Stephanie's Story

My passion is about helping others overcome health challenges.

I first discovered my passion when my dad was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Every day when he would come home from work, I measured his blood pressure and tried to be gentle as I stuck the needle into his finger. Everyday I would research what my mom should pack him for lunch, and during dinner I would eat the same thing he ate that way he would not feel alone. The hardest part of this, was not being able to see him healthy, because he lost a lot of weight in a short period of time. I would also feel sad because even though I tried my best to make him laugh, I knew deep down inside he was really hurting going through all these needles and medication. This first hand experience of me dealing with someone who is not fully healthy helped me discover that in the future I would like to be a physician. Now my dad still has type 2 diabetes, but he does not have to prick his finger everyday and he can sometimes go off his diet.

My passion will be developed by learning the skills taught at the National Youth Leaders Forum on Medicine. Participating in this intensive program on healthcare and medicine would allow me to actually practice surgeries and practice how I would treat my patients if they were going into surgery. This program will help me by allowing me to gain hands-on experience and will help me learn if I really want to pursue a career in the medical field. By participating in this program I will be more aware of what the medical field has to offer it is what I would eventually like to do for a career.