Growing up in Nigerian, West Africa made me realize how limited access to healthcare services can affect lives. When I was 12 years old my uncle, Young, was shot during a home invasion and died in the hospital due to inadequate healthcare. He could have been saved, but his death was determined by the single fact that he could not afford to pay the hospital admission fee. Losing him was heart breaking and eye opening to the healthcare system. This experience sparked my interest in the importance of healthcare in our lives and especially in underprivileged communities like mine was.

When I was 18 years old I had the privilege to come to United States of America with my mother and three siblings to join my father. I was thrilled to start a new life full of opportunities. During my first three years in United States, I struggled adjusting to my new life and environment. I attended Central Piedmont Community college in Charlotte, North Carolina. I earned an Associate Degree in Science; however I struggled with my studies for several years due to focusing on work and assisting my family. In the fall of 2011 I cut back my work hours, in order to make education my primary focus. To motivate myself, I set a goal to earn my Associate Degree by the summer of 2012 and a Bachelors Degree in Public Health by the fall of 2013.
Anxious to learn more in the healthcare field, I became certified as an Emergency Medical Technician. During my clinical rotation at Carolina Medical Center Emergency Department, I had the opportunity to rotate in the trauma center, triage, pediatrics triage, diagnostics and pediatrics. On one occasion I assisted the ER physicians with assisted ventilation and chest compression while trying to resuscitate an unresponsive patient. At the diagnostics level, I assisted the nurses by taking all required vitals from the patients we saw. Rotating at the emergency department made me understand the importance of healthcare professionals working together as a team to achieve a specific goal.

Eager to learn more about a Physician Assistant's roles in the healthcare field, I shadowed two Physician Assistants in different health care settings. First, was Mr. Naitik Panwala a PA at The Sports