I draw all of my inspiration from my family and the traditions that we have carried for

centuries. I treasure the idea of uniting my ancient roots with my present life to create something

that is progressive yet still joins me to my family’s lineage. We have certain values and traditions

that have been passed down through the generations, but the most important one to me is putting

others before yourself. I have seen this tradition of selflessness with my own eyes and heard

stories about it, specifically those about my great-grandmother the healer. My family has a long

history of helping others, and this is a tradition that I am proud to continue as a future doctor.

I have always wanted to work in the scientific field, but I didn’t realize my passion for

medicine until eighth-grade. Halfway through the year, I was diagnosed with a life-threatening,

incurable endocrine disorder called adrenal insufficiency. It changed my entire life and was a

very difficult diagnosis to accept. I could no longer live my life the way I had before and had to

live every day cautiously. My family was a huge comfort to me during this time, especially my

grandmother. She told me so many stories to help me feel better and one of them changed my

perspective completely. It was a simple story, the story of her mother, and it set my trajectory

forever.

My great-grandmother, Consuelo Talavera, was a healer. She healed people holistically

and, according to family lore, could work miracles. One of the stories about her that I remember

the most clearly is how she would pray over the body of a sick child for hours and when she

finished, the child’s fever would’ve broken. I was amazed. My grandmother went on to describe

other things her mother would do to help people, things like making them special foods when

they were ill, massaging their shoulders when they hurt, recommending special herbs for an

upset stomach, and even just lending an ear when the ailment was emotional, within someone’s
heart. As she spoke, I realized that she was healing me. Her stories and her unconditional love

were her version of her mother’s healing abilities. They healed my heart when I was hurting after

my diagnosis. They healed my mind. She was just like her mother: Consuelo healed people both

physically and emotionally. My grandmother said that she saw her mother in me. Honored, I

decided then and there that I would go into medicine. This story of tradition and love inspired me

more than anything else; I wanted to be just like Consuelo.

Deciding that you want to go into medicine is a big commitment. It means recognizing a

need and dedicating yourself and your whole life to helping other people. This devotion to

service is a quality that has been instilled in me since I was very young and I have accumulated

over 250 hours of community service over my years in high school. Being able to serve others in

a medical capacity and help them to heal is something that I am striving to do. I want to be able

to improve people’s lives, but particularly those of children. My great-grandmother healed

children and I have chosen pediatric endocrinology as the field in which I want to work. I want

to help children who have been diagnosed with endocrine disorders because I know what it’s like

to live with one. Also, as someone who has experienced a life-changing diagnosis, I would be

able to empathize with my patients and treat them to the best of my ability, both in the physical

and in the emotional aspects of medicine. I want to be a modern-day healer.

I find my inspiration in my family’s traditions, specifically the healing. Medicine, as well

as uniting my passion for science and my love for service, would also enable me to connect with

my family’s roots. It is a way for me to carry on my family’s tradition of service and my

great-grandmother’s healing abilities, thus connecting me powerfully to my lineage. I want to

unite the ancient and the modern, and the emotional and physical aspects of the medical
profession. I believe that doctors are charged with more than just the care and keeping of the

human body, they are responsible for the treatment of the mind and soul, too. The human psyche

is just as important as the physical body, something that my great-grandmother knew and

embraced. By caring for my patients with both scientific knowledge and empathy, I would help

them to heal in both the body and in the soul.

Recently, my inspiration has magnified. My grandmother passed away unexpectedly nine

days ago. She was my source of healing stories and unconditional love and really, really good

chicken soup. I miss her. My inspiration has shifted to include her. It has changed into my desire

to live up to her words and her actions. She saw the good in everyone and everything and helped

people to heal emotionally and physically. Honoring my grandmother’s memory and living up to

the example she set has become an integral part of my motivation and my inspiration to go into

medicine. She always talked to me about my future plans and our family’s past and I will miss

our conversations dearly. It is up to me now to continue the family tradition of service and

healing. My ancestors live on in me and it is my responsibility to carry on their legacy in all that

I do and achieve. My family is, and will always be, the source of my inspiration and my

motivation in every action that I take throughout my life.