I have a strong passion for God, people, and service.
I have been blessed with opportunities to travel all over the country and the world to help serve others. I have worked in homeless shelters both local and abroad, aided in rebuilding homes and churches, and helped various communities in need. After seeing incredible levels of poverty and need in different cities, I was inspired to pursue medicine to help those who were less fortunate than myself. As I have gotten closer to reaching my goal, this drive has only increased; I can think of no better way to spend my life than by helping others.
Pictured below are some examples of ways that I have served, both internationally and locally.
Haiti
I was fortunate enough to go to Port au Prince, Haiti while I was still in high school. Although this small, beautiful country is only a two hour flight from the coast of Miami, the two cities could not be more different. The extreme poverty I experienced while I was there awakened me like no other experience. We worked on the coast of the city in an area known as Canaan; the people there lived in little tarps, barely getting by each day solely through donations. This sobering experience helped me to become a more generous person and gave me an intrinsic sense of purpose to thelp the people in the world who weren't born with all the opportunities that I was.
Baptist Collegiate Ministries
I got involved in the Baptist Collegiate Ministries during my freshman year at the University of Florida. Unbeknownst to me, this group would shape my life for many years to come. I not only had the opportunity to lead multiple Bible studies, but I was also blessed by being able to serve as President. I lead and facilitated a team of about 30 students as they organized fundraisers, community outreach events, visits to local homeless shelters, and mission trips to the US and abroad. I have never been involved with a group of people who were so committed to loving others and making the world a better place. It was an honor to lead them and to serve alongside them in so many different capacities.
Portland
After my sophomore year of college, I flew out west to spend six weeks living in Portland, Oregon with about 40 other college students. The trip was part of a movement called Generation Send, put together by the North American Mission Board. We lived in the middle of the city, tasked with digging into the community there in order to determine what people valued and looked for to be successful in their lives. Although this was an incredibly tough six weeks, I don't think there was any period of time where I grew more in tune with other people than I did in Portland. While I was there, I was able to serve in homeless shelters and on sports teams; it was through this that I really got to know the people around me and learn a bit more about what makes people tick. This experience really showed me how to love others and look after their own needs before my own.
