SOP

I looked at the young boy -- slouching, defiant, tense -- and I saw myself 15 years earlier. Jonier became my mirror. I was a difficult teen too, and for the same reasons Jonier was one. We were both first-generation English speakers whose efforts to communicate and especially to impress our teachers often fell on deaf ears. Having been in that position, I know the importance of having strong mentors, role models, and leaders.

For two years, I volunteered with Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America, which is where I met Jonier. Jonier had a reputation for being "the worst kid in the program," a label that I became determined to shed. No one should be labeled as difficult before understanding what the person is going through. I will become the doctor who breaks down the barriers that patients have erected in the wake of indifference or prejudice....
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