I come from a rural, middle-class background, which has shaped my perspective on healthcare and the role it plays in communities like mine. Growing up, I was always active, especially with baseball, which ignited my early interest in health and fitness. The physical demands of the sport and the importance of maintaining a strong, healthy body intrigued me, and I began sharing my passion for fitness with my family and friends. I wanted to help them understand how lifestyle choices can impact overall health. However, my interest in health deepened when I started taking high school biology and chemistry. These courses opened my eyes to the molecular and cellular processes that underpin all aspects of human health. I was captivated by the complexity of the human body and how each cell works together to maintain life. This scientific foundation sparked a desire to understand health not just from a fitness perspective, but also from a biological and clinical viewpoint. Through various challenges and setbacks in my academic journey, I learned the importance of perseverance. At times, the road was difficult, but each failure became an opportunity to grow, learn, and refine my approach. Over time, I realized that my passion for health extended beyond just personal fitness; I wanted to make a real difference in the lives of others. This realization pushed me to pursue a career in healthcare where I could combine my scientific curiosity with my desire to help people. In addition to my academic pursuits, I’ve had the privilege of volunteering at a community hospital where my role is centered around preventing patient delirium. This experience has provided me with valuable insights into the challenges faced by patients in critical care and the importance of maintaining cognitive function during their recovery. I’ve also had the opportunity to work at a children’s specialty hospital, focused on children with complex developmental disabilities. In this role, I am dedicated to optimizing independence for these children while preventing a range of medical and psychological issues. My work involves helping children achieve their fullest potential by fostering their independence and well-being, which is incredibly rewarding. In both settings, I’ve had the chance to build meaningful connections with patients and their families. These experiences have further reinforced my passion for healthcare, as I see firsthand the positive impact compassionate care can have on people’s lives. The relationships I’ve formed with patients and their families motivate me every day to continue pursuing a career where I can contribute to improving lives and promoting health in meaningful ways. Beyond clinical practice, I aspire to work in academic medicine. I have been fortunate to have mentors along the way who have provided guidance and support, and I want to give back by offering the same mentorship to students pursuing careers in healthcare. Academic medicine will allow me to teach, advise, and inspire the next generation of healthcare professionals, while continuing to stay engaged with various healthcare innovations. I want to make a difference in healthcare not only through patient care but by helping shape future healthcare leaders. My experiences, both personal and academic, have motivated me to pursue this path. I am determined to use my passion for science and education to help others achieve their potential, just as I have been inspired to realize mine.

From a young age, I have been passionate about maintaining my health and encouraging others, such as my classmates, teachers, and family, to live active, healthy lives. My love for baseball was a key driver of this interest, as the sport not only kept me fit but also taught me about the importance of physical well-being. I was fascinated by how the body responds to exercise, how nutrition impacts performance, and how overall health plays a role in success both on and off the field. This early exposure to health and wellness led me to initially consider a career in physical therapy, where I could help others maintain and improve their health through rehabilitation and exercise. However, my career path began to shift in my junior year of high school when I took chemistry. For the first time, I was introduced to a deeper, more complex network of scientific concepts. While learning about chemical reactions, molecular structures, and the intricate processes that govern life, I became captivated by the science that underlies not only physical health but also every aspect of human biology. The complexity of the material sparked an insatiable curiosity, and I found myself eager to explore these topics in greater depth. It was during this time that I realized my passion lay in understanding the human body at a deeper level, and I decided to pursue a career as a physician. As a first-year pre-med student now, I am more committed than ever to this goal. Volunteering at a local hospital and working at another have given me firsthand exposure to the healthcare field. These experiences have only strengthened my resolve to become a physician and to serve my community in a meaningful way. I love the direct impact I can have on people's lives, whether through providing compassionate care or simply offering support during difficult times. Volunteering has also shown me the importance of empathy and effective communication in healthcare, skills I know will be crucial throughout my career. At the same time, I take great pride in the academic challenges that come with being a pre-med student. The rigorous coursework, the fast-paced learning environment, and the constant need to problem-solve all excite me. I thrive in this atmosphere, knowing that each challenge brings me one step closer to my goal. Looking ahead, my ultimate career goal is to become a physician who not only understands the science behind medicine but also has the skills to connect with patients and make a meaningful difference in their lives. Through my education and experiences, I am laying the foundation to achieve this and look forward to the journey ahead.

This opportunity holds deep meaning for me because it gives me a chance to reflect on my journey—one that’s been marked by both challenges and triumphs—and to acknowledge the pivotal role that faith has played in shaping who I am today. I grew up in a Catholic household, and my faith was central to my life. However, during my high school years, I became disconnected from it. I was immature, focused on my own desires, and uninterested in the teachings that had once been so important to me. I distanced myself from the church and from the values I had been raised with, thinking I could manage life on my own. It wasn’t until my junior year that I began to mature and realize how unsustainable and immature this mindset was. I recognized that my detachment from my faith was only leaving me feeling lost and unfulfilled. I came to understand that true peace and purpose come from grounding myself in my faith and reconnecting with the values that had guided me throughout my childhood. It was a process of self-reflection, prayer, and seeking out the support of those around me that ultimately led me back to the church and to a deeper understanding of myself. This renewal of faith has made a tremendous difference in my life. My faith has been the steady anchor through challenges, both personal and academic. When I faced moments of doubt, uncertainty, or struggle, I turned to prayer and trusted that God had a plan for me. This unwavering faith provided me with strength, resilience, and a sense of hope in times when I otherwise would have given up. It has shaped my outlook on life and given me the courage to continue striving for my goals, no matter the obstacles I face. One of the most significant shifts in my thinking came when I reflected on my future. For a long time, I didn’t want kids. I thought about the financial burden they would bring and how overwhelming parenting might be. I even thought they could be annoying. However, as I matured and grew stronger in my faith, my perspective changed. I realized that the purpose of life is not just to accumulate wealth or comfort but to create meaningful relationships and to pass on the wisdom and lessons I’ve learned. I now desire to have children because I want to teach them the values I hold dear: faith, hard work, integrity, and perseverance. I want to share my journey with them, teach them the importance of sports, teamwork, and discipline, and most importantly, support them in living a life that is better than my own. Looking to the future, I plan to use my faith as the guiding force that helps me navigate both personal and professional challenges. I am committed to growing into the best version of myself so that I can inspire and support others, especially my future children. I believe that with God’s guidance, I will be able to raise a family that knows love, purpose, and the importance of living a life of integrity. Through unwavering faith, I will continue to pursue my dreams and create a lasting, positive impact on those around me.

My life growing up can be described as unique, dynamic, and highly influences my personality today. I grew up homeschooled and given my daily environment, my childhood was spent mostly isolated and distanced from peers. Although my upbringing taught me respect for authority, discipline, kindness, and practical thinking, this environment lacked physical, in-person learning, which resulted in a lack of understanding of these valuable instructions. For the traditional people out there, it wouldn’t seem hard to listen, and do exactly what was told, but for me it was. I felt restricted, disabled, and saw the frustration in people’s eyes when I needed additional support. This feeling greatly discouraged me, and for a period in my adolescenthood, only caused me to avoid social interactions, and remain within my restricted comfort zone. It was until I reached early adulthood where I decided I wanted to develop my physical comprehension to complete basic tasks and be functional. I knew I wasn’t disabled or incompetent, I just needed practice. So, I applied myself and pushed my limits to interpret social cues, enhance my social circle, communicate and interact appropriately, and overall become the best individual I can be. Through interacting with teammates, classmates, co-workers, teachers, and family more often than ever before, I saw myself react and respond appropriately and respectfully. I learnt to express my true self, and be a functioning communicator in various settings and with a diverse range of people. Beyond this, I’ve made efforts to increase awareness regarding the online educational experience. From serving on the student advisory council, performing research projects, and speaking at my high school’s graduation. These moments I reflect on and value in my efforts to educate parents and children who are looking to embark on a journey like mine, and provide support for those who are receiving an online education. I now proudly work at The Center for Discovery’s Residential Program, where I directly support individuals who have developmental disabilities such as autism, intellectual disability, down syndrome and others alike complete daily tasks and foster their individual independence. Understanding that 90% of communication is non-verbal, and the importance of patience, dedication, and functional communication is truly valuable. Working with many unique individuals with different preferences, functional capabilities, behaviors, and communication methods, I learnt the importance of communicating not just with those with disabilities, but my colleagues who have more experience working with these people to ensure I’m communicating with them appropriately. It was my personal journey to overcome the challenges that faced me, and I still believe I have work to do regarding communication, trust and relationship building, and following instructions properly. During these efforts, I’ve continuously applied my efforts to others, especially adults who realize they are struggling with instruction following and just need patience for proficiency.

Personal development is important for me because of my demanding schedule, career path, and desire to improve myself and society as a whole. When I first heard the word “personal development” I thought of it as simply growing, which comes naturally. As I gain experience in various industries, I further uncover what personal development means to me. I now think of personal development as more than just growing, but having the dedication, commitment, and desire to improve oneself. This level of grit doesn’t come naturally and requires me to genuinely be interested in the activities I participate in. In the future I aspire to become a physician, I already take pride in the career path I’m choosing and work to continuously push my limits. By doing so, I gain confidence and understand what is possible rather than what isn’t. The field of medicine has great benefits and compensation, but it certainly doesn’t come easy. As a result, I’ve increased my course load in school, and increased hours studying the coursework. In addition to this, I’m working two jobs, serving in leadership roles, and playing baseball. These activities are challenging, but very enjoyable and rewarding. I’ve been able to increase my skills like communication, management, critical-thinking, and creativity, which all develop my character. I’ve been privileged to work alongside other hard-working students and receive mentorship and support from excellent coaches, advisors, teachers and mentors. All of which motivate me to improve my mental and physical health. I often set goals for myself; both long-term and short-term goals. These goals align with my aspirations in the future and inspire me to develop myself to be stronger. Some goals have deadlines, such as what internship I’ll be doing next and when it will be. This motivates me and helps me navigate the journey in-between high school and college. I feel if I continue my efforts to become the best version of myself, anything can be possible. Continually learning, gaining skills, and working to turn my weaknesses into strengths can lead me to a life of accomplishments. And by winning this scholarship, I feel I can serve as an example as to where applying yourself can take you, and how continuing personal development is so important. In conclusion, this scholarship will be greatly appreciated to assist the high costs of my education. I hope to one day experience changing the lives of thousands of patients, and educate the next generation of physicians as a professor of medicine, but can’t do so without support.

Coaches have played a supportive, pivotal role in my upbringing. Coaches to me mean so much more than just a “coach”. To me, coaches serve as mentors, instructors, support resources, and bring vast knowledge to my life. Coaches have consistently built my character, strength, and have acknowledged my subconscious weaknesses, and strived to turn these weaknesses to strengths. Growing up attending online school, I’ve been unable to participate in high school athletics, meaning all of my athletic endeavors included travel (club) baseball. This meant that apart from my parents, I lacked an in-person mentor (such as a teacher, counselor, family coach, etc.) who can teach me valuable skills I need to improve as a person. I found coaches to be the person I can go to for life advice and have a meaningful relationship with, which improved my communication skills on and off the baseball field. Throughout my time in travel baseball, I’ve come across numerous coaches, some good and some bad, but all helpful. I’ve been lucky and extremely grateful to work with great coaches across the sport of baseball. I’ve learnt from former MLB players, such as Mike Bertotti and Carlos Mirabal, as well as world-class coaches like Tony Abbatine and Kevin Richmond. The experiences of traveling to new places, facilities, and meeting new people are times I will never forget, and hope to make new experiences playing baseball for Penn State Scranton. After learning about the life of David G. Sutton, I quickly related to his coaching style and found his personality to be admiring. I’ve continuously tried to find coaches who meet the credentials and demeanor of David, and it’s truly sad that David and I never crossed paths. Despite this, I hope to honor his legacy as a student-athlete at Penn State, and meet the values of the PSUAC athletic conference and mission of collegiate student-athletes as a whole, especially student-athletes in Eastern Pennsylvania. I noticed that David had an amazing sense of humor, and from playing baseball for years, it truly means so much to me when I have a coach who can make me and the team laugh, especially when we're nervous or in a high-pressured situation. A coach who has a sense of humor can unite a team, decrease pressure, help a team relax, and feel confident. I find it incredibly valuable to succeed athletically, personally, professionally, and academically, which is a large reason I challenge myself to be holistic and engage in experiences from various industries like healthcare, marketing, academia, athletics, and hospitality. It would be an honor to be awarded this scholarship for the legacy of Coach David G. Sutton.

Science unites the world and initiates the discovery of new ideas and concepts. Scientific research is integral in academia. The results of research can be applied and scientific constructs and discoveries in this research will last longer than my heart will. With that said, participating in university-level research is my calling and the quality of research performed will reflect my interests and talents. My dedication to research can already be expressed through my most recent experience at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, where myself, another undergraduate, and a faculty mentor will investigate ivermectin applications on American beeches with beech leaf disease (BLD). We will begin this research by surveying the trees at a local state park, then spray ivermectin (an anti-parasitic used to treat roundworms) once per week throughout the 2024-2025 school year. Finally we as a team would gather and analyze the results and make conclusions regarding the results of this research, and present at several local, state, and national conferences. In the future, I hope to study parasitic musculoskeletal physiology. In addition to the opportunity to gain research experience, I am pursuing higher education as a pre-medicine major. I aspire to become a physician. I have extensive interests within medicine; like radiology, psychiatry, orthopedic surgery and more. I currently volunteer at my local hospital, and I find the practice of medicine to be an art. The science that occurs in an emergency room, clinic, operating room, intensive care unit, etc. is indescribably special and an experience I urge to be involved in as a physician. There is no other job that encompasses complex, vast scientific concepts and applies it to the lives of people most in need. I acknowledge becoming a physician requires long hours and many years of training, however, the opportunity to help people in a vulnerable state, is something inexplicably joyful and makes the commitment worth it. Finally, I aspire to find time throughout this journey to teach medicine as a pre-clinical professor of medicine. I hope to one day teach pre-clinical medical students because these learners are first grasping medical content. As a slow learner myself, I feel I can instruct a diverse-variety of learners adequately, regardless of learning style of proficiency. I would also prefer pre-clinical medicine because it can be a way to work with other professionals in a different setting other than a clinic or operating room. I feel I would be more attentive and personalized with students as opposed to clinical medical education.

Growing up, my family motivated me to volunteer in my community often. I first got involved with volunteering at my local church. The church was always welcoming new volunteers and found my motivation to give back at such a young age inspiring and beneficial to the church as a whole. I began volunteering as a choir member, and then altar server, as well as, during this period, I participated in road-side clean-up, and Christmas charitable donations to children whose families could not afford providing Christmas gifts. I also volunteered at my church's haunted house and Christmas breakfast. I volunteer today as Co-president of a club called Random Acts of Kindness at Agora. We encourage spreading kindness throughout our communities and the school. We plan on painting kindness and encouragement rocks and placing them around local parks. I currently volunteer at many organizations that spread awareness about causes close to my heart and align with my core values as a person. Scleroderma United is a non-profit providing patient-led education about scleroderma, its causes, and its effects on people who are diagnosed, and their families. During my time at Scleroderma United, I created key term glossary slides about various terms patients may familiarize themselves with if diagnosed with scleroderma and am presenting these key terms on Wednesday. Mind4Youth is another non-profit to which I contributed for the past eight months. Mind4Youth is a global, youth-led, non-profit spreading awareness about adolescent mental health. I first served as their editorial research intern, where I completed research and edited Mind4Youth articles. These articles have been published on Mind4Youth's website, and are intended to increase awareness and education. Now, I currently serve as Mind4Youth's Executive Recruitment Lead, where I design intern certificates, assign marketing roles, and review the applications of all soon-to-be Mind4Youth members. I hope to continue my volunteering throughout college, as community service, and volunteering play an integral role in my personal development, and believe it improves me as a person. I hope to use this opportunity to be an example of the benefits of volunteering, and how much the world needs a hand sometimes. Volunteering in your community can improve the community in many positive ways, as well as motivating other community members to give back. These efforts make the community better and turn the world into a much better place. Sometimes these can be small acts of kindness, but can go a very long way My goal in the future is to volunteer at hospitals, homeless shelters, and many other community locations.

When thinking of our planet, our ecosystem, and the universe, I commonly think of climate change and our planet's evolution. Additionally, I often hold the notion that science controls scientists, instead of scientists controlling science. I believe this because our universe is large and complex, many cells are involved and science as a whole is diverse. As an aspiring scientist, I hope to one day grasp an understanding of our climate and how it's changing. Many say it's changing in the "wrong direction" while perhaps I agree, I also think of this holistically. Growing up in northeastern Pennsylvania, I experience a diverse climate annually, growing up typically months from December-February is winter, often experiencing freezing temperatures, snow, frost, and ice. March-May I experience spring, a distinct feeling in the air, raining often, as leaves return on the trees. June-August is summer, hot, lack of precipitation, and dry. Finally, fall lasts estimately from September-November. In the year 2022, my particular location at least, experienced a significant shift in yearly climate. For instance, estimately, in 2014 winter weather lasted from around December-February, after February, northeasten PA starts warming up, however, in 2022 winter lasts from December-March. And, these weather changes aren't just random or instant. It's not one circumstance in which my location experiences a longer winter. These climate characteristics have occured every year for the last 6 years estimately. So, you may ask, why does this matter? And what does this have to do with nature? Well, to answer your questions, climate change has a large significance to organisms habitats, and ability to maintain the seven characteristics of life (i.e. ability to maintain homeostasis, ability to reproduce etc.). With the climate gradually changing, this could cause animals to migrate, compensating for climate change. This migration or abnormal change could result in animals devloping disease's, illnesses, and other sorts of disorder's that harm animals ecosystem and life. It concerns me personally and as an individual who enjoys wildlife and has a deep passion for plants and animals, it absolutely concerns me given the severe and worsening climate shift experienced in my location. I commonly hear this on television, and although I trust the science, I don't exactly think I should trust the politics hiding underneath the science. It seems more and more common, politicians making arguments that this climate crisis is man-made, some other politicians argue otherwise. Frankly, I can't trust any. I can't trust what they say because from my standpoint, their evidence isn't totally lining up with my experience with the climate shifts, and I 100% understand that scientist have a strong understanding of what climate change is and slight reasons for it, I largely do not believe that they can, or we can fully stop the climate crisis by actions politicians are proposing. Ultimately, I believe that scientist should further push understanding why our climate is shifting, or changing, in a direction abnormally, instead of choosing a political side for money or fame purposes. Furthermore, I hope that, with the human knowledge, we understand what scientist are speaking and take actions (within reason and possibility) to help our planet progress and move forward!

Literature is a large aspect of life, reading is the primary source of education. Personally, Annabelle Lee by Edgar Allan Poe is the most impactful story, it taught me a moral lesson as well as reading the story of an individual going through personal hardship. Edgar Allan Poe used excellent dark romanticism when writing this story, a theme throughout his career. Edgar Allan Poe often struggled with unpopularity, poverty, loss, drinking, and a highly mysterious death to top it off. Annabelle Lee was a poem, a love story, but also, a biography of his life that lead Poe to that point. In addition to dark romanticism, the poem was a piece of art. Poetry despite being a short story, involves large artistic value and deep down-to-heart meaning in every sentence. Poe had lost his mother, adopted mother, and lover to tuberculosis, a lung infection. During Edgar Allan Poe's life, technology and medicine weren't fully advanced enough to treat the conditions fully with effectiveness, which made those deaths long, hard, and full of misery and sadness. These experiences played a large role in Edgar Allan Poe's writing and artistic dark romanticism in Annabelle Lee. The story contained gothic literature due to Edgar Allan Poe's experiences. Edgar Allan Poe's Annabelle Lee wasn't an actual person, however, Annabelle Lee represented Virginia, Edgar Allan Poe's young wife. Despite Annabelle Lee being fictional, we can assume Annabelle Lee was a far-from-fictional being and that Annabelle Lee was Virginia. I highly recommend Annabelle Lee by Edgar Allan Poe without reservation.