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When reflecting upon this quote, I pondered on the meaning of thrive. In various interpretations, thrive was defined as growth, prosperity, and bloom. For many communities, past, present, and evolving barriers make it challenging to thrive in systems that were not built with everyone in mind.

During my fourth year of medical school, someone I loved passed away from suicide. While I cycled through different stages of grief, I realized I had to stop asking myself, “What could I have done differently?” and instead start asking, “What can I do differently?”

I serendipitously ventured into the world of health education in 2014 as a sophomore at the University of Southern California (USC). As I walked through a sea of students during a campus club and student organizations fair, I was handed a flyer for the student organization Peer Health Exchange (PHE).

As a primary care doctor, I learned early in medical training that a small fraction of health is determined by clinic visits and hospital stays. Pills only work if you can afford them.

Remember, never give up — your voice resonates with power, and you possess the capability to make the world a better place and create a brighter tomorrow.

Standing just shy of five feet, my bà nội (grandma) was the living testament that great things come in small packages. As the heart of our Vietnamese immigrant family, she held us together with love and care poured into every traditional meal she made. Even after enduring a long 10-hour workday, she ensured our stomachs were just as full as our hearts, never once failing in her commitment to our family’s well-being.

On my first clinical rotation of medical school, I sat in the corner of a crowded resident workroom willing a thought to coalesce in my mind as I stared at a patient’s chart. I was so intimidated that I found myself trying to breathe more quietly. No one had greeted me yet that day as they whirled through their early morning tasks.