My first vivid memory is very much an analogy of what I have experienced and learned in

my lifetime. I was four years old and it was my first time going to a water park. I was ecstatic!
After scanning all that was to offer, I ran to the largest slide I saw. Grabbing my dad’s hand, I
ran straight up the stairs only to be greeted by disappointment. I was too short to ride. My hopes
dashed, my dad had to carry my crying self down the stairs.
In my eighteen years of life, I have encountered many similar rejections. Going in with high
hopes, I only came out with sadness. However, I have come to accept the fact that you will not
accomplish your hopes and dreams without putting in your all. With that in mind, I applied to the
University of Washington because I loved what could be provided to me on and off campus.
There is such a diverse field of opportunities for me to explore in Seattle. I knew that Seattle
would allow me to pursue my passion for exploration and curiosity that developed the first time I
entered into that water park. However, I also was looking for that tight, intimate liberal arts
education that I knew I could not find at a Research 1 institute. Fortunately, I learned about the
UW Honors Program and it caught my attention right away. To be a part of the Honors Program
would bring me the best of both worlds. I happily sent in my application only to be waitlisted.
Knowing the program was extremely competitive, I waited to see if I would be lucky enough to
get off the list and be accepted.
A few months later, I received an email stating that I was taken off the waitlist and accepted
into the program! I was overjoyed! Since being accepted, I have been given an immense amount
of resources that I cannot wait to use. I am now part of a close-knit community that will still
allow me to continue to explore my curiosity. I want to explore the research opportunities that
are available both through the University and the Program. I want to delve deep into the various
classes that are offered only by the Honors Program because of their interdisciplinary angle they
are taught at. I want to join communities that share similar interests as I do and develop
meaningful relationship with peers and faculty. Lastly, I want to embody what it really means to
be a Dawg. Like what Dr. Lawson and my Biology professor, Dr. Freeman said, to be a Dawg is
to be resilient, determined and passionate.
I understand now that I was accepted into the Honors Program because others were able to
see that I wanted to make a difference in this world. I grew up surrounded by physicians, living
in wealthy neighborhoods and going to modern hospitals. For many of my younger years, I was
blind to what was happening outside of my little bubble. As I stepped out, I saw poverty, people
not have accessible healthcare, deteriorating infrastructure and a lack of educational systems. I
was stunned, but also inspired to fix those problems.
A few years ago, I was lucky enough to do clinical research at the Vascular Department in
Oregon Health and Sciences University. During that time, I met one of my mentors, Ms. Kryger.
She gave me tremendous amounts of opportunities to further explore medicine and combine that
along with my passion for humanitarian aid. We collaborated with Love Does, a non-profit
organization that had already built an educational system in Gulu, Uganda. Together, we spent
months setting up an extremely successful silent auction that raised over $30,000 to build a
medical clinic in Gulu, Uganda. My dream is to one day travel over there and see the hopefully
positive responses from the community.
These experiences have all guided me to pursue medicine and one day be able to offer my
assistance to third-world countries and impoverished communities domestically. While my
impact on the world may be small, I know that others are still able to see the little changes. I
want to thank the Honors Program for seeing the potential I have and being there to support me
as I continue my journey.