Meet Hanna B. (she/her), a Paliwal Club of 100 STEAM Scholar who is a third-year medical student pursuing her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree at Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine.

What is your dream?

My dream is to become a reconstructive surgeon to restore patients’ dignity, function, and sense of identity after injury, burns, or cancer treatment.

Please share how you feel about the win and what impact it will have on your career.

I am honored to be chosen as a STEAM scholar and recognized among a group of such accomplished and inspiring women. This award gives me the financial freedom to pursue professional development opportunities that will help advance my career goals.

What advice do you have for other women reaching for their dreams?

“Shoot for the moon, and even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”

This quote, which I first read on a poster hanging on the wall of my third-grade classroom, is my best advice for other women striving for their dreams and has been the single most important factor in my educational and professional success at this stage in my life. If you set goals and stop at nothing to achieve them, you will always be making progress, even if it doesn’t look exactly like you hoped or planned for. The only thing this requires is grit. Tell yourself that nothing can stop you — whether it be institutional barriers, stereotypes, or stigma — and truly nothing will be able to stop you.