I choose to further my education in STEAM due to my experience with Crohn’s Disease. Spending over sixty days in the hospital and relying on medication to keep me alive made me want to better understand the science behind medicine. That is why I chose a career in pharmacy, hoping to specialize in biologics. Science and math has always been a huge part of my life. I love knowing how medicine works and why everything happens. Pharmacy is a huge passion of mine and I want to be able to give back to people like me to hopefully make their lives a little better. Without medication, I know that I would not be here today. Before I got put on my biologic, I was eighty pounds on a feeding tube and in multiple organ failure. I never would have thought by the age of nineteen that I would be in grad school studying pharmacy. My hopes in pursuing my Doctorate in Pharmacy is to be an inspiration for people that through medication, they can get better. I want to also be there to inform patients on their medications and explain their disease states to them in a way that they will understand. As a person with a disability, tackling on graduate school at such a young age has had its many difficulties. I have to pay every month for my infusion, that without insurance, cost over ten thousand dollars. Additionally, I have many doctors and have to travel for these specialist. On top of being in graduate school, I work around twenty hours a week to be able to afford living expenses such as food and gas. Every day is a struggle with a chronic illness. Dealing with pain, fatigue, etc. but I know the reward will be great once I finish pharmacy school. Being a recipient of the Kayla Nicole Monk Memorial Scholarship would have a huge impact on my life. Graduate school is very costly, costing over $27,000 a year in tuition plus living cost. This means at the young age of nineteen, I am taking on loans on top of having to pay for my healthcare. I would be honored to be come a recipient of this scholarship as it would help the financial struggles I face. If I received this scholarship, I would be able to focus more on my studies and be a little less stressed. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Growing up as a Christian has allowed me to see how important it is to give back to the community. I always believe that charity starts at home, and that there is so much we can do to give back. As a teenager in youth, I got very involved in community service through the church. I started leading activities for the younger youth, help put on vacation bible school, and help give back to the community through food, clothes drives, toy drives, Christmas toy box, and more. At the age of fifteen, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease which put a huge financial strand on my family. My church family pulled together a donation in my name and gave it to my family to use for travel expenses, food, medical bills, and more. Seeing my community come together for me was super emotional and moving for me. After I received treatment and was able to attend church again, I got as involved as I could in my church. When I moved for pharmacy school, I knew I needed to find ways that I could continue giving back. As Vice President of the Christian Pharmacy Fellowship International (CPFI), we try to serve our community and give back in multiple different forms. In this position, I participate in a Hot Dog Ministry each month, sometimes more, where we feed the homeless community in Charleston, SC. With CPFI, we also provide meals for Ronald McDonald House to feed the families affected by a childhood illness. As the year continues, we are trying to come up with more community service projects such as vaccination clinics. Being the Vice President of CPFI has opened so many doors for me and for me to grow as a person. I now lead a monthly Bible Study lesson every month for pharmacy students. Another organization I participate in, Student Society of Health System Pharmacists (SSHP), allows for more community service such as the Hope Lodge and Cares. Hope Lodge is another organization where we provide meals and put on activities for the families and patients affected by cancer. Cares is a clinic that serves the homeless where we do healthcare visits, vaccinations, and more. In the span of three years, I have tried to dedicate more time towards community service as long as my health is willing. I love giving back to people as people have given to me. The smile that I see on people’s faces is priceless and makes everything worth it. I hope that others see me embody selflessness and that I can be an inspiration. It would be an honor to be a recipient of the Michael Rudometkin Memorial Scholarship. Thank you for your time and consideration.

I have chosen the field of Pharmacy specializing in gastroenterology (specifically biologics) due to my experience as a patient. Crohn’s Disease is a chronic illness that took over my life at the age of fourteen. I never thought I would never be able to return to high school, let alone be in my second year of graduate school at the age of nineteen. But through the help of biologic therapy, I am able to live an almost normal life. I desire to create an impact on people like me who have a chronic illness. I hope that I can be a good role model to look up to by giving patients hope and inspiration. I would never discourage any of my patients to let go of their hopes and dreams, instead I would tell them to shoot for the stars. Due to my past experience, I hope to create a unique bond and trust with my future patients since I too have been on the patient side. It is a goal of mine to never dismiss patients, listen to concerns, and help patients through medication.

“My class isn’t for sick people.” This is a statement that I heard from my first college class professor that I took in high school. If I would’ve let this statement get to me, I wouldn’t be in the position I am today. Instead, I used this comment to fuel me towards my goal of becoming a pharmacist. Now, I am in my second year of pharmacy school at the age of nineteen years old. Having Crohn’s Disease at an early age has been a huge hurdle I’ve had to over come. Being in the hospital over sixty days and having a feeding tube for eleven months while managing school was extremely hard. Many teachers and counselors discouraged me from taking “harder” and more advanced classes in my freshman and sophomore years of high school. After these two years passed, I decided to start my college journey at the age of sixteen. When I got to college, my college advisors wouldn’t let me double up on classes due to my illness until I proved myself to them. Throughout my science career, I have had many people doubt me and my abilities based on the presumption of my illness. I graduated undergraduate in two years with ninety credit hours, a 4.0 grade point average, and as the top of my class. At graduation, I was a speaker for all three commencements due to my accomplishments and achieving the highest award at my college. Even though I was told over and over by friends, family, and advisors that I would never be able to excel in school due to my illness, I proved everyone wrong when I was accepted into graduate school at seventeen. Pharmacy has always been my end goal because it combines science with healthcare. I thought my hardships were over when I got into pharmacy school because I had finally proved myself, but I was wrong. One draw back is my age which makes advisors think I am not able to mentally handle the hardships of pharmacy and what we see as pharmacist. Even though I am constantly having to prove myself, my drive to help people like me has never dwindled. As I continue my education in pharmacy, I have explored several different options as careers. I have always been fascinated by biologic therapy and bioequivalents, making me look more at the research and industry side of pharmacy. This would allow me to specialize in something I love while helping people like me. In the future, I hope to inspire others with a chronic illness to never give up on their dream just because of their label as someone who is sick.

Without medication, I know I would not be here today. Medication saved my life and has allowed me to live the life that I am living now. Before getting on a monoclonal antibody, I was in liver failure and eighty pounds. Now, I am thriving and in my second year of graduate school at nineteen. That is why I am so passionate about pharmacy and helping others through medication. I have chosen to pursue my doctorate in pharmacy because I want to be an advocate to patients, educate patients, and help patients get into remission. Before I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease, I was told by several providers that I was faking my disease and would not help me. This not only made my disease worse, but impacted my mental health as well. As a future pharmacist, I want to be an advocate for patients so that they won’t feel the way I felt. I never had anyone advocate for me through my disease or about medications I should be on. Additionally, I was never educated on different therapies for my disease. This is one of the main reasons that I have focused my research on monoclonal antibodies as they are an ever growing drug class that is gaining in popularity. With knowledge in monoclonal antibodies, I can be a pharmacist who specializes in autoimmune diseases and educates my future patients on side effects, use, mechanism of action, and more. Thus far, I have researched a new monoclonal antibody and have made a pamphlet about Inflammatory Bowel Disease and medication therapies. As a person with a chronic illness, I feel like I will be able to relate to my patients and that will push me to be the best pharmacist possible. I will be able to understand what my patients are going through and advocate for their needs. I hope through advocacy, I will create a positive impact on my future patients treatment plans and get my patients one step closer to remission.

“Sick people are not for my class”. This statement is one I faced throughout pursuing my STEM degree. At the age of fifteen, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease of the small and large intestine. This caused me to spend over sixty days in the hospital, have a feeding tube for eleven months, required multiple surgeries, and now requires me to have a port for my infusions every month. I only went in person to high school for a semester of my freshman year, but that was one of the hardest years I had. Being made fun of constantly for something that I couldn’t control such as my tube or my sickness in general fueled me to prove everyone wrong who had doubts about me. That is why when the opportunity arose, I took advantage of it and was able to enter college at the age of sixteen. Even when I entered college, many people discouraged me because I was labeled as the “sick kid”. I had guidance counselors tell me I wouldn’t make it or that they didn’t recommend me going to college in my situation. My college advisor even told me I was in too many “hard classes” because I was doubling up or tripling up on science. They feared that as a person with a chronic illness that I would not excel in certain classes. However, I proved everyone wrong and was able to graduate college at the age of eighteen and enter graduate school the same year. My passion for stem arose from me being a sick kid. Having Crohn’s Disease taught me how important stem is in the world. Medicine and technology in the healthcare world has come so far in such a short amount of time. I know without medication and the advances we have made in healthcare, that I would not be here today. When I got admitted into the hospital I was in liver and kidney failure, making me get put on a transplant list. But with the help of medication, I was able to not have to have any more major surgeries, as I started healing. I was put on a chimeric monoclonal antibody that saved my life and has allowed me to live the life I have today. This drug inspired me to pursue my doctorate of pharmacy to help people like me with autoimmune diseases through medication. Monoclonal antibodies is a drug class that fascinates me, and something I can see myself doing in the future after pharmacy school and residency. Due to my illness, there has been many financial strands on myself and family. I have to travel to Cincinnati children’s hospital every so often for my doctor’s appointments (over ten hours away), receive monthly infusions that cost thousands of dollars, and have multiple other doctors due to my chronic illness. On top of this strain, graduate school offers very few financial aid causing me to take out loans at such a young age. Estimated tuition and cost of living is over 65k, causing me to take out loans at the age of nineteen to pay for tuition and live off of. Many obstacles have gotten in my way in trying to pursue my STEM degree, but I am determined to do great things with my life. Being a recipient of the Whiddon Memorial Scholarship would mean a great deal to me and for my future success as a young woman in STEM.

Being diagnosed with Crohn's Disease at the age of fifteen has been one of the biggest challenges I have overcome. When I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease, I thought my life as I knew it would be over. I thought that this new label would define me for the rest of my life. Many people in my life thought this new label meant I wouldn’t be the same Leah as I was. People closest to me told me I couldn’t do certain classes or start college at the young age of sixteen just because I have Crohn’s Disease. Even though Crohn’s Disease has held me back many times, I am very grateful for this label. Crohn’s has shaped me into the person I am today. Without this disease, I would not have the passion and drive to help people like me. The passion I have had to help people led me to graduate college and start my Doctorate of Pharmacy at the age of eighteen. Throughout learning different career in pharmacies via the patient and student side, I have been drawn to nuclear pharmacy. In 2022 I had surgery for a port placement. The port was meant to help receive monthly infusions for my Crohn’s Disease. However, upon first access it did not work. I had been introduced to nuclear medicine many times before via barium swallows, CTs, and more, but this time was different. When I received my fluoroscopy for my port to reveal I had pinch off syndrome, I knew that I could help many people with nuclear pharmacy. Without nuclear medicine, I would never been able to know that my port was wrapped around my clavicle. This diagnosis requires immediate surgery so that the port doesn't puncture your lung or heart due to it being out of place. Nuclear pharmacy deals with diagnosis mainly, however, it also deals with cancer and thyroid treatment. To me, this is the most interesting field in pharmacy as it is not really talked about much and can be used in multiple aspects. I have always loved science and math, especially nuclear math involved with half-lives. After shadowing a nuclear pharmacist, I plan on getting my authorized user in nuclear pharmacy while in school to be a better hire after graduation. Crohn’s disease has taught me a lot about myself and others. Without this disease, I would not have been pre exposed to all different types of pharmacy such as oncology, biologics, hospital, nutrition, etc. I feel like Crohn’s disease has had a very positive impact on my life teaching me valuable life skills such as compassion and understanding. I can relate to my patients on a more intimate level than many other doctors. What was meant for evil, has been one of my biggest blessings. Crohn’s Disease took a lot away from me, but I prove every day to define all odds against me. My hope for the future is to continue to inspire people and women in nuclear pharmacy due to the lack of women in this field. Additionally, I hope to inspire people with chronic illnesses to never give up on their dreams. If I gave up when negativity was thrown my way, I wouldn’t be in the position I am today of being able to receive my doctorate at the age of twenty-two. People will try to bring you down and discourage, but you are given a drive to pharmacy for a reason

Starting pharmacy school at the age of eighteen had many struggles. High school advisors and family members discouraged me entering a doctorate program at such a young age, mainly due to the cost of school. I started my undergraduate career at the age of sixteen and finished 90 credit hours at the age of eighteen with a 4.0. When I toured different college of pharmacies, the admissions advisor told me I was too young and not mature enough to enter into this profession. Little did they know, I had matured more than most of my fellow classmates due to my Crohn's Disease by being on a feeding tube, having a PICC line (later a port) for infusions, TPN, and lipids, and more. One way I plan on giving back to future pharmacist is to uplift students and not tell any students that they shouldn't be here. Having a chronic illness and being in grad school is very difficult at times, but I deserve to be here as much as anyone else. In the future, I would love to work with a future pharmacy school and allow for shadows and internships. Additionally, I would love to talk to the school about different fields of pharmacy, as nuclear is not talked about a lot. Hopefully, I will be in a place where I would be able to have a scholarship available for students to get their authorized user in nuclear pharmacy (as it is a costly extra addition to tuition).

"Nineteen years old and already in grad school? What's the rush?" This is the response I get when I tell people my age and what school I go to. Yes, I am a nineteen-year-old at the Medical University of South Carolina pursing my PharmD. Even though I may be young, there were many trials and tribulation in getting to the place that I am today. At the age of fifteen, I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease. This shaped my life forever. I had been fighting for a diagnosis for over a year prior which made my Crohn's spiral out of control. I was eighty pounds, on a feeding tube, and unable to attend school or do normal everyday activities. This taught me many life lessons and fueled my passion for healthcare. I knew I wanted to become a pharmacist to help others like me through medication. After my diagnoses, I got put on an immunotherapy infusion of Infliximab. This infusion saved my life and has allowed me to accomplish everything that I have since being diagnosed. I take this infusion every month through my port, which allows me to relate to my future patients if I chose to pursue a career in oncology or infusion. Before I started college at the age of sixteen, I got many doubts and negative comments from my teachers and academic counselors. I got told that some classes weren't for sick kids and if I was sure my health would allow me to start college this young. These comments fueled me even more to do well. I finished college in two years with a 4.0 at the age of eighteen and was accepted into all pharmacy schools I applied to. In a way, I wanted to prove everyone wrong that I am not defined by my illness. The one reason I decided to finish school so quickly was due to Crohn's Disease. I never know what tomorrow may bring or how I may feel. School was the only thing in my life that I could control. So, I wanted to get school done and out of the way while I felt good and ok. Now, I am wrapping up my P1 year in Pharmacy school and about to go on my summer rotation. With my previous experiences of dealing with a chronic illness, I have chosen pharmacy as my healthcare field because I want to become a role model to all of my patients that they can still accomplish their dreams and to never give up. If I gave up when I received backlash for wanting to fast tract my schooling, I wouldn't be in the position I am today. Additionally, I want to become an advocate for my patients. If I had someone advocating for me during my year of being undiagnosed, I would have not been in the shape I was in and could've been treated. Having no one back you up is the worst feeling ever because you start believing what the doctors say, such as being crazy. Being able to relate to my patients will allow me to be a huge advocate in their treatment such as medications, changing therapies, and more.

"If you were admitted two days later you would be needing a liver transplant." These are the words told me to after fighting for a year for a diagnosis and treatment. After my eighth scope in a year, a doctor in Cincinatti told me there were more ulcers in mu colon than he could count. Living in a medically underserved area taught me how different areas treat patients. If my doctors in my hometown took me seriously, I would have not been in the situation I was. I would not have been eighty pounds, on a feeding tube, and fighting for my life with no medical treatment if I lived in a more medical deserved area. This experience fueled my passion for healthcare. As a future pharmacist, I hope to not only advocate for my patients, but be a person they can relate to. I have been on both sides of being a provider and a patient, so I understand more than other healthcare providers. There are many pharmacy career paths, and as a current P1, I am not decided on just one yet. However, I have my eye on nuclear or oncology pharmacy. I feel that I could relate to my patients greatly in this field of pharmacy as I still have a port and get monthly infusions to keep me going. Due to my prior experiences as a patient, I know how differently woman are treated as a patient. I was told that my Crohn's Disease symptoms were just my period, because it is completely normal to lose so much blood and pass out on the toilet. I was also treated as an anorexic/ psych patient because it hurt so much to eat making me eat less than I should. Being a young woman trying to get a diagnosis and help I needed was harder than it should have been. Healthcare is a very male dominated field, so when a young teenage girl walks in, they automatically blame women problems or think we're crazy. As a woman in healthcare, I hope to break the stigma of women patients and advocate for equal treatment. It is a proven fact that providers are more likely to take a men's pain more seriously than a woman's. This is by no means ok. I want to become a voice for my patients, not only for pain, but for diagnosis and proper treatment. If I had someone advocate for me, I would have been treated over a year earlier and would have not been in the shape I was. I also hope to educate my patients on medication management and help them transition into getting in the routine of infusions or everyday medication. This is a life altering experience that can be very scary and costly. As a future pharmacist, it will be my job to answer any questions about medication and help find co pay cards if patients qualify. I hope to become the best pharmacist I can be due to my past experiences shaping me into the woman I am today.

Stepping up to the plate, only thing standing between me and this weight is my thoughts. I know I was never supposed to be able to do this. I know I was told I would never be able to lift or live a normal life. But here I am, about to deadlift more than my body weight. I have my music turned all the way up to get me pumped and focused. As my thoughts race about hitting a personal record, how I may damage my body, or port my music pumps me up into thinking I have this. When I listen to heavy metal, it allows me to put all negative racing thoughts away, and just focus on this set. Deftones, Rod Zombie, and the song Floyd the Barber by Nirvana are some of my favorite pump music that always allows me to reach a PR. This music allows me to focus on my WHY. Why am I doing this to my body? Because I am STRONG, I am doing this for the haters who told me I would never accomplish my dream body, my dream weight, accomplish acceleration in school, people who have left me in my life, and more. Heavy Metal fuels my rage towards weights and obtaining my dream body for myself. When I get comments like "what happened to Leah" or "how did Leah get so gorgeous" (implying I was ugly before) is part of the reason I have rage that Heavy Metal music reflects. At the age of fifteen, I was eighty pounds living on a feeding tube and newly diagnosed with Crohn's Disease. Now, I am well over eighty pounds, building muscle, and in pharmacy school at the age of nineteen. Currently, I am wrapping up my P1 year of pharmacy school and entering my P2 year with several leadership positions. Before I started college at sixteen, I was highly discouraged as I was labeled as the "sick kid". I spent over sixty days in the hospital and had all of my high school teachers lose hope in me. My teachers did not believe I could accomplish greatness and even told me their classes were not for sick kids. However, I proved them wrong by finishing college at the age of eighteen with a 4.0 in my prerequisites for pharmacy school. Many hardships in my life have shaped me to become the person I am today fueling me to become a pharmacist that helps people like me who have a chronic illness and help patients defy all odds. As a current P1 in pharmacy school, I am unsure on exactly what career path I want to take. Right now, I have nuclear pharmacy and oncology on my radar. In both of these career paths, I could help people with chronic illnesses get their lives back. I would like to become a role model to allow people with chronic illnesses to never give up on their dreams. If I gave up when all the negativity and discouragement was thrown my way, I would not be in the position I am today. I know without medication; I would not be here today to accomplish my dreams and goals. Pharmacy school is very expensive as it is grad school meaning there are little to no scholarships available. The only financial aid we get is student loans which is used for tuition, off campus housing, groceries, and more. I am a hardheaded person who wanted the least amount of loans possible, so I overwork myself in pharmacy school. As a pharmacy intern, I work around fifteen to twenty hours a week while in over seventeen hours of school. This is mentally and physically draining, but I reward myself by having less loans. Being a recipient of this scholarship would mean so much to me as it would help pay for my tuition and allow me to have less loans that I would have to pay back in the future or defer in residency.

Walking, sitting in class, running, eating, hanging out with friends. These are everyday activities that many take for granted, but not me. If you told me three years ago that I would be sitting in my grad school class studying to become a doctor in pharmacy, I would have laughed. Three years ago, I was fighting for my life. I was told I'd never be able to run, that I would have to drop out of school, that I would have to learn how to eat again, and that I was too sick to hang out with people outside of my family. To me, success is defeating all odds and proving that I can be something. Success is beating my label of being a girl with a chronic illness. After three years of healing my body and taking monthly infusion, I have been successful in many ways. By the time I was eighteen, I graduated college and entered my grad school program. When I graduated college, I was the top of my class and gave all three commencement speeches. Now, I am strength building my body to become the healthiest person possible. This has allowed me to reach my ideal body weight for my height, as I have issues gaining weight with Crohn's Disease. My success story feels like a fairytale as I went from an eighty-pound girl on a feeding tube relying on machines to keep me alive, to now a healthy, strong, young adult pursuing my doctorate. Success is a mindset to never give up and take on tasks with a positive attitude. I know that success takes time, so that is why I am so excited to see more success as I continue my education and dreams of becoming a pharmacist. Success also looks like giving back to my community. This is one of the biggest reasons I chose pharmacy as a career. As a pharmacist, I hope that I can give back to people like me who have a chronic illness. I will be able to relate to my patients as I have a port in chest for my infusions. There are over a hundred different types of pharmacists, and as a first year I am still trying to figure it out. However, I plan on choosing a pathway that will allow me to relate to patients such as nuclear, oncology, or infusion. In the career I chose to pursue, I also hope to be an inspiration to kids or adults like me to never give up on their hopes and dreams. This opportunity would greatly help me achieve my success story as pharmacy school is very costly. In grad school, your only financial aid is loans. Starting grad school at the young age of eighteen has been challenging as I am having to pay for over twenty-seven thousand dollars in tuition on top of living expenses. With my health issues I take an infusion that cost over fourteen thousand dollars every month that puts another financial strain on me while being in school. Receiving this scholarship would help me pursue my dream of helping others like me with less debt. Being a recipient would also allow me to me to share my success story with others and inspire others.

"Sick kids aren't meant for my class". This is a statement that has stuck with me throughout my academic career. From a young age, I have had many health problems, but they worsened when I was a freshman and sophomore in high school. No one believed in me anymore because I was labeled as the "sick kid". However, I took this label and defied all odds by graduating college and entering into my doctorate program at eighteen years old. I have been drawn to the STEM field for a long time. Science and math have always been my strongest subjects. I knew with a career in STEM, I could help people in need like me. As I have continued my education in my Doctor of Pharmacy, I have learned about more opportunities in the pharmacy field than I could have ever imagined. As of right now, I have been drawn to nuclear pharmacy. Nuclear pharmacy deals with isotopes, such as Technetium 99 and iodine, that is used for radiology diagnosis and cancer treatment. I have dealt many times with Nuclear Pharmacy on the patient side of things with getting fluoroscopies through my port and feeding tube, as well as having many MRIs and CTs with contrast studies. Nuclear pharmacy is a small world where only around 500 pharmacists are board certified nuclear pharmacist (BCNP). As a woman, nuclear pharmacy is very discriminated against. You are working with isotopes all day that have a very short half-life, so the majority of your shifts will be from 2am-10am. This is to ensure everyone for the day has their nuclear medicine in the morning and can easily excrete the drugs out. This creates a "bad" work-life balance for woman since we would be on nights versus a normal schedule. Additionally, women are not the typical employees of a nuclear pharmacy career due to radiation exposure. When a woman becomes pregnant in this field, you are required to tell your employer that you are pregnant along with the time of conception. The rules and regulations of women in radiology has not been updated in over twenty years. As a woman in STEM, I hope to not only help people like me, but to make a difference in breaking the stigma of women in STEM. I want to be a role model for all girls out there wanting to pursue their dream in STEM to never give up. In my short nineteen years of living, I have been discouraged many times from my choice of career and the pace of schooling that I am doing. If I listened to these people, I would not one eighth of a doctor at the age of nineteen or have my career planned out. Never let anyone take away your passion. Being a recipient of this scholarship would allow me to continue my education towards obtaining a Doctorate in Pharmacy. Graduate school is extremely expensive, costing over twenty-seven thousand dollars a year with little to no scholarship opportunities. Starting my graduate level earlier in life means that I rely heavily on loans for every expense such as living, clubs, certifications, tuition, and more.

Most people think that Crohn’s Disease is just a diagnosis, but it is not. One simple diagnosis came with a slew of other problems such as pernicious anemia, bile acid malabsorption, selective eating disorder, depression, and anxiety. Mental illness has been a huge struggle, because it is a silent battle no one sees. People can visibly see when I have my other illnesses; but never can see what is going on in my mind. I grew up in a family that didn’t believe in mental illness. It was thought of as being weak, or acting out for attention. However, when your whole life is changed around as you know it because of one disease, your mental health is severely affected. As I have aged, I realize the more that I have been affected with mental illness. From a young age, I have been a perfectionist. Always had a 4.0 GPA until I got to grad school. The stress and anxiety I was under to be perfect this year caused my Crohn’s Disease to act up, causing more mental health issues. For me, mental health is a cycle of issues. If my stomach goes into a flare, I deal with depression of not being a normal nineteen year old. This then creates a cycle of me not wanting to eat due to food hurting my stomach. I had to train my brain that food is not my enemy. However, if my mental health is affected through anxiety with school, I will go into a flare due to my mental health. I am in a constant battle with my mental health and stomach. Mental health is real and is no joke. Even though we cannot visibly see it with our eye, it affects me in many visible ways by weight loss, skin issues, inflammation, hair loss, and many more. Without support of family, I have felt alone in my battle. However, I have started getting better about talking to my doctors and others about my mental health. Before, I would hide it in fear of being perceived as different. As a future pharmacist, I know how important mental health and medication is. Every day, I dispense medications to help with mental illness. I have always wanted to help people like me, regardless if they have a chronic illness or mental illness. Being in a pharmacy has allowed me to see that mental health is normal and acceptable. We need to break the stigma with mental illness. This stigma prevents people with mental health issues from getting the proper medications daily. It is ok to ask for help and take medication.

When I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease, I thought my life as I knew it would be over. I thought that this new label would define me for the rest of my life. Many people in my life thought this new label meant I wouldn’t be the same Leah as I was. People closest to me told me I couldn’t do certain classes or start college at the young age of sixteen just because I have Crohn’s Disease. Even though Crohn’s Disease has held me back many times, I am very grateful for this label. Crohn’s has shaped me into the person I am today. Without this disease, I would not have the passion and drive to help people like me. The passion I have had to help people led me to graduate college and start my Doctorate of Pharmacy at the age of eighteen. Throughout learning different career in pharmacies via the patient and student side, I have been drawn to nuclear pharmacy. In 2022 I had surgery for a port placement. The port was meant to help receive monthly infusions for my Crohn’s Disease. However, upon first access it did not work. I had been introduced to nuclear medicine many times before via barium swallows, CTs, and more, but this time was different. When I received my fluoroscopy for my port to reveal I had pinch off syndrome, I knew that I could help many people with nuclear pharmacy. Nuclear pharmacy is a field of pharmacy that deals with compounding of isotopes such as iodine and technetium 99. These isotopes deal with the diagnostic part of medicine. As we all know, diagnosis is the most important step in treatment. Additionally, nuclear compounding can be used to help patients with different types of cancers. I have always been drawn to chemotherapy’s and oncology due to being put on a failed chemo drug for my Crohn’s. Nuclear pharmacy offers so many different avenues when it comes to helping people in need. Crohn’s disease has taught me a lot about myself and others. Without this disease, I would not have been pre exposed to all different types of pharmacy such as oncology, biologics, hospital, nutrition, etc. I feel like Crohn’s disease has had a very positive impact on my life teaching me valuable life skills such as compassion and understanding. I can relate to my patients on a more intimate level than many other doctors. What was meant for evil, has been one of my biggest blessings. Crohn’s Disease took a lot away from me, but I prove everyday to define all odds against me. My hope for the future is to continue to inspire people with chronic illnesses to never give up on their dreams. If I gave up when negativity was thrown my way, I wouldn’t be in the position I am today of being able to receive my doctorate at the age of twenty two. A chronic illness is awful to have, but it makes you ten times stronger than your peers. We can do everything that a normal person can; we just have to try a little harder.

From a young age, I always knew I wanted to help people like me. That is why at the age of eighteen, I entered into my Doctor of Pharmacy program with intentions on helping people with disabilities. As I have learned more about the career choices in pharmacy, I have been drawn to the field of nuclear pharmacy. Nuclear pharmacy is a very small field of pharmacy that deals with diagnostic isotopes used in testing such as X-rays, CTs, MRIs, and more. As a patient who struggled receiving a diagnosis of Crohn's Disease, I hope that I help people receive a diagnosis so that they are able to start an appropriate therapy. Nuclear pharmacist also deals with compounding radioactive chemotherapies such as iodine. When I become a nuclear pharmacist, it is my goal to help people through diagnostic testing and different course of therapies as I once was helped.

"Sick kids aren't meant for my class". This is a statement that has stuck with me throughout my academic career. From a young age, I have had many health problems, but they worsened when I was a freshman and sophomore in high school. No one believed in me anymore because I was labeled as the "sick kid". However, I took this label and defied all odds by graduating college and entering into my doctorate program at eighteen years old. I have been drawn to the STEM field for a long time. Science and math have always been my strongest subjects. I knew with a career in STEM, I could help people in need like me. As I have continued my education in my Doctor of Pharmacy, I have learned about more opportunities in the pharmacy field than I could have ever imagined. As of right now, I have been drawn to nuclear pharmacy. Nuclear pharmacy deals with isotopes, such as Technetium 99 and iodine, that is used for radiology diagnosis and cancer treatment. I have dealt many times with Nuclear Pharmacy on the patient side of things with getting fluoroscopies through my port and feeding tube, as well as having many MRIs and CTs with contrast studies. Nuclear pharmacy is a small world where only around 500 pharmacists are board certified nuclear pharmacist (BCNP). As a woman, nuclear pharmacy is very discriminated against. You are working with isotopes all day that have a very short half-life, so the majority of your shifts will be from 2am-10am. This is to ensure everyone for the day has their nuclear medicine in the morning and can easily excrete the drugs out. This creates a "bad" work-life balance for woman since we would be on nights versus a normal schedule. Additionally, women are not the typical employees of a nuclear pharmacy career due to radiation exposure. When a woman becomes pregnant in this field, you are required to tell your employer that you are pregnant along with the time of conception. The rules and regulations of women in radiology has not been updated in over twenty years. As a woman in STEM, I hope to not only help people like me, but to make a difference in breaking the stigma of women in STEM. I want to be a role model for all girls out there wanting to pursue their dream in STEM to never give up. In my short nineteen years of living, I have been discouraged many times from my choice of career and the pace of schooling that I am doing. If I listened to these people, I would not one eighth of a doctor at the age of nineteen or have my career planned out. Never let anyone take away your passion.

My whole life revolves around medicine. Every month, I take an infusion through my port to allow me to continue living with Crohn's Disease. What better profession to become than a pharmacist? My dream job is to become a specialist pharmacist, either in nuclear or pediatric oncology. Since I was sixteen, I have been battling Crohn's Disease having my whole life revolve around a simple infusion. I know how hard it is to be a kid stuck in the hospital, have tubes to live, have numerous surgeries, etc. Due to my previous experiences of being a sick kid in the hospital, I feel that I can relate to my patients and help get them through this tough time in their lives through the use of medicine. Qualities that are important to me in a career are loving what I do and a good work environment. This will impact my future career search because as I continue my education in pharmacy school, I will gain more knowledge and skills to know what I love doing. As of right now, I love compounding. Nuclear pharmacy deals with the compounding of nuclear substances such as technetium 99. The downfall is the hours of nuclear pharmacists. Since diagnostic medicines have a short half-life, hospitals need the isotopes in the morning for scans. This would mean having a work schedule of one in the morning to early in the afternoon. However, I know with nuclear pharmacy I would be helping others by getting them a diagnosis and making cancer treatment drugs. Pediatric Oncology has always been a calling due to my previous experience as a kid who spent over sixty days in the hospital. I feel like I could relate to the kids and be a positive role model for them. For example, I have numerous scars, a port, and have had an NJ feeding tube for eleven months. This way the kids could look up to me and see that despite their illness, they can still accomplish greatness. I would tell them to never give up on their dream because if I gave up on my dream when I was stuck in the hospital, I wouldn't be a doctor at the age of twenty-two. Pediatric Oncology pharmacist would allow me to have more patient interaction via rounds, however, I would be making chemo which is a skill I have not yet learned. I am willing to learn, but do not know if I love mixing in a sterile bag as much as I do compounding. No matter what I choose as my future career, I know that I will be helping people which is my main goal. I want to give back to people like me and inspire others to give back as well.

From the outside looking in, you see an eighteen year old girl who is always smiling and bubbly. But that wasn’t always the case. Three years ago, my life changed forever. I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. This disease took so much from me: my freshman and sophomore year of high school, my friends, and my life. I spent over sixty days in the hospital fighting for my life, loosing all hope that I would get better. Until I got admitted to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, over a four hour drive from my hometown, did I feel a sliver of hope come back. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital saved my life. They took their time and listened to my symptoms instead of brushing everything off as my hometown doctors did. My hometown doctors told me I was crazy and needed to go to a psychiatric hospital. They refused to help or listen to me, and made me feel like my illness and symptoms were my fault. I am forever grateful for my experiences with Crohn’s Disease as well as my experience with doctors. These experiences have led me to want to become a doctor of pharmacy and help others like me. At the age of sixteen, I started college despite all of the doubt I received. In just two short years, I obtained ninety credit hours with a 4.0 grade point average. At the age of seventeen, I had been accepted to all five pharmacy schools that I applied to. Due to my accomplishments, I won the president’s award, the highest honor given to just one student every year at my college. I spoke at all three commencements and shared my story to my fellow class. I felt like my life couldn’t get any better, until it all came crashing down. I was in Cincinnati, getting my monthly infusion with my mom, who is blind due to abuse, and a friend who had to drive us there. When we came home, everything was gone. We were left with an empty house and a few days later divorce papers served. My stepfather of twelve years just upped and left. He left my disabled mother to fend for herself, me to take care of her, and years of trauma. I saw him hit my mother multiple times, leave bruises on her, and mentally tear her down daily. He told my mom and I that we wouldn’t make it without him, we would amount to nothing. Anything we ever did was never good enough, it was never appreciated. I got used to the yelling and mental nags daily, but I could see how badly it was affecting my mom. She lost all her self worth that I am still trying to build up for her. Being a recipient of this scholarship would mean the world to me. Despite every hurdle thrown at me, I have preserved, and now am at the Medical University of South Carolina pursing my PharmD. With no help from my family financially, I have to pay for the costly tuition and housing on my own at the age of eighteen, on top of my medical expenses. I will become the first doctor of my family, and hope to become the best doctor possible. A doctor who listens to their patients, cares for their patients, and can sympathize. I want to inspire people to never give up, because if I did, I wouldn’t be here today.

The dream version of my future self is a Doctor of Pharmacy by twenty-two and create a positive impact on my patients.

Having completed over ninety credit hours with a 4.0 GPA in just two years at the age of eighteen I have been asked this question a few times. Most recently, I was asked this question in my interview for the President's Award at Roane State Community College. This question is a hard question for me to answer. Since my stepfather of twelve years walked out and my mom and I, I felt as if I had been alone. My mother was busy worrying and obsessing over him walking out without a goodbye or any explanation, while I had to be the shoulder she cried on, caregiver, part-time worker, and still be a full-time student taking twenty-two hours at the time. My biological father is out of the picture for me and doesn't support my educational goals, so there was no help there or from any other family member. All responsibilities fell on my shoulders while I was still reaching my educational goals. All in all, my mother has been the only constant for me in my life with two father figures leaving me. We have had our disagreements about some things, but I do feel like I have her support. When it came down to my final decision of choosing which pharmacy school I wanted to attend, I knew that she would have my back on that decision. She is proud of every single accomplishment I have made, and there is no way I could have done it without her. Her love for me fought for me to get a diagnosis and treatment when no one else would. Due to this, I am now living the best life I can with a chronic illness that is now manageable with infusions. This has allowed me to accomplish everything that I have thus far, such as graduating high school and going straight to grad school. Without her encouragement, I do not think that I would have or could have started college at sixteen. She supported me with this decision and helped me pay the cost of the first year as well as help me navigate college life. Unfortunately, my mother cannot support me financially for my educational goals. Becoming a pharmacist comes with a hefty price tag that a single disabled mother cannot provide for. I am grateful that she is a constant in my life, and I am also grateful for the lessons I have been taught. For over a year now, I have been my supporter and have become more independent due to my life situation. I love my mom who has supported me the best she could, but now I know that I have to become my supporter in reaching my educational goals.

From the outside looking in, I seem like a young female who has their life altogether. A perfect 4.0 GPA with over ninety credit hours as a high school senior, going into pharmacy school straight out of high school, a smile that lights up the room, and a personable personality that talks to everyone. But what most people do not know about me is that I am a person who fights a battle every single day. Having a chronic illness is not something that you can just turn off and on, unfortunately. Crohn's Disease has many unpredictable days and nights. I also fight another battle every day, a mental battle. Last year, my stepdad of twelve years walked out on my mother and me without warning. I was heartbroken, mad, angry, and defeated. My mother, whom I live with, is a single disabled mother. His abandonment meant that I had to step up in many ways. I had to take on more responsibilities such as taking my mom back and forth to doctors, doing more house chores, supporting the family more with a job while in school, etc. Due to my hectic life, I have not been able to celebrate any of my wins in my life. At the age of seventeen, I had been accepted into all five pharmacy schools that I applied to. Soon, I will be graduating from both college and high school at the same time and moving away to pharmacy school. Unfortunately, grad school offers very few scholarships. With my mom being disabled and my biological father not supporting me in my decision to become a doctor, I have no one to support me or help me during school. This means that I will have to take out many loans to become a pharmacist. Getting this scholarship would allow me to not have to worry so much about tuition, housing, food, transportation, and more. Becoming a pharmacist has always been a dream of mine since being put on Remicade. Remicade saved my life and allowed me to accomplish everything I have thus far. As a future pharmacist, I will listen to patients, advocate for my patients, answer my patient's questions, and so much more. I strive for perfection in everything I do, especially in school. Pharmacy school is a very rigorous program that makes you to be in class every day from eight in the morning to four in the evening. This on top of all the studying makes it very hard for me to get a job, especially during my first year. I would be beyond grateful to be a recipient of this scholarship and use this money to invest in my education.

Growing up being the "sick kid" was not easy. At the beginning of elementary school, I spent a lot of time in the hospital because of Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome. I felt like I was always stared at for running to the bathroom or getting sick during our dreaded TCAT test. At the end of elementary school, I had to have several operations on my feet due to a deformity I was born with. After this, I was called names such as "hobble cobble" and "crippled". Going into my freshman year of high school, I started experiencing more GI issues. After sixty-three days in the hospital, eight surgeries in a year, and a feeding tube for eleven months, I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease. Crohn's Disease caused me a lot of issues, such as having to go homebound and being sick for over a year, but I am forever grateful for this disease. This disease led me to enter the healthcare field and to never give up on my dreams. At the young age of seventeen, I was accepted into all five pharmacy schools I applied to. I started college at the age of sixteen and by the age of eighteen, I will be graduating with an honors associate's degree and over ninety credit hours as well as graduating high school at the same time. Straight out of high school, I will be entering my P1 year at the Medical University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy. I was led to do pharmacy because of the drug Remicade. Remicade changed my life for the good with Crohn's. It has been the only drug to ever help me and relieve me of my symptoms. Without Remicade, I would have never been able to accomplish everything that I have thus far. As a future pharmacist, I want to make and dispense the drugs that give people their lives back. After my four years in pharmacy school, I plan on doing a residency. In residency, I want to pursue pediatric oncology. As a person who grew up being labeled the sick kid, I want to give the kids hope that despite their sickness, they still can accomplish great things. I also feel that I can closely relate to these kids. I have had two ports, in which I get infusions every month. I have also had the experience of PICC lines, many scars, tubes, etc. At first, it was hard for me to accept my "new" self with all of the scars. I want to show these kids that their scars are a part of their wonderful stories and that no one can take them away from them. As a pharmacist, I want to listen to every need and encourage my kiddos. I was not given the same treatment when I was in the hospital being told I was a faker and that I would never accomplish my dreams. Instead, I want to show these kids that I am living proof to never give up on their dreams.

Being told over and over that it is all in your head and that you are making it up starts to turn you crazy. I started to believe that I was causing myself the symptoms of bleeding in the toilet, all the bathroom issues, weight loss, inability to eat, and more. I thought that maybe the bleeding wasn't that bad or maybe I was just seeing things. I started to think that maybe the pain I felt after eating was just made up in my head. But the worst was thinking that I was never going to get any help and that no one would ever listen to or believe me. People with Inflammatory Bowel Disease suffer from many mental health issues. A majority of this is due to healthcare workers not listening to them, believing their symptoms, or not helping them. Many of the people I have met with either Crohn's Disease or Ulcerative Colitis, myself included, have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from hospitals and doctors. Many IBD patients develop more mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, etc. I developed a selective eating disorder, also known as a "picky eater" because I had to retrain my brain that food was not the enemy. Also, I felt like I wouldn't be validated or get help if I was gaining weight. It was a rough time to train my brain all over again that food was ok. I had a constant fear of food hurting me, sending me straight to the bathroom, sending me back to the hospital, or putting me back on a feeding tube. As a patient with Crohn's Disease, the IBD community suffers enough secondary health issues, and mental health should not be a part of this because of malpractice in the healthcare field. Due to my experiences of being mistreated by multiple people in the healthcare field, I have decided to become a doctor myself. In the fall of this year, I will be entering my P1 year of pharmacy school. As a future doctor of pharmacy, I plan to listen to my patients, advocate for my patients, answer my patients questions, and be there for my patients. I want to validate my patients instead of brushing them off to the side. As a pharmacist I want them to know that they are seen and heard and that it is ok to feel the emotions that they are going through. I know now as a pharmacy technician how big of a stigma mental health medications have. But I want people to know that these medicines were made to help them and that they are not weak to taking medications. In the end, the medications will make them stronger because they are taking action and fighting their mental illness. The most important impact I hope to have in becoming a doctor is to change the healthcare field in the way that they treat their patients. Mental illness is no joke, and causing someone to have mental health issues just because you cannot help them is not ok.

Growing up, I was labeled as the "sick kid". From a very young age, I was in and out of the hospital due to stomach issues such as Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome and Crohn's Disease. Due to my illnesses, I was told that I should give up on my dreams and that they were too far-fetched. My teachers, counselors, doctors, and more told me that I should give up on my dream and rethink my decision. I am glad that I did not listen to these people because now I am eighteen years old and getting ready to enter pharmacy school. By the age of seventeen, I had been accepted into all five pharmacy schools I applied to: University of Tennesee Health Science COP, Medical University of South Carolina COP, Lake Eerie College of Osteopathic Medicine COP, University of Kentucky COP, and Samford McWhorter School of Pharmacy. Now, at eighteen years old I will graduate with honors with ninety credit hours from Roane State Community College and High School. I have very high academic goals for myself and strive for perfection. In pharmacy school, I know that will be hard to achieve, but I will give my best effort to achieve this goal. I want to become the best pharmacist possible who listens to their patients, cares for their patients, and answers all of my patients' questions. When I spent over sixty days in the hospital, many doctors brushed over me and told me I was faking my symptoms and that it was all in my head. I was also told that I should give up on my dreams of starting college at sixteen due to my health and entering grad school straight out of high school. Instead, I want to be a doctor that encourages and lifts my patients to do their best and never give up on their dreams. I want my patients to see despite their illness that they still can shoot for the stars and dream big. Being a recipient of this scholarship would mean so much to me in many different ways. I live with a single disabled mother who is unable to support my dreams. This will cause me to go into a ton of debt at a very young age. Pharmacy school is very expensive, and since it is a grad program, there is not any on-campus housing. This means that I will be on my own for housing, tuition, books, food, transportation, and any other expenses. My biological father who is out of the picture is also not helping me with schooling. He told me that I should give up my dreams of becoming a pharmacist and just get my bachelor's degree and be done. Due to no support from my family or other sources, I have no other option than to take out loans and try to work when I can through school. This is why I am also trying to apply to as many scholarships as I possibly can. From the outward appearance, I look like a soft bubbly girl who has her life figured out. But on the inside, I am not. This is how Heavy Metal is my one true escape to express myself and my life. My stepfather of twelve years recently walked out on my mom and me, leaving me with a lot more responsibilities such as taking my mother to appointments, doing more house chores, etc. Most people do not know about this, instead, I keep it bundled up inside of me. Heavy Metal is one way that I can express my emotions by myself. I like to keep things to myself, but having all the emotions bottled up isn't good or healthy. Heavy Metal lets me get all of my bottled-up hatred out instead of taking my hatred out on others. It allows me to get pumped up about what is going on in my life so that I do not have to burden others with my crazy life.

"Out of the Woods" is a song that Taylor Swift wrote about getting out of a relationship and finally seeing the good of being out of it. Taylor at first was afraid to leave this relationship because of what was on the outside, but later realizes it was on the inside that she needed to escape. In the video, we see Taylor trapped by vines on a beach, trapped in a forest, and in other surroundings such as water and mountains. At the end of the video, Taylor is set free from her restrictions and touches her younger self before the video states that "she lost him, but found herself". This song is my favorite song from the 1989 Album by Taylor Swift because it most directly relates to my life. In many situations in my life, I have been trapped and felt like I would not get out of the situation. When I was battling Crohn's Disease at its worst, I felt as if I was never going to be in the clear. I had spent over sixty days in the hospital, had eight surgeries in a year, and had a feeding tube for eleven months. Every time that I took a few steps forward, it seemed another obstacle was ready to drag me down. For example, when I finally got a power port placed, we thought everything would go smoothly and my infusions would take less time. Instead, my port ended up wrapping around my clavicle causing me to have emergency surgery only a month after having the port. Throughout my battle, I just wanted to be out of the darkness and into the light. Once I finally got out of the darkness, the light was so much better and allowed me to live my life a little worry-free. Another time that I felt stuck and never felt like I was getting out of the woods was shortly after having my second port surgery. My stepfather of twelve years walked out on me and my disabled mother. I felt defeated knowing that now I had to step up and take on a lot more responsibilities such as taking my mother to the doctor, being there for my mother, and doing more house chores. This was during my first semester of senior year and I just felt as if everything was working against me. I saw no light in my future, but once I did get out of the woods, it has been so much better for me mentally, physically, and emotionally. Living my life outside of being in the woods has allowed me to find myself. I am now one of the youngest to be accepted into pharmacy school and am graduating high school with over ninety college credits. I will graduate high school with an honors associate degree and will go straight into my doctorate program. I am thankful for the woods trapping me and for my hardships because it has shaped me to become the person I am today.

When I was in early elementary school, I was diagnosed with Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome. In late elementary school, a birth defect in my feet was detected causing me to have four reconstructive surgeries. At the age of fourteen, I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease and had a feeding tube for eleven months and currently have a port for monthly infusions. Just this year, my ex-stepfather walked out on my mom and me and left us with nothing. All of these situations in my life have led me to have the IB Learner Profile traits of being caring, knowledgeable, and communicator. Caring has been a trait of mine from a very young age. I always have had a huge heart, and over the years it kept growing. Every day I always treat everyone with respect and kindness because you never know what is going on inside. Having invisible illnesses has taught me how rude people can be towards you since they cannot physically see anything wrong with you. A simple smile, a hold of the door, or even uplifting words can show someone you care. Taking care of my disabled mother has also taught me a lot about care. One of my favorite ways to show my love and care for people is through food, which is why I bake a lot. Every day, I make it my goal to smile or spread positive words to at least three people. Due to my many experiences in and out of the hospital, I have become very knowledgeable about the healthcare world. My experiences led me to want to become a doctor myself. After my sophomore year of high school, I entered into a program called Middle College that allowed me to take my junior and senior years of high school at Roane State Community College. Starting college at sixteen was the best decision for me because I was never challenged in high school. I was ready to start college, and in just two short years, I obtained ninety hours of prerequisites to get me accepted into five pharmacy schools. Being knowledgeable has helped me become one of the youngest people to be accepted into pharmacy school, and will help me become one of the youngest pharmacists at the age of twenty-two. I have had to be my advocate for the last four years of my life. When I first started experiencing symptoms of Crohn's Disease, I was told that I was faking it for attention and that I was anorexic. This caused me to think that I was going crazy and started doubting myself that I was in all of this pain. When my organs shut down, I had to advocate for myself to get the help I needed. I ended up in Cincinnati Children's Hospital where they listened to me and believed me. With the proper diagnosis and the right care, I got on the path that I am now on today. Since then, I have been an advocate for IBD and invisible illnesses. I am not afraid to stand up for what I believe is right and will advocate for myself and my future patients.

Forrest Gump is a movie that is commonly known as "Run Forrest Run", but to me, it is such an influential and impactful movie. At the beginning of the movie, Forrest is seen with leg braces and an IQ of 75. Forrest was told by adults that he was not normal, and on the first day of school, kids were mean to him because of his disability and didn't let Forrest sit next to them. Despite this, Forrest grew up to do amazing things. He got to play on the Alabama football team, went on to meet three United States Presidents, fought in the Vietnam War, received the Medal of Honor, wins a ping pong tournament, starts BubbaGumps Shrimp Company, and never gives up on Jenny. Having a disability myself, many people think that I am incapable of achieving great things. I have been told that certain classes aren't for sick people and that I should give up on my hopes and dreams. Forrest never gives up on anything that he puts his mind to, and that is the way I am. I pushed myself to start college at sixteen despite being diagnosed with Crohn's Disease a year prior and just getting off of a feeding tube a few months before entering college. In just two short years, I obtained 90 credit hours of prerequisites to go towards getting my doctorate in pharmacy. At the age of seventeen, I had been accepted into all five of the pharmacy schools that I applied to and will be starting my doctorate program at the age of eighteen. Despite many people's discouraging words, I will become a doctor at the age of twenty-two and hope to have an impact on the world. The movie Forrest Gump shows that even with a physical and mental disability, greatness can be accomplished. We can learn a lot from this movie. For example, both Forrest and I had to go through many people doubting us and getting bullied by kids. If we were to accept people for who they are and believe in them despite their disabilities, the world would be a kinder and better place. Another thing that we can learn from this movie is to never give up. If Forrest would have given up at the beginning of the movie after doctors, teachers, and kids made fun of him and said that he was not normal, Forrest would have never gone on to accomplish all that he did. Forrest Gump should influence us all to be a better person towards others with disabilities and encourages others.

"My class isn't for sick people" "Are you sure will be able to do that" "You may want to rethink your decision" and more have been said to me because of my disability. At first, I let the negativity get to me and thought that I would never get better. Laying in a hospital bed for over sixty days and having a feeding tube for eleven months made me think I would never be well enough to continue my education. I had to fight and advocate for myself becuase Knoxville didn't believe in me. When I finally got up to Cincinnati Children's Hospital, my life changed for the better. Many obstacles have been thrown my way due to my disability, but I persevere and continue to fight daily for my hopes and dreams. I have always pushed myself with education and knew that I wanted to do Middle College entering into my junior and sophomore years at Anderson County. However, I was discouraged because of my illness. Balancing college and Crohn's Disease has not been easy at all. In just the two years that I have been in Middle College, I had two port surgeries back to back to continue my infusions. Just recently, I was allowed to continue my treatments at home in Knoxville, but before, I had to travel back and forth to Cincinnati Children's every month for treatment of Remicade. I always had to schedule my Remicade on a Friday and let my professors know ahead of time that I would be out so that I could get my work ahead of time. Middle College and Crohn's Disease have opened many opportunities for me. Thanks to my disability, I know what it is like to be a patient and how I wanted to be treated as a patient. I was led to become a doctor due to the experiences I had as a patient. Being put on Remicade changed my life around and allowed me to get off the feeding tube and be able to do Middle College. I want to give back to people like me who had no hope of ever getting better and change their lives around for the better. Middle College allowed me to obtain ninety hours of prerequisite in two years for pharmacy school. At the young age of seventeen, I was accepted into all five pharmacy schools that I applied to. In August of 2023, I will be entering into Medical University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy. At this school, I hope to explore new opportunities for me and see what field of pharmacy I want to go in. As of right now, I am led to do pediatric oncology pharmacy because I can relate to the kids. I was a sick kid growing up spending a lot of time in and out of the hospital with tubes coming out of me and going in me. By the time I was eighteen, I had over twenty surgeries and had spent countless days in and out of the hospital. Additionally, I have had two ports in which I get treatment every month. I want to be a role model for these kids to look up to and show them that they are more than their disability. Despite their situation right now, I want them to know that they do not have to give up their hopes and dreams and that it is still possible for them to have an impact on this world. I am living proof of never giving up on my dream and doing great things despite my illness.

"You're faking it for attention". "You're just anorexic." "You need to be in a mental institution." and "Don't you just look so pretty with that tube hanging from your face." All of these phrases and more were said to me by healthcare professionals. Just because I was a teenager who was extremely underweight meant I didn't deserve medical help because nothing was wrong with me. Any concern I had I was laughed at or told joke answers that were incentive to say to a young girl like "those are just all of the eggs in your ovaries of the babies you will never have." Never would I have guessed that I would have to fight for my life just because I was profiled as a teenage girl who refused to eat because of the unbearable pain. Collaboration and diversity are so important in advancing healthcare and the medical field to avoid situations like mine. I live in a really small town where there is just one pediatric GI group that is run by one male doctor. In the practice, there are only male doctors as well, and they listen to the one doctor who runs the practice. I feel if I had collaboration and diversity with my team of doctors, I would have been listened to and not gone into organ failure. If I had a female doctor, or if there was teamwork involved versus just one man dictating every decision, I wouldn't have had to spend over sixty days in the hospital. The values of collaboration and diversity will continue in my future work field as I become a Doctor of Pharmacy. I already have a diverse background of being chronically ill, a female, and being a very young age. At the age of sixteen, I started college and got ninety hours of prerequisites in two years to allow me to be accepted into all five of the pharmacy schools I applied. I will be a Doctor of Pharmacy at the age of twenty-two and will be done with a residency at the age of twenty-four. My goal for myself in the healthcare field is to always listen to the patient no matter what. I will never profile any patient and never dismiss their concerns and questions. In Pharmacy, there is a lot of collaboration involved with the doctors, nurses, and patients. I will always collaborate with all of my team members and try to get the best treatment plan for my patients.

Five hundred forty-eight days. This is how long one of my friends, Jackson, has stayed in the hospital. Eighteen long months of pain, surgeries, not being able to walk, and no one to come visit you. In and out of ICU, not knowing if tomorrow will come has been mentally and physically exhausting for Jackson. He has battled with Ulcerative Colitis since he was sixteen years old, and now he is twenty. This ever-long journey has kept Jackson from so many activities. He missed both of his proms, graduation, going to college, trips, lake days, and many more activities. Many of his friends have moved on without him while he is suffering in a hospital bed daily. I met Jackson through social media when I was battling Crohn's Disease at the age of fourteen. He lived only a few towns over from me, so whenever we both felt up to it, we would hang out. Battling an IBD is a hard thing that not many people understand, especially at such a young age. We instantly connected over our many shared experiences, the good and the bad. Jackson and I have even been admitted to Cincinnati at the same time as well. But as I got better, it seemed Jackson was unchanging and took a turn for worse. I feel guilty that I can do the things he was never able to do like go to proms, graduate, and go off to college. Nonetheless, I stayed with him. Jackson was my go-to person when I was at my worst. Now it is my turn to return that favor for him. I have no clue about three-quarters of his daily battle, but I do know the feeling of being lonely and losing my friends. Spending only sixty-three days in the hospital does not even come close to his countless hospital stays. I reach out to Jackson several times, many with no response. But when I do get a response, I will always be there for him to talk and rant to me about his life. He knows no matter what that I am there for him and love him. I will send him and his mother cards from time to time to encourage and lift their spirits. I am currently still treated for my IBD in Cincinnati, so when we go up there for treatments and appointments we always visit. We always visit with his mother as he does not want people to see him this way, and we respect his wishes. I wear my shirt that says Pray for J whenever I feel that he is having a hard time, and I never stop praying for him. Whenever there is a prayer request, I ask people to pray for Jackson that he will get better mentally and physically. I am one of the very few friends that Jackson has left who has stayed with him throughout the many years of sickness, and I never plan on leaving him. Even if sometimes he does not see it, I am always trying to help him and be there for him. To make a more inclusive atmosphere, I have taken to advocacy through social media. Before, I was afraid to post myself with a tube and a port, but now I am proud because those kept me alive. I spread awareness and information about IBD on my social media platforms to inform people about this awful illness. My high school graduation is on May 19th which happens to be on World IBD Day. I already have planned to decorate my cap to spread awareness.

Five hundred forty-eight days. This is how long one of my friends, Jackson, has stayed in the hospital. Eighteen long months of pain, surgeries, not being able to walk, and no one to come visit you. In and out of ICU, not knowing if tomorrow will come has been mentally and physically exhausting for Jackson. He has battled with Ulcerative Colitis since he was sixteen years old, and now he is twenty. This ever-long journey has kept Jackson from so many activities. He missed both of his proms, graduation, going to college, trips, lake days, and many more activities. Many of his friends have moved on without him while he is suffering in a hospital bed daily. I met Jackson through social media when I was battling Crohn's Disease at the age of fourteen. He lived only a few towns over from me, so whenever we both felt up to it, we would hang out. Battling an IBD is a hard thing that not many people understand, especially at such a young age. We instantly connected over our many shared experiences, the good and the bad. Jackson and I have even been admitted to Cincinnati at the same time as well. But as I got better, it seemed Jackson was unchanging and took a turn for worse. I feel guilty that I can do the things he was never able to do like go to proms, graduate, and go off to college. Nonetheless, I stayed with him. Jackson was my go-to person when I was at my worst. Now it is my turn to return that favor for him. I have no clue about three-quarters of his daily battle, but I do know the feeling of being lonely and losing my friends. Spending only sixty-three days in the hospital does not even come close to his countless hospital stays. I reach out to Jackson several times, many with no response. But when I do get a response, I will always be there for him to talk and rant to me about his life. He knows no matter what that I am there for him and love him. I will send him and his mother cards from time to time to encourage and lift their spirits. I am currently still treated for my IBD in Cincinnati, so when we go up there for treatments and appointments we always visit. We always visit with his mother as he does not want people to see him this way, and we respect his wishes. I wear my shirt that says Pray for J whenever I feel that he is having a hard time, and I never stop praying for him. Whenever there is a prayer request, I ask people to pray for Jackson that he will get better mentally and physically. I am one of the very few friends that Jackson has left who has stayed with him throughout the many years of sickness, and I never plan on leaving him. Even if sometimes he does not see it, I am always trying to help him and be there for him.

Only eighty-six countries in the world do not include healthcare in the United States. Did you know that the United States is a part of these eight-six countries? Even though the United States does not include healthcare in its Consitution, I feel that the Fourteenth Amendment is one of the most powerful Amendments in the U.S. Consitution that can be applied to healthcare. Coming from a background of living in the hospital for many days due to an illness and being treated differently because I was a young female caused a lot of injustice towards me. I was profiled as being anorexic and was not given any help. This caused me to go into organ failure and drop down to ninety pounds at five foot five. Due to me not being treated as an equal by doctors, my life was put on the line. The Fourteenth Amendment states "No State shall deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." Even though this is talking about the laws of the land and concerning voting and owning property, I feel that we as healthcare professionals can use this in our everyday lives to help remind us to treat every patient as an equal no matter their age, race, gender, etc. Due to how I was treated from a very young age up until I was fifteen years of age, I had a calling to become a doctor and to become a better doctor than those who treated me. I want to become a doctor who listens to their patients, doesn't dismiss their concerns and questions, and never profiles a patient before knowing anything about them. Many times in our corrupt healthcare, women are told that their pain is all fake and are treated less than men. Men are more believed about their pain and symptoms than women. I feel that this is mostly due to doctors being a male-dominated field. I plan to continue to fight for my rights and other people's rights in the healthcare world by becoming a Doctor in Pharmacy. Thus far, at the young age of seventeen, I have been accepted into five pharmacy schools. I will be entering the Medical University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy in August of 2023. Starting school at the age of sixteen was the best decision for me. This allowed me to hear and see other people's stories and guided me to treat everyone as equals no matter what. Many people have the same experience as I have had in the medical world, and I want to do my part in bringing a change in that when I become a doctor. I will be one of the youngest doctors in my field, becoming a doctor at the young age of twenty-two. I already know I want to fight and advocate for all of my patients no matter their circumstances.

When you spend over sixty days in the hospital requiring a feeding tube for eleven months, eight surgeries in a year, and many procedures, people start to tell you to give up on your dream. You hear the words "you can't" over and over, and start to believe it yourself. Once I finally got put on a biologic, my life changed for the better. Crohn's Disease took a lot from me, but it also gave me a motive and drive to do great. Despite comments such as "this class isn't for sick kids" or "you may want to rethink your decision" when I went to college at the age of sixteen, I aspired to do greatness. Many people had their doubts about me going to college after being so sick, but I knew I was capable. I had set a goal in my mind, and no one could stop me. Due to the unpredictability of Crohn's Disease, I had very good habits myself when it came to schoolwork. When schoolwork was assigned to me, I did it right then and there in case a flare came and I was unable. Crohn's Disease taught me that I wanted to go into the medical field and be a better doctor than most of my doctors were when I was sick. Many doctors told me that I was faking my symptoms, that it was all in my head, and that I was just anorexic. This treatment caused me to go into multiple organ failure before getting the proper diagnosis and treatment four hours away from my house. I knew then that when I become a doctor, I wanted to listen and be an advocate for my patients. After getting put on the life-saving medication that I receive every month through a port, I knew I wanted to be a pharmacist. Thanks to my disease, I have been able to get accepted into all five pharmacy schools I applied to at the age of seventeen. Pharmacy school requires a load of prerequisites, and I managed to get ninety credit hours with a 4.0-grade point average in two years. I am forever thankful for my disease which opened my eyes to how corrupt some medical professionals are to make me want to become a better doctor and for the opportunities it brought to me. My disease has had many ups and downs. During the time I was the lowest, I felt as if the hospital was my second home. This is why I want to further my education after pharmacy school and do a residency in pediatric oncology. I feel a connection to kids because I was labeled as a sick kid growing up. Every month I get infusions through my port, which is a way that the kids can connect to me. I want to be a role model for the kids that despite everything going on right now, they still can reach their dreams and goals just like I did.

I grew up in a poor rural area where many kids go without. Every year, I can remember my classmates in elementary school being sent home with new shoes, new clothes, and food for the weekend because they didn't have any. Kids would come to school with no shoes, or shoes that had no soles and holes in them. My heart always went out to these kids who barely had anything, and it always broke my heart seeing how fast they would eat at lunch and being refused a second lunch because they were on free and reduced lunch. I am very fortunate and blessed with the way I grew up. I did not grow up rich by any means, but we survived and there was always food on the table. The experiences I had growing up made me realize how important Vacation Bible School is to kids in the summer in my area. Starting in middle school, I have been a part of Vacation Bible School at First Baptist of Andersonville. I have been on many different duties including games and crafts, but my favorite activity is the kitchen. In the kitchen, we prepare hot meals for the kids to eat free of charge. This allows kids to get a hot nutritious meal in the summertime that they would otherwise not get at home. It makes my heart happy to serve my community in this way because one of my biggest love languages is food. I truly feel that Vacation Bible School has had many impacts on my community. Not only do we feed the kids and play games with them, but we also save kids and teach them about the Lord. It is so rewarding knowing that you have touched these kids' lives forever, no matter what job you have. Games and crafts allow for fellowship which allows new friendships to blossom. I still have several friends that I made years ago from Vacation Bible School. While the kids may not know it, they are also learning in the process of Vacation Bible School. Many kids come through our doors never hearing about Jesus, and when we teach them, they accept Him into their hearts and we gain another believer in heaven. It is a beautiful experience that I love to be a part of and has led me to go into a field where I will always be helping people.

One of the biggest social issues that I have faced for a long period of my life is that "I don't look sick". People need to realize that having a chronic or an invisible illness doesn't need to appear on the outside. Sick people don't have to be confined to a wheelchair and not be able to walk. People who are sick can still walk around with a smile on their faces, but be in the worst pain imaginable on the inside. I feel as a society, we have an image in our mind of what a sick disabled person is. They need to have some sort of medical equipment hooked up at all times to "really be sick". And even at this, people question if they are indeed sick or just faking it. From my personal experience of having an NJ feeding tube hanging from my nose for eleven months, people came up to me all the time telling me I just needed to eat, I was faking it, or was just anorexic. I feel that people have no sympathy for others who are sick on the inside but can look fine on the outside. Having a power port has also shed more light on this social issue for me. Whenever I tell people I have a port, they immediately ask why or tell me I am too young. Chronic illness has no discrimination on what age you are, gender, ethnicity, etc, etc. I am working on addressing this social by becoming a pharmacist. Working in the medical field I can tell young adults that they are indeed valid, even if they do not look sick. That was one of the hardest obstacles I had to go through as a teenager battling a chronic illness. Additionally, being a pharmacist will allow me to help people who are like me and show them that they are still able to accomplish great things, even if they have been told to give up their dreams because they are sick. Countless times I had been discouraged from going to pharmacy school because I am a sick person. I was told in high school that some classes weren't meant for sick kids and that I should rethink going to college at the age of sixteen. A way that I proved my high school wrong was by taking those classes, accelerating in those classes, going to college at sixteen, and in two years obtaining ninety credit hours to be one of the youngest people accepted into pharmacy school. One other way that I have taken to spreading light on this situation has also been social media. It took me a long time to share what was going on in my life when I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease and had a feeding tube, but it was one of the best decisions I made because I started spreading awareness. For my high school graduation, we are allowed to decorate our caps. My vision for this year is to write the word strength, but for the e, create a purple ribbon out of flowers to represent Crohn's Disease. May 19th is my high school graduation, which is also World IBD day. So I will be making IBD visible that day (World IBD's slogan).

A characteristic that I value most in myself is my compassion toward others. Being diagnosed with Crohn's Disease at a very young age was extremely hard for me mentally and physically. At school, I was called names such as anorexic and faker due to me having an NJ feeding tube for eleven months and weighing only ninety pounds at five foot five. Teachers called my mom telling her that their class wasn't meant for sick kids so I should think of dropping out. I spent over sixty days in the hospital and during this time, doctors didn't believe the symptoms I was experiencing were true. Doctors and nurses started treating me poorly with bedside manners and even brushed off any concerns I had. Every day I felt as if I was having to defend myself and fight on my own. Eventually, I started to believe the nasty words that were always directed at me, and they took a toll on me. Still to this day, I constantly feel as if I have to prove that I am sick or that I am good enough to be in a class. Having an invisible illness is so hard because people can't grasp the idea that you are sick without looking sick. On the inside, I can feel awful, but on the outside, I look like a normal teenage girl. I felt as if I needed to prove to myself that I am smart and capable of doing great things besides my illness, so I took ninety credit hours in two years to be accepted into graduate school at the age of eighteen to start my PharmD. No one should have to constantly feel the way I do just because we don't show compassion towards others. I am forever grateful for the experiences I had growing up with a chronic illness because I can see how I didn't want to be treated, and know how I wanted to be treated. This will continue to help me not only through everyday life but especially in my career field. I plan on going into pharmacy specializing in pediatric oncology. When I become a medical provider, I will never brush my patient's concerns away and always listen to what they have to say. I will make sure that they feel validated and never like a burden. Having compassion is free and so easy to do. When you are going through the lowest point in your life, all you need is love and support, not hate.

When you get sick, they say you can't live like you used to. They tell you that their class "isn't for sick kids," and ask if you "really can do that?" Being diagnosed with Crohn's Disease shouldn't mean that there was a Leah before and after she got sick, but that is how most people look at it. Crohn's Disease has shaped me to become the person I am today, to be a person who defies all odds. For example, I started college at the age of sixteen. This was only a few months after I got my NJ feeding tube pulled. I had many people tell me that I wouldn't be able to do it, but now I am eighteen on my second year of college with over ninety credit hours. With these ninety credit hours, I have managed to get into grad school at the age of seventeen and will start college of pharmacy in the Fall of 2023. My daily struggles turned into one of my greatest strengths. Dealing with an autoimmune disease is very unpredictable. You never know when the next flare is coming, when you will need another infusion, or when your fatigue is so bad you can't get out of bed. The unpredictability of this disease has pushed me to become very organized and get my tasks done as soon as they are handed to me. I set aside Mondays to try and finish all of my labs, lectures, and homework's for the week. This helps me have more time to study, be more organized and on top of assignments, as well have less stress. Oddly enough, Crohn's Disease helps me succeed the most in college by making me not be a procrastinator. I can even thank Crohn's Disease for giving me the motivation to pursue a career in Pharmacy. Crohn's Disease pushed me to have a cause. Good grades can get you in to pharmacy school, but a cause and a reason is what made me stand out. Being put on countless medications through my journey, I gained a new appreciation of pharmacists and medications. Biologics is what saved my life with Crohn's Disease. They gave me my hope and life back. I want to become a pharmacist so that I can give the hope back that I was given when I was put on Remicade. Remicade is the only drug that made me feel a little like myself, and I would give anything to give that feeling back to people like me who have suffered a chronic illness.

One of my favorite scientific discoveries is the discovery of the feeding tube. The concept of feeding tube has been discovered for many centuries, and over the many years has evolved into something so much better and is still evolving. At first, feeding tubes were bigger tubes that were put into the stomach from the nasal. These tubes would feed items such as milk, eggs, brandy, mashed potatoes, and other predigested foods by the use of gravity. Now, we have machine pumps that allow for certain flow of tube feeds that are specific formulas for each patients need to enter into the gastric, jejunum, or duodenum. Feeding tubes have come a very long way for people in need due to many different causations. I am a person who has had to be tube fed for over eleven months at the ages of fifteen and sixteen. At the beginning of my journey of Crohn's Disease, I wasn't able to fully digest food. The discovery of the feeding tube not only saved my life but is a very important aspect of me. In having this experience, I plan on obtaining my master's in science in nutrition as well as obtaining my Doctor of Pharmacy.

My favorite Disney character is Winnie the Pooh. I have always been fond of Winnie the Pooh, even from the time I was born having my baby nursery decorated in Winnie the Pooh. Winnie the Pooh exhibits many great characteristics that I can personally relate to and look up to. One characteristic that Winnie the Pooh shows the most is his love and care for others. He puts others, such as his friends, before his own needs to make sure that his friends are ok. Winnie the Pooh is caring and nurturing, which is a characteristic I see in myself. When I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease, it opened my eyes to never judge a person. Crohn's Disease in an invisible illness that you cannot physically see. I took this into the aspect of my everyday life of always caring for everyone despite who they are. Just as Winne the Pooh is very friendly with everyone, I too try to be a friend to everyone. I always try to be a friend to anyone due to not knowing what people are going through on the inside. Me being friendly could be the light of someone's day that they needed to go on. On the downside of Winnie the Pooh, he is hard on himself. Winnie is very self-defeating which is a very raw and real emotion that we don't see in many Disney Characters. Even though Winnie the Pooh is very friendly and uplifting to others, he struggles with his own self. This is exactly how I am towards myself. For me, it comes out with school. I am very negative on myself with schooling, and if it is not perfection, then it is not good for me. Additionally, I will always put my friends needs in front of mine because I would rather see them happy versus myself. Overall, I feel I have a special connection to Winnie the Pooh because of how much I see myself in him.

My best back to school tip is to not get too overwhelmed. At first, it may seem like your classes are assigning work left and right. Eventually, you will get back in the groove of school and the get a feel of each class. Get some sort of planner and write what you need to get done every day in a certain priority. A planner should have every day with multiple lines and make your list accordingly. Check off as you get each subject done and be sure to take breaks when needed. When you start getting wore out or frustrated, you need to take a break to avoid mistakes and come back with fresh eyes. Also make sure that you write down when tests and quizzes are so that you are able to know in advance and study. Remember that it is ok to be overwhelmed at first, but it WILL get better. Have a great semester and have fun!

Being diagnosed with Crohn's Disease at the young age of fifteen has shaped me into the person I have become today. Crohn's Disease has pushed me to become my best and do my best. It has also pushed me greatly in what my future career is going to be, a PharmD. Taking biologics every four to six weeks to keep my symptoms in remission has played a big role in me wanting to go into a specialty pharmacy and make biologics for people like me. I plan on making a positive impact on the world through my healthcare career in Pharmacy is by becoming a specialty pharmacist to help patients who have autoimmune diseases. Having an autoimmune disease can take a complete toll on your life. In taking biologics and other medications, autoimmune disease symptoms can lessen the grip hold it has on your life. I want to give people's lives back like mine was given back due to Remicade. Before Remicade, I was in the hospital for over sixty days, had seven surgeries, a feeding tube for eleven months, and many procedures. After Remicade, I was able to attend college at the age of sixteen and obtain fifty-seven hours in one year. I have now applied to four College of Pharmacy schools due to me taking all of my prerequisites this coming year as well as last school year. One of the biggest impacts I hope to make on the healthcare world is advocating and listening to my patients. While in the hospital and battling my undiagnosed Crohn's Disease, I was constantly being dismissed for my concerns and symptoms. I started being gaslighted for my disease due to my doctors not being able to figure out a solution or a diagnosis. If I would've had a doctor on my side, I would have never been as bad off as I was and nearly need an organ transplant due to my body shutting down. The relief it is to have a person to listen to your concerns and try to help you is one of a kind. Not only does it relieve anxieties, but it also helps feel validated and gives hope. Lastly, one of the biggest impacts I hope to have is to inspire people to enter into a healthcare career. Having doctors inspire me, such as Pharmacists, helped pushed me in the right career path in healthcare. Being able to inspire the next generation of doctors and healthcare workers would be an honor of mine to hold.

I practice bravery every day in fighting my battles with Crohn's Disease. Even though some of my days are not the best, I still give my best effort in everything to do. Taking over twenty college credits in one semester is very challenging in itself, but I tackle it with having a smile and proficiently. Despite my young age of seventeen, I have started college at the young age of sixteen to get accepted into a PharmD program. Even though I have had many people discouraging me due to my age, I have braved through it and have applied to four College of Pharmacies in hopes to get invited for an interview for acceptance. One of the bravest activities I have done was share and advocate for my illness. Sharing my illness with the world on social media was very hard for me to do due to all of the rude comments I got in regard to my illness. I took my social media platform to educate and advocate for my illness.

I am thankful to have experienced God's work firsthand through me. God showed up in a time I needed him the most. He knew right then and there that I needed help and through prayer, I got the help I needed. I was battling undiagnosed Crohn's Disease for almost a year, had an NJ feeding tube, and was in extreme pain every day. My local hospital could not figure out what was wrong with me, so my parents and I reached out to Cincinatti Children's Hospital in hopes of being seen. We finally got into Cincinatti, but then the world shut down with Covid. After a while, we got an in person visit, but that didn't do much for us yet. It wasn't until we had a telehealth visit the next month that Cincinatti admitted me. In a month span I had lost more weight and was in even more pain than before. My parents and I were told that the admission would probably take place in a week due to the GI floor in Cincinatti being so busy. When we got the call that in two days, we were to be up in Cincinatti and that I would be admitted for procedures, we were shook. My whole church came to pray over me and marched around the house praying for me for the upcoming admissions. When I got admitted to Cincinatti, the doctors told me if I had waited a few more days, I would have been in complete organ failure and needed a transplant. The next day when I had my colonoscopy, the doctor found more ulcers than he could count from my rectum to sigmoid colon. I was immediately diagnosed with an Inflammatory Bowel Disease and started Remicade to help me get in remission. This was all in God's timing. I know that God allowed me to go to Cincinatti a couple of days early to save my life. He knew that my on this Earth was not done, and that He had great plans for me in the future. Without God's timing, I wouldn't be on the drug Remicade that saved my life and is a drug that keeps my Crohn's symptoms at bay. Without His timing, I don't think I would even be here today. God knows when His children are crying in need of help. Even though my faith was questioned during my battle, I feel that my battle helped me grow a closer relationship with God and be a role model for others. I think that my faith will assist me greatly with my career in Pharmacy. My goal in life is to help people who have gone through battles like me. Being able to share my story will help see that God does not leave you forsaken, even if it does feel that way. I feel that God put me through the hardships that He did to make me a better person and to see the career path that I need to enter. In Pharmacy I will be able to serve the Lord by helping His children heal, and hopefully bring them closer to God in the process.

I love dogs due to the kindness dogs show towards humans when they need it the most. Being in and out of the hospital for over a year of my life, dogs became my only source of happiness. During my long admissions, I would ask for the therapy dogs to come and visit me. This always lit up my day and put a smile on my face, even with all of the pain. Therapy dogs taught me why dogs are called a man's best friend. I learned from dogs that many people in my life will fail me, but a dog will always be by my side no matter what I am going through. People will leave me, but a dog will always be with me in the times I need them the most. When I was battling Crohn's Disease at its worst, a lot of friends left me due to me being sick. I was told by some of my closest friends that I was faking my illness for attention and that it wasn't that bad. Friends stopped inviting me to parties and get together, and most everyone stopped checking in on me or pretending that they cared. However, my two boxer dogs never left my side, and even tried to comfort me in the time of doubt and pain. My boxers, Shelby and Cruiser, tried their best to put a smile on my face and comfort me. Cruiser is more of my dog and would alert mom about ten minutes before I would get sick because he can sense it coming. Most nights, Cruiser would lay with me and try and be there for me because he knew I wasn't feeling well. He just wanted to love on me and wanted me to feel better. Dogs are so attentive to every little emotion, which one thing I love about dogs. Most of the dogs that were in my life when I was battling Crohn's Disease helped me tremendously in my healing process. In order to get your health in a better state, your mental state also has to be good. When I first got diagnosed with Crohn's, I was very down and didn't have the motivation to do anything. I was not my normal, happy, bubbly self. However, when I got to see my dogs out of the hospital, and when I saw therapy dogs in the hospital, their good nature uplifted my spirit and put a smile on my face. Without dogs by my side, I don't know how I would've gotten out of my slump. If I would've never gotten out of my slump, I wouldn't be at the health I am today and be able to accomplish all that I have.

I love superfoods because they not only make me feel good, but I can eat them and feel fine later. One of the biggest struggles with Crohn's Disease is finding foods that don't hurt you or have serious consequences. Superfoods are easy for me to digest, and lead to a healthier gut making me feel good after eating. Many foods leave me feeling bloated and in pain. Some superfoods are higher in caloric section, which is something I sometimes lack in a lot due to Crohn's. Superfoods are all around good for you in the nutrient aspect such as fiber and vitamins. Having Crohn's Disease has taught me just how important nutrition is to your body. Incorporating superfoods such as chia seed, flax seed, broccoli, kale, spinach, green tea, and fruit has drastically improved my Alkaline Phosphatase blood test from being extremely malnourished, to being in the good. My body doesn't absorb nutrients like it should, so I have to eat more nutrient dense food to get my blood test in the "ok" standard. I am still borderline malnourished most of the time, but that is a part of having Crohn's Disease. My favorite superfoods would be chia seed, flax seed, and fruits. I have been incorporating chia seeds in my diet for breakfast. In the mornings, I usually either have chia seed pudding made with chia seed, almond milk, and honey or overnight oats with some extra added chia seeds. With each serving of chia seed pudding, overnight oats, Greek yogurt, or smoothies, I add as much fruit as possible. Bananas have always been my go-to, along with strawberries and berries. Unfortunately, I have a strawberry allergy that has come back after a few years of me not being allergic to them, so I am trying to balance my fruit around no strawberries. I have been also incorporating chia seed and flax seed in snacks I make. My go to snacks is granola bars and chilled energy bars that I make. They include nut butter, honey, oatmeal, chia seed, flax seed, vanilla extract, and dark chocolate chips. In the snacks I buy, I make sure that at least one of the ingredients contains flax or chia seed, such as nature's bakery fig bars. Not only does superfood agree with my stomach when I eat them, but it also improves my overall health. I see improvements with my skin when I eat superfood versus the way junk food breaks my face out. Additionally, I see improvements with my joint pain. Superfoods lower inflammation in your body which is why it is both good for my stomach and joints. Eating superfoods is the keyway to live a longer, happier, healthier lifestyle of doing what you love.

I wish my food allergies and sensitivities stopped with being diagnosed with a strawberry allergy at a young age, but as I grew older, more sensitivities to food came. Something that is not talked about with being diagnosed with Crohn's Diseases are the secondary side effects from it. Even though Crohn's Disease attacks the small and large intestine, it can affect many other organs. My sensitivities to food such as gluten, lactose, complex carbs, and sugars all stem from my pancreas that was affected when I went untreated with Crohn's Disease for so long. I was put on a feeding tube for eleven months when I was sixteen to try and stop all of sensitivities to food from bothering my Crohn's Disease. This, however, created an issue with me and food. Reintroducing food back to your body is an extremely long and complex process, epically when it seems like you are sensitive to every food out there. Most of my meals at first consisted of grilled chicken since I couldn't really eat anything else. Slowly, I had to introduce foods back in that I didn't handle as well in hopes of me building a tolerance to them. This road of reintroducing foods back into my system took almost five months with me being on a feeding tube. I finally became independent enough to be able to pull the feeding tube and eat on my own with help of nutrition shakes. Being a teenage girl with food sensitives is extremely hard, especially in a social aspect. In the American culture, food is a way we bond. Every time I don't eat at someone's house, a restaurant, or a social event, I get weird stares or asked if I don't want anything to eat. I always feel bad when I have to explain that I cannot eat what was fixed or served at an event due to my sensitives. It makes for awkward conversations when I decide not to eat and get asked why and have to explain that I have Crohn's Disease and know the consequences if I were to eat. Sometimes I chose not to eat even if I am hungry because the consequences can be severe with bathroom usage or pain that puts me in the emergency room. Once I was put on Remicade, my sensitives to certain food started to become less. Remicade saved my life and allowed me to have my life back. Even though I still can't eat like a normal kid, I am able to enjoy social gatherings while eating a select few foods. This is what has driven me to become a pharmacist. Becoming a pharmacists will allow me to make medications to help people like me get their life back. I want to give back to the community of people who had to suffer like I did and give them hope for their future. This scholarship would assist me in reaching my goals of becoming a pharmacist because I am currently applying to Colleges of Pharmacy, which is very expensive for four years. Even though I am a currently a high school senior, I strictly only go to college through a Middle College program. This has allowed me to obtain fifty-seven credit hours my first year in college, allowing me to get one step closer to becoming a PharmD and getting my prerequisites out of the way for College of Pharmacy admissions.

The biggest influence in my life is my chronic illness, Crohn's Disease. This terrible disease opened my eyes to why I wanted to be a woman in STEM. To treat Crohn's Disease, there is a lot of science that goes into the drug aspect and a lot of technology for the testing aspect. Currently, I am a drug called Infliximab, commonly known as Remicade, that keeps my Crohn's symptoms to a minimum. This drug saved my life and has saved many others who are battling Inflammatory Bowel Diseases and other inflammatory diseases such as arthritis. Crohn's Disease pushes me to defy all odds that come my way. Having this disease has taught me how to be patient and listen to my body. It has also taught me to fight for what I believe in and to never give up my goals. Crohn's Disease is a daily battle I face, but it makes me stronger and prepares me for the rigorous coursework a STEM major receives. I have also faced many backlashes from Crohn's Diseases, such as being told I could never do what I wanted to do because I am sick. This is how a lot of women in STEM are treated, and I am prepared to handle the backlash that may come my way. Crohn's Disease sparked my interest in the STEM field and led me to become a PharmD major. This disease allowed me to find my calling in life to use my brain and heart for the good. As of right now, I am attending Roane State Community College in order to get my prerequisites out of the way to be accepted into a College of Pharmacy in the Fall of 2023. I am a going into my sophomore year of college with fifty-three credit hours as well as going into my senior year of high school due to a Middle College program. Becoming a pharmacist will allow me to help others like me and save people's lives with the use of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. I will be able to give people the hope they need in order to fight their fight. Crohn's Disease was my fight that I had to fight, and it was a long fight with over sixty days in the hospital, eleven months of a feeding tube, eight surgeries, and countless procedures. When I had my back-to-back infusion in the hospital of Remicade, this drug gave me hope. This was the first sense of hope I got in my yearlong battle of medicines not working. Hopefully, I will be able to inspire more young women to peruse the STEM major like I was inspired.

My motivation stems from my Crohn's Disease. This disease knocks me down on a daily basis, but I always get back up again and fight it even harder. I strive to prove that despite my illness, I am capable of achieving great accomplishments. Only sixteen-point four percent of people with a disability obtain a bachelor's degree. I want to prove that despite everything thrown at me, that I can be part of this small percentage, and hopefully make it go up. In doing so, I have started college at the early age of sixteen and took forty-four credit hours my first year with a 4.0 GPA. I plan on furthering my education to grad school to become a Pharm D. Crohn's has taught me how much my life depends on medication, such as my infusion of Remicade every six weeks. I am motivated to help people like me, give them some pieces of their lives back, and give them hope for a better future. When I was first diagnosed with Crohn's Disease, I didn't have the motivation to get out of bed. I never want to feel that way again, so now I am motivated to being active. Instead of lying around mopping, I am motivated to hang out with friends, have a good time, go on walks, and be sociable. A part of being sociable has also played a role in me advocating for Crohn's Disease and spreading awareness. Most people don't know the full extent of what I go through on a day-to-day basis and can't see anything physically wrong with me due to Crohn's being an invisible illness. Some days are better than others, but I won't let Crohn's Disease drag me down and keep me from doing everything I love.

To me, joy means living in the moment and living life to the fullest while achieving my goals. Having Crohn's Disease has taught me many life lessons, such as doing what I want to do and acting like nobody is watching. I am no longer tied down to the worries of what others think or say about me, which brings me so much joy and freedom. Now, I hang out with people who uplift me and spread their joy with me instead of people who bring me down. It brings me joy that I am now able to do normal teenage activities because my Crohn's Disease is slowly going into remission due to Remicade. I am now able to enjoy everything that life has to offer, such as laughing with friends and hanging out with my family. It also brings me joy that I have learned and found people who will stick by me no matter what, through thick and thin. When I am in a Crohn's flare, it can be very difficult for me and the people around me. I have now found people who support me through my tough times and don't judge me for what I go through. It brings me joy that I am able to get a head start in school through a program called Middle College. School has always played a huge role in my joy, but now, I get to be a step closer in obtaining my dreams of becoming a pharmacist by getting my associates degree before graduating high school. Getting my associates degree will knock off a good two years of my intensive school course to become a pharmacist, allowing me to have a jump start on everything by a young age.

A time I had persevered through a difficult situation is battling Crohn's Disease. Being young and having Crohn's Disease has had many hardships come my way. Before I got proper care, I was fighting for a diagnosis and for treatment. Instead, I was told I was a faker and anorexic. Doctors and people started to give up on me, and I started giving up on myself. All of the people telling me I was faking made me start to question if I really was faking it, and that my symptoms didn't need to be validated. This made my mental state, as well as physical state, deteriorate. I had to battle my health slipping away from me all while maintaining above a 4.0 GPA in high school. Despite all of these hardships, I tried to maintain true to myself and stay positive. This outlook helped me a lot down the road, because I didn't turn sour and now am determined to reach my goals. I had to persevere to fend for myself and for proper care. All of this perseverance paid off because I now have a diagnosis and have proper treatment from a different care team. Now, I get to defy all odds by obtaining my associates degree before I graduate high school due to a program called Middle College. Without my perseverance, I don't think I would be here today to be able to type for this scholarship and to share my story and goals.

My favorite way to help others is to lift people up when they are going through a hard time. I love to be their light in the darkness that the people are going through. When I am battling bad days with Crohn's Disease, I love when someone tries to uplift me mentally and don't judge me for my illness. I want to be the person who people feel comfortable talking about and know they are always there for them. Additionally, I like to help people medically. As of right now, I am seventeen years old lacking a few hours to complete my associates degree. Once I obtain my associates degree and prerequisites for Pharm D school, I plan on interviewing for a place in grad school. I want to become a pharmacist to help people like me who battle illnesses who need medication to aid them to a healthier lifestyle. Being a pharmacist specializing in oncology will allow me to make infusions, such as Remicade, that I have to take for the rest of my life to keep me in remission. Remicade is a drug that gave me hope, so I want to give that hope to others battling illnesses.

I want my legacy to be the girl that defied all odds. At the young age of fifteen, I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease and spent over sixty days in the hospital. Throughout my illness, I had many people tell me I cannot reach my dreams being sick. Many teachers tried to talk me out of the hard class choices I chose, but to prove them wrong, I acceded in these hard classes. Only 16.4% of people with a disability obtain a bachelor's degree, let alone a doctorate degree of what I am pursing. Right now, I am seventeen years old and am a few hours shy of having my associates degree. I strive to push myself to my limits because I want to show that an illness won't bring me down. My goal is to become a Pharm D specializing in Oncology to help people like me. I also want to give people the hope I got when I finally got on infusions for my Crohn's Disease and got my life back. By the age of eighteen, I could interview to be accepted in a Pharm D grad school program when I get all of my prerequisites out of the way. I will defy the odds of being part of the very few who obtain a doctorate degree while being chronically ill, as well as defying the odds of Crohn's bringing me down.

"Live your life in the present, and don't worry about what others think about it, because what matters most is your happiness." I would choose to share this one sentence with the world because you never know what tomorrow will bring. Being diagnosed with Crohn's Disease at a young age allowed me to see the world with a different perspective. I realized how much I missed out on when I wasn't facing an illness, and now I will never be able to do those things again if I wanted to. Most of the time, the reasoning behind not doing what I wanted to, was due to the people I was hanging around. I felt as if I wouldn't fit in and would hold back on the things I wanted to do because it was considered uncool. My happiness was suppressed due to these friendships and me not living my life to the fullest. I want people to know that you need to do what you want to do in the time you have to do it, because you never know what the future will have in store for you.

Now, I have many reasons to be happy. Since my health has gotten better, I am now able to get out and enjoy life. My favorite thing to do right now is take my dog, Cruiser, on a walk through the neighborhood and by the lake. Getting out and enjoying the fresh air is so relaxing and refreshing. This also gets me out of the house and to get some exercise. Walking relieves me of stress from college workload and the stresses that come from being chronically ill. Nature is a way to appreciate God's great work and to hear the songs of nature. The lake I live next to also gives me a lot of happiness. I have lived on this lake my whole life, and it is a great way to bond with nature as well as friends. A lot of my friends and I bond over the fun we have at the lake from paddle boarding, boating, floating, or even fishing. This is my happy place because it combines my love of nature with the love I have for spending time with friends and family. Another way my family spends time in nature is going on adventures to different countries. This creates many core memories in my happy place, the warm outdoors. To me, happiness should come with great memories, and most all of my memories are spent out doors with friends and family.

Many people would consider the thing I love about myself one of their most hated things about themselves. But surprisingly enough, I love every imperfection I have, specifically my chronic illness, Crohn's Disease of the small and large intestine. You may be thinking why in the world would you love something that has caused so much pain, time, money, etc., but the truth is I love it for what it has taught me. I thought Crohn's Disease took everything away from me, but I quickly realized that it gave me so much in return. Despite spending over sixty days in the hospital, losing forty pounds, and my bowels not able to function forcing me to have an NJ feeding tube, Crohn's taught me to look at the world in a different way. Crohn's disease taught me to be more compassionate towards others because you never know what is going on in other people's lives. It also taught me who my true friends were and how to mature. I learned a lot of valuable lessons during my darkest moments, but it shaped me into the person I am today. Crohn's disease also gave me a clear purpose. I knew God had given me this illness for a reason, and I won't fully know until I meet him, but now I have a clearer picture. My purpose is to help others like me. That is why I want to become a Doctor of Pharmacy specializing in Oncology. I will be able to give back to the people what has been given to me through wonderful medications, hope. Even though Crohn's Disease is a very ugly disease, I love it and all the lessons and values it has taught me.

If I was a highly influential figure, I would stand for disability awareness and rights. Having a chronic illness, I learned how uneducated people are about invisible diseases, such as Crohn's Disease. There needs to be representation in the world that not everyone who is sick looks sick. On the outside people may "look fine", but you never know what is going on in the inside. As a human race, we need to be kinder to everyone and not so quick to jump to conclusions. When I was on a feeding tube for eleven months, many people looked at me and saw a teenage girl with a feeding tube and automatically jumped to the conclusion that I was anorexic. Many people need to release those stereotypes don't usually defy most people and need to be slow to judge and have a broader outlook. This is why many people need to be educated on chronic illnesses, because it can be harmful if we are denied our rights based on our looks. Even if people don't "look" disabled, people don't know the specifics of their disease(s) and why they might need certain rights. A big movement going on right now is the bathroom accessibility movement. Many states don't have a bathroom act allowing for a business to have at least one bathroom for the public to use. This can cause a ton of harm to a person with bathroom issues, not to mention the anxiety it creates on top of our physical disability. Disability rights are the same as human rights and need to be heard and listened to. These rights could save and improve lives of disabled people.

Mental health to me, affected way more than just my mind and mood. Being diagnosed with a chronic illness, Crohns disease of the small and large intestines, took a toll on my mental health. I thought I was never going to get better, taking up to 17 pills a day, spending sixty days in the hospital, having seven surgeries in one year, countless tests, picc lines, and an NJ feeding tube for a year. Going through all of this can really change you as a person. My mom would even say that I was not the same kid that I was before, because my mood had completely changed. I had gone from a happy- go lucky, always smiling, bubbly teenage girl, to a girl who just wanted to stay in my room. It was hard for me to want to associate with people, because I felt like they always judged me when I had tubes hanging from my face and an IV pole by my side. My belief systems were challenged, relationships greatly affected, but now I am determined in my career choice. Throughout my experience with mental health, my beliefs fluctuated a lot. I am a Christian, but through this, sometimes it was hard to see why God was putting me through this. But in the end, I know that God knew I was strong enough to go through this. I know that God has greater plans for me and will use this illness as a way to shape me in the person He wants me to become. My church has been extremely good and kind to me throughout my battles with my health. They sent me multiple flowers to cheer me up and many cards to keep me going. I have several favorite memories of what my church, and members of the church did, to get me back on tract with Jesus and my walk in Christ. When I first got admitted to the hospital, my Sunday School teacher came and visited me. Shortly after, she made me my own T-Shirt with my favorite verses on it, Exodus 14:14. Mrs. JoNell owns her own Christian T-shirt company and made a shirt just for me, and you can even check it out on toeysts.com. My youth pastor and his wife have been nothing but kind to me and helped me so much in any way they could. If my mom told them I was feeling down and gloomy, they would send me balloons or flowers to cheer me up. Lastly, right before my big admission into Cincinnati Children's hospital, most of my church came and surprised me with a ceremony. This taught me that God is very close with me in my fight and that people still love and care for me. Because of this, I started reading my bible again, coloring bible versus, and becoming more happier. One of the biggest things that was affected was my relationships. Due to this, this has caused me even more mental health issues. All of my what I thought to be friends left me because I was "too sick" for them. This became an extremely dark period in my life when I didn't think I had anybody to turn to. Because of this, I started pushing people away, and still to this day have big trust issues with people. My relationships with my family was greatly affected too. I would get into arguments with a lot of my family members because they thought everything was fake. They wouldn't believe me about my illness or about any of my struggles because they never experienced anything like it. My family didn't understand how hard it was to loose friends and family at the same time, the feeling of having no one to support you. Luckily, my mom and my step dad, Corey, relationship grew even more. Because of everyone leaving me and me going into a dark place in my life, they were so supportive and tried to help me in any way possible. They would try and get me to come outside just for a little bit to improve my mood and get a breath of fresh air. Mom and Corey have been there every step of the way, and our love and bond just grew alongside. Because of all of the struggles I have gone through, I am absolutely determined to help people. I want to become a pharmacist when I get older. This is in order to help people with their battles, and hopefully prevent them from ever having to deal with the mental issues I had to deal with such as losing all of my friends and most of my family. My goal is to help people like me who get infusions. I get Remicade once every six weeks in hopes of getting my Crohns disease in remission. If I could help kids or anyone out and get them in remission before they become as bad off as I did, it would help them so much in the long run. They could keep their long-time relationships and not have to go through such a dark period in their life. They wouldn't have to question why is this happening to them because I treated them with the right drug in order to get their symptoms under control. Even though Crohns disease isn't curable, I would love to be a part of the contribution to get the statistics of developing a mental illness with Crohns disease down. Most people with Crohns disease or an IBD suffer with depression, PTSD from medical trauma, anxiety to find a bathroom, eating disorders because they are afraid to eat because of their stomach, and so much more. It is a very devastating disease that affects everything.

Last year, all, and I mean all of my friends left me. I had no one. All because I got sick with Crohns disease. This was an extremely dark time in my life, staying in the hospital for over sixty days and having seven surgeries in one year. I felt like no one cared. My used-to-be-friends started making fun of me, calling me anorexic because I had a feeding tube for a year, telling others I was faking it, and so much more. This period of my life I really needed someone to be kind to me. The feeling of someone actually being nice and kind to me at this time meant the whole world to me, because even my own doctors were being very mean to me. This is when I met a fellow IBD buddy that lives in the next town over. He has had a lot more issues with his IBD, but he was my first friend in this time of darkness. Jackson could relate to what I was going through, and never doubted me. Even though we've never met each other in person, we feel like we have known each other for a very long time. We are both from Tennessee, but ended up in the same hospital at Cincinnati Children's. We make each other feel like we're normal teenagers again, even though we know that isn't the case. He has always been there for me, and I to him. We help each other out with this awful sickness that takes a complete toll on your life. Another person who has been so caring and kind in a time I needed it the most would be my mom. She has never left my side through this whole sickness. Mom has gone and advocated for me at every doctor's appointment, stayed in the hospital every time, sleeping on the very uncomfortable couches, holding my hand through the pain, and helping me to the bathroom all hours through the night. Her kindness helped me battle my way through this illness. She will never know how much her kindness meant to me in a time of darkness. My family even was starting to be very cruel to me saying I was faking it, but mom and Corey were always my two constants. They were always there for me and fighting along side with me. I will never take kindness for granted ever again. In general, I am always a kind person, but when you are treated unkindly, it can make you second-guess why you're being so kind to people. People will always try to bring you down to their level, but don't let them. There will be amazing people in your life who will lift you back up with kindness. It may take a few heartbreaks to figure that out by being crushed by the people who you thought were your kind friends, but in the end, you are better off. Being a kind person is super easy and free to do. You never know what struggles someone is going through. For instance, my IBD is an invisible illness, so visibly I look fine, but in the inside I feel terrible. People being kind to me through my illness lifted my mood and made me stronger. It made me want to fight and to get through this. I now know I can get through anything with the right people by my side rooting for me.

This is a time that I was being bold. For a year now, I have had an NJ feeding tube. It has been very hard for me to accept being hooked up to feeds and have a tube hanging from my face. In this photo, I decided to embrace my feeding tube and let every one know that disabled bodies are still beautiful, even when we don't feel like it.

Air and mental illness have a lot in common. You can’t see it, you can’t touch it, but there is always a constant reminder that it is there. There’s no escaping air like there is no escaping mental health. Why is it so hard for people to accept mental health but they can easily accept stuff they can’t see, such as air? I have tried so hard to show that I am brave and hide my mental health from everyone because I don’t want people to see me hurt. In my mind, I need to be brave for everyone around me and not let anyone down. The way a person reacts to what is thrown at them could potentially change them forever, either for the good or the bad. You have to make that call. When I became chronically ill with Crohn's disease, I never thought that it would affect every part of my life, including my mind. I now know what it feels like to be given up on and to have no hope. Doctors would tell me it was all in my head and make me think that I was crazy. I had to deal with being untreated and undiagnosed for a year, missing out on all of the fun things a “normal” teenager would do. No normal teenager should have to eat lunch in the guidance office, and by eat I mean drink a nutrition shake, or look for the nearest bathroom at every place. Friends started throwing parties without me, family and friends stopped communicating with me, and I felt all alone. There would be some nights that I would just cry myself to sleep because of all the fun every teenager was able to do while I was hooked up to a feeding tube and poles. I thought that I would never get to experience fun again. Family would start to tell me that I was faking my illness and that I just needed to “live my life” when I physically couldn’t. Now, I have one friend left and my mom and stepdad to support me through this. My relationship with these people has greatly grown stronger, but in doing so, I lost everyone else. I used to be a very energetic, fun, outgoing person, but now, I know that so many people are fake and don’t even waste my time. Not everyone has your back, not everyone will stick by you through thick and thin, there is barely anyone who is your true friend. On top of everything, I dealt with getting bullied because of my illness. People would laugh at me for running to the restroom multiple times in less than an hour and ask me “if I got it all out?” This made me self conscious about everything. When I got my first feeding tube, I couldn’t stand the way I looked with it, and was terrified to relive the experience I did with just going to the bathroom. I have now learned to not care about what others think about me, even though I still get points, stares, and whispers to this day. With Crohn’s, there have been way too many setbacks to count. I wasn’t supposed to have a feeding tube for nearly a year. I wasn’t supposed to end up in the hospital for my sweet 16th birthday. I wasn’t supposed to drop down to 95 pounds at 5’6 once I had gained some weight. Through all of these setbacks, I sometimes feel as if I am a failure, like I am not trying hard enough some way. I know that this isn’t true and that I can’t control what my body does. These dark places won’t get a hold of my dreams and goals. They have shaped me to become a better, understanding, compassionate, independent person. When I feel like I am all alone, I know that I am not and that I will overcome this hard time and be even stronger than I was before. I want to prove everyone wrong, that I am still the same smart person that I was before and that my illness doesn’t defy who I am. My experience with mental health has made me want to go into the medical field to become a pharmacist and advocate for kids who feel all alone. I want to be able to talk to kids in my free time and tell them that they are not alone and that things will start getting better with time. This experience has also made me want to spread awareness and advocate for invisible illnesses. Every body is beautiful and deserves to be loved. You don’t have to be sickly skinny to be considered sick enough, you don’t have to look a certain way just to go out in public, you are beautifully made. Mental health is a thing that also affects more than the mind. When I’m not in a good mental state, I will get in a flare. Keeping up with your mental health is almost, if not more, important than keeping up with your physical well being. Check in with people you love and care about. You never know what they are struggling with and who has trouble with their mental health.

Getting laughed at and pointed at for something you can’t control is devastating. I couldn’t help that I was running to use the restroom 20x a day, had to drink Ensure in the guidance office because of how sick I’d get after “meals”, and eventually having a feeding tube hanging from my face. No one can control Crohn’s disease. It’s a thing that takes over your life and something no one understands. Crohn’s disease completely took over my life. I spent over 60 days in the hospital, 7 surgeries in a year, and more procedures done than I could count. Once I got my feeding tube due to me being malnourished and not able to eat, all of my friends decided to leave me. They would throw parties and not invite me and stopped talking to me completely. The only time they’d talk to me is to make fun of my condition, telling me it must be nice to have a good summer body when I dropped down to 95 pounds at the height of 5’6. It was heartbreaking to feel like no one had my back anymore. Everyone who was my friend left me when things got hard. I can’t control how I feel from day to day, or how my bowls will be. It’s a disease that can change on a dime. Crohn’s disease is a chronic illness that will stick with me for the rest of my life. There is sadly no cure for this disease. I can only hope for remission. Currently, I am on Remicade in hopes to get into remission, but even then, remission life isn’t perfect. Crohn’s disease affects so much more than just your stomach. It causes your hair to fall out due to malnourishment, body aches, fatigue, skin rashes, brain fog, and so much more. School has been a struggle to keep up with when I’m dealing with my disease or when I’m in the hospital. There’s been many days that I’ve not been able to attend school because of my disease because I’m too sick to even log into zoom. I’ve had to go homebound due to my disease because I’m too weak to attend school. Luckily, my school has a virtual option, but I still get zapped from school everyday. Every night I have to wake up and feed myself through a tube, flush my tube, and turn off/on my pump, still managing to do school the next day. I always get right back up and try my hardest in school, managing to maintain a GPA above 4.0 despite the hurtles. Having Crohn’s disease has taught me so much about myself and the world. I now know who my true friends are and how to be more independent. I’m a lot stronger than I ever was, fighting every day. This will prepare me for the future to be able to push myself beyond my limits and excel in anything I put my mind to. I know that if I try hard enough, I’ll be able to accomplish anything that I want to. Nothing can hold me down. Not crohns, not feeding tubes, and not malabsorption. I will always bounce back and be stronger than I ever was. I’ll never give up the fight against Crohn’s and to try my best at everything. People in this world are mean, so you have to try find the ones who really care for you and not use you. This disease has brought me so much closer to my family. I now know what true friendship is and what I look in for friends. There’s a saying “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” and I completely agree with that statement. Everything I’ve gone through has taught me to embrace whatever life throws at me and to never give up. There were many of times I wanted to give up on my fight. Doctors even started to make fun of me because they didn’t believe me or didn’t know what was wrong with me. I’ve learned to fight for myself, be strong for myself and others, and most importantly, to never give up. No matter how hard things get, I will never give up on pursuing my dreams to help people like me and to be the best person I can possibly be.