Sofia Krause Campos, MS University of Arizona College of Medicine Tucson
I wanted to leave you in the vast lands bordered by great mountain ranges
where milk and honey flow through channels from the peaks through the gullies
nourishing the soil beneath our feet, prolific year-round
deceitfully sweet, luring many to a sticky trap
for the opportunities were scarce and barren
they were not for you or me
leaving is not so easy
you would just fail
return like your mother
relapse like her mother
restrained and incarcerated like her mother
I left to find something better
let you struggle for the scraps in the land of contempt-ment.
with the giants that guarded the valley no longer lording over me
I placed my bags down on the salty sand, curing my mind
promises to line my future pockets with jewels.
but it wasn’t far enough away from you.
so. I crossed greater distances,
drank from new sources,
climbed to elevations that took my breath away.
Endured freezing polar winters and crossed desert hellscapes.
Lived more experiences to dilute the poisonous moments we spent together to stop grief from feasting
on our deep-rooted despair.
Wrote magnificent manifestos and brought about revolutions to eclipse our history of famine and war
I wanted to forget.
Except you stayed
in that place cradled by the mountains
where I love the smell of almond blossoms
milk and honey flow through my veins
like my mother before me
About the Author: Inspired by the neurocognitive impairments her grandfather suffered as a result of vascular illness, and his incredible recovery, Sofia studied the mind at the Department of Cognitive Science at University of California, San Diego. The Department of Cognitive Science provided the underlying inspiration was how to cure an expert team and support their development to produce unique outcomes. Sofia took this idea to the University of Illinois at Chicago, where is she was a Clinical Research Coordinator and Care Coordinator supporting a small team of community health workers.
This leadership looked a little bit different in medical school as the preclinical years do not have a team structure, but every person is learning at the same rate and pace. To encourage collaboration, support and productivity Sofia worked as a member of the Student Diversity Advisory Committee.
Sofia Victoria is a medical student and physician doctoral candidate at the University of Arizona College of Medicine Tucson. With aspirations to become an otolaryngologist, Sofia is a current member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery and Latino Medical Student Association
About the Work: A letter written to a younger version of myself, "apology" is a reflection of my journey of self-acceptance.
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