Life is made better when people come together to help others, through actions big or small. I am grateful to have grown up in an environment where volunteerism and taking care of the people in your life and community were instilled at a young age. I was involved in many volunteer projects in my school years through girl scouts, student council, and National Honor Society. When I got to the University of North Dakota, I knew I wanted to find a way to continue volunteering and making a difference in my new community. During the student organization fair, I found The BIG Event, a student-led volunteer organization with the mission of putting on an annual large-scale volunteer event for the greater Grand Forks community. Hundreds of students, staff, and faculty meet in the morning and get their supplies, then leave to worksites all over town, including public spaces, small businesses, schools, churches, and private homes. Their tasks include raking leaves, washing windows, painting walls, moving patio furniture, and other help that is needed. By the end of the day, their work is done and their impact is felt for months to come as the community transitions into the lively summer season. I knew that this was my calling, and I decided to join the planning committee. After serving this organization for the past five years, two of which as director of the organization, I can safely say that this was one of the best decisions I could have made for myself. I met some of my best friends through this organization because of our shared belief in philanthropy and service of others. I gained confidence with public speaking and networking to promote this event to professors, classmates, and business owners. And perhaps my favorite part, I got the opportunity to interact with so many community members who received our help. Taking the time to sit down with folks after our work was done and hearing their life stories strengthened my connection to my new home, and it gave me a better understanding of the impact of the impact a single conversation can have. These kind and warm interactions will be what I take with me as I graduate and move to the next chapter of my life. I hope that wherever life takes me next, I will find a way to strengthen my community through service and connection as I have done here with The BIG Event.

In life, my decisions have always revolved around connection and community. I love meeting new people, and I truly love going out of my way to make other people's days better. I know that part of this drive comes from growing up in a small rural community, where everyone knows each other. I grew up watching my dad clearing our older neighbors' driveways after a blizzard and seeing my mom regularly volunteering her time to help with sporting events my siblings and I participated in. This sort of community thrives when the people in it take care of each other and accept help when they need it. This led to me wanting to pursue a career in healthcare, particularly physical therapy. This career choice stood out to me because I have always gravitated towards the science courses available and showed a natural drive to do well in them. I have also seen many friends and family members struggle with injuries that got significantly better with rehabilitative care like physical therapy. When it comes to life after graduation, I have always seen myself working in a rural community like the one I grew up in because these areas are often underserved. I initially had the idea of working as a general PT so I can help all sorts of people with different health conditions. However, I have recently gained more interest in learning about women’s health concerns. Women's health has been one of the most stigmatized areas of modern medicine, and it continues to be misunderstood today. The causes of this global health concern have many social nuances that are beginning to be better identified. Even as a woman, I was not aware of just how prevalent these issues were until I began pursuing an education in physical therapy. I was not immediately drawn to this area of PT, but my eyes were opened to its importance during my first clinical experience. My clinical instructor treated the pelvic floor in about 50% of her caseload, so I went from having no exposure to being familiar with common functional or structural deficits and treatments for these conditions. There were women of all ages being seen for issues that would have been ignored or minimized even 20 years ago. During my four weeks at this clinic, I already saw some huge strides being made with these patients who were experiencing less symptoms and returning to activities of daily life. As a future practitioner, continuing to advocate for transparency in education of these issues as well as the changes that physical therapy can make for patients with these health conditions is something that calls to me. I hope that my work as a physical therapist will not only improve the quality of life in the patients I work with but also open their eyes to what is possible with proper care and a community that stands behind them.

In the fall semester of 2025, I started my first year in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at the University of North Dakota. I had mentally prepared myself for the increased academic rigor and the time that I would need to dedicate to my studies to ensure my success in the program as well as the career field I would be entering into in a few years. During our first day of orientation, the chair of our program introduced herself to our class and gave us a few words of advice. I was expecting the content of this speech to be along the lines of "you will be eating, sleeping, and breathing physical therapy for the next 3 years, good luck!”. However, she took this time to remind us that as future healthcare providers, we need to practice what we preach and lead lifestyles that are healthy on a holistic level. She further emphasized the importance of healthy eating, sleeping well, and maintaining social connections. This was a huge relief for me to hear as I lead my life by my values, most of which are based on healthy living. These words gave me the permission to prioritize my health throughout my educational journey by continuing to budget time for exercising every day, getting quality sleep, and spending time with my friends and family when they were available. The one area of health that I realized I needed to grow in was my nutrition. I had worked for the housing department on campus as a resident assistant during my undergraduate degree, so this was my first year without access to a dining hall. I did not realize how much time out of my day would be dedicated to preparing nutritious meals, and I initially gravitated towards quick food options that did not align well with my food goals. I quickly realized that the solution to this problem was to learn how to meal prep during the weekend, and honing this skill saved me loads of time during the week. The biggest gamechanger for me as far as balancing school with my physical and social health was finding ways to address multiple areas of my health at the same time. The most frequent way I accomplished this was by combining social time with physical activity, such as going on a walk with friends while we catch up or playing pickleball every Sunday with my brother. These decisions, which seemed small at the time, led to my first year in the PT program being significantly less stressful than I originally anticipated. I learned a lot about how to be a great healthcare provider, but I also learned how much I thrive when I prioritize my health each day. I hope to continue these actions throughout the rest of my academic career and as I join the workforce.

When I first arrived at the University of North Dakota, I knew that one of the ways I wanted to connect with campus and the community of Grand Forks was by joining student organizations. As someone who was involved in many clubs during my high school years, I knew it was a great way to meet people and add meaning to my college experience. At the student organization fair, I stopped at many tables but struggled to find something that I was really excited about. Then, I saw the Big Event table. I decided to go over and see what “The Big Event” was, assuming that it was a club about event planning. I learned that it was so much more. The Big Event is a single-day volunteer event that is organized, marketed, and fundraised completely by UND students. Every year, hundreds of students, staff, and faculty make groups and go to designated work sites all around town, helping at senior citizens’ homes, churches, schools, and community spaces. Help can range from raking leaves to moving furniture or painting a wall, but the result was the same everywhere: making a positive impact on the lives of those who would not have been able to do these tasks otherwise. This event is our way of thanking the Grand Forks community for all they do for our campus as our host city. After learning about this organization’s need for committee members, I knew that this was the place for me, and I joined immediately. Even though it is just one day, it truly took a village to bring this event to life. From organizing job site requests and determining supplies needed to designing volunteer shirts and spreading the word through our social accounts, the entire committee came together with a joint mission and used their individual strengths to get the job done. Then, the fateful day had arrived. In short, it went off without a hitch. While volunteer numbers were lower compared to previous years due to some COVID restrictions still in place, our volunteers successfully completed tasks at all the work sites within 4 hours! In the days that followed, we received countless cards, emails, and voice messages from community members expressing gratitude and sharing stories about the volunteers, who took time to get to know the community members while doing their tasks. Being there from the beginning of the year to the end of the event, I felt a deep sense of pride knowing what one day’s work could do for this town and the people in it, and I was more than excited to be involved again. This will be my fourth year being a part of the BIG Event committee. Each year, I am reminded just how much this event means to the community as well as how much it means to me. It connects people who wouldn’t have met otherwise, and it unites the student body through the act of giving back and choosing kindness. I cannot begin to imagine how different my college experience would have been without this organization, and I am glad that I do not have to because it has truly been the most impactful decision I have made outside of my career aspirations. I hope that after I graduate, I will be able to find a similar opportunity wherever I end up.