“Know yourself and seek self-improvement” is one of the core leadership principles of the United States Marine Corps. My father, a USMC veteran, has instilled in me the leadership and dedication he was taught as a Marine Officer. Throughout my childhood, my father emphasized strong leadership traits in me and led by example. I have learned that knowing your own weaknesses and working on improving them is the first step to being a good leader. As the oldest of three siblings, I often take a leadership role in my family. I am often the one who helps my brother and sister navigate life as they grow up, and I always work to support and encourage them in the face of their biggest challenges. I have worked hard to identify my own strengths and weaknesses, and instead of being defensive or sensitive about them, I have worked to improve upon them, and in turn, I have been able to be a role model for my younger siblings. I have often turned to introspection when I have failed at a task or not gotten a grade I'm happy with to see why I didn't do my best. I have learned to identify when I need to put more effort or attention to a task. My father is one of the hardest-working individuals I have ever met. In business, physical fitness, and recreation, he strives to do his best at all times. I am inspired by his dedication to performing his personal best, and I have learned that hard work is the key to success. He recently started his own business and has worked consistently to make sure our family is supported. His entrepreneurship has been successful because of his hard work. I aspire to be like my father. I have the goal of obtaining an engineering degree and hope to become an entrepreneur like my father. The spirit of using the USMC skills of hard work and drive to be successful in business is something I aspire to continue, to one day support myself. As I grow and evolve, I have been working on knowing myself so I may constantly improve my leadership skills, dedication to my personal best, and myself overall. I have worked to be a more talented and confident public speaker, a more effective leader as an officer of our FFA chapter, and a better person. My father's military service has inspired me to do my best and continually focus on self-improvement in the classroom, on the lacrosse field, and giving back to my community.

On the first day of third grade I found out that I have a rare disease, when I broke my femur playing kickball. After an ER trip and a six-hour surgery, I was diagnosed with fibrous dysplasia, which affects 1 in 10,000 and causes bone tumors. This disease makes my femur weak and prone to fracture. What followed was multiple additional surgeries, lengthy hospital visits and wheelchairs over the next 10 years. In elementary school, I was known as the ¨Wheelchair kid¨. Some kids made fun of me, most simply gave me the occasional pitiful look, and felt bad that an energetic kid had to be constrained to that chair. My legs haven’t always been able to support me. The challenges I've faced have given me the confidence to know that no matter what I am presented with, I can not only overcome it, but dominate it. My obstacles have taught me to never take anything for granted, to push myself to achieve extraordinary goals, and to use my strength to lift up others around me. I've been incredibly lucky to recover and be able to manage my disease. As a result, I feel so grateful and determined to make the most of life's opportunities. That determination has translated to do the very best I can in my studies. I've worked incredibly hard to earn my GPA. I also feel passionate about giving back, and participating in all that life has to offer, like serving on the Executive Committee of my school's agriculture magnet program, and volunteering with our local youth lacrosse organization. My surgeons have used advanced tools and technology to build a supportive steel spike, specifically for my physiology. With fibrous dysplasia being a very rare condition, specialized surgical tools are needed to repair its effects. Somewhere, years ago, an engineer committed themselves to making the world a better place, and constructed these tools so that I could walk and run again. My personal goal is to earn a degree in bioengineering and produce new technologies that provide second chances to people who can benefit from technology the most. My personal experiences have created a passion in me to use technology and biotech for disease prevention and treatment. I'm thrilled by the prospect of earning this degree, and gaining insight into how technology is used for the benefit of humanity in the real world, and help me in my personal goals to help people through biotechnology. I look forward to continuing to work hard in my studies and contributing to the college community. I'm so excited to see how I can succeed and help continue the exemplary legacy in college.

On the first day of third grade I found out that I have a rare disease, when I broke my femur playing kickball. After an ER trip and a six-hour surgery, I was diagnosed with fibrous dysplasia, which affects 1 in 10,000 and causes bone tumors. This disease makes my femur weak and prone to fracture. What followed was multiple additional surgeries, lengthy hospital visits and wheelchairs over the next 10 years. In elementary school, I was known as the ¨Wheelchair kid¨. Some kids made fun of me, most simply gave me the occasional pitiful look, and felt bad that an energetic kid had to be constrained to that chair. My legs haven’t always been able to support me. The challenges I've faced have given me the confidence to know that no matter what I am presented with, I can not only overcome it, but dominate it. My obstacles have taught me to never take anything for granted, to push myself to achieve extraordinary goals, and to use my strength to lift up others around me. I've been incredibly lucky to recover and be able to manage my disease. As a result, I feel so grateful and determined to make the most of life's opportunities. That determination has translated to do the very best I can in my studies. I've worked incredibly hard to earn my GPA. I also feel passionate about giving back, and participating in all that life has to offer, like serving on the Executive Committee of my school's agriculture magnet program, and volunteering with our local youth lacrosse organization. My surgeons have used advanced tools and technology to build a supportive steel spike, specifically for my physiology. With fibrous dysplasia being a very rare condition, specialized surgical tools are needed to repair its effects. Somewhere, years ago, an engineer committed themselves to making the world a better place, and constructed these tools so that I could walk and run again. My personal goal is to earn a degree in bioengineering and produce new technologies that provide second chances to people who can benefit from technology the most. My personal experiences have created a passion in me to use technology and biotech for disease prevention and treatment. I'm thrilled by the prospect of earning this degree, and gaining insight into how technology is used for the benefit of humanity in the real world, and help me in my personal goals to help people through biotechnology. I look forward to continuing to work hard in my studies and contributing to the college community. I'm so excited to see how I can succeed and help continue the exemplary legacy in college I will be attending Northeastern University this fall and I am excited to pursue my degree in bioengineering at one of the best engineering schools in the county. I plan to earn a bachelor's and a masters degree at Northeastern University and work to develop better treatments for fibrous dysplasia, so those who share my condition may be given a second chance just as I was.

On the first day of third grade I found out that I have a rare disease, when I broke my femur playing kickball. After an ER trip and a six-hour surgery, I was diagnosed with fibrous dysplasia, which affects 1 in 10,000 and causes bone tumors. This disease makes my femur weak and prone to fracture. What followed was multiple additional surgeries, lengthy hospital visits and wheelchairs over the next 10 years. In elementary school, I was known as the ¨Wheelchair kid¨. Some kids made fun of me, most simply gave me the occasional pitiful look, and felt bad that an energetic kid had to be constrained to that chair. My legs haven’t always been able to support me. The challenges I've faced have given me the confidence to know that no matter what I am presented with, I can not only overcome it, but dominate it. My obstacles have taught me to never take anything for granted, to push myself to achieve extraordinary goals, and to use my strength to lift up others around me. I've been incredibly lucky to recover and be able to manage my disease. As a result, I feel so grateful and determined to make the most of life's opportunities. That determination has translated to do the very best I can in my studies. I've worked incredibly hard to earn my GPA. I also feel passionate about giving back, and participating in all that life has to offer, like serving on the Executive Committee of my school's agriculture magnet program, and volunteering with our local youth lacrosse organization. My surgeons have used advanced tools and technology to build a supportive steel spike, specifically for my physiology. With fibrous dysplasia being a very rare condition, specialized surgical tools are needed to repair its effects. Somewhere, years ago, an engineer committed themselves to making the world a better place, and constructed these tools so that I could walk and run again. My personal goal is to earn a degree in bioengineering and produce new technologies that provide second chances to people who can benefit from technology the most. My personal experiences have created a passion in me to use technology and biotech for disease prevention and treatment. I'm thrilled by the prospect of earning this degree, and gaining insight into how technology is used for the benefit of humanity in the real world, and help me in my personal goals to help people through biotechnology. I look forward to continuing to work hard in my studies and contributing to the college community. I'm so excited to see how I can succeed and help continue the exemplary legacy in college

On the first day of third grade I found out that I have a rare disease, when I broke my femur playing kickball. After an ER trip and a six-hour surgery, I was diagnosed with fibrous dysplasia, which affects 1 in 10,000 and causes bone tumors. This disease makes my femur weak and prone to fracture. What followed was multiple additional surgeries, lengthy hospital visits and wheelchairs over the next 10 years. In elementary school, I was known as the ¨Wheelchair kid¨. Some kids made fun of me, most simply gave me the occasional pitiful look, and felt bad that an energetic kid had to be constrained to that chair. My legs haven’t always been able to support me. The challenges I've faced have given me the confidence to know that no matter what I am presented with, I can not only overcome it, but dominate it. My obstacles have taught me to never take anything for granted, to push myself to achieve extraordinary goals, and to use my strength to lift up others around me. I've been incredibly lucky to recover and be able to manage my disease. As a result, I feel so grateful and determined to make the most of life's opportunities. That determination has translated to do the very best I can in my studies. I've worked incredibly hard to earn my GPA. I also feel passionate about giving back, and participating in all that life has to offer, like serving on the Executive Committee of my school's agriculture magnet program, and volunteering with our local youth lacrosse organization. My surgeons have used advanced tools and technology to build a supportive steel spike, specifically for my physiology. With fibrous dysplasia being a very rare condition, specialized surgical tools are needed to repair its effects. Somewhere, years ago, an engineer committed themselves to making the world a better place, and constructed these tools so that I could walk and run again. My personal goal is to earn a degree in bioengineering and produce new technologies that provide second chances to people who can benefit from technology the most. My personal experiences have created a passion in me to use technology and biotech for disease prevention and treatment. I'm thrilled by the prospect of earning this degree, and gaining insight into how technology is used for the benefit of humanity in the real world, and help me in my personal goals to help people through biotechnology. I look forward to continuing to work hard in my studies and contributing to the college community. I'm so excited to see how I can succeed and help continue the exemplary legacy in college

On the first day of third grade I found out that I have a rare disease, when I broke my femur playing kickball. After an ER trip and a six-hour surgery, I was diagnosed with fibrous dysplasia, which affects 1 in 10,000 and causes bone tumors. This disease makes my femur weak and prone to fracture. What followed was multiple additional surgeries, lengthy hospital visits and wheelchairs over the next 10 years. In elementary school, I was known as the ¨Wheelchair kid¨. Some kids made fun of me, most simply gave me the occasional pitiful look, and felt bad that an energetic kid had to be constrained to that chair. My legs haven’t always been able to support me. The challenges I've faced have given me the confidence to know that no matter what I am presented with, I can not only overcome it, but dominate it. My obstacles have taught me to never take anything for granted, to push myself to achieve extraordinary goals, and to use my strength to lift up others around me. I've been incredibly lucky to recover and be able to manage my disease. As a result, I feel so grateful and determined to make the most of life's opportunities. That determination has translated to do the very best I can in my studies. I've worked incredibly hard to earn my GPA. I also feel passionate about giving back, and participating in all that life has to offer, like serving on the Executive Committee of my school's agriculture magnet program, and volunteering with our local youth lacrosse organization. My surgeons have used advanced tools and technology to build a supportive steel spike, specifically for my physiology. With fibrous dysplasia being a very rare condition, specialized surgical tools are needed to repair its effects. Somewhere, years ago, an engineer committed themselves to making the world a better place, and constructed these tools so that I could walk and run again. My personal goal is to earn a degree in bioengineering and produce new technologies that provide second chances to people who can benefit from technology the most. My personal experiences have created a passion in me to use technology and biotech for disease prevention and treatment. I'm thrilled by the prospect of earning this degree, and gaining insight into how technology is used for the benefit of humanity in the real world, and help me in my personal goals to help people through biotechnology. I look forward to continuing to work hard in my studies and contributing to the college community. I'm so excited to see how I can succeed and help continue the exemplary legacy in college.