Hey everyone! I'm Kendra White — and for those of you who know me, you know my passion for science and helping people runs deep.

I'm studying neuroscience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with my eyes set on medical school, and this summer an opportunity came along that I simply couldn't pass up. I've been selected to travel to the Galápagos Islands to study animal perception as part of my neuroscience degree — and I am beyond excited.

The Galápagos are home to wildlife found nowhere else in the world, making it one of the most incredible places imaginable to study how animals see, hear, and experience the world around them. I'll be living a homestead lifestyle while I'm there — immersed in the local culture, living simply, and soaking up every moment. This experience will push me and grow me in ways that go far beyond any textbook.

Empathy, cultural awareness, and the courage to step into the unknown — these are the things that make a truly great doctor, and this trip will help build all of that. I've been working hard to fund this on my own, and I'm asking my favorite people — my family and friends — to help me get there.

Any contribution means more than words can say. You're investing in the doctor I'm becoming. I promise I'll make you proud and come back with the best stories — and maybe a few pictures with some very unbothered iguanas.

With all my love,
Kendra