Degrees: B.S. in Biology, Minors in Chemistry and Neuroscience
How did the Stamps Scholarship help shape your undergraduate experience?
The Stamps Scholarship gave me the opportunity to participate in some of the most influential experiences abroad that helped solidify my desire to pursue medicine and encouraged me to work in global health care in the future. Traveling to Belize my freshman year on a medical service trip was my first hands-on clinical experience that immersed me in the healthcare setting. Three years later, I participated in my third and last medical service trip to Ecuador after gaining valuable clinical experiences in my hometown and becoming even more committed to the medical profession. I have always had an interest in healthcare, but the opportunities opened to me through the Stamps Scholarship pushed me to consider how I could serve the global community beyond my own expectations.
Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give your freshman self?
If you have any interest in something at all, find a way to immerse yourself in it. I think what makes each of us so unique is sometimes the hobbies, traits, and passions that we tend to not intentionally invest time in. These interests are also often what help us maintain balance in our lives and remind us how to focus on what’s truly important to us. Don’t neglect working on something just because you aren’t getting a grade on it; it all matters too.
Who has had the greatest impact on you throughout your college career and how so?
Two of my closest friends, Pooja Malhotra and Katie Suggs, have had the greatest impact on me. From giving me advice on my next steps to reminding me when to just take a break, they were a consistent source of support for me in college!
What’s your favorite Stamps Scholar memory?
Attending my last Stamps Scholars National Convention was one of my favorite Stamps memories. My thread group was focused on terrorism and refugees, and these issues gave me the opportunity to have incredibly insightful conversations with students at so many schools.
What comes next?
I will be starting medical school this Fall at the Medical University of South Carolina!
Please share your favorite inspirational quote.
“You can’t ever reach perfection, but you can believe in an asymptote toward which you are ceaselessly striving.” – Dr. Paul Kalanithi