My father is a firefighter/ EMT. He is a professional firefighter as well as the Assistant Chief at our volunteer fire department in Magnet Cove. I have grown up watching him run out the door at the drop of a hat to help others in need. I understood what he did, but never truly understood why until I was old enough to join the fire department as a volunteer myself. For the past three years I have been volunteering at the fire department in some capacity or another. Whether it is washing and rolling hose after a fire, handing out waters, or just running back and forth to the truck for tools during a fire, I began to see firsthand the difference I could make. My senior year of high school I was able to officially join the department, receive CPR training and be issued turnout gear. I attend weekly volunteer meetings for equipment maintenance and training. I have responded to fire calls and medical calls both with my father and with other first responders on the department. I enjoy fire calls, and the medical calls have further confirmed my interest in the medical field. Not every community is fortunate enough to have paid departments, and volunteers play a critical role in these areas. You never know when the call will go out, or who needs your help. I have responded to trees down in the road at 2am on a school night, I have helped with lift-assists with our local EMS provider, I have helped with exterior attacks on homes of friends within my community, and sometimes I have been one of only two responders. The person on the other end of 911 is praying desperately for help to come and come quickly. I can honestly say I now understand why my dad has run out of the house in the middle of dinner or before the end of an exciting movie. I am also proud to say I am running out with him now. Even though I will be attending college soon, I still plan to answer calls when I am home visiting on the weekends and during holiday breaks. I cannot deny I like the adrenaline rush that comes with responding, but even more I love the feeling I have at the end of the call knowing I responded and answered the call. Answering the call means something entirely different to me now, then it did three years ago.

I plan to earn a biology degree with the intent to either study medicine or biomedical engineering. I love science and helping others. My father is a firefighter, which led me to join our local fire department as a volunteer. I enjoy fire calls but believe I have found my calling helping during medical calls. My mother is a pharmacist, who went back to school after 20 years to earn a Master of Business degree. She worked through a Developing Future CEO program with her company and is now a hospital CEO at an inpatient rehabilitation hospital. My mother and father have shown me a strong work ethic is essential to success. My primary goal is to follow a pre-med tract for the purpose of applying to medical school. In the event I am not accepted or find medicine is not a personal fit, I would utilize the biology degree to further specialize in biomedical engineering. I believe adversity, while unpleasant during the trial, is important to define our character. I played all four years during high school on the defensive line of our football team. The start of my junior year I was at a physical peak, excelling against others and holding the line for my team. Unfortunately, I learned mid-season I needed double knee surgery. I pushed through to the end of the season in pain, because I refused to abandon my team. I underwent knee surgery at the end of my junior year football season and returned to school in a wheelchair to complete finals. I worked throughout the off-season and was again a starter on the defensive line my senior year. I love playing football, but I love being part of a team, playing my part and knowing my teammates have my back, just like I have theirs. I believe this is also why I enjoy volunteering on the fire department as well. I will have to have further surgery on my knees, but plan to schedule one knee during my summer off after the first year of college, and the second knee the second summer. I do not want to delay my future or lose out on scholarship opportunities from postponing college for knee surgery. While my adversity may pale in comparison to what others have faced, I am proud of my ability to maintain my grades, recover from double knee surgery and fight my way back to a starting position on the football field. I believe in hard work, and putting in the work to have what you want in life. Thank you for the opportunity to apply for this scholarship and even if I am not selected, thank you for giving back to others to help further dreams. I hope to be able to give back as well one day.