My Junior year of college in my spring semester has been full of emotions. It was not because my classes were difficult but it affected me personally. In January I woke up and posted on my social media saying that one of my friends passed away from mental health. This friend was my co-editor of the yearbook my senior year of High School and we made a whole yearbook together for our high school. It was hard going to my swim practice and to my classes that day. It is a shocking feeling that I never felt and that I never wanted to feel again. This made me look at mental health in a different light and that it is really important to talk to others and check in on them. There were some hard days after tha day but I had a support group that helped me. Then in March something very tragic happened to my campus and swim team community. I woke up on Monday to an email that stated that one of my teammates passed away from mental health. This day was the worst day and it felt like the world was still and time stopped. On this day there was a meeting that was led by the Athletic Director and staff and they told us that they are sorry and have no words for us. The whole swim team was in the room and I was one of the captains for the team this past year. After the Director talked to us there were my teammates crying. For me I was hurting but also wanting to help my teammates that are family. I went over to one of the boys on my team because he was so beat red in the face crying and I hugged him. He hugged me so tight and I was there being his support. I did this with multiple people on my team and I held my emotions for a little bit but was able to show them. I contacted the past coach that recruited my teammate and told him, and said there is a vigil tonight. I even spread the word about wearing blue and green for the whole campus to wear if they planned on coming to the vigil. The coach came to pay his respects. At the vigil I made sure that I had the swim team sit at the front of the chapel and made sure that all the swimmers and coaches signed a condolences card for the family. I held my composer and made sure that everything was ready for the ceremony. I was being the leader that my team needed that day from a peers perspective and it was not easy to do. During the vigil after being a leader, I became a person, friend, teammate, and family that had emotions and broke down because of the pain I was in. The three months in the new year were hard but it taught me to know when to show my emotions and when to hold them to the side. This is a skill that I developed and know that I can use it in my career learning and field. I am a strong advocate for mental health because it is an important issue and I have many friends that struggle with mental health and I am one that has mental health as well. Talking about it makes me understand more and help other people that just need someone to talk to. This was a hard time for me and my family and friends helped me through it and still are. I want to help more people with their mental health and make sure that people can talk freely about how they are feeling. Mental health is something that I am a strong advocate for and is something that I want to help with my patients in the future.

I have always loved helping my community in so many ways. I mainly help with Special Olympics and helping organizations with special needs kids. Helping out this community brings me great joy and appreciation to this community because I have a brother that has Autism. This community helped me gain the skills that make me unique as a person. The attributes that I have are being organized, energetic and creative. In helping with special needs kids you need to be organized so that the kids know what is going on and nothing has changed. This is something that I have learned and that has helped me throughout my whole life. Staying and being organized is something that has been a great attribute of mine since elementary school. The organization also means having the time management skills to do everything you want without spreading yourself so thin. Having a planner and making sure that I am very organized with tasks and with the community is important because then everything is in order and everything can get done early or on time. Being energetic is something that not many people like but it keeps some fun and enjoyment in the workplace and everyday life. I have always been a very energetic person with everything I do whether it is from school work to sports or from job to volunteering. Being the light and energy for a person or group is something so special to me because then everyone can be having fun and enjoying themselves. This attribute might be one that a lot of people are scared of because they think these people go far out and are very loud people when in reality they are sweet people that want to have fun and everyone to have fun as well. I have shown this through my team sport and through a job that helps new students arriving at college and get acclimated to the college. Energetic is something that brings joy into something fun or not. This is an attribute that you see a lot in me since I am very bubbly and excited about everything. Lastly, I mentioned that I am creative. Creativity is thinking on the fly and making sure that there is something that can be done when plans change suddenly. For example, there was a time during orientation at my college when there was nothing for my group to do so I had to come up with something creative to keep the new students engaged. What I did was I had us play a game to get to know each other better and to know about each other backgrounds. It was a huge success and the kids enjoyed it. This also happens for special needs kids as well and when something chances you have to think quickly but creatively. There was a time when I was a sophomore in high school and I was helping with a program called TopSoccer and I was a Buddy Captain. So, one day the coach for my team was not there so I had to be a coach and think on my feet about what I was going to do with the kids. So we made the drills into games and the kids loved it. These attributes make me who I am but they are also very helpful when giving back to the community for special needs kids. I want to give back by giving treatment as an Athletic Trainer to special needs kids in sports. These three together can make it organized, creative, fun, and helpful to keep this community healthy.

Growing up I always loved watching princess movies because they have so much to tell in their stories. Then when Moana came out in 2016, I was blown away. Her movie was amazing and she was like me in so many ways. She is strong, independent, a leader, and a well rounded person. She is a princess that is different from all the other Disney princesses that came on the screen. I reflect on myself and I see how much I am like her and that we have more in common that meets the eye. For example, she wants to go beyond the reef to see what is out there and that is how I was when I was younger to now. I am curious on what is beyond my reef and to see how far I can go. There is so much that she does that inspires me to be myself and to be who I am. Moana is a great role model to go after what you believe and what you want. She goes and helps her people by finding Maui and restore the heart of Te Fiti. She is a Disney character that I will always admire because she is someone that won't give up and will always find a way to reach her goals. From Moana, I see in myself that I am a person that will always reach for her goals no matter how big they or challenging. There are obstacles in the way but that is there to challenge you to be better. Also, we both like to help people and make sure that everything is ok and nothing is wrong. We both take charge when something important needs to be done for our family and friends. Moana is a princess that I can look back and find who I am because she is a princess that is ready to set sail and live her dream. She is a great role model for me and for the younger kids as well. She has been and will always be my favorite Disney character because she is a determined princess just like me. I will always admire her for who she is because there is a Moana in me. I can't wait to see how far beyond my reef I can go.

There is something about helping athletes that is so special to me that it creates a positive impact in many people's lives. Athletes are the people that we watch the most on our TV screens and we deeply care about them if they get injured. I want to be that person that helps athletes recover from their injuries and make them stronger to get back out in the game. My name is Paige Gelenski and I am a sophomore at Emory and Henry College in Emory, Virginia. I am a First Generation Student. I am earning my degree in Exercise Science and I want to pursue becoming an athletic trainer in the NFL. I have loved being on the sidelines at football games and helping any athletes in the athletic training room on my college campus. I have learned a lot from my teachers and the athletic trainers in the training room. There is so much more that I would love to explore and learn and I can't wait to make a positive impact on the world. Athletic trainers are the people that run out onto the field and make sure that your favorite player is ok or if they need to be taken off the field. I want to help athletes get back into the game and have more playing time as well. A positive impact would be not only helping professional people in the NFL or the olympics but also in the Special Olympics. There are so many athletes out there that have special needs that are not getting the treatment that they need to get better at the sport they love to play. Helping athletes no matter what sport, age, or disability will really help show off more athletes and show the whole world that no matter what every athlete should get better and get back to playing the sport they love. I want this positive impact to help spread awareness about special needs kids because they are the toughest people on the planet. They can bounce back from injuries so quickly and I can help give them the opportunity to get better from their injury and get them back on the field. This can help other people see that it is just the Olympics, Paralympics, NFL, or any other professional sport that need athletic trainers. There are also Special Olympics athletes that need athletic trainers to help with their injuries as well. I want this impact to make a positive light on athletic trainers around the world and to show people there are more athletes in this work that are amazing. Being an athletic trainer will help me show off not only my skills but also the other athletes that need treatments and rehabilitation from any injury. It is a healthcare field that no one really thinks about until you see it in action. It will create a positive impact around the world when more athletes get treated for their injuries. There will be more happy athletes that can get back onto the field faster and more athletic trainers can get recognized for their work. I plan to make an impact in the athletic training and sport field because everyone will be able to get the care they need no matter what level they are as an athlete. Everyone should get this care and I am ready to provide everyone with the care they deserve. No matter what sport or disability everyone should be getting the care they need to play the sport they love.

My name is Paige Gelenski and I am from Boca Raton, Florida. I am studying at Emory and Henry College, in Emory, Virginia. I am majoring in Exercise Science. I am a First Generation Student. My passion is to become an athletic trainer and help athletes in all sports recover from their injuries so they can get back on the field. I plan to use my skills and knowledge that I have learned and apply it to the world of sports. Athletes want to perform their best and get better at the sport they love. By being an athletic trainer, I can help athletes recover from their injuries quickly and get them back to play. It is a reward seeing progress and helping athletes get back on their feet. Helping athletes is a passion of mine because I am an athlete as well. I understand how it feels to get injured and how it feels like the world is crumbling. That is why I want to be in the medical field and help athletes reach their full potential even after an injury. Working with athletes is a reward and it doesn't matter if they are professional or on a club team, they are all athletes working towards a goal that they have set for themselves. There is a positive reward that comes from this and it can impact more people even outside of the athletic world. The positive impact it would have includes people that workout all the time and people in general that have an injury that can be taken care of as an athletic trainer. There are more people in the world that need to go see athletic trainers besides athletes. This impact can help change the world of medicine and how we can approach any situation. The positive impact in this field especially would be working with special needs children and making sure they can play their sport in the Special Olympics competitions. There are so many people with special needs that need athletic trainers to make sure they are recovering from an injury and also see how they bounce back into their sport so quickly. I am inspired by these athletes and how they can bounce back after getting the treatment that they need. It might take more time for them to recover but that can help so many people around the world if we also help the special needs community. They are athletes that need treatment and attention just like an athlete. The positive impact that I would want to have is making sure that no matter what sport you play or what disability you have, you can get the treatment that everyone else is getting and get back into the sport you want to play. This can impact the world because it can help everyone see that all athletes, no matter where they are from, get the medical treatment that they need to get back to the sport they love to play. Athletic trainers are a small community of healthcare professionals but there is a big impact that we can all make from every corner of the world. Everyone should get to play the sport they love or get back into that gym routine and if an injury occurs they should get the medical treatment they need so they can pursue the goal they have in mind.

The person that inspired me the most was my swimming coach whom I have known for 10 years. She never gave up on me and she saw something in me that no one else did. I was on a rec league swim team and I was about to quit because I started to not like swimming anymore. My coach at the time was on the FAU swim team and she was coaching my rec league a couple of times a week. I was pulling the lane my coach saw me and she saw something in me and she wanted me to get better. She even believed in me even when the head coach of the team told her that I couldn't swim over 200 yards. She was someone that never gave up on me. She trained me to get better and she made me into the swimmer I am today. There came a point that she was switching teams and going to be a coach for a USA Swim Team. I was also looking at USA Swim Teams at the time and I ended up being on the same team that she moved to. She continued to coach me until I got to high school because I moved to another group on the team. She was the one person that believed in me and the only coach that believed I could go far in my swimming career. There was a time I told her that I wanted to be on a college swim team just like her. I took my training in swim very seriously and I worked hard though high school and through the pandemic as well. My coach saw my improvements and even through the pandemic she helped me get stronger. I didn't have a pool in my backyard so I got a pool that was 14 feet in diameter. She came over and gave me a bunjee cord that I tied to my deck so that I could swim in place and work on my strokes and technique. It was hard but she knew it was worth it. Even then she didn't give up on me and still believed in me. In March of 2021 a swim coach from Emory & Henry College contacted me and gave me a scholarship offer to swim on a collegiate team. I told my coach and she was estatic and she told me that she knew I was going to swim in college. I accepted the scholarship and she was estatic and I was here first swimmer that she coached to go off to college for swimming. She even checks in on me now and again to make sure I am doing good in swimming. It is special to know someone that has know you for so long that they believe in you from the start and they never gave up on you. My swim coach was someone that I looked up to when I am swimming and she was someone that never gave up on me. She is someone that I look up to because she was just like me and she the best coach that I have had. I thank her for making me the swimmer I am today. She will be the person that inspired me to keep swimming and to believe in my dream to be on a college swim team. She still inspires me to this day and the best coach I could ever ask for.

This scholarship would be able to use the money to help pay my tuition for college and also help me buy supplies that I need when getting ready for the next semester. It will take the pressure of knowing how to pay the tuition off my back. The money will also help me buy clothes and food that I want so that I am set for the semester. My academic goal is to maintain an A and B in my classes and to keep my GPA high. My career goal is to become an athletic trainer in the NFL. I want to help athletes that are hurt and to get them back to their sport better before they were injured. It is my goal to be one of the best athletic trainers in the NFL and to live out my dream. There was a time when I was going to give up on my dream of swimming in college. When I was looking for no coaches were looking at me and no one thought I would swim. I trained extra hard over the summer, pandemic, and during my senior year of high school. After all the hard work I got an offer to a college and I happily accepted it.

My mother is a very special person to me because she supported me in everything and has helped me when I was in my darkest moment. She showed me at a young age what it means to be nice to everyone and to respect everyone. She even taught me to never give up on my dreams. She was the one that kept me strong and strive to keep going. Even when she pushed me she was helping me become a better person. For example, I was on a swim team when I was younger and there were times that I was so down and did not want to do it. My mom looked at me and told me 'keep trying, you are getting stronger.' I took that and I saw I was getting stronger and better at swimming. She helped me look past my limits and to achieve what is possible. There were times when I had negative feelings about something. She told me that being 'Negative is not going to get you anywhere. You need to be positive and have a positive mindset.' I took her words and thought about them. She was right, I do need to be more positive. During school and swimming competitions I would think positively. The outcome was that I was happier and I was doing better in school and the pool. That piece of advice she gave me has been stuck with me ever since she told me. It helped my life a positive life even when I was in the darkest parts of my life. During the pandemic, I was looking for colleges and I was down on my hope of swimming in college. I accepted my defeat. My mom came to me and told me 'Don't give up.' I was happy she said that because within a week I got an email for a college swim coach that was interested in me swimming. I told my mom and she agreed to go look at the college. It was a college that was beautiful and that was perfect for me. My mom tells me that she is really happy that I didn't give up and that I am chasing my dreams and living my dream. She never doubted in her mind that I wouldn't be on a swim team. My mother is one of the strongest, most reliable, and loving people that I know. She has been strong for our family and for fighting what is right for her kids as well. She is someone that if I need someone to talk to she is there for me. Also, she loves people for who they are and not for anything else. These are what she taught me to be the person I am today. Her qualities that she has I took them and I continue them in my life. Including being positive and never giving up has shaped me into the person that I am today. I used what she has told me in school and my competitions as well. It was hard for a long time but she helped me get back on my feet. I have learned to get back on my feet and help others get back on theirs. My mother truly helped me become strong, reliable, loving, passionate, and positive though my life and I carry that with me everywhere I go. My mother is the person that helped make my life positive and helped me become the person I am today.

Independence is special to everyone because you have the freedom to live your life is special. Independence is living by yourself without assistance and to take care of yourself. Many ways can prepare someone to live independently including: learning how to cook, do the laundry, buy groceries, and take care of one well-being. Independence is what makes us able to thrive in life and explore more about ourselves. Independence has had a huge impact on me because it means that I can live my life to the fullest. Being a college student learning how to be independent was a challenge for me especially in quarantine, but I have learned to be an independent adult. This has such a big impact on me because when I was moving to another state for college I had to learn to be independent and not rely on my parents. It was a big step but I learned that having this independence is the most special thing to me. I had to learn to do my laundry, cook food, and buy the necessities I need for simple living. I was able to expand who I was and make great connections. Having the freedom of independence has fulfilled the role of being an adult. All of this had a huge impact on me because now I can live on my own and learn all the important roles that go into being independent. Living freely on your own is the most important time in your life because it sets you up to be independent and thrive on your own. Independence has impacted me in so many ways because I had to learn to live on my own and make my own decisions for my life. Independence has helped me grow as a college student, person, and friend.

There are so many things to love about one's self. For me in particular, I love my personality because it is so bubbly and full of energy. My personality is something that I love because it is so unique and different. The fact that I can be funny, caring, crazy, and all that is in between is something that I enjoy. It is a trait that is hard to love, but I have learned that if I am going to truly love myself then I have to love my personality. Being around people, I don't feel that I have to shy away from my personality because it is a part of me that makes me who I am. I love how I can be this bright light that walks into a room that makes everyone smile because of my big and bubbly personality and how I act around others. It is a great feeling that I can be myself and everyone can laugh with me if I do something funny or crazy. I love the fact that I can love who I truly am because it makes me a happier person with an even brighter personality as I move along in my life and education. Personality is one of the most important things to me when I am talking to other people. When looking on the outside it is just like judging a book by its cover. I like looking and seeing people who they are on the inside and their inner beauty. That was something that I accepted because personality is the number one thing that I love about others and myself. A great personality is a gateway to knowing who I really am and to love all myself because every personality is perfect, unique, and beautiful.

Before quarantine, In January 2020, I was in a depressed state because I had a friend betray me very badly. It was hurtful and I have shattered everything that was in my heart and soul. I felt lost and hopeless. I thought I was not good enough. Then when quarantine hit and we all had to stay home that is when I changed for the best of me. I looked to Jesus and asked him what can I do with this angry and this depression that is stored deep inside of me? Then the answer came in the summer of 2020. I started learning more and more about the Christian faith and more about God's word. I dove deep into the subject. I found a church online in Texas that my Uncle preaches at. I listened and each week it has been a message that will help me get through the week or something that I needed to hear. I then when to my friend's bible study every Friday night and with my Uncle every Monday night. I have also been learning so much by reading the Bible 3-4 chapters a night and learn the lessons and history within it. Through all of this, I have been growing so much as a person but also as a person in the Christian faith. There are many things that I have put my full trust in Jesus including my relationships with my family and friends, my schooling, and the next chapter of my life. I know I can trust him because he is within my soul and I know that I should never be afraid because he is in my presence. I went to a college in Emory, Virginia to look at it for swimming. At the hotel, we were staying at in Virginia, I went to get some free breakfast. I came back to the room and my mom said "You went down to get food without an adult?" I looked at her, smiled, and said "No. An adult was with me, Jesus is with me." I was very proud of that statement because from that point I knew that I can put my full trust in Jesus. That was a moment that I will never forget. This showcases that throughout my time in quarantine I looked to Jesus and put my faith and trust in his hands. I knew he could help me overcome my depressed state, my senior year of high school, and now college and scholarships. I can proudly say that Jesus is forever within me and forever my savior. I am proud that I have changed and grown through this journey as well. This was something that was put in my path of life to come and explore and I love learning more and more about it. For a whole year, I have changed, learned, experienced, and grown with Him and learned that I have to put all my trust in Him. I never know what he has in store for me but I am excited to continue this journey and learn more and more each day.

Being a first-generation student is an amazing feeling but it comes with a lot of pressure. I have known that I wanted to go to college to get a job because my parents have never gotten that opportunity. Being the first one to go off to college is defiantly something that scares me because I am the first one to get an education and get the dream job that I want. It has affected my schooling because I have to work hard in all my classes and in the medical classes that I take in high school as well. There are so many expectations and I thought that I had to keep taking a challenging course to get the best education possible. I kept pushing myself and there was a point that my mental health fell. However, I used that to strengthen me so that I can get up and continue this path for me. It has been quite challenging for being the first generation to go off to college because I had no one in my family to turn to for college advice. It has been hard because I have had to learn everything with my parents for the first time. My brother can't go to college because he has Autism and Epilepsy so I had to step up and be the first to go to college. This has been hard on me because I wonder what I would be like if my brother went off to college. I can't think like that because I have to get my education and live my dream so that I can help my family down the road. It is not easy because there are more expectations for me to achieve than a second-generation student. I will be able to pass on my knowledge to my future generations. This is the most challenging that can happen in my life and any first-generation student. The thing is that I have to set my expectations high when I go off to college this year because then I can challenge myself and fulfill the goals that I plan to have in the future. Throughout my life, I have been so worried about studying and having to worry about school so that I can get into a good college and a good education. I want to use this to help me succeed in my dream job, a professional athletic trainer. I have been worry that my parents might not have the money for me to go to college because I am a first-generation student and going to college is expensive. That has been a big challenge because I want to earn as many scholarships as I can so I can help my parents pay for college. I want to be that first-generation student to graduate college and to be the one to not worry about paying loans or debt. This experience has been amazing but it also has been stressful. I am glad that I am a first-generation student because I know I have the potential to graduate and live my dream. I can't wait to see how I, a first-generation student, does in college and how great my education is going to help me grow in a personal light. I am excited to see when this journey takes me in the further years to come.

I have been in and out of hospitals almost my whole life. My grandfather having cancer and being on dialysis for hours a day. It was hard to see him like that. Then when I visited him, when I was 3, a nurse came in and asked me if I knew what was going on with my grandfather and the dialysis. I explained to the nurse proudly what the machine did and how it took all the bad stuff out of my grandfather’s body. She was very impressed with how I knew that. My grandfather passed away in 2008. Then my grandmother fell sick and my brother had a tonic-clonic seizure, grand mal seizure in 2014. I was helping them with their treatments and then I had to go to more doctor’s visits with them to know what was going on in the body. This happened before I entered the medical academy of my middle and high school. I learned so much about the body and what path I wanted to go down. I have gotten certified in Bloodborne Pathogens, HIPAA, Basic Life Support, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Certified Electrocardiogram Technician. I am currently in the process of getting the ExCPT (Certified Pharmacy Technician), PCT (Patient Care Technician), and CMAA. Through all of this being a first-generation student has made me chose healthcare because I love to learn new things and how the body works. I have had my parent’s support and they want me to succeed in the future. It has been hard because my brother can't go to college but I can. This has put some pressure on me but I made sure that I was giving my 110% in school and when it comes to learning about my brother’s condition. My life has been ups and downs but the journey is just being down the medical path. I want to be a professional athletic trainer and a nutritionist so that I can help athletes prevent any injuries without going to the hospital and having tons of doctor’s visits. As a first-generation student, I want to make sure that I can get the education I need to continue on the medical path and to help my parents with any bills. I also want to help my brother so that he can get the help he needs. Being the first person in my family to go to college is special because there is so much that I can teach them. It is scary because I don't have tips on what college was like but I am willing to be there to experience this and tell the future generation what college is like. Along with being a first-generation student, medical has been apart of my life and my family’s life for years so I have been drawn to it. It is amazing to see that there is something new to learn like new technology, skill, or method in the field. There is so much learning to do and I want to learn and continue to learn for the rest of my life. Learning is a power that can be used to change people and to have them strive for the best in their life. I want to use the skills that I learn and teach them to my parents and athletes of all ages so that they are more aware of the medical aspect of their bodies. I can't wait to see what college is and how it will impact me in the future.