Hello, I'm Janessa, a senior in high school who has been offered a chance to study abroad in London. This fundraiser would help with my tuition costs and living expenses.

Throughout my life, I have spent hours upon hours in doctors' offices, hospitals, and emergency rooms. When I first went in for my diagnosis of type one diabetes, the doctor almost didn't do the test, dismissing me by saying he simply didn't believe I had it. This experience wasn't a one-time thing but a recurring event in my health journey. Every time a physician told me they couldn't find anything wrong with me, I let myself believe that maybe there really wasn't. Black women are heavily discriminated against in the medical field, misdiagnosed, and medicated without reason; some even lose their lives. My experience with doctors and getting diagnosed with diabetes has pushed me to pursue a career in the health field. In the US, only 12.1% of healthcare workers are Black, 5.4% have jobs past entry level, and only 2.8% are women. I hope to be the support, care, and representation that women of color need in their healthcare.

Since before I ever started school, education was important to me. I spent days in the library reading dozens of books back to front, wanting to know more. Once I was in elementary school, I already knew that I loved to learn. By middle school, I was already preparing myself for what my future and career would look like. Now in high school, after spending 13+ years in school, I know that I can make a change in the healthcare field and provide my insight from my life experiences being raised by a single parent and as a person of color with an autoimmune disease.

I would appreciate any support! Thank you!