“Create your own opportunity. Stop setting limits on your potential, you are only limited by your own ideas. Your mantra should be to inspire innovation with persistent perfection” are the great words of inspiration by medical student Nkosi Jupiter.
22-year-old Nkosi is a medical student, part-time teacher, volunteer, debater and youth advocate. He also carries a great love for music and sports as well. As it relates to his education, he attended the Saints Stanislaus College.
His love for music and sports was cultivated throughout his childhood and even in his adult life. When Nkosi is not in class or teaching, he can be found playing one of his many musical instruments.
The former athlete loves to be active, as well as giving back to his community and/or country. So when he’s not partaking in sports, he’s off giving back to the community.
Nkosi takes pride in volunteering- this has led him to be recognized and nominated for the prestigious Advocate of the Year award through Orange the Runway.
Aside from all the great, the high achiever also has a passion for debating and impromptu competitions. There he won numerous awards and gained recognition as a skilled and articulate speaker. He also became interested in learning various languages, as such he began studying both Spanish and Portuguese and has become relatively fluent.
John F. Kennedy said, “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” Nkosi is a representation of that quote.
At a young age, he already has a long list of achievements. Nkosi is a true inspiration to all those around him. His dedication to his studies, his passion for teaching, and helping others and his love of music and sports are a testament to his character and his commitment to making a difference in the world.
– what made you opt to do med?
My early life was marked by multiple hospital visits, the cause of which is still a mystery. My desire to help people stems from the fact that I’ve never received a definitive medical diagnosis for any of my symptoms. During my stay in the hospital, I developed close relationships with several of the doctors. I learned a lot about the industry by asking plenty of questions. One of my closest friend’s life was saved by my CPR skills when I was a teenager. Having the extraordinary opportunity to save a person’s life was the deciding factor in pursuing a career in medicine.
I purposefully chose a career path that would allow me to use my talents and skills while also making a significant contribution to society. I realised that by becoming a doctor, I could achieve all of my goals. After giving it some thought, the idea of being in a position to aid others fills me with an overwhelming sense of satisfaction and makes me feel like my life’s efforts have been well-directed.
-how do you juggle(d) school & volunteer?
Usually, people are confused as to how I find the time to be involved in these activities and keep up with my med school duties. However, I understand there are only 24 hours in a day and we all share them equally. In my opinion, if you really want to make the most of your abilities, you should put those hours to good use. To ensure that everything gets done on time, I use SMART Goals and assign tasks to others. Although this may sound difficult, it actually becomes easier once there is genuine enthusiasm for all that you have to do.
-challenges you face and how you overcome them
There are always highs and lows in life. You could wake up one day and think you have everything figured out. Then, suddenly, a curve ball is thrown at you. Life’s major detours have forced me to make adjustments, but I’ve always managed to come back stronger each time. Your emotions are shared by many others. Everyone has their own struggles to overcome. You can keep your cool and your composure under pressure if you know how to deal with adversity. I resolved to be more proactive, built a strong support network, learned to recognize and accept my emotions, adopted a more optimistic outlook, worked smart and not hard, and most importantly, never gave up.
His long-term professional objective is to be in a position to supervise others and advance to the executive suite within the next five years. For the next two years, he hopes to complete his degree and to keep contributing where he can by maintaining his membership in volunteer groups.
When asked for advice, he said, “Create your own opportunity. Stop setting limits on your potential, you are only limited by your own ideas. Your mantra should be to inspire innovation with persistent perfection.” He continued by adding, “don’t be afraid to ask for help and make sure you’re completely informed on what you aspire to do. Although I am not an expert, I am happy to help anyone by providing as much information as I can.”
