I was born in Seattle to an immigrant family who risked everything, fleeing war in Laos in search of a better life. They arrived in America with only what they could carry, building a future from scratch. While my family worked tirelessly, we lived in poverty. Growing up, I had to straddle multiple dimensions of culture, identity and unique lived experiences. There was no foundation or guidance for a path to higher education, let alone medical school.

In order to succeed and reach my goal of becoming a physical therapist, I had to balance the weight of hope while managing the constant presence of doubt. My 20-year journey was a high-stakes gamble with little room for failure.

But every hardship has shaped me into the clinician I am today. And donor-supported scholarships didn’t just help my dreams flourish — they’ve allowed me to be proud of where I come from.

Quitting was not an option

In high school, I tore my ACL (a ligament in the knee), which needed surgery and physical therapy to heal. It sparked my interest in the field. After graduation, I enrolled in a community college with the goal of becoming a physical therapy assistant. I soon discovered my academic skills weren’t where they needed to be — I failed most of my classes because I was reading and writing at about a seventh-grade level. But I refused to give in. I increased my effort and commitment and was able to catch up. Quitting was not an option.

Like many college students, I also worked multiple jobs to make ends meet, but in 2014 my life took an unexpected turn. I was diagnosed with kidney failure. Suddenly, I wasn’t just juggling classes, tuition and work — I was fighting for my life. Tough is an understatement. To qualify for a transplant, I had to maintain a certain level of health, so I made the difficult choice to forgo dialysis. My nephrologist said, “Given your age, you may not live a full life term.”

But after some thought, I realized — does anyone truly know how long they’ll live? I refused to let fear decide my future. I chose to live life to the fullest, and not only did I earn my physical therapist assistant associate degree, but I also went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in sports strength and conditioning.

And after four years of waiting, I finally got the call in 2018. A kidney match. Another chance. And with it, the ability to go full throttle toward my next big dream: medical school.

Scholarships offered opportunities to hope

In 2021, I was accepted into the doctor of physical therapy program at the UW School of Medicine, achieving what once felt impossible — the opportunity to become a physical therapist. The final stretch of the journey was the hardest because the struggles never let up.

A full-time program meant giving up my stable income, leaving me financially vulnerable while trying to manage school, medical care and basic survival. Every single quarter, I experienced a major problem that almost made me lose hope in my efforts. Scholarships helped, but without a paycheck, I faced food insecurity and struggled to pay for the anti-rejection medications for my new kidney. Growing up in hardship had taught me to recognize others were struggling too. After an honest conversation with faculty, we secured a UW Medicine well-being grant to create a free pantry for the UW Division of Physical Therapy that would help normalize food insecurity and let people know they weren’t alone.

And then, just as finals week began, the toilet in my house fell through the floor. It was the only bathroom in the house. A faculty member asked how I was doing and I broke out in tears. The pressures of life while pursuing this overzealous goal were just overwhelming. But she reassured me, and while I took my exam, she reached out to another faculty member whose husband was able to help me with repairs, while the Division’s emergency fund covered the cost of supplies. Their efforts reminded me of the purpose of my journey. I was able to complete all my finals and graduate with the degree I worked so hard — and for so long — to earn.

Each hardship I’ve faced has shaped me into the clinician I am today. Adversity has built my resilience, strengthened my leadership and taught me how to serve with empathy and compassion. Physical therapy often meets patients at their most vulnerable moments in life, which require skills and perseverance to recover.

My journey is proof that success is possible with support. Scholarships create opportunities, access and permission to build bridges between the communities we straddle. Everyone loves a good underdog story, but someone must first give them a chance. Because with hope, belief and support, dreams do come true.

As told to Nicole Beattie