Ashley Lee Patterson

I attribute much of my growth to changing my mindset and learning to believe in myself, even when I didn’t feel like I belonged. When I first started college, I didn’t think becoming a doctor was something I could actually achieve. I didn’t come from a family of physicians, I didn’t have mentorship or connections, and I felt completely out of place. I thought that path was meant for people who had it all figured out, not someone like me who felt unsure and inexperienced.

But I learned to put myself in spaces where I didn’t think I belonged and act more confident than I actually was, putting on a facade until I eventually adopted being more confident, curious, and courageous. It became a positive feedback loop, just like in biology, where my constant successes kept building on each other and propelling me forward.

One moment that really solidified that shift was being flown out to Washington, D.C. to receive a national scholarship. My academic, research, clinical, volunteering, and extracurricular work had been recognized at a level I never imagined, and I was selected as the top applicant in the nation. I remember standing there as a finalist and quietly thinking I wouldn’t be chosen, especially when it came down to me and one other candidate. That doubt crept in, the kind that makes you question whether you’re enough. But I got the call that I had been selected. I had the opportunity to speak at an Emmy-nominated show alongside Olympians, Vietnam War veterans, WWII veterans, leaders and influential figures, and cadets from top military colleges across the nation. In that moment, it felt like everything I had worked for was being seen. I wasn’t just someone trying to figure things out anymore, I was someone who had earned a place in that room.

My parents played a huge role in shaping that mindset. My mom is one of my biggest inspirations. Although she never finished college and grew up without much support from her own family, she built the most admirable life through pure determination and hard work. As a military family, we moved constantly, but through every challenge she worked tirelessly to create a stable, loving, and opportunity-filled life for my twin brother and me. She homeschooled us, supported every dream we had, and later helped build and brand medical spas and helped run them for a short time, all without any formal education, which makes everything she accomplished even more impressive. She taught me that even if you are not given all the “right” opportunities or resources from the beginning, you can still achieve incredible things if you believe in yourself and are willing to work hard enough for them. Watching her sacrifice so much for our family taught me what resilience, selflessness, and unconditional love truly look like.

My dad also had a profound influence on me. He served in the Army Special Forces and lived a life defined by discipline, grit, and perseverance. He first enlisted in the Army and later became a first-generation college student, using the opportunities available to him to completely transform his future. Instead of stopping after earning a college degree, he continued pushing himself further by going to law school and eventually becoming a lawyer for the military. What has always inspired me most about him is that he never allowed himself to become comfortable or stop growing. He kept building, achieving, and reaching higher and higher, constantly striving for more and showing me that success is not about where you start, but about your willingness to keep pushing forward. He instilled in me the belief that hard work, resilience, and ambition can take you further than you ever imagined.

Everything I’ve done has been shaped by what they taught me. I’ve learned to step into spaces that feel uncomfortable, to push past doubt, and to keep going even when I’m unsure. More than anything, I want to honor the sacrifices they made by becoming the best version of myself and using that to serve others.

The best advice I’ve received comes from watching my parents and the way they’ve lived their lives. They’ve always taught me to believe in myself and to aim far beyond what feels comfortable. My dad instilled in me the importance of determination, grit, and perseverance, showing me that obstacles are not meant to stop you, but to push you forward. My mom, on the other hand, showed me what it truly means to believe in yourself, even when the path is uncertain. She built her life from the ground up without formal education and still achieved incredible success, proving that confidence and resilience can take you further than circumstances ever could. The idea that has stayed with me most is to always aim for the stars and set bold, ambitious goals. Even if you don’t reach them exactly, you’re still going to land on the moon and achieve more than you once thought possible. That mindset has shaped how I approach challenges and opportunities in my life. It’s not about perfection or certainty, but about having the courage to aim high, trust yourself, and keep going. Even when things don’t go exactly as planned, you still end up somewhere greater than where you started.

The biggest piece of advice I would give to young women entering this field is to believe in yourself more than you think you should. I know that sounds counterintuitive, but if you truly believe you have the ability to do something, don’t let anyone convince you otherwise. Instead of asking “Can I?” start asking “Why not?” Why not become a doctor? Why not take that opportunity? That simple shift in thinking can spark something powerful. It helps you realize that the only real limits are the ones you place on yourself.

You only have one life, and it’s too short to hold yourself back out of fear or doubt. If you don’t push yourself toward what you truly want, you may look back years from now wondering what could have been. I would rather take the risk and try than live with that question.

Don’t be afraid to aim high. Even if you don’t reach your exact goal, you’ll still end up somewhere far beyond where you started. If you pursue medicine and things don’t go exactly as planned, you’re still gaining knowledge, experience, and opportunities that will open other doors. Growth is never wasted.

Most importantly, put yourself in spaces where you don’t feel like you belong. That’s where the real growth happens. At first, it might feel like you’re just pretending to be confident, but over time, that confidence becomes real. You become more curious, more courageous, and more willing to take on challenges you once thought were out of reach. It becomes a positive feedback loop, where each success builds on the last and pushes you forward.

At the end of the day, don’t shrink yourself to fit what feels comfortable. Step into what feels bigger than you, and trust that you will grow into it.

One of the biggest challenges in the pre-med pathway today is navigating a system that can feel overwhelming, unstructured, and highly dependent on access to information. There are countless requirements, expectations, and “unwritten rules” that aren’t always clearly explained, especially for students who don’t come in with prior exposure to the medical field. It can be difficult to know where to start, how to prioritize opportunities, or even what questions to ask.

At the same time, I see this as an opportunity for growth. I’ve learned that success in this field doesn’t come from having everything handed to you, but from being proactive, resourceful, and willing to step into unfamiliar spaces. Instead of waiting for direction, I’ve had to seek out information, ask questions, and build my own path through research, clinical experience, and leadership. That process has made me more independent, curious, and resilient.

Another challenge is overcoming self-doubt in a highly competitive environment. It’s easy to compare yourself to others and feel like you don’t measure up. However, I’ve learned that confidence is something you build through action. By putting myself in spaces where I didn’t initially feel comfortable and continuing to show up, I’ve developed the confidence to take on opportunities I once thought were out of reach.

Ultimately, I believe the biggest opportunity in this field is the ability to grow into the kind of person and future physician you want to become. The pre-med journey isn’t just about meeting requirements—it’s about developing the mindset, discipline, and resilience needed to care for others. For me, that has meant turning uncertainty into motivation and using every challenge as a chance to grow.

The values most important to me in both my work and personal life are family, faith, relationships, compassion, selflessness, kindness, and the determination to keep going even when things are difficult. I try to live in a way that honors God and reflects the example my parents set for me. I think often about the future I want to build—one where I can be a strong, compassionate wife and mother, and someone who leads a life that positively influences others. More than anything, I want to look back one day and know that I made an impact, that I did more good than harm, and that the way I lived my life truly mattered.

My parents shaped these values through everything they did. My mom is my biggest inspiration. She never finished college and didn’t have much support growing up, but she built her life from the ground up. As a military family, we moved every few years, and through all of it, she homeschooled my twin brother and me, gave us every opportunity, and encouraged us to pursue higher education because she wanted us to have experiences she never had. More importantly, she instilled in us that we are worthy, capable, and deserving of success. My dad served in the Army Special Forces and instilled in us discipline, grit, and perseverance. As a first-generation college student, he showed me what’s possible through hard work and sacrifice, and because of that, I’ve had opportunities he had to fight for.

Those values carry into how I approach my education and service. I’ve been able to fund my undergraduate education entirely through merit-based scholarships, which has been incredibly important to me. I wanted to take that responsibility on myself so my parents could focus on enjoying the life they worked so hard to build.

I see these values most clearly in my volunteer work, especially through Taking It to the Streets. Every Saturday, we serve underserved populations by providing food, haircuts, vital sign checks, and basic wound care. But the most meaningful part isn’t the services—it’s the conversations. Sitting down, listening, and simply treating people like they matter has been one of the most impactful experiences of my life. Many of the individuals we serve don’t often feel seen or heard, and being able to offer that—even in a small way—means everything to me. I look forward to going back each week, not just to help, but because I’ve built real connections with people I genuinely care about.

At the core, my values come down to how I treat others and how I choose to show up every day. I want to live a life rooted in compassion and purpose, one that reflects where I came from and creates something meaningful for the people around me.