My approach to lifelong learning and the perspectives that inform my approach stem from my cultural and religious background. I come from a mixed household. My dad is Jamaican and my mom is Indo-Guyanese. In coming from a mixed household, it allows me to be in touch with different cultures and open-minded when it comes to understanding how cultural aspects play a role in life.  Simply navigating my complex cultural identity has taught me valuable life lessons. I live on the South Shore of Long Island, which has a lower average household income and more diverse demographics than that of  Locust Valley on the North Shore of Long Island, where I attend high school. Attending a school with a predominately white and wealthy population as someone most people see as racially ambiguous presents challenges. Many people in my school community question my ethnicity and race (not always kindly), and will even ask why I travel all the way to the North Shore to attend school. They become even more curious when they learn I am conversant in Spanish—an ability that has helped me greatly in my hispanic home community and when I speak spanish with  my mom. Instead of taking these questions as personal affronts, I choose to turn these moments into teachable ones. I assume a sincere intention and desire to get to know me and where I come from, and I seize the opportunity to make this a learning experience for them. Thanks to my patient and measured approach, I’ve been able to form meaningful relationships with many of these people that I maintain to this day. In having my different cultures and backgrounds have shaped the way I see the world. I have developed my own unique perspective on learning, each that values empathy, adaptability and open dialogue. My lived experiences have taught me that my life long journey is. not just about academics but its about learning and constantly growing and constantly learning especially when it comes to my patients, the people I will serve.