My Epiphany Into Medicine : An Overview

Everyday I thank God and life for having a roof on top on my head , good health that allows me to work and study, food that I can share ,and a loving family that supports me. Without all these blessing, I would be like many others that unfortunately live without the privileges that I have today. The multiple acts of kindness from my neighbors were the first of many benevolent acts that I’ve witnessed throughout my life. As a result, I’ve reprocreated their altruistic actions by serving others.

We donated our time to a charity during the fall, the JROTC program decided to do the Mana Cafe to help those in need. It was a food drive and people would help gather food together to deliver it to families that needed it for the winter. Everyone was pitching together and doing their part to get the food together and in the people’s car. Even in the cold weather, everyone was having fun, knowing that they were doing excellent in their hearts. Therefore that day families were allowed to eat despite their economic struggle and all as a result of the service we did to help them.

Unlike other medical students, I never had one particular defining moment that changed my life but from a very young age I had set myself to becoming a doctor, but not just any doctor, a surgeon. Therefore, instead of just one determining event, many events helped propel my dream, with medical school being the beginning of much more I hope to achieve.

The gift that my group performed for the community of Juneau, Alaska is snow removal. The group consisted of my two most trustworthy peers Marcos Yadao and Mitchell Laudert. We all understood that living in a small tight knit town such as Juneau; the smallest of tasks can have the biggest impacts. That is when the light bulb in our intellectual brains and the idea of snow removal came to mind. It was an appropriate job for the winter season. With heavy snow flurries in the forecast, this would be an achievable accomplishment. With the service in mind our next step was to pick a location. We did not want to select the wealthy neighborhoods because the residents there would probably be financially able to pay for such services. The location that we settled on was not a poverty stricken area, but the homes consisted of elderly residence. To avoid complications with the occupants of the home and explain our reasoning for the free service we wanted to only do homes were the residence weren’t present. That did not hold up to a standard when we actually got around to carry out the service. The whole point of going out and helping people of Juneau with their snow blanketed driveways, walkways, and porches too was to gain self respect and also to prove to the world that good can come from anything and anywhere too.

The summer before high school, I decided it was time to get involved in the community. A close family friend who attended my church offered a volunteer position with her organization called Clothes to You that supplies low-income families with free attire. The non-profit organization resonated closely with me as my tribe, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, suffers from severe financial hardships, and realizing how life changing an organization such as this could be I promptly accepted her offer. On designated days we drove the mobile van to predetermined locations and transformed the desolate parking lot to a bustling shopping center. People of all ages filled the aisles and I assisted shoppers searching for outfits as varied as interview

The Union Gospel Mission is a homeless shelter that gives its residents jobs within the shelter. They are able to work in the field that they want to get into; things like cooking, cleaning, and many other things. While we were there, some of us were able to work in the kitchen and help prepare a meal for the residents. As the meal was being made, the rest of us were working out in a warehouse, sorting clothes. When it was time for us to eat, most of the residents had already left the dining hall, but there were still a couple of them there. Those last few people had waited in the dining hall because they had wanted to meet us. One of them, a woman, was so unbelievably thankful to see us there, for us getting out and helping

On December 2nd of 2015, my city of San Bernardino encountered a terrorist attack that took the lives of 14 innocent people and injured 22 at the Inland Regional Center. I can only imagine what it feels like to lose someone whose only intentions were to go to work. This devastated many families and took away their loved ones. Seeing the pain and heartbreak, I knew that there was something that needed to be done. After seeing the chaos go on in my city, I decided to volunteer at my local Salvation Army to do something good in the middle of all this negativity. I donated clothes my family no longer used, blankets, and even pillows for those who couldn't afford them. I also volunteered to serve lunch on the weekends. Seeing their faces knowing

In the fall of 2014 I was presented with the opportunity to go on a missions trip to Zambia. We had a few meetings about this trip and interest grew. Next thing I knew it was March of 2015 and I was headed off to Haiti. Plans had changed but I could never have imagined what great impact this would have on my life.

I was talking to my grandma earlier and I told her my plan and how I was going to give the kids at Children’s Hospital blankets. She said that it was a good idea, but that the hospitals already have a lot of blankets and then she recommended making them for the elderly at Presbyterian Homes who are all one and stuck there. I thought that my grandma’s suggestion was a really good idea and I set a goal for myself to make blankets for Presbyterian Homes. I really enjoyed making the blanket and I learned a lot, and I am looking forward to doing it again tomorrow and this

My service has impacted my community by presenting myself to volunteer and help those that are in need of a help. It allows those to learn more about there is a citizen out there that is willing to help out. While I was doing my two hour service learning at the Thrift Shop, I was able to broaden my horizon out further than usual. This elder man came up to me after I had just placed a heavy couch onto the back of his truck; he thanked me so much and kept thanking God that everything fell right into place. He began telling me how he traveled all the way from Chapel Hill just to pick up this particular couch for his youngest daughter. He was very devastated by the fact no one was able to go with him to pick up this couch. He was concerned of how

During one of our band trips last school year, we had gotten caught up in a sudden blizzard that struck Manitoba and the US/Canadian border. Luckily, we were able to pass the border, but the highways closed indefinitely as we entered the small town of Morris. Considering the size and power of the blizzard, any hopes I had of getting home were dashed. Fortuitously the people of Morris received us with open arms. When we were hungry, a family restaurant went out of their way to serve all 50 of us by opening another section of the restaurant. Moreover, when night fell, the youth club of Morris opened their doors for us and provided us with shelter for the night. I was genuinely touched by the enormous amount of hospitality that the people of Morris

On the way to the soup kitchen I was just thinking about messing up and not doing a good job, but I really should have been thinking about how I should serve others. It was a snowy winter morning. When we pulled into the parking lot I saw a lot of people waiting near the crowded front entrance. Even though the waiting people were bundled from head to toe they still looked cold and miserable.

Upon arrival, our first activity was to work in the trailer park. While these people were not homeless, they were in quite severe poverty. However, they were nothing like one may expect. One was a very friendly older woman who had worked and gone to college in her younger days but she had been abducted and hurt severely in her twenties. Even though that happen, she was cheerful and had poetic talents. Another was a family whose screen door we replaced because they could not afford a new one. The father was hard working and was made sure all of his children had an education and a roof over their head while the mother cooked and cleaned. Each was doing their part to make the best of their lives. The last was a middle aged couple who needed their trailer badly cleaned. They not only were thankful but they prayed over our group before we left. We a blessing to each of their lives but, they were to ours as

Outside of my salon there was a man asking for money for food and drink. I typically do not give homeless money due to the fact that you never really know where the money will end up. However, right beside my hair salon there is a coffee shop called Honey Bun. I went inside and bought the man a water and a sandwich. When I gave the man the food and drink, he was completely astounded. He was extremely thankful for the fact that I had went and purchased these items for him. For me it was a great feeling to do this, I am very fortunate with all the blessing I have and it is my right to give back to the people who are not as fortunate as me. I was extremely happy that I was able to make the mans day and put a smile on his face by performing this act. You never know why these people are on the streets, there are multitudes of reasons, so it is terrible to assume why they are there. The man was so thankful when I gave him the water and the sandwich, he was not going to even let me give them to him as he said it was to much. After I set them down beside him, he thanked me many more times and had a huge smile on his face. Out of all three acts this was the most rewarding for

In the morning we ate breakfast in the dining hall and then, went to morning church service. In service, I noticed how much singing there was and how it played a critical role of worship, similar to the Way of Life Church. Since it was a Friday morning service it was short and the pastor welcomed us for coming. At the end of the service everyone got up, forming a line and we became to shake each other’s hands in the traditional African way. It was different, but I enjoyed being able to greet everyone and I felt a greater connection to the people because of the gesture. Later, we changed and meet with the Diakonia AIDS Ministry team to go over the plan for the day. The ministry team were in high spirits, making jokes and ready to have a good day. Since Fridays were random projects and finishing up projects of the week, we split up into different groups. I was a part of the big garden crew. Although to my surprise it was not the type of gardening I anticipated. We went to an empty field a few blocks away from the compound and it was full of grass and weeds. Basically, the ministry needed us to get rid of all the weeds and rake the soil to be able to replant vegetables. At first, I struggled with the tough dirt, but I later got a hoe instead of the shovel I was using and made gardening much easier. I appreciated how kind the workers were and asking how we were doing or if we needed to take any water breaks. It was hard work that I was not used to. But, once the land was cleared