When I was in fourth grade, I was diagnosed with ADHD. At the time, I didn’t fully understand what it meant, but I knew it made me feel different from other kids. I felt embarrassed and worried that people would think I was “less than” or not as capable. Because of that, I tried to hide my diagnosis. Even though I knew I was smart, I struggled with focus and comprehension, which made school more challenging for me. In middle school, I opened up to my friends about having ADHD, hoping they would understand. While some were supportive, others made jokes or compared grades with me. Those moments made me regret being honest and reinforced the feeling that having a disability made me stand out in a negative way. Experiences like that shaped how I saw myself for a long time and made me hesitant to ask for help, even when I needed it. As I’ve grown older, my perspective has changed. I’ve learned that ADHD does not define my intelligence or my potential. A bad grade doesn’t mean I’m not capable, it just means I learn differently. Living with ADHD has taught me resilience, patience, and self-awareness. I’ve had to work harder to stay organized, focused, and motivated, but those challenges have helped me develop strong problem-solving skills and determination. Navigating life with a neurodiverse disability has made me more understanding of others who face struggles that aren’t always visible. Being neurodivergent has also changed how I view the world around me. I now recognize how many systems are not built with disabilities in mind, especially in education and healthcare. I’ve experienced how frustrating it can be to feel overlooked or misunderstood, and that has given me empathy for underserved communities who face similar barriers. Whether it’s due to disability, financial hardship, or lack of access to resources, I understand how important support and understanding can be. My goal is to become a radiology technician, and I plan to use my education to support underserved communities through compassionate and patient-centered care. Working in healthcare means interacting with people who may feel scared, overwhelmed, or unheard. Because of my own experiences, I know how important it is to feel respected and understood. I want to be someone who takes the time to explain procedures, ease anxiety, and treat every patient with dignity, regardless of their background or circumstances. Radiology may not always be the most visible role in healthcare, but it plays a critical part in diagnosis and treatment, especially for patients who rely on accessible and timely care. As a first-generation college student, pursuing higher education means more than just personal success. It represents opportunity, growth, and breaking barriers that once felt impossible. My experiences with ADHD have shaped my determination to succeed and to give back to communities that need support the most. Through my education and future career, I hope to advocate for inclusivity, understanding, and better access to care for underserved populations. Living with a disability has taught me that challenges don’t limit us, its how we respond to them is what defines who we become.

I try to show good character, sportsmanship, and work ethic in everything I do, both in the water and in my community. Fishing has always been something I love, but it’s not always easy for me. Sometimes I struggle to catch fish or things don’t go the way I planned. Even when I get frustrated, I try to stay calm, follow the rules, and respect others who are fishing around me. I’ve learned that being patient and fair is just as important as catching fish. Winning isn’t everything, it’s about trying your best, being respectful, and enjoying the experience. Sportsmanship is something I take seriously, even outside of fishing. I work hard to be polite and encouraging to the people around me, whether it’s coworkers or neighbors. I try to help others when I can, and I never make fun of someone for struggling or making mistakes. I think sportsmanship isn’t just about being in sports or competitions, it’s about treating people with respect and supporting them, even when things get tough. That’s something I’ve worked on a lot over the years, especially because I have ADHD. Sometimes it’s hard for me to focus, but I’ve learned to be patient with myself and keep trying, and that makes me better at supporting others too. Work ethic is a big part of who I am. I work two jobs in my community, one is for the Suffolk County Health Department and another in retail. Both jobs are very different, but they teach me the same things: how to show up on time, take responsibility, and do my best every day. Working two jobs can be tiring, but I know it’s worth it. It helps me support myself and my family, and it also shows me the value of hard work. I try to bring the same effort to fishing and my personal life. Even when something is difficult, I don’t give up. I’ve learned that working hard, being consistent, and staying focused pays off in the long run. Living in New York also gives me a chance to be involved in my community in other ways. I try to help people when I see an opportunity, whether it’s volunteering, helping a coworker, or just being kind to someone who needs it. I think that’s part of good character being responsible, respectful, and dependable, not just for yourself but for others too. All of these experiences, fishing, working two jobs, managing ADHD, and living in my community have shaped who I am. They’ve taught me patience, resilience, and respect for others. I try to carry those lessons into everything I do, whether it’s in the water, at work, or in everyday life. I may struggle sometimes, but I always try to do my best, be fair, and support the people around me. That’s how I show character, sportsmanship, and work ethic every day.

When I was in fourth grade, I was diagnosed with ADHD. At the time, I felt embarrassed and thought it made me “less than” other kids. I didn’t want anyone to think differently about me, so I tried to hide it. Even though I knew I was smart, I had a hard time focusing and understanding certain lessons. In middle school, I finally shared with my friends that I had ADHD, hoping they would understand. Some of them did, but others made jokes or compared grades with me, which made me regret opening up. That experience taught me early on how hard it can be to feel accepted when you are different. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned not to be ashamed of ADHD. It doesn’t define me or my potential. A bad grade doesn’t mean I’m not smart, it just means I learn differently, and that’s okay. Living with ADHD has taught me resilience, patience, and determination. I’ve learned how to keep going even when things are hard and to find new ways to solve problems when one method doesn’t work. These lessons have helped me not only in school but also in my personal life. I’ve become more understanding of myself and others, and I’ve learned to approach challenges with a sense of perseverance. Being part of the disabled community has changed how I see the world. I’ve learned that everyone faces struggles, even if they aren’t visible, and that those struggles don’t make anyone less capable or valuable. Experiencing life with ADHD has given me compassion and empathy, and it has shown me the importance of support and understanding. I now appreciate the strength it takes to live with challenges and the courage it takes to ask for help. These lessons have shaped my outlook and will guide how I approach my future goals. My dream is to become a radiology technician. I want to work in healthcare because I’ve always had a passion for helping others. I know that when patients come in for tests, they can feel scared or anxious, and I want to be someone who makes that experience easier. Radiology may not always be the most visible role in healthcare, but it plays a crucial part in helping patients get the answers and care they need. I am motivated to keep pushing toward this goal because I know I can make a real difference in people’s lives. My experiences with ADHD have prepared me to be patient, attentive, and empathetic qualities I know will make me a better healthcare professional. This scholarship would mean so much to me. It would help ease financial stress and allow me to focus fully on my education. As a first-generation student, I carry not just my own dreams but also the hopes of my parents, who have worked incredibly hard to give me a better life. I want to make them proud and show that their sacrifices were worth it. Being part of the disabled community has taught me resilience and empathy, and I plan to use those lessons to succeed academically, professionally, and personally. This journey has shown me that challenges don’t define us, its how we respond to them does.

Ever since I was little, I always had a special interest in the medical field. When I was around 8 years old, I would make fake casts for my stuffed animals and pretend they were hurt. I would waste all the bandages and first aid kits while playing doctor all the time. I remember wrapping my build a bears in layers of gauze and ace banders. my mom would be so mad because I would waste all the medical supplies'. my parents would always laugh and tell me I was going to be a doctor someday, and deep down, I believed it too. Ever since then, I knew that when I grew up, I wanted to do something in the medical field. As I got older, my curiosity about the human body and how it worked only grew stronger. I found myself drawn to shows and documentaries about hospitals and medical professionals. I loved learning the names of bones, organs, and muscles. I was fascinated by how the body could heal, and how different medical professionals played a role in that process. When I was entering high school, my cousin had just started college to study physical therapy. Hearing about her classes and all the interesting things she was learning sparked an idea in my head that maybe physical therapy could be something I wanted to do too. It combined science, healing, and helping people. Three things I was very passionate about. So, when I reached my junior year of high school, I jumped at the opportunity to take a BOCES class that focused on physical therapy. It was an amazing experience, and I learned so much during that time. The class gave me hands-on experience and really opened my eyes to the world of physical therapy. I learned the basics of patient care, body mechanics, stretching techniques, and how to assist with different kinds of therapy equipment. It also taught me the love I have for anatomy. I enjoyed studying the muscles and bones, understanding how movement worked, and why injuries happen. I was fascinated by how the human body functions and how every part works together. However, through the hands-on part of the course, I realized something important about myself hated the actual part of working directly on people. I didn’t enjoy the physical interaction part as much as I thought I would. It made me rethink my future in physical therapy. By the end of the class, I became a certified physical therapist aide, which I’m still proud of, but I also realized that I wanted to go down a different path in the medical field. With my strong interest in bones and anatomy, I started looking into radiology and becoming an x-ray technician. It seemed like the perfect balance I could still work in healthcare, continue to learn about the human body, and help people, but in a way that better suited my personality and skills. Radiology involves technology, problem-solving, and understanding anatomy, which all excite me. I’m now excited to pursue this path and see where it leads me in the medical world.

Being a first-generation student means a lot to me because it shows how far my family has come and how much I want to build a better future. My parents both grew up in low-class neighborhoods and not in the nicest areas. They have been working since they were just 15 years old to help their families and to survive. They never had the same chances that I do now, but they always pushed me to do better and to take school seriously. Their hard work and sacrifices inspire me to keep moving forward, even when things get hard. When I was in fourth grade, I was diagnosed with ADHD. At the time, I felt embarrassed and thought it made me “less than” other kids. I tried to hide it because I didn’t want people to think differently about me. Even though I knew I was smart, I had a hard time with comprehension and staying focused. In middle school, I shared with my friends that I had ADHD, but some of them made jokes or compared grades with me, which made me regret opening up. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned not to be ashamed of ADHD. It doesn’t define who I am or what I can achieve. A bad grade doesn’t mean I’m not smart—it just means I learn differently, and that’s okay. Living with ADHD has taught me resilience, patience, and how to keep going even when I struggle. Those lessons have helped me not only in school but in my personal life too. Growing up in a middle-class household today, I see how far my parents have come since their childhoods. We never had everything, but we always had what we needed, and I learned to value hard work and dedication. Watching my parents work nonstop and sacrifice so much for our family makes me want to succeed even more. They gave me opportunities they never had, and I don’t want to waste them. My dream is to become a radiology technician. I want to work in healthcare because I’ve always had a passion for helping others. I know that when people come in for tests, they can be scared or worried, and I want to be someone who makes that experience easier for them. Radiology might not always be the spotlight role in healthcare, but it plays a huge part in helping patients get answers and the care they need. That motivates me to keep pushing toward my goal. This scholarship would mean so much to me because it would help ease the financial stress and allow me to focus on my education. Being a first-generation student, I know I carry not just my own dreams, but also the hopes of my parents who worked so hard to give me a better life. I want to make them proud by showing that their sacrifices were worth it.

I grew up in a middle-class family where I was always taught the importance of hard work and never giving up. My parents did their best to give me a good life and watching them work so hard has always motivated me to push myself, even when things get difficult. When I was in fourth grade, I was diagnosed with ADHD. At the time, it made me feel like I was below everyone else. I was embarrassed by it and tried to hide it because I didn’t want people to treat me differently. Even though I knew I was smart, I struggled with things like comprehension and staying focused. In middle school, I started to tell my friends about my ADHD, but I regretted it at first. Some of them treated me differently, making jokes or comparing grades, which made me feel worse. Now that I’m older, I’ve learned not to be ashamed of ADHD. I understand that it’s just one part of me, and it doesn’t define who I am or what I’m capable of. A bad grade doesn’t mean I’m not smart, and I’ve learned to focus on my strengths instead of my struggles. My journey has taught me resilience and patience with myself, which has helped me not just in school but in life. I’ve always been passionate about helping people, and that’s why my dream is to become a radiology technician. I want to work in healthcare where I can make a difference in people’s lives and be someone they can count on during times when they might feel scared or uncertain. I know the journey won’t always be easy, but with my determination and the lessons I’ve learned about perseverance and self-acceptance, I’m confident that I can achieve my goal. Growing up with ADHD has actually shaped me into a stronger person than I once thought I could be. It has taught me how to deal with setbacks and how to pick myself up when things don’t go the way I planned. I’ve learned that I need to be organized and stay on top of things, even if it means working harder than others at times. This has helped me become more responsible and mature. My middle-class background has also played a big role in who I am today. My parents worked hard to give me and my family what we needed, and that showed me the value of dedication. We didn’t always have everything we wanted, but we had what we needed, and I am thankful for that. It taught me that success isn’t about having everything, it’s about working hard and staying committed to your goals. Another thing that drives me is my passion for helping others. I’ve always been the type of person to want to be there for my friends or family when they need someone. Going into radiology feels like the right path for me because it combines my love for science with my desire to care for people. I know that in healthcare, every role matters, and even though a radiology tech might not always be the center of attention, they play a huge part in helping patients get the answers they need. Looking at everything I’ve been through; I realize my challenges have only made me stronger. ADHD and the struggles I’ve faced have taught me lessons that I will carry for the rest of my life. I’m proud of how far I’ve come, and I’m excited about where I’m going.

When I was in fourth grade I was diagnosed with ADHD. This made me feel that I was below everyone else. I was always so embarrassed by this diagnosis, I always tried to hide it from people because I was scared of the way people would think of me. Even though I was smart there were still things I struggled with, for example being able to comprehend things. When I was in middle school, I started to tell my friends that I had ADHD, At the time I did regret this. I felt that as if every time my friends would tell me something they would dumb it down and make fun of me. Or they would ask me how I did on the test and compare it to theirs when their scores were higher than mine. As I am much older now, I am no longer embarrassed by this knowing there's so many people out there like me. I learned that the way I understand things doesn't define who I am and there's so much more to me than feeling like I'm below everyone else If I get one bad grade. during middle school my mental health was low, I was always embarrassed of my diagnosis and felt that because of this I did really get to make friends, go out, or even play sports. I felt that people were always looking at me and judging me. in high school I always felt like i wasn't enough, wasn't able to take AP classes or honors. This made me feel awful, felt like I was never good enough, and I felt that i was being looked at differently. In today's world, I still have some feelings about not being smart enough. I am always scared to answer questions in class feeling that I'll answer wrong. I also feel like my ADHD can affect my studies, not being able to focus or lock onto a topic without being easily districted. Because of these feelings I've implanted new study habits, like handwriting my notes allowing me to have less screen time to be districted or even recording lectures so I'm able to look back on them. By making my mental health a priority, I’ve learned to be kinder to myself, to not compare myself to others as much, and to focus on what works best for me when it comes to learning. ADHD may be a part of me, but it doesn’t define who I am.