Throughout my life, I have found myself involved in a diverse array of activities and interests. An athlete, an artist, a student, a teacher—each of these things is a fundamental part of who I am. Throughout high school, I was involved in theater, art classes, volunteering, sports, and church. I had a wide focus, looking in every direction, taking it all in as I bounced from youth group to swim practice to theater rehearsals. But in the middle of summer, when I was fifteen, my focus narrowed and trained on one singular thing that altered my life—pain. A sudden heart issue that ended my time with competitive swimming became the center of my life. It was an abnormal heart rhythm called SVT, and it led me to shift my aspirations in an entirely new direction. Over the next two years, my regular visits to the cardiologist’s office brought me into direct contact with the medical field and the people who have chosen it as a career. Hospital visits, something I had dreaded as a kid, became a source of curiosity. During the time it took to resolve the SVT, I found myself intrigued by the process. I would inspect the devices hung on the walls and watch as the nurses read EKGs and placed IV lines. Each person involved in my surgeries would come talk to me beforehand, making jokes and explaining the details of the procedure, easing my nervousness. With the help of these doctors, my arrhythmia was eventually eliminated and I was able to resume playing sports and train for my dream summer job of being a lifeguard. I had once wanted to be an artist for a living, but through this experience I found a new calling: I realized that I want to be for others what these doctors were for me, bringing others relief from their suffering. On top of my personal reasons for wanting to study medicine, its complexity appeals to me in a way no other field of study does. Starting from my freshman year when I took introductory physics, the challenge of understanding the intricacies of the world has intrigued me. I chose to study organic chemistry my senior year for this reason. I love the way each science melds together, adding layers of nuance and context to each other subject I study. I love fitting each new thing I learn into my understanding of the world, continually building on old ideas and refining new ones. The medical field is known for entailing lifelong learning, and I am excited to continue growing my understanding of science while I pursue this career path. The challenging things I experienced in my own life have helped me gain better perspective and understanding of those who find themselves in similar situations, both physically and mentally. My experience with a heart issue has made me more empathetic to those wrestling with health problems, and I hope to use my skills to alleviate that suffering.

My parents started homeschooling me at age three, when I showed an interest in learning to read and write that they only wanted to encourage. Both I and my parents remember the “writing” I would scribble through entire notebooks, imitating the motions I saw from adults as they went about their daily lives. With their help, I was reading by the age of four, and happily attacking preschool and kindergarten workbooks that my parents picked up from Costco. They started me early on a lot of things: science, language arts, math. They fostered my love of learning from a young age with colorful and engaging books and flashcards. As I reached school age, my learning became more and more independent, thanks to my early start in reading. My mom would walk me and my siblings through elementary biology labs and writing assignments, and I did art classes with our homeschooling friends. I remember enjoying elementary school. As I got older, I continued to become more independent in school. Throughout elementary and middle school I stayed a few years ahead in math, and read far above the level expected for my age. When I reached high school, I was offered the freedom to chose the subjects and curricula that most interested me. Khan Academy was a constant, and I selected difficult math and science textbooks of my own volition, hoping for a challenge. This is where things got interesting: I found that I loved science. Physics, then biology, then chemistry, my favorite. I chose to study organic chemistry my senior year for this reason, and am hoping to continue this study in college through a minor. I love the way each science melds together, adding layers of nuance and context to each other subject I study. I love fitting each new thing I learn into my understanding of the world, continually building on old ideas and refining new ones. This drive to learn, fostered by my upbringing, is what will allow me to carve out a path in my chosen career: medicine. Along with school, I have always loved sports, and never back down from a challenge, academic or athletic. I began swimming lessons as a toddler, and was competing on a summer team by the age of six. I went on to join a club team, and hoped to become a lifeguard once I was old enough. However, during the 2023 swim season, I experienced an entirely new kind of challenge—a heart rhythm issue called supraventricular tachycardia, or SVT. It would occur randomly, with no warning, sapping the strength from my arms and legs and leaving my head spinning. Unlike my previous sports injuries, there was nothing I could do to accelerate the healing process, and it destroyed my ability to participate at a competitive level. Because of this, I decided to stay at a summer camp that season instead of going to the final swim meet. I unfortunately left that camp with emotional trauma due to an unexpected betrayal by a friend. During the mental recovery process, I developed an interest in psychology, a science that offered insight into the complexities of human motive and behavior. It was my research into psychology, along with regular visits to the cardiologist, that cultivated my interest in medicine. During the time it took to resolve the SVT, I found myself intrigued by the process. I would inspect the devices hung on the walls and watch as the nurses read EKGs and placed IV lines. Each person involved in my surgeries would come talk to me beforehand, making jokes and explaining the details of the procedure, easing my nervousness. With the help of these doctors, my arrhythmia was eventually eliminated and I was able to resume playing sports and train for my dream summer job of being a lifeguard. I realized that I want to be for others what these doctors were for me, bringing others relief from their suffering. When I was studying science in high school, I didn’t have an end goal in mind. I wanted to be an artist and go to art school after graduation. I studied science because I thought it was fun. After my experience with the SVT, I turned toward a new path, and found myself prepared—my love for science has led me to develop the skills I didn’t know I would need for the future. I know how to study independently, tackle problems I don’t yet understand, and stay driven to succeed. I’m excited for college, and I know I’m ready. In the fall, I will be joining Oregon State University as a student in the Honors College. I will be studying psychology, on a pre-med track. I am also hoping to minor in biochemistry, with a neuroscience focus. My dream is to attend medical school at Oregon Health and Science University, and work in anesthesiology, cardiology, or neuroscience, through which I will deepen my scientific understanding of the world and use my abilities to help individuals while advancing the field of science as a whole. My experience with a heart issue has made me more empathetic to those wrestling with health problems, and I will use my skills to alleviate that suffering. Through my future career as a physician, I hope to contribute to the scientific innovation that brings direct improvement to the lives of individuals. The funding from this scholarship will help me achieve this dream, as I begin my journey in higher education.

Throughout my life, I have found myself involved in a diverse array of activities and interests. An athlete, an artist, a student, a teacher—each of these things is a fundamental part of who I am. Throughout high school, I was involved in theater, art classes, volunteering, sports, and church. I had a wide focus, looking in every direction, taking it all in as I bounced from youth group to swim practice to theater rehearsals. But in the middle of summer, when I was fifteen, my focus narrowed and trained on one singular thing that altered my life—pain. A sudden heart issue that ended my time with competitive swimming became the center of my life. It was an abnormal heart rhythm called SVT, and it led me to shift my aspirations in an entirely new direction. Over the next two years, my regular visits to the cardiologist’s office brought me into direct contact with the medical field and the people who have chosen it as a career. Hospital visits, something I had dreaded as a kid, became a source of curiosity. During the time it took to resolve the SVT, I found myself intrigued by the process. I would inspect the devices hung on the walls and watch as the nurses read EKGs and placed IV lines. Each person involved in my surgeries would come talk to me beforehand, making jokes and explaining the details of the procedure, easing my nervousness. With the help of these doctors, my arrhythmia was eventually eliminated and I was able to resume playing sports and train for my dream summer job of being a lifeguard. I had once wanted to be an artist for a living, but through this experience I found a new calling: I realized that I want to be for others what these doctors were for me, bringing others relief from their suffering. On top of my personal reasons for wanting to study medicine, its complexity appeals to me in a way no other field of study does. As a homeschooled student with parents who both found employment in scientific fields, science has always been an area of importance in our house. Starting from my freshman year when I took introductory physics, the challenge of understanding the intricacies of the world has intrigued me. I chose to study organic chemistry my senior year for this reason. I love the way each science melds together, adding layers of nuance and context to each other subject I study. I love fitting each new thing I learn into my understanding of the world, continually building on old ideas and refining new ones. The medical field is known for entailing lifelong learning, and I am excited to continue growing my understanding of science while I pursue this career path. The challenging things I experienced in my own life have helped me gain better perspective and understanding of those who find themselves in similar situations, both physically and mentally. My experience with a heart issue has made me more empathetic to those wrestling with health problems, and I hope to use my skills to alleviate that suffering. Through my future career as a physician, I hope to contribute to the scientific innovation that brings direct improvement to the lives of individuals. As a homeschooled student, I hope to sponsor scholarships in the future to support others who share this background succeed in their higher education, and show the world what we are capable of becoming. The funding from this scholarship will help me achieve these dreams, as I begin my journey in higher education.

Throughout my life, I have found myself involved in a diverse array of activities and interests. An athlete, an artist, a student, a teacher—each of these things is a fundamental part of who I am. Throughout high school, I was involved in theater, art classes, volunteering, sports, and church. I had a wide focus, looking in every direction, taking it all in as I bounced from youth group to swim practice to theater rehearsals. But in the middle of summer, when I was fifteen, my focus narrowed and trained on one singular thing that altered my life—pain. A sudden heart issue that ended my time with competitive swimming became the center of my life. It was an abnormal heart rhythm called SVT, and it led me to shift my aspirations in an entirely new direction. Over the next two years, my regular visits to the cardiologist’s office brought me into direct contact with the medical field and the people who have chosen it as a career. Hospital visits, something I had dreaded as a kid, became a source of curiosity. During the time it took to resolve the SVT, I found myself intrigued by the process. I would inspect the devices hung on the walls and watch as the nurses read EKGs and placed IV lines. Each person involved in my surgeries would come talk to me beforehand, making jokes and explaining the details of the procedure, easing my nervousness. With the help of these doctors, my arrhythmia was eventually eliminated and I was able to resume playing sports and train for my dream summer job of being a lifeguard. I had once wanted to be an artist for a living, but I found a new calling: I realized that I want to be for others what these doctors were for me, bringing others relief from their suffering. On top of my personal reasons for wanting to study medicine, its complexity appeals to me in a way no other field of study does. As a homeschooled student with parents who both found employment in scientific fields, science has always been an area of importance in our house. Starting from my freshman year when I took introductory physics, the challenge of understanding the intricacies of the world has intrigued me. I chose to study organic chemistry my senior year for this reason, as I love tackling complex ideas and fitting them into the increasingly detailed webs of knowledge that I catalog in my mind. Each new thing I learn adds more context to previously learned topics and provides a stepping stone to the next. Perhaps my favorite thing about studying science is this never-ending ladder of knowledge, and the medical field is known for entailing lifelong learning. The challenging things I experienced in my own life have helped me gain better perspective and understanding of those who find themselves in similar situations, both physically and mentally. My experience with a heart issue has made me more empathetic to those wrestling with health problems, and I hope to use my skills to alleviate that suffering. Through my future career as a physician, I hope to contribute to the scientific innovation that brings direct improvement to the lives of individuals. As a homeschooled student, I hope to sponsor scholarships in the future to support others who share this background succeed in their higher education, and show the world what we are capable of becoming. The funding from this scholarship will help me achieve these dreams. I hope to honor Kalia’s memory, as an athlete and as a student, as I continue my journey.

Since I was little, I’ve loved sports and the thrill of competition. I played soccer and basketball, competed on the neighborhood swim team in the summer, and spent my free time biking, paddleboarding, and skiing, depending on the season. I played hard and experienced a variety of sports injuries; it came with the territory. Sprained ankles and bruised shins could be managed, and I could quickly resume training and competing. But in 2023, during the summer swim season, I experienced an entirely new kind of difficulty—a heart rhythm issue called supraventricular tachycardia, or SVT. It would occur randomly, with no warning, sapping the strength from my arms and legs and leaving my head spinning. Unlike my previous injuries, there was nothing I could do to accelerate the healing process, and it destroyed my ability to participate at a competitive level. My season was cut short, and I could no longer compete in my favorite sport. Over the next two years, my regular visits to the cardiologist’s office brought me into direct contact with the medical field and the people who have chosen it as a career. Hospital visits, something I had dreaded as a kid, became a source of curiosity. During the time it took to resolve the SVT, I found myself intrigued by the process. I would inspect the devices hung on the walls and watch as the nurses read EKGs and placed IV lines. Each person involved in my surgeries would come talk to me beforehand, making jokes and explaining the details of the procedure, easing my nervousness. With the help of these doctors, my arrhythmia was eventually eliminated and I was able to resume playing sports and train for my dream summer job of being a lifeguard. I realized that I want to be for others what these doctors were for me, bringing others relief from their suffering. On top of my personal reasons for wanting to study medicine, its complexity appeals to me in a way no other field of study does. As a homeschooled student with parents who both found employment in scientific fields, science has always been an area of importance in our house. Starting from my freshman year when I took introductory physics, the challenge of understanding the intricacies of the world has intrigued me. I chose to study organic chemistry my senior year for this reason, as I love tackling complex ideas and fitting them into the increasingly detailed webs of knowledge that I catalog in my mind. Each new thing I learn adds more context to previously learned topics and provides a stepping stone to the next. Perhaps my favorite thing about studying science is this never-ending ladder of knowledge, and the medical field is known for entailing lifelong learning. The challenging things I experienced in my own life have helped me gain better perspective and understanding of those who find themselves in similar situations, both physically and mentally. I want to deepen my scientific understanding of the world, and through the study of medicine, use my abilities to help individuals while advancing the field of science as a whole. My experience with a heart issue has made me more empathetic to those wrestling with health problems, and I hope to use my skills to alleviate that suffering. Through my future career as a physician, I hope to contribute to the scientific innovation that brings direct improvement to the lives of individuals. The funding from this scholarship will help me achieve this dream, as I begin my journey in higher education.

Leadership and science together have shaped our lives as individuals since the day we were born, and will continue to do so until the day we die. Science guides discovery and innovation, laying the foundations for the improvement of our quality of life. Leaders drive research and change, taking the actions needed to transform lives and guide others to follow in their footsteps. From the discovery of penicillin to the treatment of cancer, leadership and science constantly push the boundaries of our collective knowledge, changing lives for the better. I believe these traits are exemplified through the study of medicine, a field on the forefront of scientific learning. Each new discovery made to further our understanding of the world has a direct impact on an individual, as previously untreatable and fatal conditions can be prevented and alleviated. Many diseases that were considered a death sentence a hundred years ago, such as tuberculosis, are now treatable thanks to the scientists who worked to understand them and develop vaccines, antibiotics, and medications. I have witnessed the impact of currently incurable diseases within my extended family, as my aunt suffers from an extremely rare progressive neurological disorder that severely impedes her day-to-day life. Fewer than five thousand people in the United States have been diagnosed with the disorder, and research is ongoing. My aunt frequently travels across the country to meet with doctors and attend conferences in search of more effective treatment. Numerous times, my immediate family has taken care of her son while she visits the hospital for medical emergencies brought on by her illness. Each and every innovation in the treatment of her condition has the potential to change her life, and the lives of her family members. While my aunt’s condition is very rare, the disease has been brought into the public eye by a celebrity who has publicly shared her journey with it. Many rare diseases are entirely unknown by the general public, and those who suffer from them go unheard and unseen. It takes leadership and initiative from invested individuals to drive the study of these diseases, fund research, and foster innovation that will change the lives of those who suffer. Through my future career in medicine, I hope to be a leader in the scientific innovation that both furthers our society as a whole and brings direct improvement to the life of the individual.