Today we’d like to introduce you to Arriana May.
Hi Arriana, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
If you would have asked me a few years ago where I thought I’d be today, I probably wouldn’t have imagined this. I’m originally from Chicago, but I moved to Houston to attend Texas Southern University because I knew I wanted to build a future bigger than myself. The biggest reason behind everything I do is my mom. She passed away from Lupus, and losing her changed my life forever. Watching someone you love fight a disease you don’t fully understand leaves you with a lot of questions. For me, those questions turned into purpose. I knew I wanted to go into medicine not just to become a doctor, but to be someone who helps families get answers, hope, and better care than what my family experienced.
My journey hasn’t been easy. I’ve had to balance school, leadership, work, finances, and grief all at the same time. There have been moments where I questioned myself, but I’ve never questioned my purpose. Every setback has reminded me why I started in the first place. At Texas Southern, I’ve had the opportunity to grow in ways I never expected. I’ve served in student leadership, volunteered in my community, worked in research, and met people who continue to push me to be better every day. Those experiences have taught me that success isn’t just about what you accomplish it’s about how many people you help along the way. Now I’m taking the next step by pursuing my master’s in bioscience and health policy at Rice University while working toward becoming a physician. My dream is to combine research and medicine to make a real impact, especially for communities that are often overlooked. I want little girls who look like me to know that where you come from doesn’t limit where you’re going. At the end of the day, everything I do is for my mom. I hope I’m building a legacy that would make her proud while showing others that your pain can become your purpose if you don’t give up.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
t hasn’t been a smooth road, and I don’t think I could tell my story without being honest about that.
I lost my mother to Lupus when I was younger, and that alone shifted everything for me. After that, life just kept moving in ways I wasn’t prepared for. My cousin passed away from COVID she was autistic, and we grew up together, so that loss hit me in a really personal, everyday kind of way. It wasn’t just grief, it was also learning how to sit with silence where someone used to be. Then in my sophomore year, one of my closest friends and her entire family were victims of gun violence. That changed something in me. It made me realize how quickly life can be taken and how unfairly it can happen.
In junior year, I lost someone very close from my church someone I had known my entire life through my mother’s church before she passed. Faith has always been a grounding part of my life, so that one stayed with me in a different way.
Even after I graduated, the losses kept coming. My cousin’s mother passed away, my godbrother was killed in a shooting, and my great-aunt passed from cancer. All of that happening in such a short span of time really tested me. It felt like every time I found my footing, something else would shake it. But I think what people don’t always see is how you keep going in the middle of all that. I was still in school, still working, still leading, still trying to build a future in medicine. I had to learn how to carry grief without letting it completely stop me.
So no, it hasn’t been smooth. But it’s shaped everything about who I am how I love people, how I show up for them, and why I’m so committed to going into healthcare. I understand loss in a way that makes this work feel personal, not just professional.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Right now, I work as a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT), and this role means a lot more to me than just a job. I work closely with children on the autism spectrum, helping them build communication skills, emotional regulation, and independence in their everyday lives. What I do is very hands-on, but it is also very heart-centered. Every day is about patience, consistency, and learning how to understand each child beyond their behaviors. What I specialize in is really learning how to listen to what is not always spoken out loud. A lot of the children I work with communicate through behavior, and I’ve learned how to pay attention to those details in a way that helps them feel understood instead of corrected. I focus on creating a safe space where they can grow at their own pace without pressure. What I am most known for is my calm presence and the way I connect with the kids I work with. I don’t rush them and I don’t try to force progress. I meet them where they are and stay consistent so they know they can trust me. What I am most proud of is the bond I build with the children. I see myself as the voice for kids who cannot be a voice for themselves. I remind them that they are normal, capable, and seen. I want them to know that they are the best people I have laid eyes on, not because of what they can do, but because of who they are. What sets me apart is that I do not separate this work from my future in medicine. I am working toward becoming a physician, and being an RBT has grounded me in what true patient care looks like. It has taught me how to be patient in moments of frustration, how to stay steady in emotional situations, and how to treat every person with dignity. For me, this is not just experience. It is purpose in action. I am learning how to care for people in their most vulnerable moments, and I know I will carry that with me into everything I do in medicine.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
What I like most about Houston is how diverse and full of opportunity it is. It feels like a city where you can actually grow into yourself without being boxed in. I love that you can meet people from so many different backgrounds, and there’s a real sense of culture in the food, the neighborhoods, the music, and the energy overall. As a student and someone working toward medicine, I also appreciate how strong the medical community is here, especially around the Texas Medical Center. It makes the city feel like a place where big goals are actually within reach. What I like least is the traffic and how spread out everything is. Sometimes it feels like you need a car for everything, and getting across the city can take a lot of time and energy. I also think like a lot of big cities, there are areas where resources and safety don’t feel evenly distributed, which can be hard to see. But overall, Houston still feels like a place where I’ve been able to grow, learn, and build something for myself.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arrii.2x?utm_source=qr
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arrianamay
