I grew up in a small South African town, four hours from Johannesburg, where life felt gritty and real. One day, a Zulu person came to visit, and through them, I discovered the warmth and resilience of the Zulu people, which shaped me and showed me the power of our shared humanity.

Fast forward to my college years, I had the chance to dive deeper, spending time in a Zulu village on a medical mission trip—sharing meals, swapping stories, and laughing together. Their ubuntu philosophy, “I am because we are,” hit me hard. It was a truth that stood strong, even against the weight of apartheid. That sense of community over self? It’s who I am now.

After college, I headed to medical school in the U.S. and became a locum tenens provider, working in chaotic city ERs as an internal medicine hospitalist. The job was grueling—sleepless nights, patients I couldn’t save, and watching colleagues and systems crumble under pressure. But those lessons from the Zulu village stayed with me: healing doesn’t happen alone. It takes a team.