I grew up on the myth that you must stick to one career for your entire life. Maybe this is because my role models had done so. This narrowed way of thinking led me to choose my major before entering college. In college, I was set on becoming an athletic training and working as one for the remainder of my life. I was so shocked and relieved when I realized this perspective of careers was in fact a myth. I had been working as an athletic training for four years when a co-worker discussed how he had worked as a plumber while his children were growing up. That was the moment I realized careers' were just as flexible as life. It was truly a lightbulb moment. Life changes so often - I realize it was unrealistic that I had assumed I needed to work one job for my entirety. This realization started the seed of me returning back to school to pursue a new career. With this façade lifted, I am now pursuing my dream of becoming a podiatrist this fall. I hold on to the new perspective that careers can be everchanging just as life is.

Working in the sports industry, I was often the only female in sight. I was put in situations where I was forced to prove myself and my level of education. I often experienced disrespect and harassment that my male counterparts did not. After the past six years as an athletic trainer in the field of sports medicine, I have decided to further my education and pursue a doctoral degree. I realize that the representation of women in medicine is crucial for the possibility of an improved future. As I start this new path, I face the possible reality that the poor treatment I received as an athletic trainer may not be much different once I become a physician and surgeon. The study done by Brower et al. shows that not only is it highly likely that I experience harassment from my superiors, but I will also be paid less compared to my male equivalents (Brower et al, 2019) Therefore, scholarships like the one you are providing are so crucial. With the help of your scholarship to help with the heavy cost of school, someone will be able to focus more meticulously on their studies. Women receive less awards and grants when compared to males (Brower et al, 2019). This leads to women graduating with more debt. This is not the only disparately females face because due to the pay gap this debt will take longer to pay off. The pay gap is a serious problem with roots that spread deep and wide. I believe the pay gap is a result of the bigger inequality that sadly all women face. Being paid less can result in others thinking less of someone. As an athletic trainer my experience of this took a toll on my mental health. From this experience, I have gained tools for coping, and I hope to help others in my profession that have had experiences like mine. As we celebrate the fifty-year anniversary of Title IX, we also lament in the overturn of Roe V Wade. The fact that we are still fighting for our own rights shows that the representation of females is essential. After I complete podiatry school my hope is not only to represent women physicians but also provide for mentorship of surgeons. I’ve had the privilege of being mentored by some amazing females, and I aspire to be the same. My current dream is to work at a top medical facility with diabetic wound care. I want to be able to help my patients stay active and healthy through education and treatment. As I pursue this dream, I have no desire to let my gender, or what others may think of it, determine my success. Brittany A. Brower, Meagan M. Jennings, Michelle L. Butterworth, Mary E. Crawford, Women in Podiatry and Medicine, Clinics in Podiatric Medicine and Surgery, Volume 36, Issue 4, 2019, Pages 707-716, ISSN 0891-8422, ISBN 9780323709286, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpm.2019.06.010. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0891842219300473)

I was always told I had a sensitive stomach. Even has a baby, my mother had issues with keeping food down. She was told it would be something I would grow out of; it took over twenty years of telling doctors my stomach hurt to find a solution. As I grew older whenever nausea affected me, I felt hopeless. I felt as if there was nothing I could do. After each doctor visit, I had a new hope; that this new diet, medication, or avoidance will solve my problems. It sometimes did help, but then problems would resurface. It took years of struggling with stomach pain, vomiting, and fatigue before I was finally diagnosed with a gluten allergy. This struggle helped me to develop perseverance and determination. I learned so much on my path. It also gave me a new outlook on the medical field. I found that many doctors had a short vision; they focused on treating my symptoms instead of the root. I saw multiple doctors before finally seeking a non-tradition specialist. I received a breath of fresh air when I found a registered nutritionist that took an all-encompassing approach to my health. Together we looked for the root of my issue. As I now pursue a career as a physician, I realize how important having a whole-body approach is. Once I become a physician, I will be more likely to recommend non-tradition approaches because I know they can make a world of difference. Thinking outside of the box and dealing with the root instead of just symptoms is critical, and in my case life changing. Now that I have a solution and have been gluten free for over two years, my quality of life is much better. The sense of dread still sneaks in anytime my stomach starts to get that feeling I had for so many years, but I feel I have truly overcome. I am excited about my future in medicine and the help this scholarship can provide in helping me to succeed. As with any degree, graduate school is costly. This scholarship could help monumentally with tuition cost and allow me to focus on my education. It means so much that there is a scholarship specifically for those that suffer with food sensitivities and allergies like me. When I first found out about my gluten allergy, I felt so restricted and excluded. This negative thinking was quickly conquered; I now realized there are many food options and others with my same allergy. Thank you for providing this scholarship to those of us that have sometimes felt overlooked.

True empathy is a rarity. To have empathy is to truly put yourself in someone else's shoes and sorrow. Working in the healthcare field has shown me that empathy is uncomfortable and sometimes unpleasant, but so necessary for good patient outcome. If I didn't take the time and consideration for the feelings of those I am providing care for, they could unnecessarily suffer. To be alone in one's sorrow is a detriment to their health. This is just as true if someone is suffering from a physical injury as it is with mental health. Empathy breaks down the walls of loneliness. From my experience, some individuals have thick walls that make empathy difficult, while others you must only listen to them to provoke one's empathetic feelings. Those with thick walls require patience, active listening, reliability, and understanding. To treat others with empathy it is not enough to just be present; you must ask questions and show no judgement. You have to create a welcoming environment to their feelings. Trust is important in developing an empathic relationship. When a patient is complaining to me, the first response is to always validate their feelings. An approach that tells them to feel otherwise, such as look on the bright side, is not empathic. When I am helping to rehabilitate an injured athlete, saying look now you get a chance to rest and recover, is never the right thing to say. While I was an athlete that preferred sitting on the bench, I have to understand the desire and despair an athlete has to return to the game. Having the patience and understanding to sit with someone in their emotion, whether in turmoil or joy, is a great quality. Empathy is truly a rare quality.

I have always been a planner. Not in the perfectionist type of way, more in the have a plan A,B,C, and D type of way. My path towards becoming a podiatrist has been full of experiences with my plans continuously changing as I accomplished my goals. I originally started university with the goal of becoming a head athletic trainer. After working in the high school setting, closing in on my goal, I realized my dreams reached further than the atmosphere of sports medicine. After the shutdown of sports, I had time to reflect on my current plan and realized I wanted to pursue a dream I was too scared to in the past. In high school, I had shadowed a podiatrist and was intimidated by the amount of schooling I would have in order to achieve that goal. Why was I, a student that loved learning, graduated top of my class, and went on to speed the whole of my career in or working at school, afraid of medical school? No clue, but I was until the age of 27. As sports started to resume, I started to plan my steps towards my goal of working in the field of podiatry. A year later I am packing all my belongings and headed to Philadelphia to start school in the pursuit of my dream to become a podiatrist. I am thrilled about this next and new path towards the goal of becoming a physician and surgeon.

When you look around at work, do you see anyone that you identify with? Is your mentor a different gender than you, because there was no other choice? This is what many women in STEM, and other fields deal with daily. After earning my degree in Athletic Training I was ready to take on the world, I found the world was not ready to take on me. Sports, as you may already be familiar with, is driven by males. I was often the only female working on the sidelines and found it despairingly as many sport complexes were built for only one gender, this meant they lacked female, or even unisex bathrooms. I would often have to leave the field and athletes I was providing medical care for and run up the stands to concession bathrooms. This is something I could deal with; I could not deal with the constant question of my intelligence by the males around me. I thought surely if I was a doctor they will respect me, but I know that once I achieve my dream of a medical degree I will likely be back in a bathroom less world that questions why I am there. Although this time I will be prepared. After my six years in athletic training and sports medicine, I am ready to extend my education to gain a deeper understanding of the human body, and begin the route to become a surgeon. My dream is to mentor other females and elbow my way into providing an environment that is suitable for all genders. My experience has shaped me and helped me grow, I hope to provide a more positive experience for the generation behind me. Not every experience I had in athletic training was negative of course. I did find a great female mentor at my second job, I also have been able to mentor many student athletic trainers as well as athletes that confided in and trusted me. I still achieved my goal of helping others while building strong relationship while providing care to athletes. When coaches and doctors doubted my athletes, I reassured and encouraged them. My biggest feat is when a lower level volleyball player suffered an ACL tear, doctors assumed because of her skill level that her return would be at eight months rather than six. This meant she would miss her senior season. I assured her as long as she worked six days a week she would be able to return in time for her season. Her summer workouts were challenging but when she returned the first day she was almost volleyball ready. We worked to overcome the fear of diving for a ball, since that is how she had hurt her knee originally. I want to continue to provide an atmosphere were others can overcome their fears. This atmosphere is where I decided to finally take the leap to return to school to pursue my dream of becoming a physician and surgeon.

The meaning of life is different for each individual; as I believe we don't all have the same purpose. As Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs represents - we don't all get to achieve or even find our meaning of life. We need to have our essential needs met before we can proceed to self-actualization and achieving the meaning of one's life. In short, finding your own meaning can take one's whole life. I have had a strong desire to help others from a young age. From the time I was a Daisy Girl Scout, I remember the feeling that helping others in the community gave me, even if it was just making notes for Meals on Wheels. I sought opportunities to be needed and help those around me. This is what lead me to pursue a degree in Athletic Training and is now leading me to start medical school in the fall. I feeling my meaning of life is to help others to the best of my ability. While I think everyone has their own meaning and purpose, one thing humans have in common is the desire to be remembered. To know once we are physically gone we left something behind that is worth remembering. We each have different ways of achieving this according to our purpose. I hope to leave behind new surgery techniques to improve healing and patient outcomes. The meaning of life comes down to one question - What do you hope to leave as your legacy?

My favorite book is "May We Be Forgiven," by A.M Homes. It starts with a bang. Literally. A husband has a 'psychotic break' and bangs his wife's head in with a lamp. Now while this sounds like it may be a backwards murder mystery, this book is actually dark comedy. This book remains my favorite, no matter how many more I partake in because it is the first book that made me laugh out loud. I honestly didn't think of books as being funny, but A.M Homes opened that door for me. While she had the door open she also let bizarre drop in. This book has twist and turns that not even the craziest, most dangerous roads have. You have a bored housewife that changes wigs with her mood. If that seems relatively normal to you, next, the family has a Chinese food delivery driver that gives the family puppies. All this is wrapped in a Richard Nixon burrito. What does all this have to do with Richard Nixon you ask? I guess you'll have to put it on your 'To Be Read' List to find out. Another reason I hold this book near and dear to my heart is it made me feel that my family is normal. Every family has their quirks and odd dynamics, but the family this book revolves around takes the cake. After reading background on A.M Homes, this may have been her goal. The predicaments this family faces, don't sappily always bring the closer together as seen in most novels. Some of what occurs leaves them on the verge of breaking into pieces, such as the lamp at the start. The only sappy part is it does remind you that even sometimes a broken lamp can still work.

You'll get there when you get there. Seems simple yet easily forgotten. We are always rushing, trying to run to something new. Rarely just waiting for what is next. Reaching new goals and locations aren't bad things, but the journey and path taken are equally important. We have been moving towards instant since before the microwave. This desire exponentially increased as dial up internet changed to high speed. With this in mind, these wise words of advice came from my grandfather. This same grandfather refused to get a computer in his office or use a smartphone. His focus was on personal relationships, and building them in genuine ways. He'd take a road trip to visit with someone instead of call them. He often used this line when we went on family trips and as some trips go a delay would occur. As the loudspeaker spouted "Flight 256 delayed," his response was, "Well we will get there when we get there." My favorite travel memory was when our taxi was taking awhile to get to the hotel. My grandfather was growing ever frustrated as the time ticked by. After an hour, I looked at him and said, "Well we'll get there when we get there." His response was given with a smirk, "Yes, but I didn't know it take this damn long to get there." Sometimes our own advice hits us back.

Since my start as a little daisy, Girl Scouts has always been a part of my life. I eventually made my way to what they now call an Ambassador, and one of the many Girl Scout mottos that has been imprinted on me is 'leave every place better than you found it.' This meant any action. Leaving a place better is as small as making sure we don't leave trash on a hike to as big as planting trees. Doing these actions at a young age led me to believe if I can leave a campground better than I found it, I can also leave the world better than I found it. As my last few years in teaching have taught me, it takes little to impact other people's lives, but it takes a lot to have lasting impact. I want to leave a lasting impact. I want to spread positivity to my classmates, and future patients. I want to be dependable and reliable, being there for others to lean on me. I would love to think I could change the world of 7.7 billion people, but I am only one person. The power of one person is still great, individuals have impacted the world before. Instead of being intimidated by my tiny voice against the ocean, I intend to use my voice to the fullest of my ability. I have every intention of leaving the world better than I found it.

I chose to stop drinking alcohol on February 22nd of 2020. It is difficult to believe that it has been almost two years since I had a sip of alcohol. Alcoholism is something that has been a part of my life since, my birth. My father has suffered from alcoholism since he was a teenager. His mother was also an alcoholic. To me recovery means everything. One crucial aspect is it means breaking this familiar cycle. It even means increasing my health and possibly even extended my life. I knew as my grandmother got to end of her life she refused to quit drinking, even after multiple doctors telling her it would help her extend her life. This was sadly the same result of my father's story. When doctors gave him the option of hospice or rehabilitation, he chose hospice. As my family sat around the table with my father as he expressed his decision, I knew this was not how I wanted my story to go. Recovery means my future children will not have the frustration I have had to deal with. The feeling of wanting someone they love to recover and not understanding why they won't. The most important thing that recovery means to me is that neither my children, nor my spouse, will ever have to think I love a substance over them.

My senior year of high school, I attended an engineering camp, shadowed a podiatrist, and learned CPR at a sports medicine camp, all in the goal of deciding my major before college enrollment started. Growing up I was always interested in discovering how things worked. I knew a career in health care was for me, because not only did I want to know to make things work, I wanted them to work at the best of their ability. I started my educational career by pursing a bachelor degree from the University of Tulsa in Athletic Training. Graduating in 2016, I started my career as an athletic trainer at the high school level, helping athletes to perform at their best and remain healthy. I deeply agree with Mrs. Konatsotis's message of gender equality. Working in the sports industry, I was often the only female in sight, especially with football. I often found myself forced to prove myself and my level of education. As frustrating as this was, I never quit, any ill-begotten remark only made me work harder, and thickened my skin. After the past 6 years in the field of sports medicine, I have decided to further my education and pursue a doctoral degree. I am pursing the dream I have had since I shadowed my first podiatrist in high school. In order to pursue this dream, I like Mrs. Konatsotis, will have to travel far. I will be moving from Texas to Pennsylvania, a 22 hour drive. I have given so much to achieve this dream and the fact that it will become a reality in August as I start at Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine is surreal. I quit my secure job, sold my house, and went back to becoming the student. With the help of your scholarship to help decrease the heavy cost of medical school, I will be able to focus more meticulously on my studies and become an accomplished surgeon. Podiatry school has a direct route to surgery and my hope is not only to be a wonderful physician but a surgeon with accolades. My current dream is to work at a top medical facility with diabetic wound care. I want to be able to help others stay active and healthy through education and treatment. Education has always been a paramount part of my life. In conjugation to being an athletic trainer, I was also a teacher at the high school that I provided athletic training coverage to. I taught sports medicine as an elective course for any high school student interested. In the classroom, I am no mediocre student, I graduated with honors with my bachelors degree as well as my masters. In high school, I was the valedictorian of my class. My motto is do everything to the best of your ability. I hope to bring this energy and passion to my future classmates and coworkers.

1.Beware by Big Sean, Lil Wayne, Jhene Aiko 2. I'm Out (feat Nicki Minaj) by Ciara 3. Say I YiYi by Ying Yang Twins 4. Ring The Alarm by Beyonce 5. A Little Party Never Killed Nobody by Fergie, Q-Tip, GoonRock 6. Wait for Me by Kings of Leon 7. Glorify by Jordan Feliz The Ups, Downs, In's and Out's of College Life by:LizzleJ

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gf_HftpxS-lnxBxi-UAe4e4vizuqRxpV/view?usp=sharing

Being raised in the Greek culture, I realized at a young age that I was a little different than my classmates. While some people may have seen this difference as a negative aspect, I loved the diversity I saw around me. This is one reason I love traveling. If you only see your city, or never travel out of your state, the world may seem strange and outsiders as literal aliens. Growing up in suburban, and eventually rural Oklahoma, I encountered individuals that thought of me as an alien. Many people had never seen the ocean, only traveled a 30-mile radius, and saw others that moved into this radius as ruining the 'utopia' they had created. I was not raised that way and am still utterly confounded on why they felt this way. Redlining was something I believe was practice in my high school’s city, if it wasn’t officially the banks rejecting these buyer’s loans it was another outside entity that insured our town would not become diverse. Entering the town, you would’ve seen a large sign for Karen’s Kountry Kitchen. While yes, you make think this is just an alliteration, that was not its true purpose. To further prove this point, the diner finally changed the sign to Karen’s Country Kitchen, a few years ago as it moved away from Klan relations. Racism had strong roots in the town, and I had no clue why anyone would want such a thing. My grandfather immigrated here during the Cold War. He came to America, not knowing any English, but was destined to start a new life. My grandfather is one of my biggest role models. He took any failure he faced and used it as energy for another endeavor. He would always cook amazing Greek meals for us, and we celebrated the traditional Greek holidays he did as a child. I thought it was exciting that my Easter, better known as Pascha, was a different day than everyone else’s. Maybe I thought this way because my mother, who was not Greek, embraced it and made me think diversity was an exciting blessing. I was told never to look at something different as weird or bad. It was always about learning. Whenever I encountered a new food, cultural tradition, or different clothing, I was told to ask about it and educate myself instead of gawk oddly. This helped to mold me and remain open to new experiences. It most importantly helped me to see myself in people that are different than me. My growth did not stop there, as I graduated with my bachelor’s degree and finally moved out of Oklahoma and into Texas, I realized it was not just my high school town that had racism surging throughout it. I moved to a town that historically was highly segregated. It still seemed like two towns within one. Even with these roots the school I worked at was much more diverse than my high school, sadly this diversity had not always been welcomed. I started and am continuing to learn about why these segregated areas and hate groups exist and how I can help to rid the world of hate. I most recently have joined a Be the Bridge group. This group’s focus is on having open, unjudgmental conversations about racial relations and work together toward racial reconciliation. I have learned so much about what other’s have experienced in their life. While I am just one person and often feel powerless in working to overcome systematic racism, being silent in the face of these issues is not an option.

1. Perseverance and the desire to succeed is something that has guided me since I can remember. My parent's always told me to just try my best. I took this to mean not giving up when things get difficult. When difficulties arise and it comes time to persevere I turn to prayer and my church community to help overcome. This desire to succeed and be the best that I can, drives the majority of my actions. I don't want to be average. I think being average is wasted potential. I want to use my full potential and be able to shine the light of Christ to others. 2. Excellence doesn't always mean being the best, or at the top. Whenever I tried to play volleyball I was a benchwarmer. I honestly just was on the team because they didn't cut anybody. I used my time with sports as a way to build friendship. While I wasn't playing the game I was cheering others one. This ability to cheer my friends are in spite of my own ability may be why the friendship I built in volleyball have lasted throughout many stages of my life. My definition of excellence is using the resources one is given to their highest ability. Quality over quantity is a must. Success isn't measured by the materials you have, it is using your full potential. Not everyone has the same gifts, but I believe everyone is great at something. It takes work to find one's gift and be able to achieve excellence in it. 3. As I am walking across the stage with my doctorate, I think I will look at my husband first. He was with me before I even began this new journey back to school. We listened to the sermon series "Big Dreams" that talked about Nehemiah rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. This series is what lead to me believe that it is possible to quit my stable career, sell my house, and pursue my dreams by going back to school. Every week I had a new fear and the sermon talked specifically about it, from family, future, and time management I had complete faith that my new purpose was this journey to become a doctor. My husband didn't hesitate as I discussed this new purpose with him. He has supported me as we sold the house, and I left my job and we went down to one income. He didn't even second guess the fact that we would have to move across the country, leaving all our family and friends behind. His support has been instrumental in this pursuit and I honestly don't think I could do it without him.

Imagine being rolled into an operating room and you look at the tray of surgical tools, all you see is an icepick and a mallet. This is what many psychiatric patients saw in the 1940's and some saw even into the 1960's. Lobotomy was at this time a standard procedure for many patients suffering a variety of mental diseases. Nowadays this is an appalling procedure even seen as inhumane to some. The advancement of surgical practices and how surgery advances even within a year is a huge interest to me. While lobotomies are very rare today, if they were to be completed it would be with state-of-the-art tools. Psychosurgery as it is referred to today, still removes part of the brain but uses tools such as a gamma knife that can freeze or use radiation at precise points within the brain. Many of the diseases that a lobotomy was used for can be treated with prescription medication today. While brain surgery is hopefully not in my future I do dream of being a successful foot surgeon that creates a new advanced surgical technique. So to summarize my favorite scientific discovery is continually changing as surgery is a vastly progressive field that I hope to join.