This is who I am

I just remember feet. And voices. And the bug net I used to lie underneath at night.

I was born in Uganda, living there until I was adopted at the age of 6. Now, I am from a small town of about 300 people (many of which are my own relatives) in Alaska, where I live with my parents, four siblings, twenty-eight cousins and a number of others. I love my family and my home, but I knew I needed to get somewhat away for college. I didn’t want to go too far, but SPU was the perfect location. It was new, open-minded, accepting and just the place I wanted to go for college.

Because I am a Republican and I grew up in a conservative, Christian household, it is easy for people to think that I am closed minded. Because of my beliefs and where I am from, people think that I do not want to hear their opinions and beliefs, and they think that I judge them for beliefs that do not coincide with my own. This is the opposite of the truth though. I love people, no matter their beliefs or their differences from me. I want to hear about other people’s opinions, I want people to know that they can talk to me without the fear of being judged. Whether people assume so or not, I am actually a very open-minded person.

I want to be an OB/GYN, and I know that this career field necessitates a lot of compassion and understanding. I want to be able to care for new babies as well as new mothers, no matter what their background or decisions are. I have a heart for all kinds of people, no matter where they are from, who they identify as or the kind of beliefs they hold. This is who I am and I hope that others can see that as I do.