Several girls are engaged in my introduction to mindfulness, as they sit at the table with intrigued faces and bright eyes, ready to learn. On the other hand, Katherine has her head down and eyes glued to her phone’s screen.

“Katherine, what are some of the things that stress you out?” She’s immediately caught off guard and says, “Uh, what was the question again?” I repeat the question and she responds, “Um, I don’t know, school?”

I continue my discussion with the girls about stress and teach them some mindfulness techniques. As the weeks go by and we continue our discussion about mindfulness and other topics, Katherine continues to act uninterested in our discussions, yet she still shows up each week.

In 2016, I decided to start a group for adolescent girls to try to alleviate some of the daily stressors teenagers (especially girls) go through. The name of my group is C.A.L.M.M., which stands for Creating Active Living Mindful Moments. The group focuses on healthy living and creates a space for girls to feel comfortable and confident. With the help from my mentor and pediatrician, Dr. Vanessa Salcedo, and a nurse, Adriana Pena, we gave mini presentations on stress, nutrition and other health related topics. I also taught various techniques for relieving stress through mindfulness meditation and yoga.

Leading this group was quite difficult and nerve wracking at first. It was a new leadership role that I wasn’t used to. I have three years of previous experience as a children’s yoga teacher, but I have never worked closely with adolescents. This 13-year-old girl, who was not showing the least bit of interest, initially disheartened me.

As a result, the most amazing part of this experience was when it came time to doing in depth interviews at the end of the program (which were done by other people for unbiased feedback). Katherine actually said she learned some techniques that she will try to implement in the future when she’s stressed out. The group turned out to be quite successful, with me leading it for two years, and an enthusiastic pupil and even Katherine returned to the group.

Moments like that are gratifying and make me passionate to work with today’s youth. My ultimate goal is to make a difference in a person’s life, no matter how small. I hope to accomplish this goal by pursing my dream of becoming a pediatrician.

“Do small things with great love,” is a quote by Mother Teresa that I try to live my life by. Whether it is encouraging young women to see themselves in a more positive light or commending a young yogi with her perfect tree pose, it is the small things that make the greatest impact on people’s lives.

My dream of becoming a doctor has evolved throughout my life. But it all goes back to when I was that eager child being asked what I want to be when I grow up. I still have that finger-painted picture of myself with the inscription, in my own penmanship, stating, “My name is Talia Torres. I am five years old. When I grow up I want to be a doctor.”

Talia’s Bio: I started my medical journey at the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education (now known as CUNY School of Medicine). This program focused on working with people from the inner city who look just like you and me. Working with a predominantly black and Hispanic population was important to me because I was able to be a role model for young girls, boys and even adults who want to pursue their medical dreams. Although I am not fluent in Spanish, it is one of my goals to continue to practice my language to better assist patients and foster a stronger bond. I would like to pursue my career in pediatrics so that I can continue to be an inspiration, especially to Latinx children. I am completing my medical education at Northeast Ohio Medical University. It is a significant change in environment taking on new responsibilities of being on my own. But I take on this challenge as I would with any exam or new clinical experience. •