My grandfather grows crops and raises livestock in Iowa. On weekends and summer breaks, he often asks me to come out to the farm to pick up sticks, fix fence lines, clean cow pens, and move machinery. While working with him, our conversations either involve him yelling at me for not being able to read his mind or him imparting bits of wisdom that he thinks I need to know about life. When talking about being a farmer, he explained, “Farming is always a good way of living, it just isn’t always a good way to make a living.” He told me that as I prepare for my future, I should strive to achieve both. I have chosen to pursue a kinesiology degree with the goal of becoming an occupational therapist who works with special needs children. Growing up with a brother who has special needs, my interest in health, and my work with children in the fitness field has impacted this choice. I want to become a person that walks alongside family to offer support and encouragement as they raise special needs children to thrive in the world. My younger brother has developmental and intellectual needs that were met through a variety of therapeutic services including speech therapy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. While growing up, I observed his therapy appointments and, at times, was able to participate with him. Through this, I saw firsthand the impact that therapists can have, not only on the child receiving services but on the entire family. Because of his therapy services, our family was able to help him grow, adapt, and thrive in life. Another impact is my interest in health. As a multi-sport athlete, I appreciate how bodies are made to move, function, and recover. Through a biomedical path in high school, I learned the science of the body and discovered how this knowledge is applied in a variety of careers. My experiences in sports and the classroom have deepened my interest in therapeutic services. Finally, my work and volunteer experiences have influenced my path. Teaching swimming lessons, lifeguarding, and coaching have shown me that I enjoy connecting with and engaging kids in activities. Through this academic path, I will be able to pursue my interest in health and fitness while working toward my goal of helping special needs children and families. I value and enjoy learning about wellness in my personal life and I see the importance of finding ways for those with special needs to find adaptive ways to function to their fullest potential in life. In the future, I know that my grandpa will be proud to see that his advice has left a legacy. Becoming an occupational therapist will allow me to live a good life while making a good living.

My grandfather grows crops and raises livestock in Iowa. On weekends and summer breaks, he often asks me to come out to the farm to pick up sticks, fix fence lines, clean cow pens, and move machinery. While working with him, our conversations either involve him yelling at me for not being able to read his mind or him imparting bits of wisdom that he thinks I need to know about life. When talking about being a farmer, he explained, “Farming is always a good way of living, it just isn’t always a good way to make a living.” He told me that as I prepare for my future, I should strive to achieve both. I have chosen to pursue a kinesiology degree with the goal of becoming an occupational therapist who works with special needs children. Growing up with a brother who has special needs, my interest in health, and my work with children in the fitness field has impacted this choice. I want to become a person that walks alongside family to offer support and encouragement as they raise special needs children to thrive in the world. My younger brother has developmental and intellectual needs that were met through a variety of therapeutic services including speech therapy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. While growing up, I observed his therapy appointments and, at times, was able to participate with him. Through this, I saw firsthand the impact that therapists can have, not only on the child receiving services but on the entire family. Because of his therapy services, our family was able to help him grow, adapt, and thrive in life. Another impact is my interest in health. As a multi-sport athlete, I appreciate how bodies are made to move, function, and recover. Through a biomedical path in high school, I learned the science of the body and discovered how this knowledge is applied in a variety of careers. My experiences in sports and the classroom have deepened my interest in therapeutic services. Finally, my work and volunteer experiences have influenced my path. Teaching swimming lessons, lifeguarding, and coaching have shown me that I enjoy connecting with and engaging kids in activities. Through this academic path, I will be able to pursue my interest in health and fitness while working toward my goal of helping special needs children and families. I value and enjoy learning about wellness in my personal life and I see the importance of finding ways for those with special needs to find adaptive ways to function to their fullest potential in life. In the future, I know that my grandpa will be proud to see that his advice has left a legacy. Becoming an occupational therapist will allow me to live a good life while making a good living.

Growing up in a small, rural town in Iowa, I played multiple sports at the varsity level. With small numbers, our school needed athletes to play multiple sports. In high school, I ran cross country, played football, participated in basketball, and competed in soccer. Being on these teams gave me opportunities to build new relationships, develop a strong work ethic, and establish healthy routines. My accomplishments included competing at state soccer, being selected to an all-conference basketball team, and many points on the scoreboard. As I prepared to participate at the college level, I thought I was a pretty good catch, as far as athletes go. After visiting Dordt University, I was invited to join their soccer team along with athletes from around the world. At our first practice, I went in prepared, focused, and maybe a little cocky. There were athletes better than me. In fact, there were a lot of athletes much better than me. Additionally, I discovered that college classes were a lot harder than high school. In fact, they were a lot harder than high school. My first week of practice and classes was a good lesson of humility. Rather than walk away feeling defeated when I was put on the JV squad, I decided to learn and work. To be better, I needed to learn from my coaches and teammates by listening and watching. To be better, I needed to work hard on the field and in the weight room. Rather than give up feeling discouraged when classes got overwhelming, I decided to learn and work. To be smarter, I needed to get to classes and participate in discussions. To be smarter, I needed get connected with tutors and attend study groups. Overall, I figured out the key to my success, on the field and in the classroom, was hard work and community. All fall and winter season, I watched, listened, played, and lifted. All fall and winter, I went to class, talked, asked questions, and listened. Now, as my freshman year comes to an end, I am proud to make the varsity squad, thankful to pass all my classes with above a 3.0GPA, and blessed to have formed many new friendships. In the future, I plan to use my experiences as an athlete and degree in kinesiology to become a physical or occupational therapist. In addition to choosing this career pathway because of my interest in sports and physical fitness, I am inspired by my younger brother. I am the oldest brother of four boys. One of my younger brothers has special needs that were met through therapeutic services. I saw firsthand the impact therapists have on the entire family. Our family was able to help him grow, adapt, and thrive. I want to be a person that comes alongside to encourage and support families with special needs children.

In my home, I am the oldest of four boys. When I was two, my parents brought home one of those brothers. He screamed and cried a lot. When I was four, my brother had his first grand mal seizure. Over the next year, he would have several more seizures and noticeable developmental delays that prompted my parents to seek out medical care for him at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. Through his medical team, our family learned that Trent has a brain injury that has caused his seizures and delays. These will impact him for his entire life. My younger brother has developmental and intellectual needs that were met through a variety of therapeutic services, including speech therapy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. When he was three, my little brother was accepted into a speech-language therapy program funded by the Scottish Rite Masons at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. His therapist's name was Beth. At his first therapy session, Beth was able to get my brother to say three words in a row. My mom cried tears of joy at hearing him complete a sentence: "I want milk." Through play-based therapy, she built communicative skills without him ever knowing that he was “working”. She also incorporated our family into his sessions so we could continue to support him at home. Beth was able to support my brother and our family in ways that no other therapist or teacher was able to. Because of his therapy services, our family was able to help him grow, adapt, and thrive in life. Through this experience, I was able to see firsthand the impact that therapists can have, not only on the child receiving services but on the entire family. Having a brother with special needs may not be the educational impact most would think of. Most think of teachers, parents, mentors, and famous intellects. Watching my brother learn how to interact with his environment, navigate communication struggles, and work through hard situations has inspired me. He as shown me the importance of adapting tasks to fit personal needs, advocating for help before one becomes too frustrated, and working with determination towards goals that no one thought you could attain. My brother has also shown me the joy of embracing who you are, loving what you are interested in, and pursuing your own path. If he can become who he was created to be in a world that elevates perfection, then I know I can become who I am created to be. In addition to the inspiration I have found in my brother, the empathy, kindness, and care offered to our family through his occupational, physical, and speech therapists has inspired me to pursue a career in therapy services with special needs children. I am currently working towards a kinesiology degree at Dordt University with the intent to pursue a post-graduate degree in occupational therapy. I hope to apply all that I have learned from my brother to my work with others. I want families to feel cared for, understood, and motivated to become what they are created for.

My grandfather is a farmer. He grows row crops and raises livestock on a farm in Iowa that has been in our family for over 150 years. When talking about his life as a farmer, he told me, “Farming is always a good way of living, it just isn’t always a good way to make a living.” He told me that as I prepare for my future, I should think about how I can achieve both: a good life and a good living. Now that I have graduated high school, I have the opportunity to heed his advice. For my major, I have chosen to pursue health and human performance as a step to apply for an occupational therapy post-graduate program. This path is one that I have chosen because of my experience growing up with a brother who has special needs, my personal interest in health, and my work with children in the fitness field. My younger brother has developmental and intellectual needs that were met through a variety of therapeutic services, including speech therapy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. While growing up, I observed his therapy appointments and, at times, participated with him. Through this, I saw firsthand the impact that therapists can have, not only on the child receiving services but on the entire family. Because of his therapy services, our family was able to help him grow, adapt, and thrive in life. Another impact on my educational and career choice is my personal interest in health. As a football, cross-country, soccer, and basketball athlete, I have come to appreciate how our bodies are made to move, function, and recover. Through my high school, I had the opportunity to follow a biomedical instruction path that piqued my interest in this field. These classes allowed me to learn the science of the human body, as well as, see how scientific knowledge of the human body is applied in a variety of careers. Finally, my work and volunteer experiences have influenced my academic and career path. In the last five years, I have been employed with the YMCA and volunteered in a variety youth sports programs. Teaching swimming lessons, lifeguarding at the pool, and coaching youth sports have shown me that working with kids comes naturally. Finding ways to connect with and engage kids in activities is something I truly enjoy. Through this academic and career path, I will be able to pursue my interest in health and fitness while working toward my goal of helping special needs children and families. I value and enjoy learning about wellness in my personal life and I see the importance of helping those with special needs find adaptive ways to function to at their fullest potential. I look forward to pursuing a degree that will support my career aspirations. In the future, I know that my grandpa will be proud to see that his advice left a legacy in my life. His words of wisdom are something that I will always use as a guiding principle in my choices. Becoming an occupational therapist will allow me to live a good life while making a good living.

In my home, I am the oldest of four boys. When I was two, my parents brought home one of those brothers. He screamed and cried a lot. When I was four, my brother had his first grand mal seizure. Over the next year, he would have several more seizures and noticeable developmental delays that prompted my parents to seek out medical care for him at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. Through his medical team, our family learned that Trent has a brain injury that has caused his seizures and delays. These will impact him for his entire life. My younger brother has developmental and intellectual needs that were met through a variety of therapeutic services, including speech therapy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. When he was three, my little brother was accepted into a speech-language therapy program funded by the Scottish Rite Masons at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. His therapist's name was Beth. At his first therapy session, Beth was able to get my brother to say three words in a row. My mom cried tears of joy at hearing him complete a sentence: "I want milk." Through play-based therapy, she built communicative skills without him ever knowing that he was “working”. She also incorporated our family into his sessions so we could continue to support him at home. Beth was able to support my brother and our family in ways that no other therapist or teacher was able to. Because of his therapy services, our family was able to help him grow, adapt, and thrive in life. Through this experience, I was able to see firsthand the impact that therapists can have, not only on the child receiving services but on the entire family. Having a brother with special needs may not be the educational impact most would think of. Most think of teachers, parents, mentors, and famous intellects. Watching my brother learn how to interact with his environment, navigate communication struggles, and work through hard situations has inspired me. He as shown me the importance of adapting tasks to fit personal needs, advocating for help before one becomes too frustrated, and working with determination towards goals that no one thought you could attain. My brother has also shown me the joy of embracing who you are, loving what you are interested in, and pursuing your own path. If he can become who he was created to be in a world that elevates perfection, then I know I can become who I am created to be. In addition to the inspiration I have found in my brother, the empathy, kindness, and care offered to our family through his occupational, physical, and speech therapists has inspired me to pursue a career in therapy services with special needs children. I am currently working towards a kinesiology degree at Dordt University with the intent to pursue a post-graduate degree in occupational therapy. I hope to apply all that I have learned from my brother to my work with others. I want families to feel cared for, understood, and motivated to become what they are created for.

I am the brother of Trent, a special needs teenager. Trent has intellectual, social, physical, and behavioral needs that are meet through adaptations and additional guidance. He has to work a lot harder to do the things he sees the world around him doing. Sometimes, he feels like he is missing out. He has spent years watching other people play sports. When I am playing basketball, football, or soccer, I know he is in the stands watching. In fact, I can hear him chanting the school fight song, yelling about a missed call, and cheering at a player for a good play. Every night, he will ask my parents if he can go to the game, any game. He just loves "the game". After years of watching, I think it is his turn to play. With the help of the local YMCA and a program called Can Play, I am working to bring a sport-cased program for special needs individuals to my community. My community is a small, rural town in Southwest Iowa. Recently, the state closed the doors at a residential state hospital for those with intellectual disabilities. Those clients were either sent to a different facility or given homes in the community. Additionally, our school district offers special education opportunities that surrounding smaller districts are unable to. These two circumstances provide a great need for sports-based programing designed specifically for special needs individuals. Currently, we are working on setting up funding and establishing programing details. Our hope is to offer a variety of individual and team athletic opportunities to all in the special needs community. There are lot of details to work on like finding space to meet, purchasing adaptive equipment, marketing within the community, and recruitment of volunteers. I am thankful to have a group of people to work with as the program is set up. It is a honor and a pleasure to pursue this for those like my brother. Through this programing, we can offer the opportunity for others to be active, to be a part of a team, and enjoy the world of sports. I cannot wait to see the faces of the participants when they hit their first ball, make their first shot, throw their first ball, and win their first game. Now, it is my turn to sing the fight song, yell at the missed calls, and cheer at the players for good plays.

In my home, I am the oldest of four boys. When I was two, my parents brought home one of those brothers. He screamed and cried a lot. When I was four, my brother had his first grand mal seizure. Over the next year, he would have several more seizures and noticeable developmental delays that prompted my parents to seek out medical care for him at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. Through his medical team, our family learned that Trent has a brain injury that has caused his seizures and delays. These will impact him for his entire life. My younger brother has developmental and intellectual needs that were met through a variety of therapeutic services, including speech therapy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. When he was three, my little brother was accepted into a speech-language therapy program funded by the Scottish Rite Masons at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. His therapist's name was Beth. At his first therapy session, Beth was able to get my brother to say three words in a row. My mom cried tears of joy at hearing him complete a sentence: "I want milk." Through play-based therapy, she built communicative skills without him ever knowing that he was “working”. She also incorporated our family into his sessions so we could continue to support him at home. Beth was able to support my brother and our family in ways that no other therapist or teacher was able to. Because of his therapy services, our family was able to help him grow, adapt, and thrive in life. Through this experience, I was able to see firsthand the impact that therapists can have, not only on the child receiving services but on the entire family. The empathy, kindness, and care offered to our family through Beth inspired me to pursue a career in therapy services with special needs children. Within my community, I have been able to work and volunteer in many opportunities. I have found joy in interacting with and coordinating activities for kids. Teaching swimming lessons, lifeguarding at the pool, and coaching youth sports have shown me that working with kids comes naturally. Finding ways to connect with and engage kids in activities is something I truly enjoy. Throughout these work and volunteer positions, I have been able to foster good character, encourage physical development, and incorporate social skill acquisition in play-based environments. The enjoyment and confidence I have experienced in these opportunities also impacted my academic and career aspirations in therapy services. In my personal life, I have participated in many sports including football, cross-country, basketball, and soccer. Along with my family, I have learned to play pickleball and tennis and enjoy paddleboarding and swimming. Being active is important to me because it opens opportunities to make friends, promotes physical and emotional well-being, and develops leadership skills. Every day I make an effort to devote time to physical fitness. My interest and enjoyment in being active has been a factor in my career choice. Currently, I am an undergraduate student at Dordt University majoring in kinesiology. Upon completion of my undergraduate studies, I plan to enroll in an occupational therapy program. Through this academic path, I will be able to pursue my interest in health and fitness while working toward my goal of helping special needs children and families. I value and enjoy learning about wellness in my personal life and I see the importance of finding ways for those with special needs to find adaptive ways to function to their fullest potential in life. I look forward to pursuing a degree that will support my career aspirations and interests.

After I turned two, my parents brought home a brother. He had big blue eyes, scrawny arms, and a feisty personality. He screamed a lot. He spit up a lot. He cried a lot. As his big brother, I was his first best friend no matter how loud and crabby he was. When I was four, my mom found my brother in his crib having a grand mal seizure. Over the next year, he would have several seizures and noticeable developmental delays that prompted my parents to seek care for him at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. Through his medical team, we learned Trent has a brain injury that will impact his entire life. Trent required many special services including physical, occupational, and speech therapy services. He also became involved in adaptive activities like baseball and soccer. Our family learned how to be his biggest cheerleaders, best teachers, and loudest advocates. Trent struggles to learn, has significant behavior problems, and takes epilepsy medication. He continues to be feisty. Being Trent’s big brother is one of the best parts of my life, however, his struggles add stress to our family. Throughout the past sixteen years, my experience of having a brother with special needs has taught me important lessons in work ethic, helped me develop strong morals, and given me a strong desire to work with special needs families. Managing his behavior, adapting tasks for him, and assisting him in communication are things I do that have helped me develop hard-working skills. Being able to think creatively to adapt activities, persevere through strong behaviors, and act confidently despite feeling inadequate are three skills that I have developed by being involved in Trent’s life. In addition to becoming a hard worker, I have developed the important morals of compassion and acceptance. My experience with special needs has given me a strong sense of awareness for those with disabilities. Expressing compassion and acceptance for those with special needs is important to me. I want everyone to feel like they are seen for the skills, talents, and abilities that they have, not for what they do not have. My goal is to pursue a career as an occupational therapist. Through this position, I want to work with special needs children and families. I know that the hard-working skills and strong morals I have developed from being Trent’s brother will make me a better therapist. I hope I make a difference in the world of people who face hardships beyond my own. I want to be the biggest cheerleader, best teacher, and loudest advocate for them.

When I look at the world, I see some people have more significant hardships than myself. My health, family, and community have given me circumstances that I understand many people long for. I hope I can make an impact on the lives of those less fortunate than myself. In this essay, I want to share about a hardship I have faced, how I worked to overcome it, and what I hope to do with the lessons I have learned. After I turned two, my parents brought home a brother who screamed and cried. When I was four, my brother had a grand mal seizure. Over the next year, he would have several seizures and noticeable developmental delays that prompted my parents to seek care for him at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. Through his medical team, we learned Trent has a brain injury that will impact his entire life. Trent struggles to learn, has significant behavior problems, and takes epilepsy medication. Being Trent’s big brother is one of the best parts of my life, however, his struggles add stress to our family. Throughout the past sixteen years, my experience of having a brother with special needs has taught me important lessons in work ethic and helped me develop strong morals. Managing his behavior, adapting tasks for him, and assisting him in communication are things I do that have helped me develop hard-working skills. One skill that has helped me work hard is critical thinking. To help Trent when he is upset about not being able to do something that his abled peer is able to do, I have learned to use critical thinking to find ways to accommodate his ability level. Another skill that I have developed is perseverance. There are times when getting Trent to do his chores seems impossible. He may throw a fit, call us names, or refuse to move. When this happens, I have to persevere with patience and kindness. It may require several tries, different methods, and a lot of time to get him to do something as simple as putting on shoes. Finally, I have developed a sense of confidence. When working with my brother, I approach each task with assurance and determination knowing he can do a lot more than he gives himself credit for. I have found my confidence has a ripple effect him. Critical thinking, perseverance and confidence are skills that make me a hard worker. In addition becoming a hard worker, I have developed the important morals of compassion and acceptance. My experience with special needs has given me a strong sense of awareness for those with disabilities. When I have the opportunity, I treat those with special needs with respect and kindness. I see them for what they are: real people with personalities, gifts, abilities, and feelings. Additionally, I want to make sure that I include them in conversations, activities, and relationships. At school, I try to find ways to include my special needs peers in conversations in the lunchroom and encourage them to play on the court during gym. Compassion and acceptance are morals that I feel strongly about. My goal is to pursue a career as an occupational therapist. Through this position, I want to work with special needs children and families. I know that the hard-working skills and strong moral I have developed from being Trent’s brother will make me a better therapist. I hope that I can make a difference in the world of people that are facing hardships beyond my own.

When I look at the world, I see that there are people that have more significant hardships than myself. My health, my family, and my community have given me life circumstances that I understand many people long for. I hope that in my future I can make an impact on the lives of those less fortunate than myself. In this essay, I want to share about something significant in my life that I feel has prepared me to serve others in the future. In my home, I am the oldest of four children. When I was two, my parents brought home one of my brothers. He screamed and cried a lot. When I was four, my brother had his first grand mal seizure. Over the next year, he would have several more seizures and noticeable developmental delays that prompted my parents to seek medical care for him at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. Through his medical team, our family learned that Trent has a brain injury that has caused his seizures and delays. These will impact him for his entire life. Trent struggles to learn, has significant behavior problems, and takes medication to control his epilepsy. Having a brother with special needs requires that I help him at home and in our community. Being Trent’s older siblings is one of the best parts of my life, however, his struggles add stress to our family. Through Trenton, I have learned about three important things: persistence, compassion, and contentment. Most tasks are hard for Trent to learn. From academic subjects to gross motor activities, Trent has to work much harder than his peers. I have watched him try over and over to meet an expectation. His hard work and effort have taught me the importance of being persistent when circumstances seem difficult. For some reason, Trent has a special awareness of how others feel. In our church, he moves locations to sit next to someone that is crying or seems upset. I have watched him play with younger kids when they are missing their parents and nurture small animals when they are scared. Observing Trent interact with others has taught me the importance of having compassion for others. Most days, Trent can be found playing with water on our back deck. He simply likes being outside in his own world. He doesn't need fancy toys, expensive gadgets, or impressive clothing to be happy. He just is happy. Seeing Trent find joy in simplicity has taught me to find contentment in what I already have. Having a sibling with special needs can sometimes feel unfair, challenging, and stressful. We encounter people who laugh at him, stare at him, and mock him. We, as a family, have to make special plans for when we travel, create accommodations for him to participate in activities, and help him manage his behaviors. Despite this adversity, being Trent's older brother has made me a better human. I know that the lessons I have learned from him will help me throughout my entire life. In the future, my goal is to pursue a career as an occupational therapist. Through this position, I want to work with special needs children and their families. I know the lesson I have learned from Trent will make me a better therapist. In some way, I hope that I can make a difference in the world of people that are facing hardships beyond my own.

When I was little, I wanted to play football but mom was adamantly against it. She said, “You’re too small. One hit and you would be done.” For many years, I ran cross country instead of football. However, my senior year I convinced my mom to let me try playing. On the first day of camp, I was full of nerves. I was stepping on to the field with guys that had been playing since they were in kindergarten. I was a senior playing for the first time. Despite this, my desire to play did not waver. After a deep breath, I did the hardest part: taking the first step. I was brave enough to try. Over the course of the next few weeks, I watched my teammates, listened to my coaches, and asked a lot of questions to learn how to be a football player. The next few months we had long practices in the heat that involved conditioning, strength training, and running plays. Some of the most difficult parts of being a new football player was learning the plays, the movements of each position, and the strategies behind each decision. It was hard. Some days were really hard. One of those days, I came home physically exhausted, mentally overwhelmed, and ready to quit. But I didn’t let the size of the mountain stop my climb to the top. I was brave enough to keep going. This experience taught me three important lessons. First, I learned to persevere when things are difficult. Despite how hard it was to start football as a senior, I did not quit. Second, I learned a lesson in humility. In order to learn, I had to depend on the knowledge and experience of others. Finally, I learned that trying new things is an adventure worthwhile. When I stepped on to the field for the first game in my uniform and pads with the lights and the crowd, I realized it was worth it. I am brave enough to finish. Along with my three younger brothers, my family loves to play and watch sports. In club and school, I have participated in cross country, football, soccer, and basketball. Recreationally, I enjoy playing pickleball, tennis, and golf. My family is a huge a fan of the Kansas Jayhawks, Kansas City Chief, Sporting KC, and Kansas City Royals. We spend lots of time connecting while watching our favorite teams play. In addition to sports, I also play the trumpet in band, work at the YMCA, and volunteer in youth activities in my community and church. My family, my participation in sports and my work with youth have inspired me to pursue a degree in occupational therapy. My younger brother has developmental and intellectual needs that were met through a variety of therapeutic services including speech therapy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. While growing up, I observed his therapy appointments and, at times, was able to participate with him. Through this, I could see firsthand the impact that therapists can have, not only on the child receiving services but on the entire family. Because of his therapy services, our family was able to help him grow, adapt, and thrive in life. Other experiences that have influenced my academic path are my employment with the YMCA and my volunteer work in youth sports programs. Teaching swimming lessons, lifeguarding at the pool, and coaching youth sports have shown me that working with kids comes naturally to me. Finding ways to connect with and engage kids in activities is something I truly enjoy.