The definition of purpose can be elastic. Can you have only one purpose or can you have many? Does it have to involve service to others or can it be something that consistently gives only you great pleasure and meaning?
The quality of entries for our 2025 Student Essay Contest was so high that we decided to share them all. Here's an essay by Maria Paola Mendieta, a third-year PharmD student at the University of Ottawa.
It's not about overcoming disability—it’s about owning it, being visible, and recognizing disability as a natural and valuable part of human diversity.