“And what are you? A cow?” You know when you watch a disney movie and you relate to the character so much that you feel as though the person was based off of you? That's how Mushu makes me feel. He's so awesome and he makes me want to grin like an idiot. Ever since I was little, I've always loved Disney. I'm a military kid so I move around too much to have a “home”. When we go back to California to visit family, we alway visit Disneyland. And that feels like “home” to me. I know where everything is and I just feel like I’m in another world where I'm free to express my love for fun adventures. I love all things Disney, and when I saw this scholarship, I got so excited because I could write about something that was fun and something I absolutely love! I've loved every single Disney movie, but I especially love the classics. Mulan is a top movie for sure because it had one of the best characters in Disney history... Mushu (fun fact- I'm wearing a Mushu shirt as I write this). Anyways, Mushu is just great! He's so laughable and relatable. He kind of just pulls you in and you want more. He walks through the movie as this unwanted, not good enough “guardian” and is abused by the ancestors because of the mistakes he's made. Then he gets to be the guardian to Mulan and he is her best friend. He’s always cracking jokes, but also the person who people ask for advice because in his heart he just wants to help out. I can relate to that so much. For me it's in finding friends. Since I am in a military family, I move around very often, and I don't ever get to have a best friend or someone to rely on… I feel unwanted. I feel as though I'm not good enough for other people. But this past year I finally made a wonderful group of friends with other military kids. I'm the one cracking jokes and who likes to lighten the mood. People always ask me for advice when they are feeling down or need help, because they know I'd do anything for them and in my heart of hearts all I want to do is help. Mushu is definitely my favorite.

Last year I got really sick and my health declined rapidly. I started dropping weight like crazy and weird things plagued me- like bruising easily and extreme fatigue. Every day I would feel sick and want to throw up. I couldn't eat anything because everything made me sick. We went to the doctor, started to do tests, and I went in for an endoscopy. We found out I had Celiac Disease. Celiac is an autoimmune disorder that damages your small intestine. I have to stay clear of all foods containing gluten. I've always had health problems and all of those made sense when I got the diagnosis. My body is still healing. If I eat something containing gluten, I can be sick for a week and can't do much. It'll take years for me to go into remission. But even after remission, I can't eat gluten because it'll slowly kill my intestines and it could eventually kill me if I’m not careful. I'm still trying to figure out everything about this new way of life. I sometimes find myself living in a state of denial. It's hard to deal with a medical diagnosis. It's hard to grasp the weight of it and all it entails. It's a good thing our bodies are strong and can overcome many things. I have a passion to help out kids that have struggles… no matter how big or small those troubles seem. Because, to them, they are huge and it seems as if they can't get away from their obstacles. I want them to realize that anything can be overcome, and they are so worth it. My future career will be in occupational therapy. I want to help people win their battles. It's highly important to me. And I'm a good fit for the career. I've had to face my battles that seemed too big. I learned that I can do it, and so can these kids. Sometimes people discourage others and say things that make battles seem impossible to overcome. I want to stand against that to help others. I've had so much support over the past couple months while I've had to adjust to my medical diagnosis. I've had my family helping to make sure I can safely eat everywhere we go. And I've had my friends to remind me I'm loved and who encourage me through the healing. It's so important to have a support group. Again I want to make sure kids that need support, get support. I want to be the one to let them know that they have people who want to help and who believe in them. I hope I can make an impact and be of assistance like so many others have been to me through my struggles.

I say this over and over to myself. God doesn't need me, he wants me. That's crazy to me. I'm not perfect, I make mistakes, but he still wants to use me for His perfect plan. I truly love that. My personal faith has made my life better. I would not be where I am today if I didn't have my faith. I have a firm foundation to stand on when tough times roll around. I just recently got diagnosed with celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder. It's been very tough the past couple months, but I've had strong support in the Lord. I went through this state of denial and tried to pretend that my diagnosis wasn't real. It was a tough bit and, honestly, it's still tough. But I know that God has a plan. And going through this has made me deepen my faith even more. Have you ever looked back on life and you see whatever happened wasn't so bad and everything had a purpose and was part of God's amazing plan? I personally think that's a beautiful thing. As a person who has faith they can lean on that. That's how I feel about my Celiac diagnosis. It's hard now, and God might be having us wait, but think about His promise to Abraham and Sarah. God said He'd give them children and His promise took 25 years to take place. I try to remember that when tough times come my way. Maybe one day I'll fully understand why he gave me the challenges He did, and why He asked me to wait, or even said no at times. I want to help others overcome their tough times just like my faith has helped me overcome mine. My future career will be an Occupational Therapist Assistant. I truly want to help kids thrive in day-to-day life. I want them to know and understand someone is rooting for them, and that they can live a full life. When I was younger I had to go to Occupational Therapy. I wouldn't be where I am today if I hadn’t gone. I want to help with all of my abilities so that other kids can lead extraordinary lives. I know that I might not be able to share my faith with everyone, but I can, however, show joy and kindness… and that's what I plan to do. Hopefully I can shine God’s light to others so they feel the promises of the Lord.

I've moved 11 times in 17 years. The military has taken my family all across the country. I've had thousands of amazing experiences, and I hope to use them in day-to-day life. During these 11 moves, I relied on other people to help me through. Moving is very tough… especially as a kid. You're kind of ripped away from stability. Growing up moving all the time is hard. Most kids don't understand what it's like to have to build new relationships everywhere you go. It's hard. Especially in highschool, everyone has their “group”. You can't just force your way in and then leave a year later. But sometimes you find that person who decides they're going to put effort into you and they want to love you. I hope to be that person to other military kids who've also had to go through what I've gone through. This past year I got to know an incredible mentor. She inspired me. She is a few years older than me, she is married, and it is her husband that is in the military. For me it is my father who is in the military. The difference is that I grew up moving every 1-3 years. She was only just beginning her military life-style. But we really connected over our faith and a few big medical diagnoses. A couple months ago I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease which is an autoimmune disorder. She was diagnosed with precancerous stomach mucosa. So we were both dealing with and figuring out new diagnoses. We would go to coffee, or just hang out with our dogs. Sometimes we would go eat breakfast and she would find places I could eat because her husband also has Celiac. We were able to help each other deal with our new realities. My experience mentoring others has also been a huge blessing. I love to help people and be their safe person who they can talk to. I've helped out freshmen when I was an upper-classman, and that was so fulfilling. We would meet every week and help do volunteer work at our church and we'd discuss our faith. This was one of many experiences. My latest mentor experience was a little girl who had autism. I would go over just talk to her, help her with chores and organizing, and just be that person who could relate. I saw her blossom into this beautiful girl. She's come so far and I'm so proud of her. Even though we recently moved, she still calls me to talk often. And it's so fulfilling to know I made an impact. I hope I can continue to make an impact wherever my life leads me.

I want to be a contributing member of society by putting in my efforts any way I can. I am a military brat (which means I am a child of an active duty military member), and I have moved 11 times. I've been all around the country and seen so many sides of the "big picture". I've seen sad tragic things. For example, people's loved ones not coming home. But I've also seen wonderful things. Such as men and women fighting to make the world a better place. I, unfortunately, can't be in the military due to an autoimmune disease. But I still want to make the world a better place and put in my best efforts by going to college. I've decided to go into the career of Occupational Therapy (OT). I figured this out this past year while helping another military family, that I love working with children that are extra special. I want to help kids navigate the world in the way only they can. Sometimes it's hard for kids to get a good grasp on life and feel as though they belong. But that's exactly what I want to do. Help them understand that they can do anything and everything. I personally had to take OT and have truly appreciated my therapist for years. She helped me face and tackle mountains. And to this day, I am better for it. I would definitely not be the person I am today. I want to help others tackle their mountains. College is so important to me. I want to go into the world of learning with a good mindset and a good positive view of the world and the people in the world. Pursuing college was never a ‘what if’. It was always a ‘must’ and truly a passion for me. I absolutely love learning and understanding new concepts. I also love figuring out problems and fighting for people who don't get seen. As a military child I understand these people. It's hard to be accepted when you move all the time and are always the "new kid". I don't want people to feel alone. That's exactly why I want to pursue a college degree in Occupational Therapy. I want to help people feel as though they belong, are beautiful, and special just the way they are… no matter what anyone says. I want to be that someone who puts in the work to be that special person for kids all around who need someone to fight for them.

I'm a very outgoing person who really strives to make everyone feel as though they belong. I really value this in myself. I want everyone, everywhere, no matter who they are, to feel as though they belong. Growing up I've moved 11 times in 17 years. I've met so many people in different life stages, and just places across the map. My dad’s in the military, and to this day we still move around. Now that I'm older I'm thankful for my life experiences, because I wouldn't be the person I am today. But as a younger child all I saw was me being ripped apart from everyone I had ever loved. It was tough but it also made me stronger and my experiences made me want to help other people. I have a passion to help others who feel abandoned and unwelcome. In my experience it's quite hard to find someone who wants to invest in you and welcome you no matter what. This is why I want to be that person everywhere I go. I strive to be outgoing and welcome everyone. No matter their background. Recently, I attended a camp where I volunteered with a young kids camp in Philadelphia. It was such a rewarding experience. When I first arrived, I walked outside to where all the kids were playing. There was this little boy crying. That type of situation gets my attention immediately. He was scared and sad and I never want anyone to feel that way. But another girl was talking to him, so I went and played with some other kids. A little while later, I noticed he was crying again all by himself. This time I went up to him and started to talk. I asked him if he was ok and he told me he wanted to go home. He didn't feel as though he belonged and my heart went out to him. I told myself then and there I was going to make him feel loved and welcomed. I started to use a method I had learned earlier about talking to kids. So I started with comfortable questions like family questions. Did he have any siblings? What were their names? Things like that. Then I asked him who his favorite super hero was and he loved that. His favorite was spider man, so we used that in most of the games we played. When the time came to leave I told him I'd be back one more time in a day or two. The next time our group of volunteers visited the kids camp I was walking around and my little buddy was running around looking for me. I called his name and he ran to me and said, “I was looking for you”. Oh my, my heart leaped with joy. I was so happy he remembered me and remembered that he had someone who wanted to invest in him and be his friend. It was such a special moment. I'm very sure that my love for the people who want to feel like they belong will help me and others. Not only in my life journey but hopefully in others lives as well.