What drew you to the field of medicine?

At an early age, I became interested in medicine, especially eyes, as any nearsighted, color-blind third grader with a charismatic eye doctor would. I have struggled with vision problems since childhood, so I have lots of experience from the patient side of medicine. As I got older, medicine also seemed like the perfect combination of my love for science and caring for others. When I become a doctor, I will get to apply this love of teaching, serving, and spending time with others that I discovered working as a swim coach, tutor, and student teacher. I’m excited to get involved in research here at USC as well, pushing the boundaries of science to make people’s lives happier and healthier.

What are your plans after attending medical school?

After attending medical school, I hope to become either an ophthalmologist or neurologist. I plan to stay in my home state of South Carolina, serving and investing my time in the people here, while also influencing positive change elsewhere through medical mission trips abroad. I also hope to use a career in medicine to advocate for the often-underserved Hispanic community, for which my Spanish biliteracy should be very helpful.