People often face many barriers that prevent them from achieving their dreams. Tyler Pugeda learned it the hard way from his early years as a Deaf student who struggled with limited educational opportunities and access. Such barriers discouraged Tyler from taking an initiative to become a physician. Despite his self-doubts, Tyler was led on an unexpected journey of embracing himself as a Deaf person, finding value in having a support system, and gaining courage to pursue medicine at The Johns Hopkins University. Ultimately, Tyler’s story now shows that others like him are capable of going above and beyond their challenges to find their true purpose and make their dreams a reality. Tyler is a post-baccalaureate pre-medical student at Johns Hopkins University This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx