As a Respiratory Therapist for 25yrs, I have passionately dedicated my clinical expertise to assisting my patients in improving their lives despite barriers presented to them by their respiratory illnesses. It is with that same compassion and dedication that I have navigated my own cancer experience to help improve the lives of Endometrial Cancer (EC) survivors through education, awareness and advocacy. Prior to being diagnosed with Stage III Endometrial cancer in 2016, I spent close to a year without health insurance and without answered questions about my symptoms. This experience taught me that I wasn’t offered the appropriate standard of care and it was because of this, I have reflected upon the story I want my cancer journey to convey. I knew two things immediately, I wanted to live and I wanted my journey from symptomatic to diagnosed to be about more than just me. It had to count for something and translate into actionable items of change.
            In 2018, I became a steering committee member with the Endometrial Cancer Action Network for African Americans (ECANA). In doing so, I have been able to collectively address the need for increased awareness about Endometrial Cancer in Black women alongside other survivors through being a part of our website development and peer education training module for community engagement. As a result, I found that involving myself in areas of learning about and engaging in causes that benefit the EC community as a whole left me less fearful of cancer recurrence and more empowered by the strength of the cause I represent. While attending the 2018 Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute conference “From Evidence to Impact” as an ECANA representative, I learned from panel discussions about patient engagement in research, that patient inclusion is critical to the success of clinical effectiveness. That research should be about more than data, it should be about the patients that the data represents. It should include quality of life protocols and education designed around the patient. 
Endometrial cancer education should be an inherent reflection of our personal experiences as to create opportunities for engagement where there are often barriers. Working with organizations such as ECANA and Greater Good studios has afforded me the opportunity to become a mouthpiece of change as a stakeholder both in cancer research and cancer survivorship. From addressing the education deficiencies in care to working to increase awareness about gynecological cancers in the Black community I am committed to my survivorship not only being seen as inspiring but also impactful. Therefore, it is my duty and privilege to use my skills as a clinician and patient advisor to work in support of improving patient outcomes and improve accessibility to educational resources where there is lack. Now, as a result of navigating through my own experience with Endometrial Cancer, I can serve as a compass for women who also want to do more than just survive their cancer journey; they want to make it count.