I knew at a young age my purpose was to help others although I wasn’t quite sure what kind of help I was meant to give. Being born in Winter Haven and attending Lake Region High School, I was given the amazing opportunities to volunteer in various sectors of the community. My favorite times were spent at the local hospitals, working as a “candy-striper” in different clinics and shadowing several physicians in various specialties. This was it! I was built for a life in medicine. I went on to the University of Florida where I spent my four years of undergraduate studies not only in the classrooms and labs but also as a volunteer EMT on weekends, surgical assistant and physical therapist aide. My love for science and health only grew with each experience. I was then accepted to Nova Southeastern University College of Medicine and was able to attend this prestigious private school through a scholarship program funded by the United States Navy. The Navy allowed me exclusive field experiences such as Combat Casualty and Trauma courses and my love for emergency medicine flourished.