Studying medicine and science has brought me to many conclusions that drew my interest. You meet people who are very knowledgeable and show passion for their fields, which makes them very approachable to ask as many questions as you wish. When I received a concussion I was not only able to receive the resources needed to heal, but I was able to observe and learn from the physical therapists working with me. Having a concussion was a very present and upsetting experience I went through since it affected many aspects of my life and how I would normally function. When I was in physical therapy, I met Molly and Angela who helped me heal and were phenomenal at what they do. They helped many patients including me persevere through the different mental walls that were caused by the injuries they obtained. They help us cope with the intense feelings of losing time from our injuries by assuring us that we did not completely miss experiences, but experienced our time injured in a new way, which was a very beneficial way of thinking for me to use. After completing my physical therapy journey to recovery, I realized through working with these doctors that being a physical therapist is what I wanted to do with my life. Overall though there were multiple factors contributing to me being determined to earn a DPT. Another factor that pushed me to this conclusion would be how many people choose to do athletics where they could end up in a situation similar to mine, maybe even worse. By choosing to remain in sports and be constantly active, there will always be a high risk for injury that could end many athletes’ careers which is a completely devastating experience to go through. By beginning a career in physical therapy, I could help those who would suffer these consequences so that they could return to doing what they are passionate about. Once I get my Doctorate in Physical Therapy, I plan to always make sure I’m up to date on anything related to physical therapy and to keep on learning things about the human mind in the past and present. Being up to date on anything related to physical therapy is a requirement in the medical field, but studying how the human mind reacts to things is less common. It’s still crucial, though, because I know I will work with a variety of patients with different thought processes and experience the world differently than I do.

Physical Therapy could be seen as an easy job. Assign stretches, hope people regain mobility, massage if needed, sometimes diagnosed, and go home, wake up the next day, and repeat. Easy. What people need to share is the mental journey a physical therapist helps you with too. I've always been interested in science. I knew since middle school that I'd probably end up in the medical field, but I wasn't sure what to study until I did. I got a concussion at the beginning of my sophomore year of high school that would go away but appeared later due to my susceptibility to migraines and the amount of stress my school gives to their students. I ended up in physical therapy for my concussion after being diagnosed the second time. I met my two physical therapists Molly and Angela and observed how they were with not just me but others too. They help their patients find little pieces of sunshine despite the huge mental toll from our lack of ability to do things. I went from probably being the worst person to be around to being able to laugh at things again and enjoying moments with others. Similar things happen with other patients because they help us heal mentally, not just physically. I want to have the same type of effect on people as Molly and Angela. I will be one of your friends while you're in the clinic so you have someone to talk to about your struggles with or just so you can talk to someone in general, whatever you want. I will push you towards an uncomfortable level to help you heal but not to the point of crying and if anything gets too much I'll be there to comfort you just like Molly and Angela. To move forward in hopes of becoming a physical therapist I will spend a lot of time studying in the medical program I'm in through high school. I will continue into a Kinesiology program, a highly suggested program for physical therapy students, in college. Although I know I am dedicated to studying and trying to create an impact like my physical therapist had on me; I would also like to be the first doctor in my family. Many people in my family are smart enough to become a doctor but no one in my family has ever tried to do it. It should have been my mom as the first doctor on top of her being the first woman in our family with a bachelor's in science but her science teacher in 7th grade discouraged that too intensely. She became a teacher instead; still a great job but she is not as respected as she should be. I'd like to change that and become the first doctor for her and myself. For mom because her chance was taken away and I'd like to revive it. For me because I won't let my chance be taken from me.

Everyone says there is a “calm before the storm”; But what if the storm isn’t that bad? I did not think I had ADHD like the rest of my family, but when my dad asked me a couple of questions things finally made sense. Sounds and smells have bothered me for years. I am not good at remembering things and I am not an organized person whatsoever. If you look around my room, it displays the things I need to remember or want to see more consistently so I remember to use them. Otherwise, there is a high chance I will forget about them. This struggle with object permanence, sensory sensitivity, and organization are said to be classic signs of ADHD; but it still took me until high school to get a diagnosis due to my high performance. The challenges of being at the #1 public school in Maryland enhanced my symptoms of ADHD to the point I couldn’t ignore it anymore. I started to hyperfocus on things that I wanted to do, and I would procrastinate terribly on stuff I did not want to do. That is because I do not see a need to be challenged in areas I do not think I will need later in life. Whether I wanted to admit it or not, there were often benefits to completing said task. I did not realize I had been finding different ways to overcome these struggles until I sat down and talked to a psychiatrist. I was given a chance to review how I acted and how it was me coping with ADHD this whole time or just letting it play out. For example, I get bursts of courage that let me be social which helps me get out of my shell and talk to people when I do not always want to do that because the emotions of talking to new people are overwhelming. Another example is that I do well in high-pressure situations. I go to a magnet school, so I am in a medical class that gives me high-pressure situations as if I were an actual medical professional. This means I am usually one of the best when it comes to things like practicals or tests where I am required to work with or on someone else. My yearning to work in the medical field acts like a hyperfocus for me to do well and try harder in math and science classes. This has become highly recognized as my version of sparkle, my ADHD superpowers. I am now my school's Science National Honor Society president and will be the first student to be president for 2 years because of my hyperfocus. I am one of the most reliable students in wind ensemble and Tri-M music honor society. I work with everyone and help any of the quiet kids who are not always willing to ask for help. My sparkle shines extra bright in the music world that is free of judgment. Everyone sees everyone equally there and those who want to shine brighter for something they worked on get to. This is how I am now a second-chair flute and the only piccolo in the band. ADHD may be a storm for me. I’m still learning how to dance in the rain, the storm brings. It’s not all bad though, flowers have bloomed in my scholastic and musical achievements and more are going to grow in the garden.