About me
When asked “tell me about yourself” I typically blank. In an effort to help answer this question, I asked close friends- the people who see me day in and day out- how THEY see me. Answers came in quickly. “Supportive.” “Outgoing.” “Spontaneous.” “Enthusiastic.” “Driven.”
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“Driven.” Academically, I have always had big goals. Since my freshman year, I have had the goal of attending medical school after graduation. When asked what specifically I want to go into after medical school, I always have a two part answer. “Well, it depends on where I’m working. If it’s in the States, emergency room medicine. The real goal is to one day work for Doctors Without Borders, though.” I learned about the organization Doctors Without Borders when I was around 7 years old and my family received a paper map of places the organization helped to provide aid after my mother agreed to give a 10 dollar monthly donation. I remember looking at that map for hours, going so far as to hang it on my door, and reading the little blurbs about doctors working where care was needed, and training local medical professionals to do the work in the future. I remember looking up at the map thinking “I want to do that.” In all honesty, the spontaneity of emergency medicine and international aid have also always intrigued me. I hate sitting still, and I love the idea that I am able to do something that can directly save lives and help those around me.
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“Enthusiastic.” With my schooling, I always knew that I didn’t want the “traditional” pre-medical path- typically a Biology, Biochemistry, or Chemistry major. The subjects had never interested me, and, more importantly, I wanted something that allowed me to learn more about the public health side of medicine and to communicate with those around me, which I think are important parts of being a medical professional. When looking for majors, I stumbled upon the LIH major and, as someone who had taken French in high school, thought “this could be fun.” I soon applied. Within my first week of classes, I knew how much I loved the major. I loved that it gave me a chance to learn about WHY people did what they did. I loved that it gave me a chance to learn another language. I loved the idea of studying abroad. As I’ve continued through the major, this thought process has continued, and I’ve fallen more in love with the major. I am excited and enthusiastic to go to my classes because I get to see how what I am learning in class applies to the world around me.
“Outgoing.” One of the reasons I’ve wanted to learn another language is the importance I see in communicating with others. I’ve been told before that I can talk to a brick wall, but it’s more than that. To quote a friend “all people are people, and they deserve to be listened to.” Learning a language allows you to communicate with the world around you and see their viewpoints. Studying abroad, I was able to use my French skills to learn more about the culture and people in Montpellier than I ever would have been able to do speaking only English. The language has allowed me to gain a greater understanding of the world, but, on the other hand, also a greater compassion for those learning English around me. I have been the woman in a shop struggling to order my food, and I have been the friend helping another to come up with proper phrasing for a sentence.
“Supportive.” Throughout college, I’ve had the opportunity to take on a support role through working at the Clemson Free Clinic. Not only does this volunteer position at the clinic, which serves those without insurance and within 100% of the poverty line in Clemson and surrounding areas, allow me to take a deep dive into primary care, but also to interact with low income patients and assist them in receiving necessary care. I, along with other volunteers, spend time both assisting patients and assisting with administrative tasks to help the clinic run smoothly.
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I think that it’s important to not only know how your friends see you, though. It’s also important to think of how you see yourself. When thinking of how I see myself, a few words come to mind.
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The first is empathy. I’ve taken it upon myself to try to always look at the world through an empathetic lens. This has been helped by the different jobs I have done throughout college. Working as an Emergency Medical scribe did not just make me fall in love with the hustle and bustle of emergency medicine, but also gave me the opportunity to see people of all walks of life and help to provide them care. Doctors would sometimes make negative or insensitive comments about patients such as “why would they come in with this?” and every time a doctor did, I made a point to think up reasons that a patient might come in with something considered ‘minor’. Maybe they were scared, or maybe the symptoms seemed much worse to them than they do to us. I also vowed to never judge another person for reaching out for help.
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Caring and community also are important for me. Not only caring for patients, but for those around me. As mentioned previously, one of my friends described me as supportive, which I will say made me proud. I try to always be a friend to lean on and someone who others feel they can talk to without judgment. I believe that the community around you can make or break any experience, and it’s important to not only find your own but help those struggling to do the same. My junior and senior year, I’ve had the opportunity to serve as the Clemson Hillel president. Hillel, a Jewish student organization, is small, and not very well known on Clemson’s predominantly Christian campus. At events, other students have casually mentioned how nice it is to have a place where they do not feel judged or “awkward” for not fitting into the Christian culture of Clemson. It makes me happy to know that I have helped to create a community for them.
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Finally, there is the word zeal. I learned it just recently, but I think it is the perfect word. I try to look at life with zeal- energy and enthusiasm. I try to go into my days excited to see what comes next. I hope to carry this zeal to the future and become a medical provider who seems excited to see her patients and help them.
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I am, as well, more than my academics, work, and volunteer experiences. I am a student and a learner, but that is just the beginning. Through this website, I hope that you have the chance to see not only the “presentable” aspects of myself, but also my personality. I am a hiker who loves nothing more than seeing the top of a mountain. I am a runner. I am a (very intermediate but very zealous) chef who tries to find new recipes each week. I am a music lover, including, to my friends’ dismay, country. I am a (rather new) rock climber. I am a traveler who has been to over a dozen countries with hopes to see more. I am a reader and occasionally a poet. I am a loving daughter, friend, and sister.