Faith has always played a significant role in shaping who I am and guiding me through the challenges of life. Growing up, my relationship with God provided a strong foundation that influenced my values, decisions, and aspirations. The teachings of my faith instilled in me principles such as kindness, perseverance, and integrity, which have been crucial in both my personal life and in how I envision my future career. As a child, I often turned to prayer during difficult times. Whether it was struggling with schoolwork or dealing with friendships, I found comfort in speaking to God. This practice became a source of strength, allowing me to see beyond my immediate challenges. For example, during my junior year, I faced a tough period when I was overwhelmed by the demands of school and playing softball. I remember feeling anxious and lost, questioning whether I could keep up with everything. I was struggling to balance my school life with my social life. However, after spending time in prayer and reflection, I regained clarity and determination. My faith reminded me that it was okay to struggle and that seeking help was a sign of strength, not weakness. Moreover, my faith has taught me the importance of serving others. Volunteering at local shelters and participating in community service projects has deepened my understanding of compassion and empathy. These experiences have not only enriched my life but also shaped my aspirations for my future career. I want to pursue a career in nursing, where I can make a positive impact on individuals and families during their struggles. I believe that my faith will guide me in this endeavor, helping me remain grounded and focused on the purpose of my work. It instills in me a sense of responsibility to advocate for those in need and to approach challenges with resilience and hope. It's easy to feel discouraged when facing setbacks and obstacles, but my faith gives me the strength to keep going. Believing that God has a plan for me helps me feel confident as I work toward a career in nursing. Prayer has helped me view my struggles as chances to grow. My faith reminds me that every experience, whether good or bad, helps me develop and prepares me for what's ahead. Furthermore, I believe my faith will help me cultivate meaningful relationships in my professional life. The values of respect, honesty, and humility resonate deeply with me, guiding how I interact with others. In the nursing field I know that it often involves collaboration and teamwork; fostering positive relationships is vital. In conclusion, my faith in God has guided me through life, giving me support and direction when I needed it most. As I look ahead to a career in nursing, I feel sure that my beliefs will keep inspiring my choices. I plan to stay true to my values and keep learning from my faith.

Hi, my name is Mallory Ficklin. I am 16 years old. In my spare time I love to spend time with my family, friends, my pets, shopping, reading, church, going to the gym, playing softball and going to amusement parks. My parents are divorced but I do visit my dad whenever I can. I am currently a senior at Middleburg High School and ranked number 21 in my class out of 438 students. I am a member of NHS, Beta club, Student council, Senior Executive Board and a member of the varsity softball team. Since my childhood, I have maintained a strong work ethic. I consistently achieve straight A's. I have always been recognized as one of the top students in the classroom and one of the most dedicated athletes on the softball field. I strive to reach all my goals and to become the best version of myself. I often stay up late to study, stay after practice to get extra reps, and ensure that I submit my assignments punctually. While these attributes may seem good, they have also led to stress and increased pressure on myself. If I do not perform to my expectations or achieve the desired grade, I tend to feel anxious. Over time, I have been working to address this issue and accept that perfection is not always attainable. Some days are more challenging than others, but each of my mistakes and difficulties motivates me to work harder and learn from my errors. This scholarship would help me be able to pursue my future goals and be the first in my family to go to college. I have a lot of ambitions, but the most important one to me is to make my family proud. My mom has to work two jobs because she does not have a college education. I am hoping to also get a softball scholarship. I want to play softball at the collegiate level and go to nursing school. There are multiple junior colleges looking at me to play softball at their school. I know softball scholarships from junior colleges are very small so I will need additional help with other scholarships. College has become very expensive and hard for students to afford. Scholarships have given students the ability to afford college and not have student debt when they graduate. I believe that getting this scholarship will help towards my schooling and my future.

My name is Mallory Ficklin, and I am a senior at Middleburg High School. When I graduate high school, I want to further my academic career as a nurse. This requires a significant amount of money to pay for my tuition, books, dorm fees, and food expenses. My family doesn't earn enough income to cover all the costs; scholarships will help me be able to accomplish my dream of helping people. I've known since I was little that I want to help others in some type of way, from helping an elder cross the street or helping someone back to health. But once I got to high school, I knew I wanted to pursue the medical field. I am a hard worker, and I am determined to make my family and myself proud. I try my best to help people in the community, I am in multiple community service hours clubs, so I get to give back to the community often. I also try to help people at school. I am a student-athlete with many different interests and goals. I spend time with a diverse group of people, including athletes, nerds, quiet kids, loud kids, theater kids, overachievers, slackers, and others. I have made some of my closest friends from these different groups. In every group I hang out with, I always notice at least one person being bullied. Especially in today's society, it is easier to bully someone through social media than ever before. Bullies can hide behind smartphones without getting any consequences. At my school, we do presentations on cyberbullying and ways to prevent it to show our classmates and inform others how serious it can be. The presentations also help people be able to admit if they are being bullied and give them the chance to ask for advice. Understanding what constitutes bullying and its effects can empower people to take action. Sharing knowledge with your friends and family can help raise awareness for a supportive community. There are multiple ways I try to help others in my community and online to prevent bullying. I also try to inform others on how to deal with cyberbullying like telling a trusted adult. If I'm at school and I see a kid being bullied or looking bothered, I try to step in and help them. No one deserves to be bullied and if people knew how to stand up for themselves and others bullying may decrease.

My favorite teacher was my medical teacher in my junior year. I was worried that I wouldn't like her because she was replacing the previous teacher and I had a good bond with her, but I was wrong. Mrs. Crump was the best teacher. She's a nurse and brings not just knowledge but experience to her job as a medical teacher. The medical program is a 4-year program at my school that teaches us how to become a CNA and EKG technician. When we graduate, we will be certified. I've been torn between what I would like to do when I graduate college and she's been helping me weigh my options. I'm still not 100% sure of what I'm going to do but I have narrowed it down to being an ultrasound technician or a nurse. Besides being a nurse and a teacher Mrs. Crump is also a mom. I'm so glad she was because there were times at school when I needed not just a teacher but a "mom" figure. Don't get me wrong, I have a wonderful mom but she's not with me at school. I am a "perfectionist". In most ways, that's a good thing but not all ways. I strive to make straight A's and be the best player on the varsity softball team. Some days were stressful, and Mrs. Crump always knew what to say or do to help me get through. I can't count the number of times I have cried in her classroom as she comforted me and gave me advice. She has helped me through a lot of my stress throughout the school year. She is even my "Bronco Mom" for my softball team. A Bronco Mom is a person who goes to all your games, gives you snacks, and shows support for you. She has shown up to all my big events for me and I appreciate her so much for that. I have always been so worried about my grades and being the top athlete. It has always taken a toll on my mental health, and she has taught me how to cope with it. I have had many teachers over my last eleven years of schooling and very few are even close to how great she is. I'm hoping even after graduation we will still keep in touch. She is the best and my junior year would not have been the same if I hadn't met her.