submitted application!

I finished and submitted the AMCAS (medical school) application today! That means after many months of procrastinating and throwing away drafts of my personal statement, it is completed and I cannot worry about it any longer. Here is an excerpt of the essay:

Fine, reddish brown sand covers the ground. Thorn bushes block the sun. I start exercising by myself but I am never alone. Drivers honk and wave manically, trying to attract attention. Passing pedestrians start conversations, “Eish! Letsatsi wa fisha! [Wow! It is too hot today!]” Children line the streets, clap and chant, “Le-taa-bo! Le-taa-bo!” As I approach, the children chant louder, laugh and sprint alongside me. Many things have changed. My name is not Melissa; I am Lethabo. I do not live in the United States; I live in a rural South African village, serving as a Peace Corps volunteer.

Saturdays are reserved for funerals, at least two each week. Funerals seem to be the only reminder of HIV. It is feared, never discussed and occasionally gossiped about. Testing is seen as pointless. “Why know your status if there is no cure and face the stigma of the disease?” teachers ask me. No matter how much community members ignore HIV; it remains, casting a shadow over once-vibrant community members.

I met Margaret, my host mother's niece, as she was travelling to the hospital with her very ill mother. Her mother was completely dependent upon Margaret for moving, eating and using the toilet. My host mother and I offered assistance, but Margaret preferred independence to help, refusing any aid offered to her as if the offer was a rebuke against her abilities. Margaret was vibrant; she led the conversation and took over the household duties. Her presence could not be forgotten.

After her mother's death, Margaret repeated the journey from her village to the hospital. This time, the trip is for her and her sister who watches over her. Margaret's presence is again unforgettable, but for drastically different reasons. Her independence is gone. She is waif, constantly tired and calls me, not her sister, to help her eat, use the toilet and hug her. Margaret desires human contact as if to confirm that she is still human. Her eyes watch for hints of repulsion. Margaret, and other South Africans like her, has solidified my desire to study medicine.

I now have a few weeks until I start filling out secondary applications.
In other news, I will end my service here on September 14 and I should be at home in Wisconsin on the 15th!