During my sophomore year in high school, I learned about Athletic Training and sparked a new passion for myself. I remember joining the team and feeling nervous about everything I would learn because I knew absolutely nothing about medicine, but I knew that it was something I would work hard to make sure I knew. Throughout my first year in training, I got to know other athletes from multiple sports and with multiple backgrounds as well as learn a lot and gain new skills needed in sports medicine. I feel for a lot of people in their injuries and their passion for their sports because of something that had happened or something they dealt with. This has shaped my dream of working with athletes in the future, to not only help them feel heard on and off the field when needed but to also know that they have someone who genuinely cares for them and has that hope in getting better that they may not have. I want to make a difference in the sports medicine world to accept all athletes from every sport and to eventually broaden the backgrounds and ethnic backgrounds of athletic trainers. I continue to work my hardest to get to know every single player I come in contact with to apply myself to my goals to the fullest. Attending medical school and being able to gain more knowledge in athletic training is important to me because I am determined to do more for people who injure themselves while doing a sport they love. I want to help those who have goals of becoming big in the sports industry and allow them to continue even if they get hurt. Being able to give athletes hope in continuing their goals no matter the circumstance and being able to provide emotional support during their highs and lows is crucial to me. I've learned that athletic training is not only a physical aspect but also an emotional aspect. I've learned and watched how important it is for players to hear and see someone that's going to care for them and uplift them physically and mentally. I'm still so eager to learn even more about athletic training and expand my knowledge in college for my future career. I've learned how much of a caring and empathetic person I am based on the people I've come in contact with and how I interacted with them. I nonstop attract good energy and always do my best to make others feel heard no matter how big or small their situation is. I want to grow my knowledge more in college and eventually take my skills and care for people to bigger industries and athletic departments.

I have always looked up to my mom. Growing up with just her being in my life has always taught me to continue working hard because it is going to pay off one way or another. My dad was in my life, but as I grew up, he constantly showed me signs of the reasons my mom and him split and why I couldn't live with him. He always did what he could to be a dad to me the only catch was it had to be what he wanted and on his timing while my mom did what was best for me and in my best interest. My mom has always worked hard to make sure I had a good education and had the tools and knowledge to not be in the same position as her when I graduate. Throughout the rough patches of moving every year to be concerned about being able to pay for my extracurriculars and getting from place to place, she's always kept her head up and taught me to do the same. I've learned to look for the bright side in every aspect of my life, including working hard towards my goals when faced with challenges. I genuinely would not be the person I am today and would not be where I am if it wasn't for my mom being who she is. She has taught me so much growing up and is always a reminder to me to keep working hard. She has also supported me through every goal and dream I've had despite how far it may get me in life, as long as I'm happy, that's all she cares about. Attending medical school and being able to gain more knowledge in athletic training is important to me because I am determined to do more for people who injure themselves while doing a sport they love. I want to help those who have goals of becoming big in the sports industry and allow them to continue even if they get hurt. Being able to give athletes hope in continuing their goals no matter the circumstance and being able to provide emotional support during their highs and lows is crucial to me. I've learned that athletic training is not only a physical aspect but also an emotional aspect. I've learned and watched how important it is for players to hear and see someone who's going to care for them and uplift them physically and mentally. I'm still so eager to learn even more about athletic training and expand my knowledge in college for my future career. Continuing athletic training in college is important not only to me but also important that I make my mom proud. She has come a very long way to make sure I have the resources I need to get farther in life than she did. I strive everyday to ensure that I achieve my goals just for her, for her to also live out her dreams of going through college through me. I want to make her proud and I want her to know that it's possible.

I’ve always wanted to be a part of the dance team at my school, but the tryout process of the entire thing always left me with confusion and insecurities. I was faced with the dream that I could be one of them. Smiling on the football field every Friday night with white boots and sparkly dresses that caught everyone’s attention anytime they walked onto the field. I wanted to look like them: brunette, with blue eyes, skinny yet “curvy in all the right places,” with light-colored skin so that I could blend in with everyone else, but the shrinkage of my hair and the melanin that my skin held somehow prevented the judges from seeing my potential. It wasn't until my sophomore year that I truly realized I had everything it took to dance during every halftime with red lipstick and a white and gold star that pulled back my hair. I took classes to better my skills and knowledge and to show that I was ready to be a Star. Consequently, I didn't make the team. I knew I had what it took, but my mind doubted my confidence in the judges that I was being on the team. I also knew that because I stood out like a black sheep, tryouts would be harder for me. I pushed myself because I knew I had two more years to be the version of myself that I’ve always wanted to be, and I was able to accomplish so many things that I had daydreamed about being able to do. I was proud, smiling from ear to ear as I walked into the gym that night. My feet were pretty and pointed, I nailed that double pirouette as I smiled at those judges, and my calypso had the amazing transitions that I had worked on for the past two years. I couldn’t help but start planning my junior year around the dance team because there was a part of me that knew I would finally dance alongside the one black girl on the team whom I admired. Nevertheless, I was denied again. My mind picked apart everything from the auditions to finding out who made the team, but I couldn’t help thinking about the rumors people told me. There were plenty of girls of color at the tryouts, yet the judges only picked one of them out of at least thirty of us. I was unsure about what I had done wrong. I didn’t know how many points I scored for each requirement, I didn’t know what I needed to improve on, and I didn’t know that the color of my skin and the braids in my hair would make me any less of a dancer than the other girls auditioning. Despite the concern about whether I had everything I needed to make the dance team or not, I knew I wanted to prove myself. I wanted to show that despite the number of times that I have been told no, I’m not giving up. My past failures have not only helped me better myself but have given me more motivation to always strive for the things that I want, as well as make the team for my senior year. I learned that persevering through my failures can improve my motivation to work harder and show how passionate I am about achieving my goals and not letting anyone stop me. I continue to give the message to each girl who shows up to tryouts to keep working toward their goal, despite their win or loss. Perseverance is key.

During my sophomore year in high school, I learned about Athletic Training and sparked a new passion for myself. I remember joining the team and feeling nervous about everything I would learn because I knew absolutely nothing about medicine, but I knew that it was something I would work hard to make sure I knew. Throughout my first year in training, I got to know other athletes from multiple sports and with multiple backgrounds as well as learn a lot and gain new skills needed in sports medicine. I feel for a lot of people in their injuries and their passion for their sports because of something that had happened or something they dealt with. This has shaped my dream of working with athletes in the future, to not only help them feel heard on and off the field when needed but to also know that they have someone who genuinely cares for them and has that hope in getting better that they may not have. I want to make a difference in the sports medicine world to accept all athletes from every sport and to eventually broaden the backgrounds and ethnic backgrounds of athletic trainers. I continue to work my hardest to get to know every single player I come in contact with to apply myself to my goals to the fullest. Attending medical school and being able to gain more knowledge in athletic training is important to me because I am determined to do more for people who injure themselves while doing a sport they love. I want to help those who have goals of becoming big in the sports industry and allow them to continue even if they get hurt. Being able to give athletes hope in continuing their goals no matter the circumstance and being able to provide emotional support during their highs and lows is crucial to me. I've learned that athletic training is not only a physical aspect but also an emotional aspect. I've learned and watched how important it is for players to hear and see someone that's going to care for them and uplift them physically and mentally. I'm still so eager to learn even more about athletic training and expand my knowledge in college for my future career. I've learned how much of a caring and empathetic person I am based on the people I've come in contact with and how I interacted with them. I nonstop attract good energy and always do my best to make others feel heard no matter how big or small their situation is. I want to grow my knowledge more in college and eventually take my skills and care for people to bigger industries and athletic departments.

During my sophomore year in high school, I learned about Athletic Training and sparked a new passion for myself. I remember joining the team and feeling nervous about everything I would learn because I knew absolutely nothing about medicine, but I knew that it was something I would work hard to make sure I knew. Throughout my first year in training, I got to know other athletes from multiple sports and with multiple backgrounds as well as learn a lot and gain new skills needed in sports medicine. I feel for a lot of people in their injuries and their passion for their sports because of something that had happened or something they dealt with. This has shaped my dream of working with athletes in the future, to not only help them feel heard on and off the field when needed but to also know that they have someone who genuinely cares for them and has that hope in getting better that they may not have. I want to make a difference in the sports medicine world to accept all athletes from every sport and to eventually broaden the backgrounds and ethnic backgrounds of athletic trainers. I continue to work my hardest to get to know every single player I come in contact with to apply myself to my goals to the fullest. Attending medical school and being able to gain more knowledge in athletic training is important to me because I am determined to do more for people who injure themselves while doing a sport they love. I want to help those who have goals of becoming big in the sports industry and allow them to continue even if they get hurt. Being able to give athletes hope in continuing their goals no matter the circumstance and being able to provide emotional support during their highs and lows is crucial to me. I've learned that athletic training is not only a physical aspect but also an emotional aspect. I've learned and watched how important it is for players to hear and see someone that's going to care for them and uplift them physically and mentally. I'm still so eager to learn even more about athletic training and expand my knowledge in college for my future career. I've learned how much of a caring and empathetic person I am based on the people I've come in contact with and how I interacted with them. I nonstop attract good energy and always do my best to make others feel heard no matter how big or small their situation is. I want to grow my knowledge more in college and eventually take my skills and care for people to bigger industries and athletic departments.

Umph—grrraa! The sounds of young men shouting; football pads, and helmets hitting one another; the normal daily routine. However, it was a morning practice that changed my view on athletic training forever. “Denver, Denver,” one of the coaches had yelled, the players scattering onto the field -and getting into their positions. I was talking to my fellow athletic trainers, watching as one of our coaches threw the ball and the players continued to tackle one another. I stopped talking, as everyone got quiet and looked toward the sidelines of the field, I wondered, why did they stop talking? Is practice over? What happened? My eyes focus on one of our defensive linemen, walking toward me as his face heats up turning red. I walk through the crowd of football players and see one of them lying on the ground. I couldn't make out what was wrong until I got closer and my focus turned to his foot... it appeared to be dislocated and broken. I ran over as fast as I could alongside our head trainer to assist the downed player. I picked up one of the dummies and handed it to him, watching closely as he carefully lifted his leg and placed it on top, elevating the injury – something I had learned when I first joined training. Full panic consumed me as I contemplated what to do next. I could see the worry on my coach’s face as he tried to ensure the kid remained conscious. I didn’t know what else I could do to help. The injury was so bad that none of our trainers could tend to it and the head coach was already calling the ambulance. I was stuck...my mind was clouded and I couldn’t focus on anything but his safety.—How long is recovery going to take? Are his parents going to be there with him in the hospital room? Please...please keep your eyes open. Our other head trainer taps me, snapping me out of my thoughts to look at her. “Run down to find the ambulance. They should be in the front of the school or behind the indoor,” she explains. I nod and run down the field, hurrying toward the sound of the oncoming pickup truck. I didn’t know that this dilemma would cause me to feel regret. Even four months later, I still can’t help but think of everything I could've done to help him in the long run. My perceived failures haunt me—what if I had run to the scene faster? What would’ve happened if I had taken those chances to learn more about sports medicine? Would I have known what to do to help out in a serviceable way? I will never forget that morning because that was the day I knew I wanted to do more for those in sports who get hurt vitally. Being faced with that challenge as only a junior in high school has given me the realization of what training truly means to me. Overcoming that feeling of regret has motivated me to do better as an athletic trainer, wanting to use the skills and information I had learned to help future athletes. Attending medical school and being able to gain more knowledge in athletic training is important to me because I am determined to do more for people who injure themselves while doing a sport they love. I want to help those who have goals of becoming big in the sports industry and allow them to continue even if they get hurt. Giving athletes hope in continuing their goals is crucial to me.

I have learned how to accept people for who they are no matter where they come from and what they deal with. In the 5th grade, we read the book "Wonder", I remember listening to my teacher read it every day during circle time and it was that one book I have never forgotten about. I loved the book and even fell more in love with the story whenever I watched the movie. This all sparked a passion for people in me. I love and feel deeply for others, even if I have just met them. Starting my high school career and getting involved in sports medicine was another eye-opener for me, I was able to get to know other athletes from multiple sports and with multiple backgrounds. I feel for a lot of people in their injuries and their passion for their sports because of something that had happened or something they dealt with. This has shaped my dream of working with athletes in the future, to not only help them feel heard on and off the field when needed but to also know that they have someone who genuinely cares for them and has that hope in getting better that they may not have. I want to make a difference in the sports medicine world to accept all athletes from every sport and to eventually broaden the backgrounds and ethnic backgrounds of athletic trainers. I continue to work my hardest to get to know every single player I come in contact with in order to apply myself to my goals to the fullest. Attending medical school and being able to gain more knowledge in athletic training is important to me because I am determined to do more for people who injure themselves while doing a sport they love. I want to help those who have goals of becoming big in the sports industry and allow them to continue even if they get hurt. Being able to give athletes hope in continuing their goals no matter the circumstance and being able to provide emotional support during their highs and lows is crucial to me. It will also allow me to reach my goals of introducing more and more people to sports medicine and how it's more important than we realize. I will be able to tell others and recruit others interested in medicine to another form of medicine. I hope to eventually help build the sports medicine program and field to make it bigger, and reading a book about accepting others for who they are no matter what will help me accomplish that and motivate me. Anyone can participate in sports medicine and athletic trainers can also help anyone in any sport whether professional or a club team.