I’ve been blessed. With a strong education, a passion for learning and an aptitude that has gotten me to where I am today. Easily marked as a nerd from elementary school through honors and AP courses in high school. While my athletic prowess faltered, my hobbies as a child included reading, painting… and watching medical shows. But learning and getting straight A’s just wasn't something that was cool.

That’s the world we grew up in, but by the time we get to university that changed. Instead of feeling ostracized for seemingly trying too hard, people admire those with strong work ethics and those who somehow manage to get 4.0’s while balancing a social life and extracurricular activities are now seen as the ultimate college student. I’ll admit, that’s not me, but I’m trying.

All of this effort is exhausting. As perpetually tired college students, once you finish a single assignment, there are five more activities to plan, meetings to attend, and exams to study for. Hard as it is to believe, one day it’s all going to be worth it. It may not be new or original, but I stumbled upon this tweet the other day and for a while afterward, I just couldn’t stop smiling:

There is just so much pride and sense of accomplishment in such a simply worded tweet, I immediately sent it to my best girlfriends, stating that this will be all of us one day. Two of us have aspirations of medical degrees and the other two aspirations of doctoral degrees. These are no simple tasks, and while college has been really hard so far, our immediate futures don’t look any easier. But that’s no cause for pity, or simply saying, “Wow, you must be really smart,” because that's just not what it's all about. The road ahead holds lots of sacrifices, compromise and even more prioritizing. What it really comes down to is the passion for our fields, the drive to commit to such an academic future, and years of hard work.

Historically, women were never even allowed to dream this big. We’ve come so far and still have such a long way to go. It’s so important to never be deterred by the fact that women are still the minority in professional fields like medicine, law, and academia. Never let the fact that some people think women should be housewives or pumping out babies instead of having a demanding full-time job bother you. Don’t ever settle for anything less than the brilliant future you deserve. Be so good, they can't ignore you. And once you’ve achieved it, give back and look back to lend a hand to the girls who are on the same path.