Most teenage boys have a growth spurt between the ages of 12 and 15. Not me. At first, I thought I was just a late bloomer. Sure, I had constant back pain, numbness in my toes and fingers and headaches that seriously affected my ability to play golf and lacrosse or concentrate in school, but I assumed these symptoms were growing pains. Everything changed after an MRI revealed leaking brain fluid trapped in five inches of my spinal cord as a result of advanced Chiari Malformation. I finally had an answer for my stunted growth and chronic pain, but it came at a cost—I would need surgery on my brain and neck to correct the flow of fluid and add bone to hold my brain in place which was slipping into my neck. The first operation thwarted the start of my high school experience. After a month-long recovery, I was optimistic about returning to sports, including golf, and normal high school student activities. Alas, the end of freshman year brought disappointing news—I would need a second, more complicated brain surgery. The news hit hard, as I knew my life would not be the same. I would have limited mobility of my head due to the eight permanent screws installed on both sides of my neck. I told myself it was for the better, that it would let me move forward without being in constant pain. Due to the surgery's complexity, recovery was lengthy and did not go as planned. Part of my esophagus had unexpectedly swollen, leaving me unable to swallow and on a feeding tube for six weeks. Unbeknownst to me, a small third surgery was required only a few weeks later. After three long days at the hospital, the doctor told me the devastating news that my dreams of playing lacrosse in college were over, despite the many years I had dedicated to it. Suddenly, I had to face the fact that while my chronic pain was gone, I would need to reimagine my future. Fortunately, having my neck fixed in place helped my golf swing and precision even more. While it was too late to try out for the school golf team, I enjoy regularly playing with my friends and trying out different courses around town. My favorite time to play is when we are on vacation, especially in the mountains. I especially enjoy meeting new people while we are on the course. Service is another one of my passions that I could focus more time on now that I have to give up most sports. I regularly volunteer after school at a local community center. I like interacting with the children and helping in any way I can. I enjoy helping others and utilizing my unique skills to make a difference. This also helps me to build community, connect with others and foster independence in myself and the children. I can more easily accept that I will not be the athlete I aspired to be and be grateful to be able to use my energy to pay it forward within my community. My journey through multiple surgeries and the loss of lacrosse was unforeseen, but it ultimately forged a stronger version of myself. It taught me to find passion in new pursuits and to approach academic challenges with determination. Today, I carry these lessons forward, embracing new opportunities with a deeper appreciation for my health and resilience.

Most teenage boys have a growth spurt between the ages of 12 and 15. Not me. At first, I thought I was just a late bloomer. Sure, I had constant back pain, numbness in my toes and fingers and headaches that seriously affected my ability to play lacrosse or concentrate in school, but I assumed these symptoms were just growing pains. Everything changed after an MRI revealed leaking brain fluid trapped in five inches of my spinal cord as a result of advanced congenital Chiari Malformation. I finally had an answer for my stunted growth and chronic pain, but it came at a cost—I would need surgery on my brain and neck to correct the flow of fluid and add bone to hold my brain in place which was slipping into my neck. The first operation thwarted the start of my high school experience. After a month-long recovery, I was optimistic about returning to lacrosse and normal high school student activities. Alas, the end of freshman year brought disappointing news—I’d need a second, more complicated brain surgery. The news hit hard, as I knew my life would not be the same. I would have limited mobility of my head due to the eight permanent screws installed on both sides of my neck. I told myself it was for the better, that it would let me move forward without being in constant pain. Due to the surgery's complexity, recovery was lengthy and did not go as planned. Part of my esophagus had unexpectedly swollen, leaving me unable to swallow and on a feeding tube for six weeks. Unbeknownst to me, a small third surgery was required only a few weeks later. After three long days at the hospital, the doctor told me the devastating news that my dreams of playing lacrosse in college were over, despite the many years I had dedicated to it. Losing lacrosse made me feel like I lost a part of myself. Suddenly, I had to face the fact that while my chronic pain was gone, I’d need to reimagine my future. Service is another one of my passions. Because I had to quit playing sports, I regularly volunteer after school at a local community center. I like interacting with the children and helping in any way I can. I enjoy helping others and utilizing my unique skills to make a difference. This also helps me build community, connect with others and foster independence in myself and the children. I can more easily accept that I will not be the athlete I aspired to be and be grateful to be able to use my energy to pay it forward within my community. My main life goal is to graduate with an MBA in Finance. Afterward, I plan to own and manage a real estate firm in Texas, while continuing to give back through community service. To achieve this, attending college will give me the chance to leverage resources and the diversity of students to gain knowledge from their individual talents and viewpoints. Furthermore, managing properties at Holmes Property Investments fueled my passions for real estate and finance. Through collaborating with the management team and exploring different facets of the business, I was able to establish valuable connections in the field. My journey through multiple surgeries and the loss of lacrosse was unforeseen, but it ultimately forged a stronger version of myself. It taught me to find passion in new pursuits and to approach academic challenges with determination. Today, I carry these lessons forward, embracing new opportunities with a deeper appreciation for my health and resilience.

Most teenage boys have a growth spurt between the ages of 12 and 15. Not me. At first, I thought I was just a late bloomer. Sure, I had constant back pain and headaches that seriously affected my ability to play lacrosse, but I assumed these were just growing pains. For three years, this sport was the center of my world and one of my passions. The feeling I would get while playing was unlike anything else. I found a community outside of school and planned to play through high school. Everything changed after an MRI revealed leaking brain fluid into my spinal cord due to a birth defect called Chiari Malformation. I finally had an answer for my stunted growth and chronic pain, but it came at a cost—I would need surgery on my brain and neck to correct the flow of fluid. This operation thwarted the start of my high school experience. I had a month-long recovery, but I was optimistic about returning to lacrosse. Alas, the end of freshman year brought sudden news—I’d need a second, even bigger surgery. The news hit hard, as I knew my life wouldn’t be the same. I would have limited mobility of my head due to the eight permanent screws installed in my neck. I told myself it was for the better, that it would let me move forward without being in constant pain. Due to the surgery's complexity, recovery was lengthy and did not go as planned. Part of my esophagus had swollen, leaving me unable to swallow and on a feeding tube for six weeks leaving me weak and hungry. The following year, I wasn’t able to play lacrosse as I had originally planned. Unbeknownst to me, a small third surgery early sophomore year was required. After three long days at the hospital, the doctor told me I would never be able to play contact sports again. My dreams of playing lacrosse were over, despite the many years I had dedicated to it throughout my life. Losing lacrosse made me feel like I lost a part of myself. Suddenly, I had to face the fact that while my chronic pain was gone, I’d need to reimagine my future. My journey through multiple surgeries and the loss of lacrosse was unforeseen, but it ultimately forged a stronger version of myself. It taught me to find passion in new pursuits and to approach academic challenges with determination. Today, free from chronic pain, I carry these lessons forward, embracing new opportunities with a deeper appreciation for my health and resilience. Service is another one of my passions. I enjoy helping others and using my unique skills to make a difference, however I can. This also helps me build community and connect with others. I believe that’s a big part of the human experience—it’s one of the best ways to truly engage with others. Intellectual inquiry matters because, as humans, we should use the resources we’re given to grow smarter and become better people. I used these skills while working towards my Eagle rank in Boy Scouts of America for the Parish School in Houston, Texas. During this project I used my leadership and motivation skills to ensure all my volunteers stayed on task and were assigned tasks based on their skillset and moved around to each project to anticipate questions from the volunteers. I managed 16 volunteers over a total of three days to complete the project before transporting the finished furniture pieces to the school. The greatest reward was observing the students' excitement about the new furniture for the outside classroom.

This past semester, I took the time to volunteer at Family Point Resources, an institution that provides disadvantaged children a safe environment after school to take part in outdoor sports and receive help with their homework. I loved being able to interact with the children and help them in any way I could. I remember going to Family Point Resources during elementary school. It helped me form a community through the track team and receive individualized academic support. To this day, these connections have remained a steady and important part of my life. When I first started volunteering, one particular child who made an impression on me was Mustapha. When I first met him, he was shy and would avoid interacting with others. On my first day, walking up to the soccer field, I saw him kicking a soccer ball by himself with tears in his eyes. I went over to ask him if I could play with him, and we played the entire time I was there. The next afternoon, he shyly sought me out to play with him again. By the end of the week, he would run up to me with a big smile, ready to play. Soon, I started to help Mustapha with his homework. We also played board games with other kids so that he could make friends. Over the next several months, I noticed him use what he learned with his newfoundconfidence to create a more welcoming space for other kids that might be shy or scared because they were new to the group. He did this by including them and asking them if they wanted to play a card game with him or making sure they were included on the team when it was time to play outside. I recognized he learned this from watching me from when we first met. I looked forward to coming back each day for another chance to make a difference in the lives of these children like I did with Mustapha. Watching them grow and improve over time showed me just how powerful a little compassion and one-on-one connection can be. My experience with Mustapha highlighted my ability to create an inclusive environment and build a connection with several of the kids. I do not like seeing people feel excluded or lonely because they are too afraid to talk to others. It makes me happy to include everyone I can and help them have a better time. I plan to continue using what I learned during my community service while in college, both in the relationships I build and with other students that may need my help.