I started this essay thinking it would be "easy", but it has proven to be more challenging than I thought. I would assume most write about their own dads. How they started out as their hero's, how they grew to learn so much from them. I could easily have written that essay. I do in fact have a great dad. But as I continued to reflect about it, something else took shape that I wanted to share instead. I am lucky to have all 4 of my grandparents not only still alive but living near me. And I am even luckier to say I have a close relationship with them all. My grandpa Dave, however, is truly an inspiration. He was born in 1949 and within 2 years contracted polio, spending nearly 18 months in a hospital. He is the true definition of a survivor, battling life-long pain and disabilities yet never letting it stop him from achieving his goals or pursuing his interests. His life-long hobby was building things (or as he calls it, tinkering). He was not a carpenter, rather a businessman, so all his skills were self-taught. Throught the years he has built bookshelves, shelfing, all kinds of furniture and even a 3-level deck with a hot tub! So, when he offered to teach me some of his skills I jumped at the chance. It was intimidating and daunting, but it is a time I will cherish forever. Together, we built a beautiful chessboard. It is one of my most prized possessions, and one that is put to good use. Coming from a competitive family, I have to add that I have surpassed him in most wins! But not to worry, even though he is just as competitive, he is even more proud to have taught me so well! As time has carried on, my grandpa has experienced a rapid decline in health, brought on by his history with polio. It is hard to watch one of your idols weaken and become vulnerable. But even in this, he has shown me the true definition of strength. I never hear him complain about the constant pain he is in, or the fact that he can no longer enjoy his love of "tinkering" as his eyesight has diminished. Rather, he continues to be excited and encouraged by the success of his grandchildren. He shows up to important events in our lives, supports us in our goals and ambitions and even tries to text with us to stay present in our lives. My grandfather is a good man, who despite having the odds stacked against him, not only survived, but thrived and has lived his life the best way he could, and I am grateful to get to be a part of that.

At 6 years old I was diagnosed with Chronic Recurrent Multifocal Osteomyelitis (CRMO), a rare disease that causes inflammation of the bones, resulting in excruciating pain and bone lesions that can lead to breaks and fractures. Flares are debilitating, putting a full stop to my life. Treatment is intense, with monthly infusions, physical therapy, labs and scans. I have missed months of school, fractured my spine, discovered a glioma in my brain and have been at times confined to bed, unable to walk on my own. Much of this disease is hidden, so I have also been subjected to doubt and teasing, even from friends. Too much of my last 12 years have been spent in hospitals. Despite this, I have maintained my schoolwork, played intramural and competitive sports when able, volunteered and worked an after-school job. I have worked hard to be "an average kid", which most take for granted. I don't use this diagnosis as an excuse and have never allowed it to define or stop me. Rather I remind myself that I have encountered more in 18 years than most do in a lifetime. I will use the lessons I have learned from these obstacles to achieve my goals for the future. I know a recurrence could happen at any time, and its terrifying knowing what that brings, but I refuse to shelter my life in fear. I have developed a strong character from my health journey, and the courage I have to keep moving forward is stronger than any rare disease. Over 350 million people worldwide are affected with a rare disease, yet more than 90% of these diseases are without FDA approved treatment. That means most insurance companies are refusing or making it difficult to access proper care. This leaves a huge financial burden on the families affected. Experiencing this personally has influenced how I see my goals for the future. Although I am eager to pursue my MBA in business and finance and hope to one day start my own hedge fund company, I also have a strong desire to give back. An important personal goal of mine is to establish a foundation for all conditions and diseases classified as "rare". My idea is to combine them all on one site as a way increase traffic and awareness with the goal of increasing research and funding for studies of these conditions, as well as to offer support services and financial aid to struggling families. I know all too well the tremendous financial burden a rare condition has on a family, and I hope to one day make a difference for those affected.

I have loved the field of business and finance for as long as I can remember. My grandparents often laugh reminiscing about how I started asking to do chores for them since I could walk just so I could earn my own money! In the 6th grade, my interest really took off when friends of mine and I started a stress ball business. It took our school by storm, and by the time we closed shop, we had made over $1300! In middle school for my birthday, I asked my parents for an Ameritrade account and with a $50 initial investment I managed to make a few hundred dollars! Despite some risky moves, and disappointing losses, I continue to invest, because as I’ve learned, “our best lessons come from our failures”. Entering high school, I had big plans to take as many investment and financial courses as I could to prepare for college. I joined FBLA and was an officer in the Financial Trading Club. Unfortunately, I was sidelined for most of my high school years with chronic health issues. I was disappointed thinking that I would have to drop a lot of the higher-level classes or give up positions in the clubs I loved. The thought of missing out on all the opportunities high school had to offer took me down a dark road. Although my experience is not what I had planned, I have done my best to make the most of what I have been able to do. Thankfully, having a 504 has made it easier to navigate. It has allowed me to maintain most of my course load, even earning some college credits as a senior. I have also been able to continue my participation in the business and financial clubs when physically able thanks to the accommodations provided in my 504. Having the opportunity to maintain my interests, despite the challenges in my way has left me eager to continue working toward my goal of earning my MBA. At 6 years old I was diagnosed with Chronic Recurrent Multifocal Osteomyelitis (CRMO), a rare disease that causes inflammation of the bones, resulting in excruciating pain and bone lesions that can lead to breaks and fractures. Flares are debilitating, putting a full stop to my life. Even a hug from a loved one can be unbearable. Treatment is intense, with monthly infusions, labs and scans. I have missed months of school, fractured my spine, discovered a glioma in my brain, developed hypermetabolic anorexia and have been at times confined to a bed unable to walk on my own. Too much of my last 12 years have been spent in hospitals. Despite this, I have maintained my schoolwork, played intramural and competitive sports, volunteered and worked an after-school job. I have worked hard to be "an average kid", which most take for granted. I don't use this diagnosis as an excuse and have never allowed it to define or stop me. Rather I remind myself that I have encountered more in 18 years than most do in a lifetime. I will use the lessons I have learned from these obstacles to achieve my goals for the future. I know a recurrence could happen at any time, and its terrifying knowing what that brings, but I refuse to shelter my life in fear. I have developed a strong character from my health journey, and the courage I have to keep moving forward is stronger than any rare disease.

Mental health is like a slippery snake. One minute you have a firm grasp in your hands, and the next minute it has shifted, and you've completely lost your grip. This is exactly how my journey has unfolded. At 6 years old I was diagnosed with a rare disease, Chronic Recurrent Multifocal Osteomyelitis (CRMO), which causes inflammation in and around the bones resulting in lesions and excruciating pain. Flares are debilitating, putting a full stop to my life. Treatment is intense, with monthly infusions, physical therapy, labs and scans. I have missed months of school, fractured my spine, discovered a glioma in my brain and have been at times unable to walk on my own. Much of this disease is hidden, so I have also been subjected to doubt and teasing, even from friends. Too much of my last 12 years have been spent in hospitals. Despite this, I have learned to manage all this disease has thrown at me. That was, until two years ago when I was diagnosed with hypermetabolism / anorexia. As an athlete and a "guy", this was impossible to comprehend. I refused to acknowledge or accept the diagnosis because I didn't "fit the profile". I resisted treatment and ignored all the warning signs because I had already been through enough. This was something I would easily handle myself, even though I continued to ignore its existence. Eventually, I had to be pulled out of school and admitted to a 6-month partial hospitalization program. I remained in complete denial and initially refused to participate, but when issues with my heart rate and blood pressure persisted it became the only option. I still find it hard to believe that I am recovering from anorexia. I am a "guy's guy", I was a competitive athlete and heck, I love to eat! In my mind it sometime still seems impossible, but with therapy I have learned so much. Our brains are so complex and can easily send us wrong and damaging messages. No one is immune, and it is definitely not our fault. It took me a long time to admit my disease, and even longer to be able to say it out loud. The embarrassment literally clawed at my soul, and I am still coping with the toll it took on my mental health. But I have learned that in facing it head on, I can overcome this obstacle that life has put in my way. It has opened me up to the reality that taking care of my mental health is just as important as my physical health. From therapy I have learned how to be more comfortable being vulnerable with my family and friends, and that has taught me a deeper level of love and acceptance that I only thought I knew. My relationship with my mom, who was by my side every step of the way (despite all the ugliness anorexia doles out on loved ones), has grown to a level I never knew existed. I have also gone back to the hospital program, as a graduate ambassador, to speak to those who are in the depths of an eating disorder in the hopes of showing there is a road to recovery. You never know what life is going to throw at you, and even "expecting the unexpected" doesn't prepare you for everything. The best way to understand the world we live in is to follow the age-old advice "to treat others the way you want to be treated". We are all living a journey unique to ourselves, and the best we can do for each other is to respect that journey.

I began dabbling with finance in the 6th grade, starting a stress ball business with friends. It took our school by storm, and by the time we closed shop, we had made over $1300! In middle school for my birthday, I asked my parents for an Ameritrade account and with a $50 initial investment I managed to make a few hundred dollars! Despite some risky moves, and disappointing losses, I continue to invest, because as I’ve learned, “our best lessons come from our failures”. Entering high school, I selected mostly investment and financial courses as my electives to prepare for college. I joined FBLA and was an officer in the Financial Trading Club. A highlight came Sophomore year when my family was invited to the opening bell on the NYSE! These experiences have enhanced my love of finance, and I remain eager to pursue my goals of earning my MBA in business and finance from an AACSB accredited program to learn the skills I will need to become a successful hedge fund manager and eventually open my own financial services company. In addition, I hope to incorporate a non-profit or philanthropy program to provide financial assistance for those diagnosed with a rare condition similar to my own (Chronic Recurrent Multifocal Osteomyelitis). Over 350 million people worldwide are affected with a rare disease, yet more than 90% of these diseases are without an FDA approved treatment. That means most insurance companies are refusing or making it difficult to access proper care. This leaves a huge financial burden on the families affected, or worse, access to no care at all. I have been fortunate in my health struggles to have family stability, insurance, and some outside help to cover the costs of my substantial bills. I know many others are not as fortunate, and I want to be able to do my part to help alleviate those burdens as best I can. I have always felt strongly that giving back is an important component of the financial world. For the past twelve years, the financial toll my family has had to shoulder because of my medical care has been enormous, and although I know it is not my fault, there is a guilt that I carry with me. I am hoping this scholarship can provide some relief to the cost of tuition combined with the weight my medical bills have left on my family.