Building credit early matters to me because it represents more than a score or a financial tool. It represents the future I want to build. I come from a family where stability, faith, discipline, and long-term thinking are core values. I want to raise a family one day, buy a home, build a business that helps people, and create a foundation strong enough to support others. Good credit is one of the first steps toward that kind of future. It affects the mortgage rates I will receive, the ability to finance a reliable car for my future family, and the freedom to start businesses without drowning in expensive loans. Building credit early allows me to step into adulthood with confidence rather than fear. One of the smartest financial moves I have made so far was choosing to invest early. While many people my age avoid investing because it feels intimidating, I leaned into it with curiosity. I began studying markets, financial literacy, and ways to build long-term wealth. I started investing in gold and silver mining companies and learned the importance of diversification. Investing helped me understand the power of compounding and the importance of disciplined, patient growth. It also taught me to look beyond short-term excitement and focus on future stability. Owning a credit card has been another important step. I treat it as a tool, not a toy. I use it responsibly, pay on time, and keep my balance low. Much of the world teaches young people to fear credit, but I believe that understanding credit creates empowerment. My credit card helped me learn that every financial decision texts my future. My goal is to build a strong foundation now so I am never in a position where poor financial decisions limit my opportunities. I also learned a few financial lessons the hard way. There were moments when I realized how easy it is to overspend on small daily habits or underestimate how quickly money can disappear without discipline. Those mistakes taught me to track my spending, plan ahead, and budget with intention. Instead of feeling discouraged, I saw those moments as opportunities to grow. Financial literacy is not about perfection. It is about progress and ownership. I want to be the kind of person who can teach my future children how to make wise choices because I learned to make them myself. My motivation comes from the life I want to build and the people I want to serve. I am studying health sciences and entrepreneurship because I want to bridge traditional and holistic medicine. My goal is to create technologies and systems that help individuals and families take control of their physical and mental health. To do that, I need financial stability and a strong credit foundation. I want the freedom to create, to innovate, and to build something meaningful without being held back by unnecessary financial burdens. I believe financial literacy is freedom. It gives people control over their lives instead of leaving them at the mercy of debt, stress, and uncertainty. That is why I am committed to building credit now, investing early, and learning as much as I can. My financial future begins today, and I plan to build it with intention, discipline, and purpose.

Sports have been part of my identity for as long as I can remember. I grew up in a family that valued faith, hard work, and being fully present for the people around us. My parents supported me and my siblings in everything we chose to do, whether it was school, church activities, or the sports that shaped our confidence and character. For me, that sport was volleyball. No matter where life has taken me, volleyball has been the anchor that reminds me who I am and what I am capable of becoming. I fell in love with volleyball playing with neighbors and friends in my hometown. What started as casual games in the yard quickly became a real passion. I loved the speed, the strategy, and the indescribable moment when everything clicks at once, the perfect set, the jump, and the clean sound of a ball hit just right. Over time, that passion grew into something competitive. I played in sand volleyball tournaments, and our team even took gold medals. The thrill of standing in the finals, covered in sweat and sand, celebrating with my teammates, made me realize how much I love competition and how much I thrive when pushing my limits. During my mission in New York City and Bermuda, volleyball unexpectedly followed me there as well. Whenever we had the chance, I played with mission companions, youth in the wards, or people in the community. Sports broke down barriers faster than words sometimes could. Playing volleyball became a way to connect with people who felt alone, discouraged, or disconnected. Even without cultural similarities, the court became a place where everyone was equal. It became another form of service. One of my favorite memories is organizing games with kids who had never played before. Seeing them laugh, encourage each other, try new things, and forget life’s stress for even an hour reminded me why sports matter. They give people a chance to feel strong, confident, and seen. Competition also includes setbacks. There was one championship I had trained for for weeks, only to fall short right before the finals. At the time, it stung more than I expected. But looking back, the disappointment helped mold the resilience I rely on today. Losing did not take away my love for the game. It made me more determined, more disciplined, and more aware of what it takes to grow. Outside of volleyball, snowboarding became a second passion. There is nothing like carving through fresh powder, feeling weightless while trying a new trick, or racing down a mountain with the cold air burning your lungs. Snowboarding taught me freedom, creativity, and the kind of confidence that comes from doing something daring. It also taught me patience because every new trick requires falling, getting up, and trying again. That athletic mindset translates directly into my schooling and my future goals. I am currently working toward completing my undergraduate degree and preparing for a healthcare career that bridges traditional and holistic medicine. My dream is to help others heal physically, mentally, and spiritually. Sports taught me discipline, teamwork, leadership, and the importance of showing up even when it is hard, qualities I plan to bring into my education and future profession. My family, my faith, and my experiences as a student athlete have shaped me into someone who refuses to quit, competes with heart, and wants to uplift others along the way. I hope to honor Stephan’s legacy by continuing to pursue excellence in both athletics and academics and by becoming someone who brings light, strength, and hope to others.

Mental health has shaped every part of my life: my goals, my relationships, my faith, and the way I see the world. There was a time when I did not believe I would still be here today. Before my mission to New York City and Bermuda, I reached a moment of such deep exhaustion and emptiness that I could not feel anything at all. I remember sitting alone in my car, parked late at night, wondering if the pain would ever stop. I thought about driving at top speed and ending everything. In the next breath, I wondered if running away to Hawaii to surf alone for the rest of my life would be easier than staying. I felt disconnected from myself, from God, and from the life I had once hoped to live. I didn’t act on either impulse that night, but that moment changed me forever. It was the first time I realized that mental health is not just a chapter of someone’s story. Sometimes it is the storm that threatens to erase the entire book. What saved me was not a dramatic breakthrough, but a small decision to stay. To breathe. To pray. To let one more sunrise come. And by holding on for one more day, I opened the door to every blessing that followed. A few months later, I chose to serve a mission. I didn’t go because I was fearless or strong. I went because I needed God, and I needed a purpose bigger than myself. My mission became the place where my healing began, not because life suddenly got easier, but because I started meeting people who were living the battles I once felt alone in. In New York City, I spent countless days visiting families who were overwhelmed by poverty, loneliness, and trauma. I knocked on doors where exhaustion lived in every corner of the apartment. I sat across from single mothers who were holding their families together with nothing but determination and love. I talked with teenagers who had been told their lives did not matter and men who felt permanently overlooked. Many of them carried wounds far deeper than mine, yet they still opened their doors and let me into their stories. These conversations taught me something I had never understood before: pain is universal, but so is the desire to be seen, heard, and valued. My own mental health struggles became the lens through which I understood theirs. I knew how to sit in silence with people who were hurting. I knew how to listen without judgment. I knew how to offer compassion because I had once needed it so desperately myself. Bermuda shaped me in a different way. The people I met there carried their trials with dignity, humor, and faith, even when life felt heavy. I built relationships that changed my heart forever. One of my closest friends from Bermuda later flew to Utah to visit me and experience the temple. The day we took that photo outside the temple was one of the most meaningful days of my life. It reminded me that service is not about numbers, achievements, or perfect answers. It is about loving people so sincerely that their spiritual victories become your own. When I returned home from my mission, I faced rejection again. I applied to BYU twice and was denied both times. Those rejections reopened old insecurities and made me question my worth. But this time, I didn’t go back to the darkness I once lived in. Instead, I turned toward God, my family, and the habits that kept me grounded. I started the Flex GE program, worked five hours a day, attended classes, studied anatomy and health sciences, and rebuilt my confidence step by step. My mental health journey has become the reason I want to pursue a career in healthcare. I grew up watching my father, a chiropractor, fight battles against stigma and misunderstanding. I saw patients find relief through holistic approaches that many medical professionals dismiss. I also saw the irreplaceable impact of traditional medicine and the power of evidence-based care. My mission and my own healing helped me realize that these worlds should not be competing with each other. They should be working together. My goal is to bridge the gap between traditional and holistic medicine. I want to conduct research, build better systems, and develop tools that help people understand their bodies, minds, and emotional patterns. I want to be part of a new generation of healthcare professionals who treat people as whole beings, not as disconnected symptoms. I want to fight the stigma surrounding mental health by integrating emotional well-being into the heart of patient care. My past pain did not break me. It gave me a purpose that reaches far beyond myself. My relationships have become deeper because of what I survived. I show up for people with more compassion, more patience, and more sincerity. I volunteer weekly in the temple, serve my community, and try to live every day with the intention to lift those who feel unseen. I’ve learned that the people who are hurting the most often look like they’re doing fine. I’ve learned that silence can be a cry for help. And I’ve learned that offering hope to someone is one of the greatest gifts a human being can give. My mental health journey has shaped my beliefs, my relationships, and my aspirations in every way. It taught me to value every breath, every sunrise, and every second chance. It taught me that healing is possible. And it taught me that the darkness we bring into the light loses its power. I want to spend the rest of my life helping others find that light too.

One of the greatest challenges I have overcome is rebuilding my life after a period of deep mental, emotional, and spiritual struggle. Before I served my mission in New York City and Bermuda, I reached a point where I felt completely lost. I battled anxiety, depression, and a sense of hopelessness that nearly led me to give up on my future entirely. Through God’s intervention, the support of people who refused to let me fall, and a decision to seek Christ more fully, I found the strength to move forward. That turning point changed everything for me. It taught me resilience, compassion, and the importance of lifting others who feel forgotten. My mission deepened those lessons. I spent every day working with people facing overwhelming challenges: single parents trying to keep their families afloat, teenagers fighting depression without support, and individuals who felt abandoned or misunderstood. Listening to their stories reminded me of my own journey through darkness. It made me realize that struggle does not separate us. It connects us. Those experiences ignited my desire to pursue a healthcare career focused on bridging holistic and traditional medicine so I can help people heal physically, mentally, and spiritually. Overcoming my own battles became the foundation for serving others with more empathy and purpose. This scholarship will directly support my ability to give back. I am studying health sciences, entrepreneurship, and medical technology so I can help develop tools that improve patient care, support mental health, and make healthcare more accessible. Financial support would allow me to focus more fully on my education and service, volunteer more consistently, and continue helping families like the ones I met during my mission as well as those I serve now through temple work and community involvement. It will help me become the kind of healer who sees people not as cases, but as human beings with stories, needs, and tremendous potential. Stamp collecting has played a small but meaningful role in my life. While I have only collected a handful of stamps over the years, I have always been drawn to collecting items that carry history and memory. As a kid, I collected rocks and small trinkets from different places because they reminded me of the stories and people connected to them. Stamps fit naturally into that same appreciation for culture and connection. The few stamps I have collected came from relatives, friends, and missionary companions who traveled or lived in different countries. Each one felt like a tiny window into another world. These small pieces taught me to value patience, detail, and the beauty of preserving memories. Even though my collecting has expanded more into rocks, shells, and cultural souvenirs, stamps helped spark the mindset that every object has a story worth remembering. Because of my challenges, my service, and the perspective I have gained, I am more committed than ever to giving back. This scholarship would help me continue that mission by supporting my education and helping me build the skills to uplift others. My journey has taught me that even small things can carry enormous meaning. Whether it is a stamp, a conversation, or an act of service, everything we preserve and everything we give can impact someone’s life.

I never expected the darkest moment of my life to become the turning point that revealed my purpose. A few years ago, before my mission and before I understood who God needed me to become, I reached a point where I believed the world would be better without me. I stood at the edge of a decision that could have ended everything, and by the grace of God and the love of a few people who refused to give up on me, I lived. That moment has shaped every step I have taken since. It is the reason I serve, the reason I study, and the reason I believe that healing is not just a profession, but a calling. I am a non-traditional student because my path has never followed a straight line. I did not go from high school to college with ease and confidence. Instead, I went on a mission to New York City and Bermuda, where I walked through neighborhoods filled with struggle and hope. I spent two years meeting families who reminded me of my former self: overwhelmed, discouraged, and praying for a reason to keep going. My mission taught me what it means to lift people who feel forgotten. In New York, I worked with single mothers doing everything they could to keep their families afloat. I sat with teenagers battling depression and with men who felt abandoned by society. I met people pushed aside because of their circumstances. My message was spiritual, but my presence was human. I learned that healing someone’s heart often comes before helping their situation. I learned how to listen, how to care deeply, and how to see people the way Christ sees them. Bermuda changed me just as much. I met people who carried burdens behind bright smiles and who longed to feel God’s love again. I watched faith give strength to families who had very little. One of the greatest moments of my mission came when I helped a friend from Bermuda, who appears in the temple photo I uploaded, fly to Utah to have a powerful spiritual experience that changed his life. That day reminded me that God often works through ordinary people who choose to serve. Returning home, I expected clarity, but instead I faced more adversity. I applied to BYU twice and was denied both times. Those rejections reopened old wounds of not feeling good enough and not knowing where I belonged. But instead of collapsing again, I turned toward God. I began the Flex GE pathway, rebuilt my confidence, strengthened my discipline, and found direction through study, work, and prayer. I realized that God was teaching me perseverance. He was teaching me to rise when life told me to sit down. Education became the structure that gave me purpose. Studying anatomy, health sciences, business, and medical technology opened my eyes to how deeply the world needs healers. Growing up with a father who is a chiropractor, I saw both the beauty of holistic healing and the stigma around it. I watched his profession dismissed and underfunded, even as patients found relief through his care. These experiences helped me understand that the healthcare world is divided, and patients often fall through the cracks. My goal is to become someone who brings these worlds together. I want to bridge traditional and holistic medicine through research, evidence-based practice, and compassion. I want to help create a healthcare system where people are treated as whole beings, not as symptoms to categorize. I want to study how mental health, physical health, lifestyle, nutrition, movement, and spiritual well-being interact. I want to use technology to help providers understand patient patterns, catch early warning signs, and give families tools that empower them. Everything I hope to do is rooted in what I have lived. I know what it feels like to lose hope. I know what it feels like to face rejection. I know what it feels like to carry mental health battles in silence. I know what it feels like to care for someone you love as they slowly fade, the way I help with my grandpa, who is living with dementia. I know what it feels like to be the underdog in every sense of the word. Because I know these things, I can see others clearly. I can see the students who doubt themselves. I can see the people who feel invisible. I can see the families carrying burdens quietly. I can see the ones on the edge of giving up. I can see them because I was them. The photo I uploaded is from a day at the temple with people whose lives changed mine and people whose lives I was blessed to help through Christ. Standing in front of the temple reminds me of who I am becoming. It reminds me of my mission in New York and Bermuda. It reminds me that God saved my life so I could help save others. It reminds me that service is not something I do, but something I am. I am not a traditional student, but I am someone who refuses to let adversity define me. I am someone who sees people deeply, believes in their potential, and wants to devote my life to healing. I hope to carry forward Andrea Worden’s legacy by lifting those the world overlooks, by choosing kindness when it is inconvenient, by showing compassion when it is difficult, and by helping others believe in their worth the way God helped me believe in mine.

Education has shaped my goals in a way that goes far beyond academics. It has given me direction, purpose, and a vision for the kind of healer I want to become. The turning point in my life came during my mission in New York City. I served people from every background, many of whom were living in poverty, facing broken homes, struggling with mental health, and carrying burdens that often felt unbearable. It was there, in the middle of a crowded city filled with hardship and hope, that I learned what real healing looks like and discovered that I wanted to dedicate my life to the wellbeing of others. During my mission, a large part of my service involved supporting single-parent families. Many of the homes I visited were led by mothers who worked two or three jobs to survive. Some were raising children completely on their own. Others lived in neighborhoods where safety, security, and resources were limited. I remember sitting with families who felt overwhelmed by bills, isolation, or the constant worry of not knowing how they would provide for their children. As missionaries, we brought spiritual messages, but we also brought something just as important. We brought Christlike presence. We brought comfort, hope, and a reminder that God had not forgotten them. These experiences changed my heart. I saw how emotional stress, financial strain, and chronic uncertainty affected not only the families, but also their physical and mental health. I saw fatigue, fear, and depression slowly wear people down. I also witnessed how love, compassion, connection, and faith could restore strength where almost nothing else could. I learned that healing must be holistic. People need spiritual support, emotional safety, reliable medical care, and access to tools that empower them to take control of their own wellbeing. I returned home from my mission with a desire to enter healthcare so I could continue the work I began in New York. I want to help individuals feel whole. I want to be a provider who listens, understands, and treats people as more than symptoms or diagnoses. I believe that a healthcare worker should be a guide, an advocate, and a healer in every sense of the word. This belief has shaped both my educational goals and my long-term direction. My current studies in health sciences, anatomy, and medical technology have opened my eyes to the complexity of the human body and the ways that different systems work together. At the same time, my exposure to holistic healing through my father’s chiropractic work led me to understand the importance of preventative care, lifestyle habits, and natural solutions. I grew up watching my father battle stigma and misunderstanding within the medical world. Chiropractors and other holistic providers are often dismissed, underfunded, and undervalued. Yet the relief and healing I saw in his patients made me realize that both traditional and holistic medicine have wisdom to offer. I want to bridge these two worlds. My goal is to pursue research that helps bring evidence-based clarity to preventative and natural health practices. Many people are either skeptical of holistic approaches or rely on them without the science to back them. I want to improve this gap by studying how chiropractic medicine, nutrition, movement, mental health, and traditional medical interventions can work together. I want to create healthcare tools, possibly through AI, that help analyze patient data in ways that promote earlier diagnoses, better treatment plans, and more complete healing. I want to help make healthcare more integrative, more compassionate, and more personalized. The hardships I faced personally have also influenced my goals. I struggled with ADHD, anxiety, and loneliness growing up. I was denied twice from BYU, something that tested my confidence and direction. Instead of giving up, those setbacks pushed me to strengthen my study habits, deepen my faith, and develop greater resilience. Education has been my way forward. It has helped me understand that who I become matters even more than where I enroll. Through learning, I found the confidence to aim higher. Through adversity, I discovered purpose. I now balance school, work, volunteering, and spiritual commitments. I serve weekly in the temple, help care for my grandpa who is living with dementia, and work in healthcare settings that give me hands-on experience with patient support and electronic health systems. Every part of my life is moving toward one mission. I want to heal people. I want to lift families who feel forgotten. I want to bring light and structure to the healthcare world. Most of all, I want to honor Christ by using my education to serve in a way that changes lives. In the future, I hope to create programs that support single-parent families with mental health resources, preventative care, and affordable community support. I hope to conduct research that helps people trust and understand the connection between holistic and traditional medicine. I hope to improve patient communication, develop tools that make healthcare more accessible, and help build a world where healing is not fragmented but unified. Education gave me a purpose. My mission gave me a calling. And my challenges gave me direction. I want to use my talents, my faith, and my future training to build a healthcare system that treats the whole person and lifts the people who need it most.

My name is Gabe, and my interest in mental health comes from personal experience, faith, and a desire to help others feel seen and supported. I grew up dealing with ADHD, anxiety, social struggles, and seasons where school felt overwhelming. For a long time, I believed that mental health challenges were weaknesses that needed to be hidden. Over time, I learned that they are part of the human experience and that understanding them is one of the greatest tools we have to help ourselves and others heal. My mental health journey began in high school, where I struggled to focus, keep up with assignments, and build friendships. I often felt isolated or misunderstood, and I had to learn how to advocate for myself, manage stress, and build routines that helped me stay grounded. My mission in New York City also stretched me emotionally and mentally. Living far from home, navigating an intense environment, and trying to serve while managing my own difficulties taught me the importance of self-awareness and emotional resilience. These experiences have shaped my beliefs in powerful ways. I learned that mental health is not separate from physical or spiritual well-being. It influences decisions, relationships, confidence, and the way people experience the world. I also learned that no one can heal alone. We need empathy, connection, faith, and tools that help us navigate our inner battles. Because of this, I want my future career in healthcare to be centered on compassion and human understanding. Mental health has also influenced my relationships. It taught me to listen more carefully and to see the pain that people often hide. It helped me approach others with patience rather than judgment. I have family members who struggle with mental illness, and supporting them has made me more aware of the importance of love and gentleness. Helping care for my grandpa with dementia has shown me how emotional struggles, confusion, and frustration can affect a person’s sense of identity. These experiences have helped me understand the deep need for mental health professionals who bring kindness, clarity, and stability into people’s lives. My experiences with mental health are also the reason I want to pursue a career connected to healthcare, counseling, or mental health support. Whether I go into nursing, mental health counseling, or a field that blends holistic and traditional medicine, my goal is the same. I want to help people find hope and healing. I want to create environments where people feel safe opening up about their struggles. I want to develop tools and systems that make mental health resources easier to access, especially for individuals who feel overlooked or misunderstood. In the future, I hope to use my education to advocate for mental health awareness, reduce stigma, and support individuals who feel trapped by their challenges. I want to combine science, compassion, and innovation to make care more personalized and more human. My faith has taught me that every person has infinite worth, and I want my career to reflect that belief. If I can help even one person feel seen, valued, and supported, then I will feel I have honored the struggles that shaped me and the people who helped me through them. My mental health journey has not always been easy, but it has given me resilience, empathy, and purpose. It is the reason I feel called to a career where I can help others overcome their battles and find healing in their own lives.

The person who has had the biggest impact on my life is my grandpa, and the event that changed me most has been watching him slowly lose himself to dementia. His decline has been painful for my family, but it has also taught me more about love, faith, and devotion than any other experience in my life. This journey has shaped my character, my goals, and the way I want to serve others in the future. My grandpa has always been a man of deep faith and quiet strength. As a young missionary in Scotland, he sang hymns and folk songs with a small quartet that brought warmth and connection to the communities they visited. He was the type of person who could make anyone feel comfortable and loved. He became a father of six and eventually a grandfather many times over, and he continued to lead our family with humility, humor, and a gentle spirit. As he grew older, dementia began to take pieces of him away. At first it was small things, like forgetting where he put his keys or repeating the same story. Eventually it became forgetting names, losing old memories, and struggling with simple tasks. The songs he once performed confidently became difficult to remember. The man who used to guide others now needed guidance every day. This has been one of the hardest experiences of my life, but also one of the most meaningful. Spending time with him taught me what it means to love someone without conditions. It taught me patience when he repeated himself. It taught me gentleness when he became confused or anxious. It taught me to treasure every moment and to see the person behind the illness, even when the illness hides parts of them away. It has also shown me the power of family. My grandma cares for him every day with unbelievable dedication. My parents, siblings, and cousins step in to help whenever we can. We plan family gatherings with him in mind. We create memories for him even when he may not remember them later. We laugh together, share old stories, and hold onto the joy that still exists. This experience has brought us closer and helped us protect the bond that he spent a lifetime building. More than anything, my grandpa’s journey has strengthened my faith. It has taught me that God is present not only in miracles but also in moments of weakness. It reminded me that compassion is one of the most powerful expressions of discipleship. When someone loses their memories, the only thing they truly have left is the love shown to them by the people around them. I want to live a life where I give that kind of love to others. This experience has also shaped my future. I want to pursue a healthcare career where I can help individuals and families facing similar challenges. I want to support people who feel afraid, confused, or alone. I want to help create tools and systems that make healthcare more compassionate, human-centered, and accessible. I want to carry forward the legacy of kindness that my grandpa lived every day of his life. Watching him change has been heartbreaking, but it has also been one of the most defining blessings of my life. It taught me faith. It taught me resilience. It taught me how to love deeply. His impact will guide me throughout my education, my career, and the way I choose to serve others.

My faith has influenced every part of who I am. It shapes the way I treat people, the choices I make, and the life I want to build. Growing up in a family that taught me to put God first, I learned that real discipleship is found in small, quiet acts of goodness. My faith has helped me through challenges, guided my purpose, and inspired me to serve others in meaningful ways. Faith in Action One of the most defining experiences of my life was applying to Brigham Young University and being denied twice. I had dreamed for years of attending BYU, and each rejection felt like a door closing on something I believed was part of my path. It would have been easy to give up, but my faith pushed me to trust God’s timing instead of my own. I prayed for direction and peace, and over time I felt guided to improve my study habits and enroll in the BYU Flex GE program. This experience taught me that faith is not only believing God is there, but believing that He is building something better for me than I can see. It strengthened my determination, humility, and willingness to keep moving forward with hope rather than fear. Serving Others Service has become a natural part of my life because it is the way I feel closest to God. I volunteer weekly in the temple, helping create a peaceful environment for those seeking spiritual renewal. I also take part in community service events, supporting families and individuals who need help. These experiences taught me that service is not just an act. It is a way of seeing others with charity, even when no one notices the effort. One of the most meaningful forms of service in my life has been helping care for my grandpa, who is living with dementia. Spending time with him, supporting my grandma, and helping with small tasks has shown me that true service is often patient, quiet, and consistent. It is listening to the same story many times without frustration. It is helping him feel safe when confusion sets in. It is loving him fully even as pieces of his memory fade. Serving him has changed my heart and strengthened my desire to enter a healthcare field where I can continue serving people who are vulnerable and need compassion. Valuing Family Family is the foundation of my life. My parents taught me honesty, integrity, and the importance of staying close to God. My grandparents taught me the power of kindness and devotion. My grandpa’s dementia has brought our family even closer. We help one another, support my grandparents, and keep our family traditions alive. Family means showing up even when it is inconvenient. It means preserving memories and making new ones. It means loving without conditions. When my grandpa forgets where he left something, or becomes confused, or loses the lyrics to the Scottish hymns he once sang as a missionary in Scotland, I am reminded why family matters. We hold on to each other when life becomes heavy. We strengthen one another through simple acts of love. That is what family means to me, and it is one of the values I hope to carry into every part of my future. Your Future and the Scholarship’s Impact My future goals are centered on becoming a healer, a leader, and a servant. I plan to pursue a healthcare field where I can bridge traditional medicine, holistic wellness, and new medical technology. I want to create tools that improve patient care, support families, and make the healthcare system more human-centered and compassionate. I want to honor God through the way I treat others, support my future family, and serve my community. This scholarship would help me continue my education with less financial stress, allowing me to focus more fully on my studies, volunteering, and developing myself spiritually and academically. It would also help me continue living the values that defined Ed and Aline Patane. Their commitment to faith, family, kindness, and service is exactly the kind of legacy I want to build in my own life. I want to bring joy to others the way they did. I want to make the world brighter by choosing compassion, generosity, and integrity every day. Thank you for considering my application. I hope to honor the legacy of Ed and Aline by living a life guided by faith, filled with service, and rooted in love for family and community.

Service has always been one of the core values in my life. My family taught me early that leaving the world better than you found it is not optional. It is part of who we are. Faith, gratitude, and compassion guide the way I interact with people, and these principles shape how I choose to serve my community. Whether it is through volunteer efforts, supporting family members, or participating in church responsibilities, I have learned that service is not defined by grand gestures. It is found in the small acts of kindness that change someone’s day and often change lives. I currently give back through consistent volunteer work. I serve weekly in the temple, where I help maintain a peaceful and spiritual environment for people who come seeking clarity, comfort, and direction. This has taught me how important it is to simply be present for others. I also participate in community service events, especially those focused on helping families, supporting local organizations, and providing resources to people in need. Through church, school, and personal effort, I have learned that service is not something reserved for special occasions. It is a habit, a mindset, and a way of seeing the world. Service also plays a significant role in my family life. My grandpa has been living with dementia, and I help care for him whenever I can. Spending time with him, supporting my grandma, and helping with daily tasks have taught me patience, empathy, and humility. Watching someone you love lose their independence is emotional, but it has reminded me that the greatest service we can give is to those closest to us. This experience has shaped my desire to enter a healthcare field where I can help individuals who are vulnerable, frightened, or in need of a compassionate hand. In the future, I want to expand the impact of my service by entering a career in healthcare, specifically in a field that bridges traditional medicine, holistic practices, and new medical technology. I am passionate about preventative care, emotional health, and the ways innovation can improve the lives of patients. I hope to contribute to the creation of tools that help families navigate illness, track their health, and feel empowered in their care. I want to bring humanity into healthcare through better systems, better communication, and better awareness of what patients and caregivers truly experience. I also plan to continue serving through community involvement, volunteering, and church participation. Service is not something I plan to outgrow. It is something I plan to expand. Whether I am helping an elderly patient, supporting a family dealing with a difficult diagnosis, guiding someone through a confusing healthcare system, or simply offering comfort to someone who feels alone, I want to live a life that lifts people. My goal is to follow the example of people like Priscilla Shireen Luke, who used compassion to brighten the world around her. I want to build a career and a life that embody selflessness, integrity, and a desire to help others rise. Service is not only something I do. It is the foundation of the future I want to create, and I hope to use my education and experiences to bring healing, hope, and support to communities everywhere.

1. My name is Gabe, and I am an undergraduate student preparing to pursue a future in healthcare. I grew up in a family that values service, faith, and personal responsibility, and those principles have guided almost every major decision in my life. I have always been fascinated by the human body, preventative care, and the ways that mental, emotional, and physical health work together. My interest became even stronger as I watched my grandpa begin to lose his memory due to dementia. Supporting him and my grandma through this journey changed how I saw illness, caregiving, and the role of health professionals. I learned that real health work is not only clinical. It is relational. It requires patience, compassion, and the ability to meet people where they are. Volunteering in my community, serving in my church, and working in healthcare-related roles have helped me understand the importance of kindness and presence in moments of fear or confusion. These experiences have shaped my desire to pursue a career where I can help people feel safe, understood, and supported. I want to devote my future to building a healthcare environment that values dignity, empathy, and human-centered care above everything else. 2. To me, empathy is the ability to see another person clearly enough to understand not only what they are experiencing, but how it feels to be in their situation. It is the willingness to slow down, listen, and connect in a way that honors both their humanity and their vulnerability. Empathy is not simply a soft skill. It is a guiding principle that shapes the way health workers communicate, diagnose, treat, and support patients. It changes the atmosphere of a room. It builds trust. It brings dignity back to moments that feel frightening or overwhelming. My understanding of empathy comes primarily from my time caring for my grandpa as he has lived with dementia. I watched him lose memories, confidence, and even his ability to sing the Scottish hymns he once performed with joy. At first, I felt helpless. Then I learned that empathy often looks like patience, gentleness, and the commitment to meet someone exactly where they are. Some days he repeats himself. Some days he becomes confused about simple tasks. What he needs in those moments is not correction. He needs reassurance, connection, and compassion. These experiences taught me how powerful empathy is, and how deeply it matters in healthcare. In my future career, whether I become a nurse, a physician assistant, or a medical technology professional, empathy will guide the way I communicate and provide care. I have learned from volunteering, community service, and working with electronic health record systems that healthcare can become cold and rushed if empathy is not present. A human-centered provider remembers that behind every diagnosis is a person with fears, hopes, and a story that matters. Practicing empathy means learning how to listen without interruption, explain information in a way that eases anxiety, and collaborate with patients instead of simply instructing them. It means acknowledging cultural differences, personal backgrounds, and emotional needs. It means creating an environment where people feel comfortable asking questions and admitting when they are scared or confused. To ensure that my efforts remain human-centered, I will prioritize communication, presence, and individualized care. I want to be the kind of health worker who remembers names, respects concerns, and takes the time to understand the whole person rather than just their symptoms. I also plan to use my interest in healthcare technology to improve patient experiences. Tools such as digital records, AI-assisted diagnostics, and communication platforms can be used to empower patients rather than distance them, as long as they are designed with empathy at the center. A human-centered approach is not an extra. It is the core of what healthcare should be. My experiences with my grandpa, my volunteer work, and my desire to serve others have shown me that every person deserves to feel valued, respected, and cared for. Empathy is the foundation that makes this possible, and it will define the way I practice throughout my career.

My name is Gabe, and I am an undergraduate student preparing to pursue a future in healthcare. My journey has been shaped by personal challenges, family experiences, and a deep desire to help people feel valued, supported, and capable of healing. I have always been drawn to the idea of helping others, but it was my volunteer work, my calling in church, and my experience caring for my grandpa with dementia that clarified the kind of healthcare professional I want to become. My grandpa was once one of the most vibrant people in my life. As a missionary in Scotland, he helped form a singing quartet that performed hymns and folk songs to open hearts and build connections in communities that were difficult to reach. His voice carried warmth and confidence, and his music created unity and peace. As dementia slowly took his memory, his independence, and eventually his ability to sing, I saw firsthand how fragile life can be and how deeply illness affects not only the individual but the entire family. Helping care for him changed me. It taught me how to meet someone where they are, even when they cannot fully meet you back. It taught me how to communicate with patience rather than frustration, how to help without making someone feel helpless, and how to listen even when conversations repeat themselves. These experiences have inspired my desire to pursue a healthcare career centered on compassion, service, and innovation. The field I am most passionate about is preventative and integrative healthcare. I am especially drawn to the intersection of traditional medicine and holistic care. I want to help bridge the gap that exists between these two worlds, because I have seen how much good each side can offer. My goal is to build a career where I can help individuals strengthen both their physical and emotional health, while also supporting families who feel overwhelmed by illness or disability. I want to study healthcare technology, patient communication, and early detection tools that can improve outcomes and help people maintain their dignity and independence for as long as possible. This scholarship is especially meaningful to me because Christina Taylese Singh dedicated her life to occupational therapy, a field rooted in helping people recover function, build confidence, and regain their lives. Although I am not directly pursuing occupational therapy, the spirit of her work mirrors my own calling: to help people find strength in moments of weakness, to restore independence where it has been lost, and to bring hope to individuals and families facing difficult diagnoses. My volunteer work has prepared me for this path. Whether serving in my church, participating in community service, or helping family members with daily needs, I have learned that real service is often quiet and unseen. It is helping without expecting praise, showing up when it is inconvenient, and loving people when they feel forgotten. These experiences have strengthened my desire to build a career that lifts others. I want to honor Christina’s legacy by dedicating my life to a field where healing, compassion, and resilience meet. This scholarship would allow me to focus more fully on my education, reduce my financial burden, and continue preparing for a career where I can make a meaningful impact on the lives of individuals and families who need someone to stand with them through their challenges.

My desire to pursue a career that supports the intellectual disability community comes from caring for my grandpa, who has been living with dementia for several years. Even though dementia is not always classified the same way as other intellectual disabilities, it has had a similar impact on his ability to think clearly, remember information, communicate, and navigate daily life. Watching him change has shaped my compassion, influenced my educational goals, and inspired me to dedicate my future to improving the lives of individuals who face cognitive challenges. My grandpa was once a vibrant, musical, energetic man. As a young missionary in Scotland, he helped form a singing quartet that traveled throughout the country performing hymns and folk songs to introduce people to the gospel. His voice filled rooms with warmth. His memory was sharp, and his presence brought joy to everyone around him. As a father of six and a grandfather many times over, he continued to serve and strengthen our family for decades. Dementia slowly changed that. The man who once remembered every story and every lyric began repeating questions, forgetting names, and losing track of simple tasks. He could no longer sing the songs he had performed hundreds of times. He started taking countless photos on his phone so he could remember his experiences, even when the memories faded hours later. My grandma became his anchor, and the rest of our family learned to support both of them in the daily challenges that came with his diagnosis. As grandchildren, we help care for him whenever we visit. Sometimes that means helping him find familiar objects, giving my grandma a moment to rest, assisting with small tasks around the house, or simply sitting with him and talking even when conversations circle back on themselves. These moments taught me that caregiving is not just about physical assistance. It is also about patience, gentleness, and seeing the person behind the disability. It is about honoring who they were while loving who they are now. This experience has inspired me to pursue a healthcare career that supports individuals with intellectual disabilities and cognitive challenges. I want to contribute to a world that is more accessible, more compassionate, and more understanding. I am especially passionate about the potential for healthcare technology to improve communication, diagnostics, and long-term support for families. Working with electronic health record systems has shown me how important accurate, personalized information is for both providers and caregivers. My long-term goal is to build or contribute to technology that helps care teams track behavioral changes, memory patterns, and emotional needs in ways that bring clarity and peace to families who are overwhelmed. I also hope to use my future education to advocate for greater awareness and acceptance of intellectual disabilities. Many individuals face stigma or are misunderstood by those around them. By working on the front lines of healthcare, I hope to help families feel supported, help patients feel valued, and help communities understand the dignity and worth of every person, regardless of cognitive ability. Caring for my grandpa has shaped my compassion, strengthened my purpose, and inspired me to build a career that makes life better for individuals with intellectual disabilities. His influence will continue to guide every step of my educational and professional journey.

My motivation for pursuing advanced education in the healthcare field comes from a deep desire to serve, to heal, and to help people feel seen and supported during some of the hardest moments of their lives. Growing up, I learned very early that health is not just physical. It includes emotional stability, mental resilience, and the ability to trust the people who care for you. I have felt the impact of illness within my own family, and those experiences have shaped my determination to dedicate my life to a career that brings comfort and strength to others. My grandpa has been living with dementia, and watching his decline has been life changing. He was once a missionary in Scotland who traveled around singing hymns and folk songs that opened doors and softened hearts. His voice once filled rooms with confidence and warmth. Today, he often forgets the words to those songs, loses track of conversations, and sometimes struggles to recognize people he loves. Even though his memories fade, his kindness and gentle spirit remain. Caring for him, spending time with him, and supporting my grandma in her daily responsibilities have taught me what real compassion looks like. It is patient. It is steady. It loves without conditions. This experience has helped me understand the importance of quality healthcare and the powerful role that nurses and medical professionals play in the lives of patients and families. My desire to enter the medical field also comes from my fascination with innovation and preventative care. I have worked in chiropractic scheduling and with electronic health record systems, and I have seen the challenges that both patients and providers face. These experiences have inspired me to pursue a future where I can combine hands-on care with medical technology that improves communication, increases accuracy, and strengthens patient outcomes. Whether my path leads to nursing, a nurse practitioner program, or another advanced healthcare role, my goal is the same. I want to be a source of stability, education, and encouragement for patients who are frightened, overwhelmed, or simply looking for someone who will listen. This scholarship would have a significant impact on my ability to pursue that dream. I come from a hardworking family, and although they support me completely, I take personal responsibility for financing my education. I work while attending school, and the financial pressure can sometimes limit the number of courses I am able to take or the programs I can participate in. Receiving this scholarship would provide relief from that pressure and allow me to focus fully on my studies, clinical preparation, and hands-on experiences. It would also give me the freedom to explore additional learning opportunities, such as certifications, workshops, and advanced anatomy or clinical courses that will strengthen my future practice. More than anything, this scholarship would be an investment in the impact I hope to make. I want to serve individuals who feel alone in their illness. I want to support families who are afraid of what comes next. I want to help patients feel cared for, understood, and valued. Nursing and advanced healthcare education are not simply career paths for me. They are callings that allow me to honor my faith, my values, and the lessons I have learned from caring for my own family. Thank you for considering my application and for supporting students who want to make a meaningful difference in the world of healthcare.

My name is Gabe, and I am an undergraduate student preparing to attend Brigham Young University with interests in healthcare, medical technology, and preventative medicine. My long-term goal is to bridge the gap between traditional and holistic care through research, innovation, and compassion. Although I am early in my academic journey, my passion for science and healing has led me toward a future in medical research, particularly in the area of cancer detection and treatment. Breast cancer, in particular, is a disease that has shaped the lives of people in my community and has impacted families close to me. I want to dedicate part of my future career to improving the tools we use to diagnose, study, and ultimately cure this devastating illness. I am not yet part of a formal breast cancer research lab, but I am actively building the skills that will allow me to contribute meaningfully in the near future. I work with electronic health record systems, study anatomy and health sciences, and explore ways that artificial intelligence and diagnostic technology can be used to improve patient care. I have also begun building an AI consulting project and studying patterns in medical data. These early steps are helping me prepare for a future where I can apply technology to solve complex medical problems. One of my biggest motivations for pursuing cancer research comes from watching people in my life struggle with serious illnesses. Even though my grandpa’s condition is dementia rather than cancer, witnessing the way a disease can slowly take parts of a person has shown me how urgently we need better treatments, better detection, and better hope. This has strengthened my desire to be part of medical breakthroughs that can preserve families, protect futures, and save lives. Breast cancer research in particular inspires me because of the enormous need it represents. One in eight women will be diagnosed during their lifetime, and many cases, like triple negative breast cancer, are especially aggressive and difficult to treat. Dr. Nova Grace Hinman Weinstein’s story reflects the reality of too many families: dedicated women doing everything they can, only to face treatments that fall short. It is unacceptable that so many lives are still lost. I want to be part of the generation that changes that. I hope to contribute to cancer research by helping develop advanced diagnostic tools that allow earlier detection and more personalized treatment. I am especially interested in how AI can analyze complex biological data, identify patterns that humans might miss, and help researchers understand cancer at the genetic and cellular levels. I also want to explore how health technology can support patients emotionally and physically throughout their treatment journey. Ultimately, I want to use my career to bring innovation, healing, and compassion to those battling breast cancer. I am driven by faith, by a desire to serve, and by the belief that every person deserves the best chance at life. Research is one of the most powerful ways to give people that chance. Although I am at the beginning of my path, I am committed to learning, growing, and dedicating my future to solving medical problems that matter. Breast cancer research is one of those problems, and I hope to honor Dr. Hinman Weinstein’s legacy by helping move the world closer to a cure.

Having a family member with disabilities has shaped nearly every part of who I am, how I see the world, and the career path I want to pursue. My grandpa has been struggling with dementia for several years, and the changes we have watched him go through have taught me lessons in compassion, patience, and resilience that no classroom could ever teach. Helping my grandparents through this chapter of life has been both heartbreaking and meaningful, and it has inspired my desire to pursue a career in healthcare, specifically in a field where I can serve individuals and families who are walking through similar challenges. My grandpa has always been one of the strongest examples in my life. He served a mission in Scotland, where he helped form a singing quartet that performed hymns and folk songs to open doors for missionary work. His voice once filled rooms with joy. Today, dementia has taken many of his memories and much of his ability to sing. He forgets lyrics he once knew perfectly, gets confused easily, and sometimes struggles to recall familiar faces or stories. Watching someone who gave so much of himself lose pieces of who he was has been incredibly difficult. Yet despite these challenges, my grandpa continues to show love, warmth, and sincerity in every moment he can. He takes countless pictures to try to remember the people he loves, even when the memories fade. My grandma supports him tirelessly, guiding him through daily tasks, helping him stay oriented, and doing everything she can to keep him safe and connected. As grandchildren, we help whenever we visit, whether by keeping him company, assisting with simple tasks, helping around the house, or giving my grandma a moment of rest. These small acts of caregiving have shown me the power of presence and patience. Being involved in his care has changed how I view disability, aging, and healthcare. I have learned that caregiving is not simply a set of tasks. It is an act of love. It requires a calm voice, a steady heart, and the willingness to meet people where they are rather than where they used to be. Dementia has taught me that people are more than their diagnosis, and that kindness, respect, and gentle communication matter more than anything else. These experiences have also shaped my career goals. Although I am exploring several paths in healthcare, nursing stands out because it represents the kind of care I want to give. Nurses are often the bridge between the patient and the family. They are the ones who offer reassurance, explain what is happening, provide comfort, and support both the individual and their caregivers. I want to be someone who walks with families through their hardest moments, just as I have walked with my grandparents. My journey with my grandpa has shaped me into someone who wants to serve others, especially those who feel vulnerable or forgotten. Caring for him has taught me empathy, resilience, and a deep respect for the work that nurses do every day. It is because of him, and the love our family shares through this difficult experience, that I feel called to pursue a future in nursing and help others with the same compassion we have tried to show him.

Faith has guided every major decision in my life and has helped me overcome challenges that shaped my character and direction. Through setbacks, personal growth, and opportunities I did not expect, God has taught me who I am and what I want to contribute to the world. My future career in healthcare and entrepreneurship is rooted in the lessons my faith has given me. One of the most defining experiences of my life was applying to Brigham Young University. I applied twice and was denied both times. Each rejection was painful, but it pushed me to rely more deeply on God. Through prayer and reflection, I learned that His plan is always better than mine, even when the road feels discouraging. Instead of giving up, I chose to improve myself. I enrolled in the BYU Flex GE program, strengthened my academic habits, and focused on spiritual growth. This experience taught me that faith means trusting God’s timing and being willing to work steadily in the direction He provides. Growing up, I also struggled with ADHD, anxiety, and the pressure to perform well in school and social situations. These challenges often made me feel overwhelmed, but faith helped me find strength and clarity. I relied on scripture study, service, exercise, and personal prayer to stay grounded. My mission in New York City deepened this foundation. I saw how faith can lift people in their hardest moments, and I learned that I want to spend my life helping others feel that same strength. My faith also inspires my entrepreneurial goals. I love business and learning how to build something meaningful from the ground up. I have invested in gold and silver mining companies, which has taught me how to study markets, manage risks, and think long term. I have also started developing an AI consulting firm where I help small businesses understand how technology can improve their systems and communication. These experiences have increased my confidence, creativity, and drive to innovate. While I enjoy entrepreneurship, my heart is in healthcare. I have worked in chiropractic scheduling, managed call teams, and gained experience with EHR systems that support patient treatment. Through this work, I have seen the challenges patients face and the gaps that exist between holistic and traditional medicine. My long-term goal is to build healthcare technology that helps providers understand their patients more clearly and communicate more effectively. I want to create tools that support preventative medicine, strengthen patient trust, and make healthcare easier to navigate. Faith will guide every part of that journey. It will help me stay honest in business and maintain integrity when faced with difficult decisions. It will remind me that success is not measured by profit alone, but by the service we give and the people we help. Faith will keep me grounded in humility, charity, and a desire to lift others. It will also help me see individuals not just as patients or clients, but as children of God who deserve compassion and understanding. I believe that God has given me a desire to create, to heal, and to build. My faith helped me through the struggles of my past and shaped my goals for the future. It will continue to guide me as I work toward a career that combines healthcare, innovation, and service. Through God’s help, I hope to bless others, build meaningful solutions, and make a positive impact in the world around me.

Alzheimer’s disease does not arrive suddenly. It enters quietly, like a soft shadow slipping across a person you love, changing small things at first, then larger ones, until you realize you are grieving someone who is still standing right in front of you. For me and my family, that slow and painful transformation has come through my grandpa, a man defined by faith, music, service, and love. Watching dementia take pieces of him has been one of the hardest experiences of my life, but it has also taught me more about compassion, patience, and what it truly means to honor someone’s legacy. My grandpa has always been one of my heroes. As a young missionary in Scotland, he was asked by his mission president to help form a singing quartet. They traveled around the country performing hymns and old folk songs to open hearts and create opportunities for missionary work. Their music softened people, built bridges, and brought warmth into communities where missionaries were often strangers. My grandpa used to tell us stories about singing on street corners, in small churches, and even on ferries crossing the Scottish waters. His voice had a way of filling a room, and his presence brought joy wherever he went. Growing up, those stories were a part of our family culture. Music connected us to him. He would hum Scottish tunes while cooking, whistle hymns while fixing things around the house, and lead our family in singing during Christmas gatherings. Even after becoming a father to six children and then a grandfather many times over, he never outgrew his love for music or his desire to lift others with it. So when dementia began to show itself, we didn’t recognize it at first. It started as forgotten items, repeated questions, and stories retold several times in one conversation. We brushed it off as normal aging. But over time, the changes deepened. He began losing the lyrics to the songs he had sung for decades. He would forget where he was driving. He would mix up names, dates, and familiar places. The man who had once been the memory-keeper of our family now struggled to remember what day it was. One of the moments that hurt the most was when he tried to sing one of his Scottish hymns for us and the words wouldn’t come. He looked frustrated, then embarrassed, then lost. We gently reassured him and played the song on a speaker, and I watched as something soft returned to his expression. Even if he couldn’t remember the words, the music still reached him. He still swayed to the tune. He still smiled, even if only for a moment. The disease may have taken his memory, but it has not taken his spirit. My grandma, his eternal companion, has carried the weight of these changes with courage and grace. She travels with him to visit all their grandchildren, helping him navigate airports, hotels, schedules, and conversations. She guides him when he repeats himself. She helps him when he becomes confused. She holds his hand more often now. She has become his anchor, his clarity, and his support. Watching her love him so faithfully has taught me what real commitment looks like. Their marriage has always been strong, but dementia has revealed the depth of her devotion in a way that nothing else could. My grandpa has also developed a habit of taking hundreds of pictures everywhere he goes. He takes pictures of people he loves, of places he wants to remember, and sometimes of the same thing several times in a row. His phone fills up constantly, and my grandma has to help him delete photos almost daily. At first, we laughed about it. Then we realized the truth behind it: taking pictures is his way of trying to hold onto moments that feel like they are slipping away. Each photo is a small act of resistance against the disease that is trying to erase his past. For me, watching my grandpa change has been emotional and heartbreaking. I miss the version of him who could recall stories with perfect detail, who could sing with confidence, who could lead our family in prayer without losing his train of thought. But I have learned to appreciate him in a new way. Dementia has taught me to love him in the present moment, not for who he used to be, but for who he still is. He is still gentle. He is still kind. He is still full of love. He may forget things, but he has not forgotten how to care deeply. Through this experience, I have learned that dementia does not define a person. It is an illness that can take memories, but it cannot erase a lifetime of goodness. My grandpa’s influence lives in his children, in his grandchildren, and in the legacy of faith, music, and service he created long before the symptoms of dementia appeared. This journey has strengthened my desire to enter the healthcare field. I want to help families navigate the emotional and practical challenges that come with aging and cognitive decline. I want to contribute to systems, research, and tools that support patients with neurodegenerative diseases. And most importantly, I want to treat every person I meet with the dignity and compassion that my grandpa continues to teach me, even as dementia reshapes his life. Alzheimer’s and dementia are tragic, but they have also revealed the depth of love in my family. My grandpa’s story is no longer only about what he has done in the past. It is also about who we are becoming because of him.

Every challenge I have faced has shaped my desire to pursue a career in healthcare. My path has not been simple or linear, but each difficulty has helped me understand the kind of healer, innovator, and leader I hope to become. My experiences with mental health, academic setbacks, and growing up around chiropractic care have strengthened my purpose and clarified why I want to enter the medical field. From a young age, I struggled with ADHD, social anxiety, and the constant pressure to keep up academically. School was often overwhelming, and there were times when I wondered if I was capable of succeeding in a traditional environment. These challenges taught me early on that mental and emotional health are deeply connected to physical well-being. They also taught me resilience. For years, progress came through small steps: developing routines, exercising daily, studying consistently, leaning on my faith, and working to understand my own mind. These daily habits changed the way I think about healing. I learned that recovery happens slowly and requires patience, compassion, and a willingness to keep trying. Growing up with a father who is a chiropractor strengthened that understanding. I watched him help people who often felt unheard or misunderstood in the traditional medical system. I saw how holistic providers frequently lack research funding, support, and access to modern tools. As I learned more about preventative care and the limitations of both traditional and holistic approaches, I realized that the divide between these fields is hurting patients. Instead of being two separate worlds, they should be working together. That became one of my core motivations for entering healthcare. I want to bridge the gap between evidence-based medicine and holistic practices so that patients receive the most complete care possible. My academic journey also shaped my decision. I applied to Brigham Young University twice and was denied both times. Those experiences could have discouraged me, but instead, they helped me grow. I enrolled in the BYU Flex GE program, strengthened my study habits, improved my GPA, and continued working in healthcare settings. I now manage a chiropractic call center and work with electronic health record systems, which has given me firsthand insight into how technology can support or hinder patient care. These experiences helped me realize that I want to contribute not only as a provider but also as an innovator. I hope to create tools that support preventative health, assist providers, improve diagnostic accuracy, and help patients understand their own bodies. Because of what I have experienced, I will enter the medical field with a profound sense of empathy. I understand what it feels like to struggle silently. I know the importance of small daily habits. I understand that every patient has a story beneath the surface. My experiences have taught me to be patient, kind, and steady in the face of challenge. They have also given me the drive to help create a healthcare system that is more unified, more compassionate, and more focused on long-term well-being. These challenges have shaped not only my decision to pursue medicine but the kind of career I want to build. I hope to make a positive impact by improving healthcare systems, supporting patients emotionally and physically, and helping create a future where all forms of care work together for the benefit of the individual.

My name is Gabe, and I graduated from high school in Utah. I am currently preparing to attend Brigham Young University, where I plan to study a field connected to healthcare: either chiropractic medicine, medicine, or medical technology. My goal is to help bridge the gap between traditional and holistic healthcare by creating tools, systems, and preventative approaches that improve people’s lives. Mental health has played a significant role in shaping that mission. During my high school years, I learned that mental health influences every part of a person’s life. I dealt with challenges such as ADHD, social anxiety, difficulty making friends, and the pressure to perform academically. There were times when school felt overwhelming, and I had to learn how to manage my mental health while still trying to succeed. Those experiences taught me that mental health is not a weakness. It is something that requires daily attention, consistent habits, and support from others. I also learned that mental health struggles are often invisible. Many of the strongest and kindest people I knew were dealing with anxiety, stress, or loneliness privately. Understanding this helped me develop greater compassion for others and reminded me that everyone benefits from kindness and patience. One of the most important lessons I learned is that small, steady habits make the biggest difference. Waking up early to exercise, reading uplifting books, staying active in church, serving in my community, and keeping a structured routine helped me stay grounded during difficult times. These habits did not solve every problem instantly, but they gave me stability and strength. As I begin college, I plan to apply what I have learned by continuing to prioritize habits that support my own mental health. I also want to help create an environment where others feel safe discussing their challenges without shame. At BYU, I plan to participate in mental health and wellness clubs, volunteer with campus resources that support students in crisis, and look for opportunities to serve as a mentor to students who are adjusting to college life. I am especially interested in joining organizations focused on suicide prevention, emotional resilience, and student support. If possible, I hope to collaborate with these groups to bring workshops or outreach events to campus that teach simple, sustainable mental health practices. In addition, I want to use my future education to design tools and technologies that help people track both physical and emotional well-being. Better health technology can help students and families identify stress patterns, manage routines, and understand how daily habits influence long-term mental health. Mental health will always be an important part of my story, but I no longer see it as something that holds me back. It has made me more empathetic, more disciplined, and more committed to improving the world around me. As I continue my education at BYU, I hope to support others, raise awareness, and help build a community that values understanding, resilience, and consistent personal growth.

Growing up, I saw health differently than most people my age. My father is a chiropractor, and from a young age I watched him help people improve their lives not through dramatic medical events, but through small, consistent habits, better movement, better alignment, better routines, better choices. I saw patients walk into his office in pain, discouraged, or overwhelmed, and with simple, sustainable changes, they reclaimed energy, mobility, and hope. Those experiences shaped me deeply. They taught me that real healing is not a one-time event, it is a lifestyle built on daily disciplines. That belief is also the core of Dr. Steve Aldana’s mission, and it aligns perfectly with what I want to do with my life. My long-term goal is to bridge the gap between traditional medicine and holistic care and to help strengthen the credibility, unity, and effectiveness of both fields. I want to pursue higher education at BYU, study health sciences, and eventually attend chiropractic or medical school. But beyond clinical practice, I want to develop medical technologies that make healthy living more understandable, more personalized, and more accessible to everyday families. One of the greatest challenges in modern healthcare is that people often receive information, diagnoses, or advice that they do not fully understand or cannot consistently implement. I want to change that. I hope to create tools, whether through EHR improvements, AI-supported diagnostics, or preventative-health applications that help individuals clearly see how their habits are affecting their bodies and how small daily improvements can create long-term transformation. Just as Dr. Aldana emphasized sustainable habits, I want to build systems that empower individuals to track, measure, and strengthen those habits in meaningful ways. My education is already shaping this path. In the BYU Flex GE program, I am taking medical anatomy, health science, and foundational biology courses that give me a deeper understanding of the human body. I balance school with work in chiropractic appointment management and EHR system support, where I see firsthand how technology affects both providers and patients. These experiences have shown me how important it is to create tools that are simple, intuitive, and focused on improving daily choices, not just managing diseases. Beyond academics, I strive to live the mission I hope to promote. Every morning at 7 a.m., I work out. I volunteer weekly at the temple. I study entrepreneurship and personal development. I build small habits that keep me mentally, spiritually, and physically healthy. These routines have strengthened my resilience through challenges like ADHD, academic setbacks, and two denied BYU applications. I understand personally how small habits can rebuild confidence, purpose, and direction. If I am awarded this scholarship, it will help me continue my education and accelerate my journey toward creating meaningful health technologies and contributing to preventative medicine. My goal is to help people live healthier lives; not through massive, overwhelming changes, but through clear tools, supportive systems, and sustainable daily routines. Dr. Aldana proved that small habits can change lives. I want to spend my career building the tools, technologies, and healthcare bridges that make those habits easier to understand, easier to follow, and accessible to all.