In February 2026, I lost my grandmother to cancer and dementia. It was a very difficult time as I was in the middle of my first year at Oregon State University and was unable to be home to say goodbye. I will always remember that moment when I FaceTimed my mom as she was with my grandmother to tell her how much I love her. My grandmother had been sleeping and unresponsive, but when she heard my voice, a smile crossed her face. In that moment, I felt the love she had for me and knew she would never truly leave me. Overall, she was my greatest supporter in every endeavor and taught me so many life lessons that I will always hold dear. While it is difficult to move through life without her, I cherish the time I got to spend with her and the person she has helped me become. My grandmother had many motivating and inspiring quotes that help me get through the difficult times and remind me of my purpose in life. One of my favorites that she would always tell me is "put your tough muscles in". When I was nervous or fearful, she would tell me to put my tough muscles in and persevere through those toughest moments, believing in me when I didn't believe in myself. Now, whenever life gets difficult, I will always remember her words, knowing that she said them with the utmost belief in me. For instance, I am an avid runner, and a race-day ritual that I have is writing a positive message on my hand to see during the race. After she passed, during my track season with the Oregon State Running Club, the one message I would write on my hand was "tough muscles". When I saw this simple message during my warm-up and then in the race, it reminded me that she was watching over me, cheering me on, and giving me the belief and confidence I needed. Not only did this message motivate me, but it would always bring a smile to my face because it reminded me of her unwavering love and support. Additionally, she shaped the person I have become with the passion to make a difference because of the role model she was for me. She played a huge role in community service in the small community she lived in, showing me what it means to put others before yourself. My grandmother would always tell me that we must go through life giving more than we receive, and it has been a principle I have lived by ever since. I have the passion of becoming an Occupational Therapist, using my platform to make the world a more inclusive place where our differences are not seen as weaknesses, but as unique strengths. When she would ask me what I wanted to do with my life, I would share my dreams and goals of working with children with special needs and making the world a more inclusive place. She would get tears in her eyes and tell me that I was meant for that role. Her faith and belief in me are what have helped carry me through and continue to work towards my dreams. Ultimately, my grandmother helped shape me into the person I am today, and I hope that I am making her proud every step of the way. I will always put my tough muscles in when life gets difficult, and go through life giving more than I receive. I hope to be half the amazing woman she was.

There are many hidden treasures in the world—found in people, society, or life in general. These are the things we find most precious, yet they often go unnoticed by others. Within myself, my hidden treasure is being an empath. I treasure this part of myself because it allows me to make a meaningful difference. My empathetic nature is a valuable asset, expressed through the comfort I offer and my ability to truly impact those around me. I believe my purpose is to bring comfort to others. I am naturally drawn to mediation; I actively work to resolve conflict, and I always strive to maintain harmony. To many, these are simply the traits of a reliable, caring person; what remains hidden is my constant goal to be selfless. I would rather spend my time ensuring others feel good about themselves than be consumed by my own self-conscious worries. For example, on my way to class one day, I found a stranger crying in the hallway, overwhelmed by a panic attack. I risked being late to class, sat down, and held her in my arms for fifteen minutes until she was calm. While she likely just saw a kind stranger, my motivation came from a genuine desire to alleviate the stress she was feeling and ensure she wasn't facing that distress alone. This desire to put others first has ultimately shaped my passion for working with children with special needs. While many judge career success by wealth or fame, I measure it by the impact I can make. Through my time as a Teacher Assistant for a high school Life Skills class and my involvement with the IMPACT organization at Oregon State University, I have seen the unique struggles individuals with disabilities face. It is heartbreaking when they are treated as incapable. Instead, I view their disabilities as a unique strength. I love providing opportunities for inclusivity within my school, helping others see the pure joy individuals with special needs bring into our lives. My goal is to advocate for equality and ensure that individuals with special needs know their disabilities do not and will never define them. My empathetic personality embodies this drive to make everyone feel worthy, loved, and included just as they are. Overall, hidden treasures are the deeply personal parts of us that remain obscured to the outside world. My hidden treasure is my strong, unwavering, empathetic nature, illustrated through my aspiration to provide for others and make a positive difference. It is a precious trait because it allows me to make others feel truly valued. I truly relish the opportunity to make life better for others, finding deep purpose in their happiness.

My name is Macy McNeill, and I will be a sophomore at Oregon State University in the fall of 2026. I am pursuing a degree in Human Development and Family Sciences with a minor in Exercise Physiology. I hope to use my degree to make the world a more inclusive place by pursuing a career in Pediatric Occupational Therapy. I am very passionate about using my position in life to make a difference through my education, career, and resiliency. First of all, I found my passion in Pediatric Occupational Therapy during high school, where I had the opportunity to be a Teacher’s Assistant for the Special Education Class at Siuslaw High School. Each day, I worked with the Special Education class, helping them with academic lessons and developing their life skills through various activities. I made a very close connection with an amazing student who had Down Syndrome. She brought so much joy into my life and is the reason I hope to make the world a better place for individuals like her. While I miss working with her every day, I had a very special moment, surprising her at the Tim Tebow Foundation Night to Shine Prom, a celebration of God’s love for all people. I got to dance the night away with her and meet so many amazing individuals. This organization and night have an impact on so many lives, as it brings people together to share laughter with our differences being set aside. This event has truly strengthened my dedication to advocate for love and acceptance of all people, for we were made to be unique. Furthermore, my education at Oregon State University has and will continue to be beneficial in my pursuit of inclusivity. During my first year at OSU, I became a member of the IMPACT Organization on campus that promotes adaptive physical activity for children and adults with disabilities. My experience working with children with diverse needs has strengthened my skills and has taught me that adaptive activity is not one-size-fits-all. By understanding how to modify equipment, activities, and communication styles for each child, I have seen how important tailored support is in fostering a child’s confidence and physical independence in my future career as an occupational therapist. Overall, from the knowledge I gain in the classroom to the immersive experiences, Oregon State University is preparing me to make the difference I’ve worked so hard for. Lastly, I plan to have a unique approach to my career in occupational therapy. The career of pediatric occupational therapy is focused on helping children develop the necessary life skills to become independent, functional, and happy adults. While the career is focused on treatment, I want to focus on the connection between client and professional. Having a strong connection builds a foundation for the client to feel confident in working through tasks and challenges. Moreover, along with this connection, I hope that my practice in occupational therapy can be client-led, allowing self-regulation and collaboration. Instead of rigid checklists of tasks, a child-led approach allows the client to follow their interests and have a sense of agency while building fine motor skills. Ultimately, I want my position as a therapist to give my clients a place filled with joy and curiosity, instead of rigid lists. By combining my academic foundation from Oregon State University with a commitment to inclusivity, I am dedicated to helping every child I serve realize their fullest potential and find joy in their own unique journey.

My name is Macy McNeill, and I will be a sophomore at Oregon State University in the fall of 2026. I am pursuing a degree in Human Development and Family Sciences with a minor in Exercise Physiology. I hope to use my degree to make the world a more inclusive place by pursuing a career in Pediatric Occupational Therapy. I am very passionate about using my position in life to make a difference through my education, career, and resiliency. First of all, I found my passion in Pediatric Occupational Therapy during high school, where I had the opportunity to be a Teacher’s Assistant for the Special Education Class at Siuslaw High School. Each day, I worked with the Special Education class, helping them with academic lessons and developing their life skills through various activities. I made a very close connection with an amazing student who had Down Syndrome. She brought so much joy into my life and is the reason I hope to make the world a better place for individuals like her. While I miss working with her every day now that I am at OSU, I had a very special moment, surprising her at the Tim Tebow Foundation Night to Shine Prom. I got to dance the night away with her and meet so many amazing individuals, celebrating God’s love for all people. This organization and night have an impact on so many lives, as it brings people together to share laughter and memories with our differences being set aside. I am so glad I had a chance to be a part of something so special; it has truly strengthened my dedication to advocate for love and acceptance of all people, for we were made to be unique. During my first year at OSU, I became a member of the IMPACT Organization on campus that promotes adaptive physical activity for children and adults with disabilities. My experience working with children with diverse needs has strengthened my skills and has taught me that adaptive activity is not one-size-fits-all. By understanding how to modify equipment, activities, and communication styles for each child, I have seen how important tailored support is in fostering a child’s confidence and physical independence in my future career as an occupational therapist. Overall, from the knowledge I gain in the classroom to the immersive experiences, Oregon State University is preparing me to make the difference I’ve worked so hard for. Lastly, I plan to have a unique approach to my career in occupational therapy. The career of pediatric occupational therapy is focused on helping children develop the necessary life skills to become independent, functional, and happy adults. While the career is focused on treatment, I believe that emotional connection can build the foundation for all other skills. Having a strong connection allows the client to feel confident in working through tasks and challenges. Moreover, along with this connection, I hope that my practice in occupational therapy can be client-led, allowing self-regulation and collaboration. Instead of rigid checklists of tasks, a child-led approach allows the client to follow their interests and have a sense of agency while building fine motor skills. Ultimately, I want my position as a therapist to give my clients a place filled with joy and curiosity, instead of rigid lists that could lead to more refusal behaviors or meltdowns due to pressure. By combining my academic foundation from Oregon State University with a commitment to relationship-based care, I am dedicated to helping every child I serve realize their fullest potential and find joy in their own unique journey.

My name is Macy McNeill, and I will be a sophomore at Oregon State University in the fall of 2026. I am pursuing a degree in Human Development and Family Sciences with a minor in Exercise Physiology. I hope to use my degree to make the world a more inclusive place by pursuing a career in Pediatric Occupational Therapy. I am very passionate about using my position in life to make a difference through my education, career, and resiliency. First, I found my passion for Pediatric Occupational Therapy in high school, where I served as a teacher’s assistant in the special education class at Siuslaw High School. Each day, I worked with the Special Education class, helping them with academic lessons and developing their life skills through various activities. I made a very close connection with an amazing student who had Down Syndrome. She brought so much joy into my life and is the reason I hope to make the world a better place for individuals like her. While I miss working with her every day now that I am at OSU, I had a very special moment, surprising her at the Tim Tebow Foundation Night to Shine Prom, a celebration of God’s love for all people. This organization and night have an impact on so many lives, as it brings people together to share laughter and memories with our differences being set aside. I am so glad I had a chance to be a part of something so special; it has truly strengthened my dedication to advocate for love and acceptance of all people, for we were made to be unique. Furthermore, my education at Oregon State University has and will continue to be beneficial in my pursuit of inclusivity. As I previously stated, I am majoring in Human Development and Family Sciences with a minor in Exercise Physiology. I believe this degree will benefit me in becoming an occupational therapist, as it gives me the knowledge necessary for my success. As a student, I put a strong emphasis on receiving exceptional grades through hard work. I graduated high school as valedictorian and have carried on a 4.0 GPA at Oregon State University thus far. This acknowledgement is my reminder that my hard work leads to my success. Not only is my education very important to me, but also being involved and gaining new experiences. During my first year at OSU, I became a member of the IMPACT Organization on campus that promotes adaptive physical activity for children and adults with disabilities. My experience working with children with diverse needs has strengthened my skills and has taught me that adaptive activity is not one-size-fits-all. By understanding how to modify equipment, activities, and communication styles for each child, I have seen how important tailored support is in fostering a child’s confidence and physical independence in my future career as an occupational therapist. Ultimately, this scholarship is vital in my journey toward becoming a pediatric occupational therapist. I am fully committed to maintaining my 4.0 GPA and my role in the IMPACT Organization; the financial demands of the pre-medical track are significant. With the help of easing my immediate burden of tuition, this award would allow my financial worries to fade and allow me to focus entirely on mastering my skills and the knowledge necessary to serve children with diverse needs. I am relying on scholarships to bridge the gap for my professional certification, and I view this support as an investment in making the world a more inclusive place.

My name is Macy McNeill, and I will be a sophomore at Oregon State University in the fall of 2026. I am pursuing a degree in Human Development and Family Sciences with a minor in Exercise Physiology. I hope to use my degree to make the world a more inclusive place by pursuing a career in Pediatric Occupational Therapy. I am very passionate about using my position in life to make a difference through my education and career. First of all, I found my passion in Pediatric Occupational Therapy during high school, where I had the opportunity to be a Teacher’s Assistant for the Special Education Class at Siuslaw High School. Each day, I worked with the Special Education class, helping them with educational lessons and furthering their life skills through different activities. I made a very close connection with an amazing student who had Down Syndrome. She brought so much joy into my life and is the reason I hope to make the world a better place for individuals like her. While I miss working with her every day now that I am at OSU, I had a very special moment, surprising her at the Tim Tebow Foundation Night to Shine Prom. I got to dance the night away with her and meet so many amazing individuals. The Night to Shine is an annual, worldwide experience sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation for individuals with special needs. It is a celebration of God’s love for all people. This organization and night have an impact on so many lives, as it brings people together to share laughter and memories with our differences being set aside. I am so glad I had a chance to be a part of something so special; it has truly strengthened my dedication to advocate for love and acceptance of all people, for we were made to be unique. During my first year at OSU, I became a member of the IMPACT Organization on campus that promotes adaptive physical activity for children and adults with disabilities. My experience working with children with diverse needs has strengthened my skills and has taught me that adaptive activity is not one-size-fits-all. By understanding how to modify equipment, activities, and communication styles for each child, I have seen how important tailored support is in fostering a child’s confidence and physical independence in my future career as an occupational therapist. I plan to have a unique approach to my career in occupational therapy. While the career is focused on treatment, I want to focus on the connection between client and professional, similar to the relationship-based developmental models, to truly help individuals with special needs. I believe that emotional connection can build the foundation for all other skills. Having a strong connection allows the client to feel confident in working through tasks and challenges. Moreover, along with this connection, I hope that my practice in occupational therapy can be client-led. Instead of rigid checklists of tasks, a child-led approach allows the client to follow their interests and have a sense of agency while building lifelong skills. Ultimately, I want my position as a therapist to give my clients a place filled with joy and curiosity, instead of rigid lists that could lead to overstimulation due to pressure. By combining my academic foundation from Oregon State University with a commitment to relationship-based care, I am dedicated to helping every child I serve realize their fullest potential and find joy in their own unique journey. Lastly, to make this possible, I am having to rely heavily on scholarships to obtain my degree.

My name is Macy McNeill, and I will be a sophomore at Oregon State University in the fall of 2026. I am pursuing a degree in Human Development and Family Sciences with a minor in Exercise Physiology. I hope to use my degree to make the world a more inclusive place by pursuing a career in Pediatric Occupational Therapy. I am very passionate about using my position in life to make a difference through my education and career. First of all, I found my passion in Pediatric Occupational Therapy during my high school career, where I got the greatest opportunity to be a Teacher’s Assistant for the Special Education Class at Siuslaw High School. Each day, I worked with the Special Education class, helping them with educational lessons and furthering their life skills through different activities. I made a very close connection with an amazing student who had Down Syndrome. She brought so much joy into my life and is the reason I hope to make the world a better place for individuals like her. While I miss working with her every day now that I am at OSU, I had a very special moment, surprising her at the Tim Tebow Foundation Night to Shine Prom. I got to dance the night away with her and meet so many amazing individuals. The Night to Shine is an annual, worldwide experience sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation for individuals with special needs. It is a celebration of God’s love for all people. This organization and night have an impact on so many lives, as it brings people together to share laughter and memories with our differences being set aside. Being a part of something so special has truly strengthened my dedication to advocate for love and acceptance of all people, for we were made to be unique. During my first year at OSU, I became a member of the IMPACT Organization on campus that promotes adaptive physical activity for children and adults with disabilities. My experience working with children with diverse needs has strengthened my skills and has taught me that adaptive activity is not one-size-fits-all. By understanding how to modify equipment, activities, and communication styles for each child, I have seen how important tailored support is in fostering a child’s confidence and physical independence in my future career as an occupational therapist. All in all, I hope to make a positive impact through my career. Pediatric occupational therapy is focused on helping children develop the necessary life skills to become independent, functional, and happy individuals. While the career is focused on treatment, I want to focus on the connection between client and professional, similar to the relationship-based developmental models. I believe that emotional connection can build the foundation for all other skills. Having a strong connection allows the client to feel confident in working through tasks and challenges. Moreover, along with this connection, I hope that my practice in occupational therapy can be client-led, allowing self-regulation and collaboration. Instead of rigid checklists of tasks, a child-led approach allows the client to follow their interests and have a sense of agency while building fine motor skills. Ultimately, I want my position as a therapist to give my clients a place filled with joy and curiosity, instead of rigid lists that could lead to more refusal behaviors or meltdowns due to pressure. By combining my academic foundation from Oregon State University with a commitment to relationship-based care, I am dedicated to helping every child I serve realize their fullest potential and find joy in their own unique journey.

My dream is to make an impact on the world. My passion, shaped by my personality, is to bring joy and light to those around me. My dream is to become a special education teacher and make an impact and t. Moreover, I have had the opportunity to work with the Special Education Students at Siuslaw High School, which has brought me so much joy. During my time with the students I have been able to create one on one relationships with each individually, allowing me to connect with them on a deeper level and work on life skills with them as well. My favorite part of working with the special education students is the joy they find in the little things, something I feel many people lack within their lives. As they have had a huge impact on my life, I want to pursue Special Education to make an impact on even more lives, the way they impacted me. It is my dream to make an inclusive world, where disabilities are not seen as a weakness. I want a world where different is seen as beautiful. Not only were the relationships I had formed with the students a large reason for me to make the decision to pursue Special Education, but their teacher, Mrs. Johnson, whom I assisted, inspired me to pursue this career. She embodied what it meant to be accepting of everyone and that different is truly beautiful. Through her time at Siuslaw High School, she has established a club, the Circle of Friends Club, which is an all inclusive club with the Life Skills Class, a club I will be president of in the coming year. The club was organized to give special needs students the opportunity to experience all the experiences of high school no matter their disability. For example, the club would go to sporting events and dances each year, bringing special needs students into the school culture and atmosphere. Moreover, Mrs. Johnson has impacted my life more than words can say. She represents the teacher I want to become. She is someone the students love as well as someone who loves her students as if they were her own children, everything I hope to be some day. Additionally, I was given the opportunity of a student internship with our Elementary School’s Special Education Summer School Program during the summer of 2024. This experience has truly solidified my passion for Special Education as I love watching each student grow and thrive in their educational journey. While the younger students have their moments of meltdowns, they still find joy in the little things in life and embody a view on life I wish I could embody, myself. Overall, I am a person who does not see difference as a setback or downfall, but more of a superpower as I have learned so much from the special needs students and have seen a truly inspiring way of living life. While their disabilities are a struggle, these students do not let it deter them from their goals and aspirations for the future. I hope to make an impact, through a career in education, amongst society to see people with special needs for who they are, not what their disability is. My passion for a career in education stems from the students and teachers I have witnessed during my educational journey, illuminating the impact that teachers have on their students, an impact I want to make in the future.

I have found myself loving working with Special Education Students through my time as a student at Siuslaw High School. I first began working with Special Education students through becoming a Teacher Assistant for my High School’s Life Skills Class, during my junior year of high school. I enjoyed every second of it as the special needs students found joy in every aspect of life. Their joy has inspired me to pursue a career as a special education teacher as I wanted to be a part of the special needs students’ lives and bring as much joy to their lives as they did to my life. Not only were the students a large reason for me to make the decision to pursue Special Education and Early Childhood Development, but their teacher, Mrs. Johnson, whom I assisted, inspired me to pursue this career. She embodied what it meant to be accepting of everyone and that different is truly beautiful. Through her time at Siuslaw High School, she has established a club, the Circle of Friends Club, which is an all inclusive club with the Life Skills Class. The club was organized to give special needs students the opportunity to experience all the experiences of high school no matter their disability. For example, the club would go to sporting events and dances each year, bringing special needs students into the school culture and atmosphere. Moreover, Mrs. Johnson has impacted my life more than words can say. She represents the teacher I want to become. She is someone the students love as well as someone who loves her students as if they were her own children, everything I hope to be some day. Additionally, I was given the opportunity of a student internship with our Elementary School’s Special Education Summer School Program during the summer of 2024. This experience has truly solidified my passion for Special Education as I love watching each student grow and thrive in their educational journey. While the younger students have their moments of meltdowns, they still find joy in the little things in life and embody a view on life I wish I could embody, myself. Overall, I hope to be a teacher students can feel accepted, loved, and safe with. As a person I am someone who does not see difference as a setback or downfall, but more like a superpower as I have learned so much from them and have seen a truly inspiring way of living life. While their disabilities are a struggle, these students do not let it deter them from their goals and aspirations for the future. The difference I hope to make is to create an impact amongst society to see people with special needs for who they are, not what their disability is because in the end they could be the most thoughtful, loving, and enjoyable person you will ever meet. My passion for wanting to pursue a career in education stems from the students and teachers I have witnessed during my own educational journey, illuminating the impact that teachers have on their students, an impact I want to make in the future.

I have found myself loving working with Special Education Students through my time as a student at Siuslaw High School. I first began working with Special Education students through becoming a Teacher Assistant for my High School’s Life Skills Class, during my junior year of high school. I enjoyed every second of it as the special needs students found joy in every aspect of life. Their joy has inspired me to pursue this line of work as I wanted to be a part of special needs students’ lives and bring as much joy to their lives as they did to my life. Not only were the students a large reason for me to make the decision to pursue Special Education and Early Childhood Development, but the teacher, Mrs. Johnson, whom I assisted, inspired me to pursue this career. She embodied what it meant to be accepting of everyone and that different is beautiful. Through her time at Siuslaw High School, she has established a club, the Circle of Friends Club, which is an all inclusive club with the Life Skills Class. The club was organized to give special needs students the opportunity to experience all the experiences of high school no matter their disability. For example, the club would go to sporting events and dances each year, bringing special needs students into the school culture and atmosphere. Moreover, Mrs. Johnson has impacted my life more than words can say. She represents the teacher I want to become. She is someone the students love as well as someone who loves her students as if they were her own children, everything I hope to be some day. Additionally, I was given the opportunity of a student internship with our Elementary School’s Special Education Summer School Program during the summer of 2024. This experience has truly solidified my passion for Special Education as I love watching each student grow and thrive in their educational journey. While the younger students have their moments of meltdowns, they still find joy in the little things in life and embody a view on life I wish I could embody, myself. Overall, I hope to be a teacher students can feel accepted, loved, and safe with. As a person I am someone who does not see difference as a setback or downfall, but more like a superpower as I have learned so much from them and have seen a truly inspiring way of living life. While their disabilities are a struggle, these students do not let it deter them from their goals and aspirations for the future. The difference I hope to make is to create an impact amongst society to see people with special needs for who they are, not what their disability is because in the end they could be the most thoughtful, loving, and enjoyable person you will ever meet.

I am a person built off of hard work and a love for helping others. I have grown up in a family and community that has allowed me to put myself out in the community to make a difference. Since I was little I took part in volunteer services, such as the yearly event known as the Power of Florence that our community puts on. During the event I helped beautify a well used park in our community and helped put on a bake sale to raise money for a fellow student who needed a life saving treatment. These opportunities are truly dear to my heart as it brings me so much joy to help others and make a difference in a community that means so much to me. Growing up in a family that lives by making a difference has led me to strive to find my position in the world where I can make my own difference. As I am going into my senior year of high school I find myself eager to pursue a higher education in Special Education, the place where I can make the difference I wish to see. During my junior year I had the opportunity to be a teacher's assistant for our Life Skills Class. The students I worked with were so amazing, always putting a smile on my face as they found joy in the smallest of things. Not only did working with the students impact me, but watching their teacher, Mrs. Johnson, interact and work with the students gave me the passion to pursue Special Education. She treated them as if they were her own children and took care of them no matter what. Something she would always tell her students before she retired was that they "were always her students and she was always going to be their teacher". Nothing could change that. She still stayed in contact with many of her former students, even having scheduled dates to call each one, just to check in. The passion and love she had for these students strengthened my passion and love for the students as well and made me eager to make an impact half as big as she had on her students and me as well. Additionally, Mrs. Johnson, a mentor who has shaped my life in so many ways has led me to want to make an impact on Special Needs Students' lives the same way she had on for her students. She inspired me to make a difference and attempt to become half the mentor and teacher she was for her students. As I find this becoming the passion I wish to pursue I have found many ways to begin working to make an impact in the Special Needs Community. First of all, I have become the president of an all inclusive club with my High School's Life Skills Class, where the Life Skills Students get the opportunity to attend events that are part of every high school students life, such as going to sporting events or dances. The club was something started by Mrs. Johnson herself and I am excited to carry on her impact through becoming president. As I look to the future I see myself organizing events for our Life Skills Students to go to because they deserve the right to experience all the high school experiences placed before them. That is my goal, to make a difference in the lives of Special Needs Students and push the idea that different is beautiful and deserving of a life everyone else has the chance to live.

As a person, I am really hard on myself leading me to embodying a gritty mindset that has allowed me to overcome self-defeating thoughts that continuously pass through my mind. During the summer before my junior cross country season, after a tough sophomore season, I ran myself into a stress fracture, ending up on crutches. That summer, I was determined to prove to my coach, whose hands I placed my self-worth in, that I was good enough to be on his team, as I was a part of his State Championship team my freshman year. To prove to him that I belonged, I felt that I needed to work harder than ever before, my gritty mindset coming in full throttle. I followed every aspect of his training plan the summer before my junior season, remaining gritty and determined. I put in forty plus miles each week, and I showed up to every practice he held during the summer, all just to end up on crutches, unable to run. During my time on crutches, I found myself beating myself up because I believed my season was over and that my coach would now truly never see me as good enough to run at State again. I didn’t let that stop me. I used this obstacle as motivation to persevere and fight to get to the position I wanted myself in, where Coach saw me as worthy. I remained gritty and determined each day doing core and upper body training to keep myself in shape so that when it came time, I was ready to run. In the end, I was able to race most of my junior season, just not to the standards I was hoping for. Once again, like my sophomore year, I found myself running in the JV District Championship race, where all the pressure was on. I still had the chance of making the top seven on the team who would run at State a week later; I only had to run a certain time. Going into the race, I felt all the pressure and all the nerves coming to me the entire week before, feeling that my success and self-worth depended on this race. Subsequently, I placed 1st out of the girls in the JV race and 2nd overall, as we had run against the boys as well. While that seems like an accomplishment, after the past few months, I crossed the finish line in tears, not of happiness but of defeat. I had not run fast enough, so I was not running at State. Not only were there tears of defeat, but tears of knowing that I would not be seen as successful as I was not a part of the State team. While it was defeating being stuck on crutches pre-season and later being unable to compete at State, I remind myself that I am a success because of the grit I have and the challenges I have overcome because of it. I have so much grit causing me to never quit, which led me into an injury from over training. It will always be painful looking back at what I was unable to accomplish in those seasons, but I will forever carry the gritty mindset that got me through those trying times and use it to push myself to work harder and put in the time to be the best person I can be. The goal is not to be better than others, but to become a better version of yourself, which I know I can accomplish through continuing to have a gritty mindset.

I am very passionate about early childhood education. As a high school student looking back on the early years of my education I see how important it was for me. Not only the knowledge I gained from my teachers, but also the relationships I was able to make with my peers and teachers, helping me grow into the person I am today. As a high school student I have had the opportunity to work as a teacher aid in Siuslaw Elementary School classrooms where I helped students through their educational journey. Whether it was being a role model and companion or someone who brought new knowledge into their journey, it was truly a great feeling to know I was making a difference in those students' lives. Additionally, I have been given the opportunity to be a Student Intern in the Special Education Summer School Program this summer. This was truly an amazing opportunity as I was able to work one on one with the students and watch as each student in the class grew their skills in the classroom. These experiences are what make me passionate about early childhood education, so much that it is the path I would like to take after high school. I am eager to go to college to pursue my passion of being a Special Education Teacher. I love working with children who have special needs as they always find the joys in the small things and are eager to learn even through the hurdles they have to overcome. Moreover, I believe that the teachers are the people who make one of the largest impacts on children's lives. Teachers are the people who push one to become a better version of themselves, help them find the successes in their journey, and show them that they are more capable than they ever thought possible. I say these words in confidence as this is the type of difference every single one of my teachers have played in my life. They taught me from a young age that I am able to do whatever I set my mind to and will be successful if I put in the work. I am forever grateful for my teachers who played a role in my early childhood education. Their passion for teaching and making a difference in each of their students' lives that I have witnessed through the years has instilled that same passion within me to make a difference in the lives of children as I plan to pursue a career in early childhood education.