WEBVTT 00:00:12.659 --> 00:00:15.679 Welcome to Our Voices Our Future, the podcast 00:00:15.679 --> 00:00:17.960 where we amplify the voices driving change and 00:00:17.960 --> 00:00:20.460 equity within medicine and beyond. Brought to 00:00:20.460 --> 00:00:22.660 you by the Gender Equity Task Force, a committee 00:00:22.660 --> 00:00:24.739 of the American Medical Women's Association. 00:00:25.280 --> 00:00:27.719 We're here to challenge norms, break barriers 00:00:27.719 --> 00:00:30.719 and ignite conversations that matter. I'm Brea 00:00:30.719 --> 00:00:33.280 Monohur and in each episode we'll bring you candid 00:00:33.280 --> 00:00:35.979 discussions with leaders, change makers and advocates 00:00:35.979 --> 00:00:39.039 working to create a more inclusive and just world. 00:00:39.500 --> 00:00:42.630 No more silence, no more waiting. You're listening 00:00:42.630 --> 00:00:45.590 to Our Voices, Our Future. Let's get into it. 00:00:45.929 --> 00:00:48.689 Today we're welcoming Jacqueline Hidalgo. She's 00:00:48.689 --> 00:00:51.630 a third year med student at St. George's University, 00:00:51.909 --> 00:00:54.270 born and raised in Long Island, New York. She 00:00:54.270 --> 00:00:57.450 has a bachelor of arts in psychology with a minor 00:00:57.450 --> 00:01:00.770 in chemistry from New York University. She served 00:01:00.770 --> 00:01:03.390 as vice president for the St. George's University. 00:01:04.240 --> 00:01:07.200 Neurodiversity Allies Society, where she contributed 00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:09.700 to educational outreach on neurodevelopmental 00:01:09.700 --> 00:01:12.879 disabilities, supported student and family initiatives, 00:01:13.500 --> 00:01:16.299 organized community engagement activities, assisted 00:01:16.299 --> 00:01:19.099 with fundraising efforts to promote inclusion 00:01:19.099 --> 00:01:22.019 and accessibility. She's also a member of the 00:01:22.019 --> 00:01:24.099 Gender Equity Task Force Committee within the 00:01:24.099 --> 00:01:27.079 American Medical Women's Association. At SGU, 00:01:27.200 --> 00:01:29.680 she has served in student leadership through 00:01:29.680 --> 00:01:32.859 both the pediatrics and psychology clubs as a 00:01:32.859 --> 00:01:35.579 class. representative and member advocating for 00:01:35.579 --> 00:01:38.599 campus initiatives and student support. Outside 00:01:38.599 --> 00:01:40.939 of medicine, she enjoys singing, learning new 00:01:40.939 --> 00:01:43.859 instruments like the ukulele, reading cheesy 00:01:43.859 --> 00:01:46.260 romance novels, and spending quality time with 00:01:46.260 --> 00:01:49.180 her family and friends. Thank you so much for 00:01:49.180 --> 00:01:51.579 being here today, Jackie. Thank you so much for 00:01:51.579 --> 00:01:54.819 having me. It's my pleasure. So kind of to start 00:01:54.819 --> 00:01:56.680 off, can you tell us a little bit about who you 00:01:56.680 --> 00:01:58.620 are and what drew you to medicine in the first 00:01:58.620 --> 00:02:02.569 place? Yeah, so I'm someone who has always been 00:02:02.569 --> 00:02:05.290 deeply curious and compassionate about people 00:02:05.290 --> 00:02:08.110 and their stories. And I just always knew that 00:02:08.110 --> 00:02:10.870 I wanted to help people understand them and impact 00:02:10.870 --> 00:02:14.009 their lives in a positive way. I fell in love 00:02:14.009 --> 00:02:16.629 with medicine because I saw how powerful it is 00:02:16.629 --> 00:02:19.449 to sit with somebody in a vulnerable moment and 00:02:19.449 --> 00:02:22.409 be somebody that they can trust. And that responsibility 00:02:22.409 --> 00:02:25.770 felt very sacred to me. There's something about 00:02:25.770 --> 00:02:28.610 caring for children that feels both incredibly 00:02:28.610 --> 00:02:31.819 joyful and deeply meaningful to me. They're very 00:02:31.819 --> 00:02:34.639 resilient and honest and full of possibilities. 00:02:34.840 --> 00:02:37.080 And being someone that can protect that possibility 00:02:37.080 --> 00:02:40.039 feels like a privilege to me. And a big part 00:02:40.039 --> 00:02:42.259 of my inspiration came from my brother, who's 00:02:42.259 --> 00:02:44.860 actually currently a pediatric endocrinology 00:02:44.860 --> 00:02:47.419 fellow. And watching his journey has just been 00:02:47.419 --> 00:02:49.659 something that's been incredibly motivating for 00:02:49.659 --> 00:02:52.280 me. And I've seen what it takes, you know, the 00:02:52.280 --> 00:02:55.060 sacrifice and the long nice and discipline, but 00:02:55.060 --> 00:02:57.400 I've also seen the relationships that he builds 00:02:57.400 --> 00:02:59.449 with his family. over the years and how deeply 00:02:59.449 --> 00:03:02.169 he cares for his patients. And that showed me 00:03:02.169 --> 00:03:04.830 that medicine isn't just about mastering content. 00:03:05.050 --> 00:03:08.250 It's about consistency and integrity and earning 00:03:08.250 --> 00:03:11.129 the trust over time with your patients. And for 00:03:11.129 --> 00:03:14.210 me, medicine became a place that my love for 00:03:14.210 --> 00:03:16.590 science and my desire to serve people kind of 00:03:16.590 --> 00:03:20.430 intersected. While it challenges me intellectually, 00:03:20.930 --> 00:03:23.710 more than that, it challenged me to grow as a 00:03:23.710 --> 00:03:26.490 person. And I've come to realize that that growth, 00:03:26.810 --> 00:03:29.310 especially when it's uncomfortable, is exactly 00:03:29.310 --> 00:03:32.349 where I'm meant to be. Well, thank you so much 00:03:32.349 --> 00:03:35.069 for kind of sharing that introduction to your 00:03:35.069 --> 00:03:38.449 journey with us. You and I have talked a little 00:03:38.449 --> 00:03:41.849 bit about You've shared that a male chemistry 00:03:41.849 --> 00:03:44.810 professor once told you to quit and pursue something 00:03:44.810 --> 00:03:47.729 easier. Can you kind of take our listeners back 00:03:47.729 --> 00:03:50.650 to that moment, what it felt like sitting there 00:03:50.650 --> 00:03:54.650 hearing those words? Yeah. So I had walked into 00:03:54.650 --> 00:03:58.270 his office asking for some help on how to improve 00:03:58.270 --> 00:04:02.210 and how to adjust my studying. And I had expected 00:04:02.210 --> 00:04:05.870 mentorship and guidance. And instead, I was told 00:04:05.870 --> 00:04:08.129 that I didn't have what it takes to make it in 00:04:08.129 --> 00:04:10.310 medicine. And so I should just quit and consider 00:04:10.310 --> 00:04:13.960 something easier. And it felt like all of the 00:04:13.960 --> 00:04:17.100 air in the room just like left completely. I 00:04:17.100 --> 00:04:19.399 remember sitting there trying to hold it together 00:04:19.399 --> 00:04:21.740 and just not cry. I didn't want him to see me 00:04:21.740 --> 00:04:25.939 cry. But inside I felt like completely blindsided 00:04:25.939 --> 00:04:29.000 and I was starting to have a panic attack. I 00:04:29.000 --> 00:04:32.009 just I thought that I was just there for support 00:04:32.009 --> 00:04:35.170 and I wasn't really prepared to defend my abilities, 00:04:36.110 --> 00:04:38.370 especially at the collegiate level. And when 00:04:38.370 --> 00:04:41.649 I left, I remember I went to the park and I cried 00:04:41.649 --> 00:04:44.329 on a bench alone. And after a while, I calmed 00:04:44.329 --> 00:04:48.050 myself down. And I sat for a long time asking 00:04:48.050 --> 00:04:51.769 myself a very difficult question. Am I actually 00:04:51.769 --> 00:04:55.829 cut out for this? I remember feeling very small 00:04:55.829 --> 00:04:59.610 and embarrassed and angry. And there's a very 00:04:59.610 --> 00:05:02.329 particular sting when somebody that you kind 00:05:02.329 --> 00:05:05.569 of looked up to as an educator implies that you're 00:05:05.569 --> 00:05:08.009 not cut out for something that you care so deeply 00:05:08.009 --> 00:05:11.329 about. And after thinking about it for a while, 00:05:11.430 --> 00:05:16.250 I realized that in that moment, if I quit, it 00:05:16.250 --> 00:05:19.220 wouldn't be because I had reached my limit. It 00:05:19.220 --> 00:05:22.040 would be because I let one person's opinion define 00:05:22.040 --> 00:05:25.439 my capacity, and I couldn't live with that. So 00:05:25.439 --> 00:05:28.100 I made the decision that I told myself, you know, 00:05:28.100 --> 00:05:31.220 you have to try. When you fail, you try again. 00:05:31.439 --> 00:05:35.060 And I was scared. But I remember, like, that 00:05:35.060 --> 00:05:38.420 moment didn't just solidify my commitment to 00:05:38.420 --> 00:05:40.720 medicine. It taught me that adversity doesn't 00:05:40.720 --> 00:05:43.279 get the final word in my life and what I choose 00:05:43.279 --> 00:05:47.079 to do with it. Definitely. I appreciate your 00:05:47.079 --> 00:05:50.079 vulnerability and sharing that experience. I 00:05:50.079 --> 00:05:52.740 think it's something that a lot of us can relate 00:05:52.740 --> 00:05:57.029 to in different capacities. Being told that this 00:05:57.029 --> 00:05:59.569 maybe isn't the path for you or something like 00:05:59.569 --> 00:06:03.389 that. So you've talked about being called sweetheart 00:06:03.389 --> 00:06:06.589 and seeing other women quit after having similar 00:06:06.589 --> 00:06:10.410 experiences to you. How did she distinguish between 00:06:10.410 --> 00:06:13.370 imposter syndrome and that internalization of 00:06:13.370 --> 00:06:18.629 the subtle or not so subtle misogyny? Yeah, being 00:06:18.629 --> 00:06:20.949 called sweetheart in any kind of like academic 00:06:20.949 --> 00:06:24.959 or professional setting, like really especially 00:06:24.959 --> 00:06:27.639 when you're working hard to establish that credibility, 00:06:27.899 --> 00:06:32.180 it feels dismissive and belittling and kind of 00:06:32.180 --> 00:06:35.620 maybe just feel less than and in those when those 00:06:35.620 --> 00:06:37.720 moments accumulate, you know, they can start 00:06:37.720 --> 00:06:41.019 to shape how you see yourself. So for imposter 00:06:41.019 --> 00:06:44.000 syndrome, That's like when the voice in my head's 00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:46.819 telling me I'm not good enough. But that internalized 00:06:46.819 --> 00:06:50.220 misogyny, when you have that external bias that 00:06:50.220 --> 00:06:53.060 just gets absorbed over and over, it starts to 00:06:53.060 --> 00:06:55.540 sound like your own voice in your head whispering, 00:06:55.779 --> 00:06:57.959 maybe they're right. Maybe you aren't good enough 00:06:57.959 --> 00:07:00.879 for this. And the difference for me was being 00:07:00.879 --> 00:07:04.120 able to actually recognize the pattern. So my 00:07:04.120 --> 00:07:07.180 doubt often intensified after moments when I 00:07:07.180 --> 00:07:12.060 felt minimized. And that wasn't like, a coincidence, 00:07:12.319 --> 00:07:15.240 you know, that was a reaction to what I was being 00:07:15.240 --> 00:07:19.199 told. And I just had to learn to pause and ask 00:07:19.199 --> 00:07:23.500 myself, is this doubt coming from my actual performances? 00:07:23.579 --> 00:07:26.180 Or is this just from someone else's projection 00:07:26.180 --> 00:07:29.519 and view of me? And that awareness has made me 00:07:29.519 --> 00:07:32.589 a lot more reflective and more empathetic. Because 00:07:32.589 --> 00:07:35.069 patients, especially women and young patients, 00:07:35.709 --> 00:07:39.089 they experience plenty of dismissal too. And 00:07:39.089 --> 00:07:41.889 understanding what that feels like to be subtly 00:07:41.889 --> 00:07:45.009 or not so subtly undermined has made me more 00:07:45.009 --> 00:07:48.509 intentional about how I speak to people. And 00:07:48.509 --> 00:07:51.350 just knowing that respect isn't small. The language 00:07:51.350 --> 00:07:53.829 that you use matters, and it affects people. 00:07:54.649 --> 00:07:57.370 For sure. And I love what you shared there about 00:07:57.370 --> 00:08:00.129 taking that time, taking that moment to reflect 00:08:00.480 --> 00:08:03.560 and figure out if it's you or just the environment 00:08:03.560 --> 00:08:05.459 around you. And I think that's something that 00:08:05.459 --> 00:08:08.699 people are gonna be able to take away. You've 00:08:08.699 --> 00:08:11.439 experienced some setbacks in your medical journey. 00:08:11.959 --> 00:08:14.360 Talk to me about what your internal dialogue 00:08:14.360 --> 00:08:17.910 has kind of been during those times. Yeah, so 00:08:17.910 --> 00:08:20.589 repeating term four was definitely one of the 00:08:20.589 --> 00:08:23.410 most humbling experiences of my life. I felt 00:08:23.410 --> 00:08:27.209 very embarrassed and very exposed. And almost 00:08:27.209 --> 00:08:30.129 immediately in that moment, I heard that same 00:08:30.129 --> 00:08:32.049 chemistry professor's voice in my head saying, 00:08:32.110 --> 00:08:34.269 maybe you're not cut out for this. And I feel 00:08:34.269 --> 00:08:37.700 like in a way, I'd proven him right. Watching 00:08:37.700 --> 00:08:40.100 my friends move forward while I stayed back was 00:08:40.100 --> 00:08:43.460 really painful for me and I found myself comparing 00:08:43.460 --> 00:08:46.240 myself and where I was at in my journey constantly 00:08:46.240 --> 00:08:49.360 and I was really frustrated that I didn't absorb 00:08:49.360 --> 00:08:52.340 the material as quickly as some of my peers and 00:08:52.340 --> 00:08:56.000 I was really angry at myself and eventually I 00:08:56.000 --> 00:08:59.620 knew that I had to make a choice on whether or 00:08:59.620 --> 00:09:01.679 not I'm going to let that narrative define me 00:09:01.679 --> 00:09:04.600 or if I wanted to rewrite it going forward and 00:09:04.600 --> 00:09:07.590 I realized that struggling didn't mean that i 00:09:07.590 --> 00:09:10.309 was incapable it just meant that i needed to 00:09:10.309 --> 00:09:14.690 adapt and i did so i changed how i studied i 00:09:14.690 --> 00:09:18.070 asked more questions i saw feedback instead of 00:09:18.070 --> 00:09:21.429 avoiding it because it felt uncomfortable i became 00:09:21.429 --> 00:09:23.690 much more deliberate instead of just relying 00:09:23.690 --> 00:09:27.480 on what had worked before and. Failure stopped 00:09:27.480 --> 00:09:30.100 being something that disqualified me, but more 00:09:30.100 --> 00:09:32.120 so it turned into being something that shaped 00:09:32.120 --> 00:09:35.059 how I move forward. And I learned to separate 00:09:35.059 --> 00:09:39.179 my performance from my worth. Instead of I failed, 00:09:39.460 --> 00:09:42.120 it became that attempt failed. How can I move 00:09:42.120 --> 00:09:45.240 forward? What can I do to adjust? And that shift 00:09:45.240 --> 00:09:48.730 changed me and it made me more accountable. and 00:09:48.730 --> 00:09:51.750 more disciplined. And I won't pretend that I 00:09:51.750 --> 00:09:54.710 always respond perfectly in those moments, but 00:09:54.710 --> 00:09:58.590 now I recover a lot faster. And the self -criticism 00:09:58.590 --> 00:10:01.490 is a lot shorter and the self -compassion is 00:10:01.490 --> 00:10:05.549 a lot stronger now. For sure. So kind of talk 00:10:05.549 --> 00:10:07.529 to me a little bit more about that. How do you 00:10:07.529 --> 00:10:11.149 separate a temporary academic setback from what 00:10:11.149 --> 00:10:14.509 you view as your future identity as a physician? 00:10:15.470 --> 00:10:20.320 Yeah. I mean, Especially when so much of medicine 00:10:20.320 --> 00:10:24.039 feels like you have to be perfect and you have 00:10:24.039 --> 00:10:28.440 to be the most well -rounded student and having 00:10:28.440 --> 00:10:32.759 all the extracurriculars. It feels very difficult 00:10:32.759 --> 00:10:35.200 to be able to separate them, but taking a moment 00:10:35.200 --> 00:10:38.700 to yourself to actually look back on all of the 00:10:38.700 --> 00:10:41.700 accomplishments that you have made thus far and 00:10:41.700 --> 00:10:44.279 getting into medical school on its own is a huge 00:10:44.279 --> 00:10:47.679 accomplishment. Again, getting this far in clinical 00:10:47.679 --> 00:10:50.200 rotations is a huge accomplishment. And just 00:10:50.200 --> 00:10:52.340 having those little moments with yourself where 00:10:52.340 --> 00:10:55.220 you can ground yourself and remind yourself that 00:10:55.220 --> 00:10:59.320 you didn't make it here for nothing. You worked 00:10:59.320 --> 00:11:02.879 very difficult, very hard to get where you're 00:11:02.879 --> 00:11:06.220 at. And just because you have a minor setback 00:11:06.220 --> 00:11:09.100 doesn't mean that you're not cut out for this 00:11:09.100 --> 00:11:14.340 or that you haven't earned your spot here. Sure. 00:11:15.500 --> 00:11:17.580 And I think that's something that a lot of people 00:11:17.580 --> 00:11:22.440 need to hear. I think a lot of medical school, 00:11:22.460 --> 00:11:24.820 and even into different versions of graduate 00:11:24.820 --> 00:11:27.899 school, it's all about that perfection, that 00:11:27.899 --> 00:11:30.980 linear story. And so many people's journeys aren't 00:11:30.980 --> 00:11:34.120 that way, but we so rarely hear them in order 00:11:34.120 --> 00:11:37.860 to be like, OK, I can do this too. Yeah, I feel 00:11:37.860 --> 00:11:43.379 like a lot of the time, academic setbacks are 00:11:43.379 --> 00:11:46.710 very temporary. But the character growth that 00:11:46.710 --> 00:11:50.669 you get from it is very longitudinal. And it 00:11:50.669 --> 00:11:57.409 may feel like that just because you're failing 00:11:57.409 --> 00:12:02.169 or that your path hasn't been as linear as everybody 00:12:02.169 --> 00:12:04.169 else or the people that are around you, it doesn't 00:12:04.169 --> 00:12:08.409 mean that you're doing something wrong. And repeating 00:12:08.409 --> 00:12:11.899 that term actually forced me to. face my weaknesses 00:12:11.899 --> 00:12:15.759 head on and to really look introspectively and 00:12:15.759 --> 00:12:18.960 how to receive feedback without being defensive 00:12:18.960 --> 00:12:22.840 and how to just sit in the discomfort of what 00:12:22.840 --> 00:12:26.000 happened without shutting down entirely. You 00:12:26.000 --> 00:12:28.139 know, I feel like a good physician is someone 00:12:28.139 --> 00:12:31.639 who can tolerate that discomfort and own their 00:12:31.639 --> 00:12:34.759 mistakes grow from feedback and persist when 00:12:34.759 --> 00:12:38.120 things get hard. And ironically, that setback 00:12:38.120 --> 00:12:40.429 strengthened those all those traits in me. And 00:12:40.429 --> 00:12:45.730 I account that setback to being who I am now 00:12:45.730 --> 00:12:49.250 and how I keep going forward even when things 00:12:49.250 --> 00:12:54.629 get hard. I wanna shift that focus from you to 00:12:54.629 --> 00:12:58.149 kind of the institution, right? Because the way 00:12:58.149 --> 00:13:00.389 that we perceive medicine, the way that we learn 00:13:00.389 --> 00:13:04.240 medicine. is a part of what leads people to believe 00:13:04.240 --> 00:13:08.080 that that perfection, that linear path is still 00:13:08.080 --> 00:13:12.259 necessary. So what do you wish medical schools 00:13:12.259 --> 00:13:15.720 from both an administration and even a faculty 00:13:15.720 --> 00:13:18.679 level did differently to support students who 00:13:18.679 --> 00:13:22.720 needed to remediate or needed more support? Yeah 00:13:22.720 --> 00:13:26.960 well remediation is inherently very emotionally 00:13:26.960 --> 00:13:30.120 heavy and it's not just like having to sit there 00:13:30.120 --> 00:13:33.419 and repeat the content over it's watching your 00:13:33.419 --> 00:13:36.639 support system move ahead without you it's very 00:13:36.639 --> 00:13:40.940 isolated in. This failure that you've had and 00:13:40.940 --> 00:13:43.659 the setback and i think that my school actually 00:13:43.659 --> 00:13:47.240 did something very. Wonderful for me which was 00:13:47.240 --> 00:13:51.659 placing me in a small group facilitator led lecture 00:13:51.659 --> 00:13:56.139 format and that was not only personal but very 00:13:56.139 --> 00:13:59.299 interactive and i could ask questions in real 00:13:59.299 --> 00:14:02.379 time about the lecture material i could clarify 00:14:02.379 --> 00:14:06.539 any misunderstandings and engage directly with 00:14:06.539 --> 00:14:09.320 a doctor who could explain the material and it 00:14:09.320 --> 00:14:12.120 may be a different way that wasn't. offered in 00:14:12.120 --> 00:14:16.080 the regular lecture format. And that not only 00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:18.899 improved my comprehension, but it also helped 00:14:18.899 --> 00:14:21.740 to restore my confidence a little bit each day. 00:14:22.500 --> 00:14:25.940 I feel that oftentimes, sometimes when you fail 00:14:25.940 --> 00:14:30.100 or you have to remediate these administrations 00:14:30.100 --> 00:14:33.480 or the medical schools kind of just let you figure 00:14:33.480 --> 00:14:37.779 it out on your own. And I feel that if there 00:14:37.779 --> 00:14:39.659 was some kind of disconnect the first time you 00:14:39.659 --> 00:14:42.700 took the course, then there needs to be a more 00:14:42.700 --> 00:14:45.779 one on one personal connection when you go through 00:14:45.779 --> 00:14:49.460 it again, because otherwise it's just kind of 00:14:49.460 --> 00:14:51.509 very overwhelming. to be getting all of that 00:14:51.509 --> 00:14:54.070 information back and to feel like you don't really 00:14:54.070 --> 00:14:56.409 know where to start. And having somebody who's 00:14:56.409 --> 00:14:59.289 there with you and acknowledges what you've been 00:14:59.289 --> 00:15:01.330 through and just wants to help you move forward 00:15:01.330 --> 00:15:03.149 in the best way possible for your education, 00:15:03.210 --> 00:15:06.889 I feel that needs to be much more implemented 00:15:06.889 --> 00:15:10.309 across multiple medical schools. And they should 00:15:10.309 --> 00:15:13.830 really normalize that academic recovery because 00:15:13.830 --> 00:15:17.960 that mentorship is, I think, what saved me. you 00:15:17.960 --> 00:15:21.179 know, having check -ins proactively with students, 00:15:21.480 --> 00:15:24.779 creating spaces where students can ask questions 00:15:24.779 --> 00:15:28.360 without fear of being judged or fear of any stigma 00:15:28.360 --> 00:15:31.600 around them. And struggle should trigger support, 00:15:31.700 --> 00:15:36.960 not silence, you know? Definitely. For those 00:15:36.960 --> 00:15:40.639 who are listening, who just failed an exam or 00:15:40.639 --> 00:15:42.820 were told that they aren't good enough, particularly 00:15:42.820 --> 00:15:45.639 in this medical school setting, what would you 00:15:45.639 --> 00:15:49.610 say to them right now? I would tell them to take 00:15:49.610 --> 00:15:53.330 a breath that this is a moment in life and not 00:15:53.330 --> 00:15:58.610 a measure of your worth whatsoever. Someone else's 00:15:58.610 --> 00:16:01.889 limited view of you become your internal ceiling 00:16:01.889 --> 00:16:04.929 you know like you are allowed to struggle and 00:16:04.929 --> 00:16:07.509 you're allowed to feel hurt but don't quit on 00:16:07.509 --> 00:16:10.029 yourself because somebody else couldn't see your 00:16:10.029 --> 00:16:13.470 potential something that I always say to myself 00:16:13.470 --> 00:16:16.090 and to my friends is to just keep moving forward 00:16:16.090 --> 00:16:19.610 even if it's slow and it's uncomfortable and 00:16:19.610 --> 00:16:22.889 even if you're afraid. I was very scared and 00:16:22.889 --> 00:16:25.669 I doubted myself you know I cried in the park 00:16:25.669 --> 00:16:28.679 questioning whether I. belonged, but I stayed. 00:16:29.299 --> 00:16:32.320 And if my story can reach one person even who 00:16:32.320 --> 00:16:34.259 is just sitting in their car after failing an 00:16:34.259 --> 00:16:37.000 exam, wondering if they should give up, I hope 00:16:37.000 --> 00:16:40.120 they choose to stay too. I hope that they never 00:16:40.120 --> 00:16:44.259 let adversity define themselves. Never let anybody 00:16:44.259 --> 00:16:47.500 limit your capabilities. Because if the dream 00:16:47.500 --> 00:16:49.860 is still there, then you need to fight for it. 00:16:51.199 --> 00:16:54.039 Definitely. Well, this has been so wonderful 00:16:54.039 --> 00:16:57.419 to talk to you and get to hear your story. That's 00:16:57.419 --> 00:16:59.840 a wrap on this episode of Our Voices, Our Future. 00:17:00.200 --> 00:17:03.120 We hope today's conversation inspired you, challenged 00:17:03.120 --> 00:17:05.400 you, and reminded you of the power of raising 00:17:05.400 --> 00:17:07.599 your voice. The fight for equity doesn't stop 00:17:07.599 --> 00:17:10.380 here. Join us in the movement. Subscribe wherever 00:17:10.380 --> 00:17:12.559 you get your podcasts, and if you loved this 00:17:12.559 --> 00:17:14.779 episode, share it with someone who needs to hear 00:17:14.779 --> 00:17:18.279 it. Until next time, stay bold, stay vocal, and 00:17:18.279 --> 00:17:21.130 keep the conversation going. This is our voices, 00:17:21.329 --> 00:17:21.869 our future.