Rachel Brownstein Future pediatrician, dedicated sister, and black belt TaeKwonDo world champion, Rachel Brownstein is already embracing success in life and showing the world that she can overcome any obstacle. Rachel Brownstein is not your average teenager. She’s a recent graduate of Lawton Chiles High School, a third-degree black belt TaeKwonDo world champion and an aspiring doctor. Rachel will be attending the University of Central Florida in the fall of 2012, where she will pursue her medical career, which was inspired by some highly unique circumstances in her life. Rachel has spent the majority of her life in and out of the hospital, staying by her sister Shira’s side as she fought an autoimmune disorder called systemic scleroderma. She acted as her nurse for nine years and became accustomed to a plethora of medical terms and situations, until March 2011, when Shira’s battle with her disease finally ended. It was through the interactions between her sister, her doctors and her family that Rachel found a passion and a “calling” to study medicine and become a doctor herself.
PEDIATRICIAN
After her extensive experience in hospitals, she secured an externship with Tallahassee Memorial Hospital and Capital Regional Medical Center while taking high school courses, in which she maintained a 4.08 GPA. When asked what kind of doctor she wanted to be, she beamed, “A pediatrician.” Rachel loves kids and teaches all ages at Killearn Lakes TaeKwonDo Academy. Her goal for her life is to help victims and their families deal with chronic illnesses. She knows what it’s like to be in a situation that seems hopeless and was often the hope for her family. Her grandmother named her “The Great Protector” for her protective instincts and her selfless compassion. Despite Rachel’s circumstances and the rapid pace in which she was forced to grow up, she is a very happy person, waving enthusiastically to people she knew during the interview for this story. She has gracefully and remarkably emerged from an extremely difficult situation and releases her negative energy with TaeKwonDo. When things are bad, Rachel says that she brings her frustrations with her to practice where she instructs classes of all ages. This is her positive outlet for negative emotions that could have a devastating impact on her. Rachel is certain that she wants to study Psychology or Anatomy in college and is excited to embark on the next chapter of her life. Rachel’s favorite quote, in honor of her sister is, “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.”
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• A u g u s t / S e p te m b e r 2012