Reading the article “Playing Favorites? Hospital Boards, Donors Get COVID Shots” immediately took me back to my sophomore year of high school in early 2021, when the first COVID-19 vaccines were being rolled out. At that time, I spent a lot of time thinking about the pandemic and how it was affecting everyone I knew. The article reported that some hospitals “gave early vaccine access to wealthy donors, board members, and other influential people,” while many frontline workers and vulnerable patients had to wait (Guth, 1965). Reading that, I felt a strong sense of frustration and unfairness. I remember thinking, even as a teenager, that it didn’t make sense for people to be rewarded for status rather than need.

Being a high school sophomore, I didn’t fully understand all the challenges hospitals faced in distributing vaccines, but I understood fairness. The article described cases in Washington state where hospital staff reportedly had to step aside to make room for donors and board members. Knowing that some healthcare workers were ready and waiting to get their vaccines while others jumped the line felt especially disheartening. I spent hours reflecting on this, thinking about how my own grandparents or other at-risk people might have had to wait longer because of these decisions.

Looking back, this moment was eye-opening. It taught me that even life-saving systems can be influenced by privilege and connections, not just ethics or need. The article made it clear that rules can be bent when power and money are involved, and reading it again made me reflect on how such decisions shape public trust. Experiencing this as a teenager left a lasting impression, helping me recognize inequality and develop empathy for those affected. It reminded me that fairness isn’t always automatic, and questioning these systems is important, even when it feels overwhelming.

Guth, W. D., & Tagiuri, R. (1965). Personal values and corporate strategy. Harvard Business Review, 43(5), 123–132. https://hbr.org/1965/09/personal-values-and-corporate-strategy