The United States of America prides itself on being a land of opportunity for those who come from nothing and dream for everything. However, in my experience, coming from a disadvantaged background has only made my journey to success much harder. Countless students have worked overtime trying to get ahead in areas such as school, work, or sports in order to compensate for not having the stable back ground that many others come from. Unfortunately, the sad truth is that the blood, sweat, and tears behind the effort put in by these students goes unnoticed. Coming from money provides students the ability to go to college and be set up for success post graduation. It is unfair that people who come from difficult backgrounds should not be given the same opportunities as others merely because of our backgrounds. My life has been an uphill journey since the beginning, but it hasn't deterred me from chasing after my dreams. When I was a very young age, my dad was diagnosed with heart disease and had to undergo many surgeries that had a high risk of taking his life. After his diagnoses, my life change completely. Money was always tight, as only my mom could work, but my family made it through. However, things took a turn for the worst. When I was thirteen, my mom had to leave her job and my parents made the decision to pack our family up and move to America, from Canada. We took our trailer and packed whatever belongings we could inside of it. We lived out of our trailer for a while, but eventually we moved into a rental house. Despite the challenges that came with moving and adjusting to a new country, I never gave up on chasing my dreams. I dedicated countless hours to getting ahead in school, volunteering, and becoming a team captain on my rowing team. However, the summer of my sophomore year another giant bump came into my journey when my dad dropped dead of a heart attack. Hospital bills pilled up, leaving my family in a mess. In the time since, there's been many days where I've felt like giving up on my dreams completely. I feel so much guilt for pursuing a college education and adding to the stress my family already has over money. In my darkest moments of guilt and anxiety, I remember the reason my family left everything and moved to America: opportunity. I believe that I deserve to have the chance to take control of my life and achieve my dreams in college and what comes after it. Coming from nothing has taught me to see the value of everything and to work so much harder for what I believe in. Receiving this grant would change my life so that I can go to my dream school and relieve some of the endless stress from my mom and my family.

All my life I've dreamed of one thing, becoming a doctor. Since as early as I can remember, it's all I've ever wanted to do with my future. Being a doctor was always a dream of mine, but it never really sunk in until the summer after I had just finished fourth grade, when I broke my ankle while playing soccer baseball with some family friends. Using a pair of hockey sticks I found in my backyard, my dad supported me as he took me down to the hospital a few blocks over from my house to get it checked out. We sat in the waiting room for a few hours after it had gotten x-rayed, until the doctor called us into the private patient room. He hung the x-rays up on the screen, and I stared up at them in awe. He talked me through what was wrong with it and how he was going to fix it. I listened, and I knew that I wanted this life. I needed this life. My dreams of being a doctor became so much more vivid. I wanted to be able to help other people be put back together, like my doctor had helped me. Every day since then, I've poured my all into making this dream come true. Through high school I've soaked in everything I can to learn, and now, I hope to continue my journey in college, studying biological sciences. As a woman pursuing a career in healthcare, I know I can make an impact for the better. I hope to use what I have learned and the skills that I have been blessed with to become an Orthopedic Surgeon. My goal is to go into the field and primarily help children who have broken bones in sports or other sorts of accidents. Kids who have broken something are in so much pain, and they don't know what's wrong with them. All they know is that they are hurting and can't make it stop. I strive to be able to take their pain away and help them live not being tied down because of an injury. Kids deserve the chance to be free without pain, and I hope I can help in making that come true. I know that not many women go into the Orthopedic specialty and that it will be more difficult to compete in a male dominant area, but I won't back down. There will be many challenges to overcome throughout my journey, but I am not afraid. Challenges and trials are merely opportunities to grow so that I can learn and better myself for the future. Helping other people is what I love most, and I'll do everything I can to make my dream come true.

My walk with Christ has always been a part of who I am. Growing up in a Christian household, I was heavily influenced by my parents who were strong Christian leaders. I was baptized at a young age and have attended Christian school and church my whole life. I've had many positive Christian influences, but the main person who helped me grow with Christ was my dad. After he passed, things took a turn for the worst. It became difficult to see God's plan for my life, and I began to doubt my purpose. My mind was swept into a dark place. I began to take a lot of things on myself, which made me very angry and my soul became muted. But this past year, God has worked in my life. He has taken the weight off my chest. I now rely on God to take care of me, instead of putting the pressure on myself. He is my Lord and my Savior. He has a divine plan for my life, and I know my Lord will provide. I don't know where He will take me in the future, but I know that I am safe in His hands, and He has a plan for my life. Growing in my relationship with Jesus has given me confidence for the future. I am able to look back on how His hand has been with me throughout my journey, and I know He will continue to guide me. God has gifted me to be very good academically, and I want to be able to use those talents to glorify Him. I pray that I will be able to go to college and positively influence those around me, especially those who don't have a personal relationship with Christ. Sharing my story to other students may be able to encourage them, and I can also be encouraged by their growth. I know that God is giving me an opportunity to share the gospel in college, but I also know that the devil will tempt me with every step I take. Being a Christian in a non-Christian environment will be very difficult. God has prepared me to go out into the world, and I am certain that there is nothing the devil will throw in my way that God won't protect me from. His hand has been around me my whole life, and He won't stop now. God is sovereign and will guide my walk with Him through college.

My life hasn't always been a horror story. Growing up in Canada, with my sister, my mom, and my dad, my life was good. My dad had lost his job as a fireman due to heart issues, but we survived. My mom made enough to provide for our family and keep us going. But when I was thirteen years old, my mom lost her job, and my parents made the decision to pack us up and move to Florida. We lived out of our travel trailer for a while, but eventually we moved into a rental house. Despite the challenges that came with moving and adjusting to a new country, my life was still good. It wasn't until about a year and a half ago when things got bad. Everything was fine, until suddenly it wasn't. One day out of nowhere my dad died. I found him on the floor blue and gasping. I watched my mom helplessly preform CPR on his lifeless body. I watched my family break and everything fall apart in the matter of seconds. I watched my whole entire world go up in flames. That day will forever be cemented into my brain. I'll never escape from the memories of watching his body fight for air, while the rest of it shut down, nor the feeling of sitting in the hospital waiting room not knowing whether or not he would make it. In the time that has passed since, there’s been days that felt like I was back in the waiting room unable to stop the inevitable from coming. The fear of not knowing what could happen in the next minute creeps up from the shadows and scares me into stillness. You never know when it will be the last time you say, “I love you,” to someone, or the last time you’ll get to hug them. You don’t know when it’s the last time your heart will beat or when it’s the last breath you’ll ever take. Life is much shorter than we think it is, so make the most of the time you have because for all we know, it can end in a single moment. Reading Jack Terry's story inspires me to have hope for the future. Living in the present, it's hard to visualize how the future can change for the better. It often seems like things are hopeless, but after seeing how Jack Terry turned such an awful situation into something good and was able to benefit countless other through his story gives me overwhelming hope. The darkness will come to an end and light will shine through. I hope that one day I will be able to help others with my experiences too. I am inspired more than ever to achieve my dreams of being an orthopedic surgeon so that I can help those who are in pain. I know what it feels like to hurt and I hope one day I will be able to stop other people from hurting.