During the fall semester of freshman year, something felt off. All of a sudden, I was constantly weak in the legs to the point that I couldn't walk, and my arms were shaking so badly that I couldn't write. I went to my general doctor, and she couldn't determine what was wrong. Next, I had MRIs, EKGs, EEGs, and so on. A few months later, in the spring, a diagnosis finally came. I had an autoimmune disease called POTS, or postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. Like most people, I had never heard of that before. POTS is when, depending on my position, I have reduced blood volume. So when I stand up, my blood volume drops, and so do I. One doctor described it as my brain telling my heart that I lost an arm and it needs to pump more blood, but then my heart realizes that that isn't happening, so it just stops. Right away, this diagnosis was difficult to deal with. Not only did I not know how to fix the problem, but my symptoms were also getting worse. During one of my band concerts, I even collapsed. I ended up having to quit my job because my flare-ups were becoming so frequent. I had to figure out how to keep up in school while dealing with these crippling symptoms. Not once during this difficult time did my grades drop below an A-. I learned how to manage my time better, and I knew that I needed to completely focus on schoolwork when I was feeling good and to rest as much as I could when I was feeling bad. Although it was extremely difficult at times, I pushed through as best as I knew how. I developed personal relationships with all of my teachers, and I was honest with them if I was not able to complete an assignment on time. Throughout this experience, I got better at developing relationships because I had to rely on people more. Now I have been able to recognize when other people are struggling, and I have been able to help them through that. There is someone that I know who is currently going through the same process that I was, and now I can be there for her in a way that wasn't available for me. Although it has been a hassle, I have found that I am now more resourceful and a more grateful person. I was able to adapt to situations quickly because I needed to. Without having this disease, I do not think that I would be the person that I am today.

As a 19-year-old freshman at North Dakota State University, pursuing a degree in radiological sciences, I have a lifelong commitment to helping others, shaped by my life in Bismarck, ND as the youngest of four daughters. While most people assume that the youngest child has everything handed down to them, my experience was quite the opposite. As the youngest of four girls, if I wanted something, I had to get it myself; no one was going to do it for me. This helped develop my passion for helping those who are unable to help themselves, something I have decided to dedicate my life to. I deserve this scholarship because I have been able to channel my passion into volunteering in my community and bettering my city. Through my high school, I have been volunteering for the past four years. It has brought me joy that I did not think was possible. Throughout my junior year of high school, I volunteered every week at the hospital, St. Alexius, at the information desk. I helped direct distraught family members to their admitted relatives, and this gave me great pride. Some of these people were experiencing the worst day of their lives, and I was able to make their day a little easier by showing them who they really wanted to see. Being a part of their hardest days gave me a sense of purpose I had not felt before. This experience directed me to a career in the medical field. Originally, I wanted to become a NICU nurse so that I could care for the children who would one day be caring for me, and who can not care for themselves. I also thoroughly enjoy working with and being around infants. I took the first step in this process and obtained my CNA license. After completing that certification, I got hired as a CNA in the flex pool at St. Alexius Hospital in Bismarck. While I enjoy caring for those patients and helping them, I realized that nursing is not my calling. Instead, I realized that I am called to obstetric sonography, and possibly in a nonprofit organization. Despite my strong work ethic and commitment to funding my own education, the cost of paying for college myself remains a significant challenge. I work hard for the money that I have, but it just is not enough. This scholarship would help to ease my financial burden, allowing me to focus more fully on gaining admission to NDSU’s highly competitive sonography program, which accepts only five students per year, and continuing to serve my community without the constant weight of financial stress. I would also be able to graduate with less student debt, thus giving me more time to volunteer and give even more back to my community. I am passionate about helping those without the resources to do so, and with this scholarship, I will be closer to achieving my goals, and that is why I deserve this scholarship. Thank you for your consideration.

Kindness is something that I believe everybody contains in some form. However, not everyone shows it in the same way. Personally, my acts of kindness revolve mostly around making people's lives just a little bit easier and a little brighter. Yesterday, for example, I was standing in the lunch line and I noticed that the server was out of forks close to him and that the only forks were a bit of a reach away. He also looked like maybe he was not having the greatest day. So when he was not looking I switched out the empty container with a full one just to make his job a little easier. Although I was not expecting anything in return, he thanked me by way of a genuine smile. For all I know he could have been having the worst day of his life, but my small action to make his task easier was enough to brighten his day, even if it was only a little bit. Another instance where I have shown this same form of kindness was this past weekend. I was standing in line for confession at my church when I noticed an elderly woman was in front of me. In the floor, at this spot in the church, there was a bit of a bump, and she was struggling to get over it. Without thinking I went forward to help her walk over the bump and into the confessional. Later that day I received a phone call, and was surprised to find that the woman had found my phone number and called to thank me. Now, I knew who this woman was, but not well enough that she would know my phone number. An action that was minuscule in my eyes meant so much to her that she felt the need to call me and thank me. I think that this is one of the greatest forms of kindness because it was just a small act that did not need recognition. I am not saying that big acts of kindness are not good, I just believe that the small things eventually mean more than the big. Small acts of kindness seem to be more unexpected which in turn gives me so much more joy. Through witnessing and performing seemingly small acts of kindness, I have discerned a career in the healthcare field. These small acts of kindness will benefit me in my future career as a sonographer. Sonography is the art of ultrasounds, and I specifically want to be an obstetric sonographer. For many couples, I will be the person providing the first look at their new child. I will also sometimes be placed in a situation where I will need to deliver bad news to them, and it is in those instances that I will practice small acts of kindness. I will be there with the family and be able to offer them kind words of support in whatever they are experiencing. My sympathy for them will make a difference in there being at least one person in their lives that truly cares about their situation. Kindness is all around us in different ways, but my way to show kindness is through small acts performed simply for the benefit of another. Thank you for your consideration.

I am the youngest of four children. Now, most people believe that the youngest child has everything handed down to them. However, this is not always the case, and it was not in my home. As the youngest of four girls, if I wanted something, I had to get it myself, no one was going to do it for me. This has helped develop my passion for helping those who are unable to help themselves. This passion has been further developed by the gift of attending a very volunteer-oriented school. Through my school, I have been volunteering for the past four years. It has brought me a joy that I didn’t think was possible. Currently, I volunteer every week at the hospital at the information desk. I help direct distraught family members to their admitted relatives, and this gives me great pride. Some of these people are experiencing the worst day of their lives, and I am able to make their day a little easier by showing them who they really want to see. This experience has directed me to a career in the medical field. Originally I wanted to be a NICU nurse so that I could care for the children that would one day be caring for me. I took the first step in this process and became a CNA, working at the hospital. While I enjoy caring for those patients, I realized that nursing is not my calling. Instead, I realized that I am called to obstetric sonography, and possibly in a nonprofit organization. Sonography is an extremely competitive field, and I am dedicated to getting into this field. I can think of nothing more fulfilling than being able to give parents a first glimpse at their child. However, as you know, college is very expensive. I am going to be paying for college by myself, and I work very hard for the money I have, but it will not be enough. This scholarship would help me to be able to focus on getting into my desired program without having to worry as much about finances. I would also be able to graduate with less student debt, thus giving me more time to volunteer and give even more back to my community. I am passionate about helping those without the resources to do so, and with this scholarship, I will be closer to achieving my goals. Thank you for your consideration.

I will never tire of hearing the sound of my driver connecting purely with the ball on the tee. I have learned that golf is a sport that requires dedication and being able to accept disappointment. I deserve this scholarship because I am a high school golfer who wants to apply the lessons of golf to all aspects of my life. I want to apply the dedication I have to golf to my life. Every single day I would show up to practice early and leave late. Even though it wasn’t always easy, I had made a commitment to be there and give my all, so I did. Dedication is a skill that is useful throughout life. In the future, I would like to be an obstetrics sonographer, and the program that I will apply for only accepts eight individuals. To have the best chance of getting into the program, I need to be dedicated to it. I am willing to put in the work that is required to excel in that program and in life in general. I learned how important putting in the extra work is by playing golf. The only way to lower your score is to practice, practice, and practice. This golf season I dropped my overall average by about six strokes, which is not an easy thing to do. I went to the range multiple times a week, and I really focused on my putting. There were hundreds of things I could have done this summer instead of practicing, but I knew that this was important. My dedication paid off this year when I helped my team to place third place overall in the state, and best in our region. This victory taught me a valuable life lesson. If you put in the work, you will be rewarded. I am able and willing to put in the work to succeed in my future career, and that is because golf taught me how to do so. Although I have had a lot of success with golf, I have also faced my fair share of disappointment. This year alone, I missed individually qualifying for state by four strokes on multiple occasions. This was extremely disappointing, but thanks to playing golf for years, I knew how to deal with the disappointment. I knew that I needed to work a little harder, but I also needed to just relax and play. I shouldn’t be striving for perfection, just improvement, because I have yet to meet a golfer who has never had a bad shot during a round, it’s just not realistic. However, I have noticed that the great golfers are the ones who are able to take those bad shots and still make them into a great round. That’s the thing about golf, disappointments are what make the game fun. I deserve this scholarship because I understand that golf is a game of skill and character, and I am confident I can use both to excel in my life. Thank you for your consideration.

During the fall semester of freshman year, something felt off. All of a sudden I was constantly weak in the legs to the point that I couldn't walk and my arms were shaking so badly that I couldn't write. I went to my general doctor, and she couldn't determine what was wrong. Next, I had MRIs, EKGs, EEGs, and so on. A few months later, in the spring, a diagnosis finally came. I had an autoimmune disease called POTS, or postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. Like most people, I had never heard of that before. POTS is when, depending on my position, I have reduced blood volume. So when I stand up, my blood volume drops, and so do I. One doctor described it as my brain telling my heart that I lost an arm and it needs to pump more blood, but then my heart realizes that that isn't happening, so it just stops. Right away, this diagnosis was difficult to deal with. Not only did I not know how to fix the problem, but my symptoms were also getting worse. During one of my band concerts I even collapsed. I ended up having to quit my job because my flare-ups were becoming so often. I had to figure out how to keep up in school while dealing with these crippling symptoms. Not once during this difficult time did my grades drop below an A-. I learned how to manage my time better, and I knew that I needed to completely focus on schoolwork when I was feeling good and to rest as much as I could when I was feeling bad. Although it was extremely difficult at times, I pushed through as best as I knew how. I developed personal relationships with all of my teachers, and I was honest with them if I was not able to complete an assignment on time. Throughout this experience, I got better at developing relationships because I had to rely on people more. Now I have been able to recognize when other people are struggling and I have been able to help them through that. There is someone that I know who is currently going through the same process that I was, and now I can be there for her in a way that wasn't available for me. Although it has been a hassle, I have found that I am now more resourceful and a more grateful person. I was able to adapt to situations quickly because I needed to. Without having this disease, I do not think that I would be the person that I am today.

Out of all of the characters in "The Office", I think that I resonate the most with Darrell. To me, Darrell is someone who is willing to speak up when he needs to, but he is also willing to stay in the background. I am also someone who has ideas and is willing to share those ideas, but I understand the importance of letting others lead. In my current school life, I tend to be the person that everyone else looks to for guidance. I think that a lot of people in "The Office" look up to Darrell also because he seems to mostly have his life in order, compared to some of the others. Even though it's sometimes shaky, he is still always there for his daughter, and similarly, I am always there for my family. Although the thought of a boss like Michael is a little unrealistic, it still has shown me that fun can be had at work. After watching/bingeing the show multiple times, I have begun looking for a way to create fun at my current job. One day after watching an episode of "The Office" where they played football in the parking lot, I had an idea on how to bring more joy out of my next shift. When I went to work the next day, I fashioned a football out of tape. In between customers, my coworkers and I would throw it around or try to finger-flick the ball into a goal. This simple game that came to me after watching this show helped me to bond with my fellow coworkers and it also made my six-hour shift go much quicker. I owe a lot of my relationships with my coworkers to"The Office", and I know it will continue to teach me much more.

I am without a doubt Team Jeremiah. I will admit that it was more difficult in season one to be a true Jeremiah fan, but after season two there is no question. Conrad is one of the most selfish and pessimistic characters that I have ever witnessed. On the other hand, Jeremiah is an optimistic, rainbow at the end of the storm, kind of man. One of the scenes that I think sums up Conrad's character well is when he is on the road trip with Jeremiah and Belly. The entire car ride was spent with Conrad criticizing Belly and Jeremiah, and he was being as annoying as possible. He later says it's because he doesn't want to hurt Belly anymore, but I don't believe it. He has the mindset that if he can't have her, no one can, and that includes his brother. Conrad was willing to destroy his relationship with Jeremiah as long as he couldn't have Belly. To me, it seems that Conrad is a narcissistic person, who will do whatever he can to get what he wants. He continually claims that everything he does is to help Belly, but in reality, everything he does hurts her. For example, he broke up with her on prom just because his life wasn't going well. He yelled at her and called her extremely hurtful names but he didn't care because her being gone benefited him. Even though they weren't together, he couldn't stand to watch Jeremiah be with her, even if it made his brother happy. This shows how horrible of a person Conrad is that he puts his happiness above anyone else's, even those he supposedly cares about. One scene that I think beautifully sums up the character of Jeremiah is when he calls Belly when Conrad goes missing. He and Belly were not on good terms at that point, and yet he sucked it up because he knew that his brother needed help. He was willing to set aside his differences with Belly to help out Conrad, who he also wasn't on good terms with. It was shown that Jeremiah was the one who had taken care of Susannah in her final days, and Conrad was nowhere to be seen. All Jeremiah wanted to do was to help those whom he loved, and he did that no matter the consequences. He had feelings for Belly, especially in season one, but he didn't want to act on those feelings because he knew how Conrad felt about her. No matter what, Jeremiah always had the backs of those he cared about.

The earth as we know it is dying. As mentioned in the above text, the future generations of the world are being burdened with fixing a broken society, in multiple aspects. I think that it is unfair that the problems created by previous generations must be fixed by those in the future. I completely agree with the "Ode to Millenials-Gen Z" text regarding the war that this age group is facing. War does not necessarily mean fighting with physical weapons, such as guns, rather a war can also be fought economically and socially. The text mentions that the "[Millenials-Gen Z generation] accept[s] an economy that is on a course of bankruptcy, not only in the United States but worldwide." I think that this is a very real issue that can hopefully be fixed by trade agreements between countries that wouldn't normally trade. For instance, if the United States were open to trading with every country, no matter their socioeconomic status, I think this would promote domestic and foreign businesses. I am not saying that trade alone would magically fix all of the economic problems of the world, but I am saying that it would be one step in the process. It says in the text that the Millenial-Gen Z generation could become the greatest generation. I think in some senses it is true, but in others not so much. This age group will have experienced a significant increase in technological advances that weren't available to the generations before them. This advancement will help them in the sense of scientific and medical discoveries, but it won't help them in developing real relationships with each other. Many have said that the world was better before social media, and I think that that claim is partially true. The rate of suicides in the US alone after the introduction of social media to the public is astronomically high. In this sense, the Millenial-Gen Z generation is at a disadvantage. They haven't had the necessity inflicted on previous generations of having face-to-face conversations, and I think that is a very important skill to learn. The Millenial-Gen Z generation can become the greatest generation yet. However, it will be difficult because of the problems that need to be solved from previous years.

The two Disney Channel shows I would mash up would be Good Luck Charlie and K.C. Undercover. The episode would be called Undercover Duncan. There are many reasons I would cross these two, but one would be that I think the characters would mesh well. I would pair PJ Duncan up with Ernie Cooper because I feel that their personalities are very similar, and I feel they would get along well. Another natural pairing would be Gabe Duncan and Judy Cooper. They both have the troublesome yet humorous personality that audiences love. Of course, Teddy Duncan and KC Cooper would also be working together. The first scene opens up to the Coopers getting an alert that they have a mission. The mission would be to infiltrate Kwikki Chikki, where there are rumors of a money laundering scheme. Ernie would be sent to Denver to work at Kwikki Chikki. When he arrives the person training him is PJ Duncan. Somehow PJ and Ernie would discover that PJ's boss has been laundering money. PJ asks his boss directly if he is the one who has been laundering, and then they both get taken hostage. They are being held in the kitchen, which has a back door to the outside. Before all of their devices are taken, Ernie sends a signal to KC that he is in trouble. KC and Judy would then have to fly to Denver to save Ernie. Simultaneously Teddy and Gabe are getting worried that PJ hasn't come home from his shift yet. Naturally, they assume he got lost on his way home, so they go out to look for him. While they are looking for him they run into KC and Judy. Teddy asks if they have seen PJ, and when she hears the description, KC realizes that Ernie is with PJ. She explains the situation to Teddy and Gabe, and they devise a plan to rescue the boys. Gabe and Judy are tasked with creating a distraction. They go back to the Duncan home where Gabe collects the various things he has designed to take down Mrs. Dabney, only now they will be used to save PJ and Ernie. They gather firecrackers and noise makers and Judy downloads a schematic of the Kwikki Chikki building. The plan is for Gabe and Judy to set off the explosion at the front of the building, while Teddy and KC are going to sneak in through the back of the building. As soon as the explosion goes off, KC and Teddy go through the back door, save Ernie and PJ, and capture PJ's boss. At the end of the episode, before KC takes the suspect back to D.C., she thanks the Duncans for all of their help. It ends with KC giving Teddy a spy bracelet in case Teddy ever needs to get in contact with her.

During the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic, I discovered the movie, Miracle. Miracle is about the USA's 1980 Olympic men's hockey team. This was an important time in American history because it was in the midst of the Cold War, and many US citizens thought that a victory over the Soviet Union in the Olympics would signal a victory in the Cold War. This movie spoke to me because it was all about perseverance. I feel like an area in my life that I need to grow in is my perseverance. I tend to hold out on difficult tasks for a while, but I do lose interest easily. However, after watching Miracle, I realized how important perseverance is in all aspects of life. For those in the movie, it helped them to beat the Soviet Union, for me it can help me succeed in life, specifically in school. There was one scene in the movie in particular that stood out to me. It was the scene where after a loss, the coach, Herb Brooks, made the whole team do sprints. He made them go for so long that the arena was empty and the lights were shut off before he let them stop. Brooks wanted to make sure that his team would know the consequences of a loss, enabling them to enjoy a victory even more. I remember this scene so clearly because the first time I saw it I thought he was being a cruel coach. However, now I understand why he did what he did. In life, you get back what you put in. By that, I mean that the more work you put into life, the more you will get out of it. Brooks felt like his team had not put 100% into the game, so he was going to make them work for it afterward. This taught me that if I want to succeed or be a winner, then I need to put in the extra work to be a winner. The hard work aspect fits into my life today because I play varsity golf. Golf is a difficult sport that requires a lot of extra work to be great. In the past, I have not been good at putting in the extra work. After seeing this movie, I want to start putting in the work to be a champion, not just in golf, but in all aspects of my life. This movie has taught me not only how to be a winner, but also how to be a teammate who always perseveres.

A mom, wife, and nurse with a great self-image and no debt.

If everyone in the world could read just one book, I would choose for them to read the book Educated, by Tara Westover. I first read this novel for an AP language class, and I am so grateful that this book was one of the options. I chose Educated because it shows the importance of education in the real world. The main character, Tara, was brought up in an abusive and ignorant home, and she didn't go to school until she was seventeen. However, once she went, she transformed into a completely new individual. By the end of her education career, she had achieved a PhD in Intellectual History. Her journey to her PhD was not easy, as her family told her she either needed to leave college, or she needed to leave the family. I applaud her ability to stand up for what is right, even though she lost her family in the process. She realized that if she stayed with her family, she would become willfully ignorant and that she could not handle. Through her schooling, she was able to leave an abusive situation and she was able to accomplish the life of a successful and responsible citizen. Her lack of education made me more thankful for the academic opportunities that have been presented to me. I have been lucky enough to be brought up in a private school institution that prides itself on academic excellence and integrity. Until I read this book I had no idea the gifts I had been given by a great education with parents who support me fully.