Hello, My name is Ransome and I am on the varsity volleyball team at my high school. When I was ten years old my father passes away as a result of alcohol abuse. The death of my father has affected me tremendously. As a grieving 5th grader I had to come to terms with the many sad truths of my life. Those truths include the fact that I will never be able to attend a father daughter dance like other girls my age, or have the privilege of my father walking me down the isle at my wedding. When I was younger my father coached my recreational soccer team even though he knew absolutely nothing about soccer just to be able to spend more time with me. I know it may seem cliche, but when I play sports I always feel like my dad is right there with coaching me from the sidelines like he did all those many years ago. Although my father is no longer with me his love for sports will forever shine like gold in my memories. Volleyball has enhanced my life by allowing me to feel that connection with my father every time I play, and also improving my mental health, and allows me to build meaningful friendships with my teammates. I hope to pay it forward by becoming a psychologist and helping children who have lost a parent; with my sports background I can better relate to athletes who have suffered from a parents death because I suffered the same tragedy.

Hello, My name is Ransome Strickland and I have a passion for helping others. My twin sister Allie has Cerebral Palsy which is a disorder that affects brain development, and muscle tone. Although my sister cannot walk nor can she talk she is still extremely intelligent. I believe that others would be able to understand her if they took the time to observe her and understand that there are other ways of communicating besides audibly. In addition to my sister I babysit a little boy who also has Cerebral Palsy although he is behind most of his peers developmentally I wholeheartedly believe that he would excel if he had developmental support that was catered to him specifically that was not just in school but also in the comfort of his home. Individuals fail to understand that these are real people with feelings and aspirations that want to enjoy all life has to offer, but they might not be able to if someone doesn't take the time to understand them and their behavior to better assist them in their journey. With this scholarship I will have a better chance at attending a school with an exceptional Psychology program so that I can study to become that special person that helps people with developmental disabilities.