It’s a joke among my friends that I am always the first person to arrive at any get-together. I will even sit in my car and wait until the event starts to try to make myself not early, but they still know I’m there. My pathological earliness is the result of growing up with my dad, who always says, “Five minutes early is late,” a philosophy he learned in his twenty years in the Army. There are lots of other lessons my dad taught me, too, but the one that resonates the most is, “Serve a cause greater than yourself.” Of all the Army stories he has told me, the one that I always think of when I think about this lesson is a story from his time in Iraq. My dad deployed to Iraq with Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. He deployed early in the operation, so he had limited communication and no combat experience. During the first month they were in Iraq, his unit received word that a cache of chemical weapons had been found outside of Tikrit, and his unit was assigned to investigate. The weapons were located on the other side of the river from where they were, and the only way to get there was over the one remaining bridge over the Tigris River. As my dad tells it, the bridge looked like it might be able to support soldiers on foot, but he needed to get soldiers in 2-ton tanks across it. They were not sure the bridge would hold. Dad had to decide what to do. No one else was close enough to get to the site, but if the bridge didn’t hold, no one would get there at all, and Tikrit would be cut off from support and supplies. And if the bridge failed while they were crossing it, that would be really bad for anyone on the bridge. So my dad had to quickly come up with a solution. He decided to send the tanks one at a time, with just the driver in the tank instead of the usual crew of four. Once all the tanks made it across, everyone else would cross on foot. With the other crew members guarding the bridge, the tanks started to roll out, one by one. My dad monitored their progress, and coordinated with the drivers and observers for any sign of weaknesses as they slowly crossed the bridge. Fortunately, the bridge held, and everyone made it safely to the other side. As my dad tells the story, this was the first of many decisions he had to make under pressure during his time in Iraq. Having to ask all of his drivers to take on the individual risk themselves was the first time he had to ask someone directly to risk their own life. This gave him the courage to make harder and harder decisions throughout the rest of his deployment. To me, this story really illustrates what it means to serve a cause greater than yourself. They needed to get to the chemical weapons in order to protect the greatest number of people, both military and civilian. And they needed to cross the bridge with the lowest risk to his unit. But the burden of asking a small group to take on that risk was an emotional burden as well. My dad has lots of stories from his time in Iraq, and from all his other time in the Army, but it’s this one that I think about most often, especially when I feel like I have a difficult decision to make.

Practicing kindness, like any skill, must be nurtured, developed, and strengthened over time. As I reflect back on my life, I can identify several moments of inspiration that brought me to where I am today. I’d like to share those influences with you, in what I could call a “Be Kind Rewind” telling of my story. You can see pictures of my stories in the uploaded file, or by using this link: https://tinyurl.com/jamisontower. Kindness Starts at Home When I was five, my parents and I flew half-way around the world to the small town of Gliwice, Poland, to meet my new “baby” sister (she was three). I’ll always remember that first day we met Aven – she was so tiny and so scared. She had already been through a lot in her short life. I was excited to be a big brother, and I was eager for her to play with me. I vividly remember being in that orphanage in Gliwice, inviting my sister to play with me, and the distrust and fear I saw in her eyes. I wasn’t prepared for the challenges our whole family would face as we got Aven settled into our family. She was scared and she was also angry, alone, and in an unfamiliar world. Her reaction to new situations was often physical. However, I learned quickly that no matter how she reacted to me, the best choice for me was to show her kindness in return. It wasn’t always easy, but I could see how a kind response to her frustrations took the anger out of the situation, and helped her calm down and learn to trust. The transformation we saw in Aven over time was amazing, and truly showed me the power of kindness. The experience of bringing Aven home, and helping her find her place in our family, was so impactful to me that I even wrote about the experience for my contribution to my fifth-grade class’s graduation book, in a piece I called “Out of This Country Kindness.” Serve a Cause Greater than Yourself Aven and I grew up in a military family, with my dad serving twenty years of active duty with the Army. In addition to emphasizing the importance of timeliness, the Army is an institution with a number of sayings that boil the Army philosophy down into easy to remember phrases. These sayings have become second nature to me – a failure to plan is a plan to fail, no plan survives first contact – and they have been great reminders to be intentional, and adaptable, in everything I do. But the one adage that is most core to who I am today is the one my dad most often repeated: Serve a cause greater than yourself. I have tried to live out this philosophy in ways big and small. For example, I have been a part of dozens of sports teams over the years, from ice hockey to baseball to soccer. On each team, while I gave my all on the ice or on the field, I was never the “star” player, but I viewed my most important role as being the glue on each team. I helped new players, mentored younger guys, and supported the coach or captain in motivating our players. In school, I found opportunities to take on leadership roles to help make my school and school community the best it could be. I was a mentor to incoming freshman as a Trained Student Leader, I represented my high school at Junior State of Ohio, and helped our school take home the most awards at the DECA state and national competitions. Along with my academic load, I took on two leadership roles in my senior year that allowed me to have a significant impact on my class: president of the Senior Class and president of the National Honor Society. As a freshman at Harvard, I have sought similar opportunities, and to date one of my most rewarding roles has been as a Diversity and Mentorship lead for the Harvard Undergraduate Research Association. How Can I Help? One month before my sixth birthday, my 35-year-old mom had a heart attack and nearly died. I will never forget the feeling of helplessness of walking into her hospital room and seeing her hooked up to all the tubes and monitors. I had always known my family had a genetic condition called familial hypercholesterolemia, or FH, but until that moment I didn’t really understand the significance of it. It was FH that caused my mom’s heart disease, and even though I was young, I knew I wanted to help her. As I got older, I learned more about the effects of FH, and I saw my mom undergo more heart surgeries. I knew I wanted to be a part of the solution, and so when I was 16, I became the youngest trained Ambassador for the Family Heart Foundation, an organization dedicated to raising awareness of and treatment for FH (70% of people in the U.S. who have FH are undiagnosed). In my role with Family Heart, I have had the opportunity to share my family’s story through social media campaigns, fundraisers, and monthly meetings. Together with my cousin, we raised nearly $5000 for Family Heart, and I remain actively engaged today. My experience with my mom and Family Heart has inspired my goal to become a doctor who also advocates on behalf of families living with FH. I want to make a difference not only in the lives of my individual patients, but in the experience of everyone living with FH. This is ultimately what kindness means to me – finding ways to help others, which in turn gives purpose to my life. I learned early the power of kindness through my sister, and I saw the incredible impact even small acts of kindness can have throughout high school. As a doctor, I will continue to practice kindness along with practicing medicine.

“Mrs. Waterman, please send Jude to the office ready to go home.” I vividly remember the day I was called out of my kindergarten classroom in the middle of the day. I didn’t know why I had been called, and as I approached the office, I was more confused. Waiting for me at the office wasn’t my parents, it was my neighbor. Mrs. Lussky took my hand and led me to the car, explaining that my mom was sick and she was in the hospital, and Mrs. Lussky was taking me to her. When we arrived at my mom’s room, she was hooked up to dozens of machines and monitors, and there were tubes everywhere. I was scared. My mom, who was only 35, had suffered a heart attack and sudden cardiac arrest. Two days later, exactly one month before my sixth birthday, she had open heart surgery for a bypass and mitral valve replacement. It wasn’t her first heart surgery – she’d had her first bypass and aortic valve replacement before I was born – but it was the first one I had experienced. Even though heart disease wasn’t new to our family, in that moment it took on an entirely new meaning to me. My grandfather, my Papa, had had a heart transplant when he was 49, years before I was born, after having multiple heart attacks earlier in his life. What that meant to me at the time was that my funny, silly Papa could come watch my baseball games, but he couldn’t play catch with me. And now I was afraid my mom wasn’t going to be able to do all the things with me that she used to. I had always known that my family had “high cholesterol,” but as I got older, I learned that we have a genetic condition called familial hypercholesterolemia, or FH. It’s a common condition, about 1 in 250 people have it, but the diagnosis rate is only about 70%. FH causes early and aggressive heart disease, and it has had a significant impact on my family. My Papa, my mom, an uncle and aunt, three cousins, and myself all have FH. This means we are all at risk for heart disease. Since my mom’s second heart surgery, I worry about her more. I do what I can to make sure she doesn’t lift heavy things, and we all try to avoid uphill walks or strenuous activities for her. The worry hangs over us all every day. Just two years ago, our fears came true again. All of the sudden, within a couple of days, my mom went from being fine to being out of breath and tired. When she had to sit down to rest when walking between her bedroom and our kitchen, and we knew something was very wrong. My dad took her to urgent care, where they immediately called an ambulance to take her to the hospital. Later that night, my mom got a pacemaker. While that was easier than open heart surgery, it was a reminder to us all that we must stay careful and alert. Because of the impact heart disease from FH has had on my life and family, I plan to become a doctor. I want to continue to promote awareness of FH and to identify and treat families living with FH. I to do this to honor my mom, and my Papa, who we lost to heart disease in 2016. I want to help make sure no other family has to experience losing their grandfather, or their mom, to heart disease.

“Jude, please come to the office with your backpack prepared to go home.” I remember the day I was called out of kindergarten at my new school. My dad’s career in the Army had just brought us to Kentucky, and I was still the new kid. I was confused – I wasn’t expecting anyone to pick me up from school early. When I got to the office to sign out, it wasn’t my mom picking me up, but instead it was our neighbor. She took my hand and gently told me my mom was sick, and she was taking me to the hospital to see her. When we arrived at the hospital, my mom was hooked up to a tangle of machines and wires, the smell of medicine and antiseptic in the air. My mom, who was only 35, had suffered a heart attack and sudden cardiac arrest. The next day, she underwent open heart surgery for a coronary artery bypass. I had always known that our family, especially my mom, had “high cholesterol,” and I knew that my grandfather, my Papa, had received a heart transplant long before I was born. But I hadn’t really known why it mattered that we all had high cholesterol. On that day, I learned how dangerous high cholesterol could be. My family has a genetic condition called familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), and it was FH that caused my mom to have a heart attack at such a young age. While the condition is common (1 in 250), nearly 70% of people who have FH are undiagnosed, and therefore are not being treated to prevent heart disease. As I have learned more about FH, I have become committed to becoming a part of the solution for future generations living with FH. I am determined to become both a doctor and an advocate for FH and related conditions. I am currently an Ambassador for the Family Heart Foundation, which gives me the opportunity to share my family’s story through social media, print articles, and speaking opportunities. In pursuit of my career goals, I am studying Molecular and Cellular Biology at Harvard to prepare for medical school. I intend to become a physician who not only cares for patients with medications and treatments, but who is also an advocate for awareness, understanding, and policy changes in the healthcare space. As a doctor, not only will I help my own patients, but I will also help identify patients who may have FH and not be aware. As an advocate, I will work with policymakers and other doctors to raise awareness and ensure that undiagnosed individuals are found and treated, and that there is funding for more treatments in the future. My hope is that no other kindergartner will have to see their mom or dad go through what my mom went through. I believe that I can help make a difference, and I am passionate in my desire to do so.

“That’s a first-world problem.” “99% of people in the world would change places with you in a heartbeat.” I am used to hearing these replies from my dad if I complain about homework or not being able to find the time to do something I need to do. I understand where he is coming from, because my dad’s perspective is hard-earned. He served in the Army for twenty years, led in combat, and spent significant time in dangerous places around the world, seeing first-hand how hard things can be. Growing up as a military kid, I learned to be adaptable as we moved every 2 - 3 years; I learned to be responsible when my dad was away from home; and I learned how to cope with the stress that comes with uncertainty. I also became more resilient, and learned to appreciate the perspective I have developed as a member of a military family. All of these experiences helped me to develop a value system that, while not unique to military children, is far more likely to be found among the military families who have shared the same experiences. That value system can be distilled into three key areas: 1) serving a cause greater than your own; 2) the true meaning of leadership; and 3) selfless service. From my earliest memories, I recall my parents asking what I had done to help someone else that day. Not that they weren’t interested in my personal achievements, but I understood early on that they were far more interested in how I contributed to others’ successes. Whether on my soccer or baseball teams, or in my classrooms, I learned to put the needs of the group ahead of my own, living the ethos of serving a cause greater than myself. Today, there’s not a week that goes by that my dad doesn’t ask, “What’s your plan?” “What’s the goal?” “Do other people understand their part in it?” He has taught me that being a leader isn’t just about telling other people what to do, but it’s about gaining buy-in from the group, and together determining what we want the outcome to be. Whether it’s coordinating a fundraiser for National Honor Society, planning a class activity as Class President, or just getting a group of friends together for the weekend, I’ve been brought up to be intentional in my plans, active in my listening, and empathetic in my conversations. Finally, hearing my dad’s experience has really driven home the concept of “selfless service.” My dad paid a significant price serving in combat, and the effect of that service still impacts him today. Despite the lasting physical and mental impacts, he still says what he did was the right thing to do, and he would do it again. Understanding his perspective has made me want to find a career that also puts the needs of others ahead of my own, and that is why I plan to become a doctor after college. I want to help others and serve as a contributing member of our society in a way I feel I can have the biggest impact. Growing up in a military family has definitely shaped my perspective on my life and on the world. Today I live in a community where there are very few veteran families, so I am able to appreciate how unique and special my experience has been. I believe growing up Army has set me up well to be an impactful member of my college community and beyond.

Viruses. In the media they are monsters, sub-microscopic apocalyptic tyrants. The Stand, The Walking Dead, Contagion - the list of stories about devastating viruses is long and the tales are scary. Covid-19 brought these stories to life in terrifying fashion, and we are all still recovering from its effects. But I’m excited by viruses. Not for the disease and death they deliver, but for their potential for delivering health and life. In particular, I’m interested in the use of adeno-associated virus (AAV) as a delivery method for gene therapy in the treatment of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). In this process, the shell of the AAV is used to deliver a healthy copy of the gene in the liver that causes FH, and the virus then replicates within the liver to change all genes to the healthy copy. My interest in AAV gene therapy for familial hypercholesterolemia is both academic and personal. An autosomal dominant condition, FH is a genetic disease that causes early and aggressive heart disease, and it has significantly impacted my family. When I was six years old, my mother, at 35 years old, suffered a heart attack and nearly died. When I was twelve years old, my grandfather passed away at age 69, finally succumbing to the damage done to his heart by FH. He had survived three heart attacks and a heart transplant before we lost him. In my generation of our family, three of my cousins, myself, and my sister all have FH as well. And while FH is common (1 in 250 people in the U.S. have it), nearly 70% of those affected don’t even know they have it. My family, and millions others like us, can benefit from AAV-delivered treatments in the near future. I plan to study biology and biochemistry in college, and to continue on to medical school, so that I can become a researcher, a physician, and a part of the future cure for FH. I will build upon my personal interest as well as my passion for the natural sciences to achieve my goal. In high school, I have taken as many classes as I could to prepare myself to be successful in college, including AP Chemistry, Biology, and Physics, as well as college-level courses in Anatomy and Physiology, and Organic Chemistry. I genuinely enjoy learning about these subjects, and even without my personal reason for studying the sciences, I know that this would still be my path. While it has been challenging to live with a chronic condition, and to see the health impacts on my mom and grandfather, it has also given me a purpose and a direction. In addition to my work in the classroom, I have joined the Family Heart Foundation as an Ambassador, helping to raise awareness of FH in the public and with healthcare providers. I continue to share my family’s story with as many people as I can. I truly believe that by combining my advocacy efforts with a STEM career in medicine, I can make a difference for families and individuals impacted by FH.

As my name was called out over the loudspeaker, I trotted onto the field, heart pounding. It was the last scrimmage of the pre-season, and I had reached my goal: I was a starter for the varsity soccer team as a sophomore. That moment, as the whistle blew and the game started, was the best time of my soccer career. Fourteen minutes later, everything changed. An illegal slide tackle brought my dream crashing down, taking my ankle ligaments with it. Later confirmed by the orthopedist, I suffered a broken ankle and several torn ligaments in my leg. At that moment of impact, I knew it was the worst time of my soccer career. Looking back from where I am now - as a senior my team won the league and the district, before losing in the regionals on PKs - I can look back on that moment as one of the most formative of my life. My injury was followed by months of rehab, followed by reinjury, and re-rehab. I still attended every game, even if I was on crutches, to support my team. I put all of my effort into rebuilding my strength and continued to play on my club team in the spring. As I worked through my injury, my goals for myself evolved. I was no longer focused on being the star player. Instead, I was focused on being the best player and teammate I could be, in whatever capacity the team needed me to be. My recovery process taught me the importance of patience, commitment, teamwork, and individual work. I was able to work back to a place where I played a meaningful role on the team as a senior, which made my team’s success my senior year even sweeter for me. I deeply appreciated every minute of playing time I had. I was also able to talk to teammates who faced injuries, or less playing time than they had hoped for, to help everyone see the value in the experience, whatever it looked like. And our team bonded and cheered each other on from the field and from the sidelines. I also take these lessons with me in other areas of my life, through leadership positions at school and in my community. I know that by putting in the time and effort, I will be successful. It is that attitude that led me to become a National Merit Semi-Finalist, as well as to be elected by my peers as both Senior Class President and President of the National Honor Society. I mentor underclassmen through my school’s Trained Student Leaders program, and I brought students together through a unifying interest in sports analytics when I founded the Sports Analytics Club. And when my mom went through emergency heart surgery my junior year, I helped her through the rehab she had after her surgery. My own experience of disappointment, then hard work, and ultimately success (although redefined) helped me to do all of this. With my final soccer season behind me, I am preparing for college, where I hope to be able to play on the club soccer team. I will use my soccer experience to help me overcome obstacles in college, and eventually in medical school. I know college and medical school together are a significant investment of both time and money, and the Nasser Seconi Memorial Scholarship would help me manage the expenses involved in achieving my goals. I would be honored to represent Nasser Seconi’s legacy, and I hope to one day be able to help other recovering athletes as a sports medicine doctor.

I was nervous the first time I stood in front of the group, their expectant faces looking up at me with a mix of curiosity, excitement, and a little skepticism. “Okay, everyone,” I said, clapping my hands and acting like I was completely confident, “Let’s grab our putters and head to the green.” No one moved. What’s going on? I wondered. Then one little hand went up, followed by a question from the boy with his hand raised, “Coach Jude, what’s a putter?” Ah, I smiled to myself, I needed to start at the very beginning. That was my first class of five- and six-year-olds with First Tee of Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, a non-profit I have worked with since my freshman year. First Tee teaches young kids lessons in resilience, perseverance, honesty, and others that can be learned through the game of golf. Plus, I would get to spend extra time on the golf course and driving range, which is always a welcome activity. First Tee has been the perfect activity for me to bring together my passion for golf and my interest in mentoring. I have been playing golf since I was about five years old. My dad was a career Army officer, and because of that, our family’s friends are all over the country, which allows us the opportunity to play a lot of different courses when visiting friends and family. I have been able to play some famous courses - Southern Hills, NCR, Colonial - and some not-so-well-known courses that are just as fun. My family has taken vacations to the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama and to the Boyne Mountain courses in northern Michigan. Pretty much any golf course we can drive to, we have played. One of my favorite memories was driving to Columbus, Ohio, to see Viktor Hovlund play in the 2019 Nationwide tournament to earn his PGA card. I got to meet Viktor, and he even signed my hat for me and gave me one of his gloves. The hat and glove are currently hanging in my bedroom, a great reminder of that special day. Golf has always been an outlet for me, and it’s also time I get to spend with my family, as my parents and many of my extended family members play as well. The lessons I have learned from golf serve me in other capacities, too. At school, practice, patience, poise under pressure, honesty, integrity, and “course management” all help me to be successful. I have taken as many AP courses as I could, and I put in the work to earn all A’s throughout high school, and I have taken on positions as Senior Class President and President of the National Honor Society. I earned a 36 on my ACT and was named a National Merit Semi-Finalist, two achievements that were incredibly rewarding for the preparation I had put in for both tests. As I read the biography of Samuel Hartley, I was struck by the similarities between his background and interests and my own. Not only do we have a shared passion for golf, but we also share military family backgrounds, a connection to Ohio, and a commitment to community engagement. I intend to pursue medical school after college, where the lessons from golf will continue to serve me well. I remain committed to giving back to my communities and to improving my handicap. If I were selected to receive the Samuel D. Hartley Memorial scholarship, I would strive to honor Mr. Hartley’s life and passions, through service, leadership, and a love of golf.

Hanging on my bedroom wall, pressed between two panes of glass, is a leaf of perique tobacco. I grew the tobacco myself, and the leaf represents both my heritage and my approach to life. The perique grew from seeds provided through the Choctaw Nation’s Growing Hope program, and is a physical reminder of my heritage. Just as perique is not native to Ohio, neither am I, but we have both been able to grow here. My dad was the first in his family, across five generations, to leave Oklahoma when he embarked on his military career. Our family has moved several times with the Army, and those moves taught me adaptability and personal courage at a young age. It has also taught me the importance of being intentional in maintaining a connection to my extended family and Choctaw resources back in Oklahoma. I participate in the Growing Hope program, as mentioned above, and in addition to the perique, I have grown tanchi tobi (a kind of corn), Smith peas, and lambsquarter. I am registered to vote as a Choctaw, I am a part of the High School Student Services program, and I have been recognized as a Choctaw STAR Scholar. I stay current with tribal news through my subscription to the Biskinik monthly newspaper, and I have twice been featured in the Biskinik, once for my tanchi tobi, and once for achieving a score of 36 on my ACT. While my heritage has helped to keep me grounded and connected, my family’s moves away from Oklahoma have taught me to be open and adaptable. One of the most important benefits of being adaptable is being able to build connections in many different environments. I am friendly to the new kid at school, because often in my life that new kid was me. I am inclusive of people who come from unfamiliar backgrounds, because again, that was often me. By being inclusive and accepting, I have learned more and shared more about different people, cultures, and activities than I would have had I never said hello to a stranger. I live just down the way from Little Miami Brewing in Cincinnati, and I drive past it often. I was excited to see Little Miami sponsored a scholarship for Native students, as I feel like this is an opportunity to connect my past with my present, and my future. I believe that my Choctaw heritage has shaped me into an inclusive, curious, and empathetic person today. And just as Ohio proved to be fertile ground for my perique, it has also proven to be a grounding place for me to grow. I am looking forward to the next chapter in my life as I prepare to head to college. My ultimate goal is to become a physician and help make a difference in the world through empathetic and inclusive healthcare practices.