It was a Friday afternoon, Thanksgiving break of 2021 was just around the corner. I remember daydreaming of rainy weather, sitting on the couch with a mocha, watching the rain hit the pool. I looked forward to relaxing days, wonderful food, and most of all, time with family. Unfortunately, COVID had other plans for my family. Fast forward a week –after a holiday of quarantining, meals eaten in isolation– we had all recovered, and returned to school and work. I had hoped the illness was behind me, that upcoming finals would be my only stressor, but COVID woke something dormant within me. Six weeks later, I was diagnosed with severe Crohn’s disease. December had been filled with loss, loss of weight, loss of blood, loss of the ability to sit through a whole class without having to sprint out the door. I’ve experienced several other complications, my disease affecting multiple organ systems, and requiring me to see many specialists. The complexity of navigating different specialists, battling insurance companies, and arguing with pharmacists has left me exhausted. There are times that I feel like people forget that I am a real person. Despite these challenges, I have grown to see Crohn’s as an inspiration, not a liability. Now more than ever, I am driven to pursue a career in the medical field, specifically as a nurse. I have personal experiences that many other nurses do not, which will allow me to make deeper connections with patients. I will be able to serve them better because of what I am going through. Crohn’s has taught me so much that I never would have known without it. It’s taught me literally–driving me to take classes, enrich and extend my knowledge. Such classes include anatomy, AP Biology, and a college nutrition course. Nutrition, as my planned minor, would allow me to educate others about the inner workings of an intricate organ system. All of these classes have given me a wealth of knowledge, knowledge that I will need to be an excellent nurse. Beyond the learning that I’ve done in a classroom, I have also learned so much about myself. I am so much stronger, so much more resilient than I give myself credit for. Not only have I worked through this illness, but I have thrived wherever possible. More often than not, my day is plagued with symptoms. Regardless, I have managed to maintain a perfect GPA, excelling in my AP classes and others. I have made advancements in my fitness, managing to build muscle and strength, despite the fact that I suffer from improper nutrient absorption. I have stuck with my job, increasing my savings so that my future will be financially stable and successful. Perhaps most importantly, I’ve learned the importance and necessity of family, the people in my “inner circle”. By nature, I am an independent person, I like to be in control. At first, I struggled to depend on other people, viewing it as a weakness, rather than a blessing. I couldn’t have reached the point I’m at today without the supportive people in my inner circle. And so it seems, my greatest challenge has become my greatest motivation.

It was a Friday afternoon, Thanksgiving break of 2021 was just around the corner. I remember daydreaming of rainy weather, sitting on the couch with a mocha, watching the rain hit the pool. I looked forward to relaxing days, wonderful food, and most of all, time with family. Unfortunately, COVID had other plans for my family. Fast forward a week –after a holiday of quarantining, meals eaten in isolation– we had all recovered, and returned to school and work. I had hoped the illness was behind me, that upcoming finals would be my only stressor, but COVID woke something dormant within me. Six weeks later, I was diagnosed with severe Crohn’s disease. December had been filled with loss, loss of weight, loss of blood, loss of the ability to sit through a whole class without having to sprint out the door. Now I had an explanation, and a hope for a speedy recovery. Though it’s been anything but speedy, and I still have a long way to go, I’ve come far from where I was all those months ago. Crohn’s has tested me in unimaginable ways, but it’s also taught me quite a bit. It’s taught me literally–driving me to take classes, enrich and extend my knowledge. Such classes include anatomy, AP Biology, and a college nutrition course. Nutrition, as my planned minor, would allow me to educate others about the inner workings of an intricate organ system. I‘m now more motivated and more driven to enter the field of nursing. All of these classes, all of this knowledge, provide me with precisely what I need to be an excellent nurse. Beyond the learning that I’ve done in a classroom, I have also learned so much about myself. I am so much stronger, so much more resilient than I give myself credit for. Not only have I worked through this illness, but I have thrived wherever possible. More often than not, my day is plagued with symptoms, ranging from cramps to fatigue to bloating and more. Regardless, I have managed to maintain a perfect GPA, excelling in my AP classes and others. I have made advancements in my fitness, managing to build muscle and strength, despite the fact that I suffer from improper nutrient absorption. I have stuck with my job, increasing my savings so that my future will be financially stable and successful. Perhaps most importantly, I’ve learned the importance and necessity of family, the people in my “inner circle”. By nature, I am an independent person, I like to be in control. At first, I struggled to depend on other people, viewing it as a weakness, rather than a blessing. I couldn’t have reached the point I’m at today without the supportive people in my inner circle. And so it seems, my greatest challenge has become my greatest motivation.

It was a Friday afternoon, Thanksgiving break of 2021 was just around the corner. I remember daydreaming of rainy weather, sitting on the couch with a mocha, watching the rain hit the pool. I looked forward to relaxing days, wonderful food, and most of all, time with family. Unfortunately, COVID had other plans for my family. Fast forward a week –after a holiday of quarantining, meals eaten in isolation– we had all recovered, and returned to school and work. I had hoped the illness was behind me, that upcoming finals would be my only stressor, but COVID woke something dormant within me. Six weeks later, I was diagnosed with severe Crohn’s disease. December had been filled with loss, loss of weight, loss of blood, loss of the ability to sit through a whole class without having to sprint out the door. Now I had an explanation, and a hope for a speedy recovery. Though it’s been anything but speedy, and I still have a long way to go, I’ve come far from where I was all those months ago. Crohn’s has tested me in unimaginable ways, but it’s also taught me quite a bit. It’s taught me literally–driving me to take classes, enrich and extend my knowledge. Such classes include anatomy, AP Biology, and a college nutrition course. Nutrition, as my planned minor, would allow me to educate others about the inner workings of an intricate organ system. I‘m now more motivated and more driven to enter the field of nursing. All of these classes, all of this knowledge, provide me with precisely what I need to be an excellent nurse. Beyond the learning that I’ve done in a classroom, I have also learned so much about myself. I am so much stronger, so much more resilient than I give myself credit for. Not only have I worked through this illness, but I have thrived wherever possible. More often than not, my day is plagued with symptoms, ranging from cramps to fatigue to bloating and more. Regardless, I have managed to maintain a perfect GPA, excelling in my AP classes and others. I have made advancements in my fitness, managing to build muscle and strength, despite the fact that I suffer from improper nutrient absorption. I have stuck with my job, increasing my savings so that my future will be financially stable and successful. Perhaps most importantly, I’ve learned the importance and necessity of family, the people in my “inner circle”. By nature, I am an independent person, I like to be in control. At first, I struggled to depend on other people, viewing it as a weakness, rather than a blessing. I couldn’t have reached the point I’m at today without the supportive people in my inner circle. And so it seems, my greatest challenge has become my greatest motivation.

What do golfing and nursing have in common? Nothing and everything. Golf is arguably one of the safest sports out there, friendly to a wide variety of ages and fitness levels. Essentially, golf has little to do with the medical field. And yet, it means so much to me in my pursuit of my nursing degree. Let's face it, nursing schools are hard to get into. You have to be the best of the best, a literal genius. Even if you have the grades, colleges are interested in "well-rounded" students. Enter golf. I began golf my freshman year of high school for a few reasons: my friends were playing, it was a fall sport that didn't interfere with my spring and summer swim teams, and it would add another element to my "college resume." Looking back on it now, I am so happy that I chose golf as a way to aid my college resume, as it has become so much more than just another thing on a list. I was correct in assuming that golf would be a way to spend time with friends, but I didn't grasp the extent to which that was true. Especially since my team walked the courses instead of using a golf cart, I had ample time to connect with friends. Over the four seasons I have played with my high school, I have created several new friendships, many of which were with people I would likely have never met otherwise. I have also strengthened bonds with existing friends, growing closer with each swing of a club. Golf has also provided me with a wonderful outlet. My class load has been challenging, at times even unmanageable. Though I have played quite a few sports throughout my life, none of them even come close to the stress relief provided by swinging a club and watching a ball soar through the air for hundreds of yards. Golf allows me to feel powerful, which isn't often the case with my spindly frame. Allow with the power, I also feel graceful. Golf requires a certain level of finesse, one that is not achievable by all who play. It is this combination of power and grace that separates golf from the rest, providing me with a healthy way to relieve my stress. I am also so grateful that I have learned the sport, even if I'm not the greatest golfer of all time, because it is a fabulous life skill. As previously mentioned, golf is a great way to foster meaningful relationships with others, which will be helpful in both my personal and professional life moving forward. Even if the other factors were irrelevant, I would still love golf because it is so much fun! By accepting that I am mediocre at best in golf, I can enjoy every round, regardless of the outcome. Bad shot? No problem! I've learned to laugh at myself when shots don't go my way. On the flip side, I feel an intense joy every time I make an impressive shot. I would be so grateful to be considered for the Samuel D. Hartley Memorial Scholarship, because like Mr Hartley, I genuinely love golf, and everything it has done for me and my future.