The two main lessons that martial arts have taught me are self-discipline (doing the things I know I should do without being told) and self-control (controlling my behavior to fit the situation that I am in). I started taking martial arts at the age of six. At the time, these rules started as a way to get us to behave in and out of the dojo. Self-discipline started as a way to get us to clean our room and brush our teeth; but as I went through grade school, middle school and into high school, it morphed into doing my homework so that I had time to do other things. I found that practicing self-discipline allowed me to manage my time so that I could balance my academics, and extracurricular activities and still make time to nurture friendships. It taught me that life is all about balance. Self Control started as a way to get us to deter tantrums, but I found this useful as I grew older and encountered difficult relationships with classmates/teammates and teachers/coaches. This is probably the most valuable lesson that I have learned. The world is full of people with differing opinions. Self-control allows us to have opposing viewpoints and still coexist.

Some random facts about me: my toenail comes off sometimes, I always go up the stairs two at a time, and I enjoy eating potato chips with ketchup. I am a second degree black belt. I played the viola for 8 years. I took dance classes for 8 years before I couldn’t fit them into my schedule because of soccer and track. Both of my parents are engineers and both of my grandmothers are nurses. I am interested in a STEM degree because science has always been one of my favorite subjects in school. I started off wanting to be an architect, and then I switched to some sort of medical doctor before finally deciding on physical therapy. It was my medical emergencies class that made me realize that I didn’t want to be a doctor. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the class, I didn’t like the life or death aspects that came with being a medical doctor. The class was more preparation for being a first responder, but the stress and responsibility of having someone’s life in my hands was not a responsibility that I wanted, so I started to explore other options. I have been an athlete for most of my life. I understand the demands athletes put on their body to perform. I understand the importance of warming up and being mindful of your body’s limitations and wanting to push farther in order to achieve more. It wasn’t until I took an anatomy and physiology class that I started to learn about the muscles. I have watched my teammates get injured and recover from those injuries. I’ve heard their physical therapy stories and seen them return to play. I have watched my grandmother be slowed down by arthritis in her knee and seen how physical therapy has helped her regain some of her mobility. I plan to make a positive impact on the world by helping one athlete, grandmother, sibling, parent, spouse, or friend one at a time. It starts with me getting my degree in physical therapy, passing the test, and becoming a practicing physical therapist. I realize it’s a rigorous program, but have already demonstrated that I am no stranger to hard work. My pursuit to make a positive impact continues with me staying informed of the latest trends in physical therapy. Perhaps I will explore other options that may revolutionize the field, and aid in a patient’s recovery. I am patient, kind, and compassionate. Not only are those all the desirable traits of a medical professional, but they’re traits of a good human being. I like to smile and make others feel good. I think I can make a positive impact on the world by being a bright light (via a smile or encouraging words) for my patients. I can help them get back to their lives by helping them recover from their injuries. My hope is that they will then be a bright light for others and we can all positively impact the world.

I plan to succeed in college similar to the way I succeeded in high school, by managing my time wisely. My time management skills have been key in my ability to keep the balance among my academic, athletic, and social demands. When I started my freshman year, I was involved in several extracurricular activities outside of school. I was taking karate twice a week, dance classes twice a week, and I had premier soccer club practice twice a week with games in neighboring states on the weekends. I was able to balance that with my high school soccer team and my high honors course load. As I progressed through my high school years I realized I had to let some things go. I stopped doing soccer because it didn’t bring me joy anymore. I stopped doing karate and dance after it became difficult to balance them with my demanding track schedule. Now in my senior year, I am starting to get the hang of this school-life balance thing, even with the added stress of applying to colleges. I have learned that a key part of managing my time involves saying no to things that don’t bring me joy or help me grow. I get my work done, go to practice, and make time to socialize with my friends. I even held a job for a little while, but it conflicted with my track schedule so regretfully I had to take a leave of absence. I prioritize my time by what has to get done followed by what is important to me, and I am learning the importance of taking time for myself. Having the understanding that it’s okay to say no and that I need to take time for myself―while I balance the academic, athletic and social demands of a student-athlete—will be even more valuable when I get to college. My parents have always instilled in me that there are benefits to earning a college degree. They both have college degrees. They are both engineers; they make decent money and provide for my siblings and me. My father took an alternate route to his college degree. He did not go to college right after high school. He worked at a few odd jobs for a couple of years before deciding he wanted to go to college. One of his regrets was not living on campus. His experience was different from my mom’s, as she lived on campus. Aside from the money, one of the main benefits they have emphasized is the experiences they had while earning the degree. The benefit of earning the degree appears to be the journey; the lessons you learn and the people you meet along the way. It’s also what you learn about yourself on that journey. For most of us, college is a transition from teen to young adult. It seems the benefit of the college experience is self-exploration without the watchful eye of your parents.