Growing up in Alexandria, Egypt was the most influential factor in me choosing to focus my energy on international aspects of life: including social interaction, language, culture, and medicine. It is also always my answer when asked to say something interesting about myself, as there are not many white Americans that can say they grew up in Africa. I traveled to Alexandria with my parents at only a few months old, as my dad was contracted by the military for a job there. We lived there for about 4 years and although I was young, I still remember a lot about my experiences. The lessons I learned in that third-world country were the first ones I ever learned, and thus have shaped my master identity and perspectives on the world.

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I have always been an understanding person, open to different opinions and ways of life; I credit this to growing up on a military base halfway across the world, surrounded by dozens of nationalities. I have a natural talent when it comes to new languages and pronunciation, which I credit to listening to several languages in my daycare. I have a natural curiosity when it comes to people and their actions, probably because everything I experienced in Egypt is nothing like in America, hence I had to relearn a lot of cultural aspects upon moving back to the states; some examples my mother likes to cite include me calling all mountains 'pyramids', and the fact that the grocery store was around the corner and I did not have to ration my favorite snacks anymore.

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I truly believe that without a major part of my development occurring in a different country, I would not be the person I am today. Egypt has made me open-minded, reflective, caring, inquisitive and left me with a severe case of wanderlust. I continue to incorporate these traits into my everyday life, academics and career as I continue to learn more about our world and everyone in it.