In writing my secondary application to MCG, we were asked to describe what diversity means to you. What follows is a piece of writing that I am both very proud of and that also provides an accurate description of who I am:

I believe in celebrating differences. I believe that differences allow for a unique opportunity for learning and growth. However, for as much as we stand to gain from being different, there exists much adversity in being labeled so. During the past ten years, the number of Latin Americans in my hometown has increased exponentially. The influx has started changing the demographic in schools, the language on signs, and people’s attitudes towards those that are different. Instead of sympathizing with the largely negative views of the influx, I decided to use the opportunity to learn and grow. Upon entering university I resolved to double major in Genetics and Spanish. I chose to become more proficient in the Spanish language and more knowledgeable about the culture. Furthermore, I decided to become involved in the Latin American Community in Athens. I spent the past year volunteering with 5 and 6 year olds in an after school program called Early Readers First in which I taught the pre-Kindergarteners how to read and write in English. However, teaching English was only half the lesson. My fellow volunteers and I spoke Spanish to the children and strived to communicate that their native language was nothing to be embarrassed about or ashamed of using. Instead, it was something to celebrate. At first, they were reluctant to speak Spanish to me. However, after a time, they grew to know me and chose to speak to me in Spanish. To say that I only taught them would be a half-truth. Though they were a mere 5 years old, the amount that I learned from them was truly remarkable. Despite being from extremely low-income families, I learned how much love they had for their family members and, if given the right opportunity, how eager they were to learn.

My mother has worked as an Occupational Therapist for over 30 years. Often after she came home from work, my brothers and I would hear stories of the truly remarkable people she would meet as she helped them recover after a traumatic injury or disease process. Through her, I’ve seen the positive impact of working with people who are not the same as yourself. She taught me the value of seeing a person as a person, no matter what their race, sexual orientation, or culture as well as what one stands to gain to opening his heart or mind to the stories and knowledge of people of various socioeconomic backgrounds. My mother has been involved with various professors and individuals of the Medical College of Georgia School of Occupational Therapy. She has been a Clinical Instructor for Occupational Therapy student interns from the MCG School of Occupational Therapy as they begin their practical training. Through her volunteer work as President of the Georgia Occupational Therapy Association, she has worked closely with faculty members of the MCG School of Occupational Therapy.

It is these experiences that have ignited in me a passion to pursue a career in medicine. By involving myself with various communities, I have learned the positive impact that can be gained by experiencing and understanding diversity. The practice of Medicine has the power to reach everyone. I hope to be able to bring the benefits of quality medical care to those who are in need of it, and in the process, continue to learn and be humbled by the awesome diversity that exists in all parts of the world.