Photo via: College of Charleston
They say if your dreams don't scare you, they're not big enough. For Ebony Hilton, one of her biggest dreams was to become a doctor; however, as a little girl growing up in a single parent household, sometimes she thought her medical aspirations were out of reach. Nevertheless, at age 8, Hilton promised her mother that she would one day become a doctor after learning that her mother endured infant loss before having her. From that moment on, Hilton's mother referred to her daughter as "Dr. Hilton". Those two words carried Hilton through college and medical school.
Hilton said of her mother: "I never once had a Plan B. I always knew it would work out because someone believed in me." Now, Hilton is not only a doctor but the first Black woman anesthesiologist at the Medical University of South Carolina. Since making history in 2013, Hilton has used her platform to encourage young girls who look like her to pursue their biggest dream through a mentorship program called Girls Loving OurSelves Successfully (GLOSS).
Photo via: College of Charleston
According to the College of Charleston Magazine, GLOSS is a program that is "helping girls feel connected and confident amid the blur of adolescence. GLOSS aims to empower middle school girls as they grapple with the growing stresses of peer pressure, family life and academics."
GLOSS is also a safe space for young girls to open up and share any issues that they may be facing. As group discussions about personal struggles evoke emotion, Hilton told the young girls before they left their first meeting: "You should never feel like no one has your back or no one hears your voice."
Photo via: College of Charleston
Hilton graduated magna cum laude from the College of Charleston in 2004 with a triple major in biochemistry, molecular biology and inorganic chemistry. Four years later, she graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina.
Dr. Hilton, thank you for inspiring and empowering young girls to dream big, despite the circumstances.