult because I wanted to live up to society's standards but it was impossible. I’ve learned to embrace who I am. What helped me to find my identity was spending time with my mother. As I listened to her stories, I realized that I’m living a life similar to hers and that being unique is okay. She made me want to embrace my differences and love every part of myself. She also taught me that sharing my story can empower others to embrace themselves. My identity as a black women impacts my passion for bettering Black America. Winning this scholarship will allow me to pursue a career in emergency medicine and prove to many young women that anything is possible when you put your mind to it.

From 1955 to 1964, Cameroon was fighting the Bamileke War to gain their independence from France. Just two years after the war, my father was born into a polygamous family which was still dealing with the trauma of war. My grandfather had thirteen wives and eighty-three kids, none of whom he was able to take care of. This forced my dad to become independent at an early age. My dad dreamed of a better life, knowing that courage would lead him there. Neither of my grandparents received an education, however my dad was fortunate to attend L’institution Université de Technologie. After college, my dad packed his suitcase and immigrated to the United States, hoping to turn dreams into reality. In 1978, my mother was born into poverty and a few years later, found out that her father was dying. She studied under candles because her father’s final wish was her success. My grandfather passed away from medical errors related to his diabetes. Wanting to further her education, my mom immigrated to the United States to pursue a career as a pharmacist. Being a pharmacist allows my mom to minimize medical errors, so that no one loses a parent the way she did. Finally there’s me. In spite of my parents living the American dream, being a first generation African American made me feel isolated. I was surrounded by different cultures, which made navigating difficult. The easy solution was fitting in. I would burn my hair to imitate my friends' and dress like my classmates to feel worthy. Growing up, I received limited exposure of my heritage, therefore making me naive. Even though I consistently made efforts to fit in, it was proven that I’m not meant to be like the others; I ate rice and spoke French while my classmates ate sandwiches and spoke English. I had to figure out where I come from to find out where I’m going. My heritage became the roots of forming my individuality. I used the lessons I learned from my parents' stories to set my morals instead of relying on the cultures around me. Thinking of my mom's candles as I sit under these lights and knowing that my grandparents didn’t know how to read as I type this essay, demonstrates how far I’ve come. The differences that once made me feel isolated are the ones I value the most. I no longer worry about social expectations because I finally realize and embrace my beautiful heritage. Today, I recognize the unity in diversity. Embracing my heritage ultimately made me who I am, identifying myself as a confident black woman. One who is no longer afraid to shine her light and one who wears her hair in braids to make her standout instead of fitting in. I value my education, knowing that it’s not accessible to everyone. I use my privileges not only to further my success, but to help others and give back to my community. I take nothing for granted, remembering my dad's short supply of resources to take care of himself. I use defeat as motivation for improvement, remembering how my mom used her father’s death as encouragement to become a pharmacist. As I start a new chapter in my life, I use the hard work my parents illustrated. I carry my father’s courage, knowing that courage is a matter of faith and determination. I carry my mother’s optimism, reminding me not to dwell on the past, but to better the future. I continue to grow, holding onto my dad’s suitcase and my mom’s candles, never forgetting where I come from.

In my sophomore year of high school, I took AP biology and I discovered a fascination for medicine. This was the first time I realized how impactful STEM can be. I became amazed with the complexities of the human body and I always want to know more. With my fascination for medicine and my passion to help others, I know becoming a physician is the right career path for me. I know that I not only want to practice medicine, but I also want to contribute to making the world a better place. Having a STEM major will allow me to reach this goal and continue to learn more about bodily functions. Not only will my knowledge continue to expand, but my knowledge will be passed down and applied to my patients. I admire how STEM is all around us and it’s a necessary part of our daily lives. I also enjoy how STEM allows us to apply our knowledge to real world situations and watch our predictions turn into reality. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was proven that minorities were heavily affected by the virus. I began to research why this was happening. After my extensive research, it was evident that many minorities, specifically African Americans, have a medical mistrust because of the way they’ve been treated in the medical field. African Americans have been severely dehumanized and used for experimentation, leading to their mistrust. Because of this, many African Americans do not trust the information regarding COVID and many of them refuse to receive the COVID vaccine. In addition to the mistrust, many African Americans live in low income communities which have low funding for their hospitals, thus lacking equipment and medications. The COVID vaccine shows how STEM fields can work cooperatively to create problem solving solutions. As a physician, I will be using these solutions to improve the conditions of my patients. Witnessing this mistrust proved to me how STEM continues to evolve, but we need to increase the diversity in STEM fields so that individuals who work in STEM can be trusted by the people. I am passionate about STEM because it provides us with the knowledge necessary to improve the world. Not only is STEM innovative and always evolving, but it challenges my critical thinking and problem solving. I plan to major in biology at Boston University this fall in hopes of becoming an emergency medicine physician. Also, my STEM major will allow me to improve the lives of others. STEM can be used to give back and care for those less fortunate. As previously mentioned, I plan to service low income communities in an effort to close the health equity gap between races. I am passionate about proving to minorities that STEM fields, specifically biomedical sciences, have evolved and it’s something that they can trust. I aspire to encourage minorities to join STEM fields. Today, I tutor elementary schoolers on math and science with a goal to spark their curiosity and to challenge their thinking. Working with children is rewarding because it’s like I get to see the future at work. The kids I tutor are beginning to make connections with math and science by seeing how the lessons we learn are applicable in real life. I am honored to share my love for STEM with the youth. Winning this scholarship will allow me to continue to spread my love for STEM and pursue my passion for medicine.

In my sophomore year of high school, I took AP biology and I discovered a fascination for medicine. This was the first time I realized how impactful STEM can be. I became amazed with the complexities of the human body and I always want to know more. With my fascination for medicine and my passion to help others, I know becoming a physician is the right career path for me. I know that I not only want to practice medicine, but I also want to contribute to making the world a better place. Having a STEM major will allow me to reach this goal and continue to learn more about bodily functions. Not only will my knowledge continue to expand, but my knowledge will be passed down and applied to my patients. I admire how STEM is all around us and it’s a necessary part of our daily lives. I also enjoy how STEM allows us to apply our knowledge to real world situations and watch our predictions turn into reality. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was proven that minorities were heavily affected by the virus. I began to research why this was happening. After my extensive research, it was evident that many minorities, specifically African Americans, have a medical mistrust because of the way they’ve been treated in the medical field. African Americans have been severely dehumanized and used for experimentation, leading to their mistrust. Because of this, many African Americans do not trust the information regarding COVID and many of them refuse to receive the COVID vaccine. In addition to the mistrust, many African Americans live in low income communities which have low funding for their hospitals, thus lacking equipment and medications. The COVID vaccine shows how STEM fields can work cooperatively to create problem solving solutions. As a physician, I will be using these solutions to improve the conditions of my patients. Witnessing this mistrust proved to me how STEM continues to evolve, but we need to increase the diversity in STEM fields so that individuals who work in STEM can be trusted by the people. I am passionate about STEM because it provides us with the knowledge necessary to improve the world. Not only is STEM innovative and always evolving, but it challenges my critical thinking and problem solving. I plan to major in biology at Boston University this fall in hopes of becoming an emergency medicine physician. Also, my STEM major will allow me to improve the lives of others. STEM can be used to give back and care for those less fortunate. As previously mentioned, I plan to service low income communities in an effort to close the health equity gap between races. I am passionate about proving to minorities that STEM fields, specifically biomedical sciences, have evolved and it’s something that they can trust. I aspire to encourage minorities to join STEM fields. Today, I tutor elementary schoolers on math and science with a goal to spark their curiosity and to challenge their thinking. Working with children is rewarding because it’s like I get to see the future at work. The kids I tutor are beginning to make connections with math and science by seeing how the lessons we learn are applicable in real life. I am honored to share my love for STEM with the youth. Winning this scholarship will allow me to continue to spread my love for STEM and pursue my passion for medicine.

In my sophomore year of high school, I took AP biology and I discovered a fascination for medicine. This was the first time I realized how impactful STEM can be. I became amazed with the complexities of the human body and I always want to know more. With my fascination for medicine and my passion to help others, I know becoming a physician is the right career path for me. I know that I not only want to practice medicine, but I also want to contribute to making the world a better place. Having a STEM major will allow me to reach this goal and continue to learn more about bodily functions. Not only will my knowledge continue to expand, but my knowledge will be passed down and applied to my patients. I admire how STEM is all around us and it’s a necessary part of our daily lives. I also enjoy how STEM allows us to apply our knowledge to real world situations and watch our predictions turn into reality. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was proven that minorities were heavily affected by the virus. I began to research why this was happening. After my extensive research, it was evident that many minorities, specifically African Americans, have a medical mistrust because of the way they’ve been treated in the medical field. African Americans have been severely dehumanized and used for experimentation, leading to their mistrust. Because of this, many African Americans do not trust the information regarding COVID and many of them refuse to receive the COVID vaccine. In addition to the mistrust, many African Americans live in low income communities which have low funding for their hospitals, thus lacking equipment and medications. The COVID vaccine shows how STEM fields can work cooperatively to create problem solving solutions. As a physician, I will be using these solutions to improve the conditions of my patients. Witnessing this mistrust proved to me how STEM continues to evolve, but we need to increase the diversity in STEM fields so that individuals who work in STEM can be trusted by the people. I am passionate about STEM because it provides us with the knowledge necessary to improve the world. Not only is STEM innovative and always evolving, but it challenges my critical thinking and problem solving. I plan to major in biology at Boston University this fall in hopes of becoming an emergency medicine physician. Also, my STEM major will allow me to improve the lives of others. STEM can be used to give back and care for those less fortunate. As previously mentioned, I plan to service low income communities in an effort to close the health equity gap between races. I am passionate about proving to minorities that STEM fields, specifically biomedical sciences, have evolved and it’s something that they can trust. I aspire to encourage minorities to join STEM fields. Today, I tutor elementary schoolers on math and science with a goal to spark their curiosity and to challenge their thinking. Working with children is rewarding because it’s like I get to see the future at work. The kids I tutor are beginning to make connections with math and science by seeing how the lessons we learn are applicable in real life. I am honored to share my love for STEM with the youth. Winning this scholarship will allow me to continue to spread my love for STEM and pursue my passion for medicine.

In my sophomore year of high school, I took AP biology and I discovered a fascination for medicine. This was the first time I realized how impactful STEM can be. I became amazed with the complexities of the human body and I always want to know more. With my fascination for medicine and my passion to help others, I know becoming a physician is the right career path for me. I know that I not only want to practice medicine, but I also want to contribute to making the world a better place. Having a STEM major will allow me to reach this goal and continue to learn more about bodily functions. Not only will my knowledge continue to expand, but my knowledge will be passed down and applied to my patients. I admire how STEM is all around us and it’s a necessary part of our daily lives. I also enjoy how STEM allows us to apply our knowledge to real world situations and watch our predictions turn into reality. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was proven that minorities were heavily affected by the virus. I began to research why this was happening. After my extensive research, it was evident that many minorities, specifically African Americans, have a medical mistrust because of the way they’ve been treated in the medical field. African Americans have been severely dehumanized and used for experimentation, leading to their mistrust. Because of this, many African Americans do not trust the information regarding COVID and many of them refuse to receive the COVID vaccine. In addition to the mistrust, many African Americans live in low income communities which have low funding for their hospitals, thus lacking equipment and medications. The COVID vaccine shows how STEM fields can work cooperatively to create problem solving solutions. As a physician, I will be using these solutions to improve the conditions of my patients. Witnessing this mistrust proved to me how STEM continues to evolve, but we need to increase the diversity in STEM fields so that individuals who work in STEM can be trusted by the people. I am passionate about STEM because it provides us with the knowledge necessary to improve the world. Not only is STEM innovative and always evolving, but it challenges my critical thinking and problem solving. I plan to major in biology at Boston University this fall in hopes of becoming an emergency medicine physician. Also, my STEM major will allow me to improve the lives of others. STEM can be used to give back and care for those less fortunate. As previously mentioned, I plan to service low income communities in an effort to close the health equity gap between races. I am passionate about proving to minorities that STEM fields, specifically biomedical sciences, have evolved and it’s something that they can trust. I aspire to encourage minorities to join STEM fields. Today, I tutor elementary schoolers on math and science with a goal to spark their curiosity and to challenge their thinking. Working with children is rewarding because it’s like I get to see the future at work. The kids I tutor are beginning to make connections with math and science by seeing how the lessons we learn are applicable in real life. I am honored to share my love for STEM with the youth. Winning this scholarship will allow me to continue to spread my love for STEM and pursue my passion for medicine.

In the fall, I will be attending Boston University as a biology and sociology major on a pre medicine track. I aspire to become an emergency medicine physician and conduct research on biases seen in the medical field. At Boston University, I plan to participate in their anti racist research to gain knowledge on social justice and implement that in my career as a physician. Social injustice has been a global issue for centuries and the only way it can be solved is by making the conscious decision to choose equality. In medicine, some forms of social injustices are seen through racial and economic biases. For example, physicians expect black women to have a higher pain tolerance than white women, poor people to have a higher pain tolerance than rich people, and for men to have a higher pain tolerance than women. It is unfair how someone’s background can determine the type of treatment that they will receive. Because of the media, stereotypes, and other contributing factors, the majority of society formulates one's identity before they have a chance to meet them and unfortunately, this is commonly seen in medicine. While working in anti racist research, I hope to unlearn the common assumptions and biases placed on people based on their race, gender, age, etc. As a physician, I’m going to practice social justice by providing all of my patients with appropriate care and the proper treatment necessary according to their conditions. I also want to publish research papers to help other physicians eliminate the biases so everyone can receive the proper care. In addition to practicing social justice, I want to service low income communities because the health care in those areas tend to be limited. Many low income households do not have health insurance because they cannot afford it, therefore when they need medical attention, the only way they can receive it is by going to the emergency room. As an emergency medicine physician, I’m aware that I’ll service low income individuals, therefore by providing good healthcare to these individuals, I will be doing my part to contribute to closing the health equity gap between household incomes. By practicing social justice, I will be contributing to closing the health equity gap between race, age, and gender. Majoring in biology will put me on the right path to attend medical school and majoring in sociology will allow me to understand how humans interact so I can better serve my patients.

In the fall, I will be attending Boston University as a biology and sociology major on a pre-medicine track. I aspire to become an emergency medicine physician and conduct research on biases seen in the medical field. At Boston University, I plan to participate in their anti racist research to gain knowledge on social justice and implement that in my career as a physician. In medicine, some forms of social injustices are seen through racial and economic biases. It is unfair how someone’s background can determine the type of treatment that they will receive. Because of the media, stereotypes, and other contributing factors, the majority of society formulates one's identity before they have a chance to meet them and unfortunately, this is commonly seen in medicine. For example, black women are expected to have a higher pain tolerance than white women. While working in anti racist research, I hope to unlearn the common assumptions and biases placed on individuals. A major in sociology will enlighten me on how society interacts and how I can make individuals feel comfortable at the hands of a physician. As a physician, I plan to practice social justice by providing all of my patients with appropriate care and the proper treatment necessary according to their conditions. In my sophomore year of high school, I took AP biology and I discovered a fascination for medicine. I became amazed with the complexities of the human body and I always want to know more. With my fascination with medicine and my passion to help others, I know becoming a physician is the right career path for me. I know that I not only want to practice medicine, but I also want to contribute to making the world a better place. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was proven that minorities were heavily affected by the virus. I began to research why this was happening. After my extensive research, it was evident that many minorities, specifically African Americans, have a medical mistrust because of the way they’ve been treated. African Americans have been severely dehumanized and used for experimantation, as outlined in a book titled Medical Apartheid by Harriet A Washington, leading to their mistrust. Because of this, many African Americans did not trust the information regarding COVID and many of them refused to receive the COVID vaccine. In addition to the mistrust, many African Americans live in low income communities which negatively affects their health. These families cannot afford nutritious meals, thus they commonly have unhealthy diets. This is evident through higher rates of diabetes and obesity in black individuals. In these low income communities, access to good healthcare is limited and many families don’t have health insurance because they cannot afford it. Thus, the only way they can access healthcare is through emergency rooms. I aspire to become a physician to contribute towards closing the health equity gap between races and household incomes. I plan to be an emergency medicine physician and serve low income communities, on a mission to work with minorities and to treat all of my patients with the appropriate care based on their needs. In college and as a physician, I plan to research health equity and publish research papers. I also want to publish my research papers to help other physicians eliminate the biases so everyone can receive the proper care. By providing good healthcare to these individuals, I will be doing my part to contribute to closing the health equity gap between race and household incomes. Achieving this goal is very important to me because being a physician is much greater than the science and the medicine, but it’s also about creating trusting relationships with your patients in order to provide them with the best care. Many times, things that patients can or cannot control, such as their lifestyle or race, are overlooked during a diagnosis and this can lead to a misdiagnosis. This often happens because doctors neglect the fact that they are working with a complex human being and they tend to just focus on the science. I believe that doctors should take into account all factors that can affect someone’s health. Having a sociology major will allow me to be a productive doctor because I’ll have a good understanding on human relationships. This will allow me to create trusting relationships with my patients therefore they’ll be more likely to be truthful with me and their illness can be addressed and taken care of in a productive manner. In addition, focusing on health equity will allow me to fight for social justice in the medical field.

The most inspiring book I’ve ever read is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Throughout this novel, Lee depicts courage as trying your best to reach a goal, even if one knows they might not succeed. Atticus Finch, the father of the main character Scout, is a lawyer who has to defend a black man, Tom Robinson, in a case involving the rape of a young white woman, MayElla. To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in the 1930’s, therefore racism was a main contributing factor in the case. Atticus knew that he would lose the case, however, he still defended Tom because he knew Tom was innocent, despite what everyone else believed. Courage is also demonstrated through the character of Mrs. DuBose. Mrs. DuBose has been addicted to morphine for the majority of her life and she was dying from it. Mrs. DuBose decided to stop taking morphine because she didn’t want her addiction to kill her. She would distract herself by having Jem, Scout’s brother, read to her. Atticus and Mrs. DuBose went through challenges that they knew would have negative outcomes, however they took on these challenges because they knew it was the right thing to do. After reading To Kill a Mockingbird, I understood that being courageous is not always about conquering a fear but it’s about doing what’s right, regardless of how it might affect your reputation or how difficult it may be. This book helped me to grow because I realized how important it is to stand up for what you believe in and that it’s always possible to right your wrongs. It also taught me how important it is to support others because sometimes you can’t do it alone.

The greatest book I’ve ever read is “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. Throughout this novel, Lee depicts courage as trying your best to reach a goal, even if one knows they might not succeed. Atticus Finch, the father of the main character Scout, is a lawyer who has to defend a black man, Tom Robinson, in a case involving the rape of a young white woman, MayElla. To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in the 1930’s, therefore racism was a main contributing factor in the case. Atticus knew that he would lose the case, however, he still defended Tom because he knew Tom was innocent, despite what everyone else believed. Courage is also demonstrated through the character of Mrs. DuBose. Mrs. DuBose has been addicted to morphine for the majority of her life and she was dying from it. Mrs. DuBose decided to stop taking morphine because she didn’t want her addiction to kill her. She would distract herself by having Jem, Scout’s brother, read to her. Atticus and Mrs. DuBose went through challenges that they knew would have negative outcomes, however they took on these challenges because they knew it was the right thing to do. After reading To Kill a Mockingbird, I understood that being courageous is not always about conquering a fear but it’s about doing what’s right, regardless of how it might affect your reputation or how difficult it may be. This book helped me to grow because I realized how important it is to stand up for what you believe in and that it’s always possible to right your wrongs. It also taught me how important it is to support others because sometimes you can’t always do it alone.

I currently attend a predominantly white high school and because of this, I’ve noticed that many of my peers have not received exposure to diverse individuals and different cultures, other than what’s portrayed in the media. I truly believe that there is unity in diversity, therefore two years ago, I created a club at my school called “Students for Diversity” with the help of two trusted teachers. My mission for this club is to spread awareness of the unique individuals and cultures around the world so my classmates won’t experience a huge culture shock post high school and so they can learn to accept people for who they are. I recently started working with my local elementary school and middle school to bring exposure to students at a young age, therefore when they are older, they’ll understand that diversity is something to be celebrated. At the elementary school, I read books to the students about diversity and social justice and I also put up posters around the school of diverse individuals. At the middle school, I teach students about important figures from history and the present day who helped to take a step towards social justice whether it's in sports, politics, or education. At the high school, I challenge the students to think of ways how they can increase diversity or fight for social justice in their future careers. In my future career as an emergency medicine physician, I aspire to service in low income communities and treat all of my patients with the appropriate care. This will be my contribution to closing the health equity gap among races and fighting for social justice.

I aspire to become an emergency medicine physician because I will meet diverse individuals on a daily basis and I will have the ability to impact their life in a short amount of time. As an emergency medicine physician, it is crucial that I establish a trusting relationship with my patients because it will most likely be the first time that we meet each other and I’ll be responsible for properly treating them. Unfortunately, many people of color have a mistrust with the medical field because of how they’ve been treated in the past. This is evident through the COVID-19 vaccine; many people of color refuse to get vaccinated because they do not trust the vaccine. There has been a health equity gap between races for centuries now because of the way people of color have been treated, historically and present day, and people of color not wanting to visit a doctor because of the mistrust, as well as other contributing factors. In the United States, many people of color live in low income communities, therefore they do not have health insurance because they can not afford it. Thus, it is common to see people of color in the emergency room for illnesses that could’ve been treated by visiting a primary care physician. As an emergency medicine physician, I plan to serve in low income communities to contribute to closing the health equity gap and to create trusting relationships between colored patients and doctors. I will commit myself to diversity in emergency medicine by providing all of my patients with the appropriate care. In the fall, I will be attending Boston University where I aspire to participate in Anti Racist research and double major in biology and sociology. With the research I will perform and my major in sociology, I hope to unlearn the biases and stereotypes that I’ve subconsciously implemented. It is human nature for individuals to judge others based on what they look like and this has been evident in the medical field. For example, black women are expected to have a higher pain tolerance than white women. Whether these biases are subconscious or conscious, they oftentimes negatively affect one’s well being. In order to work productively towards closing the health equity gap among races, it is important that I hold myself accountable and unlearn these biases. In addition, as a black women, I will be increasing the diversity in medicine because less than three percent of doctors parents black women. When individuals see someone who looks like them, they oftentimes feel more comfortable and are more likely to take the advice from this person. I hope to make other black women feel comfortable when they’re with a physician and to inspire them to take good care of themselves and visit the doctor when necessary. My current financial situation can heavily benefit from this scholarship because Boston University is an expensive school, however it provides me with the resources I will need to succeed. In addition, my family doesn’t come from much money therefore this scholarship will minimize the amount of loans I will have to take. This scholarship will go towards research on health equity, specificity on black women, that I aspire to perform while at Boston University. In the next ten years, I hope to have graduated from medical school and be in my residency. I hope to also continue to researching health equity for black women and publish research papers on this topic. Besides my medical goals, I want to travel the world and volunteer at hospitals in third world countries.

In the fall, I will be attending Boston University as a biology and sociology major on a pre medicine track. I aspire to become an emergency medicine physician and conduct research on biases seen in the medical field. At Boston University, I plan to participate in their anti racist research to gain knowledge on social justice and implement that in my career as a physician. In medicine, some forms of social injustices are seen through racial and economic biases. It is unfair how someone’s background can determine the type of treatment that they will receive. Because of the media, stereotypes, and other contributing factors, the majority of society formulates one's identity before they have a chance to meet them and unfortunately, this is commonly seen in medicine. While working in anti racist research, I hope to unlearn the common assumptions and biases placed on individuals. As a physician, I plan to practice social justice by providing all of my patients with appropriate care and the proper treatment necessary according to their conditions. I also want to publish research papers to help other physicians eliminate the biases so everyone can receive the proper care. In addition to practicing social justice, I want to service low income communities because the health care in those areas tend to be limited. Many low income households do not have health insurance because they cannot afford it, therefore when they need medical attention, the only way they can receive it is by going to the emergency room. By providing good healthcare to these individuals, I will be doing my part to contribute to closing the health equity gap between household incomes. By practicing social justice, I will be contributing to closing the health equity gap between race, age, and gender.

In the fall, I will be attending Boston University as a biology and sociology major on a pre medicine track. I aspire to become an emergency medicine physician and conduct research on biases seen in the medical field. At Boston University, I plan to participate in their anti racist research to gain knowledge on social justice and implement that in my career as a physician. In medicine, some forms of social injustices are seen through racial and economic biases. It is unfair how someone’s background can determine the type of treatment that they will receive. Because of the media, stereotypes, and other contributing factors, the majority of society formulates one's identity before they have a chance to meet them and unfortunately, this is commonly seen in medicine. While working in anti racist research, I hope to unlearn the common assumptions and biases placed on individuals. As a physician, I plan to practice social justice by providing all of my patients with appropriate care and the proper treatment necessary according to their conditions. I also want to publish research papers to help other physicians eliminate the biases so everyone can receive the proper care. In addition to practicing social justice, I want to service low income communities because the health care in those areas tend to be limited. Many low income households do not have health insurance because they cannot afford it, therefore when they need medical attention, the only way they can receive it is by going to the emergency room. By providing good healthcare to these individuals, I will be doing my part to contribute to closing the health equity gap between household incomes. By practicing social justice, I will be contributing to closing the health equity gap between race, age, and gender.

In the fall, I will be attending Boston University as a biology and sociology major on a pre medicine track. I aspire to become an emergency medicine physician and conduct research on biases seen in the medical field. At Boston University, I plan to participate in their anti racist research to gain knowledge on social justice and implement that in my career as a physician. In medicine, some forms of social injustices are seen through racial and economic biases. It is unfair how someone’s background can determine the type of treatment that they will receive. Because of the media, stereotypes, and other contributing factors, the majority of society formulates one's identity before they have a chance to meet them and unfortunately, this is commonly seen in medicine. While working in anti racist research, I hope to unlearn the common assumptions and biases placed on individuals. As a physician, I plan to practice social justice by providing all of my patients with appropriate care and the proper treatment necessary according to their conditions. I also want to publish research papers to help other physicians eliminate the biases so everyone can receive the proper care. In addition to practicing social justice, I want to service low income communities because the health care in those areas tend to be limited. Many low income households do not have health insurance because they cannot afford it, therefore when they need medical attention, the only way they can receive it is by going to the emergency room. By providing good healthcare to these individuals, I will be doing my part to contribute to closing the health equity gap between household incomes. By practicing social justice, I will be contributing to closing the health equity gap between race, age, and gender.

In the fall, I will be attending Boston University as a biology and sociology major on a pre medicine track. I aspire to become an emergency medicine physician and conduct research on biases seen in the medical field. At Boston University, I plan to participate in their anti racist research to gain knowledge on social justice and implement that in my career as a physician. Social injustice has been a global issue for centuries and the only way it can be solved is by making the conscious decision to choose equality. In medicine, some forms of social injustices are seen through racial and economic biases. For example, physicians expect black women to have a higher pain tolerance than white women, poor people to have a higher pain tolerance than rich people, and for men to have a higher pain tolerance than women. It is unfair how someone’s background can determine the type of treatment that they will receive. Because of the media, stereotypes, and other contributing factors, the majority of society formulates one's identity before they have a chance to meet them and unfortunately, this is commonly seen in medicine. While working in anti racist research, I hope to unlearn the common assumptions and biases placed on people based on their race, gender, age, etc. As a physician, I’m going to practice social justice by providing all of my patients with appropriate care and the proper treatment necessary according to their conditions. I also want to publish research papers to help other physicians eliminate the biases so everyone can receive the proper care. In addition to practicing social justice, I want to service low income communities because the health care in those areas tend to be limited. Many low income households do not have health insurance because they cannot afford it, therefore when they need medical attention, the only way they can receive it is by going to the emergency room. As an emergency medicine physician, I’m aware that I’ll service low income individuals, therefore by providing good healthcare to these individuals, I will be doing my part to contribute to closing the health equity gap between household incomes. By practicing social justice, I will be contributing to closing the health equity gap between race, age, and gender. Majoring in biology will put me on the right path to attend medical school and majoring in sociology will allow me to understand how humans interact so I can better serve my patients.

In the fall, I will be attending Boston University as a biology and sociology major on a pre medicine track. I aspire to become an emergency medicine physician and conduct research on biases seen in the medical field. At Boston University, I plan to participate in their anti racist research to gain knowledge on social justice and implement that in my career as a physician. Social injustice has been a global issue for centuries and the only way it can be solved is by making the conscious decision to choose equality. In medicine, some forms of social injustices are seen through racial and economic biases. For example, physicians expect black women to have a higher pain tolerance than white women, poor people to have a higher pain tolerance than rich people, and for men to have a higher pain tolerance than women. It is unfair how someone’s background can determine the type of treatment that they will receive. Because of the media, stereotypes, and other contributing factors, the majority of society formulates one's identity before they have a chance to meet them and unfortunately, this is commonly seen in medicine. As a black women, I have faced racial bias. I’ve felt like I had to amplify my voice to be heard and go the extra mile to be respected. My ambition has been seen as a threat and my intelligence has been disregarded. Being in this position made me experience what it’s like to be misjudged. As a physician, I hope to never misjudge my patients. While working in anti racist research, I hope to unlearn the common assumptions and biases placed on people based on their race, gender, age, etc. As a physician, I’m going to practice social justice by providing all of my patients with appropriate care and the proper treatment necessary according to their conditions. I also want to publish research papers to help other physicians eliminate the biases so everyone can receive the proper care. In addition to practicing social justice, I want to service low income communities because the health care in those areas tend to be limited. Many low income households do not have health insurance because they cannot afford it, therefore when they need medical attention, the only way they can receive it is by going to the emergency room. As an emergency medicine physician, I’m aware that I’ll service low income individuals, therefore by providing good healthcare to these individuals, I will be doing my part to contribute to closing the health equity gap between household incomes. By practicing social justice, I will be contributing to closing the health equity gap between race, age, and gender. Majoring in biology will put me on the right path to attend medical school and majoring in sociology will allow me to understand how humans interact so I can better serve my patients.

In the fall, I will be attending Boston University as a biology and sociology major on a pre medicine track. I aspire to become an emergency medicine physician and conduct research on biases seen in the medical field. At Boston University, I plan to participate in their anti racist research to gain knowledge on social justice and implement that in my career as a physician. Social injustice has been a global issue for centuries and the only way it can be solved is by making the conscious decision to choose equality. In medicine, some forms of social injustices are seen through racial and economic biases. For example, physicians expect black women to have a higher pain tolerance than white women, poor people to have a higher pain tolerance than rich people, and for men to have a higher pain tolerance than women. It is unfair how someone’s background can determine the type of treatment that they will receive. Because of the media, stereotypes, and other contributing factors, the majority of society formulates one's identity before they have a chance to meet them and unfortunately, this is commonly seen in medicine. Being a black woman, I have faced racial bias. I’ve always felt like I’ve had to amplify my voice to be heard and go the extra mile to be respected. My ambition has commonly been seen as a threat and my intelligence has been disregarded. Being in this situation made me understand what it’s like to be misjudged. As a physician, I hope to never misjudge my patients because of their race. While working in anti racist research, I hope to unlearn the common assumptions and biases placed on people based on their race, gender, age, etc. As a physician, I’m going to practice social justice by providing all of my patients with appropriate care and the proper treatment necessary according to their conditions. I also want to publish research papers to help other physicians eliminate the biases so everyone can receive the proper care. In addition to practicing social justice, I want to service low income communities because the health care in those areas tend to be limited. Many low income households do not have health insurance because they cannot afford it, therefore when they need medical attention, the only way they can receive it is by going to the emergency room. As an emergency medicine physician, I’m aware that I’ll service low income individuals, therefore by providing good healthcare to these individuals, I will be doing my part to contribute to closing the health equity gap between household incomes. By practicing social justice, I will be contributing to closing the health equity gap between race, age, and gender. Majoring in biology will put me on the right path to attend medical school and majoring in sociology will allow me to understand how humans interact so I can better serve my patients.