As a 15-year-old girl, my understanding of the female body was somewhat limited. My mom explained how the female body works, but I rarely spoke about it with my peers as it felt taboo. Being an active runner meant my body sometimes reacted to puberty differently than the “normal” teenage girl, but I believed everything I felt was just how it was supposed to be. However, it was in the late summer of my sophomore year, everything changed. After speaking to my mom several times about the pain and vomiting I experienced with my menstrual cycle, we visited an OB/GYN nurse practitioner to discuss my symptoms. After a short discussion, it was recommended I begin a birth control pill, and I was ordered to have an ultrasound before starting the prescription. While this was surprising to me, I remember the words clearly from my mom, “This is normal and routine.” Once the practitioner returned, we were delivered news we were not expecting. I had an ovarian cyst. I was immediately referred to an advanced provider to discuss treatment options. I was terrified. I had to undergo surgery immediately. I began researching ovarian cysts in young females and was surprised to learn this was common. So I stepped out of my comfort zone and started talking about this with my peer group. If ovarian cysts are common, we should openly speak about symptoms and treatment without feeling embarrassed or alone. I also continued to share my story with my peers to help prevent any negative stigma about birth control. I wanted to educate my peers on treatment options for female health matters, so they felt more empowered with their bodies. After this experience, I realized how scary it is to go through a medical procedure without warning. I learned I wanted to help others feel comfortable and safe while asking medical questions because of my experience with my doctor. She treated me with respect and valued my opinion. She took the time to educate me and answer all my questions. My personal health experience created a passion in me that I never knew existed. With a nursing degree, I plan to advocate for others to share feelings and ask questions as they are active participants in their healthcare. I believe that a safe, open environment will turn the doors for better healthcare for all. My medical past may have begun as a scary situation, but it has given me a passion for helping and educating others that I can use to impact the nursing profession. By obtaining my bachelor’s degree and then moving on to graduate school, I aim to become a nurse practitioner. My goal is to work at a major children’s hospital so I can combine two things I am passionate about, healthcare and children. I was only 15 years old when I had a medical situation take me by surprise and I want to advocate and continue to show my greatest strength, compassion, to a field that can impact those in my community.

As a 15-year-old girl, my understanding of the female body was somewhat limited. My mom explained how the female body works, but I rarely spoke about it with my peers as it felt taboo. Being an active runner meant my body sometimes reacted to puberty differently than the “normal” teenage girl, but I believed everything I felt was just how it was supposed to be. However, it was in the late summer of my sophomore year, everything changed. After speaking to my mom several times about the pain and vomiting I experienced with my menstrual cycle, we visited an OB/GYN nurse practitioner to discuss my symptoms. After a short discussion, it was recommended I begin a birth control pill, and I was ordered to have an ultrasound before starting the prescription. While this was surprising to me, I remember the words clearly from my mom, “This is normal and routine.” Once the practitioner returned, we were delivered news we were not expecting. I had an ovarian cyst. I was immediately referred to an advanced provider to discuss treatment options. I was terrified. I had to undergo surgery immediately. I began researching ovarian cysts in young females and was surprised to learn this was common. So I stepped out of my comfort zone and started talking about this with my peer group. If ovarian cysts are common, we should openly speak about symptoms and treatment without feeling embarrassed or alone. I also continued to share my story with my peers to help prevent any negative stigma about birth control. I wanted to educate my peers on treatment options for female health matters, so they felt more empowered with their bodies. After this experience, I realized how scary it is to go through a medical procedure without warning. I learned I wanted to help others feel comfortable and safe while asking medical questions because of my experience with my doctor. She treated me with respect and valued my opinion. She took the time to educate me and answer all my questions. My personal health experience created a passion in me that I never knew existed. With a nursing degree, I plan to advocate for others to share feelings and ask questions as they are active participants in their healthcare. I believe that a safe, open environment will turn the doors for better healthcare for all. My medical past may have begun as a scary situation, but it has given me a passion for helping and educating others that I can use to impact the nursing profession. By obtaining my bachelor’s degree and then moving on to graduate school, I aim to become a nurse practitioner. My goal is to work at a major children’s hospital so I can combine two things I am passionate about, healthcare and children. I was only 15 years old when I had a medical situation take me by surprise and I want to advocate and continue to show my greatest strength, compassion, to a field that can impact those in my community.

As a 15-year-old girl, my understanding of the female body was somewhat limited. My mom explained how the female body works, but I rarely spoke about it with my peers as it felt taboo. Being an active runner meant my body sometimes reacted to puberty differently than the “normal” teenage girl, but I believed everything I felt was just how it was supposed to be. However, it was in the late summer of my sophomore year, everything changed. After speaking to my mom several times about the pain and vomiting I experienced with my menstrual cycle, we visited an OB/GYN nurse practitioner to discuss my symptoms. After a short discussion, it was recommended I begin a birth control pill, and I was ordered to have an ultrasound before starting the prescription. While this was surprising to me, I remember the words clearly from my mom, “This is normal and routine.” Once the practitioner returned, we were delivered news we were not expecting. I had an ovarian cyst. I was immediately referred to an advanced provider to discuss treatment options. I was terrified. I had to undergo surgery immediately. I began researching ovarian cysts in young females and was surprised to learn this was common. So I stepped out of my comfort zone and started talking about this with my peer group. If ovarian cysts are common, we should openly speak about symptoms and treatment without feeling embarrassed or alone. I also continued to share my story with my peers to help prevent any negative stigma about birth control. I wanted to educate my peers on treatment options for female health matters, so they felt more empowered with their bodies. After this experience, I realized how scary it is to go through a medical procedure without warning. I learned I wanted to help others feel comfortable and safe while asking medical questions because of my experience with my doctor. She treated me with respect and valued my opinion. She took the time to educate me and answer all my questions. My personal health experience created a passion in me that I never knew existed. With a nursing degree, I plan to advocate for others to share feelings and ask questions as they are active participants in their healthcare. I believe that a safe, open environment will turn the doors for better healthcare for all. My medical past may have begun as a scary situation, but it has given me a passion for helping and educating others that I can use to impact the nursing profession. By obtaining my bachelor’s degree and then moving on to graduate school, I aim to become a nurse practitioner. My goal is to work at a major children’s hospital so I can combine two things I am passionate about, healthcare and children. I was only 15 years old when I had a medical situation take me by surprise and I want to advocate and continue to show my greatest strength, compassion, to a field that can impact those in my community.

My name is Grace Lietz, and I am currently a sophomore at Saint Louis University. My dream is to become a pediatric nurse practitioner by obtaining my bachelor’s degree in nursing and proceeding to graduate school. I will be a first-generation bachelor’s graduate from my family. I come from a middle-class family that has always supported me to reach for my dreams and they have set an example to always work hard to achieve what you want. I have found my passion in the medical field. My goal is to contribute to the healthcare community by creating a patient-centered environment, so patients feel safe to share and discuss medical concerns. During my sophomore year, I had to undergo an expected surgery. I was terrified. Everything happened so fast. After this experience, I realized how scary it is to go through a medical procedure without warning. I learned I wanted to help others feel comfortable and safe while asking medical questions because of my experience with my doctor. She treated me with respect and valued my opinion. She took the time to educate me and answer all my questions. As I discovered this new interest and passion, I decided to look for local avenues to make a difference. I became a volunteer at a local healthcare clinic, joined Green Bandana Project to raise awareness for mental health, joined the Wishmakers at SLU and volunteered at Service for Sight local runs. My personal health experience created a passion in me that I never knew existed and opened my eyes to working in the healthcare field. One of my most vital traits is compassion, and I want to use that as a building block in providing medical care. I plan to advocate for others to share feelings and ask questions as they are active participants in their healthcare. I believe that a safe, open environment will turn the doors to better healthcare for all. In addition, my work ethic has continued to drive me to work hard to obtain my academic grades. Knowing I would need to put in hard work to become a nurse, I feel I am dedicated to reaching my goals. Finally, having the drive to continue learning has expanded my passion for the medical field. The medical field is constantly evolving and growing, and I would like to take these advancements to educate patients on treatment options. By obtaining my bachelor's in nursing, then proceeding on to my master’s, I can accomplish my goal of becoming a pediatric nurse practitioner. I have set goals to work in the medical field and with children to use my passion to help educate patients, create a safe environment for patients to ask questions, and give back to my community. My medical past may have begun as a scary situation, but it has given me a passion for helping others and pushing me to give back to my community. I am wanting to take these traits to the nursing profession. Receiving this scholarship will aid in my journey to reach my dreams of becoming a pediatric nurse practitioner.

As a 15-year-old girl, my understanding of the female body was somewhat limited. My mom explained how the female body works, but I rarely spoke about it with my peers as it felt taboo. Being an active runner meant my body sometimes reacted differently than the “normal” teenage girl, but I believed everything I felt was just how it was supposed to be. After speaking to my mom several times about the pain and vomiting I experienced with my menstrual cycle, we visited an OB/GYN nurse practitioner to discuss my symptoms. I was ordered to have an ultrasound before starting treatment. While this was surprising to me, I remember the words clearly from my mom, “This is normal and routine.” Once the practitioner returned, we were delivered news we were not expecting. I had an ovarian cyst. I was immediately referred to an advanced provider to discuss treatment options. I was terrified. I had to undergo surgery and recovery. After this experience, I realized how scary it is to go through a medical procedure without warning. I learned I wanted to help others feel comfortable and safe while asking medical questions because of my experience with my doctor. She treated me with respect and valued my opinion. She took the time to educate me and answer all my questions. As I discovered this new interest and passion, I decided to look for local avenues to make a small difference. I became a volunteer through a local health clinic. Greeting patients, giving instructions, and helping direct patients, allowed me to fulfill a need requested by local healthcare facilities and interact with patients. My personal health experience created a passion in me that I never knew existed. That experience has driven me to create a platform to discuss female health issues and has allowed me to find something that brings me so much joy. Seeing the smile from a patient that was scared for their appointment, meeting new families during my volunteer opportunities or working with the Service for Sight events, has allowed me to connect my passion in healthcare to giving back to my community. Happiness is seen in life in many ways, but knowing that I am going to impact my community gives me an opportunity to spread happiness to others. Small moments, the smile from a patient that is nervous, helping a mom get something to eat while she is caring for her child or passing out water to runners at a 5K that are working to raise awareness on sight diseases, gives me glimmers of happiness. My medical past may have begun as a scary situation, but it has given me a passion for helping others and pushed me to learn to give back to my community. These are skills I can use to impact the nursing profession.

As a 15-year-old girl, my understanding of the female body was somewhat limited. My mom explained how the female body works, but I rarely spoke about it with my peers as it felt taboo. Being an active runner meant my body sometimes reacted differently than the “normal” teenage girl, but I believed everything I felt was just how it was supposed to be. After speaking to my mom several times about the pain and vomiting I experienced with my menstrual cycle, we visited an OB/GYN nurse practitioner to discuss my symptoms. I was ordered to have an ultrasound before starting treatment. While this was surprising to me, I remember the words clearly from my mom, “This is normal and routine.” Once the practitioner returned, we were delivered news we were not expecting. I had an ovarian cyst. I was immediately referred to an advanced provider to discuss treatment options. I was terrified. I had to undergo surgery and recovery. After this experience, I realized how scary it is to go through a medical procedure without warning. I learned I wanted to help others feel comfortable and safe while asking medical questions because of my experience with my doctor. She treated me with respect and valued my opinion. She took the time to educate me and answer all my questions. As I discovered this new interest and passion, I decided to look for local avenues to make a small difference. I became a volunteer through a local health clinic. Greeting patients, giving instructions, and helping direct patients, allowed me to fulfill a need requested by local healthcare facilities and interact with patients. My personal health experience created a passion in me that I never knew existed. That experience has driven me to create a platform to discuss female health issues and has allowed me to find something that brings me so much joy. Seeing the smile from a patient that was scared for their appointment, meeting new families during my volunteer opportunities or working with the Service for Sight events, has allowed me to connect my passion in healthcare to giving back to my community. Happiness is seen in life in many ways, but knowing that I am going to impact my community gives me an opportunity to spread happiness to others. Small moments, the smile from a patient that is nervous, helping a mom get something to eat while she is caring for her child or passing out water to runners at a 5K that are working to raise awareness on sight diseases, gives me glimmers of happiness. My medical past may have begun as a scary situation, but it has given me a passion for helping others and pushed me to learn to give back to my community. These are skills I can use to impact the nursing profession.

As a 15-year-old girl, my understanding of the female body was somewhat limited. My mom explained how the female body works, but I rarely spoke about it with my peers as it felt taboo. Being an active runner meant my body sometimes reacted differently than the “normal” teenage girl, but I believed everything I felt was just how it was supposed to be. After speaking to my mom several times about the pain and vomiting I experienced with my menstrual cycle, we visited an OB/GYN nurse practitioner to discuss my symptoms. I was ordered to have an ultrasound before starting treatment. While this was surprising to me, I remember the words clearly from my mom, “This is normal and routine.” Once the practitioner returned, we were delivered news we were not expecting. I had an ovarian cyst. I was immediately referred to an advanced provider to discuss treatment options. I was terrified. I had to undergo surgery and recovery. After this experience, I realized how scary it is to go through a medical procedure without warning. I learned I wanted to help others feel comfortable and safe while asking medical questions because of my experience with my doctor. She treated me with respect and valued my opinion. She took the time to educate me and answer all my questions. As I discovered this new interest and passion, I decided to look for local avenues to make a small difference. I became a volunteer through a local health clinic. Greeting patients, giving instructions, and helping direct patients, allowed me to fulfill a need requested by local healthcare facilities and interact with patients. My personal health experience created a passion in me that I never knew existed. That experience has driven me to create a platform to discuss female health issues and has allowed me to find something that brings me so much joy. Seeing the smile from a patient that was scared for their appointment, meeting new families during my volunteer opportunities or working with the Service for Sight events, has allowed me to connect my passion in healthcare to giving back to my community. Happiness is seen in life in many ways, but knowing that I am going to impact my community gives me an opportunity to spread happiness to others. Small moments, the smile from a patient that is nervous, helping a mom get something to eat while she is caring for her child or passing out water to runners at a 5K that are working to raise awareness on sight diseases, gives me glimmers of happiness. My medical past may have begun as a scary situation, but it has given me a passion for helping others and pushed me to learn to give back to my community. These are skills I can use to impact the nursing profession.

As a 15-year-old girl, my understanding of the female body was somewhat limited. My mom explained how the female body works, but I rarely spoke about it with my peers as it felt taboo. Being an active runner meant my body sometimes reacted differently than the “normal” teenage girl, but I believed everything I felt was just how it was supposed to be. After speaking to my mom several times about the pain and vomiting I experienced with my menstrual cycle, we visited an OB/GYN nurse practitioner to discuss my symptoms. I was ordered to have an ultrasound before starting treatment. While this was surprising to me, I remember the words clearly from my mom, “This is normal and routine.” Once the practitioner returned, we were delivered news we were not expecting. I had an ovarian cyst. I was immediately referred to an advanced provider to discuss treatment options. I was terrified. I had to undergo surgery and recovery. After this experience, I realized how scary it is to go through a medical procedure without warning. I learned I wanted to help others feel comfortable and safe while asking medical questions because of my experience with my doctor. She treated me with respect and valued my opinion. She took the time to educate me and answer all my questions. As I discovered this new interest and passion, I decided to look for local avenues to make a small difference. I became a volunteer through a local health clinic. Greeting patients, giving instructions, and helping direct patients, allowed me to fulfill a need requested by local healthcare facilities and interact with patients. My personal health experience created a passion in me that I never knew existed. That experience has driven me to create a platform to discuss female health issues and has allowed me to find something that brings me so much joy. Seeing the smile from a patient that was scared for their appointment, meeting new families during my volunteer opportunities or working with the Service for Sight events, has allowed me to connect my passion in healthcare to giving back to my community. Happiness is seen in life in many ways, but knowing that I am going to impact my community gives me an opportunity to spread happiness to others. Small moments, the smile from a patient that is nervous, helping a mom get something to eat while she is caring for her child or passing out water to runners at a 5K that are working to raise awareness on sight diseases, gives me glimmers of happiness. My medical past may have begun as a scary situation, but it has given me a passion for helping others and pushed me to learn to give back to my community. These are skills I can use to impact the nursing profession.

As a 15-year-old girl, my understanding of the female body was somewhat limited. My mom explained how the female body works, but I rarely spoke about it with my peers as it felt taboo. Being an active runner meant my body sometimes reacted to puberty differently than the “normal” teenage girl, but I believed everything I felt was just how it was supposed to be. However, it was in the late summer of my sophomore year, everything changed. After speaking to my mom several times about the pain and vomiting I experienced with my menstrual cycle, we visited an OB/GYN nurse practitioner to discuss my symptoms. After a short discussion, it was recommended I begin a birth control pill, and I was ordered to have an ultrasound before starting the prescription. While this was surprising to me, I remember the words clearly from my mom, “This is normal and routine.” Once the practitioner returned, we were delivered news we were not expecting. I had an ovarian cyst. I was immediately referred to an advanced provider to discuss treatment options. I was terrified. I had to undergo surgery immediately. I began researching ovarian cysts in young females and was surprised to learn this was common. So I stepped out of my comfort zone and started talking about this with my peer group. If ovarian cysts are common, we should openly speak about symptoms and treatment without feeling embarrassed or alone. I also continued to share my story with my peers to help prevent any negative stigma about birth control. I wanted to educate my peers on treatment options for female health matters, so they felt more empowered with their bodies. After this experience, I realized how scary it is to go through a medical procedure without warning. I learned I wanted to help others feel comfortable and safe while asking medical questions because of my experience with my doctor. She treated me with respect and valued my opinion. She took the time to educate me and answer all my questions. My personal health experience created a passion in me that I never knew existed. With a nursing degree, I plan to advocate for others to share feelings and ask questions as they are active participants in their healthcare. I believe that a safe, open environment will turn the doors for better healthcare for all. My medical past may have begun as a scary situation, but it has given me a passion for helping and educating others that I can use to impact the nursing profession. By obtaining my bachelor’s degree and then moving on to graduate school, I aim to become a nurse practitioner. My goal is to work at a major children’s hospital so I can combine two things I am passionate about, healthcare and children. I was only 15 years old when I had a medical situation take me by surprise and I want to advocate and continue to show my greatest strength, compassion, to a field that can impact those in my community.

As a 15-year-old girl, my understanding of the female body was somewhat limited. My mom explained how the female body works, but I rarely spoke about it with my peers as it felt taboo. Being an active runner meant my body sometimes reacted to puberty differently than the “normal” teenage girl, but I believed everything I felt was just how it was supposed to be. However, it was in the late summer of my sophomore year, everything changed. After speaking to my mom several times about the pain and vomiting I experienced with my menstrual cycle, we visited an OB/GYN nurse practitioner to discuss my symptoms. After a short discussion, it was recommended I begin a birth control pill, and I was ordered to have an ultrasound before starting the prescription. While this was surprising to me, I remember the words clearly from my mom, “This is normal and routine.” Once the practitioner returned, we were delivered news we were not expecting. I had an ovarian cyst. I was immediately referred to an advanced provider to discuss treatment options. I was terrified. I had to undergo surgery immediately. I began researching ovarian cysts in young females and was surprised to learn this was common. So I stepped out of my comfort zone and started talking about this with my peer group. If ovarian cysts are common, we should openly speak about symptoms and treatment without feeling embarrassed or alone. I also continued to share my story with my peers to help prevent any negative stigma about birth control. I wanted to educate my peers on treatment options for female health matters, so they felt more empowered with their bodies. After this experience, I realized how scary it is to go through a medical procedure without warning. I learned I wanted to help others feel comfortable and safe while asking medical questions because of my experience with my doctor. She treated me with respect and valued my opinion. She took the time to educate me and answer all my questions. My personal health experience created a passion in me that I never knew existed. With a nursing degree, I plan to advocate for others to share feelings and ask questions as they are active participants in their healthcare. I believe that a safe, open environment will turn the doors for better healthcare for all. My medical past may have begun as a scary situation, but it has given me a passion for helping and educating others that I can use to impact the nursing profession. By obtaining my bachelor’s degree and then moving on to graduate school, I aim to become a nurse practitioner. My goal is to work at a major children’s hospital so I can combine two things I am passionate about, healthcare and children. I was only 15 years old when I had a medical situation take me by surprise and I want to advocate and continue to show my greatest strength, compassion, to a field that can impact those in my community.

As a 15-year-old girl, my understanding of the female body was somewhat limited. My mom explained how the female body works, but I rarely spoke about it with my peers as it felt taboo. Being an active runner meant my body sometimes reacted to puberty differently than the “normal” teenage girl, but I believed everything I felt was just how it was supposed to be. However, it was in the late summer of my sophomore year, everything changed. After speaking to my mom several times about the pain and vomiting I experienced with my menstrual cycle, we visited an OB/GYN nurse practitioner to discuss my symptoms. After a short discussion, it was recommended I begin a birth control pill, and I was ordered to have an ultrasound before starting the prescription. While this was surprising to me, I remember the words clearly from my mom, “This is normal and routine.” Once the practitioner returned, we were delivered news we were not expecting. I had an ovarian cyst. I was immediately referred to an advanced provider to discuss treatment options. I was terrified. I had to undergo surgery immediately. I began researching ovarian cysts in young females and was surprised to learn this was common. So I stepped out of my comfort zone and started talking about this with my peer group. If ovarian cysts are common, we should openly speak about symptoms and treatment without feeling embarrassed or alone. I also continued to share my story with my peers to help prevent any negative stigma about birth control. I wanted to educate my peers on treatment options for female health matters, so they felt more empowered with their bodies. After this experience, I realized how scary it is to go through a medical procedure without warning. I learned I wanted to help others feel comfortable and safe while asking medical questions because of my experience with my doctor. She treated me with respect and valued my opinion. She took the time to educate me and answer all my questions. My personal health experience created a passion in me that I never knew existed. With a nursing degree, I plan to advocate for others to share feelings and ask questions as they are active participants in their healthcare. I believe that a safe, open environment will turn the doors for better healthcare for all. My medical past may have begun as a scary situation, but it has given me a passion for helping and educating others that I can use to impact the nursing profession. By obtaining my bachelor’s degree and then moving on to graduate school, I aim to become a nurse practitioner. My goal is to work at a major children’s hospital so I can combine two things I am passionate about, healthcare and children. I was only 15 years old when I had a medical situation take me by surprise and I want to advocate and continue to show my greatest strength, compassion, to a field that can impact those in my community.

Perfection is what is expected, right? I need to get straight A's, be the fastest runner on my cross-country team, or be the most outgoing in group social situations. As I heard my feet pounding on the pavement, step after step, mile after mile, my mind always wandered to thoughts, how can I be better? Am I a disappointment? Can I do more? I was going down a dangerous path for my mental health, but I did not know how to stop it. My mind felt like one of my runs, going faster and faster, out of my control. My sophomore year began like every other year. Then during a routine doctor's appointment, I found out I needed surgery. I knew this would set me back during my cross-country season; this was not an option. I put in the miles, did the work; I could not accept this failure. After my surgery, I kept putting more pressure on myself to perform during my meets, keep my grades perfect, and handle group social situations. With all of this pressure, I finally hit a wall. My internal voice kept telling me I was a failure. I was not good enough. The constant pressure led to panic attacks, tiredness, social anxiety, crying, and mental defeat. I knew I needed to take a step in a direction to help me learn to manage my stress. Halfway through my sophomore year, I took that step and scheduled an appointment with a mental health professional. I needed to learn to self-evaluate why I felt I had disappointed my coaches, parents, or myself. The high expectations I set in my athletic abilities, school performance, or group social situations was beating me down mentally. I thought if I had reached the highest level of success in all these areas, I would be happy, but by putting that level of pressure on myself, I was reaching for an unattainable goal because perfection is something that only lives in social media or perceptions. During my therapy sessions, I learned how to look past my grades, how to be satisfied with my time from a race, and how to reflect upon how I acted during social situations. I had to learn what defined me and made me unique and learn to love those qualities. I have accepted who I am, which includes imperfections. I set myself up for success by talking through situations that can be stressful, preparing for academic challenges in advance, but knowing as long as I am giving it my best effort, I am successful. I have been applying these skills to being a freshman mentor and supporting new incoming students to feel more confident in who they are. Society creates images that we must look a certain way, act a certain way, or achieve certain goals, but through therapy, I learned to appreciate myself for who I am. Over the past two years, I have overcome my social anxiety and learned how to manage my mental stress. I now focus on myself and what I want out of life, instead of false expectations. I don’t focus on failing but on working hard every time. By doing so, my grades have improved, I have learned to love running again, and my mental health has become stronger. Now when I listen to my feet pound the pavement for a run, it is for me -- the steps I take are for me. Where my next steps take me will be an adventure, and I can confidently say I am ready for my next challenge.

Over the past four years of high school, I have been involved in many things that have helped me give back to my community and school. By being involved with the Freshmen Mentoring Program and Principal Advisory Council, I have given my time to help the students and our schools. FMP's primary goal is to help incoming freshmen transition to high school. We are there to help them with academics, friends, sports, and much more. It has taught me to be the best student to set an example. As teens, we sometimes are very self-focused, and working with incoming freshmen, has taught me to think of others first, inspire those around me and be a positive person to connect with. It has changed me to think more outwardly than inwardly and encouraged me to challenge myself to share my life experiences with others. Our primary goal of PAC, is to develop ways to help our schools improve. We discuss things that are going well in our district and things that could use some improvement. By meeting, we can enhance our communication with the teachers and staff at the school. Since the communication has grown with our teachers and staff, it has helped my education experience grow, and I have been able to earn better grades and more focused time with my teachers. Outside of school, I have been able to give back to the Mahomet Area Youth Club. The goal of MAYC is to create a safe and fun environment for kids. As a staff member, my goal was to take care of the kids while making connections with them. I was able to learn to show kindness in a variety of different ways and also how to care and love for others. Many kids in the program come from many different backgrounds, and it was essential for me, as a staff member, to make sure the kids feel loved, safe and receive enough support from the staff. These kids have forever changed my life, and I am so thankful for the opportunities that I have gotten from the program. The kids taught me so much about kindness and joy, and I was able to take this to my everyday life. Lastly, during the summer of my junior year, I had the opportunity to volunteer at a local health clinic. I would help patients check-in and get them to their rooms. I also looked at ways to help improve patient care while working with staff members. I made the patients feel comfortable in their environment, talked to them, and would be a friendly face to brighten their day. Working in the healthcare field has allowed me to use my greatest strength, compassion, and be able to impact those around me. Going forward, I plan to continue to give back to my community by becoming a nurse. By attending St. Louis University I plan to work with the local hospitals and want to continue working with children. Working with Saint Louis University, there are several opportunities to work with different medical agencies with diverse environments. Being opened up to so many different opportunities has helped me grow. It has taught me to be organized, positive, caring, supportive, and have excellent communication skills. I have learned, we can impact those around us through simple acts of kindness. Time is the most valuable thing we can give to help those around us, and by working with the community organizations, I have been able to change the lives of the people I have met, but they have changed me as well.

As a 15-year-old girl, my understanding of the female body was somewhat limited. My mom explained how the female body works, but I rarely spoke about it with my peers as it felt taboo. Being an active runner meant my body sometimes reacted to puberty differently than the “normal” teenage girl, but I believed everything I felt was just how it was supposed to be. However, it was in the late summer of my sophomore year, everything changed. After speaking to my mom several times about the pain and vomiting I experienced with my menstrual cycle, we visited an OB/GYN nurse practitioner to discuss my symptoms. After a short discussion, it was recommended I begin a birth control pill, and I was ordered to have an ultrasound before starting the prescription. While this was surprising to me, I remember the words clearly from my mom, “This is normal and routine.” Once the practitioner returned, we were delivered news we were not expecting. I had an ovarian cyst. I was immediately referred to an advanced provider to discuss treatment options. I was terrified. I had to undergo surgery and recovery. Everything happened so fast. I began researching ovarian cysts in young females and was surprised to learn this was common. So I stepped out of my comfort zone and started talking about this with my peer group. If ovarian cysts are common, we should openly speak about symptoms and treatment without feeling embarrassed or alone. During my cross-country team meetings, I discussed menstrual issues with my teammates so they would not feel alone. I began a birth control pill post-surgery. I also continued to share my story with my peers to help prevent any negative stigma about birth control. I wanted to educate my peers on treatment options for female health matters, so they felt more empowered with their bodies. After this experience, I realized how scary it is to go through a medical procedure without warning. I learned I wanted to help others feel comfortable and safe while asking medical questions because of my experience with my doctor. She treated me with respect and valued my opinion. She took the time to educate me and answer all my questions. My personal health experience created a passion in me that I never knew existed and opened my eyes to working in the healthcare field. One of my most vital traits is compassion, and I want to use that as a building block in providing medical care. I plan to advocate for others to share feelings and ask questions as they are active participants in their healthcare. I believe that a safe, open environment will turn the doors for better healthcare for all. In addition, my work ethic has continued to drive me to work hard to obtain my academic grades. Knowing I would need to put in hard work to become a nurse, I feel I have practiced these skills, so I am ready to learn a new field. Finally, having the drive to continue learning has expanded my passion for the medical field. The medical field is constantly evolving and growing, and I would like to take these advancements to educate patients on treatment options. By obtaining my bachelors in nursing, then proceeding onto my master’s, I can accomplish my goal of becoming a pediatric nurse practitioner. My medical past may have begun as a scary situation, but it has given me a passion for helping and educating others that I can use to impact the nursing profession.

As a 15-year-old girl, my understanding of the female body was somewhat limited. My mom explained how the female body works, but I rarely spoke about it with my peers as it felt taboo. Being an active runner meant my body sometimes reacted to puberty differently than the “normal” teenage girl, but I believed everything I felt was just how it was supposed to be. However, it was in the late summer of my sophomore year, everything changed. After speaking to my mom several times about the pain and vomiting I experienced with my menstrual cycle, we visited an OB/GYN nurse practitioner to discuss my symptoms. After a short discussion, it was recommended I begin a birth control pill, and I was ordered to have an ultrasound before starting the prescription. While this was surprising to me, I remember the words clearly from my mom, “This is normal and routine.” Once the practitioner returned, we were delivered news we were not expecting. I had an ovarian cyst. I was immediately referred to an advanced provider to discuss treatment options. I was terrified. I had to undergo surgery and recovery. Everything happened so fast. I began researching ovarian cysts in young females and was surprised to learn this was common. So I stepped out of my comfort zone and started talking about this with my peer group. If ovarian cysts are common, we should openly speak about symptoms and treatment without feeling embarrassed or alone. During my cross-country team meetings, I discussed menstrual issues with my teammates so they would not feel alone. I began a birth control pill post-surgery. I also continued to share my story with my peers to help prevent any negative stigma about birth control. I wanted to educate my peers on treatment options for female health matters, so they felt more empowered with their bodies. After this experience, I realized how scary it is to go through a medical procedure without warning. I learned I wanted to help others feel comfortable and safe while asking medical questions because of my experience with my doctor. She treated me with respect and valued my opinion. She took the time to educate me and answer all my questions. My personal health experience created a passion in me that I never knew existed and opened my eyes to working in the healthcare field. One of my most vital traits is compassion, and I want to use that as a building block in providing medical care. I plan to advocate for others to share feelings and ask questions as they are active participants in their healthcare. I believe that a safe, open environment will turn the doors for better healthcare for all. In addition, my work ethic has continued to drive me to work hard to obtain my academic grades. Knowing I would need to put in hard work to become a nurse, I feel I have practiced these skills, so I am ready to learn a new field. Finally, having the drive to continue learning has expanded my passion for the medical field. The medical field is constantly evolving and growing, and I would like to take these advancements to educate patients on treatment options. By obtaining my bachelors in nursing, then proceeding onto my master’s, I can accomplish my goal of becoming a pediatric nurse practitioner. My medical past may have begun as a scary situation, but it has given me a passion for helping and educating others that I can use to impact the nursing profession.

I am a first-generation baccalaureate college graduate. Reflecting on where I have come from has made me appreciate all the hard work my family has done to help prepare me for college. My parents did not have an opportunity to attend a four-year college. My dad was in the military and received orders to move overseas at a young age. At that time, my parents married and went together. It was my mom's dream to attend school in Germany, but additional life obstacles arose, and she could not attend. So for me to attend a four-year university is not only a dream of mine but a way to honor my mom and dad for the sacrifice they made at such a young age. My dad was able to dedicate his life to his country, and I want to honor that dedication by graduating from a university. I have seen how my parent's opportunities have been limited without a four-year degree, and I want a chance to continue to make a difference by using the education I receive. My parents sacrificed at a young age, which impacted my family's overall financial readiness for college. Even with the lack of a college degree, my family has always worked to create a strong support system to help me with my academic dreams. Knowing my family has supported me educationally, I have been able to dedicate my time to achieving a 4.3 GPA, completing service work in my community, and participating in athletics. During my journey to find a college, I have found it significantly limiting the aid available and the overall cost much higher than anticipated. I want to use this opportunity to become the first person in my family to attend college and obtain financial assistance to help my family with their financial contribution. I need financial assistance to realize what has been a long-term goal for me and a dream for my parents. By continuing with the core values my parents have instilled in me, education, service to my community, and reaching for my goals, I know receiving this scholarship will allow me the time and resources needed to focus on my education. With the help of my parents and the merit aid I earned through Saint Louis University, I have begun to prepare myself for financing my college experience. But with the total cost, I still need additional aid. By attending SLU, I will be able to work directly with a major children's hospital and work with one of the only pediatric NP programs in the nation. With this scholarship, I hope to obtain my dream of becoming a pediatric nurse practitioner.

Happiness comes in many forms and different ways to everyone. Spending time with family and friends is what speaks to my inner happiness. I have been fortunate to have an active family, that plans game nights, Sunday dinners with friends or vacations. Getting to experience something new and fun with family and friends, has created memories that will last a lifetime. Taking time to reflect on these memories, allows me to experience continued happiness. One of my most memorable moments, was visiting Alaska with my family and a family friend. Having both my own family and best friend's family, we experienced so many challenges and fun adventures together. Time contributes to happiness by giving us something we never had before. Hiking on a glacier, kayaking in the ocean to a glacier or road side restaurants to eat at, left me with moments of laughter, love and happiness. Now when I spend time reflecting on this experience, it continues to provide me with long term happiness that will last for years.

As a 15-year-old girl, my understanding of the female body was somewhat limited. My mom explained how the female body works, but I rarely spoke about it with my peers as it felt taboo. Being an active runner meant my body sometimes reacted to puberty differently than the “normal” teenage girl, but I believed everything I felt was just how it was supposed to be. However, it was in the late summer of my sophomore year, everything changed. After speaking to my mom several times about the pain and vomiting I experienced with my menstrual cycle, we visited an OB/GYN nurse practitioner to discuss my symptoms. After a short discussion, it was recommended I begin a birth control pill, and I was ordered to have an ultrasound before starting the prescription. While this was surprising to me, I remember the words clearly from my mom, “This is normal and routine.” Once the practitioner returned, we were delivered news we were not expecting. I had an ovarian cyst. I was immediately referred to an advanced provider to discuss treatment options. I was terrified. I had to undergo surgery and recovery. Everything happened so fast. I began researching ovarian cysts in young females and was surprised to learn this was common. So I stepped out of my comfort zone and started talking about this with my peer group. If ovarian cysts are common, we should openly speak about symptoms and treatment without feeling embarrassed or alone. During my cross-country team meetings, I discussed menstrual issues with my teammates so they would not feel alone. I began a birth control pill post-surgery. I also continued to share my story with my peers to help prevent any negative stigma about birth control. I wanted to educate my peers on treatment options for female health matters, so they felt more empowered with their bodies. After this experience, I realized how scary it is to go through a medical procedure without warning. I learned I wanted to help others feel comfortable and safe while asking medical questions because of my experience with my doctor. She treated me with respect and valued my opinion. She took the time to educate me and answer all my questions. As I discovered this new interest and passion, I decided to look for local avenues to make a small difference. I became a volunteer through the Carle Clinic Student Volunteer Program. Greeting patients, giving instructions, and helping direct patients, allowed me to fulfill a need requested by local healthcare facilities and interact with patients. My personal health experience created a passion in me that I never knew existed. That experience has driven me to create a platform to discuss female health issues. Most recently, I have used my position as a leader in my high school Freshman Mentor Program to create a safe place for sharing and discussing questions. I am taking medical classes at Parkland College to further my education and look forward to the next step in my path to become a nurse. With that degree, I plan to advocate for others to share feelings and ask questions as they are active participants in their healthcare. I believe that a safe, open environment will turn the doors for better healthcare for all. My medical past may have begun as a scary situation, but it has given me a passion for helping and educating others that I can use to impact the nursing profession.

As a 15-year-old girl, my understanding of the female body was somewhat limited. My mom explained how the female body works, but I rarely spoke about it with my peers as it felt taboo. Being an active runner meant my body sometimes reacted to puberty differently than the “normal” teenage girl, but I believed everything I felt was just how it was supposed to be. However, it was in the late summer of my sophomore year, everything changed. After speaking to my mom several times about the pain and vomiting I experienced with my menstrual cycle, we visited an OB/GYN nurse practitioner to discuss my symptoms. After a short discussion, it was recommended I begin a birth control pill, and I was ordered to have an ultrasound before starting the prescription. While this was surprising to me, I remember the words clearly from my mom, “This is normal and routine.” Once the practitioner returned, we were delivered news we were not expecting. I had an ovarian cyst. I was immediately referred to an advanced provider to discuss treatment options. I was terrified. I had to undergo surgery and recovery. Everything happened so fast. I began researching ovarian cysts in young females and was surprised to learn this was common. So I stepped out of my comfort zone and started talking about this with my peer group. If ovarian cysts are common, we should openly speak about symptoms and treatment without feeling embarrassed or alone. During my cross-country team meetings, I discussed menstrual issues with my teammates so they would not feel alone. I began a birth control pill post-surgery. I also continued to share my story with my peers to help prevent any negative stigma about birth control. I wanted to educate my peers on treatment options for female health matters, so they felt more empowered with their bodies. After this experience, I realized how scary it is to go through a medical procedure without warning. I learned I wanted to help others feel comfortable and safe while asking medical questions because of my experience with my doctor. She treated me with respect and valued my opinion. She took the time to educate me and answer all my questions. My personal health experience created a passion in me that I never knew existed. That experience has driven me to create a platform to discuss female health issues and become a nurse. I want to work directly with pediatric patients, specifically educating young females how their body works and give them the tools to be advocates of their own health. I believe that a safe, open environment will turn the doors for better healthcare for all. My medical past may have begun as a scary situation, but it has given me a passion for helping and educating others that I can use to impact the nursing profession.

As a 15-year-old girl, my understanding of the female body was somewhat limited. My mom explained how the female body works, but I rarely spoke about it with my peers as it felt taboo. However, it was in the late summer of my sophomore year, everything changed. After speaking to my mom several times about the pain and vomiting I experienced with my menstrual cycle, we visited an OB/GYN nurse practitioner to discuss my symptoms. After a short discussion, we were delivered news we were not expecting. I had an ovarian cyst. I was immediately referred to an advanced provider to discuss treatment options. After this experience, I realized how scary it is to go through a medical procedure without warning. I learned I wanted to help others feel comfortable and safe while asking medical questions because of my experience with my doctor. She treated me with respect and valued my opinion. She took the time to educate me and answer all my questions. My personal health experience created a passion in me that I never knew existed. That experience has driven me to create a platform to discuss female health issues. I am taking medical classes at Parkland College to further my education and look forward to the next step in my path to become a nurse. With that degree, I plan to advocate for others to share feelings and ask questions as they are active participants in their healthcare. I believe that a safe, open environment will turn the doors for better healthcare for all. My medical past may have begun as a scary situation, but it has given me a passion for helping and educating others that I can use to impact the nursing profession.

As a 15-year-old girl, my understanding of the female body was somewhat limited. My mom explained how the female body works, but I rarely spoke about it with my peers as it felt taboo. However, it was in the late summer of my sophomore year, everything changed. After speaking to my mom several times about the pain and vomiting I experienced with my menstrual cycle, we visited an OB/GYN nurse practitioner to discuss my symptoms. After a short discussion, we were delivered news we were not expecting. I had an ovarian cyst. I was immediately referred to an advanced provider to discuss treatment options. After this experience, I realized how scary it is to go through a medical procedure without warning. I learned I wanted to help others feel comfortable and safe while asking medical questions because of my experience with my doctor. She treated me with respect and valued my opinion. She took the time to educate me and answer all my questions. My personal health experience created a passion in me that I never knew existed. That experience has driven me to create a platform to discuss female health issues. I am taking medical classes at Parkland College to further my education and look forward to the next step in my path to become a nurse. With that degree, I plan to advocate for others to share feelings and ask questions as they are active participants in their healthcare. I believe that a safe, open environment will turn the doors for better healthcare for all. My medical past may have begun as a scary situation, but it has given me a passion for helping and educating others that I can use to impact the nursing profession.

Compassion is something that I have not always loved about myself, but when I finally learned what made me unique, I was able to use it as one of my strengths. Learning to love yourself is a challenging task to face when every day we are bombarded by pictures, ads, and videos on social media, making each of us feel less than we are. I have always felt deeply for others, and sometimes that has taken a toll on my mental health. During my sophomore year, I finally hit a wall with my mental health and reached out to a mental health professional. I not only learned in my sessions to love myself but to find what was unique about myself and use it as a strength. Using my compassion for others, I have shared my stories and struggles with mental health and built confidence in those around me to feel comfortable expressing their struggles. Seeing how my friends struggled around me, I knew I wanted to help. Creating an open forum for discussions on how we think about ourselves makes a stronger sense of self-love because we realize we are not alone. Social media has influenced how we perceive ourselves and others, and by turning inward, we can find what makes us unique and learn to love it.

With each footstrike hitting the course, I heard thoughts to run faster, beat the runner next to me, but I could not make my body move any quicker. As a freshman runner, I was in the top 3-4 runners on my team, but I was struggling to keep my spot on the varsity team by my junior year. I kept asking myself, what had changed, but could never answer the question. I had trained more during my junior year than in previous years, I knew the courses as a veteran runner and should have had more confidence, but my mental strength had just crashed. By the end of the season, I was having panic attacks at races, running slower and slower, and mentally defeated. I knew I needed to take a break from the pressures of competing but did not want to give up. After our season ended, I took a month off and then decided to begin running again, but for a different purpose. Instead of running to win a race or beat another runner, I began running for myself. I started training for a half marathon to prove I was stronger than I realized. I set goals for my training plan and did not focus on pace or winning, but more about the experience of running or the moment I was in. I crossed the finish of my first half marathon at a local park, with no time clock, no pressure, but a newfound love of running again. I took that motivation into my next season, competed at the varsity level again, and enjoyed each race.

As a 15-year-old, my understanding of the female body was somewhat limited. My sophomore year everything changed. After speaking to my mom several times about the pain I experienced with my menstrual cycle, we visited a nurse practitioner to discuss my symptoms. After a short discussion, we were delivered news we were not expecting. I had an ovarian cyst. After this experience, I realized how scary it is to go through a medical procedure without warning. I learned I wanted to help others feel comfortable and safe while asking medical questions because of my doctor. She treated me with respect and valued my opinion. She took the time to educate me and answer all my questions. My personal health experience created a passion in me that I never knew existed. I look forward to the next step in my path to become a nurse. With a nursing degree, I plan to advocate for others to share and ask questions as they are active participants in their healthcare. My medical past may have begun as a scary situation, but it has given me a passion for helping and educating others that I can use to impact the nursing profession. I plan to achieve this goal by attending a 4-year university with a path to become a pediatric nurse practitioner. I have set smaller goals so I stay on track to reaching my dream. First step was to be admitted to a direct admin nursing program, which I have accomplished. By working on my next step, to fund my education, I will continue to support my passion of giving back to the medical community.

I have always been a person that loves adventure and experiences. The memory of an experience can stay with you for a lifetime, where material items come and go. I feel very fortunate I have had many experiences in nature and helped me realize the great expanse our world has to offer. Being nature for me, allows me to reflect on a bigger understanding of life, not just the "daily grind" or worries that accompany it. As I stepped onto the glacier, I questioned whether I could make it to the top. Hiking Exit Glacier in Alaska, was one of my most memorable moments. Learning to appreciate what the world has created, is a beautiful thing and seeing it from the top of a glacier was amazing. Hiking large mountains has always called to me, but not in the same way the ocean has. Getting to surf on the North Shore of Oahu, for this small town Illinoisan, was not only breathtaking, but physically challenging. I do not get the opportunity to surf living in Illinois often, but when the opportunity came my way to experience Hawaii in it's true form, I jumped at it. Being out in the ocean and just feeling the energy was one of the most exciting things I have ever done. And finally standing and hitting that wave, proved to me I could accomplish anything. So where is my next adventure? I still have sky diving, swimming in ocean by the Greek islands and getting my college education. I will be a first generation graduate for my family, so not only do I want to continue my pursuit of adventure, reaching my academic goals is a must as well!

Encouraging those around me has become a passion for me. I became a Freshman Mentor at my High School to have the opportunity to help new students to my school. My generation has a hard time learning to connect with their peers, so one way I have learned to encourage those around me is by listening more and encouraging them to share their stories. Sometimes we must take a step out of our comfort zone and share struggles and obstacles so others can learn from us and feel comfortable to share. By sharing my own experiences with high school, I have built strong relationships with incoming first-year students and thought they have been more willing to share their struggles. Creating a safe environment for others to share allows me the opportunity to encourage them through their efforts and be a supportive listening ear. An environment with no judgment is hard to achieve in this era of social media. Still, meeting with others face to face, sharing stories, and supporting them through decisions, I have been able to help the transition of freshmen into my high school.

Living in gratitude can a challenge for my generation I believe. I feel very fortunate for the opportunities I have received, not only academically, but in life. My parents taught me at a young age, we need to take time to appreciate what we have. People have a tendency to overlook what experiences or gifts they have been given, so enjoying the time I have has helped me learn to appreciate the opportunities I have received. Not hurrying through moments, wishing for the next step or not being mentally present, contributes to overlooking the current. By staying focused on the current, I have learned to appreciate the experience of the present and not build anxiety and worry about the next moment. Each person has unique experiences and challenges with life, but by learning to live in the present moment, I have learned to appreciate the gifts life has given me and appreciate the relationships I have.

Bucket list, I know life has so many adventures, so to have one set list maybe impossible. It is an ever changing and evolving list. I have always been a person that loves adventure and experiences. The memory of an experience can stay with you for a lifetime, where material items come and go. I feel very fortunate I have had many experiences that have been on my bucket list thus far. As I stepped foot onto the glacier, I questioned whether I could make it to the top. Hiking Exit Glacier in Alaska, was one of my most memorable moments. Not only did I complete the hike, but I was able to experience this adventure with my best friend. Learning to appreciate what the world has created, is a beautiful thing and seeing it from the top of a glacier was amazing. Hiking large mountains has always called to me, but not in the same way the ocean has. Getting to surf on the North Shore of Oahu, for this small town Illinoisan, was not only breathtaking, but physically challenging. I do not get the opportunity to surf living in Illinois often, but when the opportunity came my way to experience Hawaii in it's true form, I jumped at it. Being out in the ocean and just feeling the energy was one of the most exciting things I have ever done. And finally standing and hitting that wave, proved to me I could accomplish anything. So where is my next adventure? I still have sky diving, swimming in ocean by the Greek islands and getting my college education. I will be a first generation graduate for my family, so not only do I want to continue my pursuit of adventure, reaching my academic goals is a must as well!

Perfection is what is expected, right? I needed to get straight A's, be the fastest runner on my team, or be the most outgoing in social situations. My internal voice kept telling me I was not good enough. The constant pressure led to panic attacks, social anxiety, crying, and mental defeat. With all of this pressure, I finally hit a wall. I knew I needed to take a step in a direction to help my mental health. I scheduled an appointment with a mental health professional. The high expectations I set was beating me down. I thought if I had reached these expectations, I would be happy, but by putting that level of pressure on myself, I was reaching for an unattainable goal because perfection is something that only lives in social media or perceptions. By opening doors for people to talk more about mental health, it will create a safe environment for people to share. I learned through my therapy sessions, taking a moment to listen to others, slow down and think through decisions, took some of the pressure away from life. I think creating support groups for all ages to discuss mental health obstacles would allow society to learn to better support those that struggle with daily decisions. We have to not be scared to share our stories and take a step to learn to love ourselves and succeed in our environment.

Perfection is what is expected, right? I need to get straight A's, be the fastest runner on my cross-country team, or be the most outgoing in group social situations. As I heard my feet pounding on the pavement, step after step, mile after mile, my mind always wandered to thoughts, how can I be better? Am I a disappointment? Can I do more? I was going down a dangerous path for my mental health, but I did not know how to stop it. My mind felt like one of my runs, going faster and faster, out of my control. My sophomore year began like every other year. Then during a routine doctor's appointment, I found out I needed surgery. I knew this would set me back during my cross-country season; this was not an option. I put in the miles, did the work; I could not accept this failure. After my surgery, I kept putting more pressure on myself to perform during my meets, keep my grades perfect, and handle group social situations. With all of this pressure, I finally hit a wall. My internal voice kept telling me I was a failure. I was not good enough. The constant pressure led to panic attacks, tiredness, social anxiety, crying, and mental defeat. I knew I needed to take a step in a direction to help me learn to manage my stress. Halfway through my sophomore year, I took that step and scheduled an appointment with a mental health professional. I needed to learn to self-evaluate why I felt I had disappointed my coaches, parents, or myself. The high expectations I set in my athletic abilities, school performance, or group social situations was beating me down mentally. I thought if I had reached the highest level of success in all these areas, I would be happy, but by putting that level of pressure on myself, I was reaching for an unattainable goal because perfection is something that only lives in social media or perceptions. During my therapy sessions, I learned how to look past my grades, how to be satisfied with my time from a race, and how to reflect upon how I acted during social situations. I had to learn what defined me and made me unique and learn to love those qualities. I have accepted who I am, which includes imperfections. I set myself up for success by talking through situations that can be stressful, preparing for academic challenges in advance, but knowing as long as I am giving it my best effort, I am successful. I have been applying these skills to being a freshman mentor and supporting new incoming students to feel more confident in who they are. Society creates images that we must look a certain way, act a certain way, or achieve certain goals, but through therapy, I learned to appreciate myself for who I am. Over the past two years, I have overcome my social anxiety and learned how to manage my mental stress. I now focus on myself and what I want out of life, instead of false expectations. I don’t focus on failing but on working hard every time. By doing so, my grades have improved, I have learned to love running again, and my mental health has become stronger. Now when I listen to my feet pound the pavement for a run, it is for me -- the steps I take are for me. Where my next steps take me will be an adventure, and I can confidently say I am ready for my next challenge.

As a 15-year-old girl, my understanding of the female body was somewhat limited. My mom explained how the female body works, but I rarely spoke about it with my peers as it felt taboo. However, it was in the late summer of my sophomore year, everything changed. After speaking to my mom several times about the pain and vomiting I experienced with my menstrual cycle, we visited an OB/GYN nurse practitioner to discuss my symptoms. After a short discussion, we were delivered news we were not expecting. I had an ovarian cyst. I was immediately referred to an advanced provider to discuss treatment options. After this experience, I realized how scary it is to go through a medical procedure without warning. I learned I wanted to help others feel comfortable and safe while asking medical questions because of my experience with my doctor. She treated me with respect and valued my opinion. She took the time to educate me and answer all my questions. My personal health experience created a passion in me that I never knew existed. That experience has driven me to create a platform to discuss female health issues. I am taking medical classes at Parkland College to further my education and look forward to the next step in my path to become a nurse. With that degree, I plan to advocate for others to share feelings and ask questions as they are active participants in their healthcare. I believe that a safe, open environment will turn the doors for better healthcare for all. My medical past may have begun as a scary situation, but it has given me a passion for helping and educating others that I can use to impact the nursing profession.

As a 15-year-old girl, my understanding of the female body was somewhat limited. My mom explained how the female body works, but I rarely spoke about it with my peers as it felt taboo. However, it was in the late summer of my sophomore year, everything changed. After speaking to my mom several times about the pain and vomiting I experienced with my menstrual cycle, we visited an OB/GYN nurse practitioner to discuss my symptoms. After a short discussion, we were delivered news we were not expecting. I had an ovarian cyst. I was immediately referred to an advanced provider to discuss treatment options. After this experience, I realized how scary it is to go through a medical procedure without warning. I learned I wanted to help others feel comfortable and safe while asking medical questions because of my experience with my doctor. She treated me with respect and valued my opinion. She took the time to educate me and answer all my questions. My personal health experience created a passion in me that I never knew existed. That experience has driven me to create a platform to discuss female health issues. I am taking medical classes at Parkland College to further my education and look forward to the next step in my path to become a nurse. With that degree, I plan to advocate for others to share feelings and ask questions as they are active participants in their healthcare. I believe that a safe, open environment will turn the doors for better healthcare for all. My medical past may have begun as a scary situation, but it has given me a passion for helping and educating others that I can use to impact the nursing profession.

My sophomore year began like every other year. Then during a routine doctor's appointment, I found out I needed surgery. After my surgery, I kept putting pressure on myself to perform during my meets, have perfect grades, and handle group social situations. My internal voice kept telling me I was a failure and not good enough. The constant pressure led to panic attacks, social anxiety, crying, and mental defeat. I knew I needed to take a step to help me learn to manage my stress. I scheduled an appointment with a mental health professional. I needed to self-evaluate why I felt I had disappointed my coaches, parents, or myself. The high expectations I set in my athletic abilities, school performance, and group social situations were beating me down mentally. I thought if I had reached the highest level of success in all these areas, I would be happy, but by putting that level of pressure on myself, I was reaching for an unattainable goal of perfectionism. During my therapy sessions, I learned how to look past grades, athletic performance, and how I acted during social situations. I had to know what defined me and made me unique and learn to love those qualities. I have accepted who I am, which includes imperfections. Society creates images that we must look or act a certain way or achieve specific goals, but through therapy, I learned to appreciate myself for who I am. Over the past two years, I have overcome my social anxiety and learned how to manage my mental stress. I now focus on myself and what I want out of life instead of false expectations. By doing so, my grades have improved, I have learned to love athletics again, and my mental health has become stronger.

Perfection is what is expected, right? I need to get straight A's, be the fastest runner on my cross-country team, or be the most outgoing in group social situations. As I heard my feet pounding on the pavement, step after step, mile after mile, my mind always wandered to thoughts, how can I be better? Am I a disappointment? Can I do more? I was going down a dangerous path for my mental health, but I did not know how to stop it. My mind felt like one of my runs, going faster and faster, out of my control. My sophomore year began like every other year. I pushed and trained for cross-country all summer, practiced for my driver's license, and watched my sister. Then during a routine doctor's appointment, I found out I needed surgery. I knew this would set me back during my cross-country season; this was not an option. I put in the miles, did the work; I could not accept this failure. After my surgery, I kept putting more pressure on myself to perform during my meets, keep my grades perfect, and handle group social situations. With all of this pressure, I finally hit a wall. My internal voice kept telling me I was a failure. I was not good enough. The constant pressure led to panic attacks, tiredness, social anxiety, crying, and mental defeat. I knew I needed to take a step in a direction to help me learn to manage my stress. Halfway through my sophomore year, I took that step and scheduled an appointment with a mental health professional. I needed to learn to self-evaluate why I felt I had disappointed my coaches, parents, or myself. The high expectations I set in my athletic abilities, school performance, or group social situations was beating me down mentally. I thought if I had reached the highest level of success in all these areas, I would be happy, but by putting that level of pressure on myself, I was reaching for an unattainable goal because perfection is something that only lives in social media or perceptions. During my therapy sessions, I learned how to look past my grades, how to be satisfied with my time from a race, and how to reflect upon how I acted during social situations. I had to learn what defined me and made me unique and learn to love those qualities. I have accepted who I am, which includes imperfections. I set myself up for success by talking through situations that can be stressful, preparing for academic challenges in advance, but knowing as long as I am giving it my best effort, I am successful. Society creates images that we must look a certain way, act a certain way, or achieve certain goals, but through therapy, I learned to appreciate myself for who I am. Over the past two years, I have overcome my social anxiety and learned how to manage my mental stress. I now focus on myself and what I want out of life, instead of false expectations. I don’t focus on failing but on working hard every time. By doing so, my grades have improved, I have learned to love running again, and my mental health has become stronger. Now when I listen to my feet pound the pavement for a run, it is for me -- the steps I take are for me. Where my next steps take me will be an adventure, and I can confidently say I am ready for my next challenge.

Perfection is what is expected, right? I need to get straight A's, be the fastest runner on my cross-country team, or be the most outgoing in group social situations. As I heard my feet pounding on the pavement, step after step, mile after mile, my mind always wandered to thoughts, how can I be better? Am I a disappointment? Can I do more? I was going down a dangerous path for my mental health, but I did not know how to stop it. My mind felt like one of my runs, going faster and faster, out of my control. My sophomore year began like every other year. I pushed and trained for cross-country all summer, practiced for my driver's license, and watched my sister. My summer was perfect; I worked hard. Then during a routine doctor's appointment, I found out I needed surgery. I knew this would set me back during my cross-country season; this was not an option. I put in the miles, did the work; I could not accept this failure. After my surgery, I kept putting more pressure on myself to perform during my meets, keep my grades perfect, and handle group social situations. With all of this pressure, I finally hit a wall. My internal voice kept telling me I was a failure. I was not good enough. The constant pressure led to panic attacks, tiredness, social anxiety, crying, and mental defeat. I knew I needed to take a step in a direction to help me learn to manage my stress. Halfway through my sophomore year, I took that step and scheduled an appointment with a mental health professional. I needed to learn to self-evaluate why I felt I had disappointed my coaches, parents, or myself. The high expectations I set in my athletic abilities, school performance, or group social situations was beating me down mentally. I thought if I had reached the highest level of success in all these areas, I would be happy, but by putting that level of pressure on myself, I was reaching for an unattainable goal because perfection is something that only lives in social media or perceptions. During my therapy sessions, I learned how to look past my grades, how to be satisfied with my time from a race, and how to reflect upon how I acted during social situations. I had to learn what defined me and made me unique and learn to love those qualities. I have accepted who I am, which includes imperfections. I set myself up for success by talking through situations that can be stressful, preparing for academic challenges in advance, but knowing as long as I am giving it my best effort, I am successful. I have been applying these skills to being a freshman mentor and supporting new incoming students to feel more confident in who they are. Society creates images that we must look a certain way, act a certain way, or achieve certain goals, but through therapy, I learned to appreciate myself for who I am. Over the past two years, I have overcome my social anxiety and learned how to manage my mental stress. I now focus on myself and what I want out of life, instead of false expectations. I don’t focus on failing but on working hard every time. By doing so, my grades have improved, I have learned to love running again, and my mental health has become stronger. Now when I listen to my feet pound the pavement for a run, it is for me -- the steps I take are for me. Where my next steps take me will be an adventure, and I can confidently say I am ready for my next challenge.

Perfection is what is expected, right? I need to get straight A's, be the fastest runner on my cross-country team, or be the most outgoing in group social situations. As I heard my feet pounding on the pavement, step after step, mile after mile, my mind always wandered to thoughts, how can I be better? Am I a disappointment? Can I do more? I was going down a dangerous path for my mental health, but I did not know how to stop it. My mind felt like one of my runs, going faster and faster, out of my control. My sophomore year began like every other year. I pushed and trained for cross-country all summer, practiced for my driver's license, and watched my sister. My summer was perfect; I worked hard. Then during a routine doctor's appointment, I found out I needed surgery. I knew this would set me back during my cross-country season; this was not an option. I put in the miles, did the work; I could not accept this failure. After my surgery, I kept putting more pressure on myself to perform during my meets, keep my grades perfect, and handle group social situations. With all of this pressure, I finally hit a wall. My internal voice kept telling me I was a failure. I was not good enough. The constant pressure led to panic attacks, tiredness, social anxiety, crying, and mental defeat. I knew I needed to take a step in a direction to help me learn to manage my stress. Halfway through my sophomore year, I took that step and scheduled an appointment with a mental health professional. I needed to learn to self-evaluate why I felt I had disappointed my coaches, parents, or myself. The high expectations I set in my athletic abilities, school performance, or group social situations was beating me down mentally. I thought if I had reached the highest level of success in all these areas, I would be happy, but by putting that level of pressure on myself, I was reaching for an unattainable goal because perfection is something that only lives in social media or perceptions. During my therapy sessions, I learned how to look past my grades, how to be satisfied with my time from a race, and how to reflect upon how I acted during social situations. I had to learn what defined me and made me unique and learn to love those qualities. I have accepted who I am, which includes imperfections. I set myself up for success by talking through situations that can be stressful, preparing for academic challenges in advance, but knowing as long as I am giving it my best effort, I am successful. I have been applying these skills to being a freshman mentor and supporting new incoming students to feel more confident in who they are. Society creates images that we must look a certain way, act a certain way, or achieve certain goals, but through therapy, I learned to appreciate myself for who I am. Over the past two years, I have overcome my social anxiety and learned how to manage my mental stress. I now focus on myself and what I want out of life, instead of false expectations. I don’t focus on failing but on working hard every time. By doing so, my grades have improved, I have learned to love running again, and my mental health has become stronger. Now when I listen to my feet pound the pavement for a run, it is for me -- the steps I take are for me. Where my next steps take me will be an adventure, and I can confidently say I am ready for my next challenge.

Perfection is what is expected, right? I need to get straight A's, be the fastest runner on my cross-country team, or be the most outgoing in group social situations. As I heard my feet pounding on the pavement, step after step, mile after mile, my mind always wandered to thoughts, how can I be better? Am I a disappointment? Can I do more? I was going down a dangerous path for my mental health, but I did not know how to stop it. My mind felt like one of my runs, going faster and faster, out of my control. My sophomore year began like every other year. Then during a routine doctor's appointment, I found out I needed surgery. I knew this would set me back during my cross-country season; this was not an option. I put in the miles, did the work; I could not accept this failure. After my surgery, I kept putting more pressure on myself to perform during my meets, keep my grades perfect, and handle group social situations. With all of this pressure, I finally hit a wall. My internal voice kept telling me I was a failure. I was not good enough. The constant pressure led to panic attacks, tiredness, social anxiety, crying, and mental defeat. I knew I needed to take a step in a direction to help me learn to manage my stress. Halfway through my sophomore year, I took that step and scheduled an appointment with a mental health professional. I needed to learn to self-evaluate why I felt I had disappointed my coaches, parents, or myself. The high expectations I set in my athletic abilities, school performance, or group social situations was beating me down mentally. I thought if I had reached the highest level of success in all these areas, I would be happy, but by putting that level of pressure on myself, I was reaching for an unattainable goal because perfection is something that only lives in social media or perceptions. During my therapy sessions, I learned how to look past my grades, how to be satisfied with my time from a race, and how to reflect upon how I acted during social situations. I had to learn what defined me and made me unique and learn to love those qualities. I have accepted who I am, which includes imperfections. I set myself up for success by talking through situations that can be stressful, preparing for academic challenges in advance, but knowing as long as I am giving it my best effort, I am successful. I have been applying these skills to being a freshman mentor and supporting new incoming students to feel more confident in who they are. Society creates images that we must look a certain way, act a certain way, or achieve certain goals, but through therapy, I learned to appreciate myself for who I am. Over the past two years, I have overcome my social anxiety and learned how to manage my mental stress. I now focus on myself and what I want out of life, instead of false expectations. I don’t focus on failing but on working hard every time. By doing so, my grades have improved, I have learned to love running again, and my mental health has become stronger. Now when I listen to my feet pound the pavement for a run, it is for me -- the steps I take are for me. Where my next steps take me will be an adventure, and I can confidently say I am ready for my next challenge.

My sophomore year began like every other year. Then during a routine doctor's appointment, I found out I needed surgery. After my surgery, I kept putting pressure on myself to perform during my meets, have perfect grades, and handle group social situations. My internal voice kept telling me I was a failure and not good enough. The constant pressure led to panic attacks, social anxiety, crying, and mental defeat. I knew I needed to take a step to help me learn to manage my stress. I scheduled an appointment with a mental health professional. I needed to self-evaluate why I felt I had disappointed my coaches, parents, or myself. The high expectations I set in my athletic abilities, school performance, and group social situations were beating me down mentally. I thought if I had reached the highest level of success in all these areas, I would be happy, but by putting that level of pressure on myself, I was reaching for an unattainable goal of perfectionism. During my therapy sessions, I learned how to look past grades, athletic performance, and how I acted during social situations. I had to know what defined me and made me unique and learn to love those qualities. I have accepted who I am, which includes imperfections. Society creates images that we must look or act a certain way or achieve specific goals, but through therapy, I learned to appreciate myself for who I am. Over the past two years, I have overcome my social anxiety and learned how to manage my mental stress. I now focus on myself and what I want out of life instead of false expectations. By doing so, my grades have improved, I have learned to love athletics again, and my mental health has become stronger.