People with dwarfism face challenges every day when adapting to an “average height” society. Something as simple as reaching for a book on a shelf or washing my hands in the bathroom can be a struggle. During elementary and middle school, I was fortunate to have been bullied on only a few occasions. However, I remember when my family visited Disney World, occasionally people would stop and stare and even take pictures of me without my consent. Despite my challenges, I would never change the way that I am. Living with dwarfism has made me stronger and more resilient while teaching me that it is perfectly okay to be a little different from most people and find my own way of accomplishing my goals. When I was sixteen years old, I was diagnosed with spinal stenosis, a common complication for people with dwarfism in which the spinal canal narrows due to pressure caused by the body’s compact size. I recently underwent spinal decompression surgery, which changed my life by allowing me to live pain free and regain the ability to feel my legs. My recovery has been protracted, but soon I will be able to resume all of my usual community service activities. Having learned long ago to never allow my disability to get in the way of living a full life, I devote my free time to various volunteer opportunities. These include serving as assistant troop leader for a Girl Scouts troop, coaching a local soccer team, and participating in Best Buddies, which provides support for special needs students. But my most meaningful volunteer work is with Little People of America (LPA), a national group supporting people with dwarfism. LPA offers a safe space where people with dwarfism can forge real connections. In recent years, I have found myself taking an unofficial leadership position, mentoring children who are experiencing the same challenges that I once did. They ask me about classroom accommodations, where to buy jeans that actually fit, and how to navigate socializing in middle and high school. I am grateful for the opportunities to mentor younger students and, I hope, make their lives a little easier. The Ace Spencer Rubin Scholarship will be extremely helpful for me as I strive to meet my academic and career goals. I was raised in Seaford, Long Island, by a single mother who worked in Manhattan and did not get home until my bedtime. My grandparents helped as much as they could, watching me in the morning before school and picking me up from the bus stop every afternoon. My mother later remarried and had my little sister. After maternity leave, she was supposed to go back to work, but due to staffing changes, she was unable to return. Currently, my mother is still not working. Therefore, the Ace Spencer Rubin Scholarship will help me tremendously, allowing me to focus on my academics during my undergraduate studies while freeing me from the obligations of a part-time job. Like Ace Spencer Rubin, I strive to pursue my dreams without letting my disability get in my way. At university, I plan to study neuroscience so that I can eventually work to improve the lives of people facing different kinds of challenges. Thanks to all of my volunteer efforts, I have gained something precious: I now understand how tremendously gratifying it is to help someone.