I was born a mega-preemie in the Bronx, NY in 2001 to nervous Syrian immigrants, right after the tragic 9/11 attacks. I witnessed the impacts of discrimination and resource limitations on the health of my family members and our local community. From my father, a Brown man with a thick Arabic accent, being refused work, to my grandmother, a veiled woman, receiving glaring looks, these experiences framed how I saw and navigated the world. I attended primary to high school in NYC and college at Tufts, where my interests have always been in advancing immigrant and minoritized health, civic engagement, and creative expression through writing. Now, as I train to become a physician-advocate, with community health research and innovation as the bridge within this hybrid role, I am empowered to co-create a better health system.