Year 2

Finishing off my second year at UC, I've made it through notoriously difficult classes including Organic Chemistry and Physics, successfully finished all my required labs for my coursework in my major, and have managed to acquire as much knowledge as I could through the informational yet stressful professional development sessions as we look towards the future. 

I was quite nervous coming into my first semester of second year, especially with classes such as Organic Chemistry which I heard were difficult from many upperclassmen, and for having never taken Physics in high school. I feel that I quickly adapted to my schedule, however, and have even taken on some additional extracurriculars and leadership positions in different clubs and organizations. I was also able to successfully continue my research project from the summer work that I had participated in through SURF. Overall, I felt like I was at a very good place in terms of my grades, student organizations, and other involvements that I was pursuing. Finishing off first semester, I felt very proud of myself for staying consistent and thorough and fulfilling all my short-term goals. However, I had feelings of doubt and uncertainty for the second semester, knowing that I would be taking more classes than before and additional involvements that I had decided to pursue from the previous semester.

I also took some time to think through and made a significant decision to switch my visa status from a dependent of my parents to an F1 student visa. I knew that despite the security of my parents' visa, staying in my current status at the time would not allow me to work and explore the clinical setting and care for patients, something that is necessary for my aspiring profession. Therefore, I dedicated the free time I had during my first semester to email, call, and visit International Services, and learn more about the rights and opportunities I had as an F1 student compared to my current status. I was introduced to the Healthcare Exploration (HCE) Program as a first-year, which is a UC Health program that allows you to work as a Patient Care Assistant (PCA) while also being immersed in professional development sessions. I realized that I was able to participate in this program as an F1 student on Optional Practical Training (OPT). With concerns about not having enough exposure to patient care, and knowing that my options were limited, I knew this was something I wanted to participate in and reached out to my academic advisor in addition to International Services and learned as much as I could. Throughout that process, I realized just how many intricacies and regulations there are with an F1 status, and despite the added stress and time commitment, I gathered as much information as I could to be able to apply to HCE during the summer. 

My second semester has been incredibly stressful and pressuring as I was balancing classes, extracurricular and leadership positions, research, and volunteering, with the addition of all the legal processes to switch to an F1 including hours of paperwork, fact-checking, and multiple emails to UC international and my advisor. I really learned the importance of balancing my time well and planning ahead, and I feel that I've struggled with these skills the most during this semester than I have ever had before. Additionally, every student's experience is different and I found that I couldn't get concrete and absolute answers to my questions regarding the possibilities of working through HCE. I knew, therefore, that I had to plan out the timeline of my visa application individually and set appropriate deadlines. In addition, I had to plan a separate timeline for applying for my OPT which would take an additional couple of weeks to months to receive. The scariest part of this process was the uncertainty of it all, receiving unclear answers to my questions, and not knowing when I would receive my visa and work authorization and whether it would be in time for when I apply for the HCE program. As I applied for my OPT after receiving my visa, I placed an immense amount of faith and trust in myself that I would be chosen to participate in the HCE program for the summer. However, I felt like I was stuck in a limbo of not knowing whether I would receive my work authorization or if I would be accepted into the program, and extremely overburdened knowing that achieving one and not achieving the other would mean all of my efforts had gone to waste. 

On top of working through all this documentation, I had completely new professors for my classes which had only increased in difficulty, paired with completely different teaching styles. In addition to the stress of my visa/OPT and the processing, I've never felt more overwhelmed and overworked as a student. My mom had always reminded me that as a student, my main role was to focus on my studies and not let other worries distract me. She would remind me that knowledge is a form of power and is something that can never be taken from me. However, I felt like I was always on edge this whole semester and all my worries would cloud my thoughts as I struggled to focus on the task at hand, whether that was schoolwork, research, or extracurriculars. In addition, with the changes to government policies with DEI and Senate Bill 1, I felt that I didn't really have a voice to express my opinions openly, and I couldn't talk about my interests in the way that they inspire me. Hearing about the deportation of international students with legal visa statuses, immediately after switching and obtaining mine made me fear a potential halt to my own academic journey and progress. Paired with the protests on campus with degrading signs and slogans, disrupting the peace both physically and metaphorically made it difficult for me to remember my priorities and what I stand for. 

This past year was an incredible challenge, and I feel that I was encountering obstacle after obstacle. However, I knew that it was imperative that I have faith in myself and always stay hopeful. Throughout it all, I didn't let myself think about the negatives and linger on what ifs, and instead focused on what I could control, taking things each step at a time and being purposeful and resilient with my actions.

I truly don't think I would have been able to persevere if it weren't for my support system and my strengthening relationships with my friends, advisors, and mentors. Reflecting back, I'm grateful to my advisors--including my academic advisor, Jenny, who supported my interest in HCE and was a huge help in the application process, and to my honors advisor, Tori, who always checks in on my progress and encourages me to always reach out for anything. I'm grateful to all my friends who I'm sharing my academic struggles with, who always stand by my side no matter the circumstances. I'm also thankful for my mentors, including my research mentor, Dr. Goh, who is so patient and reassuring while listening to all my rants, and to my second-year medical student mentor, John, who never fails to see my potential and inspires me to always do my best. I also couldn't be more grateful to my parents for their unwavering support and for always putting me first. 

As I finish up this semester, I'm proud of myself for facing the challenges and striving to do my best, which is reflected in my grades as they continued to rise, in my increasing leadership involvements and initiatives, and in receiving both my work authorization and acceptance to HCE which I will start soon in the summer. 

Looking back, if there's anything this year has taught me is that 'where there is a will, there is a way', and to always think beyond the conventional.