If you asked me a few years ago what I wanted to do after graduating college, I would have explained to you my surprisingly detailed ten year plan. After graduating with a degree in Biology, I would take a gap year volunteering for Teach For America before 3 years of full-time dental school in San Francisco. Then I would start working at a private practice, and after 5 years start my own practice. I would have 2 kids, one boy and one girl. We would live in a small but comfortable apartment in the city, where the kids could play with the other kids in the building.

I was always a “planner” growing up. By age 12, I knew that I wanted to go to school in California. I was 14 when I decided that I wanted to be a dentist or orthodontist. It was comforting to have a clear plan, but I had never really asked myself why I wanted these things. I knew I wanted to serve others, and I suppose clinical medicine was the only way I knew how to do that while still making a decent income at a stable job. I liked knowing that I would have a secure, predictable life.

My first real experience with the unpredictable nature of life was in third grade, when my dad was laid off from his high paying engineering job. After discussing things with my mom, he decided to start his own consulting company. This went well for a few years, but towards the end we were struggling to make ends meet. So we decided to cut back on things that we didn’t need, like gas, cable and cell phones. I remember the last summer we lived in Minnesota when I was in 9^th grade, we were showering using solar powered showers and cooking using a camping stove. When my friends came over, I was proud to show them the sun bags on the porch heating up the water for our showers that night. I was proud to tell them why I wasn’t using a cell phone anymore. Although this is not at all what my dad had envisioned when he set out to own his own company, I think this was the best possible outcome. We all learned the value of minimalist living, and actually learned to love it. I think this is why frugal innovation particularly appeals to me.

I never really felt like I was telling the truth when I told people that I was pre-med. It was not until the fall of my Sophomore year when I took a class called “Technology for Social Justice,” where I was exposed to a world that I never knew existed, and I desperately wanted to be a part of it. Towards the end of the class, I was prompted to reflect on my vocation and my knee-jerk response of “doctor” felt even less true. I realized that my need to serve others and my professional goals did not line up. I had never felt called to be a doctor or a dentist, and I found that my true passion was in frugal health technology in developing countries. It was hard for me to let go of my initial plan, but I knew this was exactly what I needed to be doing. I walked right over to the Public Health Department and changed my major to Public Health from Psychology.

This new-found passion eventually led me to Khon Kaen, Thailand, were I was participating in a study abroad program with other Public Health students. While I was abroad, I met dozens of other students who had a passion for global health issues like I did, but none of them had heard of social entrepreneurship or frugal innovation. We conducted hours and hours of research in the villages, and we gave a presentation to the village to share our findings. Many people in my program felt more connected to each other and spent their free time at the bars around campus. But I think I felt the most joy in my program when I was working with the Thai people. My favorite part of my program was when me any my research group sat down with the people in the village we were working with and simply asked them what their biggest concerns were and what we could do to help. Their answers were much different from what we had originally expected. Although our final presentation was much different than we had envisioned, it more appropriately addressed the specific needs of the community and we found it to be much more fulfilling work.

All of these experiences have led me to where I am now, and I could not be more grateful. I have come to know the true value of flexibility and that things don’t always turn out the way you originally had hoped. My long-term career goal of working in health technology in the developing world does not have as crystal clear of a path as being a doctor or dentist, but it feels much more genuine. Now when I tell friends and family what I want to do after I graduate, even if it sounds like I’m dreaming, I no longer feel like I’m lying. I am excited to see where this fellowship leads me and I cannot wait to finally work with people who find joy in the same things that I do.