“In my family, caring for human beings through medicine is a treasured tradition founded in shared faith and passed from my grandmother, who served for decades as a nurse at Alachua General, to my mother, who graduated from UF’s PA program almost 30 years ago and has been fiercely caring and advocating for patients at UF Health ever since. I grew up knowing that to be a health care provider was to see people in their most desperate moments and reaffirm their dignity through compassionate and excellent care. What started as a family value has become an integral part of my identity: people are worth taking care of.”

“I have strongly connected to UF over the past five years, but when it came to choosing a PA school, I was always curious what a new college and city would have to offer me. After visiting different schools, I realized nothing quite compared to being a Gator! I am a little nervous to begin, but like many students, I am excited to take the next big step in my career. With the exceptional education and training the UF PA School will offer me, I am confident I will be able to positively influence thousands of patients and their communities.”

“As a child, I had always been curious about medicine, as I often had to translate for my parents during their clinical visits with their doctor due to a language barrier. The exceptional care my parents received from their health care providers inspired me to enter the field. It still does not feel real that I was accepted into UF’s PA program and that the program is about to start. I am feeling nervous and excited about the start of a new chapter. I am looking forward to meeting all my classmates, getting to know the faculty and staff of the UF program and creating new memories.”