Youth sports play a powerful role in shaping young people far beyond athletic ability. They help build core values such as teamwork, discipline, accountability, leadership, and so much more. These are qualities that are difficult to teach within the walls of a classroom. Growing up, I participated in a wide range of sports, but varsity football had the greatest impact on my development. It was on the field where I first learned what it meant to rely on others, push past my own limits, and stay composed when things didn’t go as planned. Those experiences helped shape both my character and my confidence, and I carry those lessons with me to this day. Now, as a member of the Columbia Outlaw's rugby team, I’ve gained an entirely new appreciation for what sports can do not just for individuals, but for entire communities. Rugby is a sport built on respect, camaraderie, and resilience. Even though the game is intense and physical, there is a deep sense of brotherhood between teammates and even between opposing teams. It teaches players to make quick decisions under pressure, communicate clearly, and put the team’s success above their own. These are qualities that young people today need more than ever. In Columbia, Missouri, rugby isn’t exactly a mainstream sport, but that is something I hope to change. Our club currently practices alongside a local high school team, and I’ve had the opportunity to help teach younger players both the fundamentals of the game and the mindset that comes with it. Watching them grow more confident, more disciplined, and more connected to one another has been incredibly rewarding. I want to continue expanding that impact by helping promote rugby throughout the community, especially as an inclusive sport for kids who may not feel drawn to traditional athletics like football or basketball. My goal is to help create more opportunities for youth to get active, build friendships, and discover their own potential through rugby. I with my club organize clinics, help to mentor new players, and work with local schools to introduce the sport to a wider audience. Beyond being an exciting and challenging game, rugby offers a way to develop character while staying physically engaged. It encourages players to be tough yet respectful, competitive yet humble. Sports have always been my passion, and I believe that sharing that passion is one of the best ways I can give back to my community. If I can help even a handful of young athletes gain the same confidence and life skills that sports gave me, then I will have made a meaningful impact. Through rugby, I hope to build not just better athletes, but stronger people.

Well I am Caleb Froman from Columbia, Missouri. I am currently a pharmacy technician at Boone Hospital. I distribute medications throughout the hospital, compound products, make IV fluids, answer phones, and much more. I’ve always leaned towards the medical field. I love science and am a hands on person which the medical field is a good mix of. I want to feel like what I do matters and if that’s making patients lives easier or slightly more bearable that’s good enough for me. Part of my job involves walking around basically the whole hospital and the most fascinating part to me is when I go to OR rooms or x-ray room or the nuclear medicine department. I just love seeing the huge machines and want to be able to use them myself. I also find the images they produce so interesting. Being able to detect tumors and cancers and hernias and other things long before you would ever know about it other wise. I first learned about nuclear medicine in an intro to health professions class at MU. The person that came to talk just got me hooked and the thing that really got me was the ability to detect Alzheimer’s decades before someone would start experiencing symptoms. That’s insane! Those are critical years that intervention can come in to allow a person to stay cognitive for as long as possible. Alzheimer’s is such an awful disease for the person experiencing it and everyone close to them. To slowly forget who you and everyone around you are is a nightmare. And watching someone forget you especially a close family member or loved one can be brutal. I don’t wish that fate on my worst enemy. However if you know when your 50 your showing early signs of Alzheimer’s in a PET scan it can allow you start treating it then and keep you you for as long as possible. I think this is incredible and there are a thousand other examples of how much of an impact nuclear imaging can have on a patient. I also know going through these giant machines can be incredibly scary. A patient might not fully understand how it works, or is claustrophobic, hate loud noises, or could be learning they have a terminal illness. A technologist has to be able to guide them through this process and keep their mind at ease. When I become a technician my goal is to help patients receive the best care possible both physically and mentally. I would try to help them relax and hope to give them a positive experience and attitude. What patients need is a friendly presence that can help them through this process that can answer questions and help them feel as comfortable as possible.Nuclear medicine is an important part of diagnostic care and as it continues to develop it will only become more useful and important.