Upright by Iliana

Upright by Iliana - August 2026 Scholarship Essay

During high school, I struggled to decide what I wanted my career path to look like. I worked as a nursing assistant and later as a medical assistant, but it was during my last internship at a pediatric office that I began to understand the kind of professional I wanted to become.

I entered the clinic as an office intern and gradually worked my way into a medical assistant role. Although I was still in high school, high standards had already been set for me. I was expected to behave professionally, communicate confidently, and perform at a high level.

The first time I met my practice manager, she immediately pointed out my posture. She told me that I needed to stand upright, keep my chin up, and carry myself with confidence. As the weeks continued, she corrected other things I had never thought much about, including my wrinkled uniform, the way I spoke, and how I presented myself to patients and coworkers. The constant feedback was frustrating. At times, I felt like I was being judged too harshly for things that seemed small to me.

However, I eventually realized that she was not criticizing me simply to point out my flaws. She was preparing me for the professional I could become. Instead of taking every correction personally, I began listening more carefully and asking myself what I could learn from it. I started paying attention to how I carried myself, how I communicated, and how my actions affected the people around me.

By the end of my internship, I had progressed from an inexperienced office intern to a medical assistant and even received a job offer. I left the clinic exhausted and, at times, frustrated, but I also left with something much more valuable. I learned discipline, confidence, and a willingness to accept constructive criticism.

That experience taught me that growth is not always comfortable. Sometimes the feedback that is hardest to hear is the feedback we need the most. I entered that clinic as a shy and uncertain teenager and left as a young professional who understood the importance of constantly improving herself.

I am grateful for my practice manager because she taught me to see criticism as an opportunity rather than an attack. Since then, I have continued working in larger healthcare settings and have been able to advance professionally, in part because of the confidence and professionalism I developed during that internship. Today, I try to approach every new experience with the same mindset of behaving like the best version of myself.