Kristian Black is entering his second year at the U-M Medical School. Black grew up in a small Louisiana town and was the first in his family to attend college and medical school. It's a fact that both humbles and motivates him. Besides becoming a doctor — and making his family proud — Black wants to inspire students from similar backgrounds, helping them reach their full potential and navigate the world of higher education.

"I have found it important to refer to the physics equation for potential energy tattooed on my right arm: Growth is not illustrated by an individual's final destination, but by the delta between their beginning and ending. As a doctor, it will be my pleasure to reach young individuals in the crux of their lives and teach them how to arm themselves with the knowledge they need to rise up from any situation they may be facing." —Kristian Black