Helping others has always brought me a sense of fulfillment, and this desire has allowed me to persevere through the challenges I have faced in life. As I have experienced some health challenges including complex calf injuries, and an epilepsy diagnosis, my desire to help others has deepened. My goal for the future is to make a positive impact on my community, and as a nurse, I want to care for others with the same compassion that I have been shown throughout my life. Due to complex injuries followed by multiple surgeries, I unfortunately was unable to play soccer during my early teen years. For as long as I can remember, soccer has always been a huge part of my life, with my family, friends, and community all revolving around it in some way. I began coaching others as a way to stay involved in the sport that I loved so dearly. I now coach youth soccer four times a week, while practicing and playing games for my high school team every day after school. This is certainly a passion of mine that I will carry with me to college, as I plan to participate in club soccer at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and work at the local soccer club, Wilmington Hammerheads. My experience in dealing with epilepsy has led me to show perseverance in many ways. Throughout my time in high school, I have continued to volunteer and work in my community. I volunteer with the Special Olympics, coaching track and soccer for my local county. Coaching is such a rewarding position, building lasting connections and seeing real improvement is a special experience to be a part of. After being diagnosed with epilepsy during my sophomore year in high school, I feel as though I was able to relate more to these athletes, now understanding even just a little bit more of what their experience is like. Having epilepsy has given me the opportunity to better understand the challenges that others, especially athletes, may face in a whole new way. My epilepsy diagnosis inspired me to serve others as much as I can. As a member of the Franciscan Youth International Leadership Council at my high school, I plan and run events often promoting a particular cause or advocating for the community. As a leader of my schools’ “Gibbons Friends Club,” I work to provide those with disabilities, mainly those with autism or down syndrome, including a few members with severe epilepsy, events to socialize and a sense of normalcy in a life that may feel isolating at times. These experiences have taught me the true importance of kindness and the willingness to help others in need. Looking forward to my time in college, I plan to major in nursing. Inspiration for this decision came from positive experiences I have had with nurses and medical professionals, whether during a hospital stay or at a routine clinic visit. Living with epilepsy has shown me the importance of a great healthcare team, and how comforting it can be to have people who truly care for you. This combined with my want to help others has led me to determine that nursing would be a great fit for me. My eventual goal is to work as an ICU nurse, calling upon my ability to stay calm under pressure and problem solve in difficult situations.