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Autumn Lee is a 2024 Chipeta Grant Scholar and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. She shares that Black Streak Wood is her maternal grandfather’s clan, and Towering House is her paternal grandfather’s clan. She is currently attending the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. Now in her second year of medical school, she is deciding among specializations in internal medicine, family medicine, or obstetrics and gynecology.

Autumn has always dreamed of a career in medicine, inspired by her parents who dedicated their own lives to healthcare. Her mother is an emergency room nurse, and her father is an ICU doctor. Growing up, when Autumn asked questions about her parents’ careers, they told her to keep her options open. Consequently, she has considered other career paths, such as veterinarian, artist, or lawyer, but kept coming back to the idea of becoming a doctor. 

This past summer, she was also inspired after meeting a handful of physicians and medical providers from her area who truly cared about their patients and treated them like family. Through this experience, she was able to see the level of care and attention that healthcare providers can give to patients. It reminded her of the values she was taught by her great-grandparents when she was younger. Autumn witnessed firsthand the importance of having Indigenous healthcare providers in hospitals, particularly for Indigenous patients. 

Although Autumn has spent a majority of her time studying, she keeps herself occupied during any free time by crocheting, sewing, painting, beading, running, biking, playing with her dogs, or just hanging out with friends and family. She says that hobbies, which she taught herself as a child while caring for her younger siblings during the summer, help her unwind after a stressful day at school learning or a test.  When not crafting, Autumn is usually with her friends or family eating out, going to concerts, or just enjoying time in nature.