My Goal is My Voyage by Trinity

My Goal is My Voyage by Trinity - August 2024 Scholarship Essay

Like Moana from the Disney movie, my goal is to be a voyager. However, instead of sailing through an uncharted ocean, I will sail through the foreign and fluid waters of epidemiology and epigenetics to research innovative treatments or prevention methods for common public health issues.

This has been my calling since middle school when I first researched that cancer, one of the most common public health issues, often begins in the interactions between the environment and the genetic code. These interactions comprise a developing field known as epigenetics, which is likely connected to many serious health issues. My next substantial educational goal is to explore these developing fields through the creation of a YouTube series that shares the causes, treatments, and prevention methods of common public health issues, such as hypertension and cancer. The 12 part series, titled Your Best Health, is in its early production stages and should be out in September. This voyage will be more than a search for information, however; it will be a search for light.

I was nine years old when I first watched the movie Moana. I remember being mesmerized by the blue-green mass of ocean flowing across the screen and Moana’s curls flying freely in the wind. I remember loving Moana’s spirit of determination and courage to do whatever it takes to help her people. I realized that spirit is reflected in me. Several people in my family have health issues such as diabetes and arthritis. I wish that I could help heal their afflictions. In light of this, I have come to realize there is more to health than biology. I believe that one of the best treatments is hope and joy. When one is experiencing health problems, it is so easy for one’s perspective to simply darken. I never want anyone to experience such hopelessness. In the movie, when Moana restored her island, the island began to grow beautiful plants just before she sailed into her reef. It gave her people a sense of hope. Even amidst my family members’ own struggles, they are always full of joy and gratitude that is often expressed through cooking delicious soul food or having warm gatherings. My family members have encouraged me to be a source of hope by sharing encouraging quotes, Bible verses, or even funny photos in my series, Your Best Health, to help people smile.

My goal is to revive the hope in people just as Moana revives islands while sharing information and discoveries about public health and how to care for one’s own health. With my YouTube series as my boat, I am looking forward to starting my voyage into epidemiology, epigenetics, and public health. I hope it encourages my viewers to be voyagers too and search for the light.