My name is Kasey Killian and I am an incoming nursing student at the University of Delaware in the honors program. I intend on obtaining my Bachelor's of Science in Nursing and then passing the nursing exam (NCLEX). Once I achieve these goals, I plan to work in a hospital and eventually return to school to become a nurse practitioner. I've always felt a gravitational pull towards helping people, and want to pursue this passion by becoming the best possible nurse. Throughout high school, I have enhanced my leadership, time-management, and interpersonal skills. I was a three-sport varsity athlete and a captain of the varsity lacrosse team this past season. As a captain, I made sure that the team was unified, helped coordinate warm-ups, and planned competitive fun practices. Additionally, I served as the treasurer of National Honor Society, officer of Future Business Leaders of America, co-president of Dedicated Education to Medicine, and the Activities Coordinator of my entire high school grade for four years. Despite all of this, I maintained a 4.7 GPA and ranked 5th out of 207 students at Lakeland Regional High School. Furthermore, I am significantly committed to my community. I am a volunteer on an Oncology floor at Hackensack Meridian Hospital. I attend to patients through call bells and assist the medical providers to the best of my ability. Additionally, I am a member of the Wanaque First Aid Squad in which I attend to 911 calls. I assist in stabilizing patients and transporting them safely to the hospital. Lastly, I was a member of the Unified Club in which I served as a unified partner. There, I helped break down barriers that isolate children with Autism and Disabilities. Overall, I am a hardworking individual and enjoy helping anyone even in their most vulnerable times. Through all of this, I have learned to take initiative and have found that when I set a goal, I make sure to reach it. I am excited to make a mark on Delaware and become a nurse. My lifelong dream has always been to travel, so I hope to one day achieve that by becoming a traveling medical provider once I obtain my degrees.

The Feat of a Chess Game A familiar pair of eyes glared at me as I pondered my next move. This chess game surpassed the ten-minute mark I’m used to. My king was cornered—protected only by my rook. My father attacked my queen from the beginning. After that, I was constantly retreating backwards, till I was left with one pawn. I was out of moves, and he knew it. I pictured a smirk ricocheting off his face. As I looked up, I was smacked with his typical chant of “I am the champion.” He always won. As I flicked my King out of the corner, I stood up, forcing myself to utter, “Good game.” While on my way to physical therapy, my father turns on his comfort song. I held the right side of my head as I leaned against the car window, listening to the voice of Chris Stapleton. Slowly, the voice dies till only the car engine is heard. That’s when my father calmly says, “You know, come August, it’ll get better.” His words make my eyelids feel heavy. I start to feel a river pushing against my eyes. Why did I have to tear my ACL? I fought back the tears as I listened to the rest of his words. “You have always been my rock, the person to keep me going through tough times. We’re going to get through this together. Doctors say nine months, I say six months.” Countless months of crutching around gave me time to improve my chess foresight. I was restricted from many activities, so I decided to focus on something other than just physical therapy and schoolwork. If I couldn’t defend in lacrosse or score a goal in soccer, then I was going to beat my father in chess. I eyed up my opponent as I visualized his next move. His queen would be vulnerable if he moved his bishop to the corner. He makes the expected move, so I take his prized piece, the queen. I hide a smirk as I notice flaws within his strategy. I make a game-changing move, leaving him surrounded. Slowly, his head drops, and he flicks over his King. He claims, “I told you I wasn’t in the right mindset to play chess today.” Excuses, excuses. This time, I felt a surge of happiness when saying good game. I finally beat my father in chess, something I had never done before. If I could accomplish a tiny feat like that then anything was possible. Later, I’m gripping the railing as I position my weight onto my left leg. My father is behind me with his arm hovering behind my back. The stairs look down at me as if I’m its next opponent. I am tempted to accept defeat on the staircase. Despite this, my right leg forms a ninety-degree angle on the first step. Then my left leg follows. Within minutes, I am at the top staring down my opponent: the stairs. At that moment, I was the champion. Six months later, a girl strides towards me with her eyes locked on the net. An anxiousness builds against my chest as I hear “Ten seconds left!” Once my opponent’s at arm's length, her cradle weakens, allowing me to angle myself against her right hip. As I position my lacrosse stick, I successfully guide her away from the goal. Instantly, the scoreboard erupts with an amplified screech. I prevented a shot! My name arises from the bleachers. Scanning the crowd, I distinguish my father’s voice from the rest. I was back. The next time I take out the chess board, I look up at a new opponent: my future. I see myself sitting in a college dorm, focused on my first nursing exam. Then, I saw the smiles on my parents’ faces as I received my Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Finally, I envision the moment I pass the NCLEX exam and can begin working in the hospital. This new opponent is intimidating, but my determination to achieve my goals is significantly stronger.

A familiar pair of eyes glared at me as I pondered my next move. This chess game surpassed the ten-minute mark I’m used to. My king was cornered. My father attacked my queen from the beginning. After that, I was constantly retreating backward. I was out of moves and he knew it. I pictured a smirk ricocheting off his face. As I looked up, I was smacked with his typical chant of “I am the champion.” He always won. As I flicked my King out of the corner, I stood up forcing myself to utter, “Good game.” While on my way to physical therapy, my father turns on his comfort song. Slowly, the song dies till only the car engine is heard. That’s when my father calmly says, “You know, come August it’ll get better.” His words make my eyelids feel heavy. Why did I have to tear my ACL? I fought back the tears as I listened to the rest of his words. “You have always been my rock. We’re going to get through this together. Doctors say nine months, I say six months.” Countless months of crutching around gave me time to improve my chess foresight. If I couldn’t play a sport, then I was going to beat my father in chess. I eyed up my opponent. His queen would be vulnerable if he moved his bishop. He makes the expected move, so I take his prized piece, the queen. I hide a smirk as I notice flaws within his strategy. I make a game-changing move leaving him surrounded. Slowly, his head drops and he flicks over his King. I finally beat my father in chess, something I had never done before. If I could accomplish a tiny feat like that then anything was possible. Later, I’m gripping the railing as I position my weight onto my left leg. My father is behind me acting as a spotter. The stairs look down at me as if I’m its next opponent. I am tempted to accept defeat on the staircase. Despite this, my right leg moves. Then my left leg follows. Within minutes, I am at the top staring down my opponent: the stairs. At that moment, I was the champion. Six months later, a girl strides towards me with her eyes locked on the net. An anxiousness builds against my chest. Once my opponent’s at arm's length, her cradle weakens allowing me to angle myself against her. As I position my lacrosse stick, I successfully guide her away from the goal. Instantly, the scoreboard erupts with an amplified screech. I prevented a shot! My name arises from the bleachers. Scanning the crowd, I distinguish my father’s voice from the rest. I was back. I have discovered that when I set a goal, I am determined to work for it. My experience with ACL recovery has bolstered my confidence in surpassing challenges whether in academics or daily life. As a result, I feel that I am prepared for the rigorous path of pursuing a nursing degree. As a future graduate, I will use my nursing degree to provide patients with the empathy and care needed during their most vulnerable times. I want to become that special person; who stands up for their patient against the clock. As a nurse, I will be a living example of a little girl who made her dreams of helping people come true. I have been a part of various communities with one thing in common; a goal. So, I hope to set the goal of achieving my childhood dream of becoming a nurse.

I was seated when my grandmother quizzed my cousin on scenarios most commonly seen on the NCLEX exam. I listened to their educational conversation of big-girl words as I flipped through my cousin’s anatomy textbook. Instantly, I was grasped by the vivid diagrams of the body systems and human cells. I began to skim the highlighted text word by word, soaking up new terms and information. That’s when my grandmother asked, “When you get older, will you become a nurse like all of your cousins and aunts?” I replied to her comment with a simple nod and a huge smile. Years later, that question resurfaced as I watched my cousin, a hospice nurse, help my grandmother out of bed. Growing up, I was characterized by my willingness to be there for others. I decided to explore this attribute by joining the Emergency Medical Squad, shadowing a Pediatric Hematologist, and volunteering in the Oncology Unit. Through the Ambulance Squad, I have reported on numerous 911 calls and assisted in direct medical treatment. I enjoy going on call and always feel achieved when my crew and I stabilize a patient. Specifically, one interaction in the Oncology Unit has stuck with me. It was my first day volunteering and I was trying my best to carry out my role. Fortunately, one of the nurses let me watch her perform a procedure on one of her patients. Here, I met the sweetest woman who had gone through many surgeries due to blatter cancer. In our first interaction, she looked me in the eyes and told me that these nurses were the reason she was still here today. When I mentioned my pursuit of nursing, she smiled and said it takes a very special person. Her voice and the spark in her eyes are still plastered in my memory. She was so truthful in her response and was comfortable as the nurse carried out her last procedure. Although I have had many interactions with nurses, it was this opportunity in which I got to experience the excitement and happiness of a Nurse sending her patient home. This nurse provided this woman with emotional support in her most vulnerable time. It has been this interaction that has inspired me to work towards being that hero. I intend to use my perseverance and passion to drive me through the difficult path of becoming a nurse.

Beep! Beep! My pager goes ferocious. It's seven am. I open my eyes to the sound of a police officer blaring "Wanaque First Aid Squad, it's an all-call, report to..." I roll myself out of bed, quickly grab my keys, and zoom off to the First Aid Squad. There, I hop on the ambulance ready for an eventful morning. That was my first page as an Emergency Medical Services member. Although the shifts are long, I enjoy it. I am passionate about helping people and feel that the EMS squad allows me, a seventeen-year-old, to pursue that passion. When I'm not on call, one may find me behind the counter of a pizza restaurant. A typical Friday looks like this. Ring, Ring! All three lines are blaring for attention. I rush through the lines picking them up one by one and saying, "Sorry, please hold." As I get to the last line, I pick it up and say "Ringwood Pizza, order for delivery or pick up?" The customer wants a delivery, so I go through the process of asking for their address, putting them on hold, getting their total, telling them their total, and then entering their card into the card machine. Now imagine that, but with customers walking in for pick-up or dine-in. It's quite a tiresome, but worthwhile job. Yes, that sounds like a lot, but I like to be busy. I am a three-sport varsity athlete. As a starting varsity lacrosse defender, I ensure the underclassmen feel comfortable playing alongside me and my peers. For a defense to work, all of the defenders have to be able to communicate and work as a team. So, I am determined to make that happen. This summer has been busy; if it isn't volunteering, work, or leading a high school practice, one may find me in my high school's hallway. I am the activities coordinator of my 2025 class. As a result, I took charge and planned, drafted, and ran the school mural. This was difficult as there was a deadline and tons to do with only so many hands. Despite this, we beautifully decorated the wall of our high school and continued a tradition. Overall, these activities have taught me more about myself, and have helped me develop lifelong skills. For instance, volunteering with the First Aid Squad has exposed me to the medical profession while providing hands-on experience. My job at the pizza restaurant has taught me discipline, patience, responsibility, and time management. My role as a teammate has taught me commitment and teamwork. Lastly, as part of the Class Council, I have learned how to agree on decisions and carry out projects. These experiences have only strengthened my aspirations of joining the medical field and helping people. They have made me realize that I can make an impact even from the tiniest actions. By gaining these skills, I am confident I can face the challenges of growing up. I look forward to using these skills in college and helping people regain their normal selves. I am determined to leave a positive mark! As a result, this scholarship would provide me with money to put towards a four-year degree. Although I have some money saved, I do not have enough for a full college tuition. Also, I have a younger sister who plans to go to college, so it doesn't make it much easier for my parents. Not only would this scholarship boost my confidence in earning more scholarships, but it would also help cover some of the materials I will need for college.

As a die-hard Harry Potter fan, I have been immersed in the magical world of Harry Potter since second grade and have read every single book. It took me until 8th grade to finish all of them, as I made sure to read one every year. While reading the books, I always shifted from wanting to be an intelligent Ravenclaw to being a brave, daring Gryffindor. In my mind, these houses were the most glorious, most exciting, and most "impressive." I remember always listening to my friends' glamor about how they were a Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin. However, deep down I have always known that I am a true-born Hufflepuff. The most prominent qualities I possess as a Hufflepuff are my devotion to those around me and my perseverance. I possess the loyal and kind qualities of a Hufflepuff. While anyone can be loyal, not everyone chooses to be. In my school, like most, friendships are fickle and often influenced by gossip and popularity. However, I make sure to be loyal to all of my friends even those not close to me. I will go to great lengths to protect my friends. For example, at work one of my friends made a mistake in the cash register and it made the whole thing go over a few dollars. She was still training and I knew that my boss was being a bit hard on her. So, being the person I am, I decided to take the blame and keep the attention off her. Although this may seem like a very small incident, I do believe that the little things I do add up to a long-lasting and unique definition of my ability to be true to myself and the people I care about Another quality I possess is perseverance. At the end of my 8th-grade year, I tore my ACL and had to undergo surgery. That whole process was mentally and physically draining. Especially, on a scared 13-year-old athlete who was going to high school. Despite being devastated, I worked extremely hard to get back on the soccer field. I recall one car ride to physical therapy when I had a mental breakdown in the car and my father gave me an inspiring speech that I still hold dear to my heart. He encouraged me to push past this obstacle and get my knee back to 100%. Ultimately, I was back on the soccer field in less than 6 months and managed to earn my varsity letter in my sophomore year. Many people claim that they are Hufflepuff because they are loyal, hardworking, and overall kind. However, I understand that being a Hufflepuff means much more than just possessing those stereotypical qualities. A true Hufflepuff is someone who is trustworthy until their very last breath, just like Cedric was. A Hufflepuff is someone who not only encourages others but also celebrates their accomplishments. Beneath all of this lies an innocent human being with the biggest and purest heart. And that is who I am. I am certain that I am destined to wear the yellow and black robes of a Hufflepuff.