From Patient to Storyteller: How Our Own Experiences Can Give Us Purpose

“Do you know what you’re going to do after you graduate?”

I am sure that we are all familiar with that question. From my first day of undergrad, I was already expected to know exactly where I would end up four years later. I looked to my peers who came to college with very clear answers – sports broadcaster, CEO, TV news anchor – and felt like I was already behind, as I had no idea what I wanted to do. My peers had dreamed of those jobs for years or grew up seeing them on TV or in their family. I had no such clear picture, just a disparate set of interests and passions but no real way to synthesize them.

I knew that I was passionate about storytelling. I had grown up writing stories with my grandmother, who was a children’s book author. I would spend weekends with her writing and writing, everything that came to mind. She took that unbridled energy and creativity and helped me shape it into an integral part of my identity.

I also knew I was passionate about health care. At age two, I was diagnosed with cancer. I had been on vacation with my family at the time when my parents rushed me to the hospital because I was complaining of a horrible pain in my leg. They waited for hours while the doctors ran tests and then returned with the news that no parent ever wants to hear. I spent the majority of my childhood in and out of hospitals, for treatment and routine checkups. My family and I experienced fear for my health, but also the immense kindness and generosity of those who work around the clock to help children like me and families like mine.

However, when thinking about my own career path within health care, I felt lost about how to pursue it. I knew I wanted to give back to a field that had given me so much, but I also knew I was not going to be a medical professional – I am not STEM-minded and nearly failed chemistry in high school – so I had to find another way to give back. There had to be a way to integrate my passions, but I had no idea what it was.

That is until I was introduced to Real Chemistry in one of my public relations classes during my sophomore year at Syracuse University. That was it – a company that aims to impact the patient and people experience through meaningful connections, insights and the power of storytelling. I was hooked. Real Chemistry’s mission finally put into words everything I had been trying to express, everything I wanted in a professional career. It was a place where I could combine my belief in the power of storytelling with the ability to impact people with stories like mine – people who were in need of lifesaving care and scared of losing their health. I knew this was the place I wanted to be.

So I applied for a summer internship position at the end of my junior year. Every conversation I had during my interview process ended up becoming a conversation about my “why.” I spoke to people who had very personal connections to their work and discovered that many had a story about how health and health care had affected their lives or the lives of their friends or family. It became apparent to me that this was a place where people are driven by purpose, and these conversations further fueled my fire that Real Chemistry was where I needed to be.

I was fortunate to be accepted as an intern for that summer – summer 2020. I was prepared to live in New York, to come into the Real Chemistry office and work on meaningful projects with a team who would become a second family. That was until I got an email in March alerting me that the summer internship program had been canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

To say I was devastated would be an understatement, but in that moment I committed to not giving up. As soon as conditions were more favorable, I was going to apply again.

By the time the end of my senior year rolled around, and I heard that Real Chemistry was going to be running a fully virtual internship program, I was ecstatic. I applied again and was accepted.

Of course, the virtual work environment provided challenges – I felt disconnected from my colleagues and thought I would have to work extra hard to fit in and learn more – but my team members went out of their way from day one to help overcome these challenges. They were attentive, helpful and above all, kind. I learned so much about the health care system and all of the players and perspectives that come together to create positive patient experience by observing my team. All of them came to health care communications with unique experiences and incredible degrees of knowledge that helped me understand how the “what” connects to the “why.”

In addition to learning from my direct team, I had the opportunity to connect with company leadership and get a real sense of the broad range of what Real Chemistry does to create value for our clients and for real people. I met people who were excellent writers, creative strategists and tech geniuses – all bonded by the mission to use our ideas and AI to transform health care into what it should be.

At the end of my summer internship, I joined Real Chemistry full time. I remember calling my parents when I was extended the offer and telling them I thought I had found my place. They have been there and supported me during all of the pivotal moments of my life, including during the time of fear and uncertainty surrounding my cancer treatment, and when I wrote stories before I had a good grasp of grammar. They, too, agreed that Real Chemistry seemed like the perfect place for me to start my career.

Now, a little over a year later, I could not be more satisfied with where I am. Being an employee at Real Chemistry has granted me opportunities that freshman year of college me would not have thought possible. I get to work every day with a wonderful team and clients who are working to save people’s lives through innovative science and research and development. I get to contribute to a mission that is personal but at the same time so much bigger than myself. If you’re looking for a company with purpose, this is it.

I found my place at Real Chemistry, where I can combine my passions for storytelling and health care to make something truly great. I only wish I could go back and tell freshman year me: “Don’t worry that you don’t have the answers yet, you’ll end up exactly where you’re supposed to be.”