I am fortunate; I have three beautiful, healthy, and happy childhood growing up here in the state of California. I am not rich, but at the same time, I am not homeless, but when it comes to medical care, we can choose and see any doctor we want. It is almost impossible to travel one mile in any direction and not find an Internalist or family medicine. I failed to mention that I am also scared to death; my daughter, a little over a month old, has a small congenital disability, a hole in her heart known as Atrial Septal Defect (ASD). Now to many of those in the medical field, this is not a big issue; many ASD close up on its own after a few months; however, some infants may require a small surgery with a Pediatric Cardiologist, and for some, they can still have a normal life and grow to adulthood with few to no issues…unfortunately no guarantee, but it is treatable. After hearing about this condition for the first time, I had to look it up online at how serious ASD is and what risk poses to my newborn baby; sadly, my Pediatrician could not inform me of the severity of the issue and had us wait for almost a month before we can talk to a Pediatric Cardiologist.

Now let us travel over 8,600 miles from the United States to a remote village in Tanzania called Narumu, located at the foot of Kilimanjaro, mothers who are pregnant must travel over 20miles by foot to reach the nearest medical clinic and ten times that to a comprehensive medical facility. Due to the lack of running water, limited medical supplies, a single oil lamp, and only a single doctor, 24/7 mothers seeking to give birth must risk everything from going into active labor in the middle of the desert to possible infection lack of hygiene maintenance. My personal belief is that all mothers, regardless of country, financial status, and more, should have access to a safe and clean facility to give birth and recover. Tujenge Maisha, Swahili for changing lives, has been at the forefront to make a difference for mothers in Tanzania. In 2018, I had sat on the board as a volunteer to bring awareness and promoting change half a world away. (Tujenge Maisha is a 501c3 non-profit)

Here in the US, I want to work with my sister, who is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and an Orthopedist, to open facilities in the state of Texas (as a start) and advocate the need for additional Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy for patients who are having a difficult time affording it. With my bachelor's in Business Management and now adding a Master's of Public Health to my repertoire, I intend to use the skills I have learned from academia and as a business owner to promote more Physical Therapy to promote faster recovery and improve quality of life.

To achieve success in the MPH program, I have arranged my schedule to accommodate all aspects of my life; for the most part, almost everything is flexible, especially my work. As a business owner, I can assign more or less work each week based on how many catering deliveries I wish and or need to deliver. It isn’t going to be easy, but it is worth it! In the past, I have delved into the idea of obtaining a Master’s degree, but what held me back was my mentality of fear. Growing up, I had allowed fear to drive the decisions that I make in life, and in doing so, I have made painful mistakes and lost opportunities. Wanting to pursue a Master's program was something I have always wanted to do. Although I recognize fear of rejection is possible, I realized that it is better to have a chance at failing than never having a chance at success. Please don’t get me wrong, I still have fears of how I will do, but that is also because I have much respect and admiration for this field and want to learn and succeed. The course work for Masters of Public Health will help me in great lengths, from my child’s elementary school Parent Teacher Association to raising awareness of the dangers a mother can experience during labor a half-world away.

Added 04/25/2021 - As the internship program winding down, there are key things to note. In the beginning, I was hoping for a remote internship, and due to the pandemic, it unexpectedly happened. However, I knew balancing between my business, family, coursework, PTA, and internship would be a juggling act. After everything my family and I have gone through, we came out with a few bumps and bruises. Honestly, I did not know what to expect due to current events, as much of it was out of my control. However, if I could have done things differently with no additional variables, I have worked my practicum at the internship site. Communication and interaction with both the preceptor and site staff can foster team critical thinking and develop a supportive work atmosphere. The whole experience taught me a valuable lesson that I am proud of, taking criticism as a learning moment and not personally. I know this doesn't sound much, but I have had to fight to survive and took criticism as personal insecurity. I had to be mindful that the errors in my work are learning opportunities.