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Empower and Connect began as a small club at Obra D. Tompkins High School with more ideas than members. Today, it spans over 60 chapters across six continents. Our first official capstone marked a turning point, shaped by hard lessons in leadership, renewed accountability, and a commitment to student led impact rooted in empathy, professionalism, and real world service.

As I move into the next stage of growth as a senior, I reflect on the teachers, mentors, and collaborators who shaped my journey. This piece is a thank you to the people who trusted me, challenged me, and helped me grow into roles with greater responsibility, purpose, and impact.

I am writing this from India, at the end of a stretch of clinic and lab work that moved faster than I expected. Over a few days, I rotated through different spaces, followed different teams, and learned how medicine works when time is limited and decisions matter. Some lessons came from charts and tests. Others came from people. In the Clinic and the Lab Most of my time was spent in urology. I followed reviewed histories and watched how clinicians decide next steps. Part of t

Just hours after finishing a life-changing medical interview, I walked into our Empower and Connect holiday celebration, a reminder of why I started this journey in the first place. Surrounded by laughter, teamwork, and gratitude, I realized that leadership isn’t just about goals or titles, it’s about the people who give your purpose meaning.