Starting in kindergarten, even as early as the first day of school, it seemed that I was always in trouble. One would think that with my mother being a teacher, I would know better. That was part of the problem. I knew the rules and expectations and it frustrated me that the other students did not follow them. I struggled to express myself verbally to make them understand I was only trying to help. I was soon diagnosed with Level 2 Autism Disorder with a combination of ADHD and ADD. In addition to a deficit in my verbal and nonverbal communication skills, my specific interest in trains at the time and a ticking noise that I made when I was focusing on something, were pointed out as definite autistic traits. Through counseling and medical interventions, I worked hard to gain control of my autism and not allow it to define me. Toward the end of my 8th grade year, while planning my high school courses, I was asked what career I was interested in pursuing. While the future is always uncertain, I knew that I would like to help other children. Not just any children, but specifically babies and children that face daily challenges like me. So my reply was simple. “I want to help children on the autism spectrum like me.” Therefore, starting my freshman year, I enrolled in the Medical Magnet program at Washington High School. I am engaged daily in medical studies and have participated in field work at Memorial Hospital and Holy Cross Nursing Home. I am excited to start an internship program with Beacon Health this upcoming spring semester. I view all of this experience as a prerequisite, a preparation for helping me to find the right medical field to pursue. I am planning to continue my medical studies at IUSB where I have been accepted into the Honors Program. In addition to participating in the Medical Magnet Program and earning dual credits at Ivy Tech, I am also very active in multiple ways in my high school. Since my freshman year was a mixed up year, returning from COVID, there were no club opportunities. However, starting my sophomore year, I joined the tennis team, helped at the concession stands during school events, and was actively involved in the Drama Club, performing in school productions. I have continued my active involvement in the Drama Club as well as the Student Council. I am also a member of the National Honor Society and National Technical Honor Society Clubs. As I look toward the future to fulfill my desire to help children overcome life challenges, I am leaning towards pursuing a career as a pediatric nurse with a specialty in neonatal intensive care. Babies are born daily with medical challenges. I would like to be part of the team of workers that help treat them and overcome those challenges. Neonatal nurses provide babies and infants with health care services and critical care needed for them to overcome both short or long-term illness. While most studies of the autism spectrum show earliest diagnoses around the age of 3, recent medical advances have allowed for diagnoses during pregnancy based on the developmental growth of the baby. Patients in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) are at an increased risk for a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) due to autonomic nervous system disorders and irregular heartbeats. Working directly with babies in the NICU, would allow me to help research autism diagnosis, work with babies, and meet my goal of helping children on the spectrum overcome some of life challenges.

Starting in kindergarten, even as early as the first day of school, it seemed that I was always in trouble. One would think that with my mother being a Kindergarten teacher, I would know better. That was part of the problem. I knew the rules and expectations and it frustrated me that the other students did not follow them. I struggled to express myself verbally to make them understand I was only trying to help. I was soon diagnosed with Level 2 Autism Disorder with a combination of ADHD and ADD. In addition to a deficit in my verbal and nonverbal communication skills, my specific interest in trains at the time and a ticking noise that I made when I was focusing on something, were pointed out as definite autistic traits. Through counseling and medical interventions, I worked hard to gain control of my autism and not allow it to define me. Toward the end of my 8th grade year, while planning my high school courses, I was asked what career I was interested in pursuing. While the future is always uncertain, I knew that I would like to help other children. Not just any children, but specifically babies and children that face daily challenges like me. So my reply was simple. “I want to help children on the autism spectrum like me.” Therefore, starting my freshman year, I enrolled in the Medical Magnet program at Washington High School. I am engaged daily in medical studies and have participated in field work at Memorial Hospital and Holy Cross Nursing Home. I am excited to start an internship program with Beacon Health this upcoming spring semester. I view all of this experience as a prerequisite, a preparation for helping me to find the right medical field to pursue. I am planning to continue my medical studies at IUSB while still participating in field experience at the local hospitals. As I look toward the future to fulfill my desire to help children overcome life challenges, I am leaning towards pursuing a career as a pediatric nurse with a specialty in neonatal intensive care. Babies are born daily with medical challenges. I would like to be part of the team of workers that help treat them and overcome those challenges. Neonatal nurses provide babies and infants with health care services and critical care needed for them to overcome both short or long-term illness. While most studies of the autism spectrum show earliest diagnoses around the age of 3, recent medical advances have allowed for diagnoses during pregnancy based on the developmental growth of the baby. Patients in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) are at an increased risk for a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) due to autonomic nervous system disorders and irregular heartbeats. Working directly with babies in the NICU, would allow me to help research autism diagnosis, work with babies, and meet my goal of helping children on the spectrum overcome some of life challenges.