My dream aspiration is to become a Physician Assistant who specializes in neurological disorders and research. For many reading this essay, this goal may seem pretty specific for a high school senior. However, many people my age have not experienced the helplessness one feels when you watch an incurable neurological disease slowly destroy someone you love. And neither have they likely felt the heavy burden and emotional toll this had on your family members. My beloved grandmother, at the early age of 61, began experiencing memory issues. She was diagnosed with Frontal Temporal Dementia (FTD). FTD damages the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain and slowly affects a person’s personality, language processing, memory and cognitive skills. Recently, FTD has gained media attention because of the diagnosis of actor, Bruce Willis. From 6-16 years old, I witnessed this disease drastically change my beloved grandmother. It began with her repeating stories, losing her train of thought and forgetting where she placed items. Then, she forgot how to drive and experienced difficulty forming words and reading. Next, her personality began to change. She became quickly agitated, lashing out by yelling and sometimes trying to hit caregivers and family members. Eventually, she was unable to physically care for her needs or feed herself. She passed away 2 years ago after suffering for many years. FTD methodically dismantled her health, personality and cognitive abilities. Needless to say, this impacted me significantly and has given me a thirst for answers as to why this happened to my grandmother. Truthfully, my path feels more like my destiny than choice. Unfortunately, while the cause of FTD is more widely understood, there is not a cure or any approved treatments to slow progression. My ultimate dream is to become a Neurology Physician Assistant and find a solution or treatment methods for FTD. My hope is that this will one day honor my grandmother’s legacy and bring attention and funding for FTD. I began working towards my dream and goal aspirations as a high school sophomore. I entered into a highly competitive health pathways program offered by the local Career and Technical Center. At the end of my junior year, I passed the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) exam to become a Medical Assistant I (MA I) and as a senior, I passed the clinical portion to receive my MA II certification. Currently, I am a freshman at Virginia Tech studying health science and biology. In December, I completed my first semester, earning a 3.5 GPA and a spot on the Dean’s list. I plan to apply to an accredited Physician Assistant program upon completing my undergraduate degree. In addition, I spent two weeks for two summers in the volunteer internship program at Mary Washington Hospital. I worked in the Surgical ICU and Oncology units assisting patients and their family members. This was a fulfilling experience and solidified my confidence in my future occupational goals.

My career goal is to be a Physician Assistant who specializes in neurological disorders and research. I dream about one day finding a cure or prevention mechanism for Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) so other families do not have to experience the mental and physical toll it takes on one of their loved ones. To many reading this essay, my career goal may seem pretty specific, however, many people my age have not experienced watching a neurological disease slowly destroy someone you love and take a toll on your family. My grandmother, at the early age of 61, began experiencing memory issues. She was diagnosed with FTD, which damages the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain and slowly affects a person’s personality, language processing, memory and cognitive skills. For 10 years, I watched this disease drastically change my grandmother. It began with her repeating stories, losing her train of thought and forgetting where she placed items. Then, she forgot how to drive and experienced difficulty forming words and reading. Next, her personality began to change drastically. She became quickly agitated, lashing out by yelling and sometimes trying to hit. Eventually, she was unable to physically care for her needs or feed herself. She passed away 4 years ago, and witnessing the effects of FTD on my family significantly impacted my life and influenced my desire to pursue the medical field. I couldn’t wait to learn more and start working towards my goal. As a sophomore in high school, I entered into a highly competitive health pathways program offered by the local Career and Technical Center. At the end of my junior year, I passed the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) exam to become a Medical Assistant I (MA I) and as a senior, I passed the clinical portion to receive my MA II certification. Currently, I am a freshman at Virginia Tech studying health science and biology. In December, I completed my first semester, earning a 3.5 GPA and a spot on the Dean’s list. I plan to apply to an accredited Physician Assistant program upon completing my undergraduate degree. I am very dedicated to the pursuit of my very “personal” career goal and also to the dream that one day in the near future, I will honor my grandmother’s legacy by either finding a cure for FTD, or making significant progress in slowing down early onset of this rare version of dementia. To make a positive impact as a woman in the healthcare field, I will ensure that I not only care for my patients, but also care for the many women caregivers (mothers, wives, sisters and daughters). For the 10 years my grandmother was suffering from dementia, I watched my mom work all day, come home and care for my ailing grandmother and still manage to feed, bathe and help two headstrong girls with homework. It was exhausting and emotional for my mom, so I understand how difficult it can be for a woman to have multiple roles simultaneously. Because of this first hand experience, I will advocate for woman patients and caregivers.

My career goal is to be a Physician Assistant who specializes in neurological disorders and research. I dream about one day finding a cure or prevention mechanism for Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) so other families do not have to experience the mental and physical toll it takes on one of their loved ones. To many reading this essay, my career goal may seem pretty specific, however, many people my age have not experienced watching a neurological disease slowly destroy someone you love and take a toll on your family. My grandmother, at the early age of 61, began experiencing memory issues. She was diagnosed with FTD, which damages the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain and slowly affects a person’s personality, language processing, memory and cognitive skills. For 10 years, I watched this disease drastically change my grandmother. It began with her repeating stories, losing her train of thought and forgetting where she placed items. Then, she forgot how to drive and experienced difficulty forming words and reading. Next, her personality began to change drastically. She became quickly agitated, lashing out by yelling and sometimes trying to hit. Eventually, she was unable to physically care for her needs or feed herself. She passed away 4 years ago, and witnessing the effects of FTD on my family significantly impacted my life and influenced my desire to pursue the medical field. I couldn’t wait to learn more and start working towards my goal. As a sophomore in high school, I entered into a highly competitive health pathways program offered by the local Career and Technical Center. At the end of my junior year, I passed the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) exam to become a Medical Assistant I (MA I) and as a senior, I passed the clinical portion to receive my MA II certification. Currently, I am a freshman at Virginia Tech studying health science and biology. In December, I completed my first semester, earning a 3.5 GPA and a spot on the Dean’s list. I plan to apply to an accredited Physician Assistant program upon completing my undergraduate degree. I am very dedicated to the pursuit of my very “personal” career goal and also to the dream that one day in the near future, I will honor my grandmother’s legacy by either finding a cure for FTD, or making significant progress in slowing down early onset of this rare version of dementia.

"Lessons from Three Generations of Strong Women" I was raised by my mother, Alison, who represents the third generation in a lineage of strong, courageous, and resilient matriarchs. Though my great-grandmother and grandmother have passed away, their powerful legacy lives on through my mother's storytelling. It has always been important to my mom to teach my sister and I about the challenges the previous generations of women in our family faced so that we can learn from them and use them for encouragement and strength as we navigate our own lives. For example, when I am confronting uncertainty, I can draw inspiration from my great-grandmother’s story. She lived during a time period where females were not provided the same opportunities as males in the workplace. In the early 1950s, she defied societal norms by pursuing a career in the banking industry rather than conforming to the expected role of a homemaker. Her love of numbers and desire to use this gift was a bold and courageous choice in an era of gender bias and social stigma. Despite the odds, she had a successful and respected career even being offered a VP role prior to her retirement. Her story demonstrates the importance of following your own path and finding courage to do so despite external pressures. My grandmother's journey offers a powerful perspective on adversity. Her story teaches me to measure my own challenges against the larger struggles others may face. My grandmother battled numerous serious health issues for 22 years back-to-back, including kidney dialysis and a transplant, breast cancer and dementia. However, not once did she give up on her fight for survival or her faith in God. She never complained and loved being with her family and watching her granddaughter’s grow. My mother likes to say she “had grit” and “was tougher than anyone she ever met”. Her story is a powerful reminder in my life of the strength and resilience we all have inside. Although my ancestors' stories inspire me, it is my mother's living example that has been my greatest influence. Her unwavering presence, practical example, and no-nonsense guidance, coupled with unconditional love, have shaped who I am and who I aspire to become. For me, her work ethic stands as the cornerstone among her many teachings. As a single mother, she has balanced raising two daughters while pursuing a successful career, never compromising on either front. She works well into the night after my sister and I go to sleep, always going the extra mile to finish projects. However, she is also just as determined to be present for every game, school activity and award ceremony for her girls. She approaches every challenge with determination and grace, showing me that obstacles are merely opportunities for growth. Beyond her work ethic, my mother's empathy and strength have taught me to face difficulties head-on while maintaining compassion for others. Her ability to remain level-headed during crises while supporting those around her has shown me what genuine strength looks like. I think back on how exhausted she must have been during the 10 years my grandmother was suffering from dementia. My mom worked all day, came home and cared for my ailing grandmother and still managed to feed, bathe and help two headstrong girls with homework. I am proud to come from a lineage of women who didn't just survive challenges but thrived despite them. As I face the future, I will carry their lessons with me: the courage to defy expectations, the strength to endure hardships, and the wisdom to lead with both compassion and conviction.

I am single handedly responsible for our family motto, “google it”. Growing up, my favorite thing to do was ask the infamous one-word question “why”? The desire to understand how the world around me works became my mission. I constantly bombarded adults with questions like ¨why is the sky blue¨, ¨why do babies cry¨, why do plants need water”? Ultimately, my persistence was the catalyst that generated our family motto. As the story goes, the motto originated when my mom, grandmother and I were traveling to New Jersey. About 5 minutes into the trip, I started peppering my mom with questions “Mom, how long is the drive?”, “Mom, what states do we drive through?” “Mom, how many miles is it?” Apparently, I did not even give her a moment to respond before launching into the next question. Exasperated, she looked at me said “Honey, I love you but I don’t know the answers to all your questions.” She then handed me her phone and said “I need you to take my phone, and learn how to google it!” I spent the remaining 5-hour trip on her phone using Google to find the answers to every question my 7-year-old self could imagine. What I did not know at the time was that my family was embarking on a real-life journey for answers. A few years later, I learned the actual purpose of that trip was to meet with a renowned neurologist to discover “why” my grandmother, at the early age of 61, was experiencing memory issues. She was diagnosed with Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) which damages the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain and slowly affects a person’s personality, language processing, memory and cognitive skills. Over the next 10 years, I watched this disease drastically change my grandmother. It began with her repeating stories, losing her train of thought and forgetting where she placed items. Then, she forgot how to drive and experienced difficulty forming words and reading. Next, her personality began to change drastically. She became quickly agitated, lashing out by yelling and sometimes trying to hit. Eventually, she was unable to physically care for her needs or feed herself. She passed away 3 years ago, and living through this experience has significantly impacted my life and influenced my future. Since I was her first grandchild and we lived close by, we spent a lot of time together during my early childhood. As a former librarian, she always encouraged my innate curiosity. My fondest memories are the trips we took to the library to look up the answers to my questions. I came to realize FTD causes families to completely lose a person who is still sitting right in front of you. All I wanted to know was “Why did this happen to her?” “How can we stop it?”, “What is the cause?”, “Is this hereditary?” I was determined to uphold the family motto, so I googled everything! Unfortunately, while the cause of FTD is now more widely understood, there is no cure or approved treatments for patients. Recently, FTD has gained more media attention since the famous actor, Bruce Willis, has been diagnosed. Needless to say, witnessing the effects of FTD first hand coupled with my need to question ¨why¨ has influenced my desire to pursue the medical field. My ultimate goal is to become a Neurology Physician Assistant and find a solution or prevention mechanism for FTD. In order to work towards my goal, I enrolled in the Medical Assistant program at the Career and Technical Center as a sophomore in high school. Last year, I passed the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) exam to become a Medical Assistant I (MA I). Currently, I am taking the clinical portion towards the MA II certification. Maybe one day another curious child will “google it” and find out the cure for FTD was found by me.

I am single handedly responsible for our family motto, “Google it”. Growing up, my favorite thing was to ask the infamous one-word question: “Why?’’ I constantly bombarded adults with questions like “Why is the sky blue? Why do babies cry? Why do plants need water?” Ultimately, my persistence was the catalyst that generated our family motto. As the story goes, the motto originated when my mom, grandmother, and I were traveling to New York. About 5 minutes into the trip, I started peppering my mom with questions “Mom, how long is the drive? Mom, what states do we drive through? Mom, how many miles is it?” Apparently, I did not even give her a moment to respond before launching into the next question. Exasperated, she looked at me and said, “Honey, I don’t know the answers to all your questions.” She then handed me her phone and said, “I need you to take my phone, and learn how to Google it!” I spent the remaining five hours of the trip on her phone, using Google to find the answers to every question my 7-year-old self could imagine. What I did not know at the time was that my family was embarking on a real-life journey for answers. When I was older, I learned that trip was taken to meet with a renowned neurologist to seek answers to why my grandmother, at the early age of 61, was experiencing memory issues. She was diagnosed with Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), which damages the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain and slowly affects a person’s personality, language processing, memory, and cognitive skills. Recently, FTD has gained media attention because of the diagnosis of actor, Bruce Willis. Over the next 10 years, I watched this disease drastically change my grandmother. It began with her repeating stories, losing her train of thought, and forgetting where she placed items. Next, she forgot how to drive, experienced difficulty forming words, and reading. Then her personality began to change significantly. Some days she would become agitated and yell obscenities and other days she would cry inconsolably. Eventually, she was completely unable to care for her basic needs or feed herself. She passed away three years ago, and living through this experience significantly impacted my life and influenced my future. Since I was her first grandchild and we lived close by, we spent a lot of time together during my early childhood. As a former librarian, she always encouraged my innate curiosity. My fondest memories are the trips we took to the library to look up the answers to my questions. It is hard to explain how difficult it is to lose a person that is still sitting right in front of you. Naturally, I had many questions: “Why did this happen to her? How can we stop it? What is the cause? Is this hereditary?” I was determined to uphold the family motto, so I Googled! Unfortunately, while the cause of FTD is more widely understood, there is not a cure or any approved treatments. Assisting with her care and witnessing her struggle, has influenced me to be a Neurology Physician Assistant. I enrolled in the Medical Pathways program at the Career and Technical Center as a sophomore. Last year, I passed the exam to become a certified Medical Assistant. This year, I am taking the clinical portion to receive my Clinical Medical Assistant certification. My desire is that one day another curious child will “Google it” and find out the cure for FTD was found by Carsyn Perry in memory of her brave grandmother.

I am single handedly responsible for our family motto, “google it”. Growing up, my favorite thing to do was ask the infamous one-word question “why”? The desire to understand how the world around me works became my mission. I constantly bombarded adults with questions like ¨why is the sky blue¨, ¨why do babies cry¨, why do plants need water”? Ultimately, my persistence was the catalyst that generated our family motto. As the story goes, the motto originated when my mom, grandmother and I were traveling to New Jersey. About 5 minutes into the trip, I started peppering my mom with questions “Mom, how long is the drive?”, “Mom, what states do we drive through?” “Mom, how many miles is it?” Apparently, I did not even give her a moment to respond before launching into the next question. Exasperated, she looked at me said “Honey, I love you but I don’t know the answers to all your questions.” She then handed me her phone and said “I need you to take my phone, and learn how to google it!” I spent the remaining 5-hour trip on her phone using Google to find the answers to every question my 7-year-old self could imagine. What I did not know at the time was that my family was embarking on a real-life journey for answers. A few years later, I learned the actual purpose of that trip was to meet with a renowned neurologist to discover “why” my grandmother, at the early age of 61, was experiencing memory issues. She was diagnosed with Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) which damages the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain and slowly affects a person’s personality, language processing, memory and cognitive skills. Over the next 10 years, I watched this disease drastically change my grandmother. It began with her repeating stories, losing her train of thought and forgetting where she placed items. Then, she forgot how to drive and experienced difficulty forming words and reading. Next, her personality began to change drastically. She became quickly agitated, lashing out by yelling and sometimes trying to hit. Eventually, she was unable to physically care for her needs or feed herself. She passed away 3 years ago, and living through this experience has significantly impacted my life and influenced my future. Since we lived close by, we spent a lot of time together during my childhood. As a former librarian, she encouraged my innate curiosity. My fondest memories are the trips we took to the library to look up the answers to my questions. FTD causes families to completely lose a person who is still sitting right in front of you. All I wanted to know was “Why did this happen to her?” “How can we stop it?”, “Is this hereditary?” I was determined to uphold the family motto, so I googled everything! Unfortunately, there is no cure or prevention. Needless to say, witnessing the effects of FTD first hand coupled with my need to question ¨why¨ has influenced my desire to pursue medicine. My ultimate goal is to become a Neurology Physician Assistant and find a solution or prevention mechanism for FTD. In order to work towards my goal, I enrolled in the Medical Assistant program at the Career and Technical Center as a sophomore in high school. Last year, I passed the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) exam to become a Medical Assistant I (MA I). Currently, I am taking the clinical portion towards the MA II certification. Maybe one day another curious child will “google it” and find out the cure for FTD was found by me.

I am single handedly responsible for our family motto, “Google it”. Growing up, my favorite thing was to ask the infamous one-word question: “Why?” The desire to understand how the world around me works became my mission. I constantly bombarded adults with questions like “Why is the sky blue? Why do babies cry? Why do plants need water?” Ultimately, my persistence was the catalyst that generated our family motto. The motto originated when my mom, grandmother, and I were traveling to New York. About 5 minutes into the trip, I started peppering my mom with questions “Mom, how long is the drive? Mom, what states do we drive through?” Apparently, I did not even give her a moment to respond before launching into the next question. Exasperated, she looked at me and said, “Honey, I don’t know the answers to all your questions.” She then handed me her phone and said, “I need you to take my phone, and learn how to Google it!” I spent the remaining five hours of the trip on her phone, using Google to find the answers to every question my 7-year-old self could imagine. What I did not know at the time was that my family was embarking on a real-life journey for answers. When I was older, I learned that trip was taken to meet with a renowned neurologist to seek answers to why my grandmother, at the early age of 61, was experiencing memory issues. She was diagnosed with Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), which damages the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain and slowly affects a person’s personality, language processing, memory, and cognitive skills. Over the next 10 years, I watched this disease drastically change my grandmother. It began with her repeating stories, losing her train of thought, and forgetting where she placed items. Next, she forgot how to drive, experienced difficulty forming words, and reading. Then her personality began to change significantly. Some days she would become agitated and yell obscenities and other days she would cry inconsolably. Eventually, she was completely unable to care for her basic needs or feed herself. She passed away three years ago, and living through this experience impacted my life and influenced my future. Since I was her first grandchild and we lived close by, we spent a lot of time together during my early childhood. As a former librarian, she always encouraged my innate curiosity. My fondest memories are the trips we took to the library to look up the answers to my questions. It is hard to explain how difficult it is to lose a person that is still sitting right in front of you. Naturally, I had many questions: “Why did this happen to her? How can we stop it? What is the cause? Is this hereditary?” I was determined to uphold the family motto, so I Googled! Unfortunately, while the cause of FTD is more widely understood, there is not a cure or any approved treatments. Assisting with her care and witnessing the effects of FTD first hand, has influenced me to pursue the medical field. My goal is to become a Neurology Physician Assistant and find a cure for FTD. I could not wait to start my pursuit, so I enrolled in the Medical Pathways program at the Career and Technical Center as a sophomore. Last year, I passed the exam to become a certified Medical Assistant. This year, I am taking the clinical portion. My desire is that one day another curious child will “Google it” and find out the cure for FTD was found by Carsyn Perry.

My top three Billie Eilish songs are "What was I made for", "The Greatest", and "Lovely". All of these songs resonate to me in internally compassionate ways. "What Was I Made For" describes how I portray my whole life and anticipate what I am worth, what I bring to the table, and how I can make a difference. It sets the determination to set goals for my life and how I have let others define me in ways that I don't define myself. It also serves as a pointmeat reminder that it is okay to question and seek meaning in my life, and that these moments of doubt can lead to my personal growth and understanding. ¨The Greatest¨ by Billie Eilish impacted me deeply because it resonates with the feelings of uncertainty and longing that many of us experience. The melancholic tone and sympathy lyrics capture a sense of loss and reflection, making me contemplate the fleeting nature of time and the importance of cherishing moments. The song ´ s haunting melody and Billie ´ s emotive voice amplify these emotions, creating a powerful and immersive experience. It serves as a reminder to stay present and appreciate the people and experiences that shape our lives. ¨Lovely"by Billie Eilish impacted me since it beautifully captures the struggle feeling trapped in one's own mind. The collaboration with Khalid adds a layer of depth to the song, with their harmonizing voices conveying a sense of shared pain and hope. The lyrics haunting melody and poignant lyrics resonate with anyone who had faves emotional challenges, making it a comforting anthem for those tough times. The songś message of finding beauty in the midst of darkness reminds me that even in the hardest moments, there is always a glimmer of hope and resilience.