Prompt 1: What Inspiration Means to You

Complete this sentence: “Inspiration is…”

possibility in the midst of adversity. To inspire is to provide a platform for others to surpass expectations by dismantling the constraints of limited opportunities.

Describe one specific moment when you inspired, supported, or uplifted another person. Include where you were, who was involved, and what happened.

As an active member of the Ethiopian Community Association of Greater Buffalo, I discussed with other members at a graduation celebration last week. Abiyu Aynalem, the President of the ECAGB, asked me to present information about the Misraq Education Initiative, an organization I founded in February. As I explained to them, the program instructs 100 under-resourced Grade 1-5 students from the Misraq Ghion Pre-Primary and Primary School in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia on Natural and Environmental Science and mathematics. With 15 selected student volunteers from the Haile-Manas Academy and in collaboration with Partners in Education Ethiopia, the program provides students with an opportunity to have access to education during political unrest this August. After I answered their questions, many of them expressed their continued interest in improving youth education and their struggle to begin. My sharing of this story inspired others in my community to prioritize action over words with connection.

What did you specifically do or say in that moment, and why did you choose that approach?

With an understanding that mere transparency allows for involvement, I shared the difficulties that served as an impasse in my progress with the ECAGB members. In the past few months, I have received 2 microscope donations from JH Technologies and am currently negotiating on a 25 computer discount from Mission: Ignite. As I suggested the expensive cost of shipping such materials through cargo, a member offered to donate, which inspired more donations that night. Despite misconceptions that a leader shouldn’t rely on others for assistance, as I developed authentic relationships with members, I alleviated a potential challenge with my community.

What was the outcome and what did it teach you?

Growing up as a first-generation daughter of Ethiopian immigrants in Buffalo, my mother has unequivocally emphasized the importance of valuing community. This idea reflected in how I fundraised and connected with teachers at the Misraq Ghion School. As ECAGB members continued to share my project with their contacts, I was able to raise more than $2,500, allowing free admission for all students. I witnessed how relevant it is to reflect integrity in adversity.

Name one specific audience you want to serve in your healthcare career, one method you would use to uplift them, and one way you would know your efforts are making a difference.

Recognizing socioeconomic factors that prevent many youth from receiving quality healthcare, I will provide my service to impoverished children as a pediatric physician. As the founder of the Misraq Education Initiative, I work with Grade 1-5 children at the Misraq Ghion Pre-Primary and Primary School who often lack access to primary physicians, dental care, and hygiene products. Therefore, I aspire to open global clinics that offer free medical service to children. My evidence of a lasting impact is when my work inspires others to establish more organizations that improve availability of healthcare for children who are unable to afford it.

Prompt 2: Your Intentional Action

Describe one specific action you are currently taking to inspire or uplift people around you.

As the first Black and female President of the Class of 2028 at Williamsville North High School, I have worked to be a paragon of excellence to encourage the other minority students at my predominately white high school to seek leadership roles. This year, I have raised over $2,000 for my class prom and ensured that I continuously listen to our student body’s voices, evident in the student body’s design of our Class merch.

How often do you do this? How long have you been doing it?

I dedicated approximately 5 hours a week as the Class President this past year. Additionally, I was also re-elected to serve in the upcoming year.

Describe one small moment, interaction, or detail from doing this action that has stayed with you. What makes it memorable?

During my Class President campaign this year, an unfamiliar student approached me as she remarked that I had inspired her to run for President of our school’s Muslim Student Association. As a once timid freshman, I was seldom told that my work had impacted someone to reflect more confidence. Prior to that interaction, students frequently felt inclined to input suggestions such as a new Class logo, fundraiser ideas, and offered to participate in our Class Instagram posts. These moments remind me of my responsibility in not only being an example for my peers, but to learn from them.

What have you seen change as a direct result of what you are doing?

Historically, at my high school, the composition of Class officers have been predominately men. However, this year, many students expressed their interest in student government because of my efforts throughout the year to ensure student involvement in our decisions. To my delight, a female student ran for Vice President and won this election, improving the previous trend of limited diversity in our school’s leadership positions. Additionally, I established new opportunities for students who didn’t win the election by working with them on our social media posts, in promoting our fundraisers to the general public, and in communicating with students.

Prompt 3: Who You Are When No One Is Watching

Describe one meaningful thing you do regularly that most people around you never see or recognize. Be specific about what it is, who is involved, how often you do it, and how long you have been doing it.

Throughout the past two years, I have been studying research papers regarding AML and the interaction between PARP inhibitors like Talazoparib and TAS-102. My reading inspired me to establish my own research question which I have fortunately been able to develop further at Roswell Park under the supervision of Dr. Andrei Bakin. This summer, I am interning at this lab where I work with Western Blotting techniques, agarose gels, and blood PBMC isolation. I plan to begin my independent research at this lab in the fall, which is an interest that I have sought to pursue since my early childhood.

Why do you keep doing this, even without recognition or reward? What drives you to show up for it consistently?

As a student pursuing a career in pediatric oncology, I recognize that impactful patient care begins with lab research. The work that my colleagues have done, particularly with the combined TAS-102/Talazoparib treatment in AML and colorectal cancers, has been implemented in clinical trials and prompted favorable patient outcomes. Therefore, I recognize that the true reward of research is in offering patient relief and supporting individuals who have already lost significantly from cancer. My cousin’s cancer diagnosis in 2022 exposed me to a harsh reality, which is one factor that supports my efforts in providing more available medicine for patients.

Based on what you just described, what has doing this taught you about the healthcare professional you want to become?  Point to one specific moment or realization that brought that lesson into focus.

During this Roswell Park research opportunity, I have been able to understand the importance of personalized treatment as a physician. The outcomes of patients with the same cancer and the same medicinal chemotherapy often vary because of the systemic interaction of metastatic tumors with the different bodies of each patient. Last week, as I was splitting cells, a PhD student informed me that the amount of media and growth time is dependent on the particular cell line. She connected this to one reason why medicinal therapies have reflected contradictory results in clinical trials, often conveying both success and failure.