I have struggled with mental health my entire life. I was diagnosed with a Generalized Anxiety Disorder at a young age. This has impacted my life tremendously, as I have suffered from major panic attacks, trouble sleeping, and depression. Though my anxiety disorder has impacted me negatively most of my life, there have been some positives to having an anxiety disorder when it comes to my academic performance. I have always been someone who has panic attacks before tests, projects, and presentations. Though this is a negative thing, it has helped me positively by forcing me to prepare extremely hard for these things. My anxiety disorder causes me to study and practice more than anything else. I believe that this has greatly helped me to maintain my 4.0 GPA, as I know that if I didn't have my anxiety disorder, I wouldn't work as hard to be perfect like I do. This has been a negative thing though too, as I find myself struggling more mentally with the pressure to be perfect. The pressure I feel to be perfect also impacts my personal life. I have always struggled socially because of my anxiety disorder, as I feel that I need to be perfect in every aspect of my life. I feel that people look down on me, as many people don't seem to respect me. This has caused me to have major social anxiety. I have become someone who is extremely reserved and would rather be alone than with people. My anxiety disorder has also caused me to have little confidence in myself. I always panic and fear that I am letting people down or am making myself look bad. This has greatly impacted my personal life as I feel so much pressure to be the person that everyone expects me to be. Over the years, I have taken many steps to make my mental health a priority. I have done counseling and worked on different relaxation techniques. I have learned that I have to put myself first at times, even if it means not doing what other people want me to do. I have had to do this to help my social anxiety a lot, as I find that saying no to certain social settings that cause me a lot of stress has helped me to actually be less stressed. One thing that I have found extremely helpful with my mental health is allowing myself to take breaks when I need to, whether this be taking a nap or just sitting somewhere quiet for a few minutes. Over time, I have learned how important it is to prioritize your mental health. I hope that I can continue to learn different ways to prioritize my mental health and ultimately use my anxiety disorder to my advantage, as I have learned that, though having an anxiety disorder is very complicated and challenging at times, it can also be positive. I hope that all women can learn how to overcome their mental health challenges and use their mental health to their advantage.

I first learned about grit on my first day of school my sophomore year in my Honors English class. My teacher, Mr. Wartnik, started the school year by giving a presentation on the word grit, giving us its definition and telling us the importance of grit. He emphasized that we as students would have to be gritty to get through this rigorous English class. As I listened to his presentation, the word grit resonated something more in me, and I realized that I was going to have to be gritty to not only get through this challenging class, but the challenging year ahead of me. At that moment, I decided that grit was going to be my word of the year. A few months prior to that first day of school, I was diagnosed with a rare kidney syndrome called Nutcracker Syndrome, a syndrome that less than one percent of the world population will ever be diagnosed with. I was in constant pain and discomfort every minute of every day, as even the strongest of pain medications did nothing to relieve the pain. After many appointments with doctors all around the state and at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), I was sent to a vascular surgeon who told me that the only way to get better was to have surgery to fix my health problem. Sitting in Mr. Wartnik's classroom a few months later and listening to his grit presentation, I realized that grit was going to be the only thing that would help me to survive this rare condition and challenging year ahead. I began to tell myself every day to have grit, to continue being gritty. I showed grit by deciding to postpone my surgery for four months so that I could compete on my high school varsity cross country team and try to defend our state title. I showed grit by showing up to every practice, running four plus miles every day. I showed grit by going to school every day, even when I felt weak and exhausted. I showed grit by agreeing to undergo a seven hour renal vein transposition surgery, not knowing if it would be successful or not. I showed grit by learning to move and walk again in the hospital following my surgery. I showed grit by stepping back onto the track two months after surgery and running again. I showed grit by maintaining my 4.0 GPA throughout the school year, as well as passing a few college courses. I showed grit by not letting my health condition control my sophomore year of high school, persevering and making the best of the year that I could. Grit became my biggest motivation, and I wouldn't have known it without Mr. Wartnik. Hearing Mr. Warntik tell me how gritty I was every day that year, reminding me that my grit would take me far not only that year, but in life in general. Hearing Mr. Wartnik call my name as his "grittiest" student of the year at my school's award night. These things helped me to realize that grit is something I need to show throughout the rest of my life. Grit, the word of my sophomore year. I don't know where I would be without it. I know now that having a gritty mindset can take you far in life, as it will help you to overcome the most difficult challenges that might be thrown at you. Grit will help you succeed when it feels like the world is against you. Grit will make you a stronger person.

A girl from the small town of Florence, Oregon on the Oregon coast, an avid distance runner and dog lover, an introvert with an anxiety disorder, and a survivor of a rare kidney syndrome called Nutcracker Syndrome. These are just a few of the main things that describe me. I am not your average 17 year old high school girl. When given the choice to stay home or hang out with friends, I would rather stay at home studying and doing school work, as I go above and beyond to maintain my 4.0 GPA. I spend 10 plus hours each week running, training for either cross country or track. I volunteer in the community as much as I can, helping at local auctions, park cleanups, or Christmas caroling at senior living centers. These are just a few of the things that make me different from my classmates. I have learned to value things like integrity, hard work, respect, kindness, and inclusion. Integrity, because I believe everyone should always be doing the right thing, even when people are not looking. Hard work, because you cannot get anywhere without putting in the work. Respect, towards both yourself and others. Kindness, because everyone should be treated kindly at all times. Inclusion, because everyone should always feel included, no matter their ethnicity, religion, beliefs, or values. Along with the values listed above, I have learned to value my education, as I have grown up in a family of educators. This has helped me to maintain my 4.0 GPA, as I want to succeed academically, as I believe this will help me to become successful in the future. I hope to pursue a degree in Kinesiology and one day get a doctorate to become a physical therapist. After suffering from Nutcracker Syndrome for a year, followed by a renal vein transposition surgery, I saw first hand the impact the people who work in the medical field can have on their patients. I want to provide the same positive and caring aspects to my patients that all my doctors did to me. To know that I am having a positive impact on my patients' lives would be the most rewarding thing. Along with Patrick A. Visaggi, I come from Italian ancestry, as my Grandmother's family immigrated from Italy. I have loved learning about my Italian ancestry from my Grandma, including learning her family's homemade ravioli recipe. I continue to be curious about my Italian ancestry, so am looking forward to traveling to Italy in the summer of 2025. Like Patrick, I value family more than anything. Over the years I have learned that family will always be there to support you and hold you up in the darkest of times. Fostering a strong relationship with my family members has been and will continue to be one of the most important things to me. Overall, I hope to have a positive impact on the world by using my personality, values, and career goals to help those around me feel included, supported, loved, and respected. I hope that I can have a positive impact on my community throughout the rest of my life.

In December of 2022, I underwent a rare vascular surgery known as a Renal Vein Transposition in an attempt to cure my rare kidney syndrome known as Nutcracker Syndrome. I spent a week in the hospital following this surgery, having to learn how to move and walk again after losing so much physical strength from surgery. This was a very scary and challenging time for me, as I had never known what it was like to struggle to physically move. This time in the hospital made me begin to think about a career in physical therapy, as this experience opened my eyes to the difficulty of recovering from surgeries and injuries. I would love to have an impact on people's lives through a career in physical therapy. After going through such a hard and long recovery, I want to help make other people's recoveries easier and faster. I don't want people to have to go through the challenging recovery that I did, so knowing that I could help make this process easier for people would be extremely rewarding. My challenging recovery from surgery will definitely play a huge role in my personal goals when it comes to working in physical therapy. I am also an avid runner, so having the goal of being able to work with and help athletes reach their full potential will also play a huge role in my physical therapy goals. I have also grown up believing that physical activity is extremely important, both to help your physical and mental health, so I would love to use this belief to help empower others to feel the same way about physical activity. Overall, I see a career in physical therapy as a great path for me, as I believe I can use my own personal experiences and beliefs to help others through this career.

One day, I stood in my living room, crying and having a panic attack because I was afraid to leave the house, as I was afraid to be around people. This became a daily occurrence when I was in 7th grade, as I struggled with major anxiety and depression. This made things like going to school very challenging. This bout of depression lasted for a few months before getting better, and I have had similar bouts since then. Since childhood, I have been diagnosed with a generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), which has impacted my daily life. I have suffered from major panic attacks, trouble sleeping, OCD, and many different fears and discomforts. Though this has caused my life to be way different then others, as it has led me to avoid many different things, I have learned over the years that my anxiety can actually be very helpful at times. My anxiety disorder has played a major part in my goals, as it helps to keep me on track and work hard to achieve these goals. One of the main things that it has helped me with is my drive to maintain a 4.0 GPA. When other classmates around me have been lazy and don't do their school work or study for tests, my anxiety about getting good grades has helped to keep me on track with maintaining my goal of getting a 4.0 GPA. I'm also a cross country and track runner, and even though my anxiety has impacted me negatively on the track many times, it has helped keep me going and helped me remember that hard work is going to help me meet my running goals. My anxiety has impacted my relationships greatly, as I have struggled to form close relationships with peers. Many of my peers don't understand what it is like to live with an anxiety disorder as serious as mine is, which leads them to see me as weird and awkward. This has caused me to place barriers between myself and the people around me. Though I would say I don't really have any friends, I have been working on trying to overcome my anxiety and the fear of people that it causes. Having an anxiety disorder has helped me to understand that mental health is a serious problem in our world. I have learned over the years that some people don't see mental health as an important thing, when in fact it's very important. I have had to work hard to advocate for myself when it comes to my anxiety disorder, as people don't understand how it actually impacts my everyday life. Growing up, I felt very alone, as if I was the only one struggling with an anxiety disorder, but I have realized that anxiety disorders are common. This has helped me to feel less alone and realize that having a mental health problem is okay and doesn't mean you are a bad person. This has helped to change my understanding of the world, as I now understand that many people across the world are facing similar mental health issues. Overall, though my anxiety disorder has impacted my life negatively in many ways, it has helped me to become the person I am today, and I am grateful for that. There have been many times where I have wished that my anxiety disorder would just disappear, but after realizing that it will always be with me, I understand now that I can use it to my advantage to help me achieve my goals and better understand the world.

I have been a sports lover since I was little. When given the option to choose between watching a movie, tv show, or sporting event, I will always choose the sporting event. I have watched many athletes compete who are a part of Team USA, and they are all very inspiring to me. As a runner, I have to say that Team USA's track team is by far the most inspiring team to me. I am an aspiring distance runner, so the distance women like Karissa Schweizer, Elise Cranny, Elle St. Pierre, Emily Sisson, and Juliet Whittaker are women that I look up to as an aspiring runner. Of these women though, Elise Cranny would be my favorite athlete to cheer for. I first became a fan of Elise Cranny when I was an 8th grader during COVID-19 and attended a virtual running camp for girls called Wildwood. Though the camp was through Zoom due to the pandemic, we got to have some amazing guest speakers, including Rebecca Mehra and Courtney Freirchs, two athletes that I continue to admire and love. After attending this camp, I stayed connected with the people running it and was invited to join a one-day Zoom camp following the Tokyo Olympic Trials the following summer, where we got to have a discussion with Elise Cranny, who was headed to Tokyo in the 5000 and 10000. This was an amazing experience, as Elise had ran the Olympic Trials only a few days before our meeting, so it was really cool to be able to hear from her so quickly after that experience, as everyone was still really hyped about her performance. I have always been someone who struggles with confidence when it comes to my running, and hearing Elise talk about how she built her confidence and continues to push through the let-downs of the sport was extremely inspiring to me. I still to this day, almost four years later, replay everything she told all of us in my head on days when I am struggling or feeling down about my performance. Elise inspires me every time she runs. I have gotten the opportunity to watch her run in person a few times over the past few years, including at the Olympic Trials this year, where I watched her qualify in the 5000 for the Paris Olympics. I can't wait to watch her run at the Olympics, as I know she is going to represent our country very well. Go Elise Cranny!

"Okay, go ahead and try standing up, Addi," said my nurse. As I try to stand up, pain goes shooting through my body, and I realize I haven't moved more than an inch, as I am still laying flat in the bed. My nurse has to physically push me into a sitting position in bed, then pull me to my feet, as I have no strength or mobility to do this on my own. Walking has never felt so hard. I was embarrassed that I could barely make it ten feet to the bathroom. I realized at this moment that I had a long recovery ahead of me. In 2022 when I was a freshman in high school, I was diagnosed with a rare kidney syndrome called Nutcracker Syndrome. In December of 2022, I would undergo a seven hour renal vein transposition surgery that would help to cure me of this syndrome. I never expected the difficulties of recovery that would follow. For someone who is an avid runner, to go from running a few miles every day to barely being able to walk ten feet to the bathroom, was terrifying. During my week-long stay in the hospital, I began to really think about careers in the medical field, and physical therapy was one that stood out to me. After struggling with mobility after my surgery, I began to wonder what it would be like to be able to help people recover from similar situations. I plan to use this education to help the people in my community recover, whether that be from an injury, surgery, etc.. After experiencing first hand the struggle of recovering from a big surgery, I want to help make sure people's recovery is easier and less scary than mine was. I want people to feel confident in their recovery plans, knowing that they are taking the right steps to get better. I believe I can help patients feel this confidence by making sure that what they are doing to recovery is the correct thing. I plan to demonstrate a commitment to lifelong learning by continuing to learn about my career as I progress in it. I know that things can change in the medical field, so I would continue to learn about that to make sure that I know everything that my patients could possibly need or want for their recovery. From my own health experience, I saw my doctors specifically doing research on my health issue to find the best way to help me, so I would definitely do research on any injury or surgery that my patient is recovering from so that I can help them in the best way possible. Overall, I believe that everyone should have the expert care they deserve when going through a recovery, and I would love to help make this process easier for others so they don't have to go through the recovery process alone.

Florence, Oregon, the town I have lived in my whole life that has shaped me into who I am today. This little town has had a huge impact on me through the community it has shown me, leading me to become an active volunteer within the community. I love being a part of this small community that makes everyone feel welcome and accepted. My mom, Carrie, was born about fifteen minutes away from Florence in the small town of Mapleton, where she grew up, and where my grandparents still live. My dad was born in Stillwater, Oklahoma, where my grandfather was a professor at Oklahoma State University before they decided to move to Oregon and settle in North Bend. I come from a long line of teachers, as my dad's father was a science professor at Oklahoma State University and then became a science teacher here in Oregon. My dad's mother was a high school math teacher in North Bend, which led my dad to become a high school math teacher. My dad has been working as a high school math teacher at Siuslaw High School for almost 30 years. My mom has been an elementary school teacher for a little over 20 years. Her sister, my aunt Amy, has been a high school health teacher and athletic trainer at Sprague High School in Salem for a little over 20 years as well. As you can see, education has had a huge impact on my life, which has helped me to work hard and maintain a 4.0 GPA. I have overcome many obstacles in my life, including a Generalized Anxiety Disorder that I have had since I was 7, as well as overcoming a rare kidney syndrome called Nutcracker Syndrome in 2022. My battle with Nutcracker Syndrome was a really challenging time, as I dealt with constant pain and sickness for over a year before finally undergoing a seven hour renal vein transposition surgery at OHSU in December of 2022. Though this was an extremely challenging time filled with lots of lows, I wouldn't change what I went through, as it has shaped me into the person I am today. I can say that I survived a kidney syndrome that less than one percent of the world population will ever be diagnosed with. This syndrome showed me how strong and resilient I am, helping me to challenge myself in other aspects of my life. After surviving Nutcracker Syndrome, I realized that I want to be able to help people overcome their health challenges, just like my surgeon and team of doctors at OHSU helped me. This has led me to considering a career as a physical therapist. I have been an avid cross country and track runner since sixth grade, and sports are one of my favorite things in the whole world, so I would love to be able to help other athletes through my career. I know that this means I will have a lot of school ahead of me, but I am determined to do whatever I can to help people who are struggling, as I don't want them to have to go through the pain that I suffered through. The money from this Scholarship would help me to worry less about medical school, as coming from a family of teachers, it is going to be challenging to pay for college for not only me, but my twin sister as well, as we will both be attending college at the same time. Thank you for your consideration! Addison McNeill

Florence, Oregon, the place I have lived my whole life. A beautiful little coastal town, this place has shaped me into who I am today. The small, caring community that I have grown up in has had a huge impact on my life. It has had an impact on my goal of volunteering, as I have volunteered throughout my community over the past years. One of my favorite volunteer activities have been helping at our local Cold Weather Shelter, a shelter that is open for the homeless in the community during the winter, and holding a community fundraiser and collecting socks for the shelter. Along with volunteering, I have been an avid cross country and track runner since sixth grade. I have gotten into the routine of running six days a week, almost year round. This has become my main passion, as running has become something that brings me so much joy. Throughout my career, I have earned all-league awards, helping my team to win the district title the past two years. I also helped lead my team to the state title in 2021 when I was a freshman, followed by a Pacific Northwest Small School Regional Title the following week. These have definately been two of my proudest accomplishments. I also competed at the State Track meet a few months ago, placing 11th in the 3000 meters. I am looking forward to what I can accomplish this upcoming season, as I will be a senior and am looking forward to helping lead my team to more victories. My greatest lifetime accomplishment to date however, was beating a rare kidney syndrome called Nutcracker Syndrome. Diagnosed with Nutcracker Syndrome in early 2022, I became a part of the less than one percent of the world population who will ever be diagnosed with this syndrome. 2022 became the most challenging year of my life, as I battled constant pain and illness. Though I struggled a lot that year with Nutcracker Syndrome, I was resilient and never gave up, maintaining my perfect 4.0 GPA, as well as putting off a major surgery for a few months so that I could run cross country, where I helped our team win a district title and take 3rd at state. Though Nutcracker Syndrome was extremely hard to overcome, I wouldn't change what happened to me, as it has shaped me into the person I am today, someone who is more caring and understanding towards others, as I know now what it is like to struggle with something that makes every minute of your life unknown. I am happy to say that after working with an amazing team of doctors and an amazing vascular surgeon, I am a year and a half Nutcracker Syndrome free after undergoing a seven hour renal vein transposition surgery. This Scholarship would make a huge difference in my life as it would help me to obtain the education that I have always dreamed of. Coming from a middle income family, money for college is a worry of mine, especially when my twin sister and I will both be attending college at the same time. Money from this scholarship would help me to worry less about money for school and would allow my parents to worry less about money. Most of the degrees I have been looking at require more than 4 years of school, as I want to go into the medical field, so my education will be expensive. This money would help me to be able to complete all the years of education that I need without having to worry.

I have always been a quiet leader, someone who shows leadership through my actions. I always act with integrity, as I’m someone who always does the right thing no matter what. For example, I’m part of a state champion cross country team, and as part of this team we are required to complete workouts without adult supervision. It would be easy to take the easy route and not complete the required mileage, but instead I not only complete the mileage but encourage my teammates to do the same. I think it is important to be kind and inclusive towards everyone, so I always keep this in my mind with the actions I take. Whether it is a smile in the hallway or planning a dinner for the special needs class, I always work to make sure everyone feels included in our school culture. I am currently the secretary for my schools Circle of Friends Club, a school wide inclusion club that combines general education students with students in our life skills and special needs classes. I have enjoyed spending time with these students, helping them to feel included and accepted at school. One of my favorite activities as a part of this club was taking the life skills students to our schools Valentine's Day dance with me. I loved getting to see them have a fun time attending an event that everyone in the school was attending. I also show leadership through my hard work, as I am constantly working to succeed and get better at things and encouraging others to do the same. Academics are important to me, therefore I’m someone my classmates can rely on for help with study guides, reviewing for a test, and due date reminders. I am the person that everyone in class turns to when they need academic support and encouragement. Even though I like to lead by example, I have been able to help the people around me. Whether that be through encouraging them and including them, I try to spread positivity wherever I go. Though I don't have the huge outgoing personality that many leaders have, I feel I can contribute to things through my leadership actions. I want to continue being a leader and role model for the people around me through my actions, as I believe the actions I take help to show people that you can show leadership in more ways than just your voice.

I first learned about grit on my first day of school my sophomore year in my Honors English class. My teacher, Mr. Wartnik, started the school year by giving a presentation on the word grit, giving us its definition and telling us the importance of grit. He emphasized that we as students would have to be gritty to get through this rigorous English class. As I listened to his presentation, the word grit resonated something more in me, and I realized that I was going to have to be gritty to not only get through this challenging class, but the challenging year ahead of me. At that moment, I decided that grit was going to be my word of the year. A few months prior to that first day of school, I was diagnosed with a rare kidney syndrome called Nutcracker Syndrome, a syndrome that less than one percent of the world population will ever be diagnosed with. I was in constant pain and discomfort every minute of every day, as even the strongest of pain medications did nothing to relieve the pain. After many appointments with doctors all around the state and at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), I was sent to a vascular surgeon who told me that the only way to get better was to have surgery to fix my health problem. Sitting in Mr. Wartnik's classroom a few months later and listening to his grit presentation, I realized that grit was going to be the only thing that would help me to survive this rare condition and challenging year ahead. I began to tell myself every day to have grit, to continue being gritty. I showed grit by deciding to postpone my surgery for four months so that I could compete on my high school varsity cross country team and try to defend our state title. I showed grit by showing up to every practice, running four plus miles every day. I showed grit by going to school every day, even when I felt weak and exhausted. I showed grit by agreeing to undergo a seven hour renal vein transposition surgery, not knowing if it would be successful or not. I showed grit by learning to move and walk again in the hospital following my surgery. I showed grit by stepping back onto the track two months after surgery and running again. I showed grit by maintaining my 4.0 GPA throughout the school year, as well as passing a few college courses. I showed grit by not letting my health condition control my sophomore year of high school, persevering and making the best of the year that I could. Grit became my biggest motivation, and I wouldn't have known it without Mr. Wartnik. Hearing Mr. Warntik tell me how gritty I was every day that year, reminding me that my grit would take me far not only that year, but in life in general. Hearing Mr. Wartnik call my name as his "grittiest" student of the year at my school's award night. These things helped me to realize that grit is something I need to show throughout the rest of my life. Grit, the word of my sophomore year. I don't know where I would be without it. I know now that having a gritty mindset can take you far in life, as it will help you to overcome the most difficult challenges that might be thrown at you. Grit will help you succeed when it feels like the world is against you. Grit will make you a stronger person.

In 2022, when I was a freshman in high school, I was diagnosed with a rare kidney syndrome called Nutcracker Syndrome, a syndrome that less than one percent of the world population will ever be diagnosed with. This was a very challenging experience, as I began to have this health issues in January, wasn't officially diagnosed with Nutcracker Syndrome until May, and didn't overcome this syndrome until December when I underwent a renal vein transposition surgery. This was definitely the most challenging year of my life, as every moment was unknown for me. In the face of this challenge, I realized how strong and resilient I am. I learned how to advocate for myself and not be afraid to speak up for what I needed. I learned the importance of perseverance and how important it is to not give up when it feels like the entire world is against you. One of the things that highlights my perseverance during this difficult year was my decision to put off surgery for a few months so that I could compete on my high school cross country team and help try to defend our state title that we had won the year before. This was a very difficult decision for me, as physical activity caused me extreme pain and discomfort. I knew that I was going to have surgery at some point, as my doctors told me this was the only way I would get better, but I decided to challenge myself and run for my team. I learned from this experience how strong I was, as I had good days were I could go out and run ten miles, while other days I would have to end my workouts early because I was in a large amount of pain. I wanted to show people, however, that my health issues didn't define me and weren't going to keep me from doing what I love, which is running. Though this was an extremely challenging season, I was able to help my team place 3rd in the state meet, which, though it wasn't 1st like we were the year before, it was extremely rewarding to know that I helped my team accomplish this when I wasn't at my best. My experience with Nutcracker Syndrome has led me to want to pursue a career in the medical field, as I want to be able to help people like how my doctors and nurses helped me. I want to be there for people when they are struggling so that they know that they are not alone, even when it feels like the world is against you. I believe that everyone should be supported when dealing with health issues, and I would be honored to be a part of someones support system when they are facing a challenge like I did.

I believe that personal development is extremely important, as it is important for everyone to become the best versions of themselves that they can be. Over the past few years, I have been focusing on my personal development, as I realize I can have an impact on the people around me. There have been many events over the past years that have helped me to develop into a better person, the main one being my diagnoses and battle with a rare kidney syndrome called Nutcracker Syndrome. In January of 2022 during my freshman year, I began to experience major health issues, and after months of doctors appointments and tests, I was officially diagnosed with Nutcracker Syndrome, a syndrome that less than one percent of the world population will ever be diagnosed with. This would lead to my most challenging year of my life, as I would battle this syndrome all of 2022, ultimately having to undergo a renal vein transposition surgery in December of 2022. Though this was a very difficult time in my life, dealing with lots of pain, sickness, and discomfort, I wouldn't change it for anything, as it has helped me to develop into the person that I am now. I learned what it was like to not know how I was going to feel in a given moment, not knowing whether I was going to have a good day or a bad day health wise. I finally understood what it was like to battle something so unpredictable and how to keep persevering even when it felt like I wasn't going to get better. My experience with Nutcracker Syndrome showed me the importance of personal development, as it showed me that in the most difficult of times, how you choose to handle a situation and personally develop to overcome that situation is the most important thing. During my health issues, I chose to continue going to school every day, maintaining my perfect 4.0 GPA, as well as competing on my high school cross country team and helping them to place second at state. I could have decided to have surgery early, but I put it off for a few months so that I could compete and continue my schooling. This helped me to develop my personality into someone that doesn't give up in the face of challenges, not letting my downfalls define me. Personal development is important to me as I have learned over the past few years that it is important to develop into the person that you want to be, not someone you are expected to be. I believe it is important to be yourself, as I see uniqueness as a power, not a downfall. I believe if everyone can strive to develop into the people they want to be, our world would be a better place, one filled with kindness, joy, and support for everyone.

The most significant challenge I faced in the last four years was being diagnosed with a rare kidney syndrome called Nutcracker Syndrome. In January 2022 of my freshman year, I began to experience extreme pain in my abdomen and lower back. I went to a walk-in clinic a few days after the pain started, as it hadn't gotten any better. This would be the beginning of a five month period of walk-in clinic visits and nights in the ER trying to figure out what was wrong. Some of the doctors I saw said I had kidney stones, while others said it was a UTI. After three months of going to many different doctors, the pain was getting worse, and I began to experience other symptoms as well. After not getting any answers from doctors, I was sent to Doernbechers Children's Hospital in Portland, Oregon at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU). Here, I began to work with the top pediatric urologist in the state, who began having me take a bunch of different tests. After not receiving answers from all the other doctors I had seen, this urologist promised me he would not give up on me until he figured out what was causing my pain and was able to help me. This was a very significant moment, as I felt like I finally had a doctor who was willing to work endlessly to help me, which he did. In May of 2022, I underwent a sedated MRI that showed compression of my left renal vein. This matched up with all the symptoms I had been having, so I was officially diagnosed with Renal Nutcracker Syndrome. This syndrome is extremely rare, as less than 1% of the entire world population will ever be diagnosed with it. As it was so rare, my urologist was unable to continue on my case, so he sent me to the head of the Vascular Surgery Department surgeon. This would be the beginning of a long series of doctors appointments with my surgeon, as we worked to plan the best surgery option to help me overcome this rare syndrome. While all of this was going on, I continued to run cross country for my high school varsity team. Though running caused me to be in so much pain, I knew how much my team was counting on me and I wanted to do everything I could to support them. I chose to delay my surgery by five months so that I could support my team. The five months during the cross country season would be the hardest of my life, as I dealt with extreme pain, not knowing what every minute of my life would be like. I continued to push through though, as I believed I would be able to overcome this rare syndrome. Following the cross country season, on December 15th, 2022, I underwent a seven hour renal vein transposition surgery at OHSU, followed by a week long recovery stay at Doernbechers Children Hospital. This would be my most challenging week of 2022, as I had to learn how to move again, as I had lost a lot of my strength from surgery. This week showed me the importance of perseverance and hard work, as I knew I wasn't going to recover if I gave up when it was difficult. I am happy to say that I have been Nutcracker Syndrome free for a little over a year now. This experience changed my life completely. I learned what it was like to be in an extremely low place, both physically and mentally, and how to not let this stop you from overcoming the obstacles that are thrown at you. I learned the importance of focusing on your own health, making sure your health is a priority in your own life. This journey showed me how lucky I am to live the life that I do, as there was a time in this journey that I feared I wouldn't live much longer. I know now the importance of being grateful for every moment that you get, and to never let these moments pass you by. From this journey, I have released that I would love to work in the medical field. After developing a strong relationship with my vascular surgeon and other doctors and nurses at OHSU, I realized that I want to be able to develop these relationships with my own patients in the future. I want to be able to help other people just like the amazing people at OHSU helped me. Though 2022 was an extremely challenging year for me, I wouldn't change what happened to me. It has helped me to grow so much and I couldn't be more grateful.

I was diagnosed with a rare kidney syndrome called Nutcracker Syndrome at the age of 15. Dealing with this health issue has changed my life forever. I underwent many procedures, ultimately leading to a renal vein transposition surgery in December 2022. Since then, my health has continued to improve. This experience however has led me to dream of a career in the medical field. I learned so much from my amazing doctors and surgeon at Oregon Health and Science University where I had all of my procedures. Though all of my appointments were very challenging, usually learning very scary and difficult things, I always showed an interest in learning what I was dealing with, which my doctors all enjoyed, as it allowed them to teach me more about my health issues and the medical field as a whole. I have thought of pursuing an education in many different medical careers, but am most interested in pursuing a degree in physical therapy. I have been an athlete my whole life, and in middle school fell in love with the sport of distance running. Since then, I have helped my high school team to win a cross country state title as well as multiple district titles. This love for athletics has sparked an interest in me to have a career where I can work and help other athletes to achieve their athletic goals. It would be so rewarding for me to know that I was able to help play a positive role in an athlete's life, and I believe becoming a physical therapist would allow me to fulfill this goal. I know that getting a physical therapy degree will require a lot of schooling. I believe that my hardworking personality will help me to accomplish all the schooling that I need to make this goal happen. After dealing with my health issues, I have the determination to help others who are struggling with health issues, and I believe this determination will ultimately help me to stay on track to achieving my goal of becoming a physical therapist.

I was diagnosed with a Generalized Anxiety Disorder at the age of 6. This has had a huge impact on my life ever since. I began to struggle with everyday activities that are normal for other people. I became extremely terrified to go to school everyday, crying every time my parents would drop me off. If it wasn't for my amazing 1st and 2nd grade teacher, I don't know how I would have ever gotten through those first few years of school after being diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. As I continued to grow up, I continued to fear many things, one being leaving my mom. I became extremely scared and would have panic attacks when I wasn't around my mom. This became a challenge, but as I have grown-up, I have gotten better at being away from my mom. This impacted my life hugely as I struggled to do social things, such as hanging out with friends. This caused me to be made fun of a lot, but I had no way of overcoming these anxieties. All throughout school, my anxiety has played a huge role in my life. I had panic attacks before every test or before having to give presentations. I had panic attacks when having to go on field trips. I became one of the quietest kids in my class as I was afraid of talking. Many of my classmates have no idea that I have an anxiety disorder, so they have continued to make fun of me for my quietness. This made going to school very challenging. Over the past few years since starting high school, I have had many challenges with my anxiety, ultimately leading me to have to begin taking anxiety medication everyday. My whole life I thought that taking medication for my anxiety would be a sign of weakness, but I know now, 3 years after starting on my medication, that it is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of bravery that you are willing to advocate for yourself when you are struggling. After struggling with an anxiety disorder for so long, being able to pursue a college degree would be a huge milestone for me. There was a time in my life where I thought I might not be able to go to college due to my anxiety of leaving home. I know now that going to college would be a sign of how much I have grown and overcome with my anxiety disorder. The money from this scholarship would help me to accomplish the goal of attending college, allowing me to continue to challenge myself with my anxiety disorder. I hope to be able to attend college to continue to overcome my anxiety disorder and continue to grow.

Math has always been my favorite subject since kindergarten. I come from a long line of high school math teachers, as my Grandma was a high school math teacher, and now my Dad is a high school math teacher. Math has always been something that has brought my family together, as my Grandma was my Dad's high school math teacher and my Dad is now my sister and I's high school math teacher. I definitely feel I have gained my Grandma and Dad's love for math. Math has been my favorite subject because I have always been someone who loves puzzles and challenges, and to me, that is exactly what math is. I love that math can be challenging but fun at the same time. I also love math because there is always a correct answer, whereas other subject matters might not have a correct answer to everything. My math classes have always been my favorite classes since I started school, as I feel very comfortable and confident with the subject matter. Throughout my high school career, I have learned many awards in math as well. My freshman year, I was awarded one of my schools top geometry students of the year, followed by one of the algebra 2 students of the year during my sophomore year. Just a few months ago, I was awarded my schools only trigonometry award of the year as a junior. These awards have helped me to see how my hard work in this subject area is worth something. I'm so grateful for math, as it has always brought me joy throughout my education journey.

The movie that has had the greatest impact on me is Hidden Figures. I first saw this movie after doing a project on one of the main characters, Katherine Johnson, in 5th grade. Before doing this project, I had never even heard of Katherine Johnson or the movie Hidden Figures, but it has become one of my favorites ever since. One reason why this movie has had an impact on my life is because I feel like I am very similar to Katherine Johnson in some ways. Like Katherine, I have had a love for math my entire life, which has helped me to excel in this subject area. Every year in elementary school we were required to take a test to see what grade level for math we were at, and every year I was scoring way above my grade level, and eventually, by the time of learning about Katherine Johnson as a 5th grader, I was scoring a 12th grade score on this math test. This made me feel connected to Katherine, as she excelled in math from a young age. I was very proud of myself for scoring so high, but some of my classmates were jealous and acted like it was weird for me to be smart enough to score so high. When learning about Katherine and watching Hidden Figures, it made me realize that there was nothing to be ashamed of for being good at math. Another thing that I loved about the movie Hidden Figures is how it highlights women working in a field dominated by men. Though the movie is centered around the struggles of African American women, and I am not African American, I have still found their courage and bravery very inspiring. The fact that they had no fear of showing how smart and intelligent they were to the men around them inspires me to not be afraid of being a girl who is smart, most of the time even smarter than the boys in my class. I am also inspired by how these women stood up for what was right. Again, their bravery and determination to make NASA a more inclusive place to work, one where discrimination didn't exist, inspired me to stand up for what I believe in. I hope that in my life I can have half of the courage and bravery that Katherine Johnson showed in Hidden Figures. Finally, this movie has impacted me by showing me the importance of using my intelligence. To not be afraid to go after educational and career goals just because of my gender. To be the girl in the room full of men. To not back down when men try to say that I am wrong. I am my high school basketball teams statistician, and a few months ago had a referee tell my one of my stats was wrong and said the guy doing the stats for the other team was right, even though that guy hadn't been paying attention to the game at all. This ref was never supposed to go against me, as I was the home book, but he did because I was the high school girl working with all men referees and statisticians. I went home that night and remembered Katherine Johnson, and told myself from that point forward to never let a man tell me I was wrong just because I am a girl. I want to be able to carry the courage and bravery of all the women in Hidden Figures to help me stay strong with this commitment.

One day, I stood in my living room, crying and having a panic attack because I was afraid to leave the house. I was afraid to see people, as I thought they were always talking about me behind my back and making fun of me.This became a daily thing when I was in 7th grade, as I struggled with major anxiety and depression. This made things like going to school very challenging, as I struggled to leave the house every morning. This bout of depression lasted for a few months before getting better, and I have had similar bouts since then. Since childhood, I have been diagnosed with a generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), which has impacted my life every single day. I have suffered from major panic attacks, trouble sleeping, OCD, and many different fears and discomforts. Though this has caused my life to be way different then others, as it has led me to avoid many different things, I have learned over the years that my anxiety can actually be very helpful at times. My anxiety disorder has played a major part in my goals, as it helps to keep me on track and work hard to achieve these goals. One of the main things that it has helped me with is my drive to maintain a 4.0 GPA. When other classmates around me have been lazy and don't do their school work or study for tests, my anxiety about getting good grades has helped to keep me on track with maintaining my goal of getting a 4.0 GPA. I'm also a cross country and track runner, and even though my anxiety has impacted me negatively on the track many times, it has helped keep me going and helped me remember that hard work is going to help me meet my running goals. As stated above, my anxiety has impacted my relationships greatly, as I have struggled to form close relationships with peers. Many of my peers don't understand what it is like to live with an anxiety disorder as serious as mine is, which leads them to see me and my personality as weird and awkward. This has caused me to place barriers between myself and the people around me. Though I would say I don't really have any friends other than my sisters, I have been working on trying to overcome my anxiety and the fear of people that it causes. Having an anxiety disorder has helped me to understand that mental health is a serious problem in our world. I have learned over the years that some people don't see mental health as an important thing, when in fact it is a very important thing. I have had to work hard to advocate for myself when it comes to my anxiety disorder, as I feel their are people in this world who don't see it as something important or something that can affect my everyday life. Growing up, I felt very alone, and felt as if I was the only one struggling with an anxiety disorder like I was, but as I have grown up, I have realized that anxiety disorders are common. This has helped me to feel less alone and realize that having a mental health problem is okay and doesn't mean you are a bad person. This has helped to change my understanding of the world, as I now understand that I am not alone and that many people across the world are facing similar mental health issues. Overall, though my anxiety disorder has impacted my life negatively in many ways, it has helped me to become the person I am today, and I am grateful for that. There have been many times where I have wished that my anxiety disorder would just disappear, but after realizing that it will always be with me, I understand now that I can use it to my advantage to help me achieve my goals and better understand the world.

The book that I think everyone in the world should read is Wonder by R. J. Palacio. This story follows a young boy, Auggie, who was born with a facial anomaly. The story is centered around his first year in middle school, which is his first year attending a public school after being home schooled. The story shows the challenges that he faced among peers at school, including being bullied and made fun of for the way he looked. As the school year goes on two characters, Summer and Jack, become Auggie's best friends and help to get other people to see Auggie for more than his anomaly. This story ends with a powerful message, as Auggie receives a school award for the strength and kindness he has shown this year at school, highlighting the struggles he went through and the courage he had to overcome them. I believe that this is a book that everyone should read, as it shows the struggles that people with disabilities or anomalies face in their daily lives. I believe that everyone needs to learn from the characters like Jack and Summer, who understand that there is more to a person than just their appearance. By reading this book, I hope that people would learn to include everyone and treat everyone with the kindness and respect that all human beings deserve. I think this book needs to be read by younger people, as it is a great example of including everyone at school and the impact that bullying can have on someone. Overall, I think this book teaches great life lessons of being kind and inclusive towards everyone, no matter their disability or difference.

One day, I stood in my living room, crying and having a panic attack because I was afraid to leave the house. I was afraid to see people, as I thought they were always talking about me behind my back and making fun of me.This became a daily thing when I was in 7th grade, as I struggled with major anxiety and depression. This made things like going to school very challenging, as I struggled to leave the house every morning. This bout of depression lasted for a few months before getting better, and I have had similar bouts since then. Since childhood, I have been diagnosed with a generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), which has impacted my life every single day. I have suffered from major panic attacks, trouble sleeping, OCD, and many different fears and discomforts. Though this has caused my life to be way different then others, as it has led me to avoid many different things, I have learned over the years that my anxiety can actually be very helpful at times. My anxiety disorder has played a major part in my goals, as it helps to keep me on track and work hard to achieve these goals. One of the main things that it has helped me with is my drive to maintain a 4.0 GPA. When other classmates around me have been lazy and don't do their school work or study for tests, my anxiety about getting good grades has helped to keep me on track with maintaining my goal of getting a 4.0 GPA. I'm also a cross country and track runner, and even though my anxiety has impacted me negatively on the track many times, it has helped keep me going and helped me remember that hard work is going to help me meet my running goals. As stated above, my anxiety has impacted my relationships greatly, as I have struggled to form close relationships with peers. Many of my peers don't understand what it is like to live with an anxiety disorder as serious as mine is, which leads them to see me and my personality as weird and awkward. This has caused me to place barriers between myself and the people around me. Though I would say I don't really have any friends other than my sisters, I have been working on trying to overcome my anxiety and the fear of people that it causes. Having an anxiety disorder has helped me to understand that mental health is a serious problem in our world. I have learned over the years that some people don't see mental health as an important thing, when in fact it is a very important thing. I have had to work hard to advocate for myself when it comes to my anxiety disorder, as I feel their are people in this world who don't see it as something important or something that can affect my everyday life. Growing up, I felt very alone, and felt as if I was the only one struggling with an anxiety disorder like I was, but as I have grown up, I have realized that anxiety disorders are common. This has helped me to feel less alone and realize that having a mental health problem is okay and doesn't mean you are a bad person. This has helped to change my understanding of the world, as I now understand that I am not alone and that many people across the world are facing similar mental health issues. Overall, though my anxiety disorder has impacted my life negatively in many ways, it has helped me to become the person I am today, and I am grateful for that. There have been many times where I have wished that my anxiety disorder would just disappear, but after realizing that it will always be with me, I understand now that I can use it to my advantage to help me achieve my goals and better understand the world.