I was born and raised in Reno, Nevada. I grew up watching my mom attend and graduate nursing school, and I saw the satisfaction she gained with her job by helping others. This, along with the interactions I had with medical professionals growing up, inspired me to pursue medicine. As the first member of my family to attend and graduate from medical school, my time before medicine was unconventional, spent working in the food and beverage industry. One of my jobs was working at the same restaurant my mom had worked at while she attended nursing school. I maintained a number of industry jobs until the nationwide lockdowns. During that time is when I learned I was offered a position in the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV Class of 2024. With this life-changing news, I packed up my life in Reno and moved to Las Vegas in a matter of four weeks to pursue this long sought for opportunity.

My journey during medical school has been both challenging and rewarding in numerous ways. In these short, yet also long, four years, I have faced the hardships of losing my childhood dog as well as my grandmother, two individuals who made a significant impact on my life. However, this time has given me my two beautiful godchildren, Levi and Lina, as well as another amazing dog companion, Kenai. Additionally, I met some of my closest friends, Cate and Diana, during these past four years. I am grateful for my time here, for the friends I have made, the patients I have encountered, and for the personal growth I have made. I look forward to the next steps in my future career as a radiologist.

One of my most rewarding experiences throughout medical school has been my involvement with the local organization Signs of Hope. As an advocate, my focus has been to provide unwavering support to survivors of sexual assault, human trafficking, and other forms of violence. Since the initial stages of my involvement in my first year of medical school, I have used my position to offer a safe space for survivors, guiding them on their path toward healing. This experience has allowed me to acquire essential skills in attentive listening and meaningful communication that have fostered my personal growth and will undoubtedly contribute to my strength as a future physician.

I anticipate my residency program to guide the direction of my career in radiology.