Growing up, my mom was not just my parent; she was my biggest supporter, protector, and role model. My dad left when I was two and a half years old, leaving my mom to raise me as a single mother. I watched her face challenges that no parent should have to face alone. She worked multiple jobs, managed my health problems, supported me through difficult experiences, and somehow continued to put one foot in front of the other. Watching my mom sacrifice so much for me taught me what hard work, resilience, and unconditional love truly mean. As a child, I was diagnosed with Eosinophilic Esophagitis, also known as EOE. My condition required frequent medical care, including trips to Boston Children’s Hospital, which was about five hours away from our home. These trips were difficult and exhausting, but my mom never complained about having to make the journey. She always made sure I received the care I needed. EOE also made everyday life challenging because I had numerous food allergies and needed specialty foods. I remember going to the grocery store with my mom and seeing how expensive the food I needed was. There were times when she would cry because she was worried about how she was going to afford everything. I later realized that there were many times when my mom went without things she needed so that I could have the food and care I needed. As a child, I did not fully understand the sacrifices she was making, but as I have grown older, I understand how much she gave up for me. My grandparents watch me a lot and I am grateful that I had them, but I also remember seeing how hard my mom worked to put food on the table and give me a good life. She was constantly tired and under pressure, yet she continued to show up for me. As I got older, I began to recognize that my mom had struggles of her own. I saw her experience sadness, depression, and moments when she cried because life felt overwhelming but she never gave up. When I experienced childhood trauma, it affected both of us deeply. My mom made sure I received counseling and worked alongside my counselor and me to help me learn coping skills and begin feeling better. She did not just tell me to get help; she was there every step of the way. Later, I was diagnosed with Tourette’s, creating another challenge for our family. There were more doctors’ appointments, more questions, and more appointments. During my freshman year of high school, I experienced severe bullying because of my tics. I struggled with anxiety and depression and eventually made an attempt to take my own life. My mom never gave up on me. She found another therapist and made sure I attended counseling twice a week. No matter how stressed or exhausted she was, she continued to fight for me. Watching my mom overcome so many challenges has shaped the person I am today. She taught me that being strong does not mean never struggling. Her example taught me to work hard, persevere, and never give up on myself or the people I love. Today, I am attending college, playing a college sport, and working toward my degree in Psychology. I want to help others the way my counselor helped me, but I also want to make my mom proud. My mom gave me more than a childhood; she gave me an example of what resilience looks like. Her strength continues to inspire me every day.

Throughout my life, I have faced adversity in many different forms. From being sick as a young child to experiencing trauma, bullying, and struggles with my mental health, there have been many moments when I felt different, alone, and unsure of my future. Although these experiences have been some of the hardest parts of my life, they have also helped shape the person I am today. They have taught me resilience, the importance of asking for help, and the value of being there for others. When I was young, I was diagnosed with Eosinophilic Esophagitis, a disease that caused me to experience significant sickness and many food allergies. Because I was allergic to so many foods, I often felt left out of things that other children could enjoy without thinking twice. Birthday parties and social events were difficult because people were sometimes uncomfortable having me around due to my allergies and medical needs. As a child, it was difficult to understand why I could not always participate like everyone else. I often felt different and isolated, and those feelings stayed with me as I grew older. As I got older, I experienced trauma that left me feeling helpless and struggling to see my own worth. Around junior high, I reached a point where I was having a very difficult time emotionally and felt like my life was not worth living. My mom encouraged me to try counseling. At first, I was scared because talking about my experiences and feelings with someone was uncomfortable. However, I decided to give counseling a chance, and it ended up changing my life. My counselor helped me understand my emotions, work through my experiences, and develop healthy coping skills. For the first time, I began to understand that I did not have to face everything alone. After several years of doing well, I faced another major challenge during my freshman year of high school. I was diagnosed with Tourette’s, and I struggled to understand my diagnosis and the involuntary movements and tics that came with it. Unfortunately, some of my peers began bullying me because of my tics. The constant bullying made me feel isolated and overwhelmed. I reached an extremely low point and attempted to take my own life. After this, my mom and I met with my counselor, and I began intensive therapy twice a week. Once again, counseling helped me find hope. I began using the skills I had learned in therapy in my everyday life and worked hard to understand that my struggles did not define who I was. I learned that healing takes time and that asking for help is not a weakness. It is a strength. Since then, I have worked hard to advocate for mental health awareness. I share my story with my peers because I want others to know that it is okay to ask for help and that they do not have to struggle alone. I believe it is important to make connections with others and remind people that focusing on their mental health matters. It is okay to not be okay, and reaching out for support can be the first step toward healing. Today, I am attending college, competing as a college athlete, and studying Psychology. My experiences have given me a purpose: I want to help others the way my counselor helped me. The adversity I have faced will always be a part of my story, but it does not define me. Instead, it has given me strength, compassion, and a desire to make a difference in the lives of others.

Throughout my life, I have faced adversity in many different forms. From being sick as a young child to experiencing trauma, bullying, and struggles with my mental health, there have been many moments when I felt different, alone, and unsure of my future. Although these experiences have been some of the hardest parts of my life, they have also helped shape the person I am today. They have taught me resilience, the importance of asking for help, and the value of being there for others. When I was young, I was diagnosed with Eosinophilic Esophagitis, a disease that caused me to experience significant sickness and many food allergies. Because I was allergic to so many foods, I often felt left out of things that other children could enjoy without thinking twice. Birthday parties and social events were difficult because people were sometimes uncomfortable having me around due to my allergies and medical needs. As a child, it was difficult to understand why I could not always participate like everyone else. I often felt different and isolated, and those feelings stayed with me as I grew older. As I got older, I experienced trauma that left me feeling helpless and struggling to see my own worth. Around junior high, I reached a point where I was having a very difficult time emotionally and felt like my life was not worth living. My mom encouraged me to try counseling. At first, I was scared because talking about my experiences and feelings with someone was uncomfortable. However, I decided to give counseling a chance, and it ended up changing my life. My counselor helped me understand my emotions, work through my experiences, and develop healthy coping skills. For the first time, I began to understand that I did not have to face everything alone. After several years of doing well, I faced another major challenge during my freshman year of high school. I was diagnosed with Tourette’s, and I struggled to understand my diagnosis and the involuntary movements and tics that came with it. Unfortunately, some of my peers began bullying me because of my tics. The constant bullying made me feel isolated and overwhelmed. I reached an extremely low point and attempted to take my own life. After this, my mom and I met with my counselor, and I began intensive therapy twice a week. Once again, counseling helped me find hope. I began using the skills I had learned in therapy in my everyday life and worked hard to understand that my struggles did not define who I was. I learned that healing takes time and that asking for help is not a weakness. It is a strength. Since then, I have worked hard to advocate for mental health awareness. I share my story with my peers because I want others to know that it is okay to ask for help and that they do not have to struggle alone. I believe it is important to make connections with others and remind people that focusing on their mental health matters. It is okay to not be okay, and reaching out for support can be the first step toward healing. Today, I am attending college, competing as a college athlete, and studying Psychology. My experiences have given me a purpose: I want to help others the way my counselor helped me. The adversity I have faced will always be a part of my story, but it does not define me. Instead, it has given me strength, compassion, and a desire to make a difference in the lives of others.

Throughout my life, I have faced adversity in many different forms. From being sick as a young child to experiencing trauma, bullying, and struggles with my mental health, there have been many moments when I felt different, alone, and unsure of what my future would look like. Although these experiences have been extremely difficult, they have shaped who I am today. They have taught me resilience, compassion, the importance of asking for help, and the importance of never giving up on myself. When I was young, I was diagnosed with Eosinophilic Esophagitis, a disease that caused me to experience significant sickness and many food allergies. Because I was allergic to so many foods, I often felt left out of things other children could enjoy without thinking twice. Birthday parties and social events were difficult because people were sometimes uncomfortable having me around because of my allergies and medical needs. As a child, it was hard to understand why I could not always participate like everyone else. I often felt different and isolated, and those feelings affected the way I viewed myself and the world around me. As I grew older, I experienced trauma that left me feeling helpless and struggling with my sense of self-worth. Around junior high, I reached a point where I felt like my life was not worth living. My mom encouraged me to try counseling. At first, I was scared. Talking about painful experiences and emotions with someone I did not know was difficult, but I trusted my mom and gave it a chance. Counseling became one of the most important things in my life. My counselor helped me understand my emotions, work through my experiences, and develop healthy coping skills. I began to realize that I did not have to face everything alone. For several years, I was doing well, but my freshman year of high school brought another major challenge. I was diagnosed with Tourette’s and struggled to understand my diagnosis and the involuntary movements and tics that came with it. Unfortunately, my peers began bullying me because of my tics. Being constantly picked on made me feel isolated and overwhelmed. I reached an extremely low point and attempted to take my own life. After this, my mom and I met with my counselor, and I began intensive therapy twice a week. Once again, counseling helped me find hope. I worked hard to use the skills I had learned in therapy in my everyday life. I learned that healing takes time and that asking for help is not a weakness. It is a strength. My experiences with mental health have deeply shaped my goals and relationships. I have become more understanding of what other people may be going through, even when they do not talk about it. I have learned not to judge someone based on what I see on the outside because I know that people can be fighting battles that others know nothing about. These experiences have also taught me to value the people who support me and to be more willing to listen when someone needs help. My experiences have also shaped my future goals. I am attending college, competing as a college athlete, and studying Psychology because I want to help others the way my counselor helped me. I want to be someone who makes others feel heard, understood, and supported. Since my darkest moments, I have worked hard to advocate for mental health awareness by sharing my story with my peers. I want others to know that it is okay to ask for help and that they do not have to struggle alone. My adversity has changed the way I see the world, but it has also given me purpose. I understand that life can be difficult, but I now know that difficult moments do not have to determine my future. My experiences have given me strength, compassion, and a desire to make a difference in the lives of others.

Throughout my life, I have faced adversity in many different forms. From being sick as a young child to experiencing trauma, bullying, and struggles with my mental health, there have been many moments when I felt different, alone, and unsure of my future. Although these experiences have been some of the hardest parts of my life, they have also helped shape the person I am today. They have taught me resilience, the importance of asking for help, and the value of being there for others. When I was young, I was diagnosed with Eosinophilic Esophagitis, a disease that caused me to experience significant sickness and many food allergies. Because I was allergic to so many foods, I often felt left out of things that other children could enjoy without thinking twice. Birthday parties and social events were difficult because people were sometimes uncomfortable having me around due to my allergies and medical needs. As a child, it was difficult to understand why I could not always participate like everyone else. I often felt different and isolated, and those feelings stayed with me as I grew older. As I got older, I experienced trauma that left me feeling helpless and struggling to see my own worth. Around junior high, I reached a point where I was having a very difficult time emotionally and felt like my life was not worth living. My mom encouraged me to try counseling. At first, I was scared because talking about my experiences and feelings with someone was uncomfortable. However, I decided to give counseling a chance, and it ended up changing my life. My counselor helped me understand my emotions, work through my experiences, and develop healthy coping skills. For the first time, I began to understand that I did not have to face everything alone. After several years of doing well, I faced another major challenge during my freshman year of high school. I was diagnosed with Tourette’s, and I struggled to understand my diagnosis and the involuntary movements and tics that came with it. Unfortunately, some of my peers began bullying me because of my tics. The constant bullying made me feel isolated and overwhelmed. I reached an extremely low point and attempted to take my own life. After this, my mom and I met with my counselor, and I began intensive therapy twice a week. Once again, counseling helped me find hope. I began using the skills I had learned in therapy in my everyday life and worked hard to understand that my struggles did not define who I was. I learned that healing takes time and that asking for help is not a weakness. It is a strength. Since then, I have worked hard to advocate for mental health awareness. I share my story with my peers because I want others to know that it is okay to ask for help and that they do not have to struggle alone. I believe it is important to make connections with others and remind people that focusing on their mental health matters. It is okay to not be okay, and reaching out for support can be the first step toward healing. Today, I am attending college, competing as a college athlete, and studying Psychology. My experiences have given me a purpose: I want to help others the way my counselor helped me. The adversity I have faced will always be a part of my story, but it does not define me. Instead, it has given me strength, compassion, and a desire to make a difference in the lives of others.

My name is Grady Gervais and I am a senior at Enosburg Falls High School. I want to take the time to thank you for this opportunity and considering me for this scholarship. Growing up, school has always been closely connected to sports for me. Athletics gave me a place to grow, compete, and learn discipline, teamwork, and perseverance. Throughout high school, I have been a four-year varsity athlete in golf, baseball, and basketball. Sports have shaped who I am both on and off the field, and they have taught me the importance of commitment, leadership, and hard work. Baseball, in particular, has been a major part of my life, and I have been fortunate to receive awards recognizing my dedication and performance in the sport. Awards I have received in the past are first team lake division for baseball in 2023, 2024 and 2025, rookie of the year in 2022, and the MVP award in 2025. For basketball I received the coaches award in 2023, and 2024. I was team captain for basketball and baseball for 2024 and 2025. I am proud to say that I have committed to continue my baseball career at Hudson Valley Community College, where I will study Psychology. My experiences throughout school have inspired me to pursue a career as a school counselor. I want to be someone students can trust and turn to during difficult times, just as counselors were there for me when I needed support most during the darkest times in my life. Living with Tourette’s has not always been easy. Growing up, I was often bullied for being different, and there were times when I struggled deeply with my mental health. Not only do I have Tourette’s but I have a disease called Eosinophilic Esophagitis disease. In short, this means that my esophagus is allergic to certain food groups. I have to take a lot of medications and on a typical day, I am often not able to eat much. My stomach does not tolerate food that well at times. I am currently not able to eat gluten, dairy, fin fish and shell fish and I am anaphylactic to all nuts. I have always felt weird, different, and have lived with anxiety and depression most of my life. Those experiences were incredibly difficult, but they also helped shape my passion for helping others. Counseling truly changed and saved my life. Having people who listened, supported, and believed in me gave me the strength to keep moving forward. Because of that, I want to dedicate my future career to helping students who may be facing challenges of their own, whether it is bullying, anxiety, depression, or simply feeling alone. Outside of school and sports, I enjoy golfing, working out, and helping coach youth sports. Coaching younger athletes has shown me how important positive role models can be in a child’s life. I enjoy encouraging kids, helping them build confidence, and teaching them lessons that go beyond sports. This summer, I will continue working at Hannaford Super Market while also playing Legion Baseball. Balancing work, athletics, and community involvement has taught me responsibility and time management while helping me continue to grow as a person. As I move into the next chapter of my life, I am excited to continue pursuing both academics and athletics while working toward a meaningful career in psychology and counseling. My experiences have taught me resilience, empathy, and the importance of supporting others. I hope to use those lessons to make a positive difference in the lives of students who may need encouragement, understanding, compassion and hope.

My name is Grady Gervais and I am a senior at Enosburg Falls High School. I want to take the time to thank you for this opportunity and considering me for this scholarship. Growing up, school has always been closely connected to sports for me. Athletics gave me a place to grow, compete, and learn discipline, teamwork, and perseverance. Throughout high school, I have been a four-year varsity athlete in golf, baseball, and basketball. Sports have shaped who I am both on and off the field, and they have taught me the importance of commitment, leadership, and hard work. Baseball, in particular, has been a major part of my life, and I have been fortunate to receive awards recognizing my dedication and performance in the sport. Awards I have received in the past are first team lake division for baseball in 2023, 2024 and 2025, rookie of the year in 2022, and the MVP award in 2025. For basketball I received the coaches award in 2023, and 2024. I was team captain for basketball and baseball for 2024 and 2025. I am proud to say that I have committed to continue my baseball career at Hudson Valley Community College, where I will study Psychology. My experiences throughout school have inspired me to pursue a career as a school counselor. I want to be someone students can trust and turn to during difficult times, just as counselors were there for me when I needed support most. During the darkest times in my life, Living with Tourette’s has not always been easy. Growing up, I was often bullied for being different, and there were times when I struggled deeply with my mental health. Not only do I have Tourette’s but I have a disease called Eosinophilic Esophagitis disease. In short, this means that my esophagus is allergic to certain food groups. I have to take a lot of medications and on a typical day, I am often not able to eat much. My stomach does not tolerate food that well at times. I am currently not able to eat gluten, dairy, fin fish and shell fish and I am anaphylactic to all nuts. I have always felt weird, different, and have lived with anxiety and depression most of my life. Those experiences were incredibly difficult, but they also helped shape my passion for helping others. Counseling truly changed and saved my life. Having people who listened, supported, and believed in me gave me the strength to keep moving forward. Because of that, I want to dedicate my future career to helping students who may be facing challenges of their own, whether it is bullying, anxiety, depression, or simply feeling alone. Outside of school and sports, I enjoy golfing, working out, and helping coach youth sports. Coaching younger athletes has shown me how important positive role models can be in a child’s life. I enjoy encouraging kids, helping them build confidence, and teaching them lessons that go beyond sports. This summer, I will continue working at Hannaford Super Market while also playing Legion Baseball. Balancing work, athletics, and community involvement has taught me responsibility and time management while helping me continue to grow as a person. As I move into the next chapter of my life, I am excited to continue pursuing both academics and athletics while working toward a meaningful career in psychology and counseling. My experiences have taught me resilience, empathy, and the importance of supporting others. I hope to use those lessons to make a positive difference in the lives of students who may need encouragement, understanding, compassion and hope.

My name is Grady Gervais and I am a senior at Enosburg Falls High School. I want to take the time to thank you for this opportunity and considering me for this scholarship. Growing up, school has always been closely connected to sports for me. Athletics gave me a place to grow, compete, and learn discipline, teamwork, and perseverance. Throughout high school, I have been a four-year varsity athlete in golf, baseball, and basketball. Sports have shaped who I am both on and off the field, and they have taught me the importance of commitment, leadership, and hard work. Baseball, in particular, has been a major part of my life, and I have been fortunate to receive awards recognizing my dedication and performance in the sport. Awards I have received in the past are first team lake division for baseball in 2023, 2024 and 2025, rookie of the year in 2022, and the MVP award in 2025. For basketball I received the coaches award in 2023, and 2024. I was team captain for basketball and baseball for 2024 and 2025. I am proud to say that I have committed to continue my baseball career at Hudson Valley Community College, where I will study Psychology. My experiences throughout school have inspired me to pursue a career as a school counselor. I want to be someone students can trust and turn to during difficult times, just as counselors were there for me when I needed support most. During the darkest times in my life, Living with Tourette’s has not always been easy. Growing up, I was often bullied for being different, and there were times when I struggled deeply with my mental health. Not only do I have Tourette’s but I have a disease called Eosinophilic Esophagitis disease. In short, this means that my esophagus is allergic to certain food groups. I have to take a lot of medications and on a typical day, I am often not able to eat much. My stomach does not tolerate food that well at times. I am currently not able to eat gluten, dairy, fin fish and shell fish and I am anaphylactic to all nuts. I have always felt weird, different, and have lived with anxiety and depression most of my life. Those experiences were incredibly difficult, but they also helped shape my passion for helping others. Counseling truly changed and saved my life. Having people who listened, supported, and believed in me gave me the strength to keep moving forward. Because of that, I want to dedicate my future career to helping students who may be facing challenges of their own, whether it is bullying, anxiety, depression, or simply feeling alone. Outside of school and sports, I enjoy golfing, working out, and helping coach youth sports. Coaching younger athletes has shown me how important positive role models can be in a child’s life. I enjoy encouraging kids, helping them build confidence, and teaching them lessons that go beyond sports. This summer, I will continue working at Hannaford Super Market while also playing Legion Baseball. Balancing work, athletics, and community involvement has taught me responsibility and time management while helping me continue to grow as a person. As I move into the next chapter of my life, I am excited to continue pursuing both academics and athletics while working toward a meaningful career in psychology and counseling. My experiences have taught me resilience, empathy, and the importance of supporting others. I hope to use those lessons to make a positive difference in the lives of students who may need encouragement, understanding, compassion and hope.

My name is Grady Gervais and I am a senior at Enosburg Falls High School. I want to take the time to thank you for this opportunity and considering me for this scholarship. Growing up, school has always been closely connected to sports for me. Athletics gave me a place to grow, compete, and learn discipline, teamwork, and perseverance. Throughout high school, I have been a four-year varsity athlete in golf, baseball, and basketball. Sports have shaped who I am both on and off the field, and they have taught me the importance of commitment, leadership, and hard work. Baseball, in particular, has been a major part of my life, and I have been fortunate to receive awards recognizing my dedication and performance in the sport. Awards I have received in the past are first team lake division for baseball in 2023, 2024 and 2025, rookie of the year in 2022, and the MVP award in 2025. For basketball I received the coaches award in 2023, and 2024. I was team captain for basketball and baseball for 2024 and 2025. I am proud to say that I have committed to continue my baseball career at Hudson Valley Community College, where I will study Psychology. My experiences throughout school have inspired me to pursue a career as a school counselor. I want to be someone students can trust and turn to during difficult times, just as counselors were there for me when I needed support during the darkest times in my life. Living with Tourette’s has not always been easy. Growing up, I was often bullied for being different, and there were times when I struggled deeply with my mental health. Not only do I have Tourette’s but I have a disease called Eosinophilic Esophagitis disease. In short, this means that my esophagus is allergic to certain food groups. I have to take a lot of medications and on a typical day, I am often not able to eat much. My stomach does not tolerate food that well at times. I am currently not able to eat gluten, dairy, fin fish and shell fish and I am anaphylactic to all nuts. I have always felt weird, different, and have lived with anxiety and depression most of my life. Those experiences were incredibly difficult, but they also helped shape my passion for helping others. Counseling truly changed and saved my life. Having people who listened, supported, and believed in me gave me the strength to keep moving forward. Because of that, I want to dedicate my future career to helping students who may be facing challenges of their own, whether it is bullying, anxiety, depression, or simply feeling alone. Outside of school and sports, I enjoy golfing, working out, and helping coach youth sports. Coaching younger athletes has shown me how important positive role models can be in a child’s life. I enjoy encouraging kids, helping them build confidence, and teaching them lessons that go beyond sports. This summer, I will continue working at Hannaford Super Market while also playing Legion Baseball. Balancing work, athletics, and community involvement has taught me responsibility and time management while helping me continue to grow as a person. As I move into the next chapter of my life, I am excited to continue pursuing both academics and athletics while working toward a meaningful career in psychology and counseling. My experiences have taught me resilience, empathy, and the importance of supporting others. I hope to use those lessons to make a positive difference in the lives of students who may need encouragement, understanding, and hope.

My name is Grady Gervais and I am a senior at Enosburg Falls High School. I want to take the time to thank you for this opportunity and considering me for this scholarship. Growing up, school has always been closely connected to sports for me. Athletics gave me a place to grow, compete, and learn discipline, teamwork, and perseverance. Throughout high school, I have been a four-year varsity athlete in golf, baseball, and basketball. Sports have shaped who I am both on and off the field, and they have taught me the importance of commitment, leadership, and hard work. Baseball, in particular, has been a major part of my life, and I have been fortunate to receive awards recognizing my dedication and performance in the sport. Awards I have received in the past are first team lake division for baseball in 2023, 2024 and 2025, rookie of the year in 2022, and the MVP award in 2025. For basketball I received the coaches award in 2023, and 2024. I was team captain for basketball and baseball for 2024 and 2025. I am proud to say that I have committed to continue my baseball career at Hudson Valley Community College, where I will study Psychology. My experiences throughout school have inspired me to pursue a career as a school counselor. I want to be someone students can trust and turn to during difficult times, just as counselors were there for me when I needed support most. During the darkest times in my life, Living with Tourette’s has not always been easy. Growing up, I was often bullied for being different, and there were times when I struggled deeply with my mental health. Not only do I have Tourette’s but I have a disease called Eosinophilic Esophagitis disease. In short, this means that my esophagus is allergic to certain food groups. I have to take a lot of medications and on a typical day, I am often not able to eat much. My stomach does not tolerate food that well at times. I am currently not able to eat gluten, dairy, fin fish and shell fish and I am anaphylactic to all nuts. I have always felt weird, different, and have lived with anxiety and depression most of my life. Those experiences were incredibly difficult, but they also helped shape my passion for helping others. Counseling truly changed and saved my life. Having people who listened, supported, and believed in me gave me the strength to keep moving forward. Because of that, I want to dedicate my future career to helping students who may be facing challenges of their own, whether it is bullying, anxiety, depression, or simply feeling alone. Outside of school and sports, I enjoy golfing, working out, and helping coach youth sports. Coaching younger athletes has shown me how important positive role models can be in a child’s life. I enjoy encouraging kids, helping them build confidence, and teaching them lessons that go beyond sports. This summer, I will continue working at Hannaford Super Market while also playing Legion Baseball. Balancing work, athletics, and community involvement has taught me responsibility and time management while helping me continue to grow as a person. As I move into the next chapter of my life, I am excited to continue pursuing both academics and athletics while working toward a meaningful career in psychology and counseling. My experiences have taught me resilience, empathy, and the importance of supporting others. I hope to use those lessons to make a positive difference in the lives of students who may need encouragement, understanding, and hope.

My name is Grady Gervais and I am a senior at Enosburg Falls Middle and High school in Enosburg Vermont. Thank you for taking the time to read my essay and give me this opportunity to tell my story. Growing up, school has always been closely connected to sports for me. Athletics gave me a place to grow, compete, and learn discipline, teamwork, and perseverance. Throughout high school, I have been a four-year varsity athlete in golf, baseball, and basketball. Sports have shaped who I am both on and off the field, and they have taught me the importance of commitment, leadership, and hard work. Baseball, in particular, has been a major part of my life, and I have been fortunate to receive awards recognizing my dedication and performance in the sports. I am proud to say that I have committed to continue my baseball career at Hudson Valley Community College, where I will study Psychology. My experiences throughout school have inspired me to pursue a career as a school counselor. I want to be someone students can trust and turn to during difficult times, just as counselors were there for me when I needed support most. During the darkest times in my life, Living with Tourette’s has not always been easy. Growing up, I was often bullied for being different, and there were times when I struggled deeply with my mental health. Not only do I have Tourette’s but I have a disease called Eosinophilic Esophagitis disease. In short, this means that my esophagus is allergic to certain food groups. I have to take a lot of medications and on a typical day, I am often not able to eat much. My stomach does not tolerate food that well at times. I am currently not able to eat gluten, dairy, fin fish and shell fish and I am anaphylactic to all nuts. I have always felt weird, different, and have lived with anxiety and depression most of my life. Those experiences were incredibly difficult, but they also helped shape my passion for helping others. Counseling truly changed and saved my life. My freshman year of high school things were really hard and I did not think I could push through with life anymore and could not see my purpose in life. I attempted to take my own life. Having people who listened, supported, and believed in me gave me the strength to keep moving forward. Because of that, I want to dedicate my future career to helping students who may be facing challenges of their own, whether it is bullying, anxiety, depression, or simply feeling alone. Outside of school and sports, I enjoy golfing, working out, and helping coach youth sports. Coaching younger athletes has shown me how important positive role models can be in a child’s life. I enjoy encouraging kids, helping them build confidence, and teaching them lessons that go beyond sports. This summer, I will continue working at Hannaford Super Market while also playing Legion Baseball. Balancing work, athletics, and community involvement has taught me responsibility and time management while helping me continue to grow as a person. As I move into the next chapter of my life, I am excited to continue pursuing both academics and athletics while working toward a meaningful career in psychology and counseling. My experiences have taught me resilience, empathy, and the importance of supporting others. I hope to use those lessons to make a positive difference in the lives of students who may need encouragement, understanding, and hope.

I would like to receive this scholarship because despite my disabilities I have achieved goals that I never thought I could achieve. I have tourette's and eosinophilic esophagitis disease and both of these things in my life had made me feel different, made me physically sick, and at times held me back from doing the things I have wanted to do. Growing up I was the son of a single mother and receiving this scholarship will help take some financial burden from my mom. My mom has worked more than one job for my whole life to make sure I have all that I need and want. I am attending and committed to play baseball at Hudson Valley College and this scholarship will be used towards my tuition and or books. Sports have been a constant place where I have felt accepted, gained confidence, and given me purpose when I could not find one else where. The sport that has really impacted my life has been baseball. Being on the pitchers mound has become my home and place that makes me feel such happiness and joy despite having some really hard days physically with my disabilities. In my elementary days I was not invited to birthday parties or sleep overs because my EOE does not allow me to eat a lot of food groups and parents were afraid to feed me. This made me hate who I was and my disability. During middle school I started getting picked on by my peers for my tics. Instead of asking questions, they often imitated me and called me names. This was really the time that I started spending a lot of time on baseball. I worked with a coach once a week on pitching and hitting. I dove head first in working hard to find joy in something and that became baseball. Finding joy in baseball was easy but working through my disability while playing baseball was the hard part. I am a pitcher so I had to learn how to work through the tics while pitching so that it did not effect my performance negatively. This was really hard but I have managed to figure this out and have become successful on the mound. There have been times that I did not know if my dream of becoming a college athlete was obtainable because of my disability. During the summers, I traveled with some of the best players in Vermont playing baseball. I played in front of so many scouts and one of the things that always came up was how twitchy I was and how it affected my mechanics. This feedback was really hard but I have worked tirelessly to work through this and I believe I have. Another huge factor that has made me who I am is attending counseling. Counseling has become other then baseball, the thing that has saved my life. High school has been really hard on me with peers not understanding my tics, or just making hurtful comments about me. My freshman year of high school things were really hard and I tried to take my own life. I felt like I had no other option. Counseling has given me the tools and skills to work through those hard days. There is nothing that can get in my way of achieving my goals because I finally believe in myself. I finally believe that my disabilities do not define me and will not hold me back at achieving my goals and dreams. In the fall, I will study psychology to eventually become a school counselor.

I have demonstrated perseverance through my disability by always pushing through and staying positive. Throughout my life, I have been bullied and treated poorly by peers for being different. Peers have not always understood why I make so many movements and cannot control my body and that often led to being called names and picked on. During middle school, I decided to take the things that had happened to me and turn it into something positive. I started mentoring other kids, befriending other kids who were seen as "weird" and different. During this time I made a difference in the lives of peers who had not made friends and were excluded from a lot of activities. I took it upon myself to create opportunities to include these peers who were excluded and or picked on. I would invite them to sit with me at lunch, play games at recess, and just have conversation with them. Today, I still remain very close to some of the peers that I mentored and befriended. As I have grown older, I have learned to accept my physical disability and realize that I can achieve all of my goals if I work hard and stay positive. Days are often hard, my body hurts, I feel sad and frustrated not being able to control my body but I push through because achieving my goals is very important to me. Baseball has always been something that has motivated me, given me confidence, and given me purpose. I have been able to become a successful baseball pitcher and have faced adversity with my disability but I have been recruited to play baseball in college and I want to be a role model for other kids with physical disabilities. I have shown perseverance by reaching my goal to become a college athlete when at times I just wanted to give up. In the future my goal is to become a school counselor because being in counseling has saved my life. There was a time I tried to take my life and through counseling I have learned to love my life and when things are hard, I have learned the skills to be able to manage. I want to make a difference in the lives of others. That is my number one goal and mission in my life. I know that if I can achieve the things I have with my physical disability, then so can many other people. I want to help others see their worth and capabilities when they themselves struggle to see that in themselves. I know that my physical disability does not define who I am and I am unstoppable.