“It’s called Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy, and there’s over a 90% chance she’ll have a tonic-clonic seizure, or full seizure, by the time she is 20 years old.” I remember staring at my mom as the doctor gave her the news, scrutinizing her expression, desperately trying to figure out what this meant for my life. I was barely 13, and I had just been diagnosed with a lifelong condition. A million questions flooded my mind. Would I have to take medication forever? Would I still be allowed to drive when I turn 16? Would I still be able to participate in all of my favorite activities? Would my life still be normal? And to be honest, I still don’t have the answers to some of these questions. However, despite all of the uncertainties, there still lies one undeniable truth: if I wasn’t diagnosed with epilepsy, I would have never discovered the joy of fresh racquet tape and a brand new can of tennis balls. I grew up on soccer fields and volleyball courts, but my parents—concerned about a seizure during a game—decided it would be safer for me to participate in an individual sport while the doctors experimented with different medications. It made sense to everyone when tennis lessons were scheduled, racquets purchased, and shoes ordered. My parents expected tennis to be a sort of phase, a way to be outside in the fresh air and keep my body healthy. However, a few lessons each month soon turned into several hours of tennis each week. I had found my new favorite thing. I was determined to make the high school tennis team the next year. I am not one to give up on my goals. I played as number 3 singles my freshman year and rose to number 1 singles by the time I was a junior. I earned multiple awards as I went, including Most Improved Player and Most Valuable Player. Despite all of my achievements, no award can compare to the lessons that I learned along the way. Tennis has taught me that giving up is never an option. No matter how behind you might seem, you can always reach your goals. Whether you’re down 0-5 in a match or starting tennis three years later than all of your friends, you can always come back. Greatness isn’t about winning—it’s about perseverance. A good tennis player will win a million matches against others that they know they can easily defeat. A great tennis player will lose a million matches against others and still get back up and try. If you want to be the best, you have to be willing to start at the bottom and grow with time and effort. It’s not a quick process either; like everything, tennis requires patience. Whether you’re slowing down your stroke to make sure your form is flawless, or you’re enduring an endless rally before spotting the perfect opportunity for a put-away shot, patience is a virtue. These lessons are not only applicable in a tennis match, but also in life. Even when circumstances are difficult, it is imperative that you keep pushing to be the best you can. No matter how many times you get knocked down, you have to keep getting back up. And you have to be willing to take a step back and recognize that all good things come to those who wait. I will carry what I have learned through tennis with me forever. There is still so much about my future that I am unsure of, but I know that tennis will be a part of it.

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” I was first asked this question when I was barely in kindergarten. At only four years old, having started school early, most adults expected me to respond enthusiastically with “a princess!” or perhaps “an astronaut!” However, that was not my response. Even at such a young age, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I would confidently look each teacher, parent, and principal in the eye and proudly proclaim, “I am going to be a veterinarian.” Alas, my enthusiasm was not universally embraced. I have vivid memories of teachers’ aides chuckling, telling me, “You’ll change your mind when you get older”; peers sneering, “Gross, why would you want to stick your fingers in dogs’ mouths?”; and grandparents raising their eyebrows while inquiring, “Are you sure you can keep your grades high enough for that?” Fortunately, I was an exceptionally determined kindergartener, a trait I have carried into high school. Never once did I waver in my resolve to become a veterinarian. I maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA, researched the best veterinary colleges, begged my mom to let me volunteer at animal shelters, rescued kittens, watched countless veterinary surgery programs, and adopted multiple pets. Each of these experiences was a profound blessing in my life, further fueling my aspirations, which later evolved from simply becoming a veterinarian to specializing as a canine surgeon. I have witnessed both my own and my friends’ beloved dogs suffer from and succumb to cancer, often because treatment costs were unjustly expensive. It is heartbreaking to recognize that many of these lives could have been preserved if only cancer treatment were more affordable. To achieve my goal, I plan to earn a bachelor’s degree in biology and then apply to the top veterinary school in the United States, currently the University of California, Davis. There, I will complete a four-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program and pass the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination. Following this, I intend to secure a job at a veterinary clinic. Once employed, I will work part-time while simultaneously completing an internship, a three-year surgical residency, and the Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons board certification examinations. Upon completing these steps, I will become a certified surgical specialist, enabling me to perform operations on dogs. My ambitions, however, soar beyond clinical practice. As previously mentioned, I am strongly opposed to the cost demanded in order to save a pet’s life. I seek to do my own research in order to find both less expensive and less invasive methods of healing our cherished critters. Ultimately, I aspire to establish my own veterinary clinic, where I can ensure that families have confidence in both the safety of their pets and the fairness of my fees. Pets are often more loyal, empathetic, and resilient than many people I know, and they deserve the highest quality healthcare possible. The image attached shows a couple of the kittens that I rescued—Princess and Olivia—as well as four of the five cats that Princess later gave birth to. The Siamese cat in the back is not a rescue, but he is very sweet and his name is Tweaker.

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” I was first asked this question when I was barely in kindergarten. At only four years old, having started school early, most adults expected me to respond enthusiastically with “a princess!” or perhaps “an astronaut!” However, that was not my response. Even at such a young age, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I would confidently look each teacher, parent, and principal in the eye and proudly proclaim, “I am going to be a veterinarian.” Alas, my enthusiasm was not universally embraced. I have vivid memories of teachers’ aides chuckling, telling me, “You’ll change your mind when you get older”; peers sneering, “Gross, why would you want to stick your fingers in dogs’ mouths?”; and grandparents raising their eyebrows while inquiring, “Are you sure you can keep your grades high enough for that?” Fortunately, I was an exceptionally determined kindergartener, a trait I have carried into high school. Never once did I waver in my resolve to become a veterinarian. I maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA, researched the best veterinary colleges, begged my mom to let me volunteer at animal shelters, rescued kittens, watched countless veterinary surgery programs, and adopted multiple pets. Each of these experiences was a profound blessing in my life, further fueling my aspirations, which later evolved from simply becoming a veterinarian to specializing as a canine surgeon. I have witnessed both my own and my friends’ beloved dogs suffer from and succumb to cancer, often because treatment costs were unjustly expensive. It is heartbreaking to recognize that many of these lives could have been preserved if only cancer treatment were more affordable. To achieve my goal, I plan to earn a bachelor’s degree in biology and then apply to the top veterinary school in the United States, currently the University of California, Davis. There, I will complete a four-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program and pass the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination. Following this, I intend to secure a job at a veterinary clinic. Once employed, I will work part-time while simultaneously completing an internship, a three-year surgical residency, and the Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons board certification examinations. Upon completing these steps, I will become a certified surgical specialist, enabling me to perform operations on dogs. My ambitions, however, soar beyond clinical practice. As previously mentioned, I am strongly opposed to the cost demanded in order to save a pet’s life. I seek to do my own research in order to find both less expensive and less invasive methods of healing our cherished critters. Ultimately, I aspire to establish my own veterinary clinic, where I can ensure that families have confidence in both the safety of their pets and the fairness of my fees. Pets are often more loyal, empathetic, and resilient than many people I know, and they deserve the highest quality healthcare possible.

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” I was first asked this question when I was barely in kindergarten. At only four years old, having started school early, most adults expected me to respond enthusiastically with “a princess!” or perhaps “an astronaut!” However, that was not my response. Even at such a young age, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I would confidently look each teacher, parent, and principal in the eye and proudly proclaim, “I am going to be a veterinarian.” Alas, my enthusiasm was not universally embraced. I have vivid memories of teachers’ aides chuckling, telling me, “You’ll change your mind when you get older”; peers sneering, “Gross, why would you want to stick your fingers in dogs’ mouths?”; and grandparents raising their eyebrows while inquiring, “Are you sure you can keep your grades high enough for that?” Fortunately, I was an exceptionally determined kindergartener, a trait I have carried into high school. Never once did I waver in my resolve to become a veterinarian. I maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA, researched the best veterinary colleges, begged my mom to let me volunteer at animal shelters, rescued kittens, watched countless veterinary surgery programs, and adopted multiple pets. Each of these experiences was a profound blessing in my life, further fueling my aspirations, which later evolved from simply becoming a veterinarian to specializing as a canine surgeon. I have witnessed both my own and my friends’ beloved dogs suffer from and succumb to cancer, often because treatment costs were unjustly expensive. It is heartbreaking to recognize that many of these lives could have been preserved if only cancer treatment were more affordable. To achieve my goal, I plan to earn a bachelor’s degree in biology and then apply to the top veterinary school in the United States, currently the University of California, Davis. There, I will complete a four-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program and pass the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination. Following this, I intend to secure a job at a veterinary clinic. Once employed, I will work part-time while simultaneously completing an internship, a three-year surgical residency, and the Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons board certification examinations. Upon completing these steps, I will become a certified surgical specialist, enabling me to perform operations on dogs. My ambitions, however, soar beyond clinical practice. As previously mentioned, I am strongly opposed to the cost demanded in order to save a pet’s life. I seek to do my own research in order to find both less expensive and less invasive methods of healing our cherished critters. Ultimately, I aspire to establish my own veterinary clinic, where I can ensure that families have confidence in both the safety of their pets and the fairness of my fees. Pets are often more loyal, empathetic, and resilient than many people I know, and they deserve the highest quality healthcare possible.