Going into high school I was struggling with tests and quizzes and so I took a test and found out that I have slow processing speeds. While I was relieved to know that I wasn't struggling just because I wasn't good enough, I was frustrated because I felt as if there was something wrong with me. And I was embarrassed because I felt like I wasn't smart enough. During my freshman year I had to figure out how to work around it. I had to work twice as hard in class, on homework, and especially on tests and quizzes. I would go into office hours studying twice as hard and twice as long and I was constantly asking for help on homework and other assignments. I would study very hard only to remember what the answer was after I had already turned the test in. But I didn't only struggle in school, I saw it show up in my everyday life. It was most difficult in conversations because it took me longer to just comprehend what they were saying and then I had to think of a response. I always felt behind and even left out in conversations because of this. I would put so much work into everything I did just to keep the conversation going. It was exhausting. And after all that work I still felt as though I couldn't get to the same level as everyone else. I felt as though I was running and everyone else was walking just to get to the same place. I have fought my entire high school career to become better and while it has gotten easier in some ways and I have found some ways to work around it. I constantly fear conversations with people who don't understand because they might just think I'm not good enough or smart enough to keep the conversation going. I constantly worry that I will lose the people I love because they won’t want to try and keep a conversation with me. At my school for our senior project we have to write and defend a thesis that includes an essay, a twenty minute speech with twenty minutes of questions. I had been dreading this from the moment I first heard about it. A year ago I picked my topic (sacrificial love) and an advisor who would help me through the process. As the date of my defense grew nearer and nearer I became more and more scared. I tried to prepare in any way possible but knew that I had to get up in front of everyone I knew and answer questions that I wouldn't be prepared for. As I stood in front of everyone who supported me, I knew they were cheering for me and I knew that all they wanted was to see how hard I worked. Even though this is something I still struggle with, it has taught me how to persevere even when I feel as though I am stuck and that surrounding myself with people who support me is the most important thing.

Growing up I always wanted to become a nurse or a doctor. Two of my aunts were nurses and I loved the idea that I could help people. Being one of the oldest siblings in a family with eight kids it was instinctual. When my siblings were hurt I was the first one there to give them a helping hand and help them brush it off. I wanted them to know that it was okay and they can continue having fun. I came into high school deciding that I wanted to become a pediatric nurse but what I didn't know was that my thinking would change. During my junior year I took an anatomy class and loved it. I loved learning about how complex the human body was. My teacher always had a part of her lesson that was about a case study. She would tell us some of the details at the beginning and as we went through the notes for that unit we would try and figure out what was causing their symptoms. I loved being in the role of a doctor who would get to diagnose their patients. Later that year my friend had to get hip surgery because she had hip dysplasia. She had a hip abduction brace which meant she couldn't move very well on her own. So when we hung out I could help her around the house, up and down the stairs, and in and out of the car. She told me about some of the exercises she did and how her healing journey has been going. It surprised me how difficult everything was for her and I wanted to help make it easier for her while still keeping her hopes high. It taught me to be patient and how to encourage her. During my senior year I watched our physical therapist help out my teammates whether it was some stretches or taping an ankle or knee. I found it inspiring how he was able to help them continue to play the sport they love. It became apparent to me that even though being a nurse had been my plan, a physical therapist was my call. I wanted to work more closely with my patients and help them become more independent after their injuries. Once I realized I wanted to become a PT I reached out to a friend who was currently studying PT and he gave me some pointers and so much information to help me continue on down that path. All of this has helped me learn not only what I wanted to study but it has also helped me discover my worth because I am able to serve others just like God has intended. I have found that I am most happy helping others. And now as an almost graduated senior I am excited to finally start studying PT at the University of Mary in North Dakota. I can’t wait to help others recover from injury or surgery so they can continue doing the things they love. Whether it is as simple as playing in the backyard with their kids, siblings and friends, or it is to continue to be active in their sport.

I grew up in a big family with seven siblings. This means there is always some sort of chaos in the house whether it was a sports event, a recital or just some game that we were playing something was always happening. I am one of the oldest which means I was always the role model, a shoulder to cry on, or a steady place they could come to when they needed help. Because of this I quickly found out that I needed to find someone I can rely on and so I found God. However, I didn't learn this on my own. Growing up my parents always took me to Mass on Sundays and church class after. They paid for me to go on retreats and to camp. Oftentimes I didn't want to go because it felt just like another thing that they were asking me to do but I continued to go regardless. As I got older I became more interested in my faith and I realized how important God was to my parents and I wanted to learn more. I wanted to know what kept them going, and what fueled their joy. So when the next retreat came up I chose to go. I wanted to listen to what they had to say, and I started to ask questions and take my relationship with God into my own hands. My parents walked with me through it all. My dad would drive me to the adoration chapel for a couple minutes every day before school, and my mom would sit with me while we read our Bibles together. My faith became my number one priority and while it still hasn't been easy it has been such a relief to know that I have someone to lean on who knows so much more than me and I can truly trust with my full heart, mind, and soul. I am so excited to see how my faith grows in college and that I will be able to share God's love and truth with a different group of people. And this experience of being the oldest sibling has helped me discover what I have wanted to study in college as well. Taking care of my siblings, I realized I wanted to help others whether it’s through helping them physically through PT or spiritually with Youth Ministry. I wanted to help them find the joy that I have been able to experience through my parents and my faith.