I am currently twenty years old, I am a senior at Culver Stockton College pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences on the pre-physical therapy track. I graduate this year and I will continue my education for the next three years of graduate school, in order to earn my Doctorate of Physical Therapy and become a licensed physical therapist. I enjoy helping others and the body has always interested me. It is incredible how just a couple of stretches and exercises can get a person back to normal. My long-term goal is to make a positive impact on my patients, and to help them regain their strength, mobility, and range of motion. I am currently working two jobs while on summer break. My first job is with the City of Galesburg, where I am a food manager for a concession stand at Lakeside waterpark. My second job is working for Appliance Parts and Service Depot, where I do paperwork and assist with administrative tasks. I had an internship over the summer as well, to get credit for my experiential learning. I have shadowed at a clinic and hospital so far. Balancing work and school takes dedication, hard work, and responsibility. It has taught me how to manage my time better and stay focused on my priorities. Before college, softball was a huge part of my life. I played for over fourteen years of my life and had great success. During high school, I earned two First Team All Conference, one Second Team All Conference, and a Second Team All State honor. I also competed in travel ball where I was a part of winning several state championships and a National Championship in Florida. On top of that, I won the Most Valuable Pitcher award in the Nationals that we won. I recently had to step away from softball. It was a tough decision but I chose to focus on my education and prepare for my next step of my future. Outside of school, I enjoy activities that stimulate my mind, such as escape rooms, legos, puzzles, and diamond paintings. I enjoy solving problems and thinking critically to achieve a goal. I believe that these are qualities that will benefit me in my career as a physical therapist. These hobbies have helped me develop patience, persistence, and creativity when faced with difficult situations. Receiving this scholarship would make a huge impact on my education. College is a huge financial expense, especially with tuition, books, and housing. I know these expenses will continue to increase over the next several years. This scholarship will help reduce the burden, which will allow me to focus more on my education instead of worrying about how I will be able to pay for school. It will also help me work more towards my financial independence as I work to save money for life after I graduate. I am committed to working hard, continuing my education, and helping others in the best way I can, through physical therapy. This scholarship would not only help with continuing my education but also puts me a step forward in achieving my dreams of improving others’ quality of life. I am very grateful for the opportunity to enter into this scholarship and I appreciate your investment in students who need just a little bit of help pursuing their career.

Doing community service has always been a huge part of my life as I think that small acts of kindness can make a meaningful difference. Throughout high school and college, I have looked for opportunities to volunteer and give back to my community, while working alongside others to help people in need. The experiences I’ve had have taught me passion for helping, teamwork and leadership. I have helped to organize and plan a canned food drive to support individuals and families experiencing food insecurities. I not only assisted in the execution process but also donated canned food to help contribute to the cause. Seeing people work together to strengthen their community reinforces the importance of working towards a common goal. It showed me the significance of a collective effort and how it can make a huge difference. During high school, I was an active member of the Kiwanis Key Club, where I dedicated a lot of my time to community service. Through this organization, I participated in a variety of events including canned food drives, toys for tots collections, fun runs, along with other community events that brought people together to support our local businesses. Each event gave me the opportunity to interact with many different people. I learned teamwork skills and realized the importance of helping others without expecting anything in return. After graduating high school, I continued to volunteer at the Cupboard in the Closet, a local resource that provides food, clothes, and other necessities that people would need. My responsibilities included organizing food bags, sorting through clothes and putting them on hangers, and separating shoes based on size so it would be easier for visitors to find. Although these tasks may seem simple, I learned that organization is essential for a running business because it helps it run smoothly and more efficiently. Through my experiences I began to realize that leadership is a big part of service. Effective service projects are run by individuals who are willing to step forward, delegate tasks, and organize plans. They encourage others to participate. Without good leadership, even the best ideas will struggle to execute. However, I have learned that leadership is not just being in charge of everyone else. It is about setting a positive example and learning how to work alongside others effectively. Leaders have to listen to suggestions and motivate people to work together for a shared purpose. The best leaders are ones who are willing to put in just as much work as the others, while inspiring the people around them as well. As I continue my education with the goal of becoming a physical therapist, I hope to carry these lessons with me throughout my career. Physical therapy is a profession built of compassion for helping others and service for improving others’ lives. My volunteer experiences have strengthened my desire to make a positive impact and has shown me that leadership through service creates a stronger community. It leaves a lasting impact, far beyond a single volunteer event.

Throughout my academic career, I pushed myself to excel both inside and outside of the classroom. I graduated high school with high honors and took many dual credit classes, allowing me to enter college with enough credits to save a full academic year. I am entering my third year of college with a senior standing. In college, I have continued to focus on my grades and recently got inducted into an honor society called Phi Eta Sigma, recognizing my academic accomplishments. Taking college level classes while in high school taught me good time management skills, how to stay organized and it challenged me academically. These experiences have given me a strong foundation to succeed in college and prepare me for the demanding course load required for a career in physical therapy. Outside of academics, athletics played a big role in my life. I played softball for over thirteen years. In high school I played all four years and accomplished many of my goals. I earned 2nd team all conference my freshman year and 1st team all conference my sophomore, junior and senior year. Along with gaining 2nd team all state pitcher. I continued my softball career for one year of college. Softball taught me discipline, accountability, and hard work-qualities that I have carried over into my education. It taught me how to work well with a team and be able to lead in a different light. I learned that success was built on communication and trust. Those lessons I learned continuously show up in my group projects, volunteer work and personal life. One of the most difficult things I have faced so far was trying to balance my academics with athletics in college. Being a collegiate athlete is almost like a job, it requires a lot of training and on the other side, academics requires hours of studying and a rigorous course load. I am pursuing a career in physical therapy, and many of the courses I’ve had to take are difficult. Courses such as chemistry and physics required significant amounts of time and effort in order to pass. After careful consideration, I decided to step away from the sport I loved most to focus on my future career. While it was not an easy choice, it showed my dedication to being successful long-term for my passion of physical therapy. Leaving softball was very hard, but it reinforced an important lesson: sometimes achieving long-term goals requires making difficult sacrifices. Rather than thinking I was giving up, I thought of it as investing in my future. It allowed me more time for my education and to pursue the career I have worked hard to achieve. The most challenging class I have taken so far was chemistry. I struggled more than I had in any other class. But rather than allowing the difficulty to discourage me, I found ways to persevere. I worked with a tutor, formed study sessions with classmates, and dedicated much of my time to reviewing the materials outside of class. I learned strategies to overcome the struggle and built my confidence as a student. Most importantly, it taught me that asking for help is not a sign of weakness, it was a sign that I wanted to get better at the task at hand. I learned that instead of seeing challenges as obstacles, I saw them as opportunities to grow. Every assignment, or exam gave me the chance to better my understanding of the subject. The skills I have learned so far from these hard times will be valuable as I complete graduate school in a couple years. I believe that these experiences have shaped me into the person I am today. I would consider myself a motivated, hard working and resilient person. Whether it’s in the classrooms or whether it was on the field, I consistently demonstrated dedication and commitment. I don’t back down from difficult situations, as I strive to be the best version of myself everyday. My academic achievements, athletic accomplishments, personal challenges, and community involvement have all contributed to my work ethic and has defined who I am today. Receiving this scholarship would help me continue my education to become a physical therapist. It would ease the financial burden that I have for pursuing higher education. It will allow me to focus more on my studies and the experiences preparing me for my future career. I make the most of every opportunity I am given and will use my education to help others who are struggling. I am committed to using the opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of others, one patient at a time.

The impact I hope to make in the world is through my future career. I would like to help people regain their strength and quality of life through physical therapy. Whether it's helping people start to walk again after surgery, recovering from a minor injury, or reaching milestones, I want to be a part of the journey the whole way. I want to help my patients not only regain their physical abilities, but also their confidence to do the things they used to be able to do before injury. Knowing I can help others restore their independence is the reason I want to pursue physical therapy. After completing my education, I plan to use my knowledge and skills to give back to my community by providing care to my patients. I hope to educate my patients on what specific exercises can help get them get back to their everyday activities and help support them to reach their full potential. By creating a positive environment for my patients and giving them quality care, I hope to leave a lasting impact on the families that I help. The people who have inspired me the most are my mother and grandmother. My mother is a single parent who has worked hard to provide for my sister and me. We have gotten everything we have wanted and needed, plus more. She has taught me responsibility, perseverance, and putting others' needs before myself. Watching her overcome challenges with determination has shown me that you’re only successful through hard work and resilience. My grandmother has also been a tremendous source of inspiration. She battled breast cancer many years ago and is now facing bone cancer. She has incredible strength and does not let her illness stop her from much of anything. She has shown me what it means to keep moving forward even when life throws unexpected challenges our way. Watching her journey has strengthened my appreciation for healthcare and the difference they make in others’ lives. My vision for the future is to build my career off of helping one patient at a time. Every person who gains the ability to walk again and participate in their everyday activities is a major success for me. By helping my patients overcome their physical challenges and supporting them through their rehabilitation process, I hope to create a positive ripple effect throughout my community. Through my education and future career, I hope to give people the confidence, encouragement, and hope that my family gave me growing up.

I chose to pursue a career in pediatric physical therapy because of one main goal I set for myself: to help children regain the ability to live active, injury-free lives. Our childhood is the most critical stage of development. When a child gets injured, it not only limits their ability to play, move, and participate in activities, but it can also affect their mental health. I want to be part of the team that helps children overcome these challenges so they can continue to grow, learn, and have a childhood they will remember. What draws me most to pediatric physical therapy is the opportunity to make a lasting difference during a child’s developmental years. Unlike working with adults, working with children means I can help them build a foundation for their lifetime. Every milestone, whether it’s taking a first step after surgery or learning to run, jump, or play, represents more than just the physical aspect. It represents a child regaining their freedom to do what they used to and to participate in things that will shape them into the people they will become. I also appreciate that pediatric physical therapy gives me the freedom to come up with engaging exercises that children can have fun with but still make them work. This field requires creativity, compassion, and patience. Children often respond to treatment differently than adults do, so building trust and celebrating small victories along the way is essential for making progress. I enjoy the idea of creating a positive and engaging work environment. Seeing a child smile after they achieve something is going to be one of the most rewarding things I can be a part of. I would also like the opportunity to support families through their children's rehabilitation process. Parents tend to experience fear and anxiety around their children facing a physical challenge. A pediatric physical therapist plays an important role in educating, reassuring, and encouraging them. I want my patients’ parents to be up to date on their child’s progress, provide them with tools and exercises they can try at home, and give them the confidence that their child is going to be back to normal in no time. Building these relationships makes a meaningful impact beyond therapy. I have been interested in physical therapy since I was in middle school. I have always been interested in human anatomy and how the body moves. It is amazing to me that with just a consistent stretching and exercise routine, the body will heal itself. Pediatric physical therapy involves empathy and problem-solving in order to communicate effectively with children. I look forward to learning new techniques, and I hope to provide the best quality of care I can. In conclusion, I chose pediatric physical therapy because I would like to see children return to activities that make their childhood fun. Every achievement, whether it's being able to walk or play on a playground, contributes to a child’s confidence and quality of life. Knowing that my future line of work can help children overcome their physical challenges during such an important stage of development encourages me to pursue this career. I hope to make a lasting difference in young people's lives, so that they can live life to its fullest.

I would describe myself as somewhat of a “nerd”, as I love activities that stimulate my brain. Puzzles, escape rooms, legos, and other problem-solving tasks have always been some of my favorite hobbies. I always enjoy trying to figure things out and challenging myself. In addition to these activities, athletics played an important part in my life as well. I played softball for over fourteen years and had great success throughout. I won a few state championships as well as a national championship in Destin, Florida. In high school, I was named First Team All-Conference my sophomore through senior years, and Second Team All-Conference my Freshman year. My senior year was especially memorable because I was also named Second Team All-State Pitcher. Softball taught me the importance of discipline, accountability, and teamwork. The lessons I learned on the field will carry me through all of life’s challenges. My family has been some of my biggest supporters throughout the years. My parents are divorced, but they both stay actively involved in my life and do a lot for me. They encourage me to pursue my goals and push me to the best of my abilities. I love and admire them deeply. I also have a half-sister who has never treated me less than her full-blood sister. The bond we share is incredibly important to me, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I am grateful to have such a supportive family dynamic. Their encouragement has pushed me to work hard and strive for my goals. Academically, I am going into my senior year of college and have maintained a 3.7 GPA. I am a health science major on the pre-physical therapy track. My experiences in college have influenced my passion to pursue a career that makes a meaningful difference in others’ lives. After this year, I will be attending grad school for 3 years to pursue my career as a physical therapist. I plan to get my Doctorate as I will have been in school for six years altogether. I would like to work in an outpatient clinic, and I am very excited to help my patients get back to their daily activities without worrying about physical restraint. Overall, my experiences as an athlete, my family dynamic, academics, and problem-solver mindset have shaped me into the person I am today. I am proud of what I have accomplished so far, and I hope to continue to be successful. I look forward to my future career as a physical therapist, and I am excited to help others live healthier and more active lives.

I plan to make an impact on the world through my future profession of physical therapy. I would like to help people heal, regain their independence, and improve their quality of life through my help. I have always believed that making a change doesn’t have to happen all at once, but gradually changing one persons life at a time. As a Health Science major on the physical therapy route, my goal is to help others overcome their physical challenges, and get back to their everyday activities. Throughout the years, I’ve volunteered many times, which plays a big role in my passion to help others. I help organize food into bags for people in need, and sorted clothes by their size onto hangers, at Cupboard in the Closet. While these tasks may seem simple, it showed me the importance of providing others with the essentials they need to feel supported. Helping people in need often starts with providing the basic needs and showing them that they are not alone. I helped to organize and run a canned food drive for women in need. This opportunity showed me how strong a community can be and especially when they know these women were in a difficult position. Small acts of service can make a huge difference in someone’s life. Knowing that my efforts can help provide stability and resources for someone struggling gave me a sense of purpose and strengthened my want to help others. Another experience was when I helped with Toys for Tots. A boat was set up in Walmart and people could donate all kinds of toys that will be given to children in need. Making an impact is not trying to solve someone else’s problems but giving them a sense of hope and joy. Seeing how something so simple as a toy can brighten a child’s day makes my heart happy. These opportunities connect straight back to my interest in physical therapy. Physical therapist have the opportunity to impact their patients life one session at a time. Anywhere from injuries to surgeries, to disabilities, they do their best to help their patients gain confidence in themselves and get back to their normal daily activity. I want to work with people who may feel discouraged or limited by their physical condition and give them reassurance that they can do it. Whether it is helping an athlete return to their sport, guiding someone through surgical recovery, or help an elderly person regain balance, I want to be a part of their healing journey. What draws me most to physical therapy is the connections you make with the patients and the compassion therapists have for others. It’s not just about physical healing, but about supporting their mental restrictions as well. Some people don’t believe that can do it, but with a little motivation and support, they get it. I believe my impact on the world will come from my compassion, skills, patience and empathy to improve others lives. Through both my volunteer work and future career, I hope to create a positive difference by helping people feel stronger, more hopeful about their future and feel more capable to do the things they love.

My desire to become a physical therapist began when I had an experience of my own. I went to physical therapy for both shoulder and knee injuries that affected my ability to play the sport I loved. What stuck out to me during my recovery was how knowledgeable the physical therapists were. They helped me regain strength and move the muscles without any pain. Through their support and guidance, I gained confidence in myself and was able to return to the activities I enjoyed doing. These experiences sparked my interest in becoming a physical therapist. Throughout my recovery process, I saw how carefully planned out the exercises and stretches were. It was tailored specifically to me and my injury. Repeatedly doing my stretches showed me that small improvements from week to week add up to significant progress long-term. Watching my therapist assess my injuries and encourage me through minor setbacks showed me how much they can impact a patient’s life. Their ability to combine both compassion and scientific knowledge inspired me to pursue a career in physical therapy. Another big reason for my choice is that I really enjoy helping others. I enjoy supporting people and seeing that my efforts make a difference in someone’s life. I would love to build meaningful connections with my patients and help guide them through challenges that could seem overwhelming at first. The success of others makes me happy, and it is incredibly rewarding to have a patient smile because they are getting better. I have recently been shadowing for Advanced Rehab and Sports Medicine, and my interest in the profession has grown a lot. I have experienced both the good sides and the bad sides of patient care. I have seen a wide variety of injuries and treatment plans, which has shown me that each person is different in their recovery process. Through observing, I have learned the importance of communication, adaptability, and patience. It is truly inspiring to watch the physical therapist build connections with their patients and celebrate their progress. As a future physical therapist, I hope to make a difference by helping others regain strength and confidence in themselves. I want my patients to overcome challenges they never thought they could. I would like to provide the same level of care, support, and experience that helped me through my injuries. My experiences of being a patient and a student observer have shown me how much impact a physical therapist can have on others. They inspired me in one of the hardest parts of my athletic career, and I hope to do the same for my future patients.

I played softball for over 14 years, and it was one of the most influential experiences of my life. It not only shaped my athletic abilities but also affected how I am as a person. As a pitcher, every play began with me, which means I had a role in the outcome of the game. While this position was stressful at times, I learned many valuable lessons about accountability, leadership, and perseverance that will stick with me throughout my life. As a pitcher, it felt like I was responsible for the outcome of the game, both good and bad. I would beat myself up about the games we lost, wondering what I could have done differently to help us get the win. I learned that success is rarely achieved alone, and challenges and setbacks are never supposed to be carried alone either. Even though I controlled the ball, I also relied heavily on my teammates to back me up. At the same time, they relied on me to put them in the best situation to succeed. I gained the knowledge of true teamwork and trust through softball. Strong leaders shouldn't have to do everything themselves; they help others around them to achieve a similar goal. When I was on the mound, I felt that the game was mostly on my shoulders. Whether we were losing against a good team or winning by a couple of runs, I kept my composure and confidence throughout the entire game. Confidence is about trusting yourself to do things you know you can do. There were games where I threw badly or couldn’t hit the strike zone, but I didn’t dwell on those moments. I came back the next game with a clear mind, ready to compete. This taught me the importance of moving forward rather than being discouraged by a setback. Another lesson I learned was how to perform well under pressure. I was thrown into a lot of high-stakes games where I had to stay calm and composed. Everyone looked at me to remain focused when faced with challenges. If one person is having a bad attitude or showing stress on their face, then the whole team tends to fall apart. So, rather than allowing the pressure to get to me, I used it as motivation. I wanted to throw that movement pitch; I wanted the batter to work the count up; I wanted to strike people out. It all became a challenge that I was willing to conquer. The values I gained from softball will last me a lifetime. The resilience I learned will help me overcome obstacles being thrown at me in college and in my future career. I learned to take accountability for my actions and mistakes. The teamwork and leadership skills I learned will help me work effectively with others in my future profession. Softball was more than just a sport to me. It was my opportunity to grow as a person and learn lessons that the classroom won't always teach. These experiences have shaped who I am today, and I will continue to carry these values forward in everything I do.

Something that was always a little different about me was how I was on the softball field versus off the field. I played softball for over thirteen years, and I just recently stepped away from it due to academics. Outside of sports, I am generally a shy person. I do not enjoy being the center of attention, and I tend to be quiet around people I don’t know or in new situations. However, when I was on the softball field, specifically the pitcher’s mound, it’s like I had a whole different type of confidence. As a pitcher, I was willing to take charge and stay focused. In softball, the pitcher is one of the most important positions on the field; they are the one who controls the game. Every play begins with the pitch to the plate. Instead of being nervous, I embraced it and stayed composed at all times. I trusted my abilities and muscle memory to take over. I communicated with my teammates and took control when I needed to. When I stepped on that mound, the shy part of me disappeared. At first, it felt strange to me that I was so shy off the field, but I became a leader on the field. It seemed like I was someone who had two completely different personalities within me. However, over time I realized that it wasn’t something to be embarrassed about. Confidence shows in different situations and environments; mine just so happened to show through in the sport that I loved. Softball gave me an outlet where I could be myself. This game not only gave me confidence but provided structure, purpose, and a role for me to fill. Since I knew what was expected of me and worked hard to show it, I focused on performing instead of what other people thought of me. I relied solely on my preparation and training as well as my trust in the abilities I had. I learned that people can be shy in some situations and still be self-assured, strong, and capable. I recently made the decision to step away from softball as I am trying to become a physical therapist, and the classes that I am taking are too hard to juggle both. While that chapter of my life has ended, I learned many lessons. The confident version of myself still comes out every once in a while, which means I know it still exists within me. My determination and leadership did not disappear when I stepped away; those qualities are a part of who I am today. Looking back, my “awkward” or weird trait is the surprising difference between who I am off the field and who I became on the mound. I can be shy in my everyday life, but when it comes to a challenge or a responsibility of mine, my confidence shines through. I think this contrast makes me unique. People are more complex than they seem on the outside, and that confidence can exist even in those who seem quiet. My time as a pitcher taught me that my strongest quality revealed itself when I was put into a role that allowed me to believe in myself.

Growing up in a single-parent household has shaped me in many different ways. I have seen my mom work hard to take on the responsibilities of a two-parent job. She has provided me with both support and stability. Seeing her navigate through challenges has taught me lessons I would never be able to learn in a classroom. As a child, I watched my mom balance household responsibilities, work, and parenting my sister and me, often putting us before herself. I started to realize that success meant sacrifice. She had to sacrifice her time to put in hours at work in order to give us everything we needed. When obstacles got in her way, she rarely complained and was focused on finding a solution. She taught me the importance of staying calm in tough situations and how to be resilient. Being in a single-parent household encouraged me to seek independence. I had to manage my time better, take care of a couple of things around the house, and contribute where I could. I ended up getting a job as well to help take a little financial burden off her shoulders. I started handling things on my own with little assistance and developed maturity at a very young age. I have also developed empathy throughout the years as I watched my mother take on different pressures of life. I gained an understanding of how things can affect people’s lives. I became more compassionate and less likely to judge others without knowing their circumstances. I like to help others anytime I can because I know how meaningful it can be to feel support in difficult times. The most important lesson my mom taught me was determination. She consistently pushed me towards my goals, even when resources were limited. She believed in me no matter what, which gave me the confidence and reinforced the idea that a person is not defined by the things they have gone through in life. What matters most is how you handle what is thrown in your direction. To this day, I carry every lesson my mother has taught me, and I try to incorporate them into everything I do. Her work ethic, commitment to our family, and strength have tremendously influenced my ambition and character. Growing up in a single-parent household was not always easy, but it provided me a foundation for compassion, resilience, and responsibility. These qualities guide me as I work towards my goals and strive to make a positive impact in others’ lives and the community around me.

My name is Gabriela Bryan. I started playing softball at the age of 8 years old when I was asked to play on my first travel softball team. I have been around the sport for as long as I can remember because my sister also played travel softball. Softball has been more than just a game for me; it has taught me some life long lessons along the way. Being a part of a team has shown me how to work well with others, communicate, and push through difficult situations, both on and off the field. I am a pitcher so I have learned to have a strong work ethic, as pitching takes great discipline to be good. I apply all of the skills I mentioned above into my everyday life. I work two jobs in two different environments but they both require working with others, communicating, asking questions, and hard work. As of this summer, I played my last year of travel softball for the Lady Xtreme. During this past summer, my team accomplished many goals. We got first place in multiple tournaments, we were Illinois State Champions, but the biggest accomplishment that I have yet to date was winning Nationals in Destin, Florida. While at Nationals I also received the “Most Outstanding Pitcher” award. I was very honored and surprised when they called my name. I couldn’t have gotten there without the help of my teammates! My teammates and I worked very hard at practices and even put in extra time outside of practice, to achieve these accomplishments. This was an amazing way to end my travel ball career. I have made some very good friends along the way, some of those friends that I have made, I call family. Friends who didn’t play softball didn’t ever understand why I was gone every weekend, but I understood, because it is a love that only a softball player will understand. As I return to Culver Stockton College to continue playing college ball at the varsity level. I will continue to dedicate several hours a week to practicing, so that I am ready to take on what college softball requires at the Varsity collegiate level. My ultimate goals while playing softball are to keep developing my skills, and to get better everyday. I would like for my passion for softball to be shown while playing and hopefully inspire young players that hard work pays off. I do believe that playing sports can teach very valuable life lessons along the way. I hope that others will experience the same positive impact that softball had on me. I am committed and passionate about this sport of softball. The game of softball has shaped me into the person that I am today and I wouldn’t trade the memories that I created along the way for anything.

My name is Gabriela Bryan, but I go by Gabe. I was named after my great grandfather Gabriel Pica. Although I never had the chance to meet him, everyone has said that he was an amazing man, so it is an honor to be named after him. I am currently a student at Culver Stockton College, where I am majoring in health sciences on the physical therapy route. I am a player on their softball team and was proudly inducted into Phi Eta Sigma, a national honors society. I have one older sister named Katyn. We share a birthday, but we are eight years apart. She has taught me so many things throughout the years, and has supported me through everything. She has become very successful in her career and I would like to follow in her footsteps. My parents, Kristan Pica and Jim Bryan, have shown me that with just a little bit of hard work, I can achieve anything I put my mind to. They have pushed me to be the best version of myself, and have taught me that getting an education is very important. Even as a child, I was fascinated by the body and how it worked. I like to help people as well, it brings me joy knowing that I did something to improve someone's way of living. I’ve taken a couple anatomy classes and a kinesiology class. I retained a lot of the information that was being taught because I was interested in it. I learned about all the systems in the body, along with the bones and muscles that help us move. As I was thinking about my future, I started to combine my interest in the body and my desire to help people, and it led me to health sciences. But it was the field of physical therapy that got my attention. I can make a difference by helping people who have an interest in getting better from an injury. I am an athlete, and I have been hurt throughout my softball career, so I know how frustrating it can be to recover. It takes a while to get back to normal and some days it feels like there is no progress being made. I want to be the person that makes a difference in others’ lives by giving them all of the tools to get better. I want to educate people on how injuries happen and how to avoid unnecessary setbacks in the future. Ultimately, I want to be the physical therapist that encourages individuals to reach their goals and get back to their everyday life.

My mom has supported and encouraged me through every step of my educational journey. From helping me with my homework when I was little to guiding me in the right direction as I work my way through higher education, her unwavering support has pushed me to keep going, even when it gets tough. She has shown me that getting an education is very important, especially in the field that I am going into. I want to become a physical therapist, which means I have to be dedicated to my studies and learn all that I can. I am honoring my mom by staying focused on my goal, and taking every challenge that comes my way, as a learning experience. Knowing that she believes in me gives me the fuel to continue and I’m forever grateful for the opportunities she has given me. My ultimate dream is to make my mom proud and create a positive impact in the world one step at a time. My mom’s support has shaped me to be confident in what I do and to stay strong when it gets tough. I remember calling her crying the first week of college classes telling her that I couldn’t do it, and that it was too hard. She has this question that she asks me every single time I doubt myself; how do you eat an elephant? It sounds strange to think about but the answer is “one bite at a time.” She has taught me how to stay calm and to think about getting one thing done at a time. Life is going to be overwhelming at times, but it’s how you handle what is thrown your way that gets you through it. As I work towards my goal, I will build on her support by staying focused on my studies and by continuing to follow the guidance she’s given me in areas that I need it. I will continue to lean on her for encouragement and advice throughout my years, as I know she’ll always be there for me. I will strive to make her proud by using what I’ve learned and the skills I have obtained to help one person at a time. Growing up in a single-parent household means that my moms support has been very instrumental to me. She has worked very hard to make a stable household for me and my sister. She instilled confidence and strength in us growing up. She has always gone above and beyond to make sure we get the support and guidance that we need in order to, eventually, navigate this world by ourselves. Her dedication has been my motivation to overcome obstacles thrown in my way and to continue to pursue my dreams. Knowing that she will always be in my corner makes all the difference.

The hardest thing to see is seeing a young person leave this world too soon. Especially losing someone unexpectedly like Christina Singh. Death is hard at any age!! Even as I watched my 100 year old grandmother pass, it made me realize that she provided me with so many things to be proud of. She, like Christina, was an amazing woman. Being in her presence brought out the best in you, filling you with a sense of self-worth and reassurance that she wholeheartedly cherished you for who you truly are, appreciating all the unique qualities you bring to the world. As I started high school, one of my unique qualities gave me the title of silent leader, in that I lead by example. I take the role of leadership pretty seriously. I have a strong work ethic, getting important things done in a timely manner. When I am home on long breaks and during the summer, you can find me working two jobs. I am very organized, always taking the time to write out what my month looks like on a dry erase board so I don’t miss anything as I juggle my studies and playing on the Culver Stockton softball team. If you ask any of my friends, they will tell you that I am genuine and kind. When I was in high school, I had the opportunity to contribute to my community by being involved with Key Club and National Honor Society. I was involved with many volunteering opportunities, but my biggest accomplishment that I contributed to my community was organizing a food drive for our local food and clothing pantry. It was very enlightening and uplifting to know I helped many people with this particular food drive. Because of my busy schedule with college and keeping up with my studies and softball practices and workouts, I unfortunately haven’t had many opportunities to do much volunteering. As a Freshman at Culver Stockton College I will be using all four years attending Culver to earn my Bachelors of Science degree. I am in Culver’s pre-physical therapy program in the Health Sciences. As I am not studying to be an occupational therapist like Christina, I will be earning my bachelors degree to put me on the right track to become a pediatric physical therapist. After earning my Bachelors of Science, I would like to transfer to a university in order to get my Doctorate of Physical Therapy. Since this degree will take an extra three years to earn, I would like to get a job in the meantime. I am hoping to work in sports medicine while I am still in school, to earn some experience in the field. Once I graduate from the program and earn the degree, I will work to pass the state licensure exam. Once I am out in the workforce, I would like to work in a physical therapy office in a smaller community, so I can be involved with the youth sports teams around the area. I would be honored if you chose me for this scholarship that memorializes Christina because I have a strong work ethic and academic background, maintaining a 3.75 GPA. I work very hard at everything that I do, whether it be academically or in my everyday life. I would like to get the highest degree possible in physical therapy, so this scholarship would help me tremendously with student loans, textbooks, and any other expense that may come along. Receiving this scholarship would enable me to worry less about my future debt so I can concentrate on my studies.

Losing someone you love is one of the hardest things to go through in life. Some people will tell you it is the way of life, but that doesn’t make it any easier to accept. As I watched my 100 year old grandmother pass, it made me realize that she provided me with so many things to be proud of. She, like Kalia, was one of the most beautiful women you could ever know. Being in her presence brought out the best in you, filling you with a sense of self-worth and reassurance that she wholeheartedly cherished you for who you truly are, appreciating all the unique qualities you bring to the world. So as I started high school, one of my unique qualities gave me the title of silent leader, in that I lead by example. I take the role of leadership pretty seriously. Like Kalia I have a strong work ethic, getting important things done in a timely manner. When I am home on long breaks and during the summer, you can find me working two jobs. I am very organized, always taking the time to write out what my month looks like on a dry erase board so I don’t miss anything as I juggle my studies and playing on the Culver Stockton softball team. If you asked any of my friends, they would tell you that I am genuine and kind. When I was in high school, I had the opportunity to contribute to my community by being involved with Key Club and National Honor Society. I was involved with many volunteering opportunities, but my biggest accomplishment that I contributed to my community was organizing a food drive for our local food and clothing pantry. It was very enlightening and uplifting to know I helped many people with this particular food drive. As a Freshman at Culver Stockton College I will be using all four years attending Culver to earn my Bachelors of Science degree. I am in Culver’s pre-physical therapy program in the Health Sciences. By earning my bachelors degree it will put me on the right track to become a pediatric physical therapist. After earning my Bachelors of Science, I would like to transfer to a university in order to get my Doctorate of Physical Therapy. Since this degree will take an extra three years to earn, I would like to get a job in the meantime. I am hoping to work in sports medicine while I am still in school, to earn some experience in the field. Once I graduate from the program and earn the degree, I will work to pass the state licensure exam. Once I am out in the workforce, I would like to work in a physical therapy office in a smaller community, so I can be involved with the youth sports teams around the area. I would be honored if you chose me for this scholarship that memorializes Kalia because I, like Kalia, have a strong work ethic and academic background, maintaining a 3.75 GPA. I work very hard at everything that I do, whether it be academically, in sports, or in my everyday life. I would like to get the highest degree possible in physical therapy, so this scholarship would help me tremendously with student loans, textbooks, and any other expense that may come along. As I concentrate on my studies, receiving this scholarship would enable me to worry less about my future debt.

This chapter of my life as I started college would be without a doubt called, “How Do You Eat an Elephant?” This may not make sense to some people, but this is something that my Mom has asked me at the start of every school year and the start of every semester. It seems that when I start something new, I always have a fear of not getting everything done that needs to be done. Well, college hasn’t been any different. When I called home the first week all stressed out with all of the syllabi given on the first day, my Mom asked me, “Gabe, how do you eat an elephant?” and I had to respond with “Little by Little” or "Piece by Piece”, which means, you take each assignment little by little, piece by piece until you get it done. She has always wanted me to see that I can’t look at the whole picture, but rather take it little by little so I don’t make myself overwhelmed like I was doing. So with this being said, it leads into what influenced my decision to pursue pediatric physical therapy as my major. As an athlete, specifically, a Pitcher, I had a few times when I needed to see a physical therapist. As a young athlete on my first traveling softball team, the coach used me a lot and I pitched in a majority of the games that we played. Eventually my arm started giving me problems as I was in motion. Being the only pitcher on my high school team, my knee and arm hurt a lot. My parents and I finally made the decision to go see a physical therapist. The impact that the physical therapists had on me made me realize that I wanted to help people get back to doing the things that they love, just like I was able to get back to playing the game I loved. So as I think about the question that my Mom has always asked me, I can relate it to physical therapy in that I can ask my young patients the same question when they ask me about when they will get better, I will ask them, “How do you eat an elephant”, and their response to getting better will always be the same, “Little By Little”.

“Take me out to the ballgame, take me out to the crowd.” This was a song that I sang regularly as I sat on the couch with my Dad watching the Cubs play. Starting in March until September, you could find me watching the Cubs play or, you could find me at any softball field within a two hour radius watching my sister play travel softball. Whether it was watching the Cubs play or watching my sister play, I loved being around the game. So, from what I have mentioned so far, you might have already guessed that I wanted to do something with the game of baseball/softball. Being around the game made me want to be a social media producer or photographer for the Chicago Cubs Baseball team. I thought that by being the social media producer or photographer, it would allow me to travel with the baseball team, and I would be able to do the photo editing in a hotel room when they had an away game. If it was a home game, I would have had my own office where I could edit all the photos and videos. I started playing softball at the young age of five years old and started playing year round travel softball when I was eight, so my love for both playing and watching the game was real. There aren’t many professional softball teams, so Major League Baseball was the next best option. I would have loved to have captured the fun moments and formed a friendship with the players of the Chicago Cubs. As much as I wanted to work for the Chicago Cubs, I realized that my dream was just that…a dream. As I continued on with my own softball playing days as a pitcher, I had a few times when I needed to see a physical therapist. As a young athlete on my first traveling softball team, the coach used me alot and I pitched in a majority of the games that we played. Eventually my arm started giving me problems as I was in motion. As I continued on with my softball career, my knee started to hurt while I was pushing off the mound. Being the only pitcher on my high school team, my knee and arm hurt a lot. My parents and I finally made the decision to go see a physical therapist. The physical therapists showed me exercises to help me manage the pain so I could get back to normal. What I wanted to do as a young child changed just a bit. Being a social media producer changed and I wanted to become a pediatric physical therapist in order to help kids get back to doing what they love. And isn’t that what’s important anyway? Making kids happy, because as we know things can change in an instant just like Charles Brazelton’s life. So my hope for the future is to take that impact that the physical therapists had on me and show kids, who have gotten hurt, that they can get back to doing what they love. No matter what that may look like! I just want to take the love that I had for the game and instill that kind of love into the kids I help. So as their physical therapist, I will “root, root, root” for them to get back to being a kid!! I guess you could say that what I wanted to do may have changed a bit, but the message is still the same: Getting kids back into “the game”.

“Out of your comfort zone is where the magic happens.” My Mom once told me this after hearing it from her principal at the school where she worked. I truly believe in this statement! Sometimes it is hard to step out of your comfort zone when you are trying to find success, but I feel that I have been successful so far. As a young lady who can be very reserved, stepping out of my comfort zone was a little difficult for me growing up. Even now it can be challenging, but I am finding ways to step out of that comfort zone so I can be the most successful version of myself. However, when I think of success, it means a couple of different things to me. It can be personal growth and development and academic growth. To me, I am finding success in both. Success for me is achieving my personal goals in order to set even bigger and better ones. Success is knowing how to make a positive impact on others and inspiring them to reach their goals too. I feel this has worked out perfectly so far with my college roommate. Coming to college, my roommate and I have finally figured out that we can help each other find success while finding ways to study. It’s taking small steps toward something and looking back on the progress that I’ve made. Pushing through even when it’s hard, is success in my eyes. In my academic successes/goals that I am working towards that will make me successful are passing all of my classes and keeping my GPA high. Getting all of my assignments turned in and on time is a very big goal that I set forth for myself when I started college. I am very organized, so that hasn’t been a problem, but I always like to set small goals first so I can set those higher goals. So when I think about my bigger academic successes/goals, my big picture goal is getting into PT school to be a Pediatric Physical Therapist. I have heard that getting into PT school can be challenging if you don’t have high enough grades. My small goals will make this big goal happen! When I take a look at my personal successes/goals, I would say that living in the moment is something I like to do. Being present and being thankful for all that I have been given in this life. Knowing that I have the opportunity to make a wonderful life for myself by getting the education I need to pursue my dream of being a physical therapist, is a feeling of accomplishment in itself. I know we sometimes take for granted the people in our lives or the little moments that we have, but I try to always be sure that I never lose sight of what I want. So in other words, I always have to remember to make everyday count and appreciate the people who have gotten me this far. With every small goal there comes a bigger goal that makes you more successful than you think you will ever be. I would be honored if you chose me for this scholarship because I have a strong academic background, maintaining a 3.75 GPA. I work very hard at everything that I do, whether it be academically, in sports, or in my everyday life. I would like to get the highest degree possible in physical therapy, so this scholarship would help me tremendously with the financial burden, allowing me to focus on my studies and learning what I need to learn. With this scholarship, I will be able to achieve academic success and the goals that I set forth when I started college. It will provide me with the ability to afford the higher education of getting into PT school so I can work with children and help them get back to doing what they love! With this continuation of PT school, this opportunity will be a tremendous help along the way of becoming a successful Physical Therapist!!! It will help me to step out of my comfort zone so I can see where the magic truly happens.

Having had two Great Grandpa’s serve in World War II, and an uncle who after 40 years hung up his boots and retired as Command Sergeant Major from the Army, I feel that I have some pretty good roots to help lead me. I have learned many things from my uncle who goes by the name of Lester Edwards. I have great respect for him, as he served in five wars and came home very decorated, but two very important medals that he received were the Bronze Star with Valor and the Legion of Merit medal. In our many talks, he has tried to instill in me that just because I am shy, doesn’t mean that I can’t be a leader or have a voice. When Lester isn’t telling a joke, he is trying to show me the ways of the world. I remember like it was yesterday, sitting at a restaurant in Arkansas as Lester told me to always get involved, whether it be joining a club, a sports event, or even attending dances, he told me to get out there and dance! I never really understood why he was telling me these things until I started my Senior year of high school. It was then that I realized that he was showing me the following things: STRONG LEADERSHIP is a quality that I would need in college and life in general. I joined the clubs, went to the sports events, and danced at the dances. I am a silent leader who leads by example. Lester is a born leader! RESILIENCY comes in the way of adjusting to my new life without my parents around telling me how to do things and when they need to be done. I have learned to take life in stride. Being UNSELFISH and actually taking the time to hear what others have to say is a good way to be. I often think about how things I say and do will affect those around me. I have always been FOCUSED when it comes to all the important things. Studying for exams and more exams as I work my way through my first year of college. I have never been afraid to work hard, and the same goes for Lester, so having a STRONG WORK ETHIC is very important. As a matter of fact, I had two jobs my Senior year, was taking dual credit classes with the local college and still playing travel softball. All of these five qualities have taught me that I am a stronger person than I thought I was. With these qualities that Lester has instilled in me, I have learned that my goals in life are attainable. I am currently in my first year at Culver Stockton studying to be a Physical Therapist. I plan to get my bachelors degree and then go on to get my doctorate. Having Lester as a mentor to lead me in the right direction has been a blessing. I know that the men that he led were grateful for him as much as I am. I feel that I am a better person because of him. There is nobody better than Lester to look up to! I feel that the qualities that Lester has instilled in me would make it an honor to receive the James T. Godwin Memorial Scholarship. As Lester told me sitting at that table in Arkansas, always get out there and dance and inspire others to want to do the same. Life is short, be the best version of YOU!

When I think about my childhood, I always think about how good I had it. My parents were together up until I was in 3rd grade. The two of them sat me and my older sister down one evening and explained to us that they would be divorcing. I wondered what I would do without the two of them together. It was really hard at first as we adjusted to living as a household of three. As the years went on, it wasn’t a hard adjustment living as a household of three. My Mom is a very hard working woman, and in my younger years, always made sure that I had somewhere to go after school while she was still working. I would go to my Grandma’s after school and I always knew that the first thing that I would do is pull out my homework and get it done before my Mom got home. Because of this, it made me be more responsible for my homework and getting it back to school the next day. It made me be more organized and I learned that I could be independent as I learned how to juggle school work and as I grew older, how to juggle both school work and travel softball. I soon realized that coming from a single parent household shaped my educational journey in a few different ways. The biggest way was that it showed me that I could be independent. My Mom is an independent woman, but I watched my Mom struggle on a few occasions. Watching her made me realize that I am also a silent leader like her. I learned from her that I can do anything that I put my mind to and she has and will encourage me every single day until I realize that I can. I am now furthering my education at Culver Stockton College, as I want to be a Physical Therapist and go on to get my Doctorate. Becoming a Physical Therapist will allow me to give back to my community by helping my patients to get better and back to doing the things that they love. I was given the opportunity to see a Physical Therapist personally, so now I plan on giving back as soon as I am done with my schooling. I will be anxious to use the knowledge that I will have gained within my school years at Culver Stockton and beyond. My compassion for people and becoming an independent woman is going to take me places that I have dreamed of in order to help people feel better, and in some ways freeing them from the pains that brought them to me. I want to build my patients back up so that they know the strength that they truly have and to go on living in the moment. If I hadn’t come from a single parent household, I am not sure if I would have been as independent, organized, or responsible, as I am today. It feels good to know that I can do all things with the help of those around me. My Mom truly “raised me up to Do Good”!!!

Watching my sister become a nurse inspired me to look into the healthcare field. My sister is an RN and works in the Mom & Baby unit at a Hospital in Missouri. She has always been such an ideal nurse, who works hard to be good at her job. I’ve always wanted to be just like her. I didn’t know the exact healthcare field that I wanted to go into until I took an anatomy class in high school. I took an interest in how each muscle, bone, and ligament functioned. I found myself getting excited when I knew where every bone was and what the name of that bone was. I knew at that point that Physical Therapy was the route I wanted to take. I have always enjoyed helping people, so I knew that this field would be a perfect fit for me. As an athlete, specifically, a Pitcher, I had a few times when I needed to see a Physical Therapist. As a young athlete on my first traveling softball team, the coach used me a lot and I pitched in a majority of the games that we played. Eventually my arm started giving me problems as I was in motion. As I continued on with my softball career, my knee started to hurt while I was pushing off the mound. Being the only pitcher on my High School team, my knee and arm hurt a lot. My parents and I finally made the decision to go see a Physical Therapist. The Physical Therapists showed me exercises to help me manage the pain so I could get back to normal. They also gave me advice and how to prevent this from happening again. The impact that the Physical Therapists had on me made me realize that I wanted to help people get back to doing the things that they love, just like I was able to get back to playing the game I loved. I think the skills I possess in order to be a good physical therapist include my compassion toward people, my patience, my communication skills, and I consider myself to be very detail oriented. Being compassionate toward others is super important in this field because the clients need to know that they are cared about. Patience is needed when the client doesn’t believe that they will get better. Communication skills are important when it comes to helping communicate what a patient needs to do in order to get better. Being detail oriented will also help in physical therapy because I will make sure that all of my records and charts are in order and I will be precise in patients' recovery. I think that these skills are all important skills I possess and will help make me the best physical therapist that I can be and receiving this scholarship would allow me to pursue my dream of physical therapy, enabling me to be the best I can be for others.

My name is Gabriela Bryan and I was born in a small town in Illinois. I come from an amazing split family household, I am the daughter of Kristan Pica and Jim Bryan. My parents got divorced when I was in the third grade. I am currently a Freshman at Culver Stockton College furthering my education and softball career. I have an older sister named Katyn and I have the cutest fur brother named Milo. A fun fact about me and Katyn is that we were born on the same day, eight years apart. When I’m not playing softball or studying, you can find me putting together legos or puzzles. I have been told that I am a silent leader, in that I lead by example. I take the role of leadership pretty seriously. I have a strong work ethic, getting my homework done in a timely manner. When I am home on long breaks, you can find me working two jobs. I am very organized, always taking the time to write out what my month looks like on a dry erase board so I don’t miss anything as I juggle my studies and softball. And if you asked any of my friends, they would tell you that I am genuine. When I was in high school, I had the opportunity to contribute to my community by being involved with Key Club and National Honor Society. I was involved with many volunteering opportunities, but my biggest accomplishment that I contributed to my community was organizing a food drive for our local food and clothing pantry. It was very enlightening and uplifting to know I helped many people with this particular food drive. A time that I failed was when I started Culver. I had my first anatomy exam, and I didn’t do very well on it. My realization was that I didn’t know how to study for the exams. I talked with my roommate and she taught me some ways to remember the content and showed me better ways to study and from here on out, I have done well on the exams. As a Freshman at Culver Stockton College I will be using all four years attending Culver to earn my Bachelors of Science degree. I am in Culver’s pre-physical therapy program in the Health Sciences. By earning my Bachelors degree it will put me on the right track to become a physical therapist. After earning my Bachelors of Science, I would like to transfer to a university in order to get my Doctorate of Physical Therapy. Since this degree will take an extra three years to earn, I would like to get a job in the meantime. I am hoping to work in sports medicine while I am still in school, to earn some experience in the field. Once I graduate from the program and earn the degree, I will work to pass the state licensure exam. I would like to work in an office setting. I would be honored if you chose me for this scholarship because I have a strong academic background, maintaining a 3.75 GPA. I work very hard at everything that I do, whether it be academically, in sports, or in my everyday life. On my breaks back home, I work two part-time jobs so I can have some spending money while at school. I would like to get the highest degree possible in physical therapy, so this scholarship would help me tremendously with student loans, textbooks, and any other expense that may come along.

Growing up in a small town, we didn’t have a whole lot of things to do, but I discovered that my biggest passion was playing softball. My name is Gabriela Angelina Bryan. I am currently a Freshman at Culver Stockton College in Canton, MO, completing my first semester with a 3.75 GPA. I love the game of softball and have been playing it since I was six years old. I am currently playing on the softball team at Culver. As a softball player, specifically a pitcher, I found myself with aches and pains, which in turn had me seeing a physical therapist on a few occasions. I chose to further my education because I found my time with the physical therapists to be intriguing and I have always been interested in helping people get better. I decided that physical therapy was the route for me. I come from an amazing family, I am the daughter of Kristan Pica and Jim Bryan, and I come from a split household. My parents got divorced when I was in the third grade. It was a difficult transition at first, but I learned how to manage the schedule of staying with my Dad every other weekend. I have an older sister named Katyn. A fun fact about the two of us is that we were born on the same day, eight years apart. I have the cutest fur brother named Milo. When I’m not playing softball or studying, you can find me putting together legos or puzzles. As a Freshman at Culver Stockton College where I am pursuing my academic and athletic career. I will be using all four years attending Culver to earn my Bachelors of Science degree. I am in Culver’s pre-physical therapy program in the Health Sciences. By earning my Bachelors degree it will put me on the right track to become a physical therapist, which is the overall goal that I would like to achieve. After earning my Bachelors of Science, I would like to transfer to a university in order to get my Doctorate of Physical Therapy. Since this degree will take an extra three years to earn, I would like to get a job in the meantime. I am hoping to work in sports medicine while I am still in school, to earn some experience in the field. Once I graduate from the program and earn the degree, I will work to pass the state licensure exam. I would like to work in an office setting, and change one life at a time. I think the skills I possess in order to be a good physical therapist include my compassion toward people, my patience, my communication skills, and I consider myself to be very detail oriented. Being compassionate toward others is super important in this field because the clients need to know that they are cared about. Patience is needed when the client doesn’t believe that they will get better. Communication skills are important when it comes to helping communicate what a patient needs to do in order to get better. Being detail oriented will also help in physical therapy because I will make sure that all of my records and charts are in order and I will be precise in patients' recovery. I think that these skills are all important skills I possess and will help make me the best physical therapist that I can be and receiving this scholarship would allow me to pursue my dream of physical therapy, enabling me to be the best I can be for others.

When I think about my childhood, I always think about how good I had it. My parents were together up until I was in 3rd grade. The two of them sat me and my older sister down one evening and explained to us that they would be divorcing. I wondered what I would do without the two of them together. It was really hard at first as we adjusted to living as a household of three. As the years went on, it wasn’t a hard adjustment living as a household of three. My Mom is a very hard working woman, and in my younger years, always made sure that I had somewhere to go after school while she was still working. I would go to my Grandma’s after school and I always knew that the first thing that I would do is pull out my homework and get it done before my Mom got home. Because of this, it made me be more responsible for my homework and getting it back to school the next day. It made me be more organized and I learned that I could be independent as I learned how to juggle school work and as I grew older, how to juggle both school work and travel softball. I soon realized that coming from a single parent household shaped my educational journey in a few different ways. The biggest way was that it showed me that I could be independent. My Mom is an independent woman, but I watched my Mom struggle on a few occasions. Watching her made me realize that I am also a silent leader like her. I learned from her that I can do anything that I put my mind to and she has and will encourage me every single day until I realize that I can. I am now furthering my education at Culver Stockton College, as I want to be a Physical Therapist and go on to get my Doctorate. Becoming a Physical Therapist will allow me to give back to my community by helping my patients to get better and back to doing the things that they love. I was given the opportunity to see a Physical Therapist personally, so now I plan on giving back as soon as I am done with my schooling. I will be anxious to use the knowledge that I will have gained within my school years at Culver Stockton and beyond. My compassion for people and becoming an independent woman is going to take me places that I have dreamed of in order to help people feel better, and in some ways freeing them from the pains that brought them to me. I want to build my patients back up so that they know the strength that they truly have and to go on living in the moment. If I hadn’t come from a single parent household, I am not sure if I would have been as independent, organized, or responsible, as I am today. It feels good to know that I can do all things with the help of those around me.

Ciao! Buongiorno! That is hello in Italian. I am very proud of my Italian ancestry, and it is something that I have in common with the honoree of this scholarship. I have two sets of grandparents who are of Italian ancestry. My Grandma on my father’s side came from Siculiana, a small town in Sicily, Italy, and she is full Italian. Her maiden name was Patricia Indelicato, now known as Patricia Bryan. My Grandma Bryan came to the United States with her Mom Rosaria Indelicato. The one story that I have always remembered of my Great Grandma Indelicato, that was told by my Grandma Bryan is; Great Grandma Indelicato started wearing only black clothing when her husband passed away. It was her way of mourning and a tradition that was a part of her heritage in Italy. When they came to the United States, Great Grandma Indelicato finally started wearing colors. Unfortunately, her son passed, and she went back to wearing black again. As I grew up, my Grandma Bryan taught me some words in Italian and I loved learning, because it made me feel like I had a connection with who she was before she came to the United States. On the other side of my family, my Great Great Grandma, Angelina Pica, on my mom’s side came to the United States from San Arsenio, Italy. I never got to meet her, but I am her namesake with my middle name being Angelina. My Great Grandpa Pica, Angelina’s son, didn’t come here from Italy, but from what my Mom has told me, he knew Italian and always spoke Italian with his Italian friends when they would come to his house for a visit. When my Great Grandpa Pica was honorably discharged from World War II, he ended his Army career in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey and then went back to Florida where he lived in Dade City, Florida. He met his wife Florence and decided to move to Illinois to start his family. I have noticed from being around my family, that Italians value the importance of being a family and enjoying time together. I know this to be true because the time I spend with my family, there is always laughter and talking about the ones that we have lost. Our loved ones who have gone before us are never forgotten. If you ever want to know what it’s like to have kind people around you, then I would say to take a minute to visit with someone of Italian heritage. I have been shown that we should be kind to everyone, no matter what, we are all human. If someone is struggling we need to find a way to help them and try to get them back on their feet. Putting the needs of others before our own is an important part of Italian ancestry. So, helping others is what I plan to do! I am currently attending Culver Stockton College studying Physical Therapy, so I can help those people that want to get better! Once I graduate with my Bachelor’s, I want to get my doctorate. I have the drive and passion that it takes to be a Physical Therapist. The kindness that I have been shown will help me find ways to help those who need it most.

Playing softball has made a very positive impact on my life. I will explain all the ways that it has. If you are an athlete, you know that it takes a fair amount of discipline to be one. I started my athletic career at the age of 8 when I was asked to play on my first travel softball team. At 8 years old, you don’t think that it takes discipline since you are so young. However, you begin to find out that waking up at 5:30 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday mornings to get to your 8:00 a.m. game an hour away, takes discipline. As I grew older, I realized that a whole lot more was needed than just discipline. The biggest impact that softball has had on me would be accountability. You must always show up for practices if you want to play in the games. Being accountable shows your coaches and your teammates that they can rely on you to be there when you are needed. Being responsible for the actions that I make, whether it be on the field, school, or at home. Before I started college, I had two jobs, I was involved in two clubs, and played softball year round. I had to know what I was doing at all times, so that I didn’t miss something important. So because of the responsibilities that I took on, it made me more organized. I was able to juggle my academics, club meetings, and my softball. I wouldn’t say it was easy, but I was able to manage it. The last thing that I have learned about myself through softball was one that I thought you had to be loud for. When you think of a leader, you think of people who are loud. I learned that I am a silent leader. I didn’t have to be loud, I showed my coaches and teammates that I was a leader by doing. Doing what I needed to do in order for them to follow my leadership. By just listening to my teammates and hearing what they said, it gave me the opportunity to always encourage them when they needed it. I am thankful for the positive impact that softball provided me. Once I started college softball, I didn’t realize that none of these things that made an impact in my life would matter. I went to my practices daily, I was disciplined when it came to going to workouts and practices, and I was a silent leader in that I did everything the way I knew how to do it when it came to my pitching and hitting. None of that was good enough for this new coach. My love for softball slowly dwindled until I could no longer handle replaying the snide remarks from the coach that kept replaying inside my head. Softball has been the one thing that has been constant in my life and made me feel complete. This has been quite a disappointment and heartbreaking to end my softball career on a sour note. I guess the one thing that I have learned from all of this is that I am resilient. Softball is important, but not as important as the career that I am working towards. The impact that softball provided me will always be how I learned how to be disciplined, accountable, organized, responsible, and made me into the leader that I am today and will need to be in my future in order to be successful in the workforce.

Elliot Page once said "When we're growing up there are all sorts of people telling us what to do when really what we need is space to work out who to be". When I think about who I want to be, it just so happens that I am inspired to be like my sister. She is eight years older than me and is my inspiration in finding a job in the healthcare field. My sister is an RN and works in the Mom & Baby unit at a Hospital in Missouri. I didn’t know the exact healthcare field that I wanted to go into until I took an anatomy class in high school. I took an interest in how each muscle, bone, and ligament functioned. I found myself getting excited when I knew where every bone was and what the name of that bone was. I knew at that point that Physical Therapy was the route I wanted to take. I have always enjoyed helping people, so I knew that this field would be a perfect fit for me. As an athlete, specifically, a Pitcher, I had a few times when I needed to see a Physical Therapist. As a young athlete on my first traveling softball team, the coach used me a lot and I pitched in a majority of the games that we played. Eventually my arm started giving me problems as I was in motion. As I continued on with my softball career, my knee started to hurt while I was pushing off the mound. Being the only pitcher on my High School team, my knee and arm hurt a lot. My parents and I finally made the decision to go see a Physical Therapist. The Physical Therapists showed me exercises to help me manage the pain so I could get back to normal. They also gave me advice and how to prevent this from happening again. The impact that the Physical Therapists had on me made me realize that I wanted to help people get back to doing the things that they love, just like I was able to get back to playing the game I loved. I am looking forward to becoming a Physical Therapist, because I have experienced the athlete side of being in pain and then saw results of how it made me feel afterwards. As I have started my studies at Culver Stockton College, I would like to graduate with a bachelors degree and I am hopeful that I will learn everything that I can so that I can be a successful physical therapist. I would like to go on and get my doctorate. Once I receive that, I want to have the tools to teach them the very best methods to get themselves better. A physical therapist who is empathetic, caring and understanding. Once I figure out how to do all of these things, I will have figured out who it is that I want to be!

Having had two Great Grandpa’s serve in World War II, an Uncle who is a retired Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps, and a close family friend who is a retired Command Sergeant Major in the Army, I feel that I have some pretty good roots to help lead me. The one I have learned the most from, is our close family friend who goes by the name of Lester. In our many talks, he has tried to instill in me that just because I am shy, doesn’t mean that I can’t be a leader or have a voice. With that being said, Lester has always told me to always get involved, whether it be joining a club, a sports event, or even when I would attend dances, he told me to get out there and dance! I never really understood why he was telling me these things until I started my Senior year of high school. He was showing me that STRONG LEADERSHIP is a quality that I would need in college and life in general. I joined the clubs, went to the sports events, and danced at the dances. By doing this, I showed the underclassman that it is okay to get involved. I am a silent leader who leads by example. As I started college, I have had to lead the way and show my friend who wasn’t quite sure about being away from home, that we can do this. RESILIENCY comes in the way of adjusting to my new life without my parents around telling me how to do things and when they need to be done. I have learned to take life in stride. Being UNSELFISH and actually taking the time to hear what others have to say is a good way to be. I often think about how things I say and do will affect those around me. I have always been FOCUSED when it comes to the things I am passionate about. Practicing my softball pitching behind the scenes as I know if I don’t do this, I will not be successful in games and/or practices. With being focused, comes having a STRONG WORK ETHIC. I have never been afraid to work hard. As a matter of fact, I had two jobs my Senior year, was taking dual credit classes with the local college and still playing travel softball. All of these five traits have taught me that I am a stronger person than I thought I was. With these traits I have learned that my goals in life are attainable. I am currently in my first year at Culver Stockton studying to be a Physical Therapist. I plan to get my bachelors degree and then go on to get my doctorate. As an athlete, specifically, a Pitcher, I had a few times when I, myself needed to see a Physical Therapist. Having dealt with injuries where I had to see a physical therapist, I knew that Physical Therapy was the route I wanted to take. I have always enjoyed helping people, so I knew that this field would be a perfect fit for me. Having Lester as a mentor to lead me in the right direction has been a blessing. I know that the men that he led were grateful for him as much as I am. I feel that I am a better person because of him. In a few years I will have used all of these traits needed to be a great physical therapist. I look forward to helping people get back to doing the things they love.

I think everybody has someone that they have looked up to or found a particular person to be their inspiration. It just so happens that my sister, who is eight years older than me, is my inspiration in finding a job in the healthcare field. My sister is an RN and works in the Mom & Baby unit at the Hospital where she lives. She loves it. I didn’t know the exact healthcare field that I wanted to go into until I took an anatomy class in high school. I took an interest in how each muscle, bone, and ligament functioned. I found myself getting excited when I knew where every bone was and the name of a particular bone. Also, as an athlete, specifically, a Pitcher, I had a few times when I, myself needed to see a Physical Therapist. After seeing my sister so happy and having dealt with injuries where I had to see a physical therapist, I knew that Physical Therapy was the route I wanted to take. I have always enjoyed helping people, so I knew that this field would be a perfect fit for me. The impact that the Physical Therapists had on me made me realize that I wanted to help people get back to doing the things that they love, just like I was able to get back to playing the game I loved. I am looking forward to becoming a Physical Therapist, because I have experienced the athlete side of being in pain and then saw how it made me feel afterwards. I am forever grateful to the Physical Therapists that helped me and how they influenced me to take a look into the Physical Therapy field. As I have started my studies at Culver Stockton College, I’m looking forward to learning all that I can on how to help others and to the day when I am on the other side making a difference in someone else’s life. I would like to help people in my community and surrounding communities so that they will be able to manage their pain and teach them ways to prevent it from happening again. I know a few Physical Therapists in my area, so I would love to get started helping people during my summers home from college, learning all that I can. There is always room for improvement when it comes to learning new ways of helping people. Things are constantly changing, so if there are better ways to help people continue to get better, I want to learn it. I plan on participating in continuing education classes so that I can continue to use the most up to date techniques. I have always tried to be on top of things in my everyday life, so always being aware of new ideas in the Physical Therapy industry will be a plus. Knowing the up-to-date trends will be a blessing for those patients who I will be trying to help. The more I can help someone, the better life will be for both of us. I have the drive and passion that it takes to be a Physical Therapist. The time and patience that has been put into my own experiences, I know I will be able to help patients in the future. It will be time well spent learning how to make lives better, and I am looking forward to it.

I could always find her in her chair at every softball game, no matter what time we had to get up on Saturday and Sunday mornings for those early morning games. I could count on her to drive me to practices during the week so I could work on my schoolwork, and I can talk to her about anything. The person I am talking about who has supported me in reaching my educational goals is my Mom!! This quote by Jessica Lange exemplifies my Mom the very best: “The natural state of motherhood is unselfishness.” Unselfish is exactly what my Mom is. She has always been unselfish, but after her and my Dad divorced she had to find a way to support me and my older sister. She was working as a Secretary at a school. She loved that job, but knew that it wouldn’t support the three of us. She ultimately wanted to find a job with the State, as it pays very well and has great benefits. It took her a couple of years, but she finally got the opportunity and she started with Hill Correctional Center just fifteen minutes from home. She knew this would be the change that we needed to allow us to continue doing the things that were important to me and my older sister. As my Senior year approached, my Mom told me to be prepared to fill out every scholarship that the counselor provided me. She helped me get them done in order of due date and would stay on me until I got them finished. She always said that the more money we can get from these scholarships, the better off I would be in the end. As my senior year classes started, (I was taking regular high school classes along with dual credit classes with the college nearby). I felt like I couldn’t get it all done. I went to my Mom and her response every year was: “How do you eat an elephant?” And I would have to respond, piece by piece, little by little. In other words, she was telling me to take one subject, one homework assignment, one day at a time and I would get it done. She walked around four different college campuses with me, before I decided that Culver Stockton was the college I wanted to attend. She listened to every essay that I had to write and helped me with the correct words as I typed my essays in the car on the way to softball practices. She read and reread my essays until I felt like they were good enough to turn in. She encouraged me to get involved with Key Club and National Honor Society, so I could experience what it was like to volunteer. I even organized a canned food drive for the needy. My Mom was the one who helped me figure out the time that I spent organizing the drive. I have always been on the shy side, but my Mom was the one who helped me come out of my shell and made me realize that I can do anything that I put my mind to. Her support of not only my athletics, but my education has been unwavering. I wouldn’t be where I am today without her unselfish ways. She put off doing a lot of things, just so she could be my biggest cheerleader and educational supporter. I am thankful everyday for my Mom, who has helped me to learn independence and responsibility. I wouldn’t be who I am, without her!!

I think everybody has someone that they have looked up to or found a particular person to be their inspiration. It just so happens that my sister, who is eight years older than me, is my inspiration in finding a job in the healthcare field. My sister is an RN and works in the Mom & Baby unit at the Hospital where she lives. She loves it. I didn’t know the exact healthcare field that I wanted to go into until I took an anatomy class in high school. I took an interest in how each muscle, bone, and ligament functioned. I found myself getting excited when I knew where every bone was and what the name of that bone was. I knew at that point that Physical Therapy was the route I wanted to take. I have always enjoyed helping people, so I knew that this field would be a perfect fit for me. As an athlete, specifically, a Pitcher, I had a few times when I needed to see a Physical Therapist. As a young athlete on my first traveling softball team, the coach used me alot and I pitched in a majority of the games that we played. Eventually my arm started giving me problems as I was in motion. As I continued on with my softball career, my knee started to hurt while I was pushing off the mound. Being the only Pitcher on my High School team, my knee and arm hurt a lot. My parents and I finally made the decision to go see a Physical Therapist. The Physical Therapists showed me exercises to help me manage the pain so I could get back to normal. They also gave me advice and how to prevent this from happening again. The impact that the Physical Therapists had on me made me realize that I wanted to help people get back to doing the things that they love, just like I was able to get back to playing the game I loved. I am looking forward to becoming a Physical Therapist, because I have experienced the athlete side of being in pain and then saw how it made me feel afterwards. I am forever grateful to them and how they influenced me to take a look into the field. As I start my studies at Culver Stockton College, I’m looking forward to learning all that I can on how to help others and to the day when I am on the other side making a difference in someone else’s life.

Being an athlete has many valuable characteristics. If you are an athlete, you know that it takes a fair amount of discipline to be one. I started my athletic career at the age of 8 when I was asked to play on my first travel softball team. At 8 years old, you don’t think that it takes discipline since you are so young. However, you begin to find out that waking up at 5:30 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday mornings to get to your 8:00 a.m. game an hour away, takes discipline. As I grew older, I realized that a whole lot more was needed than just discipline. I have learned that to be a good student athlete, you must have the following characteristics to be successful not just in athletics, but in normal life activities as well. I would say that the biggest one would be accountability. You must always show up for practices if you want to play in the games. Being accountable shows your coaches and your teammates that they can rely on you to be there when you are needed. I am a Pitcher on my softball teams, so I have to always be the one that knows what is going on on the field. It is a role that I have learned to play very well. Which leads into always being responsible for the actions that I make, whether it be on the field, school, or at home. Before I started college, I had two jobs, I was involved in two clubs, and played softball year round. I had to know what I was doing at all times, so that I didn’t miss something. So because of the responsibilities that I took on, it made me more organized. I was able to juggle my academics, club meetings, and my softball. I wouldn’t say it was easy, but I was able to manage it. I would even ask my Mom if there was anything that she had on her calendar that I may have forgotten or missed, just so I would be sure to always be accountable. The last characteristic that I have learned about myself through athletics was one that I thought you had to be loud for. When you think of a leader, you think of cheerleaders or coaches, and we all know they have to be loud. I learned that I am a silent leader. I didn’t have to be loud, I showed my coaches and teammates that I was a leader by listening to what they said to me. By just listening to my teammates and hearing what they said, it gave me the opportunity to always encourage them when they needed to be brought back up. These lessons that I have learned are going to carry me into college because I have the foundation that I need in order to succeed. When I started college, I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but I didn’t realize the amount of homework that would be given. I am so very thankful that I am organized and responsible. I have managed to get a white board big enough to list all of my classes and when my softball practices are. This keeps me accountable and where I need to be. And as a silent leader, I know that I will help myself and my friends accomplish the things that need to be done. I have learned that life is hard, but if you have the right tools, then you can be successful.

Have you ever heard the phrase “Hey Four Eyes” or “Hey Specs”? If you have heard these two phrases, you might have worn glasses. Or, if you wore glasses, you may have been labeled a Nerd, because as we know, most nerds on TV wear goofy glasses. Wearing glasses doesn’t mean that you are a Nerd. Glasses can actually be a very trendy item to wear and as you will see, they became just that…trendy!! As I watched Simone Biles rock the gymnastics, the camera’s turned their attention to a young man on the Pomahorse. Before he started his routine, he was wearing glasses. This intrigued me, because I have never seen an Olympic gymnast wear glasses. As Stephen Nedoroscik competed, I tended to always watch for him and it seemed that he was getting quite a bit of attention because of his “Clark Kent” look. As a young lady myself who wears glasses and plays softball, this made me smile. I had to start wearing glasses at the age of five, before I entered Kindergarten. I had to start wearing glasses because of astigmatism. I never had a hard time wearing glasses and was never called names. As I grew up, I started playing softball. Never did I think that my glasses were a hindrance, and I even had to wear a facemask during games and practices, as I am a Pitcher. I even tried contacts, but I just wasn’t comfortable when I tried taking them out of my eyes. I chose Stephen Nodoroscik because I feel like I have something in common with him. Our need for glasses and our need to make a name for ourselves, other than Four Eyes or Specs. From what I have read, he inspired young athletes. And I hope I have done that along the way as well. As I continue my softball career at Culver Stockton College, I plan to “see” the future as an opportunity to inspire others by being the person and player that I am and continue to be.

When I think about my childhood, I always think about how good I had it. My parents were together up until I was in 3rd grade. The two of them sat me and my older sister down one evening and explained to us that they would be divorcing. I wondered what I would do without the two of them together. It was really hard at first as we adjusted to living as a household of three. As the years went on, it wasn’t a hard adjustment living as a household of three. My Mom is a very hard working woman who always made sure that I had somewhere to go after school while she was still working. I would go to my Grandma’s after school and I always knew that the first thing that I would do is pull out my homework and get it done before my Mom got home. We were very busy at night, as my older sister is eight years older than me, so we were always busy going to her volleyball, football and basketball cheer games, softball practices out of town and softball games. I also became interested in softball and learning how to pitch at the age of eight. As I got better and better at pitching, I tried out for my first traveling softball team and made the team! It was a lot of traveling to games out of town and to practices, but my Mom NEVER ever complained. She always told me that she loved watching me play and I truly believed that. When my parents got divorced, my Mom worked as a secretary at a school. She loved her job, but knew as a single Mom, working there wouldn’t pay the bills. She got a job somewhere else making more money, but she still wasn’t satisfied with that. She really wanted to get a job with the State, as she knew that the money and benefits were better in order to sustain my love for softball. She finally got on with the state, working as an office associate at the nearby prison. By taking this job, she knew that she was moving in the right direction. I have watched my Mom struggle, but have also watched her be my biggest cheerleader. She never ever made me feel like the things that I loved were a burden. She never ever complained about having to take me to my games or when I hit high school, traveling to watch me play. Watching her made me realize that I am a silent leader like her. I learned from her that I can do anything that I put my mind to and she has and will encourage me every single day until I realize that I can. I am now furthering my education at Culver Stockton College, as I want to be a Physical Therapist and go on to get my Doctorate. She has taught me to be organized and to always stay on task as I work to get my homework done on the daily. I am also playing on the softball team. I have learned that accountability is important in everyday life and my Mom has taught me just that! Having a single Mom has shaped me into the confident young woman that I am today.

As an eight year old, you don’t ever want to hear the words “Your Dad and I are divorcing.” At the time, I didn’t really understand what was happening when my family of four turned into a family of three. I was saddened by the fact that my father no longer lived with us, however, I did get to stay with him on certain days during the week and every other weekend. It took me a while to understand mentally that life wasn’t going to be the same. The constant packing and unpacking of bags every time I stayed with my dad was exhausting. As I have gotten older though, I realized that it was for the best and that life goes on. One big change with all of this, was that the two person household income turned into a one person household income. My mom had custody of both my older sister and me. I couldn’t understand how hard it was to support two kids while having one income. My sister and I learned that if it was a want, it might have to wait, because the needs were more important. My mom did everything in her power, including changing jobs for the pay increase, to make sure us kids lived a good life. The one sport that has impacted my life has been softball. I have been playing softball since I was six years old. I started off playing for my hometown recreational league, and eventually began travel softball when I was nine years old. I started as a catcher on my first travel ball team, and a year later I decided that I wanted to try pitching. My older sister was a pitcher and had a lot of success with it, so I wanted to do the exact same thing. I have loved being a pitcher and have very high expectations for myself. I set reachable goals and when I beat them, I set bigger and better goals. When I am around my travel softball family it feels like an escape from reality. Softball has become a very important part of my life. I can have fun playing softball and not have to worry about any responsibilities for just a couple of hours. I love how softball makes me feel, whether it be striking someone out, making a good play or hitting a homerun. I don’t know where I would be without this sport. I have devoted a lot of my time to softball and if I make a mistake, I don’t let it affect me, and I come back and fix what I didn’t do well in the last play. If I have a bad game, I “turn the page” and work harder the next game on the thing(s) that I needed to correct from the game before. I have worked hard to get where I am today and this sport has taught me a lot about myself. I have learned that I am a silent leader; I lead with my actions. I don’t have to be the loudest person on the team, I just have to show leadership skills. I have learned how to manage my time with my crazy schedule. I am currently maintaining a 4.143 GPA, while working two part-time jobs, doing volunteer work, and still making sure I am bettering myself in my sport. I have been taught good work ethic along the way, so I put 110% into everything I do, and I am resilient! I have learned alot about change and that sometimes, change can be for the better!!

Ever since I was little I had a dream of what I wanted my future to look like. All I knew was that I wanted to go to college, play softball, have a job where I can help people, and own a beautiful home. I am a senior in high school now and that dream is not too far from my reach anymore. I have committed to play softball at Culver Stockton College in Canton, Missouri and plan on majoring in Physical Therapy. My dream is going to come true in just a couple of short years. I have been playing softball since I was six years old, so I have been playing for over eleven years all together. I started off playing for the Abingdon recreational league, and eventually began travel softball when I was nine years old. I started as a catcher on my first travel ball team, because I thought that was the position for me. I had caught on the recreational team, and I was decent at it, so I wanted to continue in that position. A year later, I decided that I wanted to try something a little different, I wanted to try pitching. My older sister was my inspiration because she was a pitcher and had a lot of success with it. I wanted to do the exact same thing. Pitching was hard, I had to learn accuracy, how to throw different pitches, and how to be mentally strong when things weren’t going well. I stuck with it, and I am grateful that I have the opportunity to play in college. Ever since I was little, I have had very high expectations for myself. I set reachable goals and when I beat them, I set bigger and better goals. No matter how good of a game I play, there is always room for improvement, no one is perfect. Softball has become a very important part of my life. I can have fun playing it and I don’t have to worry about my homework and other responsibilities for just a couple of hours. I love how softball makes me feel, whether it be striking someone out, making a good play or hitting a homerun. I don’t know where I would be without this sport. I have devoted a lot of my time to softball and if I make a mistake, I don’t let it affect me, and I make the play the next time. Softball really is a mental game, so I had to learn how to move on and come back stronger after I had a bad play or a bad pitch. If I have a bad game, I “turn the page” and work harder the next practice or game on the thing(s) that I need to correct. I have worked hard to get where I am today and this sport has taught me a lot about myself. I have learned that I am a silent leader; I lead with my actions. I don’t have to be the loudest person on the team, I just have to show leadership skills. I have learned how to manage my time with my crazy schedule. I am currently maintaining a 4.143 GPA, while working two part-time jobs, doing volunteer work, dual credit classes, and still making sure I am bettering myself everyday in my sport. I have been taught good work ethic along the way, so I will always put 110% into everything I do. The coaches and the girls I play with on my travel softball team have become my family. They have seen me at my best and they have seen me at my worst, and they always have my back no matter what. If I am having a bad day, and go to practice, everything is instantly better. It really is my home away from home. My team has very different personalities, but our team dynamic is like no other. I will forever be grateful for what the game of softball has taught me about myself and working as a team. It has shown me that you have to roll with the punches and that life isn’t always going to be fair or easy, but sometimes that pitch call isn’t fair either. But with that, you either come back fighting the next time up to bat or you sit down and watch the game from the bench. I have chosen to continue to look at the positive. You either win or learn.

Imagine standing on the pitcher’s mound, during the State Championship game on your 10u travel ball team. There are two outs and the player for the opposing team stands in the box waiting for the next pitch. The count is: no balls, two strikes. It’s the last inning, so all you can think is that you hope the coach gives you a good pitch call so that you can strike this girl out. He calls the pitch and it is what you were hoping for. You throw the pitch and you strike her out. Your team wins!! 10U State Champions!!! What a feat! At the age of ten was when I decided I wanted to play competitive softball and I wanted to pitch. So I found my first travel softball team to play on. I never imagined I would have any issues while playing the game. When you play sports, injuries are something that you hear about but hope you never have it happen to you, whether it be big or small. With being an athlete it can sometimes be associated with injuries. Unfortunately, that was the case for me. On the traveling team I played on, the coach relied heavily on my pitching, so I pitched a lot and eventually, my arm started to hurt as I was in motion, as well as my knee while pushing off the mound. My parents realized I should get looked at before I couldn’t play at all. They decided that we should try physical therapy first. The physical therapist that I saw mentioned that I should start doing exercises in order to get back to normal, rest my arm when I could, and ice my arm after games. Same for my knee. They gave me advice and how to prevent injuries from happening. I was intrigued and very interested with these exercises and the advice they gave me. They really took the time with me to explain why I needed to do these important things. As a woman wanting to enter into the healthcare field, I would love to make a positive impact by becoming a physical therapist. I have been accepted to Culver Stockton College where I plan to study Physical Therapy, and will continue my athletic career playing softball. I have experienced the athlete side of feeling that pain and eventually getting better. I am forever grateful for the assistance I received. I would like to be on the other side now and help make a difference in someone else’s life, whether it be that ten year old that just wants to play ball or that grandparent that just wants to get back to being able to run after their grandchildren. I want to be that positive influence on them getting back to feeling better and doing the things that they enjoy.

Imagine yourself going through the trenches, getting shot at, and being overwhelmed and stressed all at the same time. This is what our soldiers in all of the wars years ago had to do. Now imagine yourself as a high school student in your classroom, mock experiencing how that felt. My history teacher taught me a little bit about self sacrifice and what it meant to be grateful. He taught me everything I needed to know about history, and he made it fun to learn. He wasn’t just a normal teacher, he was a teacher who understood that school is not exactly fun, and that it takes hard work, but he knew how to make it interesting. Something about my teacher specifically is that he liked to have fun, and kept our attention by doing outrageous things. I was in his class my junior year called Military History. I have several family members who have been in the military, so I thought I should take that class. My teacher would show us all the hard training and work it would take to be on the battlefield. After he was done with the lesson for the day, he would make us all stand up, and he would say “drop and give me 5”. All my classmates, him included, would drop to the floor and do five pushups. Those were our points for the days when he was only giving us a lecture. Our final for the first trimester of Military History would be a simulation of going through trenches while being shot at. He had a video playing with loud noises and flashing lights. He had tunnel-like figures on the floor with obstacles, and all while you were doing those obstacles he would be throwing dodgeballs at you. If you got hit, that signaled that you were dead. He tried to make it as nerve racking and stressful as possible, so we would feel a fraction of what our soldiers felt. Our final for the second trimester of Military History would be half of a murph workout. This included half a mile, 50 pullups, 100 pushups, 150 squats, and another half mile. He wouldn’t dock points if you couldn’t do it, all he asked was a little bit of effort and he would pass you. As I said before, he wanted us to see what the military men had to go through, so that we would respect the people who fought hard for our country. He definitely achieved that goal, with me especially. I learned a lot from my history teacher, and he greatly influenced the way I live my life today. I will never take anything for granted because I know there are people who have it worse than I do. He showed me that people fought for me to have a better life, so I am going to live my life to its fullest. I am forever grateful that I had him as a teacher. His class will be one I will always remember and smile when I think back on it.

Since I was six years old, I have been playing my very favorite sport, softball. At the age of ten, I decided I wanted to become a pitcher. Being an athlete is sometimes associated with injuries. Unfortunately, that was the case for me. At the age of ten I started on my first travel softball team. I pitched a lot and eventually, my arm started to hurt as I was in motion. As I got older, my knee started to hurt while I was pushing off the mound. I made the decision to go see a physical therapist and they told me to start doing exercises to get back to normal. They also gave me advice and how to prevent this from happening again. I was very intrigued by these exercises and the advice that I received. In the fall, I plan on attending Culver Stockton College to continue my academic and athletic career. It will take me all four years that I am attending Culver Stockton College to earn my Bachelor of Science degree. I will be entering their pre-physical therapy program. I would like to study kinesiology to get my Bachelor of Science Degree. By earning this degree, it will put me on the right track to become a physical therapist, which is the overall goal that I would like to achieve. After earning my Bachelor of Science, I would like to transfer to a university in order to get my Doctorate of Physical Therapy. Since this degree will take an extra three years to earn, I would like to get a job in the meantime. I am hoping to work in sports medicine while I am still in school, to earn some experience in the field. Once I graduate from the program and earn the degree, I will work to pass the state licensure exam. I would like to work in an office, working 8:00-5:00 with pediatric patients. I would love to start changing one life at a time. Success is all the things I listed above. I would like to live out my dream of playing softball in college, as well as becoming a physical therapist. Once I have gotten the highest degree in physical therapy (DPT), then I will be content with how I am living life. Until then, I will be taking small steps to accomplish the goals that I have in mind. Going to Culver Stockton College to play softball and study their pre-physical therapy program is my first step in the right direction. All in all, I would like to become a physical therapist in the future because I have experienced the athlete side of getting better and how it feels. I am forever grateful for the assistance I received. I would like to be on the other side now and help make a difference in someone else’s life. I would be honored to receive this scholarship to help me pay for the expenses that will come about during this next journey of becoming a Physical Therapist. Not having to worry about all the expenses that I will accrue, would really be a major benefit for winning this scholarship.

My name is Gabriela Bryan and I am a kindhearted and genuinely nice person, who loves helping people and enjoys spending time with family and friends. A fun fact about me is that I share my birthday with my older sister, Katyn who is eight years older than I am. I am seventeen years old and I attend Abingdon-Avon High School in Abingdon, IL. I have been playing softball for over ten years. I will be continuing my academic studies in physical therapy and my athletic career playing softball at Culver Stockton College. I am grateful for the opportunity and I am beyond excited to start this new chapter of my life. I have been playing softball since I was eight years old. As I got older, I decided I wanted to be a pitcher. Sometimes, being an athlete is associated with injuries. Unfortunately, that was the case for me. When I was around ten years old, I started playing on my first travel softball team. I pitched a lot and eventually, my arm started to hurt as I was in motion. As I got older, my knee started to hurt while I was pushing off the mound. I made the decision to go see a physical therapist and they told me to start doing exercises in order to get back to normal. The physical therapists gave me advice and how to prevent this from happening again. I was very intrigued by these exercises and the advice that I received. Softball is a very big part of my life, but when I am not going to practices, tournaments/games or having pitching lessons, I love to put together 1,000 piece puzzles and 1,000+ piece legos. I enjoy conquering Escape Rooms with my Dad and friends. I’m always looking for a good challenge. I love to cook and bake with my grandma. She enjoys when I spend time with her. I like to shop, especially when there is a sale going on, and I also enjoy a good game of putt putt golf with my mom and her boyfriend, David. Even though I haven’t accomplished beating either one of them yet. I would like to become a physical therapist because I have experienced the athlete side of going to a physical therapist to get better and how it feels afterwards. I am forever grateful for the physical therapists I had and how they influenced me to look more into the field and go into a career in physical therapy. I would like to be on the other side now and help make a difference in someone else’s life. I am extremely excited for my future and can’t wait to embark on this journey.

Ever since I was little I had a dream of what I wanted my future to look like. All I knew was that I wanted to go to college, play softball, have a job where I can help people, and own a beautiful home. I am a senior in high school now and that dream is not too far from my reach anymore. I have committed to play softball at Culver Stockton College in Canton, Missouri and plan on majoring in Physical Therapy. My dream is going to come true in just a couple of short years. I have been playing softball since I was six years old, so I have been playing for eleven years all together. I started off playing for the Abingdon recreational league, and eventually began travel softball when I was nine years old. I started as a catcher on my first travel ball team, and a year later I decided that I wanted to try pitching. My older sister was a pitcher and had a lot of success with it, so I wanted to do the exact same thing. I have loved being a pitcher and have very high expectations for myself. I set reachable goals and when I beat them, I set bigger and better goals. When I am around my travel softball family it feels like an escape from reality. Softball has become a very important part of my life. I can have fun playing softball and not have to worry about my homework and other responsibilities for just a couple of hours. I love how softball makes me feel, whether it be striking someone out, making a good play or hitting a homerun. I don’t know where I would be without this sport. I have devoted a lot of my time to softball and if I make a mistake, I don’t let it affect me, and I come back and fix what I didn’t do well in the last play. If I have a bad game, I “turn the page” and work harder the next game on the thing(s) that I needed to correct from the game before. I have worked hard to get where I am today and this sport has taught me a lot about myself. I have learned that I am a silent leader; I lead with my actions. I don’t have to be the loudest person on the team, I just have to show leadership skills. I have learned how to manage my time with my crazy schedule. I am currently maintaining a 4.143 GPA, while working two part-time jobs, doing volunteer work, dual credit classes, and still making sure I am bettering myself in my sport. I have been taught good work ethic along the way, so I put 110% into everything I do.