From a young age, Gandhi’s quote “be the change you wish to see in the world” resonated with me and for a long time, I viewed this quote as a guide to how I should choose my future career. When I was younger, people often asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. At the age of five, I would have told you I wanted to be a dentist, but my mind quickly changed after I went to my first dental appointment. After the birth of my younger brother at the age of eight, I would have told you I wanted to be an OBGYN or pediatrician and that would have been my response until my teenage years. In high school, I would have told you I wanted to become a Dermatologist so that I could help other people who have severe skin conditions growing up just as I did.

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Though my ideal career goal altered a lot while growing up, the overall constant theme that remained was that I wanted a career in the health field so that I could aid others and help improve their lives.

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Growing up, I was always able to empathize with individuals and put myself in their shoes so that I could better aid them. Without realizing it, I began to grow a love for listening to people’s stories, learning about their different perspectives, and becoming more aware of their culture and background. But at the time I didn’t know what that meant for my life.

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As time progressed, my passion for learning about diverse groups of people morphed into an eager urge to learn more about the parts of the world I was unaccustomed to. Though I knew my passion lied in helping others through the health field, I began to view the potential help I could offer others one day from a more global and cultural competent standpoint. I began to consider how the cultures of others impact their health, how living in a certain part of the world affected the resources that an individual had, and how our diverse viewpoints and beliefs affect how we view and define health.  It was at this point that my passion for health and my passion for global experience and education intertwined into one.

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Over the years, my love and knowledge for global experience has expanded. From traveling to different parts of the U.S. to visiting place such as Paris, I have had the amazing opportunity to learn more about the world around me and the people that inhabit it. I’ve been able to merge my passions for health and global experiences by utilizing my skills and knowledge in the health field to experiences in Northern Ireland, volunteer work that aided young girls in sub – Saharan Africa, a research opportunity that had a focus on African countries, and my upcoming adventure – a Community Health Educator in Cameroon as a Peace Corps volunteer.

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Though many years have passed and I am now older and wiser, Gandhi’s quote still holds a special place in my heart however, instead of directing how I choose my future career, it guides my outlook on life and what I can contribute to the world. Though I strive to learn about the world and those around me and create a positive change in their life, I now know that the change I wish to see in the world must start within me.

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