I chose to pursue a degree and later will pursue a career in occupational therapy because I have always wanted a career in which I felt I was making a difference and giving back in a way to the community. When I lost my mom in an accident at 17 years old, I still remember the amazing medical professionals at the hospital and how they were there for me, being empathetic to what I was going through, and helping me with all the steps and processes that came next. Those days spent in the hospital solidified my future career path and showed me I wanted to be a resource for those in times of need like those individuals were for me. They showed me what it means to be a well-rounded medical professional, and that is something I strive to be as well. As a Mexican American student, I feel grateful for the opportunity to study for my doctorate, especially knowing it is something that makes my family so proud. Being an underrepresented minority in the medical field is something I think about every single day. It makes me work harder to prove I belong and to make sure that my peers and faculty, staff, and preceptors are grateful to have me there. I want to set an example for other underrepresented minorities, specifically those with a Mexican heritage. I hope that one day Mexican Americans will no longer be underrepresented in the medical and occupational therapy fields, and I know once I am practicing as an OT I will assist in this in any way I can, whether that be by mentoring underrepresented minority students, or anything else I can do to help. As for the financial aspect, this scholarship would help immensely. I have had to take out loans for graduate school, and this would decrease the amount of loans I need to take out for the next semester, which would alleviate a bit of my stress and set me up better for after I graduate, because it will not only save me the scholarship amount in tuition, but also will save me on the interest I will owe on that amount since it accrues while I am in school. I also have been working part-time while in school, so this would also help me to potentially work fewer hours, specifically in the days before important tests and projects, which I would appreciate. I am grateful for the opportunity to apply for this scholarship, and to get to be a student in graduate school when I know it is something my ancestors would be so proud of and would not have been able to do.

When I was a child, I had a dream of becoming a football player in the NFL, which was a dream that pretty quickly changed as I grew up and realized that not only was that extremely difficult, but I also did not have the build or talent to play at that level. However, I was still able to play collegiately to help offset some of the costs of receiving my undergraduate degree (minimizing the student loans I took out) and helped set me up to pursue a degree in what I now know I want to do: become an occupational therapist. So even though I will not be taking the field on Sundays anytime soon, my love of football led me to Rocky Mountain College, which is the same college where I will be entering the Occupational Therapy program at the beginning of 2025.  The first time I realized I wanted to pursue a degree in the medical realm was actually at the age of 17. This was the age that my mom passed away in an accident. This was one of the hardest times in my life by far, and I had to grow up pretty quickly to set an example for my younger brother and be strong for my older sister. The way all the medical professionals I encountered in the hospital treated me and my siblings really inspired me, while also showing me that I too wanted to work in a field where I would be able to help others in their time of need. Occupational therapy is a career that will allow me to help others relearn, or learn for the first time, tasks that they both want and need to do in their day-to-day lives. A lot of things are taken for granted by people, including myself, that some people would give anything to be able to do. I am so excited to be able to work in this field after I finish my doctorate, especially because I will know I am doing good for the world and the people that come in to see me. If I was awarded this scholarship, it would help immensely. I am having to take out quite a bit of student loans and have my undergraduate student loans as well waiting to be paid. Thank you for your consideration and for taking the time to read my essay; I really appreciate it.

Faith is something I have always had; I am thankful to my parents for instilling that in me from a young age. However, I did not truly start living out my faith until I was 17 years old, due majorly to the loss of my mother. In dark times, faith is the most important, people either dive into their faith or run away from it, and I chose to dive into mine. It helped me through the trials and tribulations that came with losing my mom at such a young age and also helped me heal as time moved on. If I did not have my faith, I have no idea where I would be, but it is somewhere I know I would not want to be. After my mother's death seeing how amazing all of the healthcare workers were in the hospital, inspired me to pursue a career in the medical field. I am currently in the process of applying to occupational therapy and physical therapy programs across the country. Once I graduate, I hope to work for an organization with similar values to my own and give back to the community in which I live. As I have gotten older, I have realized more and more how much the world needs faith, whether that be in the battle for pro-life, or just in my day-to-day life. I actively am trying to spread my faith every single day. One way I have done this was by reading my Bible before every one of my college football games with some of my teammates, as the season went on more and more people joined this pre-game ritual, which was pretty cool to see. It especially grew when one of my teammates, Chandler Stalcup, was killed. Our team became very united afterward and most of us dove into our faith to try and cope with the loss of our 18-year-old teammate. These losses have only enforced my pro-life views. Life is so precious, and nowadays a lot of people forget that or do not appreciate it, whether it be their own or someone else's. Unborn children need to have people advocating for them, they need to have people protecting them and caring for them once they are born if needed. I have always wanted kids of my own, but in recent years I have thought about how amazing it will be one day to also adopt/foster some children. If I can save even one child's life by doing so, it will be more than worthwhile. With my doctorate, I will be able to make enough money to provide this and hopefully adopt/foster as many kids as possible while providing them the life that they deserve. I will be able to raise them in a faith-based household and I can help inspire them to change the world for the better and advocate for what is right. My faith is everything to me, and I know that my faith and drive are going to help me make the world a better place, even if just for one person.

When I was 17 years old, my mother was in a golf cart accident that led to her passing away. I can still vividly remember my family getting in the car to drive from Arizona to California to go to her in the hospital and not knowing what to expect. This was by far the hardest thing I have ever had to go through, and one of the things that made it slightly easier was the amazing hospital staff who were there to explain what was going on, check in on my siblings and me, and do everything they could to save her. Every hospital employee was so helpful every single step of the way, and that is something I have never forgotten about. It was after my mother's passing and my experience in the hospital that I made the decision that I wanted to work in healthcare. I saw the impact that someone in the profession could have and knew that I wanted to use my life and my career to give back and help others. I definitely will never say I am grateful for what I went through, because in all honesty I would give just about anything up if it meant having my mom back, but I have learned over time to try to look at the positives of the situation. It has led me to prioritize family over almost everything, to appreciate life every single day, and to a graduate program and future career in medicine where I will be able to feel fulfilled in what I do each day. I hope one day I will have the opportunity to impact people in the way I was impacted in that hospital in California, especially because I know how much an empathetic healthcare professional can impact someone's life. I am about to begin an occupational therapy program at Rocky Mountain College, the same college I was able to receive my undergraduate degree at, and am so excited to continue my journey into the medical field. A scholarship like this would help me out immensely, especially as medical school can be quite expensive and graduate school student loan rates are incredibly high at the moment. If I were to receive this scholarship, I would not take it for granted, especially as it would help relieve a little bit of the financial stress that comes with medical school. Thank you for your consideration!

I can still remember the moment I knew I wanted to pursue a degree in medicine. I was 17 years old and in the hospital with my mother forced to say goodbye after an accident that took her life too soon. I could not have gotten through the experience without the amazing medical professionals around the hospital, especially because I knew they did everything they could to try and save her life. I want to get my degree in medicine so I too can make a difference, and so I can also make my family, especially my mom, proud. Having a parent pass away obviously causes some financial difficulties, now instead of having two parents incomes to take care of my siblings and myself, there was only one. That made the idea of paying for college a lot more daunting as well. I was lucky to be on a partial scholarship for football during my undergrad, so I have minimal student loans, however I will not be playing football while in the occupational therapy program so it will be a much larger financial burden for myself and my fiancée. I experienced several obstacles in my undergraduate journey to being accepted into Occupational Therapy School. Obviously there was the financial burden, and having to work on top of school and football to pay for rent and food every month; but there was also the fact that my schedule was packed full every single week, and I was one of very few athletes at my college who were pursuing a pre-med route. I feel like a lot of people have a stereotype that if someone plays football they cannot also be smart, so I felt like every single day, in every single class I was fighting to prove that stigma wrong. A lot of nights I had to stay up past midnight studying, only to wake up at 5:30am to get to a football lifting or conditioning session. While this schedule was grueling, I am thankful for it. I feel like it prepared me so well for how busy Occupational Therapy School will be, and I know if I could work on top of football and school, then I can do well in the OT Program. I cannot wait to become an Occupational Therapist (hopefully with as little student loans as possible) and get to help and impact others in the world the way medical professionals helped and impacted my life.

Healthcare is an industry that is incredibly important for our entire society as a whole. This was very prevalent in recent years during the pandemic as well as with the current shortage of healthcare workers in many areas. I have known I wanted to work in healthcare in some capacity since I was 17 years old. I want to make a difference in this world and help others in ways that people in the healthcare industry have helped and impacted my life. I think my passion and background are unique, not only because of the trials I have been through in my life but also because of my history of doing athletics throughout my childhood and into college. Since I plan to work in the occupational or physical therapy realm, I think that my history of playing sports will give me an advantage in patient care. I have had teammates with many different personalities as well as backgrounds, and I have been able to build amazing relationships with almost all of them. Healthcare is, of course, about the medicinal side of things, but it also has a lot to do with people. I want to be a healthcare professional that my patients like to be around and can build an amazing professional relationship while working together. I also know my background of playing football and working while in school will help me in my path to healthcare because it has given me amazing time management skills and a great work ethic. It has not been easy by any means, but I know it will all be worth it one day. When I have run into obstacles with my schedule, I have never given up. I would just talk to my professors and coach if I had to miss anything, and they would work with me on a solution, whether that be taking a test at an earlier time if I had to go out of town for football or being late for practice because I had a lab I could not miss. School has always been my number one priority, and I am thankful to go to a college that acknowledges that and is also flexible with my busy schedule. I am also very lucky that my employer is so flexible with my schedule. A lot of places will not hire a college football player because our schedules are so busy and all over the place. The owner of the business I work at, luckily, had sons who played football through college, so he is very understanding, which I am grateful for. Without my professors, coaching staff, family, and co-workers, I would not be where I am today. I probably would not even be applying for this scholarship, but thanks to them, I am.

Several factors have inspired me in my pursuit of a career in the medical field. One of the biggest reasons is that I have always felt called to work in a career where I was able to help and impact people's lives. This is part of the reason I chose the college I am currently attending for my undergraduate degree: I knew they had the tools and courses to prepare me in my quest to eventually earn my doctorate. While it has been difficult juggling my class workload with my football schedule and off-season job, I am also thankful for this experience, as I feel more than ready to take on the busy schedule that will come when I eventually begin my physical therapy or occupational therapy program. A second experience that inspired me to pursue a future career in the medical field is my injuries and the doctors who have helped me along the way. Football is a sport that comes with many injuries. In college alone, I injured my Achilles and my AC joint, had surgery on one of my fingers, and more. However, thanks to the doctors' and trainers' help along the way, I am still able to play and thrive in the football environment. This would not be possible without their help, and I am extremely thankful, not only because of my love of football but also because it is the sport and my ability to play that are helping me pay for some of my schooling. The final factor that has played a role in my pursuit of the medical field was my mother's death in 2019. She was in an accident that sadly took her life, and seeing how the doctors did everything they could and helped me cope as a terrified 17-year-old boy is inspiring. I am forever indebted to them for how kind they were to me in such a traumatic moment. It helped me realize that I wanted to do that someday—to be there for people in their times of need. Being there for others and making their journey easier in any way, whether that be for their recovery or for that of someone they love, is something I know I was put on this earth to do. In the last few years, there has been a shortage of healthcare workers in the United States, and even though I am just one person, I want to help bridge that gap. When I eventually earn my doctorate, I know my mom will be so proud of me, and I will also be proud of myself for earning the degree that will help me make a difference in the world.

My name is Matthew McGrane. I am 22 years old and currently a student-athlete at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, MT, and NAIA school. I like that it is smaller in size because I feel like I get more hands-on instruction from my professors, plus smaller class sizes. I am studying biology and am currently in the process of applying to occupational therapy and physical therapy schools. I hope to begin one of the programs I am applying to in January 2025. I am currently a member of our school's football team and may play for a couple more years, depending on what program I get accepted into. Montana has been great to me, so I would not mind spending a few more years here, especially if it helps pay for my doctorate. I play the tight end position and live with a few of my teammates. I am not taking this time for granted, because there is nothing like getting to play the sport you love with some of your best friends. I was born and raised in Chandler, Arizona, with my mom, dad, little brother, and older sister. I loved growing up there, and the Montana cold has me often missing the Arizona heat. My mom passed away when I was 17 in an accident, but the rest of my family is still located in Phoenix. I hope to eventually move back down to Phoenix so I can be closer to family and my childhood best friends, who I am still close with today; they are more like brothers to me than friends at this point in my life. I try to make it back at least a couple of times a year currently to spend time with everyone down there. After I graduate with my doctorate (likely at the end of 2027), I hope to do travel OT or travel PT. I feel like this will be a great way to make some great money to start paying off my student loans and to live in some new places before I settle down in one place. Once I am settled down and secure with my job, I hope to get married and have a few kids. I have always wanted to adopt and foster once I am financially secure and all my student loans are paid off. Part of the reason I am applying for scholarships currently is so I can hopefully take out fewer student loans. This will help ease some of the stressors of higher education and post-grad.

Faith is something I have always had; I am thankful to my parents for instilling that in me from a young age. However, I did not truly start living out my faith until I was 17 years old, due majorly to the loss of my mother. In dark times, faith is the most important, people either dive into their faith or run away from it, and I chose to dive into mine. It helped me through the trials and tribulations that came with losing my mom at such a young age and also helped me heal as time moved on. If I did not have my faith, I have no idea where I would be, but it is somewhere I know I would not want to be. After my mother's death seeing how amazing all of the healthcare workers were in the hospital, inspired me to pursue a career in the medical field. I am currently in the process of applying to occupational therapy and physical therapy programs across the country. Once I graduate, I hope to work for an organization with similar values to my own and give back to the community in which I live. As I have gotten older, I have realized more and more how much the world needs faith, whether that be in the battle for pro-life, or just in my day-to-day life. I actively am trying to spread my faith every single day. One way I have done this was by reading my Bible before every one of my college football games with some of my teammates, as the season went on more and more people joined this pre-game ritual, which was pretty cool to see. It especially grew when one of my teammates, Chandler Stalcup, was killed. Our team became very united afterward and most of us dove into our faith to try and cope with the loss of our 18-year-old teammate. These losses have only enforced my pro-life views. Life is so precious, and nowadays a lot of people forget that or do not appreciate it, whether it be their own or someone else's. Unborn children need to have people advocating for them, they need to have people protecting them and caring for them once they are born if needed. I have always wanted kids of my own, but in recent years I have thought about how amazing it will be one day to also adopt/foster some children. If I can save even one child's life by doing so, it will be more than worthwhile. With my doctorate, I will be able to make enough money to provide this, and hopefully adopt/foster as many kids as possible while providing them the life that they deserve. I will be able to raise them in a faith-based household and I can help inspire them to change the world for the better and advocate for what is right. My faith is everything to me, and I know that my faith and drive are going to help me make the world a better place, even if just for one person.

There are many lessons I have learned over the past few years when it comes to money. That may sound peculiar for a 21-year-old college football player to say, but it is true. In the fall of 2019, my mother passed away in an accident. This left me with 1/3 of her assets (split with my siblings). That is a lot of money for a 17-year-old to get their hands on, and I decided to use it on my schooling. I had a partial scholarship to a school in Billings, Montana, but no college fund, so this was my way of avoiding student loans until graduate school at least. However, looking back, I wish someone had been around to help me know where to put my money until I needed it. Whether that be a high-yield savings account, CDs, or investing some in the stock market during the crash caused by COVID, I missed out on a ton of "free" money because no one throughout my life had ever taught me those things, or maybe they also were not educated on them. It was actually through social media that I started to learn about financial literacy, and now I have some of the tools I so desperately needed when I was a scared 17-year-old. It is easy to look back and have a lot of what-ifs. What if we hadn't sold my mom's house in 2019 and waited? What if I had immediately invested all my money in a high-yield savings account? What if I had found this information sooner? I have to not let these questions creep into my head, because there is nothing I can do now but do better in the future. I can do better for my 12-year-old brother by educating him and my father on where to put that money. I can do better for my future family by knowing how to invest my money into retirement and gain financial freedom. I can educate my friends and teammates on these things and encourage them that it is never too early to take your finances seriously. These are the things in my control. There are money lessons everywhere we look, especially in this day and age with all of the social media platforms and websites we have access to. The biggest lesson I have learned about money is to educate myself on it. There are experts to learn from, videos to watch, and tools to use. There is no longer an excuse to be in the dark, and I never will be again, for my mom, for my brother, and most of all, for my 17-year-old self.