I’ve always wanted to help people.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to pursue a career in which I could help those who couldn’t help themselves.

And a recent course at the University of North Florida helped to put me on that path and open my eyes to a pressing need in a particular area — access to health care for minorities.

I was born in the Philippines and moved to Japan and then California, where I completed high school. When we moved to Florida to be near family, we had to enroll in the Healthy Kids program, which provides health care for children in low-income families. 

That’s where I learned first-hand how difficult it is for families to find doctors who will accept payments under the program. And when I took a sociology class at UNF titled “Sex, Race and Class,” it helped explain the disparities in health care faced by many minorities in America.

That class, combined with my long-standing interest in medicine, convinced me I wanted to become a doctor. Many immigrants from the Philippines have become nurses. However, I want to break that stereotype and move to the next level of providing medical care to underserved communities.

The UNF pre-med program allowed me the opportunity to attend a summer program at Duke University in which we shadowed physicians in clinical rotations. We also had an opportunity to attend supplementary classes in biology, chemistry and ethics in medicine. It was a wonderful experience because it gave me a glimpse into the world of medicine.

All of these experiences together have convinced me I want to be a doctor. But my dream wouldn’t have been a possibility without the scholarships I’m receiving under the Jacksonville Commitment and Pathways scholarship programs. These scholarships have taken a tremendous financial burden off my family and allowed me to focus solely on preparing for medical school. 

My time at UNF has exposed me to numerous transformational learning opportunities, and I’m sure I’ll have many more that will enrich my college experience. I’ve already benefitted from the help offered by fellow students in study groups, and I have had great interaction with faculty members in my classes thanks to the University’s small class sizes.

 

My faith has played a very large role in my life. Becoming a doctor may seem far-fetched for someone, like me, with so many barriers to higher education. But I firmly believe that if this is what I’m supposed to do, the road will be paved for me. My UNF scholarships are an example of that belief in action.

My goals remain unchanged. I want to help people.

One day, I hope to return to my native country to provide health care through a medical mission program while establishing a primary care practice in the United States.

It’s an ambitious goal, but UNF is helping me achieve it.