Safak Paker-Leggs Science Education Scholarship

My parents immigrated to the U.S. from China with nothing more than a single suitcase, a 7th-grade education, and a dream of escaping poverty working as farmers and carpenters. Their struggles with language barriers, cultural differences, and the relentless need to work left no room for doctor visits. Instead, they turned to Traditional Chinese Medicine and the philosophy of preventive medicine, a belief that sparked my own passion for nutrition and health. Yet, even the wisdom of preventive medicine proved powerless against cancer. Diagnosed in November 2022, he passed on Christmas Day 2023 from a battle with pancreatic cancer. My father, an immigrant who embodied strength, slowly withered before our eyes. What was presumed as a minor stomachache became a desperate race against time, and it was heartbreaking to watch his once-robust frame deteriorate into frailty. From a young age, I took on the heavy responsibility of being my family’s social worker, care manager, and translator. I memorized their Social Security numbers, income details, and account information, handling everything from bills to securing utility assistance and unemployment benefits. My parents, immigrants with no English skills, relied on me to navigate life in the United States as a low-income family. What felt like a burden forced me to grow up quickly, managing adult responsibilities alongside school. Those challenges have now equipped me with a deep understanding of how to access vital resources and government programs, allowing me to support other low-income families in their fight to stay afloat. My advocacy to support my parents grew into empowering and assisting other low-income, Chinese immigrant community members in Cleveland. My passion for promoting health and wellness in underserved populations is largely driven by my personal upbringing. The language, cultural, and economic barriers faced by my parents motivated me to organize community health fairs as a current medical student to provide free preventive health services to minority and low-income communities whose members lacked access to regular medical care. For some individuals, these health fairs served as their only annual checkup; for others, it was their first introduction to concepts such as “high blood sugar.” I strive to make healthcare less intimidating and more accessible through actively participating in free community health fairs such as these. I additionally volunteer at community gardens and food pantries, distributing fresh produce to those in need. Growing up in a food-insecure neighborhood, we often received assistance from food pantries and I saw firsthand how access to nutritious food can shape lives. I believe culinary and clinical medicine are closely linked, and that mindful eating has the power to influence the course of chronic diseases. By leading cooking classes and hosting plant-based nutrition lectures in medical school, I aim to inspire colleagues and patients to embrace lifestyle medicine and instill wellness in all parts of our daily lives. Working alongside hospitalists and oncologists, as both a student and a caregiver, solidified my desire to pursue Internal Medicine, a specialty that integrates preventive care with complex medical management. What began as advocating for my parents from a young age has grown into a mission to champion preventive and holistic health for my community. I am so privileged to help navigate life in a new country for my parents who have endured a lifetime of hurdles and hardships and I am so inspired by their resilience that has been passed down to me.