"I think we are lost," I said to Victoria, one of my team members, while preparing for a service trip in the local community - an underserved, low-income area. The service trip was through Marywood University's alternative break program, and NeighborWorks, an organization focused on local community restoration in underserved communities, is whom we were serving. We were all incredibly excited to serve the community, but I had never expected to be impacted by this experience before it officially started. Victoria and I were completing a pre-trip team-building activity – a scavenger hunt. We were struggling to find an envelope, and when we finally located it, I was shocked to read its contents. There was a note, a success story of sorts. The message was from a young man, Miguel. Miguel told a story about his and his brother's experience through another program offered by Marywood, Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS), and its impact on their lives. Miguel talked about how he had no idea what to do after graduating high school or how to apply to college. Additionally, he said his younger brother experienced the same thing and had an overall lack of confidence. As I read the letter out loud to Victoria, my voice cracked. The letter was from the older brother of the teenager I mentored and tutored in STARS, which focuses on students mentoring and coaching Latino youth in the Scranton area. In medicine, we do not often see our service's effects on others. It was an incredibly insightful and rewarding experience to hear firsthand the program's impact. Miguel stated he was actively applying to colleges. His younger brother (whom I was the assigned mentor for) also showed an interest in college he had never mentioned before. The shock and emotional impact of reading the contents of that envelope stuck with me throughout our service activity. Beforehand, I had doubted my ability to impact underserved communities. Although I was confident I could connect with them, having grown up in their shoes in a low-income, underserved area, I often second-guessed the program's overall impact. Now I understand the impact I can have in communities and acknowledge my limitations, and I now recognize that it takes a community's power to change a community. While my team and I were serving the elderly individual, Debra, through NeighborWorks, numerous community members stopped by to talk or trade household items with her. Although I saw the impact we had in the community, improving Debra's confidence and safety in her home, I recognized that what kept Debra safe was the community that cared for her. I plan to utilize this knowledge I found through service to excel in my ability to improve the communities and individuals I serve as a family medicine Physician Assistant through the National Health Service Corps.

My mother and I spent many years on our own. I grew up in a single-parent household, while my mom worked as much as possible to support us. We were both stressed most of the time, experiencing the hardship we did financially and emotionally, and there was a considerable distance between us at times. Throughout all the adversities we faced, we stuck together during it all, and because of that, we have accomplished things I would've never thought possible. I believe that in life, we all need someone who supports us regardless of the circumstances faced. I can't think of a better example of this than my mother. Despite the difficulties of growing up in a single-parent household (for both of us), she always provided for me. I never considered us "poor" or thought I had less than my friends, and I didn't realize this until many years after. My mother was a single mother by choice. No, it wasn't her choice for my biological father to go to jail shortly after I was born, but it was her choice to take care of me. There were many situations where I felt helpless. I watched as my mom struggled as she worked two jobs to feed us and knew there was little I could do to help. Providing for my family has become more important to me than anything else. I learned many lessons through hardship, and without my mother and I sticking together through them all, I likely wouldn't have made it through, let alone used them to accomplish my aspirations. Regardless of the circumstances they're born into; every child deserves to be born into those circumstances. They deserve to live those experiences. My motivation to provide for my family, as my mother provided for me, has driven me to pursue a career in medicine. As a Physician Assistant, I look forward to learning the skills and abilities to provide for my family when in need. Additionally, I want to have the ability to provide care and support for other families, particularly those experiencing the same difficulties I faced. Although we had our disagreements, we were always there for each other when necessary. This lesson has stuck with me throughout my experiences, especially personal interactions. In relationships, it's essential to be there to support each other, and however, we commonly find ourselves distanced after simple disagreements. Because of my mother, I understand that disagreements, even arguments, are a healthy part of all relationships - as long as they are appropriately communicated and handled. My mother's unconditional love and willingness to provide for us have made me an understanding and caring provider for my family and patients. The lessons taught to me indirectly through my mother and I's experiences will stick with me for life, as I'll never forget the hardships we faced as I was growing up. Now that we've gotten through the difficulties, thanks to my mother, we have a bond that will keep us close regardless of how often or infrequently we see each other.

During the Pre-PA process, I have had an array of service, healthcare, leadership, and extracurricular activities. These experiences have further strengthened my work ethic, desire to be a leader, and inspiration to graduate college debt-free so I can give back to others sooner. As a first-generation student, it is important to me to graduate and instill purpose in the lives of others through working in medicine and mentoring others, as I have through numerous volunteering and leadership experiences. One of these is with the Marywood chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success. I worked my way up from an inducted member to Community Service chair and now Vice President, where I have developed many projects for our nearly 80 members over multiple semesters. I have worked hard for all I have accomplished and will continue to work hard for all I have yet to because I have fallen in love with the process. In college, I have learned that a strong work ethic goes a long way, which I have transcribed into other areas of my life like fitness, finance, and my career as a Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) at a rehabilitation hospital. As well as working two to five shifts a week in the hospital while being full-time in college, I also work in the same store where I had my original epiphany. I believe in working harder than everyone else to achieve what I want. My motivation for this work ethic is to help my family financially and reach my dream of expanding healthcare to those in need in my community, the country, and abroad. At Marywood, I was fundraising with Campus Ministry for aid in San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala. Although my team and I did not travel to Guatemala to assist the local medical providers due to the pandemic, we still raised over $12,000! This contribution proved to be much needed as the impact of the coronavirus became pronounced in Guatemala. In the future, I plan to work with a government or non-profit agency like the National Guard, Peace Corps, or UNISEC to travel the world and provide medical care to those in need or recovering from disasters. This care means a great deal to me as I want to leave as much of a positive impact on the world as I can. A college education is crucial for me to learn the skills I need to provide medical care as a PA to change and save lives. I yearn to teach others the same principles I value, including work ethic, working towards your passion, etc. Accomplishing my goal of graduating from school debt-free is something I know will take enormous effort. I have applied for at least one scholarship nearly every week, worked two jobs for almost two years, attended college full-time while commuting for 5+ years, and plan to work with the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) after PA school. The NHSC program involves working in a healthcare deficit area as a PA in family medicine for two years. I will accomplish all this and attribute my current accomplishments, motivation, and character to the work ethic I have garnered from pushing myself to be the best version of myself. With the assistance of this scholarship, I will continue to do just that and give back to others.

1. Community. Research has shown meaningful relationships are one of the most significant indicators of a long, healthy life, and the most meaningful relationships are typically those we are closest to. These relationships are generally our family, co-workers, and friends. However, society is becoming increasingly distant, young adults are moving away from family and working from home, and social isolation prohibits close friendships. There is one crucial component in maintaining longevity - a community. As decades pass in an increasingly socially isolated world, the word 'community' becomes a buzzword, a fairytale-like concept. I've observed firsthand what having a close-knit community can do for individuals, physically, mentally, and spiritually. While volunteering in my local community with an organization focused on community development and assisting the most vulnerable, I met a pleasant woman called Jane, who opened my heart and eyes to the benefits of having a solid community. Firstly, Jane had close ties to the organization we were serving her through, which provided care for her home she couldn't physically anymore. Secondly, we had multiple interactions with neighbors who stopped by to chat while we were there. One neighbor, a woman who had recently immigrated to America from Nepal, stated that Jane welcomed her and her family when she arrived and supported them since they'd been here. As the woman left, Jane went into the house and brought something for her. Jane handed the woman yarn for a project she was working on at home. It was a small gesture but said so much more about Jane and her little community than simply the little piece of material. I walked away from this experience feeling deep gratitude and fullness. Something so significant to our health, yet so infrequently experienced today. I've been involved in various leadership and community service activities throughout the past few years. These activities have been through Marywood Campus Ministry, other clubs at Marywood, and outside organizations like the American Red Cross and Habitat For Humanity. Additionally, I've been involved with advocacy for fair, equitable healthcare by contacting local and state legislators. As a Physician Assistant, I plan to continue to fight for my patients' rights through advocacy and serve my community through patient care and service organizations. I hope to be a leading figure within my community and someone everyone feels comfortable coming to for guidance. Go out and find a community to be a part of, preferably one you share things with. 2. Productivity. Procrastination isn't about overthinking a task or not having the energy to complete a task. It means not having the ability to complete a task. However, we do have the ability to complete the job; we believe we don't. This feeling has resulted from multiple failures in our lifetimes; we tried to get a new job but couldn't land an interview, we tried to make new friends in this new area, but we couldn't form any meaningful relationships, etc. Failure. It's completely normal, yet, when repeatedly, it begins to sow doubts in my abilities. I felt this incessantly growing up. I had no hope for the future, no interest in life. However, when I graduated high school, I enrolled in college and began accomplishing small, manageable tasks. These small tasks, seemingly insignificant at first, completely refreshed my confidence in my abilities. I joined the baseball team, transferred to Physical Therapist Assistant school, got a 4.0 one semester, and am continuing to amaze myself. I've accomplished all these great things not because I go after it all at once but start small.

A book addressed "To the unrelenting voice in my head that will never allow me to stop," "Can't hurt me," has changed the lives of the many people who've read it. The book, written by David Goggins, a former Navy SEAL who transformed his life, helped me discover ambition on my own. I always felt that "voice in my head," and I thought it was a flaw of mine, an obstacle I'd have to conquer to be successful. The book, however, proved the contrary. After reading, I stopped being ashamed of the voice. I discovered the vote is what sets me apart from others. Commonly, I could not rest because my mind was always active, pressuring me to keep pushing myself. Many people won't understand what I'm talking about, as Goggins refers to those who experience this as "the uncommon amongst the uncommon." What I enjoyed most about the book was the bluntness of Goggins. He didn't talk about motivational stories or attempt to sugarcoat the path to happiness, and he told his story from an unencumbered perspective. He talks about, in vivid detail, his experience growing up in an abusive household, in a predominantly white area, as a black man. After finishing the book, I felt a sense of empowerment and commitment—an unforgiving sense of responsibility to living my best life. Goggins's version of the best life was pushing yourself every day past your limit, which Goggins says is only 40% of our true potential. Since reading, I've made myself consistently more than I ever have in my past, and I've had remarkable results. I love my experiences of hardship. I've gained valuable lessons from my experiences with health problems that multiple medical providers couldn't find a diagnosis to growing up in a single-parent household and barely passing high school. At first, these experiences may seem like something I'd hate. However, I cherish these experiences far more than my successes in life. It's these hardships that remind me of what I'm capable of. Experiencing health disparities inspired me to pursue a career as a medical professional and provide equitable care and compassion for patients I didn't have. Growing up in a broken home inspired me to protect the ones I love above everything else and focus daily on developing myself to be a better provider for my family and patients. Finally, barely graduating high school inspired me to go all-in on my academics to prove something to myself. I've accomplished all of these and will continue to do so. What's allowed me to achieve these things is not a false sense of confidence or intelligence. It's the fact that because of the hardships I've experienced, I've earned the trust to know I can handle anything I face. While I still struggle at times, I know troubles don't last. I will continue to honor my experiences as I continue my journey through life while walking with others, helping them learn from their hardships as I did, and unlocking their true potential, just as I did and David Goggins did in his book.

According to the CDC, over half of Americans have at least one chronic disease. Most of these are preventable diseases, like diabetes, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, or hypertension. With regular exercise, healthy eating, and other lifestyle changes, these diseases that plague many lives could be eradicated. However, if it's that simple, why don't people act on it? For several reasons, people don't do the necessary activities to heal their bodies. Medical practitioners, scientists, health coaches, nutritionists, and even parents, have been trying to figure out how to fix this for decades. Some people don't know where to start, some don't have the motivation to start, and some don't understand what they need to do. Nutrition is a stressful topic, and it's tough to change your lifestyle and adopt healthy habits - but there is a solution to at least get hesitant people started. Superfoods. I love superfoods because they represent a unique opportunity for anyone to start their journey to a "healthy" lifestyle immediately. I had several health issues that doctors couldn't figure out when I was younger, making me feel completely helpless. I was insecure and overwhelmed and just wanted to give up on everything. This feeling continued for years until I discovered that changing my diet to a paleo-like lifestyle helped me feel better. I found hope in my situation and purpose in my life, and I learned a passion for nutrition. Ultimately, that passion for nutrition led me to my current career path in medicine, seeking the benefits of various superfoods. Again, I was utterly overwhelmed with all the information. What superfoods are worth it, acai berries? Gingko? Spinach? Wheatgrass? Octopus liver? I didn't know where to go. I went into a phase of thinking superfoods had to be the odd foods most people didn't eat, like bee pollen and Goji fruit. After I got tired of getting weird looks purchasing bee pollen at Marshall's, I decided to go a more traditional route. Something else I've always been insecure about my health is my weight. I've always been the "skinny" kid throughout my life and was picked on for that. So I began to drink smoothies daily, with high-calorie products like peanut butter and plant protein powder. I was never someone who consumed a lot, or any, vegetables before this. But with my morning smoothie, I discovered I could shove a lot of kale in there and not even taste it. I added raspberries and plant protein powder (with probiotics, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, etc.) for additional health benefits/flavor besides the kale I already had. These three, along with dark chocolate, are my favorite superfoods. They're convenient, tolerable, and give me a piece of mind I'm pursuing a healthy lifestyle and taking care of my body. Aside from the physical benefits, consuming these products in my smoothie puts me into a "healthy" mindset every morning and encourages me to seek out more healthy (or at least not harmful) activities. As a future provider, I would love to educate the patient's I serve on the benefits of superfoods and how they can incorporate them into their diet, as I did, to give them that little motivation and reassurance they need to discover that they can change their lives - slowly - with the power of nutrition (and maybe a few Acai berries from Marshall's).

According to the CDC, over half of Americans have at least one chronic disease. Most of these are preventable diseases, like diabetes, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, or hypertension. With regular exercise, healthy eating, and other lifestyle changes, these diseases that plague many lives could be eradicated. However, if it's that simple, why don't people act on it? For several reasons, people don't do the necessary activities to heal their bodies. Medical practitioners, scientists, health coaches, nutritionists, and even parents, have been trying to figure out how to fix this for decades. Some people don't know where to start, some don't have the motivation to start, and some don't understand what they need to do. Nutrition is a stressful topic, and it's tough to change your lifestyle and adopt healthy habits - but there is a solution to at least get hesitant people started. Superfoods. I love superfoods because they represent a unique opportunity for anyone to start their journey to a "healthy" lifestyle immediately. I had several health issues that doctors couldn't figure out when I was younger, making me feel completely helpless. I was insecure and overwhelmed and just wanted to give up on everything. This feeling continued for years until I discovered that changing my diet to a paleo-like lifestyle helped me feel better. I found hope in my situation and purpose in my life, and I learned a passion for nutrition. Ultimately, that passion for nutrition led me to my current career path in medicine, seeking the benefits of various superfoods. Again, I was utterly overwhelmed with all the information. What superfoods are worth it, acai berries? Gingko? Spinach? Wheatgrass? Octopus liver? I didn't know where to go. I went into a phase of thinking superfoods had to be the odd foods most people didn't eat, like bee pollen and Goji fruit. After I got tired of getting weird looks purchasing bee pollen at Marshall's, I decided to go a more traditional route. Something else I've always been insecure about my health is my weight. I've always been the "skinny" kid throughout my life and was picked on for that. So I began to drink smoothies daily, with high-calorie products like peanut butter and plant protein powder. I was never someone who consumed a lot, or any, vegetables before this. But with my morning smoothie, I discovered I could shove a lot of kale in there and not even taste it. I added raspberries and plant protein powder (with probiotics, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, etc.) for additional health benefits/flavor besides the kale I already had. These three, along with dark chocolate, are my favorite superfoods. They're convenient, tolerable, and give me a piece of mind I'm pursuing a healthy lifestyle and taking care of my body. Aside from the physical benefits, consuming these products in my smoothie puts me into a "healthy" mindset every morning and encourages me to seek out more healthy (or at least not harmful) activities. As a future provider, I would love to educate the patient's I serve on the benefits of superfoods and how they can incorporate them into their diet, as I did, to give them that little motivation and reassurance they need to discover that they can change their lives - slowly - with the power of nutrition (and maybe a few Acai berries from Marshall's).

"I can't do this." I've heard this in my head numerous times. More accurately, thousands of times. Insecurity in my abilities is something I've always struggled with. Throughout high school, I didn't attempt to be successful. Deep in my mind, I believed I wouldn't be successful no matter how much I tried. In my mind, a failure with gigantic aspirations was all I was—barely passing high school while taking the least challenging possible courses. After graduating high school, I had a paradigm shift. I realized I was alone, and no one would help me. I accepted that I was going nowhere in life and had to start somewhere. I enrolled in a local community college, not knowing if I could handle the courses or not. I also played college baseball for the first time since Little League in 6th grade. I finished my first semester of college on the Dean's list and the second with the same achievement. For the first time in my life, I thought, "I can do this. On my own." With newfound confidence in my abilities, I enrolled in Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) school, and my academic and personal development continued. I finished my first semester with a 3.75 GPA, more close friendships than I could've ever asked for, and a new passion for healthcare. I discovered a visceral passion for caring for those in need throughout their journey. With this passion came powerful feelings of gratitude and confidence in my ability to impact the world and those around me. I continued to work as a PTA in a rehabilitation hospital as I transferred to a Pre-Physician Assistant program to continue my passion for medicine. I'm challenged daily, but I've conquered every day, just as I will conquer anything in front of me. The PA profession appeals to me for an array of reasons. One of the main reasons I look forward to becoming a physician assistant is the opportunity to work in primary care in an underserved area. Although PAs can navigate specialties without further formal training, their education is taught as generalists from a primary care approach. I look forward to serving those in need through the National Health Service Corps in primary care, especially people within my locality. This opportunity is specifically significant for me as someone who grew up in a healthcare deficit, low-income community and was raised within a single-parent household. Being from a marginalized area, I strongly desire to pay it forward and be a role model for others from impoverished environments. For instance, I volunteered with Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS) at Marywood University, where I tutored and mentored Latinx youths from the Scranton area. This experience gave me greater insight into an individual's impact on others. One of the students mentored was noticeably shy and anxious around others. Though we came from different backgrounds and ethnicities, I saw qualities of myself in him. We worked to help him set goals and career aspirations and define who he aspires to be. It was an extraordinary experience to influence someone, and I recognized my struggles and watched them grow. As a future PA, I look forward to similar moments where I get the opportunity to positively influence patients' lives while providing support and care through their adversities. Along with directly serving underserved communities as a Physician Assistant, I plan to be involved with advocacy efforts to promote fair, equitable healthcare. I hold several leadership positions currently at Marywood University, including vice-president of honor society, and plan to continue leadership in PA organizations.

I was accustomed to navigating the entanglement of wires and tolerating the continuous dissonance of alarms. However, immediately upon entering this patient’s room, I noticed something was different. There was a whiteboard on the table next to the intubated man. It had appeared heavily used, stained with remnants of marker ink. He was in the end stages of esophageal cancer, and his throat, mouth, and face were so swollen that he could not talk, see, or hear. He had been swiftly declining in the last few days, and when I met him, he could not write to communicate. His only communication with me was thumbs up or down motions. However, I could not help but feel a profound, overwhelming responsibility and passion for furthering my education and being at the forefront of providing patient care. I was determined to offer all I could to this patient. In the ICU particularly, I paid attention to the PAs working there and admired their availability and compassion for the patients. As a PA, I recognized I would have the ability to offer a scope of care that mirrored what I wanted to provide to patients – emergency and primary care in underserved communities. My choice to pursue a medical career was one I had not expected growing up. I had an arduous experience early on in finding a sense of purpose. I did not have any interests in school and did not take any science courses in high school. After extensive research and planning, I found PTA school to be my next stepping stone. It was challenging to adjust to college-level learning, as I had never studied effectively in high school. However, I finished my first semester with a 3.75 GPA. I truly believed in myself for the first time, and medicine began to permeate my life. I was allowed the blessing to communicate and provide for those in need. I recognized that therapy has the potential to supply the purpose I had relentlessly searched for all those years. From my first clinical experience as a PTA student, I found incredible meaning in guiding my patients to a better and more functional life. Though, on a path to further my career, through research and personal experiences with PAs, I found that my true passion and the impact I want to have on my future patients would come from becoming a physician assistant. The PA profession appeals to me for an array of reasons. One of the main reasons I look forward to becoming a physician assistant is the opportunity to work in primary care in an underserved area. I look forward to serving those in need through the National Health Service Corps in primary care, especially people within my locality. This opportunity is specifically significant for me as someone who grew up in a health-care deficit, low-income community and was raised within a single-parent household. Being from a marginalized area, I strongly desire to pay it forward and be a role model for others who come from impoverished environments. For instance, I volunteered with Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS), where I tutored and mentored Latinx youths in my area. One of the students mentored was noticeably shy and anxious around others. Though we came from different backgrounds and ethnicities, I saw qualities of myself in him. We worked towards his career aspirations and defined who he aspires to be.

I love my experiences of hardship. I've gained valuable lessons from my experiences with health problems that multiple medical providers couldn't find a diagnosis to growing up in a single-parent household and barely passing high school. At first, these experiences may seem like something I'd hate. However, I cherish these experiences far more than my successes in life. It's these hardships that remind me of what I'm capable of. Experiencing health disparities inspired me to pursue a career as a medical professional and provide equitable care and compassion for patients I didn't have. Growing up in a broken home inspired me to protect the ones I love above everything else and focus daily on developing myself to be a better provider for my family and patients. Finally, barely graduating high school inspired me to go all-in on my academics to prove something to myself. I've accomplished all of these and will continue to do so. What's allowed me to achieve these things is not a false sense of confidence or intelligence. It's the fact that because of the hardships I've experienced, I've earned the trust to know I can handle anything I face. While I still struggle at times, I know troubles don't last. I will continue to honor my experiences as I continue my journey through life while walking with others and helping them learn from their hardships as I did. Throughout the hardships I have faced in my life, during most of it, I had no hope, and I was going with the motions, not knowing where I would end up in life. However, as I grew up and realized the things I struggled with that others around me had not, I discovered I had to get something out of all the pain in my life. I realized this could not have been all for anything - otherwise, what was the point of all that suffering? I started to imagine ways to turn all the negativity I experienced into a positive. When I began working with patients, I noticed inspiring others gave me a visceral sense of purpose. As I continued to serve patients of all ages, demographics, and conditions as a Physical Therapist Assistant, I learned from the suffering others go through. Listening to others' stories inspired me to work in underserved communities when I graduate college. Additionally, while in college, I have partaken in numerous experiences organizing and participating in community service activities to improve underserved communities and will continue to do so.

I had not known authentic leadership until I met him. The man who would one day become my stepfather came into my life as a teenager. Without a clear purpose, my view of what my legacy would be before meeting him was vague. What I learned from my stepfather was not that he was a leader to me but that I could be a leader to others. That is the legacy he left with me to lead others towards a definite sense of purpose. Not a day goes by where I am not eternally grateful to have been blessed with a leadership figure to have come into my life. I discovered the idea of legacy through him, and this is where I learned how to be a leader. To have a legacy means to inspire others. You must be a leader to leave a legacy. Among the varieties of gifts are philanthropic, inspirational, and personal. A Philanthropic is an individual like Mahatma Gandhi, the Indian lawyer who led a nation to success against formidable odds. Passionate, like the story of Rosa Parks, who refused to conform to unethical societal normalities. And personal, like my stepfather taught me how to, and the importance of leading and inspiring others. When I started my first job at 16, I told my mom I didn't want to go on the second day. I was too embarrassed and experienced immense social anxiety. I didn't know how to face my fears growing up. I talked to my stepfather about it, and he refused to let me give up so quickly. Despite my fears and anxieties, I had built up the courage to go the next day and felt incredibly powerfully during work and after. This was an ability I had never discovered before, the ability to face my fears and grow from them. I wish someone had taught me this vital skill earlier, which is what I believe my legacy should be. I strive to leave a legacy of leadership behind. I am empowering others from single-parent, low-income households to achieve their aspirations. I've accomplished this through several volunteering opportunities, from working at a foster home to building a home for a single mother, fundraising for a medical mission trip to San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala, and mentoring/tutoring Latinx youth n my community. It's been an incredible journey since I discovered my purpose. Through the legacy I adamantly strive to leave, I believe I can instill leadership in future generations. Throughout the hardships I have faced in my life, during most of it, I had no hope, and I was going with the motions, not knowing where I would end up in life. However, as I grew up and realized the things I struggled with that others around me had not, I discovered I had to get something out of all the pain in my life. I realized this could not have been all for anything - otherwise, what was the point of all that suffering? I started to imagine ways to turn all the negativity I experienced into a positive. When I began working with patients, I noticed inspiring others gave me a visceral sense of purpose. As I continued to serve patients of all ages, demographics, and conditions as a Physical Therapist Assistant, I learned from the suffering others go through. Listening to others' stories inspired me to work in underserved communities when I graduate college. Additionally, while in college, I have partaken in numerous experiences organizing and participating in community service activities to improve underserved communities and will continue to do so.

My first experience with severe mental health issues was when I was very young. I spent many hours with a close family member of mine. She was my best friend at a young age and routinely took care of me when my mother had to work, as she was a single parent. We went on walks together, hung out at my grandma's house, and would do anything to put a smile on my face. At my young, naive age, I had no idea what she and my family went through years before I was born. She suffered from mental health issues since middle school, severe bipolar depression, and anxiety. This led to her dropping out of high school and later being homeschooled by my grandma. Around the time I was born, things were relatively normal. However, the situation changed when I was around preschool or kindergarten age. I started noticing a lot of arguing between her and our family. They would scream at each other, and she would leave. She would be missing for hours at a time, and I didn't understand it. I was extremely frustrated and disappointed. I just wanted to spend time with her, but it became more difficult as whenever she would come home, there would be more arguments and yelling. I recognize now the heartache and confusion she was going through. She went through a lot, but my family didn't understand and viewed it as her acting out. She wasn't offered the empathy, compassion, and communication she deserved and needed. It was a challenging environment for all of us, but a little conversation, understanding, and initial discomfort may have gone a long way to recovery. As I grew up, I noticed people's emotions and how they acted around others more than the average kid. I yearned to understand people better because of the emotional turmoil I faced every day while attempting to understand the struggles of my close family member and my single mother. They both randomly cried, and I never understood why they were sad. I tried but couldn't make them happy when those dark moments came. Again, now I realize they didn't want or need someone to come and make them happy or smile. My mother and family member just needed someone to listen to them. All the senseless pain and sorrow, they just wanted someone to listen to them instead of yelling in their face. A huge lesson I've recently realized while reflecting on my experiences with mental health is that sometimes it's arduous to put our emotions inside and communicate compassionately to someone else. This desire to be there for others in need and understand the human mind and body led me to the medical field. I currently work as a Physical Therapist Assistant at a rehabilitation hospital. I assist others towards a more functionally independent life so they can return home and return to their lives as much as possible. I'm also pursuing my bachelor's degree in the hopes of attending Physician Assistant (PA) school and practicing family medicine as a PA. I want to work in underserved areas where mental health issues and physical health ailments are rampant, understand what they're going through, and walk with them in their journey. I strongly value straightforward, compassionate communication because of my experiences with mental health. This is something I've always struggled with myself, despite feeling so strongly about it. Commonly, my own emotions get in the way when I'm dealing with an argument with a loved one. Although, I've become much more understanding over the years and continue to learn as I work in healthcare how to be a more compassionate, caring, and empathetic family member and medical provider. My future aspirations involve providing humanitarian aid to those in developing, war-torn countries such as Syria, Somalia, Afghanistan, and Iraq and providing for those in need within the United States. Another issue I want to be involved in in the future and am currently addressing is disaster relief. I'm a volunteer with the Red Cross's Disaster Action Team and, as a PA, plan to participate in disaster relief nationally and abroad to alieve the widespread mental and physical effects major disasters have. I have many aspirations and lofty goals, which require a vast amount of motivation and discipline daily. I also have dark days, and to get through them, I always think of my past experiences with mental health. After watching my family and mother suffer all those years and being unable to offer solace. These thoughts drive me to make a difference in my life and the life of others. I had difficulty finding and keeping a doctor as a youth, and my health suffered for years. After years of suffering chronic health problems, I found primary care doctors; I felt unheard. I was sent to do numerous tests, urgent care, and emergency departments, yet they found nothing wrong. Feeling helpless, my mental health suffered. I began to dissent medicine and healthcare and was surprised later in life; I discovered a passion for working with patients as a Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) student. Since working as a PTA in my community, I have committed to actively listening to patients and focusing on what's best for them while advocating for their needs. This goal has become my primary goal working in medicine - ensuring patients are heard and respected. I never want a patient under my care to feel like I did. I have become extremely passionate about serving patients in medically underserved communities, reaching out to children in those communities who may lack a sense of purpose in their lives, like me as a child, and helping them walk through their journey and realize their potential. A little kindness and compassion daily truly can change the world.

"I think we are lost," I said to Victoria, one of my team members, while preparing for a service trip in the local community - an underserved, low-income area. The service trip was through Marywood University's alternative break program, and NeighborWorks, an organization focused on local community restoration in underserved communities, is whom we were serving. We were all incredibly excited to serve the community, but I had never expected to be impacted by this experience before it officially started. Victoria and I were completing a pre-trip team-building activity – a scavenger hunt. We were struggling to find an envelope, and when we finally located it, I was shocked to read its contents. There was a note, a success story of sorts. The message was from a young man, Miguel. Miguel told a story about his and his brother's experience through another program offered by Marywood, Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS), and its impact on their lives. Miguel talked about how he had no idea what to do after graduating high school or how to apply to college. Additionally, he said his younger brother experienced the same thing and had an overall lack of confidence. As I read the letter out loud to Victoria, my voice cracked. The letter was from the older brother of the teenager I mentored and tutored in STARS, which focuses on students mentoring and coaching Latino youth in the Scranton area. In medicine, we do not often see our service's effects on others. It was an incredibly insightful and rewarding experience to hear firsthand the program's impact. Miguel stated he was actively applying to colleges. His younger brother (whom I was the assigned mentor for) also showed an interest in college he had never mentioned before. The shock and emotional impact of reading the contents of that envelope stuck with me throughout our service activity. Beforehand, I had doubted my ability to impact underserved communities. Although I was confident I could connect with them, having grown up in their shoes in a low-income, underserved area, I often second-guessed the program's overall impact. Now I understand the impact I can have in communities and acknowledge my limitations, and I now recognize that it takes a community's power to change a community. While my team and I were serving the elderly individual, Debra, through NeighborWorks, numerous community members stopped by to talk or trade household items with her. Although I saw the impact we had in the community, improving Debra's confidence and safety in her home, I recognized that what kept Debra safe was the community that cared for her. I plan to utilize this knowledge I found through service to excel in my ability to improve the communities and individuals I serve as a family medicine Physician Assistant through the National Health Service Corps. During the Pre-PA process, I have had an array of service, healthcare, leadership, and extracurricular activities. These experiences have further strengthened my work ethic, desire to be a leader, and inspiration to graduate college debt-free so I can give back to others sooner. As a first-generation student, it is important to me to graduate and instill purpose in the lives of others through working in medicine and mentoring others, as I have through numerous volunteering and leadership experiences. One of these is with the Marywood chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success. I worked my way up from an inducted member to Community Service chair and now Vice President, where I have developed many projects for our nearly 80 members over multiple semesters. I have worked hard for all I have accomplished and will continue to work hard for all I have yet to because I have fallen in love with the process. In college, I have learned that a strong work ethic goes a long way, which I have transcribed into other areas of my life like fitness, finance, and my career as a Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) at a rehabilitation hospital. As well as working two to five shifts a week in the hospital while being full-time in college, I also work in the same store where I had my original epiphany. I believe in working harder than everyone else to achieve what I want. My motivation for this work ethic is to help my family financially and reach my dream of expanding healthcare to those in need in my community, the country, and abroad. At Marywood, I was fundraising with Campus Ministry for aid in San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala. Although my team and I did not travel to Guatemala to assist the local medical providers due to the pandemic, we still raised over $12,000! This contribution proved to be much needed, as the impact of the coronavirus became pronounced in Guatemala. In the future, I plan to work with a government or non-profit agency like the National Guard, Peace Corps, or UNISEC to travel the world and provide medical care to those in need or recovering from disasters. This care means a great deal to me as I want to leave as much of a positive impact on the world as I can. A college education is crucial for me to learn the skills I need to provide medical care as a PA to change and save lives. I yearn to teach others the same principles I value, including work ethic, working towards your passion, etc. Accomplishing my goal of graduating from school debt-free is something I know will take enormous effort. I have applied for at least one scholarship nearly every week, worked two jobs for almost two years, attended college full-time while commuting for 5+ years, and plan to work with the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) after PA school. The NHSC program involves working in a healthcare deficit area as a PA in family medicine for two years.

"I think we are lost," I said to Victoria, one of my team members, while preparing for a service trip in the local community - an underserved, low-income area. The service trip was through Marywood University's alternative break program, and NeighborWorks, an organization focused on local community restoration in underserved communities, is whom we were serving. We were all incredibly excited to serve the community, but I had never expected to be impacted by this experience before it officially started. Victoria and I were completing a pre-trip team-building activity – a scavenger hunt. We were struggling to find an envelope, and when we finally located it, I was shocked to read its contents. There was a note, a success story of sorts. The message was from a young man, Miguel. Miguel told a story about his and his brother's experience through another program offered by Marywood, Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS), and its impact on their lives. Miguel talked about how he had no idea what to do after graduating high school or how to apply to college. Additionally, he said his younger brother experienced the same thing and had an overall lack of confidence. As I read the letter out loud to Victoria, my voice cracked. The letter was from the older brother of the teenager I mentored and tutored in STARS, which focuses on students mentoring and coaching Latino youth in the Scranton area. In medicine, we do not often see our service's effects on others. It was an incredibly insightful and rewarding experience to hear firsthand the program's impact. Miguel stated he was actively applying to colleges. His younger brother (whom I was the assigned mentor for) also showed an interest in college he had never mentioned before. The shock and emotional impact of reading the contents of that envelope stuck with me throughout our service activity. Beforehand, I had doubted my ability to impact underserved communities. Although I was confident I could connect with them, having grown up in their shoes in a low-income, underserved area, I often second-guessed the program's overall impact. Now I understand the impact I can have in communities and acknowledge my limitations, and I now recognize that it takes a community's power to change a community. While my team and I were serving the elderly individual, Debra, through NeighborWorks, numerous community members stopped by to talk or trade household items with her. Although I saw the impact we had in the community, improving Debra's confidence and safety in her home, I recognized that what kept Debra safe was the community that cared for her. I plan to utilize this knowledge I found through service to excel in my ability to improve the communities and individuals I serve as a family medicine Physician Assistant through the National Health Service Corps. During the Pre-PA process, I have had an array of service, healthcare, leadership, and extracurricular activities. These experiences have further strengthened my work ethic, desire to be a leader, and inspiration to graduate college debt-free so I can give back to others sooner. As a first-generation student, it is important to me to graduate and instill purpose in the lives of others through working in medicine and mentoring others, as I have through numerous volunteering and leadership experiences. One of these is with the Marywood chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success. I worked my way up from an inducted member to Community Service chair and now Vice President, where I have developed many projects for our nearly 80 members over multiple semesters. I have worked hard for all I have accomplished and will continue to work hard for all I have yet to because I have fallen in love with the process. In college, I have learned that a strong work ethic goes a long way, which I have transcribed into other areas of my life like fitness, finance, and my career as a Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) at a rehabilitation hospital. As well as working two to five shifts a week in the hospital while being full-time in college, I also work in the same store where I had my original epiphany. I believe in working harder than everyone else to achieve what I want. My motivation for this work ethic is to help my family financially and reach my dream of expanding healthcare to those in need in my community, the country, and abroad. At Marywood, I was fundraising with Campus Ministry for aid in San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala. Although my team and I did not travel to Guatemala to assist the local medical providers due to the pandemic, we still raised over $12,000! This contribution proved to be much needed, as the impact of the coronavirus became pronounced in Guatemala. In the future, I plan to work with a government or non-profit agency like the National Guard, Peace Corps, or UNISEC to travel the world and provide medical care to those in need or recovering from disasters. This care means a great deal to me as I want to leave as much of a positive impact on the world as I can. A college education is crucial for me to learn the skills I need to provide medical care as a PA to change and save lives. I yearn to teach others the same principles I value, including work ethic, working towards your passion, etc. Accomplishing my goal of graduating from school debt-free is something I know will take enormous effort. I have applied for at least one scholarship nearly every week, worked two jobs for almost two years, attended college full-time while commuting for 5+ years, and plan to work with the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) after PA school. The NHSC program involves working in a healthcare deficit area as a PA in family medicine for two years. I will accomplish all this and attribute my current accomplishments, motivation, and character to the work ethic I have garnered from pushing myself to be the best version of myself. With the assistance of this scholarship, I will continue to do just that and give back to others.

According to the CDC, over half of Americans have at least one chronic disease. Most of these are preventable diseases, like diabetes, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, or hypertension. With regular exercise, healthy eating, and other lifestyle changes, these diseases that plague many lives could be eradicated. However, if it's that simple, why don't people act on it? For several reasons, people don't do the necessary activities to heal their bodies. Medical practitioners, scientists, health coaches, nutritionists, and even parents, have been trying to figure out how to fix this for decades. Some people don't know where to start, some don't have the motivation to start, and some don't understand what they need to do. Nutrition is a stressful topic, and it's tough to change your lifestyle and adopt healthy habits - but there is a solution to at least get hesitant people started. Superfoods. I love superfoods because they represent a unique opportunity for anyone to start their journey to a "healthy" lifestyle immediately. I had several health issues that doctors couldn't figure out when I was younger, making me feel completely helpless. I was insecure and overwhelmed and just wanted to give up on everything. This feeling continued for years until I discovered that changing my diet to a paleo-like lifestyle helped me feel better. I found hope in my situation and purpose in my life, and I learned a passion for nutrition. Ultimately, that passion for nutrition led me to my current career path in medicine, seeking the benefits of various superfoods. Again, I was utterly overwhelmed with all the information. What superfoods are worth it, acai berries? Gingko? Spinach? Wheatgrass? Octopus liver? I didn't know where to go. I went into a phase of thinking superfoods had to be the odd foods most people didn't eat, like bee pollen and Goji fruit. After I got tired of getting weird looks purchasing bee pollen at Marshall's, I decided to go a more traditional route. Something else I've always been insecure about my health is my weight. I've always been the "skinny" kid throughout my life and was picked on for that. So I began to drink smoothies daily, with high-calorie products like peanut butter and plant protein powder. I was never someone who consumed a lot, or any, vegetables before this. But with my morning smoothie, I discovered I could shove a lot of kale in there and not even taste it. I added raspberries and plant protein powder (with probiotics, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, etc.) for additional health benefits/flavor besides the kale I already had. These three, along with dark chocolate, are my favorite superfoods. They're convenient, tolerable, and give me a piece of mind I'm pursuing a healthy lifestyle and taking care of my body. Aside from the physical benefits, consuming these products in my smoothie puts me into a "healthy" mindset every morning and encourages me to seek out more healthy (or at least not harmful) activities. As a future provider, I would love to educate the patient's I serve on the benefits of superfoods and how they can incorporate them into their diet, as I did, to give them that little motivation and reassurance they need to discover that they can change their lives - slowly - with the power of nutrition (and maybe a few Acai berries from Marshall's).

During the Pre-PA process, I have had an array of service, healthcare, leadership, and extracurricular activities. These experiences have further strengthened my work ethic, desire to be a leader, and inspiration to graduate college debt-free so I can give back to others sooner. As a first-generation student, it is important to me to graduate and instill purpose in the lives of others through working in medicine and mentoring others, as I have through numerous volunteering and leadership experiences. What excites me the most about college, besides learning medicine to serve future patients, is the ability to help others with like-minded classmates. This service keeps me sane throughout an arduous academic program like Physician Assistant school. One of these is with the Marywood chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success. I worked my way up from an inducted member to Community Service chair and now Vice President, where I have developed many projects for our nearly 80 members over multiple semesters. I have worked hard for all I have accomplished and will continue to work hard for all I have yet to because I have fallen in love with the process. In college, I have learned that a strong work ethic goes a long way, which I have transcribed into other areas of my life like fitness, finance, and my career as a Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) at a rehabilitation hospital. As well as working two to five shifts a week in the hospital while being full-time in college, I also work in the same store where I had my original epiphany. I believe in working harder than everyone else to achieve what I want. My motivation for this work ethic is to help my family financially and reach my dream of expanding healthcare to those in need in my community, the country, and abroad. At Marywood, I was fundraising with Campus Ministry for aid in San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala. Although my team and I did not travel to Guatemala to assist the local medical providers due to the pandemic, we still raised over $12,000! This contribution proved to be much needed, as the impact of the coronavirus became pronounced in Guatemala. In the future, I plan to work with a government or non-profit agency like the National Guard, Peace Corps, or UNISEC to travel the world and provide medical care to those in need or recovering from disasters. This care means a great deal to me as I want to leave as much of a positive impact on the world as I can. A college education is crucial for me to learn the skills I need to provide medical care as a PA to change and save lives. I yearn to teach others the same principles I value, including work ethic, working towards your passion, etc. Accomplishing my goal of graduating from school debt-free is something I know will take enormous effort. I have applied for at least one scholarship nearly every week, worked two jobs for almost two years, attended college full-time while commuting for 5+ years, and plan to work with the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) after PA school. The NHSC program involves working in a healthcare deficit area as a PA in family medicine for two years. I will accomplish all this and attribute my current accomplishments, motivation, and character to the work ethic I have garnered from pushing myself to be the best version of myself. With the assistance of this scholarship, I will continue to do just that and give back to others.

I had always been “the skinny kid” in high school amongst my friends and strangers. I had numerous health problems I had been battling under the surface of my seemingly careless composure. By age 15, I had been to many medical specialists, including my pediatrician, a dermatologist, urgent care, and the emergency room. I missed many days of school due to my health issues, feeling sick every morning. I was scared to go a whole day through school, as I knew I would start feeling severe stomach pain at some point but didn’t know when. Throughout all this turmoil, I learned what being “healthy” truly means. To me, living a healthy lifestyle means living to your full potential. To experience life without being held back from a condition, disease, or symptoms resulting from an unhealthy lifestyle. Along with my severe stomach pain, I had severe acne by the time I was in 10th grade. My pediatrician prescribed an antibiotic, minocycline, to which I was allergic. She also prescribed me an array of creams, which caused my skin to glow with a reddish tint. By the time I was in 11th grade, my entire face, littered with cystic acne, often started bleeding when I accidentally bumped it at school, causing everyone in the class to say, “Christian, your face is bleeding!” for everyone to hear. As much as a health condition takes a physical toll, the mental toll is often equally devastating or greater. It begins to be a compounding effect. The physical part affects the mental well-being, further garnering physical symptoms. I also learned the importance of remaining present or living in the moment. During my health journey, I always thought about how life would be when I was “healthy.” Some days this thought was the only thing that got me through. I spent hours looking in the mirror, pleading to wake up the next morning with clear skin and no more gastrointestinal issues. The day never came, of course, until years later, when I had changed my diet and lifestyle; and grew past my stomach and skin issues. The doctors were unable to help my specific situation despite their best efforts. I had several blood tests, nasal swabs, antibiotics, and topicals prescribed, and nothing seemed to offer any relief from the symptoms. I took things into my own hands, radically changing my diet from whey protein, protein shakes, cheeseburgers, and chronic stress, to vegetables, whole-foods - all while focusing intently on my mental health. It was arduous, but what motivated me every day was my belief that if I wanted to help others, I needed to help myself. To change lives as a future medical provider, I had to change my own. When I solved my health issues, I spent a vast amount of time on an online forum helping others. Thousands of fellow acne sufferers have seen my story and gained inspiration and insight. I also consistently motivate and assist my family in achieving their health goals whenever they request help. However, there is always another mountain, and it was not long after becoming ‘healthy’ that I realized how unhealthy I was. Unfortunately, I was limiting myself from so many foods due to my sensitive stomach and skin that I was not getting the proper nutrients and calories. I lost over ten pounds in a few months and was underweight for my height. I have been fighting to keep my weight up, which constantly fluctuates, dropping for a few months and then bringing it back up by stuffing myself. I continue to fight, learning more for my patients.

I had difficulty finding and keeping a doctor as a youth, and my health suffered for years. I've become extremely passionate about serving patients in medically underserved communities, reaching out to children in those communities who may lack a sense of purpose in their lives, like me as a child, and helping them walk through their journey and realize their potential. I decided to pursue a career as a Physician Assistant after finding a passion in my life through serving patients as a Physical Therapist Assistant. I look forward to serving those in need through the National Health Service Corps in primary care, especially people within my locality. This opportunity is specifically significant for me as someone who grew up in a healthcare deficit, low-income community and was raised within a single-parent household. Being from a marginalized area, I strongly desire to pay it forward and be a role model for others from impoverished environments. For instance, I volunteered with Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS) at Marywood University, where I tutored and mentored Latinx youths from the Scranton area. This experience gave me greater insight into an individual's impact on others. One of the students mentored was noticeably shy and anxious around others. Though we came from different backgrounds and ethnicities, I saw qualities of myself in him. We worked to help him set goals and career aspirations and define who he aspires to be. It was an extraordinary experience to influence someone, and I recognized my struggles and watched them grow. As a future PA, I look forward to similar moments where I get the opportunity to positively influence patients' lives while providing support and care through their adversities. Along with directly serving underserved communities as a Physician Assistant, I plan to advocate for fair, equitable healthcare. I hold several leadership positions currently at Marywood University, including vice-president of honor society, and plan to continue leadership in PA organizations.

During the Pre-PA process, I have had an array of service, healthcare, leadership, and extracurricular activities. These experiences have further strengthened my work ethic, desire to be a leader, and inspiration to graduate college debt-free so I can give back to others sooner. As a first-generation student, it is important to me to graduate and instill purpose in the lives of others through working in medicine and mentoring others like I have through numerous volunteering and leadership experiences. One of these is with the Marywood chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success. I worked my way up from an inducted member to Community Service chair and now Vice President, where I have developed many projects for our nearly 80 members over multiple semesters. I have worked hard for all I have accomplished so far and will continue to work hard for all I have yet to because I have fallen in love with the process. In college, I have learned that a strong work ethic goes a long way, which I have transcribed into other areas of my life like fitness, finance, and my career as a Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) at a rehabilitation hospital. As well as working two to five shifts a week in the hospital while being full-time in college, I also work in the same store where I had my original epiphany. I believe in working harder than everyone else to achieve what I want. My motivation for this work ethic is to help my family financially and reach my dream of expanding healthcare to those in need in my community, the country, and abroad. At Marywood, I was involved in fundraising with Campus Ministry for aid in San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala. Although my team and I did not travel to Guatemala to assist the local medical providers due to the pandemic, we still raised over $12,000! This contribution proved to be much needed, as the impact of the coronavirus became pronounced in Guatemala. In the future, I plan to work with a government or non-profit agency like the National Guard, Peace Corps, or UNISEC to travel the world and provide medical care to those in need or recovering from disasters. This care means a great deal to me as I want to leave as much of a positive impact on the world as I can. A college education is crucial for me to learn the skills I need to provide medical care as a PA to change and save lives. I yearn to teach others the same principles I value including, work ethic, working towards your passion, etc. Accomplishing my goal of graduating school debt-free is something I know will take enormous effort. I have applied to at least one scholarship nearly every week, worked two jobs for almost two years, attended college full-time while commuting for 5+ years, and plan to work with the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) after PA school. The NHSC program involves working in a healthcare deficit area as a PA in family medicine for two years. I will accomplish all this and attribute my current accomplishments, motivation, and character to the work ethic I have garnered from pushing myself to be the best version of myself. With the assistance of this scholarship, I will continue to do just that and give back to others.

According to the CDC, over half of Americans have at least one chronic disease. Most of these are preventable diseases, like diabetes, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, or hypertension. With regular exercise, healthy eating, and other lifestyle changes, these diseases that plague many lives could be eradicated. However, if it's that simple, why don't people act on it? For several reasons, people don't do the necessary activities to heal their bodies. Medical practitioners, scientists, health coaches, nutritionists, and even parents, have been trying to figure out how to fix this for decades. Some people don't know where to start, some don't have the motivation to start, and some don't understand what they need to do. Nutrition is a stressful topic, and it's tough to change your lifestyle and adopt healthy habits - but there is a solution to at least get hesitant people started. Superfoods. I love superfoods because they represent a unique opportunity for anyone to start their journey to a "healthy" lifestyle immediately. I had several health issues that doctors couldn't figure out when I was younger, making me feel completely helpless. I was insecure and overwhelmed and just wanted to give up on everything. This feeling continued for years until I discovered that changing my diet to a paleo-like lifestyle helped me feel better. I found hope in my situation and purpose in my life, and I learned a passion for nutrition. Ultimately, that passion for nutrition led me to my current career path in medicine, seeking the benefits of various superfoods. Again, I was utterly overwhelmed with all the information. What superfoods are worth it, acai berries? Gingko? Spinach? Wheatgrass? Octopus liver? I didn't know where to go. I went into a phase of thinking superfoods had to be the odd foods most people didn't eat, like bee pollen and Goji fruit. After I got tired of getting weird looks purchasing bee pollen at Marshall's, I decided to go a more traditional route. Something else I've always been insecure about my health is my weight. I've always been the "skinny" kid throughout my life and was picked on for that. So I began to drink smoothies daily, with high-calorie products like peanut butter and plant protein powder. I was never someone who consumed a lot, or any, vegetables before this. But with my morning smoothie, I discovered I could shove a lot of kale in there and not even taste it. I added raspberries and plant protein powder (with probiotics, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, etc.) for additional health benefits/flavor besides the kale I already had. These three, along with dark chocolate, are my favorite superfoods. They're convenient, tolerable, and give me a piece of mind I'm pursuing a healthy lifestyle and taking care of my body. Aside from the physical benefits, consuming these products in my smoothie puts me into a "healthy" mindset every morning and encourages me to seek out more healthy (or at least not harmful) activities. As a future provider, I would love to educate the patient's I serve on the benefits of superfoods and how they can incorporate them into their diet, as I did, to give them that little motivation and reassurance they need to discover that they can change their lives - slowly - with the power of nutrition (and maybe a few Acai berries from Marshall's).

I grew up without a father figure. Shortly after I was born, my biological father was imprisoned. Because of this, he was absent from my life entirely by the time I was a toddler. My family decided it was best if he was left out of our lives, and there were legal battles early on for custody. However, my mother was given full custody due to my father's criminal history. While growing up, I always chose not to see my biological father, and I never understood what was happening. I didn't know why my father wasn't in my life, but I felt resentment toward him. It was a very personal issue for me as I got older. I noticed almost everyone else had a happy family with both parents, while it was just my mom and me. There was a sense of deep insecurity from this difference I had noticed. The insecurity I felt and struggling to make ends meet in a low-income, single-parent household took a toll on my perspective of life. I had no aspirations, hopes, or plans for the future. I knew I wanted to do great things, possibly own a business one day and change the world, but I had no hope for it to occur. So I didn't try. I didn't try anything. I had no interest in school, friends, or my future. I felt like my life's trajectory was decided for me before I could walk because my support system was broken. If I wanted to amount to anything in life, I realized I had to be my support system. It wasn't until after barely graduating high school that I realized this. I knew no one would step in and change my life; only I had that power. Despite having no confidence in my abilities to make it through college, I enrolled in community college. I had no idea what I was doing or why I was going to college, but I found a sense of purpose by pursuing something in my control. I had always felt growing up that my life was not in my control. In retrospect, I'm sure this was due to my biological father being taken out of my life and the subsequent financial and emotional turmoil my mother and I faced. I felt helpless to console my mother when she cried uncontrollably. I felt helpless when my mom and I had no family to turn to for help. My entire life before that, I felt no control. I graduated community college with a 3.6-grade point average, a significant increase from high school. With a newfound sense of purpose and confidence, I enrolled in Physical Therapist Assistant school. Enrolling in Physical Therapist Assistant school was the best thing in my life. I had finally found something that gave me a true sense of purpose in life - patient care. This passion eventually led me to Physician Assistant school, which I start in May. I had several service experiences in underserved communities in youth populations similar to where I grew up. I saw myself in several of the youth individuals I worked with and was able to be that person that believes in them that I never had growing up. I decided to devote my life to serving those individuals who didn't have support figures in their lives like me. I plan to accomplish this as a Physician Assistant, community service volunteer, and individual. I overcame an array of adversities in my life, and yearn to walk with others through their journeys, so that they may do the same.

During the Pre-PA process, I have had an array of service, healthcare, leadership, and extracurricular activities. These experiences have further strengthened my work ethic, desire to be a leader, and inspiration to graduate college debt-free so I can give back to others sooner. As a first-generation student, it is important to me to graduate and instill purpose in the lives of others through working in medicine and mentoring others like I have through numerous volunteering and leadership experiences. One of these is with the Marywood chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success. I worked my way up from an inducted member to Community Service chair and now Vice President, where I have developed many projects for our nearly 80 members over multiple semesters. I have worked hard for all I have accomplished so far and will continue to work hard for all I have yet to because I have fallen in love with the process. In college, I have learned that a strong work ethic goes a long way, which I have transcribed into other areas of my life like fitness, finance, and my career as a Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) at a rehabilitation hospital. As well as working two to five shifts a week in the hospital while being full-time in college, I also work in the same store where I had my original epiphany. I believe in working harder than everyone else to achieve what I want. My motivation for this work ethic is to help my family financially and reach my dream of expanding healthcare to those in need in my community, the country, and abroad. At Marywood, I was involved in fundraising with Campus Ministry for aid in San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala. Although my team and I did not travel to Guatemala to assist the local medical providers due to the pandemic, we still raised over $12,000! This contribution proved to be much needed, as the impact of the coronavirus became pronounced in Guatemala. In the future, I plan to work with a government or non-profit agency like the National Guard, Peace Corps, or UNISEC to travel the world and provide medical care to those in need or recovering from disasters. This care means a great deal to me as I want to leave as much of a positive impact on the world as I can. A college education is crucial for me to learn the skills I need to provide medical care as a PA to change and save lives. I yearn to teach others the same principles I value including, work ethic, working towards your passion, etc. Accomplishing my goal of graduating school debt-free is something I know will take enormous effort. I have applied to at least one scholarship nearly every week, worked two jobs for almost two years, attended college full-time while commuting for 5+ years, and plan to work with the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) after PA school. The NHSC program involves working in a healthcare deficit area as a PA in family medicine for two years. I will accomplish all this and attribute my current accomplishments, motivation, and character to the work ethic I have garnered from pushing myself to be the best version of myself. With the assistance of this scholarship, I will continue to do just that and give back to others.

During the Pre-PA process, I have had an array of service, healthcare, leadership, and extracurricular activities. These experiences have further strengthened my work ethic, desire to be a leader, and inspiration to graduate college debt-free so I can give back to others sooner. As a first-generation student, it is important to me to graduate and instill purpose in the lives of others through working in medicine and mentoring others like I have through numerous volunteering and leadership experiences. One of these is with the Marywood chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success. I worked my way up from an inducted member to Community Service chair and now Vice President, where I have developed many projects for our nearly 80 members over multiple semesters. I have worked hard for all I have accomplished so far and will continue to work hard for all I have yet to because I have fallen in love with the process. In college, I have learned that a strong work ethic goes a long way, which I have transcribed into other areas of my life like fitness, finance, and my career as a Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) at a rehabilitation hospital. As well as working two to five shifts a week in the hospital while being full-time in college, I also work in the same store where I had my original epiphany. I believe in working harder than everyone else to achieve what I want. My motivation for this work ethic is to help my family financially and reach my dream of expanding healthcare to those in need in my community, the country, and abroad. At Marywood, I was involved in fundraising with Campus Ministry for aid in San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala. Although my team and I did not travel to Guatemala to assist the local medical providers due to the pandemic, we still raised over $12,000! This contribution proved to be much needed, as the impact of the coronavirus became pronounced in Guatemala. In the future, I plan to work with a government or non-profit agency like the National Guard, Peace Corps, or UNISEC to travel the world and provide medical care to those in need or recovering from disasters. This care means a great deal to me as I want to leave as much of a positive impact on the world as I can. A college education is crucial for me to learn the skills I need to provide medical care as a PA to change and save lives. I yearn to teach others the same principles I value including, work ethic, working towards your passion, etc. Accomplishing my goal of graduating school debt-free is something I know will take enormous effort. I have applied to at least one scholarship nearly every week, worked two jobs for almost two years, attended college full-time while commuting for 5+ years, and plan to work with the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) after PA school. The NHSC program involves working in a healthcare deficit area as a PA in family medicine for two years. I will accomplish all this and attribute my current accomplishments, motivation, and character to the work ethic I have garnered from pushing myself to be the best version of myself. With the assistance of this scholarship, I will continue to do just that and give back to others.

During the Pre-PA process, I have had an array of service, healthcare, leadership, and extracurricular activities. These experiences have further strengthened my work ethic, desire to be a leader, and inspiration to graduate college debt-free so I can give back to others sooner. As a first-generation student, it is important to me to graduate and instill purpose in the lives of others through working in medicine and mentoring others like I have through numerous volunteering and leadership experiences. One of these is with the Marywood chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success. I worked my way up from an inducted member to Community Service chair and now Vice President, where I have developed many projects for our nearly 80 members over multiple semesters. I have worked hard for all I have accomplished so far and will continue to work hard for all I have yet to because I have fallen in love with the process. In college, I have learned that a strong work ethic goes a long way, which I have transcribed into other areas of my life like fitness, finance, and my career as a Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) at a rehabilitation hospital. As well as working two to five shifts a week in the hospital while being full-time in college, I also work in the same store where I had my original epiphany. I believe in working harder than everyone else to achieve what I want. My motivation for this work ethic is to help my family financially and reach my dream of expanding healthcare to those in need in my community, the country, and abroad. At Marywood, I was involved in fundraising with Campus Ministry for aid in San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala. Although my team and I did not travel to Guatemala to assist the local medical providers due to the pandemic, we still raised over $12,000! This contribution proved to be much needed, as the impact of the coronavirus became pronounced in Guatemala. In the future, I plan to work with a government or non-profit agency like the National Guard, Peace Corps, or UNISEC to travel the world and provide medical care to those in need or recovering from disasters. This care means a great deal to me as I want to leave as much of a positive impact on the world as I can. A college education is crucial for me to learn the skills I need to provide medical care as a PA to change and save lives. I yearn to teach others the same principles I value including, work ethic, working towards your passion, etc. Accomplishing my goal of graduating school debt-free is something I know will take enormous effort. I have applied to at least one scholarship nearly every week, worked two jobs for almost two years, attended college full-time while commuting for 5+ years, and plan to work with the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) after PA school. The NHSC program involves working in a healthcare deficit area as a PA in family medicine for two years. I will accomplish all this and attribute my current accomplishments, motivation, and character to the work ethic I have garnered from pushing myself to be the best version of myself. With the assistance of this scholarship, I will continue to do just that and give back to others.

I had always been “the skinny kid” in high school, amongst my friends and strangers alike. I had numerous health problems I had been battling under the surface of my seemingly careless composure. By the time I was 15, I had been to many medical specialists, including my pediatrician, a dermatologist, urgent care, and the emergency room. I missed many days of school due to my health issues, feeling sick to my stomach every morning. I was scared to go a whole day through school, as I knew I would start feeling severe stomach pain at some point but didn’t know when. Throughout all this turmoil, I learned what being “healthy” truly means. Living a healthy lifestyle, to me, means to be living to your full potential. To experience life without being held back from a condition, disease, or symptoms resulting from an unhealthy lifestyle. Along with my severe stomach pain, I had severe acne by the time I was in 10th grade. My pediatrician prescribed an antibiotic, minocycline, to which I was allergic. She also prescribed me an array of creams, which caused my skin to glow with a reddish tint. By the time By the time I was in 11th grade, my entire face, littered with cystic acne, often started bleeding when I accidentally bumped it at school, causing everyone in the class to say, “Christian, your face is bleeding!” for everyone to hear. As much as a health condition takes a physical toll, the mental toll is often equally devastating or greater. It begins to be a compounding effect the physical part affects the mental well-being, further garnering physical symptoms. Through this, I also learned the importance of remaining present or living in the moment. During my health journey, I always thought about how life would be when I was “healthy.” Some days this thought was the only thing that got me through. I spent hours looking in the mirror, pleading to wake up the next morning with clear skin and no more gastrointestinal issues. The day never came, of course, until years later, when I had changed my diet and lifestyle; and grew past my stomach and skin issues. The doctors were unable to help my specific situation despite their best efforts. I had several blood tests, nasal swabs, antibiotics, and topicals prescribed, and nothing seemed to offer any relief from the symptoms. I took things into my own hands, radically changing my diet from whey protein, protein shakes, cheeseburgers, and chronic stress, to vegetables, whole-foods - all while focusing intently on my mental health. It was arduous, but what motivated me every day was my belief that if I wanted to help others, I need to help myself. To change lives as a future medical provider, I had to change my own. When I solved my health issues, I spent a vast amount of time on an online forum helping others. Now, thousands of fellow acne sufferers have seen my story and gained some inspiration and insight from it. I also consistently motivate and assist my family in achieving their health goals whenever they request help. I have a strong drive in the future as a Physician Assistant to work in healthcare deficit areas, where food deserts are widespread. These are areas where healthy, whole foods are not readily available due to a lack of grocery stores or supplies. Ultimately, improving patients' mental health and confidence. To be the best medical provider I can be, I yearn to optimize my health and well-being, to provide the same for my current and future patients.

I had not known real leadership until I met him. The man that would one day become my step-father came into my life when I was a teenager. Without a clear purpose, my view of what my legacy would be before meeting him was vague. What I learned from my step-father was not that he was a leader to me, but that I could be a leader to others. That is the legacy he left with me to lead others towards a definite sense of purpose. Not a day goes by where I am not eternally grateful to have been blessed with a leadership figure to have come into my life. I discovered the idea of legacy through him, and this is where I learned how to be a leader. To have a legacy means to inspire others. You must be a leader to leave a legacy. Among the varieties of legacies, there are philanthropic, inspirational, and personal. Philanthropic is an individual like Mahatma Gandhi, the Indian lawyer who led a nation to success against formidable odds. Inspirational, like the story of Rosa Parks, who refused to conform to unethical societal normalities. And personal, like my step-father, who taught me how to, and the importance of leading and inspiring others. When I had started my first job at the age of 16, I told my mom I didn't want to go the second day. I was too embarrassed and experienced immense social anxiety. I didn't know how to face my fears growing up. I talked to my step-father about it, and he refused to let me give up so quickly. I had built up the courage to go the next day, despite my fears and anxieties, and felt incredibly powerfully during work and after. This was an ability I had never discovered before, the ability to face my fears and grow from them. I wish someone had taught me this vital skill earlier on, and that's what I believe my legacy should be. I strive to leave a legacy of leadership behind. Empowering others from single-parent, low-income households to achieve their aspirations. I've accomplished this through several volunteering opportunities, from working at a foster home to building a home for a single mother, fundraising for a medical mission trip to San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala, and mentoring/tutoring Latinx youth n my community. It's been an incredible journey since I've discovered my purpose. Through the legacy that I adamantly strive to leave, I believe I can instill leadership in generations to come.

I had difficulty finding and keeping a doctor as a youth, and my health suffered for years. After years of suffering chronic health problems, I found primary care doctors; I felt unheard. I was sent to do numerous tests, urgent care, and emergency departments, yet they found nothing wrong. Feeling helpless, my mental health suffered. I began to dissent medicine and healthcare and was surprised later in life when I discovered a passion for working with patients as a Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) student. Since working as a PTA in my community, I have committed myself to always actively listening to patients and focusing on what's best for them while advocating for their needs. This goal has become my primary purpose working in medicine - to ensure patients are heard and respected. I never want a patient under my care to feel like I did. I have become extremely passionate about serving patients in medically underserved communities, reaching out to children in those communities who may lack a sense of purpose in their lives, like me as a child, and helping them walk through their journey and realize their potential. I look forward to serving those in need through the National Health Service Corps in primary care, especially people within my locality. This opportunity is specifically significant for me as someone who grew up in a healthcare deficit, low-income community and was raised within a single-parent household. Being from a marginalized area, I strongly desire to pay it forward and be a role model for others from impoverished environments. For instance, I volunteered with Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS) at Marywood University, where I tutored and mentored Latinx youths from the Scranton area. This experience gave me greater insight into an individual's impact on others. One of the students mentored was noticeably shy and anxious around others. Though we came from different backgrounds and ethnicities, I saw qualities of myself in him. We worked to help him set goals and career aspirations and define who he aspires to be. It was an extraordinary experience to influence someone, and I recognized my struggles and watched them grow. As a future PA, I passionately look forward to similar moments where I get the opportunity to have a positive influence on patient's lives while providing support and care through their adversities. Along with directly serving underserved communities as a Physician Assistant, I plan to advocate for fair, equitable healthcare. I hold several leadership positions currently at Marywood University, including vice-president of an honor society, and plan to continue leadership in PA organizations.

My first experience with severe mental health issues was when I was very young. I spent many hours with a close family member of mine. She was my best friend at a young age and routinely took care of me when my mother had to work, as she was a single parent. We went on walks together, hung out at my grandma's house, and would do anything to put a smile on my face. At my young, naive age, I had no idea what she and my family went through years before I was born. She suffered from mental health issues since middle school, severe bipolar depression, and anxiety. This lead to her subsequently dropping out of high school and later being homeschooled by my grandma. Around the time I was born, things were relatively normal. However, the situation changed when I was around preschool or kindergarten age. I started to notice there was a lot of arguing going on when I was around her and our family. They would scream at each other, and she would leave. She would be missing for hours at a time, and I didn't understand it. I was extremely frustrated and disappointed. I just wanted to spend time with her, but it became more difficult as whenever she would come home, there would be more arguments and yelling. I recognize now the heartache and confusion she was going through. She was going through a lot, but my family didn't understand and just viewed it as her acting out. She wasn't offered the empathy, compassion, and communication she deserved and needed. It was a difficult environment for all of us, but a little conversation, understanding, and initial discomfort may have gone a long way to recovery. As I grew up, I noticed people's emotions and how they acted around others more than the average kid. I yearned to understand people better because of the emotional turmoil I faced every day while attempting to understand the struggles of my close family member and my single mother. They both would randomly cry, and I never understood why they were sad. I tried, but I couldn't make them happy when those dark moments came. Again, now I realize they didn't want or need someone to come and make them happy or smile. My mother and family member just needed someone to listen to them. All the senseless pain and sorrow, they just wanted someone to listen to them instead of yelling in their face. A huge lesson I've recently realized while reflecting on my experiences with mental health is that sometimes it's arduous to put our own emotions inside and communicate compassionately to someone else. This desire to be there for other people in need and understand the human mind and body led me to the medical field. I currently work as a Physical Therapist Assistant at a rehabilitation hospital where I assist others towards a more functionally independent life so they can return home and get back to their lives before as much as possible. I'm also pursuing my bachelor's degree in the hopes of attending Physician Assistant (PA) school and practice in family medicine as a PA. I want to work in underserved areas where mental health issues and physical health ailments are rampant, understand what they're going through, and walk with them in their journey. One thing I strongly value because of my experiences with mental health is straightforward, compassionate communication. This is something I've always struggled with myself, despite feeling so strongly about it. Commonly, my own emotions get in the way when I'm dealing with an argument with a loved one. Although, I've become much more understanding over the years and continue to learn as I work in healthcare how to be a more compassionate, caring, and empathetic family member and medical provider. My future aspirations involve providing humanitarian aid to those in developing, war-torn countries such as Syria, Somalia, Afghanistan, and Iraq and providing for those in need within the United States. Another issue I'd like to be involved in in the future and am currently addressing is disaster relief. I'm a volunteer with the Red Cross's Disaster Action Team and, as a PA, plan to participate in disaster relief nationally and abroad to alieve the widespread mental and physical effects major disasters have. I have many aspirations and lofty goals, which require a vast amount of motivation and discipline daily. I have dark days as well, and to get through, I always think of my past experiences with mental health. After watching my family and mother suffer all those years and being unable to offer solace. These thoughts drive me to make a difference in my life and the life of others. A little kindness and compassion daily truly can change the world.

Community. Research has shown meaningful relationships are one of the most significant indicators of a long, healthy life, and the most meaningful relationships are typically those we are closest with. These relationships are generally our family, co-workers, and friends. However, society is becoming increasingly distant, young adults moving away from family, working from home, and social isolation prohibiting people from forming close friendships. There is one crucial component in maintaining longevity - a community. As decades pass in an increasingly socially isolated world, the word 'community' is becoming a buzzword, a fairytale-like concept. I've observed firsthand what having a close-knit community can do for individuals, physically, mentally, and spiritually. While volunteering in my local community with an organization focused on community development and assisting the most vulnerable, I met a pleasant woman that we'll call Jane, that opened my heart and eyes to the benefits of having a solid community. Firstly, Jane had close ties to the organization we were serving her through, which provided care for her home she wasn't capable of physically anymore. Secondly, we had multiple interactions with neighbors who stopped by to chat with us while we were there. One neighbor, a woman who had recently immigrated to America from Nepal, stated that Jane welcomed her and her family when she arrived and supported them since they'd been here. As the woman left, Jane went into the house and brought out something for her. Jane handed the woman yarn for a project she was working on at home. It was a small gesture but said so much more about Jane and her little community than simply the little piece of material. I walked away from this experience feeling a deep sense of gratitude and fufillness. Something so significant to our health, yet so infrequently experienced today.

I had difficulty finding and keeping a doctor as a youth, and my health suffered for years. I've become extremely passionate about serving patients in medically underserved communities, reaching out to children in those communities who may lack a sense of purpose in their lives, like me as a child, and helping them walk through their journey and realize their potential. I look forward to serving those in need through the National Health Service Corps in primary care, especially people within my locality. This opportunity is specifically significant for me as someone who grew up in a healthcare deficit, low-income community and was raised within a single-parent household. Being from a marginalized area, I strongly desire to pay it forward and be a role model for others from impoverished environments. For instance, I volunteered with Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS) at Marywood University, where I tutored and mentored Latinx youths from the Scranton area. This experience gave me greater insight into an individual's impact on others. One of the students mentored was noticeably shy and anxious around others. Though we came from different backgrounds and ethnicities, I saw qualities of myself in him. We worked to help him set goals, career aspirations and define who he aspires to be. It was an extraordinary experience to influence someone, and I recognized my struggles and watched them grow. As a future PA, I passionately look forward to similar moments where I get the opportunity to have a positive influence on patients' lives while providing support and care through their adversities. Along with directly serving underserved communities as a Physician Assistant, I plan to advocate for fair, equitable healthcare. I hold several leadership positions currently at Marywood University, including vice-president of an honor society, and plan to continue leadership in PA organizations.

I had not known real leadership until I met him. The man that would one day become my step-father came into my life when I was a teenager. Without a clear purpose, my view of what my legacy would be before meeting him was vague. What I learned from my step-father was not that he was a leader to me, but that I could be a leader to others. That is the legacy he left with me to lead others towards a definite sense of purpose. Not a day goes by where I am not eternally grateful to have been blessed with a leadership figure to have come into my life. I discovered the idea of legacy through him, and this is where I learned how to be a leader. To have a legacy means to inspire others. You must be a leader to leave a legacy. Among the varieties of legacies, there are philanthropic, inspirational, and personal. Philanthropic is an individual like Mahatma Gandhi, the Indian lawyer who led a nation to success against formidable odds. Inspirational, like the story of Rosa Parks, who refused to conform to unethical societal normalities. And personal, like my step-father, who taught me how to, and the importance of leading and inspiring others. When I had started my first job at the age of 16, I told my mom I didn't want to go the second day. I was too embarrassed and experienced immense social anxiety. I didn't know how to face my fears growing up. I talked to my step-father about it, and he refused to let me give up so quickly. I had built up the courage to go the next day, despite my fears and anxieties, and felt incredibly powerfully during work and after. This was an ability I had never discovered before, the ability to face my fears and grow from them. I wish someone had taught me this vital skill earlier on, and that's what I believe my legacy should be. I strive to leave a legacy of leadership behind. Empowering others from single-parent, low-income households to achieve their aspirations. I've accomplished this through several volunteering opportunities, from working at a foster home to building a home for a single mother, fundraising for a medical mission trip to San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala, and mentoring/tutoring Latinx youth n my community. It's been an incredible journey since I've discovered my purpose. Through the legacy that I adamantly strive to leave, I believe I can instill leadership in generations to come.

I had difficulty finding and keeping a doctor as a youth, and my health suffered for years. I've become extremely passionate about serving patients in medically underserved communities, reaching out to children in those communities who may lack a sense of purpose in their lives, like me as a child, and helping them walk through their journey and realize their potential. I look forward to serving those in need through the National Health Service Corps in primary care, especially people within my locality. This opportunity is specifically significant for me as someone who grew up in a healthcare deficit, low-income community and was raised within a single-parent household. Being from a marginalized area, I strongly desire to pay it forward and be a role model for others from impoverished environments. For instance, I volunteered with Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS) at Marywood University, where I tutored and mentored Latinx youths from the Scranton area. This experience gave me greater insight into an individual's impact on others. One of the students mentored was noticeably shy and anxious around others. Though we came from different backgrounds and ethnicities, I saw qualities of myself in him. We worked to help him set goals, career aspirations and define who he aspires to be. It was an extraordinary experience to influence someone, and I recognized my struggles and watched them grow. As a future PA, I passionately look forward to similar moments where I get the opportunity to have a positive influence on patients' lives while providing support and care through their adversities. Along with directly serving underserved communities as a Physician Assistant, I plan to advocate for fair, equitable healthcare. I hold several leadership positions currently at Marywood University, including vice-president of an honor society, and plan to continue leadership in PA organizations.

I had difficulty finding and keeping a doctor as a youth, and my health suffered for years. I've become extremely passionate about serving patients in medically underserved communities, reaching out to children in those communities who may lack a sense of purpose in their lives, like me as a child, and helping them walk through their journey and realize their potential. I look forward to serving those in need through the National Health Service Corps in primary care, especially people within my locality. This opportunity is specifically significant for me as someone who grew up in a healthcare deficit, low-income community and was raised within a single-parent household. Being from a marginalized area, I strongly desire to pay it forward and be a role model for others from impoverished environments. For instance, I volunteered with Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS) at Marywood University, where I tutored and mentored Latinx youths from the Scranton area. This experience gave me greater insight into an individual's impact on others. One of the students mentored was noticeably shy and anxious around others. Though we came from different backgrounds and ethnicities, I saw qualities of myself in him. We worked to help him set goals, and career aspirations and define who he aspires to be. It was an extraordinary experience to influence someone, and I recognized my struggles and watched them grow. As a future PA, I passionately look forward to similar moments where I get the opportunity to have a positive influence on patient's lives while providing support and care through their adversities. Along with directly serving underserved communities as a Physician Assistant, I plan to advocate for fair, equitable healthcare. I hold several leadership positions currently at Marywood University, including vice-president of an honor society, and plan to continue leadership in PA organizations. I had several service experiences in underserved communities in youth populations similar to where I grew up. I saw myself in several of the youth individuals I worked with and was able to be that person that believes in them that I never had growing up. I decided to devote my life to serving those individuals who didn't have support figures in their lives like me. I plan to accomplish this as a Physician Assistant, community service volunteer, and individual. I overcame an array of adversities in my life, and yearn to walk with others through their journeys, so that they may do the same.

Along with my severe stomach pain, I had severe acne by the time I was in 10th grade. My pediatrician prescribed an antibiotic, minocycline, to which I was allergic. She also prescribed me an array of creams, which caused my skin to glow with a reddish tint. By the time By the time I was in 11th grade, my entire face, littered with cystic acne, often started bleeding when I accidentally bumped it at school, causing everyone in the class to say, “Christian, your face is bleeding!” for everyone to hear. As much as a health condition takes a physical toll, the mental toll is often equally devastating or greater. It begins to be a compounding effect the physical part affects the mental well-being, further garnering physical symptoms. Through this, I also learned the importance of remaining present or living in the moment. During my health journey, I always thought about how life would be when I was “healthy.” Some days this thought was the only thing that got me through. I spent hours looking in the mirror, pleading to wake up the next morning with clear skin and no more gastrointestinal issues. The day never came, of course, until years later, when I had changed my diet and lifestyle; and grew past my stomach and skin issues. The doctors were unable to help my specific situation despite their best efforts. I had several blood tests, nasal swabs, antibiotics, and topicals prescribed, and nothing seemed to offer any relief from the symptoms. I took things into my own hands, radically changing my diet from whey protein, protein shakes, cheeseburgers, and chronic stress, to vegetables, whole-foods - all while focusing intently on my mental health. It was arduous, but what motivated me every day was my belief that if I wanted to help others, I need to help myself. To change lives as a future medical provider, I had to change my own. The primary barrier I must face to achieve my current health goals (to gain weight) is the cost of the foods themselves. I still have a sensitive stomach and am lactose intolerant, so I avoid gluten, dairy products, refined grains, and added sugars. I do better with organic foods, which tend to be more expensive. In the past few months, I had gained enough weight to be back to where I was when I was 15 (over 7-years ago). But as a low-income, full-time college student, it has been strenuous to maintain this weight while eating healthy to avoid breaking out in cystic acne and irritating my stomach. I will continue to increase my caloric intake until I can achieve a body weight I would be satisfied with and is healthy. This scholarship would help me achieve my long-term goal of gaining weight while maintaining my current health on a low-income budget. The grant would allow me to afford healthy food, allowing me to continue to stay at a healthy weight. I have a strong drive in the future as a Physician Assistant to work in healthcare deficit areas, where food deserts are widespread. These are areas where healthy, whole foods are not readily available due to a lack of grocery stores or supplies. Through my journey of experiencing a lack of proper nutrition, I believe part of my calling in life is to provide these people; with information, motivation, and equitable medical care. To be the best medical provider I can be, I yearn to optimize my health and well-being, to provide the same for my current and future patients.

I hadn’t always known what industry I yearned to be an established business leader in, but I always knew I wanted to own my own business. I wanted to be an entrepreneur, and a creator, from an early age. In my younger years, I spent my days creating made-up organizations with my friends and family. I created games, pseudo-businesses, and even a real online business once I was able to earn over $1000 over a few years, at age 14. I greatly enjoyed leading others and creating systems to maximize company success. Then, high school and college put my dream on the backburner. I hadn’t given up on my dream, far from it, college is a part of my entrepreneurial journey even if I’m not pursuing a business degree. I found a passion for the medical field working as a Physical Therapist Assistant and am working to be a Physician Assistant (PA). I have found the Pre-Physician Assistant process to be incredibly rewarding, yet very confusing at times. I also realized that everyone else is just as confused as I was at one time. The PA in recent times has begun to grow exponentially, partly due to the shortage of doctors and the increasing need for quality healthcare. I recognized a need in the market, a guide to assist Pre-Physician Assistant students, much like myself, navigate through the process to become future PAs. PrePAForum.com is a site I created to provide resources and peer guidance in the capacity of a community forum to help PrePA students get into PA school. Along with this, I’ve also created social media profiles where I seek to accomplish the same goal. My YouTube channel and Instagram have done well since I started them a few months ago, yet the lack of financial assistance has prevented me from promoting my business through advertising. Another obstacle I have experienced with growing this business is using a free website that has limited features, making it difficult to grow the site. I work with what money I have left over from my two jobs after paying college tuition. Currently, this isn’t much. The only expense I can afford now is domain hosting, which will increase to around $20 when my initial price offer expires in less than a year. I’m fully vested in this idea, but I can’t risk my financial stability while I’m trying to complete my degree. These reasons compel me to apply for this scholarship so that I may pursue my dream of running a successful business that impacts the lives of future leaders in the medical field. With this grant, I will be able to fund website/domain hosting, recording equipment for YouTube videos, advertising for my website, and college tuition costs that need to be covered for me to continue to work towards my goals and aspirations within medicine. With the ability to upgrade my site and advertise, I will be able to gain exposure to my social media profiles and gain new members on my site. Once the site gains a significant membership, I will take steps to monetize the site with Pre-PA resources, and branded merchandise, as well as monetizing my YouTube channel with ads once I grow my following. Eventually, I hope to hire a few people (editors, health-care professionals to publish on my site, and team members) and establish an LCC.

The Physician Assistant profession appeals to me for an array of reasons. One of the main reasons I look forward to becoming a physician assistant is the opportunity to work in primary care in an underserved area. Although PAs can navigate specialties without further formal training, their education is taught as generalists from a primary care approach. I look forward to serving those in need through the National Health Service Corps in primary care, especially people within my locality. This opportunity is specifically significant for me as someone who grew up in a healthcare deficit, low-income community and was raised within a single-parent household. Being from a marginalized area, I strongly desire to pay it forward and be a role model for others from impoverished environments. For instance, I volunteered with Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS) at Marywood University, where I tutored and mentored Latinx youths from the Scranton area. This experience gave me greater insight into an individual's impact on others. One of the students mentored was noticeably shy and anxious around others. Though we came from different backgrounds and ethnicities, I saw qualities of myself in him. We worked to help him set goals, career aspirations and define who he aspires to be. It was an extraordinary experience to influence someone, and I recognized my struggles and watched them grow. As a future PA, I passionately look forward to similar moments where I get the opportunity to have a positive influence on patients' lives while providing support and care through their adversities. Along with directly serving underserved communities as a Physician Assistant, I plan to be involved with advocacy efforts to promote fair, equitable healthcare. I hold several leadership positions currently at Marywood University, including vice-president of an honor society, and plan to continue leadership in PA organizations.

I had difficulty finding and keeping a doctor as a youth, and my health suffered for years. I've become extremely passionate about serving patients in medically underserved communities, reaching out to children in those communities who may lack a sense of purpose in their lives, like me as a child, and helping them walk through their journey and realize their potential. I look forward to serving those in need through the National Health Service Corps in primary care, especially people within my locality. This opportunity is specifically significant for me as someone who grew up in a healthcare deficit, low-income community and was raised within a single-parent household. Being from a marginalized area, I strongly desire to pay it forward and be a role model for others from impoverished environments. For instance, I volunteered with Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS) at Marywood University, where I tutored and mentored Latinx youths from the Scranton area. This experience gave me greater insight into an individual's impact on others. One of the students mentored was noticeably shy and anxious around others. Though we came from different backgrounds and ethnicities, I saw qualities of myself in him. We worked to help him set goals, and career aspirations and define who he aspires to be. It was an extraordinary experience to influence someone, and I recognized my struggles and watched them grow. As a future PA, I passionately look forward to similar moments where I get the opportunity to have a positive influence on patient's lives while providing support and care through their adversities. Along with directly serving underserved communities as a Physician Assistant, I plan to advocate for fair, equitable healthcare. I hold several leadership positions currently at Marywood University, including vice-president of an honor society, and plan to continue leadership in PA organizations. I had several service experiences in underserved communities in youth populations similar to where I grew up. I saw myself in several of the youth individuals I worked with and was able to be that person that believes in them that I never had growing up. I decided to devote my life to serving those individuals who didn't have support figures in their lives like me. I plan to accomplish this as a Physician Assistant, community service volunteer, and individual. I overcame an array of adversities in my life, and yearn to walk with others through their journeys, so that they may do the same.

2020 was the year that offered me all the heartache it could spew out. In November of 2019, I had finally started treating patients on my own in Physical Therapy at a rehabilitation hospital. The first few months were a huge adjustment for me, but I had no idea what was still awaiting me in a few more months. It was December 2019 when I had first heard about the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China. I hadn't thought much of it at the time, as I assume many others assumed the same. We were dead wrong. Shortly after the first cases had reached the county and the cancelation of the service trip, I received more bad news. The hospital I worked at was phasing out part-time employees and relying solely on full-time workers as inundated acute-care hospitals experienced thousands of patients in the intensive care unit, patient count in rehabilitation hospitals tanked. Now, I was out of work. As I struggled to find the motivation to wake up day by day without treating any patients, another tragedy appeared. In April 2020, my grandma was progressively getting sicker each day. We didn't think anything of it at first, as COVID-19 hadn't been prominent in our county yet. Then, when she could barely get out of bed, we became extremely worried. She went to get tested that day, and a few days later, the results came back. Positive for COVID-19. My grandma is my rock and my foundation for my motivation. Being raised by a single mother, she was always there for my mother and me. When I was 18, she took me in, and I've lived with her since. I was beyond terrified when I seriously considered the idea of losing my grandmother to COVID-19. Her sickness peaked nearly a week in when she didn't get out of bed all day, very unlike her. Then, she gradually got better with each day. I learned to tell my family I love them every day after this incident, as you never know when the person you see every day might not be there to greet you in the morning. My grandma was safe, and in May 2019, I came back to work at the rehabilitation hospital. All was looking well now. Until I realized the devastation firsthand COVID-19 and 2020 had on families. I worked with recovering COVID-19 patients nearly every day at the hospital. Some couldn't walk, and those that could had to bring along an oxygen tank with them everywhere. Young or old, no one was safe from the heartache brought on by that dreaded year. Day after day, patients told me their stories of losing their families in one month. One patient had contracted COVID-19 at work and spread the infection to his mother and wife. As he was fighting for his own life in the ICU, he had to deal with the loss of the only family he knew, his caring mother and beloved wife. I'll never forget 2020. Not only because of the trauma I experienced on my own, or even through the stories of others who were forced to face the unimaginable, but also for the growth I experienced. I learned to be grateful for my family every day and always treat others with the utmost respect as you never know what someone else is going through. Most importantly, my commitment to medicine and serving others was strengthened and empowered like never before.

I had always been “the skinny kid” in high school, amongst my friends and strangers alike. I had numerous health problems I had been battling under the surface of my seemingly careless composure. By the time I was 15, I had been to many medical specialists, including my pediatrician, a dermatologist, urgent care, and the emergency room. I missed many days of school due to my health issues, feeling sick to my stomach every morning. I was scared to go a whole day through school, as I knew I would start feeling severe stomach pain at some point but didn’t know when. Throughout all this turmoil, I learned what being “healthy” truly means. Living a healthy lifestyle, to me, means to be living to your full potential. To experience life without being held back from a condition, disease, or symptoms resulting from an unhealthy lifestyle. Along with my severe stomach pain, I had severe acne by the time I was in 10th grade. My pediatrician prescribed an antibiotic, minocycline, to which I was allergic. She also prescribed me an array of creams, which caused my skin to glow with a reddish tint. By the time By the time I was in 11th grade, my entire face, littered with cystic acne, often started bleeding when I accidentally bumped it at school, causing everyone in the class to say, “Christian, your face is bleeding!” for everyone to hear. As much as a health condition takes a physical toll, the mental toll is often equally devastating or greater. It begins to be a compounding effect the physical part affects the mental well-being, further garnering physical symptoms. Through this, I also learned the importance of remaining present or living in the moment. During my health journey, I always thought about how life would be when I was “healthy.” Some days this thought was the only thing that got me through. I spent hours looking in the mirror, pleading to wake up the next morning with clear skin and no more gastrointestinal issues. The day never came, of course, until years later, when I had changed my diet and lifestyle; and grew past my stomach and skin issues. The doctors were unable to help my specific situation despite their best efforts. I had several blood tests, nasal swabs, antibiotics, and topicals prescribed, and nothing seemed to offer any relief from the symptoms. I took things into my own hands, radically changing my diet from whey protein, protein shakes, cheeseburgers, and chronic stress, to vegetables, whole-foods - all while focusing intently on my mental health. It was arduous, but what motivated me every day was my belief that if I wanted to help others, I need to help myself. To change lives as a future medical provider, I had to change my own. When I solved my health issues, I spent a vast amount of time on an online forum helping others. Now, thousands of fellow acne sufferers have seen my story and gained some inspiration and insight from it. I also consistently motivate and assist my family in achieving their health goals whenever they request help. However, there is always another mountain, and it was not long after becoming ‘healthy’, that I realized how unhealthy I was. Unfortunately, I was limiting myself from so many foods due to my sensitive stomach and skin that I was not getting the proper nutrients and calories. I lost over ten pounds in a few months and was underweight for my height. For the past four-plus years, I have been fighting to keep my weight up, which always fluctuates, dropping for a few months and then bringing it back up by stuffing myself. The primary barrier I must face to achieve my current health goals (to gain weight) is the cost of the foods themselves. I still have a sensitive stomach and am lactose intolerant, so I avoid gluten, dairy products, refined grains, and added sugars. I do better with organic foods, which tend to be more expensive. In the past few months, I had gained enough weight to be back to where I was when I was 15 (over 7-years ago). But as a low-income, full-time college student, it has been strenuous to maintain this weight while eating healthy to avoid breaking out in cystic acne and irritating my stomach. I will continue to increase my caloric intake until I can achieve a body weight I would be satisfied with and is healthy. This scholarship would help me achieve my long-term goal of gaining weight while maintaining my current health on a low-income budget. The grant would allow me to afford healthy food, allowing me to continue to stay at a healthy weight. I have a strong drive in the future as a Physician Assistant to work in healthcare deficit areas, where food deserts are widespread. These are areas where healthy, whole foods are not readily available due to a lack of grocery stores or supplies. Through my journey of experiencing a lack of proper nutrition, I believe part of my calling in life is to provide these people; with information, motivation, and equitable medical care. To be the best medical provider I can be, I yearn to optimize my health and well-being, to provide the same for my current and future patients.

I had difficulty finding and keeping a doctor as a youth, and my health suffered for years. I've become extremely passionate about serving patients in medically underserved communities, reaching out to children in those communities who may lack a sense of purpose in their lives, like me as a child, and helping them walk through their journey and realize their potential. I look forward to serving those in need through the National Health Service Corps in primary care, especially people within my locality. This opportunity is specifically significant for me as someone who grew up in a healthcare deficit, low-income community and was raised within a single-parent household. Being from a marginalized area, I strongly desire to pay it forward and be a role model for others from impoverished environments. For instance, I volunteered with Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS) at Marywood University, where I tutored and mentored Latinx youths from the Scranton area. This experience gave me greater insight into an individual's impact on others. One of the students mentored was noticeably shy and anxious around others. Though we came from different backgrounds and ethnicities, I saw qualities of myself in him. We worked to help him set goals, career aspirations and define who he aspires to be. It was an extraordinary experience to influence someone, and I recognized my struggles and watched them grow. As a future PA, I passionately look forward to similar moments where I get the opportunity to have a positive influence on patients' lives while providing support and care through their adversities. Along with directly serving underserved communities as a Physician Assistant, I plan to advocate for fair, equitable healthcare. I hold several leadership positions currently at Marywood University, including vice-president of an honor society, and plan to continue leadership in PA organizations.

I was accustomed to navigating the entanglement of wires and tolerating the continuous dissonance of alarms. However, immediately upon entering this patient’s room, I noticed something was different. There was a whiteboard on the table next to the intubated man. It had appeared heavily used, stained with remnants of marker ink. He was in the end stages of esophageal cancer, and his throat, mouth, and face were so swollen that he could not talk, see, and barely hear. He had been swiftly declining in the last few days, and when I met him, he was unable to write to communicate. His only communication with me was thumbs up or down motions. However, I could not help but feel a deep, overwhelming responsibility and passion in furthering my education and being at the forefront of providing patient care. I was determined to offer all I could for this patient. In the ICU particularly, I paid attention to the PAs working there and admired their availability and compassion for the patients. As a PA, I recognized I would have the ability to offer a scope-of-care that mirrored what I wanted to provide to patients – emergency and primary care in underserved communities. My choice to pursue a career in medicine was one I had not expected growing up. I had an arduous experience early on finding a sense of purpose. I did not have any interests in school and coincidentally did not take any science courses in high school. After extensive research and planning, I found PTA school to be the next stepping stone for me. It was difficult for me to adjust to college-level learning, as I had never studied effectively in high school. However, I was able to finish my first semester with a 3.75 GPA. For the first time, I truly believed in myself, and medicine began to pervade my life. I was allowed the blessing to communicate and provide for those in need. I recognized that medicine has the potential to supply the purpose I had relentlessly searched for all those years. From my first clinical experience as a PTA student, I found an incredible amount of meaning for guiding my patients to a better and more functional life. Though, in a path to further my career, through research and personal experiences with PAs, I found that my true passion and the impact I want to have on my future patients would come from becoming a physician assistant. The PA profession appeals to me for an array of reasons. One of the main reasons I look forward to becoming a physician assistant is the opportunity to work in primary care in an underserved area. I look forward to serving those in need through the National Health Service Corps in primary care, especially people within my locality. This opportunity is specifically significant for me as someone who grew up in a health-care deficit, low-income community, and raised within a single-parent household. Being from a marginalized area, I have a strong desire to pay it forward and be a role model for others who come from destitute environments. For instance, I volunteered with Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS), where I tutored and mentored Latinx youths in my area. One of the students mentored was noticeably shy and anxious around others. Though we came from different backgrounds and ethnicities, I saw qualities of myself in him. We worked towards his career aspirations and defining who he aspires to be. To further combine my love for the medical field and serving the underserved and humanitarianism, I plan to participate in humanitarian aid missions after PA school. I aspire to work for the United States government in the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure fair, equitable, and sustainable medical services to people in need within the United States. I plan to accomplish this by promoting public health programs whose missions are focused on assisting medically underserved areas and vulnerable populations. Shortly before the Coronavirus pandemic plagued the globe, I signed up to participate in a medical mission trip to San Lucas Tolimán through Marywood University. This trip was an activity I always wanted to take part in but felt unprepared as I had never traveled outside the country. However, when I saw the sign-up stand during the activities fair, I seized the opportunity without hesitation. I was overwhelmed by a desire to make a difference in the world. I was incredibly excited and nervous simultaneously. Unfortunately, our trip was canceled the same night my team was ready to leave due to rising coronavirus cases. I was greatly disappointed, yet the deep feeling I had when I first signed up never faded but only grew more vigorously. There are people I have met within the medical profession that has allowed my passion for medicine to be continuously empowered. One of them was a young lady, whom I met while working in a hospital. A recent brain injury had flipped her life upside down. With her mother present every day, we worked her back to the point of being able to walk and communicate effectively with the collaboration of speech therapists. Our team was able to provide for her goes beyond medicine. In one of her darkest moments, we were able to assist with her ability to walk and function normally while bringing her hope back. On the day she was discharged, she told me she was more optimistic than before her grave injury and that her story would make an inspiring personal statement in the future! I agreed with both and wished her the best of luck in her journey, empathizing how grateful I was to play my part in her journey. Medicine has offered me an opportunity to pursue my values in life and given me a strong sense of purpose. I yearn for the experience of making a difference in someone’s life, in turn, creating a difference within my own, and will achieve this as a physician assistant.

I had acne for about five years. (Bad acne for about four years). I didn’t start doing everything right all at once. It was a slow process because I was still figuring things out; if I knew everything all at once, I think I could’ve done it all in less than a year (keep in my how bad my acne was, anyone else could’ve done it in maybe 2-3 months even with moderate acne). Everything you weren’t supposed to do, I did. I had clear skin before, and I pushed my body so far that my acne just got the worst it could have ever been. I couldn’t touch my face; it hurt too much. It hurt when I smiled. If I accidentally lightly bumped my face, it would bleed (which was embarrassing when this happened in school and trying to make up an excuse for why my face was bleeding). But I also had many health problems back then, and acne saved my health. My eating habits were horrible for my body, and I was constantly bloated, commonly dealing with severe abdominal pain. I prayed that my health would improve every day, the pain would go away, and my skin would clear the acne that was destroying my body image and confidence. Despite my prayers, I woke up every day, looked in the mirror, and noticed a few more cysts or pimples. I was ashamed. I was so embarrassed about my body I would hide in my room when my family was over, who hadn't seen me in a while. I was at the worst point in my life. However, I had finally found a community online called "Clear Skin Forever." I had tried numerous "fixes" before for acne, including banana peel, egg yolk, prescription medications, and a plethora of commercial acne treatments. Nothing worked - even slightly. I was thoroughly beaten down, ready to give up, but I still begged my mom to let me buy this random book on the internet for $39.99. The concepts in the book were simple - eat less refined food, get probiotics, and focus on eating whole, nutritious foods. Simple enough. The problem was the application was not simple at all. I tried every day to eat better, but I couldn't stick with the lifestyle change. I would stress because my body was getting worse, and binge eating junk only worsened my skin and body pains. It was a year before I noticed progress - but it was progress, something I yearned desperately for, even prayed for, for more than five years. Since then, I've achieved mostly clear skin and live with little to no pain most days. Of course, there's still a lot of progress, especially with my diet. I go through periods where my diet is perfect (that doesn't last very long) and return to the same unhealthy habits because of stress or life changes. To maintain the changes I made to achieve clear skin and live a healthier life; I will focus on stress management techniques. I will focus on caring for my family instead of worrying about things that aren't essential to my life in the long run. I will continue to learn to appreciate my health and find ways to take care of it better. I believe that when I conquer my mental adversities, I'll be able to maintain a healthy lifestyle much easier. Additionally, I will focus on only purchasing nutritional products and avoiding eating out. Above everything else, I will continue to build a community with similar goals to my own - to live healthily.

$1,000 would go towards paying off my student debt. Although I have a small amount of debt, I've worked hard to keep it at this number. While in college, I've worked three jobs, applied for scholarships every week (over 200 scholarships on BOLD.org!), and started several online businesses. Thanks to this work ethic and indeed some luck, I've been able to fully fund the last few semesters of college without taking out any debt. Despite all this arduous work, I haven't, however, been able to pay off any of my existing debt. It's unsettling to know I have this debt, given how hard I've worked to keep myself from going further into it, and it's disheartening to know it's there. When I graduate and become a Physician Assistant, hopefully caring for patients in underserved communities like my own, I desperately want the ability to focus entirely on the well-being of those I serve in the community. I don't want to worry about my finances or debt - that's not fair to the patients under my care. This notion and my ambition to take care of my family financially (I was raised by a single mother who's currently struggling to find steady housing) has motivated me throughout college. It's why I worked nearly 20 hours every week while going to school full-time and running online businesses in my free time for my future. With $1,000, I would feel enormously more secure, knowing I can pursue my goals without fearing debt.

1. Community. Research has shown meaningful relationships are one of the most significant indicators of a long, healthy life, and the most meaningful relationships are typically those we are closest to. These relationships are generally our family, co-workers, and friends. However, society is becoming increasingly distant, young adults are moving away from family, working from home, and social isolation prohibits close friendships. There is one crucial component in maintaining longevity - a community. As decades pass in an increasingly socially isolated world, the word 'community' is becoming a buzzword, a fairytale-like concept. I've observed firsthand what having a close-knit community can do for individuals, physically, mentally, and spiritually. While volunteering in my local community with an organization focused on community development and assisting the most vulnerable, I met a pleasant woman called Jane, who opened my heart and eyes to the benefits of having a solid community. Firstly, Jane had close ties to the organization we were serving her through, which provided care for her home she wasn't capable of physically anymore. Secondly, we had multiple interactions with neighbors who stopped by to chat with us while we were there. One neighbor, a woman who had recently immigrated to America from Nepal, stated that Jane welcomed her and her family when she arrived and supported them since they'd been here. As the woman left, Jane went into the house and brought out something for her. Jane handed the woman yarn for a project she was working on at home. It was a small gesture but said so much more about Jane and her little community than simply the little piece of material. I walked away from this experience feeling a deep sense of gratitude and fullness. Something so significant to our health, yet so infrequently experienced today. I've been involved in various leadership and community service activities throughout the past few years. These activities have been through Marywood Campus Ministry and other clubs at Marywood and outside organizations like the American Red Cross and Habitat For Humanity. Additionally, I've been involved with advocacy for fair, equitable healthcare by contacting local and state legislators. As a Physician Assistant, I plan to continue to fight for my patients' rights through advocacy and serve my community through patient care and service organizations. I hope to be a leading figure within my community and someone everyone feels comfortable coming to for guidance. Go out and find a community to be a part of, preferably one you share things with. 2. Productivity. Procrastination isn't about overthinking a task or not having the energy to complete a task. It means not having the ability to complete a task. However, we do have the ability to complete the job; we believe we don't. This feeling has resulted from multiple failures in our lifetimes; we tried to get a new job but couldn't land an interview, we tried to make new friends in this new area, but we couldn't form any meaningful relationships, etc. Failure. It's completely normal, yet, when repeatedly, it begins to sow doubts in my abilities. I felt this incessantly growing up. I had no hope for the future, no interest in life. However, when I graduated high school, I enrolled in college and began to accomplish small, manageable tasks. These small tasks, seemingly insignificant at first, completely refreshed my confidence in my abilities. I joined the baseball team, transferred to Physical Therapist Assistant school, got a 4.0 one semester, and am continuing to amaze myself. I've accomplished all these great things not because I go after it all at once but start small.

My mother and I spent many years on our own. I grew up in a single-parent household, while my mom worked as much as possible to support us. We were both stressed most of the time, experiencing the hardship we did financially and emotionally, and there was a considerable distance between us at times. Throughout all the adversities we faced, we stuck together during it all, and because of that, we have accomplished things I would've never thought possible. I believe that in life, we all need someone who supports us regardless of the circumstances faced. I can't think of a better example of this than my mother. Despite the difficulties of growing up in a single-parent household (for both of us), she always provided for me. I never considered us as "poor" or thought I had less than my friends, and I didn't realize this until many years after. My mother was a single-mother by choice. No, it wasn't her choice for my biological father to go to jail shortly after I was born, but it was her choice to take care of me. There were many situations where I felt helpless. I watched as my mom struggled as she worked two jobs to feed us and knew there was little I could do to help. Providing for my family has become more important to me than anything else. I learned many lessons through hardship, and without my mother and I sticking together through them all, I likely wouldn't have made it through, let alone used them to accomplish my aspirations. Every child, regardless of the circumstances their born into, deserves to be born into those circumstances. They deserve to live those experiences. My motivation to provide for my family, as my mother provided for me, has driven me to pursue a career in medicine. As a Physician Assistant, I look forward to learning the skills and abilities to provide for my family when in need. Additionally, I want to have the ability to provide care and support for other families, particularly those experiencing the same difficulties I faced. Although we had our disagreements, we were always there for each other when necessary. This lesson has stuck with me throughout my experiences, especially in personal interactions. In relationships, it's essential to be there to support each other. However, we commonly find ourselves distanced after simple disagreements. Because of my mother, I understand that disagreements, even arguments, are a healthy part of all relationships - as long as they are appropriately communicated and handled. My mother's unconditional love and willingness to provide for us has made me an understanding and caring provider for my family and patients. The lessons taught to me indirectly through my mother and I's experiences will stick with me for life, as I'll never forget the hardships we faced as I was growing up. Now that we've gotten through the difficulties, thanks to my mother, we have a bond that will keep us close regardless of how often or infrequently we see each other.

Have you ever thought about a part of the world that has yet to be discovered by people? A place with vast resources, abound energy, endless beauty, with no conceivable limit to its power to amaze and empower? This scene might sound like something you might see on the History or Discovery channel about an esoteric area in the dense forests of the Amazon. Although to find this area, you don't have to look further than within yourself. It took me years to discover this area within myself. Within a few years, I went from being devoid of purpose in high school to feeling a strong sense of passion and dedication to achieve my goals. Throughout high school, I had little focus, passion, or hope for the future. I did what I had to to get by and graduated with a 3.3 GPA. Unsure of what to do with my life, I enrolled in a local community college and eventually transferred to a Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) associate's program. It was a huge culture shock for me. I studied for the first time, something I never did in high school. I was a late bloomer in every sense of the word. I had changed my life around completely from where I was in high school, academically and personally, and graduated with a 3.6 GPA. I was on the dean's list each semester of college, something my family, friends, teachers, or myself would've never expected during my high school years. I graduated from PTA and started working in a rehabilitation hospital within a few weeks. At the same time, I also enrolled and started classes at another college as a Pre-Physician Assistant (PA). I felt much more prepared this time and confident in myself and my academic abilities. Currently, I have maintained a 3.9+ GPA over two years of pursuing my bachelor's degree. While a student at my current university, I have engaged in an array of service and leadership experiences including, my university's chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success, where I worked my way up from Inducted Member to Community Service Chair, and finally, Vice President. I learned a great deal from serving in these positions and leading our over 70 members over several semesters. My grandest achievement wasn't a specific factor or goal I've reached but the resulting confidence in myself and my future I discovered through suffering, pushing my limits, and accomplishing things I never imagined possible. From my academic accomplishments, leadership and service roles, and personal development, I feel incredibly accomplished and grateful for the experiences I've had. Through these experiences, I wasn't only able to improve my life but the lives of those I've impacted through volunteering, working as a PTA, and in my various leadership positions within organizations. Ultimately, it was because of me recognizing the difference I could create in others' lives that led to me feeling confident and accomplished. Before I had started working in medicine, I never realized the impact I could have on someone else's life. In my short time that I've worked in healthcare and pursued my passion for inspiring others through improving their lives, I helped several people walk again when they had lost nearly all hope. One example is a young lady who had a brain injury whose life was completely turned upside down when she went from a healthy college student to being dependent upon healthcare providers and her mother to take care of her. As well as helping her physically with the assistance of the therapy team, I was there for her mentally to support her and walk with her through her journey to recovery. Eventually, she was able to walk again and is essentially back to where she had been before her injury. Given, she came out arguably with a better mentality she had before the injury. More optimistic about her future and ready to take on any challenge in the future. It's an incredible feeling to have the opportunity to make a difference in someone's life, physically and mentally. The difference I've made in my own life and subsequentially the lives of others thus far is my greatest achievement in life.

"Pay yourself first." The investing world is full of numbers, charts, graphs, and, frankly, scams. It's incredibly complicated at times, especially for beginners. Yet, the fundamental lesson is so simple - pay yourself first. When I first heard this piece of advice, I didn't understand it, even though I had been researching investing for years prior. "I get a paycheck every week, I already am paying myself," I thought. It's estimated over 50% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. When individuals live like this, they are not paying themselves first, and they're not paying themselves at all. They're making their employers potentially millions in revenue, then paying other multi-million dollar companies with what little they receive in compensation. It's easy to get stuck in this loop. But how can someone get past this plague that affects over half of our nation? Pay yourself first. When someone reminds themselves, "I need to pay myself first," they're inclined to either cut their expenses or earn more, so they can put money away for themselves for retirement or their kid's college. I feel much more satisfied in life knowing I'm not playing the "rat race" of working and then spending all my money with nothing left over for myself. This lesson had consequences in my life far beyond finance. I have a greater sense of self-worth and confidence, knowing I have a purpose in my life that isn't dependent on receiving a paycheck. Although my financial life doesn't define my happiness, the financial stability to support my family improves my mental health and overall life satisfaction immensely.

I had difficulty finding and keeping a doctor as a youth, and my health suffered for years. I've become extremely passionate about serving patients in medically underserved communities, reaching out to children in those communities who may lack a sense of purpose in their lives, like me as a child, and helping them walk through their journey and realize their potential. I look forward to serving those in need through the National Health Service Corps in primary care, especially people within my locality. This opportunity is specifically significant for me as someone who grew up in a healthcare deficit, low-income community and was raised within a single-parent household. Being from a marginalized area, I strongly desire to pay it forward and be a role model for others from impoverished environments. For instance, I volunteered with Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS) at Marywood University, where I tutored and mentored Latinx youths from the Scranton area. This experience gave me greater insight into an individual's impact on others. One of the students mentored was noticeably shy and anxious around others. Though we came from different backgrounds and ethnicities, I saw qualities of myself in him. We worked to help him set goals, career aspirations and define who he aspires to be. It was an extraordinary experience to influence someone, and I recognized my struggles and watched them grow. As a future PA, I passionately look forward to similar moments where I get the opportunity to have a positive influence on patients' lives while providing support and care through their adversities. Along with directly serving underserved communities as a Physician Assistant, I plan to advocate for fair, equitable healthcare. I hold several leadership positions currently at Marywood University, including vice-president of an honor society, and plan to continue leadership in PA organizations.

Imagine a world where when you feel sick, you don't have to search your symptoms on the Internet for hours, only to discover your symptoms point towards some severe condition. We've all been there. Modern medicine, in general, is relatively ineffective at recognizing chronic conditions. Even scarier, current treatment is exceptionally inefficient at treating these chronic conditions. Is the answer better medical education? Nano-technology? More expenditure on healthcare? For me, the answer may not appear even relevant to healthcare. Supercomputers. Supercomputers are precisely what the word implies: regular computers with the processing power to run unfathomable algorithms at a supersonic speed. How are complicated algorithms related to healthcare? To find this out, we need only look at previous usages of tracking technology in prior diseases, outbreaks, etc. Technology is almost always utilized to establish the incidence of illness or epidemics in specific areas. Eventually, as we see in the world of artificial intelligence, supercomputers would be able to develop their algorithms for recognizing exactly where future outbreaks will occur and what leads to the event of epidemics. Other areas that could be identifiable with complex algorithms created by supercomputers are what factors lead to cancer, among numerous other diseases. Your physician removes the tumor, and it's then tested in a lab that is again controlled by a supercomputer. The results return that this type of tumor is commonly not noticed and typically becomes cancerous if untreated. There is no false diagnosis or pre-emptive treatments in this world with supercomputer algorithms. This increased effectiveness would lead to incredible savings on healthcare expenditure, better treatments for patients, and longer quality of life for those suffering severe illness. I am incredibly excited and grateful to live in a time where this technology and its subsequent effects are more than possible.

"I can't do this." I've heard this in my head numerous times. More accurately, thousands of times. Insecurity in my abilities is something I've always struggled with. Throughout high school, I didn't attempt to be successful. I believed, deep in my mind, no matter how much I tried, I wouldn't be successful. In my mind, a failure with gigantic aspirations was all I was. Barely passing high school while taking the least challenging possible courses. After graduating high school, I had a paradigm shift. I realized I was on my own, and no one would help me. I accepted I was going nowhere in life, and I had to start somewhere. I enrolled in a local community college, not knowing if I could handle the courses or not. I also played college baseball for the first time since Little League in 6th grade. I finished my first semester of college on the Dean's list and the second with the same achievement. For the first time in my life, I thought, "I can do this. On my own." With newfound confidence in my abilities, I enrolled in Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) school, and my academic and personal development continued. I finished my first semester with a 3.75 GPA, more close friendships than I could've ever asked for, and a new passion for healthcare. I discovered a visceral passion for caring for those in need throughout their journey. With this passion came powerful feelings of gratitude and confidence in my ability to impact the world and those around me. I continued to work as a PTA in a rehabilitation hospital as I transferred to a Pre-Physician Assistant program to continue my passion for medicine. I'm challenged daily, but I've conquered every day, just as I will conquer anything in front of me.

The PA profession appeals to me for an array of reasons. One of the main reasons I look forward to becoming a physician assistant is the opportunity to work in primary care in an underserved area. Although PAs can navigate specialties without further formal training, their education is taught as generalists from a primary care approach. I look forward to serving those in need through the National Health Service Corps in primary care, especially people within my locality. This opportunity is specifically significant for me as someone who grew up in a healthcare deficit, low-income community and was raised within a single-parent household. Being from a marginalized area, I strongly desire to pay it forward and be a role model for others from impoverished environments. For instance, I volunteered with Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS) at Marywood University, where I tutored and mentored Latinx youths from the Scranton area. This experience gave me greater insight into an individual's impact on others. One of the students mentored was noticeably shy and anxious around others. Though we came from different backgrounds and ethnicities, I saw qualities of myself in him. We worked to help him set goals, career aspirations and define who he aspires to be. It was an extraordinary experience to influence someone, and I recognized my struggles and watched them grow. As a future PA, I passionately look forward to similar moments where I get the opportunity to have a positive influence on patient's lives while providing support and care through their adversities. Along with directly serving underserved communities as a Physician Assistant, I plan to be involved with advocacy efforts to promote fair, equitable healthcare. I hold several leadership positions currently at Marywood University, including vice-president of honor society, and plan to continue leadership in PA organizations.

All it takes is someone to believe in you. I realized this when I moved in with my grandparents at 18. Growing up, I had high hopes for my future accomplishments but few expectations. I wasn't confident in my abilities, especially in my power to impact the world. I enrolled in Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) school in January of 2018 and began essentially my first ever service project. It was a small one, spending the day organizing clothing for a local foster home, where I was also able to interact with some children the foster home was serving. Although it was only a few hours, it inspired a spark in me. A spark that would define my future in ways I could've never imagined. I found that giving back and inspiring others gave me the purpose I searched so adamantly for growing up. I was involved in several community service experiences while in PTA school. When I transferred to Marywood University, I had a profound commitment to serve and give back. Immediately, I became involved in two programs, alternative break trips (a medical mission trip to San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala) and Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS). With both of these, I was able to work with a team to serve an underserved community, bringing hope to others. I continue to serve through numerous organizations such as the RedCross, in which I'm an active member of multiple service teams. However, I've found ways to take this beyond serving in organizations. I try to give back throughout my daily life, whether I'm working in the hospital with patients, at the grocery store with customers, or at home with family and friends. Whether someone is in need or not, I always strive to be there for them.

There's great power in consistency and perseverance. Nature demonstrates this more than anything else, for example, the small creek that crafted the Grand Canyon. Without the intricacies of nature, we wouldn't have a livable climate filled with beautiful sunny days and snowy days that inundate the Earth's surface. However, the very thing nature created, humans, has had a devastating effect on its creator. I spend numerous hours hiking and enjoying nature in several capacities. Certain areas are well-kept, while others are littered with garbage and plastics. For the last three years, my girlfriend and I always brought a disposable bag (attached to my hiking backpack) that we fill with trash as we go along the trails. Although our contribution is small, it brings us joy and, with enough consistency, may have an effect like the small stream in the Grand Canyon. While I hike with my friends now, they are shocked when I bend over to pick up a piece of trash (sometimes in precarious areas, such as the side of a waterfall). However, it affects them. I know they won't forget that moment, and they'll be inspired to do their part and inspire others to do the same. This is how a small act, given enough consistency and time, can create a Grand Canyon worth of effect.

I grew up without a father figure. Shortly after I was born, my biological father was imprisoned. Because of this, he was absent from my life entirely by the time I was a toddler. My family decided it was best if he was left out of our lives, and there were legal battles early on for custody. However, my mother was given full custody due to my father's criminal history. While growing up, I always chose not to see my biological father, and I never understood what was happening. I didn't know why my father wasn't in my life, but I felt resentment towards him. It was a very personal issue for me as I got older. I noticed almost everyone else had a happy family with both parents, while it was just my mom and me. There was a sense of deep insecurity from this difference I had noticed. The insecurity I felt and struggling to make ends meet in a low-income, single-parent household took a toll on my perspective of life. I didn't have any aspirations, hopes, or plans for the future. I knew I wanted to do great things, possibly own a business one day and change the world, but I had no hope for it to occur. So I didn't try. I didn't try anything. I had no interest in school, friends, or my future. I felt like my life's trajectory was decided for me before I could walk because my support system was broken. If I wanted to amount to anything in life, I realized I had to be my support system. It wasn't until after barely graduating high school that I came to this realization. I knew no one would step in and change my life; only I had that power. Despite having no confidence in my abilities to make it through college, I enrolled in community college. I had no idea what I was doing or why I was going to college, but I found a sense of purpose by pursuing something in my control. I had always felt growing up that my life was not in my control. In retrospect, I'm sure this was due to my biological father being taken out of my life and the subsequent financial and emotional turmoil my mother and I faced. I felt helpless to console my mother when she cried uncontrollably. I felt helpless when my mom and I had no family to turn to for help. My entire life before that, I felt no control. I graduated community college with a 3.6-grade point average, a significant increase from high school. With a newfound sense of purpose and confidence, I enrolled in Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) school. Enrolling turned out to be the best thing in my life. I made new friends, gained confidence, and excelled academically. I became involved in several community service activities including becoming vice-president of an honor society on campus and participating in many service trips. I had several service experiences in underserved communities in youth populations similar to where I grew up. I saw myself in several of the youth individuals I worked with and was able to be that person that believes in them that I never had growing up. I decided to devote my life to serving those individuals who didn't have support figures in their lives like me. I plan to accomplish this as a Physician Assistant, community service volunteer, and individual. I overcame an array of adversities in my life, and yearn to walk with others through their journeys, so that they may do the same.

Who knew a song by Metallic would have such an inspirational line as "I adapt to the unknown." Metallica wrote a fair amount of their songs in honor of our armed service members, and I believe this one was no exception. Our service members are some of the most confident men and women in the United States because every day, they are forced to adapt to situations that are far beyond their control. To me, this is what confidence means. I don't believe confidence and fear are inverses of each other, and I believe fear can exist in the presence of confidence and vice-versa. To me, uncertainty is the opposite of confidence. Uncertainty, not in the future, but in our ability and actions to control things in our future. Imagine someone telling you that you will experience massive heartache every week for the rest of your life. That's scary, and anyone in their right mind would be frightened. But it's a choice to be uncertain. I've been faced with many challenges in my life, from growing up in a single-parent, low-income household on Welfare to being a full-time first-generation college student working nearly 20 hours a week over three jobs. Working in the hospital, I've been challenged, emotionally and physically, every day. However, I was very uncertain, insecure, and fearful at the time. I lacked confidence in my abilities to face obstacles, and because of that, I hid from everything. When I had severe acne for five years in high school, it made it even easier to hide from everything and everyone. Recently, I've experienced the biggest challenges I have in my life. Since high school, I've had many adjustments and uncertainties, but there's something monumentally different now. I don't doubt my ability to conquer anything in my future anymore.

"I can't do this." I've heard this in my head numerous times. More accurately, thousands of times. Insecurity in my abilities is something I've always struggled with. Throughout high school, I didn't attempt to be successful. I believed, deep in my mind, no matter how much I tried, I wouldn't be successful. In my mind, a failure with gigantic aspirations was all I was. Barely passing high school while taking the least challenging possible courses. After graduating high school, I had a paradigm shift. I realized I was on my own, and no one would help me. I accepted I was going nowhere in life, and I had to start somewhere. I enrolled in a local community college, not knowing if I could handle the courses or not. I also played college baseball for the first time since Little League in 6th grade. I finished my first semester of college on the Dean's list and the second with the same achievement. For the first time in my life, I thought, "I can do this. On my own." With newfound confidence in my abilities, I enrolled in Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) school, and my academic and personal development continued. I finished my first semester with a 3.75 GPA, more close friendships than I could've ever asked for, and a new passion for healthcare. I discovered a visceral passion for caring for those in need throughout their journey. With this passion came powerful feelings of gratitude and confidence in my ability to impact the world and those around me. I continued to work as a PTA in a rehabilitation hospital as I transferred to a Pre-Physician Assistant program to continue my passion for medicine. I'm challenged daily, but I've conquered every day, just as I will conquer anything in front of me.

I've experienced medical inequity firsthand. I know what it's like to grow up in a medically underserved community, struggling to find a primary care doctor to diagnose the mysterious illness that kept me from going to school almost daily. I felt sick to my stomach every day, and I had no idea why. I didn't have a primary doctor due to my medical assistance insurance, that's not widely accepted, and a general lack of providers in my area. Because of this, I was in and out of urgent care hospitals, test after test, and they found nothing. It wasn't until years after I had given up on the medical field that I mystified my illness. I was lactose intolerant and was drinking milk in my cereal every day. No wonder after multiple blood tests, nasal swabs, ultrasounds, CTs, and X-rays, they never found anything. I had a hateful relationship with medicine until I graduated from high school. Then, my now love-hate relationship with medicine began as I found a passion for working with patients. Modern medicine is incredibly effective but not very efficient. Lifestyle medicine is generally disregarded for the sake of ease of taking medications. While medications and surgeries are essential to medicine, they should not be the first choice. Modern medicine's over-reliance on treatments and tests leads to false negatives and treatments given to patients when not required. Medicine is moving towards is a world of painting over issues rather than addressing the underlying root of the issue. For example, methionine, an amino acid used in the body, has shown to be effective at preventing cancer cell growth in non-human animals when restricted in the diet. Yet, there have been no studies completed in humans on the effects of cancer. None. We need to advocate for efficient healthcare.

I had difficulty finding and keeping a doctor as a youth, and my health suffered for years. I've become extremely passionate about serving patients in medically underserved communities, reaching out to children in those communities who may lack a sense of purpose in their lives, like me as a child, and helping them walk through their journey and realize their potential. I look forward to serving those in need through the National Health Service Corps in primary care, especially people within my locality. This opportunity is specifically significant for me as someone who grew up in a healthcare deficit, low-income community and was raised within a single-parent household. Being from a marginalized area, I strongly desire to pay it forward and be a role model for others from impoverished environments. For instance, I volunteered with Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS) at Marywood University, where I tutored and mentored Latinx youths from the Scranton area. This experience gave me greater insight into an individual's impact on others. One of the students mentored was noticeably shy and anxious around others. Though we came from different backgrounds and ethnicities, I saw qualities of myself in him. We worked to help him set goals, career aspirations and define who he aspires to be. It was an extraordinary experience to influence someone, and I recognized my struggles and watched them grow. As a future PA, I passionately look forward to similar moments where I get the opportunity to have a positive influence on patients' lives while providing support and care through their adversities. Along with directly serving underserved communities as a Physician Assistant, I plan to advocate for fair, equitable healthcare. I hold several leadership positions currently at Marywood University, including vice-president of an honor society, and plan to continue leadership in PA organizations.

I love my experiences of hardship. I've gained valuable lessons from my experiences with health problems that multiple medical providers couldn't find a diagnosis, to growing up in a single-parent household and barely passing high school. At first, these experiences may seem like something I'd hate. However, I cherish these experiences far more than my successes in life. It's these hardships that remind me of what I'm capable of. Experiencing health disparities inspired me to pursue a career as a medical professional and provide equitable care and compassion for patients I didn't have. Growing up in a broken home inspired me to protect the ones I love above everything else and focus every day on developing myself to be a better provider for my family and patients. Finally, barely graduating high school inspired me to go all-in on my academics to prove something to myself. I've accomplished all of these so far and will continue to do so. What's allowed me to achieve these things is not a false sense of confidence or intelligence. It's the fact that because of the hardships I've experienced, I've earned the confidence to know I can handle anything I face. While I still struggle at times, I know troubles don't last. I will continue to honor my experiences as I continue my journey through life while walking with others and helping them learn from their hardships as I did.

Impact. We're all familiar with growing up and feeling bliss as a child, invincible as a teenager, and a sense of profound insignificance. We begin to recognize all there is in the world and how minuscule the portion of the world is that we affect every day. I experienced this realization after graduating high school. Growing up in a single-parent household, where every day was a fight to get by, I wasn't concerned about what college I was going to or what career I wanted to pursue. It wasn't until I left that environment that I began to think of my future and realized how bleak it was. Nonetheless, I enrolled in community college and found a passion for academics. I registered in a Physical Therapist Assistant program, and as my academics continued to improve, and now found a passion for working with patients. I was never one for meeting new people. Still, working with the patients in the hospital, specifically in the Intensive Care Unit, provided me with a visceral sense of purpose I hadn't felt before - impact. At the same time, I've continued to improve my academics to a 3.9 average GPA, my passion for serving others has blossomed. My dream life is to serve others as a Physician Assistant in underserved communities like my own while providing humanitarian aid overseas and within the states. My dream life is to provide for my family, patients, and those I care for. Additionally, I'd like to own a business - that offers medical services to patients. Advocacy is also an interest of mine; I'd like to be in charge of an advocacy committee in medical organizations, leading other medical providers to encourage fair, equitable medical care.

A book addressed "To the unrelenting voice in my head that will never allow me to stop," "Can't hurt me," has changed the lives of the many people who've read it. The book, written by David Goggins, a former Navy SEAL who transformed his life, helped me discover ambition in my own. I always felt that "voice in my head," and I thought it was a flaw of mine, an obstacle I'd have to conquer to be successful. The book, however, proved the contrary. After reading, I stopped being ashamed of the voice. I discovered the voice is what sets me apart from others. Commonly, I could not rest because my mind was always active, pressuring me to keep pushing myself. Many people won't understand what I'm talking about, as Goggins refers to those who experience this as "the uncommon amongst the uncommon." What I enjoyed most about the book was the bluntness of Goggins. He didn't talk about motivational stories or attempt to sugarcoat the path to happiness, and he told his story from an unencumbered perspective. He talks about, in vivid detail, his experience growing up in an abusive household, in a predominantly white area, as a black man. After finishing the book, I felt a sense of empowerment and commitment—an unforgiving sense of commitment to living my best life. Goggins's version of the best life was pushing yourself every day past your limit, which Goggins says is only 40% of our true potential. Since reading, I've pushed myself consistently more than I ever have in my past, and I've had remarkable results.

I've been involved with numerous community service projects serving elderly individuals in my community, aside from practicing as a Physical Therapist Assistant in a rehabilitation hospital and working directly with elderly patients. I try to go beyond my job duties daily, assisting them in whatever they need and actively listening to them. I meet a lot of individuals without family in the area, and I always attempt to walk through their journey with them rather than simply acting as a medical provider. However, commonly as a medical provider, although I see an improvement in the physical and mental condition of the patients I serve, sometimes I feel a lack of fulfillment as I don't get to see how they how when they finally go home. I have experienced this through a program called NeighborWorks, involving serving the local Scranton community. Now I understand the impact I can have in communities and acknowledge my limitations, and I now recognize it takes the power of a community to change a community. While my team and I were serving the elderly individual, Debra, through NeighborWorks, numerous community members stopped by to talk or trade household items with her. Although I saw the impact we had in the community, improving Debra's confidence and safety in her home, I recognized that what kept Debra safe was the community that cared for her. I plan to utilize this knowledge I found through service to excel my ability to improve the communities and individuals I serve as a family medicine Physician Assistant through the National Health Service Corps.

My mother and I spent many years on our own. I grew up in a single-parent household, while my mom worked as much as possible to support us. We were both stressed most of the time, experiencing the hardship we did financially and emotionally, and there was a considerable distance between us at times. Throughout all the adversities we faced, we stuck together during it all, and because of that, we have accomplished things I would've never thought possible. I believe that in life, we all need someone who supports us regardless of the circumstances faced. I can't think of a better example of this than my mother. Despite the difficulties of growing up in a single-parent household (for both of us), she always provided for me. I never considered us as "poor" or thought I had less than my friends, and I didn't realize this until many years after. There were many situations where I felt helpless. I watched as my mom struggled as she worked two jobs to feed us and knew there was little I could do to help. Providing for my family has become more important to me than anything else. I learned many lessons through hardship, and without my mother and I sticking together through them all, I likely wouldn't have made it through, let alone used them to accomplish my aspirations. My motivation to provide for my family, as my mother provided for me, has driven me to pursue a career in medicine. As a Physician Assistant, I look forward to learning the skills and abilities to provide for my family when in need. Additionally, I want to have the ability to provide care and support for other families, particularly those experiencing the same difficulties I faced. Although we had our disagreements, we were always there for each other when necessary. This lesson has stuck with me throughout my experiences, especially in personal interactions. In relationships, it's essential to be there to support each other. However, we commonly find ourselves distanced after simple disagreements. Because of my mother, I understand that disagreements, even arguments, are a healthy part of all relationships - as long as they are appropriately communicated and handled. My mother's unconditional love and willingness to provide for us has made me an understanding and caring provider for my family and patients. The lessons taught to me indirectly through my mother and I's experiences will stick with me for life, as I'll never forget the hardships we faced as I was growing up. Now that we've gotten through the difficulties, thanks to my mother, we have a bond that will keep us close regardless of how often or infrequently we see each other.

I've experienced medical inequity firsthand. I know what it's like to grow up in a medically underserved community, struggling to find a primary care doctor to diagnose the mysterious illness that kept me from going to school almost daily. I felt sick to my stomach every day, and I had no idea why. I didn't have a primary doctor due to my medical assistance insurance, that's not widely accepted, and a general lack of providers in my area. Because of this, I was in and out of urgent care hospitals, test after test, and they found nothing. It wasn't until years after I had given up on the medical field that I mystified my illness. I was lactose intolerant and was drinking milk in my cereal every day. No wonder after multiple blood tests, nasal swabs, ultrasounds, CTs, and X-rays, they never found anything. I had a hateful relationship with medicine until I graduated from high school. Then, my now love-hate relationship with medicine began as I found a passion for working with patients. Modern medicine is incredibly effective but not very efficient. Lifestyle medicine is generally disregarded for the sake of ease from taking medications. While medications and surgeries are essential to medicine, they should not be the first choice. Modern medicine's over-reliance on treatments and tests leads to false negatives and treatments given to patients when not required. Medicine is moving towards is a world of painting over issues rather than addressing the underlying root of the issue. For example, methionine, an amino acid used in the body, has shown to be effective at preventing cancer cell growth in non-human animals when restricted in the diet. Yet, there have been no studies completed in humans on the effects of cancer. None. We need to advocate for efficient healthcare.

"Pay yourself first." The investing world is full of numbers, charts, graphs, and, frankly, scams. It's incredibly complicated at times, especially for beginners. Yet, the fundamental lesson is so simple - pay yourself first. When I first heard this piece of advice, I didn't understand it, even though I had been researching investing for years prior. "I get a paycheck every week, I already am paying myself," I thought. It's estimated over 50% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. When individuals live like this, they are not paying themselves first, and they're not paying themselves at all. They're making their employers potentially millions in revenue, then paying other multi-million dollar companies with what little they receive in compensation. It's easy to get stuck in this loop. But how can someone get past this plague that affects over half of our nation? Pay yourself first. When someone reminds themselves, "I need to pay myself first," they're inclined to either cut their expenses or earn more, so they can put money away for themselves for retirement or their kid's college. I feel much more satisfied in life knowing I'm not playing the "rat race" of working and then spending all my money with nothing left over for myself. This lesson had consequences in my life far beyond finance. I have a greater sense of self-worth and confidence, knowing I have a purpose in my life that isn't dependent on receiving a paycheck. Although my financial life doesn't define my happiness, the financial stability to support my family improves my mental health and overall life satisfaction immensely.

Hippocrates II is regarded as the father of medicine, and he was a Greek physician who revolutionized medical care. Although there was a severe lack of technology in the 400's BCs, Hippocrates' innovation changed the field forever. As the famous writer who wrote about Hippocrates in several of his books, Plato, Hippocrates was also more philosopher. Rather than finding the cure for cancer or discovering stem-cell therapy applications, he laid the framework for developing these treatments. Hippocrates focused on the use of prognosis (understanding the course of a disease), clinical observation (signs and symptoms), disease categorizations, and a general understanding of the human anatomy. Hippocrates' success and lasting impact on the medical field show that you can affect the world, regardless of what resources are available. Now, with thousands, perhaps millions of online applications, it's easy and more competitive than ever to innovate in your chosen field. For me, this field is medicine. Hippocrates' contributions to the world resonate with me strongly because of my interest in the medical field. He left a legacy, and his legacy changed the lives of millions of people across thousands of years. My choice to pursue a career in medicine was one I had not expected growing up. I had an arduous experience early on finding a sense of purpose. I did not have any interests in school and coincidentally did not take any science courses in high school. After extensive research and planning, I found PTA school to be the next stepping stone. It was difficult for me to adjust to college-level learning, as I had never studied effectively in high school. However, I finished my first semester with a 3.75 GPA. I truly believed in myself for the first time, and medicine began to permeate my life.

I received a note from an individual, a success story of sorts. The note was from a young man, Miguel. Miguel told a story about him and his brother's experience through another program offered by Marywood, Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS), and the impact it made in their lives. Miguel talked about how he had no idea what he would do after graduating high school or how to apply to college. Additionally, he said his younger brother experienced the same thing and had an overall lack of confidence. As I read the letter out loud to Victoria, my voice cracked. The letter was from the older brother of the teenager I mentored and tutored in STARS, which focuses on students mentoring and tutoring Latino youth in the Scranton area. In medicine, we do not often see our service's effects on others. It was an incredibly insightful and rewarding experience to hear firsthand the program's impact. Miguel stated he was actively applying to colleges. His younger brother (whom I was the assigned mentor for) also showed an interest in college he had never mentioned before. The shock and emotional impact of reading the contents of that envelope stuck with me throughout our service activity. Beforehand, I had doubted my ability to impact underserved communities. Although I was confident I could connect with them, having grown up in their shoes in a low-income, underserved area, and as a first-generation student, I often second-guessed the program's overall impact. Throughout my experience in college, I've participated in several educational programs. The majority of these focused on serving students in low-income areas, who may have decreased access to proper education. These programs are more important than general education, but both go hand-in-hand. Educational, outside-of-school programs offer, beyond simple education, an outlet for mentoring, creativity, and mature friendships. Often, students are lost in their next steps after graduating high school, even unsure of their ability to make it through college, like me as a first-generation student. Education is empowering, and education represents much more than simply receiving a degree certificate. I found my passion through education, and I chose to pursue the arduous field of medicine after scraping through high school, where I had little desire for anything. I was a shy, insecure kid in a low-income, single-parent household and had no plans on continuing my education into college. However, I was blessed with the ability to continue onto community college thanks to savings from working and federal pell-grants. There was a noticeable difference between high school and college, and I began to focus more on my academics and become more confident in my abilities. Eventually, this morphed into a passion for education and an obsessive desire to be the best person and provider I can be. Without the support provided to me from academic scholarships, grants, and emotional support from my family, I'd never be able to be where I am today. For these reasons, education equality is something I stand for firmly.

My first experience with severe mental health issues was when I was very young. I spent many hours with a close family member of mine. She was my best friend at a young age and routinely took care of me when my mother had to work, as she was a single parent. We went on walks together, hung out at my grandma's house, and would do anything to put a smile on my face. At my young, naive age, I had no idea what she and my family went through years before I was born. She suffered from mental health issues since middle school, severe bipolar depression, and anxiety. This lead to her subsequently dropping out of high school and later being homeschooled by my grandma. Around the time I was born, things were relatively normal. I recognize now the heartache and confusion she was going through. She was going through a lot, but my family didn't understand and just viewed it as her acting out. She wasn't offered the empathy, compassion, and communication she deserved and needed. It was a difficult environment for all of us, but a little conversation, understanding, and initial discomfort may have gone a long way to recovery. Again, now I realize they didn't want or need someone to come and make them happy or smile. My mother and family member just needed someone to listen to them. All the senseless pain and sorrow, they just wanted someone to listen to them. A huge lesson I've recently realized while reflecting on my experiences with mental health is that sometimes it's arduous to put our own emotions inside and communicate compassionately to someone else. One thing I strongly value because of my experiences with mental health is straightforward, compassionate communication.

My family has always noted my creativity. While most kids my age were playing video games, I created my own. While I wasn't quite capable of coding video games at eight years old, I still had a great imagination. I would create games that involved intricate ranks, levels, power-ups, etc. I would drive my family crazy because I wanted to play them every day, but I only understood what was happening. This creativity continued into my teenage life, except with more lofty but mature aspirations. I'd spent a lot of time researching problems the world experienced. I mean YouTube and Wikipedia by research, and I focused primarily on poverty and the rampant medical crisis (I was experiencing both). At 14 years old, I saw more than the average teenager would see. While I was disgusted at many things I saw during my research, my creativity persevered. The reality of the natural world is something I think deters adults from experiencing the same level of creativity they had growing up. It's easy to be creative when you have the whole 168 hours a week, but when you start working 40 of those, take care of kids for the rest. Successful people in life don't lose this childhood creativity; these are the world leaders, entrepreneurs, artists, and actors. Now, I'm 23, and my creativity, while it's been challenged, has only grown stronger. I still hold some of the same aspirations I saved as a child, albeit a bit more realistic. No more rockets develop to discover aliens. I'm developing a few businesses while working three jobs, attending school full-time, and participating in several community service organizations. My primary business revolves around inspiring future medical providers and helping them get accepted to school, mostly Physician Assistant schools. The other is selling online items.

I had difficulty finding and keeping a doctor as a youth, and my health suffered for years. I've become extremely passionate about serving patients in medically underserved communities, reaching out to children in those communities who may lack a sense of purpose in their lives, like me as a child, and helping them walk through their journey and realize their potential. I look forward to serving those in need through the National Health Service Corps in primary care, especially people within my locality. This opportunity is specifically significant for me as someone who grew up in a healthcare deficit, low-income community and was raised within a single-parent household. Being from a marginalized area, I strongly desire to pay it forward and be a role model for others from impoverished environments. For instance, I volunteered with Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS) at Marywood University, where I tutored and mentored Latinx youths from the Scranton area. This experience gave me greater insight into an individual's impact on others. One of the students mentored was noticeably shy and anxious around others. Though we came from different backgrounds and ethnicities, I saw qualities of myself in him. We worked to help him set goals, career aspirations and define who he aspires to be. It was an extraordinary experience to influence someone, and I recognized my struggles and watched them grow. As a future PA, I passionately look forward to similar moments where I get the opportunity to have a positive influence on patients' lives while providing support and care through their adversities. Along with directly serving underserved communities as a Physician Assistant, I plan to advocate for fair, equitable healthcare. I hold several leadership positions currently at Marywood University, including vice-president of an honor society, and plan to continue leadership in PA organizations.

When my step-father came into my life when I was seven, I learned true generosity. Growing up with my mother under the stress of living in low-income housing, we typically butted heads. Of course, we both loved each other immensely. However, sometimes we couldn't help but take the stress of our lives out on each other. This stress led to frequent verbal fights, intolerance, and distance in our relationship. Neither of us had any semblance of patience, especially to each other, even though we were all we had. I knew from an early age this wasn't the way things should be. This situation isn't the way a young kid should live. My step-father came into my life and was immediately the father figure I never had. And eventually, the loving husband to my mother. I noticed the difference in our relationship quickly. We didn't argue as much, spent more time with each other, and grew closer than ever before. My step-father, who I always refer to as my father, is incredibly patient. He tolerated our constant arguing and never once joined in and raised his voice. My father taught me what it means to be generous. My father also taught me how to be a father, an adult, and be successful in life. Without him, my mom and I would've never established the relationship we have today. And without his generosity, I never would've grown up into the man I am today. It's all thanks to him and his unwavering generosity. He had his own life and was under no obligation to become a father figure in my life, yet, despite the challenges, he accepted me as his son wholeheartedly. His generosity saved my mom and I's relationship and likely my life.

"I can't do this." I've heard this in my head numerous times. More accurately, thousands of times. Insecurity in my abilities is something I've always struggled with. Throughout high school, I didn't attempt to be successful. I believed, deep in my mind, no matter how much I tried, I wouldn't be successful. In my mind, a failure with gigantic aspirations was all I was. Barely passing high school while taking the least challenging possible courses. After graduating high school, I had a paradigm shift. I realized I was on my own, and no one would help me. I accepted I was going nowhere in life, and I had to start somewhere. I enrolled in a local community college, not knowing if I could handle the courses or not. I also played college baseball for the first time since Little League in 6th grade. I finished my first semester of college on the Dean's list and the second with the same achievement. For the first time in my life, I thought, "I can do this. On my own." With newfound confidence in my abilities, I enrolled in Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) school, and my academic and personal development continued. I finished my first semester with a 3.75 GPA, more close friendships than I could've ever asked for, and a new passion for healthcare. I discovered a visceral passion for caring for those in need throughout their journey. With this passion came powerful feelings of gratitude and confidence in my ability to impact the world and those around me. I continued to work as a PTA in a rehabilitation hospital as I transferred to a Pre-Physician Assistant program to continue my passion for medicine. I'm challenged daily, but I've conquered every day, just as I will conquer anything in front of me.

Throughout the history of humans, nature has been a cruel and unforgiving place. Numerous people have ventured off into nature and never returned. It can be a terrifying, isolated place. Despite this, it remains a place of solace and sacrality to many people over the millennia. The importance of nature has never been more crucial than today. It's a paradox that despite the rampant loneliness present in society today, we seek the isolation of nature. Growing up in the mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania, I've grown accustomed to spending time in nature. I've had my fair share of emotional challenges, and nature has provided me with relief. My friends and I always spent time in nature; it was our "hangout spot," while most teenagers were shopping at the local mall. For many, nature is simply a place of relaxation. To me, nature is a place of excitement, adventure, and challenge. I've been lost in nature before, followed by a black bear, even attacked by a militant group of bugs, and I loved every second of it. Unlike challenges in the "corporate world," difficulties in nature come and go. Once you solve the problem, generally, the issue is gone. These challenges provide me with pleasure from spending time in nature. I greatly enjoy hiking through nature, focusing on challenging routes with an awe-inspiring view. Additionally, I feel a sense of purpose while hiking, as I try to clean up as much trash as possible while hiking.

Throughout the years, I've attended three colleges. My grade point average had improved at each one, from a 3.6 to 3.75, to finally, a 3.9. While in high school, I had no study strategies, and when I first enrolled in community college, I had to start from scratch. I began simply taking notes in class and reviewing with flashcards. This method worked until I transferred to Penn State Hazleton in the Physical Therapist Assistant program. I was shocked to receive my first quiz grade back, I don't remember the exact grade now, but it was the lowest I've ever received in college. I knew something had to change, so I began using the site Quizlet to study. I would take notes in class, print PowerPoint slides, highlight the book and slides, and input all my notes into Quizlet when I got home. After graduating in 2019, I transferred to Marywood University. Another shock, I had several courses I'd never taken before at Marywood, not even in high school. I was taking chemistry for the first time. I struggled initially, but thanks to the care of my professor, I made it through and have finished all my chemistry courses with an A. This past semester, I received my first ever 4.0. My study strategies have come a long way, and I have an intricate system currently. I always print the PowerPoint slides before class, take notes in class, after class input my notes into Quizlet, write and highlight on the slide. Next, I review the material every day and utilize all the features of Quizlet to study the material actively. Then, before an exam, I highlight the essential material in blue and create an index card with the key concepts. This strategy has allowed me to excel in my studies.

I strive to live a life of purpose. While I have many personal goals, I try to include impacting others' lives in my aspirations. Because of this, many of my bucket list goals revolve around the field of medicine or service. Career accomplishments aren't generally regarded as bucket list material, so I'll focus on the extracurricular activities I'd like to accomplish throughout my career as a Physician Assistant. Aside from serving in an underserved community as a medical provider, I'd like to participate in humanitarian aid and disaster relief in the United States and overseas. I've always been passionate about traveling the world, but not visiting the Eifel Tower in France or basking in the Bahamas. I want to serve and leave an impact on the lives and communities of those I meet. In 2019, Shortly before the Coronavirus pandemic plagued the globe, I signed up to participate in a medical mission trip to San Lucas Tolimán through the campus ministry at Marywood University. This trip was an activity I always wanted to attend but felt unprepared as I had never traveled outside the country. However, I seized the opportunity without hesitation when I saw the sign-up stand during the activities fair. I was overwhelmed by a desire to give back to the world that has done so much for me. I was incredibly excited and nervous simultaneously. Unfortunately, Marywood informed us that they had decided to cancel the trip the same night my team was ready to leave due to rising coronavirus cases within the country. I was greatly disappointed, yet the deep feeling I had when I signed up never faded but only grew more vigorously. Along with traveling the world to provide medical aid and support to communities, I'd like to promote fair and equitable healthcare.

"You can only change when YOU change who YOU are." Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher, also called "The Obscure," once said, "Change is the only constant." Despite taxes and death being considered the only guarantees in life, the actual guarantee is change. Every being in existence, and even mere existence itself will undeniably change. There are many things to fear in this world, many contributing factors to the rampant mental health and disorder in the world today. The pandemic, war, and violence are all factors that cause mass hysteria and fear. Underlying all of these factors, however, is the fear of change. The fear that one day you will age, your marriage may not be the same, one day, you may lose a loved one. However, if we consciously accept that change is always unavoidable, we can begin to find some semblance of peace in a constantly dynamic world. Beyond this, this quote has also allowed me to accept personality responsibility to change my life. I used to think, "I can't change, this is just who I am," until I realized who I depend on How I define myself. I have always identified as "the shy kid throughout my life." No matter what experience I had which proved otherwise. I always went back to my old habits. It was only until I discovered that I controlled who I was. When I made up my mind I wasn't a shy kid, I began to see a big difference in my daily interactions. Many others experience a similar phenomenon, constantly bringing them back to their old ways, no matter how fast they attempt to run away from the person they are. However, this quote teaches us, it's not about who you think you are but who you know you are.

It's been debated for centuries, a mysterious and profound event - what we call life. Even more paradoxical is the meaning of life. I've spent a decent portion of my life contemplating the meaning of life, more specifically, the purpose of my life. Growing up, I felt a lack of meaning. Raised by a single parent in a low-income area, many in my community had experienced the same hardships. I discovered what I view as the meaning of life throughout my growing years in a desolate community, primarily thanks to my interest in the medical field. To feel purpose in my life, I found that I would give life to others. In my life, I plan to and achieve this through serving in communities as a volunteer and medical provider. My primary interest in service and as a Physician Assistant is in underserved communities, such as my own. Giving others life means providing others with what's essential and what makes up life. This could mean instilling purpose in others, giving others hope in desolate situations, or even saving a life through medical practice. I plan to achieve these items throughout my journey as a medical provider and community member. Essentially, what brings me purpose in life is assisting others in finding their purpose. I adamantly believe, to provide life to others is to give meaning to others' lives.

The PA profession appeals to me for an array of reasons. One of the main reasons I look forward to becoming a physician assistant is the opportunity to work in primary care in an underserved area. Although PAs can navigate specialties without further formal training, their education is taught as generalists from a primary care approach. I look forward to serving those in need through the National Health Service Corps in primary care, especially people within my locality. This opportunity is specifically significant for me as someone who grew up in a healthcare deficit, low-income community and was raised within a single-parent household. Being from a marginalized area, I strongly desire to pay it forward and be a role model for others from impoverished environments. For instance, I volunteered with Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS) at Marywood University, where I tutored and mentored Latinx youths from the Scranton area. This experience gave me greater insight into an individual's impact on others. One of the students mentored was noticeably shy and anxious around others. Though we came from different backgrounds and ethnicities, I saw qualities of myself in him. We worked to help him set goals, career aspirations and define who he aspires to be. It was an extraordinary experience to influence someone, and I recognized my struggles and watched them grow. As a future PA, I passionately look forward to similar moments where I get the opportunity to have a positive influence on patients' lives while providing support and care through their adversities. Along with directly serving underserved communities as a Physician Assistant, I plan to be involved with advocacy efforts to promote fair, equitable healthcare. I hold several leadership positions currently at Marywood University, including vice-president of an honor society, and plan to continue leadership in PA organizations.

Practicing gratitude is a crucial component of a happy life, and the keyword there is practice. Being grateful daily is far from easy and something I've struggled with personally throughout my life. I experience days of extreme gratefulness, yet other days feel as if I have nothing to be grateful for. This is likely due to my lofty ambitions and tendency to be unforgiving when goals aren't met. However, I recognize that I need to have a system to live with gratitude. I live with gratitude and appreciate everything I have by journaling, reflecting, and serving others. I've continuously done journaling for over five years now, and it's made a big difference in how I view every day. Mainly, I focus on activities I did during my day and how I felt those days. Paying attention to how I felt made me realize how good my life is. I have many, many, many more good days than I would have ever imagined. Of course, there were also terrible days, weeks, and even months, but overall, I predominantly experienced good days. It's allowed me to feel grateful even on rough days, as I know bad days are the minority. Reflection or thinking about my past challenges and successes similarly improves my gratitude. It's easy to forget how far we've come, and when it's put into perspective - it can have a profound impact on our mental health. Finally, I find gratitude in my life through the service as others, in community service, and as a healthcare provider. Currently, I work in a rehabilitation hospital as a Physical Therapist Assistant and walk with patients through arduous journeys of recovering from debilitating strokes, crushing heart attacks, and other devastating injuries. I will continue this service as a Physician Assistant in the future.

"I can't do this." I've heard this in my head numerous times. More accurately, thousands of times. Insecurity in my abilities is something I've always struggled with. Throughout high school, I didn't attempt to be successful. I believed, deep in my mind, no matter how much I tried, I wouldn't be successful. In my mind, a failure with gigantic aspirations was all I was. Barely passing high school while taking the least challenging possible courses. After graduating high school, I had a paradigm shift. I realized I was on my own, and no one would help me. I accepted I was going nowhere in life, and I had to start somewhere. I enrolled in a local community college, not knowing if I could handle the courses or not. I also played college baseball for the first time since Little League in 6th grade. I finished my first semester of college on the Dean's list and the second with the same achievement. For the first time in my life, I thought, "I can do this. On my own." With newfound confidence in my abilities, I enrolled in Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) school, and my academic and personal development continued. I finished my first semester with a 3.75 GPA, more close friendships than I could've ever asked for, and a new passion for healthcare. I discovered a visceral passion for caring for those in need throughout their journey. With this passion came powerful feelings of gratitude and confidence in my ability to impact the world and those around me. I continued to work as a PTA in a rehabilitation hospital as I transferred to a Pre-Physician Assistant program to continue my passion for medicine. I'm challenged daily, but I've conquered every day, just as I will conquer anything in front of me.

I have had an array of service, healthcare, leadership, and extracurricular activities. As a first-generation student, it is important to me to graduate and instill purpose in the lives of others through working in medicine and mentoring others like I have through numerous volunteering and leadership experiences. One of these is with the National Society of Leadership and Success. I worked my way up from an inducted member to Community Service chair and now Vice President, where I have developed many projects for 700+ members. I believe in working harder than everyone else to achieve what I want. My motivation for this work ethic is to help my family financially and reach my dream of expanding healthcare to those in need in my community, the country, and abroad. At Marywood, I was involved in fundraising with Campus Ministry for aid in San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala. Although my team and I did not travel to Guatemala to assist the local medical providers due to the pandemic, we raised over $12,000! This contribution proved to be much needed, as the impact of the coronavirus became pronounced in Guatemala. In the future, I plan to work with a government or non-profit agency to travel the world and provide medical care to those in need or recovering from disasters. I have applied to at least one scholarship nearly every week, worked two jobs for almost two years, attended college full-time while commuting for 5+ years, and plan to work with the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) after PA school. The NHSC program involves working in a healthcare deficit area as a PA in family medicine for two years. With the assistance of this scholarship, I will continue to do just that and give back to others.

I had difficulty finding and keeping a doctor as a youth, and my health suffered for years. I've become extremely passionate about serving patients in medically underserved communities, reaching out to children in those communities who may lack a sense of purpose in their lives, like me as a child, and helping them walk through their journey and realize their potential. I look forward to serving those in need through the National Health Service Corps in primary care, especially people within my locality. This opportunity is specifically significant for me as someone who grew up in a healthcare deficit, low-income community and was raised within a single-parent household. Being from a marginalized area, I strongly desire to pay it forward and be a role model for others from impoverished environments. For instance, I volunteered with Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS) at Marywood University, where I tutored and mentored Latinx youths from the Scranton area. This experience gave me greater insight into an individual's impact on others. One of the students mentored was noticeably shy and anxious around others. Though we came from different backgrounds and ethnicities, I saw qualities of myself in him. We worked to help him set goals, career aspirations and define who he aspires to be. It was an extraordinary experience to influence someone, and I recognized my struggles and watched them grow. As a future PA, I passionately look forward to similar moments where I get the opportunity to have a positive influence on patients' lives while providing support and care through their adversities. Along with directly serving underserved communities as a Physician Assistant, I plan to advocate for fair, equitable healthcare. I hold several leadership positions currently at Marywood University, including vice-president of an honor society, and plan to continue leadership in PA organizations.

I have yet to find a tunnel that doesn't have light at the end. I work as a Physical Therapist Assistant (per-diem) in a rehabilitation hospital. Doing physical therapy, I feel a sense of impact and gratitude to improve another person's life. Walking with others through their darkest times in certain situations brings me an immense amount of purpose. Throughout my daily life, I sometimes feel a lack of passion. I feel fulfilled while working with patients and the other fantastic healthcare providers I'm blessed to work alongside. Not only is my simple pleasure a stress relief (a break from worrying about school work), it also gives me confidence and satisfaction with my life and who I am. I'm constantly challenged and focus on improving myself as an individual daily through the service of others. I've recognized areas while working where I can improve, such as in my compassion, communication, knowledge, etc. The ability to see progress in all of these every time I work and serve is incredibly fulfilling. Not only do I get to see improvement in my own life, but I get to see others progress through severe conditions like strokes, aneurysms, amputations, cancer, and more. I meet new people every day, and the vast majority are incredibly kind. It's truly an honor to work with people every day that restore my hope for the good of humanity. In the end, I hope to allow others to find that light at the end of the tunnel.

I strive to live a life of purpose. While I have many personal goals, I try to include impacting others' lives in my aspirations. Because of this, many of my bucket list goals revolve around the field of medicine or service. Career accomplishments aren't generally regarded as bucket list material, so I'll focus on the extracurricular activities I'd like to accomplish throughout my career as a Physician Assistant. Aside from serving in an underserved community as a medical provider, I'd like to participate in humanitarian aid and disaster relief in the United States and overseas. I've always been passionate about traveling the world, but not visiting the Eifel Tower in France or basking in the Bahamas. I want to serve and leave an impact on the lives and communities of those I meet. In 2019, Shortly before the Coronavirus pandemic plagued the globe, I signed up to participate in a medical mission trip to San Lucas Tolimán through the campus ministry at Marywood University. This trip was an activity I always wanted to attend but felt unprepared as I had never traveled outside the country. However, I seized the opportunity without hesitation when I saw the sign-up stand during the activities fair. I was overwhelmed by a desire to give back to the world that has done so much for me. I was incredibly excited and nervous simultaneously. Unfortunately, Marywood informed us that they had decided to cancel the trip the same night my team was ready to leave due to rising coronavirus cases within the country. I was greatly disappointed, yet the deep feeling I had when I signed up never faded but only grew more vigorously. Along with traveling the world to provide medical aid and support to communities, I'd like to promote fair and equitable healthcare.

Who knew a song by Metallic would have such an inspirational line as "I adapt to the unknown." Metallica wrote a fair amount of their songs in honor of our armed service members, and I believe this one was no exception. Our service members are some of the most confident men and women in the United States because every day, they are forced to adapt to situations that are far beyond their control. To me, this is what confidence means. I don't believe confidence and fear are inverses of each other, and I believe fear can exist in the presence of confidence and vice-versa. To me, uncertainty is the opposite of confidence. Uncertainty, not in the future, but in our ability and actions to control things in our future. Imagine someone telling you that you will experience massive heartache every week for the rest of your life. That's scary, and anyone in their right mind would be frightened. But it's a choice to be uncertain. I've been faced with many challenges in my life, from growing up in a single-parent, low-income household on Welfare to being a full-time first-generation college student working nearly 20 hours a week over three jobs. Working in the hospital, I've been challenged, emotionally and physically, every day. However, I was very uncertain, insecure, and fearful at the time. I lacked confidence in my abilities to face obstacles, and because of that, I hid from everything. When I had severe acne for five years in high school, it made it even easier to hide from everything and everyone. Recently, I've experienced the biggest challenges I have in my life. Since high school, I've had many adjustments and uncertainties, but there's something monumentally different now. I don't doubt my ability to conquer anything in my future anymore.

As a future medical provider, I recognize the importance of being an active listener to the patients I serve. I also recognize the importance of doing the same with my family and loved ones. As a Physical Therapist Assistant, I always pay full attention to the patient I'm working with and value their conversation, no matter the topic. I've found that regardless of the topic of the conversation, the meaning remains significant. I try to allow patients time to talk about whatever they'd like, and I notice it immediately changes the patient's attitude. One patient I worked with demonstrated this well, and other providers warned me about his behavior. He wasn't talkative and was critical of everyone, they told me. I never let what anyone means to define my view of an individual; I always treat them like anyone else and decide for myself. As I began to work with him, I noticed what my co-workers had said had some merit. However, I still pushed through despite the challenges. I asked him question after question, and he appeared to dodge everyone. Finally, I asked if he had any children. He admitted he doesn't talk to his children often (2 boys) but demonstrated a level of enthusiasm when talking about his kids he never showed anyone before. Everyone was amazed by the rapport I had built with him. The secret was I listened to him. Not only did I hear, but I showed that I was interested in what he had to say. He continued his story that he was close with his children until his wife and him divorced, and then he drifted from his family. I realized, in the end, all he needed was someone to listen.

What provides me with relaxation is something many people may not think. Why? It's something most people find relaxation outside of - working. I work as a Physical Therapist Assistant (per-diem) in a rehabilitation hospital. I struggle with frequent self-consciousness and feelings of inadequacy. Initially, I had chosen the field of healthcare to serve others. Doing physical therapy, I feel a sense of impact and gratitude that I can improve another person's life. Throughout my daily life, I sometimes feel a lack of passion. I feel fulfilled while working with patients and the other fantastic healthcare providers I'm blessed to work alongside. Not only is my simple pleasure a stress relief (a break from worrying about school work), it also gives me confidence and satisfaction with my life and who I am. Working as a healthcare provider constantly challenges me and allows me to improve myself as an individual daily. I've recognized areas while working where I can improve, such as in my compassion, communication, knowledge, etc. The ability to see progress in all of these every time I work is incredibly fulfilling. Not only do I get to see improvement in my own life, but I get to see others progress through severe conditions like strokes, aneurysms, amputations, cancer, and more. I meet new people every day, and the vast majority are incredibly kind. It's truly an honor to work with people every day that restore my hope for the good of humanity.

I love planning for my future, and I guess love is an understatement. I'm obsessed with preparing for my future. I have a lot of lofty aspirations, although I recognize, I must focus on the present to achieve these goals. I push myself every day to achieve what I aspire to, yet I still experience difficult days where I experience a falter in hope. It's these days that I find planning is my biggest motivation and one of the moments where I'm genuinely content. I plan, in vivid detail, what my life will look like in the future, financially, professionally, emotionally, and so on. I could spend hours, almost in a trans-like state, calculating numbers related to my financial future. I know exactly how much money I need to invest every month to retire at the specific age I'd like to, how much, and in what accounts I plan to invest, and a plan to launch a business in the future. Additionally, I've planned out the specific positions I hope to hold as a Physician Assistant in particular organizations, branches of the American Academy of Physician Assistants. I believe adamantly that every medical provider should not only advocate for their patient in the clinic but advocate for overall patient care at a legislative level. Many of the positions I plan to hold are about advocating for equitable healthcare. Like any odd hobby, there's always a vast collection somewhere that would make anyone give you a funny look. For me, that's a stack of papers, folders, index cards, and notebooks containing all my plans and blueprints for my desired future. These consist of notes, graphs, tables, charts, and anything you could ever imagine you could create in Microsoft Office. It's a hobby I've always held close and always plan to.

Imagine a world where when you feel sick, you don't have to search your symptoms on the Internet for hours, only to discover your symptoms point towards some severe condition. We've all been there. Modern medicine, in general, is relatively ineffective at recognizing chronic conditions. Even scarier, current treatment is exceptionally inefficient at treating these chronic conditions. Is the answer better medical education? Nano-technology? More expenditure on healthcare? For me, the answer may not appear even relevant to healthcare. Supercomputers. Supercomputers are precisely what the word implies: regular computers with the processing power to run unfathomable algorithms at a supersonic speed. How are complicated algorithms related to healthcare? To find this out, we need only look at previous usages of tracking technology in prior diseases, outbreaks, etc. Technology is almost always utilized to establish the incidence of illness or epidemics in specific areas to follow what correlating factors may be present to establish a possible cause. Supercomputers would accomplish the same thing, establishing correlations, but with much more sophisticated technologies. Eventually, as we see in the world of artificial intelligence, supercomputers would be able to develop their algorithms for recognizing exactly where future outbreaks will occur and what leads to the event of epidemics. Other areas that could be identifiable with complex algorithms created by supercomputers are what factors lead to cancer, among numerous other diseases. To compare a world like this with our earlier example, imagine you start to feel sick, and you look your symptoms up on a site that utilizes a supercomputer-generated algorithm. Once you look your signs up and personal characteristics, the algorithm looks at what diseases are common in your demographic area, in your ethnic group, and based on your symptoms. It's unfortunate, but the algorithm points towards developing cancer. The algorithm then recommends tests to undergo, so you schedule an appointment with your physician. The physician runs a diagnostic test for cancer and finds a benign tumor. Your physician removes the tumor, and it's then tested in a lab that is again controlled by a supercomputer. The results return that this type of tumor is commonly not noticed and typically becomes cancerous if untreated. Additionally, the algorithm suggests lifestyle changes correlated with a low risk of developing this specific form of cancer. There is no false diagnosis or pre-emptive treatments in this world with supercomputer algorithms. This increased effectiveness would lead to incredible savings on healthcare expenditure, better treatments for patients, and longer quality of life for those suffering severe illness. I am incredibly excited and grateful to live in a time where this technology and its subsequent effects are more than possible.

My family has always noted my creativity. While most kids my age were playing video games, I created my own. While I wasn't quite capable of coding video games at eight years old, I still had a great imagination. I would create games that involved intricate ranks, levels, power-ups, etc. I would drive my family crazy because I wanted to play them every day, but I only understood what was happening. This creativity continued into my teenage life, except with more lofty but mature aspirations. I'd spent a lot of time researching problems the world experienced. I mean YouTube and Wikipedia by research, and I focused primarily on poverty and the rampant medical crisis (I was experiencing both). At 14 years old, I saw more than the average teenager would see. While I was disgusted at many things I saw during my research, my creativity persevered. The reality of the natural world is something I think deters adults from experiencing the same level of creativity they had growing up. It's easy to be creative when you have the whole 168 hours a week, but when you start working 40 of those, take care of kids for the rest. Successful people in life don't lose this childhood creativity; these are the world leaders, entrepreneurs, artists, and actors. Now, I'm 23, and my creativity, while it's been challenged, has only grown stronger. I still hold some of the same aspirations I saved as a child, albeit a bit more realistic. No more rockets develop to discover aliens. I'm developing a few businesses while working three jobs, attending school full-time, and participating in several community service organizations. My primary business revolves around inspiring future medical providers and helping them get accepted to school, mostly Physician Assistant schools. The other is selling online items.

1. I deserve this scholarship because I'm an outlier. Why exactly? I'm an outlier because I always strive to work harder than everyone else. I'm BOLD and not afraid to work for what I want. Throughout my college career, I've worked my way up from a high school GPA of 3.3 to a 4.0. Most importantly, I'm an outlier because I don't follow the rules - my answer is now 71 words. 2. My academic goal is to graduate with most of my hair left, so I don't have to apply to silly scholarships like this one anymore. This is better than the last scholarship I saw, though - the requirements were "must be a Minnesota student who's lived in Utah for 15 years and rode motorcycles in Kansas every weekend." Although, that IS my career goal. 3. I've literally never faced an obstacle in my life, not even once.

Community. Research has shown meaningful relationships are one of the most significant indicators of a long, healthy life, and the most meaningful relationships are typically those we are closest with. These relationships are generally our family, co-workers, and friends. However, society is becoming increasingly distant, young adults moving away from family, working from home, and social isolation prohibiting people from forming close friendships. There is one crucial component in maintaining longevity - a community. As decades pass in an increasingly socially isolated world, the word 'community' is becoming a buzzword, a fairytale-like concept. I've observed firsthand what having a close-knit community can do for individuals, physically, mentally, and spiritually. While volunteering in my local community with an organization focused on community development and assisting the most vulnerable, I met a pleasant woman that we'll call Jane, that opened my heart and eyes to the benefits of having a solid community. Firstly, Jane had close ties to the organization we were serving her through, which provided care for her home she wasn't capable of physically anymore. Secondly, we had multiple interactions with neighbors who stopped by to chat with us while we were there. One neighbor, a woman who had recently immigrated to America from Nepal, stated that Jane welcomed her and her family when she arrived and supported them since they'd been here. As the woman left, Jane went into the house and brought out something for her. Jane handed the woman yarn for a project she was working on at home. It was a small gesture but said so much more about Jane and her little community than simply the little piece of material. I walked away from this experience feeling a deep sense of gratitude and fufillness. Something so significant to our health, yet so infrequently experienced today.

I was accustomed to navigating the entanglement of wires and tolerating the continuous dissonance of alarms. However, immediately upon entering this patient’s room, I noticed something was different. There was a whiteboard on the table next to the intubated man. It had appeared heavily used, stained with remnants of marker ink. He was in the end stages of esophageal cancer, and his throat, mouth, and face were so swollen that he could not talk, see, and barely hear. He had been swiftly declining in the last few days, and when I met him, he was unable to write to communicate. His only communication with me was thumbs up or down motions. However, I could not help but feel a deep, overwhelming responsibility and passion in furthering my education and being at the forefront of providing patient care. I was determined to offer all I could for this patient. In the ICU particularly, I paid attention to the PAs working there and admired their availability and compassion for the patients. As a PA, I recognized I would have the ability to offer a scope-of-care that mirrored what I wanted to provide to patients – emergency and primary care in underserved communities. My choice to pursue a career in medicine was one I had not expected growing up. I had an arduous experience early on finding a sense of purpose. I did not have any interests in school and coincidentally did not take any science courses in high school. After extensive research and planning, I found PTA school to be the next stepping stone for me. It was difficult for me to adjust to college-level learning, as I had never studied effectively in high school. However, I was able to finish my first semester with a 3.75 GPA. For the first time, I truly believed in myself, and medicine began to pervade my life. I was allowed the blessing to communicate and provide for those in need. I recognized that medicine has the potential to supply the purpose I had relentlessly searched for all those years. From my first clinical experience as a PTA student, I found an incredible amount of meaning for guiding my patients to a better and more functional life. Though, in a path to further my career, through research and personal experiences with PAs, I found that my true passion and the impact I want to have on my future patients would come from becoming a physician assistant. The PA profession appeals to me for an array of reasons. One of the main reasons I look forward to becoming a physician assistant is the opportunity to work in primary care in an underserved area. I look forward to serving those in need through the National Health Service Corps in primary care, especially people within my locality. This opportunity is specifically significant for me as someone who grew up in a health-care deficit, low-income community, and raised within a single-parent household. Being from a marginalized area, I have a strong desire to pay it forward and be a role model for others who come from destitute environments. For instance, I volunteered with Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS), where I tutored and mentored Latinx youths in my area. One of the students mentored was noticeably shy and anxious around others. Though we came from different backgrounds and ethnicities, I saw qualities of myself in him. We worked towards his career aspirations and defining who he aspires to be. To further combine my love for the medical field and serving the underserved and humanitarianism, I plan to participate in humanitarian aid missions after PA school. I aspire to work for the United States government in the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure fair, equitable, and sustainable medical services to people in need within the United States. I plan to accomplish this by promoting public health programs whose missions are focused on assisting medically underserved areas and vulnerable populations. Shortly before the Coronavirus pandemic plagued the globe, I signed up to participate in a medical mission trip to San Lucas Tolimán through Marywood University. This trip was an activity I always wanted to take part in but felt unprepared as I had never traveled outside the country. However, when I saw the sign-up stand during the activities fair, I seized the opportunity without hesitation. I was overwhelmed by a desire to make a difference in the world. I was incredibly excited and nervous simultaneously. Unfortunately, our trip was canceled the same night my team was ready to leave due to rising coronavirus cases. I was greatly disappointed, yet the deep feeling I had when I first signed up never faded but only grew more vigorously. There are people I have met within the medical profession that has allowed my passion for medicine to be continuously empowered. One of them was a young lady, whom I met while working in a hospital. A recent brain injury had flipped her life upside down. With her mother present every day, we worked her back to the point of being able to walk and communicate effectively with the collaboration of speech therapists. Our team was able to provide for her goes beyond medicine. In one of her darkest moments, we were able to assist with her ability to walk and function normally while bringing her hope back. On the day she was discharged, she told me she was more optimistic than before her grave injury and that her story would make an inspiring personal statement in the future! I agreed with both and wished her the best of luck in her journey, empathizing how grateful I was to play my part in her journey. Medicine has offered me an opportunity to pursue my values in life and given me a strong sense of purpose. I yearn for the experience of making a difference in someone’s life, in turn, creating a difference within my own, and will achieve this as a physician assistant.

Songs: (Playlist name: Now, we're burnt out) 1. Highway to debt 2. Living on a pile of debt 3. Rolling in the college debt 4. To pimp a college student 5. Burn out boy 6. Sallie Mae, don't call me, maybe? Artist: Stevie Wonder why I ever enrolled

Look at that shy little kid with goofy, blonde hair. He was always acting out for attention, lacking parental figures in life, and experiencing demons in his head (literally, in this manga). It wasn't difficult to put myself into the position of this character. Many millennials would recognize this anime from these two short sentences. It's a story about a young ninja who has to work his way up from an unskilled, goofy boy to a full-fledged success story. His name - is Naruto. Watching Naruto repeatedly fall and get back up instilled in me a work ethic that never falters. From the death of his parents, before he was born to the betrayal of his best friend, he kept his eyes on what he aspired to be - Hokage. The mad success of this anime is due to its reliability - we've all been that shy, goofy kid.

Throughout my experience in college, I've participated in several educational programs. The majority of these focused on serving students in low-income areas, who may have decreased access to proper education. These programs are more important than general education, but both go hand-in-hand. Educational, outside-of-school programs offer, beyond simple education, an outlet for mentoring, creativity, and mature friendships. Often, students are lost in their next steps after graduating high school, even unsure of their ability to make it through college, like me as a first-generation student. Education is empowering, and education represents much more than simply receiving a degree certificate. I found my passion through education, and I chose to pursue the arduous field of medicine after scraping through high school, where I had little desire for anything. I was a shy, insecure kid in a low-income, single-parent household and had no plans on continuing my education into college. However, I was blessed with the ability to continue onto community college thanks to savings from working and federal pell-grants. There was a noticeable difference between high school and college, and I began to focus more on my academics and become more confident in my abilities. Eventually, this morphed into a passion for education and an obsessive desire to be the best person and provider I can be. Without the support provided to me from academic scholarships, grants, and emotional support from my family, I'd never be able to be where I am today. For these reasons, education equality is something I stand for firmly. Through my campus, I've volunteered with numerous organizations that support proper education and continued mentoring of youth in my area, including Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS). As a future medicine provider, I recognize my ability to go beyond simply treating patients' health problems. I believe adamantly medical providers should be supportive participants in the lives of the patients they serve. As a provider and individual, I will advocate not only for medical equality but education as well because education saved me.

There's great power in consistency and perseverance. Nature demonstrates this more than anything else, for example, the small creek that crafted the Grand Canyon. Without the intricacies of nature, we wouldn't have a livable climate filled with beautiful sunny days and snowy days that inundate the Earth's surface. However, the very thing nature created, humans, has had a devastating effect on its creator. I spend numerous hours hiking and enjoying nature in several capacities. Certain areas are well-kept, while others are littered with garbage and plastics. For the last three years, my girlfriend and I always brought a disposable bag (attached to my hiking backpack) that we fill with trash as we go along the trails. Although our contribution is small, it brings us joy and, with enough consistency, may have an effect like the small stream in the Grand Canyon. While I hike with my friends now, they are shocked when I bend over to pick up a piece of trash (sometimes in precarious areas, such as the side of a waterfall). However, it affects them. I know they won't forget that moment, and they'll be inspired to do their part and inspire others to do the same. This is how a small act, given enough consistency and time, can create a Grand Canyon worth of effect.

Hippocrates II is regarded as the father of medicine, and he was a Greek physician who revolutionized medical care. Although there was a severe lack of technology in the 400's BCs, Hippocrates' innovation changed the field forever. As the famous writer who wrote about Hippocrates in several of his books, Plato, Hippocrates was also more philosopher. Rather than finding the cure for cancer or discovering stem-cell therapy applications, he laid the framework for developing these treatments. Hippocrates focused on the use of prognosis (understanding the course of a disease), clinical observation (signs and symptoms), disease categorizations, and a general understanding of the human anatomy. Hippocrates' success and lasting impact on the medical field show that you can affect the world, regardless of what resources are available. Now, with thousands, perhaps millions of online applications, it's easy and more competitive than ever to innovate in your chosen field. For me, this field is medicine. Hippocrates' contributions to the world resonate with me strongly because of my interest in the medical field. He left a legacy, and his legacy changed the lives of millions of people across thousands of years. My choice to pursue a career in medicine was one I had not expected growing up. I had an arduous experience early on finding a sense of purpose. I did not have any interests in school and coincidentally did not take any science courses in high school. After extensive research and planning, I found PTA school to be the next stepping stone. It was difficult for me to adjust to college-level learning, as I had never studied effectively in high school. However, I finished my first semester with a 3.75 GPA. I truly believed in myself for the first time, and medicine began to permeate my life.

As a future medical provider, I recognize the importance of being an active listener to the patients I serve. I know what it's like to feel unheard by a medical professional, and I yearn never to put a patient I work with in that situation. As a Physical Therapist Assistant, I always pay full attention to the patient I'm working with and value their conversation, no matter the topic. I've found that regardless of the topic of the conversation, the meaning remains significant. I try to allow patients time to talk about whatever they'd like, and I notice it immediately changes the patient's attitude. One patient I worked with demonstrated this well, and other providers warned me about his behavior. He wasn't talkative and was critical of everyone, they told me. I never let what anyone means to define my view of an individual; I always treat them like anyone else and decide for myself. As I began to work with him, I noticed what my co-workers had said had some merit. However, I still pushed through despite the challenges. I asked him question after question, and he appeared to dodge everyone. Finally, I asked if he had any children. He admitted he doesn't talk to his children often (2 boys) but demonstrated a level of enthusiasm when talking about his kids he never showed anyone before. Everyone was amazed by the rapport I had built with him. The secret was I listened to him. Not only did I hear, but I showed that I was interested in what he had to say. He continued his story that he was close with his children until his wife and him divorced, and then he drifted from his family. I realized, in the end, all he needed was someone to listen.

"Don't worry about it. One day, you can give back to your kid." My stepfather (who I will refer to as dad) always says this to me whenever he stubbornly refuses to let me pay for our food when meeting at a restaurant. This statement has always stuck with me. The meaning goes beyond the simple sentence and transcends into the realm of leaving a legacy behind. My parents are now separated, living under the poverty line. I always refused to take responsibility for my life growing up, and I wasn't focused on my future. Over the years, through the adversity I've faced, I've developed a new sense of responsibility, amongst other things. This sense of responsibility is what's gotten me through challenging moments in my adult life. I'm committed to ensuring my parents do not suffer financially. Additionally, I feel responsible for those I choose to serve through my work (as a future Physician Assistant) and community service. To accomplish this, I know I have to push myself every day to become a better individual and provider. I commonly have mornings I don't want to get up. But I do anyway, for the sake of my aspirations. Aspirations that may decide the future of my family and my legacy.

As a future medical provider, I recognize the importance of being an active listener to the patients I serve. I also recognize the importance of doing the same with my family and loved ones. As a Physical Therapist Assistant, I always pay full attention to the patient I'm working with and value their conversation, no matter the topic. I've found that regardless of the topic of the conversation, the meaning remains significant. I try to allow patients time to talk about whatever they'd like, and I notice it immediately changes the patient's attitude. One patient I worked with demonstrated this well, and other providers warned me about his behavior. He wasn't talkative and was critical of everyone, they told me. I never let what anyone means to define my view of an individual; I always treat them like anyone else and decide for myself. As I began to work with him, I noticed what my co-workers had said had some merit. However, I still pushed through despite the challenges. I asked him question after question, and he appeared to dodge everyone. Finally, I asked if he had any children. He admitted he doesn't talk to his children often (2 boys) but demonstrated a level of enthusiasm when talking about his kids he never showed anyone before. Everyone was amazed by the rapport I had built with him. The secret was I listened to him. Not only did I hear, but I showed that I was interested in what he had to say. He continued his story that he was close with his children until his wife and him divorced, and then he drifted from his family. I realized, in the end, all he needed was someone to listen.

What provides me with joy is something many people may not think. Why? It's something most people find pleasure outside of - working. I work as a Physical Therapist Assistant (per-diem) in a rehabilitation hospital. I struggle with frequent self-consciousness and feelings of inadequacy. Initially, I had chosen the field of healthcare to serve others. Doing physical therapy, I feel a sense of impact and gratitude that I can improve another person's life. Throughout my daily life, I sometimes feel a lack of passion. I feel fulfilled while working with patients and the other fantastic healthcare providers I'm blessed to work alongside. Not only is my simple pleasure a stress relief (a break from worrying about school work), it also gives me confidence and satisfaction with my life and who I am. Working as a healthcare provider constantly challenges me and allows me to improve myself as an individual daily. I've recognized areas while working where I can improve, such as in my compassion, communication, knowledge, etc. The ability to see progress in all of these every time I work is incredibly fulfilling. Not only do I get to see improvement in my own life, but I get to see others progress through severe conditions like strokes, aneurysms, amputations, cancer, and more. I meet new people every day, and the vast majority are incredibly kind. It's truly an honor to work with people every day that restore my hope for the good of humanity.

In 2016, the last word I would ever describe myself as was a leader. I recently graduated high school after taking the simplest courses and realized my future was bleak. Raised by a single parent, I lacked leadership figures in my life. Because of this inadequacy and the financial limitations, I found myself dumbfounded on the steps to success. Ultimately, I entered community college, where my journey began. After graduating, I transferred to a Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program in 2018 and 2019 into a Pre-Physician Assistant program. After graduating and serving patients, I discovered a sense of passion I had never felt before. Finding a passion for medicine, I pursued three values: leadership, philanthropy, and innovation. Lacking leadership throughout my life, I knew I had to seize every opportunity to act as a leader. At Marywood University, I became vice-president of the National Society of Leadership and Success. Working with the other executive board members and national chapter, I was responsible for, among other activities, the development of community service events for our 700+ membership. Additionally, I joined the Business Opportunities and Leadership Development club at Marywood as their secretary, where I reached out to business professionals, communicated with members, and planned events. Another leadership experience that challenged me as a leader was a program called Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS). STARS mission is to mentor and tutor underserved Latinx youth. I worked with a teenager named Miguel, who reminded me of my younger self. I struggled to help him initially, as he was adamant about having no schoolwork. I began to question my impact on the lives of those I yearned to serve, the individuals in impoverished communities. I knew I would not give up on him; I recognize the importance of someone unwilling to give up on us to be successful in life. I decided to approach the situation differently. I had little success focusing on future aspirations and academics, but I persisted. Dubiously, Miguel stated he wanted to play soccer and be an actor. I noticed an enthusiasm in him I did not see before. I knew how discovering an ambition changed me. What morphed from an improvised solution to a challenging problem turned into a window of opportunity for a lasting impact. I mentored him along the college process, and my experiences from a similar position to his own, to navigating college and the workforce. I went home that day feeling better, but still a sense of insecurity, unsure of the impact I had. I worked with Miguel for a few months after that. Speaking with his parents at a later event, they had both mentioned the difference they noticed in Miguel’s personality and ambition. I said goodbye to Miguel for the last time and watched as he walked away with newfound friends, laughing and smiling. I left - confident Miguel met someone he knew was unwilling to give up on him. Through medicine, I have devoted my career to caring for others. My professional aspirations include advocating for fair and equitable medical care, as I currently do through the American College of Emergency Physicians, hoping to enter executive positions in the future. Aside from my professional aspirations, I have committed to a life of service, including mentoring, leading, and serving others, particularly those in underserved communities such as the one I was in growing up. I have served others in many service organizations, including The American Red Cross, Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success, Habitat For Humanity, NeighborWorks, Brandon’s Forever Home, Marywood Campus Ministry, a medical mission trip to San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala, among others, as well as leading numerous community service events for The National Society of Leadership and Success, Business Opportunities and Leadership Development, and MedTalks. The positive impact I yearn to have on the world is empowering others to become leaders in their lives. Professionally, I plan to join the Society of Emergency Physician Assistants (SEMPA) advocacy committee to lead and develop advocacy events for equitable patient care. Primarily, advocating would involve what I currently do, reaching out to local, state, and federal legislators to encourage specific legislation promoting fair, reasonable care for patients. Additionally, I would like to work for a government entity, such as the Department of Health and Human Services, enacting and promoting legislation to provide medical services for those in need after recognizing the differences that Welfare and medical assistance made in my life. Experiencing medical insecurity, I have a passion for expanding patient care to more individuals in underserved communities. I have an array of experiences serving underserved communities. These experiences, amongst others, include neighborhood restoration for an elderly individual in the Scranton area, building a home for a single-parent mother, and mentoring Latinx youth. To further the reach of my impact, I created a social media organization that focuses on providing resources to pre-medical students in their journey to becoming excellent medical providers. Additionally, I encourage students to become involved in advocacy efforts as their career progresses. My social media presence aims to empower future medical providers to empower their patients to take control of their lives. Having an impact is incredibly important to me. I plan to accomplish this through professional ventures, community service, and eventually transforming my social media presence into a non-profit organization to accomplish my goals more effectively. I aspire to be a leading figure in my community, career, and personal life. I believe, as individuals, we can accomplish little. However, as a community, we can impact the world. Working with Marywood’s campus ministry on service projects in the community and several other community service activities, I have discovered the power of working as a team to better the community. A community begins with one individual who is willing to step up and be a leader to others. I yearn to be that individual who leads and impacts society.

What provides me with happiness is something many people may not think. Why? It's something most people find pleasure outside of - working. I work as a Physical Therapist Assistant (per-diem) in a rehabilitation hospital. I struggle with frequent self-consciousness and feelings of inadequacy. Initially, I had chosen the field of healthcare to serve others. Doing physical therapy, I feel a sense of impact and gratitude that I can improve another person's life. Throughout my daily life, I sometimes feel a lack of passion. I feel fulfilled while working with patients and the other fantastic healthcare providers I'm blessed to work alongside. Not only is my simple pleasure a stress relief (a break from worrying about school work), it also gives me confidence and satisfaction with my life and who I am. Working as a healthcare provider constantly challenges me and allows me to improve myself as an individual daily. I've recognized areas while working where I can improve, such as in my compassion, communication, knowledge, etc. The ability to see progress in all of these every time I work is incredibly fulfilling. Not only do I get to see improvement in my own life, but I get to see others progress through severe conditions like strokes, aneurysms, amputations, cancer, and more. I meet new people every day, and the vast majority are incredibly kind. It's truly an honor to work with people every day that restore my hope for the good of humanity.

"You can only change when YOU change who YOU are." Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher, also called "The Obscure," once said, "Change is the only constant." Despite taxes and death being considered the only guarantees in life, the actual guarantee is change. Every being in existence, and even mere existence itself will undeniably change. There are many things to fear in this world, many contributing factors to the rampant mental health and disorder in the world today. The pandemic, war, and violence are all factors that cause mass hysteria and fear. Underlying all of these factors, however, is the fear of change. The fear that one day you will age, your marriage may not be the same, one day, you may lose a loved one. However, if we consciously accept that change is always unavoidable, we can begin to find some semblance of peace in a constantly dynamic world. Beyond this, this quote has also allowed me to accept personality responsibility to change my life. I used to think, "I can't change, this is just who I am," until I realized who I depend on How I define myself. I have always identified as "the shy kid throughout my life." No matter what experience I had which proved otherwise. I always went back to my old habits. It was only until I discovered that I controlled who I was. When I made up my mind I wasn't a shy kid, I began to see a big difference in my daily interactions. Many others experience a similar phenomenon, constantly bringing them back to their old ways, no matter how fast they attempt to run away from the person they are. However, this quote teaches us, it's not about who you think you are but who you know you are.

I grew up without a father figure. Shortly after I was born, my biological father was imprisoned. Because of this, he was absent from my life entirely by the time I was a toddler. My family decided it was best if he was left out of our lives, and there were legal battles early on for custody. However, my mother was given full custody due to my father's criminal history. While growing up, I always chose not to see my biological father, and I never understood what was happening. I didn't know why my father wasn't in my life, but I felt resentment towards him. It was a very personal issue for me as I got older. I noticed almost everyone else had a happy family with both parents, while it was just my mom and me. There was a sense of deep insecurity from this difference I had noticed. The insecurity I felt and struggling to make ends meet in a low-income, single-parent household took a toll on my perspective of life. I didn't have any aspirations, hopes, or plans for the future. I knew I wanted to do great things, possibly own a business one day and change the world, but I had no hope for it to occur. So I didn't try. I didn't try anything. I had no interest in school, friends, or my future. I felt like my life's trajectory was decided for me before I could walk because my support system was broken. If I wanted to amount to anything in life, I realized I had to be my support system. It wasn't until after barely graduating high school that I came to this realization. I knew no one would step in and change my life; only I had that power.

I have yet to find a tunnel that doesn't have light at the end. I work as a Physical Therapist Assistant (per-diem) in a rehabilitation hospital. Doing physical therapy, I feel a sense of impact and gratitude to improve another person's life. Walking with others through their darkest times in certain situations brings me an immense amount of purpose. Throughout my daily life, I sometimes feel a lack of passion. I feel fulfilled while working with patients and the other fantastic healthcare providers I'm blessed to work alongside. Not only is my simple pleasure a stress relief (a break from worrying about school work), it also gives me confidence and satisfaction with my life and who I am. I'm constantly challenged and focus on improving myself as an individual daily through the service of others. I've recognized areas while working where I can improve, such as in my compassion, communication, knowledge, etc. The ability to see progress in all of these every time I work and serve is incredibly fulfilling. Not only do I get to see improvement in my own life, but I get to see others progress through severe conditions like strokes, aneurysms, amputations, cancer, and more. I meet new people every day, and the vast majority are incredibly kind. It's truly an honor to work with people every day that restore my hope for the good of humanity. In the end, I hope to allow others to find that light at the end of the tunnel.

"I can't do this." I've heard this in my head numerous times. More accurately, thousands of times. Insecurity in my abilities is something I've always struggled with. Throughout high school, I didn't attempt to be successful. I believed, deep in my mind, no matter how much I tried, I wouldn't be successful. In my mind, a failure with gigantic aspirations was all I was. Barely passing high school while taking the least challenging possible courses. After graduating high school, I had a paradigm shift. I realized I was on my own, and no one would help me. I accepted I was going nowhere in life, and I had to start somewhere. I enrolled in a local community college, not knowing if I could handle the courses or not. I also played college baseball for the first time since Little League in 6th grade. I finished my first semester of college on the Dean's list and the second with the same achievement. For the first time in my life, I thought, "I can do this. On my own." With newfound confidence in my abilities, I enrolled in Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) school, and my academic and personal development continued. I finished my first semester with a 3.75 GPA, more close friendships than I could've ever asked for, and a new passion for healthcare. I discovered a visceral passion for caring for those in need throughout their journey. With this passion came powerful feelings of gratitude and confidence in my ability to impact the world and those around me. I continued to work as a PTA in a rehabilitation hospital as I transferred to a Pre-Physician Assistant program to continue my passion for medicine. I'm challenged daily, but I've conquered every day, just as I will conquer anything in front of me.

"Don't worry about it. One day, you can give back to your kid." My stepfather (who I will refer to as dad) always says this to me whenever he stubbornly refuses to let me pay for our food when meeting at a restaurant. This statement has always stuck with me. The meaning goes beyond the simple sentence and transcends into the realm of leaving a legacy behind. My parents are now separated, living under the poverty line. I always refused to take responsibility for my life growing up, and I wasn't focused on my future. Over the years, through the adversity I've faced, I've developed a new sense of responsibility, amongst other things. This sense of responsibility is what's gotten me through challenging moments in my adult life. I'm committed to ensuring my parents do not suffer financially. Additionally, I feel responsible for those I choose to serve through my work (as a future Physician Assistant) and community service. To accomplish this, I know I have to push myself every day to become a better individual and provider. I commonly have mornings I don't want to get up. But I do anyway, for the sake of my aspirations. Aspirations that may decide the future of my family and my legacy.

"Hello, Emily? Yes, I'm very sorry but I'm going to be slightly late today". That's what I left as a voicemail after I nervously listened to that short, abrupt tone denoting someone's not available right now. I already had felt way out of my comfort zone, having just left an interview for a medical mission trip to San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala as a Pre-Physician Assistant student. The interview went overtime, and now about to be slightly late to my first day of volunteering with a student organization, Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS). Where, with fellow undergraduate students, mentored and tutored Latino youth in the Scranton area. One of the students mentored was noticeably shy and anxious around others. Though we came from different backgrounds and ethnicities, I saw qualities of myself in him. We worked to help him set goals, career aspirations and define who he aspires to be. I passionately look forward to moments where I get the opportunity to influence patients' lives. Raised in a single-parent, low-income household, I consider myself extremely grateful for my experiences growing up. Experiencing the ins and outs of the medical and hospital systems at a young age to experiencing the effects of a lack of available healthcare. My own experience growing up in an underserved area has inspired me to give back as a Physician Assistant and pursue a medical career in a health-deficit area. I look forward to serving those in need through the National Health Service Corps in primary care, especially people within my locality. Being from a marginalized area, I have a strong desire to pay it forward and be a role model for others who come from underserved or destitute environments, within the United States as well as abroad through continued participation in medical mission trips.

A book addressed "To the unrelenting voice in my head that will never allow me to stop," "Can't hurt me," has changed the lives of the many people who've read it. The book, written by David Goggins, a former Navy SEAL who transformed his life, helped me discover ambition in my own. I always felt that "voice in my head," and I thought it was a flaw of mine, an obstacle I'd have to conquer to be successful. The book, however, proved the contrary. After reading, I stopped being ashamed of the voice. I discovered the voice is what sets me apart from others. Commonly, I could not rest because my mind was always active, pressuring me to keep pushing myself. Many people won't understand what I'm talking about, as Goggins refers to those who experience this as "the uncommon amongst the uncommon." What I enjoyed most about the book was the bluntness of Goggins. He didn't talk about motivational stories or attempt to sugarcoat the path to happiness, and he told his story from an unencumbered perspective. He talks about, in vivid detail, his experience growing up in an abusive household, in a predominantly white area, as a black man. After finishing the book, I felt a sense of empowerment and commitment—an unforgiving sense of commitment to living my best life. Goggins's version of the best life was pushing yourself every day past your limit, which Goggins says is only 40% of our true potential. Since reading, I've pushed myself consistently more than I ever have in my past, and I've had remarkable results.

I grew up without a father figure. Shortly after I was born, my biological father was imprisoned. Because of this, he was absent from my life entirely by the time I was a toddler. My family decided it was best if he was left out of our lives, and there were legal battles early on for custody. However, my mother was given full custody due to my father's criminal history. While growing up, I always chose not to see my biological father, and I never understood what was happening. I didn't know why my father wasn't in my life, but I felt resentment towards him. It was a very personal issue for me as I got older. I noticed almost everyone else had a happy family with both parents, while it was just my mom and me. There was a sense of deep insecurity from this difference I had noticed. The insecurity I felt and struggling to make ends meet in a low-income, single-parent household took a toll on my perspective of life. I didn't have any aspirations, hopes, or plans for the future. I knew I wanted to do great things, possibly own a business one day and change the world, but I had no hope for it to occur. So I didn't try. I didn't try anything. I had no interest in school, friends, or my future. I felt like my life's trajectory was decided for me before I could walk because my support system was broken. If I wanted to amount to anything in life, I realized I had to be my support system. It wasn't until after barely graduating high school that I came to this realization. I knew no one would step in and change my life; only I had that power. Despite having no confidence in my abilities to make it through college, I enrolled in community college. I had no idea what I was doing or why I was going to college, but I found a sense of purpose by pursuing something in my control. I had always felt growing up that my life was not in my control. In retrospect, I'm sure this was due to my biological father being taken out of my life and the subsequent financial and emotional turmoil my mother and I faced. I felt helpless to console my mother when she cried uncontrollably. I felt helpless when my mom and I had no family to turn to for help. My entire life before that, I felt no control. I graduated community college with a 3.6-grade point average, a significant increase from high school. With a newfound sense of purpose and confidence, I enrolled in Physical Therapist Assistant school. Enrolling turned out to be the best thing in my life. I made new friends, gained confidence, and excelled academically. More importantly, I had finally found something that gave me a true sense of purpose in life - patient care. I had several service experiences in underserved communities in youth populations similar to where I grew up. I saw myself in several of the youth individuals I worked with and was able to be that person that believes in them that I never had growing up. I decided to devote my life to serving those individuals who didn't have support figures in their lives like me. I plan to accomplish this as a Physician Assistant, community service volunteer, and individual. I overcame an array of adversities in my life, and yearn to walk with others through their journeys, so that they may do the same.

I've been involved with numerous community service projects serving elderly individuals in my community, aside from practicing as a Physical Therapist Assistant in a rehabilitation hospital and working directly with elderly patients. I try to go beyond my job duties daily, assisting them in whatever they need and actively listening to them. I meet a lot of individuals without family in the area, and I always attempt to walk through their journey with them rather than simply acting as a medical provider. However, commonly as a medical provider, although I see an improvement in the physical and mental condition of the patients I serve, sometimes I feel a lack of fulfillment as I don't get to see how they how when they finally go home. I have experienced this through a program called NeighborWorks, involving serving the local Scranton community. Now I understand the impact I can have in communities and acknowledge my limitations, and I now recognize it takes the power of a community to change a community. While my team and I were serving the elderly individual, Debra, through NeighborWorks, numerous community members stopped by to talk or trade household items with her. Although I saw the impact we had in the community, improving Debra's confidence and safety in her home, I recognized that what kept Debra safe was the community that cared for her. I plan to utilize this knowledge I found through service to excel my ability to improve the communities and individuals I serve as a family medicine Physician Assistant through the National Health Service Corps.

My family has always noted my creativity. While most kids my age were playing video games, I created my own. While I wasn't quite capable of coding video games at eight years old, I still had a great imagination. I would create games that involved intricate ranks, levels, power-ups, etc. I would drive my family crazy because I wanted to play them every day, but I only understood what was happening. This creativity continued into my teenage life, except with more lofty but mature aspirations. I'd spent a lot of time researching problems the world experienced. I mean YouTube and Wikipedia by research, and I focused primarily on poverty and the rampant medical crisis (I was experiencing both). At 14 years old, I saw more than the average teenager would see. While I was disgusted at many things I saw during my research, my creativity persevered. The reality of the natural world is something I think deters adults from experiencing the same level of creativity they had growing up. It's easy to be creative when you have the whole 168 hours a week, but when you start working 40 of those, take care of kids for the rest. Successful people don't lose this childhood creativity; these are the world leaders, entrepreneurs, artists, and actors. Now, I'm 23, and my creativity, while it's been challenged, has only grown stronger. I still hold some of the same aspirations I saved as a child, albeit a bit more realistic. No more rockets develop to discover aliens. I'm developing a few businesses while working three jobs, attending school full-time, and participating in several community service organizations. My primary business revolves around inspiring future medical providers and helping them get accepted to school, mostly Physician Assistant schools. The other is selling online items. Through my passion for innovation and philanthropy, I plan to utilize the capital made from my business helping pre-health students online and selling items online to create a medical product company that revolutionizes healthcare. I've been obsessed with leaving an impact on the world throughout my life. I designed space rockets (albeit via stick figures) before I graduated 1st grade. I will utilize my work ethic and creative spirit to flourish in the entrepreneurial world while working as a Physician Assistant, knowing what issues exist within the medical environment, both within the United States and overseas. As any entrepreneur, I've been focused on the issues that plague the world from a young age, and I am focused on what problems I can solve in the future, something I think my experience in the medical field will prepare me for. Additionally, while practicing in healthcare and as a Physician Assistant, I have and will continue to garner valuable problem-solving experience and skills that will prepare me for the adversities I face as an entrepreneur. I have failed many times before while attempting to launch businesses. I've had three online stores now and multiple social media profiles, even making over $1000 in one business venture by the age of 15! My approach to entrepreneurship is to focus on how I can make a business better and how that business can make myself and the world better. Becoming a better individual and provider through entrepreneurship keeps me going despite all the adversities I've faced. I will continue to pursue my academic and entrepreneurial goals, as I have for the past three years while a full-time student and working three jobs, at around a total of 20 hours per week.

I've experienced medical inequity firsthand. I know what it's like to grow up in a medically underserved community, struggling to find a primary care doctor to diagnose the mysterious illness that kept me from going to school almost daily. I felt sick to my stomach every day, and I had no idea why. I didn't have a primary doctor due to my medical assistance insurance, that's not widely accepted, and a general lack of providers in my area. Because of this, I was in and out of urgent care hospitals, test after test, and they found nothing. It wasn't until years after I had given up on the medical field that I mystified my illness. I was lactose intolerant and was drinking milk in my cereal every day. No wonder after multiple blood tests, nasal swabs, ultrasounds, CTs, and X-rays, they never found anything. I had a hateful relationship with medicine until I graduated from high school. Then, my now love-hate relationship with medicine began as I found a passion for working with patients. Modern medicine is incredibly effective but not very efficient. Lifestyle medicine is generally disregarded for the sake of ease from taking medications. While medications and surgeries are essential to medicine, they should not be the first choice. Modern medicine's over-reliance on treatments and tests leads to false negatives and treatments given to patients when not required. Medicine is moving towards is a world of painting over issues rather than addressing the underlying root of the issue. For example, methionine, an amino acid used in the body, has shown to be effective at preventing cancer cell growth in non-human animals when restricted in the diet. Yet, there have been no studies completed in humans on the effects of cancer. None. We need to advocate for efficient healthcare.

I had not known real leadership until I met him. The man that would one day become my step-father came into my life when I was a teenager. Without a clear purpose, my view of what my legacy would be before meeting him was vague. What I learned from my step-father was not that he was a leader to me, but that I could be a leader to others. That is the legacy he left with me to lead others towards a definite sense of purpose. Not a day goes by where I am not eternally grateful to have been blessed with a leadership figure to have come into my life. I discovered the idea of legacy through him, and this is where I learned how to be a leader. To have a legacy means to inspire others. You must be a leader to leave a legacy. Among the varieties of legacies, there are philanthropic, inspirational, and personal. Philanthropic is an individual like Mahatma Gandhi, the Indian lawyer who led a nation to success against formidable odds. Inspirational, like the story of Rosa Parks, who refused to conform to unethical societal normalities. And personal, like my step-father, who taught me how to, and the importance of leading and inspiring others. When I had started my first job at the age of 16, I told my mom I didn't want to go the second day. I was too embarrassed and experienced immense social anxiety. I didn't know how to face my fears growing up. I talked to my step-father about it, and he refused to let me give up so quickly. I had built up the courage to go the next day, despite my fears and anxieties, and felt incredibly powerfully during work and after. This was an ability I had never discovered before, the ability to face my fears and grow from them. I wish someone had taught me this vital skill earlier on, and that's what I believe my legacy should be. I strive to leave a legacy of leadership behind. Empowering others from single-parent, low-income households to achieve their aspirations. I've accomplished this through several volunteering opportunities, from working at a foster home to building a home for a single mother, fundraising for a medical mission trip to San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala, and mentoring/tutoring Latinx youth n my community. It's been an incredible journey since I've discovered my purpose. Through the legacy that I adamantly strive to leave, I believe I can instill leadership in generations to come.

I had not known real leadership until I met him. The man that would one day become my step-father came into my life when I was a teenager. Without a clear purpose, my view of what my legacy would be before meeting him was vague. What I learned from my step-father was not that he was a leader to me, but that I could be a leader to others. That is the legacy he left with me to lead others towards a definite sense of purpose. Not a day goes by where I am not eternally grateful to have been blessed with a leadership figure to have come into my life. I discovered the idea of legacy through him, and this is where I learned how to be a leader. To have a legacy means to inspire others. You must be a leader to leave a legacy. Among the varieties of legacies, there are philanthropic, inspirational, and personal. Philanthropic is an individual like Mahatma Gandhi, the Indian lawyer who led a nation to success against formidable odds. Inspirational, like the story of Rosa Parks, who refused to conform to unethical societal normalities. And personal, like my step-father, who taught me how to, and the importance of leading and inspiring others. When I had started my first job at the age of 16, I told my mom I didn't want to go the second day. I was too embarrassed and experienced immense social anxiety. I didn't know how to face my fears growing up. I talked to my step-father about it, and he refused to let me give up so quickly. I had built up the courage to go the next day, despite my fears and anxieties, and felt incredibly powerfully during work and after. This was an ability I had never discovered before, the ability to face my fears and grow from them. I wish someone had taught me this vital skill earlier on, and that's what I believe my legacy should be. I strive to leave a legacy of leadership behind. Empowering others from single-parent, low-income households to achieve their aspirations. I've accomplished this through several volunteering opportunities, from working at a foster home to building a home for a single mother, fundraising for a medical mission trip to San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala, and mentoring/tutoring Latinx youth n my community. It's been an incredible journey since I've discovered my purpose. Through the legacy that I adamantly strive to leave, I believe I can instill leadership in generations to come.

As a future medical provider, I recognize the importance of being an active listener to the patients I serve. I know what it's like to feel unheard by a medical professional, and I yearn never to put a patient I work with in that situation. As a Physical Therapist Assistant, I always pay full attention to the patient I'm working with and value their conversation, no matter the topic. I've found that regardless of the topic of the conversation, the meaning remains significant. I try to allow patients time to talk about whatever they'd like, and I notice it immediately changes the patient's attitude. One patient I worked with demonstrated this well, and other providers warned me about his behavior. He wasn't talkative and was critical of everyone, they told me. I never let what anyone means to define my view of an individual; I always treat them like anyone else and decide for myself. As I began to work with him, I noticed what my co-workers had said had some merit. However, I still pushed through despite the challenges. I asked him question after question, and he appeared to dodge everyone. Finally, I asked if he had any children. He admitted he doesn't talk to his children often (2 boys) but demonstrated a level of enthusiasm when talking about his kids he never showed anyone before. Everyone was amazed by the rapport I had built with him. The secret was I listened to him. Not only did I hear, but I showed that I was interested in what he had to say. He continued his story that he was close with his children until his wife and him divorced, and then he drifted from his family. I realized, in the end, all he needed was someone to listen.

All it takes is someone to believe in you. I realized this when I moved in with my grandparents at 18. Growing up, I had high hopes for my future accomplishments but few expectations. I wasn't confident in my abilities, especially in my power to impact the world. I enrolled in Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) school in January of 2018 and began essentially my first ever service project. It was a small one, spending the day organizing clothing for a local foster home, where I was also able to interact with some children the foster home was serving. Although it was only a few hours, it inspired a spark in me. A spark that would define my future in ways I could've never imagined. I found that giving back and inspiring others gave me the purpose I searched so adamantly for growing up. I was involved in several community service experiences while in PTA school. When I transferred to Marywood University, I had a profound commitment to serve and give back. Immediately, I became involved in two programs, alternative break trips (a medical mission trip to San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala) and Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS). With both of these, I was able to work with a team to serve an underserved community, bringing hope to others. I continue to serve through numerous organizations such as the RedCross, in which I'm an active member of multiple service teams. However, I've found ways to take this beyond serving in organizations. I try to give back throughout my daily life, whether I'm working in the hospital with patients, at the grocery store with customers, or at home with family and friends. Whether someone is in need or not, I always strive to be there for them.

A simple pleasure of mine is something many people may not think. Why? My simple pleasure is something most people find pleasure outside of - working. I work as a Physical Therapist Assistant (per-diem) in a rehabilitation hospital. I struggle with frequent self-consciousness and feelings of inadequacy. Initially, I had chosen the field of healthcare to serve others. Doing physical therapy, I feel a sense of impact and gratitude that I can improve another person's life. Throughout my daily life, I sometimes feel a lack of passion. I feel fulfilled while working with patients and the other fantastic healthcare providers I'm blessed to work alongside. Not only is my simple pleasure a stress relief (a break from worrying about school work), it also gives me confidence and satisfaction with my life and who I am. The best part about my simple pleasure is it constantly challenges me and allows me to improve myself as an individual daily. I've recognized areas while working where I can improve, such as in my compassion, communication, knowledge, etc. The ability to see progress in all of these every time I work is incredibly fulfilling. Not only do I get to see improvement in my own life, but I get to see others progress through severe conditions like strokes, aneurysms, amputations, cancer, and more. I meet new people every day, and the vast majority are incredibly kind. It's truly an honor to work with people every day that restore my hope for the good of humanity.

All it takes is someone to believe in you. I realized this when I moved in with my grandparents at 18. Growing up, I had high hopes for my future accomplishments but few expectations. I wasn't confident in my abilities, especially in my power to impact the world. I enrolled in Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) school in January of 2018 and began essentially my first ever service project. It was a small one, spending the day organizing clothing for a local foster home, where I was also able to interact with some children the foster home was serving. Although it was only a few hours, it inspired a spark in me. A spark that would define my future in ways I could've never imagined. I found that giving back and inspiring others gave me the purpose I searched so adamantly for growing up. I was involved in several community service experiences while in PTA school. When I transferred to Marywood University, I had a profound commitment to serve and give back. Immediately, I became involved in two programs, alternative break trips (a medical mission trip to San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala) and Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS). With both of these, I was able to work with a team to serve an underserved community, bringing hope to others. I continue to serve through numerous organizations such as the RedCross, in which I'm an active member of multiple service teams. However, I've found ways to take this beyond serving in organizations. I try to give back throughout my daily life, whether I'm working in the hospital with patients, at the grocery store with customers, or at home with family and friends. Whether someone is in need or not, I always strive to be there for them.

I had difficulty finding and keeping a doctor as a youth, and my health suffered for years. I've become extremely passionate about serving patients in medically underserved communities, reaching out to children in those communities who may lack a sense of purpose in their lives, like me as a child, and helping them walk through their journey and realize their potential. I look forward to serving those in need through the National Health Service Corps in primary care, especially people within my locality. This opportunity is specifically significant for me as someone who grew up in a healthcare deficit, low-income community and was raised within a single-parent household. Being from a marginalized area, I strongly desire to pay it forward and be a role model for others from impoverished environments. For instance, I volunteered with Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS) at Marywood University, where I tutored and mentored Latinx youths from the Scranton area. This experience gave me greater insight into an individual's impact on others. One of the students mentored was noticeably shy and anxious around others. Though we came from different backgrounds and ethnicities, I saw qualities of myself in him. We worked to help him set goals, career aspirations and define who he aspires to be. It was an extraordinary experience to influence someone, and I recognized my struggles and watched them grow. As a future PA, I passionately look forward to similar moments where I get the opportunity to have a positive influence on patients' lives while providing support and care through their adversities. Along with directly serving underserved communities as a Physician Assistant, I plan to advocate for fair, equitable healthcare. I hold several leadership positions currently at Marywood University, including vice-president of an honor society, and plan to continue leadership in PA organizations.

I had difficulty finding and keeping a doctor as a youth, and my health suffered for years. I've become extremely passionate about serving patients in medically underserved communities, reaching out to children in those communities who may lack a sense of purpose in their lives, like me as a child, and helping them walk through their journey and realize their potential. I look forward to serving those in need through the National Health Service Corps in primary care, especially people within my locality. This opportunity is specifically significant for me as someone who grew up in a healthcare deficit, low-income community and was raised within a single-parent household. Being from a marginalized area, I strongly desire to pay it forward and be a role model for others from impoverished environments. For instance, I volunteered with Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS) at Marywood University, where I tutored and mentored Latinx youths from the Scranton area. This experience gave me greater insight into an individual's impact on others. One of the students mentored was noticeably shy and anxious around others. Though we came from different backgrounds and ethnicities, I saw qualities of myself in him. We worked to help him set goals, career aspirations and define who he aspires to be. It was an extraordinary experience to influence someone, and I recognized my struggles and watched them grow. As a future PA, I passionately look forward to similar moments where I get the opportunity to have a positive influence on patients' lives while providing support and care through their adversities. Along with directly serving underserved communities as a Physician Assistant, I plan to advocate for fair, equitable healthcare. I hold several leadership positions currently at Marywood University, including vice-president of an honor society, and plan to continue leadership in PA organizations.

It's been debated for centuries, a mysterious and profound event - what we call life. Even more paradoxical is the meaning of life. I've spent a decent portion of my life contemplating the meaning of life, more specifically, the purpose of my life. Growing up, I felt a lack of meaning. Raised by a single parent in a low-income area, many in my community had experienced the same hardships. I discovered what I view as the meaning of life throughout my growing years in a desolate community, primarily thanks to my interest in the medical field. To feel purpose in my life, I found that I would give life to others. In my life, I plan to achieve this through serving in communities as a volunteer and medical provider. My primary interest in service and as a Physician Assistant is in underserved communities, such as my own. Giving others life means providing others with what's essential and what makes up life. This could mean instilling purpose in others, giving others hope in desolate situations, or even saving a life through medical practice. I plan to achieve these items throughout my journey as a medical provider and community member. Essentially, what brings me purpose in life is assisting others in finding their purpose. I adamantly believe, to provide life to others is to give meaning to others' lives.

I had not known real leadership until I met him. The man that would one day become my step-father came into my life when I was a teenager. Without a clear purpose, my view of what my legacy would be before meeting him was vague. What I learned from my step-father was not that he was a leader to me, but that I could be a leader to others. You must be a leader to leave a legacy. Among the varieties of legacies, there are philanthropic, inspirational, and personal. Philanthropic is an individual like Mahatma Gandhi, the Indian lawyer who led a nation to success against formidable odds. Inspirational, like the story of Rosa Parks, who refused to conform to unethical societal normalities. And personal, like my step-father, who taught me how to, and the importance of leading and inspiring others. When I had started my first job at the age of 16, I told my mom I didn't want to go the second day. I was too embarrassed and experienced immense social anxiety. I didn't know how to face my fears growing up. I talked to my stepfather about it, and he refused to let me give up so quickly. I had built up the courage to go the next day, despite my fears and anxieties, and felt incredibly powerfully during work and after. This was an ability I had never discovered before, the ability to face my fears and grow from them. I strive to leave a legacy of leadership behind. Empowering others from single-parent, low-income households to achieve their aspirations. Through the legacy that I adamantly strive to leave, I believe I can instill leadership in generations to come.

During the Pre-PA process, I have had an array of service, healthcare, leadership, and extracurricular activities. These experiences have further strengthened my work ethic, desire to be a leader, and inspiration to graduate college debt-free so I can give back to others sooner. As a first-generation student, it is important to me to graduate and instill purpose in the lives of others through working in medicine and mentoring others like I have through numerous volunteering and leadership experiences. One of these is with the Marywood chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success. I worked my way up from an inducted member to Community Service chair and now Vice President, where I have developed many projects for our nearly 80 members over multiple semesters. I have worked hard for all I have accomplished so far and will continue to work hard for all I have yet to because I have fallen in love with the process. In college, I have learned that a strong work ethic goes a long way, which I have transcribed into other areas of my life like fitness, finance, and my career as a Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) at a rehabilitation hospital. As well as working two to five shifts a week while being full-time in college, I also work in the same store where I had my original epiphany. I believe in working harder than everyone else to achieve what I want. My motivation for this work ethic is to help my family financially and reach my dream of expanding healthcare to those in need in my community, the country, and abroad. At Marywood, I was involved in fundraising with Campus Ministry for aid in San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala. Although my team and I did not travel to Guatemala to assist the local medical providers due to the pandemic, we still raised over $12,000! This contribution proved to be much needed, as the impact of the coronavirus became pronounced in Guatemala. In the future, I plan to work with a government or non-profit agency like the National Guard, Peace Corps, or UNISEC to travel the world and provide medical care to those in need or recovering from disasters. This care means a great deal to me as I want to leave as much of a positive impact on the world as I can. A college education is crucial for me to learn the skills I need to provide medical care as a PA to change and save lives. I yearn to teach others the same principles I value in others, work ethic, working towards your passion, etc. Accomplishing my goal of graduating school debt-free is something I know will take enormous effort. I have applied to at least one scholarship nearly every week, worked two jobs for almost two years, attended college full-time while commuting for 5+ years, and plan to work with the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) after PA school. The NHSC program involves working in a healthcare deficit area as a PA in family medicine for two years. I will accomplish all this and attribute my current accomplishments, motivation, and character to the work ethic I have garnered from pushing myself to be the best version of myself. With the assistance of this scholarship, I will continue to do just that and give back to others.

I strive to live a life of purpose. While I have many personal goals, I try to include impacting others' lives in my aspirations. Because of this, many of my bucket list goals revolve around the field of medicine or service. Career accomplishments aren't generally regarded as bucket list material, so I'll focus on the extracurricular activities I'd like to accomplish throughout my career as a Physician Assistant. Aside from serving in an underserved community as a medical provider, I'd like to participate in humanitarian aid and disaster relief in the United States and overseas. I've always been passionate about traveling the world, but not visiting the Eifel Tower in France or basking in the Bahamas. I want to serve and leave an impact on the lives and communities of those I meet. In 2019, Shortly before the Coronavirus pandemic plagued the globe, I signed up to participate in a medical mission trip to San Lucas Tolimán through the campus ministry at Marywood University. This trip was an activity I always wanted to attend but felt unprepared as I had never traveled outside the country. However, I seized the opportunity without hesitation when I saw the sign-up stand during the activities fair. I was overwhelmed by a desire to give back to the world that has done so much for me. I was incredibly excited and nervous simultaneously. Unfortunately, Marywood informed us that they had decided to cancel the trip the same night my team was ready to leave due to rising coronavirus cases within the country. I was greatly disappointed, yet the deep feeling I had when I signed up never faded but only grew more vigorously. Along with traveling the world to provide medical aid and support to communities, I'd like to promote fair and equitable healthcare. I look forward to serving those in need through the National Health Service Corps in primary care, especially people within my locality. This opportunity is specifically significant for me as someone who grew up in a healthcare deficit, low-income community and was raised within a single-parent household. Being from a marginalized area, I strongly desire to pay it forward and be a role model for others from impoverished environments. For instance, I volunteered with Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS) at Marywood University, where I tutored and mentored Latinx youths from the Scranton area. This experience gave me greater insight into an individual's impact on others. One of the students mentored was noticeably shy and anxious around others. Though we came from different backgrounds and ethnicities, I saw qualities of myself in him. We worked to help him set goals, career aspirations and define who he aspires to be. It was an extraordinary experience to influence someone, and I recognized my struggles and watched them grow. As a future PA, I passionately look forward to similar moments where I get the opportunity to have a positive influence on patients' lives while providing support and care through their adversities. Along with directly serving underserved communities as a Physician Assistant, I plan to be involved with advocacy efforts to promote fair, equitable healthcare. I hold several leadership positions currently at Marywood University, including vice-president of an honor society, and plan to continue leadership in PA organizations.

I strive to live a life of purpose. While I have many personal goals, I try to include impacting others' lives in my aspirations. Because of this, many of my bucket list goals revolve around the field of medicine or service. Career accomplishments aren't generally regarded as bucket list material, so I'll focus on the extracurricular activities I'd like to accomplish throughout my career as a Physician Assistant. Aside from serving in an underserved community as a medical provider, I'd like to participate in humanitarian aid and disaster relief in the United States and overseas. I've always been passionate about traveling the world, but not visiting the Eifel Tower in France or basking in the Bahamas. I want to serve and leave an impact on the lives and communities of those I meet. In 2019, Shortly before the Coronavirus pandemic plagued the globe, I signed up to participate in a medical mission trip to San Lucas Tolimán through the campus ministry at Marywood University. This trip was an activity I always wanted to attend but felt unprepared as I had never traveled outside the country. However, I seized the opportunity without hesitation when I saw the sign-up stand during the activities fair. I was overwhelmed by a desire to give back to the world that has done so much for me. I was incredibly excited and nervous simultaneously. Unfortunately, Marywood informed us that they had decided to cancel the trip the same night my team was ready to leave due to rising coronavirus cases within the country. I was greatly disappointed, yet the deep feeling I had when I signed up never faded but only grew more vigorously. Along with traveling the world to provide medical aid and support to communities, I'd like to promote fair and equitable healthcare. I look forward to serving those in need through the National Health Service Corps in primary care, especially people within my locality. This opportunity is specifically significant for me as someone who grew up in a healthcare deficit, low-income community and was raised within a single-parent household. Being from a marginalized area, I strongly desire to pay it forward and be a role model for others from impoverished environments. For instance, I volunteered with Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS) at Marywood University, where I tutored and mentored Latinx youths from the Scranton area. This experience gave me greater insight into an individual's impact on others. One of the students mentored was noticeably shy and anxious around others. Though we came from different backgrounds and ethnicities, I saw qualities of myself in him. We worked to help him set goals, career aspirations and define who he aspires to be. It was an extraordinary experience to influence someone, and I recognized my struggles and watched them grow. As a future PA, I passionately look forward to similar moments where I get the opportunity to have a positive influence on patients' lives while providing support and care through their adversities. Along with directly serving underserved communities as a Physician Assistant, I plan to be involved with advocacy efforts to promote fair, equitable healthcare. I hold several leadership positions currently at Marywood University, including vice-president of an honor society, and plan to continue leadership in PA organizations.

I strive to live a life of purpose. While I have many personal goals, I try to include impacting others' lives in my aspirations. Because of this, many of my bucket list goals revolve around the field of medicine or service. Career accomplishments aren't generally regarded as bucket list material, so I'll focus on the extracurricular activities I'd like to accomplish throughout my career as a Physician Assistant. Aside from serving in an underserved community as a medical provider, I'd like to participate in humanitarian aid and disaster relief in the United States and overseas. I've always been passionate about traveling the world, but not visiting the Eifel Tower in France or basking in the Bahamas. I want to serve and leave an impact on the lives and communities of those I meet. In 2019, Shortly before the Coronavirus pandemic plagued the globe, I signed up to participate in a medical mission trip to San Lucas Tolimán through the campus ministry at Marywood University. This trip was an activity I always wanted to attend but felt unprepared as I had never traveled outside the country. However, I seized the opportunity without hesitation when I saw the sign-up stand during the activities fair. I was overwhelmed by a desire to give back to the world that has done so much for me. I was incredibly excited and nervous simultaneously. Unfortunately, Marywood informed us that they had decided to cancel the trip the same night my team was ready to leave due to rising coronavirus cases within the country. I was greatly disappointed, yet the deep feeling I had when I signed up never faded but only grew more vigorously. Along with traveling the world to provide medical aid and support to communities, I'd like to promote fair and equitable healthcare. I look forward to serving those in need through the National Health Service Corps in primary care, especially people within my locality. This opportunity is specifically significant for me as someone who grew up in a healthcare deficit, low-income community and was raised within a single-parent household. Being from a marginalized area, I strongly desire to pay it forward and be a role model for others from impoverished environments. For instance, I volunteered with Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS) at Marywood University, where I tutored and mentored Latinx youths from the Scranton area. This experience gave me greater insight into an individual's impact on others. One of the students mentored was noticeably shy and anxious around others. Though we came from different backgrounds and ethnicities, I saw qualities of myself in him. We worked to help him set goals, career aspirations and define who he aspires to be. It was an extraordinary experience to influence someone, and I recognized my struggles and watched them grow. As a future PA, I passionately look forward to similar moments where I get the opportunity to have a positive influence on patients' lives while providing support and care through their adversities. Along with directly serving underserved communities as a Physician Assistant, I plan to be involved with advocacy efforts to promote fair, equitable healthcare. I hold several leadership positions currently at Marywood University, including vice-president of an honor society, and plan to continue leadership in PA organizations.

I had not known real leadership until I met him. The man that would one day become my step-father came into my life when I was a teenager. Without a clear purpose, my view of what my legacy would be before meeting him was vague. What I learned from my step-father was not that he was a leader to me, but that I could be a leader to others. That is the legacy he left with me to lead others towards a definite sense of purpose. Not a day goes by where I am not grateful to have been blessed with a leadership figure to have come into my life. When I had started my first job at the age of 16, I told my mom I didn't want to go the second day. I was too embarrassed and experienced immense social anxiety. I didn't know how to face my fears growing up. I talked to my stepfather about it, and he refused to let me give up so quickly. I had built up the courage to go the next day, despite my fears and anxieties, and felt incredibly powerfully during work and after. This was an ability I had never discovered before, the ability to face my fears and grow from them. I strive to leave a legacy of leadership behind. Empowering others from single-parent, low-income households to achieve their aspirations. I've accomplished this through several volunteering opportunities, from working at a foster home to building a home for a single mother, fundraising for a medical mission trip to San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala, and mentoring/tutoring Latinx youth n my community. It's been an incredible journey since I've discovered my purpose. Through the legacy that I adamantly strive to leave, I believe I can instill leadership in generations to come.

Imagine a world where when you feel sick, you don't have to search your symptoms on the Internet for hours, only to discover your symptoms point towards some severe condition. We've all been there. Modern medicine, in general, is relatively ineffective at recognizing chronic conditions. Even scarier, current treatment is exceptionally inefficient at treating these chronic conditions. Is the answer better medical education? Nano-technology? More expenditure on healthcare? For me, the answer may not appear even relevant to healthcare. Supercomputers. Supercomputers are precisely what the word implies: regular computers with the processing power to run unfathomable algorithms at a supersonic speed. How are complicated algorithms related to healthcare? To find this out, we need only look at previous usages of tracking technology in prior diseases, outbreaks, etc. Technology is almost always utilized to establish the incidence of illness or epidemics in specific areas. Eventually, as we see in the world of artificial intelligence, supercomputers would be able to develop their algorithms for recognizing exactly where future outbreaks will occur and what leads to the event of epidemics. Other areas that could be identifiable with complex algorithms created by supercomputers are what factors lead to cancer, among numerous other diseases. Your physician removes the tumor, and it's then tested in a lab that is again controlled by a supercomputer. The results return that this type of tumor is commonly not noticed and typically becomes cancerous if untreated. There is no false diagnosis or pre-emptive treatments in this world with supercomputer algorithms. This increased effectiveness would lead to incredible savings on healthcare expenditure, better treatments for patients, and longer quality of life for those suffering severe illness. I am incredibly excited and grateful to live in a time where this technology and its subsequent effects are more than possible.

My choice to pursue a career in medicine was one I had not expected growing up. I had an arduous experience early on finding a sense of purpose. I did not have any interests in school and coincidentally did not take any science courses in high school. After extensive research and planning, I found PTA school to be the next stepping stone for me. It was difficult for me to adjust to college-level learning, as I had never studied effectively in high school. However, I was able to finish my first semester with a 3.75 GPA. For the first time, I truly believed in myself, and medicine began to pervade my life. I was allowed the blessing to communicate and provide for those in need. I recognized that medicine has the potential to supply the purpose I had relentlessly searched for all those years. From my first clinical experience as a PTA student, I found an incredible amount of meaning for guiding my patients to a better and more functional life. Though, in a path to further my career, through research and personal experiences with PAs, I found that my true passion and the impact I want to have on my future patients would come from becoming a physician assistant. I had difficulty finding and keeping a doctor as a youth, and my health suffered for years. I've become extremely passionate about serving patients in medically underserved communities, reaching out to children in those communities who may lack a sense of purpose in their lives, like me as a child, and helping them walk through their journey and realize their potential. I look forward to serving those in need through the National Health Service Corps in primary care, especially people within my locality. This opportunity is specifically significant for me as someone who grew up in a healthcare deficit, low-income community and was raised within a single-parent household. Being from a marginalized area, I strongly desire to pay it forward and be a role model for others from impoverished environments. For instance, I volunteered with Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS) at Marywood University, where I tutored and mentored Latinx youths from the Scranton area. This experience gave me greater insight into an individual's impact on others. One of the students mentored was noticeably shy and anxious around others. Though we came from different backgrounds and ethnicities, I saw qualities of myself in him. We worked to help him set goals, career aspirations and define who he aspires to be. It was an extraordinary experience to influence someone, and I recognized my struggles and watched them grow. As a future PA, I passionately look forward to similar moments where I get the opportunity to have a positive influence on patients' lives while providing support and care through their adversities. Along with directly serving underserved communities as a Physician Assistant, I plan to advocate for fair, equitable healthcare. I hold several leadership positions currently at Marywood University, including vice-president of an honor society, and plan to continue leadership in PA organizations.

Community. Research has shown meaningful relationships are one of the most significant indicators of a long, healthy life, and the most meaningful relationships are typically those we are closest with. These relationships are generally our family, co-workers, and friends. However, society is becoming increasingly distant, young adults moving away from family, working from home, and social isolation prohibiting close friendships. There is one crucial component in maintaining longevity - a community. As decades pass in an increasingly socially isolated world, the word 'community' is becoming a buzzword, a fairytale-like concept. I've observed firsthand what having a close-knit community can do for individuals, physically, mentally, and spiritually. While volunteering in my local community with an organization focused on community development and assisting the most vulnerable, I met a pleasant woman that we'll call Jane, that opened my heart and eyes to the benefits of having a solid community. Firstly, Jane had close ties to the organization we were serving her through, which provided care for her home she wasn't capable of physically anymore. Secondly, we had multiple interactions with neighbors who stopped by to chat with us while we were there. One neighbor, a woman who had recently immigrated to America from Nepal, stated that Jane welcomed her and her family when she arrived and supported them since they'd been here. As the woman left, Jane went into the house and brought out something for her. Jane handed the woman yarn for a project she was working on at home. It was a small gesture but said so much more about Jane and her little community than simply the little piece of material. I walked away from this experience feeling a deep sense of gratitude and fullness. Something so significant to our health, yet so infrequently experienced today. Throughout the past few years, I've been involved in various leadership and community service activities. These activities have been through Marywood Campus Ministry and other clubs at Marywood and outside organizations like the American Red Cross and Habitat For Humanity. Additionally, I've been involved with advocacy for fair, equitable healthcare by contacting local and state legislators. As a Physician Assistant, I plan to continue to fight for my patients' rights through advocacy and serve my community through patient care and service organizations. I hope to be a leading figure within my community and someone everyone feels comfortable coming to for guidance.

I grew up without a father figure. Shortly after I was born, my biological father was imprisoned. Because of this, he was absent from my life entirely by the time I was a toddler. My family decided it was best if he was left out of our lives, and there were legal battles early on for custody. However, my mother was given full custody due to my father's criminal history. While growing up, I always chose not to see my biological father, and I never understood what was happening. I didn't know why my father wasn't in my life, but I felt resentment towards him. It was a very personal issue for me as I got older. I noticed almost everyone else had a happy family with both parents, while it was just my mom and me. There was a sense of deep insecurity from this difference I had noticed. The insecurity I felt and struggling to make ends meet in a low-income, single-parent household took a toll on my perspective of life. I didn't have any aspirations, hopes, or plans for the future. I knew I wanted to do great things, possibly own a business one day and change the world, but I had no hope for it to occur. So I didn't try. I didn't try anything. I had no interest in school, friends, or my future. I felt like my life's trajectory was decided for me before I could walk because my support system was broken. If I wanted to amount to anything in life, I realized I had to be my support system. It wasn't until after barely graduating high school that I came to this realization. I knew no one would step in and change my life; only I had that power. Despite having no confidence in my abilities to make it through college, I enrolled in community college. I had no idea what I was doing or why I was going to college, but I found a sense of purpose by pursuing something in my control. I had always felt growing up that my life was not in my control. In retrospect, I'm sure this was due to my biological father being taken out of my life and the subsequent financial and emotional turmoil my mother and I faced. I felt helpless to console my mother when she cried uncontrollably. I felt helpless when my mom and I had no family to turn to for help. My entire life before that, I felt no control. I graduated community college with a 3.6-grade point average, a significant increase from high school. With a newfound sense of purpose and confidence, I enrolled in Physical Therapist Assistant school. Enrolling turned out to be the best thing in my life. I made new friends, gained confidence, and excelled academically. More importantly, I had finally found something that gave me a true sense of purpose in life - patient care. I had several service experiences in underserved communities in youth populations similar to where I grew up. I saw myself in several of the youth individuals I worked with and was able to be that person that believes in them that I never had growing up. I decided to devote my life to serving those individuals who didn't have support figures in their lives like me. I plan to accomplish this as a Physician Assistant, community service volunteer, and individual. I overcame an array of adversities in my life, and yearn to walk with others through their journeys, so that they may do the same.

I grew up without a father figure. Shortly after I was born, my biological father was imprisoned. Because of this, he was absent from my life entirely by the time I was a toddler. My family decided it was best if he was left out of our lives, and there were legal battles early on for custody. However, my mother was given full custody due to my father's criminal history. While growing up, I always chose not to see my biological father, and I never understood what was happening. I didn't know why my father wasn't in my life, but I felt resentment towards him. It was a very personal issue for me as I got older. I noticed almost everyone else had a happy family with both parents, while it was just my mom and me. There was a sense of deep insecurity from this difference I had noticed. The insecurity I felt and struggling to make ends meet in a low-income, single-parent household took a toll on my perspective of life. I didn't have any aspirations, hopes, or plans for the future. I knew I wanted to do great things, possibly own a business one day and change the world, but I had no hope for it to occur. So I didn't try. I didn't try anything. I had no interest in school, friends, or my future. I felt like my life's trajectory was decided for me before I could walk because my support system was broken. If I wanted to amount to anything in life, I realized I had to be my support system. It wasn't until after barely graduating high school that I came to this realization. I knew no one would step in and change my life; only I had that power. Despite having no confidence in my abilities to make it through college, I enrolled in community college. I had no idea what I was doing or why I was going to college, but I found a sense of purpose by pursuing something in my control. I had always felt growing up that my life was not in my control. In retrospect, I'm sure this was due to my biological father being taken out of my life and the subsequent financial and emotional turmoil my mother and I faced. I felt helpless to console my mother when she cried uncontrollably. I felt helpless when my mom and I had no family to turn to for help. My entire life before that, I felt no control. I graduated community college with a 3.6-grade point average, a significant increase from high school. With a newfound sense of purpose and confidence, I enrolled in Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) school. Enrolling turned out to be the best thing in my life. I made new friends, gained confidence, and excelled academically. I became involved in several community service activities including becoming vice-president of an honor society on campus and participating in many service trips. I had several service experiences in underserved communities in youth populations similar to where I grew up. I saw myself in several of the youth individuals I worked with and was able to be that person that believes in them that I never had growing up. I decided to devote my life to serving those individuals who didn't have support figures in their lives like me. I plan to accomplish this as a Physician Assistant, community service volunteer, and individual. I overcame an array of adversities in my life, and yearn to walk with others through their journeys, so that they may do the same.

The PA profession appeals to me for an array of reasons. One of the main reasons I look forward to becoming a physician assistant is the opportunity to work in primary care in an underserved area. Although PAs can navigate specialties without further formal training, their education is taught as generalists from a primary care approach. I look forward to serving those in need through the National Health Service Corps in primary care, especially people within my locality. This opportunity is specifically significant for me as someone who grew up in a healthcare deficit, low-income community and was raised within a single-parent household. Being from a marginalized area, I strongly desire to pay it forward and be a role model for others from impoverished environments. For instance, I volunteered with Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS) at Marywood University, where I tutored and mentored Latinx youths from the Scranton area. This experience gave me greater insight into an individual's impact on others. One of the students mentored was noticeably shy and anxious around others. Though we came from different backgrounds and ethnicities, I saw qualities of myself in him. We worked to help him set goals, career aspirations and define who he aspires to be. It was an extraordinary experience to influence someone, and I recognized my struggles and watched them grow. As a future PA, I passionately look forward to similar moments where I get the opportunity to have a positive influence on patient's lives while providing support and care through their adversities. Along with directly serving underserved communities as a Physician Assistant, I plan to be involved with advocacy efforts to promote fair, equitable healthcare. I hold several leadership positions currently at Marywood University, including vice-president of honor society, and plan to continue leadership in PA organizations.

"Pay yourself first." The investing world is full of numbers, charts, graphs, and, frankly, scams. It's incredibly complicated at times, especially for beginners. Yet, the fundamental lesson is so simple - pay yourself first. When I first heard this piece of advice, I didn't understand it, even though I had been researching investing for years prior. "I get a paycheck every week, I already am paying myself," I thought. It's estimated over 50% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. When individuals live like this, they are not paying themselves first, and they're not paying themselves at all. They're making their employers potentially millions in revenue, then paying other multi-million dollar companies with what little they receive in compensation. It's easy to get stuck in this loop. But how can someone get past this plague that affects over half of our nation? Pay yourself first. When someone reminds themselves, "I need to pay myself first," they're inclined to either cut their expenses or earn more, so they can put money away for themselves for retirement or their kid's college. I feel much more satisfied in life knowing I'm not playing the "rat race" of working and then spending all my money with nothing left over for myself. This lesson had consequences in my life far beyond finance. I have a greater sense of self-worth and confidence, knowing I have a purpose in my life that isn't dependent on receiving a paycheck. Although my financial life doesn't define my happiness, the financial stability to support my family improves my mental health and overall life satisfaction immensely.

"Pay yourself first." The investing world is full of numbers, charts, graphs, and, frankly, scams. It's incredibly complicated at times, especially for beginners. Yet, the fundamental lesson is so simple - pay yourself first. When I first heard this piece of advice, I didn't understand it, even though I had been researching investing for years prior. "I get a paycheck every week, I already am paying myself," I thought. It's estimated over 50% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. When individuals live like this, they are not paying themselves first, and they're not paying themselves at all. They're making their employers potentially millions in revenue, then paying other multi-million dollar companies with what little they receive in compensation. It's easy to get stuck in this loop. But how can someone get past this plague that affects over half of our nation? Pay yourself first. When someone reminds themselves, "I need to pay myself first," they're inclined to either cut their expenses or earn more, so they can put money away for themselves for retirement or their kid's college. I feel much more satisfied in life knowing I'm not playing the "rat race" of working and then spending all my money with nothing left over for myself. This lesson had consequences in my life far beyond finance. I have a greater sense of self-worth and confidence, knowing I have a purpose in my life that isn't dependent on receiving a paycheck. Although my financial life doesn't define my happiness, the financial stability to support my family improves my mental health and overall life satisfaction immensely.

Imagine a world where when you feel sick, you don't have to search your symptoms on the Internet for hours, only to discover your symptoms point towards some severe condition. We've all been there. Modern medicine, in general, is relatively ineffective at recognizing chronic conditions. Even scarier, current treatment is exceptionally inefficient at treating these chronic conditions. Is the answer better medical education? Nano-technology? More expenditure on healthcare? For me, the answer may not appear even relevant to healthcare. Supercomputers. Supercomputers are precisely what the word implies: regular computers with the processing power to run unfathomable algorithms at a supersonic speed. How are complicated algorithms related to healthcare? To find this out, we need only look at previous usages of tracking technology in prior diseases, outbreaks, etc. Technology is almost always utilized to establish the incidence of illness or epidemics in specific areas to follow what correlating factors may be present to establish a possible cause. Supercomputers would accomplish the same thing, establishing correlations, but with much more sophisticated technologies. Eventually, as we see in the world of artificial intelligence, supercomputers would be able to develop their algorithms for recognizing exactly where future outbreaks will occur and what leads to the event of epidemics. Other areas that could be identifiable with complex algorithms created by supercomputers are what factors lead to cancer, among numerous other diseases. To compare a world like this with our earlier example, imagine you start to feel sick, and you look your symptoms up on a site that utilizes a supercomputer-generated algorithm. Once you look your signs up and personal characteristics, the algorithm looks at what diseases are common in your demographic area, in your ethnic group, and based on your symptoms. It's unfortunate, but the algorithm points towards developing cancer. The algorithm then recommends tests to undergo, so you schedule an appointment with your physician. The physician runs a diagnostic test for cancer and finds a benign tumor. Your physician removes the tumor, and it's then tested in a lab that is again controlled by a supercomputer. The results return that this type of tumor is commonly not noticed and typically becomes cancerous if untreated. Additionally, the algorithm suggests lifestyle changes correlated with a low risk of developing this specific form of cancer. There is no false diagnosis or pre-emptive treatments in this world with supercomputer algorithms. This increased effectiveness would lead to incredible savings on healthcare expenditure, better treatments for patients, and longer quality of life for those suffering severe illness. I am incredibly excited and grateful to live in a time where this technology and its subsequent effects are more than possible.

Throughout middle school, I didn't have many meaningful friendships. I went to class, made an average effort to get through my work, and went home. Outside of school, my only interaction was with my parents. Although my parents occasionally encouraged me to do more with my life, I still had no passions or interests. In high school, I finally began to make some friends I spent time with the outside of school. It led to a significant improvement in my mental health and my relationship with my parents. Friends came and went, but I still spend time with a handful of friends to this day from high school. These friendships mean more to me than anything I could've ever imagined as an isolated middle schooler. These friendships aren't meaningful to me simply because they're fun to be around or because they have my back when I need them. These friendships mean so much to me because they push me to be the best version of myself. I never had anyone in my life who constantly encouraged me to be successful in life. True friends push you to do better when life is good and listen to you during the hard days. Since making these friends in high school, I've accomplished many things I could never have imagined. Going through college and making new friends, past friendships have given me the ability to continue impacting the lives of others. Ultimately, what friendships mean to me is having someone in your circle that genuinely wants the best for you and is willing to sacrifice their time and energy to see you reach that.

My form of self-care may not be traditional. Why? My form of self-care is something most people need to practice self-care because of - working. I work as a Physical Therapist Assistant (per-diem) in a rehabilitation hospital. I struggle with frequent self-consciousness and feelings of inadequacy. Initially, I had chosen the field of healthcare to serve others. Doing physical therapy, I feel a sense of impact and gratitude that I'm able to improve another person's life. Throughout my daily life, I sometimes feel a lack of passion. While working with patients and the other fantastic healthcare providers I'm blessed to work with, I feel fulfilled. Not only is my form of self-care a stress relief (a break from worrying about school work), it also gives me confidence and satisfaction with my life and who I am. The best part about my form of self-care is it constantly challenges me and allows me to improve myself as an individual daily. I've recognized areas while working where I can improve, such as in my compassion, communication, knowledge, etc. The ability to see progress in all of these every time I work is incredibly fulfilling. Not only do I get to see improvement in my own life, but I get to see others progress through severe conditions like strokes, aneurysms, amputations, cancer, and more. I meet new people every day, and the vast majority are incredibly kind. It's truly an honor to work with people every day that restores my hope for the good of humanity.

Just keep going. No matter what, just keep going. These few words are my morning mantra. These sayings keep me motivated, and in a mindset of growing into a better person, leader, and provider. I've faced many difficulties in my life, growing up in a single-parent household in a low-income area. Throughout everything, I always kept going. There have been times I lost all hope or didn't feel purpose in my life. But I just kept going. I don't know why. At a young age, I didn't see a reason to keep going. But I did anyway, and today I know why I'm here. I know why I need to keep going. I'm here to provide for my family, community, and my patients as a future medical provider. My mindset now is to always focus on how I can improve in every situation. This mindset keeps me focused on what matters in life, and focusing less on unimportant items like insecurity. To keep me in this mindset I always make daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly goals for myself. These goals include academic, career, health, financial, and other goals. It's a lot of work to keep everything organized, but it gives me a deep feeling of gratitude, accomplishment, and purpose.

When my step-father came into my life when I was seven, I learned what true patience was. Growing up with my mother under the stress of living in low-income housing, we typically butted heads. Of course, we both loved each other immensely. However, sometimes we couldn't help but take the stress of our lives out on each other. This stress led to frequent verbal fights, intolerance, and distance in our relationship. Neither of us had any semblance of patience, especially to each other, even though we were all we had. I knew from an early age this wasn't the way things should be. This situation isn't the way a young kid should live. My step-father came into my life and was immediately the father figure to me I never had. And eventually, the loving husband to my mother. I noticed the difference in our relationship quickly. We didn't argue as much, spent more time with each other, and grew closer than ever before. My step-father, who I always refer to as my father, is incredibly patient. He was able to tolerate our constant arguing, and never once joined in and raised his voice. My father taught me what it means to be patient. My father also taught me how to be a father, an adult, and be successful in life. Without his patience, my mom and I would've never established the relationship we have today. And without the patience of my father, I never would've grown up into the man I am today. It's all thanks to him and his unwavering patience. His patience saved my mom and I's relationship, and likely my life.

I love planning for my future, and I guess love is an understatement. I'm obsessed with preparing for my future. I have a lot of lofty aspirations, although I recognize, I must focus on the present to achieve these goals. I push myself every day to achieve what I aspire to, yet I still experience difficult days where I experience a falter in hope. It's these days that I find planning is my biggest motivation and one of the moments where I'm genuinely content. I plan, in vivid detail, what my life will look like in the future, financially, professionally, emotionally, and so on. I could spend hours, almost in a trans-like state, calculating numbers related to my financial future. I know exactly how much money I need to invest every month to retire at the specific age I'd like to, how much, and in what accounts I plan to invest, and a plan to launch a business in the future. Additionally, I've planned out the specific positions I hope to hold as a Physician Assistant in particular organizations, branches of the American Academy of Physician Assistants. I believe adamantly that every medical provider should not only advocate for their patient in the clinic but advocate for overall patient care at a legislative level. Many of the positions I plan to hold are about advocating for equitable healthcare. Like any odd hobby, there's always a vast collection somewhere that would make anyone give you a funny look. For me, that's a stack of papers, folders, index cards, and notebooks containing all my plans and blueprints for my desired future. These consist of notes, graphs, tables, charts, and anything you could ever imagine you could create in Microsoft Office. It's a hobby I've always held close and always plan to.

A book addressed "To the unrelenting voice in my head that will never allow me to stop," "Can't hurt me," has changed the lives of the many people who've read it. The book, written by David Goggins, a former Navy SEAL who transformed his life, helped me discover ambition in my own. I always felt that "voice in my head," and I thought it was a flaw of mine, an obstacle I'd have to conquer to be successful. The book, however, proved the contrary. After reading, I stopped being ashamed of the voice. I discovered the voice is what sets me apart from others. Commonly, I could not rest because my mind was always active, pressuring me to keep pushing myself. Many people won't understand what I'm talking about, as Goggins refers to those who experience this as "the uncommon amongst the uncommon." What I enjoyed most about the book was the bluntness of Goggins. He didn't talk about motivational stories or attempt to sugarcoat the path to happiness, and he told his story from an unencumbered perspective. He talks about, in vivid detail, his experience growing up in an abusive household, in a predominantly white area, as a black man. After finishing the book, I felt a sense of empowerment and commitment—an unforgiving sense of commitment to living my best life. Goggins's version of the best life was pushing yourself every day past your limit, which Goggins says is only 40% of our true potential. Since reading, I've pushed myself consistently more than I ever have in my past, and I've had remarkable results.

"I can't do this." I've heard this in my head numerous times. More accurately, thousands of times. Insecurity in my abilities is something I've always struggled with. Throughout high school, I didn't attempt to be successful. I believed, deep in my mind, no matter how much I tried, I wouldn't be successful. In my mind, a failure with gigantic aspirations was all I was. Barely passing high school while taking the least challenging possible courses. After graduating high school, I had a paradigm shift. I realized I was on my own, and no one would help me. I accepted I was going nowhere in life, and I had to start somewhere. I enrolled in a local community college, not knowing if I could handle the courses or not. I also played college baseball for the first time since Little League in 6th grade. I finished my first semester of college on the Dean's list and the second with the same achievement. For the first time in my life, I thought, "I can do this. On my own." With newfound confidence in my abilities, I enrolled in Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) school, and my academic and personal development continued. I finished my first semester with a 3.75 GPA, more close friendships than I could've ever asked for, and a new passion for healthcare. I discovered a visceral passion for caring for those in need throughout their journey. With this passion came powerful feelings of gratitude and confidence in my ability to impact the world and those around me. I continued to work as a PTA in a rehabilitation hospital as I transferred to a Pre-Physician Assistant program to continue my passion for medicine. I'm challenged daily, but I've conquered every day, just as I will conquer anything in front of me.

All it takes is someone to believe in you. I realized this when I moved in with my grandparents at 18. Growing up, I had high hopes for my future accomplishments but few expectations. I wasn't confident in my abilities, especially in my power to impact the world. I enrolled in Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) school in January of 2018 and began essentially my first ever service project. It was a small one, spending the day organizing clothing for a local foster home, where I was also able to interact with some children the foster home was serving. Although it was only a few hours, it inspired a spark in me. A spark that would define my future in ways I could've never imagined. I found that giving back and inspiring others gave me the purpose I searched so adamantly for growing up. I was involved in several community service experiences while in PTA school. When I transferred to Marywood University, I had a profound commitment to serve and give back. Immediately, I became involved in two programs, alternative break trips (a medical mission trip to San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala) and Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS). With both of these, I was able to work with a team to serve an underserved community, bringing hope to others. I continue to serve through numerous organizations such as the RedCross, in which I'm an active member of multiple service teams. However, I've found ways to take this beyond serving in organizations. I try to give back throughout my daily life, whether I'm working in the hospital with patients, at the grocery store with customers, or at home with family and friends. Whether someone is in need or not, I always strive to be there for them.

"Pay yourself first." The investing world is full of numbers, charts, graphs, and, frankly, scams. It's incredibly complicated at times, especially for beginners. Yet, the fundamental lesson is so simple - pay yourself first. When I first heard this piece of advice, I didn't understand it, even though I had been researching investing for years prior. "I get a paycheck every week, I already am paying myself," I thought. It's estimated over 50% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. When individuals live like this, they are not paying themselves first, and they're not paying themselves at all. They're making their employers potentially millions in revenue, then paying other multi-million dollar companies with what little they receive in compensation. It's easy to get stuck in this loop. But how can someone get past this plague that affects over half of our nation? Pay yourself first. When someone reminds themselves, "I need to pay myself first," they're inclined to either cut their expenses or earn more, so they can put money away for themselves for retirement or their kid's college. I feel much more satisfied in life knowing I'm not playing the "rat race" of working and then spending all my money with nothing left over for myself. This lesson had consequences in my life far beyond finance. I have a greater sense of self-worth and confidence, knowing I have a purpose in my life that isn't dependent on receiving a paycheck. Although my financial life doesn't define my happiness, the financial stability to support my family improves my mental health and overall life satisfaction immensely.

My first experience with severe mental health issues was when I was very young. I spent many hours with a close family member of mine. She was my best friend at a young age and routinely took care of me when my mother had to work, as she was a single parent. We went on walks together, hung out at my grandma's house, and would do anything to put a smile on my face. At my young, naive age, I had no idea what she and my family went through years before I was born. She suffered from mental health issues since middle school, severe bipolar depression, and anxiety. This lead to her subsequently dropping out of high school and later being homeschooled by my grandma. Around the time I was born, things were relatively normal. I recognize now the heartache and confusion she was going through. She was going through a lot, but my family didn't understand and just viewed it as her acting out. She wasn't offered the empathy, compassion, and communication she deserved and needed. It was a difficult environment for all of us, but a little conversation, understanding, and initial discomfort may have gone a long way to recovery. Again, now I realize they didn't want or need someone to come and make them happy or smile. My mother and family member just needed someone to listen to them. All the senseless pain and sorrow, they just wanted someone to listen to them. A huge lesson I've recently realized while reflecting on my experiences with mental health is that sometimes it's arduous to put our own emotions inside and communicate compassionately to someone else. One thing I strongly value because of my experiences with mental health is straightforward, compassionate communication.

When my step-father came into my life when I was seven, I learned true generosity. Growing up with my mother under the stress of living in low-income housing, we typically butted heads. Of course, we both loved each other immensely. However, sometimes we couldn't help but take the stress of our lives out on each other. This stress led to frequent verbal fights, intolerance, and distance in our relationship. Neither of us had any semblance of patience, especially to each other, even though we were all we had. I knew from an early age this wasn't the way things should be. This situation isn't the way a young kid should live. My step-father came into my life and was immediately the father figure I never had. And eventually, the loving husband to my mother. I noticed the difference in our relationship quickly. We didn't argue as much, spent more time with each other, and grew closer than ever before. My step-father, who I always refer to as my father, is incredibly patient. He tolerated our constant arguing and never once joined in and raised his voice. My father taught me what it means to be generous. My father also taught me how to be a father, an adult, and be successful in life. Without him, my mom and I would've never established the relationship we have today. And without his generosity, I never would've grown up into the man I am today. It's all thanks to him and his unwavering generosity. He had his own life and was under no obligation to become a father figure in my life, yet, despite the challenges, he accepted me as his son wholeheartedly. His generosity saved my mom and I's relationship and likely my life.

"You can only change when YOU change who YOU are." Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher, also called "The Obscure," once said, "Change is the only constant." Despite taxes and death being considered the only guarantees in life, the actual guarantee is change. Every being in existence, and even mere existence itself will undeniably change. There are many things to fear in this world, many contributing factors to the rampant mental health and disorder in the world today. The pandemic, war, and violence are all factors that cause mass hysteria and fear. Underlying all of these factors, however, is the fear of change. The fear that one day you will age, your marriage may not be the same, one day, you may lose a loved one. However, if we consciously accept that change is always unavoidable, we can begin to find some semblance of peace in a constantly dynamic world. Beyond this, this quote has also allowed me to accept personality responsibility to change my life. I used to think, "I can't change, this is just who I am," until I realized who I depend on How I define myself. I have always identified as "the shy kid throughout my life." No matter what experience I had which proved otherwise. I always went back to my old habits. It was only until I discovered that I controlled who I was. When I made up my mind I wasn't a shy kid, I began to see a big difference in my daily interactions. Many others experience a similar phenomenon, constantly bringing them back to their old ways, no matter how fast they attempt to run away from the person they are. However, this quote teaches us, it's not about who you think you are but who you know you are.

Who knew a song by Metallic would have such an inspirational line as "I adapt to the unknown." Metallica wrote a fair amount of their songs in honor of our armed service members, and I believe this one was no exception. Our service members are some of the most confident men and women in the United States because every day, they are forced to adapt to situations that are far beyond their control. To me, this is what confidence means. I don't believe confidence and fear are inverses of each other, and I believe fear can exist in the presence of confidence and vice-versa. To me, uncertainty is the opposite of confidence. Uncertainty, not in the future, but in our ability and actions to control things in our future. Imagine someone telling you that you will experience massive heartache every week for the rest of your life. That's scary, and anyone in their right mind would be frightened. But it's a choice to be uncertain. I've been faced with many challenges in my life, from growing up in a single-parent, low-income household on Welfare to being a full-time first-generation college student working nearly 20 hours a week over three jobs. Working in the hospital, I've been challenged, emotionally and physically, every day. However, I was very uncertain, insecure, and fearful at the time. I lacked confidence in my abilities to face obstacles, and because of that, I hid from everything. When I had severe acne for five years in high school, it made it even easier to hide from everything and everyone. Recently, I've experienced the biggest challenges I have in my life. Since high school, I've had many adjustments and uncertainties, but there's something monumentally different now. I don't doubt my ability to conquer anything in my future anymore.

My family has always noted my creativity. While most kids my age were playing video games, I created my own. While I wasn't quite capable of coding video games at eight years old, I still had a great imagination. I would create games that involved intricate ranks, levels, power-ups, etc. I would drive my family crazy because I wanted to play them every day, but I only understood what was happening. This creativity continued into my teenage life, except with more lofty but mature aspirations. I'd spent a lot of time researching problems the world experienced. I mean YouTube and Wikipedia by research, and I focused primarily on poverty and the rampant medical crisis (I was experiencing both). At 14 years old, I saw more than the average teenager would see. While I was disgusted at many things I saw during my research, my creativity persevered. The reality of the natural world is something I think deters adults from experiencing the same level of creativity they had growing up. It's easy to be creative when you have the whole 168 hours a week, but when you start working 40 of those, take care of kids for the rest. Successful people in life don't lose this childhood creativity; these are the world leaders, entrepreneurs, artists, and actors. Now, I'm 23, and my creativity, while it's been challenged, has only grown stronger. I still hold some of the same aspirations I saved as a child, albeit a bit more realistic. No more rockets develop to discover aliens. I'm developing a few businesses while working three jobs, attending school full-time, and participating in several community service organizations. My primary business revolves around inspiring future medical providers and helping them get accepted to school, mostly Physician Assistant schools. The other is selling online items.

I strive to live a life of purpose. While I have many personal goals, I try to include impacting others' lives in my aspirations. Because of this, many of my bucket list goals revolve around the field of medicine or service. Career accomplishments aren't generally regarded as bucket list material, so I'll focus on the extracurricular activities I'd like to accomplish throughout my career as a Physician Assistant. Aside from serving in an underserved community as a medical provider, I'd like to participate in humanitarian aid and disaster relief in the United States and overseas. I've always been passionate about traveling the world, but not visiting the Eifel Tower in France or basking in the Bahamas. I want to serve and leave an impact on the lives and communities of those I meet. In 2019, Shortly before the Coronavirus pandemic plagued the globe, I signed up to participate in a medical mission trip to San Lucas Tolimán through the campus ministry at Marywood University. This trip was an activity I always wanted to attend but felt unprepared as I had never traveled outside the country. However, I seized the opportunity without hesitation when I saw the sign-up stand during the activities fair. I was overwhelmed by a desire to give back to the world that has done so much for me. I was incredibly excited and nervous simultaneously. Unfortunately, Marywood informed us that they had decided to cancel the trip the same night my team was ready to leave due to rising coronavirus cases within the country. I was greatly disappointed, yet the deep feeling I had when I signed up never faded but only grew more vigorously. Along with traveling the world to provide medical aid and support to communities, I'd like to promote fair and equitable healthcare.

I've experienced medical inequity firsthand. I know what it's like to grow up in a medically underserved community, struggling to find a primary care doctor to diagnosis the mysterious illness that kept me from going to school almost daily. I felt sick to my stomach every day, and I had no idea why. I didn't have a primary doctor due to my medical assistance insurance that's not widely accepted, and a general lack of providers in my area. Because of this, I was in and out of urgent care hospitals, test after test, and they found nothing. It wasn't until years after I had given up on the medical field that I mystified my illness. I was lactose intolerant and was drinking milk in my cereal every day. No wonder after multiple blood tests, nasal swabs, ultrasounds, CTs, and X-rays, they never found anything. I had a hateful relationship with medicine until I graduated from high school. Then, my now love-hate relationship with medicine began as I found a passion for working with patients. Imagine a world where when you feel sick, you don't have to search your symptoms on the Internet for hours, only to discover your symptoms point towards some severe condition. We've all been there. Modern medicine, in general, is relatively ineffective at recognizing chronic conditions. Even scarier, current treatment is exceptionally inefficient at treating these chronic conditions. Is the answer better medical education? Nano-technology? More expenditure on healthcare? For me, the answer may not appear even relevant to healthcare. Supercomputers. Supercomputers are precisely what the word implies: regular computers with the processing power to run unfathomable algorithms at a supersonic speed. How are complicated algorithms related to healthcare? To find this out, we need only look at previous usages of tracking technology in prior diseases, outbreaks, etc. Technology is almost always utilized to establish the incidence of illness or epidemics in specific areas to follow what correlating factors may be present to establish a possible cause. Supercomputers would accomplish the same thing, establishing correlations, but with much more sophisticated technologies. Eventually, as we see in the world of artificial intelligence, supercomputers would be able to develop their algorithms for recognizing exactly where future outbreaks will occur and what leads to the event of epidemics. Other areas that could be identifiable with complex algorithms created by supercomputers are what factors lead to cancer, among numerous other diseases. To compare a world like this with our earlier example, imagine you start to feel sick, and you look your symptoms up on a site that utilizes a supercomputer-generated algorithm. Once you look your signs up and personal characteristics, the algorithm looks at what diseases are common in your demographic area, in your ethnic group, and based on your symptoms. It's unfortunate, but the algorithm points towards developing cancer. The algorithm then recommends tests to undergo, so you schedule an appointment with your physician. The physician runs a diagnostic test for cancer and finds a benign tumor. Your physician removes the tumor, and it's then tested in a lab that is again controlled by a supercomputer. The results return that this type of tumor is commonly not noticed and typically becomes cancerous if untreated. Additionally, the algorithm suggests lifestyle changes correlated with a low risk of developing this specific form of cancer. There is no false diagnosis or pre-emptive treatments in this world with supercomputer algorithms. This increased effectiveness would lead to incredible savings on healthcare expenditure, better treatments for patients, and longer quality of life for those suffering severe illness. I am incredibly excited and grateful to live in a time where this technology and its subsequent effects are more than possible. Similar to how Airbnb revolutionized the hospitality industry, and Uber innovated the rideshare industry, there will be disruptors, enormous companies, that take over the field of medicine. Although this will assist in meeting the current lack of medical providers, it won't be enough. There must be providers regardless. The Physician Assistant and Nurse Practioner professions are booming now more than ever. Despite new advances in medicine over the next 25 years, I believe these professions will continue to flourish and assist in filling the physician gap.

I love planning for my future, and I guess love is an understatement. I'm obsessed with preparing for my future. I have a lot of lofty aspirations, although I recognize, I must focus on the present to achieve these goals. I push myself every day to achieve what I aspire to, yet I still experience difficult days where I experience a falter in hope. It's these days that I find planning is my biggest motivation and one of the moments where I'm genuinely content. I plan, in vivid detail, what my life will look like in the future, financially, professionally, emotionally, and so on. I could spend hours, almost in a trans-like state, calculating numbers related to my financial future. I know exactly how much money I need to invest every month to retire at the specific age I'd like to, how much, and in what accounts I plan to invest, and a plan to launch a business in the future. Additionally, I've planned out the specific positions I hope to hold as a Physician Assistant in particular organizations, branches of the American Academy of Physician Assistants. I believe adamantly that every medical provider should not only advocate for their patient in the clinic but advocate for overall patient care at a legislative level. Many of the positions I plan to hold are about advocating for equitable healthcare. Like any odd hobby, there's always a vast collection somewhere that would make anyone give you a funny look. For me, that's a stack of papers, folders, index cards, and notebooks containing all my plans and blueprints for my desired future. These consist of notes, graphs, tables, charts, and anything you could ever imagine you could create in Microsoft Office. It's a hobby I've always held close and always plan to.

A book addressed "To the unrelenting voice in my head that will never allow me to stop," "Can't hurt me," has changed the lives of the many people who've read it. The book, written by David Goggins, a former Navy SEAL who transformed his life, helped me discover ambition in my own. I always felt that "voice in my head," and I thought it was a flaw of mine, an obstacle I'd have to conquer to be successful. The book, however, proved the contrary. After reading, I stopped being ashamed of the voice. I discovered the voice is what sets me apart from others. Commonly, I could not rest because my mind was always active, pressuring me to keep pushing myself. Many people won't understand what I'm talking about, as Goggins refers to those who experience this as "the uncommon amongst the uncommon." What I enjoyed most about the book was the bluntness of Goggins. He didn't talk about motivational stories or attempt to sugarcoat the path to happiness, and he told his story from an unencumbered perspective. He talks about, in vivid detail, his experience growing up in an abusive household, in a predominantly white area, as a black man. After finishing the book, I felt a sense of empowerment and commitment—an unforgiving sense of commitment to living my best life. Goggins's version of the best life was pushing yourself every day past your limit, which Goggins says is only 40% of our true potential. Since reading, I've pushed myself consistently more than I ever have in my past, and I've had remarkable results.

Imagine a world where when you feel sick, you don't have to search your symptoms on the Internet for hours, only to discover your symptoms point towards some severe condition. We've all been there. Modern medicine, in general, is relatively ineffective at recognizing chronic conditions. Even scarier, current treatment is exceptionally inefficient at treating these chronic conditions. Is the answer better medical education? Nano-technology? More expenditure on healthcare? For me, the answer may not appear even relevant to healthcare. Supercomputers. Supercomputers are precisely what the word implies: regular computers with the processing power to run unfathomable algorithms at a supersonic speed. How are complicated algorithms related to healthcare? To find this out, we need only look at previous usages of tracking technology in prior diseases, outbreaks, etc. Technology is almost always utilized to establish the incidence of illness or epidemics in specific areas to follow what correlating factors may be present to establish a possible cause. Supercomputers would accomplish the same thing, establishing correlations, but with much more sophisticated technologies. Eventually, as we see in the world of artificial intelligence, supercomputers would be able to develop their algorithms for recognizing exactly where future outbreaks will occur and what leads to the event of epidemics. Other areas that could be identifiable with complex algorithms created by supercomputers are what factors lead to cancer, among numerous other diseases. To compare a world like this with our earlier example, imagine you start to feel sick, and you look your symptoms up on a site that utilizes a supercomputer-generated algorithm. Once you look your signs up and personal characteristics, the algorithm looks at what diseases are common in your demographic area, in your ethnic group, and based on your symptoms. It's unfortunate, but the algorithm points towards developing cancer. The algorithm then recommends tests to undergo, so you schedule an appointment with your physician. The physician runs a diagnostic test for cancer and finds a benign tumor. Your physician removes the tumor, and it's then tested in a lab that is again controlled by a supercomputer. The results return that this type of tumor is commonly not noticed and typically becomes cancerous if untreated. Additionally, the algorithm suggests lifestyle changes correlated with a low risk of developing this specific form of cancer. There is no false diagnosis or pre-emptive treatments in this world with supercomputer algorithms. This increased effectiveness would lead to incredible savings on healthcare expenditure, better treatments for patients, and longer quality of life for those suffering severe illness. I am incredibly excited and grateful to live in a time where this technology and its subsequent effects are more than possible.

"I can't do this." I've heard this in my head numerous times. More accurately, thousands of times. Insecurity in my abilities is something I've always struggled with. Throughout high school, I didn't attempt to be successful. I believed, deep in my mind, no matter how much I tried, I wouldn't be successful. In my mind, a failure with gigantic aspirations was all I was. Barely passing high school while taking the least challenging possible courses. After graduating high school, I had a paradigm shift. I realized I was on my own, and no one would help me. I accepted I was going nowhere in life, and I had to start somewhere. I enrolled in a local community college, not knowing if I could handle the courses or not. I also played college baseball for the first time since Little League in 6th grade. I finished my first semester of college on the Dean's list and the second with the same achievement. For the first time in my life, I thought, "I can do this. On my own." With newfound confidence in my abilities, I enrolled in Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) school, and my academic and personal development continued. I finished my first semester with a 3.75 GPA, more close friendships than I could've ever asked for, and a new passion for healthcare. I discovered a visceral passion for caring for those in need throughout their journey. With this passion came powerful feelings of gratitude and confidence in my ability to impact the world and those around me. I continued to work as a PTA in a rehabilitation hospital as I transferred to a Pre-Physician Assistant program to continue my passion for medicine. I'm challenged daily, but I've conquered every day, just as I will conquer anything in front of me.

In November of 2019, I had finally started treating patients on my own in Physical Therapy at a rehabilitation hospital. The first few months were a huge adjustment for me, but I had no idea what was still awaiting me in a few more months. It was December 2019 when I had first heard about the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China. I had signed up to participate in a medical mission trip to San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala, with a team of fellow university students as pre-health majors. We prepared for months for this trip, meeting, praying, and training. I was incredibly nervous to even sign up for the service trip. I was never on a plane or even out of the country before. It was a giant leap for me but a mission I was incredibly passionate about. The night we were set to meet together at 3:45 AM at campus and travel together to the airport, we got devastating news. The first case of COVID-19 had reached our county, and the campus administration had decided it was a safety risk for my team and those we were to serve in the small village in Guatemala. I was distraught at first. I had put so much courage into signing up, training, and preparing for this trip. Now it was all lost. Although, I realized I could use this to my advantage and recognized my commitment to humanitarian aid and my desire to serve underrepresented communities had only grown stronger. In April 2020, my grandma was progressively getting sicker each day. We didn't think anything of it at first, as COVID-19 hadn't been prominent in our county yet. Then, when she could barely get out of bed, we became extremely worried. She went to get tested that day, and a few days later, the results came back. Positive for COVID-19. My grandma is my rock and my foundation for my motivation. Being raised by a single mother, she was always there for my mother and me. When I was 18, she took me in, and I've lived with her since. I was beyond terrified when I seriously considered the idea of losing my grandmother to COVID-19. Her sickness peaked nearly a week in when she didn't get out of bed all day, very unlike her. Then, she gradually got better with each day. I learned to tell my family I love them every day after this incident, as you never know when the person you see every day might not be there to greet you in the morning. My grandma was safe, and in May 2019, I came back to work at the rehabilitation hospital. I worked with recovering COVID-19 patients nearly every day at the hospital. Young or old, no one was safe from the heartache brought on by that dreaded year. One patient had contracted COVID-19 at work and spread the infection to his mother and wife. As he was fighting for his own life in the ICU, he had to deal with the loss of the only family he knew, his caring mother and beloved wife. I'll never forget 2020. Not only because of the trauma I experienced on my own, or even through the stories of others who were forced to face the unimaginable, but also for the growth I experienced. I learned to be grateful for my family every day and always treat others with the utmost respect as you never know what someone else is going through. Most importantly, my commitment to medicine and serving others was strengthened and empowered like never before.

Imagine a world where when you feel sick, you don't have to search your symptoms on the Internet for hours, only to discover your symptoms point towards some severe condition. We've all been there. Modern medicine, in general, is relatively ineffective at recognizing chronic conditions. Even scarier, current treatment is exceptionally inefficient at treating these chronic conditions. Is the answer better medical education? Nano-technology? More expenditure on healthcare? For me, the answer may not appear even relevant to healthcare. Supercomputers. Supercomputers are precisely what the word implies: regular computers with the processing power to run unfathomable algorithms at a supersonic speed. How are complicated algorithms related to healthcare? To find this out, we need only look at previous usages of tracking technology in prior diseases, outbreaks, etc. Technology is almost always utilized to establish the incidence of illness or epidemics in specific areas to follow what correlating factors may be present to establish a possible cause. Supercomputers would accomplish the same thing, establishing correlations, but with much more sophisticated technologies. Eventually, as we see in the world of artificial intelligence, supercomputers would be able to develop their algorithms for recognizing exactly where future outbreaks will occur and what leads to the event of epidemics. Other areas that could be identifiable with complex algorithms created by supercomputers are what factors lead to cancer, among numerous other diseases. To compare a world like this with our earlier example, imagine you start to feel sick, and you look your symptoms up on a site that utilizes a supercomputer-generated algorithm. Once you look your signs up and personal characteristics, the algorithm looks at what diseases are common in your demographic area, in your ethnic group, and based on your symptoms. It's unfortunate, but the algorithm points towards developing cancer. The algorithm then recommends tests to undergo, so you schedule an appointment with your physician. The physician runs a diagnostic test for cancer and finds a benign tumor. Your physician removes the tumor, and it's then tested in a lab that is again controlled by a supercomputer. The results return that this type of tumor is commonly not noticed and typically becomes cancerous if untreated. Additionally, the algorithm suggests lifestyle changes correlated with a low risk of developing this specific form of cancer. There is no false diagnosis or pre-emptive treatments in this world with supercomputer algorithms. This increased effectiveness would lead to incredible savings on healthcare expenditure, better treatments for patients, and longer quality of life for those suffering severe illness. I am incredibly excited and grateful to live in a time where this technology and its subsequent effects are more than possible.

Practicing gratitude is a crucial component of a happy life, and the keyword there is practice. Being grateful daily is far from easy and something I've struggled with personally throughout my life. I experience days of extreme gratefulness, yet other days feel as if I have nothing to be grateful for. This is likely due to my lofty ambitions and tendency to be unforgiving when goals aren't met. However, I recognize that I need to have a system to live with gratitude. I live with gratitude and appreciate everything I have by journaling, reflecting, and serving others. I've continuously done journaling for over five years now, and it's made a big difference in how I view every day. Mainly, I focus on activities I did during my day and how I felt those days. Paying attention to how I felt made me realize how good my life is. I have many, many, many more good days than I would have ever imagined. Of course, there were also terrible days, weeks, and even months, but overall, I predominantly experienced good days. It's allowed me to feel grateful even on rough days, as I know bad days are the minority. Reflection or thinking about my past challenges and successes similarly improves my gratitude. It's easy to forget how far we've come, and when it's put into perspective - it can have a profound impact on our mental health. Finally, I find gratitude in my life through the service as others, in community service, and as a healthcare provider. Currently, I work in a rehabilitation hospital as a Physical Therapist Assistant and walk with patients through arduous journeys of recovering from debilitating strokes, crushing heart attacks, and other devastating injuries. I will continue this service as a Physician Assistant in the future.

It's been debated for centuries, a mysterious and profound event - what we call life. Even more paradoxical is the meaning of life. I've spent a decent portion of my life contemplating the meaning of life, more specifically, the purpose of my life. Growing up, I felt a lack of meaning. Raised by a single parent in a low-income area, many in my community had experienced the same hardships. I discovered what I view as the meaning of life throughout my growing years in a desolate community, primarily thanks to my interest in the medical field. To feel purpose in my life, I found that I would give life to others. In my life, I plan to and achieve this through serving in communities as a volunteer and medical provider. My primary interest in service and as a Physician Assistant is in underserved communities, such as my own. Giving others life means providing others with what's essential and what makes up life. This could mean instilling purpose in others, giving others hope in desolate situations, or even saving a life through medical practice. I plan to achieve these items throughout my journey as a medical provider and community member. Essentially, what brings me purpose in life is assisting others in finding their purpose. I adamantly believe, to provide life to others is to give meaning to others' lives.

"I think we are lost," I said to Victoria, one of my team members, while preparing for a service trip in the local community - an underserved, low-income area. The service trip was through Marywood University's alternative break program, and NeighborWorks, an organization focused on local community restoration in underserved communities, is whom we were serving. We were all incredibly excited to serve the community, but I had never expected to be impacted by this experience before it officially started. Victoria and I were completing a pre-trip team-building activity – a scavenger hunt. We were struggling to find an envelope, and when we finally located it, I was shocked to read the envelope's contents. There was a note, a success story of sorts. The note was from a young man, Miguel. Miguel told a story about him and his brother's experience through another program offered by Marywood, Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS), and the impact it made in their lives. Miguel talked about how he had no idea what he would do after graduating high school or how to apply to college. Additionally, he said his younger brother experienced the same thing and had an overall lack of confidence. As I read the letter out loud to Victoria, my voice cracked. The letter was from the older brother of the teenager I mentored and tutored in STARS, which focuses on students mentoring and tutoring Latino youth in the Scranton area. In medicine, we do not often see our service's effects on others. It was an incredibly insightful and rewarding experience to hear firsthand the program's impact. Miguel stated he was actively applying to colleges. His younger brother (whom I was the assigned mentor for) also showed an interest in college he had never mentioned before. The shock and emotional impact of reading the contents of that envelope stuck with me throughout our service activity. Beforehand, I had doubted my ability to impact underserved communities. Although I was confident I could connect with them, having grown up in their shoes in a low-income, underserved area, I often second-guessed the program's overall impact. Now I understand the impact I can have in communities and acknowledge my limitations, and I now recognize, it takes the power of a community to change a community. While my team and I were serving the elderly individual, Debra, through NeighborWorks, numerous community members stopped by to talk or trade household items with her. Although I saw the impact we had in the community, improving Debra's confidence and safety in her home, I recognized that what kept Debra safe was the community that cared for her. I plan to utilize this knowledge I found through service to excel my ability to improve the communities and individuals I serve as a family medicine Physician Assistant through the National Health Service Corps. Community service hours (Primary organizations): Marywood Campus Ministry (Guatemala Medical Mission Trip, NeighborWorks neighborhood restoration, Mountain Top Tennessee trip (Around 100 hours)); National Society of Leadership and Success, Marywood (Vice-President & Community Service Chair (Around 100 hours)); Wyoming Valley Habitat For Humanity (30 hours); RedCross (Disaster Action Team, Feeding Team Lead, Biomedical Services Team) (100 hours); Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (50 hours); PreHealthShadowing.com (30 hours); MedTalks (Online Community for Pre-Health students, Volunteer Services Director (30 hours)); Other experiences (50 hours)... Total: 490 hours (within the past 4 years).

I had difficulty finding and keeping a doctor as a youth, and my health suffered for years. I've become extremely passionate about serving patients in medically underserved communities, reaching out to children in those communities who may lack a sense of purpose in their lives, like me as a child, and helping them walk through their journey and realize their potential. I look forward to serving those in need through the National Health Service Corps in primary care, especially people within my locality. This opportunity is specifically significant for me as someone who grew up in a healthcare deficit, low-income community and was raised within a single-parent household. Being from a marginalized area, I strongly desire to pay it forward and be a role model for others from impoverished environments. For instance, I volunteered with Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS) at Marywood University, where I tutored and mentored Latinx youths from the Scranton area. This experience gave me greater insight into an individual's impact on others. One of the students mentored was noticeably shy and anxious around others. Though we came from different backgrounds and ethnicities, I saw qualities of myself in him. We worked to help him set goals, career aspirations and define who he aspires to be. It was an extraordinary experience to influence someone, and I recognized my struggles and watched them grow. As a future PA, I passionately look forward to similar moments where I get the opportunity to have a positive influence on patients' lives while providing support and care through their adversities. Along with directly serving underserved communities as a Physician Assistant, I plan to advocate for fair, equitable healthcare. I hold several leadership positions currently at Marywood University, including vice-president of an honor society, and plan to continue leadership in PA organizations.

The PA profession appeals to me for an array of reasons. One of the main reasons I look forward to becoming a physician assistant is the opportunity to work in primary care in an underserved area. Although PAs can navigate specialties without further formal training, their education is taught as generalists from a primary care approach. I look forward to serving those in need through the National Health Service Corps in primary care, especially people within my locality. This opportunity is specifically significant for me as someone who grew up in a healthcare deficit, low-income community and was raised within a single-parent household. Being from a marginalized area, I strongly desire to pay it forward and be a role model for others from impoverished environments. For instance, I volunteered with Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS) at Marywood University, where I tutored and mentored Latinx youths from the Scranton area. This experience gave me greater insight into an individual's impact on others. One of the students mentored was noticeably shy and anxious around others. Though we came from different backgrounds and ethnicities, I saw qualities of myself in him. We worked to help him set goals, career aspirations and define who he aspires to be. It was an extraordinary experience to influence someone, and I recognized my struggles and watched them grow. As a future PA, I passionately look forward to similar moments where I get the opportunity to have a positive influence on patients' lives while providing support and care through their adversities. Along with directly serving underserved communities as a Physician Assistant, I plan to be involved with advocacy efforts to promote fair, equitable healthcare. I hold several leadership positions currently at Marywood University, including vice-president of an honor society, and plan to continue leadership in PA organizations.

Throughout the history of humans, nature has been a cruel and unforgiving place. Numerous people have ventured off into nature and never returned. It can be a terrifying, isolated place. Despite this, it remains a place of solace and sacrality to many people over the millennia. The importance of nature has never been more crucial than today. It's a paradox that despite the rampant loneliness present in society today, we seek the isolation of nature. Growing up in the mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania, I've grown accustomed to spending time in nature. I've had my fair share of emotional challenges, and nature has provided me with relief. My friends and I always spent time in nature; it was our "hangout spot," while most teenagers were shopping at the local mall. For many, nature is simply a place of relaxation. To me, nature is a place of excitement, adventure, and challenge. I've been lost in nature before, followed by a black bear, even attacked by a militant group of bugs, and I loved every second of it. Unlike challenges in the "corporate world," difficulties in nature come and go. Once you solve the problem, generally, the issue is gone. These challenges provide me with pleasure from spending time in nature. I greatly enjoy hiking through nature, focusing on challenging routes with an awe-inspiring view. Additionally, I feel a sense of purpose while hiking, as I try to clean up as much trash as possible while hiking.

My family has always noted my creativity. While most kids my age were playing video games, I created my own. While I wasn't quite capable of coding video games at eight years old, I still had a great imagination. I would create games that involved intricate ranks, levels, power-ups, etc. I would drive my family crazy because I wanted to play them every day, but I only understood what was happening. This creativity continued into my teenage life, except with more lofty but mature aspirations. I'd spent a lot of time researching problems the world experienced. I mean YouTube and Wikipedia by research, and I focused primarily on poverty and the rampant medical crisis (I was experiencing both). At 14 years old, I saw more than the average teenager would see. While I was disgusted at many things I saw during my research, my creativity persevered. The reality of the natural world is something I think deters adults from experiencing the same level of creativity they had growing up. It's easy to be creative when you have the whole 168 hours a week, but when you start working 40 of those, take care of kids for the rest. Successful people in life don't lose this childhood creativity; these are the world leaders, entrepreneurs, artists, and actors. Now, I'm 23, and my creativity, while it's been challenged, has only grown stronger. I still hold some of the same aspirations I saved as a child, albeit a bit more realistic. No more rockets develop to discover aliens. I'm developing a few businesses while working three jobs, attending school full-time, and participating in several community service organizations. My primary business revolves around inspiring future medical providers and helping them get accepted to school, mostly Physician Assistant schools. The other is selling online items.

Throughout the years, I've attended three colleges. My grade point average had improved at each one, from a 3.6 to 3.75, to finally, a 3.9. While in high school, I had no study strategies, and when I first enrolled in community college, I had to start from scratch. I began simply taking notes in class and reviewing with flashcards. This method worked until I transferred to Penn State Hazleton in the Physical Therapist Assistant program. I was shocked to receive my first quiz grade back, I don't remember the exact grade now, but it was the lowest I've ever received in college. I knew something had to change, so I began using the site Quizlet to study. I would take notes in class, print PowerPoint slides, highlight the book and slides, and input all my notes into Quizlet when I got home. After graduating in 2019, I transferred to Marywood University. Another shock, I had several courses I'd never taken before at Marywood, not even in high school. I was taking chemistry for the first time. I struggled initially, but thanks to the care of my professor, I made it through and have finished all my chemistry courses with an A. This past semester, I received my first ever 4.0. My study strategies have come a long way, and I have an intricate system currently. I always print the PowerPoint slides before class, take notes in class, after class input my notes into Quizlet, write and highlight on the slide. Next, I review the material every day and utilize all the features of Quizlet to study the material actively. Then, before an exam, I highlight the essential material in blue and create an index card with the key concepts. This strategy has allowed me to excel in my studies.

I strive to live a life of purpose. While I have many personal goals, I try to include impacting others' lives in my aspirations. Because of this, many of my bucket list goals revolve around the field of medicine or service. Career accomplishments aren't generally regarded as bucket list material, so I'll focus on the extracurricular activities I'd like to accomplish throughout my career as a Physician Assistant. Aside from serving in an underserved community as a medical provider, I'd like to participate in humanitarian aid and disaster relief in the United States and overseas. I've always been passionate about traveling the world, but not visiting the Eifel Tower in France or basking in the Bahamas. I want to serve and leave an impact on the lives and communities of those I meet. In 2019, Shortly before the Coronavirus pandemic plagued the globe, I signed up to participate in a medical mission trip to San Lucas Tolimán through the campus ministry at Marywood University. This trip was an activity I always wanted to attend but felt unprepared as I had never traveled outside the country. However, I seized the opportunity without hesitation when I saw the sign-up stand during the activities fair. I was overwhelmed by a desire to give back to the world that has done so much for me. I was incredibly excited and nervous simultaneously. Unfortunately, Marywood informed us that they had decided to cancel the trip the same night my team was ready to leave due to rising coronavirus cases within the country. I was greatly disappointed, yet the deep feeling I had when I signed up never faded but only grew more vigorously. Along with traveling the world to provide medical aid and support to communities, I'd like to promote fair and equitable healthcare.

In its Latin origins, the word honesty was initially meant to mean honor or respectability. It was a term reserved for the most respected amongst a community, a term of nobility and respect. Unfortunately, as Old English has fizzled into the modern English we know today, so has honesty. With the rise of social media, we attempt to portray ourselves as not representative of who we are. Like Latin, honesty and speaking our minds has become a relic of the past. I've always stayed true to who I am and where I'm at in life, with others, but more importantly, myself. Being true to yourself allows you to recognize where you lack energy and focus on continual improvement. When you're true to yourself, you naturally speak your mind to others. I know what my insecurities are, and I accept them. I'm not ashamed to admit my insecurities to others. I can't be affected by the statements of others because I take responsibility for my downfalls. I always stay honest with my friends and loved ones without being blatantly rude. There is a fine line between disrespect and honesty, and we must recognize how to communicate with others in a constructive way rather than a destructive one. I've seen friends who hold "honesty" as one of their core values destroy relationships. I've also seen lives changed because someone said something that nobody dared or cared enough to say. I practice honesty in my daily life to be a better, more understanding person, friend, and medical provider.

have yet to find a tunnel that doesn't have light at the end. I work as a Physical Therapist Assistant (per-diem) in a rehabilitation hospital. Doing physical therapy, I feel a sense of impact and gratitude to improve another person's life. Walking with others through their darkest times in certain situations brings me an immense amount of purpose. Throughout my daily life, I sometimes feel a lack of passion. I feel fulfilled while working with patients and the other fantastic healthcare providers I'm blessed to work alongside. Not only is my simple pleasure a stress relief (a break from worrying about school work), it also gives me confidence and satisfaction with my life and who I am. I'm constantly challenged and focus on improving myself as an individual daily through the service of others. I've recognized areas while working where I can improve, such as in my compassion, communication, knowledge, etc. The ability to see progress in all of these every time I work and serve is incredibly fulfilling. Not only do I get to see improvement in my own life, but I get to see others progress through severe conditions like strokes, aneurysms, amputations, cancer, and more. I meet new people every day, and the vast majority are incredibly kind. It's truly an honor to work with people every day that restore my hope for the good of humanity. In the end, I hope to allow others to find that light at the end of the tunnel.

What provides me with relaxation is something many people may not think. Why? It's something most people find relaxation outside of - working. I work as a Physical Therapist Assistant (per-diem) in a rehabilitation hospital. I struggle with frequent self-consciousness and feelings of inadequacy. Initially, I had chosen the field of healthcare to serve others. Doing physical therapy, I feel a sense of impact and gratitude that I can improve another person's life. Throughout my daily life, I sometimes feel a lack of passion. I feel fulfilled while working with patients and the other fantastic healthcare providers I'm blessed to work alongside. Not only is my simple pleasure a stress relief (a break from worrying about school work), it also gives me confidence and satisfaction with my life and who I am. Working as a healthcare provider constantly challenges me and allows me to improve myself as an individual daily. I've recognized areas while working where I can improve, such as in my compassion, communication, knowledge, etc. The ability to see progress in all of these every time I work is incredibly fulfilling. Not only do I get to see improvement in my own life, but I get to see others progress through severe conditions like strokes, aneurysms, amputations, cancer, and more. I meet new people every day, and the vast majority are incredibly kind. It's truly an honor to work with people every day that restore my hope for the good of humanity.

As a future medical provider, I recognize the importance of being an active listener to the patients I serve. I also recognize the importance of doing the same with my family and loved ones. As a Physical Therapist Assistant, I always pay full attention to the patient I'm working with and value their conversation, no matter the topic. I've found that regardless of the topic of the conversation, the meaning remains significant. I try to allow patients time to talk about whatever they'd like, and I notice it immediately changes the patient's attitude. One patient I worked with demonstrated this well, and other providers warned me about his behavior. He wasn't talkative and was critical of everyone, they told me. I never let what anyone means to define my view of an individual; I always treat them like anyone else and decide for myself. As I began to work with him, I noticed what my co-workers had said had some merit. However, I still pushed through despite the challenges. I asked him question after question, and he appeared to dodge everyone. Finally, I asked if he had any children. He admitted he doesn't talk to his children often (2 boys) but demonstrated a level of enthusiasm when talking about his kids he never showed anyone before. Everyone was amazed by the rapport I had built with him. The secret was I listened to him. Not only did I hear, but I showed that I was interested in what he had to say. He continued his story that he was close with his children until his wife and him divorced, and then he drifted from his family. I realized, in the end, all he needed was someone to listen.

What provides me with happiness is something many people may not think. Why? It's something most people find pleasure outside of - working. I work as a Physical Therapist Assistant (per-diem) in a rehabilitation hospital. I struggle with frequent self-consciousness and feelings of inadequacy. Initially, I had chosen the field of healthcare to serve others. Doing physical therapy, I feel a sense of impact and gratitude that I can improve another person's life. Throughout my daily life, I sometimes feel a lack of passion. I feel fulfilled while working with patients and the other fantastic healthcare providers I'm blessed to work alongside. Not only is my simple pleasure a stress relief (a break from worrying about school work), it also gives me confidence and satisfaction with my life and who I am. Working as a healthcare provider constantly challenges me and allows me to improve myself as an individual daily. I've recognized areas while working where I can improve, such as in my compassion, communication, knowledge, etc. The ability to see progress in all of these every time I work is incredibly fulfilling. Not only do I get to see improvement in my own life, but I get to see others progress through severe conditions like strokes, aneurysms, amputations, cancer, and more. I meet new people every day, and the vast majority are incredibly kind. It's truly an honor to work with people every day that restore my hope for the good of humanity.

I had difficulty finding and keeping a doctor as a youth, and my health suffered for years. I've become extremely passionate about serving patients in medically underserved communities, reaching out to children in those communities who may lack a sense of purpose in their lives, like me as a child, and helping them walk through their journey and realize their potential. I look forward to serving those in need through the National Health Service Corps in primary care, especially people within my locality. This opportunity is specifically significant for me as someone who grew up in a healthcare deficit, low-income community and was raised within a single-parent household. Being from a marginalized area, I strongly desire to pay it forward and be a role model for others from impoverished environments. For instance, I volunteered with Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS) at Marywood University, where I tutored and mentored Latinx youths from the Scranton area. This experience gave me greater insight into an individual's impact on others. One of the students mentored was noticeably shy and anxious around others. Though we came from different backgrounds and ethnicities, I saw qualities of myself in him. We worked to help him set goals, career aspirations and define who he aspires to be. It was an extraordinary experience to influence someone, and I recognized my struggles and watched them grow. As a future PA, I passionately look forward to similar moments where I get the opportunity to have a positive influence on patients' lives while providing support and care through their adversities. Along with directly serving underserved communities as a Physician Assistant, I plan to advocate for fair, equitable healthcare. I hold several leadership positions currently at Marywood University, including vice-president of an honor society, and plan to continue leadership in PA organizations.

"Hello, Emily? Yes, I'm very sorry but I'm going to be slightly late today". That's what I left as a voicemail after I nervously listened to that short, abrupt tone denoting someone's not available right now. I already had felt way out of my comfort zone, having just left an interview for a medical mission trip to San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala as a Pre-Physician Assistant student. The interview went overtime, and now about to be slightly late to my first day of volunteering with a student organization, Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS). Where, with fellow undergraduate students, mentored and tutored Latino youth in the Scranton area. One of the students mentored was noticeably shy and anxious around others. Though we came from different backgrounds and ethnicities, I saw qualities of myself in him. We worked to help him set goals, career aspirations and define who he aspires to be. I passionately look forward to moments where I get the opportunity to influence patients' lives. Raised in a single-parent, low-income household, I consider myself extremely grateful for my experiences growing up. Experiencing the ins and outs of the medical and hospital systems at a young age to experiencing the effects of a lack of available healthcare. My own experience growing up in an underserved area has inspired me to give back as a Physician Assistant and pursue a medical career in a health-deficit area. I look forward to serving those in need through the National Health Service Corps in primary care, especially people within my locality. Being from a marginalized area, I have a strong desire to pay it forward and be a role model for others who come from underserved or destitute environments, within the United States as well as abroad through continued participation in medical mission trips.

I have had an array of service, healthcare, leadership, and extracurricular activities. As a first-generation student, it is important to me to graduate and instill purpose in the lives of others through working in medicine and mentoring others like I have through numerous volunteering and leadership experiences. One of these is with the National Society of Leadership and Success. I worked my way up from an inducted member to Community Service chair and now Vice President, where I have developed many projects for 700+ members. I believe in working harder than everyone else to achieve what I want. My motivation for this work ethic is to help my family financially and reach my dream of expanding healthcare to those in need in my community, the country, and abroad. At Marywood, I was involved in fundraising with Campus Ministry for aid in San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala. Although my team and I did not travel to Guatemala to assist the local medical providers due to the pandemic, we raised over $12,000! This contribution proved to be much needed, as the impact of the coronavirus became pronounced in Guatemala. In the future, I plan to work with a government or non-profit agency to travel the world and provide medical care to those in need or recovering from disasters. I have applied to at least one scholarship nearly every week, worked two jobs for almost two years, attended college full-time while commuting for 5+ years, and plan to work with the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) after PA school. The NHSC program involves working in a healthcare deficit area as a PA in family medicine for two years. With the assistance of this scholarship, I will continue to do just that and give back to others.

"I can't do this." I've heard this in my head numerous times. More accurately, thousands of times. Insecurity in my abilities is something I've always struggled with. Throughout high school, I didn't attempt to be successful. I believed, deep in my mind, no matter how much I tried, I wouldn't be successful. In my mind, a failure with gigantic aspirations was all I was. Barely passing high school while taking the least challenging possible courses. After graduating high school, I had a paradigm shift. I realized I was on my own, and no one would help me. I accepted I was going nowhere in life, and I had to start somewhere. I enrolled in a local community college, not knowing if I could handle the courses or not. I also played college baseball for the first time since Little League in 6th grade. I finished my first semester of college on the Dean's list and the second with the same achievement. For the first time in my life, I thought, "I can do this. On my own." With newfound confidence in my abilities, I enrolled in Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) school, and my academic and personal development continued. I finished my first semester with a 3.75 GPA, more close friendships than I could've ever asked for, and a new passion for healthcare. I discovered a visceral passion for caring for those in need throughout their journey. With this passion came powerful feelings of gratitude and confidence in my ability to impact the world and those around me. I continued to work as a PTA in a rehabilitation hospital as I transferred to a Pre-Physician Assistant program to continue my passion for medicine. I'm challenged daily, but I've conquered every day, just as I will conquer anything in front of me.

"You can only change when YOU change who YOU are." Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher, also called "The Obscure," once said, "Change is the only constant." Despite taxes and death being considered the only guarantees in life, the actual guarantee is change. Every being in existence, and even mere existence itself will undeniably change. There are many things to fear in this world, many contributing factors to the rampant mental health and disorder in the world today. The pandemic, war, and violence are all factors that cause mass hysteria and fear. Underlying all of these factors, however, is the fear of change. The fear that one day you will age, your marriage may not be the same, one day, you may lose a loved one. However, if we consciously accept that change is always unavoidable, we can begin to find some semblance of peace in a constantly dynamic world. Beyond this, this quote has also allowed me to accept personality responsibility to change my life. I used to think, "I can't change, this is just who I am," until I realized who I depend on How I define myself. I have always identified as "the shy kid throughout my life." No matter what experience I had which proved otherwise. I always went back to my old habits. It was only until I discovered that I controlled who I was. When I made up my mind I wasn't a shy kid, I began to see a big difference in my daily interactions. Many others experience a similar phenomenon, constantly bringing them back to their old ways, no matter how fast they attempt to run away from the person they are. However, this quote teaches us, it's not about who you think you are but who you know you are.

"I can't do this." I've heard this in my head numerous times. More accurately, thousands of times. Insecurity in my abilities is something I've always struggled with. Throughout high school, I didn't attempt to be successful. I believed, deep in my mind, no matter how much I tried, I wouldn't be successful. In my mind, a failure with gigantic aspirations was all I was. Barely passing high school while taking the least challenging possible courses. After graduating high school, I had a paradigm shift. I realized I was on my own, and no one would help me. I accepted I was going nowhere in life, and I had to start somewhere. I enrolled in a local community college, not knowing if I could handle the courses or not. I also played college baseball for the first time since Little League in 6th grade. I finished my first semester of college on the Dean's list and the second with the same achievement. For the first time in my life, I thought, "I can do this. On my own." With newfound confidence in my abilities, I enrolled in Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) school, and my academic and personal development continued. I finished my first semester with a 3.75 GPA, more close friendships than I could've ever asked for, and a new passion for healthcare. I discovered a visceral passion for caring for those in need throughout their journey. With this passion came powerful feelings of gratitude and confidence in my ability to impact the world and those around me. I continued to work as a PTA in a rehabilitation hospital as I transferred to a Pre-Physician Assistant program to continue my passion for medicine. I'm challenged daily, but I've conquered every day, just as I will conquer anything in front of me.

As a future medical provider, I recognize the importance of being an active listener to the patients I serve. I also recognize the importance of doing the same with my family and loved ones. As a Physical Therapist Assistant, I always pay full attention to the patient I'm working with and value their conversation, no matter the topic. I've found that regardless of the topic of the conversation, the meaning remains significant. I try to allow patients time to talk about whatever they'd like, and I notice it immediately changes the patient's attitude. One patient I worked with demonstrated this well, and other providers warned me about his behavior. He wasn't talkative and was critical of everyone, they told me. I never let what anyone means to define my view of an individual; I always treat them like anyone else and decide for myself. As I began to work with him, I noticed what my co-workers had said had some merit. However, I still pushed through despite the challenges. I asked him question after question, and he appeared to dodge everyone. Finally, I asked if he had any children. He admitted he doesn't talk to his children often (2 boys) but demonstrated a level of enthusiasm when talking about his kids he never showed anyone before. Everyone was amazed by the rapport I had built with him. The secret was I listened to him. Not only did I hear, but I showed that I was interested in what he had to say. He continued his story that he was close with his children until his wife and him divorced, and then he drifted from his family. I realized, in the end, all he needed was someone to listen.

As a future medical provider, I recognize the importance of being an active listener to the patients I serve. I know what it's like to feel unheard by a medical professional, and I yearn never to put a patient I work with in that situation. As a Physical Therapist Assistant, I always pay full attention to the patient I'm working with and value their conversation, no matter the topic. I've found that regardless of the topic of the conversation, the meaning remains significant. I try to allow patients time to talk about whatever they'd like, and I notice it immediately changes the patient's attitude. One patient I worked with demonstrated this well, and other providers warned me about his behavior. He wasn't talkative and was critical of everyone, they told me. I never let what anyone means to define my view of an individual; I always treat them like anyone else and decide for myself. As I began to work with him, I noticed what my co-workers had said had some merit. However, I still pushed through despite the challenges. I asked him question after question, and he appeared to dodge everyone. Finally, I asked if he had any children. He admitted he doesn't talk to his children often (2 boys) but demonstrated a level of enthusiasm when talking about his kids he never showed anyone before. Everyone was amazed by the rapport I had built with him. The secret was I listened to him. Not only did I hear, but I showed that I was interested in what he had to say. He continued his story that he was close with his children until his wife and him divorced, and then he drifted from his family. I realized, in the end, all he needed was someone to listen.

What provides me with happiness is something many people may not think. Why? It's something most people find pleasure outside of - working. I work as a Physical Therapist Assistant (per-diem) in a rehabilitation hospital. I struggle with frequent self-consciousness and feelings of inadequacy. Initially, I had chosen the field of healthcare to serve others. Doing physical therapy, I feel a sense of impact and gratitude that I can improve another person's life. Throughout my daily life, I sometimes feel a lack of passion. I feel fulfilled while working with patients and the other fantastic healthcare providers I'm blessed to work alongside. Not only is my simple pleasure a stress relief (a break from worrying about school work), it also gives me confidence and satisfaction with my life and who I am. Working as a healthcare provider constantly challenges me and allows me to improve myself as an individual daily. I've recognized areas while working where I can improve, such as in my compassion, communication, knowledge, etc. The ability to see progress in all of these every time I work is incredibly fulfilling. Not only do I get to see improvement in my own life, but I get to see others progress through severe conditions like strokes, aneurysms, amputations, cancer, and more. I meet new people every day, and the vast majority are incredibly kind. It's truly an honor to work with people every day that restore my hope for the good of humanity.

I was accustomed to navigating the entanglement of wires and tolerating the continuous dissonance of alarms. However, immediately upon entering this patient’s room, I noticed something was different. There was a whiteboard on the table next to the intubated man. It had appeared heavily used, stained with remnants of marker ink. He was in the end stages of esophageal cancer, and his throat, mouth, and face were so swollen that he could not talk, see, and barely hear. He had been swiftly declining in the last few days, and when I met him, he was unable to write to communicate. His only communication with me was thumbs up or down motions. However, I could not help but feel a deep, overwhelming responsibility and passion in furthering my education and being at the forefront of providing patient care. I was determined to offer all I could for this patient. In the ICU particularly, I paid attention to the PAs working there and admired their availability and compassion for the patients. As a PA, I recognized I would have the ability to offer a scope-of-care that mirrored what I wanted to provide to patients – emergency and primary care in underserved communities. My choice to pursue a career in medicine was one I had not expected growing up. I had an arduous experience early on finding a sense of purpose. I did not have any interests in school and coincidentally did not take any science courses in high school. After extensive research and planning, I found PTA school to be the next stepping stone for me. It was difficult for me to adjust to college-level learning, as I had never studied effectively in high school. However, I was able to finish my first semester with a 3.75 GPA. For the first time, I truly believed in myself, and medicine began to pervade my life. I was allowed the blessing to communicate and provide for those in need. I recognized that medicine has the potential to supply the purpose I had relentlessly searched for all those years. From my first clinical experience as a PTA student, I found an incredible amount of meaning for guiding my patients to a better and more functional life. Though, in a path to further my career, through research and personal experiences with PAs, I found that my true passion and the impact I want to have on my future patients would come from becoming a physician assistant. The PA profession appeals to me for an array of reasons. One of the main reasons I look forward to becoming a physician assistant is the opportunity to work in primary care in an underserved area. I look forward to serving those in need through the National Health Service Corps in primary care, especially people within my locality. This opportunity is specifically significant for me as someone who grew up in a health-care deficit, low-income community, and raised within a single-parent household. Being from a marginalized area, I have a strong desire to pay it forward and be a role model for others who come from destitute environments. For instance, I volunteered with Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS), where I tutored and mentored Latinx youths in my area. One of the students mentored was noticeably shy and anxious around others. Though we came from different backgrounds and ethnicities, I saw qualities of myself in him. We worked towards his career aspirations and defining who he aspires to be. To further combine my love for the medical field and serving the underserved and humanitarianism, I plan to participate in humanitarian aid missions after PA school. I aspire to work for the United States government in the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure fair, equitable, and sustainable medical services to people in need within the United States. I plan to accomplish this by promoting public health programs whose missions are focused on assisting medically underserved areas and vulnerable populations. Shortly before the Coronavirus pandemic plagued the globe, I signed up to participate in a medical mission trip to San Lucas Tolimán through Marywood University. This trip was an activity I always wanted to take part in but felt unprepared as I had never traveled outside the country. However, when I saw the sign-up stand during the activities fair, I seized the opportunity without hesitation. I was overwhelmed by a desire to make a difference in the world. I was incredibly excited and nervous simultaneously. Unfortunately, our trip was canceled the same night my team was ready to leave due to rising coronavirus cases. I was greatly disappointed, yet the deep feeling I had when I first signed up never faded but only grew more vigorously. There are people I have met within the medical profession that has allowed my passion for medicine to be continuously empowered. One of them was a young lady, whom I met while working in a hospital. A recent brain injury had flipped her life upside down. With her mother present every day, we worked her back to the point of being able to walk and communicate effectively with the collaboration of speech therapists. Our team was able to provide for her goes beyond medicine. In one of her darkest moments, we were able to assist with her ability to walk and function normally while bringing her hope back. On the day she was discharged, she told me she was more optimistic than before her grave injury and that her story would make an inspiring personal statement in the future! I agreed with both and wished her the best of luck in her journey, empathizing how grateful I was to play my part in her journey. Medicine has offered me an opportunity to pursue my values in life and given me a strong sense of purpose. I yearn for the experience of making a difference in someone’s life, in turn, creating a difference within my own, and will achieve this as a physician assistant.

I consider myself part of an underrepresented population as someone who grew up in a low-income, single-parent household. While growing through college, I work as much as possible to afford college, as I receive no financial assistance from my family. This challenge has influenced me to have a strong work ethic because I know my success depends on me. I've found a passion through this work ethic by working with patients and serving those in underprivileged communities like my own. Additionally, I am a first-generation student. I had little guidance through high school due to my mother working to support us, and my grades and drive suffered because of that. I didn't have good study habits throughout high school, and I didn't have any study habits. I just scraped by and barely passed some semesters until after graduating high school, when I realized I was heading nowhere. It would amount to nothing if I kept blaming the cards I was dealt. After high school, I decided to take life into my own hands and stop blaming the situation I was born into. Like high school, I had no guidance in college from my family. Of course, it wasn't their fault; it was just the hardships we experienced financially and emotionally. However, this time was different, and I was driven, with a newfound passion for serving those in need. It took a few years of hard work and dedication, but I have perfected my study skills and work ethic. In the past three years of college, I have consistently achieved a 3.9 GPA while participating in various community service activities, working three jobs, and performing pre-requisites for Physician Assistant school. I yearn to instill in others the drive and passion I found through being challenged by adversity. The legacy I aspire to leave behind down my family tree and in the individuals whom I interact with is to use adversity as your fuel. I always refused to take responsibility for my life growing up, and I wasn't focused on my future. Over the years, through the adversity I've faced, I've developed a new sense of responsibility, amongst other things. This sense of responsibility is what's gotten me through challenging moments in my adult life. I'm committed to ensuring my parents do not suffer financially. Additionally, I feel responsible for those I choose to serve through my work (as a future Physician Assistant) and community service. To accomplish this, I know I have to push myself every day to become a better individual and provider. I commonly have mornings I don't want to get up. But I do anyway, for the sake of my aspirations. Aspirations that may decide the future of my family and my legacy. The legacy I will leave behind is refusing to allow adversity to best me, breaking the cycle across my family tree. (The attached picture is of my grandma, who took me in when I had nowhere to go at 18 at showed me what leaving a legacy of unconditional love is and can do for someone who's lost hope).

"Don't worry about it. One day, you can give back to your kid." My stepfather (who I will refer to as dad) always says this to me whenever he stubbornly refuses to let me pay for our food when meeting at a restaurant. This statement has always stuck with me. The meaning goes beyond the simple sentence and transcends into the realm of leaving a legacy behind. My parents are now separated, living under the poverty line. I always refused to take responsibility for my life growing up, and I wasn't focused on my future. Over the years, through the adversity I've faced, I've developed a new sense of responsibility, amongst other things. This sense of responsibility is what's gotten me through challenging moments in my adult life. I'm committed to ensuring my parents do not suffer financially. Additionally, I feel responsible for those I choose to serve through my work (as a future Physician Assistant) and community service. To accomplish this, I know I have to push myself every day to become a better individual and provider. I commonly have mornings I don't want to get up. But I do anyway, for the sake of my aspirations. Aspirations that may decide the future of my family and my legacy.

"Don't worry about it. One day, you can give back to your kid." My stepfather (who I will refer to as dad) always says this to me whenever he stubbornly refuses to let me pay for our food when meeting at a restaurant. This statement has always stuck with me. The meaning goes beyond the simple sentence and transcends into the realm of leaving a legacy behind. My parents are now separated, living under the poverty line. I always refused to take responsibility for my life growing up, and I wasn't focused on my future. Over the years, through the adversity I've faced, I've developed a new sense of responsibility, amongst other things. This sense of responsibility is what's gotten me through challenging moments in my adult life. I'm committed to ensuring my parents do not suffer financially. Additionally, I feel responsible for those I choose to serve through my work (as a future Physician Assistant) and community service. To accomplish this, I know I have to push myself every day to become a better individual and provider. I commonly have mornings I don't want to get up. But I do anyway, for the sake of my aspirations. Aspirations that may decide the future of my family and my legacy.

I have yet to find a tunnel that doesn't have light at the end. I work as a Physical Therapist Assistant (per-diem) in a rehabilitation hospital. Doing physical therapy, I feel a sense of impact and gratitude to improve another person's life. Walking with others through their darkest times in certain situations brings me an immense amount of purpose. Throughout my daily life, I sometimes feel a lack of passion. I feel fulfilled while working with patients and the other fantastic healthcare providers I'm blessed to work alongside. Not only is my simple pleasure a stress relief (a break from worrying about school work), it also gives me confidence and satisfaction with my life and who I am. I'm constantly challenged and focus on improving myself as an individual daily through the service of others. I've recognized areas while working where I can improve, such as in my compassion, communication, knowledge, etc. The ability to see progress in all of these every time I work and serve is incredibly fulfilling. Not only do I get to see improvement in my own life, but I get to see others progress through severe conditions like strokes, aneurysms, amputations, cancer, and more. I meet new people every day, and the vast majority are incredibly kind. It's truly an honor to work with people every day that restore my hope for the good of humanity. In the end, I hope to allow others to find that light at the end of the tunnel.

I grew up without a father figure. Shortly after I was born, my biological father was imprisoned. Because of this, he was absent from my life entirely by the time I was a toddler. My family decided it was best if he was left out of our lives, and there were legal battles early on for custody. However, my mother was given full custody due to my father's criminal history. While growing up, I always chose not to see my biological father, and I never understood what was happening. I didn't know why my father wasn't in my life, but I felt resentment towards him. It was a very personal issue for me as I got older. I noticed almost everyone else had a happy family with both parents, while it was just my mom and me. There was a sense of deep insecurity from this difference I had noticed. The insecurity I felt and struggling to make ends meet in a low-income, single-parent household took a toll on my perspective of life. I didn't have any aspirations, hopes, or plans for the future. I knew I wanted to do great things, possibly own a business one day and change the world, but I had no hope for it to occur. So I didn't try. I didn't try anything. I had no interest in school, friends, or my future. I felt like my life's trajectory was decided for me before I could walk because my support system was broken. If I wanted to amount to anything in life, I realized I had to be my support system. It wasn't until after barely graduating high school that I came to this realization. I knew no one would step in and change my life; only I had that power.

I grew up without a father figure. Shortly after I was born, my biological father was imprisoned. Because of this, he was absent from my life entirely by the time I was a toddler. My family decided it was best if he was left out of our lives, and there were legal battles early on for custody. However, my mother was given full custody due to my father's criminal history. While growing up, I always chose not to see my biological father, and I never understood what was happening. I didn't know why my father wasn't in my life, but I felt resentment towards him. It was a very personal issue for me as I got older. I noticed almost everyone else had a happy family with both parents, while it was just my mom and me. There was a sense of deep insecurity from this difference I had noticed. The insecurity I felt and struggling to make ends meet in a low-income, single-parent household took a toll on my perspective of life. I didn't have any aspirations, hopes, or plans for the future. I knew I wanted to do great things, possibly own a business one day and change the world, but I had no hope for it to occur. So I didn't try. I didn't try anything. I had no interest in school, friends, or my future. I felt like my life's trajectory was decided for me before I could walk because my support system was broken. If I wanted to amount to anything in life, I realized I had to be my support system. It wasn't until after barely graduating high school that I came to this realization. I knew no one would step in and change my life; only I had that power. Despite having no confidence in my abilities to make it through college, I enrolled in community college. I had no idea what I was doing or why I was going to college, but I found a sense of purpose by pursuing something in my control. I had always felt growing up that my life was not in my control. In retrospect, I'm sure this was due to my biological father being taken out of my life and the subsequent financial and emotional turmoil my mother and I faced. I felt helpless to console my mother when she cried uncontrollably. I felt helpless when my mom and I had no family to turn to for help. My entire life before that, I felt no control. I graduated community college with a 3.6-grade point average, a significant increase from high school. With a newfound sense of purpose and confidence, I enrolled in Physical Therapist Assistant school. Enrolling in Physical Therapist Assistant school turned out to be the best thing in my life. I made new friends, gained confidence, and excelled academically. More importantly, I had finally found something that gave me a true sense of purpose in life - patient care. This passion eventually led me to Physician Assistant school, which I start in May. While attending Pre-Physician Assistant school, I've found passion in serving patients and the community. I had several service experiences in underserved communities in youth populations similar to where I grew up. I saw myself in several of the youth individuals I worked with and was able to be that person that believes in them that I never had growing up. I decided to devote my life to serving those individuals who didn't have support figures in their lives like me. I plan to accomplish this as a Physician Assistant, community service volunteer, and individual. I overcame an array of adversities in my life, and yearn to walk with others through their journeys, so that they may do the same.

All it takes is someone to believe in you. I realized this when I moved in with my grandparents at 18. Growing up, I had high hopes for my future accomplishments but few expectations. I wasn't confident in my abilities, especially in my power to impact the world. I enrolled in Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) school in January of 2018 and began essentially my first ever service project. It was a small one, spending the day organizing clothing for a local foster home, where I was also able to interact with some children the foster home was serving. Although it was only a few hours, it inspired a spark in me. A spark that would define my future in ways I could've never imagined. I found that giving back and inspiring others gave me the purpose I searched so adamantly for growing up. I was involved in several community service experiences while in PTA school. When I transferred to Marywood University, I had a profound commitment to serve and give back. Immediately, I became involved in two programs, alternative break trips (a medical mission trip to San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala) and Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS). With both of these, I was able to work with a team to serve an underserved community, bringing hope to others. I continue to serve through numerous organizations such as the RedCross, in which I'm an active member of multiple service teams. However, I've found ways to take this beyond serving in organizations. I try to give back throughout my daily life, whether I'm working in the hospital with patients, at the grocery store with customers, or at home with family and friends. Whether someone is in need or not, I always strive to be there for them.

As a future medical provider, I recognize the importance of being an active listener to the patients I serve. I know what it's like to feel unheard by a medical professional, and I yearn never to put a patient I work with in that situation. As a Physical Therapist Assistant, I always pay full attention to the patient I'm working with and value their conversation, no matter the topic. I've found that regardless of the topic of the conversation, the meaning remains significant. I try to allow patients time to talk about whatever they'd like, and I notice it immediately changes the patient's attitude. One patient I worked with demonstrated this well, and other providers warned me about his behavior. He wasn't talkative and was critical of everyone, they told me. I never let what anyone means to define my view of an individual; I always treat them like anyone else and decide for myself. As I began to work with him, I noticed what my co-workers had said had some merit. However, I still pushed through despite the challenges. I asked him question after question, and he appeared to dodge everyone. Finally, I asked if he had any children. He admitted he doesn't talk to his children often (2 boys) but demonstrated a level of enthusiasm when talking about his kids he never showed anyone before. Everyone was amazed by the rapport I had built with him. The secret was I listened to him. Not only did I hear, but I showed that I was interested in what he had to say. He continued his story that he was close with his children until his wife and him divorced, and then he drifted from his family. I realized, in the end, all he needed was someone to listen.

All it takes is someone to believe in you. I realized this when I moved in with my grandparents at 18. Growing up, I had high hopes for my future accomplishments but few expectations. I wasn't confident in my abilities, especially in my power to impact the world. I enrolled in Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) school in January of 2018 and began essentially my first ever service project. It was a small one, spending the day organizing clothing for a local foster home, where I was also able to interact with some children the foster home was serving. Although it was only a few hours, it inspired a spark in me. A spark that would define my future in ways I could've never imagined. I found that giving back and inspiring others gave me the purpose I searched so adamantly for growing up. I was involved in several community service experiences while in PTA school. When I transferred to Marywood University, I had a profound commitment to serve and give back. Immediately, I became involved in two programs, alternative break trips (a medical mission trip to San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala) and Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS). With both of these, I was able to work with a team to serve an underserved community, bringing hope to others. I continue to serve through numerous organizations such as the RedCross, in which I'm an active member of multiple service teams. However, I've found ways to take this beyond serving in organizations. I try to give back throughout my daily life, whether I'm working in the hospital with patients, at the grocery store with customers, or at home with family and friends. Whether someone is in need or not, I always strive to be there for them.

I had difficulty finding and keeping a doctor as a youth, and my health suffered for years. I've become extremely passionate about serving patients in medically underserved communities, reaching out to children in those communities who may lack a sense of purpose in their lives, like me as a child, and helping them walk through their journey and realize their potential. I look forward to serving those in need through the National Health Service Corps in primary care, especially people within my locality. This opportunity is specifically significant for me as someone who grew up in a healthcare deficit, low-income community and was raised within a single-parent household. Being from a marginalized area, I strongly desire to pay it forward and be a role model for others from impoverished environments. For instance, I volunteered with Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS) at Marywood University, where I tutored and mentored Latinx youths from the Scranton area. This experience gave me greater insight into an individual's impact on others. One of the students mentored was noticeably shy and anxious around others. Though we came from different backgrounds and ethnicities, I saw qualities of myself in him. We worked to help him set goals, career aspirations and define who he aspires to be. It was an extraordinary experience to influence someone, and I recognized my struggles and watched them grow. As a future PA, I passionately look forward to similar moments where I get the opportunity to have a positive influence on patients' lives while providing support and care through their adversities. Along with directly serving underserved communities as a Physician Assistant, I plan to advocate for fair, equitable healthcare. I hold several leadership positions currently at Marywood University, including vice-president of an honor society, and plan to continue leadership in PA organizations.

The PA profession appeals to me for an array of reasons. One of the main reasons I look forward to becoming a physician assistant is the opportunity to work in primary care in an underserved area. Although PAs can navigate specialties without further formal training, their education is taught as generalists from a primary care approach. I look forward to serving those in need through the National Health Service Corps in primary care, especially people within my locality. This opportunity is specifically significant for me as someone who grew up in a healthcare deficit, low-income community and was raised within a single-parent household. Being from a marginalized area, I strongly desire to pay it forward and be a role model for others from impoverished environments. For instance, I volunteered with Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS) at Marywood University, where I tutored and mentored Latinx youths from the Scranton area. This experience gave me greater insight into an individual's impact on others. One of the students mentored was noticeably shy and anxious around others. Though we came from different backgrounds and ethnicities, I saw qualities of myself in him. We worked to help him set goals, career aspirations and define who he aspires to be. It was an extraordinary experience to influence someone, and I recognized my struggles and watched them grow. As a future PA, I passionately look forward to similar moments where I get the opportunity to have a positive influence on patients' lives while providing support and care through their adversities. Along with directly serving underserved communities as a Physician Assistant, I plan to be involved with advocacy efforts to promote fair, equitable healthcare. I hold several leadership positions currently at Marywood University, including vice-president of an honor society, and plan to continue leadership in PA organizations.

A simple pleasure of mine is something many people may not think. Why? My simple pleasure is something most people find pleasure outside of - working. I work as a Physical Therapist Assistant (per-diem) in a rehabilitation hospital. I struggle with frequent self-consciousness and feelings of inadequacy. Initially, I had chosen the field of healthcare to serve others. Doing physical therapy, I feel a sense of impact and gratitude that I can improve another person's life. Throughout my daily life, I sometimes feel a lack of passion. I feel fulfilled while working with patients and the other fantastic healthcare providers I'm blessed to work alongside. Not only is my simple pleasure a stress relief (a break from worrying about school work), it also gives me confidence and satisfaction with my life and who I am. The best part about my simple pleasure is it constantly challenges me and allows me to improve myself as an individual daily. I've recognized areas while working where I can improve, such as in my compassion, communication, knowledge, etc. The ability to see progress in all of these every time I work is incredibly fulfilling. Not only do I get to see improvement in my own life, but I get to see others progress through severe conditions like strokes, aneurysms, amputations, cancer, and more. I meet new people every day, and the vast majority are incredibly kind. It's truly an honor to work with people every day that restore my hope for the good of humanity.

My first experience with severe mental health issues was when I was very young. I spent many hours with a close family member of mine. She was my best friend at a young age and routinely took care of me when my mother had to work, as she was a single parent. We went on walks together, hung out at my grandma's house, and would do anything to put a smile on my face. At my young, naive age, I had no idea what she and my family went through years before I was born. She suffered from mental health issues since middle school, severe bipolar depression, and anxiety. This lead to her subsequently dropping out of high school and later being homeschooled by my grandma. Around the time I was born, things were relatively normal. I started to notice there was a lot of arguing going on when I was around her and our family. They would scream at each other, and she would leave. She would be missing for hours at a time, and I didn't understand it. I was extremely frustrated and disappointed. I recognize now the heartache and confusion she was going through. She was going through a lot, but my family didn't understand and just viewed it as her acting out. She wasn't offered the empathy, compassion, and communication she deserved and needed. It was a difficult environment for all of us, but a little conversation, understanding, and initial discomfort may have gone a long way to recovery. Again, now I realize they didn't want or need someone to come and make them happy or smile. My mother and family member just needed someone to listen to them. All the senseless pain and sorrow, they just wanted someone to listen to them instead of yelling in their face. A huge lesson I've recently realized while reflecting on my experiences with mental health is that sometimes it's arduous to put our own emotions inside and communicate compassionately to someone else. This desire to be there for other people in need and understand the human mind and body led me to the medical field. I currently work as a Physical Therapist Assistant at a rehabilitation hospital where I assist others towards a more functionally independent life so they can return home and get back to their lives before as much as possible. I'm also pursuing my bachelor's degree in the hopes of attending Physician Assistant (PA) school and practicing in family medicine as a PA. I want to work in underserved areas where mental health issues and physical health ailments are rampant and walk with them in their journey. One thing I strongly value because of my experiences with mental health is straightforward, compassionate communication. This is something I've always struggled with myself, despite feeling so strongly about it. Commonly, my own emotions get in the way when I'm dealing with an argument with a loved one. Although, I've become much more understanding over the years and continue to learn as I work in healthcare how to be a more compassionate, caring, and empathetic family member and medical provider. I have many aspirations which require a vast amount of motivation and discipline daily. I have dark days as well, and to get through, I always think of my past experiences with mental health. After watching my family and mother suffer all those years and being unable to offer solace. These thoughts drive me to make a difference in my life and the life of others. A little kindness and compassion daily truly can change the world.

"This might be the end," I thought. I never took high school seriously, and besides my family being disappointed, it never caused an issue for me. But after this semester, I wasn't sure I was even going to pass. The sad part was, I still didn't care. I had family issues at home, my parents going through a divorce, and severe acne that prevented me from wanting to be seen by anyone. I was exceptionally socially insecure, depressed, and school or my future was the last thing on my mind. I scrapped through high school and graduated. After I graduated, I moved out from home and with my grandparents, where I currently live. I stopped being stressed about my home life and found a new passion in life - medicine. I decided serving patients brought me meaning to my life, and I just wasn't sure what route in healthcare to go. However, I dedicated myself to it entirely because I found something that I was finally passionate about. As I became closer to serving patients throughout college, my academics and passion flourished. When I graduated with my associate's degree as a Physical Therapist Assistant, my cumulative GPA was a 3.6. My family, friends, and I had already noticed a remarkable difference in my level of drive and happiness. But I wasn't done yet. I began a new chapter in my life, working in healthcare and with patients. I found a level of gratitude to be treating patients I had never felt before. After transferring to Marywood University for Pre-Physician Assistant students, my motivation and drive were at an all-time high. Not only was I more satisfied with life and much more confident, but my academics also flourished. I finished my last semester with a 4.0 and overall have a 3.9.

Community. Research has shown meaningful relationships are one of the most significant indicators of a long, healthy life, and the most meaningful relationships are typically those we are closest with. These relationships are generally our family, co-workers, and friends. However, society is becoming increasingly distant, young adults moving away from family, working from home, and social isolation prohibiting people from forming close friendships. There is one crucial component in maintaining longevity - a community. As decades pass in an increasingly socially isolated world, the word 'community' is becoming a buzzword, a fairytale-like concept. I've observed firsthand what having a close-knit community can do for individuals, physically, mentally, and spiritually. While volunteering in my local community with an organization focused on community development and assisting the most vulnerable, I met a pleasant woman that we'll call Jane, that opened my heart and eyes to the benefits of having a solid community. Firstly, Jane had close ties to the organization we were serving her through, which provided care for her home she wasn't capable of physically anymore. Secondly, we had multiple interactions with neighbors who stopped by to chat with us while we were there. One neighbor, a woman who had recently immigrated to America from Nepal, stated that Jane welcomed her and her family when she arrived and supported them since they'd been here. As the woman left, Jane went into the house and brought out something for her. Jane handed the woman yarn for a project she was working on at home. It was a small gesture but said so much more about Jane and her little community than simply the little piece of material. I walked away from this experience feeling a deep sense of gratitude and fufillness. Something so significant to our health, yet so infrequently experienced today.

"Pay yourself first." The investing world is full of numbers, charts, graphs, and, frankly, scams. It's incredibly complicated at times, especially for beginners. Yet, the fundamental lesson is so simple - pay yourself first. When I first heard this piece of advice, I didn't understand it, even though I had been researching investing for years prior. "I get a paycheck every week, I already am paying myself," I thought. It's estimated over 50% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. When individuals live like this, they are not paying themselves first, and they're not paying themselves at all. They're making their employers potentially millions in revenue, then paying other multi-million dollar companies with what little they receive in compensation. It's easy to get stuck in this loop. But how can someone get past this plague that affects over half of our nation? Pay yourself first. When someone reminds themselves, "I need to pay myself first," they're inclined to either cut their expenses or earn more, so they can put money away for themselves for retirement or their kid's college. I feel much more satisfied in life knowing I'm not playing the "rat race" of working and then spending all my money with nothing left over for myself. This lesson had consequences in my life far beyond finance. I have a greater sense of self-worth and confidence, knowing I have a purpose in my life that isn't dependent on receiving a paycheck. Although my financial life doesn't define my happiness, the financial stability to support my family improves my mental health and overall life satisfaction immensely.

Imagine a world where when you feel sick, you don't have to search your symptoms on the Internet for hours, only to discover your symptoms point towards some severe condition. We've all been there. Modern medicine, in general, is relatively ineffective at recognizing chronic conditions. Even scarier, current treatment is exceptionally inefficient at treating these chronic conditions. Is the answer better medical education? Nano-technology? More expenditure on healthcare? For me, the answer may not appear even relevant to healthcare. Supercomputers. Supercomputers are precisely what the word implies: regular computers with the processing power to run unfathomable algorithms at a supersonic speed. How are complicated algorithms related to healthcare? To find this out, we need only look at previous usages of tracking technology in prior diseases, outbreaks, etc. Technology is almost always utilized to establish the incidence of illness or epidemics in specific areas to follow what correlating factors may be present to establish a possible cause. Supercomputers would accomplish the same thing, establishing correlations, but with much more sophisticated technologies. Eventually, as we see in the world of artificial intelligence, supercomputers would be able to develop their algorithms for recognizing exactly where future outbreaks will occur and what leads to the event of epidemics. Other areas that could be identifiable with complex algorithms created by supercomputers are what factors lead to cancer, among numerous other diseases. To compare a world like this with our earlier example, imagine you start to feel sick, and you look your symptoms up on a site that utilizes a supercomputer-generated algorithm. Once you look your signs up and personal characteristics, the algorithm looks at what diseases are common in your demographic area, in your ethnic group, and based on your symptoms. It's unfortunate, but the algorithm points towards developing cancer. The algorithm then recommends tests to undergo, so you schedule an appointment with your physician. The physician runs a diagnostic test for cancer and finds a benign tumor. Your physician removes the tumor, and it's then tested in a lab that is again controlled by a supercomputer. The results return that this type of tumor is commonly not noticed and typically becomes cancerous if untreated. Additionally, the algorithm suggests lifestyle changes correlated with a low risk of developing this specific form of cancer. There is no false diagnosis or pre-emptive treatments in this world with supercomputer algorithms. This increased effectiveness would lead to incredible savings on healthcare expenditure, better treatments for patients, and longer quality of life for those suffering severe illness. I am incredibly excited and grateful to live in a time where this technology and its subsequent effects are more than possible.

My first experience with severe mental health issues was when I was very young. I spent many hours with a close family member of mine. She was my best friend at a young age and routinely took care of me when my mother had to work, as she was a single parent. We went on walks together, hung out at my grandma's house, and would do anything to put a smile on my face. At my young, naive age, I had no idea what she and my family went through years before I was born. She suffered from mental health issues since middle school, severe bipolar depression, and anxiety. This lead to her subsequently dropping out of high school and later being homeschooled by my grandma. Around the time I was born, things were relatively normal. However, the situation changed when I was around preschool or kindergarten age. I started to notice there was a lot of arguing going on when I was around her and our family. They would scream at each other, and she would leave. She would be missing for hours at a time, and I didn't understand it. I was extremely frustrated and disappointed. I just wanted to spend time with her, but it became more difficult as whenever she would come home, there would be more arguments and yelling. I recognize now the heartache and confusion she was going through. She was going through a lot, but my family didn't understand and just viewed it as her acting out. She wasn't offered the empathy, compassion, and communication she deserved and needed. It was a difficult environment for all of us, but a little conversation, understanding, and initial discomfort may have gone a long way to recovery. As I grew up, I noticed people's emotions and how they acted around others more than the average kid. I yearned to understand people better because of the emotional turmoil I faced every day while attempting to understand the struggles of my close family member and my single mother. They both would randomly cry, and I never understood why they were sad. I tried, but I couldn't make them happy when those dark moments came. Again, now I realize they didn't want or need someone to come and make them happy or smile. My mother and family member just needed someone to listen to them. All the senseless pain and sorrow, they just wanted someone to listen to them instead of yelling in their face. A huge lesson I've recently realized while reflecting on my experiences with mental health is that sometimes it's arduous to put our own emotions inside and communicate compassionately to someone else. This desire to be there for other people in need and understand the human mind and body led me to the medical field. I currently work as a Physical Therapist Assistant at a rehabilitation hospital where I assist others towards a more functionally independent life so they can return home and get back to their lives before as much as possible. I'm also pursuing my bachelor's degree in the hopes of attending Physician Assistant (PA) school and practice in family medicine as a PA. I want to work in underserved areas where mental health issues and physical health ailments are rampant, understand what they're going through, and walk with them in their journey. One thing I strongly value because of my experiences with mental health is straightforward, compassionate communication. This is something I've always struggled with myself, despite feeling so strongly about it. Commonly, my own emotions get in the way when I'm dealing with an argument with a loved one. Although, I've become much more understanding over the years and continue to learn as I work in healthcare how to be a more compassionate, caring, and empathetic family member and medical provider. My future aspirations involve providing humanitarian aid to those in developing, war-torn countries such as Syria, Somalia, Afghanistan, and Iraq and providing for those in need within the United States. Another issue I'd like to be involved in in the future and am currently addressing is disaster relief. I'm a volunteer with the Red Cross's Disaster Action Team and, as a PA, plan to participate in disaster relief nationally and abroad to alieve the widespread mental and physical effects major disasters have. I have many aspirations and lofty goals, which require a vast amount of motivation and discipline daily. I have dark days as well, and to get through, I always think of my past experiences with mental health. After watching my family and mother suffer all those years and being unable to offer solace. These thoughts drive me to make a difference in my life and the life of others. A little kindness and compassion daily truly can change the world.

Education is empowering, and education represents much more than simply receiving a degree certificate. I found my passion through education, and I chose to pursue the arduous field of medicine after scraping through high school, where I had little desire for anything. I was a shy, insecure kid in a low-income, single-parent household and had no plans on continuing my education into college. However, I was blessed with the ability to continue onto community college thanks to savings from working and federal pell-grants. There was a noticeable difference between high school and college, and I began to focus more on my academics and become more confident in my abilities. Eventually, this morphed into a passion for education and an obsessive desire to be the best person and provider I can be. Without the support provided to me from academic scholarships, grants, and emotional support from my family, I'd never be able to be where I am today. For these reasons, education equality is something I stand for firmly. Through my campus, I've volunteered with numerous organizations that support proper education and continued mentoring of youth in my area, including Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS). As a future medicine provider, I recognize my ability to go beyond simply treating patients' health problems. I believe adamantly medical providers should be supportive participants in the lives of the patients they serve. As a provider and individual, I will advocate not only for medical equality but education as well because education saved me.

My form of self-care may not be traditional. Why? My form of self-care is something most people need to practice self-care because of - working. I work as a Physical Therapist Assistant (per-diem) in a rehabilitation hospital. I struggle with frequent self-consciousness and feelings of inadequacy. Initially, I had chosen the field of healthcare to serve others. Doing physical therapy, I feel a sense of impact and gratitude that I'm able to improve another person's life. Throughout my daily life, I sometimes feel a lack of passion. While working with patients and the other fantastic healthcare providers I'm blessed to work with, I feel fulfilled. Not only is my form of self-care a stress relief (a break from worrying about school work), it also gives me confidence and satisfaction with my life and who I am. The best part about my form of self-care is it constantly challenges me and allows me to improve myself as an individual daily. I've recognized areas while working where I can improve, such as in my compassion, communication, knowledge, etc. The ability to see progress in all of these every time I work is incredibly fulfilling. Not only do I get to see improvement in my own life, but I get to see others progress through severe conditions like strokes, aneurysms, amputations, cancer, and more. I meet new people every day, and the vast majority are incredibly kind. It's truly an honor to work with people every day that restores my hope for the good of humanity.

Throughout middle school, I didn't have many meaningful friendships. I went to class, made an average effort to get through my work, and went home. Outside of school, my only interaction was with my parents. Although my parents occasionally encouraged me to do more with my life, I still had no passions or interests. In high school, I finally began to make some friends I spent time with the outside of school. It led to a significant improvement in my mental health and my relationship with my parents. Friends came and went, but I still spend time with a handful of friends to this day from high school. These friendships mean more to me than anything I could've ever imagined as an isolated middle schooler. These friendships aren't meaningful to me simply because they're fun to be around or because they have my back when I need them. These friendships mean so much to me because they push me to be the best version of myself. I never had anyone in my life who constantly encouraged me to be successful in life. True friends push you to do better when life is good and listen to you during the hard days. Since making these friends in high school, I've accomplished many things I could never have imagined. Going through college and making new friends, past friendships have given me the ability to continue impacting the lives of others. Ultimately, what friendships mean to me is having someone in your circle that genuinely wants the best for you and is willing to sacrifice their time and energy to see you reach that.

As a Pre-Physician Assistant major, I immediately fell in love with the process. The process of becoming a Physician Assistant correlates with everything I hold as values in life, innovation, philanthropy, and leadership. I have done things I never would have considered before, becoming Community Service Chair and then Vice President of Marywood’s Chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success, fundraising to go on a Medical Mission trip in Guatemala, volunteering tutoring/mentoring Latino youth, building homes for families in need, sorting clothes at a foster house, etc. I was incredibly excited to participate in the Guatemala medical mission trip in San Lucas Toliman, ready to help local health workers provide for the locals. This would have been my first time out of the country, and I was incredibly nervous but extremely optimistic. Unfortunately, the day my team and I were supposed to leave for the airport, our trip was canceled due to the growing COVID-19 pandemic. I felt strong emotions leading up to that trip that I yearn to experience again. It’s the little experiences; the little things that made me question my place in this world, that meant a great amount to me. Before my pursuance of the medical field, I never had a feeling of purpose like I did through these experiences. I truly felt like I had a chance at changing the world, through small acts of kindness daily. When I was younger, I never would have thought I’d feel the amount of purpose I do in life. Every day I work with patients and get closer to pursuing my academic and career goals, I am overwhelmed with an immense amount of gratitude. While being a mentor/tutor for Latino youth volunteering with Marywood STARS program, I recognized what I believe to be the ultimate purpose within life. What I learned through working with one youth, who was shy and insecure as I used to be as a child/teen, was that there is nothing more important in life than to show someone else how important theirs is. I hope to give back to the youth within my community more. The best thing about having found a purpose in life is that you get to help others find theirs. As someone who’s dealt with emotional hardship, being allowed to walk with someone through their hardships who was in the same position I was once, was incredible to me. Words cannot describe the amount of fullness and completion I feel in my life with the opportunity to share with others the gratitude I have been blessed with. The only hope I have of ever feeling like I have earned what I have been given is to do everything I can to help those who need it most because at one time I was there too. I believe the greatest blessing in life is a discovered purpose.

Just keep going. No matter what, just keep going. These few words are my morning mantra. These sayings keep me motivated, and in a mindset of growing into a better person, leader, and provider. I've faced many difficulties in my life, growing up in a single-parent household in a low-income area. Throughout everything, I always kept going. There have been times I lost all hope or didn't feel purpose in my life. But I just kept going. I don't know why. At a young age, I didn't see a reason to keep going. But I did anyway, and today I know why I'm here. I know why I need to keep going. I'm here to provide for my family, community, and my patients as a future medical provider. My mindset now is to always focus on how I can improve in every situation. This mindset keeps me focused on what matters in life, and focusing less on unimportant items like insecurity. To keep me in this mindset I always make daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly goals for myself. These goals include academic, career, health, financial, and other goals. It's a lot of work to keep everything organized, but it gives me a deep feeling of gratitude, accomplishment, and purpose.

When my step-father came into my life when I was seven, I learned what true patience was. Growing up with my mother under the stress of living in low-income housing, we typically butted heads. Of course, we both loved each other immensely. However, sometimes we couldn't help but take the stress of our lives out on each other. This stress led to frequent verbal fights, intolerance, and distance in our relationship. Neither of us had any semblance of patience, especially to each other, even though we were all we had. I knew from an early age this wasn't the way things should be. This situation isn't the way a young kid should live. My step-father came into my life and was immediately the father figure to me I never had. And eventually, the loving husband to my mother. I noticed the difference in our relationship quickly. We didn't argue as much, spent more time with each other, and grew closer than ever before. My step-father, who I always refer to as my father, is incredibly patient. He was able to tolerate our constant arguing, and never once joined in and raised his voice. My father taught me what it means to be patient. My father also taught me how to be a father, an adult, and be successful in life. Without his patience, my mom and I would've never established the relationship we have today. And without the patience of my father, I never would've grown up into the man I am today. It's all thanks to him and his unwavering patience. His patience saved my mom and I's relationship, and likely my life.

Mojo (dog), my pitbull/boxer mix, 12-years-old, is so full of light and playfulness although all he’s been through. We adopted him when he was 2 and call him our “clearance puppy.” He was at the SPCA for nearly a year and would’ve been euthanized in a few weeks if we had not rescued him. Miko (orange cat), my 6-year-old orange tabby polydactyl (extra toes as the result of a genetic mutation) cat was a few weeks old when we rescued him from outside. Asher (grey cat), we adopted him when he was 5 weeks old, and is very shy.

Get up, go on my laptop, study, go to sleep, do it all over again. That was the entirety of my day for the past year and a half during the COVID pandemic. I felt isolated, bored, and unfulfilled. Even though I was great academically, I felt uninvolved with my campus and university. I had to change things. I knew once I was back on campus. I needed to be proactive and take action to get involved on campus. I joined two organizations in leadership positions, The National Society of Leadership and Success at Marywood as the Vice-President, and the Secretary of Business Opportunity and Leadership Development (BOLD) at Marywood. Further, I started mentoring fellow Pre-Physician Assistant students on their journey to PA school and getting through college. I accomplish this through my Instagram page, YouTube channel, and website. My inspiration ultimately is to learn valuable leadership skills, be bold, and leave an impact on the lives of others. My short-term goal is to inspire other students to get more involved with their campus.

In November of 2019, I had finally started treating patients on my own in Physical Therapy at a rehabilitation hospital. The first few months were a huge adjustment for me, but I had no idea what was still awaiting me in a few more months. It was December 2019 when I had first heard about the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China. I had signed up to participate in a medical mission trip to San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala, with a team of fellow university students as pre-health majors. We prepared for months for this trip, meeting, praying, and training. I was incredibly nervous to even sign up for the service trip. I was never on a plane or even out of the country before. It was a giant leap for me but a mission I was incredibly passionate about. The night we were set to meet together at 3:45 AM at campus and travel together to the airport, we got devastating news. The first case of COVID-19 had reached our county, and the campus administration had decided it was a safety risk for my team and those we were to serve in the small village in Guatemala. I was distraught at first. I had put so much courage into signing up, training, and preparing for this trip. Now it was all lost. Although, I realized I could use this to my advantage and recognized my commitment to humanitarian aid and my desire to serve underrepresented communities had only grown stronger. In April 2020, my grandma was progressively getting sicker each day. We didn't think anything of it at first, as COVID-19 hadn't been prominent in our county yet. Then, when she could barely get out of bed, we became extremely worried. She went to get tested that day, and a few days later, the results came back. Positive for COVID-19. My grandma is my rock and my foundation for my motivation. Being raised by a single mother, she was always there for my mother and me. When I was 18, she took me in, and I've lived with her since. I was beyond terrified when I seriously considered the idea of losing my grandmother to COVID-19. Her sickness peaked nearly a week in when she didn't get out of bed all day, very unlike her. Then, she gradually got better with each day. I learned to tell my family I love them every day after this incident, as you never know when the person you see every day might not be there to greet you in the morning. My grandma was safe, and in May 2019, I came back to work at the rehabilitation hospital. I worked with recovering COVID-19 patients nearly every day at the hospital. Young or old, no one was safe from the heartache brought on by that dreaded year. One patient had contracted COVID-19 at work and spread the infection to his mother and wife. As he was fighting for his own life in the ICU, he had to deal with the loss of the only family he knew, his caring mother and beloved wife. I'll never forget 2020. Not only because of the trauma I experienced on my own, or even through the stories of others who were forced to face the unimaginable, but also for the growth I experienced. I learned to be grateful for my family every day and always treat others with the utmost respect as you never know what someone else is going through. Most importantly, my commitment to medicine and serving others was strengthened and empowered like never before.

As a future Physician Assistant, I naturally have a passion for medicine to leave an impact on the lives of others. This profound interest draws me towards scientists that study medicine-related technology. My favorite medical scientist is Atul Gawande, an American surgeon, writer, and public health researcher who's the author of the incredible book "Being Mortal". He is also the son of two Indian immigrant doctors, explaining his passion for equitable healthcare.

I grew up in a single-parent household. While my mother would be at work, I spent most of the time with my loving grandmother. Since my mother only worked part-time at a local grocery store, we struggled daily to get by. Although, I would've never known that at my age. Somehow, my mom always provided for us. I always had the newest toys and food on the table (or I should say, in the microwave). Yet, I still felt a sense of emptiness. My choice to pursue a career in medicine was one I had not expected growing up. Early on, I had a difficult time finding a sense of purpose. I did not have any specific interests in school and did not take any science courses in high school. However, I had always been fascinated by the human body yet had not known what path to traverse. After extensive research and planning, I found PTA school to be the next stepping stone for me. It was difficult for me to adjust to college-level learning, as I had never studied effectively in high school. However, I finished my first semester with a 3.75 GPA. For the first time, I truly believed in myself, and medicine began to pervade my life. I appreciated learning how the body functions, along with pathologies. I was allowed the blessing to communicate and provide for those in need. I recognized medicine has the potential to supply the purpose I had relentlessly searched for all those years. From my first clinical experience as a PTA student, I found an incredible amount of meaning through guiding my patients to a better and more functional life. On this path to further my career, through research and personal experiences with PAs, I found my true passion and the impact I want to have on my future patients would come from being a physician assistant. When I was younger, I never would have thought I’d feel the amount of purpose I do in life. Every day I work with patients and get closer to pursuing my academic and career goals, I am overwhelmed with an immense amount of gratitude. While being a mentor/tutor for Latino youth volunteering with Marywood STARS program, I recognized what I believe to be the ultimate purpose within life. What I learned through working with one youth, who was shy and insecure as I used to be as a child/teen, was that there is nothing more important in life than to show someone else how important theirs is. I hope to give back to the youth within my community more. The best thing about having found a purpose in life is that you get to help others find theirs. As someone who’s dealt with emotional hardship, being allowed to walk with someone through their hardships who was in the same position I was once, was incredible to me. Words cannot describe the amount of fullness and completion I feel in my life with the opportunity to share with others the gratitude I have been blessed with. The only hope I have of ever feeling like I have earned what I have been given is to do everything I can to help those who need it most because at one time I was there too. I believe the greatest blessing in life is a discovered purpose.

As a Pre-Physician Assistant major, I immediately fell in love with the process. I have done things I never would have considered before, becoming Community Service Chair and then Vice President of Marywood’s Chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success, fundraising to go on a Medical Mission trip in Guatemala, volunteering tutoring/mentoring Latino youth, building homes for families in need, sorting clothes at a foster house, etc. I was incredibly excited to participate in all these activities within my community (and abroad) to benefit and use my skills as a Physical Therapist Assistant and future medical provider in medically underserved communities such as my own. Before my pursuance of the medical field, I never had a feeling of purpose like I did through these experiences. I truly felt like I had a chance at changing the world, through small acts of kindness daily. I have high hopes for the future of my medical and personal career. Immediately, upon graduation, I plan to work with the National Health Corps through their Scholarship program where you work as a primary care (family medicine) PA for 2 years after graduation in an area defined as “Health professional shortage area”. I hope to have the opportunity to work within my area of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton as I currently do. I also hope to serve within the United States National Guard as a PA, in the hopes I could participate in humanitarian efforts abroad and within the country, given the opportunity. I hold strong values in innovation, philanthropy, and leadership. I believe that being a PA in my area within the National Health Service Corps and National Guard strongly correlates with these values and my vision of inspiring people towards pursuing their full potential. When I was younger, I never would have thought I’d feel the amount of purpose I do in life. Every day I work with patients and get closer to pursuing my academic and career goals, I am overwhelmed with an immense amount of gratitude. While being a mentor/tutor for Latino youth volunteering with Marywood STARS program, I recognized what I believe to be the ultimate purpose within life. What I learned through working with one youth, who was shy and insecure as I used to be as a child/teen, was that there is nothing more important in life than to show someone else how important theirs is. I hope to give back to the youth within my community more. The best thing about having found a purpose in life is that you get to help others find theirs. As someone who’s dealt with emotional hardship, being allowed to walk with someone through their hardships who was in the same position I was once, was incredible to me. Words cannot describe the amount of fullness and completion I feel in my life with the opportunity to share with others the gratitude I have been blessed with. The only hope I have of ever feeling like I have earned what I have been given is to do everything I can to help those who need it most because at one time I was there too. I believe the greatest blessing in life is a discovered purpose.

“What am I doing here? This is so embarrassing,” I thought, as I was cleaning the women’s bathroom when I was 16 at my first job. Growing up, I lacked a sense of purpose, and consequentially, a strong work ethic. I could not focus throughout school, did what I could to get by, and was not thinking about my future. My lack of effort and interest in school appeared like it was going to transfer over to work. After my first day, I went home and told my mom I was not going back my second day. As a single mom for most of my life, my mother always reassured my decisions. This time was no different. “You do not have to go back if you do not want to,” she said. Great, I thought. There was just one issue, the man who came into my life as a teenager and taught me accountability, leadership, and punctuality, my stepfather. He saw a version of me I did not see myself back then, someone not afraid to step out of their comfort zone, someone who would step up to any challenge. He was much more generous in his belief in my abilities than I was myself. When he got home from work, at the same grocery store as me, he found out about my decision not to go back to work after my first day. I found out that was not an option for me. “Roger that,” I thought. I was never one to challenge the man I respected dearly and was incredibly grateful to have a father figure in my life. It only took a little inspiration from him, and I went back that second day. In retrospect, that second day changed everything for me. It took years, but I began to find purpose in my life, garner a strong work ethic, and develop myself personally. I have come to value work ethic, always being kind to others, gratitude, being driven, and leaving an impact on the world. I graduated high school with a 3.3 GPA, graduated from Physical Therapist Assistant school in 2019 with a 3.6 GPA, and currently have maintained a 3.9 or higher GPA since I started classes in Marywood’s Pre-Physician Assistant (PA) program. As a first-generation student, it is important to me to graduate and instill purpose in the lives of others through working in medicine and mentoring others like I have through numerous volunteering and leadership experiences. One of these is with the Marywood chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success. I worked my way up from an inducted member to Community Service chair and now Vice President, where I have developed many projects for our nearly 80 members over multiple semesters. I have worked hard for all I have accomplished so far and will continue to work hard for all I have yet to because I have fallen in love with the process. In college, I have learned that a strong work ethic goes a long way, which I have transcribed into other areas of my life like fitness, finance, and my career as a Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) at a rehabilitation hospital. As well as working two to five shifts a week in the hospital while being full-time in college, I also work in the same store where I had my original epiphany. Through all the adversity I faced in my life, growing up in a single-parent household, and on Medicaid, I experienced what it's like to live in an underserved area. I yearn to inspire others to face adversity.

"Hello, Emily? Yes, I'm very sorry but I'm going to be slightly late today". That's what I left as a voicemail after I nervously listened to that short, abrupt tone denoting someone's not available right now. I already had felt way out of my comfort zone, having just left an interview for a medical mission trip to San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala as a Pre-Physician Assistant student. The interview went overtime, and now about to be slightly late to my first day of volunteering with a student organization, Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success (STARS). Where, with fellow undergraduate students, mentored and tutored Latino youth in the Scranton area. My choice to pursue a career in medicine was one I had not expected growing up. Early on, I had a difficult time finding a sense of purpose. I did not have any specific interests in school and did not take any science courses in high school. It was difficult for me to adjust to college-level learning, as I had never studied effectively in high school. However, I finished my first semester with a 3.75 GPA. For the first time, I truly believed in myself, and medicine began to pervade my life. I was allowed the blessing to communicate and provide for those in need. I recognized medicine has the potential to supply the purpose I had relentlessly searched for all those years growing up without meaning. This experience gave me greater insight into the impact an individual can have on others. One of the students mentored was noticeably shy and anxious around others. Though we came from different backgrounds and ethnicities, I saw qualities of myself in him. We worked to help him set goals, career aspirations and defining who he aspires to be. It was an extraordinary experience to influence someone within whom I recognized my struggles and watch them grow. As a future PA, I passionately look forward to similar moments where I get the opportunity to have a positive influence on patients’ lives while providing support and care through their adversities. Raised in a single-parent, low-income household, I consider myself extremely grateful for my experiences growing up. Experiencing the ins and outs of the medical and hospital systems at a young age to experiencing the effects of a lack of available healthcare. My own experience growing up in an underserved area has inspired me to give back as a Physician Assistant and pursue a medical career in a health-deficit area. I look forward to serving those in need through the National Health Service Corps in primary care, especially people within my locality. Being from a marginalized area, I have a strong desire to pay it forward and be a role model for others who come from underserved or destitute environments, within the United States as well as abroad through continued participation in medical mission trips.

My first experience with severe mental health issues was when I was very young. I spent many hours with a close family member of mine. She was my best friend at a young age and routinely took care of me when my mother had to work, as she was a single parent. We went on walks together, hung out at my grandma's house, and would do anything to put a smile on my face. At my young, naive age, I had no idea what she and my family went through years before I was born. She suffered from mental health issues since middle school, severe bipolar depression, and anxiety. This lead to her subsequently dropping out of high school and later being homeschooled by my grandma. Around the time I was born, things were relatively normal. However, the situation changed when I was around preschool or kindergarten age. I started to notice there was a lot of arguing going on when I was around her and our family. They would scream at each other, and she would leave. She would be missing for hours at a time, and I didn't understand it. I was extremely frustrated and disappointed. I just wanted to spend time with her, but it became more difficult as whenever she would come home, there would be more arguments and yelling. I recognize now the heartache and confusion she was going through. She was going through a lot, but my family didn't understand and just viewed it as her acting out. She wasn't offered the empathy, compassion, and communication she deserved and needed. It was a difficult environment for all of us, but a little conversation, understanding, and initial discomfort may have gone a long way to recovery. Again, now I realize they didn't want or need someone to come and make them happy or smile. My mother and family member just needed someone to listen to them. All the senseless pain and sorrow, they just wanted someone to listen to them. Be kind and listen to everyone. It may be the thing that keeps them going.

I found it oddly addicting. Searching for that next rock, with the perfect flatness for the side-armed toss I've perfected into the beautiful, serene water that is the Susquehanna River. The way the small, flat rock causes the water to ripple as it skims across the surface, ultimately losing its kinetic energy and begins to fall into the murky depths, was always awe aspiring to me, and symbolic, in retrospect. I've spent many hours at this river, enjoying life, with friends and family young and old. At all times at the river, whether going through heartache or periods of celebration, I always found myself completely immersed within the moment. The present. The only thing we will ever know for certainty while having control over. People have tried throughout history to change the future or go back to the past, but as we know, any attempts have been unsuccessful. The only way to change the future is by affecting the present. The present generation. Ad infinitum, the current generations have determined the success and or failure of the succeeding ones. The only way of ensuring the wellness of future generations is to ensure we focus on educating, caring for, and empowering the present one. We, as a collective society, can prepare to empower our current generation. But we cannot act upon the future generation until the time comes when they are themselves the present generation. As a first-generation college student raised by a single mother, I fully appreciate the effect the previous generations have had on me and my generation. Although my mother struggled with her issues, she always tried her best to be there for me when I needed it. Despite her hardships, she always provided for me. She wasn't focusing on ensuring I'm going to college in the future and become a lawyer or doctor. We were below the poverty line and in Section 8 housing. The only thing she was focusing on was getting us through the day, the present. My loving single mother knew, to change our family tree for generations to come, she had to focus all her energy on providing for the present generation - me. The caring and perseverance through hardship to raise me by my grandmother and mother inspired me to pursue a career in healthcare. I enrolled in Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) school in 2019 and have been working as one since then while attending classes to become a Physician Assistant. Working as a PTA, I've predominately treated patients within the fifty-plus age range. People generations ahead of me, yet I found so much common ground with them I would've never expected. They, again, even more so than my generation, focused on the present. Although they had excruciating diagnoses, they were always joyful and polite. I found those who had grandchildren to always find great joy in discussing them, the present generation. I've discovered similar experiences through volunteering work serving elderly citizens, finding the ability to affect past generations. The future of society is no doubt vital. We can all agree on that. However, we may disagree on what's the best way to affect future generations. I only know one way to ensure a prosperous future for the succeeding generations. We need to go back to the serene river I spent so many hours at with my loved ones - young and old. The old idea, "The Butterfly Effect," says a small gust of wind in one place can cause a tornado in another. How do we garner a ripple downstream, even though we couldn't possibly reach out and nascent it ourselves?

Growing up in a low-income, single-parent household in a low-income area, I never would've thought one day I'd be the Community Service Chair and then Vice President of Marywood’s Chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success, fundraising to go on a Medical Mission trip in Guatemala, volunteering tutoring/mentoring Latino youth, building homes for families in need, sorting clothes at a foster house, etc. I was incredibly excited to participate in the Guatemala medical mission trip in San Lucas Toliman, ready to help local health workers provide for the locals. This would have been my first time out of the country, and I was incredibly nervous but extremely optimistic. Unfortunately, the day my team and I were supposed to leave for the airport, our trip was canceled due to the growing COVID-19 pandemic. I felt strong emotions leading up to that trip that I yearn to experience again. It’s the little experiences; the little things that made me question my place in this world, that meant a great amount to me. Before my pursuance of the medical field, I never had a feeling of purpose like I did through these experiences. I truly felt like I had a chance at changing the world, through small acts of kindness daily and serving underserved communities, like the one I grew up in. I have high hopes for the future of my medical and personal career. Immediately, upon graduation, I plan to work with the National Health Corps through their Scholarship program where you work as a primary care PA for 2 years after graduation in an area defined as “Health professional shortage area”. I believe that being a PA in my area within the National Health Service Corps and serving in underserved communities strongly correlates with these values and my vision of inspiring people towards pursuing their full potential. I have had a lot of experience with these patients, especially within the ICU of a local hospital during a clinical experience as a Physical Therapist Assistant student and my current job in a rehabilitation hospital. I will always remember those patients I worked with within the ICU and other clinics, and they will constantly reinforce my decision to pursue a career as a Physician Assistant. When I was younger, I never would have thought I’d feel the amount of purpose I do in life. Every day I work with patients, I am overwhelmed with an immense amount of gratitude. While being a mentor/tutor for Latino youth volunteering with Marywood STARS program, I recognized what I believe to be the ultimate purpose within life. What I learned through working with one youth, who was shy and insecure as I used to be as a child/teen, was that there is nothing more important in life than to show someone else how important theirs is. I hope to give back to the youth within my community and other underserved communities more. As someone who’s dealt with emotional hardship, being allowed to walk with someone through their hardships who was in the same position I was once, was incredible to me. Words cannot describe the amount of fullness and completion I feel in my life with the opportunity to share with others the gratitude I have been blessed with. The only hope I have of ever feeling like I have earned what I have been given is to do everything I can to help those who need it most because at one time I was there too. I believe the greatest blessing in life is a discovered purpose.

During the Pre-PA process, I have had an array of service, healthcare, leadership, and extracurricular activities. These experiences have further strengthened my work ethic, desire to be a leader, and inspiration to graduate college debt-free so I can give back to others sooner. As a first-generation student, it is important to me to graduate and instill purpose in the lives of others through working in medicine and mentoring others like I have through numerous volunteering and leadership experiences. One of these is with the Marywood chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success. I worked my way up from an inducted member to Community Service chair and now Vice President, where I have developed many projects for our nearly 80 members over multiple semesters. I have worked hard for all I have accomplished so far and will continue to work hard for all I have yet to because I have fallen in love with the process. In college, I have learned that a strong work ethic goes a long way, which I have transcribed into other areas of my life like fitness, finance, and my career as a Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) at a rehabilitation hospital. As well as working two to five shifts a week in the hospital while being full-time in college, I also work in the same store where I had my original epiphany. I believe in working harder than everyone else to achieve what I want. My motivation for this work ethic is to help my family financially and reach my dream of expanding healthcare to those in need in my community, the country, and abroad. At Marywood, I was involved in fundraising with Campus Ministry for aid in San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala. Although my team and I did not travel to Guatemala to assist the local medical providers due to the pandemic, we still raised over $12,000! This contribution proved to be much needed, as the impact of the coronavirus became pronounced in Guatemala. In the future, I plan to work with a government or non-profit agency like the National Guard, Peace Corps, or UNISEC to travel the world and provide medical care to those in need or recovering from disasters. This care means a great deal to me as I want to leave as much of a positive impact on the world as I can. A college education is crucial for me to learn the skills I need to provide medical care as a PA to change and save lives. I yearn to teach others the same principles I value including, work ethic, working towards your passion, etc. Accomplishing my goal of graduating school debt-free is something I know will take enormous effort. I have applied to at least one scholarship nearly every week, worked two jobs for almost two years, attended college full-time while commuting for 5+ years, and plan to work with the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) after PA school. The NHSC program involves working in a healthcare deficit area as a PA in family medicine for two years. I will accomplish all this and attribute my current accomplishments, motivation, and character to the work ethic I have garnered from pushing myself to be the best version of myself. With the assistance of this scholarship, I will continue to do just that and give back to others.

I'm a current Physical Therapist Assistant and future Physician Assistant. On the surface, it seems I have everything laid out for me to be successful. Yet, the reality is revealed from the past that I've come so far from, yet have so far to go. I grew up in a low-income, single-parent household, living in Section 8 housing and on Medicaid. I never knew I was under the poverty line, thanks to my mom worked hard to take care of us. In 2014 I started my first job at a grocery store and now work there until this day. I work as much as possible while maintaining a 3.9 GPA as a full-time college student, volunteering, shadowing Physician Assistants, and several leadership positions. Without the assistance of my family and paying my tuition entirely on my own, it's been hard to achieve my goal of graduating college debt-free. I have a few thousand dollars in loans already from my previous degree that I am actively trying to pay off. This scholarship would allow me to continue my education and goal of inspiring others in medicine while paying off my current loans. I believe in working harder than everyone else to achieve what I want. My motivation for this work ethic is to help my family financially and reach my dream of expanding healthcare to those in need in my community, the country, and abroad. At Marywood, I was involved in fundraising with Campus Ministry for aid in San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala. Although my team and I did not travel to Guatemala to assist the local medical providers due to the pandemic, we still raised over $12,000! This contribution proved to be much needed, as the impact of the coronavirus became pronounced in Guatemala. This care means a great deal to me as I want to leave as much of a positive impact on the world as I can. A college education is crucial for me to learn the skills I need to provide medical care as a PA to change and save lives. I yearn to teach others the same principles I value including, work ethic, working towards your passion, etc. Accomplishing my goal of graduating school debt-free is something I know will take enormous effort. I have applied to at least one scholarship nearly every week, worked two jobs for almost two years, attended college full-time while commuting for 5+ years, and plan to work with the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) after PA school. The NHSC program involves working in a healthcare deficit area as a PA in family medicine for two years. I will accomplish all this and attribute my current accomplishments, motivation, and character to the work ethic I have garnered from pushing myself to be the best version of myself. With the assistance of this scholarship, I will continue to do just that and give back to others.

It's easy in today's world to forget what truly matters and be side-tracked into the nuances within our careers, social relationships, finances, and never truly focus on the moment. There is only intrinsic value in few things, and how many likes you get on Instagram isn't one of them. I value family over everything else. Being a provider for my mother, father, and grandparents is what drives me every day to excel in college, launch a business, and continue to develop myself as a provider for my family, my community, and anyone in need. Currently, I work as a Physical Therapist Assistant. I am also pursuing my bachelor's as a Pre-Physician Assistant and hope to practice medicine in the future. For most of my life, I grew up in a single-parent, low-income household. I was devoid of any passion, hope, or inspiration. The arduous experience of finding purpose in my life took years, but I learned a massive amount during that time. Most importantly, I discovered that what drove me the most was being a provider and leader. There have been many hardships since I have begun my journey of pursuing medicine as a first-generation college student. My parents divorced, my grandparents retired, and both with very little to live the rest of their lives. I've also paid close attention over the years to the suffering of others in my community or overseas in countries like Syria, Iraq, and Haiti, to name a few. I take this suffering personally and feel a responsibility and passion in providing for those in need medically as a Physician Assistant. What drives me is knowing I have the responsibility to leave an impact on the world. This goal requires that I provide for my family and the best medical professional for my patients. I plan to work in emergency medicine as a Physician Assistant, saving lives in the civilian world, and serving overseas. There are people I have met working in healthcare who have continued to empower my passion for medicine. One of them was a young lady I met while working in a hospital. She was a college student with a recent brain injury that had flipped her life upside down. We worked her back to the point of walking and communicating effectively with the collaboration of speech therapists. As medical providers, what our team provided for her goes beyond medicine. In one of her darkest moments, we not only assisted her with her ability to walk and function normally - but also to bring back her hope. On the day she was discharged, she told me she was more optimistic than before her grave injury and that her story would make an inspiring personal statement in the future! I agreed with both and wished her the best of luck in her journey, emphasizing how grateful I was to play my part in her journey. What drives me is experiences like this, creating a difference in the life of others and my own.

My first experience with severe mental health issues was when I was very young. I spent many hours with a close family member of mine. She was my best friend at a young age and routinely took care of me when my mother had to work, as she was a single parent. We went on walks together, hung out at my grandma's house, and would do anything to put a smile on my face. At my young, naive age, I had no idea what she and my family went through years before I was born. She suffered from mental health issues since middle school, severe bipolar depression, and anxiety. This lead to her subsequently dropping out of high school and later being homeschooled by my grandma. Around the time I was born, things were relatively normal. However, the situation changed when I was around preschool or kindergarten age. I started to notice there was a lot of arguing going on when I was around her and our family. They would scream at each other, and she would leave. She would be missing for hours at a time, and I didn't understand it. I was extremely frustrated and disappointed. I just wanted to spend time with her, but it became more difficult as whenever she would come home, there would be more arguments and yelling. I recognize now the heartache and confusion she was going through. She was going through a lot, but my family didn't understand and just viewed it as her acting out. She wasn't offered the empathy, compassion, and communication she deserved and needed. It was a difficult environment for all of us, but a little conversation, understanding, and initial discomfort may have gone a long way to recovery. As I grew up, I noticed people's emotions and how they acted around others more than the average kid. I yearned to understand people better because of the emotional turmoil I faced every day while attempting to understand the struggles of my close family member and my single mother. They both would randomly cry, and I never understood why they were sad. I tried, but I couldn't make them happy when those dark moments came. Again, now I realize they didn't want or need someone to come and make them happy or smile. My mother and family member just needed someone to listen to them. All the senseless pain and sorrow, they just wanted someone to listen to them instead of yelling in their face. A huge lesson I've recently realized while reflecting on my experiences with mental health is that sometimes it's arduous to put our own emotions inside and communicate compassionately to someone else. This desire to be there for other people in need and understand the human mind and body led me to the medical field. I currently work as a Physical Therapist Assistant at a rehabilitation hospital where I assist others towards a more functionally independent life so they can return home and get back to their lives before as much as possible. I'm also pursuing my bachelor's degree in the hopes of attending Physician Assistant (PA) school and practice in family medicine as a PA. I want to work in underserved areas where mental health issues and physical health ailments are rampant, understand what they're going through, and walk with them in their journey. One thing I strongly value because of my experiences with mental health is straightforward, compassionate communication. This is something I've always struggled with myself, despite feeling so strongly about it. Commonly, my own emotions get in the way when I'm dealing with an argument with a loved one. Although, I've become much more understanding over the years and continue to learn as I work in healthcare how to be a more compassionate, caring, and empathetic family member and medical provider. My future aspirations involve providing humanitarian aid to those in developing, war-torn countries such as Syria, Somalia, Afghanistan, and Iraq and providing for those in need within the United States. Another issue I'd like to be involved in in the future and am currently addressing is disaster relief. I'm a volunteer with the Red Cross's Disaster Action Team and, as a PA, plan to participate in disaster relief nationally and abroad to alieve the widespread mental and physical effects major disasters have. I have many aspirations and lofty goals, which require a vast amount of motivation and discipline daily. I have dark days as well, and to get through, I always think of my past experiences with mental health. After watching my family and mother suffer all those years and being unable to offer solace. These thoughts drive me to make a difference in my life and the life of others. A little kindness and compassion daily truly can change the world.

Being a first-generation student has helped me recognize the potential every person possesses and the importance of assisting them to tap into their potential. I yearn to assist others through medicine as a future Physician Assistant (PA) and current Physical Therapist Assistant. During the Pre-PA process, I have had an array of service, healthcare, leadership, and extracurricular activities. These experiences have further strengthened my work ethic, desire to be a leader, and inspiration to graduate college debt-free so I can give back to others sooner. As a first-generation student, it is important to me to graduate and instill purpose in the lives of others through working in medicine and mentoring others like I have through numerous volunteering and leadership experiences. One of these is with the Marywood chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success. I worked my way up from an inducted member to Community Service chair and now Vice President, where I have developed many projects for our nearly 80 members over multiple semesters. I have worked hard for all I have accomplished so far and will continue to work hard for all I have yet to because I have fallen in love with the process. In college, I have learned that a strong work ethic goes a long way, which I have transcribed into other areas of my life like fitness, finance, and my career as a Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) at a rehabilitation hospital. As well as working two to five shifts a week in the hospital while being full-time in college, I also work in the same store where I had my original epiphany. I believe in working harder than everyone else to achieve what I want. My motivation for this work ethic is to help my family financially and reach my dream of expanding healthcare to those in need in my community, the country, and abroad. At Marywood, I was involved in fundraising with Campus Ministry for aid in San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala. Although my team and I did not travel to Guatemala to assist the local medical providers due to the pandemic, we still raised over $12,000! This contribution proved to be much needed, as the impact of the coronavirus became pronounced in Guatemala. In the future, I plan to work with a government or non-profit agency like the National Guard, Peace Corps, or UNISEC to travel the world and provide medical care to those in need or recovering from disasters. This care means a great deal to me as I want to leave as much of a positive impact on the world as I can. A college education is crucial for me to learn the skills I need to provide medical care as a PA to change and save lives. I yearn to teach others the same principles I value including, work ethic, working towards your passion, etc. Accomplishing my goal of graduating school debt-free is something I know will take enormous effort. I have applied to at least one scholarship nearly every week, worked two jobs for almost two years, attended college full-time while commuting for 5+ years, and plan to work with the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) after PA school. The NHSC program involves working in a healthcare deficit area as a PA in family medicine for two years. I will accomplish all this and attribute my current accomplishments, motivation, and character to the work ethic I have garnered from pushing myself to be the best version of myself. With the assistance of this scholarship, I will continue to do just that and give back to others.

During the Pre-PA process, I have had an array of service, healthcare, leadership, and extracurricular activities. These experiences have further strengthened my work ethic, desire to be a leader, and inspiration to graduate college debt-free so I can give back to others sooner. As a first-generation student, it is important to me to graduate and instill purpose in the lives of others through working in medicine and mentoring others like I have through numerous volunteering and leadership experiences. One of these is with the Marywood chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success. I worked my way up from an inducted member to Community Service chair and now Vice President, where I have developed many projects for our nearly 80 members over multiple semesters. I have worked hard for all I have accomplished so far and will continue to work hard for all I have yet to because I have fallen in love with the process. In college, I have learned that a strong work ethic goes a long way, which I have transcribed into other areas of my life like fitness, finance, and my career as a Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) at a rehabilitation hospital. As well as working two to five shifts a week in the hospital while being full-time in college, I also work in the same store where I had my original epiphany. I believe in working harder than everyone else to achieve what I want. My motivation for this work ethic is to help my family financially and reach my dream of expanding healthcare to those in need in my community, the country, and abroad. At Marywood, I was involved in fundraising with Campus Ministry for aid in San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala. Although my team and I did not travel to Guatemala to assist the local medical providers due to the pandemic, we still raised over $12,000! This contribution proved to be much needed, as the impact of the coronavirus became pronounced in Guatemala. In the future, I plan to work with a government or non-profit agency like the National Guard, Peace Corps, or UNISEC to travel the world and provide medical care to those in need or recovering from disasters. This care means a great deal to me as I want to leave as much of a positive impact on the world as I can. A college education is crucial for me to learn the skills I need to provide medical care as a PA to change and save lives. I yearn to teach others the same principles I value including, work ethic, working towards your passion, etc. Accomplishing my goal of graduating school debt-free is something I know will take enormous effort. I have applied to at least one scholarship nearly every week, worked two jobs for almost two years, attended college full-time while commuting for 5+ years, and plan to work with the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) after PA school. The NHSC program involves working in a healthcare deficit area as a PA in family medicine for two years. I will accomplish all this and attribute my current accomplishments, motivation, and character to the work ethic I have garnered from pushing myself to be the best version of myself. With the assistance of this scholarship, I will continue to do just that and give back to others.

My first experience with severe mental health issues was when I was very young. I spent many hours with a close family member of mine. She was my best friend at a young age and routinely took care of me when my mother had to work, as she was a single parent. We went on walks together, hung out at my grandma's house, and would do anything to put a smile on my face. At my young, naive age, I had no idea what she and my family went through years before I was born. She suffered from mental health issues since middle school, severe bipolar depression, and anxiety. This lead to her subsequently dropping out of high school and later being homeschooled by my grandma. Around the time I was born, things were relatively normal. However, the situation changed when I was around preschool or kindergarten age. I started to notice there was a lot of arguing going on when I was around her and our family. They would scream at each other, and she would leave. She would be missing for hours at a time, and I didn't understand it. I was extremely frustrated and disappointed. I just wanted to spend time with her, but it became more difficult as whenever she would come home, there would be more arguments and yelling. I recognize now the heartache and confusion she was going through. She was going through a lot, but my family didn't understand and just viewed it as her acting out. She wasn't offered the empathy, compassion, and communication she deserved and needed. It was a difficult environment for all of us, but a little conversation, understanding, and initial discomfort may have gone a long way to recovery. As I grew up, I noticed people's emotions and how they acted around others more than the average kid. I yearned to understand people better because of the emotional turmoil I faced every day while attempting to understand the struggles of my close family member and my single mother. They both would randomly cry, and I never understood why they were sad. I tried, but I couldn't make them happy when those dark moments came. Again, now I realize they didn't want or need someone to come and make them happy or smile. My mother and family member just needed someone to listen to them. All the senseless pain and sorrow, they just wanted someone to listen to them instead of yelling in their face. A huge lesson I've recently realized while reflecting on my experiences with mental health is that sometimes it's arduous to put our own emotions inside and communicate compassionately to someone else. This desire to be there for other people in need and understand the human mind and body led me to the medical field. I currently work as a Physical Therapist Assistant at a rehabilitation hospital where I assist others towards a more functionally independent life so they can return home and get back to their lives before as much as possible. I'm also pursuing my bachelor's degree in the hopes of attending Physician Assistant (PA) school and practice in family medicine as a PA. I want to work in underserved areas where mental health issues and physical health ailments are rampant, understand what they're going through, and walk with them in their journey. One thing I strongly value because of my experiences with mental health is straightforward, compassionate communication. This is something I've always struggled with myself, despite feeling so strongly about it. Commonly, my own emotions get in the way when I'm dealing with an argument with a loved one. Although, I've become much more understanding over the years and continue to learn as I work in healthcare how to be a more compassionate, caring, and empathetic family member and medical provider. My future aspirations involve providing humanitarian aid to those in developing, war-torn countries such as Syria, Somalia, Afghanistan, and Iraq and providing for those in need within the United States. Another issue I'd like to be involved in in the future and am currently addressing is disaster relief. I'm a volunteer with the Red Cross's Disaster Action Team and, as a PA, plan to participate in disaster relief nationally and abroad to alieve the widespread mental and physical effects major disasters have. I have many aspirations and lofty goals, which require a vast amount of motivation and discipline daily. I have dark days as well, and to get through, I always think of my past experiences with mental health. After watching my family and mother suffer all those years and being unable to offer solace. These thoughts drive me to make a difference in my life and the life of others. A little kindness and compassion daily truly can change the world.

The process of becoming a Physician Assistant correlates with everything I hold as values in life, innovation, philanthropy, and leadership. I have done things I never would have considered before, becoming Community Service Chair and then Vice President of Marywood’s Chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success, fundraising to go on a Medical Mission trip in Guatemala, volunteering tutoring/mentoring Latino youth, building homes for families in need, sorting clothes at a foster house, etc. I was incredibly excited to participate in the Guatemala medical mission trip in San Lucas Toliman, ready to help local health workers provide for the locals. This would have been my first time out of the country, and I was incredibly nervous but extremely optimistic. Unfortunately, the day my team and I were supposed to leave for the airport, our trip was canceled due to the growing COVID-19 pandemic. I felt strong emotions leading up to that trip that I yearn to experience again. It’s the little experiences; the little things that made me question my place in this world, that meant a great amount to me. Before my pursuance of the medical field, I never had a feeling of purpose like I did through these experiences. I truly felt like I had a chance at changing the world, through small acts of kindness daily. Immediately, upon graduation, I plan to work with the National Health Corps through their Scholarship program where you work as a primary care (family medicine) PA for 2 years after graduation in an area defined as “Health professional shortage area”. I hope to have the opportunity to work within my area of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton as I currently do. I also hope to serve within the United States National Guard as a PA, in the hopes I could participate in humanitarian efforts abroad and within the country, given the opportunity. I hold strong values in innovation, philanthropy, and leadership. I believe that being a PA in my area within the National Health Service Corps and National Guard strongly correlates with these values and my vision of inspiring people towards pursuing their full potential. When I was younger, I never would have thought I’d feel the amount of purpose I do in life. Every day I work with patients and am able to serve my community, I am overwhelmed with an immense amount of gratitude. While being a mentor/tutor for Latino youth volunteering with Marywood STARS program, I recognized what I believe to be the ultimate purpose within life. What I learned through working with one youth, who was shy and insecure as I used to be as a child/teen, was that there is nothing more important in life than to show someone else how important theirs is. I hope to give back to the youth within my community more. The best thing about having found a purpose in life is that you get to help others find theirs. As someone who’s dealt with emotional hardship, being allowed to walk with someone through their hardships who was in the same position I was once, was incredible to me. Words cannot describe the amount of fullness and completion I feel in my life with the opportunity to share with others the gratitude I have been blessed with. The only hope I have of ever feeling like I have earned what I have been given is to do everything I can to help those who need it most because at one time I was there too. I believe the greatest blessing in life is a discovered purpose.

The process of becoming a Physician Assistant correlates with everything I hold as values in life, innovation, philanthropy, and leadership. I have done things I never would have considered before, becoming Community Service Chair and then Vice President of Marywood’s Chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success, fundraising to go on a Medical Mission trip in Guatemala, volunteering tutoring/mentoring Latino youth, building homes for families in need, sorting clothes at a foster house, etc. I was incredibly excited to participate in the Guatemala medical mission trip in San Lucas Toliman, ready to help local health workers provide for the locals. This would have been my first time out of the country, and I was incredibly nervous but extremely optimistic. Unfortunately, the day my team and I were supposed to leave for the airport, our trip was canceled due to the growing COVID-19 pandemic. I felt strong emotions leading up to that trip that I yearn to experience again. It’s the little experiences; the little things that made me question my place in this world, that meant a great amount to me. Before my pursuance of the medical field, I never had a feeling of purpose like I did through these experiences. I truly felt like I had a chance at changing the world, through small acts of kindness daily. Immediately, upon graduation, I plan to work with the National Health Corps through their Scholarship program where you work as a primary care (family medicine) PA for 2 years after graduation in an area defined as “Health professional shortage area”. I hope to have the opportunity to work within my area of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton as I currently do. I also hope to serve within the United States National Guard as a PA, in the hopes I could participate in humanitarian efforts abroad and within the country, given the opportunity. I hold strong values in innovation, philanthropy, and leadership. I believe that being a PA in my area within the National Health Service Corps and National Guard strongly correlates with these values and my vision of inspiring people towards pursuing their full potential. When I was younger, I never would have thought I’d feel the amount of purpose I do in life. Every day I work with patients and am able to serve my community, I am overwhelmed with an immense amount of gratitude. While being a mentor/tutor for Latino youth volunteering with Marywood STARS program, I recognized what I believe to be the ultimate purpose within life. What I learned through working with one youth, who was shy and insecure as I used to be as a child/teen, was that there is nothing more important in life than to show someone else how important theirs is. I hope to give back to the youth within my community more. The best thing about having found a purpose in life is that you get to help others find theirs. As someone who’s dealt with emotional hardship, being allowed to walk with someone through their hardships who was in the same position I was once, was incredible to me. Words cannot describe the amount of fullness and completion I feel in my life with the opportunity to share with others the gratitude I have been blessed with. The only hope I have of ever feeling like I have earned what I have been given is to do everything I can to help those who need it most because at one time I was there too. I believe the greatest blessing in life is a discovered purpose.

Sister Rose is an unassuming, kind woman, that also enjoys dancing and singing in class. I had never met a Sister before, and I had always assumed they were strict religious-centered figures. Now, during my first semester of college as a Pre-PA major, I experienced a long-overdue epiphany. From the first day Sister Rose came into the classroom, I knew my predispositions regarding Sisters were utterly wrong. Insecurity is something I've always struggled with. I tend to feel secluded and isolated in new environments I'm not comfortable in and unintentionally become an introvert. Although I had enjoyed my first day at my new college, the same sense of insecurity I had thought I fought off over the years was in the back of my mind. As a transfer student with a previous degree under my belt, I felt out of place with the younger first-year students. Unlike many of the students in that same classroom, I had everything planned out, or so I thought. I knew what career I wanted, where I wanted to invest my time, and had a strong vision of my hopes and aspirations for my future. Yet, I still like the insecurity from my new environment was holding me back. From previous experiences, I knew this feeling could be a huge issue for me, having taking years to get over in my past. I couldn't help but think, are my emotions going to hold me back from achieving something I'm so passionate about? Those recurring thoughts continued to be in the back of my mind until I entered the classroom of my first ever religion class. I'll be honest. I wasn't looking forward to it. Although I do consider myself a religious person, I greatly enjoy discovering my beliefs on my own. I wasn't thrilled to sit in a classroom three days a week and listen to someone lecture me about why Christianity is the best religion. I was delighted to find out on my first day, that wasn't the plan Sister Rose had for us at all. She took her time to communicate with each student as we introduced ourselves to the class. Normally, this is uncomfortable to many students as it typically feels like a task rather than genuine. However, everyone quickly realized Sister Rose truly was excited to get to know each of us. I'll never forget the glee portrayed in her facial expression to hear each student's background, goals, and aspirations. Her ability to live in the moment and experience life to the fullest was contagious, and I found my recurring thoughts of insecurity had slipped away. Sister Rose's teaching methods consisted of open, collaborative discussions on the world's religions and beliefs rather than forceful, authoritarian discussions. She promoted inclusiveness, diversity, and welcomed all perspectives. One of her many desirable traits was her quirkiness, routinely taking us on "field trips" to different places around campus and interactive lessons like reaching out the window and ripping a weed out of the ground to show us, first hand, the beauty of nature. The most important thing she taught me was not to be afraid of what others think of me. An issue that had plagued me for years and almost kept me from ever enrolling in college in the first place and pursuing my dream career in medicine. Sister Rose reinforced my confidence in myself, taught me to stand up for others and always be kind and compassionate. This has had a huge impact on how I communicate with my patients as a Physical Therapist Assistant and in the future as a Physician Assistant.

The process of becoming a Physician Assistant correlates with everything I hold as values in life, innovation, philanthropy, and leadership. I have done things I never would have considered before, becoming Community Service Chair and then Vice President of Marywood’s Chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success, fundraising to go on a Medical Mission trip in Guatemala, volunteering tutoring/mentoring Latino youth, building homes for families in need, sorting clothes at a foster house, etc. I was incredibly excited to participate in the Guatemala medical mission trip in San Lucas Toliman, ready to help local health workers provide for the locals. This would have been my first time out of the country, and I was incredibly nervous but extremely optimistic. Unfortunately, the day my team and I were supposed to leave for the airport, our trip was canceled due to the growing COVID-19 pandemic. I felt strong emotions leading up to that trip that I yearn to experience again. It’s the little experiences; the little things that made me question my place in this world, that meant a great amount to me. Before my pursuance of the medical field, I never had a feeling of purpose like I did through these experiences. I truly felt like I had a chance at changing the world, through small acts of kindness daily. Immediately, upon graduation, I plan to work with the National Health Corps through their Scholarship program where you work as a primary care (family medicine) PA for 2 years after graduation in an area defined as “Health professional shortage area”. I hope to have the opportunity to work within my area of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton as I currently do. I also hope to serve within the United States National Guard as a PA, in the hopes I could participate in humanitarian efforts abroad and within the country, given the opportunity. I hold strong values in innovation, philanthropy, and leadership. I believe that being a PA in my area within the National Health Service Corps and National Guard strongly correlates with these values and my vision of inspiring people towards pursuing their full potential. When I was younger, I never would have thought I’d feel the amount of purpose I do in life. Every day I work with patients and am able to serve my community, I am overwhelmed with an immense amount of gratitude. While being a mentor/tutor for Latino youth volunteering with Marywood STARS program, I recognized what I believe to be the ultimate purpose within life. What I learned through working with one youth, who was shy and insecure as I used to be as a child/teen, was that there is nothing more important in life than to show someone else how important theirs is. I hope to give back to the youth within my community more. The best thing about having found a purpose in life is that you get to help others find theirs. As someone who’s dealt with emotional hardship, being allowed to walk with someone through their hardships who was in the same position I was once, was incredible to me. Words cannot describe the amount of fullness and completion I feel in my life with the opportunity to share with others the gratitude I have been blessed with. The only hope I have of ever feeling like I have earned what I have been given is to do everything I can to help those who need it most because at one time I was there too. I believe the greatest blessing in life is a discovered purpose.

2020 was the year that offered me all the heartache it could spew out. In November of 2019, I had finally started treating patients on my own in Physical Therapy at a rehabilitation hospital. The first few months were a huge adjustment for me, but I had no idea what was still awaiting me in a few more months. It was December 2019 when I had first heard about the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China. I hadn't thought much of it at the time, as I assume many others assumed the same. We were dead wrong. I had signed up to participate in a medical mission trip to San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala, with a team of fellow university students as pre-health majors. We prepared for months for this trip, meeting, praying, and training. I was incredibly nervous to even sign up for the service trip. I was never on a plane or even out of the country before. It was a giant leap for me but a mission I was incredibly passionate about. The night we were set to meet together at 3:45 AM at campus and travel together to the airport, we got devastating news. The first case of COVID-19 had reached our county, and the campus administration had decided it was a safety risk for my team and those we were to serve in the small village in Guatemala. I was distraught at first. I had put so much courage into signing up, training, and preparing for this trip. Now it was all lost. Although, I realized I could use this to my advantage and recognized my commitment to humanitarian aid and my desire to serve underrepresented communities had only grown stronger. Shortly after the first cases had reached the county and the cancelation of the service trip, I received more bad news. The hospital I worked at was phasing out part-time employees and relying solely on full-time workers as inundated acute-care hospitals experienced thousands of patients in the intensive care unit, patient count in rehabilitation hospitals tanked. Now, I was out of work. As I struggled to find the motivation to wake up day by day without treating any patients, another tragedy appeared. In April 2020, my grandma was progressively getting sicker each day. We didn't think anything of it at first, as COVID-19 hadn't been prominent in our county yet. Then, when she could barely get out of bed, we became extremely worried. She went to get tested that day, and a few days later, the results came back. Positive for COVID-19. My grandma is my rock and my foundation for my motivation. Being raised by a single mother, she was always there for my mother and me. When I was 18, she took me in, and I've lived with her since. I was beyond terrified when I seriously considered the idea of losing my grandmother to COVID-19. Her sickness peaked nearly a week in when she didn't get out of bed all day, very unlike her. Then, she gradually got better with each day. I learned to tell my family I love them every day after this incident, as you never know when the person you see every day might not be there to greet you in the morning. My grandma was safe, and in May 2019, I came back to work at the rehabilitation hospital. All was looking well now. Until I realized the devastation firsthand COVID-19 and 2020 had on families. I worked with recovering COVID-19 patients nearly every day at the hospital. Some couldn't walk, and those that could had to bring along an oxygen tank with them everywhere. Young or old, no one was safe from the heartache brought on by that dreaded year. Day after day, patients told me their stories of losing their families in one month. One patient had contracted COVID-19 at work and spread the infection to his mother and wife. As he was fighting for his own life in the ICU, he had to deal with the loss of the only family he knew, his caring mother and beloved wife. I'll never forget 2020. Not only because of the trauma I experienced on my own, or even through the stories of others who were forced to face the unimaginable, but also for the growth I experienced. I learned to be grateful for my family every day and always treat others with the utmost respect as you never know what someone else is going through. Most importantly, my commitment to medicine and serving others was strengthened and empowered like never before.

This is a picture from Shenandoah National Park in Shenandoah, Virginia. This particular location is at Hawksbill Mountain, which has an elevation of 4,050 feet above sea level. It's the highest point in all of the nearly 200 thousand acre state park and the surrounding counties. I hiked it with my mother, grandparents, and it was one of my most difficult hikes. I had to inspire not only myself but everyone else in my group. I was extremely proud of all of us for making it to the top, and clearly, the view was well worth it.

Have you ever thought about a part of the world that has yet to be discovered by people? A place with vast resources, abound energy, endless beauty, with no conceivable limit to its power to amaze and empower? This scene might sound like something you might see on the History or Discovery channel about an esoteric area in the dense forests of the Amazon. Although to find this area, you don't have to look further than within yourself. It took me years to discover this area within myself. Within a few years, I went from being devoid of purpose in high school to feeling a strong sense of passion and dedication to achieve my goals. Throughout high school, I had little focus, passion, or hope for the future. I did what I had to to get by and graduated with a 3.3 GPA. Unsure of what to do with my life, I enrolled in a local community college and eventually transferred to a Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) associate's program. It was a huge culture shock for me. I studied for the first time, something I never did in high school. I was a late bloomer in every sense of the word. I had changed my life around completely from where I was in high school, academically and personally, and graduated with a 3.6 GPA. I was on the dean's list each semester of college, something my family, friends, teachers, or myself would've never expected during my high school years. I graduated from PTA and started working in a rehabilitation hospital within a few weeks. At the same time, I also enrolled and started classes at another college as a Pre-Physician Assistant (PA). I felt much more prepared this time and confident in myself and my academic abilities. Currently, I have maintained a 3.9+ GPA over two years of pursuing my bachelor's degree. While a student at my current university, I have engaged in an array of service and leadership experiences including, my university's chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success, where I worked my way up from Inducted Member to Community Service Chair, and finally, Vice President. I learned a great deal from serving in these positions and leading our over 70 members over several semesters. My grandest achievement wasn't a specific factor or goal I've reached but the resulting confidence in myself and my future I discovered through suffering, pushing my limits, and accomplishing things I never imagined possible. From my academic accomplishments, leadership and service roles, and personal development, I feel incredibly accomplished and grateful for the experiences I've had. Through these experiences, I wasn't only able to improve my life but the lives of those I've impacted through volunteering, working as a PTA, and in my various leadership positions within organizations. Ultimately, it was because of me recognizing the difference I could create in others' lives that led to me feeling confident and accomplished. Before I had started working in medicine, I never realized the impact I could have on someone else's life. In my short time that I've worked in healthcare and pursued my passion for inspiring others through improving their lives, I helped several people walk again when they had lost nearly all hope. One example is a young lady who had a brain injury whose life was completely turned upside down when she went from a healthy college student to being dependent upon healthcare providers and her mother to take care of her. As well as helping her physically with the assistance of the therapy team, I was there for her mentally to support her and walk with her through her journey to recovery. Eventually, she was able to walk again and is essentially back to where she had been before her injury. Given, she came out arguably with a better mentality she had before the injury. More optimistic about her future and ready to take on any challenge in the future. It's an incredible feeling to have the opportunity to make a difference in someone's life, physically and mentally. The difference I've made in my own life and subsequentially the lives of others thus far is my greatest achievement in life.

I got my first phone when I was only 7 years old. An "ancient" Motorolla flip phone that you had to press the key 4 times to get the letter J. A relic, when compared to modern phones, but for my young self, was essentially magic. Growing up, I was a major introvert and hadn't had many friends I spent time with after school. I didn't know any better, so I was content. Through texts with friends from school, I felt included. Of course, this was before the time I had social media and my first smartphone. I had been against social media until high school when my friends finally convinced me to join Facebook and Twitter. Even though I was 15, I was still very naive, and social media was an entirely new world for me. I had a bittersweet epiphany. That other people had a lot more friends outside of school than I did. I spent most of my days home alone while watching others on social media enjoying life with friends. Suddenly, the thing that I felt kept me connected to the outside world was actually disconnecting me. I was constantly insecure and doubtful of my ability to connect with others. I went from being a relatively content child (despite being raised in a single-parent home) to feeling empty and anxious. For years, I had lost joy in the things I was doing as a child, making games to play with my family, yearly vacations, and watching my favorite TV shows. Later in my high school years, I had another epiphany. I had to grow up. I knew it but was scared to go out of my comfort zone and talk with more people. I had always had my mom pick me up after school despite being within walking distance. I knew two of my friends from school walked home. I stepped up and asked them if I could walk home with them. This act would seem inconsequential to most, but for me, it was like Neil Armstrong's first steps on the moon. You know the saying, "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for Christian." Isn't that how the saying goes? Of course, I would've likely never experienced this epiphany without a smartphone or social media. It wasn't without the hardship, of course, after years of insecurity and feeling left out because of social media. But I don't regret anything. To me, social media opened up a world that I had never experienced before. A world I didn't even know I was missing. After I took this first step to spend time with friends after school, my life changed. I suddenly had not a group of friends I consistently hung out with after school, but more friends in school as well. I began to come out of my shell and made new connections that are some of my closest friends now. I will admit I still have my battles with smartphones and social media, some days being "glued" to the phone for hours. I rarely used my phone behind the wheel besides switching songs. Over the years, it's taught me self-discipline, which even transferred to other areas of my life like fitness, college, and pursuing my goals. Smartphones are like a new language. It can be used to hurt others, to connect, to grow, to learn, or numerous other things. It all depends on how well we educate our youth on how to use them, teach them the self-discipline required to use it vigilantly, and connect to make the world a better place.

I had not known real leadership until I met him. The man that would one day become my step-father came into my life when I was a teenager. Without a clear purpose, my view of what my legacy would be before meeting him was vague. What I learned from my step-father was not that he was a leader to me, but that I could be a leader to others. That is the legacy he left with me to lead others towards a definite sense of purpose. Not a day goes by where I am not eternally grateful to have been blessed with a leadership figure to have come into my life. I discovered the idea of legacy through him, and this is where I learned how to be a leader. To have a legacy means to inspire others. You must be a leader to leave a legacy. Among the varieties of legacies, there are philanthropic, inspirational, and personal. Philanthropic is an individual like Mahatma Gandhi, the Indian lawyer who led a nation to success against formidable odds. Inspirational, like the story of Rosa Parks, who refused to conform to unethical societal normalities. And personal, like my step-father, who taught me how to, and the importance of leading and inspiring others. When I had started my first job at the age of 16, I told my mom I didn't want to go the second day. I was too embarrassed and experienced immense social anxiety. I didn't know how to face my fears growing up. I talked to my step-father about it, and he refused to let me give up so quickly. I had built up the courage to go the next day, despite my fears and anxieties, and felt incredibly powerfully during work and after. This was an ability I had never discovered before, the ability to face my fears and grow from them. I wish someone had taught me this vital skill earlier on, and that's what I believe my legacy should be. I strive to leave a legacy of leadership behind. Empowering others from single-parent, low-income households to achieve their aspirations. I've accomplished this through several volunteering opportunities, from working at a foster home to building a home for a single mother, fundraising for a medical mission trip to San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala, and mentoring/tutoring Latinx youth n my community. It's been an incredible journey since I've discovered my purpose. Through the legacy that I adamantly strive to leave, I believe I can instill leadership in generations to come.