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Phinecia L. Bright
Personal Statement
In October of
1989 my father left this world for a better place. With no formal
education and
at the tender age of 26, my mother was left to raise three children who
were
all under the age of five. It wasn’t until I was much older that I
learned of the
true cause of his death, my mother always told us that he was just
sick; but
when I did learn, it forever changed me. It was not while watching a TV
show
nor while volunteering at a hospital that I first realized my true
calling to
become a physician, but it was the day my mother told me the truth
about my
father’s death; I was fifteen. I knew then that I would someday become
a
physician, and my life’s work would be dedicated to serving others.
The role of a physician is one of leadership and
service. To
prepare myself for this life of leadership and service, I chose to
attend the University
of Florida. The
undergraduate experience at
the University
of Florida has
facilitated
my transformation into a leader, despite the fact that the transition
was not
always smooth. Entering the university as a prestigious Opportunity
Alliance
Scholar I was sure that I was a figure of distinction. However, after a
few
weeks I realized that majority of my peers were equally intelligent,
which left
me somewhat discouraged. Coming from a position of distinction in high
school,
the university experience made me feel like I was just another face.
The
university experience forced me to realize and acknowledge the need to
distinguish myself from the masses, and ultimately surface as a leader.
In an
effort to distinguish myself, I pursued membership in clubs that were
of some
interest to me that could foster my potential to be a leader. Since
then, I have surfaced as a leader within my college as well as within
the
university. My commitment to excellence lead me to join Beta Eta Sigma,
The
Black Honor Society, and I now serve on the executive board. I am also
a
Minority Ambassador, which is especially rewarding because I have the
opportunity
to venture out into various communities and represent the University of Florida.
However, my greatest display of leadership is my involvement in the
Ronald
McNair Scholars Program. As a McNair Scholar, I have the opportunity to
conduct
research as an undergraduate and, under the direction or Dr. Virginia
Dodd, I
am accessing the level of awareness of HIV/AIDS in older African
American
women.
My commitment to service is equally as prominent as
my
commitment to leadership. My first service experience as a student at
the University of Florida, was a part of an
assignment in my First Year Florida class. As a group, we went to the
east side
of Gainesville
to clean it up. This one time service opportunity initiated an interest
for me
to serve others more often. Driven by this interest, I began
volunteering at
The Habitat for Humanity on a regular basis. Realizing the need to set
an
example for those who will follow me, I began to volunteer in a program
called
Caring and Sharing. In this program I have the opportunity to tutor
young
children in math and science. In a similar program, Gator Pen Pals, I
have the
opportunity to mentor at risk children and offer them guidance about
making the
decision to attend college. More recently, I began volunteering at the
Hospice
of North Central Florida driven by my interest in medicine.
The role of a physician far exceeds diagnosis and
treatment
and, in my opinion, physicians also function as leaders and
humanitarians. The University
of Florida has
contributed greatly to my
transformation into a leader which will facilitate me in my endeavors
to become
a physician. Coming from a disadvantaged background, obstacles are
something
that I constantly have to deal with; life has thought me to overcome
them. I
believe that my purpose in life is to become a physician. Through
Christ who
strengthens me, I know that I will someday achieve this goal and
ultimately conquer
my destiny.
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