By the age of 13, I lost track of how many MRI’s I had. I do not even remember my first one because I was only three. I was born with a genetic condition known as Neurofibromatosis Type I, or NF for short. It is a condition that affects chromosome 17, and it causes the body to grow tumors within the nervous system. At four years old, we learned that I had a tumor on the optic nerve of my left eye. When I was 7 the tumor started to grow, and the doctor said I had to start weekly chemotherapy. I may not remember my first MRI, but I definitely remember having my first dose of chemotherapy. I remember it because I was scared of having a needle put in me every week. I remember it because I lost all of my hair. I remember it because I always threw up after every dose of the second medicine. I remember it because I was always tired. I wish I didn't have to go through chemotherapy because I loved school so much, and I hated missing it. The treatment lasted about two and a half years. I felt really happy when I had my last treatment, this meant that I could stop worrying about needles. My happiness did not last long, a few months later, the tumor started growing again and I had to have surgery to remove it. I cannot say much about the surgery because I don't really remember it. The surgery itself was successful, but the tumor did leave a little bit of damage. Due to the tumor’s location, it also impacted the vision of my left eye. My mom says that when I was about 9 years old, I could only see five fingers from five feet away. Today, even though I have impaired vision, it hasn’t stopped me from doing everyday things, and the things I love. My passion is taking photos of wildlife and nature. When I see a beautiful sunset, I have to take a photo of it, this has become my obsession. I also love being involved in Girl Scouts; I have been a Girl Scout since I was in kindergarten. This past September, I earned my Gold Award is about NF Awareness, focusing on an educational setting. My impaired vision has also not stopped me from noticing beautiful sunsets and doing well in school. Though I sit in the front row in all my classes and my notes and worksheets are provided with a larger font, I am able to do all my work by myself. Despite everything I have gone through, I am proud that I have overcome my challenges. I persevered and took each day one at a time. I am proud that even during my most difficult time, I had a positive attitude. It is this positive attitude that makes me want to become a special education teacher. Throughout my years in school, there have been amazing teachers who have helped me become the person I am today. I want to become one of those teachers who will someday meet a student like I was and inspire them to achieve all they can and in turn inspire others. This scholarship will help me pay for college and achieve my dream of becoming a special education teacher.