My first memories of getting up to go to school always started with the same thing, the sounds of jets taking off. For as long as I can remember, my family lived on Air Force bases, and the sound of fighters taking off at six in the morning and the national anthem playing every night at sunset were normal. I became used to moving every two to three years, and because of this I have had the opportunity to partake in many cultures and interact with myriads of different people. Moving often was a burden at first. It was difficult for me to make new friends and adjust to new environments. The older I’ve gotten, however, I have become grateful for the opportunity I have had to live in so many places. It taught me resiliency, and how to relate to many kinds of people. Instead of a new state or assignment coming as a burden, it became an excitement. I relished the idea of getting to know new people and expanding my horizons. Always having to be ready to pack up and PCS has also brought my family much closer together. We are each other's support system, and siblings become so much more than just brother and sister, but a built-in best friend every time a new move takes place. Due to this wonderful support system, I have learned the value of teamwork and cooperation. Just as my father tells everyone in his squadron as the commander, he would rather have ten hands doing the same task together than two hands doing 5 tasks separately. Although being in the military has been a wonderful experience, it most definitely has its low moments. Despite the opportunity to meet new people, it can be difficult to leave behind old friends. I have always had a hard time explaining my life to those who have always lived in the same state. They don’t understand the idea of not having the same friend group since kindergarten, making it a long process of finding a group of people to accept me despite their set friend groups. I have learned to preserve through this, however, and use it as an opportunity to grow. Overall, being a military child has shaped who I am today. It has given me the ability to adapt, to persevere, and to relate. I know that despite the difficulties it brings, the life of a military child is definitely the life for me, and I can not wait to bring these skills with me into college and further into my future.

Throughout high school, I had always had what I considered a normal teenage life. I went to school, had a job, had a good and supportive friend group, all typical teenagers things. I was proud of the life that I had built for myself, the independence I had gained, and who I was becoming. This all changed, however, in February of 2025. It was then that I was sexually assaulted, and my whole life seemingly went up in flames. The assault took such a toll on my mental health that I had to drop out of school and take classes online, causing me to lose a lot of my friends. It also came with a large decline in my academic success. I went from a straight A student to being satisfied with Bs and Cs. I felt both alone and isolated. After talking the situation through with my parents, I gained the courage to come forward about the situation to law enforcement. This was not easy, and required me to relive the situation over and over again for the sake of testifying in court and giving a witness statement. It took months of counseling before I felt comfortable with myself again. I decided that by letting the situation have power over both my life and my decisions, I was letting the men who hurt me win. That is what flipped the switch in me. I continued to go to counseling, which gave me strength to make the hard choice, to become who I was before the assault. I gained the courage to return to school in person for my senior year, and put in more effort to return my grades to what they had been before. I gained friendships that helped me regain my confidence, and most importantly, I found my voice. Through these mentally trying times, I was able to use my pain to help others. I learned of multiple girls my age that had been hurt by the same two men, but like me were too afraid to come forward. Through discussion and group therapy, I was able to help them gain their voices as well, and come forward to law enforcement about the situation. I still struggle to this day with mental health. I tend to look back on the assault and blame myself for being in that situation. Through counseling, discussion with parents and with my support group, I have been able to battle all of this. I know that if I continue to do all I can to combat the dark thoughts, I can come closer to being the person I used to be, and maybe someday I can become someone even better. I plan to use this trial as a growth opportunity. I take pride in the fact that I can use my struggles to help other women going through the same thing, which gives me hope for the future. I have hope for who I am becoming, and what I will accomplish in the future, and I believe that with the proper resources, I can become the strong willed woman I know I can be.

Throughout high school, I had always had what I considered a normal teenage life. I went to school, had a job, had a good and supportive friend group, all typical teenagers things. I was proud of the life that I had built for myself, the independence I had gained, and who I was becoming. This all changed, however, in February of 2025. It was then that I was sexually assaulted, and my whole life seemingly went up in flames. The assault took such a toll on my mental health that I had to drop out of school and take classes online, causing me to lose a lot of my friends. It also came with a large decline in my academic success. I went from a straight A student to being satisfied with Bs and Cs. I felt alone and isolated. I turned to drugs and alcohol to ease my mental pain, and shut down almost entirely. After talking the situation through with my parents, I gained the courage to come forward about the situation to law enforcement. This was not easy, and required me to relive the situation over and over again for the sake of testifying in court and giving a witness statement. It took months of counseling before I felt comfortable with myself again. I decided that by letting the situation have power over both my life and my decisions, I was letting the men who hurt me win. That is what flipped the switch in me. I continued to go to counseling, which gave me strength to make the hard choice, to become who I was before the assault. I gave up my substance abuse, which was extremely difficult at first but so very worth it in the end. I gained the courage to return to school in person for my senior year, and put in more effort to return my grades to what they had been before. I gained friendships that helped me regain my confidence, and most importantly, I found my voice. Through these mentally trying times, I was able to use my pain to help others. I learned of multiple girls my age that had been hurt by the same two men, but like me were too afraid to come forward. Through discussion and group therapy, I was able to help them gain their voices as well, and come forward to law enforcement about the situation. I still struggle to this day with mental health. I tend to look back on the assault and blame myself for being in that situation. I still constantly battle the desire to return to substance abuse, and concentration has been difficult. Through counseling, discussion with parents and with my support group, I have been able to battle all of this. I know that if I continue to do all I can to combat the dark thoughts, I can come closer to being the person I used to be, and maybe someday I can become someone even better. I plan to use this trial as a growth opportunity. I take pride in the fact that I can use my struggles to help other women going through the same thing, which gives me hope for the future. I have hope for who I am becoming, and what I will accomplish in the future, and I belive that with the proper resources, I can become the strong willed woman I know I can be.

Throughout my life, visits to the hospital have become routine. The sound of monitors and the sight of IV tubes are not something that should be normal for a young child, but for me, it was a regular part of life. My mother has been in and out of the hospital for as long as I can remember. She has had eighteen surgeries in the last twenty years, and most of them have been unsuccessful. At age seven I was told that my mom’s visit to the ICU would be her last, at age nine I was helping her administer shots and TPN through her surgery implanted chest port at home, and as soon as I turned sixteen I was driving her to myriads of appointments. All of this responsibility came at a cost however. My mother’s medical history has taken a large toll on my mental health, but it is because of these experiences that I have had the opportunity to see the difference that good medical professionals have made for her. No matter how difficult her experiences have been, good doctors and nurses have made her experiences a little bit better, which goes a long way. Seeing how impactful good care has been throughout her journey has inspired me to have a desire to be a part of this change that medical professionals make. The view I have had into the medical field since such a young age has inspired me to pursue this future career in medicine. Instead of the idea of hospitals shutting me down, mine and my mother’s experiences have fueled my ideals of what my future could look like. Despite the hardships that come with having a chronically ill family member, I was taught the importance of resiliency, and given a passion for medicine. To me, practicing medicine is about so much more than just administering treatment and providing tests, it is about being able to connect with patients, no matter what walk of life they may come from, and it is because of the chronic health issues of my mother that I have been able to gain such a passion for medicine. I believe that when the “human touch” is brought into the medical field, personal connections are made. It helps those going through a difficult time to have a little bit of peace in their lives, and makes the hospital a little less of a burden. Medicine should not be intimidating, it should not be inaccessible, and it should not be inhumane, and I have been taught this because of the trials of my mother. It is key that medical professionals have the ability to connect with everyone they treat, and I hope to have the ability to utilize my social skills and my experience in hospitals to bring this personal touch to the future of medicine.

Throughout my life, visits to the hospital have become routine. The sound of monitors and the sight of IV tubes are not something that should be normal for a young child, but for me, it was a regular part of life. My mother has been in and out of the hospital for as long as I can remember. She has had eighteen surgeries in the last twenty years, and most of them have been unsuccessful. At age 7 I was told that my mom’s visit to the ICU would be her last, at age 9 I was helping her administer shots and TPN at home, and as soon as I turned 16 I was driving her to all of her appointments. Because of the experience I have had with the medical field due to my mother’s many health complications, I have been able to see the difference that good medical professionals have made for her. No matter how difficult her experiences have been, good doctors and nurses have made her experiences a little bit better, which goes a long way. Seeing how impactful good care has been throughout her journey has inspired me to have a desire to be a part of this change that medical professionals make. The view I have had into the medical field since such a young age has inspired me to pursue this future career in medicine. Instead of the idea of hospitals shutting me down, mine and my mother’s experiences have fueled my ideals of what my future could look like. Despite the hardships that come with having a chronically ill family member, I was taught the importance of resiliency, and given a passion for medicine. Having the ability to witness how medical professionals, both dedicated and lackluster, have affected my mother has taught me the meaning of the “human touch” in health care. To me, practicing medicine is about so much more than just administering treatment and providing tests, it is about being able to connect with patients, no matter what walk of life they may come from. It is through these personal experiences that I not only learned the meaning of “human touch,” but the importance of it as well. On top of growing up used to hospitals, I also grew up as a military child. This gave me the opportunity to live in many different places throughout my life. Moving every one to three years has taught me the importance of social skills, and given me the ability to connect with myriads of people, no matter their backgrounds and how they may differ from mine. I plan to utilize these crucial people skills in my future career in nursing, and bring the “human touch” to medicine that I know from experience makes a true difference. I believe that when the “human touch” is brought into the medical field, personal connections are made. It helps those going through a difficult time to have a little bit of peace in their lives, and makes the hospital a little less of a burden. Medicine should not be intimidating, it should not be inaccessible, and it should not be inhumane. It is key that medical professionals have the ability to connect with everyone they treat, and I hope to have the ability to utilize my social skills and my experience in hospitals to bring this personal touch to the future of medicine.

Throughout my life, visits to the hospital have become routine. The sound of monitors and the sight of IV tubes are not something that should be normal for a young child, but for me, it was a regular part of life. My mother has been in and out of the hospital for as long as I can remember. She has had eighteen surgeries in the last twenty years, and most of them have been unsuccessful. At age 7 I was told that my mom’s visit to the ICU would be her last, at age 9 I was helping her administer shots and TPN at home, and as soon as I turned 16 I was driving her to all of her appointments. Because of the experience I have had with the medical field due to my mother’s many health complications, I have been able to see the difference that good medical professionals have made for her. No matter how difficult her experiences have been, good doctors and nurses have made her experiences a little bit better, which goes a long way. Seeing how impactful good care has been throughout her journey has inspired me to have a desire to be a part of this change that medical professionals make. The view I have had into the medical field since such a young age has inspired me to pursue this future career in medicine. Instead of the idea of hospitals shutting me down, mine and my mother’s experiences have fueled my ideals of what my future could look like. Despite the hardships that come with having a chronically ill family member, I was taught the importance of resiliency, and given a passion for medicine. Having the ability to witness how medical professionals, both dedicated and lackluster, have affected my mother has taught me the meaning of the “human touch” in health care. To me, practicing medicine is about so much more than just administering treatment and providing tests, it is about being able to connect with patients, no matter what walk of life they may come from. It is through these personal experiences that I not only learned the meaning of “human touch,” but the importance of it as well. On top of growing up used to hospitals, I also grew up as a military child. This gave me the opportunity to live in many different places throughout my life. Moving every one to three years has taught me the importance of social skills, and given me the ability to connect with myriads of people, no matter their backgrounds and how they may differ from mine. I plan to utilize these crucial people skills in my future career in nursing, and bring the “human touch” to medicine that I know from experience makes a true difference. I believe that when the “human touch” is brought into the medical field, personal connections are made. It helps those going through a difficult time to have a little bit of peace in their lives, and makes the hospital a little less of a burden. Medicine should not be intimidating, it should not be inaccessible, and it should not be inhumane. It is key that medical professionals have the ability to connect with everyone they treat, and I hope to have the ability to utilize my social skills and my experience in hospitals to bring this personal touch to the future of medicine.

Throughout my life, visits to the hospital have become routine. The sound of monitors and the sight of IV tubes are not something that should be normal for a young child, but for me, it was a regular part of life. My mother has been in and out of the hospital for as long as I can remember. She has had eighteen surgeries in the last twenty years, and most of them have been unsuccessful. At age 7 I was told that my mom’s visit to the ICU would be her last, at age 9 I was helping her administer shots and TPN at home, and as soon as I turned 16 I was driving her to all of her appointments. Because of the experience I have had with the medical field due to my mother’s many health complications, I have been able to see the difference that good medical professionals have made for her. No matter how difficult her experiences have been, good doctors and nurses have made her experiences a little bit better, which goes a long way. Seeing how impactful good care has been throughout her journey has inspired me to have a desire to be a part of this change that medical professionals make. The view I have had into the medical field since such a young age has inspired me to pursue this future career in medicine. Instead of the idea of hospitals shutting me down, mine and my mother’s experiences have fueled my ideals of what my future could look like. Despite the hardships that come with having a chronically ill family member, I was taught the importance of resiliency, and given a passion for medicine. Having the ability to witness how medical professionals, both dedicated and lackluster, have affected my mother has taught me the meaning of the “human touch” in health care. To me, practicing medicine is about so much more than just administering treatment and providing tests, it is about being able to connect with patients, no matter what walk of life they may come from. It is through my personal experiences that I not only learned the meaning of “human touch,” but the importance of it as well. On top of growing up used to hospitals, I also grew up as a military child. This gave me the opportunity to live in many different places throughout my life. Moving every one to three years has taught me the importance of social skills, and given me the ability to connect with myriads of people, no matter their backgrounds and how they may differ from mine. I plan to utilize these crucial people skills in my future career in nursing, and bring the “human touch” to medicine that I know from experience makes a true difference.

Throughout my life, visits to the hospital have become routine. The sound of monitors and the sight of IV tubes are not something that should be normal for a young child, but for me, it was a regular part of life. My mother has been in and out of the hospital for as long as I can remember. She has had eighteen surgeries in the last twenty years, and most of them have been unsuccessful. At age 7 I was told that my mom’s visit to the ICU would be her last, at age 9 I was helping her administer shots and TPN at home, and as soon as I turned 16 I was driving her to all of her appointments. Because of the experience I have had with the medical field due to my mother’s many health complications, I have been able to see the difference that good medical professionals have made for her. No matter how difficult her experiences have been, good doctors and nurses have made her experiences a little bit better, which goes a long way. Seeing how impactful good care has been throughout her journey has inspired me to have a desire to be a part of this change that medical professionals make. The view I have had into the medical field since such a young age has inspired me to pursue this future career in medicine. Instead of the idea of hospitals shutting me down, mine and my mother’s experiences have fueled my ideals of what my future could look like. Despite the hardships that come with having a chronically ill family member, I was taught the importance of resiliency, and given a passion for medicine. Having the ability to witness how medical professionals, both dedicated and lackluster, have affected my mother has taught me the meaning of the “human touch” in health care. To me, practicing medicine is about so much more than just administering treatment and providing tests, it is about being able to connect with patients, no matter what walk of life they may come from. Even throughout my own medical journey, dealing with childhood seizures and my early development of tourettes, going into the doctor’s office always seemed intimidating. Tests and procedures weren’t the scary part for little second grade me, but the doctors. Walking into an office for a seizure test or an EEG was made so much less stressful when the doctors and nurses seemed to truly care about my wellbeing and about me as a person. Bedside manor has proved in my life to go a very long way. It is through these personal experiences that I not only learned the meaning of “human touch,” but the importance of it as well. On top of growing up used to hospitals, I also grew up as a military child. This gave me the opportunity to live in many different places throughout my life. Moving every one to three years has taught me the importance of social skills, and given me the ability to connect with myriads of people, no matter their backgrounds and how they may differ from mine. I plan to utilize these crucial people skills in my future career in nursing, and bring the “human touch” to medicine that I know from experience makes a true difference. I believe that when the “human touch” is brought into the medical field, personal connections are made. It helps those going through a difficult time to have a little bit of peace in their lives, and makes the hospital a little less of a burden. Medicine should not be intimidating, it should not be inaccessible, and it should not be inhumane. It is key that medical professionals have the ability to connect with everyone they treat, and I hope to have the ability to utilize my social skills and my experience in hospitals to bring this personal touch to the future of medicine.

My junior year of high school was anything but normal. My grades have always been something that I take pride in, however, throughout the duration of my junior year, I seemed to always fall short. It was February when I was sexually assaulted, and mentally I shut down entirely. I did not know how to come forward about it, but after a doctor’s appointment with a nurse who was a mandatory reporter, I didn’t have much of a choice. Due to this trauma transitioned to online school. This took a large toll on both my mental health and, consequently, my grades. This was extremely difficult for me as grades are something I have always taken pride in. I had to learn through both counseling and talking to the police how important it was to be heard, and how to gain my strength back as an individual and as a scholar. I was able to bring both of the men to court, and although the case is still not resolved, I have become stronger because of the trial. I eventually built up the courage to return to school in person for my senior year, and was even able to convince other girls hurt by the same men to come forward about what had happened to them. Despite being difficult, I was able to turn a terrible thing into a growing experience. I turned a corner at the start of my senior year, and was able to work towards a goal of improving my grades one again. Through hard work and dedication, I have been able to maintain an unweighted GPA of 3.8, and a weighted GPA of 4.2. I have now double lettered in academics, which I take extremely great pride in. I know that it was through dedication and not giving up that I was able to reach this goal after failing so many times. I once viewed this trial as a shortcoming in my life, an obstacle that could not be overcome. I now know that, although scary and difficult, failure is essential to growth. Working to improve my academic success taught me the importance of being resilient and never giving up, which I know are skills that I will take with me throughout my life, in college, medical school and beyond. What once seemed impossible I am now grateful for. I know that because I was able to endure this trial and come out stronger, I can handle anything that life throws my way.