My Mom has been the greatest driving force in my life, but not for the typical reasons. My story is unique and her impact on my life has been literally, life changing. When my Mom, who was 22 years old and single, was pregnant with me, she went to her 17 week ultra-sound in anticipation of a gender reveal. After the ultrasound, she was brought into the doctor's private office and told that I had four "markers" for downs-syndrome (heart defect, hydro-nephrosis of my kidneys, uneven femurs and two clots/tumors on my brain). Knowing that she would be a young, single mother, the doctor advised that she should terminate her pregnancy and encouraged that she do so before reaching 20 weeks. When my mother refused, they suggested an amnio test to confirm if I had downs-syndrome, which she declined due to the high risk of miscarriage and the fact that it made no difference to her. During the month that followed this 17 week appointment, with each follow up ultrasounds, her doctors continued to "consult" her on the fact that she should terminate the pregnancy. Instead, for the remaining 20+ weeks of her pregnancy, she prepared herself for having a child with special needs, through reading, joining support groups and her faith in God. It was not until delivery, that my Mom discovered that I was healthy and did not have downs-syndrome. The hydro nephrosis resolved itself, without any intervention, within my first year of life. The hole in my heart posed no long term effects, the clots on my brain were absorbed and the femurs which were measured uneven on every ultrasound, miraculously were now even. Fast-forward 4 years. While at a pediatric dentist for my 4 year old cleaning, my Mom asked the dentist about a molar which had come through but was not fully developed (looked as though half of the molar was missing but there was no trauma or signs of the tooth breaking). The dentist examined the tooth and told my mom that this sometimes happen as a result of a calcium deficiency while in utero. She explained that the way God works is that if a child is growing in the womb and lacks calcium for proper bone growth, God designed our bodies to pull that calcium from the teeth, to compensate for what is needed in another area. This baby molar would one day fall out and be replaced with a stronger, healthy and fully developed molar. This was confirmation for my Mom, of what she already know - that God was working the whole time. God is good! As I grew older, my mom eventually shared this story with me. She knew, and I believe also, that God had a bigger plan for my life. While doctors were telling her that she should end her pregnancy, she knew that God had something great in store for me. I often reflect on this when I face tough times. I look at my Mom's unwavering faith, as a young 22 year old about to be a single mom to a child diagnosed with having special needs. God has blessed me with a passion for helping others, a gift of listening and encouragement. I have a deep interest in therapy/counseling and am planning to double-major in exercise science and psychology before going on to earn my DPT. I know that regardless of where my career takes me, I will be working out God's purpose and He will be with me. I'm so thankful for my mother's faith and support.

Through my experience as a highly competitive athlete who struggles in several areas of mental health, I have found my passion for helping others, who may be suffering in this same way. Often times, we look at athletes and believe they are living their best life with every opportunity before them. I can personally attest to the fact that this is not reality. I began playing lacrosse when I was 5 years old. I was in a developmental league, which served to teach everything from the ground up - through mastering basic skills, before being put into the game. Over the years, I won awards and accolades for my assertiveness on the field, goal-making drives, and team spirit in encouraging others. To an outsider, I was a gold-star athlete who ran the field. Inside though, was a different story. When I left my hometown in 8th grade and moved out of state, I found myself surrounded by a new group of stand-out players and coaches. In my eagerness to continue being the best, I put in long hours and even fine-tuned my health and wellness regimen at home, with all natural foods, vegan meals and hefty fitness routines. I lived and breathed lacrosse - both on and off the field. It became an obsession. I was traveling states away both fall and summer, to compete with the best in my sport, for an opportunity to play college lacrosse. Early in high school, I began developing unhealthy habits which would lead to severe anxiety, an extreme and debilitating fear of failure, highs and lows which left me feeling confused and second guessing my goals or worthiness, of playing in college. There was no single moment I can pinpoint, in which the fear and anxiety began but it hit me, full force, seemingly, out of nowhere. The anxiety became such an issue that there were times I literally, could not take to the field. It became so apparent to others, that I was eventually cut from my travel team (which is where you go to gain the most exposure with college coaches) due to my sudden and continuous hesitations. I lost all confidence in myself and felt like everything I had been working towards, since I was 5 years old, was lost. I continued playing at the high school but saw the same debilitating thoughts, take over and severely impact my game. After a year without travel lacrosse, I met a coach from another travel team who offered me an opportunity to work with her group and gain exposure with the colleges. Within the year, I had multiple colleges reaching out and three which made early offers. Even though, today, I am committed to playing college lacrosse (meaning I have reached the goal I have been working towards since I was 5 years old), I still struggle with this same anxiety and fear of failure, that has plagued me for years. I realize that when you hear of someone having a fear of failure, it does not sound so terrible. I thought the same, until I began dealing with it. This fear of failure causes you to self sabotage... to turn down great opportunities because it is easier than having them stripped from you... to live with many "what ifs" rather than living with regret of having failed or let someone down. Over time, these fears, which caused you to pass by opportunities, lead to depression and resentment. It is this spiraling path that has caused me to empathize with others who struggle in this way - and to reassess my career goals and steps for achieving them. I have always had a deep desire to study medicine and rehabilitation through physical therapy (perhaps due to the number of injuries I saw and experienced over the years, in lacrosse). I realize though, through my own experience, that injuries do not require just physical healing but also emotional healing. Someone who took a big hit, which caused them to tear an ACL may physically be ready to re-enter the game after a few months, but what about their mental well being? Are they going to be ready to go head-to-head with others who have no mental blocks, concerning injuries? Are they going to feel as confident and fierce as they once were? God-willing, my career path will now include not just earning my DPT but also a deep study of psychology. My goal will be to work alongside professional athletes - both to prevent and to rehabilitate through physical and mental therapeutic work, helping them to get back onto the field, feeling 100%.

As an introvert with a passion for medicine, I realized I would need to gain experience through hands on learning and putting myself in new situations to strengthen not only my knowledge, but also my intra-personal skills. In doing so, I have approached this goal, boldly - through weekly volunteering at a Therapeutic Horseback Riding center, for children with special needs, stepping up to become an officer with my local American Red Cross, coaching lacrosse through two local sports programs for children, and even spending two weeks on campus, at Asbury University, for their Youth Becoming Leaders conference, which aims to empower youth to actively engage in making a difference in their home town, through sharing Jesus. To my surprise, I have truly enjoyed each of these experiences and have pushed myself outside of, what I thought was my comfort-zone. In doing so, I have found that I am braver that I though and that there is great reward in taking BOLD steps toward attaining your goals. This has left me more confident and better prepared for my next steps on my journey towards studying medicine.