Not only did I fall in love with volleyball eight years ago and have played since then, but I have also been blessed with the several opportunities it has given me. This year as a senior, I was honored to be named captain of my school’s varsity team and have enjoyed the responsibilities associated with the leadership position. Aiding in the decision-making for my team and encouraging them to excel in the sport has taught me how to be a respectful and teammate-driven leader. However, rewinding four years, I was met with an almost career-ending experience that altered the way I perceive my job as a teammate. During one of my beginning eighth-grade matches, I was attempting to pass the ball when my thumb was the only contact with the object, resulting in it reversing unnaturally onto my wrist. Hearing the referrer’s whistle, signaling the end of our warm-up time for the varsity game, I was faced with an equally loud noise of my thumb crunching. After the doctor told me that I had broken my thumb and torn the surrounding ligaments I had to break from volleyball for the first time, forcing myself to learn how to be supportive of my teammates while watching from the stands. This lesson taught me how to not only love playing the sport but also the sisterhood and encouragement volleyball can bring to the world. Three years later, at the end of my junior season, I reinjured my thumb and all the negative emotions from the previous occurrence came rushing back to my thoughts. Again, did I have to realize the blessing of an able physical body and focus on the mental challenges associated with it. Now, as a senior, I am appreciative of the difficult periods I experienced as they shaped me as a better volleyball player and an equipped mentally tough teammate who wishes for her team to win as a whole and not as an individual. Currently, I attend Tri-Cities Christian Academy in Tennessee, which is a small private school that often lacks recognition in comparison to the larger public schools in my area. I am very grateful that I represent my school as a student-athlete as I lead my team in aces, blocks, and kills and more importantly offer an example of a leader for those to mirror my appreciation for volleyball and my school. I believe that as an athlete I should not only portray my school but also my community as I have a heart for volunteer service and advocacy. Growing up as an individual, I have pursued the opportunity of providing money and time for the VFW organization and Operation Christmas Child while also polishing my leadership abilities by relating to kids by counseling them at a summer camp. Continuing this line of thinking, I strive to raise awareness for my brother’s rare genetic disorder, known as Costello Syndrome and plan to use my career to discover solutions and raise awareness for it. These advancements have aided me in my search for playing collegiate volleyball and as of now I have four official offers. I give all the credit to God, my parents, and my coaches for pushing me to become a team player and leader for my team. Thank you, receiving The WiseGEEK Althetics Scholarship Fund would help me accomplish my leadership goals and dreams to further my athletic career.

Giving is more important than getting, a principle that is often overlooked in recent America. I believe that participating in any kind of service project can help one understand the essentials of humility and the act of sacrificing someone your energy over your profit. The opportunity to give time and or money can impact people and their lives, for example, I enjoy spreading awareness for my brother’s genetic mutation and raising contributions for its cause. Although this small act of giving cannot cure or solve any issues relating to the topic, it gives those affected comfort and recognition for their hardships. As a student, I gravitated towards STEM classes especially those relating to science and my goal is to use this inspiration to contribute solutions for those suffering from various genetic disabilities. I aspire to further my studies in the realm of genetics, advancing the knowledge and inclusiveness of genetic disorders. I would appreciate receiving the Glen E Kaplan Memorial Scholarship as it would aid in my wish to pursue higher education at a credible STEM college. While maintaining advanced education in genetics is essential for my career plans, I theorize that this role demands adequate leadership skills as the field is quite limited. To strategize for this, I plan to overcome the stereotype and encourage women like myself to become leaders in STEM. Polishing my work ethic, I have sacrificed time for other organizations such as the National Honor Society, my varsity volleyball team, and camp counseling to ensure my ability to perform well in group settings. Additionally, after working in this specific field of science, my end pursuit is to serve this minority group by constructing a charity directed towards their cause, which will help them gain their deserved awareness. My brother’s condition, Costello Syndrome, lacks recognition and should be more widely accepted for his adaptation to real-world situations. For example, he is often not given accommodation from his schooling systems, which is due to their diminished knowledge of how Costello affects the motor and memorization functions of the brain. This issue needs to be addressed to allow him and others similar to have access to conformity within society. These preparations will trustingly support my journey to becoming a genetic researcher and aid those like my brother who have rare underrepresented genetic disabilities. I believe that the ability to exercise this knowledge by diagnosing patients or writing research papers does not define my intellect, but rather the implementation of structured thinking into everyday choices and the motive for aiding others determines the finiteness of intelligence. Observing my brother’s fight, I have been continuously impacted to live to the fullest, pursuing any stem of motivation to not only educate myself but also to support him as his sister. Service has allowed me to recognize my ability to change a small portion of my world, encouraging me to take the risks associated with increasing my desire to lead in my career path.

“Am I good enough?”, is a lyric one often wonders throughout their life; a fear that grips a person’s soul disabling them from all self-satisfaction. Taken from the song, “Fearless”, written by Jasmine Murray, the lyric continues to entangle the mind by speaking upon the emotion of fright. Although feelings of happiness and nervousness are powerful, the notion of fear overcomes all others, labeling it as regnant over the human body. Despite this, “Fearless”, offers an opposing viewpoint of faith in something that subdues fear, this something is God. During a time of turmoil in my life, I listened to this song to remember that anxiety and doubt should not define me. Countering the void of helplessness fear brings, Murray writes, “Feels like a war I can’t win, But I wasn’t given the spirit of fear, I was given the power of love.” Hearing and believing this allowed me to push away my concerns and adopt the feelings of love, utilizing my time for others instead of creating stress for myself. “Fearless” was not simply a leisure or worship song for me; however, it meant peace for my worries and hope for a joyful life. This song paved the way for other songs to influence my thoughts for the renewal of my attitude toward fear, which I desire for it to benefit others who may think they cannot measure up to the unattainable human standard of emotional capacity.