From Playroom to Patient Care: How a Daycare Sparked My Passion for Healing by Lois

From Playroom to Patient Care: How a Daycare Sparked My Passion for Healing by Lois - April 2025 Scholarship Essay

Three, two, one! Ready or not, here I come!" I yelled playfully. I could hear the sound of little feet scurrying around me, mixed with tiny bursts of laughter. When I turned around from the wall, I immediately spotted three children, and by tracing the laughter with my ears, I could tell where four more were hiding—the famous hiding spot in Hide and Seek.

"Hmm? Where could they be?" I asked aloud. My question was met with growing giggles and shuffling movements. This, along with the all-time favorite Gummy Bear song, was the ultimate source of engagement for these little ones. This was the place where I spent my summers and weekdays after school. This was the daycare where I came to know that I wanted to pursue a major in biological sciences and where my passion for pediatric medicine was born.

At twelve years old, I began actively assisting my mom in her daycare. At first, my responsibilities included changing diapers, feeding, laying out cots, and washing dishes. But as time passed, I gained a deeper understanding of what it truly meant to care for children.

I loved watching how toddlers entered the daycare one way and transformed for the better. Even more, I loved being a part of that transformation process. Some children I worked with came in with speech delays or other concerns that worried their parents. However, by the time they graduated, their parents were overjoyed to hear them speaking fluently. Others struggled with social anxiety and had difficulty relating to their peers, but through childlike games—like role-playing family or dress-up—they developed social skills and newfound confidence.

By the ages of two, three, four, and five, these children were already learning Spanish and sign language. I was amazed when they even corrected my signing on an occasion when I stepped in for the daycare administrator. They knew the entire alphabet in ASL and could identify shapes, colors, letters, and numbers in Spanish. As a result, many of them entered elementary school ahead of their peers and were placed in advanced classes.

Seeing these young children experience such profound transformations simply by being in daycare inspired me to pursue a career where I could make an even greater impact. I wanted to do more than just teach and nurture them—I wanted to play a role in their medical well-being and, ultimately, in saving young lives.

I enjoyed watching them grow from infants to toddlers, witnessing their development, and being an integral part of that process through interaction, engagement, and teaching. Over time, I formed strong bonds with these children and became deeply invested in their well-being. The hardest part of this experience was watching them leave for elementary school. While I felt sad to see them go, I was also excited about the new opportunities that awaited them—new friendships, personal growth, and expanded knowledge.

The depth of this experience solidified my desire to pursue pediatric medicine as a biology major in college. Beyond my hands-on experience caring for children, my passion for biology was ignited by a high school freshman-year course. That class uncovered a hidden enthusiasm within me—one that ultimately set me on the path toward a career in medicine.

Three aspects of biology, in particular, captivated me. First, the intricate process of cell division. I was fascinated by how a single cell multiplies into the 30 trillion that make up the human body and how a zygote, in the confines of the womb, transforms into a fully developed fetus with eyes, limbs, and a beating heart. Second, the complexity of human organ systems, especially the nervous system. The fact that the brain—making up less than five percent of the body’s mass—serves as the command center for all bodily functions intrigued me deeply. Finally, genetics captured my curiosity. Constructing Punnett squares and predicting genotypic and phenotypic outcomes led me to explore genetic disorders such as Down syndrome and sickle cell anemia, further fueling my desire to understand the science behind inherited conditions. These topics extended far beyond the classroom, inspiring me to learn more in my own time.

This area of study has profoundly influenced my academic pursuits, inspiring me to not only expand my knowledge but also to impart this knowledge to others. It has led me to wonder how I can relate this to my life’s vision of impacting others productively. My interest in Biology combined with my love for teaching, training, and taking care of children has inspired me to become a pediatrician. To help a population of individuals who cannot help themselves and who struggle to communicate the reality of their situation.

As a pediatrician, I will have the opportunity to care for children during the most critical stages of their development. Young patients, especially those battling serious illnesses, need more than just medical treatment; they need a doctor they can trust—someone who genuinely cares for them beyond routine checkups. I aspire to be that doctor.

I want to see transformation in my future patients, just as I saw it in the children at daycare. I want every visit to be both comforting and effective, providing not only medical care but also emotional support. Through compassion and dedication, I will devote myself to the well-being of the little ones I serve, ensuring they receive the best care possible.