Bastyr Personal Statement

At seventeen years old I had my first introduction to the United States Healthcare system. In November of 2004 I had three weeks left on my mother’s health insurance, I was approaching my last semester of high school and was having frequent unexplained fainting spells. With a month left on my insurance I quickly went through rigorous testing to determine the cause, leaving me feeling like a test subject in a lab. In the beginning of 2005 I was diagnosed with epilepsy. Specifically, I had complex partial seizures, I was handed five different prescriptions and sent on my way. Initially things seemed improved, but every time I felt sick again, my dosages would be increased without a doctor’s visit. The next seven years of my life were lived on medication. During those seven years, I made attempts to complete my bachelor’s degree at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ, however, I found it hard to have motivation and concentration. It was not until around 2012 at age 25 I realized the struggles I dealt with may have amounted to more than lack of motivation, and might be caused by what I put into my body every day. Against the advice of my doctors, in …show more content…
I want to know why these herbs work, how they biologically effect the body and where they come from. I hope to be able to identify these plants in nature and know what parts of the plant to use and how. Learning the history of herbal medicine in differing cultures and how this practice began will be incredibly fulfilling. I am interested in understanding what plants we over cultivate and what alternatives we can use in their place. It is important to know the limitations of our earth and the support it provides for us when practicing natural medicine. I believe the herbal sciences program at Bastyr University can help me gain the knowledge I desire and give me the tools I need to help educate