Growing up as a homeschooled child, my mom gave my siblings and me a lovely childhood. We experienced so much and learned things most kids don't have the opportunity to. Most evenings at home, we would gather as a family and read. We read stories of missionaries, pilots, scientists, doctors, and more. But mission life didn't remain as stories. We volunteered weekly, delivering food to the bedridden, and occasionally helped a ministry called Reach the World Next Door minister to refugees. These experiences inspired me to live a mission-centered life. When I reached high school, I attended a Christian boarding school, beginning my sophomore year. The school's motto is "Workers for the Harvest," and they live up to that motto. We did much besides school, including disaster response cleanup, giving books to the community, helping a school in Belize, ministering through a traveling choir, and serving during Mission Weeks. I learned immensely and grew as a person. I believe these experiences gave me empathy for the broken and inspired me to become a surgeon. I am thankful for them. Currently, I'm a student missionary in Peru until May 2026 when I will return and attend college. I am learning how vital it is to love and care for each person, and am looking forward to the opportunities I'll have to serve others. It will make me a much more empathetic person, something that is vital to serving others. Empathy is also fundamental to healthcare, including surgery. Imagine being a patient who goes to a careless surgeon. That surgeon might recklessly make an incision, tear the problematic tissue out, and sloppily sew the patient back up. A long, painful recovery would then ensue, if the patient makes it. The surgical team wouldn't enjoy working with a selfish surgeon, and it would not be a good experience for anyone. All this could have been avoided if the surgeon cared about the patient. The recovery would still be painful and potentially long depending on the procedure, but a good surgery could help lessen both. Empathy would also prompt surgeons to constantly research the latest medical advice to give their patients the best care. It makes people enjoy being around the empathetic person. Overall, empathy enhances the joy in life. Besides working in the USA, I plan to work overseas as a missionary. I plan to work 6 months in the USA, then serve overseas for 6 months. Thus, I will be giving back to those who have invested in me. I want to give people a second chance at life. Caring for each individual is vital there, as long hours, hot weather, bugs, and the like tend to rattle the nerves of many people. Frazzled surgeons, however, don't perform the best surgeries. Rather, one must look at the patient as another human being, one whom God breathed the breath of life into and who has just as much value as the surgeon or anyone else. A successful missionary life emanates love. One must care for the people they are working for. Prayer, a proper worldview, and good personal habits are just a few things that ensure the outworking of empathy. If God is kept forefront in one's life, it will give them a love for people that otherwise would have been impossible. Only He can change hearts, and by living according to His will, one will be happier and more satisfied than if they were doing their own will. He alone can give lasting empathy, and He alone can make someone's life a success.

Walking along a dirt road in the winter of Oklahoma usually is not that glamorous. Dead grass, brown bushes, and short, bare trees encompass the natural landscape. On such a road as this walked I this morning. I would typically be sitting in a classroom, but today was special. Instead of just learning about airplanes, I would actually get to fly one. My CFI, friend, and I eventually made our way to the hangar. The word “hangar” is a bit of a stretch, as the hangar was a concrete slab covered by a roof. Even then, the airplane was just tied down in the grass due to its constant use. The cold fought constantly to get inside our jackets, but we knew we would soon be inside the plane, where it was warmer. My CFI had already preflighted the plane to expedite the process since we only had 40 minutes, so my friend and I helped push the aircraft onto the grass runway. Loading up, the adrenaline began pulsing through my veins. He explained what everything meant and what we were doing. I tried my hardest to concentrate, but the excitement only increased. Soon, we fired up the engine. The sound warmed my soul, such beauty that one has to experience to appreciate. Taxiing to the end of the 1300ft runway, we did the run-up and prepared for takeoff. Flaps down to 10 degrees. Feet off the brakes. Full throttle. Watch the speed. Pull back gently at 55 knots. And there it was - we were airborne! Excitement became my new blood, traveling everywhere in my being. The cold was now forgotten. I analyzed every flight instrument, trying to understand them while keeping track of where I was. The world beneath gained a new beauty only visible from above, even in the dead Oklahoma winter. Some of his explanations became mush in my brain, but I learned so much from the little bit I was able to retain. The remaining few minutes flew by, and before I knew it, we had to land back at school. Running to the classroom, I knew I was hooked on this amazing feat called flight. I spent the next two years at that academy, continuing my passion for aviation. Two days after graduating high school in May 2025, I passed my check ride, officially obtaining my private pilot’s license. But my goals don't end there. Currently, as I am writing this, I'm a student missionary in Peru. I came here in August and plan to stay until May 2026. When I return, my goal is to either obtain my commercial and instrument licenses and become an aircraft mechanic or pursue a degree in biology to eventually become a surgeon. Or, I might do both and intertwine both passions into one career. Now, you might be thinking, how can someone be a surgeon, a professional pilot, and an aircraft mechanic? It does seem quite impossible, but I don't plan on staying in the States for work. There is so much need and hurt in the world, and I can't sit idly by when I can do something to help. I want to be a missionary to the lost and broken in the world. Christ has healed me, and I want others to experience that healing as well. So, by using the tools of aviation and surgery, I plan to reach the unreached and give back to humanity.

What have you learned about mental health during your high school years, and how will you apply it in the years to come? "There," I thought, finishing an entry in my journal. "Today will be my last day. No more of this nonsense. No more hearing the almost-possessed-like screams of my 5-year-old brother. No more hearing mom tell my older brother and me that she doesn't care about our school, life, or us. No more hearing that we are ungrateful, selfish children. No more isolation. No more wasting away every single day of my life in my room, wishing for it to end. No more having her yell at us for everything we did and didn't do. No more apathy and carelessness from her. I'm done. Forever done." With that, I closed my journal, content that I had finally made a decision. She wasn't making all the choices for my life, and I liked that feeling of control. The rest of that day saw a slightly happier version of myself, one where I saw the end of the black hole I had been in. Nothing special occurred, just another day being homeschooled. I had no friends to text and no letter to write, so there weren't many preparations to do. As evening drew to a close and my time to depart drew nearer, I constantly checked the time, mentally calculating how long until 9:45 pm. That was the time - my time, as I called it. Fast forward a few years, and it is obvious that I am still around. That day didn't mark the end of my life, and neither did the two other times I almost did the same thing. Having aged 4 years since then, I've come to see that there is much more value in life, not just in my life, but in all the lives around me. In May 2025, I graduated from a small Christian boarding academy called Oklahoma Academy and received my pilot's license two days after graduating. Then I left for Peru to serve as a student missionary for a school year. When I return to the States in May 2026, I'll attend college to major in aviation and biology. That college is still undecided, but will be either LeTourneau or Pacific Union College. I want to become a commercial pilot, aviation mechanic, and/or surgeon, not for the money, but to serve God in the States and overseas. My time in high school helped shape who I want to be in the future. Seeing my life and the lives of those around me opened my eyes to the suffering that exists in a sphere of just 35 students, without mentioning the rest of the world. Still trying to overcome my own struggles with the dance with death, I would often observe the students and wish I could help them. I tried, but unfortunately, did not do the best job. I want to amend my past mistakes, however, so I've dedicated my life to serving others, helping them find hope, and giving them a second chance at life. I've seen how hard it is for some to open up, like my brother, and want to help them find a way to overcome their struggles. So, I will go to the broken and dying of humanity to bring hope and healing, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Christ has healed me, and others deserve the opportunity to be healed as well. With His help, I will have love, compassion, and empathy to be to others what I needed as a child.

"Shawnee Traffic, Skyhawk 54036 turning final for runway 17 for a stop-and-go, Shawnee Traffic." I lifted my thumb off the radio button and focused on maintaining my airspeed while staying inline with the runway. "Airspeed decreasing, flaps set to 30 degrees, carb heat on, and power coming off," I thought, rehearsing the checklist as I neared the runway. Soon, the wheels impacted the ground and I applied the brakes. Coming to a halt, I set the flaps to 10 degrees, turned off carb heat, and pushed the throttle in again. Reaching take-off speed of 55 knots, I lifted off and began climbing to my desired altitude. Ten minutes later, I arrived back at campus. I landed the plane, put it up, and headed to the dorm. This was my first solo cross-country, and excitement ran through my veins. That cross-country put me one step closer to attaining my private pilot's license, something I had dreamed of for 10 years. Since the age of 8, when my family read the book "Mission Pilot" together, aviation has been my passion. I wanted to be a missionary pilot just like in the book. But an 8 year old can't get their pilot's license, so I had to be content being the homeschooled child I was. Eight years later, when I was a sophomore in high school, I found myself on the campus of a boarding academy in Oklahoma. Coming from Texas, the heat didn't bother me. The next three years of my life would be spent on this campus. I felt completely out of place. I had been a homeschooled, isolated, and reticent teenager. Now I was thrown in the middle of a boarding academy, where everyone seemed to love talking and hanging out with. I didn't know how to respond, and it took a little while to get used to being there. Nonetheless, they had a flight program, and I was determined to stay and join it. The more time I spent there, the more I began to come out of my shell. I realized what it meant to be part of a community, and started to enjoy it. We did so much, from helping with disaster response cleanup to passing out books to neighbors in the community. I learned immensely and grew as a person. In May 2025, I graduated high school. Two days after graduating, I passed my checkride and received my private pilot's license, an accomplishment I will never forget. I am forever thankful to my instructor and everyone else who guided and taught me. Part of the aviation program at that school is to serve as a student missionary overseas for 9 months. On August 24th, 2025, a friend and I will be going down to Peru to serve until next May. They have two planes there. I am excited for this opportunity to help my fellow humans. My ultimate goal is to become a commercial pilot, aircraft mechanic, and surgeon - not just working in the USA, but working overseas as a missionary as well. I plan to work in the States for 6 months, then work overseas for the other 6 months. I want to give people a better chance at life - help them regain what was taken from them, and show them that now isn't the end. It is challenging to mix aviation and surgery into one career, but doable with the help of God. With Him, all things are possible. I'm looking forward to this adventure called life, serving the lost and broken of humanity. That next adventure, after Peru, is college.

Growing up as a homeschooled child, my mom gave my siblings and me a lovely childhood. We experienced so much and learned things most kids don't have the opportunity to. Most evenings at home, we would gather as a family and read. We read stories of missionaries, pilots, scientists, doctors, and more. But mission life didn't remain as stories. We volunteered weekly, delivering food to the bedridden, and occasionally helped a ministry called Reach the World Next Door minister to refugees. These experiences inspired me to live a mission-centered life. When I reached high school, I attended a Christian boarding school, beginning my sophomore year. The school's motto is "Workers for the Harvest," and they live up to that motto. We did much besides school, including disaster response cleanup, giving books to the community, helping a school in Belize, ministering through a traveling choir, and serving during Mission Weeks. I learned immensely and grew as a person. I believe these experiences gave me empathy for the broken and inspired me to become a surgeon. I am thankful for them. Now, I'm looking forward to serving as a student missionary pilot in Peru for 9 months starting August 24th, 2025. . . . Empathy, according to the Oxford Dictionary, is "the ability to understand and share the feelings of another." It isn't just knowing what another person is feeling, but understanding them. It enables us to read people better. By placing ourselves in their shoes and walking in their footsteps, we can learn that their life isn't all sunshine and daisies, and thus we can make better judgments. Most people don't try to understand others. When someone does, however, the other feels cared for. This makes empathy fundamental to healthcare, including surgery. Imagine being a patient who goes to a careless surgeon. That surgeon might recklessly make an incision, tear the problematic tissue out, and sloppily sew the patient back up. A long, painful recovery would then insue, if the patient makes it. The surgical team wouldn't enjoy working with a selfish surgeon, and it would not be a good experience for anyone. All this could have been avoided if the surgeon cared about the patient. The recovery would still be painful and potentially long depending on the procedure, but a good surgery could help lessen both. Empathy would also prompt surgeons to constantly research the latest medical advice to give their patients the best care. It makes people enjoy being around the empathetic person. Overall, empathy enhances the joy in life. Besides working in the USA, I plan to work overseas as a missionary. I plan to work 6 months in the USA, then serve overseas for 6 months. Thus, I will be giving back to those who have invested in me. I want to give people a second chance at life. Caring for each individual is vital there, as long hours, hot weather, bugs, and the like tend to rattle the nerves of many people. Frazzled surgeons, however, don't perform the best surgeries. Rather, one must look at the patient as another human being, one whom God breathed the breath of life into and who has just as much value as the surgeon or anyone else. A successful missionary life emanates empathy. One must love and care for the people they are working for. Prayer, a proper worldview, and good personal habits are just a few things that ensure the outworking of empathy. If God is kept forefront in one's life, it will give them a love for people that otherwise would have been impossible. Only He can change hearts, and by living according to His will, one will be happier and more satisfied than if they were doing their own will. He alone can give lasting empathy and love.

The sun blazed down, baking the contents to a crisp inside the aluminum packaging. Small air vents provided a little ventilation, but not enough to stop the sweat from sliding down the bodies cooped up in the metal package. Being late afternoon during the summer in East Texas, the brutal heat left nothing untouched. But the heat seemed a slight distraction amongst the array of new toys I was viewing. I focused on every twitch the flight instruments made, seeking to keep their motions minimal and on target. An instructor sat next to me, helping me adjust to this new plane and learn its proper handling procedures. I enjoyed every minute of it. The time passed too quickly, however, and soon I found myself back on the ground. This was my first time flying a Piper Warrior, and I was hooked. My first flight took place in 2020, when a young, 14-year-old version of myself was given a ride in a Cessna 182. Ever since the age of 8, when my family read the book "Mission Pilot," I had dreamed of becoming a pilot, where I could conquer the skies and find the freedom that only wings can give you. That first flight only intensified that desire. I began researching Christian boarding academies that offered a flight program, and eventually discovered one that met my needs. For my sophomore through senior years in high school, I attended that school in Oklahoma. Receiving training in a Cessna 172, I flew out of a 2,500 ft grass runway and learned many crucial skills. Two days after graduating, I passed my check ride. Part of that flight training included a contract saying that students must serve for a year overseas as a student missionary. My graduating class of 14 people had 10 who joined the mission program, though only 4 joined the mission aviation program. I'll be going down to the jungles in Peru on August 24th, 2025, to spend 9 months. They have two planes, including a seaplane. I'm excited for this opportunity to give back to those who have invested so much in me. But my aviation aspirations don't end with my private pilot's license; rather, it is just the beginning. I hope to attain my airframe and power plant (A&P) licenses, commercial license, instrument rating, and potentially become a certified flight instructor (CFI). I hope to use aviation as part of my career, serving humanity both in the USA and overseas, as a missionary pilot. With flight, so many more people can be reached. Flying is something that will always run in my blood. It isn't work to me, but something I truly enjoy. The other part of my career is an equally complex topic: surgery. Aviation is needed overseas, and so is medicine. Surgery has always fascinated me as well, as surgeons can open up a person, remove unwanted substances, and sew them back up, saving the life of the patient on the table. Having shadowed an anesthesiologist, I witnessed first-hand how complex a surgeon's job is, and it astounded me. I hope to mix aviation and surgery into one career, a challenging task, but doable with the help of God. With Him, all things are possible. I am attempting to reach these goals without debt, a task that sounds impossible. Nevertheless, I will try. I look forward to this adventure called life.

The sun blazed down, baking the contents to a crisp inside the aluminum packaging. Small air vents provided a little ventilation, but not enough to stop the sweat. Being late afternoon during summer in East Texas, the brutal heat left nothing untouched. But it seemed a slight distraction amongst the array of new toys I was viewing. I focused on every twitch the flight instruments made, seeking to keep their motions on target. An instructor sat next to me, helping me adjust to this new plane and learn its proper handling procedures. I enjoyed every minute. The time passed too quickly, however, and soon I found myself back on the ground. This was my first time flying a Piper Warrior, and I was hooked. My first flight took place in 2020, when a young, 14-year-old version of myself was given a ride in a Cessna 182. Ever since the age of 8, when my family read the book "Mission Pilot," I had dreamed of becoming a pilot, where I could conquer the skies and find the freedom only wings can give you. That first flight only intensified that desire. I began researching Christian boarding academies with flight programs, and eventually discovered one that met my criteria. For 3 of my high school years, I attended that school in Oklahoma. I trained in a Cessna 172 and flew out of a 2,500 ft grass runway, learning many crucial skills. Two days after graduating, I passed my check ride. Part of that flight training included a contract denoting that students must serve for a year overseas as a student missionary. My graduating class of 14 people had 10 who joined the mission program, though only 4 joined the mission aviation program. I'll be going down to the jungles of Peru on August 24, 2025, for 9 months. They have two planes, a bakery, farm, and evangelism school. I'm excited for this opportunity to give back to those who have invested so much in me. While attending high school, I realized what it meant to be part of a community and began enjoying it. Having been a homeschooled, isolated, and reticent teenager, it took some time to adjust to this new way of life. But I enjoyed the service opportunities, including disaster response cleanup, passing out books to the community, and traveling as a choir to minister to people. I also helped plan and conduct a Student Week of Prayer. I learned immensely and grew as a person. One experience during a time called Mission Week especially resonated with me. Mission Week is a week-long excursion where every student serves somewhere in the USA. I had the opportunity to go to Texas with others to help an organization called Reach the World Next Door. We invited people to a clothes distribution, helped clean up the broken greenhouse of a Cambodian refugee, and put on a children's program for the refugee children at a park, among other things. Though they have gone through so much, they still bore smiles. It showed me how privileged I am, and made me a more grateful person. Now, I desire to continue giving back to those around me. Through the tools of aviation and surgery, I desire to lessen the pain in this world. I want to give back to all those who have given to me, and bring as many to Christ as possible - that is the mission of my life. I'm looking forward to these new opportunities, first in Peru, and then beyond.

"There," I thought, finishing an entry in my journal. "Today will be my last day. No more of this nonsense. No more hearing the almost-possessed-like screams of my 5-year-old brother. No more fighting with Mom over school and whatever else she decides to pick. No more hearing her tell my older brother and me that she doesn't care about our school, life, or us. No more hearing that we are ungrateful, selfish children. No more isolation. No more wasting away every single day of my life in my room, wishing for it to end. No more having her yell at us for everything we did and didn't do. No more apathy and carelessness from her. I'm done. Forever done." With that, I closed my journal, content that I had finally made a decision. She wasn't making all the choices for my life, and I liked that feeling of control. The rest of that day saw a slightly happier version of myself, one where I saw the end of the black hole I had been in. Nothing special occurred, just another day being homeschooled. I had no friends to text, and didn't want to write a goodbye letter, so there weren't many preparations to do. As evening drew to a close and my time to depart drew nearer, I constantly checked the time, mentally calculating how long until 9:45 pm. That was the time - my time, as I called it. Soon, I found the time 30 minutes away. Worry began to set in, for the house we lived in had three showers: one in the master bedroom that was broken, one in my brother's room, and one in my room. My dad always took a shower in my room, and I began to worry that maybe he would be in there when I was supposed to take my life. I had told myself that if I couldn't do it at 9:45, I wouldn't do it at all, something I was then starting to regret. Yet at the same time, a strange sense of relief began to surface in my heart. But I quickly stifled it, muttering to myself that numb, cold people don't feel things like relief. The time continued ticking, and still my dad wasn't here. Anger began to set in. I had one goal in mind, would they take even that too? All my other desires had been dashed to pieces by them. Every single thing I enjoyed had been taken away, due to my brother's and my bad attitude, or so they claimed. Life was a drudgery; couldn't I make one decision, do one thing I wanted to that wasn't explicitly spelled out by them? Putting headphones in, I blared the music I had come to survive off of, waiting for my dad to finally come. But I couldn't appear like a lazy kid, so I began working on some schoolwork. At 9:45 pm, he came, knocking on my door, asking to take a shower. I loved my dad; he was the kind, sane parent. Of course, I said yes, and with that, my plan to take my life was thwarted. Two more times I sought this same course of events, and each time I still survived. I developed other bad habits, which people say make you mentally messed up. I knew that, but I had no one to turn to, and frankly, I liked the way I dealt with stuff. I liked the pain and felt like I deserved it. I was the bad child, the messed-up seed that had ruined our family. Eventually, I found myself at a boarding academy. Spending three years there, I began to realize that not every adult female was worthy of my hate. I still resented adults in general and never confided in any. Even my classmates seemed worlds away, as I never learned how to make and keep friends. I managed to become good friends with a few, however. But my thick shell remained my safe place, and oftentimes I would relapse at night. My roommate had no clue that I was drawing red lines on my skin. Despite this and my bad eating habits, I am grateful for the opportunity to go to that school. It helped me become an individual and shape my worldview. The dance with death isn't something that ends overnight. Sometimes, it lasts a lifetime. It might wax and wane in strength, but sometimes, it always lingers in the background of one's soul. Despite this, I've learned not to give up. There is so much to live for, not just for myself, but for others as well. I've made it my mission to serve those who can't help themselves. I know what it's like to be broken and ready to end it all, and I don't want anyone to have to experience that. But it's a reality that we're living in, and though I can't make it all stop, I can help lessen the pain of it. My goal is to become a pilot and surgeon, not just working in the USA, but working overseas as a missionary as well. I plan to work in the States for 6 months, then work overseas for the other 6 months. That way, I can serve my fellow Americans and those who don't have access to anything. I want to give people a better chance at life - help them regain what was taken from them, and show them that now isn't the end. That is my goal - to mix aviation and surgery into one career, a challenging task, but doable with the help of God. With Him, all things are possible. I'm looking forward to this adventure called life, serving the lost and broken of humanity. My first mission is to Peru, where I will be a student missionary for the 2025-2026 school year. Afterwards, college will be my home as I obtain training for the future.

The sun blazed down, baking the contents to a crisp inside the aluminum packaging. Small air vents provided a little ventilation, but not enough to stop the sweat from sliding down the bodies cooped up in the metal package. Being late afternoon during the summer in East Texas, the brutal heat left nothing untouched. But the heat seemed a slight distraction amongst the array of new toys I was viewing. I focused on every twitch the flight instruments made, seeking to keep their motions minimal and on target. An instructor sat next to me, helping me adjust to this new plane and learn its proper handling procedures. I enjoyed every minute of it. The time passed too quickly, however, and soon I found myself back on the ground. This was my first time flying a Piper Warrior, and I was hooked. My first flight took place in 2020, when a young, 14-year-old version of myself was given a ride in a Cessna 182. Ever since the age of 8, when my family read the book "Mission Pilot," I had dreamed of becoming a pilot, where I could conquer the skies and find the freedom that only wings can give you. That first flight only intensified that desire. I began researching Christian boarding academies that offered a flight program, and eventually discovered one that met my needs. For my sophomore through senior years in high school, I attended that school in Oklahoma. Receiving training in a Cessna 172, I flew out of a 2,500 ft grass runway and learned many crucial skills. Two days after graduating, I passed my check ride. Part of that flight training included a contract saying that students must serve for a year overseas as a student missionary. My graduating class of 14 people had 10 who joined the mission program, though only 4 joined the mission aviation program. I'll be going down to the jungles in Peru. They have two planes, including a seaplane. I'm excited for this opportunity to give back to those who have invested so much in me. But my aviation aspirations don't end with my private pilot's license; rather, it is just the beginning. I hope to attain my airframe and power plant (A&P) licenses, commercial license, instrument rating, and potentially become a certified flight instructor (CFI). I hope to use aviation as part of my career, serving humanity both in the USA and overseas, as a missionary pilot. The other part of my career is an equally complex topic: surgery. Aviation is needed overseas, and so is medicine. Surgery has always fascinated me as well, as surgeons can open up a person, remove unwanted substances, and sew them back up, saving the life of the patient on the table. Having shadowed an anesthesiologist, I witnessed first-hand how complex a surgeon's job is, and it astounded me. I have been working on my life timetable, and currently have a tentative plan for the next 15 years. They include obtaining the above-mentioned aviation goals as well as becoming a surgeon. After those years of studying, I plan to work for 6 months in the States, then work for the other 6 months overseas, serving those who have no means of helping themselves. That is my goal. I hope to mix aviation and surgery into one career, a challenging task, but doable with the help of God. With Him, all things are possible. I look forward to this adventure called life.

Growing up, I never had many friends. My mother homeschooled my siblings and I, and while we participated in many activities under the age of 10, those activities gradually dwindled to nothing as we aged. At that point, we still lived in the suburbs. Soon, however, we moved to the country, where the closest grocery store was 30 minutes away. The long commutes everywhere resulted in us hardly doing anything with humanity, save a piano lesson and church, each once a week. The more isolated we became, the more I isolated myself. I stayed in my room almost all day every day, filling my time with school, music, hobbies, and social media. Between wasting much of my time and other things happening at home, I soon began to hate life. I vowed to leave home and attend a boarding school, hoping to find meaning and a will to live there. A few years later, I found myself on the campus of a boarding school. The next three years of my life would be spent there, and little did I know what that would all entail. I felt completely out of place. I had been a homeschooled, isolated, reticent, and taciturn teenager. Now I was thrown in the middle of a boarding academy, where everyone seemed to love talking and hanging out with. I didn't know how to respond, and it took a little while to get used to being there. But the more time I spent there, the more I began to come out of my shell. I realised what it meant to be part of a community and started to enjoy it. We did so much, from helping with disaster response cleanup to passing out tracks and books to neighbours in the community. I learned immensely and grew as a person. One experience during a time called Mission Week has especially resonated with me. Mission Week is a week-long excursion where every student takes time off from school to serve somewhere in the US. I had the opportunity to go to Texas with some others to help an organisation called Reach the World Next Door. Having grown up in the city where they worked, I had some experience with them. We worked among the youth of an Afghan community, invited people to a clothes distribution, helped clean up the broken greenhouse of a Cambodian refugee, and put on a children's program for the refugee children at a park, among other things. The children's program proved to be a success. The students from my school brought their musical instruments, showed the kids how to play them, and helped with various music-related activities. I enjoyed helping give these children something different from what they were used to. Though they have gone through so much and lost everything, they still wear smiles that nothing can take away. Happiness seemed to run in their blood. It showed me how privileged I have been, and made me a more grateful person. Now, I desire to continue giving back to those around me. Through the tools of aviation and surgery, I desire to lessen the pain in this world. I don't want a comfortable life - rather, one filled with hardships, where I can see my labour bear fruit after being watered with blood, sweat, and tears. I want to give back to all those who have given to me, and bring as many to Christ as possible - that is the mission of my life.

Imagine a village where starving children are now healthy, demon-possessed men are now sane, broken relationships are now healed, and fear of the spirits is now replaced with trust in God. But those starving, demon-possessed, broken, fearful villages didn’t change on their own. Someone went to them. Someone cared enough to give their life, even if just a little portion of it, to bring help to those hurting souls. It is to such ones as these that God has called me. I don't desire a comfortable life - rather one filled with hardships, where I can see my labor bear fruit after being watered with blood, sweat, and tears. Through the tools of aviation and medicine, I desire to lessen the pain in this world. So many are dying from treatable illnesses, with the nearest hospital being several-days-hike away. But the same hike could be just thirty minutes by plane. Countless people could be saved it only they had access to flight. Aviation is something that has always fascinated me. When I was eight, my family read the story "Mission Pilot" about David Gates. Hearing the enthralling stories he experienced through aviation impressed my young mind. The freedom that flight gives you - being able to cut through the air and escape the conundrum of everyday life while watching humanity move below like ants - brings me joy. Ever since, I have dreamed of conquering the skies and reaching unreached tribes. I had the honor of passing my check ride just two days after graduating high school, bringing me one step closer to becoming an experienced pilot. With a private pilot's license now under my belt, I'm excited to see the new doors that will open. I also hope to obtain my instrument rating, commercial license, and aircraft mechanic (A&P) licenses to round out my skills to better serve those around me. But the sky doesn't have to be the limit of aspirations. Surgery and medicine have intrigued me as well. With modern knowledge and technology, so much good can be accomplished that would have otherwise been impossible in earlier times. It astounds me what surgeons can do, how they can enter an operating room with a patient in critical condition on the table, slice them open, remove unwanted tissue, sew them back up, and give that person another chance at life - it is a modern day miracle. I hope to become a general surgeon or physician. With these qualifications, my dream wouldn't be finished, but only started. Unreached tribes now would have access to health, hospitals, Bibles, supplies, air support, and whatever else they might need. I might not be the most qualified person currently, but God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called. He will supply every need, for myself and all those around me. Now imagine that same village, touched by the love of Jesus and pervaded by a spirit of love and trust instead of fear and hate. Wouldn’t that be great? This is the work He wants us to do, and I am ready to answer His call.