My name is CJ Bellow and I’m a senior at Iowa High School in Louisiana who will attend LSU in the fall. I am graduating from high school this May, and at the same time, I will also be graduating from McNeese State University with an Associates Degree. Family, community, and hard work are all things that are of high importance to me. I learned to be the person I am through the support of the people that I have been blessed to have surrounding me and through the examples my parents have set for me. My mom came to the United States when she was 17 as a foreign exchange student, and attended McNeese State University where she met my dad. Since the moment she got to the States, she’s done everything in her power to be a strong, successful, and independent woman despite all the challenges she may have faced. My dad was born and raised in Louisiana, and his family didn’t have the money to send him to college, but he knew he wanted to further his education and make a difference in the world. He joined the Army when he was 17, got through school, started working at a chemical plant, and stayed in the Army for 28 years and reached the rank of Major, before finally having to retire due to a medical disability. Through my parents, I have been instilled with all the values necessary to be successful and to make an impact on this world, including a hard work ethic and drive, compassion for others, a call to service, and resilience. As for my future plans, I already got accepted, and will attend, LSU’s Ogden Honors College in the fall of 2026. I currently hold a 4.4 weighted GPA and completed 60 college credit hours through Dual Enrollment and AP coursework. I also am a varsity athlete in 3 sports and am a team captain in 1 and have won a state championship in 2. Following college, I plan to attend med school and become a reconstructive surgeon. Reconstructive surgery is a hybrid between trauma and plastic. The goal of this work for me will be to serve those who serve us and our country. A certain percentage of my work will be pro-bono dedicated to military veterans and law enforcement. I will be taking in gunshot victims, bomb victims, burn victims, and other severe trauma victims, and making them look normal again to help them regain confidence and give them their lives back. With a strong foundation of family values, academic excellence, and athletic achievements, coupled with a deep commitment to serving others, the path ahead involves attending LSU's Ogden Honors College, pursuing medical school, and ultimately becoming a reconstructive surgeon dedicated to giving back to veterans and law enforcement.