HOW WILL I CONTRIBUTE TO THE STARTINGBLOC COMMUNITY?

M A R S H A - G A I L D A V I S

F I R S T - Y E A R M E D I C A L S T U D E N T

U N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , S C H O O L O F M E D I C I N E

WITH MY LEADERSHIPI have served and am serving in various leadership positions:

• President of SOCA (2007)

• Co-Founder of NOLArize! (2007-2010)

• Organizer for the Jena 6 March on the Swarthmore College campus (2007)

• Current UCSD Free Clinic Nutrition Manager (2013)

• Creative Director of the Cut-Off Youth Library Project (2008)

My experience in leadership has taught me about courage, hard work, vision and the power of communication. It has also taught me that one individual has the ability to create a great deal of change. Mahatma Ghandi said it best, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” The ability to make change is inherently coupled with leadership. I find this skill to be beneficial is every aspect of life and a wonderful skill I hope to contribute to this community.

WITH MY CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION• Creative consultant for the non-profit,

HealthTank

• Creator of MishMAGDAV crafts business

• Creator of Bangin’ Bird Food Blog

• Student at Penland School of Crafts

My creative skills are some of the strongest skills that I possess and constantly apply in my everyday life. This is the characteristic most often used to describe me as an individual. I believe that a creative approach to problem solving often leads to the most effective solutions. Viewing a problem from a new perspective can provide information that was not initially available or clearly realized. I have thoroughly enjoyed employing my creativity and hope to share these skills with the StartingBloc community.

A dress I was designing at Penland

The final product

WITH MY PROFICIENCY IN ANOTHER LANGUAGEI had the opportunity to learn Spanish during middle school, high school and college. During college, I studied abroad in Costa Rica for a semester and had one of the most amazing experiences learning in a new culture. The importance of this skill has become more and more evident since that time as I have used my Spanish extensively since starting medical school. I have the ability to communicate with individuals and communities that I would not have otherwise. This can allow for exposure to ideas from fresh sources to contribute to creative problem solving and provide new perspectives.

WITH MY INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

• MATCH Charter Public School Tutor• Nutrition Clinic Manager

In the positions I have listed above, I have had the opportunity to develop my interpersonal skills through working closely with a variety of individuals and their unique personalities. I think these are crucial skills when applied to community and collaboration, which is important for the execution and success of any innovative project or work. I believe such skills will allow me to thrive in a community of diverse individuals, such as the one represented by the StartingBloc community.

WITH MY INDEPENDENT CRITICAL THINKING• Costa Rican Independent Study Project

• Horn Point Laboratory Marine Research

My experiences in research and independent projects have afforded me the opportunity to further develop my skills in independent critical thinking. This was a skill instilled by my mother and rigorously developed at Swarthmore College, a community known for curriculum targeted to the development of critical thinking. I am comfortable expressing my own ideas, considering information for myself and drawing conclusions that were informed by my own unique understanding and assessment of my breadth of knowledge. I think this skill in particular is crucial to being socially innovative and an effective change agent.

WITH MY PASSIONPassion is a quality that cannot be artificially created or imitated. It is organic and birthed from a fundamental belief. In my case, that belief is that good health is a right for all people.

My passion for preserving and protecting health manifests itself in: • Projects that I am currently heading to implement nutritional

classes at UCSD Free Clinic where I serve as the Nutrition Clinic Manager

• My desire and effort to maintain an understanding of current research as it applies to health maintenance and effective disease treatment

• The use of my creativity and talents to design a blog to educate and inspire others about healthy living and current research

• My inability to tire of talking about the impact of lifestyle and behavior on promoting health and preventing disease

• My search for communities and experiences that will help me to direct my passion into effective work that will have a lasting and transformative impact on the lives of others.

I HOPE FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS AMAZING

COMMUNITYI appreciate a varied approach to problem solving and so I often find myself thinking outside of traditional or conventional frameworks in order to solve problems.

I am certain that the skills of leadership, creativity, second-language mastery, interpersonal communication and critical thinking that I have acquired and my own passion have influenced this mindset, which will only be further established by my participation in the 2013 Detroit Institute of Social Innovation. I am certain this opportunity will broaden my perspective of the world and allow me to learn tremendously from a diverse group of innovative, driven and conscious young individuals.