Four words, six syllables, seventeen letters, my life mantra. Be the better person. My entire life these words have been drilled into my brain. Every time I was in an argument with someone, or struggling with my own internal ethics, those four simple words guided my way through. Recently, while filling out scholarship applications, I was faced with the question "Where do you see yourself in ten years". When I think about where I will be in 10 years there is definite uncertainty. I will be 28 years old which means I could be in my final year of medical residency, doing biological research at the Center for Disease Control, finishing my PhD or MD, getting married, or even having children of my own. However, there is one thing that I am sure of. Wherever I may be, I will be the better person.

Being the better person has a world of meaning to me. It could mean being a successful medical professional and saving the lives of those in my community. It could mean winning the lottery and donating millions to cancer or Alzheimer research. It could even be something as simple as volunteering at my local Boys and Girls Club. All throughout middle and high school I volunteered at nursing homes in my community. Taking a few hours out of my day to sit down and listen to people who rarely have family or friends visit them made both of our days. To them I was someone who was genuinely interested in their life story and to me they were an inspiration. Listening to the stories of their lives and lessons they had to share sparked my interest in entering the medical field.

In ten years I could be a successful doctor, a dedicated wife, a devoted mother, a world famous researcher, rich, or poor, but the one thing I KNOW I will be is a better person.