Pursuing a career in medicine and nursing has been a long awaited goal of mine, it was the passing of my grandmother from ovarian cancer in the fall of 2024 that solidified my commitment to follow this path. Growing up I witnessed the firsthand profound impact that health issues can have on families. My grandmother, a teacher of academics, art, and drama, was always a source of light and wisdom to me. Her battle with cancer broke my heart in a way that was almost eye-opening. Her spirit was torn from her as this illness took over, but the toll it took on my family sparked a deep desire within me to help others in near situations. This scholarship would help me tremendously in starting my college journey at Franklin Pierce University to pursue my goal. Combining my interest in medicine and nutrition, I could make a meaningful difference in the lives of hundreds, and this scholarship would help me get started. How Medicine can allow for the application of compassion to alleviate suffering and scientific knowledge to heal people is so beautiful to me. However, I believe that the key to making a true difference in lasting health lies not only in medical interventions but specifically in the choices we make all the time about our health. Nutrition is an area in our lives that often gets overlooked, even though it plays a fundamental role in the health of everyone. My grandmother's cancer journey highlighted for me just how critical nutrition can be. I am passionate about helping people understand the connection between what they eat and how this connects to their health outcomes. In adding to my personal connection to the field, my academic interests have continually pushed me in the direction of health sciences. Through my studies, I have gained an appreciation for the complexities and my interest in the human body. I am particularly fascinated by how nutrition can work synergistically with medicine. I believe that by studying both medicine and nutrition, I can progress a comprehensive understanding of how to address the root causes of illness and start to provide people with the understanding to lead healthier lives. The experience of losing my grandmother instilled a sense of urgency and purpose inside me. Cancer is an illness that affects millions of people around the world. The word cancer brings an uncomfortable feeling through my body. I am determined to make a positive difference. My grandmother’s passing taught me that life can be fragile but we can make changes that can make us less fragile. It is this powerful belief that I can change lives that burns this light of passion inside me. Ultimately, my decision to pursue a career in nursing and health is deeply rooted from personal experience and a passionate desire to teach others about how important their health is. Overall, this scholarship would majorly benefit my academic journey.The loss of my grandmother was a defining moment in time that illuminated the importance of both medical intervention and nutrition to fight disease. By merging these two fields, I hope to make a meaningful impact in our lives. My passion for medicine and nutrition will drive me to become an important person to hundreds just like my grandmother was. I am the first generation in my family to go to college and this scholarship would help me spread my passion. I am determined to dedicate myself to this purpose in both my new academic voyage and future career.

Ultimately, my decision to pursue a career in nursing and health is deeply rooted from personal experience and a passionate desire to teach others about how important their health is. Overall, this scholarship would majorly benefit my academic journey.The loss of my grandmother was a defining moment in time that illuminated the importance of both medical intervention and nutrition to fight disease. By merging these two fields, I hope to make a meaningful impact in our lives. My passion for medicine and nutrition will drive me to become an important person to hundreds just like my grandmother was. I am the first generation in my family to go to college and this scholarship would help me spread my passion. This money would go towards my college loans and I am determined to dedicate myself to this purpose in both my new academic voyage and future career.

Pursuing a career in medicine has been a long awaited goal of mine, it was the passing of my grandmother from ovarian cancer in the fall of 2024 that solidified my commitment to follow this path. Growing up I witnessed the firsthand profound impact that health issues can have on families. My grandmother, a teacher of acamedics, art, and drama, was always a source of light and wisdom to me. Her battle with cancer broke my heart in a way that was almost eye-opening. Her spirit was torn from her as this illness took over, but the toll it took on my family sparked a deep desire within me to help others in near situations. This scholarship would help me tremendously in starting my college journey at Franklin Pierce University to pursue my goal. Combining my interest in medicine and nutrition, I could make a meaningful difference in the lives of hundreds, and this scholarship would help me get started. How Medicine can allow for the application of compassion to alleviate suffering and scientific knowledge to heal people is so beautiful to me. However, I believe that the key to making a true difference in lasting health lies not only in medical interventions but specifically in the choices we make all the time about our health. Nutrition is an area in our lives that often gets overlooked, even though it plays a fundamental role in the health of everyone. My grandmother's cancer journey highlighted for me just how critical nutrition can be. I am passionate about helping people understand the connection between what they eat and how this connects to their health outcomes. In adding to my personal connection to the field, my academic interests have continually pushed me in the direction of health sciences. In high school, I excelled in honors biology and took classes that lay the groundwork for understanding human health. Through these studies, I have gained an appreciation for the complexities and my interest in the human body. I am particularly fascinated by how nutrition can work synergistically with medicine. I believe that by studying both medicine and nutrition, I can progress a comprehensive understanding of how to address the root causes of illness and start to provide people with the understanding to lead healthier lives. The experience of losing my grandmother instilled a sense of urgency and purpose inside me. Cancer is an illness that affects millions of people around the world. The word cancer brings an uncomfortable feeling through my body. I am determined to make a positive difference. My grandmother’s passing taught me that life can be fragile but we can make changes that can make us less fragile. It is this powerful belief that I can change lives that burns this light of passion inside me. Ultimately, my decision to pursue a career in health is deeply rooted from personal experience and a passionate desire to teach others about how important their health is. Overall, this scholarship would majorly benefit my academic journey.The loss of my grandmother was a defining moment in time that illuminated the importance of both medical intervention and nutrition to fight disease. By merging these two fields, I hope to make a meaningful impact in our lives. My passion for medicine and nutrition will drive me to become an important person to hundreds just like my grandmother was. I am the first generation in my family to go to college and this scholarship would help me spread my passion. I am determined to dedicate myself to this purpose in both my new academic voyage and future career.

Pursuing a career in medicine and nursing has been a long awaited goal of mine, it was the passing of my grandmother from ovarian cancer in the fall of 2024 that solidified my commitment to follow this path. Growing up I witnessed the firsthand profound impact that health issues can have on families. My grandmother, a teacher of acamedics, art, and drama, was always a source of light and wisdom to me. Her battle with cancer broke my heart in a way that was almost eye-opening. Her spirit was torn from her as this illness took over, but the toll it took on my family sparked a deep desire within me to help others in near situations. This scholarship would help me tremendously in starting my college journey at Franklin Pierce University to pursue my goal. Combining my interest in medicine and nutrition, I could make a meaningful difference in the lives of hundreds, and this scholarship would help me get started. How Medicine can allow for the application of compassion to alleviate suffering and scientific knowledge to heal people is so beautiful to me. However, I believe that the key to making a true difference in lasting health lies not only in medical interventions but specifically in the choices we make all the time about our health. Nutrition is an area in our lives that often gets overlooked, even though it plays a fundamental role in the health of everyone. My grandmother's cancer journey highlighted for me just how critical nutrition can be. I am passionate about helping people understand the connection between what they eat and how this connects to their health outcomes. In adding to my personal connection to the field, my academic interests have continually pushed me in the direction of health sciences. Through my studies, I have gained an appreciation for the complexities and my interest in the human body. I am particularly fascinated by how nutrition can work synergistically with medicine. I believe that by studying both medicine and nutrition, I can progress a comprehensive understanding of how to address the root causes of illness and start to provide people with the understanding to lead healthier lives. The experience of losing my grandmother instilled a sense of urgency and purpose inside me. Cancer is an illness that affects millions of people around the world. The word cancer brings an uncomfortable feeling through my body. I am determined to make a positive difference. My grandmother’s passing taught me that life can be fragile but we can make changes that can make us less fragile. It is this powerful belief that I can change lives that burns this light of passion inside me. Ultimately, my decision to pursue a career in nursing and health is deeply rooted from personal experience and a passionate desire to teach others about how important their health is. Overall, this scholarship would majorly benefit my academic journey.The loss of my grandmother was a defining moment in time that illuminated the importance of both medical intervention and nutrition to fight disease. By merging these two fields, I hope to make a meaningful impact in our lives. My passion for nursing drive me to become an important person to hundreds just like my grandmother was. I am the first generation in my family to go to college and this scholarship would help me spread my passion. I am determined to dedicate myself to this purpose in both my new academic voyage and future career. I found out about this scholarship from an email from Bold.org.

As a woman, where for thousands of years male dominance has covered the many facets of life, the realm of sports can be frustrating to navigate. By steering through competitive academics and athletics, I have been demanded to grow not only through discipline, but through the continual reaffirmation of one's value. As one of only three girls on a co-ed varsity ultimate frisbee team as a senior, I have gained resilience that has not only molded my determination, but created my identity as a strong female athlete. My tedious experience as a varsity cheerleader has taught me the importance of simply showing up, earning me two consecutive state championships. Being a woman in sports to me is to embody a spirit of resilience; a quiet courage carried by the ability to harbor tenacity, providing a legacy woven not only into championship banners, but into the character of each individual student-athlete who dares to step into the pond of excellence. While technically a co-ed sport, ultimate frisbee continues to carry the undercurrent of male-centered dominance. With only .2% of athletics on my team being women, the pressure to "earn" visibility and trust intensifies. This quiet hierarchy shown on the field, mirrors the large societal dynamic where women must over-perform to even be perceived as equal. To be a woman on a team that is flooded with men, I am not just playing the sport, but defying a narrative engraved in our minds. Show up, block it out, assert your character. Cheerleading, although portrayed as the sport where women stand on the sidelines while the boys play football, it has bloomed into so much more. Through transcending self-doubt, I emerged as the athlete who earned her first Division II state championship as a sophomore, and captained my second consecutive championship my junior year. These accomplishments benefit not only as measures of talent, but as proof that enduring the agony of resilience results in a found peace where true success is not defined by gender, but by repeated failure backed by relentless effort to try again. Often dismissed by those who see cheerleading simply as an aesthetic performance, there is failure in acknowledging the rigorous physicality and coordination it demands. What I find most motivating, is the frustration I encounter in knowing my endurance and intense will-power is still barely granted the same respect given quickly in male-dominated sports. Yet it is exactly within this dismissiveness that I have found my fuel. Continuing to fight, I get up each day not only to bring recognition of cheerleading as a true sport, but myself as a serious athlete. Amidst my athletic dedications, I have stayed dedicated to my academics, earning a 4 in my AP course and receiving consistent 3s and 4s across all classes. While balancing the tedious tasks of academics with athletic commitments, I have gained the knowledge that has taught me the importance of time management. The discipline required to study for AP exams after hours of dedicated training, fortifies the multidimensional power I believe every woman possesses. Ultimately, the hardships I’ve faced as a female athlete in a male dominated world have not discouraged me; but defined me. Teaching me the power of my voice and how to speak through my performance, I will lead by example. Whether it’s competing in a mainly male sport such as ultimate frisbee, or shattering the stereotypes that take over cheerleading, there is strength in showing up, again and again. And in doing so, I will make space for not only myself, but for every single girl after me, ready to claim her own.

Mental health has had a profound impact on not only my academic performance, but my personal life as well. For students like myself, who have faced undiagnosed challenges for years this topic is a touchy subject. In the summer of 2024, I was diagnosed with ADHD and OCD, these conditions had been affecting me for much longer than I had realized. Before my diagnosis, my struggle to focus in school went unnoticed by everyone except me. Managing my overwhelming thoughts was unbearable. This lack of control over my mental state took a tax on my overall well-being and life performance. This often lead to large amounts of frustration and emotional distress. I frequently found myself in tears, feeling conquered over the fact that I couldn't understand why I was struggling so much when I was trying my best. My diagnosis, however, stands as the biggest turning point in my life. With the help of medication, I am finally able to manage my symptoms in a way that allows me to thrive after 17 years of confusion. My focus has greatly improved, helping me navigate daily tasks with more clarity and purpose. Academically, this has translated to top performance, as I can now retain information which helps me approach assignments with a clearer mindset. On a personal level, my mental health is finally stable, the constant feeling like I am battling myself every day is finally gone. I cannot express enough how incredibly important it is to recognize these mental health conditions such as ADHD and OCD, especially in students. Going undiagnosed for so long, while causing unnecessary stress and confusion changed my perception on life itself. Acknowledging these conditions early on can allow for correct support and treatment. As someone who struggled with these issues for years unaware of the cause, I am now a powerful advocate for mastering and prioritizing mental health. To make my mental health a priority, I take several steps to manage stress and stay grounded. Staying organized and breaking tasks into manageable steps, helps me avoid that feeling of being overwhelmed. Although going undiagnosed was my biggest struggle, it forced me to understand the why. Why was I feeling this way? Why could I never be relaxed? Why was I constantly anxious? After spending weeks and hours studying about how my brain worked, I finally can understand my brain. Which is the most powerful gift of all.

Growing up, my moms role in helping me navigate the complex landscape of my emotions was pivotal to who I am now. From an early age, I was taught the incredible importance of emotional control, but the significance of expressing my feelings openly and honestly as well. This balanced approach has allowed me to develop strong, emotionally mature relationships with people from all walks of life, even at my young age of 17. But, the driving force behind my mom’s ability to guide me so effectively, was the hardships my grandmother faced. The story I am about to tell laid the foundation for my understanding of the importance of mental health. My grandmother was the first woman in her family to attend college, a rare and difficult occurance in an era when women were expected to stay home, raise children, and fulfill traditional roles without venturing into the outside world. Staying in a comfortable zone and showing zero need for help. Her aunt, who held the same aspirations, was denied the opportunity to pursue her college education simply because her father believed it wasn’t suitable for women. Growing up the youngest of four siblings with three brothers, from a young age she realized she had to grow up herself. My grandmother stood up and broke these barriers. Not only did she attend college, but her career blossomed as she became a fifth and sixth grade teacher, a drama and art teacher, and an influential figure in her community all at the same time. Throughout her life, she carried the immense weight of societal expectations, balancing the demanding responsibilities of being a mother, wife, teacher, and community leader, while showing zero vulnerability. It wasn’t until later in her life, after being diagnosed with cancer at around 50, that my grandmother reflected on the emotional toll of her lifelong silence. In her final days barely ten years later, she spoke out how, in retrospect, she believed holding in her emotions for so many years had played a significant role in her physical illness. She had lived through a time when mental health wasn’t spoken about, when it was seen as a weakness to share struggles or express vulnerability, especially for women. Yet, despite carrying all of this emotional weight, she never asked for help, believing that she had to figure it all out her own. This experience had a profound impact on my mom, who saw firsthand how neglecting mental well-being could manifest in ways that are not just emotional, but physical too. My mom, while witnessing her mother’s silent suffering, became deeply committed to helping her children understand the importance of mental health. As I grew older, my mom made it clear that mental health is just as important as physical health. Instilling in me, the belief that it’s okay to feel, and more importantly, it’s okay to not be ok. Shame in expressing emotions never occurred in my house, whether they were joy, sadness, anger, or fear. I carry these lessons and my passion for normalizing conversations around mental health everyday. Seeing firsthand how ignoring our emotional well-being can hurt us in ways that extend far beyond what we can see. My grandmother, despite the incredible impact she had on so many lives, was never fully able to grasp the importance of emotional expression until it was too late. My grandmother’s life and her experience with emotional suppression is a cautionary tale, a story that shaped my understanding of mental health, inspiring me to break the cycle of silence that so many women had experienced once before me.