I stare down at the Calculus worksheet in anger. The margins are filled with furious scribbles of work, yet I am no closer to the answer than I was a half-hour ago. I'm frustrated, close to tears, and questioning why I chose to take this class when my father wanders back into the kitchen. Over the next fifteen minutes, he reminds me that I have taken difficult classes before. I can succeed, but only if I stay focused and determined. While I'm frustrated that he makes it sound so simple, his patience helps calm me. I decided to put the worksheet aside until the next day, so that I can spend time with my family and sleep. Senior year has been challenging to balance mental health and academic performance. I've always been very dedicated to my studies, but they have never taken as much focus or time as this year. On top of my classes, I have been busy applying to colleges and scholarships. This year, I have had to consciously choose to prioritize my mental health. At the end of the day, I know that better mental health will help me perform better academically. When I am calm, I am able to focus and am more motivated to study. Therefore, this year, certain routines have become more important for me. I have always enjoyed going on walks and jogs in nature to reduce stress, and this year it has been more difficult to find the time to do so. Either way, I try to go every night, even if it can only be for ten minutes. This time is extremely beneficial: I can run out the day's frustrations and walk through my fatigue. Additionally, I have been spending more time with my family. In the evenings, I like to go move our cattle herd to their next pasture or play soccer with my younger brother. This time with talking and working with family helps me relax and brings me happiness. Additionally, music is a huge factor in my mood as I study, drive, or even get ready for the day. I begin my day with music to "hype me up" for the morning. It's a good way to build energy without caffeine. In the afternoons, I use the music in my car to help calm my mind or to bring my energy back up. This year, I've also spent more time doing social events with my friends. We host movie nights, go to football games, and painted our senior jeans together. This time helps me build a community with the people who know the pressures and stresses of high school. Overall, this year has been taxing so far, but I am confident that with the support system I have built, I will be able to succeed. I believe that mental health must become a priority for those chasing academic excellence, as the endeavour creates an environment full of pressure. However, with the support of others, we can succeed.

The air is thick with the sweet scent of pine shavings and musky tang of the amniotic fluid I kneel in. The fingers of my left hand grip the metal panel of the wall for stability. My right hand, gloved to my shoulder, is wrist deep in the birth canal of my laboring goat. Later, I will notice the amniotic fluid seeping into my skin and the spotty bruises left along my wrist by the crushing force of each contraction, but now I must focus solely on my task: extracting the stuck kid and saving the mother. Between the next contractions, I maneuver my fingers far enough to brush against a small limb. Immediately, I sense that this is not a simple dystocia. Rather than a pair of rubbery toes, I feel only a stump. I snag the limb and slowly assist the kid from the birth canal. As the slimy body slides out, several irregularities are apparent. Its head is concave, the limbs are stubby and stiff, and its intestines are fully outside of the abdominal cavity. I sigh and pat her flank. Though it pains me that the kid is nonviable, I am grateful that I can give the doe a chance to survive. Throughout my childhood on my family’s farm, moments like these enlightened me to my purpose of healing. Working with our livestock, I enjoyed learning practices like blood draws, vaccinations, and solving dystocias. As a child, I believed I would achieve my purpose through veterinary work. After all, it built my foundation in healing. After focusing on biomedical classes in high school, I realized my drive and ability to impact those around me more directly. Although I enjoy the veterinary field, in medicine, I can make a more meaningful difference. I don’t want to simply diagnose; I want to support patients in their most vulnerable moments. This summer, I attended Mizzou’s Mini Medical School and discovered my appreciation for the community created by medicine. Now, as I study anatomy, chemistry, and biomedical sciences, I am driven by my curiosity and motivated by the rigor they demand. When I shadow medical professionals, I’m so intrigued that I easily skip lunch or accidentally stay late to observe the next procedure or surgery. My broadening medical knowledge has allowed me to support and educate others around me. When my grandfather was diagnosed with melanoma this past year, I was able to assist him in interpreting and understanding his PET scan, biopsy results, and surgical summary. This knowledge allowed me to reassure both him and my family about his diagnosis and prognosis. Last fall, I successfully cast our young buck’s broken leg using skills I learned from an orthopedic physician assistant. I find moments like these empowering and meaningful as they allow me to fulfill my goal: impacting and aiding those around me. Medicine fuels my vision: pursuing my purpose and passion by returning as a physician to serve and uplift the underserved and rural communities which raised me.