College is important to me because it is the first step toward achieving my long-term goal of making the world more accessible for people with disabilities. I want to eventually obtain my doctorate in business and combine that with disability studies to work with large corporations to make products, buildings, and services accessible for all who experience a disability. I am an athlete. I am an athlete who experiences a significant physical disability, cerebral palsy, who has taken the disappointment of being cut from high school athletic teams due to my disability and turned the negative experience into what has been a life changing experience by focusing on my own personal development, both physically and mentally through weight training. I turned to weight training as a way to stay active and improve my physical and mental health. This personal journey has shown me that there are always alternative paths to achieving our goals. I have and want to continue to share this passion with others who are interested in changing the lives of people with disabilities. I am passionate about business and sports management, and I want to combine both business and sports management with disability advocacy work to support businesses in becoming more inclusive for people who experience disabilities. I want to show them that similar to my weight training endeavors where I took my passion for athleticism and turned it into a “me versus myself” sport, every person who has a disability has a strength that can be developed and become a passion that can make them feel good about themselves. My own experience with cerebral palsy has given me a unique perspective on the challenges faced by people with disabilities. Volunteering at Elevate Physical Therapy and participating in clinical trials at the Columbia University Center for cerebral palsy research have reinforced my commitment to improving accessibility. These experiences have also taught me the importance of perseverance and adaptability. Thank you for the opportunity to apply for the J.L. Lund Memorial Scholarship. I am honored to be considered to continue Jore's memory and work as hard as he did.

My entire life has revolved around my disability. I have cerebral palsy and Goldenhar Syndrome. From the week I came home from the hospital and for the entirety of the last eighteen years of my life, I have been in a variety of therapies, participated in many clinical trials and unique medical treatments, and experienced nearly two dozen surgeries so that I can be at the point I am at now. This has built me to be extremely resilient as I do not let any of these experience set me back, only make me stronger. My plans for my future include incorporating all that I have learned from these experiences and combining them with my love for business. I want to eventually obtain my doctorate in business and work to build or support a company that transforms the lives of people with disabilities, as those that came before me did to improve the quality of my life. I want to work to create more inclusive environments for people who experience disabilities in sports industries. I want to be considered an expert in the fields of disability studies and sports/business management. I would like to be a person who is consulted with in these fields by people who are in charge of making policies that impact the lives of people who experience disabilities, ensuring all people with disabilities have fulfilling lives without being held back by inaccessibility in areas that they shouldn't have to worry about being accessible, their everyday lives and activities. Everybody should feel like their body belongs and they belong regardless of their differences. Part of my goal includes ensuring parents of young children with disabilities are educated on both civil rights and creating and fulfilling their child's dreams and their dreams for their child despite their disability. I want to be an advocate while pursuing my passions in an industry I enjoy. Despite my own physical disability, I was raised in fully inclusive settings, played sports with my non-disabled peers, and attended all of my classes in a general education classroom without ever being segregated because I experience a disability. In addition to the many life experiences I earned from being born experiencing disability, I am also part of an active-duty military family. This has caused my family to often be split up into different states. My parents are divorced and my stepfather is in the Army. In order to ensure the continuity of my care and the stability of my education, the decision was made that I would not move with them each time that they moved as it was often every year or 18 months. This required me to often live without my primary parent, instilling both independence and discipline in myself. I was not able to work a regular job because I could not leave every school break. This impacted my ability to earn money and save for college. I instead focused on my education and ensuring that I kept my grades up to earn scholarships to assist me in paying for school. I believe that I have lead my life instilling many of the components of leadership. I want to give back to the communities that have given so much to me and my family to include the military and the disability support community. Good leaders give credit to those that support them and make them a better person. Good leaders support and provide guidance to make others better. I want to always embody those components of leadership to model leadership for others who want to lead while living with a physical disability.

My relationship with my disability is complex. Has it negatively impacted my physical abilities? Yes. Has it negatively impacted my social relationships? Yes. Has it negatively impacted my self-image and confidence? Yes. Has it negatively impacted my academics? Yes. Has it negatively impacted my ability to participate in extracurricular activities with my peers? Yes. However, it has also taught me to be resilient, creative in my solutions to problems, identify strengths in myself I may have never realized, become a fierce advocate for the disability community, and become a leader amongst my peers. I am an athlete. I am an athlete who experiences cerebral palsy and Goldenhar Syndrome, who has come back from eighteen different surgeries only to have to take the disappointment of being cut from high school athletic teams due to my disability and turned the negative experience into what has been a life changing experience by focusing on my own personal development, both physically and mentally through weight training. I have and want to continue to share this passion with others who are interested in changing the lives of people with disabilities. I am passionate about business and sports management, and I want to combine both business and sports management with disability advocacy work to support businesses in becoming more inclusive for people who experience disabilities. I want to show them that similar to my weight training endeavors where I took my passion for athleticism and turned it into a “me versus myself” sport, every person who has a disability has a strength that can be developed and become a passion that can make them feel good about themselves. Ultimately, I would like to pursue my doctorate in business administration and work in the sports management industry. I want to combine my previously discussed passion of sports and exercise to work to create more inclusive environments for people who experience disabilities in sports industries to include amateur athletics, professional athletics, athletic clothing and footwear, and sports related industries. Part of my goal includes ensuring parents of young children with disabilities are educated on both civil rights and creating and fulfilling their child's dreams and their dreams for their child despite their disability. I want to be an advocate while pursuing my passions in an industry that I enjoy. Despite having my own physical disability, I was raised in fully inclusive settings, played sports with my non-disabled peers, and attended all of my classes in a general education classroom without ever being segregated simply because I experience a disability. I want to combine this important aspect of my life that has helped develop me into the leader that I am, with my love of sports and business. I am hoping to partner with companies such as Nike, Adidas, dress shoe companies, mainstream clothing companies, athletic training equipment companies, and even traditional corporate offices to ensure their facilities, products, and presentations are all inclusive for people who experience a range of disabilities. I want to be considered an expert in the fields of disability studies and sports/business management. I would like to be a person who is consulted with in these fields by people who are in charge of making policies that impact the lives of people who experience disabilities. I want to ensure all people with disabilities have fulfilling lives without being held back by inaccessibility in areas that they shouldn't have to worry about being accessible, their everyday lives and activities. I want everybody to feel like their body belongs and they belong regardless of their differences.

My entire life has revolved around my disability. I have cerebral palsy and Goldenhar Syndrome. From the week I came home from the hospital and for the entirety of the last seventeen years of my life, I have been in physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, horseback riding therapy, aqua therapy, participated in many clinical trials and unique medical treatments, and experienced nearly two dozen surgeries so that I can be at the point I am at now. My plans for my future include incorporating all that I have learned from these experiences and combining them with my love for business. I want to eventually obtain my doctorate in business and work to build or support a company that transforms the lives of people with disabilities, as those that came before me did to improve the quality of my life. I want to work to create more inclusive environments for people who experience disabilities in sports industries to include amateur athletics, professional athletics, athletic clothing and footwear, and sports related industries. Part of my goal includes ensuring parents of young children with disabilities are educated on both civil rights and creating and fulfilling their child's dreams and their dreams for their child despite their disability. I want to be an advocate while pursuing my passions in an industry that I enjoy. Despite my own physical disability, I was raised in fully inclusive settings, played sports with my non-disabled peers, and attended all of my classes in a general education classroom without ever being segregated because I experience a disability. I want to combine this important aspect with my love of sports and business. I am hoping to partner with companies such as Nike, Adidas, dress shoe companies, mainstream clothing companies, athletic training equipment companies, and even traditional corporate offices to ensure their facilities, products, and presentations are all inclusive for people who experience a range of disabilities. I want to be considered an expert in the fields of disability studies and sports/business management. I would like to be a person who is consulted with in these fields by people who are in charge of making policies that impact the lives of people who experience disabilities. I want to ensure all people with disabilities have fulfilling lives without being held back by inaccessibility in areas that they shouldn't have to worry about being accessible, their everyday lives and activities. I want everybody to feel like their body belongs and they belong regardless of their differences. In addition to the many life experiences I earned from being born experiencing disability, I am also part of an active-duty military family. This has caused my family to often be split up into different states. My parents are divorced and my stepfather is in the Army. In order to ensure the continuity of my care and the stability of my education, the decision was made that I would not move with them each time that they moved as it was often every year or 18 months. This caused me to often live without my primary parent, instilling both independence and discipline in myself. I was not able to work a regular job because I could not leave every school break. This impacted my ability to earn money and save for college. I instead focused on my education and ensuring that I kept my grades up to earn scholarships to assist me in paying for school. Additional funds will help me be able to attend college and be the person I aspire to be to expand corporate world-views on people with disabilities.

From birth trauma to disability trauma, divorce trauma, and active-duty military trauma, these experiences have shaped who I am and how I navigate the complexities of life. My journey with mental health has been shaped by a series of traumatic events, each leaving a profound impact on my goals, relationships, and understanding of the world. My journey began with a traumatic birth, where I was born prematurely by emergency caesarean section, leading to cerebral palsy—a brain injury that has defined much of my life. The aftermath of this traumatic birth has been a lifetime of thousands of hours of therapy and seventeen surgeries thus far. Despite the physical challenges, the emotional toll has been equally significant. The fear and anxiety associated with medical settings, a common occurrence with brain injuries, have deeply affected me, making it difficult to seek the care I need. Additionally, being part of an active-duty military family has added another layer of trauma, with long deployments and frequent moves disrupting stability and exacerbating feelings of isolation and uncertainty. However, amidst these challenges, I have emerged as a stronger advocate for myself and my peers. I have recognized the importance of mental health support, especially among friends who may be experiencing similar struggles. In response to these challenges, I have opened up the home gym that I have created to my friends and peers, encouraging them to join me in physical activity as a means of improving mental health. Physical exercise has become my primary resource for coping with anxiety and stress, providing a sense of control and empowerment in times of turmoil. I share my story with others. I try to make the subject one that does not have a stigma attached as I want everyone to feel comfortable opening up about their struggles. Furthermore, my experiences have fueled my passion for advocating for mental health awareness and support. I am committed to breaking the stigma surrounding mental health and ensuring that everyone has access to the resources and support they need to thrive. By sharing my story and providing a safe space for others to open up about their struggles, I hope to foster a community of empathy, understanding, and support. Ultimately, my journey with mental health has taught me the importance of resilience, self-advocacy, and compassion. Despite the challenges I have faced, I am determined to continue moving forward, using my experiences to drive positive change and make a difference in the lives of others. As I prepare to embark on the next chapter of my life—college—I am both apprehensive and hopeful, knowing that I have the strength and resilience to overcome whatever challenges may come my way.

I am a sports enthusiast but being born with a physical disability has impaired my ability to continue to play sports at the level that I need to to remain competitive with my peers. I want people who experience disabilities to be educated, live, and work in our communities fully integrated with natural supports in place where needed. I want students with disabilities to grow up in schools that are designed for all students and work for all students. Personally, I have a passion for sports, disability rights, and business. I plan to eventually achieve my doctorate degree in business and work with companies that are committed to being inclusive for people with disabilities to create materials, clothing, footwear, and other products that allow people with disabilities to be able to wear the same shoes and clothes as their peers and be able to put them on with relative ease. I want them to be able to play sports with their non-disabled peers and have them accessible. I want people with disabilities to feel like they belong in all realms of their life and to no longer have to fight for everything they need.

The only free people in the United States that it is still legal to segregate are people with disabilities. Segregation often starts at a very young age when children who experience disabilities are put into "special" preschool classrooms, setting them up for a life of segregation. In turn, setting them up for a life of subpar education with no research showing this model is a successful model, isolation from typically developing peers, and ultimately the highest unemployment rate of any subgroup of people. Being born into this community could have been very much a detriment to my life but I was fortunate to have a mom who has been an advocate for me my entire life and taught me to be a strong advocate fro myself and others who experience a disability. No one wants to live a life of isolation, where the only people that care for you are those that are paid to do so such as physical therapists, occupational therapists, doctors, and caregivers. However, many people with disabilities live in this lonely situation because they were brought up in a segregated setting without natural peers supports. Part of the reason this has continued is often, people in the disability community are unable to advocate for themselves. They do not have a voice in our communities like other marginalized groups so this treatment continues with no consequences. This has changed my world view. I have seen first hand how people, humanity, do not support the disability community like they do other marginalized groups. They do not speak up for those impacted by it, unless they are directly impacted by it such as close family members. I don't want this to continue for generations to come. I want people who experience disabilities to be educated, live, and work in our communities fully integrated with natural supports in place where needed. I want students with disabilities to grow up in schools that are designed for all students and work for all students. Personally, I have a passion for sports, disability rights, and business. I plan to eventually achieve my doctorate degree in business and work with companies that are committed to being inclusive for people with disabilities to create materials, clothing, footwear, and other products that allow people with disabilities to be able to wear the same shoes and clothes as their peers and be able to put them on with relative ease. I want them to be able to play sports with their non-disabled peers and have them accessible. I want people with disabilities to feel like they belong in all realms of their life and to no longer have to fight for everything they need.

I am an athlete. I am an athlete who experiences cerebral palsy who has taken the disappointment of being cut from high school athletic teams due to my disability and turned the negative experience into what has been a life changing experience by focusing on my own personal development, both physically and mentally through weight training. I want to share this passion with others who are interested in changing the lives of people with disabilities. I am passionate about business and sports management, and I want to combine both business and sports management with disability advocacy work to support businesses in becoming more inclusive for people who experience disabilities. Ultimately, I would like to pursue my doctorate in business administration and work in the sports management industry. I want to work to create more inclusive environments for people who experience disabilities in sports industries to include amateur athletics, professional athletics, athletic clothing and footwear, and sports related industries. Part of my goal includes ensuring parents of young children with disabilities are educated on both civil rights and creating and fulfilling their child's dreams and their dreams for their child despite their disability. I want to be an advocate while pursuing my passions in an industry that I enjoy. Despite my own physical disability, I was raised in fully inclusive settings, played sports with my non-disabled peers, and attended all of my classes in a general education classroom without ever being segregated because I experience a disability. I want to combine this important aspect with my love of sports and business. I am hoping to partner with companies such as Nike, Addidas, dress shoe companies, mainstream clothing companies, athletic training equipment companies, and even traditional corporate offices to ensure their facilities, products, and presentations are all inclusive for people who experience a range of disabilities. I want to be considered an expert in the fields of disability studies and sports/business management. I would like to be a person who is consulted with in these fields by people who are in charge of making policies that impact the lives of people who experience disabilities. I want to ensure all people with disabilities have fulfilling lives without being held back by inaccessibility in areas that they shouldn't have to worry about being accessible, their everyday lives and activities. I want everybody to feel like their body belongs and they belong regardless of their differences.