Title: “Chasing the Next Dream” Opening Scene: The camera pans over an empty volleyball court, the sound of sneakers squeaking on the polished wood still echoing in the air. It’s the end of a long practice, and a single volleyball rolls slowly across the floor. In the center of the court, I’m kneeling, tying my shoelaces, sweat dripping from my brow. My teammates have left, but I’m not ready to go just yet. As the camera zooms in, a voiceover begins: “Sometimes, life feels like the last few minutes of a game—you're exhausted, you’ve given everything, but there’s still more to play for. For me, it all started with a very different sport.” The scene shifts to a brightly lit skating rink. A younger version of me, no older than seven, glides gracefully across the ice, performing spins and jumps with precision. The wall behind me is lined with medals and trophies. The camera zooms in on one—‘National Champion, Artistic Figure Skating, Age 10.’ “Figure skating was my first love. It taught me discipline, determination, and the joy of perfecting something I was passionate about. But life, as it often does, had other plans.” The cheerful music of the skating rink fades abruptly, replaced by the sound of silence. The younger version of me stands frozen in the middle of the rink, staring at an empty schedule board. The camera pans out, showing the lights of the rink dimming. “After COVID and other challenges, skating became a closed chapter. I was devastated. My identity was tied to being a skater, and I didn’t know what came next. That’s when my dad—my coach and my constant supporter—suggested I try volleyball. I didn’t know it then, but God had a new path waiting for me.” The scene transitions to my first volleyball game. The gym is packed with cheering parents and teammates. I step onto the court for the first time, noticeably nervous. The ball comes flying toward me, and I dive, making an awkward but successful save. The crowd erupts into applause. “Starting volleyball as a high school sophomore felt like stepping into an entirely new world. I went from standing on top of a national podium to being a JV player, struggling to learn the basics. It was humbling, but it was also thrilling. I found a new kind of joy in the camaraderie of team sports and the challenge of building something from the ground up.” The scene fast-forwards, showing snippets of me training with coaches, mentoring younger players, and celebrating victories with my teammates. “By my senior year, I earned All-District honors, became a leader on my team, and found a passion for helping others grow—whether it was mentoring younger players or encouraging my teammates during tough games. This new path wasn’t just about volleyball; it was about learning how to lead, inspire, and persevere.” The camera cuts to a small church sanctuary. I’m sitting in the A/V booth, adjusting slides and managing lighting for a service. The sound of worship fills the room. “Faith has always been at the center of my life. It’s what guided me through every challenge, from leaving figure skating to building a new identity in volleyball. Serving on my church’s A/V team and volunteering at community events like the Walk for Life has taught me that small actions can make a big impact.” The scene transitions to a future vision. I’m standing in a rehabilitation clinic, working with a young athlete recovering from an ACL tear. I adjust her exercise routine, explaining the data from a wearable device monitoring her progress. The athlete smiles, nodding in understanding, as the camera zooms in on her taking her first steps toward recovery. “My future is about using everything I’ve learned—from the discipline of figure skating, the teamwork of volleyball, and the lessons of faith—to help others. I’m pursuing a degree in exercise science/kinesiology, with the goal of combining sports medicine and artificial intelligence to revolutionize how we approach injury prevention and recovery. I want to help athletes, particularly female athletes, overcome challenges and reclaim their dreams.” The scene ends back on the volleyball court, with me picking up the rolling ball and taking one final shot at the net. The camera freezes mid-air, capturing the ball just before it hits the target, as the screen fades to black. “Because in my story, there’s always another dream to chase.”

In the excerpt from Antigone, the guards represent the struggle between personal ethics and the cold, sometimes heartless rules we follow, highlighting how easy it can become to lose our sense of self when we're just trying to fit in or follow orders. "As for those three red-faced card players—they are the guards. One smells of garlic, another of beer; but they're not a bad lot. They have wives they are afraid of, kids who are afraid of them; they're bothered by the little day-to-day worries that beset us all. At the same time—they are policemen: eternally innocent, no matter what crimes are committed; eternally indifferent, for nothing that happens can matter to them. They are quite prepared to arrest anybody at all, including Creon himself, should the order be given by a new leader." Sophocles' Antigone dives into the deep waters of moral integrity versus just going with the flow. This paragraph might seem like just a side note about some guards, but really, it's a big deal. It shows how school rules, or any societal norms, can make us feel like we're just another number, not a person with feelings and choices. The guards here are described as if they could be anyone's dad or uncle—stressed about home life, maybe a bit embarrassed by their smell, but relatable. They worry about the same things we do at school: fitting in, family pressures, and the everyday drama. Yet, when they put on their uniform, they become something else—detached from the consequences of their actions, just like when we follow school rules without thinking about why we're doing it. My father, who was a Federal Agent, described a similar feeling in which the bureaucracy eventually wore him down until it was easier to go along to get along then to stand up for what is right. At school, there are many rules related to dress code and personal conduct. Even my varsity volleyball team had many rules. It's not that I disagree with all rules, but sometimes it is easy to feel like part of a system, not thinking or considering whether those rules are fair or right. And sometimes when you feel like a lone voice within a system it is easy to avoid conflict and simply do the thing that is expected even when it seems out of place. That's the guards. They're just doing what they're told, they’re not questioning if it's right. Perhaps, they even know it isn’t right but simply no longer care. The guards being "eternally innocent" and "indifferent" speaks to how we can sometimes shut off our conscience to fit into what's expected of us. I personally experienced this during my senior year when my varsity team put up with a coach who didn't treat us well. Most on the team found it easier to just get through the season rather than rock the boat by speaking out. Some players were concerned about playing time. Others were afraid of retaliation. Instead of speaking up, we went through the motions and I’m most certain the Athletic Director would refer to our play at the end as indifferent. But here's the thing—this passage isn't saying the guards are the bad guys; it's more about showing how we can all become part of something bigger that we don't fully understand or agree with. It's about the danger of not thinking for ourselves, much like when we're in the middle of high school drama or peer pressure, where it's easier to go with the flow than to stand for what we believe. Antigone, in contrast, stands up because she believes in something greater than rules, laws or societal expectations. She's like that one girl who isn't afraid to challenge the status quo, even if it means standing alone. Sophocles is pushing us to think: what if we're all just like these guards in our daily lives? What if our silence or indifference makes us complicit in things we don't agree with? The benefit of ancient literature is that we now have much history to see it play out. I can think of no greater modern example than described in the book Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland. In that real historical example, we are told of ordinary men who were not fanatics but were ordinary men who committed great evil because of indifference and conformity. I don’t know if I would consider Antigone a heroine. After all, it is a tragedy and in the end she takes her own life. But this part of Antigone is a reminder that sometimes, the real challenge isn't fighting the external challenges, but overcoming our own indifference or fear of standing out. It asks us to look at our own lives and decide if we're just going through the motions, or if we're truly living with our eyes open to the world around us. Are we just another guard, or are we brave enough to take a stand, just like Antigone.

I love playing volleyball and sports have always been a life passion. But I struggled with envisioning how this passion could evolve into a viable career. While I would never label an injury as fortuitous, it was actually my journey through physical therapy that led to my choice in STEM. I saw a unique chance to combine my enthusiasm for sports with my interest in technology through learning to program artificial intelligence. Most people don't understand the full impact injuries have on athletes. Take, for instance, the fact that one in four athletes with an ACL tear won't play at their prior level again. This is surprising, considering the advancements in sports medicine over the last half-century. AI is set to revolutionize many fields, but I've identified a specific gap in sports medicine where AI could make a significant impact. Imagine AI that adjusts recovery plans on-the-fly, keeping athletes on track and optimizing outcomes. With AI handling much of the data analysis, therapists could spend more time connecting with patients, making the recovery process more engaging and supportive. The challenge, as with any technical field, is programming AI to use appropriate data and prioritizing the correct problems. AI's effectiveness depends on the quality of the data used to train it. That’s where I plan to develop my career. By gaining knowledge in both programming and areas like kinesiology and physical therapy, I can help create AI that truly understands athlete rehabilitation. Integrating AI into physical therapy could transform our approach to sports injuries, turning recovery from a mere aspiration into a more predictable result. That's the kind of influence I hope to have in my career. Using AI to help athletes seems like a great way to continue my sporting career and to help people.

My shins ached with a throbbing pain that was hard to ignore. I’m pretty sure trying to play high school beach volleyball and indoor club volleyball was too much. But I was used to pushing myself and was determined to make it work. The back story to this is I started roller skating when I was seven. By ten, I was on the podium as a national champion figure skater. Not exactly a mainstream sport, I know. Then, at fifteen, the costs were more than my family could afford and I had to quit. I was devastated, but my parents encouraged me to switch to volleyball. I wound up playing my first game as a HS sophomore. I went from national champion to JV player, which was humbling to be sure. But I soon became obsessed with the game. I was way behind my peers and needed to work extra hard to catch up. I was determined to secure a spot on a college team. This relentless pursuit, however, came with its costs—numerous minor injuries. And that’s how I wound up with those throbbing shins. My father insisted on seeing a doctor, but I resisted; doctors often seemed indifferent to my aspirations of college recruitment. Fortunately, I had access to an exceptional physical therapist who genuinely cared about my athletic future. During one of these sessions, as I underwent leg manipulation followed by prescribed exercises, I noticed something striking – none of my sports medicine professionals were female. My pediatrician, nurses, and nurse practitioners had all been women, and while there were female trainers with sports teams, the field of sports medicine seemed disproportionately male-dominated, at least from my point of view. This is where I believe I found my calling. I LOVE playing volleyball, but I struggled with envisioning how this passion could evolve into a viable career. While I would never label an injury as fortuitous, this time, it guided me toward my career choice, something no career assessment tool ever helped me achieve. It’s a weird way to discover a path that blends my interests and passions…I've long had an interest in healthcare, initially thinking about nursing, but now I see my true calling is to aid athletes to pursue their athletic ambitions. My goal is to join a college team (preferably one that wins), and then use that experience along with my education, to achieve this dream. I’m involved in many community service projects that I could talk about, but when I’ve got free time, I really enjoy baking. I don’t really eat cookies myself, it’s just not my favorite dessert. Actually, come to think of it, I don’t eat much dessert at all. But I’ve found that baking is a way to be creative and to show others I care in a very personal way. Whenever I can, I like to make cookies and decorate them for friends and teammates. It doesn’t even have to be a special occasion. Everyone seems to love freshly baked cookies and it genuinely seems to brighten their day. Each time I bake, I can put a little bit of my personality into the cookie and it shows others I care enough to make something for them. Baking is also incredibly calming as it allows me to focus on the process and take my mind of scholastics and athletics. My parents, however, wish that I was more passionate about cleaning up after myself!

My shins ached with a throbbing pain that was hard to ignore. I’m pretty sure trying to play high school beach volleyball and indoor club volleyball was too much. But I was used to pushing myself and was determined to make it work. The back story to this is I started roller skating when I was seven. By ten, I was on the podium as a national champion figure skater. Not exactly a mainstream sport, I know. Then, at fifteen, the costs were more than my family could afford and I had to quit. I was devastated, but my parents encouraged me to switch to volleyball. I wound up playing my first game as a HS sophomore. I went from national champion to JV player, which was humbling to be sure. But I soon became obsessed with the game. I was way behind my peers and needed to work extra hard to catch up. I was determined to secure a spot on a college team. This relentless pursuit, however, came with its costs—numerous minor injuries. And that’s how I wound up with those throbbing shins. My father insisted on seeing a doctor, but I resisted; doctors often seemed indifferent to my aspirations of college recruitment. Fortunately, I had access to an exceptional physical therapist who genuinely cared about my athletic future. During one of these sessions, as I underwent leg manipulation followed by prescribed exercises, I noticed something striking – none of my sports medicine professionals were female. My pediatrician, nurses, and nurse practitioners had all been women, and while there were female trainers with sports teams, the field of sports medicine seemed disproportionately male-dominated, at least from my point of view. This is where I believe I found my calling. I LOVE playing volleyball, but I struggled with envisioning how this passion could evolve into a viable career. While I would never label an injury as fortuitous, this time, it guided me toward my career choice, something no career assessment tool could achieve. At last, I've discovered a path that blends my passion for sports with my wish to assist others. I've long had an interest in healthcare, initially thinking about nursing, but now I see my true calling is to aid athletes, particularly female athletes, in recovering from injuries and pursuing their athletic ambitions. My goal is to join a college team (preferably one that wins), and then use that experience along with my education, to achieve this dream. I case it’s not clear by now, my motivation to work in sports medicine stems from my personal love for sports and my understanding of challenges athletes face. I believe that playing sports in college, alongside my studies, will give me unique insights into the issues that female athletes and the broader sports community encounter. My goal is to ensure that athletes, particularly girls, have access to professionals who truly understand the sport and what drives an athlete. Health care and sports medicine aren’t just about treating injuries. I can speak with experience when I say no athlete wants to be defined by injury much less spend all of it in physical therapy. Athletes want to compete and to do that they need to be at their peak, both mentally and physically. Sports medicine is about helping athletes whether it be nutrition, injury prevention, or injury treatment. And we cannot forget the emotional and mental challenges athletes face. Through my career in sports medicine, I will help athletes recover but also to transform how we approach sports healthcare to better meet the specific needs of women in sports.

I started roller skating when I was seven. By ten, I was on the podium as a national champion figure skater. Not exactly a mainstream sport, I know. Then, as a teen, the costs were more than my family could afford and I had to quit. I was devastated, but my parents encouraged me to switch to volleyball. I wound up playing my first game as a high school sophomore. So I went from national champion to JV player which was humbling. But I soon became obsessed with the game. That’s what led to my love for math. Since I had started late compared to my peers, I needed to improve quickly. I soon began carefully I tracking my statistics as well as those of college teams. In order to understand what certain statistics meant such a hitting percentage, I needed to know how they were computed. Tracking and comparing my statistics in volleyball was one of the main ways I gauged my improvement. I could track my progress, see where I was improving, and where I needed to work more. And what athlete or coach doesn’t keep stats? The more math I did the easier it was to compute even advanced stats in my head on the fly. So, I studied the stats - how often I blocked, what kind of blocks I was making, and where on the court I was most effective. That dedication paid off by my senior year. I had 33 blocks, which was huge for me, and I even made the all-district team. Once you start liking mathematics instead of merely taking classes, it becomes easier to see the application all around you. Many activities I enjoy require math. Try baking without being able to multiply or divide! But there’s also budgeting, shopping, and time management. It’s handy to know math if you want good ACT/SAT scores for college. I didn't always love math. I mean, numbers and equations seemed so boring compared to the excitement of playing sports. It can be difficult to see why math is important until you’ve had the practical experience to need it. My love for math came from how it intersected with my sport. I believe that is one of the ways athletes can personally experience the value of scholastics and math, specifically.

My shins ached with a throbbing pain that was hard to ignore. I’m pretty sure trying to play high school beach volleyball and indoor club volleyball was too much. But I was used to pushing myself and was determined to make it work. The back story to this is I started roller skating when I was seven. By ten, I was on the podium as a national champion figure skater. Not exactly a mainstream sport, I know. Then, at fifteen, the costs were more than my family could afford and I had to quit. I was devastated, but my parents encouraged me to switch to volleyball. I wound up playing my first game as a HS sophomore. I went from national champion to JV player, which was humbling to be sure. But I soon became obsessed with the game. I was way behind my peers and needed to work extra hard to catch up. I was determined to secure a spot on a college team. This relentless pursuit, however, came with its costs—numerous minor injuries. And that’s how I wound up with those throbbing shins. My father insisted on seeing a doctor, but I resisted; doctors often seemed indifferent to my aspirations of college recruitment. Fortunately, I had access to an exceptional physical therapist who genuinely cared about my athletic future. During one of these sessions, as I underwent leg manipulation followed by prescribed exercises, I noticed something striking – none of my sports medicine professionals were female. My pediatrician, nurses, and nurse practitioners had all been women, and while there were female trainers with sports teams, the field of sports medicine seemed disproportionately male-dominated, at least from my point of view. This is where I believe I found my calling. I LOVE playing volleyball, but I struggled with envisioning how this passion could evolve into a viable career. While I would never label an injury as fortuitous, this time, it guided me toward my career choice, something no career assessment tool could achieve. At last, I've discovered a path that blends my passion for sports with my wish to assist others. I've long had an interest in healthcare, initially thinking about nursing, but now I see my true calling is to aid athletes, particularly female athletes, in recovering from injuries and pursuing their athletic ambitions. My goal is to join a college team (preferably one that wins), and then use that experience along with my education, to achieve this dream. I case it’s not clear by now, my motivation to work in sports medicine stems from my personal love for sports and my understanding of challenges athletes face. I believe that playing sports in college, alongside my studies, will give me unique insights into the issues that female athletes and the broader sports community encounter. My goal is to ensure that athletes, particularly girls, have access to professionals who truly understand the sport and what drives an athlete. Health care and sports medicine aren’t just about treating injuries. I can speak with experience when I say no athlete wants to be defined by injury much less spend all their time in physical therapy. Athletes want to compete and to do that they need to be at their peak, both mentally and physically. Sports medicine is about helping athletes whether it be nutrition, injury prevention, or injury treatment. And we cannot forget the emotional and mental challenges athletes face. Through my career in sports medicine, I will help athletes recover but also to transform how we approach sports healthcare to better meet the specific needs of women in sports.