帕梅拉·戈萨奇，2023年11月7日

“When you have a healing energy, people come out of the woodwork,” laughs Alexis Norwood ‘26. The sophomore biology major has an empathetic demeanor that draws people in, compelling friends and acquaintances to share their deepest thoughts and fears. This natural inclination has compelled her toward a medical career since age 5. So when Norwood—who has Afro-Indigenous heritage—learned her ancestors were apothecaries, it all made sense. Below, she shares the ways her heritage has shaped her, the impact she wants to make in the medical field and the bucket list trip her grandmother inspired.

关于家庭根源：

我的父亲是多米尼加人，我的母亲和祖母——和我一起长大的——是土著人。 我的祖母在北卡罗莱纳霍利斯特的哈利瓦-萨波尼保留地长大。 She taught me to treat all living things with respect—from people we meet to crickets we’d find in the house. 直到今天，它仍然影响着我与人的交往。

关于科学令人安心的力量：

科学一直是我的强项。 The world is so complex, so breaking things down to a cellular level to understand the root of how they work is satisfying. Right now I’m taking a genetics class—Bio 309—with 布莱恩·马斯特斯教授. 看到这个领域是如何根据新发现不断变化的，这很有趣。 The curriculum forces you out of your comfort zone, but he also has the whole class cracking up.

谈她从医的灵感：

有色人种的医疗结果差异是惊人的。 Disease symptoms can present differently for people of different races and genders, and when symptoms are generalized, it can make diagnoses harder for people of color. I want to be part of the change to look at patients holistically and use that to improve care.

关于通过共同压力建立联系：

身为非洲原住民，感觉像是跨越了两个不同的世界。 People want to generalize, and you don’t fit in a box for them. I’m grateful for the friendships I found living in the STEM学者社区. Even though we all came from different experiences, living together while going through the same coursework helped us relate to each other. Being stressed at the same time makes for bonding moments!

关于作为医学预科学生的放松：

我热爱艺术。 它让我从科学的压力中解脱出来。 Even though my art requirements are filled, I’m taking a ceramics class this semester, and it’s great. If you’re nice to clay, it will be nice to you. 我在那个房间里忘记了时间。

旅行遗愿清单：

每年在新墨西哥州都有一个盛大的仪式叫做国家聚会。 People from hundreds of tribes attend for music, food and more, and I would love to be among them someday. 我在北卡罗莱纳参加的祈祷会是一种相互联系的经历。 我们作为一个社区聚集在一起跳舞，向我们的文化致敬，吃美味的食物。 我想邀请大家找个时间来体验一下。 欢迎光临！

庆祝本土遗产和文化

稳定的十大彩票网站 庆祝土著人民、历史和经历 throughout Native American Heritage Month and beyond. Connect with stories from community members and learn about the events and resources available to Native students, faculty and staff.