My interest in public health started because of my grandfather’s experience in private hospitals. With exorbitant prices that follow you until your deathbed, I was appalled by the greediness of the privatization of hospitals. With roots in Trinidad, I know my grandfather’s case does not stop at Trinidad’s borders but is a global problem that disproportionately affects minority populations. Because of this experience, I have catered my undergraduate experience with a focus on serving underserved populations. As a volunteer in the pediatrician clinic at Meharry Medical College, and given the clinic’s location in a Black and Latino neighborhood, I went in with a focus on health disparities. Minority and marginalized populations are more susceptible to reduced access to care, and I saw how the clinic addressed these disparities to improve health equity. A lot of patients, especially mothers, arrive scared for their child’s health, and on top of this stressful feeling, there is a language barrier with the staff. When this kind of frustration happens, I am brought back to my grandfather and his experience with public clinics. I used that reminder to make sure I could do everything possible to make this a pleasing experience for my patients and their families. At the clinic, I used my medical Spanish skills to ensure that patients and their families understood their diagnosis and treatment options. While many people may overlook something as simple as communication, I cherished the moments when I could communicate with someone in a way that was most comfortable to them and eased a mother’s worry about her newborn. Over time, I built trust with patients, encouraging ongoing engagement in future visits, which is critical for preventive care. Everyone walks into a healthcare setting with preconceived notions, so I strove to provide the same care and attention to English and non-English-speaking patients. My experience made me see how essential it is to have public health solutions now. Reflecting on my time in the clinic, I want to continue my academic journey, helping those systemically affected by institutional factors. Researching issues affecting local communities strikes me as precisely the work needed to achieve health equity. Real change in public health can be achieved through collaboration with community partners. Those in the neighborhoods who can put faces with the names of those in the community are essential when building trusting relationships with the public. Once I have completed my education, I plan to work in the position of public health director. Working at the federal level, you have the resources to implement change on a broad scale, but that experience can be enhanced when collaborating with local field organizations. Collaborating with local organizations can help you better understand the needs of populations instead of implementing a one-size-fits-all intervention. With my experience working with different communities, I understand that every city, every zip code, and every house has a distinctive need. When I become a public health director, I aim to fulfill the specific needs of my community while applying long-term solutions. Throughout every stage of my life, I am reminded of what keeps me going. I do not want anyone to have the same experience as my grandfather when he was in pain and only wanted adequate care but was met with limited resources. Public health professionals need to provide preventive services, especially for vulnerable populations. As a result, fewer people will suffer from chronic conditions. I volunteer because I am passionate about building on the foundation of my public health interests and experiences and to aid me in providing a collaborative approach to systemic change at a local level.

The lounge on the fourth floor of Harris Hall was home to numerous late-night Chemistry group review sessions in which almost everyone on the floor participated. I felt frustrated after attending those study sessions every week. I could not understand the material, no matter how hard I tried. During the lectures, I felt like the professor spoke in a different language that everyone could translate except for me. So, I did what any struggling student is supposed to do: I went to office hours, did peer tutoring, and attended the residence hall group sessions. Every corner I turned did not seem to work. As a result, I spent a lot of nights isolated in the library. I got through Chemistry by the skin of my teeth. However, I was not happy with my grades. They did not reflect who I am as a student, and I am also not known to quit. Yet, a hard lesson I needed and grateful to learn came during the fall semester of my sophomore year. I took organic chemistry and physics at the same time. At this point in my academic journey, I am trying my best to take the pre-medical requirement classes, as I thought becoming a dermatologist was right for me. After completing one of my physics midterms, I walked to McDonough Field and laid on the concrete stage. I looked up at the sky and contemplated my career choices. My rationale behind wanting to be a physician, specifically a dermatologist, is the lack of training to diagnose and treat conditions of darker-skinned individuals. When I thought about the core tenets I want out of my future career, I came up with the following: I want to work on solutions addressing health inequities, improve the public’s perception of health professionals, and be immersed in a field where there are diverse career paths. I realized there must be something else that fits my three goals. It was a hard decision to change my pre-med path because it felt like I was quitting. However, I realized it took immense strength to pivot directions and find a career home where I could express my passions and thrive academically. Luckily, I took a few classes related to global health and healthcare systems through my major, which solidified that I still wanted to be in the health sphere. What strengthened my decision was joining the Co-Design Lab as a research assistant on the HEAL project. Creating digital solutions about the teachings of health equity in numerous subfields across healthcare excited me and was the gateway to my journey to public health. My mentor, Dr. Rachel Hall-Clifford, was instrumental in my transition to all things public health. I appreciated that we both had an anthropological background, and it showed me how studying cultures and human behavior is advantageous in this field. Since I made the switch, I feel more confident in class and can say the professors speak a language I understand, and I can translate for others. Approaching the end of my undergraduate career this May, I am eager to begin my graduate school journey in public health, aiming to achieve health equity on a broad scale. I intend to start at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health this fall as an independent student, but I do not have the financial support to continue my education. This scholarship will immensely help me bridge the gap between my financial aid offer and tuition balance. Relieving this financial burden will allow me to focus on my studies and eliminate health disparities across marginalized populations.

As a mas wire-bender, my grandfather was extremely skilled in creating larger-than-life costumes for Carnival. This intricate art required significant physical labor, which took a toll on him after his long career, resulting in arthritis. In Trinidad, the public healthcare system leaves many vulnerable to inadequate resources due to the few public hospitals in the area. My grandfather is one of many people who put his trust in the system and hoped he could receive the care he so desperately needed. After dedicating most of his life to creating marvelous feats for his country, his country’s healthcare system turned its back on him. With overworked and understaffed personnel, many patients like him are forced to seek private healthcare, which results in a bill that follows them until their death bed. Seeing similarities in the healthcare system in Trinidad and the United States, I could not ignore this inequality, which led to my initial interest in a health career. Lack of access to adequate and affordable healthcare is a preventable problem affecting most of the world’s population. Studying public health will allow me to analyze complex health issues in numerous populations and contribute to increasing access to healthcare resources for our most vulnerable populations. Wanting to pursue a career in public health, paired with a curiosity about how human relationships work, motivates me to understand the nature of the universe better. It frames how we address fundamental and systemic challenges that impact human health. My time studying Anthropology and Human Biology at Emory University has prepared me to excel in public health and understand that public health exists in a larger context that is interconnected with physical, biological, and social contexts. Public health crises such as climate change are driven by complex interactions within Earth’s systems that disproportionately affect minority populations. Climate change has direct implications resulting in a ripple effect for the spread of infectious diseases, food insecurity, and natural disasters. Understanding nature’s processes and the deterioration of those processes due to human effort, will allow a future public health professional like myself to design more effective interventions to protect vulnerable populations. To understand how the world works, there must be an interdisciplinary approach. Furthermore, while minoring in African American studies, I have woven my interest in public health into those courses. I took a Civil Rights Movement class and wrote my final paper on how the United States healthcare system evolved during the 1960s. I also took a Black Women Writers class in which I created an online exhibition highlighting Black women authors who used their platform to provide a space for health issues that Black women faced. Social relationships are the framework of how the universe works and explains how we progress as a society. I was an intern in the pediatrician clinic at Meharry Medical College. Given the clinic’s location in a Black and Latino neighborhood, I went in with a focus on health disparities. Minority and marginalized populations are more susceptible to reduced access to care, and I saw how the clinic addressed these disparities to improve health equity. A lot of patients, especially mothers, arrive scared for their child’s health, and on top of this stressful feeling, there is a language barrier with the staff. When this kind of frustration happens, I am brought back to my grandfather and his experience with public clinics. I used that reminder to make sure I could do everything possible to make this a pleasing experience for my patients and their families. At the clinic, I used my medical Spanish skills to ensure that patients and their families understood their diagnosis and treatment options. While many people may overlook something as simple as communication, I cherished the moments when I could communicate with someone in a way that was most comfortable to them and eased a mother’s worry about her newborn. Over time, I built trust with patients, encouraging ongoing engagement in future visits, which is critical for preventive care. I know that every person walks into a healthcare setting with preconceived notions based on their prior experiences, so I strove to provide the same level of care and attention to English and non-English-speaking patients. My experience made me see how essential it is to have public health solutions now, from improving everyday interactions in a clinic to global interventions that resolve problems that affect millions. Reflecting on my time in the clinic, it’s important to look for solutions that inspire innovative technologies that can be repurposed for public health. For example, satellite imaging used for space exploration can now play a pivotal role in tracking disease outbreaks, improving access to health care in rural communities, and monitoring environmental challenges. Real change in public health can be achieved through collaboration with community partners. Those in the neighborhoods who can put faces with the names of those in the community are essential when building trusting relationships with the public. I have structured my undergraduate experience to work with communities on public health issues. Once I have completed my education, I hope to work in the position of a public health director. Studying public health will set me up for success when pursuing a managerial position responsible for overseeing health initiatives. Working at the federal level, you have the resources to implement change on a broad scale, but that experience can be enhanced when collaborating with local field organizations. Collaborating with local organizations can help you better understand the needs of particular populations instead of implementing a one-size-fits-all intervention. With my experience working with different communities, I understand that every city, every zip code, and every house has a distinctive need. When I become a public health director, I aim to fulfill the specific needs of my community while applying long-term solutions. Throughout every stage of my life, I am reminded of what keeps me going. I do not want anyone to have the same experience as my grandfather when he was in pain and only wanted adequate care but was met with limited resources. Public health professionals need to provide preventive services, especially for vulnerable populations. As a result, fewer people will suffer from chronic conditions. In this journey, I hope to employ interdisciplinary approaches that blend public health, environmental science, and data analytics. Predictive modeling or artificial intelligence can help me understand and mitigate health disparities caused by environmental changes. Eliminating these changes will have a positive impact on marginalized populations and ease financial burdens such as my grandfather. In my undergraduate experience and future career, I plan to advocate for systems thinking, viewing public health as an interconnected web influenced by factors as vast as the universe to individual behaviors. Better understanding the universe will deepen one’s capacity to understand and solve the world’s problems, ensuring that public health interventions are grounded in a comprehensive awareness of the world we inhabit.

As a mas wire-bender, my grandfather was extremely skilled in creating larger-than-life costumes for Carnival. This intricate art required significant physical labor, which took a toll on him after his long career, resulting in arthritis. In Trinidad, the public healthcare system leaves many vulnerable to inadequate resources due to the few public hospitals in the area. My grandfather is one of many people who put his trust in the system and hoped he could receive the care he so desperately needed. After dedicating most of his life to creating marvelous feats for his country, his country’s healthcare system turned its back on him. With overworked and understaffed personnel, many patients like him are forced to seek private healthcare, which results in a bill that follows them until their death bed. Seeing similarities in the healthcare system in Trinidad and the United States, I could not ignore this inequality, which led to my initial interest in a public health career. My experience as a volunteer in the pediatrician clinic at Meharry Medical College was highly impactful. Given the clinic’s location in a Black and Latino neighborhood, I went in with a focus on health disparities. Minority and marginalized populations are more susceptible to reduced access to care, and I saw how the clinic addressed these disparities to improve health equity. A lot of patients, especially mothers, arrive scared for their child’s health, and on top of this stressful feeling, there is a language barrier with the staff. When this kind of frustration happens, I am brought back to my grandfather and his experience with public clinics. I used that reminder to make sure I could do everything possible to make this a pleasing experience for my patients and their families. At the clinic, I used my medical Spanish skills to ensure that patients and their families understood their diagnosis and treatment options. While many people may overlook something as simple as communication, I cherished the moments when I could communicate with someone in a way that was most comfortable to them and eased a mother’s worry about her newborn. Over time, I built trust with patients, encouraging ongoing engagement in future visits, which is critical for preventive care. I know that every person walks into a healthcare setting with preconceived notions, so I strove to provide the same care and attention to English and non-English-speaking patients. My experience made me see how essential it is to have public health solutions now, from improving everyday interactions in a clinic to global interventions that resolve problems that affect millions. I have structured my undergraduate experience to work with communities on public health issues. Once I have completed my education, I hope to work in the position of a public health director. Working at the federal level, you have the resources to implement change on a broad scale, but that experience can be enhanced when collaborating with local field organizations. Collaborating with local organizations can help you better understand the needs of particular populations instead of implementing a one-size-fits-all intervention. With my experience working with different communities, I understand that every city, every zip code, and every house has a distinctive need. When I become a public health director, I aim to fulfill the specific needs of my community while applying long-term solutions. I do not want anyone to have the same experience as my grandfather when he was in pain and only wanted adequate care but was met with limited resources. Public health professionals need to provide preventive services, especially for vulnerable populations. As a result, fewer people will suffer from chronic conditions.

“Blue Sky” planners have been the backbone of my academic career. My primary tool to prioritize and manage my time is to write everything down and create to-do lists. I believe that time is the most valuable resource. The ability to manage time effectively is a skill that has shaped my academic and personal life. Among the listed qualities, prioritizing and managing my time stuck out to me the most. I do not view this attribute as just a skill but a way of life that allows me to excel in many areas of my life while maintaining balance. My commitment to time management begins with meticulous planning of my everyday goals as well as my long-term goals. The inclusion of long-term goals allows me to plan for the future and remind myself of how I always strive to improve. Every week, I plan out my tasks and prioritize them based on importance and deadlines. This habit has allowed me to be an honors student in Anthropology and Human Biology and helped me create my thesis on public health disparities. One important way that I manage my time is by breaking down goals into more straightforward tasks. My thesis is a two-year-long project that has numerous elements to create a finished product. Milestones such as literature reviews, drafting topics, and editing chapters have kept me motivated and avoided burnout. This approach allows me to make steady progress toward my ultimate goal. Prioritizing my goal allows me more time for class assignments, volunteering, and my hobbies. Another aspect of time management is adaptability. Life is unpredictable, and I can not plan out every aspect of my day. When unexpected challenges arise, I have learned that flexibility is the key. This has taught me to reevaluate my priorities and adjust my schedule accordingly. This concept taught me flexibility and my ability to focus under pressure. While navigating life’s challenges, it has been easy to keep track of various engagements through my planner. Ultimately, time management is more than organizing tasks, it is a reflection of how I carry myself throughout life. I carve out time for loved ones and special occasions. I am completely present with family and friends and not worrying about the next thing that I have to do. By mastering this skill, I have learned to honor commitments, practice self-excellence, and maintain harmony between academics and my personal life. As someone who appreciates order and knowing the outcome when taking a particular path, taking calculated risks could occur to me more naturally. Taking calculated risks is what can separate someone from trying something new. In the past, fear of failure has stopped me from taking risks, but calculated risks balance logic and courage. In my experience, hesitation to fully utilize this ability frequently results from a fear of failing and ambiguity about the results. Even while I like thorough planning and preparation, I've concluded that completely avoiding risks might impede professional and personal growth. Beyond the limits of what seems safe, there are often chances for development and creativity. My main obstacle is not a lack of ambition or ideas but rather a hesitancy to take action when success is uncertain. I occasionally overanalyze situations, concentrating on the possible drawbacks rather than seeing how taking chances could result in life-changing outcomes. This strategy helps me be cautious, but it also makes it harder for me to take advantage of chances that call for daring action. I intend to develop a more disciplined but brave mindset to improve this ability. Redefining failure as a teaching moment rather than a setback is the first step. I may change my mindset and feel more comfortable taking chances if I see mistakes as opportunities rather than as failures. Regardless of the result, this shift in perspective will enable me to view every risk as an opportunity to learn. I plan to develop a method for more impartially evaluating risks. This entails dissecting prospects into quantifiable elements, like the resources required, worst-case situations, and possible rewards. I can make better decisions and lessen the emotional burden of uncertainty by considering these factors. I also plan to begin simply by introducing minor risks into my everyday life. These can include taking on initiatives outside of my comfort zone or speaking up in strange situations. I may progressively take on bigger problems as I get more at ease with minor ones. Another important factor will be looking for mentorship and learning from those who are good at taking risks. I can learn a lot about dealing with uncertainty by listening to their success and failure tales and comprehending their tactics. In the end, having the guts to set out into the unknown with a clear strategy is what it means to dare to take calculated risks.

As a mas wire-bender, my grandfather was extremely skilled in creating larger-than-life costumes for Carnival. This intricate art required significant physical labor, which took a toll on him after his long career, resulting in arthritis. In Trinidad, the public healthcare system leaves many vulnerable to inadequate resources due to the few public hospitals in the area. My grandfather is one of many people who put his trust in the system and hoped he could receive the care he so desperately needed. After dedicating most of his life to creating marvelous feats for his country, his country’s healthcare system turned its back on him. What my grandfather did not anticipate was the silent killer beyond his arthritis: cardiac disease. Years of hard work creating world-famous mas sculptures and stress contributed to symptoms leading to cardiac disease, that would later dominate his life. Subtle changes did not worry me as much as I thought they were not emergent. These changes escalated to more serious problems such as dizziness, chest pains, and even a heart attack while in the art studio. That moment shook our family to its core. For me, the biggest obstacle was not just the physical decline of someone who I admire, but grappling with the emotional toll it took on everyone around him. My grandfather who was larger-than-life just like his sculptures, is now smaller in face of this illness. His once strong hands, skilled in bending wire with ease to create towering masterpieces, can not hold his cup of morning coffee without shaking. The transition from independence to reliance was heartbreaking, as this was a change none of us was prepared for. The financial strain added another layer of difficulty. While Trinidad has a public healthcare system, it was not sufficient to meet the needs of many patients, including my grandfather. Requiring specialized care from cardiologists, my grandfather spent a lot of time waiting to get tests and essential medications were not available at most pharmacies. My family was forced to find private care for his treatment, which drained our resources. For a family that already lived modestly, the cost of private care seemed impossible at times. Watching my parents handle these financial struggles and care for my grandfather emotionally, was the first time I saw how unfair the healthcare system is, especially in developing countries. As a child, I could not grapple with the reality of what was going on with my Cito. I did not fully understand why my grandfather who would dance to soca music with me now spends so much time in bed. It wasn’t until I grew older that I realized the impact of his illness. My grandfather’s battle with cardiovascular disease left a permanent mark with me. It forced me to confront the fragility of life at an early age when I should have made that realization later in life. But this experience also taught me resilience as I watched my family navigate obstacle after obstacle all in hopes to make my grandfather comfortable. Despite his health challenges, my grandfather has never lost his spirit. He still tells stories of his Carnival days, his eyes lighting up as he recalls the costumes he built and the joy he brought to others. I am determined to advocate for better healthcare as I aim to get my MPH and become a public health director, serving underserved communities. No one should have to endure the hardships he faced simply because they lack access to adequate resources. Cardiac disease has taught me the importance of compassion and advocacy. And for that, I am forever grateful.

Inspiration goes hand in hand with representation. I feel most inspired when I see someone who looks like me achieve their goals. It can be very disheartening to be the first person to do something, especially when you are a minority; a lot of doubt can enter the mind. But I keep inspiration by remembering the trailblazers who came before me and the little black girls who will look up to me and others and know that what they want to do in life is very much possible. The root of my inspiration stems from Trinidad and Tobago. My parents were born and raised there and taught me from a very young age that no one can take that feeling of accomplishment when you reach your goals. They decided to uproot their lives in search of a better one where they can be exposed to better opportunities. They overcome a lot to move to a new country when they were just 18 years old. My parents knew the importance of education and how it be can be a game-changer. They have taught me to believe in myself because no one can support someone that doesn’t believe it themself. Because of them, I have learned that when you see an opportunity, you take it because there isn’t a lot of them, especially for black women. In the future, I want to be a dermatologist. There are not a lot of women of color as physicians. Systemically, black women are treated worse than their white counterparts. With my platform, being a woman of color, I want to inspire other girls of color that they can be doctors as well because representation is one of the best ways to visualize your goals. Growing up in a family that moved a lot, I have had numerous doctors. Not one of them was a minority. It made me think that I wasn’t smart enough or had the capabilities to become a doctor. When I become a dermatologist, I want to spend time with my community. I want to do talks with other doctors in the POC community to the minority youth. I want them to know that their dream of being a doctor is accessible; even if it wasn’t a career they had in mind, I want to make known that it is more than possible to achieve. I would also start a program for teen minorities where they can choose a specialty they are interested in, and they will be matched with a doctor in that area who will let them intern there for two weeks. The program would also include networking with other doctors and giving them helpful resources when applying to college and med school. As a future physician, I want to use my platform to help the youth find their future career in medicine. I watch the news every day. I try to keep myself informed about what’s going on in the world around me. When I see injustice happening, I take to all of my resources, and I inform people. I use my social media platform to educate my followers and also organize peaceful protests. During my time in high school, I have attended the March For Our Lives demonstration, Women’s March, and, most recently, the Black Lives Matter protests. Other generations discourage my generation for utilizing our voice to spread awareness and fight for a change. Generation Z is on its way to be the most educated generation, and I want us to utilize our power for the greater good. I encourage my classmates and friends to go to peaceful protests and demand change from our representatives. Growing up in a digital world, I have used technology to my advantage and spread my message further. I created a blog and an Instagram account where people can learn about what’s going on in the world and how they can help. I have also posted book recommendations for those who want to be an activist and how they can make a change by protesting, emailing their representatives, or proposing a bill to be passed into law. I also want to create a sense of community with my platform and host monthly takeovers by other activists. My goal with my digital platform is to find more activists who care about women and minorities’ rights. But most of all, I want those around me to know that they must be intersectional activists who wish to not only black people to succeed but also black people who identify with the LGBTQ+ community. With my platform, I want to inspire others to accept everyone and take action when injustices occur around them.