My love for serving underserved communities came into fruition after volunteering for several mission trips in the West Virginia Appalachian Mountains. There I witnessed how rural communities in the United States are severely experiencing health inequities and extreme poverty. These rural communities are subject to poor housing and education, less access to healthcare, and economic hardships. This experience sparked a fire in my heart to learn about how we can shift the narrative and advocate for change.

During my undergraduate years, I had the pleasure of serving in the core leadership team of the InterVarsity organization. Through this experience, I was given opportunities to develop student leaders, break the stigma of addressing mental health in my community, and become part of perpetuating a culture of acceptance and understanding within ethnically diverse communities. Being a leader in diverse organizations is one of the main reasons I aspire to be a culturally competent pharmacist. This is an aspect of healthcare that is so vital in order to connect and advocate for our patients.

Before entering pharmacy school, I worked as a laboratory consultant within a pharmaceutical company. Beyond my lab work, I wanted to continue serving my community and became involved in volunteer work for my organization. I became one of the event coordinators for my team and spearheaded charity events such as our Annual Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Light the Night Walk, local food drives, and any events that contributed to local charity work. This has taught me that we are able to serve the underserved in any aspect of our lives.