Growing up, I struggled to find direction in life, settling on a career path in high school that left me feeling unfulfilled. I sensed that God had something greater in store for me, but I didn’t know what—until my life changed in an instant. At 16, I was hit head-on by a drunk driver, suffering 11 broken bones and facing the devastating possibility of never walking again. The physical and emotional toll was overwhelming, and I constantly asked, “Why me? Why now?” The uncertainty was difficult to bear, but even in my darkest moments, I knew God was by my side, guiding me toward something greater. Though I couldn’t see it at the time, this tragedy was shaping my future in ways I never could have imagined. As I endured months of grueling physical therapy, I started to see myself not just as a patient, but as a therapist. The compassion, encouragement, and dedication of my physical therapists made all the difference in my recovery, and I began to feel a calling toward the profession. This had never been a career I considered, yet it suddenly felt like my true purpose. I began researching what it would take to pursue physical therapy and adjusted my coursework to align with this path. Then, God opened another door when I was blessed with a fully paid internship at a local clinic. Over the next two years, I gained invaluable hands-on experience, learning the skills needed to help patients recover and witnessing firsthand the impact that faith and perseverance can have on the healing process. One of the most rewarding parts of my experience has been connecting with patients who see my scars and hear my story. Many of them are struggling with pain and uncertainty, just as I once was, and I can relate to their challenges on a deeply personal level. My journey has been shaped by hardship, but my faith turned my pain into purpose, allowing me to triumph over adversity. Now, as a junior at Fort Hays State University, I am determined to pursue a career in physical therapy so I can help others reclaim their strength, just as I once had to reclaim mine. I know my faith will continue to be the foundation of my success, guiding me to serve others with compassion, perseverance, and a heart full of purpose. With this scholarship, I hope to further my education and use my testimony to inspire and uplift patients, showing them that even in life’s darkest moments, faith provides the light to keep moving forward.

Helping others is one of the most important factors in my life. Throughout high school, I never knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life, but one thing was certain, I needed to get a job that was as passionate about helping others as I was. The medical field always interested me while I was growing up because it is a field that allows you to never stop learning. It seems like in the medical field, there is always an opportunity to grow, and you never know all the answers. I chose to go into physical therapy as my career path because this allowed me a way to be active in a patient's life and see them as they are progressing. When I was 16, I was hit head on by a drunk driver. I had broken 11 different bones and I had to undergo nearly a year and a half worth of physical therapy to be able to walk and obtain a normal life again. While I was going through one of the hardest times in my life, my physical therapists were there for me every step of the way. They pushed me to limits that I did not think I could reach and were a light in the dark time of my life. After going through this experience, I knew that this was the path I needed to follow. I wanted to become a light for the people around me to see that things do get better. One of the biggest things I hope to come from my career is showing everyone around me that as long as you can keep a good attitude and pushing yourself further, you can overcome anything. I hope to be able to go back to my high school to provide a service to the students like the service I received when I was younger. When I was growing up, often times many of the highschoolers would give up on dreams after they were injured just because they weren't pushed in their healing process. This is one thing I hope to be able to change in the culture of my old high school. My overall goal is to provide a push to the younger generation to push themselves to achieve their goals. I would also like to provide a push to help kids to realize what drinking and driving does and how it can affect an innocent person's life.

The people we surround ourselves with make us who we want to be. This is a sentence I have always tried to live by. One of the biggest accomplishments I want to achieve from my schooling is becoming a physical therapist. As a physical therapist, I can help others who are going through hard times. When I was a teenager, I had to undergo nearly a year and a half of physical therapy due to a severe car wreck. My physical therapists helped me through one of the hardest things I had ever experienced. At this point in my life, I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I grew up but one thing was certain, I wanted to help others. Because of my experience, right after high school, I applied at my local physical therapy clinic as an intern. At this job, I have realized that being a light in someone else’s life is not only one of the best things for me but also for everyone else that walks through the door of the clinic, especially when they are going through a hard time like I once did. The clinic I chose was also run by a female physical therapist that has helped me realize that no dream is too big to accomplish. In the physical therapy clinic, there are often times more females than males seeking help, especially young athletes. This is due to females natural structure of their body. Some of the biggest injuries that are seen within the clinic involve the tendons, especially in the knees. Knowing this fact makes me want to set out to help build knowledge in the younger generation about how to keep your body safe. Another thing that would help the younger generation is by building up muscle tone to avoid the injuries before they start. Within the clinic, the older generations of women often seek out therapy for their pelvic floor. In a woman, the pelvic floor is often a big part of lower back pain. Most people don’t realize or associate physical therapy with these muscles because they are so often overlooked. My ultimate goal within physical therapy is to be able to come back to my hometown in southwest Kansas to open my own clinic. Upon doing this, I hope to bring a new light to help not only young athletes, but the older generation too in expanding knowledge about how our bodies are actually supposed to function. With the help of my preexisting and future support system, my dreams are beginning to look like a reality.