“Not again!” Ironically, I dislocated my knee in the same place as the first time. Watching my mangled leg, I felt like my life, or at least my ability to walk, had come to an end. One night, January 5, 2023, at a regular weekly Boy Scout meeting and unaware of what was to come, my brother innocently kicked me in the side of my left knee, consequently dislocating it for the first time. Blissfully unaware, going to school the next day became my main concern that night. Distraught, I learned that wasn’t the case and even more so when I found out I’d have to spend the next five months working toward recovery. Uninspiring on the best of days, the brutal daily physical therapy beat me down more than just physically. The effects on my schooling didn’t make me feel better either. In the first few weeks, I felt alone, missing so much school and lying in bed all day, but someone helped me realize otherwise. My older brother David, a senior at the time and always there for me, supported me in all aspects of life while I recovered. Slowly, with his help, I started getting better, and the five months that at first seemed like such an eternity began to slip by. Before I knew it, the last day of school rolled around. By then, I reimagined my ability to walk without the help of a brace and entered the final stages of recovery. To celebrate the end of my school year, I went to a Boy Scout meeting that night, something I hadn’t done for some time because of my injury. Seeing my friends after so long, I thought to myself, “It’s good to be back.” Optimistic about my life and the summer yet to come, I never expected the same knee to give out and render me unable to walk again. In my mind, everything I had worked so hard for in those last five months meant nothing. Summer came, and I felt more alone than ever. School ended, so I had nothing to occupy my days, and on top of that, the person who helped me the first time left. David graduated and went to serve in the Navy on a submarine, so I couldn’t talk to him. I got news that my patellar tendon snapped, and I had to receive surgery to repair it, sending me spiraling. My birthday passed in the two months before my surgery. By then, I got the greatest gift I’ve ever received—regaining the ability to walk again—and things got better. My tendon replacement surgery finally happened at the end of July, and I went back to suffering. The Percocet I took made me feel like even more of a shell of my former self. When I didn’t take the soul-crushing drugs, the incision on my knee seared in constant pain. The physical therapy took even more of a toll this time as I had to “break in” a whole new tendon. Before I knew it, the first day of school came again, and surprisingly, I could walk without a brace. My surgery and physical therapy went remarkably well, and I started to feel normal again. It only took another three months to return to a normal life permanently. Throughout 2023, every hardship, every challenge, and every knee dislocation always turned out okay. Every time things got better and I became hopeful about my injuries, it paid off. I learned to be a more optimistic person, and that if I try, I can persevere through any hardship.

If every student from kindergarten through twelfth grade were required to take a single course, I believe it should be one centered on civic responsibility. While basic government instruction exists in most school systems, it often lacks depth, relevance, and real-world application. A course designed specifically to explore civic life would provide students with both the knowledge and the tools necessary to participate meaningfully in the society they are growing into. It would not aim to encourage one particular viewpoint, but rather to prepare young people for the responsibilities that come with citizenship. The course would begin by grounding students in the structure and function of local, state, and federal governments. Rather than relying on rote memorization, the focus would be on understanding how these systems affect everyday life. Students would examine real legislation, track current political issues, and learn how decisions are made at various levels of government. By connecting these ideas to their communities, the course would offer students a clearer sense of how policy becomes personal. Beyond government structure, the class would emphasize practical civic skills. Students would learn how to research candidates and laws on a ballot, how to fact-check information, and how to recognize bias in media and political messaging. They would also be taught how to contact representatives, attend public meetings, and organize or participate in community initiatives. These are skills that many adults never fully develop, yet they are essential for any functioning democracy. In addition to practical knowledge, the course would include a historical component focused on civic action. Students would study movements for civil rights, labor reform, and other examples of collective engagement throughout American history. This would provide important context, showing that change often requires more than opinion—it requires informed, sustained effort. It would also reinforce the idea that civic responsibility does not always mean agreement, but rather a shared investment in the systems that govern us. A key goal of the course would be to build confidence in students’ ability to navigate the civic world. Many leave high school feeling disconnected from government and unsure of how to make their voices heard. This course would work to change that by treating civic life not as something abstract or intimidating, but as something students are already a part of—and can influence with the right knowledge and preparation. Preparing students for adult life should involve more than academic achievement. It should include an understanding of how to live responsibly within a broader society. A course on civic responsibility would not only help students better understand the systems they are part of, but it would also help them recognize the role they have in shaping those systems for the better.

The person who's had a significant impact on my life, possibly even the largest impact on my life, is the same man who introduced me to this scholarship and taught Bobby Bao, Shawn Whelan. Mr. Whelan is a history teacher and head of the history department at Gateway Senior High School. I first met Mr. Whelan two years ago when I was entering my sophomore year of high school. I was taking his honors Global Connections 2 class, and I had only heard good things about him from my older friends. To make it short, they were completely right. He is a fiery and driven history teacher who’s always pushing his students, and so I instantly took a liking to him. Compared to every other history teacher I had, he was by far the best, and he made the subject come alive. Nearly everyone in his class was engaged with the lessons, especially myself, and thus he took a liking to me too. He became my favorite teacher shortly after, and I ended up taking 4 of his classes this year and joining all the clubs he's in charge of, and as the one in charge of Interact Club, the History Club, and our school’s chapter of the National Honor Society, he always takes his job seriously and tries to get students involved with the community. He regularly hypes them up in class, tries his best to find ways for students to do community service, hand delivers NHS invitations, and so much more for all the students who look up to him. He’s one of those teachers who’ll never relent when it comes to cell phones or slacking off in class, and I think this is best summed up in something he said a few days ago, “I will never apologize for wanting to teach you something.”. That touched me as I realized how much he really cares about his students and how seriously he takes his job. I respect him like no other because I know that no matter what students say, how disrespectful they are, or how many times he has to tell them to get off their phones, he’ll never give up on us. History, by far, is my favorite subject; it is my greatest passion and hobby. My interest is a core part of my life and my identity, but I never thought it’d ever be more than just a hobby of mine. Mr. Whelan changed that for me. He saw my aptitude for the subject shortly after I joined his class, and he encouraged it. He would always push me to answer questions and present in front of the class. He helped build my confidence after the Covid-19 pandemic when everyone was so shut off from human interaction. He helped me bounce back from the pandemic and shape the person I am today. As I grew into a senior, with mild suggestion from Mr. Whelan, I knew what I wanted to do with my life after high school. I wanted to be a history teacher just like him. He fostered my love for social studies, education, and public speaking, along with helping me understand how important community is. Though supporting my community has always been a large part of my life, through the Boy Scouts of America, it has only grown more significant as time went on. As a member of the Gateway Chapter National Honor Society, run by Mr. Whelan, I've dedicated myself to my community while also expanding my understanding of how important community is, especially when it comes to teachers. Teachers are so much more than just educators in the thousands of young lives they touch. They're mentors of misguided students, they're role models for how to live, they're advocates for their students' success, and they're so much more, especially Mr. Whelan. He’s encouraged this goal not just through his avid support but also by writing me countless letters of recommendation for college and scholarships alike, providing me with knowledge about available scholarships, such as this very scholarship, and giving me experience in what a teacher does. Wanting me to succeed and be the best teacher I can be, he’s offered me the chance to help him grade papers and teach lessons to his class. All this support has been invaluable to me. Even to this day, he regularly supports my aspirations of becoming a teacher, and so I want to be just like him for my students. Mr. Whelan is so much more than just a history teacher: he's a guide, an inspiration, and a friend. I want to touch the hearts and minds of my students to the point they think of me that way, just like Mr. Whelan does. I hope I can take over some of the clubs that he runs right now, and maybe someday the entire history department, so I can give students that chance to help the community like the chance Mr. Whelan gave me and many other students. Just like how Mr. Whelan had everyone in class engaged in his lessons on a subject that has been mocked by those who don't understand it. I want to make everyone truly understand how wonderful and exciting it can be instead of the easy grade so many view it as now. I don’t want to just teach by the book like so many other teachers do, and subsequently turn students off from the subject of history and possibly even learning as a whole. I want to have those engaging conversations where everyone can participate. I want to make kids excited for class like I was for Mr. Whelan’s every day. I want to support my students as much as Mr. Whelan does now and give my students the best chance possible to succeed. Mr. Whlean has told me I have the potential to be a better teacher than he is and that I better be, so I want to try my best to live up to the expectations that he has for me and help create more amazing young men and women like Bobie Bao. I think that with my passion, the opportunity I’ve been given, and the invaluable help that Mr. Whelan has given me, I can.