Ashley Lee Patterson

I attribute my success to changing my mindset and believing in myself, even when I didn't think I belonged. When I started college, I never believed I could actually become a doctor because I didn't come from a family of doctors and had no mentorship or connections. I thought that was for more dedicated people, people who came from that background, not someone like me who felt clueless. 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. For example, I was flown out to DC to receive a huge national scholarship because my academic, research, clinical, volunteering, and extracurricular work was so impactful that I was number one out of the nation who applied. It came down to me and a man, and honestly, in the back of my head I thought he would get it because he was a man, you know, that stigma that all women have that we're not good enough. But I got the call that I won the scholarship and would speak at an Emmy-nominated show with Olympians, Vietnam War veterans, Rob Riggle, and Steven Spielberg's son. All the work I had done was being recognized, and I was seen for who I am and what I'm portraying, not just as a woman or just a girl trying to get by in life. I realized I can actually be awesome and do all this great stuff, and that feedback from my successes just keeps me going. My parents also played a huge role. My mom is my biggest inspiration. She never finished college and her parents never really helped her out, but she made her life from scratch. As a military family, we moved to different states every two to three years, but she was a super trooper who homeschooled me and my twin brother, gave us every opportunity, and inspired us to pursue higher education because she wanted us to have experiences she never had. She ended up managing two medical spas and building their business from the ground up without any formal education. If she could do all that without college and be absolutely killing it, I thought, I can too. My dad served in the Army Special Forces and lived an amazing, inspirational life. He joined when he was young and always instilled in us determination, grit, and perseverance. He was first generation to go to college, getting the Army to pay for it. I've taken all that they've taught me and worked as hard as I can to become as much as I can, because I really want to honor them and thank them for all they've given me.

The best advice I've received, which really comes from my parents' example, is to believe in yourself and always aim for the stars. My dad always instilled in us determination, grit, and perseverance as essential tools for overcoming obstacles and pushing forward. My mom showed me through her actions to believe in myself even when the path feels uncertain, making her life from scratch without formal education and still achieving incredible success. The idea that has stuck 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 of shooting high, even if you miss, means you'll still end up somewhere amazing.

I would say to believe in yourself more than you believe in yourself. I know that sounds counterintuitive, but if you believe and put your mind to it that you have the ability and you can do something, don't let anyone tell you that you can't or that it's not a choice or not an option for you. Always ask yourself, why not? Like, why can't I be a doctor? Why not? That question will spark something in you where you realize, oh, I can do this, so why not? You only live once, and you only have one life to live, and you have to make the best of it. If you don't constantly push yourself and try to make yourself better for whatever purpose you have in life, whether that's faith, family, or friends, you're always going to be left wondering 20 years down the line what you could have done and why you didn't do it. Go through life with no regrets. Even if you shoot to be a medical doctor and don't get into medical school after multiple application cycles, you're still highly accredited and can find any other job. You aim for the stars, you land on the moon. Put yourself in spaces where you don't think you belong, because you have to find out somehow. If you just act more confident than you actually are and put on a facade, eventually you're going to adopt being more confident, more curious, more courageous, and you're really going to make yourself a better person and more inclined to take on these higher opportunities because you kept pushing yourself. It becomes a positive feedback loop where your successes build on each other.

The biggest challenge I face is not coming from a family of doctors, which means I have no doctor mentorship or established connections in the field. When I got into college, I never believed I could actually become a doctor because I thought that was for people who came from families of doctors, people who were more dedicated and had that background. I felt so clueless and didn't know anything, like I didn't even know where to start. I had no mentor, and my academic advisor was no help at all. Everything I did, I had to find out myself, researching and going down rabbit hole after rabbit hole just searching for answers and information. It was incredibly hard for just an average person like me to say, okay, I want to go to med school, when I don't even know anything. But I've learned that the opportunity comes from asking questions and putting yourself in spaces where you don't think you belong. If you act more confident than you actually are, eventually you adopt being more confident, curious, and courageous. It becomes a positive feedback loop where your constant successes build on each other. For example, I was flown out to DC and received a national scholarship where I was number one out of the nation who applied, and I spoke at an Emmy-nominated show. All the work I've done has been recognized, showing that even without traditional connections, persistence and belief in yourself can open incredible doors.

The values most important to me are family, faith, compassion, empathy, kindness, determination, grit, and perseverance. I want to honor God, my future husband, and my future kids by leading an influential and compassionate life that inspires other people. I want to look back at the end of my life and know that I made an impact on people, that I did more good than harm, and that my net was positive. My parents shaped these values in me. My mom is my biggest inspiration. She never finished college and her parents never really helped her out, but she made her life from scratch. As a military family moving to different states every two to three years, she homeschooled me and my twin brother, gave us every opportunity, and inspired us to pursue higher education because she wanted us to have experiences she never had. My dad served in the Army Special Forces and always instilled in us determination, grit, and perseverance. He was first generation to go to college, and I'm so grateful that because he was first generation, I don't have to be. I've paid the entirety of my undergraduate education through merit-based scholarships, and my parents have only had to pay about two dollars each semester because my scholarships have covered everything. I wouldn't want them to pay anything because I want them to live their life and have fun. I carry these values into my volunteer work, especially through Taking It to the Streets, where every Saturday we serve underserved populations with food, haircuts, vital sign checks, and basic wound care. Sitting down and talking to these people and just treating them like humans, because they don't get treated like humans, and giving them a space to be heard, has been my best experience. I look forward to going back because there are people there that I love to see, and it's a lot of fun to talk to them and be their friend.