My name is Jayda Tennyson, I am 18 years old and I live in New Orleans Louisiana. From a young age, I knew I wanted to help people. My Family is from Belize and moved to New Orleans when my dad was a kid. Growing up I watched as my family fought to submit to American customs and try to prove every day that they belonged and could (as my father likes to say) “earn their keep”, and when my grandmother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and my aunt began to suffer from strokes I learned earning your keep isn’t good enough. When I was 13 years old, my dad had to take me and my twin brother to an old high school football game bored out of my mind I began to watch the field when I noticed a group of girls wearing fanny packs with water bottles in their hands and towels over their shoulders standing in front of the players and they would walk out onto the field every time out. Entering my freshman year, I ended up attending the same high school as my dad and soon learned that those girls were the athletic training students' aids and I wanted to be one. I had joined the program and for four years of my high school career, I had dedicated myself to being the best student trainer I thought I could be. I had to admit that days were hard and even wanted to quit because athletes aren't always the best, but they weren’t all the worst I had met so many different athletes with different backgrounds and stories, and being able to see some of them at their worst and highest moments was a personal accomplishment I don’t think many people will be able to experience. By junior year I had learned so much being able to tape ankles, wrists, and thumbs or even being able to properly evaluate an athlete, but I had learned that it wasn’t the athletics part that I liked so much it was the relationship I got to establish when working with athletes being able to take someone at the lowest moment and bring them to their highest is an accomplishment I wanted to be able to feel for the rest of my life, so I decided that I wanted to continue and become a physical therapist. Studying Kinesiology would mean the world to me, I want to be able to build relationships with people of different races, religions, backgrounds, and stories. I want to be able to change people, lives with simple therapy and exercises, taking someone from their lowest moment and putting them at their highest, being able to take care of someone, no matter who they are, where they come from, to help people like my aunt who suffer from strokes. I want to be able to go to Belize and help people who may not be able to afford it like my grandfather who is a diabetic and has to learn how to go to live without his legs. becoming a physical therapist wouldn’t just be for me it would be for my family

My name is Jayda Tennyson, I am 18 years old and I live in New Orleans Louisiana. From a young age, I knew I wanted to help people. My Family is from Belize and moved to New Orleans when my dad was a kid. Growing up I watched as my family fought to submit to American customs and try to prove every day that they belonged and could (as my father likes to say) “earn their keep”, and when my grandmother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and my aunt began to suffer from strokes I learned earning your keep isn’t good enough. When I was 13 years old, my dad had to take me and my twin brother to an old high school football game bored out of my mind I began to watch the field when I noticed a group of girls wearing fanny packs with water bottles in their hands and towels over their shoulders standing in front of the players and they would walk out onto the field every time out. Entering my freshman year, I ended up attending the same high school as my dad and soon learned that those girls were the athletic training students' aids and I wanted to be one. I had joined the program and for four years of my high school career, I had dedicated myself to being the best student trainer I thought I could be. I had to admit that days were hard and even wanted to quit because athletes aren't always the best, but they weren’t all the worst I had met so many different athletes with different backgrounds and stories, and being able to see some of them at their worst and highest moments was a personal accomplishment I don’t think many people will be able to experience. By junior year I had learned so much being able to tape ankles, wrists, and thumbs or even being able to properly evaluate an athlete, but I had learned that it wasn’t the athletics part that I liked so much it was the relationship I got to establish when working with athletes being able to take someone at the lowest moment and bring them to their highest is an accomplishment I wanted to be able to feel for the rest of my life, so I decided that I wanted to continue and become a physical therapist. Becoming a physical therapist would mean the world to me, I want to be able to build relationships with people of different races, religions, backgrounds, and stories. I want to be able to change people, lives with simple therapy and exercises, taking someone from their lowest moment and putting them at their highest, being able to take care of someone, no matter who they are, where they come from, to help people like my aunt who suffer from strokes. I want to be able to go to Belize and help people who may not be able to afford it like my grandfather who is a diabetic and has to learn how to go to live without his legs. becoming a physical therapist wouldn’t just be for me it would be for my family.

My name is Jayda Tennyson, I am 18 years old and I live in New Orleans Louisiana. From a young age, I knew I wanted to help people. My Family is from Belize and moved to New Orleans when my dad was a kid. Growing up I watched as my family fought to submit to American customs and try to prove every day that they belonged and could (as my father likes to say) “earn their keep”, and when my grandmother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and my aunt began to suffer from strokes I learned earning your keep isn’t good enough. When I was 13 years old, my dad had to take me and my twin brother to an old high school football game bored out of my mind I began to watch the field when I noticed a group of girls wearing fanny packs with water bottles in their hands and towels over their shoulders standing in front of the players and they would walk out onto the field every time out. Entering my freshman year, I ended up attending the same high school as my dad and soon learned that those girls were the athletic training students' aids and I wanted to be one. I had joined the program and for four years of my high school career, I had dedicated myself to being the best student trainer I thought I could be. I had to admit that days were hard and even wanted to quit because athletes aren't always the best, but they weren’t all the worst I had met so many different athletes with different backgrounds and stories, and being able to see some of them at their worst and highest moments was a personal accomplishment I don’t think many people will be able to experience. By junior year I had learned so much being able to tape ankles, wrists, and thumbs or even being able to properly evaluate an athlete, but I had learned that it wasn’t the athletics part that I liked so much it was the relationship I got to establish when working with athletes being able to take someone at the lowest moment and bring them to their highest is an accomplishment I wanted to be able to feel for the rest of my life, so I decided that I wanted to continue and become a physical therapist. Becoming a physical therapist would mean the world to me, I want to be able to build relationships with people of different races, religions, backgrounds, and stories. I want to be able to change people, lives with simple therapy and exercises, taking someone from their lowest moment and putting them at their highest, being able to take care of someone, no matter who they are, where they come from, to help people like my aunt who suffer from strokes. I want to be able to go to Belize and help people who may not be able to afford it like my grandfather who is a diabetic and has to learn how to go to live without his legs. becoming a physical therapist wouldn’t just be for me it would be for my family.

My name is Jayda Tennyson, I am 18 years old and I live in New Orleans Louisiana. From a young age, I knew I wanted to help people. My Family is from Belize and moved to New Orleans when my dad was a kid. Growing up I watched as my family fought to submit to American customs and try to prove every day that they belonged and could (as my father likes to say) “earn their keep”, and when my grandmother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and my aunt began to suffer from strokes I learned earning your keep isn’t good enough. When I was 13 years old, my dad had to take me and my twin brother to an old high school football game bored out of my mind I began to watch the field when I noticed a group of girls wearing fanny packs with water bottles in their hands and towels over their shoulders standing in front of the players and they would walk out onto the field every time out. Entering my freshman year, I ended up attending the same high school as my dad and soon learned that those girls were the athletic training students' aids and I wanted to be one. I had joined the program and for four years of my high school career, I had dedicated myself to being the best student trainer I thought I could be. I had to admit that days were hard and even wanted to quit because athletes aren't always the best, but they weren’t all the worst I had met so many different athletes with different backgrounds and stories, and being able to see some of them at their worst and highest moments was a personal accomplishment I don’t think many people will be able to experience. By junior year I had learned so much being able to tape ankles, wrists, and thumbs or even being able to properly evaluate an athlete, but I had learned that it wasn’t the athletics part that I liked so much it was the relationship I got to establish when working with athletes being able to take someone at the lowest moment and bring them to their highest is an accomplishment I wanted to be able to feel for the rest of my life, so I decided that I wanted to continue and become a physical therapist. Becoming a physical therapist would mean the world to me, I want to be able to build relationships with people of different races, religions, backgrounds, and stories. I want to be able to change people, lives with simple therapy and exercises, taking someone from their lowest moment and putting them at their highest, being able to take care of someone, no matter who they are, where they come from, to help people like my aunt who suffer from strokes. I want to be able to go to Belize and help people who may not be able to afford it like my grandfather who is a diabetic and has to learn how to go to live without his legs. becoming a physical therapist wouldn’t just be for me it would be for my family.

My name is Jayda Tennyson, I am 18 years old and I live in New Orleans Louisiana. From a young age, I knew I wanted to help people. My Family is from Belize and moved to New Orleans when my dad was a kid. Growing up I watched as my family fought to submit to American customs and try to prove every day that they belonged and could (as my father likes to say) “earn their keep”, and when my grandmother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and my aunt began to suffer from strokes I learned earning your keep isn’t good enough. When I was 13 years old, my dad had to take me and my twin brother to an old high school football game bored out of my mind I began to watch the field when I noticed a group of girls wearing fanny packs with water bottles in their hands and towels over their shoulders standing in front of the players and they would walk out onto the field every time out. Entering my freshman year, I ended up attending the same high school as my dad and soon learned that those girls were the athletic training students' aids and I wanted to be one. I had joined the program and for four years of my high school career, I had dedicated myself to being the best student trainer I thought I could be. I had to admit that days were hard and even wanted to quit because athletes aren't always the best, but they weren’t all the worst I had met so many different athletes with different backgrounds and stories, and being able to see some of them at their worst and highest moments was a personal accomplishment I don’t think many people will be able to experience. By junior year I had learned so much being able to tape ankles, wrists, and thumbs or even being able to properly evaluate an athlete, but I had learned that it wasn’t the athletics part that I liked so much it was the relationship I got to establish when working with athletes being able to take someone at the lowest moment and bring them to their highest is an accomplishment I wanted to be able to feel for the rest of my life, so I decided that I wanted to continue and become a physical therapist. Becoming a physical therapist would mean the world to me, I want to be able to build relationships with people of different races, religions, backgrounds, and stories. I want to be able to change people, lives with simple therapy and exercises, taking someone from their lowest moment and putting them at their highest, being able to take care of someone, no matter who they are, where they come from, to help people like my aunt who suffer from strokes. I want to be able to go to Belize and help people who may not be able to afford it like my grandfather who is a diabetic and has to learn how to go to live without his legs. becoming a physical therapist wouldn’t just be for me it would be for my family.

My name is Jayda Tennyson, I am 18 years old and I live in New Orleans Louisiana. From a young age, I knew I wanted to help people. My Family is from Belize and moved to New Orleans when my dad was a kid. Growing up I watched as my family fought to submit to American customs and try to prove every day that they belonged and could (as my father likes to say) “earn their keep”, and when my grandmother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and my aunt began to suffer from strokes I learned earning your keep isn’t good enough. When I was 13 years old, my dad had to take me and my twin brother to an old high school football game bored out of my mind I began to watch the field when I noticed a group of girls wearing fanny packs with water bottles in their hands and towels over their shoulders standing in front of the players and they would walk out onto the field every time out. Entering my freshman year, I ended up attending the same high school as my dad and soon learned that those girls were the athletic training students' aids and I wanted to be one. I had joined the program and for four years of my high school career, I had dedicated myself to being the best student trainer I thought I could be. I had to admit that days were hard and even wanted to quit because athletes aren't always the best, but they weren’t all the worst I had met so many different athletes with different backgrounds and stories, and being able to see some of them at their worst and highest moments was a personal accomplishment I don’t think many people will be able to experience. By junior year I had learned so much being able to tape ankles, wrists, and thumbs or even being able to properly evaluate an athlete, but I had learned that it wasn’t the athletics part that I liked so much it was the relationship I got to establish when working with athletes being able to take someone at the lowest moment and bring them to their highest is an accomplishment I wanted to be able to feel for the rest of my life, so I decided that I wanted to continue and become a physical therapist. Becoming a physical therapist would mean the world to me, I want to be able to build relationships with people of different races, religions, backgrounds, and stories. I want to be able to change people, lives with simple therapy and exercises, taking someone from their lowest moment and putting them at their highest, being able to take care of someone, no matter who they are, where they come from, to help people like my aunt who suffer from strokes. I want to be able to go to Belize and help people who may not be able to afford it like my grandfather who is a diabetic and has to learn how to go to live without his legs. becoming a physical therapist wouldn’t just be for me it would be for my family.

6 years ago as I sat in the Superdome stadium stuffing my face with crawfish nachos I looked over at the sidelines and noticed the men and a few women walking around with towels on their shoulders and water bottles in their hands. I watched as they all took care of the athletes some stretching, others giving them water, and I watched their every move as if they were the game. I asked my dad who all those people were still as I watched their every move and he said “the trainers”. From that day on every time I watched professional sports I wasn’t watching the game, I was looking for the athletic trainers. Entering into high school I was disappointed because of COVID-19 I had spent my entire first semester virtually, but in the second semester we were allowed to do a hybrid option and after being in the house for months I jumped at the opportunity. On my first day of physical school, I sat in my first period which happens to be P.E. with the head football coach. We had all just been sitting around when he asked what everyone wanted to be when they grew up, when he got to me I told him confidently “An athletic trainer” When I said that he told me about my school's Athletic Trainers Student Aides program and I knew I had to join. He connected me with the athletic trainer and she let me in after a week of paperwork and a sit-down interview with her and some of her senior student trainers. I have to admit it wasn't easy, and there were moments I wanted to quit. Athletes weren’t always the nicest people and sometimes I felt like I wasn’t good enough. Reluctantly I continued to be a Student Aide and I worked with every sport not only working with the athletes but learning the sports. By my junior year, I had learned to tape wrists, thumbs and even ankles. I had become one of the people I looked out for on the TV. I saw different injuries and built relationships with athletes as I watched them at some of their highest moments and even some of their lowest. Soon I realized it wasn’t the athletic part I loved it was the relationships with patients and physical care I loved so much. So I no longer wanted to be an Athletic Trainer I wanted to be a Physical Therapist. Now as I am bout to begin my next steps into becoming a physical therapist I want to be able to help different people of different races, genders, backgrounds, stories, and struggles. I want to take people from their lowest and put them at their highest.