My grandmother, who is very active in the Catholic Church, has always urged me to do things out of the goodness of my heart. This passion for service, combined with an interest in the human body, cultivated my passion for the medical profession. When my teacher advertised KP LAUNCH as a summer internship opportunity, I knew I had to take advantage of it.
I applied, got accepted, and the doors flew open. When I started the program, I received a warm welcome from my designated department: Health Education at the Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa Medical Center. I was given tasks daily and shadowed and interviewed physicians, administrators, psychiatrists, and nurses. My favorite moment was presenting to the Summer Youth Institute about my KP LAUNCH experience. The students were really intrigued and even asked about how to become an intern one day.
The KP LAUNCH experience has really shaped my future plans. I want to become a doctor and earn a PhD in biomedical engineering. I hope to work for a pharmaceutical company and conduct ground-breaking research in a laboratory. I want to pursue a career where I can make a difference in the world.