Robert and Suzi DeGennaro Scholarship for Disabled Students

In my fourth-grade English class, we were prompted to describe a place that made us feel safe. I wrote about the children’s hospital. At 6 years old, my life was upended by joint hypermobility. My orthopedic condition was so extreme that even walking resulted in excruciating knee dislocations, and I lived in fear of running, playing, and doing the very things that made me a kid. By the time I turned 19, I had undergone numerous reconstructive surgeries, but looking back, some of my most impactful memories emerged from my time at the hospital. With fresh popcorn, the world’s largest kaleidoscope, and an accessible playground, the hospital recognizes that its patients are children first. From the overnight nurses who distracted me from my pain to the Child Life specialists who got us out of our hospital beds for a game of Uno, I was continually shown immense compassion that transcended the baseline treatment expected at a hospital. Most of all, it was my team of doctors, including the anaesthesiologist who ensured my comfort and the surgeons who tackled my complex condition, who ultimately gave me back my childhood. Because of their expertise, I defied previous prognoses that doubted my ability to lead a normal life. My journey as a patient lasted 13 years, and looking back, the hospital truly was my safe space. Despite the circumstances, this sparked my early interest in medicine. As I got older, I felt an overwhelming gratitude toward those involved in my treatment, which invoked a desire to follow in their footsteps. I became an orthopedic intern, and for two weeks, I shadowed the very doctors who treated me. On my last day, curious about allied health, I helped occupational therapists modify a wheelchair for an inpatient. As the therapists talked amongst themselves about the best plan of action, I could tell that the family was feeling uneasy and that the patient, a young girl, was getting restless. I decided to distract her by helping her order lunch from the cafeteria. “I used to get mashed potatoes and Teddy Grahams with every meal,” I mentioned as she excitedly took my suggestion. Upon realizing I had been a patient, the family flooded me with questions about my experience. I tried giving them advice that I wished I had known during my recovery, and I could tell they were feeling less anxious. I left the hospital that day with many takeaways: that despite well-intentioned healthcare professionals, medical distrust is important to recognize and address; that both core and allied health professionals extensively support patients through collaboration; and that given all I have experienced, my time as a patient provides me with an unparalleled ability to holistically empathize with aspects of care both within and beyond the clinic. It was this realization of my capacity for care that solidified my desire to become a doctor. Over the years, I have come to realize that it was a culmination of experiences that were constant reminders of my goal: to become the physician who sees patients as people first, who implements disability advocacy into my practice, and who seeks to not only treat, but improve healthcare through research. As a young girl in and out of a wheelchair, it was my surgeons who gave me back my childhood, and in the future, I hope to be that same beacon of hope for my patients and their families. Now, as a Federal Work Study medical student, this scholarship would help offset costs so I can spend less time at work and more time developing into the best physician I can be.

Due to my cerebral palsy, I have faced unique challenges that have profoundly shaped my educational experiences and career aspirations. I have learned to navigate a world that can sometimes seem unaccommodating, but these obstacles have taught me resilience and determination to succeed. I have worked with numerous fantastic aides, teaching assistants, and special education teachers who have played a significant role in shaping my personality, work ethic, and determination. My disability has influenced my experiences and aspirations, and additional funds would enable me to overcome barriers and achieve my higher education goals. Cerebral palsy is a neurological condition caused by brain damage that affects coordination and muscle movement. It impacts motor skills, balance, posture, and speech, with symptoms and severity varying from person to person. I have never been able to walk without assistance, and for as long as I can remember, I have been involved in various therapies. I also have epilepsy as a complication from my brain damage. Despite these challenges, my family, teachers, and friends have treated me like any other child. I attended a preschool that included both children with disabilities and those without in integrated classrooms. When I entered kindergarten at a typical elementary school, I found the experience much more challenging. I started to realize there were certain things I couldn’t do. As I matured, I discovered creative ways to participate in activities I thought were beyond my reach, helping me engage more with my friends. Academically, I have always been an ambitious student. I was inducted into the National Honor Society as a junior and have maintained grades in the 80s and 90s across all my classes. These achievements didn’t come easily; I had undiagnosed epilepsy for two and a half years and still managed to achieve good grades. My resilience and determination played a crucial role in that success. After earning a dual major in history and inclusive adolescent education, my career goals are to become either a high school history teacher or a special education teacher. Through my experiences with a disability, I have developed skills that will benefit me in the education field. I have learned to adapt to accommodate my own needs as well as the needs of others. I am open to trying new things and have always been aware of my requirements, enabling me to advocate for myself. This will be especially important in professional settings, where I will need to request accommodations. Compared to a typical college student, I face extra expenses associated with my disability. I require assistive technology and the assistance of a support person at all times, which incurs additional costs. Receiving extra funding would allow me to focus on my education without worrying about how my family and I will cover these extra expenses. It would also enable me to access more resources outside the classroom, enhancing my educational experience. This funding would open opportunities for me to participate in club activities, build connections with other students, and enjoy all aspects of college life. While I have encountered many challenges throughout my life, this journey has made me resilient. My disability has shaped my aspirations, and additional funding would help me achieve my goals. Throughout my education, inclusivity has allowed me to be a contributing member of my school community, and I aim to dedicate my career to fostering inclusion for all students. Access to resources that promote accessibility outside the classroom would allow me to fully invest my energy in learning how to achieve my career aspirations.

My entire life has revolved around my disability. I have cerebral palsy and Goldenhar Syndrome. From the week I came home from the hospital and for the entirety of the last seventeen years of my life, I have been in physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, horseback riding therapy, aqua therapy, participated in many clinical trials and unique medical treatments, and experienced nearly two dozen surgeries so that I can be at the point I am at now. My plans for my future include incorporating all that I have learned from these experiences and combining them with my love for business. I want to eventually obtain my doctorate in business and work to build or support a company that transforms the lives of people with disabilities, as those that came before me did to improve the quality of my life. I want to work to create more inclusive environments for people who experience disabilities in sports industries to include amateur athletics, professional athletics, athletic clothing and footwear, and sports related industries. Part of my goal includes ensuring parents of young children with disabilities are educated on both civil rights and creating and fulfilling their child's dreams and their dreams for their child despite their disability. I want to be an advocate while pursuing my passions in an industry that I enjoy. Despite my own physical disability, I was raised in fully inclusive settings, played sports with my non-disabled peers, and attended all of my classes in a general education classroom without ever being segregated because I experience a disability. I want to combine this important aspect with my love of sports and business. I am hoping to partner with companies such as Nike, Adidas, dress shoe companies, mainstream clothing companies, athletic training equipment companies, and even traditional corporate offices to ensure their facilities, products, and presentations are all inclusive for people who experience a range of disabilities. I want to be considered an expert in the fields of disability studies and sports/business management. I would like to be a person who is consulted with in these fields by people who are in charge of making policies that impact the lives of people who experience disabilities. I want to ensure all people with disabilities have fulfilling lives without being held back by inaccessibility in areas that they shouldn't have to worry about being accessible, their everyday lives and activities. I want everybody to feel like their body belongs and they belong regardless of their differences. In addition to the many life experiences I earned from being born experiencing disability, I am also part of an active-duty military family. This has caused my family to often be split up into different states. My parents are divorced and my stepfather is in the Army. In order to ensure the continuity of my care and the stability of my education, the decision was made that I would not move with them each time that they moved as it was often every year or 18 months. This caused me to often live without my primary parent, instilling both independence and discipline in myself. I was not able to work a regular job because I could not leave every school break. This impacted my ability to earn money and save for college. I instead focused on my education and ensuring that I kept my grades up to earn scholarships to assist me in paying for school. Additional funds will help me be able to attend college and be the person I aspire to be to expand corporate world-views on people with disabilities.