Activism has always been a driving force in my life, especially when it comes to advocating for those whose lives are often overlooked or marginalized. Growing up so close to Washington, D.C., I had the opportunity to participate in multiple protests from gun violence to abortion rights. My earliest experience was participating in the International Women’s March in Washington, D.C., in 2017, my freshman year of high school. I studied Public Health Science at the University of Maryland, College Park, to better understand pressing global issues and how we can address them. I learned through working in the healthcare field that I wanted to do this as a provider, specifically a physician associate (PA), in my future. After graduating in 2024, I applied for the National Health Corps, a year-long service program that would allow me to participate in the care of the most vulnerable populations, specifically individuals experiencing homelessness. 

The San Francisco cohort stood out to me as I’d always been inspired by the vibrant community there, at the heart of much advocacy, including workers’ rights, the housing crisis, and addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic. In college, I was involved in many advocacy groups such as our animal liberation club, reproductive justice organization, and the Washington, D.C. chapter of the PERIOD. movement for menstrual equity. I read up on San Francisco’s opioid overdose epidemic, curious to learn more. No articles or research in any corner of the web could have prepared me for the way being on the frontlines of this would change my life. 

After my second interview, I was accepted into the 2024-2025 National Health Corps San Francisco cohort. I would serve with the San Francisco Department of Public Health’s Whole Person Integrated Care (WPIC) program as the Shelter Health Educator. The summer before my service term, I kept busy gaining hands-on patient care experience as a medical assistant for low-income patients in Langley Park, Maryland. At the same time, I was scouring Facebook for housing in San Francisco, where I’d be spending the next year. Not knowing the city and needing to sign a lease sight unseen made the search especially stressful. After months of constant looking, I found an apartment within my budget in the Inner Richmond neighborhood. I moved in at the end of August, bright-eyed, green, and nervous for what lay ahead. 

My first few weeks were some of the most challenging, as I oriented and began to think about how I could best serve this community. I was amazed by the work being done by the Shelter Health team to connect individuals experiencing homelessness with care and make the system work for them. My role was flexible, and I had the opportunity to work on projects that inspired and excited me. For me, that was education, specifically surrounding reproductive and sexual health. When I saw the misinformation and stigma that were rampant in shelter settings, I realized the importance of a presentation on the prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections. 

Over the months, as I began to get to know our clients and fall into step beside them, I began to understand how clients best responded to care coordination. Whether it be accompanying a patient to their endoscopy, making a gender-affirming care appointment at Align Surgical, or outreaching to clients to engage them in care, I’ve learned to meet patients where they are. Sometimes, success looks like having a patient who was reluctant to come into the clinic for weeks walk in on their own one day, ready to discuss their health goals. Other times, it’s a quiet, heartfelt conversation with a grateful client in a shelter dorm room. 

After service, life looks like unwinding in one of San Francisco’s many wondrous parks, an evening walk with a friend, or experimenting with an improv class. I am grateful to have found a place to live just a few blocks from San Francisco’s beautiful Golden Gate Park, an oasis of winding trails lined with eucalyptus trees and groves filled with towering redwoods. This park became my haven outside of the clinic, and most weekends were spent at free outdoor yoga classes, consumed by a mystery novel outside the Conservatory of Flowers, or exploring every nook and cranny of the 1,000 acre park that stretches from the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood to Ocean Beach on the west of San Francisco. 

Though riddled with uncertainty at first, I wouldn’t have traded this year for anything. The experiences and connections I’ve formed with patients, colleagues, and friends alike are ones I will hold nearest. I grew up reading quotes on Pinterest about how true growth happens outside of your comfort zone, but words can’t capture this experience or what I’ve gained from it. San Francisco will have a piece of my heart forevermore and remind me to always wear flowers in my hair, wherever I may roam.