HMS/HSDM White Coat Ceremony

thank you [Music] good afternoon [Applause] good afternoon everybody good afternoon and welcome to the 2023 Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Dental Medicine white coat ceremony [Applause] it is so wonderful to say hello to all of you out there whether in person or joining in on the live stream my name is Bernard Chang and I'm the dean for medical education here at Harvard Medical School now the students know this already but I'll share with all of you in the audience that this is my very first day as the dean for medical education [Applause] those of us on the faculty often say that it feels like we go on the educational Journey with our students but for me it feels especially so today this is going to be an exciting and inspirational afternoon as we get the chance to meet each and every one of our students for the first time before we start I want to begin by thanking Cheryl O'Brien Carrie Sylvan and the student affairs staff of both HMS and hsdm for organizing this terrific event and making the whole thing possible and I also want to thank the admissions offices of HMS and hsdm for creating the wonderful community of students in the class of 2027 that we have before us today now it's important for organization that is likely unknown to most of you and that is the esculopian club here at HMS the esculapian club is a group of alumni and faculty who help to support student faculty social events and they provide us with one essential element of the ceremony today which is the actual white coats so thank you to this wonderful group for helping us to carry on this terrific tradition year after year let's spend some time talking about white coats then the white coat as you know is a symbol of the profession but sometimes people outside of the field of medicine ask why we give the white coats when you first arrive are they not a sign of achievement something that should only come at the culmination of a journey well we give you your white coats today for reasons both philosophical and practical both individual and Collective philosophically the white coat is indeed a symbol of achievement you have already achieved much it is quite the individual achievement for you to have made it to medical school and dental school and we are so proud of you for being here at HMS and hsdm but in many ways your work is just beginning so the white coat is also a symbol of aspiration individual aspiration for that which remains unachieved the white coat is a symbol of your aspiration to learn how to treat those in need your aspiration to discover new ways of maintaining the health of our populations and your aspiration to share your knowledge with your colleagues and with the broader community so in a sense you'll be working hard to earn this white coat the white coat is also a symbol of our Collective achievement and our Collective aspiration in the profession medicine as a field has achieved amazing feats in history including some we've all just witnessed in the past few years in the setting of a global pandemic but we also collectively need to be better we have an aspiration and indeed an obligation to address centuries of racism discrimination and inequity that have plagued our profession we have an aspiration to encourage and emphasize the patient-centered approach of contemporary clinical Health Care and we have an aspiration to improve the environment in which our Learners you gain those fundamental skills you need to become practicing Physicians and dentists so there's a lot there's a lot behind the philosophy that underlies the white coat as a symbol of both achievement and aspiration but we're all very much in a practical line of work and there is a lot of practicality behind why we deliver the white coats to you at the beginning of your journey as well because in medical and dental school unusually among the major professional schools we learn primarily by doing no matter how nice it is to be in the classrooms of the medical education building right there or in the newly renovated study spaces of countway library right there at least half of your time here with us at HMS and hsdm will be in clinical settings learning by doing standing side by side with other Health Care Professionals who get up and come in every day not because they're in school but because they are at work doing the hard work of caring for individuals who are sick and in need and in our curriculum no matter in which track or at what site you are you start these clinical encounters early in fact with your first patient clinic tomorrow afternoon I'll be seeing you there so you need your white coats today because you'll be learning by doing right away learning by doing means that there will be high standards expected of you high academic standards of course but also high expectations of your responsibility and your professional values now we wouldn't have those standards if we weren't sure you could succeed in reaching them we know you can succeed because we know this is not done alone you would not have gotten here to HMS and hsdm by yourself and you are not expected to get through medical and dental school by yourselves either I know many of you this afternoon will be thanking someone in your life who has been important to your success when you come across this stage but right now let's collectively thank the parents families friends teachers coaches mentors and everyone else who had a role in getting you here today with a huge round of applause [Applause] well let me conclude by saying congratulations to you all and once again welcome we can't wait to see what you accomplished in the coming years here and I'm so glad to be sharing this first day with you [Applause] now it's my great honor to introduce our next speaker Dean George Daly Dr Daley is the dean of Harvard Medical School in the Caroline Shields Walker professor of Medicine a physician scientist and an authority on stem cell science and cancer biology his discoveries have twice been cited in science magazine's top 10 breakthroughs of the year he has co-authored International guidelines for the conduct and clinical translation of stem cell research and regenerative medicine and for ethical oversight of emerging biotechnologies Dean Daley's priorities as dean of Harvard Medical School include fostering Innovative biomedical computational and Healthcare policy research building a pipeline of Novel Therapeutics founded on basic science nurturing the next generation of physician scientists and advancing diversity in science technology engineering and Medicine Dean Daly earned his bachelor's in MD degrees from Harvard and a PhD in biology from MIT he has worked as a trainee fellow or staff physician at the MGH Brigham Dana Farber and Boston Children's Hospital where he continues to run a lab in the division of pediatric Hematology Oncology please join me in welcoming Dean George Daly [Applause] thank you so much Bernard and it is so fabulous to have you here as our new Dean for medical education I hope you're enjoying your first official day on the job a special thank you as well to all those who have made this day possible I want to mention again HMS director of student Affair Cheryl O'Brien hsdm director of student affairs Carrie Sylvan uh but also associate director of auxiliary Services Molly Hudson contact manager of Campus Services Devon Countryman thank you thank you but also there's an extensive team Beyond dedicated to ensuring our safety here on campus including our director of Campus Services Rob Dixon security operations manager Bill de Simone and associate director of Emergency Management Carl Cowan from AV and I.T to parking to custodial to maintenance there are many many people who have helped us be here today too many to name but I'm indebted to all of them and I think all of you are indebted to them as well for helping make this event run so smoothly this year and every year [Applause] now I am thrilled to personally extend my warmest welcome to the many family members and friends who are here in the audience thank you for joining us in this extraordinary celebration of an exciting milestone for the newest members of the Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Dental Medicine communities now to each of you yes let's clap [Applause] to each of you um in the class of 2027 it's wonderful to meet you uh Here For the First Time congratulations uh I know that this is the realization of a very very long maybe lifelong dream the beginning of your Journeys to become a doctor now in the years to come you will be learning about the latest trends in biomedical science you're going to be discovering new methods for collaborative science and collaborative research you're going to care for patience and you will form some of the most meaningful friendships and relationships that will last for the rest of your life and above all you will employ your extraordinary talents to commence the life of service that this day represents as doctors you will assume responsibility for safeguarding the health of your patients you have the great Fortune of dedicating your lives to this difficult but endlessly satisfying work every so often don't forget to pause and reflect on the privilege that this represents now coming to Harvard Medical School in particular is a most favorable opportunity right now right now some of the world's most Brilliant Minds are hustling through the halls of the quadrangle buildings here the Laboratories in our Affiliated hospitals our research Institutes you are surrounded by thousands of intensely productive Harvard Scholars you are in close proximity to the MIT Community as well indeed 30 of you are enrolled in the joint Harvard MIT program in Health Sciences and Technology and there are dozens more Boston area institutions centered on service Innovation and scholarship that are at your disposal you could not have elected to be here and to join a richer learning environment now how you take advantage of this Dynamic biomedical ecosystem it's going to be up to you you more than anyone else will determine the path and the breadth of the experience that you have here now this summer I've been reading a book called range by journalist David Epstein well I highly recommend it Epstein argues that people who explore a variety of topics and hone multiple skills are especially capable of thriving in the modern world so for so-called generalists he says pursuing a range of interests enhances abstract strategic thinking the kind of human work that will remain essential even amid the impending changes of the AI Revolution so members of the class of 2027 I encourage you to explore far and wide during your time here at Harvard Medical School don't discount any line of inquiry don't write off any of your passions and don't let specialization give you special dispensation to abandon your full selves yes every one of you will have successes failures personal discoveries and every one of you will shape the future of Medicine already last year's incoming students have channeled their interests toward making a difference take Alicia Mooney a 2018 U.S presidential scholar in the Arts who now leads poetry workshops with low-income single mothers or ishan Desai who worked side by side with the late Dr Paul Farmer before coming to medical school he volunteered for the Boston health care for the homeless program during his first year at Harvard Medical School drawing on his experiences in global Health to serve patients mod marginalized by poverty and disease right here in Boston now these students are among the many who lead and serve with passion and compassion now I hope you will take inspiration from those who have preceded you here at Harvard Medical School during your time here you'll learn about people like neonatologist Mary Ellen Avery who saved the lives of countless premature babies when she discovered the cause of respiratory distress syndrome or Harvey Cushing who was the first to describe Cushing's Disease and it was a crucial advocate in the U.S for the measurement of blood pressure during surgery you will see portraits of people like William Augustus Hinton for whom our hint in society is named he was a bacteriologist born to former slaves Hinton was the first African-American to be promoted to the rank of Professor not just at Harvard Medical School but all of Harvard University and don't forget you sue Margaret Lee a surgical oncologist who participated in over 50 International Medical missions treating both U.S soldiers and Iraqi prisoners of War both hintons and Lee's portraits among others are the result of Harvard's long-term concerted effort to make sure that artwork on campus is representative and inclusive of our entire community so let the work of these biomedical luminaries inspire you their lives and their achievements inspire me every day and finally I want to share with you that when I arrived here as a medical student in 1982 and received my white coat I was thrilled I was excited but I also had many doubts I questioned whether I had had enough preparation like classmates all seemed so brilliant and accomplished but let me tell you this all of us have our doubts but each of you has something you need to succeed here each of you has Drive determination desire a Harvard Medical School will challenge you it is our responsibility to challenge you to provoke you inspire you and at times frustrate you and make you feel uncomfortable get used to it but we will also support you and nurture you and take a deep personal interest in you so I hope that you take this message to Heart you all belong here our community is enriched by each and every one of you and it means so much to us that you have chosen to bring your extraordinary talents to our community and we cannot wait to see what you will achieve here at Harvard so on behalf of Harvard Medical School our faculty our postdocs our staff fellow students alumni I welcome you to this proud beginning congratulations [Applause] thank you Dean Daly I would now like to introduce the dean for the Harvard School of Dental Medicine Dr William Ginobili Hobley is an educator and leader in the field of periodontology and an internationally recognized scholar in oral regenerative medicine tissue engineering and precision medicine he is an alumnus of hsdm with an advanced degree in periodontology and oral biology and he completed his postdoctoral training in molecular biology right here at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Dean Ginobili has focused in his time since arriving from the University of Michigan on the education of our Dental students and the programming that he has brought to hsdm has really been revolutionary he has embarked on a new strategic vision for the school with priorities focused on driving clinical Innovation reinvigorating research and Discovery increasing diversity and vibrancy and advancing oral health care access delivery and policy we are thrilled to welcome Dean Ginobili to the podium [Applause] thank you so much Dr Chang for the kind remarks it's really a wonderful partnership between the School of Dental Medicine and Harvard Medical School that we have together so good afternoon it's an honor to welcome the class of 2027 along with your family friends and loved ones to today's white coat ceremony this day celebrates your arrival on campus and the first steps you will take in your dental and Medical Careers today is filled with excitement and with great hope and anticipation along with likely a bundle of nerves you will have the chance to try on those sharp looking white coats even before stepping foot in a hospital or clinic it can be daunting to wear the coat filled with so many expectations but let me assure you that you've come to the right place for your Education and Training you have all worked incredibly hard to get here and we're so pleased to welcome you into our Harvard community so today begins a an important transformative experience in your lives and in your careers so receiving your white coat for the first time is like being handed a fresh blank sheet of paper just waiting for you to add your knowledge experiences and lessons in science and medicine just as a canvas presents infinite possibilities your white coat represents the boundless potential and untapped abilities within you it's as if you are standing at the beginning of a captivating story ready to write the chapters that will shape your future as a health care professional so each patient encounter each lesson learned and each experience gained will add depth and texture to the canvas of your career so as you write your own story here at Harvard you'll be presented with numerous paths to take within an unparalleled environment for scientific exploration and discovery in the Longwood Medical area you are surrounded by an amazing Arena of different hospitals and many different opportunities within this landscape at Harvard University so some examples of this are the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute children's hospital and many others so throughout your journey you will be supported by faculty staff and classmates who will become your advisors mentors and role models at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine the students who have come before you have crafted their own unique paths some follow traditional Avenues and dental Specialties such as surgery and many other Arenas within dental medicine others will pursue different academic locations within other areas of Medicine so just a few examples of many of our individuals who have served and graduated from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine include one of our alumni who recently served as a White House fellow in the office of national cyber security another alumnus founded a technology company that automates Outpatient Care Management while another is in an oral health Outreach provider for the city of Chicago's public health system and yet another Alum serves as CEO of the International Association for dental research from these examples you can Envision how you might craft your own narrative so at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine has a proud history of fostering an environment where you can you are encouraged to think broadly and creatively you will learn about the connections between oral health and overall health and you'll be encouraged to use this knowledge to address Health disparities in our nation and in the world as Dental students you will be immersed in the medical curriculum and you will work alongside your medical school classmates likewise those of you who are medical students will learn about the systemic implications of oral conditions and diseases this immersive integrated program that started 156 years ago when hsdm became the first dental school in the United States to be connected to a medical school continues to this day it will provide you with the essential Foundation to think holistically about treating your patients Total Health and so similar to how a blank page provides a canvas for creativity your white coat provides a canvas for compassion and care you have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of those you serve and with each interaction you have the chance to write a story of healing comfort and Hope this week and over the course of your training you'll meet patients who will teach you important lessons in becoming compassionate clinicians you will learn enormously from their medical Journeys you will also take a note that underscores your commitment to treating your patients with respect kindness fairness and empathy throughout your academic Journey there will be many things you'll learn outside of a classroom or textbook remain open-minded curious and empathetic so you come to Harvard well prepared for the next steps you'll take I've had the opportunity to read the bios of our 35 Dental students and you're an impressive Cadre of Future Leaders you have a remarkable backgrounds and have accomplished so much in your early careers you hail from 18 different states in six different countries the DMD class is 60 percent female and 40 percent male and nearly a quarter of our new students come from backgrounds underrepresented in dental medicine so during your undergraduate career some of you have already worked in Research Laboratories contributed to shaping Health policy helped marginalize communities access care and have served as tutors and advisors to Young students you have come to the right place to pursue your interests and realize your dreams so on behalf of the Harvard Community we look forward to getting to know you and following your achievements over these next four years I encourage you to make the most of every moment here embrace the blank canvas before you seize the pen and write your own story as you leave your mark on the pages of Health Care so congratulations and best wishes to all [Applause] thank you Dean Ginobili now the focus turns from us to you staff are going to be here to help you as students row by row to rise come down to sides of the tent with your white coat draped over your white right arm and come toward the sides of the ramps on either side faculty will be on both sides to help you Don your white coat and get you ready to come up onto the ramps we've got a microphone over on this side and a microphone over on this side and what we're going to do is we're going to alternate with each student coming up and introducing themselves to us to our community and to everybody who's watching on the live stream so I see the faculty in place and we can get the students up The Faculty who are helping our students to Don their white coats include the academic Society advisory Deans and directors faculty from The Office of Medical Education and some of the other lead teachers of our students during their time here at HMS and hsdn all right I think we're ready to go the three of us are going to leave the stage so that we can watch this as well as you ladies and gentlemen the class of 2027 of Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Dental Medicine [Applause] hello everyone my name is Andrew Bell I'm from Western Connecticut I'd like to thank my mother Eric my father Eric my mother Tracy and my brother Michael who are with me today and to all of you my future friends and colleagues for the next four years I hope we have a great time and I know we're gonna do awesome things thank you everyone [Applause] hi my name is Fiona Reed I'm from Stowe Vermont um I'm so excited to be here I'm doing an MD PhD um so I'll be here forever and I just want to thank everyone in the audience here and online um thanks [Applause] hello my name is Jerry sang and I'm from Richmond Virginia I wanted to thank especially my mother my brother you guys are both my role models for strength uh courage and resilience and I love you both thank you [Applause] hi everyone my name is Charles I'm from Princeton Junction New Jersey I'd like to thank my family my dad my mom my brother I'd also like to thank my friends and my mentors for watching either in person or online thank you all for your continual support thank you [Applause] hi everyone my name is Jenna moo and I'm from Omaha Nebraska on a day like today which marks the start of a new educational Journey I'd like to thank the greatest teachers that I've had the honor of knowing so far to my parents who taught me what unconditional love means to my brothers who taught me to find the joy in every day to my friends who taught me to enjoy the highs as much as the lows into my mentors who taught me to always dream big and I'd also like to thank a teacher who has been with me since day one and that is of course the one and only Taylor Swift [Applause] it has taught me the importance of Blazing my own path and of course has provided the soundtrack to my life thank you hello my name is sojis wagley I am from Springdale Arkansas and uh first and foremost I'd like to thank my family my parents who are here with me today for all their support my older brother saurab who's also uh who's not here with me today um but uh is supporting me from afar and then of course my academic mentors in college especially Dr Don operario and Dr Jeff Prue so thank you for making me uh the person that I am today and for getting me here today as well thank you foreign my name is arub Youssef I'm from Chambersburg Pennsylvania to start I want to thank two very special people Lena rajwani and Harry Sean mugum for their mentorship and most importantly their friendship I want to thank my sister faza for bringing joy laughter and humor to every moment my dad for serving as a model of hard work and dedication and my mom for showing me what selfless care and love really means thank you love you all [Applause] hi my name is jisoo Kim and I'm from Busan South Korea and I want to say thank you to my mentors and friends that have supported me along the way but most of all my family um [Music] [Applause] hi everyone my name is Sofia I moved here from New York City but I was born and raised into Belize Georgia I have to extend the biggest great gratitude to my parents who are the reason why I'm standing here today my brother grandparents friends or family who are watching from halfway across the world matlaba oila priest who is to my mentors who made me believe that I could achieve anything I said I had to I'm forever grateful I'm beyond honored to be beginning this journey with some of the most wonderful people I've already met thank you everyone [Applause] hi my name is Shawna O'Malley I'm from Iowa City Iowa and I want to thank my friends and my family for supporting me and believing in me even when I didn't believe in myself I want to say a special thank you to Ryan and Ellen for being here for me today hi my name is monsie tatwani and I'm from I'm from Saint Thomas in the U.S Virgin Islands I'm so honored to be standing here today I want to thank my mentors my friends those who are here today and those who are here in spirit and especially my family to Baba for always guiding me to my little brother ronnett for adding so much joy and love into my life to my dad for showing me what true service really means and to my mom for being my rock my mentor my best friend thank you so much I would not be here without you I love you all thank you [Applause] hi my name is Zayna pakfanar I'm from New York City and I need your understanding [Music] and Eric yes I love you so much too thank you guys for allowing me to be where I am today have a great day [Applause] hi I'm Sarah Grill I'm from Pittsburgh I'd like to thank my parents my brothers Josh and Daniel and Jill who are here with me today and all my friends and family watching from afar love you guys [Applause] hey everyone my name is Michael Chen I'm from Cleveland Ohio and I'd like to start off by thanking my friends and mentors I'm so grateful for your guys's support throughout this journey and I miss you all very dearly to my family my two parents and my sister Maggie it's because of your love and sacrifice that I made throughout high school and I'm now a college graduate so I decided the best way to repay you would be to go back to school for another four years but in all seriousness the privilege to do what I love and to do it here none of that is lost on me so thank you so much hi my name is I'm from New York City I'd like to take this moment to thank first and foremost my parents for their unconditional love and for all the sacrifices they've made for me also like to thank my siblings for being my best friends and then to my grandparents for teaching me to love with my whole heart and to be resilient this one is for you thank you so much [Applause] salaam everyone my name is Muhammad Abdi and I'm from Wisconsin and alhamdulillah Allah has graced my life with blessings that can only be divine and the basic the biggest one has been my family uh thank you Mama for showing me how to be a truly compassionate person and a physician thank you baba for showing me what it means to be a man who is honest and Embraces responsibility and thank you Ali for being my best friend every step of the way to all of my friends and family back home in Pakistan and around the world thank you [Applause] hi my name is Anjali chakratar and I'm from Manalapan New Jersey Harvard Medical School this is really surreal and I'm very very grateful to be here I'd like to thank my parents for building communities that raised me my brother for being my rock he insisted I call him every single day for this first week of medical school my grandparents for showing me what unconditional love looks like I hope to be a force for good in the world and I really want to do right by my patients so thank you all we'll miss you love you [Applause] hi my name is Alexa Hui I'm from Plantation Florida and I'd like to thank all my friends family academic mentors who are supporting me uh virtually I appreciate you guys I love you guys I need to thank my popo yay oppa Charo Emily Daddy I wouldn't be here without you guys today uh but most of all I need to thank my mother my best friend my supporter every single day of my life I owe all of this to you Mommy so I love you thank you [Applause] good afternoon my name is Nathan I'm from San Diego California thank you Mom and Dad for your unconditional love I love you guys thank you so much to Tita Christie to Jojo and Noah for coming here in person to support me for all my family friends and mentors supported me online thank you I love you guys so much thank you to Daniel for being the best best friend good luck with secondaries right now thank you for Harvard Medical School for taking a chance on me thanks be to God and I hope to make you all proud hi my name is mijan Chum from Fairfax Virginia I just want to thank my mom who drove 10 hours to get here with me the rest of my family my mentors my friends for just being the reasons I'm able to stand here thank you foreign Caden I'm from St Louis in 2018 my dad got pretty sick and for some time we didn't know what was going to happen at which point he told me he just hoped he could be at my white coat and it's because of loved ones and science and medicine and a pretty phenomenal clinical trial that I can be looking at him and my mom in the crowd today so thank you to everyone family and friends and mentors for it hi everyone my name is Claire Holloman I'm from Boulder Colorado and I'm so happy to be here I just want to thank my parents for their unconditional love and giving me every opportunity without ever asking anything in return I want to thank my siblings and my grandparents for always cheering me on and my friends mentors professors and coaches who I wouldn't be here without thank you all [Applause] hi everyone my name is Rick Lee and I'm from Naperville Illinois first I would just like to thank all of the loved ones family friends mentors and communities that have supported me up until this point and continue to do so and in particular I'd really like to thank my two parents who are out in the crowd today and also my grandparents as well thank you so much [Applause] hello everyone my name isunji I'm from Miramar Florida I'd first like to say oluwa which means thank you God who has brought me this far and will continue to take me where I need to go thank you to my family my parents my brother deji my sister Esther who are my favorite um siblings favorite Rivals and people who have encouraged me and brought me to where I need to go thank you for my coaches mentors and family friends who have all strengthened me and taught me every lesson I need to be here today thank you [Applause] hi everyone my name is Christina Correa I'm from Robstown Texas and I'd like to thank my mom and my two older brothers Julio and Carlos for their support and I'd also like to thank the kincaides for letting me join their family today hi everyone my name is Kat Mason and I'm from San Diego California I want to thank my family my friends I love you you mean the world to me my professors at USC and my mentors at UCSD doctors Anderson Taub Longhurst and gold Haber and many others it really takes a village thank you for being mine [Applause] hi my name is Aditi Lemay I'm from Madison Alabama I think the stay belongs to the people that really brought me here and so thank you to my parents for showing me sacrifice and love thank you to my sister for making Boston feel like home and for making me the proudest older sister ever thank you to my grandparents like Aji who's here today and my grandfather who's watching at home who inspired me to join medicine and thank you to millions of mentors and friends and my partner Dave who's always on my team [Applause] my name is Adrian kalau and I'm from Santa Rosa California I want to thank my mom my sister Abby and my girlfriend Annika for all their love and support and I especially want to thank my dad who left behind a medical career in the Philippines to support our family thank you to the original Dr kalau for allowing me to pursue my dreams and become a Dr Colin myself I love you all hi everyone my name is Andy Chang and I'm from Andover Massachusetts and I first want to say thank you to my family who have all supported me on this journey to get here especially my parents and my younger sister Emilia and I also want to give a special shout out to my cat mocha will not have made it through the application season without him and finally I just want to say thank you to my first teacher my grandma I need hi everyone my name is Sam Marcos I'm from Sharon Massachusetts and I'd like to thank everyone who supported me especially the people who are here in the audience today my mom my brother Jake Ruby Graham and David and someone who's not here today my dad so thank you all and Happy Birthday Mom hi everyone my name is Abby and I'm from Winchester Massachusetts um I first want to say that I just feel so privileged to be able to do my MD PhD training at um two incredible institutions Harvard and MIT and I do want to give glory to God for opening the store and allowing me to have this really incredible opportunity I want to thank my parents for their sacrifice for their enormous and Endless Love and their encouragement I want to thank my teachers and mentors who molded me into the person that I am today and I certainly would not be here without their effort and their love and I want to thank my friends my friends who I just I'm so grateful for their community and for their caring and last but not least I want to thank my brother who is my forever communion my best friend and I love you so much thank you [Applause] hi my name is Julia bidlock and I'm from Williamsburg Virginia I first want to thank my family and friends for their unwavering love and support I would not be standing here today without them and second I would like to thank my amazing mentors and instructors for their generous guidance their patience their letters of support and for really pushing me out of my comfort zone to reach this privileged position that I find myself in today thank you so much hi everyone I'm wembo Wu I'm originally from Falls Church Virginia and I would like to first start by thanking all of my loved ones who showed up to cheer me on as they always do and as well as I would also like to thank all of my friends and mentors both old and new for all their unconditional support and for getting me to where I am today I'm incredibly grateful and I love you all hi everyone my name is Harrison new I'm from El Monte California near Los Angeles and there are so many people that I wish I could think I was also told that I only have 20 seconds so I will say thank you to my family my friends loved ones mentors everyone who has just supported me and has fought for me um throughout my entire life I really appreciate it and to my family and relatives in Burma thank you hi everyone I'm Erica Langan I'm from Cincinnati Ohio I'd like to thank my friends and family my teachers and mentors who have supported me along this path and I'd especially like to thank my parents for showing me in a thousand different ways what it means to be a caretaker so thank you hi everyone I'm Ralph istanbulier I was born and raised in Aleppo Syria first I would like to thank my family who's watching from the other side of the Atlantic uh pop mom and [Music] I love you so much and I miss you so much and I would also like to extend my gratitude to my extended family my host family my friends my mentors all of whom believed in me so I could believe in myself and finally to my classmates I cannot wait to make this place a second home with all of you for all of us [Applause] hi my name is Dan I'm from Dublin Ohio I want to thank my mom my dad Alex and Eli without whom I wouldn't be here I want to thank Gorge and Evan Isaiah and Andrew for getting me through undergrad Sophie for your constant support and Shira Jackson Tyrese for being here today hello my name is Aiden paveo I'm from Acton Massachusetts I'd like to thank my friends and family especially Mom Dad Victor and bampi for supporting me even when it was hard and to all my research mentors professors and advisors for believing in me thank you all [Applause] I'm qazi and I'm from Oak Creek Wisconsin I want to say thanks to my family soon to be family and way too many friends to mention both here and abroad and special thanks to my sister who was the first one in their home to put on a coat like this glad that you're here good afternoon all my name is Francesco I'm from antronas kiranco in Italy please allow me to say grazia Familia but also thank you especially to my mentors friends and colleagues across contents now because you convinced me that I belonged and I was in the right place even when everything fell foreign thank you hi everyone my name is Corinne O'Shea and I'm from the Boston area I'd just like to express my gratitude to my parents and the rest of my family to my friends to my partner Dominic and to everyone in the van velu lab who gave me such a welcoming and fun introduction to the world of medicine and science thank you all [Applause] hi my name is Alexandra halberstam I'm from Ann Arbor Michigan I'm grateful to more people that I can name but I wanted to take this moment to thank my grandparents my parents my siblings Hannah and Zach and my friend Tino who have always supported me from near and far [Applause] hi everyone I'm Allison zangam from Sacramento California I'd like to thank HMS for giving me the closest experience to an Oscars acceptance speech as I'll ever get now in reality I'd love to thank my parents and of course Dr Irving Weissman [Applause] hello everyone I'm Alex Abate I'm from Houston Texas I want to first thank Toto and Nikki my brothers you guys are really important to me I want to thank Julia for helping me get here and I want to thank my mom and dad most importantly of all you guys are my role models both uh for my career and for the rest of my life [Applause] hi everybody my name is Neha I'm from Herndon Virginia um when I was 14 I lost my beautiful mother Aisha to cancer and I'd like to honor her today because it was really her Incredible strength and Grace during her battle that made me dream of becoming a physician and continues to inspire me today [Applause] I'd also quickly really like to thank my dad my sister and my grandma for standing by me through everything between having that dream and being here today now you know thank you to them to my extended family and to my wonderful friends for supporting me and standing by me here today as you always have thank you thank you hi everyone my name is Emily powis and I'm from Denver Colorado I just want to thank my mom dad family friends and mentors for inspiring and supporting me on this incredible journey thank you and I love you [Applause] from Los Angeles California I would like to thank my parents vaman Baba for giving me every opportunity and for encouraging me to pursue a life full of learning curiosity and service thank you to my little brothers Aaron and Aiden to call my amazing friends my mentors and teachers thank you for supporting me and always believing in me thanks thank you hello everyone my name is Melina Hatton and I'm from San Jose California to everyone who has inspired me my family especially my parents friends mentors and coaches I am truly grateful for all of your support throughout the journey that has brought me here today thank you so much [Applause] hi everyone my name is Chelsea Wang and I'm from Fort Collins Colorado First to all of my incredible teachers mentors and friends I wouldn't be here today without your generosity Charlie you're the greatest brother and personal chauffeur I could ever ask for and above all else to my mom and dad everything that I am I owe to you I love you so much thank you [Applause] hi everyone my name is Kimmy Han and I'm from Lake Forest Illinois I'm so grateful to be here today but I couldn't have done it without the support of my friends family and mentors so thank you all I also wanted to say a special thank you to my boyfriend JT for being the biggest support and greatest essay editor for the past five years and also most of all to my grandparents and my parents yes I love you guys so much thank you [Applause] hi everyone my name is arthi Vijay Kumar I'm from Minneapolis Minnesota and I'd like to thank my family for unconditionally supporting me in everything I've ever chosen to pursue my friends for being a source of overwhelming support on the entire path that led me here and all of the teachers and mentors that always encouraged me to take on big dreams thank you hi everyone my name is Maya okay I'm from Calgary Canada I just want to first off start by thinking my friends who are tuning in online thank you for your unconditional support and friendship all these years and lastly I'd like to thank my parents Rita and Jude okay as well as my beautiful siblings David Shea and tuluani I wouldn't be here if it weren't for your love your sacrifice and your hard work and I am eternally grateful for everything you've done for me thank you [Applause] hi everyone and I'm originally from elmenia Egypt first I'd like to thank God for every blessing and every hardship that has led me to this day secondly I'd like to thank my mother my beautiful kind amazing mother who without her I wouldn't be here today unless they'd like to thank the rest of my family my dad my brothers my grandparents and all my friends mentors teachers who helped me Reach This Day all right greetings everyone I'm Axel and I'm a tungaro I'm from Pine Bluff Arkansas given this short time I'll be brief I want to first thank all the teachers in my life I wouldn't be here without your help especially the first teachers of my life my big siblings Mariella my big sister Marshall my big brother and of course my parents Sixth namatungaro and Savannah I wouldn't be here without your sacrifice and your support thank you and to all my classmates you're my comrades Godspeed [Applause] hello everyone my name is Brandon Boucher I'm from San Diego California and I'd like to thank everyone that helped me get to where I'm at today I'd like to extend a special thank you to my mom my dad my sister Nicole and my girlfriend Rachel I'd also like to thank Dr Levi for being the best Mentor I could ask for thank you [Applause] hi everyone I'm Jorge Mendez I want to First says and to my chosen family of amazing friends thank you for holding me when I want to cry and scream but also for sharing some amazing laughter that I will remember for many years I really couldn't have done it without all of you and I love you all thank you so much [Applause] hi my name is Jared I'm from Chicago Illinois I first want to thank all the mentors I've had over the years including my research mentors um they always believed in me when I didn't believe in myself and they also wrote me letters of wreck so um I also want to dedicate this to my mom who passed away a couple of years ago I wouldn't be who I am without you would have never been in this position so thank you and yeah hello everyone I'm Jelani to John Jackson first I'd like to thank my mom my dad my grandma for supporting me every day of my life I'd love to thank my brother and my uncle and the audience somewhere and I'd love to thank the deed of my scholarship program who's also here and gave me an amazing opportunity that I think might have just paid off uh finally I'd love to thank everyone supporting me from home uh my sex My Success is a testament to all of yours thank you [Applause] uh good afternoon everyone my name is Vincent pan I'm from Las Vegas Nevada I want to thank all the mentors and the friends who have inspired me and supported me along this journey um shout out to Flora Jocelyn and Catherine who are here with me today thank you for always believing in me and I really want to thank my parents who are watching from home today [Applause] hi my name is Alicia steigerwald and I'm from Portland Oregon and I never thought I'd be able to stand here in this room today never dreamed of it so I feel very grateful for this opportunity and I'd like to thank my family my friends my mentor my partner and lastly the patients so far and the future patients I'll have that have inspired me on this journey [Applause] hi my name is Grace Wong I'm from Germantown Maryland I want to first thank my parents my grandparents and my sister thank you for teaching me the meaning of unconditional love and for inspiring me to always go forth into this world with kindness with courage and with curiosity thank you to my friends and to my mentors my partner for always believing in me I love you all so very much [Applause] hi everyone my name's kids smile and I'm from Seattle Washington I'd like to start by thinking my twin sister my literal other half a breeze who unfortunately couldn't be here today but I know she's watching this my parents my family my friends and my mentors without whom I wouldn't be here today so to all of you I express my deepest and warmest gratitude thank you [Applause] hello everyone my name is nadinejad and I'm from Brooklyn New York I'd like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude towards my parents who are here in the crowd today my grandparents my brother and my friends all of whom who have provided endless support love guidance encouragement all of it you are my biggest inspiration and your sacrifices will never be forgotten inshallah thank you [Applause] hi everyone my name is Karina Aguilar I would just like to say a huge thanks to my dad Eduardo to my sister lucrecia to my grandmother's Joe K and lucrecia and to my girlfriend Dory Taylor and most of all to my mom Laura for inspiring and supporting my journey into medicine I feel really grateful to be here thank you [Applause] hi everyone my name is Michelle Zhang and I'm from Fremont California I'm so incredibly honored to be here today I want to say thank you to my parents my sister Melody my friends and my mentors for believing in me every step of my journey I would not be who I am today nor would I be standing here without all of your support so I love you guys so much also thank you to HMS for this amazing opportunity and lastly to my classmates I'm so excited to meet you all and I can't wait to see what we do these next four years [Applause] hello my name is twisha bardwaj I'm from Hershey Pennsylvania and I am so immensely grateful for this privilege and opportunity I want to thank my parents my younger sister Anisha and my grandparents for their unwavering love and sacrifice I also want to thank my friends and mentors for inspiring me and supporting me along every step of this journey I truly wouldn't be standing here without you thank you so much [Applause] hi everyone my name is Andrew moo I'm from Fanwood New Jersey I want to thank my friends my mentors my teachers and even my own students who drove me insane these past couple years but most of all I want to thank my family my dad my mom my brother Eric and all my extended family I love you guys so much thank you [Applause] hi everyone my name is pranav samani I'm from Ashburn Virginia and it's a true privilege to be here with you today I owe this to my parents Rajesh and Sharda who put their my happiness above their own who have made countless sacrifices to get me to where I am today I also owe thanks unexpectedly to United who because of canceling our flight last minute allowed me to spend nine hours precious hours driving to Boston overnight uh I owe thanks to miss Sherry Fortier for her men uh her mentorship and being a role model for eight years to my best friends at Hopkins and and Ashburn to my Telugu speaking family and friends I am thrilled and humbled to join my peers in the class of 2027 thank you [Applause] and I'm proud to be representing the beautiful country of Tunisia today is I want to thank my host family for being here today for giving me a home away from home and to my mentors thank you for opening doors that I didn't know existed and to all those behind the scenes that I haven't met this is a privilege that I won't take for granted and you have done an amazing work with the mdpsc program for allowing people like me to feel comfortable in spaces like these shukran thank you hi everyone my name is Surya palukri and I'm from Sharon Massachusetts I want to start by thanking my parents and grandparents for all the unconditional love and supports they have shown me over the years and I want to recognize that I will make good on all the sacrifices that they have made for me I also want to say thank you to my younger brother who is always by my side and I want to thank all of my wonderful mentors and teachers over the past few years Chief amongst them Dr Robert Stern being a holic and the rest of the diagnosed CTE research project as well as Dr Benjamin Abrams and Danny Torres thank you hi my name is Alicia Pennsylvania I'm from Beijing and Toronto electrics and gratitudes to all my friends family and mentors for always having faith in me throughout this ongoing journeyman Village [Applause] hi everyone my name is Neil Mehta I'm from Cleveland Ohio thank you [Applause] hi everyone my name is sujan Francesca Kim and I'm from Seoul South Korea first I'd like to say the biggest thank you to my Amma and Oppa for their countless sacrifices and love they've shown me from all the way across the globe I truly would not be standing here today without them and for that I am forever grateful I'd also like to say thank you to my cherished friends my mentors and especially my family back home and lastly I like to dedicate this white coat to my dad who is here with me in the spirit today and who serves as my unwavering inspiration for all that I hope to achieve thank you so much [Applause] good afternoon everyone my name is Arjun Verma and I grew up in Cupertino California first and foremost I'd like to thank my parents for their unconditional love and support over the past 22 years as I've gone along this crazy Journey I'd also like to thank my extended family my Grandma Grandpa Aunts Uncles who are watching this live both in California and also in India they've always been a source of motivation for me and so I can't thank them enough either and then finally at UCLA over the last four years I couldn't have done anything related to the medicine Journey without the support of my partner Sophia and my extended family which it also includes my mentor Dr Ben harash and my friends in the core lab so thank you so much [Applause] hi my name is ashutosh Raman I'm from Norman Oklahoma but I claim my Mumbai car and Tamil Origins just as strongly above all I want to thank my mom my dad my twin brother vinu and my older brother Avinash compared to what you guys have gotten me through over the years from cancer to college applications med school should be an absolute piece of cake [Applause] hey everyone my name is Patel I'm from San Jose California I first want to thank my parents for your unconditional love and support this day is the most yours as is mine man I love you so much I also want to thank the countless communities and mentors that have been with me over the years especially those that have been the issues before and embraced the challenges and responsibilities this coke brings and taking the time to impart some of that wisdom to me this is the culmination of a dream and the beginning of a journey and I'm so excited to begin that with all of you thank you so much [Applause] hello my name is Serenity Bennett and I'm from Baltimore Maryland I never would have achieved this lifelong dream without my support system so to my mentors thank you for your guidance and for encouraging me to Chase my dreams to my friends thank you for holding me accountable and keeping me grounded and to my family especially my mom Jasmine my dad Andre and my mom Gina thank you for making me who I am today you're my rock and my inspiration and I hope I'm making you proud I love you [Applause] hi everyone my name is Corey Goldstein and I'm from Melrose Mass I'd really like to thank everyone who came here to support me today especially mom and dad everyone watching from home and everyone who's contributed along the way if not for you guys I I certainly wouldn't be here and I'm just so lucky to have you guys thank you hi everyone my name is Juliet McGowan I'm from I'm from Skillman New Jersey um I just want to take this moment to thank my family so to my mom dad my sisters pamina and Ayana thank you so much and to my uncle Fred who I know is watching virtually thank you I love you all [Applause] hi my name is narmeen Rasheed and I'm from Richmond Virginia I'm so grateful for this opportunity and I would like to thank all the amazing family members friends and mentors who've believed in me and supported me I wouldn't be here today without you all so thank you so much [Applause] hi everyone I'm Zoe Ingram I'm from Quincy Mass uh Mom Dad Tori thank you for everything I really wouldn't be here without you and I love you so so much [Applause] hi everyone my name is Alia shabir and I'm from Seattle Washington first and foremost I'm overwhelmed with gratitude from my parents mama baba my sister Fatima and my grandparents for their unconditional love and endless sacrifices I would also like to thank the rest of my family my friends and mentors for inspiring supporting and teaching me so much you made me who I am and I love you all dearly thank you again and alhamdulillah for everything hello everyone my name is Tomas aramburo I'm originally from New York City uh but coming here from Philly I just want to thank uh first and foremost my parents Alvaro and Sarah my brother Lucas who's somewhere in the audience all of my research mentors and advisors and an extra special shout out to my partner Sabrina for her unwavering support I love you all I couldn't have found this out you guys thank you [Applause] hi my name is Lynn and I'm originally from San Diego California I'd like to give a huge thank you to my mom dad brother and sister as well as all my friends teachers and mentors I've had along the way I wouldn't be here without all of your love and support and I'm so grateful for each and every one of you thank you so much [Applause] thank you hi everyone I'm vikas al-bamanini I'm from Orlando Florida um so I want to thank my family for being here my extended family for watching on YouTube my friends in Florida for watching um more importantly I just wanted to say that you know a couple of years ago I could have never imagined even applying for medical school I was working in a completely different field and it's thanks to my brother and my mom especially for letting me achieve this dream so thank you [Applause] hello my name is Anna Wilson and I'm from Dallas Texas and I just want to thank my parents and my family for your Endless Love and encouragement my partner Lennon for your unwavering support my mentors for their guidance and wisdom and most of all my nana you are the reason I stand here today you're such an inspiration I love you [Applause] hello everyone my name is Alejandra Diaz and I was born and raised in Yakima Washington and I want to start first start off by uh thanking my mom my aunts and uncles my older sister Vanessa younger brother Ricardo and my baby sister Guadalupe they couldn't be here today but I know they're watching over the zoom link with my two puppies and so I just want to know that uh while we're in this white coat this is for them for all the sacrifices I've made and all the obstacles that we've overcome as a family to get me to this point I also want to thank my partner Alicia who couldn't be here but I want to congratulate her for watching uh for passing your first Medical School exam and I just want to thank her for um just believing in me when I did it and helped me get to the point of applying to medical school and just ending up at a great institution like Harvard Medical School and uh lastly I just want to thank all my classmates I really look forward to the next four years and making new memories with you all so thank you [Applause] hi my name is Romina santra and I'm from Overland Park Kansas I want to thank my friends who helped me move in and are always my home away from home I want to thank my brother who without whom I would not be the person I am today and I would not be here and lastly most importantly I want to thank my parents who have taught me what advocacy and resilience looks like has been the compass through all of my Journeys and has empowered me to not just shoot for the stars but for the universe beyond so thank you [Applause] hi my name is Theodore Bolas from California I want to thank of course my family friends and partner and especially doctors Alain mugisha and John baptism and everyone back at kigutu and who are the reason why I'm here today thank you so much I miss you all and hope to see you soon foreign Sharif and I'm from Albany New York I want to thank my parents my mom my dad and my brother Mateen you've each been role models to me in your own way so thank you and to Yvette to Dev and Sophia who came out I love you guys uh you and so many others are the reasons why I'm here and I'll never forget that thanks hello my name is Brendan Anderson I'm from Grand Junction Colorado I'd like to thank my friends my mentors and my supporters for the endless support throughout all these years I'd like to thank my grandparents Bill and Teresa Hutchinson my parents Alan and Janelle Anderson thank you guys so much I'm so thankful for you guys I love you every step from this point every achievement is equally yours as it is mine thank you [Applause] hi my name is ruhi Naik and I'm from Bloomfield Hills Michigan I'm here today because of an entire Village to my friends and mentors thank you for believing in me and for making the journey here so enjoyable to my parents thank you for the unconditional love and support to Anna anyananaga thank you for being my pillars and hard times and especially to Mama Naja who are watching this from India I love you so much and we'll do my best to make you proud thank you [Applause] hi everyone I'm Aaron Kellis I'm from Istanbul Turkey I want to express that the appreciation I have for this moment and also I want to start by thanking my family my my father my brother my mom my grandma and also I want to thank Maria also my friends or professors all of them you have been with me throughout the hard times and easy times and also you've always believed in me and I've you have also earned the waiko as much as I did if not more so thank you and looking forward to the four years ahead of me and um thank you hi everyone I'm Catherine pan and I'm from Detroit Michigan I would like to take this opportunity to thank my mom and my dad your love support and sacrifice mean the world to me and I am grateful beyond words I'd also like to thank my friends and mentors for nourishing my mind and my spirit and an especially big shout out to Zemo for driving me to the MCAT thank you hi everyone my name is Nicole Kim and I'm from Los Angeles California I want to thank my friends and family specifically my mom who is my best friend and my biggest supporter my dad who inspired me to pursue this field and Casey I am so lucky to be your sister to my grandparents I love you so much and thank you [Applause] hi everyone my name is Fiona Prasad I'm from Vienna Virginia I'd like to thank my family my mom my dad my brother I have and always will look up to all of you my friends who traveled across the country to be here today and friends and family watching the live stream you all mean so much to me and my mentors to eshwan Raya Bethany I truly stand on all of your shoulders and I wouldn't be here without you all thank you so much [Applause] hey everyone my name is Robert mozzie I'm from Fairfax Virginia I'd like to thank my family and my extended family mom and dad you've given me every opportunity in the world and you're always looking out for me so thank you my older sister Emily you've been the most incredible friend and role model I could ask for I told my friends back home my academic mentors and teachers and my partner Emma who's been my rock through all this uh I love you all thank you [Applause] hi everyone my name is jingi and I'm originally from chitungusa Zimbabwe when I first got my first medical offer the first question that my mom had was what about Harvard and I think that goes on to show just how much of a strong support structure I have I'm so grateful to my parents to my siblings for their unconditional love and their sacrifices I'm also really grateful to my friends and my mentors for their support throughout these years and finally I'm really thankful to my heavenly father for opening doors that I never knew existed thank you [Applause] hello my name is Fielding Fisher I'm from Chevy Chase Maryland I thank those in my life who have supported challenged and inspired me I'm especially grateful for my loving family Mom Dad Vivian Martin and Tom thank you I love you [Applause] hi everyone my name is Hector and I'm from Bogota Colombia Las gracias foreign I would also like to thank all of my mentors for the endless support and a special thank you to all of my friends for always rooting for me and for being my family away from home I love you all so much and I'm incredibly grateful for this opportunity thank you so much [Applause] my name is James Rix and I'm from Seattle Washington um to Mom Dad jerem Jillian thank you for being here today with me to celebrate this moment to Granny and Grandpa and everyone back home thank you for supporting me every step of the way um a special thanks to those I've lost this year to Andrew my best friend uh and to Papa whose love and sacrifice brought our family to this country I wouldn't be here without all of you thank you I love you [Applause] good afternoon everyone my name is Sabrina Del Valle and I'm from Miami Florida I'd like to thank my family and friends for your endless love and support this would be impossible without you I hope your half as proud of me as I am of you thank you [Applause] good afternoon everyone my name is yeah I know yeah I know it's a mouthful uh I was born and raised in Lagos Nigeria [Music] um I'm a big believer that every good and perfect gift comes from above and so first and foremost I'd like to say a big thank you to God I'd like to say thank you for his spirit in me that continues to refine my character every day um I'd like to see a big thank you to my parents who unfortunately who unfortunately can't be here today the Dual engines behind this massive operation um I'm grateful for their examples of grits their support their love um I love you to pieces I'm grateful for my siblings who also can be here today I can see you all blowing up the group chats uh I'm grateful for your love your support and your entertainment um I'd also like to say a big thank you to my aunt who's here today um I'd like to say a big thank you to my friends to my mentors to my professors everyone who's seen me taking interest in me and poured into me um your efforts are not are not in vain don't ever be in vain thank you and obviously lastly big thank you to HMS for accepting me obviously I wouldn't be here without you so thank you everyone have a good day foreign hi there my name is Elizabeth Nevins and I'm from Sammamish Washington I would like to thank this opportunity to thank my family my parents my grandparents and my uncle who helped me get me to this point I'd also like to thank the peers the colleagues the friends who have become family over the next few the last few years go Crimson [Applause] good afternoon everyone my name is Irving Barrera and um almost 10 years ago I Left My Home Country Mexico and my family to pursue my wildest dreams and to be here surrounded by my loved ones and surrounded by the walls of this historic institution is such a privilege and I want to thank my mom my brother and and along the way I've been blessed also by people who open their homes and who gave me a second family as well so I want to thank the love of my life my husband Joe it's this also his accomplishment and his achievements and my family-in-law for being here thank you so much [Applause] hi my name is Sharon Jang I'm from Dallas Texas thank you to my family and my mentors for inspiring my love of learning and to my friends for becoming my family I can't wait to embark on this journey with you all [Applause] hi everyone my name is Christian Rivera I come from Cape Coral Florida I love you istoyaki Craig Stacy J Sandy thank you for your constant support and for bringing me joy and Nicole for being the love of my life I love you thank you [Applause] thank you hello everyone my name is Heidi Shen and I'm from San Diego California thank you to my mom my dad my Aunts Uncles and grandparents here and I also want to thank my best friends and my mentors and professors who've supported me along the way because of all of you I'm here fulfilling my dreams and because of you guys I am who I am and I will be eternally grateful thank you so much and I love you all thank you hi everyone my name is Michael Pan I'm from Katy Texas and I'd just like to thank all my friends and family for their support thus far your encouragement friendship and love have been the biggest blessings in my life and I'm especially grateful for those who flew out here to be with me today to my mom Tracy my brother Justin my girlfriend Yumi and my best friends from college Charles and virage I love you all so much and I hope that I can be there for you and my future patients as much as you've been there for me thank you [Applause] hi everyone I'm Adrienne key I'm from Long Island New York and I want to start off by thanking my family my older brother Richard my grandparents my dad for being there with me every step of the way my mom for showing me how to be a model of strength and to my friends from college I love you all so much and to Kevin thank you for being there for me from my UPS and my Downs thank you I love you all hi everyone my name is Paul Izard I'm from Milwaukee Wisconsin and first I want to thank my fiance Damaris for being willing to follow me to our third City in four years and I also want to thank my family for being tireless cheerleaders for my entire life and especially the original Dr zizzard and my mom who hung up her white coat to educate me and my siblings everything I have stands on the foundation you built so this one's for you [Applause] hi everyone my name is Georgian Esther U I'm from Beijing China I'd like to thank my parents my family and my mentor and friends for always believing me and supporting me and for teaching me more than I thought possible to learn and but I'm imagination and lastly thank you God for all your glory your Eternal truth and your wondrous favorite [Applause] hi my name is Alina Shaheen I'm from Los Angeles California I would first like to say thank you to my family that was able to be here today Ted de Leila Samir my beautiful sibling Samantha and Joseph and my parents who deserve the most thank you that I can give I really wouldn't be here without you this opportunity was created through your sacrifice I'm sorry it means I have to move across the country yeah and thank you to the huge support system that I have back at home my friends my grandparents and all the people who always showed me unwavering support I hope to make you all proud thank you [Applause] thank you hello everybody my name is Valeria Ortiz Jimenez and although I call although I call Richmond Virginia home I was born and raised in Puerto Rico much is [Music] [Applause] hello everybody my name is Oscar Moreno lizarazo I'm from Bogota Colombia I'd like to take this moment to thank both of my parents for the sacrifices that they've made moving to the United States for a better life for me and my family for my brother my sister Camila Jairo thank you so much to my closest friends Kyle Michael Victor Brian yasman and CeCe thank you for the love and support that you've shown me that has carried me along the way I'm me familia in Colombia is and to all my fellow students of color congratulations to all y'all [Applause] hello everyone my name is Zoe young and I'm from Roanoke Texas being here today is just such a dream come true I want to say thank you to my family my close friends and my wonderful partner for always supporting me and also thank you to my mom and dad for giving me the confidence to challenge myself and pursue my passions I love you all [Applause] thank you hi everyone my name is nivetha maripan I'm from Ellicott City Maryland I want to first thank my friends and my family for all of their support I wouldn't be here today without without all of them and I also want to thank my mom my dad my sister thank you guys always for pushing me to do better for all of your sacrifices and for always putting up with all my shenanigans hi everyone I'm chitilyn manakaya and I'm from Somerset New Jersey first and foremost I just want to thank God for his guidance all throughout this journey that's leading me to standing on the stage today to my family mom dad any Fatu thank you for all of the love and all the sacrifices thank you guys for being my biggest cheerleaders always to my amazing friends thank you for believing in me more than I believe in myself which happens a lot of the time and thank you for showing me true Grace and kindness I wouldn't be here today without my Village and I'm incredibly grateful for every one of you thank you [Applause] hello my name is nari so I am from South Barrington Illinois and I first just really want to thank my loving mom and dad my Amma APPA thank you for all of your um endless support encouragement your ceaseless prayers your immense faith in God I would not be here without you too and of course to my sister Abby and my Oppa Josh I love you all so so much [Applause] Carter eyeshide I'm from Grimes Iowa I want to give a shout out to the friends back home in Grimes and Ames that are watching this live stream even though I texted them about it like three minutes ago in line and I want to give a more important thank you to my family who traveled all this way to watch me up here and they've supported me through the highs and the lows of life I love you all thank you for everything hi my name is Robin who and I'm from Los Angeles California first to all my mentors thank you for guiding me and supporting me in all my dreams to my friends thank you for filling my life with so much love and laughter and to my Incredible family here with me today my mom my dad and my brother Robert thank you for not only putting up with me with everything but also for pushing me supporting me encouraging me and just being there for me forever and always I love you thank you hi my name is shadin zayad I'm from Chicago Illinois and I'm so excited to embark on this new new Journey with all these Brilliant Minds and I'm so endlessly grateful to my amazing resilient fiercely hard-working parents my siblings who are also my best friends my mentors friends and of course God you all have given me the tools to improve lives and help inshallah heal the world thank you so much [Applause] hello everyone my name is Annika Park and I'm from Marietta Georgia I have so many people to thank for helping me get here today but most of all I'd like to thank my family thank you Mom and Dad for always encouraging me to think about what kind of person I want to become and for inspiring me every day with your example thank you to my little sister Elise for always uplifting me even when I felt I was at my weakest and for teaching me so much about kindness and compassion I love you my name's Ty Curtis I'm from Mesquite Nevada in St George Utah I would like to thank my wife Izzy my mom my dad my stepdad Damon and all my other countless friends and family and mentors who've helped me get here today I want to be here without you and lastly I'd like to thank LeBron for inspiring me not to do not one not two not three but eight more years of schooling and training everyone my name is Piper Boswell and I'm from Bedford Texas as a baby my granddaddy would tell me you're smart you are beautiful you are special I didn't know it at the time but he was Paving the way for me to have the courage to land where I am today thank you to my mom for always making me believe I could do or be anything to my dad for modeling hard work and sacrifice and thank you to my little brother Jackson for challenging me to be better I am here because of y'all thank you [Applause] hi everyone I'm Karen Alex and I'm from Sudbury Massachusetts um it is such an honor to be given this white coat today and I would not be here if it weren't for my family specifically my parents and my sister who have always believed in me and sacrificed so much that I could be standing on this stage today I promise to work hard and to never forget the opportunity that lies before me thank you so much [Applause] hello everyone I'm Valeria rabayo and I come from Houston Texas I'd like to thank first of all my family especially my parents for the incredible sacrifices they made to see me here today and for sacrificing their career dreams so I could have a better life especially my dad for helping me develop my reason and my sense of stoicism my mother for always supporting me and my sister Sophia for her unwavering moral support and for always bringing happiness into my life thank you all [Applause] hi everyone my name is Michael motok I'm from Ann Arbor Michigan and I just wanted to give a quick but deep thank you to my mom my dad and my brother who are here today they constantly support me to my friend who make life meaningful and fun and finally to all the teachers I've had who just wanted me to do what I love and to do it as best as I could so thank you hello everyone my name is Julie Wong I'm from Bay Area California and Beijing China I'd first like to thank my family thank you I feel your endless love and support even though you're halfway across the world from me I'd also like to thank my partner jungfu and my dear friends who are here with me today Elsa Patricia Jennifer as well as my mentors and friends who are supporting me from afar thank you all for believing in me even when I didn't myself we did this together thank you hello everyone my name is Cameron young I'm from Medfield Massachusetts I'd first like to thank all the mentors I've been lucky enough to work with over the years for giving me the opportunity and support to pursue all of my wildest dreams and ideas to my friends who have stood by me through all of life's ups and downs my family my grandparents my amazing siblings Cole Sophie and Liza for putting up with me and to my parents who have served as my biggest source of inspiration love and support this is for you I would not be here without you and I can I promise I will continue to make you proud thank you [Applause] hi my name is Sierra Chola and I'm from Palmdale California first and foremost thank you to my amazing parents none of this would have been possible without you to my brother and sister I'm probably going to regret this but thank you for being unapologetically yourselves and teaching me to do the same finally to all the friends and mentors in LA and Montreal thank you so much for your unwavering support and encouraging me to submit that HMS secondary this time last year I hope I can make you all proud thank you [Applause] everyone my name is Sabina afroz Iqbal and I'm from Atlanta Georgia and I want to thank my parents Mama and Baba for your unending support and I know it wasn't easy for you to be here today and it means the world to me and I'd also like to thank my brother Adano and my friends Isla Hannah Richard Noli I am so excited to be here thank you so much hello everyone my name is Jordan trailens and I'm from St Petersburg Florida I'd like to start out by saying thank you to my mom and dad for believing in me and teaching me to prioritize compassion and kindness in my life thank you to my sisters Myla and Ella I'm inspired by your resilience and by the unique perspectives you bring to the world thank you to my mentors for supporting me throughout my academic journey and thank you to my friends and family for bringing joy to my life every day I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be here among so many outstanding peers and I look forward to working with all of you thank you hi everyone my name is Angela shua I'm from Iowa City Iowa I'm so excited to be standing here and I know I wouldn't be here without the support of my amazing friends mentors and family mom dad chica I'm so grateful for the love and happiness that we have in our family um thank you for creating such a nurturing home base to return to and to my family in China thank you I'll work hard to make you proud thank you hi my name is Emily Baxter I'm from Nevada California today I'd like to thank my mom my dad my brother and our great big crazy family um to team Luke and to everyone else for all the love advice support and banana bread they've given me over the years hey everyone my name is Mohit majella and I'm from Carmel Indiana I first want to thank my parents for their endless support and all the sacrifices they've made throughout the years I truly wouldn't be here without you all and I also want to thank my younger brother and a rival for being a constant source of entertainment and comedic relief in my life if you keep working hard maybe maybe just one day you'll catch up to where I am but joking aside I love you guys and thank you very much [Applause] hi I'm Elliot Aiken and I'm from Boulder Colorado I want to thank my mom care and my dad Pete both of your hard work perseverance compassion silliness and unwavering love and support have been so instrumental in shaping me into the person I am thank you both so much I am so grateful and I'm so happy to be here hey everyone my name is Avi I'm from South Burlington Vermont uh back in high school I didn't really think I was very interested in science and I wasn't planning on taking any biology classes but when I told my brother this he said Avi if you don't take honors biology I'm never talking to you again so I ended up taking the class and that ultimately led me to here so I want to thank my brother for his threat as well as my sister and my parents for their support thanks [Applause] good afternoon everybody my name is Kaylee Beacham and I'm from Dallas Texas first I want to thank God for just opening up all the necessary doors to get me here I also want to thank my family who traveled all the way out here with me today I want to thank mom papa my brother and my lovely aunts for coming here and always having confidence in me even when I couldn't find it in myself I will probably spend the next four years and the rest of my life working to earn all the sacrifices and confidence you have in me so thank you hi everyone I'm Smith Dinesh G3 I'm from right over here Troy Michigan to those of you who have stood by me through thick and thin and the MCAT um thank you so much you know who you are um to my family my gratitude cannot find words and to my parents if I have half the dedication and selflessness that you do I think I'll make a darn good doctor thank you [Applause] good afternoon my name is Keegan Mendez I'm from Brooklyn New York and I'd like to thank my mom and my dad my big sister Haley my second mom Margaret my fiance Matt and my research advisor Ellen I wouldn't be here without all of you so thank you hello everyone my name is Athena apfel and I'm from Cadillac Michigan I'd like to thank my mom brother family fam family friends and mentors for all of their unwavering support and guidance on this journey I'm very grateful and honored to be here and can't wait for the next four plus years hi everyone my name is rose gold I'm from San Francisco California most importantly I want to thank my parents and our dog who's our family's favorite child my cousin for being here and I'll get yelled at if I don't give a huge shout out to my friends who are streaming from home so thank you and congratulations to everyone [Applause] this is Remy rajakumar and I'm from Virginia Beach Virginia first and foremost I would like to thank my parents my Amma and APPA for always supporting me and showering me with their unconditional love and support and for always believing in me next I would like to thank my extended family my grandparents in Sri Lanka my aunts and uncles and cousins including those who are here today for always supporting me and helping me at every step of the journey next to my friends and mentors both in my hometown and here at Harvard with a special shout out to Lowell house for always helping me um and finally to my classmates I'm beyond excited to be embarking on this medical Journey with y'all this year thank you foreign hi everyone my name is Jackie Liu and I'm from Frederick Maryland my parents taught me to speak the truth to do good and to never forget where I come from in the spirit of that I'd like to honor my ancestors the leaves and Huss who I've never met before but who are embedded in my being my gong gong popo who taught me tenacity and grit my mom and dad who always believed that I could to Jimmy jimin Claire Ryan daje to my community back home thank you for giving me your all you all have made me who I am today I love you all I hope I've made you proud [Applause] hi I'm Emily I grew up in Manchester New Hampshire and I want to say thanks to my family my friends my mentors the people who are here for supporting me I would especially like to say thank you to my brother Carl to my partner Nikolai for being one of my best friends to my grandparents who are a big part of who who inspired what I hope to do in medicine including my oma whose life we celebrated last month and my nana who's here today and most of all I'd like to thank my parents for their love and for teaching me the importance of working hard toward the things you believe in thank you [Applause] hello my name is Marielle santer I'm from old Victory Jersey to my parents my sister my partner my friends on the live stream especially at Melia Ben and Kylie a huge thank you it's a huge honor to be here but the biggest honor is being loved by you so thank you all [Applause] hi my name is Ali shibi I'm from Palo Alto California I first want to thank my parents for exemplifying what it means to have a feeling fulfilling and passionate career and then I want to also thank my brother my mentors my professors who all helped me along the way thank you so much and hi to everyone on the live stream [Applause] hi my name is Caitlin Lee and I'm from Southborough Massachusetts I'd like to start by thanking my Incredible family my mom my dad and my sister Stephanie your unconditional love and your sacrifices are the whole reason I am where I am today thank you to my partner Michael for being there for me throughout absolutely everything over the past few years and thank you to my wonderful friends and mentors for always believing in me even when I didn't believe in myself I love you all so much and thank you [Applause] hi everyone my name is Christopher Robinson I am from Brookhaven Mississippi uh first and foremost I want to thank God for getting me to this point I also want to thank my family friends mentors everyone who believed in me to really get the confidence to make it here and most importantly I want to thank my parents for always being there with my highs and my lows just to be there and support me and I want to thank HMS for giving me this opportunity I look forward to working with all you in the future hi everyone my name is Nancy Anna Brunei and I'm from Land of Maryland I'd first like to start off by saying thank you to God because without him I would not be here today I'd also like to thank my mom my dad my brothers extended family friends and mentors for all the sacrifices you guys have made and for your unconditional love and support you guys have stood by me especially you Mom as I navigated my highest of highs and lowest of lows and for that I'll be forever grateful your sacrifices will not go in vain I love you so much and thank you thank you [Applause] hi everyone my name is Susie and I'm from Englewood Cliffs New Jersey I'd like to thank my mom my dad my sister Esther Brother David my grandparents mentors and all my friends from college who gave consistent love and support thank you thank you hi everyone my name is ades okwa and I'm originally from enugu State in Nigeria I first want to say thank you to God for always having a plan for me even when I couldn't see for myself I also want to say thank you to my mom for being the first physician I saw strive to make a difference in her community thank you to my dad for all his sacrifices that put me on this stage thank you to my siblings for flying in from for flying in from Canada and New Jersey to be with me today you guys make sure I never take myself too seriously thank you to all my extended family my cousin who flew in on all the Nigerians I currently know watching the live there are so many of them and I love you guys so much and thank you to all my friends Mariana and my friend Sarah that also flew in from Canada your support means everything to me and I'm so grateful to be here thank you [Applause] hi everyone my name is Rocio I am origin from Dominican Republic but have been lucky to call Boston my home since the age of seven I want to first thank God for giving me the strength to be here a special thank you to my husband for being my number one cheerleader to my two kids Penelope and Enrique you bring me so much joy and purpose in life um I want to thank my two brothers Alejandro and Alex for always keeping me on my toes and being my number one supporters mommy Papi muchas gracias sacrificios gracias yeah hi everyone my name is Kalyn Brown and I'm from Auburndale Massachusetts I want to thank God but I also want to thank my family first my grandmother Bessie Fowler my mom Angela Fowler my brother and sister Sierra and Ellis and my best friends Ayanna and Ashley your love has sustained me and brought me to where I am today everything that I've been able to accomplish is a reflection of your love and support I love you all so much [Applause] hi everyone my name is I'm from Northbrook Illinois with roots from Tamil Nadu India I'd like to thank my parents amanappa my little sister acea and all the friends and mentors that have helped me become the person who I am to all of you thank you I appreciate you and I hope to make you proud I'm Maria encinosa from West Palm Beach to my parents thank you for teaching me to never doubt myself to my siblings thank you for being my accomplices in everything no matter how questionable to Iman or my partner thank you for your love supports and adding so much fun to my life and through the rest of my extended family my mentors my friends this is for us thank you [Applause] hello everyone my name is Matthew Jonas I'm from Houston Texas first and foremost I'd like to glorify God I would not be here today without his Providence and I am immensely thankful um next a huge thank you to Mom Dad and Ben over there I love you guys so much I would not be here without you either thank you for your love support and sacrifice and thank you as well to all my friends and mentors back home thank you guys [Applause] hi everyone my name is Veronica you and I'm from Arcadia California first and foremost I would like to thank my parents Mommy you and Daddy you for your unconditional love and support oh I need a to my three older sisters Valerie Vanessa and Victoria thank you for making me laugh every day and for inspiring me to work as hard as you all do to my extended family my friends my mentors thank you for always encouraging me and rooting for me and last but not least I would like to thank God for all the blessings he has bestowed in my life thank you [Applause] hi everyone my name is Michael DeVille I'm from Las Vegas Nevada and hi guys uh first I'd like to thank my parents uh mom you've always been my biggest role model uh I'll always be grateful for the sacrifices you've made so that I could follow this dream um to my sisters Reina Rachel my brother Sean and my love Abigail you guys have been there for me from the beginning I couldn't have done this without you um thank you to my mentors Dr kid and Dr Hald for the opportunities that you gave me and finally thank you to my grandparents friends and family who are watching and supporting from home thank you hi everyone my name is Sarah and I'm from Bellevue Washington is truly such an honor to be here I want to give a special thank you to my mom and dad for the endless love and support I am so grateful and I love you and to Joseph and Hannah thank you for being my inspiration and for Paving the way and finally to my extended family my amazing friends and my mentors I wouldn't be here without you so thank you [Applause] hi everyone my name is Yusuf Muhammad I'm from Old Bridge New Jersey I'd like to thank God for us for this opportunity I'd also like to thank my friends and mentors for inspiring me to my brother and sister for supporting me to my niece and nephew I love you so much and most importantly to my mom and my father thank you for everything you do I wouldn't be here without you hello my name is Abby Kim and I'm from Seattle Washington I'd first like to thank God for his unwavering love and grace and thank you to Mom and Dad for always loving me and sacrificing so much for me really allowing me to Chase my dreams so fearlessly thank you to my brother Colin I wouldn't be who I am if it weren't for you and to Harmony and Harvard Caleb all of my friends and family back at home thank you for being a huge reason I have to be so grateful and so joyful every single day I love you all thank you [Applause] hi everyone my name is Lorraine Pereira and I'm from Davenport Iowa um first I'd like to extend my gratitude to my parents mummy and Dada my brother Mark and my grandparents who are here from India um thank you so much for all the sacrifices you've made for me and for quite literally showing up for me today but also every day um thank you to my friends and family who are watching this on the live stream I love you so much um and thank you to everyone else who has believed in me longer than I have um I wouldn't be here without you thanks [Applause] hello I'm Xavier Vasquez I'm from Lawrence Massachusetts first to my parents my grandparents and my two younger sisters whose love knows no bounds to my friends back home who always had my back through the worst and best of times and so my mentors that have been with me every step of the way Te Quiero Mucho a thousand kisses and thank you hi my name is grazed in Gainesville Florida tomorrow foreign and to my friends and my family in America thank you so much for everything I love you guys hello everybody my name is Rakim yakubu I'm from Mooresville North Carolina first I'd like to thank all of my family all the ancestors for getting me here it's all the Haitians and Nigerians watching we made it we did it um so my mom thank you so much for showing me the power of higher education and making me the man I am today to my late father Dr Rashid yakubu for showing me how important and the power responsibility that comes with the white coat to my sisters Rihanna and renya for putting up with me as their older brother to miss Boyd for all the work that you did with me and for everyone across North Carolina to my partner in crime Lianna for everything that you did for my Uncle Ray and tatsuvanya who surprised me with a visit today thank you so much for coming out thank you for everybody for helping me and for all the future help you'll give me thank you hello everyone my name is Brady hanshaw and I'm from Sissonville West Virginia person first and foremost today I'd like to thank my family uh I love you guys so much and I want to be here without you thank you for your endless sacrifice and support in particular I'd really like to thank a special person my mom she is so strong and does so much for me and my family and her strength throughout her breast cancer battle will forever be a part of my wine medicine so thank you and lastly I'd like to thank my friends and mentors you guys are a second family for me and I love y'all very much thank you uh hey everyone my name is Joseph ha and I'm from Chesterfield Virginia uh never in my wildest dreams that I ever think I'd be standing up here and I really owe it all to the support of my friends and family especially my parents who have shown me the true meaning of sacrifice um even though I'm up here on stage it should be them getting the recognition I also want to shout out my brother Johnny who's probably watching from home uh thank you for being the the best brother a guy can ask for I also want to thank my girlfriend Angie for uh for putting up with me for the past couple of years and for um challenging me to be a better person every day thank you love you all hi everyone my name is Brett mazarski I'm from Mount Kisco New York and I just wanted to take this moment to thank my mom my dad my stepdad my brother my girlfriend Maddie my grandparents and all of my mentors Lou Carr and Evan Cody and Coach Ward thank you for your love and support and I'm really grateful and excited to be here everyone my name is Nick Sharp I'm from a small town called Oxford Pennsylvania right outside of Philadelphia go Birds I just want to take this time to thank all of my friends and family and everyone who's helped me to get to this point I really couldn't have done it without you I'm indebted to you forever hopefully I can pay you back with some free dental care later on and I hope to keep making you proud thank you love you [Applause] good afternoon everyone my name is Lorenzo arvinitis and I'm from Chevy Chase Maryland I'd like to thank the I'd like to take the opportunity to thank my parents for being my role models and showing me what it means to be enormously committed to my sister for teaching me how to be a beautiful person to my brother for demonstrating what it means to enjoy the simple things and to my best friends Brian and Abby who are still watching the live stream despite my stupid stupid decision to sit at the back of the room I love you I admire you and I'm immeasurably grateful thank you [Applause] uh hi my name is mitsuki Oda and I'm originally from Nagano Japan first I'd like to take the chance to thank my friends and mentors for their much needed Support over the past couple of years I'd also like to especially thank my family thank you hello my name is Omar Ali I'm from Chicago Illinois I want to thank all my friends family and mentors who have helped me get here today with their endless support I want to especially thank my mom as well as my dad who couldn't be here today my efforts feel small in comparison to the mountain of effort and sacrifices that you both put forth to get me here today and I want to especially I'm required by my little sister Iman to give her a personal shout out and say that she gets the most credit as well so shout out to my little sister Iman and thank you all good afternoon everyone my name is William Ann and I'm from St Louis Missouri I'm so honored to be here today and I want to say thank you to my parents who have sacrificed so much and given me every opportunity and the freedom to follow whatever path I desire thank you to my older sister Maggie who is watching online and is and always will be my oldest friend thank you to my partner Aaliyah who is the world's greatest cheerleader first ballot Hall of Fame essay editor and the most important most important person in my life thank you to all my extended family abroad who have celebrated all of my achievements throughout my life with an endless supply of WeChat messages and emojis and last but starting out not least thank you to all my friends classmates and mentors who have shaped my educational journey I love you all so much thank you [Applause] my name is Rami viktash I'm from Greensboro North Carolina and I'd like to thank my mother my father my brother Bassam and anybody who opened my eyes to Something Beautiful in this life briefly you live as a bright Flame that breeds and virgins through the rain these Embers profit from these Winds of Change may your light ever find and draw breath again thank you [Applause] my name is ananya tarikonda I'm from Boyd's Maryland and my family hails from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana India I would like to thank my parents first my nana for charting the path helping me chart the path of my life and inspiring me to pursue my full potential and my Amma for holding my hand along that path so tight and being my absolute backbone I'd also like to thank my brother pranav for being my biggest cheerleader and always being by my side and encouraging me to do my best I'd like to give a huge shout out to my extended family whose many of whom are here today including my Aunts Uncles cousins niece and nephew as well as my chinna mama who's here all the way from India I'd like to think of take a moment to acknowledge my late grandparents Dr guripati Santa Devi and SRI Uma Devi and subramanyam parakala I wish you were here today but I know you're here with me in spirit finally I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge my best friends at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as well as all of my mentors at UNC School of Medicine Duke School of Medicine the Gilling school as well as the Morehead Kane foundation for making all of my dreams possible thank you so much [Applause] foreign hi everyone I'm Tammy Latin from Silver Spring Maryland first I want to thank Hashem God I want to thank my parents Iman tati I want to thank all my siblings ilani aviz Freida Mendel Sarah Sterling fair I want to thank my wife Firma I want to thank my grandparents all of my cousins my aunts my uncles and all of my friends and just thank you so much for getting me to this place [Applause] hi my name is Sarah patafi and I'm from Carbondale Illinois first and foremost I just really want to thank my mom and dad for always being there for me for encouraging me to dream big and always making sure I do the right thing thank you for listening to me complain about taking the MCAT about 5 000 times thank you in advance for listening to complaint about med school five thousand times um thank you to my brother for always being there for me and for always making me laugh even if it means laughing at me and for being my best friend thank you to my grandparents for Paving the way for me to be here in the first place and for making all the things that I do even possible and finally thank you to my friends communities and incredible mentors for always being there for me and especially to those who are currently watching online um thank you for helping me get here [Applause] hi everyone I'm Maria Arana from San Diego California and I'd like to thank some some of the people that helped get me here today including my family and my husband and his family but I'd especially like to thank my parents for helping me understand that my life is most valuable when it's lived in service towards the betterment of the world and I feel so honored to be able to explore how medicine is part of that life of service thank you [Applause] hello everyone my name is Alexis Giff and I'm from Chicago Illinois I'd like to start by thanking my beautiful sister Charlotte she's my very best friend she read every single secondary to my mom my dad thank you for your constant encouragement and love to my incredible mentors especially George thank you for your unconditional support to my beautiful friends watching online I love you so much professors thank you all [Applause] good afternoon everyone my name is Jane Tinder Kelleher and I'm from Dallas Texas I'm so grateful to be here today beginning this journey with all of my wonderful new peers um I want to I thank my family my friends my mentors especially Hong Kong yome Johnny and most of all my mom and my dad thank you and I love you all [Applause] hello everyone I'm Papa figure and Sue Anderson I'm from sunyani Ghana growing up in Ghana I could only dream about this day and if I'm here today I'm very grateful to God who has been with me throughout this whole journey into my appearance and the rest of my family including my aunt uncle and cousins who are here and my friends who've been there for me my mentors my professors and everyone who has cheered me on thank you so much for being with me and also to all of you I'm looking forward to transforming medicine with you and thank you so much for joining me in this class video [Applause] hi everyone my name is Vivian and I'm from North Branford Connecticut I would say this is a dream come true except I never could have imagined standing here today even in my wildest dreams I owe everything to my family especially to my mom my dad and my grandma for all your love and sacrifices to my partner Jared for being my best friend and my biggest supporter and to my friends and mentors and my patients who have become my purpose for pursuing this path thank you [Applause] hi my name is masi tazibi I'm from Los Angeles California I want to take this time to thank my amazing family and friends for their love and their companionship and I also want to thank my mentors who have shown me such tremendous generosity in taking me under their Collective Wings I'm so grateful to be here with all of you today thank you so much for having me [Applause] hi my name is Marlene tartaro in four years I will be the first physician in my family and I would like to thank everyone in attendance and online for supporting me through what no one has gone through before with a special shout out to my mom who's my best friend who has helped me through everything and my Aunt Irene will show me what it is to be a kick-ass Trailblazer woman in stem thank you all [Applause] foreign my name is Carlos Noel and I'm from Manassas Virginia I want to start by thanking all my family that's here my mom and dad have given everything to me my granddad who's my biggest supporter and my late grandmother who's watching from above I want to thank Dr Shantae Hinton and the Hinton lab for believing in me MK6 forever want to thank my 1693 Squad and my frats 06 I want to thank Ellen my best friend in the whole world and Matthew you inspire me every day and also thank you to all my other friends family mentors that are watching online classmates let's change the world [Applause] everyone my name is Kimia hadari I'm from Tehran Iran and recently have been able to call the DMV area of my home I'd love to extend my deepest gratitude to my brilliant mentors and Friends who've taught me what it means to be a citizen and companion my wonderful loving family who's in there in the crowd my uncle my extended family and my parents their way of life has shown me how to be devoted not just to my passions but to community I will honor you in this journey [Applause] hello everyone my name is William Liu I'm from Temple City California I first want to thank my mentors Dr Shea and Miriam for showing me the ropes and of course from steering me from engineering I want to thank my friends who have been the optimists in my life and for supporting me even when I was going through the worst of imposter syndrome um and last but not least I am eternally grateful for the support for my family my parents even my little sister my aunts my uncles my cousins and my grandma who is unfortunately not here today she's passed away four years ago to lung cancer and I just want to thank you all for supporting me and I'm forever grateful for your support thank you [Applause] everyone my name is Hannah Rachel Goldman Shapiro I'm from Seattle Washington I'd like to thank my mom and dad for the unconditional love and joy and support in this endeavor and all my Endeavors I've been able to pursue my dreams because you've been there to support me along the way um thank you Brandon and Chloe for being here today to support me and always thank you to my grandparents including my Grandma Joanne who is watching virtually today thank you for showing me what it looks like to lead a life of service I love you all I share this with you and I hope to always make you proud [Applause] foreign my name is Jan ree I'm originally from Seoul South Korea but I like to call Singapore my second home I like to take this opportunity to thank my parents Mom and Dad I really love you and my younger brother Stephen for buried with me through all these years and all my friends mentors and other family members that really helped me become who I am today thank you [Applause] hi everyone my name is Katie Williams I'm from Papillion Nebraska I took a lot of people to get me to the start line today and I'm so grateful to each and every one of you I want to give a massive special shout out to my parents for showing me what it means to live a life of integrity and service before self thank you [Applause] hi everyone my name is yuchi I also go by Jack I am from Taiwan and I want to thank my mother who has raised me to become the person who I am today I also want to thank my mentor Dr Paul schnman who thank you so much for being here today for me and thank you so much for continuously inspiring me to tackle the greatest challenges in oral health care I also want to thank my research mentors Dr Phil sharp and Dr David Walsh for continuously having faith and supporting me in my craziest research ideas lastly I want to thank my friends in Taiwan Professor Ling hongway and Miss Hong jinya thank you so much for having faith in me and making all this possible I wouldn't be here without you and I wasn't planning on saying this but thank you so much for all my friends here both the ones I've already made and the ones I'm sure I'll make in the next four or eight or ten years thank you so much and I look forward to having a blast with you [Applause] hi everyone my name is Karina Shao and I'm from Houston Texas first and foremost I'd like to thank my mom and my dad I wouldn't be here today without your love and your sacrifice I'd also like to thank my brother my Google my cousin shenshin and also my partner Leo for being there for me all the way I love you guys so so much hi everyone my name is Kimmy pullakandem and I'm from Round Rock Texas I'd like to start by thanking my parents mom dad you are the very definition of love I would not be here without everything that you've done for me and words cannot possibly describe how grateful I am for you too and I hope I continue to make you too proud um I'd also like to thank my little brother Suman who is my biggest cheerleader he actually had a dream the day before we were notified of our acceptances that I got into HMS so I'd like to think that's in part because of him um I'd also like to thank my friends and family many of whom are here today thank you for making the journey out today to a lot of my friends watching and also here in spirit you all believe in me oftentimes more than I believe in myself and I really appreciate it and finally to my mentors and every patient I've encountered along the way thank you for all that you've taught me and I hope I can continue to work in a way that will make you proud foreign ER and I'm from Paducah Kentucky I'd like to thank my amazing friends here and abroad my mentors Dr Walker and Dr fisherworth and my amazing family for driving 18 hours to see me put on this coat today thank you [Applause] hi everyone my name is Polly gabrielli I'm from Boston Massachusetts and first and foremost above all I'd like to thank my family G7 my mom Hillary my dad Chris and my siblings John Abigail Lilla and Nicholas I feel that I owe all of this to you and I don't think I can ever put my gratitude fully into words so I'll just say I love you all so much to my boyfriend Michael I love you too and very excited about what this next Journey holds for us hope you are as well um to my amazing friends and also to the many incredible mentors who have supported me both in and outside of the lab particularly Dr Ellie Van Allen Dr Z Williams and Dr Adam Cobble um one final shout out again to my parents Chris and Hillary I'm very confident that I would not be on the stage if it weren't for your incredible love and support and I I hope that I can I'll do everything in my power to make you guys proud [Applause] hello everyone I'm Parker kotlars and I'm from Pensacola Florida first and foremost I'd like to thank my mom who has a single mother raised me and my sister without her sacrifices I would not be standing here today I'd also like to thank my wonderful sister Peyton my grandfather Pappy my grandmother Mimi who would love to see me on this stage today all my mentors my friends from back in Florida to all across the world thank you and I love you all [Applause] [Music] hi everyone my name is Chrissy Jung and I'm from Union New Jersey I would like to express a special thank you to all my dear friends mentors and teachers who have supported me along this journey from Rosa Parks School District attending seeds Milton and Yale I want you all to know that this white coat is as much yours as it is mine and to my loving parents thank you [Applause] hi everyone my name is Colin Harper from New Orleans I foremost would like to thank my mom and my dad without whom I could have never made it here my sister Maddie my friends and all the rest of my family back home I truly never could have fathomed such an opportunity growing up and I believe I and all of us owe it to all of those who believed in us and who got us here as well as to our future patients to do the absolute most with this privileged opportunity and for that I could not be more excited to do so alongside you all and now that I'm blessed we can't get on to doing so so thank you [Applause] one more big round of applause for the class of 2027. [Applause] well I must say two strong feelings emerged and were evident as I was watching and listening to those unbelievable introductions one is of course the feeling of gratitude which so many of you expressed gratitude for your friends your family your loved ones your mentors your siblings all of those folks who helped to get you where you are today but the Gratitude was overwhelmed only by one other strong feeling which was the feeling of Pride and pride is the feeling that all of those folks that you were speaking about felt in seeing you reach this Milestone today [Applause] I'd love to ask you to do one more thing for me if all of our freshly minted newly a new white coat wearers could stand if you're able and feel comfortable doing so [Applause] now you're not standing you're not standing for me you're standing for them so could you please turn around and express your gratitude one more time with a round of applause thank you for doing that I think I can officially Crown this a great first day [Applause] now your achievements will always be celebrated as we did today but tomorrow Begins the work of us helping you to reach your aspirations tomorrow afternoon is our first patient Clinic all together in that building right there and Wednesday afternoon we're going to leave the quad and visit our neighbors we're going to be heading out into the communities and neighborhoods of Boston getting to know the folks who live around us particularly those from our partner organizations who are really eager to meet you because they're going to rely on you they're going to be relying on what you can contribute in the next several years as students and of course they're going to be able to rely on you for what you can contribute to society as future doctors and dentists so I'm really looking forward to that thank you everybody for attending today for those of you who are dental students your class photo is right now on the steps of the dental school a couple of buildings down that way but otherwise thanks so much for attending have a wonderful afternoon [Applause] thank you [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] no that's good foreign

Channel: Harvard Medical School

Views: 48,437

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Id: QqtXE-hb9nM

Length: 145min 55sec (8755 seconds)

Published: Mon Jul 31 2023