"Okay, go ahead and try standing up," 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 lying flat in the bed. My nurse has to physically push me into a sitting position in bed, and 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 think about careers in the medical field, and physical therapy 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. This is when I decided I wanted to become a physical therapist. One of the biggest experiences besides my health issues that led me to want to pursue a career in physical therapy was an internship that I did during my senior year of high school (September 2024-June 2025) at my local physical therapy clinic. I got to shadow three amazing women, Marisha, Yilin, and Syvannah, who cared deeply about helping their patients and being the best physical therapists that they could be. They taught me what it takes to be a good physical therapist and how to show kindness and respect to every single one of your patients. Even though they were outnumbered by male therapists in the clinic, they continued to show that they have the same knowledge, skill, and ability to be just as good as their male counterparts. I watched Marisha get promoted to be the head of the physical therapy clinic and the lead physical therapist, which was extremely inspiring to see her take on this role instead of it just being handed to one of the male therapists. As a woman in the healthcare field, I want to strive to be just like these three women. I want to be brave like Marisha to take on leadership positions within my field, help my patients have fun and enjoy all of their appointments like Yilin does, and provide kindness and empathy to all of my patients like Syvannah. I want to make a difference by making sure that every patient feels heard and gets the help and support that they need and deserve. Additionally, I want to help empower other women in the healthcare field to be the best versions of themselves, take on leadership roles, and not be afraid to stand up to their male counterparts, as women are just as good as (and even better than in some cases) their male counterparts. Overall, getting the chance to help someone as a healthcare professional is an extremely rewarding thing, and I look forward to helping as many people in the future as possible as a physical therapist.

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 than others, as it has led me to avoid many different things, I have learned over the years that my anxiety can be very helpful at times. My anxiety disorder has played a major part in my educational and athletic 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. Even though there have been times when my anxiety has helped me to stay focused and on track with my education, it has also caused me lots of challenges that have greatly impacted my health, such as lack of sleep, nutrition, hydration, and overall caused lots of exhaustion. For these reasons, I think it is very important to advocate for mental health, especially for student athletes who are trying to balance athletics, schooling, and overall life demands. I personally have tried over the past several years to get better at managing my mental health, but this can be extremely challenging to do on my own, especially now that I'm in college. That is one of the reasons that I want to help advocate for mental health assistance/counseling for college students. I want to be someone who can help another classmate when I see them struggling with mental health issues like I have. I want to continue to be more brave about sharing my own experience with mental health problems so that these people see that they are not alone in their struggles. Overall, I just really want to make sure that every single person takes mental health seriously and realizes that it is nothing to be embarrassed about, and rather something that should be talked about.

Growing up, my Grandma Kathy was the center of energy and warmth in our family. She was outgoing, bubbly, and happy, filling my childhood with incredible memories—taking us berry picking to teach us how to make fresh cobbler, and spending brisk fall days in the boat on the Siuslaw River fishing for salmon alongside my grandpa. As I grew older, however, I began noticing subtle changes in her behavior. Her bright, bubbly nature began to fade, replaced by moments of confusion. At first, it showed up as repeating the same phrases or sentences she had spoken just minutes prior. Soon, she began forgetting basic things altogether. It was during this time that I learned she was developing dementia. Over the next few years, her condition steadily worsened. I watched in heartache as she forgot where her home was, forgot familiar names, and eventually struggled to recognize the people who loved her most. One specific experience made the true severity of her disease brutally clear to me. We were driving home from my sister's basketball tournament—my mom, aunt, grandparents, and I together in the car. Grandma had seemed to be having a good day. But suddenly, panic took over. She grew angry and terrified, claiming she had no idea who any of us were and demanding to know where we were taking her. In her state of extreme distress, she attempted to open the vehicle door while we were moving down the road at 50 mph. My grandpa, sitting next to her, tried desperately to soothe her. Holding her hand, he gently reminded her that they had been married for over 50 years, that her daughters Carrie and Amy were in the front, and that I was sitting right behind her. Tragically, the disease wouldn't let her believe him, and she remained panicked and upset for the rest of the drive home. Seeing my grandma struggle through dementia changed my life completely, culminating in the deep grief of losing her when she passed away in late January 2026. Our family has always been exceptionally close. We used to spend weekends having family dinners and summers going on trips together. Since her passing, none of those gatherings feel the same. She was the heart of our family, the one who cooked delicious meals and made holidays like Christmas feel magical. Today, my mom, aunt, and grandpa work hard to keep those traditions alive in her absence. Living through my grandma's illness and passing impacted my family in profound ways. While much of the journey brought pain, it also taught us invaluable lessons. It transformed us into a family that deeply treasures every single moment together—even a brief, unexpected encounter at the grocery store. It allowed me to see my mom and aunt dedicate themselves endlessly to easing my grandma's daily life. Most of all, it showed me the remarkable strength of my grandpa. Even when she forgot who he was once or twice every day, he responded each time with patience, grace, and unwavering kindness. Through his example, I learned what unconditional love truly looks like in action. Because dementia runs in our family, I am driven to do everything I can to raise awareness and advocate for affected families. I hope and pray that effective treatments or a cure will soon be discovered to slow down or eradicate diseases like dementia and Alzheimer's. In the meantime, I want to use my personal passions—specifically distance running—to support the cause. I plan to run races that benefit Alzheimer's and dementia research, help raise critical funds for researchers, and donate to organizations fighting memory loss diseases. Beyond fundraising, I want to share my grandma's story. I hope that by opening up about our journey, I can help others understand the true impact these conditions have on both patients and caregivers, encouraging more people to join the fight for a cure. Recently, I came across an anonymous quote about memory loss that stayed with me: "Alzheimer's may have changed the love that you share, but it can't ever, will never, have the power to ever completely erase it." This quote perfectly captures my bond with my grandma through her final years. Though it was painful to see her fight such a cruel disease, I knew that beneath the confusion, she was still my Grammy Kathy. The months since her death have been some of the hardest of my life. Nothing can replace her, and I miss her every day. But even though she is no longer physically here, I know she is proud of me for sharing her story, honoring her memory, and fighting for a future free of memory loss.

One day in January 2022, I began experiencing severe abdominal pain that would not go away, even with pain medication. What started as a mysterious symptom quickly turned into six months of doctor appointments, tests, ultrasounds, and uncertainty. Despite countless evaluations, no one could determine what was causing my pain. Eventually, I was referred to Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) and Doernbecher Children's Hospital, where I underwent even more extensive testing and procedures. After months of searching for answers, I was diagnosed with Nutcracker Syndrome, a rare vascular condition that affects less than one percent of the population. According to my doctors at OHSU, I was among the first known cases diagnosed in the state of Oregon. Receiving this diagnosis changed my life forever. Over the next six months, I traveled to OHSU every few weeks for additional testing and appointments with a vascular surgeon. As my symptoms worsened and the pain continued, it became clear that surgery was the only option. After extensive research, my surgeon recommended a Renal Vein Transposition Surgery. On December 15, 2022, I underwent an eight-hour surgery at OHSU. I then spent the following week recovering in the hospital, where I had to relearn basic tasks such as walking and eating. It was the most difficult week of my life. I was scared, overwhelmed, and uncertain about what the future would hold. Yet it was also during this time that I discovered just how resilient I could be. My journey with Nutcracker Syndrome taught me strength in ways I never expected. For more than a year, I endured chronic pain while continuing to move forward. I learned how to face uncertainty, advocate for myself, and persevere through challenges that seemed impossible at the time. Rather than allowing my diagnosis to define me, I used it as motivation to keep pushing toward my goals. Throughout my medical journey, I remained committed to my education. Even while balancing appointments, testing, surgery, and recovery, I was determined not to fall behind in school. In fact, my experiences inspired me to pursue a career in medicine. Watching the dedication of the doctors, nurses, and specialists who worked tirelessly to help me made me want to give back in the same way. I realized that achieving this dream would require years of education and academic excellence, which motivated me to work even harder in school. Despite the obstacles I faced, I graduated high school with a 4.14 GPA. Receiving this scholarship would help me continue pursuing my goal of earning a doctorate and building a career in the medical field. Higher education is a significant financial commitment, and the cost of achieving my dream can feel overwhelming. This scholarship would provide valuable financial support while also serving as recognition of the perseverance and determination that have carried me through my medical journey. Most importantly, it would bring me one step closer to a career where I can help others facing difficult medical challenges, just as so many healthcare professionals helped me.

Personally, I would say there are many "awkward" things about me, some of which others have pointed out to me. I'm short (barely 5'2 1/2); my favorite thing to do is run; I love school and learning and go above and beyond when it comes to getting good grades; and I like dogs way more than people. However, none of those things compare to the one thing that truly makes me unique. One day in January 2022, I began to experience severe abdominal pain. The pain never subsided, even after taking painkillers. This would lead to six months' worth of doctor's appointments filled with multiple different tests and ultrasounds. After months of no answers, I was sent to Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) and Doernbecker's Children's Hospital, where I began even more in-depth testing and procedures. After months of uncertainty and frustration, I was finally diagnosed with a rare kidney syndrome known as Nutcracker Syndrome. This is an extremely rare syndrome that affects less than one percent of the population. As far as my doctors at OHSU know, I am one of the first people in Oregon to be diagnosed with it. This diagnosis would change my life forever. I would spend the next six months going to OHSU once every few weeks for testing and to meet with a vascular surgeon. As the pain never subsided and my symptoms increased, it became clear to the doctors at OHSU that surgery was going to be the only thing to help me get better. My vascular surgeon began to research the best surgery options for Nutcracker Syndrome and landed on a Renal Vein Transposition Surgery. I underwent an 8-hour Renal Vein Transposition Surgery at OHSU on December 15th, 2022. I would spend the next week at OHSU and Doernbecker's Children's Hospital recovering, where I learned how to walk and eat again. This was the most challenging week of my life, as I had never experienced anything so overwhelming, scary, and confusing all at the same time. Learning to walk again was not only painful, but frightening since something that had once been so easy and natural now required tremendous effort. Though this week was rough, I learned more about myself during this time than I ever thought I would. My journey with Nutcracker Syndrome taught me how strong I was, both physically and mentally. I was able to push through unimaginable pain for over a year. I learned how to handle receiving news that most people will never have to hear. Overall, I became a stronger and better person because of this journey. While Nutcracker Syndrome is not something I would have chosen to experience, it has become an important part of who I am. It taught me resilience, perseverance, and how to keep moving forward even when there was no guarantee that things would improve.

“Okay, go ahead and try standing up,” my nurse said. As I attempted to move, pain shot through my body. I realized I had not moved even an inch and was still lying flat in the hospital bed. My nurse had to physically help me into a sitting position and pull me to my feet because I had no strength or mobility to do it on my own. Walking had never felt so difficult. I was embarrassed that I could barely make it ten feet to the bathroom. In that moment, I realized I had a long recovery ahead of me. In February 2022, during my freshman year of high school, I began experiencing severe abdominal pain. After months of endless doctor’s appointments, emergency room visits, and uncertainty, I was referred to Oregon Health & Science University and Doernbecher Children's Hospital, located three hours from my hometown. After undergoing numerous tests and procedures, I was diagnosed in June 2022 with Nutcracker Syndrome, an extremely rare vascular kidney condition. According to my doctors, fewer than 1% of people worldwide are ever diagnosed with this syndrome, and I was one of the first known cases in the state of Oregon. Being diagnosed at just 15 years old was even more uncommon, as symptoms typically do not appear until adulthood. Nutcracker Syndrome occurs when the left renal vein becomes compressed between the abdominal aorta and the superior mesenteric artery, restricting blood flow from the kidney. In my case, doctors discovered that less than 10% of the blood that should have been leaving my kidney was able to do so properly. As a result, my kidney function began to decline, and my pain continued to worsen. There were many days when even simple tasks like walking through school hallways, sitting through classes, or trying to sleep at night became incredibly difficult. At times, I felt frustrated and isolated because very few people understood what I was experiencing or why my health was changing so dramatically. As someone who had always been active through sports and running, suddenly losing the ability to participate in normal daily activities was emotionally devastating. For weeks, my family and I were unsure whether there was even a surgeon in Oregon with experience treating my condition. Eventually, the head of the vascular surgery department took on my case and promised to do everything possible to help me recover. After consulting with vascular surgeons across the country, he determined that the best option would be an eight-hour renal vein transposition surgery. In December 2022, I underwent the surgery at OHSU. Although the procedure carried serious risks, my health had deteriorated to the point where I knew I had no other choice. The recovery process was one of the most physically and emotionally difficult experiences of my life. Relearning how to move comfortably, regain my strength, and return to daily activities required patience and perseverance. However, each small improvement reminded me that recovery is built through consistency and determination. Over time, I slowly regained my strength and was eventually able to return to running and the active lifestyle that had always been such an important part of my life. Throughout this journey, my family became my greatest source of strength. My mom was by my side during every appointment, procedure, and hospital stay, constantly advocating for me and making sure I could continue my education despite everything I was facing. My dad and sisters supported me in every way possible. After my surgery, my twin sister even rearranged her class schedule to match mine so she could carry my backpack because I was not allowed to lift more than ten pounds. I also owe an incredible amount of gratitude to my vascular surgeon, Timothy Liem. When he first heard about my case, he knew very little about Nutcracker Syndrome. However, he was willing to dedicate countless hours to researching the condition and consulting with experts so I could receive treatment close to home instead of traveling out of state. More importantly, he cared deeply about helping me continue living my life as normally as possible despite my condition. His compassion and dedication inspired me to pursue a healthcare career. Today, I am studying kinesiology at Oregon State University with hopes of eventually attending medical school. I want to provide the same kindness, support, and reassurance to future patients that my doctors provided to me during one of the hardest times in my life. Although my experience with Nutcracker Syndrome was terrifying, exhausting, and painful, overcoming it changed me for the better. It taught me resilience, perseverance, and gratitude in ways I never could have learned otherwise. Most importantly, it showed me that even in the face of overwhelming challenges, it is possible to come out stronger on the other side.

I have been an athlete for my entire life. I started playing basketball at the age of five and continued through middle school, when I developed a lifelong passion for cross-country and track. That passion eventually led me to compete at the collegiate level for Oregon State University’s Running Club. Even though I am only 19 years old, I have already watched the worlds of sports, fitness, and physical activity evolve significantly. One of the first changes I noticed was in school physical education programs. During my early years in elementary school, students only had PE once a week. However, by fourth grade, my school changed its policy so that students participated in PE every day in order to encourage more physical activity. I have also watched youth sports opportunities grow tremendously in my small town. Today, there are youth teams for multiple sports, including traveling club teams that compete across the state—opportunities that were not available to me when I was younger. More recently, during the 2024–2025 school year, I completed an internship at my local physical therapy clinic during my senior year of high school. This experience allowed me to see the importance of physical activity from a healthcare perspective. Throughout my internship, I worked with patients who had stopped living physically active lifestyles and often viewed exercise as too difficult or unnecessary. Over time, however, I watched many of those same patients regain confidence, improve physically, and become motivated to live healthier and more active lives again. That experience reinforced my belief that strength and conditioning can positively impact people far beyond athletics. From both my experiences as an athlete and my time in physical therapy, I believe the fields of strength and conditioning and physical activity will continue evolving rapidly over the next 5–10 years. One major change will be the increased use of technology. We are already seeing the growth of online fitness programs, wearable fitness devices, and personalized training apps, and I believe these tools will continue becoming more advanced and accessible. Technology will help make exercise feel less intimidating for many people by allowing them to participate in workouts, training programs, and health tracking from their own homes. As I continue studying kinesiology at Oregon State University, I hope to stay informed about the newest research and developments in strength and conditioning. I want to combine what I learn academically with my experiences as both an athlete and intern to encourage others to live physically active lifestyles. I especially want to promote the importance of strength training because I believe it can help prevent injuries and improve long-term health for people of all ages. Most importantly, I hope to contribute to the field by helping others see that strength and conditioning and physical activity are not just beneficial, but also enjoyable and rewarding parts of life.

One day, I stood in my living room, crying and having a panic attack because I was afraid to leave the house. As I stood there, trembling and shaking in fear, all I could think about was how the minute I left the house, I believed everyone who saw me would judge me and make fun of me. 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, as I struggled to leave the house every morning. Once at school, I struggled to interact with my classmates and tended to spend most of my time either alone or with a small group of friends that I knew I could trust. This bout of anxiety lasted for several months and ended up becoming a dangerous bout of depression. 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. My struggle with anxiety from a young age has made anxiety and depression a global health issue that I feel very connected to and passionate about. After struggling so much with my own anxiety and depression, it became very clear to me that these are very common things for people to struggle with, but are things that many people don't know how to cope with or can't find an effective coping strategy for. I lived for 13 years with my anxiety disorder, where every coping strategy I tried didn't work. Many people around me would suggest a coping strategy, telling me that this is what worked for them, but what most people don't realize is that different coping strategies work better for some people than they do for others. This has led me to believe strongly in the importance of finding a coping strategy that works best for you, and I feel like this is something that needs to be emphasized more and made clear that having a different, unique coping strategy is okay, and not something to be ashamed of. Additionally, one of the things with anxiety and depression that I have become a huge believer in is prescribed medications. As a young girl, I always saw medications as something you took if you were sick or unhealthy. When doctors asked me if I would like to try medication for my anxiety disorder, I immediately refused, thinking that taking medication would make me look weak in the eyes of others. However, after my bout of anxiety and depression in 7th grade, I came to a point in my life where medication was the only thing that was going to help me get better. 6 years later, I'm a completely different person now that I take medication to help me with my anxiety and depression. This has led me to believe strongly that medication is an option to help cope with anxiety and depression, and is one that people should not be embarrassed to try. Overall, I'm extremely passionate about anxiety and depression, and helping those who struggle with them just like I do. I want to help make the world realize that anxiety and depression are very normal and common things, and are nothing anyone should ever be embarrassed about. I believe that those of us who struggle with anxiety and depression have the opportunity to help those who are also struggling, which is something I hope to do for the rest of my life.

"Okay, go ahead and try standing up," said my nurse. As I try to stand up, pain shoots through my body, and I realize I haven't moved more than an inch, as I am still lying flat in the bed. My nurse has to physically push me into a sitting position in bed and 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 became very interested in the medical field. I started paying close attention to everything that my nurses and doctors did, asking them questions about what they were doing and why it was important. One day, when my surgeon was checking in on me, after one of my random questions, he told me that he thought I would be a great asset to any career in the medical field. He said he saw in me the type of kindness, organization, and attention to detail that would make me a great fit for the healthcare field. Leading up to this point, I had no clue what I wanted to do as a future career, but hearing my doctor tell me this, and after spending so much time in the hospital, I instantly realized that I wanted a future career in the healthcare field. With my love of physical activity, I immediately became interested in physical therapy. Now, four years later, I'm studying kinesiology at Oregon State University with the hope of one day getting my doctorate in physical therapy. When it comes to being a woman, I know from experience that we can be looked down upon in all aspects of life, especially when it comes to our careers. I hope to make a positive impact on the healthcare field by showing that women are just as smart and capable of having doctorate degrees and providing the necessary care that our patients desire. Additionally, I feel like the healthcare field is a field that needs lots of people who are empathetic and caring, and I feel like women can bring a lot of these characteristics into the healthcare field. Once I get my doctorate degree, I want to share my empathetic and caring nature with all of my patients. I feel like I can leave a positive impact on the healthcare field by being kind, caring, encouraging, and supportive towards all of my patients.

On January 31st, 2026, my grandma passed away after battling dementia for over 10 years. Her death came very suddenly and unexpectedly, as she was placed in hospice, and the hospice nurses and doctors said she would be with us for at least another month, but in the end, she was only with us for 5 more days. When she was placed in hospice and at the time of her death, I was at school at Oregon State University. I received daily updates on my grandma through daily text messages and nightly phone calls with my mom. Hearing over the phone that your grandma is dying and knowing that you will never be able to see her again is extremely devastating. It was so hard to be away from home during this time. To make things worse, all of this was happening during my college midterms, so between the stress of studying for midterms and the grief of my grandma's death, I was at one of my lowest lows ever. My grandma was one of my biggest supporters, and, besides my immediate family, I probably spent more time with her and my grandpa than anyone else in my life. She never missed one of my cross-country or track meets, school awards night, birthday parties, or holidays. She was always on the sideline or in the crowd, cheering so loudly for me that I could hear her from the stage or the track. She was always there to hug me after a race, where she would usually start crying because she was so proud of me, even if I told her I had a bad race. She was the one person in my life who was always positive, no matter what was going on or what the outcome of an event was. Even though she only passed a little over two weeks ago, her death has already changed my life completely. Knowing that I will never see her again, never get a hug from her, never hear her say "I love you, Addi," is devastating. Not only am I sad about these things, but I'm sad about what she will never get the chance to be a part of. She will never get to watch me race in a collegiate cross country or track meet for Oregon State. She will never see me graduate from college or medical school with my Doctorate in Physical Therapy. She won't be there to help pick out my wedding dress or to watch me walk down the aisle. Overall, I will never get the chance to tell her I love her again. All of these realizations are heartbreaking and quite scary, as I never pictured having to go through these huge life milestones without her. My grandma always had this saying that she always told everyone. "Put your tough muscles in." She would tell me this before challenging or scary events, reminding me to just stay strong. This saying of hers now has a totally different meaning to me, as instead of her being the one to tell it to me, I must be the one to remind myself of it. When things get challenging, I will say this saying to myself, and remind myself that even though grandma isn't the one saying it to me, she is smiling down on me and watching over me, and will be there with me for every step of my life for the rest of my life. My grandma might be gone physically, but I know deep down that she will always be with me no matter what.

I first fell in love with the medical field in 2022 when I began to experience my own health issues. After being in extreme pain for 6 months with no answers, I was sent to Doernbecker’s Children’s Hospital where I was diagnosed with a rare kidney syndrome called Renal Nutcracker Syndrome. This would lead to a rare renal vein transposition surgery at OHSU in December of 2022. I would spend a week at OHSU recovering after surgery, where I had to learn how to move, walk, and eat again. Though this experience was extremely challenging and frightening, it taught me how important the medical field is in our world, and I became determined that one day I would obtain my doctorate degree and be able to help as many people as possible. Since my surgery in 2022, I have thought about many different careers in the medical field, but the one that has stood out to me the most is physical therapy. As an avid distance runner and someone who prioritizes physical activity in my own life, I saw a career as a physical therapist as a way to use my passion for physical activity to help others with their own physical activity. On September 4th, 2024, I began an internship at my local physical therapy clinic, PeaceHealth Florence Rehabilitation and Wellness Center, where I spend an estimated 8 hours per week observing different therapists. This experience has helped me to fall in love with this career path even more. Not only have I learned some of the basics of assisting people to recover from surgeries like hip or knee replacements, but I have learned what it takes to be a good physical therapist through observing all the therapists at the clinic. Each of them has taught me something that I hope to incorporate into my career as a physical therapist. Whether this be showing kindness and compassion towards patients, being encouraging and uplifting to those who are struggling, or being a little stern and harsh when a patient needs a little shove to get going, I know that if I can incorporate all of these things into my future career, I will be the best physical therapist that I can be. I will be attending Oregon State University starting in the fall of 2025, where I will be majoring in Kinesiology. I’m extremely excited about this opportunity to learn more in this field of study. After graduating from Oregon State I plan to attend medical school to obtain my Doctorate in Physical Therapy. I would love to specialize in working with athletes, as athletics is a huge passion of mine. Overall though, just getting the chance to help anyone who is struggling with physical activity will be extremely humbling and rewarding. Thank you so much for your consideration!

I have lived in the small town of Florence, Oregon, my whole life. With a population of just under 10,000 people, I have always loved the feeling of community that comes with living in such a small town. From growing up with the same kids since kindergarten to knowing so many of my community members, I love how close of a community we have in Florence. My community has impacted me in so many ways. It has helped me fall in love with community service, as I love to help make my community a better place. From participating in park cleanups to volunteering at local auctions, it's always extremely rewarding to give back to my community. Along with loving to volunteer in my community, I love how supportive my community is. Everyone is always willing to help one another with whatever they need. Whether this is doing meal trains for a family who is struggling, supporting different fundraisers in the community, or going to high school sporting events to cheer on our communities' athletes, everyone loves to show their support for one another. This is one of the things that I love the most about my community, as it has helped me to learn the importance of always supporting other people and being there for one another. When it comes to my future goals, my community has helped me to find the right career path for me. Back in the summer of 2024, a local physical therapist reached out to me and asked if I would like to be her intern for the year. As I had started becoming interested in a career in the medical field, I thought this would be a cool experience. I started this internship in September of 2024 and have over 120 observation hours. Not only has this internship helped me to realize that a career in physical therapy is the right career for me, but it has also given me the chance to meet many different people in my community, as I meet a new patient every single day. This has been extremely fun, as I have met some very kind, funny, and encouraging community members. It's always extremely rewarding to see my patients graduate from PT knowing that I was able to help them gain strength and mobility again, as I feel extremely humbled knowing that I'm giving back to my community members through this internship. Along with this, it always puts a smile on my face when my patients tell me that I will make a great asset to any community that I become a physical therapist for. Overall, my community has impacted my life in so many positive ways, helping me to learn the importance of volunteerism and giving back to my community, the importance of supporting all of your community members, and has helped me to find a path for the future. Florence, Oregon, means the world to me, and I will forever be grateful for everything this community has done for me.

I have had the chance to compete on one of the top cross-country and track teams in the state of Oregon since my freshman year. I have helped my team win multiple district titles, as well as the 2021 Oregon 4A State Cross Country Title. These experiences have been highlights of my high school career, but with them have come many challenges and lessons learned along the way. For me, the three main challenges I have faced and lessons I have learned as a student-athlete are time management, mental challenges, and relationships. First, being a student-athlete requires great time management. You have to stay on top of not only your athletics but your academic career as well. I had to learn early on that being a student-athlete meant that I wouldn't always have the time to hang out with friends or sit on the couch and watch TV when I got home from practice. It became very clear to me that to maintain good academics, prioritizing my schoolwork before these things were going to be extremely important. Although I have mastered the skill of time management, I have witnessed many other high school athletes struggle with this, having a hard time maintaining good grades while trying to perform at a high level athletically. This is why I believe time management is not only a challenge that high school athletes face, but also a lesson that athletes learn through being a student-athlete. I believe that this is a great lesson that sports has taught me that will help me tremendously in the future. Secondly, many mental challenges come with playing sports. The feeling of defeat, frustration, and lack of confidence is something that many athletes will face. Personally, I have struggled with confidence when it comes to competing in high school athletics. It has been extremely challenging for me to believe in myself and find the strength to bounce back after a bad race. This is why I believe student-athletes have to learn how to mentally handle the stress and pressure that comes with competing at a high level. Though this can be a very challenging thing to learn, I believe it helps to make you a stronger individual for the rest of your life. Finally, a challenge and lesson that every student-athlete will face is the forming of relationships with teammates. This challenge will be different for every student-athlete depending on the sport you play, as some sports require more of a team dynamic than others. However, I feel like sports have taught me the importance of forming strong relationships with others, whether this be with teammates or not. This has been a huge challenge for me throughout my high school career, as I have struggled to form relationships with my teammates. My time on the cross-country and track teams has shown me that some athletes are all about themselves and don't care about being good teammates. Though this has been extremely challenging to witness, it has taught me the importance of being a good teammate no matter what. I have learned to support others who refuse to support me, which has taught me the lesson of being kind to all and trying to form strong relationships with those who truly care. Though my relationships with my teammates have been extremely challenging, they have taught me the importance of being around the people who bring you the most joy. Overall, my time as a student-athlete has been extremely challenging at times but has also taught me lessons that I will use for the rest of my life.

I first fell in love with the medical field in 2022 when I began to experience my own health issues. After being in extreme pain for 6 months with no answers, I was sent to Doernbecker’s Children’s Hospital where I was diagnosed with a rare kidney syndrome called Renal Nutcracker Syndrome. This would lead to a rare renal vein transposition surgery at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) in December of 2022. I would spend a week at OHSU recovering after surgery, where I had to learn how to move, walk, and eat again. Though this experience was extremely challenging and frightening, it taught me how important the medical field is in our world, and I became determined that one day I would obtain my doctorate and be able to help as many people as possible. Since my surgery in 2022, I have thought about many different careers in the medical field, but the one that has stood out to me the most is physical therapy. As an avid distance runner and someone who prioritizes physical activity in my own life, I saw a career as a physical therapist as a way to use my passion for physical activity to help others with their own physical activity. On September 4th, 2024, I began an internship at my local physical therapy clinic, PeaceHealth Physical Therapy Clinic, where I spend an estimated 8 hours per week observing different therapists. This experience has helped me to fall in love with this career path even more. Not only have I learned some of the basics of assisting people to recover from surgeries like hip or knee replacements, but I have learned what it takes to be a good physical therapist through observing all the therapists at the clinic. Each of them has taught me something that I hope to incorporate into my career as a physical therapist. Whether this be showing kindness and compassion towards patients, being encouraging and uplifting to those who are struggling, or being a little stern and harsh when a patient needs a little shove to get going, I know that if I can incorporate all of these things into my future career, I will be the best physical therapist that I can be. I will be attending Oregon State University starting in the fall of 2025, where I will be majoring in Kinesiology. Once I graduate from Oregon State I plan to attend medical school to get my Doctorate in Physical Therapy. I’m extremely excited about furthering my education in this field and learning more about how important physical activity is for the body. Because of my love for physical activity and athletics, I would love to specialize in working with athletes. Whether this be helping athletes recover from injuries or helping them to become stronger, better versions of their athletic selves, I would love to get the chance to give back to the athletic community that has done so much for me. Overall though, just getting the chance to help anyone who is struggling with physical activity will be extremely humbling and rewarding. Thank you for your consideration!

After being diagnosed with a rare kidney syndrome in 2022, I fell in love with the medical field and knew that this was where I wanted my future career to be. As an avid distance runner, physical activity has always been extremely important to me, which led me to dream of a career as a physical therapist. I will be attending Oregon State University starting in the fall of 2025 where I will be majoring in Kinesiology. After graduating from Oregon State, I plan to attend medical school to get my Doctorate in Physical Therapy. I know that this goal is going to require many years of schooling and internships, and lots and lots of money. I plan to put my education first, focusing on getting the best grades possible and doing everything I can to get my Doctorate. Financially, I know this plan is going to be extremely expensive. Each year at Oregon State is going to cost roughly around $25,000, which includes room and board. This means roughly $100,000 for my 4 years at Oregon State. After doing some research, I learned that the three-year medical program that I will need to attend will cost roughly $100,000 for all three years combined, not including housing. When you add this all together, my education is going to cost around $200,000. As both of my parents are teachers and my twin sister will be attending college at the same time as I am, money is going to be challenging for my family. To help pay the $200,000 that I will need to complete my educational goals, I will be working over the summers, as well as finding a job during the school year. I know I previously stated that I would put my education first, but I am willing to divide my time up and get a job, as I know that without having a job and getting a steady income, my educational goals aren't going to be possible. Along with getting a job, I will continue to work hard applying for as many scholarships and loans as possible, as any money that I can get will help not only me but my family as well. As someone who is extremely scheduled and always has a plan, I believe that my current plan for my higher education is a good one. However, I have learned very quickly in life that things can change in an instant, destroying the plans and dreams that you have. Because of this, I know I need to have backup plans and be prepared for the worst-case scenario. With this in mind, I will keep an open mind that my education may take longer than expected, be more expensive than expected, or at the very worst, may not even happen at all. I plan on taking everything day by day, working extremely hard to achieve everything that I have planned for myself. I will enjoy the good times, while also focusing on handling the challenging times with calmness, bravery, and perseverance. When things get rough, I will remind myself that my future career will allow me to help many different people, making this crazy higher educational goal all worth it. Most importantly, I will always make sure to have a strong plan that will set me up for the greatest success possible.

I first fell in love with the medical field in 2022 when I began to experience my own health issues. After being in extreme pain for 6 months with no answers, I was sent to Doernbecker’s Children’s Hospital where I was diagnosed with a rare kidney syndrome called Renal Nutcracker Syndrome. This would lead to a rare renal vein transposition surgery at OHSU in December of 2022. I would spend a week at OHSU recovering after surgery, where I had to learn how to move, walk, and eat again. Though this experience was extremely challenging and frightening, it taught me how important the medical field is in our world, and I became determined that one day I would obtain my doctorate and be able to help as many people as possible. Since my surgery in 2022, I have thought about many different careers in the medical field, but the one that has stood out to me the most is physical therapy. As an avid distance runner and someone who prioritizes physical activity in my life, I saw a career as a physical therapist as a way to use my passion for physical activity to help others with their physical activity. On September 4th, 2024, I began an internship at my local physical therapy clinic, PeaceHealth Physical Therapy Clinic, where I spend an estimated 8 hours per week observing different therapists. This experience has helped me to fall in love with this career path even more. Not only have I learned some of the basics of assisting people to recover from surgeries like hip or knee replacements, but I have also learned what it takes to be a good physical therapist by observing all the therapists at the clinic. Each of them has taught me something that I hope to incorporate into my career as a physical therapist. Whether this be showing kindness and compassion towards patients, being encouraging and uplifting to those who are struggling, or being a little stern and harsh when a patient needs a little shove to get going, I know that if I can incorporate all of these things into my future career, I will be the best physical therapist that I can be. I can't wait to get the chance to learn more in the field of physical therapy at Oregon State University, as I can't wait to help as many people as possible.

I first fell in love with the medical field in 2022 when I began to experience my own health issues. After being in extreme pain for 6 months with no answers, I was sent to Doernbecker’s Children’s Hospital where I was diagnosed with a rare kidney syndrome called Renal Nutcracker Syndrome. This would lead to a rare renal vein transposition surgery at OHSU in December of 2022. I would spend a week at OHSU recovering after surgery, where I had to learn how to move, walk, and eat again. Though this experience was extremely challenging and frightening, it taught me how important the medical field is in our world, and I became determined that one day I would obtain my doctorate and be able to help as many people as possible. Since my surgery in 2022, I have thought about many different careers in the medical field, but the one that has stood out to me the most is physical therapy. As an avid distance runner and someone who prioritizes physical activity in my own life, I saw a career as a physical therapist as a way to use my passion for physical activity to help others with their physical activity. On September 4th, 2024, I began an internship at my local physical therapy clinic, PeaceHealth Physical Therapy Clinic, where I spend an estimated 8 hours per week observing different therapists. This experience has helped me to fall in love with this career path even more. Not only have I learned some of the basics of assisting people to recover from surgeries like hip or knee replacements, but I have learned what it takes to be a good physical therapist through observing all the therapists at the clinic. Each of them has taught me something that I hope to incorporate into my career as a physical therapist. Whether this be showing kindness and compassion towards patients, being encouraging and uplifting to those who are struggling, or being a little stern and harsh when a patient needs a little shove to get going, I know that if I can incorporate all of these things into my future career, I will be the best physical therapist that I can be. I plan to make a positive impact as a woman in the healthcare field by using my strengths to help as many patients as possible. I will do everything to the best of my ability to show people that women are just as capable as men to have doctorate degrees. I also want to prove that women have the caring, determined, and encouraging mindset that is needed when helping patients, something I believe that some male healthcare workers don't always have. I would also love to be someone that young girls can look up to and see that women have what it takes to not only have a career in healthcare but in any career field that they dream of. I believe it is time for the world to see that women are just as capable as men when it comes to working in the healthcare field. I want to make all women proud every single day in my future career as a physical therapist. Thank you so much for your consideration! Addison

As an avid athlete, I have become interested in a career in physical therapy. This led me to become interested in a career in physical therapy. With this, I started an internship at my local physical therapy clinic on September 4th, 2024, where I observe and help with patients 5 days a week. This experience has been extremely amazing, as I'm learning more personal skills and how to be more outgoing towards strangers. As a part of this internship, I have made it a personal goal to show kindness to every single patient I work with. I work with approximately 2-3 different patients every day at the PT clinic. This means that I'm meeting new people every single day. As my hometown is populated by the retired population, I mainly work with the elderly population who have had different surgeries like knee, hip, or shoulder replacements. When I work with these patients, I constantly compliment them on how well they are recovering from surgery and tell them how proud I am of them for doing the at-home exercises that we assign them. I love it when I get the chance to work with these patients for many of their appointments, as I get to play a role in their whole recovery process. It makes my day when I see these patients come into the clinic and see how excited they get when they see that I get to work with them. The smiles on their faces during their appointments make me feel so grateful that I am getting this amazing internship experience. Occasionally I have gotten the chance to work with athletes or people who are struggling with things like Parkinson's or vestibular issues. With these patients, I try to make them feel supported and encouraged even though they are struggling so much. It is with these types of patients that I see not only the physical problems they are facing but how these physical problems are also causing them to struggle mentally. This is where I try to be positive and mentally get them to feel good about their progress and what they are going through. I have come to learn that even the smallest compliment or word of encouragement with these patients gets them going and feeling better about their situations. As I have worked to show kindness, encouragement, and positivity towards all of my patients, I have seen them start to do the same in return. My patients will ask me how my day is going, how school or sports are going, and what my plans are for college and the future. When I started this experience, I never expected my patients to be so kind towards me, as I thought I would be the one trying to be kind and outgoing. This has made this experience so special, as I see how this kindness is circling the whole clinic between patients and therapists. Along with showing kindness towards all of my patients, I make it a goal to compliment and thank the PT that I work with every day. All of the therapists showed a huge act of kindness when they agreed to let me come observe them and work with them. As I am so grateful for this, I want to show them kindness every single day so that they know their acceptance of me is appreciated. Overall, it has been an amazing experience to see how the kindness I show towards my patients makes them so happy and excited. I have loved seeing the kindness reciprocated by both patients and therapists every single day. This experience has made me not only fall in love with this career path but also with the idea of getting to show kindness like this to patients every single day in my future career. I am so grateful that I have gotten the chance to show kindness towards the people in my community who need it. I hope that I can inspire other people to show acts of kindness like this every single day.

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. I was diagnosed with a generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) at a young age, 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 than others, as it has led me to avoid many different things, I have learned over the years that my anxiety can 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. It has helped me 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. Many of my peers don't understand what it is like to live with an anxiety disorder, which leads them to see me and my personality as weird and awkward. This causes me to place barriers between myself and others. Though I would say I don't 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 there 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.

"Okay, go ahead and try standing up," 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 lying flat in the bed. My nurse has to physically push me into a sitting position in bed, and 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 think about careers in the medical field, and physical therapy 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. This is when I decided I wanted to become a physical therapist. In early September 2024, I began an internship at our local Physical Therapy Clinic. This experience has been so humbling, as I have got to work with amazing PTs and learn things that I wouldn't be able to learn in high school. I have also grown into a more outgoing person through this experience. I have dealt with a Generalized Anxiety Disorder my whole life, causing me to be extremely quiet and shy. This internship has helped me to become a more outgoing person through my interactions with my patients. I believe this internship is setting me on the right track to becoming a physical therapist. I plan to attend Oregon State University and major in Kinesiology and then get my doctorate in physical therapy. I believe that I will be able to make this goal happen, as I am someone who works extremely hard and doesn't give up in the face of challenges. I look forward to the challenges of med school, knowing that it will all be worth it when I get to help my future patients.

For me, higher education is something that I have always looked forward to, something that has always driven me to work hard at school every single day to get good grades so that I could have the opportunity to attend a good college. This has led me to set extremely high educational goals for myself, both presently and for the future. When it comes to my future education, I want to use what I learn at college to impact the lives of others. This has led me to want to obtain a bachelor's degree in kinesiology and a doctorate degree in physical therapy, as I see this as a positive way that I can impact my community members. I know that this goal is not only going to be challenging, but expensive as well, so any money that I can get to help make this goal more attainable would be deeply appreciated. I see furthering my education as a way that I can give back to my community through my career. After being diagnosed with a rare kidney syndrome called Nutcracker Syndrome in 2022 and having to undergo a 7 hour Renal Vein Transposition surgery at OHSU (Oregon Health and Science University), I learned first hand how important the medical field is and how medical professionals can leave positive, life-long impacts on your life. This experience is what made me dream of getting a career in the medical field. I want to have a positive impact on the lives of people in my community through my career as a physical therapist. As an avid distance runner and someone who loves physical activity, I want to share this love with the community around me. It would be extremely rewarding to know that I'm helping someone to live an active and healthy life. The money from this scholarship would be extremely appreciated, as it would allow me to feel less worried financially about my education. Furthermore, my twin sister will be attending college at the same time as me, meaning that my family will be trying to pay for two college educations. As my mom is an elementary school teacher and my dad is a high school math teacher, our family doesn't have the crazy amount of money to pay for college like other families do, let along paying for two college educations at the same time. The money from this scholarship would be extremely appreciated by not only me, but the rest of my family as well. Thank you so much for the consideration! Addison McNeill

In February 2022 during my freshman year of high school, I began to experience extreme pain and sickness. After months of doctors visits, procedures, and tests, I was ultimately sent to Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) where I was diagnosed with a rare kidney syndrome called Nutcracker Syndrome. After living in pain for almost a year, I underwent a renal vein transposition surgery in December of 2022. This year was the most difficult and challenging of my entire life. Though it was really rough, my time spent immersed in the medical field with all of my doctors helped me to fall in love with this field. This is where I found my dream career choice of becoming a physical therapist. With this career goal, I began an internship at my local physical therapy clinic, PeaceHealth Physical Therapy Clinic, in September of 2024. On average, I spend 10 hours a week observing different physical therapists and occupational therapists. This has been an amazing experience, as I'm getting to learn things that I wouldn't learn in the classroom at school. I have learned many things, including learning how cupping works, learning different exercises and mobility activities for different surgeries and injuries, and learning about different surgeries and injuries in general. This experience has also helped to challenge me into becoming a more outgoing person, as I'm learning how to interact with both the therapists and the patients. It has been extremely humbling and rewarding to watch my patients grow and recover after helping them for weeks at a time. After only doing this internship for 2 months, I have fallen in love with this career path and want to pursue my doctorate degree in physical therapy. The encouragement from both the PT's I'm working with and the patients I have gotten the chance to help makes me believe I am fit for a career as a physical therapist, which makes me extremely excited. This internship is the highlight of my day every single day and I can't wait to keep doing it for the rest of the school year. Coming from a family that lives off of two teaching salaries, money for college is a worry of mine, especially since my twin sister and I will be attending college at the same time and both have high aspirations to attain expensive degrees. I think this is going to be the biggest hardship I will experience when it comes to higher education; finding ways to make money less of a worry for my family. I know that pursuing a doctorate degree in physical therapy will take lots of time, as well as be extremely stressful and overwhelming at times, but I believe I have what it takes to accomplish this goal. I know that it will be extremely expensive as well, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to obtain my dream career and get the chance to impact the lives of patients just like how my doctors left a lasting impact on my life. Thank you for your consideration!

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.