On March 1st, 2006 my mom was exactly seven months pregnant with me. This day she went in for a routine check up, and that’s when the doctor noticed I wasn’t moving. He asked my mom if she had recently felt any movement from me but she couldn’t recall any activity. By the end of the appointment the doctor told her that she had to undergo an emergency C-Section and get ready to have a baby. My parents were absolutely terrified! I wasn’t fully developed, but it was important for my health that I’d be born as soon as possible. Given steroids to speed up the growth of my organs, there was a chance of me dying before I could ever make it out of the womb. There was also a possibility that my mom wouldn’t make it, and almost a guarantee that I would be dealing with health issues for the entirety of my life. Due to these complications, the first six weeks of my life were spent in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Weighing in at two pounds, I was so tiny that I fit perfectly in the palm of my father’s hand. As a result of my premature birth, growing up I was shorter than the kids in my classes and it took me a long time to start talking. When I did start, I had a severe stutter and was required to take speech therapy classes. This was a major setback to my early school life. The adversity I faced during my birthing has given me a sense of confidence as I know I'm living for a reason and with purpose on this Earth. I now strive to achieve my professional goals of working with children who are physically challenged with that same confidence. By becoming a Pediatric Kinesiologist, I will be able to contribute to the physical health of children by teaching them how to stay healthy and take care of their bodies. I can full heartedly support these young patients in overcoming their obstacles because I am a living testimony that these is just a small bump in the road, and there is so much more for their lives. I am pleased to say that both my mom and I are perfectly healthy and I have gone on to live a normal life. I could have easily died which I do not take for granted, and it is only by the grace of God that I am alive. I am who I am today because this experience has taught me the importance of life and how precious it really is. “Giving people their flowers while they can still smell them” is something I try to live by as tomorrow isn’t promised. Everyday is a gift and I want my peers to know just how grateful I am to have them in my life.

I have academically challenged myself in high school by enrolling in rigorous courses in addition to being a student athlete. Throughout my time at James Logan High School, I have played on the girls basketball team every year (with the exception of 2020 when we were in quarantine) in addition to taking Advanced Placement (AP) and Honors classes. During my junior year of high school I further explored my major of interest, which is Kinesiology, and decided to incorporate an Anatomy and Physiology class into my schedule. I knew that by doing this, I would be better prepared for the concepts and ideas that I would learn in that field of study. During the Summers of 2021 and 2022 I participated in medical programs at Johns Hopkins University and North Carolina State University. These camps gave me a better understanding of what I could expect to see if I decide to use Kinesiology as a segway into the medical field. This year, I am currently in a Nutritional Science and Fitness class which has given me the opportunity to actually go to my local college and talk to Kinesiology Professors! Being a student-athlete while prioritizing my education can be very challenging at times, but I am willing to undergo these hardships if it will be beneficial for me in the future.