Just like in other countries, emergencies are common in Haiti. But unlike in the US, in rural Haiti, there are no emergency phone lines, no loud sirens, and no emergency services that you can hope to come to your rescue. In these circumstances, one of two things will happen, bystanders will take the victims and drive to the nearest hospital which is oftentimes over 30 minutes away from the location and sometimes nothing would be done. In both of these cases, the final result is oftentimes the death of the victims whether it is on the sidewalk, in the backseat of a stranger’s car, or at the hospital itself. This is one of the saddest and unfair acts that I have had to witness firsthand. It was very late the night before my holy communion, and my mother and I took a motorcycle ride back home from her friend's house who had willingly accepted to do my hair for this event. I heard my mother grasping in shock—“it’s Reggie” she said. Reggie was the mother's friend's son. While working at night as a taxi, he got into a very bad accident with another motorcycle that came crashing down his way. They were both terribly injured—I had never seen such a big amount of blood in my life and like any normal ten-year-old, I was petrified. My mother started screaming since she didn’t have a car to bring them to the hospital—until a Good Samaritan, whom we did not know, volunteered to bring them both to the general hospital that was 25 minutes away. Despite the heroic acts of this compassionate stranger, Reggie and the other person were not able to make it. This lack of access to medicine led people to lose trust in the medical system. Resulting in many patients self-diagnosing and putting their lives at risk for cheaper, unqualified medical care. This inspired my interest in medicine. My dream is to become a great doctor that people can trust and to restore my people’s faith in this broken health system. I want my people to feel like their doctor is someone they can trust even when their life is at risk. I have thought it through multiple times— but nothing can quite keep me from that feeling that this is my purpose or my true calling. When I moved to the US in the 9th grade, I continued to explore my passion about science and medicine. This interest in biomedical sciences inspired me to join the Science Club, Neuroscience Club and the Science Honors Society, and become President of HOSA, the Pre-Med Club and Skills.USA and Vice-President of the French club. Although I was unable to participate in hands-on research opportunities due to parental permission, I continued to immerse myself in biomedical sciences virtually through online platforms such as Coursera and virtual programs such as Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Science Enrichment month. “If a goal is worth having, it's worth blocking out the time in your day-to-day life necessary to achieve it.” — Jill Koenig I came across this quote a while ago and it completely resonated with my feelings for the medical field and my dreams of becoming a doctor. Ever since I realized that I dreamed of becoming a physician, I have done everything in my power to make this dream a reality, even if it meant putting all my time, effort, and energy into this dream. I will continue to persevere until I become the amazing physician that I dream to be and nothing will deter me from my target.

Just like in other countries, emergencies are common in Haiti. But unlike in the US, in rural Haiti, there are no emergency phone lines, no loud sirens, and no emergency services that you can hope to come to your rescue. In these circumstances, one of two things will happen, bystanders will take the victims and drive to the nearest hospital which is oftentimes over 30 minutes away from the location and sometimes nothing would be done. In both of these cases, the final result is oftentimes the death of the victims whether it is on the sidewalk, in the backseat of a stranger’s car, or at the hospital itself. This is one of the saddest and unfair acts that I have had to witness firsthand. It was very late the night before my holy communion, and my mother and I took a motorcycle ride back home from her friend's house who had willingly accepted to do my hair for this event. I heard my mother grasping in shock—“it’s Reggie” she said. Reggie was the mother's friend's son. While working at night as a taxi, he got into a very bad accident with another motorcycle that came crashing down his way. They were both terribly injured—I had never seen such a big amount of blood in my life and like any normal ten-year-old, I was petrified. My mother started screaming since she didn’t have a car to bring them to the hospital—until a Good Samaritan, whom we did not know, volunteered to bring them both to the general hospital that was 25 minutes away. Despite the heroic acts of this compassionate stranger, Reggie and the other person were not able to make it. This lack of access to medicine led people to lose trust in the medical system. Resulting in many patients self-diagnosing and putting their lives at risk for cheaper, unqualified medical care. This inspired my interest in medicine. My dream is to become a great doctor that people can trust and to restore my people’s faith in this broken health system. I want my people to feel like their doctor is someone they can trust even when their life is at risk. I have thought it through multiple times— but nothing can quite keep me from that feeling that this is my purpose or my true calling. When I moved to the US in the 9th grade, I continued to explore my passion about science and medicine. This interest in biomedical sciences inspired me to join the Science Club, Neuroscience Club and the Science Honors Society, and become President of HOSA, the Pre-Med Club and Skills.USA and Vice-President of the French club. Although I was unable to participate in hands-on research opportunities due to parental permission, I continued to immerse myself in biomedical sciences virtually through online platforms such as Coursera and virtual programs such as Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Science Enrichment month. “If a goal is worth having, it's worth blocking out the time in your day-to-day life necessary to achieve it.” — Jill Koenig I came across this quote a while ago and it completely resonated with my feelings for the medical field and my dreams of becoming a doctor. Ever since I realized that I dreamed of becoming a physician, I have done everything in my power to make this dream a reality, even if it meant putting all my time, effort, and energy into this dream. I will continue to persevere until I become the amazing physician that I dream to be and nothing will deter me from my target.

Just like in other countries, emergencies are common in Haiti. But unlike in the US, in rural Haiti, there are no emergency phone lines, no loud sirens, and no emergency services that you can hope to come to your rescue. In these circumstances, one of two things will happen, bystanders will take the victims and drive to the nearest hospital which is oftentimes over 30 minutes away from the location and sometimes nothing would be done. In both of these cases, the final result is oftentimes the death of the victims whether it is on the sidewalk, in the backseat of a stranger’s car, or at the hospital itself. This is one of the saddest and unfair acts that I have had to witness firsthand. It was very late the night before my holy communion, and my mother and I took a motorcycle ride back home from her friend's house who had willingly accepted to do my hair for this event. I heard my mother grasping in shock—“it’s Reggie” she said. Reggie was the mother's friend's son. While working at night as a taxi, he got into a very bad accident with another motorcycle that came crashing down his way. They were both terribly injured—I had never seen such a big amount of blood in my life and like any normal ten-year-old, I was petrified. My mother started screaming since she didn’t have a car to bring them to the hospital—until a Good Samaritan, whom we did not know, volunteered to bring them both to the general hospital that was 25 minutes away. Despite the heroic acts of this compassionate stranger, Reggie and the other person were not able to make it. This lack of access to medicine led people to lose trust in the medical system. Resulting in many patients self-diagnosing and putting their lives at risk for cheaper, unqualified medical care. This inspired my interest in medicine. My dream is to become a great doctor that people can trust and to restore my people’s faith in this broken health system. I want my people to feel like their doctor is someone they can trust even when their life is at risk. I have thought it through multiple times— but nothing can quite keep me from that feeling that this is my purpose or my true calling. When I moved to the US in the 9th grade, I continued to explore my passion about science and medicine. This interest in biomedical sciences inspired me to join the Science Club, Neuroscience Club and the Science Honors Society, and become President of HOSA, the Pre-Med Club and Skills.USA and Vice-President of the French club. Although I was unable to participate in hands-on research opportunities due to parental permission, I continued to immerse myself in biomedical sciences virtually through online platforms such as Coursera and virtual programs such as Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Science Enrichment month. “If a goal is worth having, it's worth blocking out the time in your day-to-day life necessary to achieve it.” — Jill Koenig I came across this quote a while ago and it completely resonated with my feelings for the medical field and my dreams of becoming a doctor. Ever since I realized that I dreamed of becoming a physician, I have done everything in my power to make this dream a reality, even if it meant putting all my time, effort, and energy into this dream. I will continue to persevere until I become the amazing physician that I dream to be and nothing will deter me from my target.

Just like in other countries, emergencies are common in Haiti. But unlike in the US, in rural Haiti, there are no emergency phone lines, no loud sirens, and no emergency services that you can hope to come to your rescue. In these circumstances, one of two things will happen, bystanders will take the victims and drive to the nearest hospital which is oftentimes over 30 minutes away from the location and sometimes nothing would be done. In both of these cases, the final result is oftentimes the death of the victims whether it is on the sidewalk, in the backseat of a stranger’s car, or at the hospital itself. This is one of the saddest and unfair acts that I have had to witness firsthand. It was very late the night before my holy communion, and my mother and I took a motorcycle ride back home from her friend's house who had willingly accepted to do my hair for this event. I heard my mother grasping in shock—“it’s Reggie” she said. Reggie was the mother's friend's son. While working at night as a taxi, he got into a very bad accident with another motorcycle that came crashing down his way. They were both terribly injured—I had never seen such a big amount of blood in my life and like any normal ten-year-old, I was petrified. My mother started screaming since she didn’t have a car to bring them to the hospital—until a Good Samaritan, whom we did not know, volunteered to bring them both to the general hospital that was 25 minutes away. Despite the heroic acts of this compassionate stranger, Reggie and the other person were not able to make it. This lack of access to medicine led people to lose trust in the medical system. Resulting in many patients self-diagnosing and putting their lives at risk for cheaper, unqualified medical care. This inspired my interest in medicine. My dream is to become a great doctor that people can trust and to restore my people’s faith in this broken health system. I want my people to feel like their doctor is someone they can trust even when their life is at risk. I have thought it through multiple times— but nothing can quite keep me from that feeling that this is my purpose or my true calling. When I moved to the US in the 9th grade, I continued to explore my passion about science and medicine. This interest in biomedical sciences inspired me to join the Science Club, Neuroscience Club and the Science Honors Society, and become President of HOSA, the Pre-Med Club and Skills.USA and Vice-President of the French club. Although I was unable to participate in hands-on research opportunities due to parental permission, I continued to immerse myself in biomedical sciences virtually through online platforms such as Coursera and virtual programs such as Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Science Enrichment month. “If a goal is worth having, it's worth blocking out the time in your day-to-day life necessary to achieve it.” — Jill Koenig I came across this quote a while ago and it completely resonated with my feelings for the medical field and my dreams of becoming a doctor. Ever since I realized that I dreamed of becoming a physician, I have done everything in my power to make this dream a reality, even if it meant putting all my time, effort, and energy into this dream. I will continue to persevere until I become the amazing physician that I dream to be and nothing will deter me from my target.

Just like in other countries, emergencies are common in Haiti. But unlike in the US, in rural Haiti, there are no emergency phone lines, no loud sirens, and no emergency services that you can hope to come to your rescue. In these circumstances, one of two things will happen, bystanders will take the victims and drive to the nearest hospital which is oftentimes over 30 minutes away from the location and sometimes nothing would be done. In both of these cases, the final result is oftentimes the death of the victims whether it is on the sidewalk, in the backseat of a stranger’s car, or at the hospital itself. This is one of the saddest and unfair acts that I have had to witness firsthand. It was very late the night before my holy communion, and my mother and I took a motorcycle ride back home from her friend's house who had willingly accepted to do my hair for this event. I heard my mother grasping in shock—“it’s Reggie” she said. Reggie was the mother's friend's son. While working at night as a taxi, he got into a very bad accident with another motorcycle that came crashing down his way. They were both terribly injured—I had never seen such a big amount of blood in my life and like any normal ten-year-old, I was petrified. My mother started screaming since she didn’t have a car to bring them to the hospital—until a Good Samaritan, whom we did not know, volunteered to bring them both to the general hospital that was 25 minutes away. Despite the heroic acts of this compassionate stranger, Reggie and the other person were not able to make it. This lack of access to medicine led people to lose trust in the medical system. Resulting in many patients self-diagnosing and putting their lives at risk for cheaper, unqualified medical care. This inspired my interest in medicine. My dream is to become a great doctor that people can trust and to restore my people’s faith in this broken health system. I want my people to feel like their doctor is someone they can trust even when their life is at risk. I have thought it through multiple times— but nothing can quite keep me from that feeling that this is my purpose or my true calling. When I moved to the US in the 9th grade, I continued to explore my passion about science and medicine. This interest in biomedical sciences inspired me to join the Science Club, Neuroscience Club and the Science Honors Society, and become President of HOSA, the Pre-Med Club and Skills.USA and Vice-President of the French club. Although I was unable to participate in hands-on research opportunities due to parental permission, I continued to immerse myself in biomedical sciences virtually through online platforms such as Coursera and virtual programs such as Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Science Enrichment month. “If a goal is worth having, it's worth blocking out the time in your day-to-day life necessary to achieve it.” — Jill Koenig I came across this quote a while ago and it completely resonated with my feelings for the medical field and my dreams of becoming a doctor. Ever since I realized that I dreamed of becoming a physician, I have done everything in my power to make this dream a reality, even if it meant putting all my time, effort, and energy into this dream. I will continue to persevere until I become the amazing physician that I dream to be and nothing will deter me from my target.

Just like in other countries, emergencies are common in Haiti. But unlike in the US, in rural Haiti, there are no emergency phone lines, no loud sirens, and no emergency services that you can hope to come to your rescue. In these circumstances, one of two things will happen, bystanders will take the victims and drive to the nearest hospital which is oftentimes over 30 minutes away from the location and sometimes nothing would be done. In both of these cases, the final result is oftentimes the death of the victims whether it is on the sidewalk, in the backseat of a stranger’s car, or at the hospital itself. This is one of the saddest and unfair acts that I have had to witness firsthand. It was very late the night before my holy communion, and my mother and I took a motorcycle ride back home from her friend's house who had willingly accepted to do my hair for this event. I heard my mother grasping in shock—“it’s Reggie” she said. Reggie was the mother's friend's son. While working at night as a taxi, he got into a very bad accident with another motorcycle that came crashing down his way. They were both terribly injured—I had never seen such a big amount of blood in my life and like any normal ten-year-old, I was petrified. My mother started screaming since she didn’t have a car to bring them to the hospital—until a Good Samaritan, whom we did not know, volunteered to bring them both to the general hospital that was 25 minutes away. Despite the heroic acts of this compassionate stranger, Reggie and the other person were not able to make it. This lack of access to medicine led people to lose trust in the medical system. Resulting in many patients self-diagnosing and putting their lives at risk for cheaper, unqualified medical care. This inspired my interest in medicine. My dream is to become a great doctor that people can trust and to restore my people’s faith in this broken health system. I want my people to feel like their doctor is someone they can trust even when their life is at risk. I have thought it through multiple times— but nothing can quite keep me from that feeling that this is my purpose or my true calling. When I moved to the US in the 9th grade, I continued to explore my passion about science and medicine. This interest in biomedical sciences inspired me to join the Science Club, Neuroscience Club and the Science Honors Society, and become President of HOSA, the Pre-Med Club and Skills.USA and Vice-President of the French club. Although I was unable to participate in hands-on research opportunities due to parental permission, I continued to immerse myself in biomedical sciences virtually through online platforms such as Coursera and virtual programs such as Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Science Enrichment month. “If a goal is worth having, it's worth blocking out the time in your day-to-day life necessary to achieve it.” — Jill Koenig I came across this quote a while ago and it completely resonated with my feelings for the medical field and my dreams of becoming a doctor. Ever since I realized that I dreamed of becoming a physician, I have done everything in my power to make this dream a reality, even if it meant putting all my time, effort, and energy into this dream. I will continue to persevere until I become the amazing physician that I dream to be and nothing will deter me from my target.

Just like in other countries, emergencies are common in Haiti. But unlike in the US, in rural Haiti, there are no emergency phone lines, no loud sirens, and no emergency services that you can hope to come to your rescue. In these circumstances, one of two things will happen, bystanders will take the victims and drive to the nearest hospital which is oftentimes over 30 minutes away from the location and sometimes nothing would be done. In both of these cases, the final result is oftentimes the death of the victims whether it is on the sidewalk, in the backseat of a stranger’s car, or at the hospital itself. This is one of the saddest and unfair acts that I have had to witness firsthand. It was very late the night before my holy communion, and my mother and I took a motorcycle ride back home from her friend's house who had willingly accepted to do my hair for this event. I heard my mother grasping in shock—“it’s Reggie” she said. Reggie was the mother's friend's son. While working at night as a taxi, he got into a very bad accident with another motorcycle that came crashing down his way. They were both terribly injured—I had never seen such a big amount of blood in my life and like any normal ten-year-old, I was petrified. My mother started screaming since she didn’t have a car to bring them to the hospital—until a Good Samaritan, whom we did not know, volunteered to bring them both to the general hospital that was 25 minutes away. Despite the heroic acts of this compassionate stranger, Reggie and the other person were not able to make it. This lack of access to medicine led people to lose trust in the medical system. Resulting in many patients self-diagnosing and putting their lives at risk for cheaper, unqualified medical care. This inspired my interest in medicine. My dream is to become a great doctor that people can trust and to restore my people’s faith in this broken health system. I want my people to feel like their doctor is someone they can trust even when their life is at risk. I have thought it through multiple times— but nothing can quite keep me from that feeling that this is my purpose or my true calling. When I moved to the US in the 9th grade, I continued to explore my passion about science and medicine. This interest in biomedical sciences inspired me to join the Science Club, Neuroscience Club and the Science Honors Society, and become President of HOSA and the Pre-Med Club. Although I was unable to participate in hands-on research opportunities due to parental permission, I continued to immerse myself in biomedical sciences virtually through online platforms such as Coursera and virtual programs such as Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Science Enrichment month. “If a goal is worth having, it's worth blocking out the time in your day-to-day life necessary to achieve it.” — Jill Koenig I came across this quote a while ago and it completely resonated with my feelings for the medical field and my dreams of becoming a doctor. Ever since I realized that I dreamed of becoming a physician, I have done everything in my power to make this dream a reality, even if it meant putting all my time, effort, and energy into this dream. I will continue to persevere until I become the amazing physician that I dream to be and nothing will deter me from my target.

Just like in other countries, emergencies are common in Haiti. But unlike in the US, in rural Haiti, there are no emergency phone lines, no loud sirens, and no emergency services that you can hope to come to your rescue. In these circumstances, one of two things will happen, bystanders will take the victims and drive to the nearest hospital which is oftentimes over 30 minutes away from the location and sometimes nothing would be done. In both of these cases, the final result is oftentimes the death of the victims whether it is on the sidewalk, in the backseat of a stranger’s car, or at the hospital itself. This is one of the saddest and unfair acts that I have had to witness firsthand. It was very late the night before my holy communion, and my mother and I took a motorcycle ride back home from her friend's house who had willingly accepted to do my hair for this event. I heard my mother grasping in shock—“it’s Reggie” she said. Reggie was the mother's friend's son. While working at night as a taxi, he got into a very bad accident with another motorcycle that came crashing down his way. They were both terribly injured—I had never seen such a big amount of blood in my life and like any normal ten-year-old, I was petrified. My mother started screaming since she didn’t have a car to bring them to the hospital—until a Good Samaritan, whom we did not know, volunteered to bring them both to the general hospital that was 25 minutes away. Despite the heroic acts of this compassionate stranger, Reggie and the other person were not able to make it. This lack of access to medicine led people to lose trust in the medical system. Resulting in many patients self-diagnosing and putting their lives at risk for cheaper, unqualified medical care. This inspired my interest in medicine. My dream is to become a great doctor that people can trust and to restore my people’s faith in this broken health system. I want my people to feel like their doctor is someone they can trust even when their life is at risk. I have thought it through multiple times— but nothing can quite keep me from that feeling that this is my purpose or my true calling. When I moved to the US in the 9th grade, I continued to explore my passion about science and medicine. This interest in biomedical sciences inspired me to join the Science Club, Neuroscience Club and the Science Honors Society, and become President of HOSA and the Pre-Med Club. Although I was unable to participate in hands-on research opportunities due to parental permission, I continued to immerse myself in biomedical sciences virtually through online platforms such as Coursera and virtual programs such as Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Science Enrichment month. “If a goal is worth having, it's worth blocking out the time in your day-to-day life necessary to achieve it.” — Jill Koenig I came across this quote a while ago and it completely resonated with my feelings for the medical field and my dreams of becoming a doctor. Ever since I realized that I dreamed of becoming a physician, I have done everything in my power to make this dream a reality, even if it meant putting all my time, effort, and energy into this dream. I will continue to persevere until I become the amazing physician that I dream to be and nothing will deter me from my target.

Just like in other countries, emergencies are common in Haiti. But unlike in the US, in rural Haiti, there are no emergency phone lines, no loud sirens, and no emergency services that you can hope to come to your rescue. In these circumstances, one of two things will happen, bystanders will take the victims and drive to the nearest hospital which is oftentimes over 30 minutes away from the location and sometimes nothing would be done. In both of these cases, the final result is oftentimes the death of the victims whether it is on the sidewalk, in the backseat of a stranger’s car, or at the hospital itself. This is one of the saddest and unfair acts that I have had to witness firsthand. It was very late the night before my holy communion, and my mother and I took a motorcycle ride back home from her friend's house who had willingly accepted to do my hair for this event. I heard my mother grasping in shock—“it’s Reggie” she said. Reggie was the mother's friend's son. While working at night as a taxi, he got into a very bad accident with another motorcycle that came crashing down his way. They were both terribly injured—I had never seen such a big amount of blood in my life and like any normal ten-year-old, I was petrified. My mother started screaming since she didn’t have a car to bring them to the hospital—until a Good Samaritan, whom we did not know, volunteered to bring them both to the general hospital that was 25 minutes away. Despite the heroic acts of this compassionate stranger, Reggie and the other person were not able to make it. This lack of access to medicine led people to lose trust in the medical system. Resulting in many patients self-diagnosing and putting their lives at risk for cheaper, unqualified medical care. This inspired my interest in medicine. My dream is to become a great doctor that people can trust and to restore my people’s faith in this broken health system. I want my people to feel like their doctor is someone they can trust even when their life is at risk. I have thought it through multiple times— but nothing can quite keep me from that feeling that this is my purpose or my true calling. When I moved to the US in the 9th grade, I continued to explore my passion about science and medicine. This interest in biomedical sciences inspired me to join the Science Club, Neuroscience Club and the Science Honors Society, and become President of HOSA and the Pre-Med Club. Although I was unable to participate in hands-on research opportunities due to parental permission, I continued to immerse myself in biomedical sciences virtually through online platforms such as Coursera and virtual programs such as Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Science Enrichment month. “If a goal is worth having, it's worth blocking out the time in your day-to-day life necessary to achieve it.” — Jill Koenig I came across this quote a while ago and it completely resonated with my feelings for the medical field and my dreams of becoming a doctor. Ever since I realized that I dreamed of becoming a physician, I have done everything in my power to make this dream a reality, even if it meant putting all my time, effort, and energy into this dream. I will continue to persevere until I become the amazing physician that I dream to be and nothing will deter me from my target.

Just like in other countries, emergencies are common in Haiti. But unlike in the US, in rural Haiti, there are no emergency phone lines, no loud sirens, and no emergency services that you can hope to come to your rescue. In these circumstances, one of two things will happen, bystanders will take the victims and drive to the nearest hospital which is oftentimes over 30 minutes away from the location and sometimes nothing would be done. In both of these cases, the final result is oftentimes the death of the victims whether it is on the sidewalk, in the backseat of a stranger’s car, or at the hospital itself. This is one of the saddest and unfair acts that I have had to witness firsthand. It was very late the night before my holy communion, and my mother and I took a motorcycle ride back home from her friend's house who had willingly accepted to do my hair for this event. I heard my mother grasping in shock—“it’s Reggie” she said. Reggie was the mother's friend's son. While working at night as a taxi, he got into a very bad accident with another motorcycle that came crashing down his way. They were both terribly injured—I had never seen such a big amount of blood in my life and like any normal ten-year-old, I was petrified. My mother started screaming since she didn’t have a car to bring them to the hospital—until a Good Samaritan, whom we did not know, volunteered to bring them both to the general hospital that was 25 minutes away. Despite the heroic acts of this compassionate stranger, Reggie and the other person were not able to make it. This lack of access to medicine led people to lose trust in the medical system. Resulting in many patients self-diagnosing and putting their lives at risk for cheaper, unqualified medical care. This inspired my interest in medicine. My dream is to become a great doctor that people can trust and to restore my people’s faith in this broken health system. I want my people to feel like their doctor is someone they can trust even when their life is at risk. I have thought it through multiple times— but nothing can quite keep me from that feeling that this is my purpose or my true calling. When I moved to the US in the 9th grade, I continued to explore my passion about science and medicine. This interest in biomedical sciences inspired me to join the Science Club, Neuroscience Club and the Science Honors Society, and become President of HOSA and the Pre-Med Club. Although I was unable to participate in hands-on research opportunities due to parental permission, I continued to immerse myself in biomedical sciences virtually through online platforms such as Coursera and virtual programs such as Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Science Enrichment month. “If a goal is worth having, it's worth blocking out the time in your day-to-day life necessary to achieve it.” — Jill Koenig I came across this quote a while ago and it completely resonated with my feelings for the medical field and my dreams of becoming a doctor. Ever since I realized that I dreamed of becoming a physician, I have done everything in my power to make this dream a reality, even if it meant putting all my time, effort, and energy into this dream. I will continue to persevere until I become the amazing physician that I dream to be and nothing will deter me from my target.

Just like in other countries, emergencies are common in Haiti. But unlike in the US, in rural Haiti, there are no emergency phone lines, no loud sirens, and no emergency services that you can hope to come to your rescue. In these circumstances, one of two things will happen, bystanders will take the victims and drive to the nearest hospital which is oftentimes over 30 minutes away from the location and sometimes nothing would be done. In both of these cases, the final result is oftentimes the death of the victims whether it is on the sidewalk, in the backseat of a stranger’s car, or at the hospital itself. This is one of the saddest and unfair acts that I have had to witness firsthand. It was very late the night before my holy communion, and my mother and I took a motorcycle ride back home from her friend's house who had willingly accepted to do my hair for this event. I heard my mother grasping in shock—“it’s Reggie” she said. Reggie was the mother's friend's son. While working at night as a taxi, he got into a very bad accident with another motorcycle that came crashing down his way. They were both terribly injured—I had never seen such a big amount of blood in my life and like any normal ten-year-old, I was petrified. My mother started screaming since she didn’t have a car to bring them to the hospital—until a Good Samaritan, whom we did not know, volunteered to bring them both to the general hospital that was 25 minutes away. Despite the heroic acts of this compassionate stranger, Reggie and the other person were not able to make it. This lack of access to medicine led people to lose trust in the medical system. Resulting in many patients self-diagnosing and putting their lives at risk for cheaper, unqualified medical care. This inspired my interest in medicine. My dream is to become a great doctor that people can trust and to restore my people’s faith in this broken health system. I want my people to feel like their doctor is someone they can trust even when their life is at risk. I have thought it through multiple times— but nothing can quite keep me from that feeling that this is my purpose or my true calling. When I moved to the US in the 9th grade, I continued to explore my passion about science and medicine. This interest in biomedical sciences inspired me to join the Science Club, Neuroscience Club and the Science Honors Society, and become President of HOSA and the Pre-Med Club. Although I was unable to participate in hands-on research opportunities due to parental permission, I continued to immerse myself in biomedical sciences virtually through online platforms such as Coursera and virtual programs such as Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Science Enrichment month. “If a goal is worth having, it's worth blocking out the time in your day-to-day life necessary to achieve it.” — Jill Koenig I came across this quote a while ago and it completely resonated with my feelings for the medical field and my dreams of becoming a doctor. Ever since I realized that I dreamed of becoming a physician, I have done everything in my power to make this dream a reality, even if it meant putting all my time, effort, and energy into this dream. I will continue to persevere until I become the amazing physician that I dream to be and nothing will deter me from my target.

Just like in other countries, emergencies are common in Haiti. But unlike in the US, in rural Haiti, there are no emergency phone lines, no loud sirens, and no emergency services that you can hope to come to your rescue. In these circumstances, one of two things will happen, bystanders will take the victims and drive to the nearest hospital which is oftentimes over 30 minutes away from the location and sometimes nothing would be done. In both of these cases, the final result is oftentimes the death of the victims whether it is on the sidewalk, in the backseat of a stranger’s car, or at the hospital itself. This is one of the saddest and unfair acts that I have had to witness firsthand. It was very late the night before my holy communion, and my mother and I took a motorcycle ride back home from her friend's house who had willingly accepted to do my hair for this event. I heard my mother grasping in shock—“it’s Reggie” she said. Reggie was the mother's friend's son. While working at night as a taxi, he got into a very bad accident with another motorcycle that came crashing down his way. They were both terribly injured—I had never seen such a big amount of blood in my life and like any normal ten-year-old, I was petrified. My mother started screaming since she didn’t have a car to bring them to the hospital—until a Good Samaritan, whom we did not know, volunteered to bring them both to the general hospital that was 25 minutes away. Despite the heroic acts of this compassionate stranger, Reggie and the other person were not able to make it. This lack of access to medicine led people to lose trust in the medical system. Resulting in many patients self-diagnosing and putting their lives at risk for cheaper, unqualified medical care. This inspired my interest in medicine. My dream is to become a great doctor that people can trust and to restore my people’s faith in this broken health system. I want my people to feel like their doctor is someone they can trust even when their life is at risk. I have thought it through multiple times— but nothing can quite keep me from that feeling that this is my purpose or my true calling. When I moved to the US in the 9th grade, I continued to explore my passion about science and medicine. This interest in biomedical sciences inspired me to join the Science Club, Neuroscience Club and the Science Honors Society, and become President of HOSA and the Pre-Med Club. Although I was unable to participate in hands-on research opportunities due to parental permission, I continued to immerse myself in biomedical sciences virtually through online platforms such as Coursera and virtual programs such as Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Science Enrichment month. “If a goal is worth having, it's worth blocking out the time in your day-to-day life necessary to achieve it.” — Jill Koenig I came across this quote a while ago and it completely resonated with my feelings for the medical field and my dreams of becoming a doctor. Ever since I realized that I dreamed of becoming a physician, I have done everything in my power to make this dream a reality, even if it meant putting all my time, effort, and energy into this dream. I will continue to persevere until I become the amazing physician that I dream to be and nothing will deter me from my target.

Just like in other countries, emergencies are common in Haiti. But unlike in the US, in rural Haiti, there are no emergency phone lines, no loud sirens, and no emergency services that you can hope to come to your rescue. In these circumstances, one of two things will happen, bystanders will take the victims and drive to the nearest hospital which is oftentimes over 30 minutes away from the location and sometimes nothing would be done. In both of these cases, the final result is oftentimes the death of the victims whether it is on the sidewalk, in the backseat of a stranger’s car, or at the hospital itself. This is one of the saddest and unfair acts that I have had to witness firsthand. It was very late the night before my holy communion, and my mother and I took a motorcycle ride back home from her friend's house who had willingly accepted to do my hair for this event. I heard my mother grasping in shock—“it’s Reggie” she said. Reggie was the mother's friend's son. While working at night as a taxi, he got into a very bad accident with another motorcycle that came crashing down his way. They were both terribly injured—I had never seen such a big amount of blood in my life and like any normal ten-year-old, I was petrified. My mother started screaming since she didn’t have a car to bring them to the hospital—until a Good Samaritan, whom we did not know, volunteered to bring them both to the general hospital that was 25 minutes away. Despite the heroic acts of this compassionate stranger, Reggie and the other person were not able to make it. This lack of access to medicine led people to lose trust in the medical system. Resulting in many patients self-diagnosing and putting their lives at risk for cheaper, unqualified medical care. This inspired my interest in medicine. My dream is to become a great doctor that people can trust and to restore my people’s faith in this broken health system. I want my people to feel like their doctor is someone they can trust even when their life is at risk. I have thought it through multiple times— but nothing can quite keep me from that feeling that this is my purpose or my true calling. “If a goal is worth having, it's worth blocking out the time in your day-to-day life necessary to achieve it.” — Jill Koenig I came across this quote a while ago and it completely resonated with my feelings for the medical field and my dreams of becoming a doctor. Ever since I realized that I dreamed of becoming a physician, I have done everything in my power to make this dream a reality, even if it meant putting all my time, effort, and energy into this dream. I will continue to persevere until I become the amazing physician that I dream to be and nothing will deter me from my target.

Just like in other countries, emergencies are common in Haiti. But unlike in the US, in rural Haiti, there are no emergency phone lines, no loud sirens, and no emergency services that you can hope to come to your rescue. In these circumstances, one of two things will happen, bystanders will take the victims and drive to the nearest hospital which is oftentimes over 30 minutes away from the location and sometimes nothing would be done. In both of these cases, the final result is oftentimes the death of the victims whether it is on the sidewalk, in the backseat of a stranger’s car, or at the hospital itself. This is one of the saddest and unfair acts that I have had to witness firsthand. It was late the night before my holy communion, and my mother and I took a motorcycle ride back home from her friend's house who had willingly accepted to do my hair for this event. I heard my mother grasping in shock—“it’s Reggie” she said. Reggie was the mother's friend's son. While working at night as a taxi, he got into a very bad accident with another motorcycle that came crashing down his way. They were both terribly injured—Reggie the most, his arm was completely shattered and he was bleeding tremendously. I had never seen such a big amount of blood in my life and like any normal ten-year-old, I was petrified. My mother started screaming since she didn’t have a car to bring them to the hospital—until a Good Samaritan, whom we did not know, volunteered to bring them both to the general hospital that was 25 minutes away. Despite the heroic acts of this compassionate stranger, Reggie and the other person were not able to make it. This lack of access to medicine led people to lose trust in the medical system. Resulting in many patients self-diagnosing and putting their lives at risk for cheaper, unqualified medical care. These numerous factors contributed to the large amount of premature deaths in our country, including Reggie’s. From children dying from illnesses that could have been prevented by a simple vaccination—to individuals left to die alone in their houses from diseases that could have been easily treated. Those people had futures, they had dreams for themselves but were brutally stolen from an opportunity to fulfill their dreams. This inspired my interest in medicine. My dream is to become a great doctor that people can trust and to restore my people’s faith in this broken health system. I want my people to feel like their doctor is someone they can trust even when their life is at risk. I have thought it through multiple times, taking into account the disadvantages: the long working hours, the lack of sleep, and family time— but nothing can quite keep me from that feeling that this is my purpose and the only thing I see myself doing in the future. “If a goal is worth having, it's worth blocking out the time in your day-to-day life necessary to achieve it.” — Jill Koenig I came across this quote a while ago and it completely resonated with my feelings for the medical field and my dreams of becoming a doctor. Ever since I realized that I dreamed of becoming a physician, I have done everything in my power to make this dream a reality, even if it meant putting all my time, effort, and energy into this dream. I will continue to persevere until I become the amazing physician that I dream to be and nothing will deter me from my target.

Just like in other countries, emergencies are common in Haiti. But unlike in the US, in rural Haiti, there are no emergency phone lines, no loud sirens, and no emergency services that you can hope to come to your rescue. In these circumstances, one of two things will happen, bystanders will take the victims and drive to the nearest hospital which is oftentimes over 30 minutes away from the location and sometimes nothing would be done. In both of these cases, the final result is oftentimes the death of the victims whether it is on the sidewalk, in the backseat of a stranger’s car, or at the hospital itself. This is one of the saddest and unfair acts that I have had to witness firsthand. It was late the night before my holy communion, and my mother and I took a motorcycle ride back home from her friend's house who had willingly accepted to do my hair for this event. I heard my mother grasping in shock—“it’s Reggie” she said. Reggie was the mother's friend's son. While working at night as a taxi, he got into a very bad accident with another motorcycle that came crashing down his way. They were both terribly injured—Reggie the most, his arm was completely shattered and he was bleeding tremendously. I had never seen such a big amount of blood in my life and like any normal ten-year-old, I was petrified. My mother started screaming since she didn’t have a car to bring them to the hospital—until a Good Samaritan, whom we did not know, volunteered to bring them both to the general hospital that was 25 minutes away. Despite the heroic acts of this compassionate stranger, Reggie and the other person were not able to make it. This lack of access to medicine led people to lose trust in the medical system. Resulting in many patients self-diagnosing and putting their lives at risk for cheaper, unqualified medical care. These numerous factors contributed to the large amount of premature deaths in our country, including Reggie’s. From children dying from illnesses that could have been prevented by a simple vaccination—to individuals left to die alone in their houses from diseases that could have been easily treated. Those people had futures, they had dreams for themselves but were brutally stolen from an opportunity to fulfill their dreams. This inspired my interest in medicine. My dream is to become a great doctor that people can trust and to restore my people’s faith in this broken health system. I want my people to feel like their doctor is someone they can trust even when their life is at risk. I have thought it through multiple times, taking into account the disadvantages: the long working hours, the lack of sleep, and family time— but nothing can quite keep me from that feeling that this is my purpose and the only thing I see myself doing in the future. “If a goal is worth having, it's worth blocking out the time in your day-to-day life necessary to achieve it.” — Jill Koenig I came across this quote a while ago and it completely resonated with my feelings for the medical field and my dreams of becoming a doctor. Ever since I realized that I dreamed of becoming a physician, I have done everything in my power to make this dream a reality, even if it meant putting all my time, effort, and energy into this dream. I will continue to persevere until I become the amazing physician that I dream to be and nothing will deter me from my target.

Just like in other countries, emergencies are common in Haiti. But unlike in the US, in rural Haiti, there are no emergency phone lines, no loud sirens, and no emergency services that you can hope to come to your rescue. In these circumstances, one of two things will happen, bystanders will take the victims and drive to the nearest hospital which is oftentimes over 30 minutes away from the location and sometimes nothing would be done. In both of these cases, the final result is oftentimes the death of the victims whether it is on the sidewalk, in the backseat of a stranger’s car, or at the hospital itself. This is one of the saddest and unfair acts that I have had to witness firsthand. It was late the night before my holy communion, and my mother and I took a motorcycle ride back home from her friend's house who had willingly accepted to do my hair for this event. I heard my mother grasping in shock—“it’s Reggie” she said. Reggie was the mother's friend's son. While working at night as a taxi, he got into a very bad accident with another motorcycle that came crashing down his way. They were both terribly injured—Reggie the most, his arm was completely shattered and he was bleeding tremendously. I had never seen such a big amount of blood in my life and like any normal ten-year-old, I was petrified. My mother started screaming since she didn’t have a car to bring them to the hospital—until a Good Samaritan, whom we did not know, volunteered to bring them both to the general hospital that was 25 minutes away. Despite the heroic acts of this compassionate stranger, Reggie and the other person were not able to make it. This lack of access to medicine led people to lose trust in the medical system. Resulting in many patients self-diagnosing and putting their lives at risk for cheaper, unqualified medical care. These numerous factors contributed to the large amount of premature deaths in our country, including Reggie’s. From children dying from illnesses that could have been prevented by a simple vaccination—to individuals left to die alone in their houses from diseases that could have been easily treated. Those people had futures, they had dreams for themselves but were brutally stolen from an opportunity to fulfill their dreams. This inspired my interest in medicine. My dream is to become a great doctor that people can trust and to restore my people’s faith in this broken health system. I want my people to feel like their doctor is someone they can trust even when their life is at risk. I have thought it through multiple times, taking into account the disadvantages: the long working hours, the lack of sleep, and family time— but nothing can quite keep me from that feeling that this is my purpose and the only thing I see myself doing in the future. “If a goal is worth having, it's worth blocking out the time in your day-to-day life necessary to achieve it.” — Jill Koenig I came across this quote a while ago and it completely resonated with my feelings for the medical field and my dreams of becoming a doctor. Ever since I realized that I dreamed of becoming a physician, I have done everything in my power to make this dream a reality, even if it meant putting all my time, effort, and energy into this dream. I will continue to persevere until I become the amazing physician that I dream to be and nothing will deter me from my target.

Just like in other countries, emergencies are common in Haiti. But unlike in the US, in rural Haiti, there are no emergency phone lines, no loud sirens, and no emergency services that you can hope to come to your rescue. In these circumstances, one of two things will happen, bystanders will take the victims and drive to the nearest hospital which is oftentimes over 30 minutes away from the location and sometimes nothing would be done. In both of these cases, the final result is oftentimes the death of the victims whether it is on the sidewalk, in the backseat of a stranger’s car, or at the hospital itself. This is one of the saddest and unfair acts that I have had to witness firsthand. It was late the night before my holy communion, and my mother and I took a motorcycle ride back home from her friend's house who had willingly accepted to do my hair for this event. I heard my mother grasping in shock—“it’s Reggie” she said. Reggie was the mother's friend's son. While working at night as a taxi, he got into a very bad accident with another motorcycle that came crashing down his way. They were both terribly injured—Reggie the most, his arm was completely shattered and he was bleeding tremendously. I had never seen such a big amount of blood in my life and like any normal ten-year-old, I was petrified. My mother started screaming since she didn’t have a car to bring them to the hospital—until a Good Samaritan, whom we did not know, volunteered to bring them both to the general hospital that was 25 minutes away. Despite the heroic acts of this compassionate stranger, Reggie and the other person were not able to make it. This lack of access to medicine led people to lose trust in the medical system. Resulting in many patients self-diagnosing and putting their lives at risk for cheaper, unqualified medical care. These numerous factors contributed to the large amount of premature deaths in our country, including Reggie’s. From children dying from illnesses that could have been prevented by a simple vaccination—to individuals left to die alone in their houses from diseases that could have been easily treated. Those people had futures, they had dreams for themselves but were brutally stolen from an opportunity to fulfill their dreams. This inspired my interest in medicine. My dream is to become a great doctor that people can trust and to restore my people’s faith in this broken health system. I want my people to feel like their doctor is someone they can trust even when their life is at risk. I have thought it through multiple times, taking into account the disadvantages: the long working hours, the lack of sleep, and family time— but nothing can quite keep me from that feeling that this is my purpose and the only thing I see myself doing in the future. “If a goal is worth having, it's worth blocking out the time in your day-to-day life necessary to achieve it.” — Jill Koenig I came across this quote a while ago and it completely resonated with my feelings for the medical field and my dreams of becoming a doctor. Ever since I realized that I dreamed of becoming a physician, I have done everything in my power to make this dream a reality, even if it meant putting all my time, effort, and energy into this dream. I will continue to persevere until I become the amazing physician that I dream to be and nothing will deter me from my target.

Just like in other countries, emergencies are common in Haiti. But unlike in the US, in rural Haiti, there are no emergency phone lines, no loud sirens, and no emergency services that you can hope to come to your rescue. In these circumstances, one of two things will happen, bystanders will take the victims and drive to the nearest hospital which is oftentimes over 30 minutes away from the location and sometimes nothing would be done. In both of these cases, the final result is oftentimes the death of the victims whether it is on the sidewalk, in the backseat of a stranger’s car, or at the hospital itself. This is one of the saddest and unfair acts that I have had to witness firsthand. It was late the night before my holy communion, and my mother and I took a motorcycle ride back home from her friend's house who had willingly accepted to do my hair for this event. I heard my mother grasping in shock—“it’s Reggie” she said. Reggie was the mother's friend's son. While working at night as a taxi, he got into a very bad accident with another motorcycle that came crashing down his way. They were both terribly injured—Reggie the most, his arm was completely shattered and he was bleeding tremendously. I had never seen such a big amount of blood in my life and like any normal ten-year-old, I was petrified. My mother started screaming since she didn’t have a car to bring them to the hospital—until a Good Samaritan, whom we did not know, volunteered to bring them both to the general hospital that was 25 minutes away. Despite the heroic acts of this compassionate stranger, Reggie and the other person were not able to make it. This lack of access to medicine led people to lose trust in the medical system. Resulting in many patients self-diagnosing and putting their lives at risk for cheaper, unqualified medical care. These numerous factors contributed to the large amount of premature deaths in our country, including Reggie’s. From children dying from illnesses that could have been prevented by a simple vaccination—to individuals left to die alone in their houses from diseases that could have been easily treated. Those people had futures, they had dreams for themselves but were brutally stolen from an opportunity to fulfill their dreams. This inspired my interest in medicine. My dream is to become a great doctor that people can trust and to restore my people’s faith in this broken health system. I want my people to feel like their doctor is someone they can trust even when their life is at risk. I have thought it through multiple times, taking into account the disadvantages: the long working hours, the lack of sleep, and family time— but nothing can quite keep me from that feeling that this is my purpose and the only thing I see myself doing in the future. “If a goal is worth having, it's worth blocking out the time in your day-to-day life necessary to achieve it.” — Jill Koenig I came across this quote a while ago and it completely resonated with my feelings for the medical field and my dreams of becoming a doctor. Ever since I realized that I dreamed of becoming a physician, I have done everything in my power to make this dream a reality, even if it meant putting all my time, effort, and energy into this dream. I will continue to persevere until I become the amazing physician that I dream to be and nothing will deter me from my target.

Just like in other countries, emergencies are common in Haiti. But unlike in the US, in rural Haiti, there are no emergency phone lines, no loud sirens, and no emergency services that you can hope to come to your rescue. In these circumstances, one of two things will happen, bystanders will take the victims and drive to the nearest hospital which is oftentimes over 30 minutes away from the location and sometimes nothing would be done. In both of these cases, the final result is oftentimes the death of the victims whether it is on the sidewalk, in the backseat of a stranger’s car, or at the hospital itself. This is one of the saddest and unfair acts that I have had to witness firsthand. It was late the night before my holy communion, and my mother and I took a motorcycle ride back home from her friend's house who had willingly accepted to do my hair for this event. I heard my mother grasping in shock—“it’s Reggie” she said. Reggie was the mother's friend's son. While working at night as a taxi, he got into a very bad accident with another motorcycle that came crashing down his way. They were both terribly injured—Reggie the most, his arm was completely shattered and he was bleeding tremendously. I had never seen such a big amount of blood in my life and like any normal ten-year-old, I was petrified. My mother started screaming since she didn’t have a car to bring them to the hospital—until a Good Samaritan, whom we did not know, volunteered to bring them both to the general hospital that was 25 minutes away. Despite the heroic acts of this compassionate stranger, Reggie and the other person were not able to make it. This lack of access to medicine led people to lose trust in the medical system. Resulting in many patients self-diagnosing and putting their lives at risk for cheaper, unqualified medical care. These numerous factors contributed to the large amount of premature deaths in our country, including Reggie’s. From children dying from illnesses that could have been prevented by a simple vaccination—to individuals left to die alone in their houses from diseases that could have been easily treated. Those people had futures, they had dreams for themselves but were brutally stolen from an opportunity to fulfill their dreams. This inspired my interest in medicine. My dream is to become a great doctor that people can trust and to restore my people’s faith in this broken health system. I want my people to feel like their doctor is someone they can trust even when their life is at risk. I have thought it through multiple times, taking into account the disadvantages: the long working hours, the lack of sleep, and family time— but nothing can quite keep me from that feeling that this is my purpose and the only thing I see myself doing in the future. “If a goal is worth having, it's worth blocking out the time in your day-to-day life necessary to achieve it.” — Jill Koenig I came across this quote a while ago and it completely resonated with my feelings for the medical field and my dreams of becoming a doctor. Ever since I realized that I dreamed of becoming a physician, I have done everything in my power to make this dream a reality, even if it meant putting all my time, effort, and energy into this dream. I will continue to persevere until I become the amazing physician that I dream to be and nothing will deter me from my target.

Just like in other countries, emergencies are common in Haiti. But unlike in the US, in rural Haiti, there are no emergency phone lines, no loud sirens, and no emergency services that you can hope to come to your rescue. In these circumstances, one of two things will happen, bystanders will take the victims and drive to the nearest hospital which is oftentimes over 30 minutes away from the location and sometimes nothing would be done. In both of these cases, the final result is oftentimes the death of the victims whether it is on the sidewalk, in the backseat of a stranger’s car, or at the hospital itself. This is one of the saddest and unfair acts that I have had to witness firsthand. It was late the night before my holy communion, and my mother and I took a motorcycle ride back home from her friend's house who had willingly accepted to do my hair for this event. I heard my mother grasping in shock—“it’s Reggie” she said. Reggie was the mother's friend's son. While working at night as a taxi, he got into a very bad accident with another motorcycle that came crashing down his way. They were both terribly injured—Reggie the most, his arm was completely shattered and he was bleeding tremendously. I had never seen such a big amount of blood in my life and like any normal ten-year-old, I was petrified. My mother started screaming since she didn’t have a car to bring them to the hospital—until a Good Samaritan, whom we did not know, volunteered to bring them both to the general hospital that was 25 minutes away. Despite the heroic acts of this compassionate stranger, Reggie and the other person were not able to make it. This lack of access to medicine led people to lose trust in the medical system. Resulting in many patients self-diagnosing and putting their lives at risk for cheaper, unqualified medical care. These numerous factors contributed to the large amount of premature deaths in our country, including Reggie’s. From children dying from illnesses that could have been prevented by a simple vaccination—to individuals left to die alone in their houses from diseases that could have been easily treated. Those people had futures, they had dreams for themselves but were brutally stolen from an opportunity to fulfill their dreams. This inspired my interest in medicine. My dream is to become a great doctor that people can trust and to restore my people’s faith in this broken health system. I want my people to feel like their doctor is someone they can trust even when their life is at risk. I have thought it through multiple times, taking into account the disadvantages: the long working hours, the lack of sleep, and family time— but nothing can quite keep me from that feeling that this is my purpose and the only thing I see myself doing in the future. “If a goal is worth having, it's worth blocking out the time in your day-to-day life necessary to achieve it.” — Jill Koenig I came across this quote a while ago and it completely resonated with my feelings for the medical field and my dreams of becoming a doctor. Ever since I realized that I dreamed of becoming a physician, I have done everything in my power to make this dream a reality, even if it meant putting all my time, effort, and energy into this dream. I will continue to persevere until I become the amazing physician that I dream to be and nothing will deter me from my target.

Just like in other countries, emergencies are common in Haiti. But unlike in the US, in rural Haiti, there are no emergency phone lines, no loud sirens, and no emergency services that you can hope to come to your rescue. In these circumstances, one of two things will happen, bystanders will take the victims and drive to the nearest hospital which is oftentimes over 30 minutes away from the location and sometimes nothing would be done. In both of these cases, the final result is oftentimes the death of the victims whether it is on the sidewalk, in the backseat of a stranger’s car, or at the hospital itself. This is one of the saddest and unfair acts that I have had to witness firsthand. It was very late the night before my holy communion, and my mother and I took a motorcycle ride back home from her friend's house who had willingly accepted to do my hair for this event. I heard my mother grasping in shock—“it’s Reggie” she said. Reggie was the mother's friend's son. While working at night as a taxi, he got into a very bad accident with another motorcycle that came crashing down his way. They were both terribly injured—Reggie the most, his arm was completely shattered and he was bleeding tremendously. I had never seen such a big amount of blood in my life and like any normal ten-year-old, I was petrified. My mother started screaming since she didn’t have a car to bring them to the hospital—until a Good Samaritan, whom we did not know, volunteered to bring them both to the general hospital that was 25 minutes away. Despite the heroic acts of this compassionate stranger, Reggie and the other person were not able to make it. This lack of access to medicine led people to lose trust in the medical system. Resulting in many patients self-diagnosing and putting their lives at risk for cheaper, unqualified medical care. These numerous factors contributed to the large amount of premature deaths in our country, including Reggie’s. From children dying from illnesses that could have been prevented by a simple vaccination—to individuals left to die alone in their houses from diseases that could have been easily treated. Those people had futures, they had dreams for themselves but were brutally stolen from an opportunity to fulfill their dreams. This inspired my interest in medicine. My dream is to become a great doctor that people can trust and to restore my people’s faith in this broken health system. I have thought it through multiple times, taking into account the disadvantages: the long working hours, the lack of sleep, and family time— but nothing can quite keep me from that feeling that this is my true calling or purpose and the only thing I see myself doing in the future. “If a goal is worth having, it's worth blocking out the time in your day-to-day life necessary to achieve it.” — Jill Koenig I came across this quote a while ago and it completely resonated with my feelings for the medical field and my dreams of becoming a doctor. Ever since I realized that I dreamed of becoming a physician, I have done everything in my power to make this dream a reality, even if it meant putting all my time, effort, and energy into this dream. I will continue to persevere until I become the amazing physician that I dream to be and nothing will deter me from my target

Poverty has remained a persisting issue in history, affecting nations in our world for centuries. Some people live in wealth, abundance, and waste while others are sentenced to live in deplorable conditions where hunger and diseases prevail. Our world is currently suffering from severe inequality with a severe gap between the rich and the poor. Today, millions of people are living in extreme poverty in dire conditions and these conditions have only deteriorated due to the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing wars. My awareness of the community surrounding me and my own experience with poverty has led me to continuously advocate for equality and fairness within my immediate environment. I am quite familiar with poverty having witnessed poverty first hand while I was living in Haiti—the poorest country in Latin America and the Caribbean, with more than six in ten people living in poverty(IFAD). As Aristotle once said, “Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime.” This quote runs true in Haiti since the country is now controlled by gangs and violence has now become a norm in the nation. I was lucky enough that my basic needs such as food and hygiene were always met but not many others in Haiti can say the same. My grandmother was an impoverished farmer who worked from dawn to dusk to provide for her 9 children and struggled every day to survive and my father and his siblings often slept with empty stomachs. Under these circumstances of extreme poverty, many are also unable to afford an education and proper medical care. In fact, approximately 50 percent of Haitian children do not attend primary school, while roughly 80 percent fail to reach secondary school (University of Nebraska). Witnessing inequality close up has inspired me to participate in activities that help make our world a more equitable and loving place for all. I began volunteering at my church’s food outreach for the local families every Thursday and Wednesday morning during school breaks starting in the summer of 2022. There, I was responsible for helping organize the shelves and helping distribute the food and other supplies to the local families in need. I wanted to get involved in an activity that brought me both enjoyment and a sense of purpose and volunteering at the outreach checked both boxes. It allowed me to engage with recipients, learn from fellow volunteers, and leave each day feeling like a better person. The gratitude and laughter of the recipients are truly rewarding and their positivity is infectious. This experience at the outreach center has provided me with knowledge on how to reduce and address property proficiently. My goal is to become a successful physician and to return to Haiti with a set of tools that would benefit my country. I hope to run a successful medical practice, along with a couple of charity programs for people who are struggling to financially make ends meet. Access to proper healthcare, education, and basic needs should be a fundamental right of every human being. Through the maintenance of the needs, we also ensure that everyone has a chance of achieving their personal goals and reaching their full potential. The St.Catherine of Siena church outreach has developed me into a better, compassionate, and caring person, which are qualities that every doctor needs to succeed.

Just like in other countries, emergencies are common in Haiti. But unlike in the US, in rural Haiti, there are no emergency phone lines, no loud sirens, and no emergency services that you hope to come to your rescue. In these circumstances, one of two things will happen, bystanders will take the victims and drive to the nearest hospital which is oftentimes over 30 minutes away from the location and sometimes nothing would be done. In both of these cases, the final result is oftentimes the death of the victims whether it is on the sidewalk, in the backseat of a stranger’s car, or at the hospital itself. This is one of the saddest and unfair acts that I have had to witness firsthand. It was very late the night before my holy communion, and my mother and I took a motorcycle ride back home from her friend's house who had willingly accepted to do my hair for this event. I heard my mother grasping in shock—“it’s Reggie” she said. Reggie was the mother's friend's son. While working at night as a taxi, he got into a very bad accident with another motorcycle that came crashing down his way. They were both terribly injured—Reggie the most, his arm was completely shattered and he was bleeding tremendously. I had never seen such a big amount of blood in my life and like any normal ten-year-old, I was petrified. My mother started screaming since she didn’t have a car to bring them to the hospital—until a Good Samaritan, whom we did not know, volunteered to bring them both to the general hospital that was 25 minutes away. Despite the heroic acts of this compassionate stranger, Reggie and the other person were not able to make it. This lack of access to medicine led people to lose trust in the medical system. Resulting in many patients self-diagnosing and putting their lives at risk for cheaper, unqualified medical care. These numerous factors contributed to the large amount of premature deaths in our country, including Reggie’s. From children dying from illnesses that could have been prevented by a simple vaccination—to individuals left to die alone in their houses from diseases that could have been easily treated. Those people had futures, they had dreams for themselves but were brutally stolen from an opportunity to fulfill their dreams. This inspired my interest in medicine. My dream is to become a great doctor that people can trust and to restore my people’s faith in this broken health system. I want my people to feel like their doctor is someone they can trust even when their life is at risk. I have thought it through multiple times, taking into account the disadvantages: the long working hours, the lack of sleep, and family time— but nothing can quite keep me from that feeling that this is my purpose and the only thing I see myself doing in the future. “If a goal is worth having, it's worth blocking out the time in your day-to-day life necessary to achieve it.” — Jill Koenig I came across this quote a while ago and it completely resonated with my feelings for the medical field and my dreams of becoming a doctor. Ever since I realized that I dreamed of becoming a physician, I have done everything in my power to make this dream a reality, even if it meant putting all my time, effort, and energy into this dream. I will continue to persevere until I become the amazing physician that I dream to be and nothing will deter me from my target.