Twenty-three letters can be a mouthful, but the way my name has been received has taught me a lot about the world. My dad, a firm believer in both idiosyncrasy and numerology, tacked on an extra "a" to a traditional name to make it different and lucky. Akshaya in Sanskrit is defined as a sort of everlasting giving, and in a way, my name defines how I hope to serve the world.
I grew up surrounded by the medical field in the forms of JAMA newsletters and piles of unopened medical kits, but it was not until I volunteered at the Cleveland Clinic that I knew that my life would be dedicated to the service of others. After attending a small high school in Lexington, Ohio, the environment provided by the city of Cincinnati has been the perfect place to begin my adult life.
The past three years have provided so many opportunities for growth and discovery, especially starting within myself, and thanks to the support and encouragement of many fantastic advisors and friends, I've given myself room to explore options for my path that could lead me in quite different directions. I joined UC as a part of the Connections Dual Admissions Program, which grants incoming students a seat in medical school so long as they maintain a certain GPA and MCAT score. After several experiences in the medical field, I slowly admitted to myself that medicine was not my dream, but simply was me putting the happiness of my family and well-wishers before my own. I realized the decisions I make about my career and relationships should be about my own happiness and the most good I could do in the world, and since leaving the program, I have had a weight off of my shoulders knowing that I am living my life honestly and wholeheartedly. I owe many thanks to my former Honors advisor, Kayti Kennard, and Connections advisors, Emily Verkamp and Abbigail Tissott, for continuing to push me to expand my horizons and to keep an open mind as I consider where my academic and personal journeys will take me.
As a child, I dreamed of joining Doctors Without Borders to help people in underserved communities. I also dreamed of traveling the world and saving animals, as well as teaching science in the style of Ms. Frizzle, with or without a particularly enchanting school bus. It is my hope that someday I can contribute to helping every person I meet to receive the emotional care that they deserve, and making sure they have access to all the resources that they need to succeed. A love of writing and sharing information fuels my motives, and I hope to explore opportunities that open doors and lend an ear and a voice to those that do not receive the attention that they deserve. I know I'll be happy as long as I'm working to help people better their own lives and make sure they have access to the resources and support they need.
Furthermore, I believe that it is the details of life that make everything more interesting, and it is these details that I hope to share with you through this portfolio, whether in the form of writing, Snapchats, or photography. I hope to contribute to the campus and community in a way that can be defined as everlasting giving, through helping others without extraneous motivation, and I hope to use this outlet to capture the changes that I find within mysel as I approach my final year of college.
I grew up surrounded by the medical field in the forms of JAMA newsletters and piles of unopened medical kits, but it was not until I volunteered at the Cleveland Clinic that I knew that my life would be dedicated to the service of others. After attending a small high school in Lexington, Ohio, the environment provided by the city of Cincinnati has been the perfect place to begin my adult life.
The past three years have provided so many opportunities for growth and discovery, especially starting within myself, and thanks to the support and encouragement of many fantastic advisors and friends, I've given myself room to explore options for my path that could lead me in quite different directions. I joined UC as a part of the Connections Dual Admissions Program, which grants incoming students a seat in medical school so long as they maintain a certain GPA and MCAT score. After several experiences in the medical field, I slowly admitted to myself that medicine was not my dream, but simply was me putting the happiness of my family and well-wishers before my own. I realized the decisions I make about my career and relationships should be about my own happiness and the most good I could do in the world, and since leaving the program, I have had a weight off of my shoulders knowing that I am living my life honestly and wholeheartedly. I owe many thanks to my former Honors advisor, Kayti Kennard, and Connections advisors, Emily Verkamp and Abbigail Tissott, for continuing to push me to expand my horizons and to keep an open mind as I consider where my academic and personal journeys will take me.
As a child, I dreamed of joining Doctors Without Borders to help people in underserved communities. I also dreamed of traveling the world and saving animals, as well as teaching science in the style of Ms. Frizzle, with or without a particularly enchanting school bus. It is my hope that someday I can contribute to helping every person I meet to receive the emotional care that they deserve, and making sure they have access to all the resources that they need to succeed. A love of writing and sharing information fuels my motives, and I hope to explore opportunities that open doors and lend an ear and a voice to those that do not receive the attention that they deserve. I know I'll be happy as long as I'm working to help people better their own lives and make sure they have access to the resources and support they need.
Furthermore, I believe that it is the details of life that make everything more interesting, and it is these details that I hope to share with you through this portfolio, whether in the form of writing, Snapchats, or photography. I hope to contribute to the campus and community in a way that can be defined as everlasting giving, through helping others without extraneous motivation, and I hope to use this outlet to capture the changes that I find within mysel as I approach my final year of college.