Hobbies and interests
Soccer
National Honor Society (NHS)
Spanish
Kyler Henderson
935
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FinalistKyler Henderson
935
Bold Points1x
FinalistBio
I am striving to become a doctor! There are a lot of things holding me back, but I have never let anything get in my way of achieving my goal. Why would I start now? My families bankruptcy forced me to work hours and hours to support them, but you couldn't tell from my smile. I slept in my car last night, but you would never know. I am going to keep fighting until I am the one in need of the medical help!
Education
The University of Texas at Dallas
Bachelor's degree programMajors:
- Biology, General
Minors:
- Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other
Miscellaneous
Desired degree level:
Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)
Graduate schools of interest:
Transfer schools of interest:
Majors of interest:
Career
Dream career field:
Medical Practice
Dream career goals:
Physician
Pharmacy Technician Trainee
Walmart2021 – Present3 yearsReferee
CYSA2015 – 20172 yearsBusser
Kelly's Ole's Tex-Mex2017 – 20181 yearGarnisher/Expo
J Macklin's Grill2018 – 20202 years
Sports
Soccer
Varsity2019 – 20201 year
Public services
Volunteering
NHS — Volunteer2018 – 2020
Future Interests
Volunteering
Philanthropy
First-Gen in Health & Medicine Scholarship
My father, as a businessman, has always discouraged me from trying to pursue my dreams of joining the medical field. I am constantly reminded that "there is so much debt with medical school" and "a degree in Biology will never get you anywhere". For this, and other reasons, as soon as I had the opportunity to leave, I left. Dorming at the college would be a safe haven for me, or so I thought. After only two weeks of living in the dorm rooms, I would have to move back into my house due to financial reasons. After enduring three months of "Kyler, you're wasting your time with Biology", I would get into one last argument with my father. This argument, which didn't even start with me, would affect the rest of my life. My father, once done arguing with my mother and sister, decided to follow me outside to my car. He drunkenly informed me that he wouldn't support me anymore.
That statement should have been comical to me. My father has not been able to support me for years. I have worked since I was twelve years old and started working forty hours a week when I was fifteen. The amount of money I should have saved up would've at least cover the first three years of college.
Instead, my high school years would be spent working countless hours to recover from the bankruptcy my dad had acquired. Though he went bankrupt when I was I was in the middle of my eighth grade, he still had not found a job until I was going into senior year. The all-mighty businessman couldn't get a job for nearly four years.
No, he did not support me.
When I left for university, I informed my employer that I would be leaving well before the two weeks notice. For that reason, I trained my replacement and she was ready to start immediately. When I came back, she unsurprisingly had all of my normal shifts and I couldn't get the hours back. So for three months, I didn't have a job.
That statement, which was most definitely not comical, would be the reason I have spent the last year sleeping in my car or on a friend's couch. It is why I have scars on my arms from donating plasma so I could eat. It has not only been financially draining, but my mental state was in havoc for a while, though I'd prefer not to get into that too much.
Not all is lost though! I have been blessed to have the support that my father failed to give through my university and through my friends. I am currently starting a job my first medical job as a Pharmacy Technician which has been difficult but in a good way!
The path to getting a career in the medical field as a first-generation student has been difficult, but I am determined to continue fighting. I will not be deterred by anyone, even family members, to achieve my dreams of a career within the medical field.