How Cancer Has Impacted My Family and What It Taught Me Cancer has impacted my family in more than one way, and each experience has shaped how I view life, health, and purpose. It is something I have lived through both as a father and as a patient, and those experiences have changed me in ways that continue to guide my future. My son battled brain cancer and underwent twelve major surgeries. Those surgeries saved his life, but they also left him with neurological challenges that affect his movement and communication. Watching your child go through that kind of fight is something no parent can fully prepare for. There were long hospital stays, uncertainty about outcomes, and moments where the future felt completely unknown. Every small step forward became something to hold onto. His resilience showed me what real strength looks like. It is not loud or dramatic. It is quiet, steady, and built over time. In 2024, I faced my own diagnosis. I was diagnosed with skin cancer and kidney cancer, including a 4.5 centimeter cancerous tumor on my kidney that required surgical removal. Experiencing cancer personally gave me a completely different perspective than I had as a caregiver. As a patient, I understood what it feels like to be vulnerable, to rely on medical professionals, and to face uncertainty about your own body and future. It forced me to slow down and take my health seriously in a way I never had before. These experiences also placed financial strain on my family. Medical procedures, recovery time, and ongoing care come with significant costs. Balancing those responsibilities while continuing my education required discipline and sacrifice. Like many families affected by cancer, we had to stay focused on what mattered most while still managing everyday life. What I learned most from these experiences is the importance of compassion and support. The people who made the greatest impact were not only those providing treatment, but those who took the time to listen, explain, and offer reassurance. When everything feels uncertain, that kind of care becomes just as important as the medical treatment itself. I also learned resilience. There were moments when it would have been easier to stop and focus only on getting through each day. Instead, I chose to continue moving forward. I remained committed to my education because I believe my experiences can be used to help others who are facing similar challenges. I am pursuing a degree in the health and wellness field because I want to support individuals and families dealing with illness, trauma, and recovery. I understand what it feels like to sit on both sides of care, and I want to use that perspective to provide meaningful support. Cancer changed my life, but it also clarified my purpose. It taught me strength, patience, and the importance of showing up for others during difficult times. Through everything my family has faced, I have learned that even in hardship, there is an opportunity to grow and to make a lasting impact.

Challenges I’ve Faced Returning to School Returning to school later in life has been one of the most challenging and rewarding decisions I have made. As a parent, a United States Army veteran, and someone managing both physical and mental health challenges, my path back into education has required discipline, resilience, and constant adaptation. One of the biggest challenges I faced was balancing my responsibilities as a father with the demands of school. My son survived brain cancer after twelve major surgeries, and while his life was saved, he now lives with neurological challenges that affect his movement and communication. Supporting him requires ongoing care, attention, and involvement in his daily life. Unlike a traditional student, my time is not fully my own. I must prioritize his needs while still finding the time and focus to complete coursework and stay on track academically. In addition to my responsibilities as a parent, I also returned to school while managing my own health conditions. I live with scoliosis, spondylosis, ADHD, PTSD, anxiety, depression, and a traumatic brain injury. I have also overcome multiple types of cancer. These challenges affect my ability to focus, manage stress, and maintain consistency, especially in an academic environment that often requires long periods of concentration and structured performance. Another challenge has been adjusting to the academic environment after years away from school. As a nontraditional student, I had to relearn how to study, how to manage assignments, and how to adapt to new expectations. Technology, coursework formats, and academic standards have changed significantly, and there was a learning curve in becoming comfortable with these systems. Despite these challenges, I made a decision to commit fully to my education. I developed structure in my daily routine, broke tasks into manageable steps, and created systems to help me stay organized and focused. I learned to adapt my learning style to work with my strengths rather than against them. Instead of viewing my challenges as limitations, I began to see them as obstacles that could be managed with discipline and consistency. My military background played a key role in helping me overcome these challenges. Serving as a Combat Engineer and retiring as a Sergeant First Class taught me how to operate under pressure, manage responsibility, and stay focused on long-term goals. Those same skills have helped me push forward in my academic journey, even when circumstances are difficult. Returning to school has not been easy, but it has strengthened my resilience and reinforced my sense of purpose. I am pursuing my education not only for myself, but for my family and for the people I hope to serve in the future. My goal is to work in the health and wellness field, supporting children and families dealing with trauma, neurological challenges, and long-term recovery. The challenges I have faced have not stopped me. They have prepared me. They have taught me how to persevere, adapt, and continue moving forward, no matter the obstacles. And that is what drives me to succeed.

The central meaning of Marcus Aurelius’ statement, “Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one,” is that virtue is not discovered through discussion, but through action. The philosopher is rejecting the tendency to intellectualize morality and instead calling for immediate embodiment of it. The underlying message is not simply about efficiency or impatience with debate. It is a direct challenge to the human habit of avoiding responsibility by hiding behind ideas, theories, or definitions rather than living according to them. At its core, this statement confronts the illusion that understanding something is the same as becoming it. Marcus Aurelius recognizes that people often engage in endless conversations about values such as courage, honesty, discipline, or compassion, believing that clarity of definition leads to moral development. However, his assertion dismantles that belief. Knowing what a good person should be is irrelevant if that knowledge is not translated into behavior. The gap between knowledge and action is where most individuals fail, and Aurelius is emphasizing that this gap must be closed immediately, not studied endlessly. This idea is deeply rooted in Stoic philosophy, which places a strong emphasis on control over one’s actions rather than external circumstances. Aurelius is not concerned with theoretical perfection or philosophical accuracy. Instead, he is focused on practical living. By stating “be one,” he removes excuses, delays, and intellectual distractions. There is no prerequisite for becoming a good person other than choosing to act as one in the present moment. The simplicity of the statement is intentional, because it strips away complexity and places full responsibility on the individual. Another layer of meaning within this passage is the rejection of external validation. By encouraging action over argument, Aurelius is also discouraging the need for approval, recognition, or agreement from others. When people argue about what a good person should be, they often seek consensus or justification. They want their version of morality to be acknowledged as correct. Aurelius bypasses this entirely. Being a good person is not dependent on agreement. It is demonstrated through consistent behavior regardless of who is watching or what others believe. This idea has significant implications for leadership, personal growth, and discipline. In leadership, for example, individuals often speak about values such as integrity or accountability, but fail to model them consistently. Aurelius’ message removes the ability to separate words from actions. A leader is not defined by what they say about leadership, but by how they act under pressure, how they treat others, and how they carry responsibility. The same applies to personal development. Growth is not measured by what a person studies or discusses, but by what they practice daily. There is also a sense of urgency in the statement. The phrase “waste no more time” implies that time spent debating morality without action is not neutral. It is a loss. It suggests that life is limited, and every moment spent avoiding action is a missed opportunity to live with purpose. This urgency reinforces the Stoic understanding that the present moment is the only time where change can occur. One cannot become a good person in the future. It must happen now, through immediate decisions and behaviors. In a broader sense, this passage speaks to the human tendency to complicate simple truths. People often search for complex explanations, systems, or philosophies to guide their behavior, when the fundamental principles are already clear. Most individuals already know what it means to act with honesty, courage, or compassion. The challenge is not lack of knowledge, but lack of execution. Aurelius cuts through that complexity and presents a direct path: stop defining, start doing. The power of this statement lies in its refusal to allow passivity. It forces the reader to confront themselves. There is no room for delay, debate, or justification. It demands alignment between belief and action. In doing so, it reveals that moral development is not an intellectual pursuit, but a behavioral one. Ultimately, Marcus Aurelius is not teaching what goodness is. He is teaching how to live it.

A Life of Service and Purpose A life of service, to me, is built on consistency, responsibility, and the willingness to show up for others, even when it is difficult. It is not defined by recognition or titles, but by actions taken daily to support, guide, and uplift those around you. My life has been shaped by service through my military career, my role as a father, and my involvement in my community. I am a United States Army veteran who served as a Combat Engineer and retired as a Sergeant First Class. During my time in the military, service was a core value. I was responsible not only for completing missions, but for the safety and well-being of the soldiers I led. That experience taught me discipline, leadership, and the importance of putting others before myself. It also taught me how to remain calm under pressure and make decisions that impact the lives of others. After my military service, my understanding of service deepened through my family. My son survived brain cancer after twelve major surgeries and now lives with neurological challenges that affect his movement and communication. Supporting him through that journey required patience, strength, and constant presence. It showed me that service is not always something seen by others. It is often quiet, consistent, and rooted in love and responsibility. In my community, I continue to live out a life of service. I volunteer as a Little League baseball coach, mentoring young athletes and helping them develop confidence, discipline, and teamwork. Many of the children I work with face challenges outside of sports, and I strive to create an environment where they feel supported and valued. I also volunteered in a full spectrum autism classroom, assisting children with learning activities and swimming sessions. These experiences reinforced my belief that service means meeting people where they are and helping them grow at their own pace. My education is the next step in expanding my ability to serve others. I am currently pursuing a degree in the health and wellness field with the goal of working in pediatric care and supporting individuals dealing with trauma, neurological challenges, and chronic conditions. My own experiences with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, scoliosis, and overcoming multiple types of cancer have given me a deeper understanding of what it means to navigate both physical and emotional challenges. I want to use that perspective to provide care that is not only effective, but compassionate. My long-term goal is to create programs or spaces that support children, families, and veterans who are facing difficult circumstances. I want to offer guidance, education, and practical tools that help people rebuild their health and improve their quality of life. A life of service is not something I plan to begin in the future. It is something I practice every day through my actions, my commitment to others, and my dedication to growth. Through my education and my continued service, I am committed to making a meaningful and lasting impact on the lives of those I have the opportunity to serve.

Improving Nutrition and Health Through Nursing My nursing career will focus on improving not only immediate health outcomes, but long-term wellness through education, prevention, and practical nutrition guidance. In my experience, many health conditions are not only treated too late, but often managed without addressing one of the most important factors: how people fuel and care for their bodies every day. My path toward nursing and health began through personal experience. I am a United States Army veteran who retired as a Sergeant First Class, and I have faced my own health challenges, including scoliosis, spondylosis, traumatic brain injury, PTSD, and overcoming multiple types of cancer. In addition, my son survived brain cancer after twelve major surgeries and now lives with neurological challenges. These experiences showed me how complex recovery can be and how important it is to support the body beyond traditional treatment. Nutrition plays a critical role in healing, energy, mental clarity, and overall health, yet it is often overlooked or misunderstood. Many people are never taught how to make sustainable, healthy choices, especially in low-income communities where access to quality food and education may be limited. As a future nurse, I want to change that by making nutrition simple, practical, and accessible. One of the first steps I plan to take is educating patients in a way that fits their lifestyle. Instead of overwhelming individuals with strict diets or unrealistic expectations, I will focus on small, consistent changes. Teaching patients how to read labels, choose whole foods when possible, reduce processed sugar intake, and stay hydrated can make a significant difference over time. I also want to emphasize the connection between nutrition and mental health, as poor diet can contribute to anxiety, fatigue, and overall stress. Another key step is meeting patients where they are. Not everyone has access to expensive organic foods or specialized diets, so it is important to provide realistic options. I plan to offer guidance that works within a patient’s budget and environment, helping them make better choices with what is available to them. This approach builds confidence and makes healthy habits more sustainable. I also want to integrate movement and daily habits alongside nutrition. As a certified personal trainer, I understand the importance of combining physical activity with proper nutrition to support overall health. Even simple routines such as walking, stretching, or breathing exercises can improve how the body responds to stress and recovery. In addition to working directly with patients, I hope to expand my impact through community education. This could include workshops, youth programs, and outreach efforts that teach families how to build healthier habits together. Early education is critical, and helping children and families understand nutrition can create long-term change. My goal as a nurse is to provide care that goes beyond treating symptoms. I want to help people understand their bodies, take control of their health, and build habits that improve their quality of life. By focusing on education, prevention, and realistic strategies, I believe I can help create healthier individuals and stronger communities. Nutrition is not just about food. It is about giving people the tools to live better, think clearer, and heal more effectively. That is the impact I plan to make through my nursing career.

How I Embody Selflessness Selflessness, to me, is not about recognition or sacrifice for the sake of being noticed. It is about consistently showing up for others, especially when it is inconvenient, difficult, or goes unseen. It is a commitment to putting the needs of others alongside, and often before, my own. My life experiences, both in the military and as a father, have shaped how I embody selflessness every day. I served in the United States Army as a Combat Engineer and retired as a Sergeant First Class. During my time in the military, selflessness was not optional. It was part of the mission. I was responsible not only for completing objectives but for the safety and well-being of the soldiers under my leadership. There were many moments where decisions had to be made quickly, and those decisions were always centered around protecting others. That environment taught me that true leadership is rooted in service, and that taking care of people is the highest priority. After leaving the military, selflessness took on a different but equally important meaning in my personal life. My son survived brain cancer after twelve major surgeries. Supporting him through that journey required constant attention, patience, and emotional strength. There were countless nights in hospitals, long days of recovery, and moments where his needs had to come before everything else. It was not a choice. It was simply what needed to be done. That experience reinforced my understanding that selflessness is often quiet and consistent rather than dramatic. In my community, I continue to practice selflessness through service. I volunteer as a Little League baseball coach, working with young athletes who need guidance, structure, and encouragement. Many of the children I coach face challenges outside of sports, and I make it a priority to create an environment where they feel supported and valued. I have worked with players who struggled with confidence, who were afraid to fail, or who felt like they did not belong. Taking the time to help them build belief in themselves is one of the most rewarding ways I give back. I have also volunteered in a full spectrum autism classroom, assisting students with learning activities and swimming sessions. These experiences required patience, adaptability, and an understanding that progress looks different for every child. Helping a student take a small step forward, whether it was trying a new activity or simply feeling comfortable in their environment, was meaningful in ways that go beyond words. Perseverance is closely tied to selflessness in my life. I have faced my own challenges, including PTSD, anxiety, a traumatic brain injury, scoliosis, spondylosis, and overcoming multiple types of cancer. Despite these obstacles, I have remained committed to my education and my goal of helping others. I am currently pursuing a degree in the health and wellness field so I can support individuals dealing with trauma, neurological challenges, and long-term recovery. Selflessness is not something I turn on and off. It is part of how I live. It is reflected in my willingness to serve, to support, and to continue giving even when circumstances are difficult. Through my actions, my leadership, and my commitment to others, I strive to carry forward a life centered on helping people and making a positive impact in the world.

How Disability Has Shaped My Beliefs, Relationships, and Career Goals My name is Robert Thurman, and my life has been shaped by service, resilience, and the ability to adapt to challenges. I am a United States Army veteran who served as a Combat Engineer and retired as a Sergeant First Class. My experiences living with disability, both physical and neurological, have deeply influenced my beliefs, relationships, and career goals. I live with several conditions, including scoliosis, spondylosis, ADHD, PTSD, anxiety, depression, and a traumatic brain injury sustained during my military service. I have also overcome multiple types of cancer. These challenges affect my daily life in ways that are not always visible. Managing pain, maintaining focus, processing information, and regulating stress all require constant effort. At times, these obstacles made academic environments feel overwhelming, but they also forced me to grow in ways I would not have otherwise. My experience with disability has reshaped my beliefs. I no longer see limitations as barriers, but as challenges that require adaptation and discipline. Living with a traumatic brain injury and ADHD taught me that success is not about fitting into a system, but learning how to work within your own strengths. It also taught me patience and persistence. Progress does not always happen quickly, but it happens through consistent effort. These experiences have also strengthened my relationships. As a father, I support my son, who survived brain cancer after twelve major surgeries and now lives with neurological challenges that affect his movement and communication. Because of my own experiences, I am able to approach his needs with empathy, patience, and understanding. I know what it feels like to struggle with things others cannot see, and that perspective has deepened my connection with him. Leadership has been a constant part of my life, both in the military and in my community. As a Sergeant First Class, I led soldiers in high pressure environments where responsibility and accountability were critical. Today, I continue to lead through service. I volunteer as a Little League baseball coach, helping young athletes develop confidence, discipline, and teamwork. I also volunteered in a full spectrum autism classroom, assisting children with learning and physical development. These experiences taught me that leadership is not about control, but about support and guidance. My career goals are directly influenced by my experiences with disability. I am pursuing a degree in the health and wellness field because I want to help individuals who are dealing with trauma, neurological challenges, and chronic conditions. I understand the physical and emotional impact these challenges can have, and I want to provide care that supports both aspects. Living with disability has shaped who I am, but it does not define my limits. It has strengthened my resilience, deepened my empathy, and given me a clear sense of purpose. Through my education, leadership, and service, I plan to continue helping others navigate their challenges and build stronger, more stable lives

How Higher Education Will Help Me Achieve My Goals and Create Impact Higher education is not just a personal goal for me. It is a necessary step toward building a future where I can serve others in a meaningful and lasting way. My journey has not been traditional, and the path to education has come with challenges that required perseverance, discipline, and sacrifice. However, those same challenges are what shaped my purpose and drive me to continue forward. I am a United States Army veteran who served as a Combat Engineer and retired as a Sergeant First Class. After my military service, I faced the difficult transition back into civilian life while managing PTSD, anxiety, and the long-term effects of a traumatic brain injury. At the same time, my family was dealing with significant challenges. My son survived brain cancer after twelve major surgeries, and although his life was saved, he now lives with neurological challenges that affect his movement and communication. Balancing my responsibilities as a father, managing my own health, and trying to rebuild my life created financial and emotional strain. Like many low-income students, I faced difficult choices. I had to decide between focusing on immediate financial stability or investing in my education to create long-term opportunities. I chose to pursue education because I believe it is the key to building a future not only for myself, but for my family and the people I hope to serve. I am currently working toward my Bachelor of Applied Science in Alternative Medicine. My goal is to build a career that focuses on helping individuals who are dealing with trauma, neurological challenges, and chronic stress. My experiences, both as a patient and as a caregiver, showed me that many people struggle not because they lack strength, but because they lack access to the right support and resources. Higher education is giving me the knowledge and structure I need to turn my life experiences into practical solutions. It allows me to understand how the body works, how trauma affects both physical and mental health, and how different approaches can be used to support long-term recovery. Without this education, I would not have the ability to provide effective, informed care to others. In addition to my academic work, I remain committed to giving back to my community. I volunteer as a Little League baseball coach, mentoring young athletes and helping them build confidence, discipline, and teamwork. I have also volunteered in a full spectrum autism classroom, assisting children with learning activities and physical development. These experiences reinforced my belief that impact is built through consistent service and genuine connection with others. My long-term goal is to create a wellness and recovery center that supports veterans, children, and families dealing with trauma and medical challenges. I want to provide a space where individuals can access guidance, physical support, and tools to improve their quality of life. Many people feel overwhelmed and unsupported when dealing with health issues, and I want to change that by creating programs that are accessible and focused on real solutions. Financial assistance through this scholarship would help reduce the burden of balancing school, family, and living expenses. It would allow me to stay focused on my education and continue working toward my long-term goals without being forced to choose between immediate survival and future growth. Higher education is the foundation for everything I hope to build. It is the tool that allows me to turn my experiences into action, my challenges into purpose, and my goals into reality. Through my education, I plan to create a positive impact by helping others regain stability, build resilience, and move forward in their own lives. My journey has taught me that success is not about where you start. It is about how you move forward. And higher education is how I continue moving forward toward a life of service, purpose, and impact.

My Story, My Family, and My Calling to Serve as a First Responder My name is Robert Thurman, and my life has been defined by service, responsibility, and the commitment to help others during their most difficult moments. I am a United States Army veteran who served as a Combat Engineer and retired as a Sergeant First Class. Throughout my military career, I developed the ability to remain calm under pressure, make critical decisions, and lead others in high stress environments. That foundation continues to guide me today as I pursue a path as a first responder. My family has played a major role in shaping that decision. My son survived brain cancer after twelve major surgeries, and while his life was saved, he now lives with neurological challenges that affect his movement and communication. Being there for him through emergencies, hospital visits, and recovery showed me how important it is to have skilled, compassionate professionals who can act quickly and effectively. It also showed me that I have the ability to stay focused and steady when situations become overwhelming. In addition to my personal experience, I have taken steps to build the skills necessary to serve in this field. I am EMT-B certified, Trauma AIMS trained, Combat Life Saver certified, and BLS certified. These certifications have given me hands-on experience in emergency care, trauma response, and patient stabilization. I have trained to assess situations quickly, provide life-saving interventions, and support individuals during critical moments. I am also a certified personal trainer, which has strengthened my understanding of the human body, movement, and physical conditioning. Currently, I am working toward my Bachelor of Applied Science in Alternative Medicine. This education allows me to expand my understanding of health, recovery, and long-term wellness. While first responders focus on immediate care, I believe it is just as important to understand what happens after the emergency. My goal is to combine both perspectives to better serve individuals throughout the entire recovery process. I have also faced my own health challenges, including scoliosis, spondylosis, and overcoming multiple types of cancer. In addition, I live with PTSD and anxiety related to my military service. These experiences have given me a deeper understanding of what patients go through, both physically and emotionally. They have strengthened my empathy and reinforced my desire to help others navigate difficult situations. My decision to pursue a career as a first responder comes from both my training and my life experiences. I want to be someone who can step in when others are in crisis, provide immediate care, and help stabilize situations when every second matters. Whether responding to accidents, medical emergencies, or critical incidents, I want to serve my community in a way that reflects both skill and compassion. Being a first responder is more than a job. It is a responsibility to act when others cannot, to remain calm when others are overwhelmed, and to provide care when it matters most. I have spent my life preparing for that role, and I am committed to carrying it forward with purpose and dedication.

How My Experiences Shaped My Purpose My personal experiences have shaped my sense of purpose through challenge, responsibility, and the need to rebuild my life with intention. As a United States Army veteran who retired as a Sergeant First Class, I have faced both physical and emotional challenges, including PTSD, anxiety, and the long-term effects of a traumatic brain injury. These experiences taught me resilience and forced me to develop discipline and focus under pressure. The most defining influence on my purpose, however, has been my role as a father. My son survived brain cancer after twelve major surgeries and now lives with neurological challenges that affect his movement and communication. Supporting him through his recovery showed me how complex and overwhelming life can be for families dealing with medical conditions. It also showed me the importance of compassion, patience, and strong support systems. I have also faced my own health challenges, including scoliosis, spondylosis, and overcoming multiple types of cancer. Combined with ADHD and test anxiety, these obstacles made my academic journey more difficult, but they also pushed me to adapt and grow. These experiences shaped my purpose: to help others who are facing similar struggles. I am pursuing a career in health and wellness so I can support children and families dealing with trauma, neurological challenges, and long-term recovery. My life has shown me that purpose is not something you find. It is something you build through what you

My Circumstances and Academic Journey While I am no longer a single parent, there was a time in my life when I carried that responsibility while facing significant personal challenges. That period shaped my academic journey and continues to influence the way I approach my education today. As a United States Army veteran who retired as a Sergeant First Class, I returned home managing PTSD, anxiety, and the long-term effects of a traumatic brain injury. At the same time, my son was recovering from brain cancer after twelve major surgeries. Although his life was saved, he now lives with neurological challenges that affect his movement and communication. Balancing his care, my own health, and daily responsibilities required focus, discipline, and constant adaptation. During that time, I was also managing my own physical health challenges, including scoliosis, spondylosis, and having overcome multiple types of cancer. ADHD and test anxiety added another layer of difficulty in academic settings. There were moments when continuing my education felt overwhelming, but I made a commitment to keep moving forward. I developed structure in my daily routine, learned to manage my time carefully, and adjusted my learning strategies to fit how I process information. These experiences taught me resilience and reinforced my determination to succeed despite obstacles. Today, I am pursuing a degree in the health and wellness field because I want to help children and families facing medical and neurological challenges. My goal is to work in pediatric care, providing both support and understanding to those navigating difficult circumstances. Although I am no longer a single parent, that period strengthened my ability to handle responsibility and remain focused on my goals. It continues to drive me to build a future where I can make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

Why I Am Pursuing Nursing and My Chosen Specialty I have chosen to pursue nursing because I have experienced healthcare from multiple perspectives: as a patient, as a father, and as a veteran. Each of these roles has shown me how critical compassionate, skilled nursing care is, especially for children and families facing serious medical challenges. My desired specialty is pediatric nursing, with a focus on children who are dealing with complex medical conditions and long-term recovery. This path is deeply personal to me. My son survived brain cancer after twelve major surgeries, and while his life was saved, he now lives with neurological challenges that affect his movement and communication. Being by his side through hospital stays, procedures, and recovery gave me a firsthand understanding of how much children rely on nurses not just for care, but for comfort, stability, and trust. At the same time, my own health journey has shaped my decision. I live with scoliosis and spondylosis, and I have also faced and overcome multiple types of cancer. Experiencing serious health conditions myself gave me a unique perspective on what it feels like to be vulnerable, uncertain, and dependent on the care of others. It taught me how important it is for patients to feel heard, respected, and supported. These experiences did not discourage me. They strengthened my resolve to pursue a career where I can provide that same level of care to others. In addition to my personal and family experiences, I am a United States Army veteran who served as a Combat Engineer and retired as a Sergeant First Class. My time in the military taught me discipline, leadership, and the ability to remain calm under pressure. These qualities are essential in nursing, especially in pediatric environments where both the patient and the family are often experiencing high levels of stress and uncertainty. I have chosen to work with pediatric patients because children require a different level of care. They need patience, creativity, and the ability to communicate in ways that match their developmental level. Many cannot fully express what they are feeling, which makes it even more important for healthcare providers to be attentive and compassionate. I understand what it means to advocate for a child who cannot advocate for themselves, and that understanding drives my commitment to this field. While I do not yet have specialized training in stoma care, I am open to developing those skills as I continue my education. I recognize that many patients, including children with complex conditions, require specialized care, and I am committed to learning what is necessary to support them fully. My experiences with health challenges, both my own and my son’s, have given me a deep sense of empathy and purpose. Nursing allows me to turn those experiences into something meaningful. My goal is to provide care that not only addresses medical needs but also supports the emotional well-being of patients and their families. Nursing is not just a career for me. It is a calling built on resilience, compassion, and a commitment to serving others.

What Inspired Me to Pursue a Career in Pediatric Medicine My inspiration to pursue a career in pediatric medicine comes from walking through one of the most difficult experiences a parent can face. My son battled brain cancer and underwent twelve major surgeries. Those surgeries saved his life, but they also changed his world. He now lives with neurological challenges that affect his movement and communication. Going through that journey with him showed me not only the pain and uncertainty that families face, but also the incredible impact that dedicated medical professionals can have on a child’s life. During that time, I witnessed pediatric care at its most powerful. The doctors, nurses, and specialists who cared for my son did more than treat his condition. They supported him as a person. They found ways to comfort him when he was scared, explain procedures in ways that made sense, and help him feel safe in an environment that could have easily felt overwhelming. Just as importantly, they supported me and my family. They answered questions, offered reassurance, and created moments of hope during a time when fear could have taken over. What stood out to me most was how these professionals treated the entire family, not just the patient. They understood that when a child is battling a serious illness, the parents and caregivers are also carrying an emotional and physical burden. Their compassion extended beyond medical care, and that made a lasting impression on me. My background as a United States Army veteran taught me discipline, leadership, and responsibility. However, my experience as a father navigating pediatric care showed me a different kind of service. It showed me what it means to truly care for someone in their most vulnerable moments. It taught me that strength can be expressed through patience, compassion, and presence. These experiences are what led me to pursue a path in pediatric medicine. I want to be part of a field that not only treats illness but supports children and families through some of the most challenging moments of their lives. I understand what it feels like to sit in a hospital room, waiting for answers. I understand the fear, the uncertainty, and the hope that families carry. That perspective drives my desire to provide care that is both skilled and compassionate. My goal is to work with children facing serious medical challenges, particularly those dealing with neurological conditions or long term effects from cancer treatments. I want to help improve not only survival rates, but quality of life. Healing does not end when treatment is over. Many children continue to face challenges that require long term support, and I want to be part of helping them navigate that journey. The story of Noah and the impact of the professionals who cared for him reflects exactly what inspired me. Pediatric medicine is not just about treatment. It is about connection, compassion, and giving children the best life possible, even in difficult circumstances. My experiences have given me both the motivation and the perspective to pursue this path. I want to dedicate my life to being the kind of medical professional who makes a difference not only in a child’s health, but in their overall well-being and in the lives of the families who love them.

Pursuing a Career in the Nonprofit Sector as a Naturopathic Doctor I want to pursue a career in the nonprofit sector as a naturopathic doctor because I have seen firsthand how many people struggle without access to consistent, compassionate, and whole-person care. My life experiences as a United States Army veteran, a father to a medically complex child, and someone who has worked through mental health challenges have shown me that healing is not just physical. It involves the mind, the body, and the environment a person lives in. Many individuals, especially those in underserved communities, do not have access to care that addresses all of these areas. After serving in the military and returning home with PTSD, anxiety, and depression, I experienced how difficult it can be to find support that truly helps. At the same time, my son was going through his own battle, surviving brain cancer after twelve major surgeries. Although his life was saved, he now lives with neurological challenges that affect his movement and communication. Navigating the healthcare system for both of us revealed a major gap. Many people are treated for symptoms, but not supported in a way that helps them rebuild their lives. This is what drives me toward naturopathic medicine and the nonprofit sector. I want to provide care that focuses on prevention, healing, and long-term wellness, not just temporary solutions. As a naturopathic doctor, I plan to use approaches that include movement, nutrition, stress regulation, and natural therapies to support individuals dealing with trauma, chronic illness, and neurological challenges. Choosing the nonprofit sector allows me to focus on people rather than profit. Many families, especially those dealing with medical conditions or mental health struggles, cannot afford consistent care. Veterans, children with neurological challenges, and low-income families often fall through the cracks of traditional healthcare systems. My goal is to create accessible programs where these individuals can receive support regardless of their financial situation. I hope to build a nonprofit wellness and recovery center that provides services such as stress management, physical rehabilitation support, holistic health education, and emotional wellness programs. I want this space to serve veterans dealing with PTSD, families navigating neurological conditions, and individuals who feel overwhelmed by life’s challenges. The goal is to create an environment where people can regain stability and learn tools to manage their health long term. In addition to direct care, I also want to create community outreach programs that educate individuals on how to take control of their health. Many people are not given the knowledge or tools needed to support their own well-being. By teaching practical strategies that can be applied daily, I can help individuals become more independent in managing their health. The positive impact I hope to create is not limited to individual patients. When one person gains stability, it affects their family, their community, and the people around them. Healing spreads outward. My goal is to contribute to that ripple effect by providing care, education, and support to those who need it most. A career as a naturopathic doctor in the nonprofit sector allows me to combine service, purpose, and healing. It gives me the opportunity to turn my experiences into something meaningful and to help others build stronger, healthier lives.

How I Plan to Make a Positive Impact on the World Making a positive impact on the world, to me, is about serving others in a way that creates lasting change, not just temporary relief. It is about using my experiences, education, and purpose to help people who feel overwhelmed, unsupported, or overlooked find stability, strength, and direction in their lives. My desire to make an impact has been shaped by both my military service and my personal life. I served in the United States Army as a Combat Engineer and retired as a Sergeant First Class. During my time in the military, I learned the importance of leadership, responsibility, and taking care of the people around you. However, the most meaningful lessons about service came after I returned home. Like many veterans, I faced challenges with PTSD, anxiety, and depression. For a time, I struggled to find balance and direction. At the same time, my family was facing its own challenges. My son survived brain cancer after twelve major surgeries, and although his life was saved, he now lives with neurological challenges that affect his movement and communication. Supporting him through those challenges changed my perspective on life, service, and what it truly means to make a difference. These experiences led me to pursue higher education in the health and wellness field. My goal is to create a space where veterans, children, and families dealing with trauma, neurological challenges, or emotional stress can find support. Many people struggle not because they are weak, but because they lack the resources, guidance, or environment needed to heal. I want to be part of the solution by providing tools such as movement, breathwork, structured routines, and holistic approaches that help people regain control of their lives. In my community, I already work to make an impact through service. I volunteer as a Little League baseball coach, where I mentor young athletes and help them build confidence, discipline, and teamwork. Coaching has shown me that small moments of encouragement can change the way a child sees themselves. It reinforced my belief that impact does not always come from large actions, but from consistent support and leadership. I have also volunteered in a full spectrum autism classroom, assisting children with learning activities and swimming sessions. This experience taught me patience, adaptability, and the importance of meeting people where they are. Every individual has different needs, and real impact comes from understanding those needs and responding with compassion. My long term vision is to build a wellness and recovery center that combines science, structure, and compassion to help people rebuild their lives. I want to create an environment where individuals can find both physical and emotional stability, regardless of their background or circumstances. I believe that true impact is measured by how many lives you help improve. It is not about recognition or personal success. It is about service, consistency, and the willingness to give back even when it is difficult. Through my education, my service, and my future career, I plan to dedicate my life to helping others find strength, healing, and purpose. That is the impact I am committed to making.

For much of my life, I learned how to survive long before I ever learned how to dream. Survival meant pushing through challenges without stopping, carrying responsibility without complaint, and focusing only on what needed to be done next. As a United States Army veteran who retired as a Sergeant First Class, survival was a mindset that helped me lead, endure hardship, and accomplish difficult missions. But after returning home, I realized that surviving is not the same as living. One of the most difficult periods in my life came after my military service while raising my son, who was battling brain cancer. He underwent twelve major surgeries, and while they saved his life, they also left him with neurological challenges that affect his movement and communication. At the same time, I was dealing with PTSD, depression, anxiety, and the long term effects of a traumatic brain injury. Financial strain and emotional pressure made daily life feel overwhelming. There was a moment when I realized that simply surviving was no longer enough. I had a choice. I could continue reacting to life, or I could begin building something meaningful from the challenges I had faced. I chose to become resourceful. I committed to improving my mental health, pursued sobriety, returned to school, and began creating structure in my life. I learned how to manage my time, focus my energy, and push forward even when progress felt slow. That period taught me resilience in its truest form. It is not about avoiding struggle, but about continuing forward with purpose despite it. Studying abroad represents the next step in moving from survival to creating a life that feels like my own. My experiences have taught me the value of growth, but I know that my perspective is still limited by what I have personally seen. I want to expand that perspective by immersing myself in different cultures and learning how other parts of the world approach health, healing, and community. I am currently in the early stages of planning my study abroad program, actively researching opportunities that focus on global health and integrative medicine. I am especially interested in programs that allow me to study in regions where traditional healing practices are still integrated with modern medicine. These environments offer a deeper understanding of how the mind and body are connected and how community plays a role in healing. What I hope to gain from this experience goes beyond academics. I want to develop a broader understanding of how different cultures support individuals dealing with trauma, neurological challenges, and chronic stress. I want to learn new approaches that I can bring back to my community, particularly to help veterans and families who are navigating similar struggles. For me, studying abroad is not just an opportunity to travel. It is an opportunity to grow, to challenge my perspective, and to step fully into a life built with intention rather than survival. It is a chance to transform everything I have been through into something that can help others. I have spent years learning how to endure. Now, I am ready to learn how to expand, create, and truly live with purpose.

What Makes Me a Leader, Leadership, to me, is not about titles, authority, or recognition. It is about responsibility, consistency, and the willingness to serve others, especially when it is not easy. My leadership has been shaped by my experiences living with ADHD, hyperactivity, test anxiety, PTSD, depression, and anxiety, as well as my role as a father to a child with neurological challenges. These experiences have taught me that true leadership begins with self awareness and grows through service to others. As a United States Army veteran, I served as a Combat Engineer and retired as a Sergeant First Class. Throughout my military career, I was responsible for leading soldiers in high pressure environments where decisions carried real consequences. The Army taught me discipline, accountability, and how to lead with confidence under stress. However, my understanding of leadership evolved significantly after my service ended. Returning home, I faced challenges that could not be solved with rank or authority. Managing PTSD, depression, and anxiety required me to lead myself before I could effectively lead others. Living with ADHD and hyperactivity added another layer, forcing me to develop structure, discipline, and focus in ways that did not come naturally. Learning how to manage my mental health, stay grounded, and rebuild stability in my life became one of the most important leadership challenges I have ever faced. It taught me that leadership is not just about strength. It is about resilience, humility, and the willingness to grow. My leadership is also defined by my role as a father. My son survived brain cancer after twelve major surgeries and now lives with neurological challenges that affect his movement and communication. Supporting him requires patience, adaptability, and constant presence. He has taught me that leadership is not about control. It is about showing up every day, even when things are difficult, and creating a sense of stability and trust. In my community, I demonstrate leadership through service. I volunteer as a Little League baseball coach, mentoring young athletes and helping them develop confidence, teamwork, and discipline. Many of the children I work with face challenges outside of sports, and I make it a priority to create an environment where they feel supported and valued. Leadership in this role means understanding each child as an individual and helping them grow at their own pace. I have also volunteered in a full spectrum autism classroom, assisting students with learning activities and swimming sessions. This experience reinforced my belief that leadership requires patience, empathy, and the ability to adapt to different needs. Not every person learns or grows the same way, and a true leader understands how to meet people where they are. What makes me a leader is my ability to turn adversity into purpose. I lead by example, showing that challenges can be overcome. I lead through service, giving my time and energy to others. And I lead with compassion, understanding that everyone carries struggles that may not be visible. Leadership is not something I claim. It is something I live every day through my actions, my growth, and my commitment to helping others succeed

My Purpose in Sports and the Impact I Hope to Make My passion for sports does not come from the dream of playing professionally. It comes from the opportunity to shape lives through coaching, mentorship, and leadership. Sports have the power to build character, discipline, and confidence, especially in young athletes who are still discovering who they are. My goal is to use sports as a tool to develop stronger individuals, not just better players. I currently serve as a Little League baseball coach, and that experience has been one of the most meaningful parts of my life. Coaching has shown me that the impact of sports goes far beyond the field. Many of the kids I work with face challenges that have nothing to do with baseball. Some struggle with confidence, some come from difficult home environments, and others simply need someone to believe in them. As a coach, I see my role as more than teaching fundamentals. I am there to guide them, support them, and help them develop a mindset that will carry them through life. My inspiration to pursue a future in sports comes from both my personal experiences and my desire to give back. As a United States Army veteran, I understand the importance of discipline, structure, and teamwork. Those same principles exist in sports, and they can have a powerful influence on young people. I also have a son who has faced significant medical challenges after surviving brain cancer. He lives with neurological differences that affect his development, and watching him overcome adversity has changed the way I view success. It is not about being the best. It is about showing up, pushing forward, and growing every day. Through coaching, I have seen firsthand how sports can transform a child’s confidence. I have worked with players who doubted themselves, who were afraid to fail, or who felt like they did not belong. Over time, with encouragement and structure, I watched those same players begin to believe in themselves. Those moments are more valuable than any win or loss. My vision for the future is to expand my impact in youth sports by building structured training programs that focus on both physical and mental development. I want to create an environment where young athletes learn discipline, resilience, and emotional control alongside their athletic skills. I also want to incorporate elements of wellness, movement, and mindset training to help athletes perform at their best while maintaining balance in their lives. Sports are one of the few environments where young people can learn life lessons in real time. They learn how to handle pressure, how to work with others, how to deal with failure, and how to keep going when things are difficult. These lessons stay with them long after the game is over. I am pursuing a future in sports because I believe in its power to shape lives. My goal is to continue coaching, mentoring, and building programs that help young athletes grow into confident, disciplined, and resilient individuals. The legacy I want to create in sports is not measured by wins, but by the number of lives I positively impact along the way.

One of the most significant challenges I have faced in my life has been learning how to navigate education while managing ADHD, hyperactivity, test anxiety, PTSD, depression, and anxiety. Some of these challenges began in childhood, while others developed later as a result of my military service. Together, they created obstacles that made both academic success and personal stability difficult at times. However, facing these challenges forced me to grow in ways that ultimately shaped who I am today. I was diagnosed with ADHD at a young age, and I have always been extremely hyperactive. Sitting still, focusing for long periods of time, and staying organized in a traditional classroom environment did not come naturally to me. I often felt like my mind and body were moving faster than the world around me. On top of that, I struggled with test anxiety. Even when I understood the material, the pressure of testing environments made it difficult to perform at my true level. This led to frustration and self doubt, as I knew I was capable but could not always show it. Later in life, after serving in the United States Army and deploying to Iraq, I returned home dealing with PTSD, depression, and anxiety. These challenges intensified my difficulty with focus, stress management, and emotional regulation. For a period of time, I tried to push through everything on my own, believing that strength meant handling it without help. That mindset only made things harder. The turning point came when I realized that ignoring these challenges would prevent me from moving forward. I made a decision to take control of my mental health and my education. Instead of fighting against how I was wired, I began learning how to work with it. I started building structure into my daily life, breaking tasks into smaller steps, and using repetition to stay on track. I also began using physical movement, breathing techniques, and mindfulness to manage my hyperactivity and regulate my stress. Returning to school later in life required a different approach. I had to be intentional about how I studied, how I managed my time, and how I handled pressure. Over time, I developed systems that allowed me to stay focused and consistent. That process taught me that success is not about fitting into a system. It is about learning how to adapt the system to work for you. These experiences have also shaped how I view others. I understand how overwhelming it can feel to deal with learning differences and mental health challenges at the same time. Because of this, I approach people with patience, empathy, and a willingness to support them where they are. Today, I no longer see my ADHD, hyperactivity, or mental health struggles as limitations. I see them as the reason I developed discipline, resilience, and self awareness. They pushed me to grow in ways I would not have otherwise. This journey taught me that challenges do not define your limits. They reveal your strength, if you are willing to face them and keep moving forward.

One of the most meaningful ways I have volunteered and given back to my community has been through my involvement with children who have neurological and developmental challenges. My son survived brain cancer after twelve major surgeries, and although he does not have autism, he presents many of the signs and symptoms commonly associated with autism due to the trauma his brain experienced. Because of his needs, I became closely involved in his school environment and began volunteering regularly in his classroom, which was a full spectrum autism classroom. For several years I volunteered weekly alongside teachers and support staff, helping students with daily learning activities and physical development. One of the most impactful parts of my volunteer work involved assisting the class during swimming sessions. Many of the students had coordination challenges, sensory sensitivities, or fear of the water. I helped organize the students, support them in the pool, and encourage them to build confidence through movement and structured activity. Watching children who were initially afraid of the water slowly gain confidence and independence was incredibly rewarding. In addition to volunteering in the classroom, I also give back to my community as a Little League baseball coach. Coaching youth baseball goes beyond teaching kids how to throw, catch, or hit. Many children carry emotional stress, lack confidence, or need guidance outside the classroom. As a coach, I work to create a positive team environment where kids feel supported and encouraged to grow. I help organize practices, teach teamwork and discipline, and emphasize respect for teammates and opponents. Both of these experiences have taught me that leadership through service is one of the most powerful forms of leadership. True leadership is not about authority or recognition. It is about showing up consistently, supporting others, and creating opportunities for people to grow. When you lead through service, you put the needs of others first and focus on helping them succeed. Working with children with neurological challenges also taught me patience and perspective. Progress does not always happen quickly, and success can look different for every child. Sometimes success is a student attempting a new activity, communicating in a new way, or simply believing in themselves for the first time. Leadership through service is important because it strengthens communities. When individuals invest their time and energy into helping others, they create environments where people feel valued and supported. These experiences have shaped the way I approach my education and future career. I believe that service is not just something we do occasionally. It is a responsibility to use our time, knowledge, and abilities to help others succeed. Through volunteering in the classroom and mentoring youth through sports, I have learned that even small acts of service can have a lasting impact. Leadership begins with the willingness to serve, and that principle continues to guide the way I give back to my community.

Academic and Career Goals My academic and career goals are centered on improving health outcomes for individuals and families facing neurological, physical, and emotional challenges. I am pursuing higher education in the biological and health sciences because I believe that science, when combined with compassion and real world understanding, has the power to transform lives and strengthen communities. My path toward this field was shaped by both military service and personal experience within my family. I served in the United States Army as a Combat Engineer and later as a Sergeant First Class. During my service, I learned the importance of discipline, leadership, and the responsibility of protecting the people around you. However, the most influential experience that shaped my educational goals came later in life through my son. My son survived brain cancer after twelve major surgeries. Although those surgeries saved his life, they also left him with neurological challenges that affect movement and communication. Watching him navigate recovery opened my eyes to the complexity of neurological health, rehabilitation, and the role that science plays in helping people regain independence and quality of life. It also showed me how important compassionate healthcare professionals and evidence based research are in guiding families through difficult medical situations. Because of these experiences, I chose to pursue education that focuses on the biological sciences and public health. I want to understand how the body functions, how neurological injuries affect development, and how science can be used to create better treatment approaches and support systems for patients and families. My academic goal is to build a strong foundation in biological science while developing the practical skills necessary to help people manage chronic conditions, trauma recovery, and neurological challenges. My long term career goal is to work in a field that combines scientific knowledge with holistic approaches to health and wellness. Many individuals dealing with neurological trauma, chronic illness, or mental health challenges often fall through the gaps of traditional healthcare systems. I want to help bridge that gap by creating programs and environments where individuals can receive both evidence based care and supportive therapies that improve overall well being. In addition to my academic work, community service is an important part of my life. I volunteer as a youth baseball coach, mentoring young athletes and helping them develop confidence, teamwork, and resilience. I have also volunteered in a full spectrum autism classroom, assisting children with learning activities and swimming sessions. These experiences have reinforced my belief that science and healthcare must ultimately serve people, especially those who face the greatest challenges. Financial barriers can make pursuing education difficult, particularly for students balancing family responsibilities and community involvement. As a disabled veteran raising a medically complex child, financial assistance through scholarships plays a crucial role in allowing me to continue my education and stay focused on my long term goals. Ultimately, my goal is to use science not only to understand the human body but also to improve the quality of life for others. By combining education, service, and determination, I hope to contribute to a future where individuals facing medical challenges have better access to care, stronger support systems, and greater opportunities to live full and meaningful lives.

Why I Am Pursuing Nursing and Pediatric Nursing My decision to pursue a career in nursing, and specifically pediatric nursing, comes from one of the most challenging and life changing experiences my family has faced. My son survived brain cancer after twelve major surgeries. While those surgeries saved his life, they also left him with neurological challenges, including left side hemiplegia and communication differences that make daily life more complex. Walking beside him through hospital stays, surgeries, therapies, and recovery showed me firsthand the incredible role pediatric nurses play in the lives of children and their families. During those long days and nights in hospitals, nurses were often the people who made the greatest difference. They were the ones who explained procedures in ways we could understand, who helped comfort my son when he was scared, and who made an overwhelming medical environment feel a little more human. They were not only caregivers but also advocates, teachers, and emotional support systems. Watching their compassion and professionalism left a lasting impression on me and helped shape my desire to pursue nursing. Before returning to school, I served in the United States Army as a Combat Engineer and later as a Sergeant First Class. Military service taught me discipline, leadership, and the importance of caring for the people who depend on you. However, my experience as a parent navigating the healthcare system showed me a different kind of service. It showed me the power of patience, empathy, and emotional presence when families are facing fear and uncertainty. Pediatric nursing stands out to me because children experience illness differently than adults. They often cannot fully explain what they are feeling, and they rely heavily on the people around them to advocate for their needs. Pediatric nurses must combine medical knowledge with compassion, creativity, and the ability to communicate with both children and their families. I have seen how a nurse’s kindness can ease a child’s fear and how their guidance can help parents feel less overwhelmed during some of the hardest moments of their lives. My goal as a pediatric nurse is to bring both professional skill and personal understanding into the care I provide. Because of my own experiences as a father, I understand the emotional weight families carry when a child is sick or recovering from major medical treatment. I want to be the kind of nurse who not only provides excellent medical care but also supports families through the emotional and psychological challenges that come with pediatric illness. In addition to my professional goals, I also volunteer in my community as a youth baseball coach. Coaching allows me to mentor young athletes and help them build confidence, teamwork, and resilience. Working with children in this environment reinforces my belief that young people thrive when they are supported, encouraged, and given opportunities to grow. Choosing pediatric nursing is not simply a career decision for me. It is a calling shaped by my family’s experiences and my desire to serve others. I hope to dedicate my life to helping children heal, supporting families during difficult times, and making the healthcare environment a place where compassion and skill work together to improve lives.

To me, the idea of “Be More” means going beyond simply earning a degree or building a career. It means using knowledge, experience, and compassion to create meaningful change in the lives of others. In the field of medicine, being more means looking beyond symptoms and diagnoses to truly understand the person behind them. It means listening, advocating, and working to improve the quality of life for individuals and families who are struggling. My path toward medicine has been shaped by both military service and personal experience within my own family. I served in the United States Army as a Combat Engineer and later as a Sergeant First Class. Leadership in the military taught me discipline, responsibility, and the importance of caring for the people who rely on you. However, the most powerful lessons about medicine and compassion came later in life through my son. My son survived brain cancer after twelve major surgeries. Those surgeries saved his life, but they also changed the way his brain functions. He now lives with neurological challenges, left side hemiplegia, and communicates without spoken language. Watching him navigate the world opened my eyes to how complex and difficult life can be for individuals with neurological conditions and for the families who support them. It also showed me how powerful compassionate medical care can be when professionals truly invest themselves in helping a child thrive. Because of these experiences, I chose to pursue education focused on health, healing, and neurological support. My goal is not simply to treat illness but to help people regain stability and quality of life. Many individuals dealing with trauma, neurological conditions, or chronic illness often feel overlooked or misunderstood within the healthcare system. I want to be part of changing that. Being more in medicine also means recognizing that healing involves more than prescriptions or procedures. Emotional health, stress management, physical movement, and community support all play critical roles in recovery. Through my education, I plan to integrate holistic health principles with evidence based care so that patients are treated as complete individuals rather than a collection of symptoms. Another important part of my mission is supporting veterans and families facing neurological challenges. As a veteran who has experienced PTSD and the long road of mental health recovery, I understand how isolating these struggles can be. My goal is to create programs and environments where veterans and families can find support, stability, and tools for healing. I want to build spaces where people feel understood and where practical strategies for recovery are accessible to everyone who needs them. Ultimately, “Being More” means using education not just for personal success but for service. My experiences have taught me that true impact comes from lifting others up and helping them move forward when life feels overwhelming. Through medicine, compassion, and advocacy, I hope to build a legacy that improves lives and strengthens the communities around me.

Entrepreneurship, to me, is about more than building a business. It is about building something that serves people, solves real problems, and creates lasting change. My goal as an entrepreneur is to create a legacy that improves lives, strengthens communities, and helps others find stability and healing. My path toward entrepreneurship has been shaped by my life experiences. I am a United States Army veteran who served as a Combat Engineer and later as a Sergeant First Class. After returning from deployment, I faced many of the same challenges that veterans across the country experience, including PTSD and the difficult transition back into civilian life. These struggles taught me resilience, perseverance, and the importance of having a purpose that is larger than yourself. My greatest motivation, however, comes from my family. My son survived brain cancer after twelve major surgeries and now lives with neurological challenges. Watching him fight through adversity has taught me what true determination looks like. It also opened my eyes to the many challenges families face when dealing with medical conditions, trauma, and financial pressure. These experiences pushed me to pursue education and entrepreneurship with the goal of helping others who face similar obstacles. The type of business I hope to build reflects both my professional experience and my desire to serve the community. One of my primary entrepreneurial goals is to develop a company focused on flood mitigation and home protection in high risk areas. Many families lose everything when disasters strike, and preventative solutions are often overlooked. My vision is to create a company that helps homeowners protect their homes and communities from flooding through innovative structural solutions and preventative design. By doing so, I hope to help families avoid devastating financial losses and provide safer housing environments. In addition to this work, I also hope to build a wellness focused business that supports veterans, families, and individuals dealing with trauma, neurological conditions, or emotional stress. Through my education in Alternative Medicine, I plan to develop programs that teach grounding techniques, physical movement, and holistic practices that help people restore balance in their lives. My long term vision is to create spaces where people can find both physical protection and personal healing. Volunteer work has also played an important role in my life. I volunteer as a youth baseball coach in my community, helping young athletes develop confidence, teamwork, and discipline. Coaching has shown me how powerful mentorship can be in shaping young people’s lives. Some of the most meaningful moments happen when a child realizes their own potential and begins to believe in themselves. When I think about how I “shine my light,” it comes down to service and leadership. I try to lead by example by showing resilience in difficult circumstances and by offering guidance to others who may be struggling. Whether it is mentoring young athletes, helping families navigate difficult challenges, or building businesses that serve communities, my goal is always the same: to lift others up. Creating a legacy means building something that continues helping people long after you are gone. Through entrepreneurship, service, and education, I hope to create businesses and opportunities that strengthen communities and make a lasting positive impact on the world.

My experience with mental health has shaped nearly every aspect of who I am today. It has influenced the way I see the world, the way I connect with people, and the direction I have chosen for my education and future career. What once felt like a personal struggle has ultimately become the foundation for the work I hope to do helping others. After serving in the United States Army and deploying to Iraq, I returned home carrying challenges that many veterans face. I struggled with PTSD, anxiety, and the emotional weight of experiences that are difficult to explain to people who have never lived through them. For a long time, I believed that strength meant handling everything alone. I pushed through stress, suppressed emotions, and tried to ignore what was happening internally. Like many veterans, I felt that admitting struggle meant weakness. Over time I learned that ignoring mental health does not make it disappear. It simply allows it to grow stronger in the background. My perspective began to change when I realized that healing requires honesty, support, and a willingness to confront pain rather than hide from it. Choosing sobriety and working to rebuild my mental health forced me to rethink many of the beliefs I once held about strength and resilience. These experiences changed the way I approach relationships. I became more aware of how many people carry silent struggles. Instead of assuming someone is simply having a bad day, I try to understand the deeper challenges they may be facing. I have learned that listening, patience, and empathy are often more powerful than advice. Mental health struggles can isolate people, and sometimes the most meaningful support is simply letting someone know they are not alone. Mental health has also shaped my role as a father. My son survived brain cancer after twelve major surgeries and now lives with neurological challenges that affect how he communicates and interacts with the world. Supporting him requires patience, emotional awareness, and the ability to remain calm even in difficult moments. My own experiences with mental health have helped me become more compassionate and present as a parent. Professionally, these experiences have guided me toward a career focused on helping others heal. I am pursuing education in Alternative Medicine because I want to understand the mind body connection and how holistic approaches can support mental and emotional wellness. Many individuals, especially veterans and families dealing with neurological or medical challenges, struggle to find care that addresses both their physical and emotional needs. My goal is to eventually create a wellness environment where people can learn grounding techniques, stress regulation, and healing practices that support long term stability. Mental health challenges once felt like obstacles that defined my limitations. Today I see them as experiences that shaped my purpose. They taught me empathy, patience, and the importance of supporting others through their struggles. Those lessons now guide the person I strive to be and the work I hope to dedicate my life to.

My name is Robert Thurman, and my journey toward serving individuals with special needs began through my role as a father. My son survived brain cancer after twelve major surgeries, and the neurological impact of those surgeries changed his development. Although he does not have autism, he presents many of the signs and symptoms commonly associated with autism because of the trauma his brain endured. He also lives with left side hemiplegia and communicates without spoken language. Watching him navigate the world has shaped my understanding of patience, resilience, and the importance of compassionate support for children with neurological challenges. Because of my son’s experience, I became closely involved in his school environment. For several years I volunteered weekly in his classroom, which was a full spectrum autism classroom. My role was to assist the teachers and help the children with daily learning activities, emotional support, and physical activities. One of the areas where I was especially involved was helping students during their swimming sessions. Many of the children in the class faced sensory challenges, coordination difficulties, or anxiety around water. Helping them build confidence in the pool became one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Working with these students taught me lessons that cannot be learned in textbooks. Every child in that classroom had unique abilities and challenges. Some communicated verbally, while others used gestures, assistive devices, or behavior to express themselves. I learned quickly that progress is not always measured in grades or milestones. Sometimes progress is a child making eye contact, trying a new activity, or trusting an adult enough to attempt something that once scared them. My time volunteering also helped me understand how powerful patience and encouragement can be. Many of these children had spent years feeling misunderstood. When they were given time, calm guidance, and genuine belief in their abilities, they began to thrive. Those moments showed me that individuals with special needs are often limited more by the expectations placed on them than by their actual potential. Before becoming deeply involved in this environment, I served in the United States Army as a Combat Engineer and later as a Sergeant First Class. Military service taught me discipline and leadership, but working with children with neurological differences taught me compassion and emotional awareness on a completely different level. These experiences together shaped the direction of my life. Today I am pursuing higher education in Alternative Medicine because I want to better understand neurological recovery, trauma, and holistic approaches to supporting individuals with special needs. My goal is to eventually create programs and supportive environments where children with neurological challenges and their families can receive guidance, therapy support, and emotional stability. Financially, my family does experience strain. As a disabled veteran raising a medically complex child who requires ongoing care, medical expenses and therapy needs are a constant part of our lives. Receiving this scholarship would help relieve some of that burden and allow me to continue focusing on my education and my mission. Volunteering in that classroom showed me the strength and potential that exists in children with special needs. It also showed me that the right support system can change a child’s life. My goal is to dedicate my career to being part of that support system for as many families as possible.

My story is not a traditional one. I am a United States Army veteran, a father to a medically complex child, and a student who returned to school later in life after rebuilding myself from trauma, loss, and personal struggle. The path that brought me here taught me that compassion, honesty, and service are not abstract ideas. They are daily choices that shape how we treat others and how we use our experiences to help those around us. Compassion first became real to me during my time in the Army. Serving as a Combat Engineer and later as a Sergeant First Class meant carrying responsibility not only for missions but for the soldiers under my leadership. One of the most difficult moments of my life came in 2010 while deployed to Iraq when I lost a soldier under my command to suicide. That loss changed the way I view leadership and human connection. It taught me that strength is not only about discipline or toughness. It is about seeing the people around you, listening when someone is struggling, and creating an environment where no one feels alone. Being true to myself became even more important when I returned home and faced my own mental health challenges. PTSD and traumatic brain injury affected my daily life, and for years I tried to handle everything on my own. Eventually I realized that honesty about my struggles was the first step toward healing. Choosing sobriety and committing to personal growth allowed me to rebuild my life with integrity and purpose. One of the greatest sources of inspiration in my life is my son. He survived brain cancer after twelve major surgeries and now lives with autism, left side hemiplegia, and non verbal communication. Raising him has taught me patience, humility, and the meaning of unconditional compassion. His strength reminds me every day that resilience is not about avoiding hardship. It is about facing it with courage and continuing forward. I have tried to bring these lessons into my community. As a Little League baseball coach, I work with young athletes who often struggle with confidence or difficult circumstances at home. Coaching gives me the opportunity to teach discipline, teamwork, and belief in oneself. Some of the most meaningful victories are not wins on the scoreboard but moments when a child learns to trust themselves or support a teammate. Education is the next step in my journey. I am pursuing a degree in Alternative Medicine because I want to help veterans, families, and children who live with trauma, neurological challenges, or emotional hardship. My goal is to eventually create a wellness and recovery center that provides guidance, grounding techniques, and holistic healing for people who feel overwhelmed by life. I believe that the greatest achievements are those that lift others up. My life has been shaped by people who took the time to guide me, encourage me, and remind me that growth is possible. Through my education and future career, I plan to continue that cycle by helping others rebuild their strength, find stability, and move forward with hope. Success, to me, is not measured by what I accomplish alone. It is measured by how many people I can help along the way.

One of the most meaningful ways I have served my community has been through coaching youth baseball in our local Little League. What began as a way to support my son and spend time with kids in the neighborhood quickly became something much deeper. Many of the children on our team come from different backgrounds and face challenges that go far beyond baseball. Some struggle with confidence, some come from difficult home situations, and others simply need an adult who believes in them. I realized early that coaching was not just about teaching how to throw or hit a ball. It was about helping young people grow into confident and responsible individuals. My motivation to step into this role came from my own life experiences. As a United States Army veteran who has faced PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and the long process of rebuilding my life after service, I understand what it feels like to struggle quietly. I also understand the importance of having someone step in and offer guidance when life feels overwhelming. I wanted to be that person for the kids in my community. One moment stands out clearly. There was a player on our team who had very little confidence and often expected to fail before even stepping up to the plate. Instead of focusing only on baseball mechanics, I spent time encouraging him, reminding him to slow down, breathe, and believe in himself. After weeks of practice, he finally hit the ball during a game and made it safely to first base. The entire team celebrated, but what stayed with me was the look on his face. For the first time that season, he believed he could succeed. The biggest challenge in serving this way is remembering that every child carries a story that may not be visible. Patience becomes essential. Some kids need discipline, some need encouragement, and some simply need to know that someone is paying attention to them. Coaching required me to grow as a leader by learning how to meet each child where they were rather than expecting them to fit into a single mold. This experience also strengthened my understanding of faith and service. Faith, to me, is not only something practiced privately. It is lived through action. It is choosing to show kindness when someone feels defeated and choosing to lift others when they feel invisible. Coaching reminded me that leadership is not about authority. It is about responsibility. True service happens when you invest your time and energy into helping others discover their own strength. Through coaching and mentoring youth, I have learned that small moments of encouragement can have a lasting impact. These experiences continue to guide how I serve my community, how I lead, and how I hope to build my future. Social Media (optional): Instagram: @houseofboneswellness Email: rthurman73@gmail.com

Legacy, Upbringing, and Breaking the Cycle** Legacy, to me, is the story a person leaves behind through the lives they touch, the healing they create, and the cycles they refuse to continue. It is not about wealth or material accomplishments. Legacy is measured in strength, compassion, and the courage to grow beyond what you were given. It is choosing what to carry forward and choosing what ends with you. It is a commitment to make life better for the next generation. My upbringing shaped my understanding of legacy in deep ways. My childhood was not built around one stable household. Instead, I moved between the care of my grandmother, my uncle who served in the Marine Corps, and my adopted father who served in the Army. My grandfather, a World War II Army Airborne paratrooper, also influenced me with his intensity and strictness. The adults in my life carried their own trauma, and as a child, I felt the effects of it even when I did not understand where it came from. There was love, but there was also distance. There was structure, but also instability. There was discipline, but not always emotional guidance. These early experiences taught me toughness, independence, and resilience, but they also exposed me to the weight of generational wounds. I learned how easily pain passes through a family when no one stops to face it. Those patterns followed me into adulthood. When I joined the Army, I brought both the strength and the scars of my childhood with me. After my deployment to Iraq, I returned home with PTSD and a traumatic brain injury, and I coped in the only way I knew at the time: by shutting down emotionally and self medicating. I thought survival was the same as strength. It took years to realize that healing is the real strength, and healing was something I had never been taught. Everything changed when I became a father. My son survived brain cancer after twelve major surgeries and now lives with autism, left side hemiplegia, and non verbal communication. Caring for him required a new version of myself, one who was grounded, patient, emotionally present, and strong in a completely different way. He became the turning point. If I wanted his life to be healthier than mine, the cycle had to stop with me. I began rebuilding myself through sobriety, therapy, mental health work, emotional regulation, and deep self reflection. I committed to becoming the father he deserved, not the one shaped by my past. That commitment is what reshaped my understanding of legacy. It is not what you leave behind when you die. It is what you build every day while you are here. Today, I am pursuing a degree in Alternative Medicine so I can help veterans, children, and families who live with trauma, neurological challenges, and emotional hardship. My long term goal is to build a wellness and recovery center that offers grounding practices, breathwork, emotional healing, and support for those who feel overwhelmed. I want to create a place where others can break their own cycles and build a future they never thought possible. My upbringing shaped me, but it does not define my future. I define it by choosing healing, choosing growth, and choosing to end the patterns that once shaped my life. That is the legacy I am committed to creating, both for my family and for the people I will serve.

Overcoming Challenges, Giving Back, and the Influence of Stamp Collecting** One of the greatest problems I have overcome in my life is rebuilding myself after military service and years of personal struggle. As a United States Army veteran living with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and years of emotional battles, there was a period of my life when survival felt like my only goal. I carried the weight of combat, the pressure of leadership, and the memories of losing soldiers, including one who died by suicide during deployment. On top of that, I was also navigating sobriety after years of self medication. Rebuilding my life required complete honesty, discipline, and the willingness to start over. It meant learning to manage my emotions, heal my mind, and become the father my children deserve, especially my son who survived brain cancer after twelve major surgeries and now lives with neurological challenges and non verbal communication. Overcoming these obstacles taught me resilience and gave me a deep desire to help others who feel overwhelmed by life. This scholarship would help me give back to the community by supporting my education in Alternative Medicine. My goal is to create a wellness and recovery center for veterans, families, and children who struggle with trauma, chronic pain, neurological differences, or emotional hardship. I want to offer grounding techniques, holistic healing, support groups, and emotional stability training for people who feel lost or unsupported. Financial assistance would allow me to stay focused on my studies without sacrificing care for my son or stability for my family. By relieving some of that burden, this scholarship helps me move toward a career built entirely around service. Although I am not a dedicated stamp collector today, stamp collecting played an important role in my childhood. It was one of the first activities that taught me patience, attention to detail, and the importance of appreciating small things. Each stamp carried a story, a piece of a place or moment in history. Sorting and organizing them required focus, and learning about where they came from opened my curiosity about the world. At a time in my life when things felt unstable, stamp collecting gave me something calm to concentrate on. Looking back, I see how that early experience shaped qualities that I rely on now as an adult: discipline, observation, and the ability to find meaning in small steps, which is essential in both healing and coaching youth baseball. In many ways, rebuilding my life has been just like collecting those stamps. It happens piece by piece, with patience and purpose. And with the support of this scholarship, I can continue putting those pieces together to create something meaningful not just for myself, but for my community.

How Being Raised in a Military Family Shaped My Career Aspirations** Growing up in a military family shaped my life long before I ever wore a uniform myself. I was surrounded by veterans from multiple branches, and each one influenced me in a different way. My adopted father served in the United States Army and brought discipline and structure into my early life. My uncle, who helped raise me during difficult periods, served in the Marine Corps and showed me resilience and pride in service. My uncle Marty was the person who inspired me the most to join the Army when I became old enough. And my grandfather on my mother’s side served as a US Army Airborne paratrooper in World War II. He was strict, intense, and not always easy to be around, but he represented the courage and toughness of his generation. Being surrounded by so many veterans meant that military service was not something distant or abstract. It was part of our daily life. I heard stories of deployments, sacrifice, hardship, and brotherhood. I witnessed how service affected each of them differently and how the memories of war stayed with them long after their uniforms were put away. Even as a child, I saw the weight they carried, and I learned early that service creates both strength and scars. Those lessons shaped my sense of responsibility and identity. By the time I was old enough, joining the Army felt like a natural step. I served as a Combat Engineer and rose to the rank of Sergeant First Class. The discipline, leadership, and problem solving skills I developed in the Army came directly from the influence of the veterans who raised me. But it was also during my service that I began to understand the deeper struggles many veterans face. PTSD, traumatic brain injury, depression, and emotional isolation are common among those who served alongside me. I experienced some of those struggles myself. Because of that, my career aspirations have evolved into something centered around healing and service. I am now pursuing a degree in Alternative Medicine so that I can help veterans, families, and children who live with trauma, chronic pain, neurological differences, or emotional overwhelm. My own son survived brain cancer after twelve major surgeries and now lives with autism, left side hemiplegia, and non verbal communication. Caring for him and managing my own mental health challenges opened my eyes even further to the need for compassionate support systems. Being the child of veterans taught me discipline, empathy, and the importance of service. It showed me that leadership is not about authority. It is about lifting others up. My long term goal is to build a wellness and recovery center dedicated to veterans, parents, and children who need help finding their way forward. That mission is the result of everything my family taught me. I am who I am because of the veterans who raised me. Their example shaped my purpose, my values, and the future I am working toward.

My Favorite Coaching Memory and How Coaching Shaped My Leadership, My favorite memory from coaching Little League baseball is a moment that had nothing to do with winning a game. It was the day one of my young players, who struggled with confidence and often froze under pressure, finally connected with a pitch and got his first hit of the season. It was a simple base hit to right field, but to him, to me, and to the entire team, it felt like a championship moment. As soon as he reached first base, the smile on his face was bigger than anything I had seen all year. His teammates cheered, the parents stood up clapping, and he held his head a little higher. In that moment, I realized that coaching is not about baseball. It is about building kids up from the inside out. That memory impacted me deeply because I saw what belief can do for a child. Before that day, he doubted himself constantly. He would step into the batter’s box already expecting failure. I spent weeks working with him one on one, teaching him to breathe, slow down, trust his swing, and believe that he was capable. Seeing his confidence click in that moment reminded me that small victories can change the direction of a young person’s life. It also reminded me how important patient leadership is for kids who are still learning who they are. Coaching youth sports has shaped my character just as much as it shapes theirs. As a United States Army veteran, I entered coaching already carrying discipline, structure, and leadership skills. But coaching taught me something the military never did: how to guide children with gentleness, emotional awareness, and encouragement. Kids do not respond to pressure or demands. They respond to belief. They respond to patience. They respond to adults who see their potential even when they cannot see it themselves. Coaching also strengthened my ability to control my emotions, communicate clearly, and be fully present. As someone who lives with PTSD and traumatic brain injury, staying grounded can be a challenge. Coaching forced me to slow down, listen, and create an environment where every child felt safe, respected, and supported. Those qualities have made me a better father, especially to my medically complex son, who survived brain cancer and now lives with neurological differences. The patience and emotional steadiness I developed on the field carry into every part of my life. Leadership in coaching is not about authority. It is about service. It is about showing kids how to handle mistakes, manage frustration, and celebrate each other’s wins. It taught me how important positive role models are for young athletes who may be dealing with stress at home or struggling with confidence. My future goals include continuing my education in Alternative Medicine and creating programs that help youth build emotional resilience through sports, grounding techniques, and confidence building. I also plan to continue coaching for many years, helping kids grow not only as athletes but as human beings. Coaching gave me purpose, clarity, and connection. It shaped me into a stronger leader and taught me how powerful encouragement can be. I plan to carry these lessons into every part of my future, both on and off the field.

Why I Am a Fan of Wicked, I am a fan of Wicked because it speaks to themes that have shaped my own life: transformation, misunderstood identity, resilience, and the idea that people are far more complex than the world chooses to see. The story goes deeper than magic and music. It explores how society labels people, how judgment can distort the truth, and how strength often grows out of pain. These are themes that resonate with me as a veteran, a father, and someone who has been through trauma and personal rebuilding. Elphaba, the character who is judged before she is ever known, reflects a reality many people face. She carries strength she did not ask for, battles she cannot escape, and a desire to be understood. That speaks directly to the experience of living with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and the invisible wounds that come with military service. There were years when I felt defined by what others saw on the surface, not by what I carried inside. Wicked reminds me that people are never just their appearance or their reputation. They are their intentions, their struggle, and their heart. The friendship between Elphaba and Glinda is another reason I connect with the show. It shows that two people with opposite personalities can still lift each other, challenge each other, and change each other’s lives. In my own life, the people who supported me through recovery, fatherhood, and emotional healing came from unexpected places. Those relationships showed me what real loyalty looks like, much like the story does. What moves me most about Wicked is its message about breaking free from the roles that the world tries to force on you. I have had to rebuild my identity after the military, after addiction, and through the challenges of raising a medically complex child. Wicked is ultimately about becoming your true self, even when the world does not understand you. That message is why I am a fan of Wicked. It reminds me that transformation is possible and that even the most difficult journeys can lead to strength and purpose.

How My Experience With Mental Health Shaped My Life, My experience with mental health has shaped my goals, my relationships, and the way I understand the world more than any other part of my life. As a United States Army veteran living with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, chronic pain, and years of emotional overload, I have had to rebuild myself piece by piece. Mental health is not an idea to me. It is a daily reality that influences how I think, how I interact with others, and the direction of my future. My mental health struggles began after my deployment to Iraq. I came home carrying memories that I did not know how to process. PTSD changed my sleep, my patience, my focus, and my sense of safety. Traumatic brain injury made concentration harder and affected my memory and mental clarity. For a long time, I tried to fight everything silently, believing that asking for help was weakness. That belief damaged me more than the trauma itself. Eventually, the silence became heavier than the truth. I began to understand that mental health is not something you can outrun. You must face it. That realization shaped my goals in ways I never expected. Instead of giving up or choosing a path that kept me disconnected, I returned to school to study Alternative Medicine. My goal now is to work in a field where I can help others who live with trauma, anxiety, chronic pain, and emotional overwhelm. I want to understand healing from every angle so I can support people who feel lost inside their own mind, the way I once did. Mental health also transformed the way I view relationships. My symptoms affected the people around me. There were times when I felt distant, guarded, or overwhelmed, and those closest to me felt that weight. My healing journey taught me responsibility, honesty, and the importance of communication. It taught me to be present instead of shutting down. It taught me that relationships thrive when you allow people to see you instead of trying to hide everything behind strength. My relationship with my son is one of the clearest examples. He survived brain cancer after twelve major surgeries and now lives with autism, left side hemiplegia, and non verbal communication. Raising him requires patience, emotional stability, and grounding. Healing my own mental health allowed me to be the calm, steady father he needs. He depends on my emotional presence, and that responsibility pushed me to grow. My mental health journey also changed how I understand the world. I no longer see people through a surface level lens. I see the hidden battles, the fear behind someone’s eyes, the exhaustion in their voice, and the courage it takes to wake up and try again. I learned that trauma does not always look dramatic. Sometimes it looks like a quiet person trying to keep their life together. This awareness makes me more compassionate in everything I do, whether I am mentoring veterans, supporting parents of medically fragile children, or coaching youth baseball players who may be dealing with stress they cannot express. My experience with mental health reshaped my entire life. It gave me purpose, humility, compassion, and a mission to help others. It showed me that healing is possible and that the strongest people are often the ones who finally choose to face their pain with honesty.

The Taylor Swift Performance That Moved Me Most, The Taylor Swift performance that I find the most moving is not a specific concert or televised event, but the way she performed during her early years, when she first stepped onto the music scene as a young country artist with a guitar and a story to tell. There was something powerful about the simplicity and honesty of those early performances. They carried a sense of innocence, vulnerability, and raw ambition that made her stand out, even before she became one of the most successful artists in the world. I connected with the early Taylor because she represented determination at a young age. She walked onto stages with nothing but her voice, her guitar, and her belief in herself. There was no large production behind her yet, no complicated visuals, just pure storytelling. Songs like “Tim McGraw” and “Teardrops on My Guitar,” performed with nothing more than a spotlight and a microphone, showed her commitment to her craft long before fame gave her bigger opportunities. Watching her perform during those years reminds me that greatness begins quietly, with courage and consistency. What moved me most was how genuinely she expressed emotion. She did not hide her heartbreak, her hope, or her dreams. She shared them straight from her heart, and that honesty is rare. As someone who has lived through trauma, military service, loss, recovery, and personal challenges, I have come to value honesty more than anything. Seeing a young artist stand in front of the world and be unapologetically herself sent a message that being real is a form of strength. Taylor’s early performances also showed that success does not happen overnight. She worked, practiced, wrote, and performed long before the spotlight followed her. That message has meaning in my own life as I return to school, rebuild my future, and work toward a career in healing and service. Her journey reminds me that progress comes from small steps, taken consistently, with belief in what you are building. The old Taylor performances moved me because they showed the beginning of a long journey. They showed heart, courage, and authenticity. And those qualities inspire me in my own journey as well.

Why I Am a Fan of Sabrina Carpenter, I am a fan of Sabrina Carpenter because of the confidence, joy, and honesty she brings into her music. Even though my background is very different from hers, her career has impacted me in ways that connect to my own journey of rebuilding my life after trauma, loss, and hardship. Sabrina has a way of turning emotion into something powerful and uplifting, and for someone like me, who has lived through the military, PTSD, recovery, and raising a medically complex child, that kind of energy is meaningful. One of the things I appreciate most about Sabrina is that she embraces being herself without apology. Her music carries humor, confidence, and empowerment, but it also holds vulnerability underneath. That balance speaks to me. I spent years trying to hide pain and present strength at all times. Watching an artist show both confidence and softness reminds me that it is possible to be strong while still being human. Her journey also represents growth. She began young, built her career step by step, and kept moving forward despite public pressure, criticism, and the challenges that come with being in the spotlight. That determination reflects the same perseverance I try to live by. Recovering from years of self medication, managing PTSD and traumatic brain injury, and returning to school in my adult life all require steady growth over time. Sabrina’s career is a reminder that progress is not perfect, but it is possible. Her music brings lightness into days that feel heavy. There are moments when I need a break from seriousness, and her songs create that space. They offer energy, humor, and a sense of joy that helps balance the weight of my responsibilities. Sabrina Carpenter’s career has impacted me by reminding me to stay authentic, to keep growing, and to allow joy into my life even when circumstances are difficult.

Why I Love Math, I love math because it is one of the few things in life that feels steady, honest, and dependable. My life has been filled with unpredictability as a United States Army veteran living with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and years of emotional challenges. I have been through war, recovery, and the journey of raising a medically complex child. Many parts of life do not follow rules, but math always does. It gives me a sense of order in a world that often feels chaotic. Math is a language of logic and clarity. When everything else feels overwhelming, math gives me a place where the answer is always there if you take the time to see the pattern. It teaches patience and focused thinking. In a way, working through a math problem is similar to working through a difficult moment in life. You break it down, step by step, until it finally makes sense. I also love math because it strengthens discipline. As a veteran, routine and structure helped me rebuild my mind. Math aligns with that structure. It rewards consistency, practice, and attention to detail. No matter how complicated a problem looks at first, there is always a process that will lead you to the solution. Math also connects to my future goals. I am studying Alternative Medicine and plan to work in a field where accuracy, measurement, and pattern recognition matter. Whether it is understanding the body, analyzing healing responses, or building a future wellness center, math helps me think clearly and approach problems with logic. Most importantly, math reminds me that every problem has a solution. It might take time, patience, and a different way of thinking, but the answer exists. That mindset has carried me through trauma, recovery, and education. Math has taught me resilience, and that is why I love it.

Why I Want to Change My Life and How I Plan to Pay It Forward, I want to make a change in my life because for many years I survived instead of truly living. As a United States Army veteran carrying PTSD, traumatic brain injury, chronic pain, and years of emotional weight, I spent a long time feeling stuck inside the same cycles. I also struggled with alcohol use until 2020, drinking daily to numb the stress I did not know how to manage. Those years taught me how easy it is to lose yourself and how difficult it can be to climb back out. I reached a point where I realized that if I did not make a major change, my future would look exactly like my past. I wanted more for my son, for my family, and for myself. My greatest motivation is my son. He survived brain cancer after twelve major surgeries and now lives with autism, left side hemiplegia, and non verbal communication. Watching him fight through challenges I cannot imagine reminded me that I have no excuse not to fight for my own life. His strength inspired mine. I want to be the father he deserves, one who is present, grounded, healthy, and capable of guiding him through the world. The steps I have taken toward my goal have required discipline and complete honesty. The first major step was choosing sobriety. Quitting alcohol forced me to face emotions I had avoided for years. Sobriety gave me clarity and allowed me to rebuild my mind and my health one day at a time. I also committed myself to therapy, grounding techniques, breathwork, and healing practices that help me regulate PTSD and anxiety. These tools gave me back control over my daily life. Another important step has been returning to school. I am studying Alternative Medicine because I want to understand healing from every angle. My experiences taught me how deeply the mind and body are connected, and I want to use this knowledge to help others who live with trauma, chronic pain, or emotional overwhelm. Education gives me purpose and direction, and it is helping me transform my struggles into something meaningful. This scholarship would make a tremendous difference by easing the financial strain of balancing school, disability, and caring for a medically complex child. Tuition, textbooks, transportation, and daily living expenses often compete with medical needs. Financial support would allow me to stay focused on my education without sacrificing the stability of my family. It would move me one step closer to creating the future I am building. My plan to pay it forward is simple. I want to dedicate my life to serving others. I already mentor younger veterans who feel lost after leaving the military. I coach youth baseball, teaching discipline, confidence, and emotional control. I support families of children with complex needs by sharing my knowledge, resources, and experience. In my future career, I hope to open a wellness and recovery center where veterans, parents, and children can find guidance and emotional support. I want to help people who feel overwhelmed by life, just as others once helped me. I want to change my life so I can change the lives of others. This scholarship will help me do both.

Losing My Grandmother and How It Shaped My Life, The family member whose loss changed my life the most was my grandmother. She passed away during Hurricane Katrina, a moment that shattered my sense of safety and reshaped my understanding of family, responsibility, and resilience. Losing her in such a devastating and chaotic event affected me deeply, not only because she was a guiding force in my early life, but because of the way it happened. There was no time to prepare, no chance to say goodbye, and no way to truly understand the scale of the disaster until it was already too late. The suddenness of that loss left a mark that still influences who I am today. My grandmother helped raise me during some of the most unstable parts of my childhood. She was a steady presence when life felt unpredictable. Her home was the place where I felt protected, understood, and grounded. She taught me the values of patience, discipline, and kindness long before I understood how important those qualities were. She believed in me at a time when I did not know who I was or who I was becoming. Losing her meant losing one of the few people who made the world feel safe, especially during a period of my life when stability was already hard to find. Her death during Hurricane Katrina was more than a personal tragedy. It connected me to the larger pain of thousands of families who lost loved ones in that storm. I saw how quickly life can change and how fragile the people we love can be. The disaster exposed how unpredictable the world can become in a matter of hours, reminding me that time with loved ones is never guaranteed. That realization shaped my values and my priorities. It taught me to appreciate moments, relationships, and opportunities that I once took for granted. Her loss also changed the way I see responsibility. After she passed, I felt a shift inside me. I wanted to become someone she would be proud of, someone who could carry the lessons she gave me into adulthood. That desire influenced my decision to join the United States Army, where I served as a Combat Engineer. I learned discipline, leadership, and resilience, qualities she always encouraged in me. Even now, as a father and a student returning to higher education later in life, I find myself relying on the emotional foundation she helped build. Losing my grandmother also taught me empathy. When I see people facing tragedy, loss, or instability, I understand their pain on a deeper level. This empathy guides my work as a youth baseball coach, a mentor to younger veterans, and a parent to a medically complex child. It is part of the reason I am pursuing a degree in Alternative Medicine. I want to help people who feel overwhelmed, lost, or broken by life. I want to be the steady presence for others that my grandmother once was for me. Her death during Hurricane Katrina was one of the hardest experiences of my life, but it shaped my character, my compassion, and my purpose. I carry her memory with me in everything I do, and I honor her by becoming a person who lifts others the way she lifted me.

My Personal Connection to Brain Cancer, Advocacy, and Future Goals** My connection to brain cancer is deeply personal and has shaped every part of who I am and the direction of my life. My son survived brain cancer after undergoing twelve major surgeries as a young child. His tumor, his surgeries, and the years of recovery changed the way I see health, the medical system, trauma, and the emotional struggles families face when a child’s life hangs in the balance. Watching him fight for his life shaped my understanding of courage, and it gave me a unique perspective on the long term impact of brain cancer. My son now lives with neurological differences, autism, left side hemiplegia, and non verbal communication. Every day he shows strength in ways most people never witness. Because of him, brain cancer is not just a diagnosis. It is a part of our family history. It is a reminder of fear, resilience, and the importance of awareness. When you live through something this traumatic, you no longer see cancer as a distant medical issue. You see it as a lifelong journey that affects the entire family emotionally, physically, and financially. This experience motivated me to speak openly about brain cancer, especially in communities that feel alone or overwhelmed. My advocacy began within my immediate circle. I have supported other parents who are navigating similar diagnoses, offering guidance on surviving long hospital stays, managing complex medical appointments, and understanding neurological side effects. I help families communicate with doctors, share resources for therapy and support programs, and offer emotional encouragement. My goal is always to reassure them that they are not facing this journey alone. Many parents have told me that my perspective gave them hope during some of their darkest moments. I also raise awareness informally through conversations, community support, and my role as a youth baseball coach. Many families I meet have children with physical or developmental challenges, and my willingness to talk about my son’s experience opens the door for them to share their own struggles. These conversations build community, reduce stigma, and help parents feel understood. Advocacy does not always come in the form of large events. Sometimes it comes through one parent helping another breathe for the first time in weeks. My son’s journey inspired my decision to pursue a degree in Alternative Medicine. I want to understand the mind and body connection, trauma, neurological recovery, and holistic approaches that can support families who are living with the long term effects of brain cancer. Receiving this scholarship would help relieve financial pressure caused by medical costs, disability, and the responsibilities of raising a child with special needs. It would allow me to stay focused on my education and move closer to a future where I can contribute meaningfully to brain cancer awareness and recovery support. My long term goal is to open a wellness and recovery center that offers emotional grounding, stress reduction, and holistic support for veterans, families, and children living with neurological or medical challenges. I want to create a place where families recovering from brain cancer can find stability, guidance, and compassion from someone who understands the weight of their experience. Brain cancer changed my family, but it also shaped my mission. I plan to use my education, my lived experience, and my passion for helping others to make a lasting impact on this community.

My Experience With ADHD and My Motivation for Higher Education, As a child, I was diagnosed with ADHD, and although I did not understand what that meant at the time, it shaped my entire educational journey. ADHD affected my ability to focus, stay organized, manage time, and learn in the same way as other students. I was constantly told to “sit still,” “pay attention,” or “try harder,” even though I was already trying with everything I had. Back then, ADHD was not widely understood, and instead of receiving compassion or proper tools, I often received criticism. Those early years taught me how to navigate frustration, self doubt, and the pressure of feeling different. As I grew older, I learned how to adapt to my learning style through discipline, movement, and hands on methods. My ADHD made traditional learning harder, but it also gave me strengths that many people overlook. It taught me creativity, resilience, problem solving, and the ability to hyper focus on things I am passionate about. These qualities later helped me succeed in the United States Army, where fast thinking, adaptability, and attention to detail were essential. My diagnosis was not a limitation. It was a challenge that forced me to grow in ways other people never had to. My motivation for pursuing higher education comes from everything I have lived through as a veteran, a father, and a person who had to rebuild his life through perseverance. After serving in Iraq as a Combat Engineer, I returned home with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and chronic pain. These challenges affected my mental clarity, memory, and concentration, making school even more difficult. Yet the same resilience I built as a child with ADHD helped me push forward. I am now pursuing a degree in Alternative Medicine because I want to understand healing from every angle. My experiences taught me how deeply the mind and body are connected. I am also a father to a medically complex child who survived brain cancer and now lives with autism, left side hemiplegia, and non verbal communication. Education gives me the tools to support him, other families, and veterans who feel overwhelmed by trauma or complex health issues. My ADHD allows me to think outside the box, approach problems creatively, and connect with people who feel misunderstood. These qualities will serve me well in a healing career. I believe I am a strong candidate for this scholarship because I have never allowed challenges to define my limits. Instead, I turned them into purpose. ADHD made school difficult, but it also made me resilient. Military service added trauma, but it taught me discipline. Fatherhood brought responsibility, but it gave me compassion and clarity. I bring lived experience, emotional strength, and a commitment to serving others. This scholarship would help me continue my education while balancing the demands of disability, parenting, and recovery. It would allow me to stay focused on my long term goal of helping others heal, especially those who feel unseen or misunderstood. My journey has been far from traditional, but every step shaped the person I am becoming. ADHD was the beginning of my struggle, but it also became the beginning of my strength.

How Mental Health and Suicide Have Impacted My Life, Mental health and suicide have shaped my life, my identity, and the path I am taking toward my future. As a United States Army veteran, I have lived through experiences that changed my relationship with my own mind and forced me to confront the reality of how fragile emotional stability can be. Mental health has never been an abstract concept for me. It has been a daily challenge, a source of struggle, and eventually a source of purpose. My first major experience with suicide happened in 2010 while I was deployed to Iraq. I lost a soldier under my command to suicide. That moment became a defining point in my life. It left me with grief, guilt, and questions that I could not answer. In a combat zone, you expect danger to come from outside. You expect the enemy to be somewhere beyond the wire. You never expect to lose one of your own from internal pain that went unnoticed. For years, I carried the weight of wondering what signs I missed, what conversations I could have had, and what more I could have done. That loss stayed with me long after I removed the uniform. Returning home from deployment brought its own mental health challenges. PTSD, traumatic brain injury, chronic anxiety, and emotional overload changed the way I functioned. Loud noises, crowded places, and even simple conversations sometimes triggered memories I did not want to revisit. Sleep became unpredictable. Concentration and patience were tested constantly. I tried to manage it all on my own, believing that silence was the same thing as strength. But silence only made everything worse. My mental health struggles also affected my family. There were days when I felt distant or overwhelmed and nights when nightmares disrupted the household. The people who loved me experienced the ripple effects of my internal battles. Eventually, I realized that I needed healing not only for myself but for them. Seeking therapy, practicing grounding techniques, using healing frequencies, and committing to complete sobriety became turning points in my recovery. The impact of suicide and mental illness gave me a deeper sense of compassion for others who feel lost in their own minds. It is the reason I mentor younger veterans who struggle with transition, trauma, and emotional regulation. It is the reason I returned to school to study Alternative Medicine. My goal is to create a wellness and recovery center for veterans, parents of medically fragile children, and individuals battling emotional pain. I want to help people long before they reach the breaking point that my soldier reached in 2010. Mental health and suicide shaped my life in painful ways, but they also shaped my purpose. They taught me that strength is not silence. Strength is honesty. Strength is asking for help and offering it. Strength is choosing to heal and choosing to help others heal. I carry these experiences with me every day, and they guide the man I am becoming and the career I am building. My past created my mission, and my mission is to ensure that no one feels alone in their struggle.

My Plans for the Future and How This Scholarship Will Help Me, My plans for the future are shaped by my experiences as a United States Army veteran, a father to a medically complex child, and a student who is rebuilding his life through education and purpose. After years of struggling with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, chronic pain, and the emotional weight of combat, I made a decision to pursue a career focused on healing. Today, I am working toward a degree in Alternative Medicine with the long term goal of creating a wellness and recovery center for veterans, children with neurological challenges, and individuals who feel overwhelmed by trauma or chronic illness. I want to use my lived experience and education to help others find stability, hope, and emotional peace. My future plan is to continue my studies into advanced medical training where I can integrate mind body practices, trauma informed care, movement therapy, natural medicine, and emotional support. I want to build a center that offers grounding techniques, holistic treatments, stress regulation practices, and a safe environment for people who feel lost in their healing journey. My goal is to create a place where veterans can decompress, where parents of medically fragile children can receive support, and where individuals dealing with emotional pain can find compassion and guidance. I am also building a future where my son can thrive. He survived brain cancer after twelve major surgeries and lives with autism, left side hemiplegia, and non verbal communication. Everything I do academically and professionally is influenced by my desire to understand neurological wellness so I can support him and others like him. My education gives me tools to become a stronger parent, advocate, and healer. I want to bring knowledge into my home and into my community. This scholarship would directly support these goals. As a disabled veteran and a father caring for a child with ongoing medical needs, financial pressure is a constant challenge. Tuition costs, course materials, transportation, and daily living expenses often compete with medical bills, therapy needs, and responsibilities at home. Receiving this scholarship would relieve some of that burden, giving me the stability I need to stay focused on my education. It would allow me to continue on this path without sacrificing essential care or resources for my family. Scholarships are not just financial assistance for me. They are fuel for the mission I am building. They allow me to transform my experiences into something meaningful for others. They help me move closer to opening the healing center I dream of, where people who feel invisible or unsupported can finally receive understanding and guidance. My future is dedicated to service. My education is the foundation for that service. And this scholarship would help me continue forward with clarity and strength, creating a future where my own healing becomes a path for helping others heal too.

My name is Robert Thurman, and mental illness has shaped both my life and my family in ways that have transformed me as a veteran, a father, and a student. My journey with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, anxiety, and the emotional fallout of combat has defined the last fifteen years of my life. At the same time, my son’s neurological and developmental challenges have shown me how deeply mental and emotional health affects an entire family system. These combined experiences pushed me to rebuild myself, seek education, and dedicate my life to helping others walk through similar struggles. My experience with mental illness began after my deployment to Iraq as a Combat Engineer in the United States Army. The things I witnessed, the pressure of combat, and the loss of a soldier under my command changed the way my mind worked. When I returned home, I carried invisible wounds that I did not know how to explain. PTSD affected my sleep, my memory, my temper, and my sense of safety. Traumatic brain injury added confusion, forgetfulness, and difficulty concentrating. I tried for years to hide my symptoms, believing that silence was strength. Instead, the silence became its own kind of suffering. My mental health struggles also affected my family. There were times when I felt emotionally distant because my mind was overwhelmed and shut down. There were nights when nightmares would leave me exhausted, and days when anxiety made it difficult to stay present. The people who loved me did not always see the triggers I carried, but they felt the impact of them. This created guilt, frustration, and a sense of isolation that made everything more difficult. It took time, honesty, and therapy for me to finally accept that asking for help was not weakness. It was survival. Mental illness affects my family in another powerful way through my son’s medical journey. Although he does not have a psychiatric illness, his neurological challenges create emotional and sensory struggles that mirror many mental health symptoms. He survived brain cancer after twelve major surgeries and now lives with autism, left side hemiplegia, and non verbal communication. Raising him requires patience, emotional regulation, and constant awareness of triggers and sensory overload. His strength and resilience became a mirror for my own mental health journey. Seeing him fight every day reminded me that I had to fight for my own healing as well. These experiences changed me at a fundamental level. They taught me compassion for people who struggle silently, deep patience for those who are overwhelmed, and respect for the difficulty of managing a mind that does not always cooperate. They also inspired my decision to return to school and study Alternative Medicine. I want to learn how the mind and body work together so I can support veterans, families, children with complex needs, and anyone who feels lost inside their own thoughts. My lived experience gives me insight that textbooks alone cannot teach. Today, I manage my symptoms through breathwork, grounding techniques, fitness, spiritual work, and complete sobriety. I have learned how to stabilize myself emotionally so that I can be present for my son and for the people who depend on me. Mental illness has challenged me, but it has also shaped my purpose. It taught me that healing is possible, and that the journey is worth it. My goal is to use my education and personal experience to help others find stability, hope, and understanding. Mental illness impacted my life deeply, but it also gave me the compassion and drive to make a difference in the lives of others.

How Sound, Healing Frequencies, and PLUR Shape My Life, While I am not someone who attends large EDM festivals, music has played a major role in my healing and spiritual growth. I listen to healing frequencies, chanting music, and meditative sound work every day as part of my recovery from PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and chronic pain. Because of this, the values behind Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect resonate deeply with who I am and how I move through my life. The EDM world uses sound to build connection and healing, and in my own way, so do I. Peace is the first value that speaks to me. As a United States Army veteran who served in Iraq, I spent years living in environments where peace was scarce. When I returned home, I struggled with noise, tension, and emotional overload. Healing frequencies became one of the most powerful tools in my recovery. Vibrations at 432 hertz, chanting in deep tones, and meditative sound baths helped calm my nervous system and rebuild my inner stability. Listening to these frequencies taught me that peace is not the absence of struggle. It is the ability to regulate your mind and spirit even when life is difficult. When I coach youth baseball or mentor younger veterans, I try to bring that same peace to others. Love, in the PLUR sense, is unconditional and supportive. It is the type of love that does not judge but instead seeks to understand. My experience raising my medically complex son taught me this form of love. He survived brain cancer and now lives with neurological differences, autism, left side hemiplegia, and non verbal communication. Sound healing, soft chanting, and calming music often help soothe his sensory overload. Music becomes communication when words cannot reach him. Through him, I learned that love is expressed through presence, patience, and compassion. These are the same values I hear reflected in healing music and in the sense of acceptance often present in EDM communities. Unity is something I have learned through both the military and my healing journey. In the Army, unity meant relying on one another for survival. In my spiritual practices, unity means recognizing that mind, body, and spirit must work together. Healing frequencies bring those parts into alignment. As I study Alternative Medicine, I want to build a career centered on unifying people through trauma informed care, holistic practices, and spiritual grounding. My dream is to create a wellness center where veterans, children with special needs, and families can find support. Unity is at the heart of that mission. Respect is the principle that guides everything I do. I work with children as a Little League baseball coach, where respect is taught through teamwork and patience. I support parents of medically fragile children, where respect means understanding their exhaustion and fear. I help veterans manage emotional challenges, where respect means listening without judgment. Even in sound healing practices, respect is key. You respect the moment, the silence, the vibration, and the person in front of you. Even though my relationship with music looks different from the typical EDM experience, the values of PLUR match the life I am building. Peace keeps me grounded. Love keeps me compassionate. Unity drives my mission. Respect guides my actions. These values are not just part of a musical culture. They are the foundation of my healing, my leadership, my spirituality, and the career I hope to build to help others find the same sense of peace and connection.

What Recovery Means to Me** Recovery, to me, means reclaiming my life. Until 2020, I self medicated with alcohol every day. I drank at least three thirty two ounce whiskey and sprite drinks daily to numb PTSD, traumatic brain injury, stress, and emotional pain from my years in the United States Army. At the time, I thought I was coping. In reality, I was sinking. Recovery began when I admitted that alcohol was destroying my health and my purpose. It meant facing emotions I had avoided for years and learning to sit with discomfort instead of drowning it. The early days were difficult. My body had to detox, and my mind had to learn how to function without artificial calm. But recovery showed me that strength comes from honesty, not avoidance. My son was one of my biggest motivations. He is a brain cancer survivor with neurological challenges, and he needs me present and steady. Recovery allowed me to show up as the father he deserves. Sobriety also opened the door for new purpose. It inspired me to return to school to study Alternative Medicine so I can help others struggling with trauma, chronic pain, and unhealthy coping habits. My goal is to support veterans and individuals who feel trapped in their own battles. Recovery is freedom, clarity, and responsibility. It is choosing life every day. It gave me back my future, and I plan to use that future to help others find their own healing.

Overcoming Obstacles Related to Cardiac Disease** Cardiac disease has been a significant part of my family’s history, and it has shaped the way I see my health, my future, and my commitment to helping others. I live with hypertension, my stepfather has survived multiple bypass surgeries, and my grandfather on my adopted father’s side died suddenly from a heart attack. These experiences have been challenging, not only medically, but emotionally and mentally. They have taught me resilience, awareness, and a deep respect for the importance of preventative care and healthy living. Living with hypertension has been one of my personal obstacles. As a United States Army veteran who carries PTSD, traumatic brain injury, scoliosis, and chronic pain, stress has always been a part of my life. Stress makes hypertension worse, and hypertension adds pressure to everything else I am managing. It affects my energy levels, my ability to focus, and my long term health. There have been times when I felt overwhelmed balancing my own health conditions with my responsibilities as a father, a student, and a provider. Learning to manage hypertension forced me to take my health seriously, adjust my lifestyle, and accept that ignoring symptoms only leads to bigger problems later. My stepfather’s experience also had a major impact on me. He went through several bypass surgeries, and watching him fight through recovery changed the way I looked at heart disease. I saw the fear in my family when he went into surgery, the uncertainty that surrounded each operation, and the slow, difficult healing process afterward. These moments taught me how fragile life can be and how quickly everything can change. They also taught me the strength of family support during medical crises. Seeing him fight to recover helped me understand the importance of staying disciplined with my own health so I do not put my family through the same fear. The hardest impact came from losing my grandfather on my adopted dad’s side to a heart attack. His death was sudden and left a hole in our family. It taught me at a young age that heart disease does not always give warnings. It can take someone away instantly. That loss stayed with me and shaped my understanding of the seriousness of cardiac issues. It pushed me to learn more about heart health, nutrition, stress control, and lifestyle habits that can reduce risk. These experiences have influenced my goals in profound ways. As I study Alternative Medicine and plan to advance into a medical and wellness career, cardiac health plays a major role in the work I hope to do. I want to help people manage stress, regulate their nervous systems, improve circulation, and strengthen their bodies through natural and complementary practices. I want to support veterans who struggle with stress induced hypertension and families who face the emotional weight of chronic illness. My own health challenges and my family’s experiences give me insight, compassion, and credibility in this field. Receiving this scholarship would help me continue my education while managing my own health needs and caring for my medically complex son. Educational expenses often compete with medical costs, and financial support would relieve some of that pressure. It would allow me to stay focused on my studies and move closer to a career centered on healing and prevention. Cardiac disease has touched my life deeply, but it also shaped my purpose. I plan to use what I have learned to help others protect their health, strengthen their hearts, and find hope through understanding and care.

Living With Chronic Illness and Continuing My Education** Although I do not have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, I live with chronic conditions that affect every part of my daily life and my education. As a United States Army veteran, I carry PTSD, traumatic brain injury, scoliosis, and chronic pain from years of service. These conditions impact my ability to focus, sleep, process stress, sit for long periods, and remain physically comfortable in a classroom or while studying. My chronic symptoms may not be visible to others, but they influence every step of my academic journey. PTSD affects my concentration and sleep. Nights are often restless, and mornings can feel heavy before the day even begins. Traumatic brain injury impacts memory retention and mental stamina, which means I sometimes have to read material more than once or break assignments into smaller parts. Scoliosis and chronic pain make long study sessions physically difficult, and there are days when the pain itself becomes a distraction that must be managed before I can even begin learning. These challenges can slow me down, but they cannot stop me. They force me to work smarter, stay disciplined, and remain patient with myself. One of the biggest steps I have taken to remain resilient is creating a structured routine. I study early in the morning before stress builds, and I break large assignments into manageable chunks. I use breathing exercises and grounding techniques to calm my mind when symptoms flare up. I pace myself physically to avoid triggering pain spikes. Instead of pushing through until failure, I listen to my body and work in ways that allow me to stay consistent. This approach keeps me moving forward, even on difficult days. I also lean into the mindset I built during my military service. The Army taught me discipline and the ability to adapt under pressure. Those habits now support me academically. If I have a day when symptoms are too strong, I adjust my schedule rather than giving up. If my mind feels scattered, I use strategies that help me regain focus. If pain becomes challenging, I stretch, move, or shift positions until I can concentrate again. I have learned that resilience is not about ignoring pain. It is about finding a way to continue moving forward despite it. My son is another source of strength. He is a brain cancer survivor who lives with neurological differences, autism, left side hemiplegia, and non verbal communication. His courage inspires me to fight through my own challenges and stay committed to my goals. I want to build a career where I can help others who struggle physically or emotionally. This is why I am studying Alternative Medicine and why I plan to continue into advanced medical training focused on trauma, neurological wellness, and whole person healing. Receiving this scholarship would ease the financial pressure I face as a disabled veteran and a father caring for a medically complex child. Medical costs, therapy needs, and daily responsibilities often compete with the expenses of education. A scholarship would allow me to stay focused on my degree without worrying about sacrificing important family or medical needs. My chronic conditions have shaped the way I learn, but they have also shaped my determination. They taught me patience, strength, and purpose. With the support of this scholarship, I can continue my education and build a career dedicated to helping others who struggle with chronic illness, trauma, or pain. My challenges built my mission, and I am committed to turning that mission into a life of service.

My Journey as a Suicide Loss Survivor** In 2010, while deployed to Iraq, I experienced a loss that changed me forever. I lost a good soldier under my command to suicide. As a leader, a friend, and a fellow soldier, that moment became a weight I carried long after I returned home. Suicide loss is different from other forms of grief. It leaves behind questions you cannot answer, emotions you cannot organize, and a sense of responsibility that is hard to put into words. Being a suicide loss survivor forced me to face pain I never expected and to learn lessons that continue to shape who I am today. The first challenge was the shock and disbelief. In a combat zone, you expect danger to come from the outside. You prepare for threats, missions, and firefights. You do not expect to lose someone from within your own ranks. When it happened, I felt like I had failed him. Leadership carries a silent promise that you will protect your soldiers, and losing one to suicide feels like that promise was broken. For a long time, guilt became my constant companion. I replayed conversations, behaviors, and small details, wondering if I missed a sign or could have done something more. Another challenge was the silence that followed. In the military, pain is often handled quietly. We continue the mission, push through, and bury our emotions to stay focused. But silence does not heal wounds like this. It only delays them. When I came home, the grief caught up to me. I struggled with PTSD, intrusive memories, and the weight of carrying someone else’s absence. I learned that surviving suicide loss means learning how to live with unanswered questions and learning how to release responsibility for something you could not control. Over time, I began to understand that grief is not something you defeat. It is something you walk with. The lesson I learned was that vulnerability is not weakness. Talking about the loss, sharing memories, and admitting the pain helped me begin to heal. I realized that many veterans carry invisible wounds similar to mine. Some carry guilt. Some carry trauma. Some carry the memory of those they lost. These experiences pushed me to become more open, more compassionate, and more willing to listen without judgment. Finding resilience meant honoring his memory through action. Instead of letting the loss break me, I decided to use it as motivation to help others. I began mentoring younger veterans who felt isolated or overwhelmed. I started sharing grounding techniques, breathing practices, and mental health tools that help me manage my own struggles. I became a source of support for soldiers who needed someone to talk to but did not know how to ask for help. I learned that resilience is not about being untouched by pain. It is about choosing to rise with purpose. Today, as I pursue my education in Alternative Medicine and work toward a career in healing, this loss continues to guide me. I want to support veterans who feel unseen or unheard, especially those who carry emotional wounds that the world never notices. I want to create safe spaces where people can talk about their pain without fear. Being a suicide loss survivor shaped my heart, my purpose, and my future. The tragedy I lived through taught me compassion, patience, and a commitment to help others find hope. And that is how I honor the soldier I lost.

Character, Sportsmanship, and Work Ethic Through Fishing and Coaching** Fishing and coaching Little League baseball have shaped the way I understand character, sportsmanship, and work ethic. These two parts of my life may seem different on the surface, but both teach lessons that guide how I move through the world and how I try to raise my son. As a United States Army veteran, a father, a fisherman, and a youth baseball coach, I try to carry the same values in every setting, whether I am on the water or on the field. Fishing builds character because it teaches patience, focus, and respect for nature. When I am out on the water with my son, there is no rushing the process. You learn to stay calm, pay attention to details, and accept that things do not always go as planned. Whether the fish are biting or not, you show up with a good attitude. Teaching my son to fish has strengthened my own character because it reminds me that children learn from how we act, not what we say. I show him how to handle gear safely, release fish responsibly, and appreciate the experience even when he does not catch anything. Sportsmanship is a natural part of fishing. It teaches respect for other anglers, respect for the environment, and respect for the fish themselves. I teach my son to cheer for others when they succeed, to stay patient when conditions are hard, and to treat the water like a privilege, not a possession. These lessons translate directly to my role as a Little League baseball coach. On the field, sportsmanship is everything. I teach my players to celebrate teamwork, respect opponents, encourage one another, and handle wins and losses with maturity. Some kids carry stress or lack confidence, so I work hard to create an environment where they feel supported and valued. Baseball gives me the chance to help them grow not only as athletes but as young men who understand fairness and self control. Work ethic is another value shared between fishing, military service, and coaching. Fishing takes preparation, discipline, and persistence. You study the water, pack your gear, learn patterns, and keep casting even when it is slow. Coaching requires the same mindset. You show up early, set up the field, plan drills, teach fundamentals, and remain patient as kids learn at different speeds. My years in the Army taught me how to lead through effort and consistency. I bring those habits to both coaching and parenting. I do not ask the kids to work hard if I am not willing to do the same. In my community, these values guide the way I help others. I support veterans who struggle with PTSD or transition challenges. I assist parents of medically fragile children by sharing knowledge and encouragement. And I use baseball as a platform to teach discipline, emotional control, teamwork, and confidence. Many kids come from difficult homes, and sometimes the baseball field becomes a place where they can feel safe and supported. Fishing gives me moments of calm and connection with my son. Baseball gives me a chance to shape young athletes and teach them lessons that last long after the season ends. Together, both roles push me to be a man of strong character, steady sportsmanship, and dependable work ethic. No matter where I am, whether standing by the water or standing on the field, I try to set an example that my son, my players, and my community can look up to.

Supporting Mental Health Through Service and Future Care, Helping others with their mental health has become a central part of my life because of my own experiences as a United States Army veteran, a father of a medically complex child, and a student preparing for a career in healing. Living with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and chronic pain taught me how difficult it can be to feel stable when the mind and body are overloaded. These challenges shaped my ability to recognize when others are struggling and taught me how to support them with patience and compassion. I help others with their mental health in several ways. I mentor younger veterans who are transitioning out of service and feel lost or overwhelmed. I share grounding skills, breathing practices, and coping strategies that have helped me manage my own symptoms. Most important, I offer understanding without judgment. Veterans often open up to me because they know I have lived through similar battles. I also support families who have medically fragile children. My own son survived brain cancer and now lives with neurological differences, so I understand the emotional pressure these families face. I help them navigate appointments, manage stress, and find encouragement during difficult moments. I listen to their fears and remind them they are not alone. As a youth baseball coach, I support the mental health of children by teaching discipline, confidence, and emotional control. Many kids carry stress they do not know how to express, and sports give them a safe place to learn resilience and teamwork. My studies in Alternative Medicine allow me to deepen this support by learning more about the mind and body connection, stress physiology, and trauma informed care. My long term goal is to enter a medical field where I can help veterans, children with complex needs, and individuals who feel overwhelmed by life. In my future career, I plan to combine scientific knowledge with compassion. I want to create a wellness and recovery center where people can receive emotional support, stress reduction techniques, and full person guidance in a safe environment. Supporting mental health is not just part of my past. It is my purpose moving forward, and my education will allow me to expand that purpose into a career that truly helps people heal.

How Being Part of the Disabled Community Shaped My Perspective, Being part of the disabled community has changed the way I see the world. As a United States Army veteran living with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, scoliosis, and chronic pain, I have experienced life through a lens that most people never have to look through. Disability does not just affect the body. It affects the mind, relationships, career goals, and the way you navigate daily life. It can take the simplest tasks and turn them into moments of strategy, patience, and endurance. Over time, these challenges reshaped my beliefs about strength, empathy, and purpose. One of the biggest changes in my perspective came when I realized that disability is not defined by weakness. It is defined by adaptation. Living with PTSD and TBI taught me how to analyze my emotions, recognize triggers, and rebuild my sense of stability piece by piece. Chronic pain forced me to value rest, pacing, and mindful movement. I learned that strength is not measured by how much weight you carry, but by how many times you stand back up. This understanding has made me more patient with myself and more compassionate toward others. Another life changing part of my journey is raising my medically complex son. He survived brain cancer after twelve major surgeries and now lives with neurological differences, autism, left side hemiplegia, and non verbal communication. Being his father deepened my identity within the disabled community. It opened my eyes to how society often misunderstands disability, how many systems fail to support families, and how exhausting it can be to fight for services, therapies, and understanding. My son shows me every day that intelligence, strength, and potential exist in many forms. He helped me see the world through a lens of acceptance and gratitude. My experiences also taught me how to recognize invisible struggle. Many people with disabilities look fine from the outside, yet carry tremendous internal battles. This awareness changed how I approach people in general. I am slower to judge, quicker to listen, and more intentional in offering help. I see resilience everywhere, even in people who do not realize they carry it. These lessons directly influence my future goals. I am studying Alternative Medicine with the intention of advancing into a field where I can support veterans, children with complex needs, and families who feel overwhelmed by the medical system. My experiences with disability give me insight that cannot be learned from a book. I understand trauma, chronic pain, neurological challenges, and emotional overload because I live with them daily. I know how it feels to fight for stability and how important compassionate guidance is during that process. In my future career, I plan to use this lived experience to provide trauma informed care, whole person support, and genuine understanding. I want to open a wellness and recovery center where veterans can heal in a safe environment, where parents of disabled children can find support, and where individuals with disabilities can access care that respects their unique needs. My goal is to create a space where disability is not treated as a limitation but as a different starting point for strength. Being part of the disabled community has shaped my values, my purpose, and my mission. It taught me resilience, empathy, and a deeper level of compassion. I plan to use those lessons to build a career that uplifts others, honors their battles, and helps them discover their own strength.

What I Want to Build, What I want to build is more than a career or a single accomplishment. I want to build a life that brings stability, healing, and support to others, especially those who have walked through trauma, illness, or hardship. My future vision is centered around creating a wellness and recovery center that supports veterans, medically fragile children, and families who feel overwhelmed by the challenges they face. This dream comes directly from my own life experiences and the obstacles that shaped me. As a United States Army veteran living with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and chronic pain, I know what it feels like to struggle silently. I also experienced the loss of my father shortly after returning from Iraq, which forced me to confront grief at a time when I was already trying to cope with transition and emotional overload. Later in life, my son survived brain cancer after twelve major surgeries and now lives with neurological differences, autism, left side hemiplegia, and non verbal communication. Caring for him taught me patience, compassion, and the importance of proper guidance. These experiences built a foundation inside me that pushes me toward service. Through my education in Alternative Medicine, I am building the knowledge and skills needed to help others heal physically and emotionally. Each class brings me closer to understanding how the mind and body work together and how trauma affects every part of a person’s life. My plan is to continue my education and eventually open a center where people can receive care that is gentle, patient, and full person focused. I want to create an environment where veterans can learn coping skills and grounding techniques, where parents can find support for children with complex needs, and where individuals can rebuild their sense of hope. Building this center will also build a stronger community. When people feel supported, they become more stable, more confident, and more connected. Veterans who receive proper care are less isolated. Children who receive therapy and compassion experience better developmental outcomes. Families who feel overwhelmed find relief and direction. My goal is to create a place where no one feels alone in their struggle. Building this future will also transform my own life. It gives meaning to the pain I have lived through and turns hardship into purpose. It gives me a mission that honors my military service, my father’s memory, and my son’s strength. It gives me a way to use my experiences to lift others who are carrying burdens like mine. I want to build hope. I want to build healing. I want to build a safe place for people who need compassion and guidance. That is the future I am working toward, and it is the impact I hope to make in my community.

My Family Story, My Challenges, and My Purpose Through Education** My name is Robert Thurman, and my life has been shaped by a complicated family structure, the loss of my father, and the responsibility of rebuilding myself after military service. I grew up in a blended home. I was raised at different times by my grandmother and by my uncle, both of whom stepped in when stability was hard to find. My adopted father served in the United States Army, and although our relationship had its distance, he was still a presence in my life. In 2011, shortly after I returned home from Iraq, he passed away from cancer. Losing him so soon after coming back from deployment changed me forever. His death was one of the most difficult challenges of my life. Returning from a war zone is already filled with emotional noise. You try to settle back into normal life, but your mind is still operating in survival mode. When my father passed, I felt like the ground beneath me dropped out. There were unanswered questions, unspoken words, and parts of our relationship that would never be healed the way I once hoped. Grief hit me in a way I did not fully understand at the time, and it added weight to the PTSD and traumatic brain injury I carried from Iraq. I lost a father at the same time I was trying to rediscover who I was. Growing up without consistent parental support and later losing a parent taught me two powerful lessons. First, life does not promise stability. You create it. Second, healing does not come from avoiding pain. It comes from facing it, understanding it, and allowing it to shape you into someone stronger and more compassionate. These truths have guided every choice I have made since. Today I am a father to a medically complex child who survived brain cancer after twelve major surgeries. My son lives with neurological differences, autism, left side hemiplegia, and non verbal communication. Raising him has been both the greatest responsibility and the greatest honor of my life. His journey, combined with my own, pushed me to return to school to study Alternative Medicine. My long term goal is to advance into a medical field where I can support people who carry trauma, chronic pain, rare conditions, or emotional wounds that cannot be seen from the outside. Losing my father taught me how deep the impact of illness can be on a family. Raising my son taught me how powerful proper guidance and compassion can be. Through my education, I want to make a difference in the world by supporting those who feel overwhelmed, misunderstood, or unnoticed. I want to help veterans who struggle in silence. I want to support parents who are raising medically fragile children. I want to bring healing to people who feel lost in the medical system. My experiences with grief, trauma, service, and caregiving have given me a perspective that textbooks alone cannot teach. I carry empathy, strength, and a commitment to serve that comes from real life. I lost a father, but I gained a purpose. My education allows me to turn pain into something meaningful. With this degree, I hope to bring hope, stability, and healing to others, just as I once needed for myself.

My Military Service, Educational Goals, and Commitment to Community, My name is Robert Thurman, and I proudly served in the United States Army as a Combat Engineer. I enlisted young and eventually rose to the rank of Sergeant First Class. Throughout my career, I deployed to multiple locations and operated in environments that demanded discipline, courage, and fast decision making. My job required clearing routes, identifying explosives, building fortifications, and ensuring the safe movement of soldiers under dangerous conditions. The Army shaped my character and taught me how to lead with both strength and responsibility. Today I am continuing my education by studying Alternative Medicine, with the long term goal of advancing into a medical field that focuses on trauma informed care, neurological wellness, and whole person healing. My military service played a direct role in forming these goals. I live with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, scoliosis, and chronic pain from my years in uniform. These experiences taught me the importance of understanding the connection between the mind and the body. My time in the Army also showed me how many veterans silently battle emotional and physical wounds long after service ends. I want to use my education to support veterans, children with complex medical needs, and families who feel overwhelmed by the healthcare system. As a veteran, I have faced many challenges that have affected my ability to move forward in life. The transition from military structure to civilian life was difficult. PTSD and traumatic brain injury affected my sleep, my memory, and my ability to process stress. Chronic pain made ordinary tasks feel heavier than they should. I also faced uncertainty in employment, medical barriers, and the weight of raising a child with significant medical challenges. My son survived brain cancer after twelve major surgeries and now lives with neurological differences, autism, left side hemiplegia, and non verbal communication. Balancing school, parenting, and my own health has required discipline and mental strength that I first learned in the Army. Despite these challenges, I have continued to push forward because I believe my experiences give me a unique purpose. My military background gives me the ability to stay calm in difficult situations and the determination to keep moving even when the path is hard. My struggles have shaped my empathy and my desire to make a difference for others going through their own battles. Community service has always been part of my life, just as it was for John. After leaving the Army, he continued to serve through church, veteran mentorship, and educational guidance. I honor that same spirit of service through my involvement in my own community. I coach youth baseball, where I help young athletes build confidence, discipline, and teamwork. I volunteer my time to support parents of medically fragile children by sharing knowledge and resources. I also give guidance to younger veterans who feel lost after leaving the military. In school, I support classmates by sharing study methods, fitness knowledge, and wellness practices that help with stress and focus. Service did not end when I left the Army. It simply changed direction. Today my mission is to help others heal physically, emotionally, and mentally. My education is the next chapter of that mission, and with support, I can continue working toward a career built on compassion, strength, and community.

Why Calculus Is Important in the STEM Field? Calculus is important in the STEM field because it is the language of change. Every major challenge in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics involves systems that move, grow, decay, accelerate, or interact in complex ways. Algebra can help explain a single moment, but calculus explains the full story across time. For that reason, calculus is one of the foundational tools that connects all branches of STEM, even when the connection is not obvious at first glance. In science, calculus allows us to understand natural processes that do not happen instantly. Biology, chemistry, physics, and medical research rely heavily on understanding rates of change. In medicine, calculus helps describe how quickly a drug enters the bloodstream, how fast a tumor grows, or how the lungs and heart adjust during physical stress. Even alternative medicine and mind body research depend on models that show how the nervous system responds over time, how stress hormones rise and fall, or how energy transfers through the body during movement and healing. Without calculus, scientists would only be able to measure isolated points instead of understanding the full progression of processes that affect human health. In physics, calculus is essential because it describes motion, energy, and force. Whether studying gravity, fluid movement, electrical currents, or thermal energy, calculus provides the structure that makes these ideas measurable. Physics is the backbone of many STEM fields, and calculus is the backbone of physics. Without it, engineering and technology would have no foundation for design or prediction. Engineering may be where calculus is most visible. Engineers rely on calculus to design structures, machines, medical devices, and systems that must remain safe and efficient under changing conditions. Calculus helps determine stress on a bridge, the path of a rocket, the performance of a vehicle engine, or the behavior of a biological sensor. Anything with movement, pressure, or variable forces requires calculus to ensure reliability and accuracy. Technology and computer science also rely on calculus, even in unexpected ways. Computer graphics, artificial intelligence, robotics, data modeling, coding algorithms, and simulations all use calculus to predict and optimize outcomes. Whenever a computer generates a curve, tracks movement, analyzes large amounts of data, or models a physical event, calculus is behind the scenes making it possible. But the importance of calculus is not only in its applications. Learning calculus teaches a way of thinking that is necessary for success in STEM. Calculus trains the mind to break down complex problems, consider multiple variables at once, and understand systems that evolve dynamically. These skills are essential in scientific reasoning, clinical problem solving, engineering design, and technological innovation. Even if a person never solves integrals or derivatives in their career, the mindset developed through calculus helps them think more clearly, analyze more deeply, and make better decisions. For someone like me, who is pursuing a career in health sciences and trauma informed care, calculus plays a meaningful role in understanding the systems inside the human body. Healing is not static. Stress responses change over time, neurological activity shifts, circulation adapts, and the body constantly regulates itself. Calculus helps explain these changes, and that understanding strengthens decision making and patient care. In short, calculus matters because it unlocks the ability to understand change, predict outcomes, and solve problems that would otherwise be impossible. It is a tool that empowers innovation across the entire STEM world and prepares students to think with precision, creativity, and confidence.

How Online Tools Strengthen My Learning and Application of Knowledge, As a student studying Alternative Medicine and preparing for a future career in healthcare, online platforms and educational tools have become essential to the way I learn. My coursework demands a strong understanding of human anatomy, psychology, neuroscience, holistic wellness, and trauma informed care. To keep up, I use a combination of structured academic tools and independent learning platforms that allow me to reinforce what I study in class and apply that knowledge in real life. One of the platforms I use most often is YouTube, but not for entertainment. I follow channels run by medical professionals, physical therapists, neurologists, and holistic practitioners who break down complex topics into clear visual explanations. Seeing muscles, bones, breath mechanics, or neurological pathways in motion helps me understand how the body functions beyond the pages of a textbook. When I learn a new technique in class, such as cupping, stretching, or breathwork, YouTube allows me to see it demonstrated step by step. These visual tools help me understand form, safety, and practical application. I also use online medical libraries and academic research tools. PubMed, ResearchGate, and Google Scholar help me find peer reviewed studies on trauma, alternative therapies, stress physiology, and neurological development. Since my long term goal is to work with veterans and children with complex medical needs, understanding scientific evidence is important. Reading real studies helps me separate myths from facts and strengthens the credibility of the care I want to provide. It also helps me evaluate which healing practices have scientific support. Online courses and lectures are another valuable resource. I use platforms such as Coursera, Khan Academy, and continuing education modules that cover topics related to psychology, meditation, functional movement, nutrition, and mindfulness. These platforms allow me to explore subjects deeply, and at my own pace. I can pause, rewind, and review difficult material as many times as I need to understand it fully. I also rely on digital tools to stay organized. Google Workspace, calendar apps, flashcard apps, and note taking tools help me manage my study schedule and keep track of complex information. With a busy life as a father of a medically complex child and a veteran managing my own health conditions, structure is crucial. These tools help me fit learning into early mornings or late nights and make sure I never fall behind in my classes. Most important, these online resources help me apply what I learn. When I study anatomy, I use interactive diagrams to visualize movements during cupping or stretching sessions. When I study psychology or trauma science, I watch real case studies to understand how stress affects the nervous system. When I learn new wellness techniques, I practice along with tutorials before applying them to clients or family members. This combination of research, visual learning, and practice helps me become more confident in my skills. Online platforms do more than give me information. They help me understand, integrate, and apply knowledge in a way that strengthens my future career. They allow me to bridge the gap between theory and real world practice, which is essential for the kind of healer I want to become.

My Experience Growing Up in a Military Family, Growing up in a military family shaped me long before I ever entered the service myself. My adopted father served in the United States Army. My uncle who raised me served in the Marine Corps. My Uncle Marty influenced my decision to join the Army when I was older. My grandfather on my mother’s side served as an Army Airborne soldier in World War Two. He was strict and often difficult, but he came from a time when men returned from war carrying their trauma alone. All of these men shaped my understanding of discipline, strength, and responsibility. Life in a military influenced home meant structure. You respected your elders and handled your responsibilities without excuses. My Marine Corps uncle brought a level of discipline into the home that guided everything. He taught me how to carry myself, how to show respect, and how to work hard even when life felt overwhelming. His expectations were high, but they taught me how to stay focused and dependable. That discipline became the foundation for how I live my life today. My adopted father carried himself differently. He was quiet and reserved, often keeping his emotions inside. As a child I did not understand why he was distant at times, but as a veteran myself I now recognize the signs of stress and emotional exhaustion. He taught me to pay attention to the parts of people they do not show. His silence showed me the reality that military service leaves emotional marks that others may never see. This awareness helped shape my empathy and my ability to understand people beneath the surface. My grandfather, the World War Two veteran, was the most intense influence. He believed in toughness, hard work, and never showing weakness. At the time his personality felt harsh, but later I realized that he came from a generation that returned from war with no support or understanding of trauma. His hardness was a shield. From him I learned mental endurance, but I also learned the danger of never addressing emotional injury. His life pushed me to break that cycle and face pain honestly instead of hiding it. Uncle Marty was different. He carried his military experience with pride, confidence, and purpose. He shared stories that made service feel honorable and meaningful. He was the first person who made me believe that joining the Army was not just a career choice but a calling. His influence stayed with me, and when the time came for me to choose my own path, he was the reason I enlisted. Growing up in this environment taught me resilience, structure, and emotional awareness. It taught me that military service affects everyone in the household, not just the person wearing the uniform. The stress, the silence, the high expectations, and the sacrifices become part of family life. This understanding shaped my leadership style, my compassion, and my desire to support others who face similar pressures. These experiences also influence my goals today. They shaped my decision to study Alternative Medicine and work toward a career in healthcare where I can support veterans and families dealing with trauma and stress. I want to use the discipline I learned growing up and the empathy I gained through observation to help people heal both physically and emotionally. Growing up surrounded by military service taught me the meaning of sacrifice and responsibility. It taught me strength, empathy, and purpose. These lessons guide every part of my life and continue to influence the person I am becoming.

What PTSD Taught Me and How I Hope to Help Other Veterans, My experience with service related PTSD has changed me in ways I never expected. It has challenged me, humbled me, and taught me truths about myself and the world that I could never have learned any other way. Living with PTSD forced me to confront the parts of myself I once tried to hide. It taught me that strength is not the absence of pain. Strength is the willingness to face your pain honestly and keep moving forward one day at a time. One of the biggest lessons I learned is that trauma is not a sign of weakness. For years after leaving the Army, I believed I had to remain silent about the things I carried. I thought I had to handle everything alone. I believed that asking for help made me less of a leader or less of a man. PTSD broke that belief apart. It taught me that the world is full of silent battles, and many of the strongest people are the ones who appear the calmest. I learned that healing begins with honesty and that admitting struggle is an act of courage. I also learned how deeply connected the mind and body truly are. PTSD affected my sleep, my pain levels, my ability to process stress, and the way I reacted to everyday life. It changed my relationships, my communication, and the way I saw myself. But facing it also taught me how capable the human mind is of rebuilding itself. Through therapy, breathing practices, fitness, and intentional routines, I learned that healing is possible, even if it is slow. I learned patience, acceptance, and compassion for myself and for others who suffer quietly. These experiences shaped my future more than anything else. My PTSD helped open the door to my purpose. It inspired me to pursue a degree in Alternative Medicine and eventually continue into advanced medical training. I want to help veterans understand the connection between physical trauma, emotional trauma, and the nervous system. I want to teach them grounding skills, stress reduction techniques, breathwork, movement therapy, and full person healing techniques that I have used myself. My goal is to build a career that supports veterans who feel isolated or misunderstood. Many veterans do not speak about PTSD because of stigma or fear. I want to be someone who understands without judgment and without needing long explanations. Veterans need providers who speak their language and who know what it feels like to carry memories that never fully go away. My own experience gives me the ability to connect with them in a way that textbooks cannot teach. I want to create a wellness clinic where veterans can receive trauma informed care, peer support, emotional education, and physical rehabilitation without feeling ashamed or out of place. I want to create programs that blend science with practical tools that veterans can use daily. I want to help them build stability, confidence, and purpose after service, the same way I had to rebuild myself. PTSD changed me, but it also awakened me. It gave me empathy, clarity, and a mission. I want to use everything I have lived through to help veterans realize that they are not broken. They are rebuilding. I want them to know that healing is possible and that they do not have to walk that path alone. This is the purpose I carry now, and it is the impact I hope to make in the world.

How I Plan to Make a Positive Impact Through My Career, My name is Robert Thurman, and my life has been shaped by service, resilience, and the responsibility of caring for others. I am a United States Army veteran, a father of a medically complex child, and a student pursuing a degree in Alternative Medicine with the long term goal of entering advanced medical training. Every step of my journey has taught me the importance of compassion, patience, and the power of healing. These lessons guide how I plan to make a positive impact on the world and my community through my future career. My desire to serve others began during my years in the Army. I learned discipline, leadership, and the ability to stay calm during difficult situations. I also carried home invisible wounds. I live with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, scoliosis, and chronic pain that affect my daily life. These challenges taught me humility and showed me how deeply mental and physical health are connected. They also taught me that many people live with wounds that others never see. This understanding opened the door to my passion for healing. My purpose became even clearer when my son was diagnosed with brain cancer. He survived twelve major surgeries and now lives with neurological differences, autism, left side hemiplegia, and non verbal communication. Caring for him completely changed me. I became his advocate, his protector, and his voice. His strength taught me what true courage looks like and inspired me to pursue a career focused on helping families like ours. He showed me how overwhelming the medical system can feel and how crucial it is for families to find guidance, clarity, and emotional support. Through my education, I plan to combine scientific knowledge with compassion. My degree in Alternative Medicine is only the beginning. I want to build a career that blends whole person wellness with trauma informed care. My goal is to support children with neurological and developmental challenges, veterans who carry physical or emotional pain, and families who feel lost or overwhelmed. I want to create a space where people are treated as individuals, not conditions, and where healing includes the mind, the body, and the environment around them. In my community, I already serve through mentorship and support. I coach youth baseball, where I help kids build confidence, discipline, and emotional awareness. I support parents of medically fragile children by sharing guidance, resources, and encouragement. I show other veterans that healing is possible and that purpose can exist on the other side of trauma. My career will allow me to expand this work on a larger scale. With time, I hope to open a clinic focused on trauma recovery, neurological wellness, movement therapy, stress management, and family support. I want it to be a place where every person who walks in feels understood, protected, and valued. My dream is to help people who feel invisible or overwhelmed find strength and stability again. This scholarship would help me stay focused on my education while balancing the daily responsibilities of caring for my son and managing my own medical challenges. It would bring me closer to the career that will allow me to make a lasting, positive impact on my community. I believe that our struggles can become our purpose. My purpose is to help others heal, and this is the future I am working toward every day.

Thesis: Marcus Aurelius teaches that genuine strength arises from mastering the inner life, because external events cannot provide stability, meaning, or freedom. This brief line from Marcus Aurelius is one of the clearest expressions of Stoic philosophy. He writes as an emperor, a military commander, and a man living under immense pressure. Yet he does not claim that strength comes from command, reputation, or wealth. Instead, he asserts the opposite. Aurelius insists that the only domain where human beings possess real authority is the realm of thought, intention, and interpretation. This insight challenges the instinctive human tendency to seek control over the external world. It forces the reader to confront the uncomfortable truth that most suffering arises from misplaced focus. The underlying meaning of the passage is that the mind is the only territory where true freedom can exist. External events do not cooperate with our expectations, desires, or moral judgments. They unfold according to the logic of nature and the chaos of chance. People change without warning. Circumstances shift. Plans collapse. Health fades. Fortune turns. Aurelius is not encouraging a retreat from life. Rather, he is pointing out that the world is not built to serve our emotional comfort. Attempting to anchor happiness in anything external leads inevitably to anxiety and disappointment. By focusing instead on the inner world, the individual discovers a source of stability that cannot be taken away. Aurelius makes a profound claim about responsibility. To say that we have power over the mind is also to say that we have responsibility for the way we interpret events. He does not argue that emotions can be controlled instantly or perfectly. Instead, he argues that the interpretation we give to events is the source of suffering or peace. Two people can face identical challenges and experience them completely differently. One collapses under the weight of fear, while the other finds clarity and strength. The difference lies not in the event, but in the inner framework through which the event is understood. The central insight is that suffering is not created solely by the world, but by the meaning we assign to the world. This is not a rejection of pain. Aurelius is not naive. He knew war, illness, grief, and fear. The point is that while the body and circumstances may be pushed and battered, the mind retains the ability to orient itself toward purpose, courage, and dignity. This is why he uses the word “strength.” Strength in this context is not physical power or social dominance. It is the disciplined ability to keep the mind aligned with reason and virtue, even when external conditions are harsh. This passage is also a warning against illusion. Human beings often attempt to control outcomes, people, or circumstances to protect themselves from uncertainty. Aurelius argues that this instinct is misplaced. The more energy a person invests in controlling what cannot be controlled, the more fragile and anxious they become. Peace cannot be achieved by rearranging the outside world. Peace is achieved by taking ownership of the inner world. This shift of focus transforms the individual from a victim of circumstance into an active participant in their own emotional life. Furthermore, Aurelius offers a vision of freedom that is radically different from modern ideas. Freedom is not the ability to do whatever one wants. Freedom is the ability to remain steady within chaos. The mind that understands this becomes unshaken by praise or criticism, success or failure, comfort or discomfort. This is not indifference. It is maturity. It is the realization that a meaningful life is lived through intention, not circumstance. In this single sentence, Aurelius calls the reader to reclaim that inner territory. The outer world will always be uncertain. But within that uncertainty lies an opportunity for clarity and strength. By mastering the inner life, the individual discovers the only form of control that truly matters and the only foundation upon which lasting strength can be built.

How Loss Shaped Who I Am Today** When I think about significant loss, my mind does not go to a single moment or event. My greatest losses came in stages, each one teaching me something different about life, about myself, and about what truly matters. I experienced the loss of my health after my military service, and later, the fear of losing my son during his battle with brain cancer. These losses shaped me into the person I am today and continue to guide every goal I set for my future. The first loss was losing the person I used to be. After serving many years in the United States Army as a Combat Engineer, I returned home carrying PTSD, traumatic brain injury, scoliosis, chronic pain, and emotional challenges that I did not yet understand. I lost the physical strength, emotional stability, and identity I once relied on. Life felt unfamiliar. I struggled to sleep, to manage stress, and to find a sense of purpose. Losing my old self forced me to rebuild from the ground up. It taught me humility, patience, and the importance of mental health. It also taught me that healing is not linear, and that progress comes in small, quiet steps. The second and most profound loss was the fear of losing my son. He survived brain cancer after twelve major surgeries, and during that time, our lives were filled with uncertainty and fear. I watched him fight for every breath, every movement, every small achievement. That experience changed me forever. When you come close to losing your child, you begin to see the world differently. You learn what real strength looks like. You learn what real prayer feels like. You learn how to endure even when you feel shattered. That experience taught me to never take a single moment of life for granted. It strengthened my faith, deepened my resilience, and pushed me to become the father he deserves. These losses shaped my goals and my outlook. They taught me that life is fragile, that health is priceless, and that compassion is a responsibility. This is why I returned to school to study Alternative Medicine. My plan is to continue into advanced medical training and become a practitioner who supports families, veterans, children with neurological challenges, and individuals who feel overwhelmed by life. I want to give others the hope and stability that my son received. I want to help people rebuild their lives after trauma, the same way I had to rebuild mine. Loss also changed the way I live. I now value presence more than perfection. I value connection more than comfort. I value purpose more than pride. I live each day with intention, knowing that the time we have with the people we love is limited and precious. The losses I faced did not break me. They shaped me. They taught me to fight with humility, to care with empathy, and to live with purpose. They are the reason I push forward in my education and the reason I want to dedicate my life to helping others heal.

How My Mental Health Journey Shaped My Beliefs, Relationships, and Career Aspirations, My experience with mental health has shaped who I am in every possible way. As a United States Army veteran living with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, scoliosis, and chronic pain, I have carried the weight of invisible wounds for many years. When I first left the military, I did not understand how deeply those injuries had affected my mind. I struggled with anxiety, emotional overload, anger, sleepless nights, and moments where the world felt overwhelming. These experiences forced me to confront mental health in a personal and honest way, and they changed my beliefs, my relationships, and the direction of my life. Mental health changed my beliefs about what strength really is. For a long time, I believed strength meant silence. It meant carrying everything alone and refusing to show vulnerability. My military training reinforced that mindset, and I lived by it for years. But over time, the pressure of my experiences and the weight of my injuries made it clear that silence does not heal anything. I learned that true strength comes from recognizing your limits, asking for help, and choosing to face your struggles instead of hiding from them. Mental health taught me that resilience is not the absence of pain. It is the decision to keep moving forward despite it. Mental health also reshaped my relationships. When I began to understand my own emotional reactions, I became more patient and more aware of how my behavior affected the people around me. I learned how to communicate directly, how to apologize, how to pause before reacting, and how to be present for the people I love. My greatest influence has been my son, who is a brain cancer survivor with significant neurological differences, autism, left side hemiplegia, and non verbal communication. Caring for him requires patience, emotional awareness, and a level of empathy that I had to grow into. My mental health journey allowed me to become a better father, partner, and friend. I learned to slow down, listen deeply, and meet people where they are rather than where I expect them to be. These experiences transformed my career aspirations. Mental health became the foundation of my purpose. I returned to school to study Alternative Medicine because I wanted to understand the full connection between the mind and the body. My long term goal is to continue into advanced medical training and become a practitioner who specializes in trauma informed care, neurological support, and whole person wellness. I want to work with veterans, medically fragile children, adults who feel overwhelmed, and families who are trying to rebuild their lives after hardship. I want to create a clinic where emotional and physical healing are understood as one process rather than two separate issues. My mental health journey taught me that people do not heal from instructions. They heal from compassion, patience, and someone who truly understands what it feels like to hurt. I want to be that person for others. I want to use everything I have lived through to help people regain hope, stability, and confidence. Mental health shaped my beliefs by teaching me humility. It shaped my relationships by teaching me empathy. And it shaped my career by giving me a purpose to serve others with understanding, compassion, and strength.

Why Mental Health Matters to Me as a Student and How I Advocate for It** Mental health is important to me as a student because it shapes every part of my ability to learn, to stay focused, and to remain committed to my goals. I am a United States Army veteran living with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, scoliosis, and chronic pain. I am also the father of a medically complex child who survived brain cancer after twelve major surgeries. My son now lives with neurological differences, autism, left side hemiplegia, and non verbal communication. These experiences taught me that mental health is not a side issue. It is the foundation that holds everything together. As a student, it affects how I manage stress, how I stay organized, how I process information, and how I balance school with the demands of daily life. When mental health suffers, everything suffers. When mental health is supported, everything becomes more achievable. I learned that taking care of my mind is not optional. It is essential if I want to build a future for my family and succeed academically. Because of this, I advocate for mental health in every part of my community. At home, I lead by example. I practice breathing techniques, meditation, movement therapy, and mindful routines that help regulate my mind and body. I teach my children emotional awareness, patience, and grounding skills that help them feel safe and understood. In my home, mental health is not something we hide. It is something we talk about openly. In my community, I advocate by supporting other parents who are caring for medically fragile children. Many families feel overwhelmed, isolated, or afraid to speak about their stress. I share my own experiences, offer encouragement, and help parents navigate difficult moments. I remind them that their mental health matters just as much as their child’s medical needs. As a youth baseball coach, I advocate for mental health by teaching children how to manage pressure, express emotions, and build confidence. Sports are not only physical. They build resilience, teamwork, and emotional growth. I create an environment where kids feel safe, supported, and celebrated for effort rather than perfection. My education in Alternative Medicine strengthens my advocacy even more. I am learning about the mind and body connection, stress management, trauma informed care, and full person wellness. My long term goal is to enter the medical field and become a practitioner who supports both physical and emotional healing. Mental health will be central to my practice. I want to help veterans, children with neurological challenges, and families who feel unseen or overwhelmed. Mental health is important to me because it saved my life more than once. It allows me to show up for my son, stay committed to my goals, and serve my community with compassion. Through my education and future career, I plan to continue advocating for mental health and creating spaces where people feel understood, supported, and valued.

What Makes Me Unique and Why I Deserve This Scholarship, Something unique about me is that my entire life has been shaped by service, resilience, and the responsibility of caring for others. I am a United States Army veteran, a father of a medically complex child, a student returning to school later in life, and someone who has rebuilt himself many times over. Every part of my story reflects determination, compassion, and the belief that hardships can be transformed into purpose. I am seeking higher education because of my personal journey through trauma, disability, and fatherhood. I live with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, scoliosis, and chronic pain from my years of military service. Those challenges alone could have pushed me off course, but they did not. Instead, they taught me patience, humility, and the importance of building a new life with intention. My son strengthened that purpose even more. He survived brain cancer after twelve major surgeries and now lives with neurological differences, autism, left side hemiplegia, and non verbal communication. Caring for him requires constant attention, creativity, and emotional strength. He inspires me every day to pursue education so I can become someone who helps families like ours. My proudest accomplishment is not something I earned on paper. It is the man I have become through adversity. I am proud of the father I am, the partner I am, the veteran I am, and the student I have become. I am proud that I have not allowed trauma or disability to define me. Instead, I have allowed them to deepen my empathy and strengthen my desire to serve others. My impact in the community comes through mentorship, advocacy, and consistency. I coach youth baseball, where I help kids build confidence, discipline, and teamwork. I support other parents of children with disabilities by sharing knowledge, resources, and encouragement. I am active in my academic journey, showing other non traditional students that it is never too late to rebuild your life. I bring the same leadership I learned in the military into my community, but I deliver it with kindness and patience instead of force. My professional goal is to become a healthcare provider who specializes in trauma informed care, neurological support, and full person healing. I want to serve veterans who feel unseen, children with complex medical needs, and families who are overwhelmed by the health system. My education in Alternative Medicine is the beginning of that path, and I plan to continue into advanced medical training. What distinguishes me from other applicants is not just my background, but the way I choose to respond to it. I did not come from privilege or stability. I have lived through trauma, adversity, homelessness, disability, and the fear of almost losing my child. Yet I remain committed to healing, service, and building a life that creates hope for others. My life has taught me that purpose grows out of pain and that compassion grows out of struggle. This scholarship will not only support my education. It will support my mission to turn everything I have lived through into a career that lifts others. That is why I believe I am a strong candidate and why I am committed to making good on the opportunity you would give me.

How I Plan to Improve Lives Through a Career in Healthcare, My plan to improve the lives of others through a career in healthcare comes from the years I have spent caring for my son and overcoming my own medical challenges. I am a United States Army veteran living with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, scoliosis, and chronic pain. My son is a brain cancer survivor who has undergone twelve major surgeries and now lives with autism, left side hemiplegia, non verbal communication, and a rare neurological condition caused by the removal of a large portion of tissue on the right side of his brain. These experiences guide everything I want to do in the medical field. Caring for my son has shown me how overwhelming rare conditions can be for families. The uncertainty, the constant appointments, the fear of the unknown, and the pressure of daily caregiving require strength that most people do not see. I became an advocate, a teacher, a caretaker, and a voice for someone who cannot speak for himself. Through that journey, I learned how important it is for families to have healthcare providers who listen, who explain things clearly, and who offer hope instead of confusion. I am studying Alternative Medicine to understand the mind and body connection and to learn how to support healing in a full person way. My long term goal is to continue into advanced medical training so I can work with individuals who face rare or chronic conditions, including lung disease and complex neurological disorders. I want to combine scientific skill with compassion and patience, because rare conditions require more than treatment. They require understanding. People with lung disease often struggle silently. Breathing is something most people take for granted, but for those with chronic lung conditions it becomes a daily battle. My goal is to help these patients with not only medical support, but also lifestyle strategies, stress reduction, movement therapies, breathing techniques, and education that empower them to manage symptoms. I have lived with the effects of trauma on the nervous system, and I know how much breath affects the body. I want to teach patients how to strengthen their lungs, reduce stress, and improve quality of life through full person care. For people living with rare conditions, I want to bring hope to a place that often feels hopeless. Families who face rare illnesses need a provider who will walk with them, not rush them. They need guidance, emotional support, and tools they can use at home. I understand that world because I live in it every day with my son. That lived experience will help me support others with empathy and clarity. My dream is to open a clinic that brings together trauma informed care, neurological support, breathwork, movement therapy, stress reduction, and personalized medical guidance. I want to create a place where veterans, children with rare conditions, adults with lung disease, and families who feel lost can find strength and direction. This scholarship would bring me closer to that future by easing the financial pressure of school while I continue to care for my son and manage my own medical conditions. It would allow me to stay focused and move forward on the path that will one day allow me to help those who need hope the most.

My Degree Goals, Career Plans, and Future in Service** I am currently pursuing a degree in Alternative Medicine because my life experiences have shown me the importance of whole person healing. As a United States Army veteran living with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, scoliosis, and chronic pain, I know firsthand how physical and emotional wellness connect. My son is also a brain cancer survivor with significant neurological challenges. His strength and courage inspired me to learn everything I can about healing, recovery, and the ways the mind and body influence each other. Studying Alternative Medicine gives me a foundation that I plan to continue building on as I move into advanced medical training. Although I served many years in the Army as a Combat Engineer, I am not planning to return to the service or pursue a career in the Air Force or any other branch. My service will always be part of who I am, but my path forward is now focused on healing and helping others in the civilian world. My military experience taught me discipline, leadership, compassion, and the ability to stay calm under pressure. These qualities now guide me as I prepare for a career in healthcare. After graduation, my goal is to continue into specialized medical or therapeutic training so I can serve families, veterans, and individuals who face complex physical or emotional challenges. I want to work in a field that combines science, compassion, and full person care. My dream is to open a clinic that provides support for trauma, neurological challenges, chronic stress, and long term recovery. I want to help children like my son, who navigate the world with unique needs. I want to help veterans who struggle silently with physical or mental wounds. I want to help families who feel overwhelmed by the medical system and unsure where to turn. My education is the foundation for that future. Every class teaches me how to understand people at a deeper level. Every assignment moves me closer to becoming someone who can guide others toward stability and hope. I want to bring together movement therapy, stress reduction techniques, nutrition, neurological support, and compassionate listening to create a healing environment that honors each person’s story. Receiving a scholarship would help me stay focused on this mission. As a father caring for a medically complex child, educational expenses compete with medical bills, therapy costs, and daily responsibilities. Financial relief would allow me to dedicate more time and energy to my studies and move forward without constant worry. This support would bring me closer to becoming a practitioner who can make a real impact in the lives of others. My degree is not just an academic goal. It is a mission. It is the next chapter of my service. And it is the path that will allow me to help others overcome challenges the same way I have learned to overcome my own.

Growing Up in a Blended Family and My Vision for the Future** Growing up in a blended and shifting family household shaped every part of who I am today. I was raised partially by my grandmother and partially by my uncle, often living between both environments. That experience gave me a unique perspective on life. I learned early that family is not defined by perfect structure or traditional roles. It is defined by the people who show up, the people who love you, and the people who teach you how to survive when life feels unstable. My grandmother taught me patience, kindness, and the value of simple everyday stability. She created a sense of home even when everything around me felt uncertain. My uncle taught me strength, work ethic, and the importance of standing up for myself. Between the two of them, I learned how to adapt, how to observe, and how to carry myself with responsibility long before adulthood arrived. Living between households also showed me the realities of stress, financial struggle, and the challenges that single parent or nontraditional families often face. I learned early that life does not always give people an easy path, but it does give them opportunities to grow stronger. Because of my childhood, I became independent at a young age. I learned to solve problems, protect myself, and take care of others. I developed empathy for anyone who grows up without a clear support system or stable foundation. This empathy stayed with me through my military service, my struggles with injury and mental health, and now through my journey as a father raising a medically complex child. My childhood shaped my resilience, my emotional intelligence, and my drive to help others who feel like life has been uneven or unfair. Even though my career path continues to evolve, my purpose remains clear. I want to use my talents to help people who feel overwhelmed, unseen, or unsupported. Whether through healthcare, holistic wellness, community support, youth mentorship, or trauma informed service, I want to stand in the gap for others the way my grandmother and uncle stood in the gap for me. I want to take the compassion I learned from my grandmother and the strength I learned from my uncle and turn it into work that changes lives. A future where I am able to do good is a future where I continue to turn my experiences into guidance for others. I imagine a career helping children who feel lost, veterans who feel disconnected, or families who face medical challenges. I imagine building a safe place where people can feel heard and valued. I imagine giving back in ways that lift people who come from backgrounds like mine. Receiving this scholarship would support that future by easing the financial weight of my education and allowing me to stay focused on building a career rooted in service. It would help me turn everything I have lived through into something positive, useful, and healing for others. Growing up in a blended family did not hold me back. It built me. And now I want to use that foundation to lift others the same way I was lifted.

My Inspiration to Support the Intellectual Disability Community** My inspiration to pursue a career supporting the intellectual disability community comes directly from my son. He is a brain cancer survivor who has undergone twelve major surgeries and now lives with autism, left side hemiplegia, significant neurological differences, and nonverbal communication. He experiences the world in a way that most people cannot understand, but every day he teaches me what patience, courage, and unconditional love truly look like. When he was diagnosed, my life changed instantly. I had served many years in the United States Army and believed I knew what strength was. I had lived through PTSD, traumatic brain injury, chronic pain, and the long process of learning to function again after service. But nothing prepared me for seeing my child fight through pain, fear, and surgeries while trying to learn how to move, communicate, and trust the world around him. Caring for him has become the most important mission of my life. He inspires me to want to support not only him, but others in the intellectual disability community who deserve the same respect and compassion. My relationship with my son shaped my educational goals in every way. I returned to school to study Alternative Medicine because I wanted to understand the mind and body connection on a deeper level. I wanted to learn how to support neurological development, emotional balance, and physical wellness in ways that honor each person as an individual. My long term goal is to continue into advanced medical training so I can combine scientific knowledge with real compassion for children and adults who experience the world differently. Supporting the intellectual disability community is not just a career choice for me. It is a personal calling. I have seen how families struggle, how children are often misunderstood, and how easily people with disabilities can be overlooked. I have learned how important patience, communication, and advocacy truly are. I want to help create environments where individuals with intellectual disabilities feel safe, respected, and supported. I want to give families hope, guidance, and tools they can use every day. My dream is to work with children and adults with neurological and developmental differences through trauma informed care, movement therapy, stress reduction, and full person wellness. I want to open a clinic that supports families who feel lost, overwhelmed, or unsure of how to navigate medical and emotional challenges. I want to offer care that honors each person’s potential rather than focusing only on their limitations. My son has shaped who I am. He teaches me to slow down, to communicate creatively, and to celebrate progress no matter how small. He has shown me that every individual deserves dignity, patience, and the freedom to express themselves in their own way. Through my education and future career, I plan to bring his lessons into the world and make a meaningful difference for others living with intellectual disabilities. He inspires me to build a future where every person is seen, valued, and supported. And that is the impact I hope to make.

My Commitment to LGBTQ Plus Advocacy Through Education and Service** Although I do not identify as LGBTQ Plus myself, my life experiences have shaped me into a strong ally who believes deeply in equality, compassion, and human dignity. My journey as a veteran, a father of a medically complex child, and a person living with disabilities has taught me the importance of standing up for those who face discrimination, rejection, or misunderstanding. While my challenges are different from those faced by LGBTQ Plus individuals, I understand what it means to feel judged, unheard, or pushed to the margins. These experiences created a lifelong commitment to advocacy and inclusivity. My years in the United States Army taught me about diversity long before I fully understood it. In the military, people from every background live and work side by side. I served with individuals who were LGBTQ Plus long before they were allowed to speak openly about who they were. I witnessed the pressure they felt to hide parts of themselves for safety or acceptance. Later in my service, when policy changes allowed greater openness, I saw firsthand how mental health improved when people were finally able to serve as their authentic selves. These moments strengthened my belief that people thrive when they are seen and valued without conditions. As a father of a child who is medically complex, I have also seen how society treats those who are different. My son survived brain cancer and lives with autism, left side hemiplegia, and non verbal communication. He struggles not because of who he is, but because the world is not always built to support people with differences. This taught me that discrimination, whether based on identity, ability, or orientation, is rooted in ignorance and fear. It also taught me that advocacy is not a choice. It is a responsibility. My goal in higher education is to become a healthcare professional who serves LGBTQ Plus individuals with respect, safety, and culturally competent care. I am studying Alternative Medicine and plan to continue into advanced medical training. Mental health, trauma informed care, neurological support, and whole person healing are central to my career goals. LGBTQ Plus individuals often face barriers in healthcare, including judgment, poor communication, or providers who lack understanding. I want to be part of the solution. My dream is to open a clinic that welcomes every person, regardless of identity, orientation, or background. I want to help build a system where health and dignity are never separated. Receiving this scholarship would significantly reduce the financial strain of pursuing my degree. As a veteran with disabilities and a parent of a medically complex child, educational costs often compete with medical bills, therapy needs, and daily living expenses. This scholarship would allow me to focus more on my education and less on financial stress. It would help me stay on track toward building a career dedicated to inclusion, advocacy, and healing. My advocacy for LGBTQ Plus rights comes from a simple belief. Every person deserves safety. Every person deserves respect. Every person deserves to live openly without fear. Through my education and my future career, I will continue to stand beside the LGBTQ Plus community and work toward a more compassionate and equal world.

Balancing Education and Family Responsibilities** Balancing my education with my responsibilities as a parent of a medically complex child requires commitment, structure, and a deep sense of purpose. My son is a brain cancer survivor who has undergone twelve major surgeries. He lives with a significant opening on the right side of his brain, autism, left side hemiplegia, and he is non verbal. His needs shape every part of our daily life, and caring for him has taught me patience, discipline, and the importance of being fully present for the people you love. I am studying Alternative Medicine because I want to understand healing from a full person perspective. My own challenges with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, scoliosis, and chronic pain from military service have given me firsthand experience with both physical and emotional struggle. My son’s medical journey showed me how powerful compassionate healthcare can be and how important it is for families to feel supported. These experiences pushed me back into education with a clear purpose. I want to become a practitioner who supports children, veterans, families, and individuals who feel overwhelmed by life and the healthcare system. Balancing school with parenting requires structure, teamwork, and consistent planning. My wife and I share responsibilities, communicate constantly, and work together to make sure our son has everything he needs. On top of that, I create a strict schedule for my coursework. I complete assignments early in the morning or late at night when the house is quiet. I use calendars, planning tools, and small daily goals so that even when life becomes chaotic, my education stays on track. I also stay in close communication with my professors because I know that medical appointments, therapies, or unexpected challenges can change my schedule without warning. There are days when balancing everything feels extremely demanding. When my son struggles physically or emotionally, his needs come first. When my disabilities flare up, I have to manage pain and focus through discomfort. There are moments of fatigue and discouragement, but I stay committed because my education represents hope. It represents a better future for my family and the ability to help others who are facing their own battles. This scholarship would ease a tremendous amount of financial pressure. Caring for a medically complex child involves frequent appointments, therapy sessions, adaptive equipment, and ongoing medical costs. These responsibilities are expensive and constant. Adding tuition, textbooks, and school materials on top of that creates additional strain. Receiving this scholarship would allow me to focus more fully on my education without constantly worrying about choosing between school needs and family needs. With this support, I can continue working toward my long term goal of entering the healthcare field in a way that brings together science, compassion, and holistic understanding. I want to create a clinic that serves veterans, children with neurological needs, families dealing with chronic stress, and individuals who feel unheard. My dream is to give people the same hope and stability that others gave to my own family. Education is my path forward. It is how I will build a future where my experiences become a source of healing, guidance, and strength for those who need it most. This scholarship will help me stay on that path and continue working toward a career that makes a positive impact in the world.

How Education Shaped My Goals and Future** Education has become the driving force that brought direction, purpose, and hope back into my life. For many years, I lived through challenges that felt overwhelming and at times nearly impossible to overcome. My story is one of service, injury, trauma, fatherhood, and perseverance. It is also a story of how returning to school later in life gave me a sense of meaning and a clear path toward a future built on healing and service. I spent many years in the United States Army as a Combat Engineer. Military life taught me discipline, strength under pressure, teamwork, and responsibility. I learned how to lead others, how to remain calm in high stress situations, and how to push myself far beyond my comfort zone. I was proud to serve my country, but the cost of service followed me long after I hung up the uniform. When I returned home, I found myself battling PTSD, traumatic brain injury, scoliosis, chronic pain, and the emotional impact of everything I had lived through. Life after service felt confusing and heavy, and I no longer recognized the person I had become. My world changed even more when my son was diagnosed with brain cancer. He endured twelve major surgeries, and those surgeries left a large opening in the right side of his brain. He now lives with autism, left side hemiplegia, and he is non verbal. Our lives were filled with hospital rooms, medical equipment, therapy sessions, specialists, long nights, and moments of fear that are difficult to put into words. Caring for my son became the central mission of my life. I watched him fight through pain, physical limitations, and uncertainty with a courage that inspired me deeply. He taught me that the human spirit is far stronger than most people ever realize. Living through his medical journey changed the way I saw the world. It also changed the way I saw my own purpose. I began to understand the value of compassionate medical care, the importance of patient education, and the need for providers who truly listen. I saw how much fear families carry when they feel lost inside the medical system. I also saw how much relief comes when someone takes the time to explain, to comfort, and to guide. These experiences motivated me to return to school. Education was the turning point that allowed me to transform suffering into purpose. I enrolled in a program for Alternative Medicine because I wanted to understand health in a deeper way. My classes taught me about the mind, the body, and the spirit as connected systems. I learned about stress management, movement therapy, emotional balance, and the importance of approaching each patient as a whole person, not as a list of symptoms. Education gave me clarity. It reminded me that I have more to offer the world than trauma and pain. It gave me the tools to begin rebuilding myself into someone who could help others. Attending school as a father of a medically complex child has not been easy. There are days when my son has appointments, therapies, or needs that require my full attention. There are nights when sleep is rare because he needs support. Balancing his needs with my own disabilities makes the workload even more challenging. My body often fights pain while I try to study. My mind sometimes wrestles with memories from my military service. Yet I continue, because my education is the path to a better future for my family and for the people I hope to serve. Every class I complete, every exam I pass, and every assignment I finish is a step forward toward the person I want to become. The obstacles I have overcome during school have taught me resilience in a way nothing else could. I learned how to manage stress, how to stay organized under pressure, and how to push through discomfort without losing sight of my goals. I learned how to advocate for myself, how to ask for help, and how to remain patient in the middle of chaos. Most importantly, I learned that I am capable of much more than I once believed. My long term goal is to continue into advanced medical training and become a practitioner who specializes in trauma informed care, neurological support, and whole person wellness. I want to serve veterans who feel isolated or misunderstood. I want to support parents who are caring for medically fragile children. I want to help individuals who live with chronic pain, emotional trauma, or neurological conditions. My dream is to open a clinic that brings together medical care, holistic therapies, stress reduction, movement based healing, and family centered education. I want to build a place where people feel safe, respected, and understood. Education gave me a sense of direction that I did not have before. It reminded me that my experiences have meaning and that my pain can be transformed into purpose. It helped me see that healing is possible not only for individuals, but for entire families and communities. My goal is to use everything I have learned to create a future where I serve others with compassion, strength, and integrity. Education shaped my goals by showing me that my life story is not defined by trauma. It is defined by resilience, love, and the determination to build something better. I plan to use my education to bring hope, healing, and dignity to people who feel lost, overwhelmed, or forgotten. This is the future I am working toward. This is the life I am building, one lesson at a time.

How Mental Health Has Shaped My Beliefs, Relationships, and Career Aspirations** My experience with mental health has shaped every part of my life. It has changed the way I see myself, the way I connect with others, and the direction of my future career. I am a United States Army combat veteran who has lived through PTSD, traumatic brain injury, chronic pain, and the long process of trying to rebuild a life after service. These experiences taught me that mental health is not just one part of a person. It affects the body, the emotions, the relationships, and the spirit. It is connected to everything we do. When I left the military, I struggled with symptoms that were difficult to understand and even harder to explain. I felt isolated, overwhelmed, and unsure of how to move forward. At the same time, I was caring for my son, a brain cancer survivor who has undergone twelve major surgeries and lives with significant neurological challenges. His strength and courage taught me that healing is possible, but that healing requires patience, support, and understanding. He inspired me to face my own mental health challenges instead of hiding from them. My mental health journey changed my beliefs about what it means to be strong. I used to believe that strength meant staying silent, holding everything inside, and pushing through no matter the cost. Now I understand that real strength comes from honesty, vulnerability, and the courage to ask for help. It comes from accepting your own struggles and choosing to grow anyway. This shift in belief has improved every relationship in my life. I communicate more openly. I listen more deeply. I understand the importance of compassion and presence, because I have lived through moments when that was exactly what I needed. These experiences are the reason I am pursuing a career in mental health and holistic healing. I am studying Alternative Medicine, and my goal is to continue into advanced medical and therapeutic training so I can support people who are living with trauma, chronic stress, and emotional pain. I want to help others feel seen and understood in the same way I needed during my lowest moments. My background gives me a rare perspective. I understand trauma from the inside. I understand the exhaustion of caregiving. I understand the uncertainty of living with disability. I understand the courage it takes to begin again. My dream is to open a holistic mental health and wellness center that serves veterans, medically fragile children, families, and underserved communities. I want to combine mind body therapies, trauma informed care, stress reduction, movement therapy, and supportive counseling. My goal is to create a place where people feel safe, respected, and supported. A place where healing is approached with compassion and science together. Mental health has shaped my life in difficult and beautiful ways. It taught me who I am, what I value, and how deeply I care about helping others. I plan to use everything I have lived through to make a positive impact on the world by becoming a guide for those who need hope, understanding, and a path toward healing.

I am currently studying Alternative Medicine, a field that connects perfectly with my life experiences and my desire to help others heal. My education allows me to explore the mind, the body, and the spirit as one complete system. I am learning about holistic wellness, stress management, movement therapy, nutrition, and the many ways that physical and emotional healing work together. These classes are giving me the foundation I need to continue into advanced medical training and eventually serve families, veterans, and medically fragile individuals. Attending school as a single parent has been one of the greatest challenges of my life. My son is a brain cancer survivor who has endured twelve major surgeries. He has a large opening in the right side of his brain, autism, left side hemiplegia, and he is non verbal. Caring for him requires constant patience, structure, and emotional strength. Every day involves therapies, safety awareness, communication challenges, and the responsibility of making sure he has everything he needs to navigate the world. Balancing his care with my own disabilities makes school even more challenging. I live with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, scoliosis, and chronic pain from my years of military service. There are days when studying is difficult due to physical discomfort or mental fatigue. There are nights when sleep is interrupted because my son needs support. There are moments when it feels overwhelming to carry so much responsibility while trying to build a new future through education. But I refuse to quit. My son has taught me what real courage looks like. If he can fight through surgeries, pain, and neurological challenges, then I can push through school. If he can wake up every day and keep trying, then I can achieve my goals for both of us. Every assignment I complete, every class I pass, and every step I take toward my degree is done for my family. Once I finish my degree, my goal is to continue into medical training and become a practitioner who provides trauma informed care, neurological support, and whole person healing. I want to serve veterans who struggle silently. I want to guide parents who are overwhelmed by their child’s medical needs. I want to help families who feel lost inside the healthcare system. My dream is to open a clinic that brings together medical care, holistic wellness, emotional support, stress reduction, and education for long term healing. My experiences as a single parent, a veteran, and a caregiver have shaped me into someone who understands struggle and who values compassion. My education will allow me to turn those experiences into a career focused on lifting others. This is my purpose and the future I am working to build.

How I Plan to Make a Positive Impact on the World** My name is Robert Thurman, and my life has been shaped by service, resilience, fatherhood, and the desire to lift others through healing. I am a United States Army combat veteran, a father of a medically complex child, a youth baseball coach, and a first generation college student studying Alternative Medicine. Every challenge I have faced has guided me toward a career where I can make a meaningful difference in the world. The first major influence on my path came from my military service. I spent many years as a Combat Engineer, where I learned discipline, leadership, and the responsibility of caring for the people around me. The work was demanding and often dangerous, and it left me with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, scoliosis, and chronic pain. Living with these conditions showed me what it feels like to be overwhelmed by health struggles while trying to keep moving forward. It taught me that real compassion comes from understanding what someone is living through, not from assuming you know. The second major influence came from my son. He is a brain cancer survivor who has undergone twelve major surgeries. He has a significant opening in the right side of his brain, autism, left side hemiplegia, and he is non verbal. Caring for him has been the greatest responsibility and the greatest honor of my life. Watching him fight through pain, physical limitations, fear, and recovery taught me what true strength looks like. It also showed me the importance of medical teams who treat families with empathy, patience, and hope. Without the kindness and skill of the people who cared for my son, he would not be here today. Their impact stays with me every day. These experiences are what led me back to school. I am studying Alternative Medicine because I want to understand health from a whole person perspective. My long term goal is to continue into medical training and become a practitioner who specializes in trauma informed care, neurological support, and integrative wellness. I want to combine scientific knowledge with holistic practices such as movement therapy, stress reduction, and mind body healing. I want to serve veterans, children with special medical needs, families facing long term illnesses, and communities that often fall through the cracks. My plan to make a positive impact on the world is simple and powerful. I want to build a career where every person feels seen, respected, and supported. I want to create a clinic that focuses not only on treatment, but on dignity, education, and empowerment. I want to teach families how to manage stress, improve daily habits, and support long term healing. I want to help people who feel lost, scared, or overlooked by the healthcare system. My goal is not to change the entire world at once. My goal is to change the world for the people who sit across from me in moments of fear, pain, or uncertainty. I want to give them the same hope that others gave my family. Every life touched is a world changed. This is the purpose I am building my education around. It is the way I intend to serve again, not in combat, but in healing.

First Generation Student Scholarship Essay: Being a first generation student means building a path that no one before me had the chance to walk. It means stepping into classrooms without a map, learning how to navigate higher education on my own, and proving to myself and to my family that it is never too late to create a better life. For me, being a first generation student is not only about earning a degree. It is about breaking cycles, creating new possibilities, and showing my children that courage is not the absence of fear but the willingness to rise above it. My journey has not been simple. I spent many years in the United States Army as a Combat Engineer, where I learned discipline, leadership, and resilience. When I left the military, I carried injuries and conditions that changed my life. I struggle with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, scoliosis, and chronic pain. These challenges alone could have stopped me, but life had even more to teach me. My son is a brain cancer survivor who has endured twelve major surgeries. He lives with autism, left side hemiplegia, and he is non verbal. Caring for him has been the greatest challenge and the greatest honor of my life. He fights every day to move, to interact, to grow, and to find joy in his own way. Watching him overcome obstacles has taught me that strength is not measured by what you can lift, but by what you can live through. His courage is the reason I went back to school. If my son can battle cancer and rebuild himself one step at a time, then I can return to education and rebuild my future. I chose to study Alternative Medicine because I want to understand healing from every angle. My dream is to continue into advanced medical training and become a provider who helps families, veterans, and medically fragile children find hope, stability, and relief. I have faced financial strain, physical limitations, emotional exhaustion, and the pressure of being both a student and a full time parent of a medically complex child. I have overcome these challenges through patience, faith, discipline, and the belief that my purpose is greater than my pain. This scholarship would change my life. It would remove financial stress and allow me to focus completely on my education. It would help me stay on track toward medical training. It would bring me closer to the day when I can help families the way others helped mine. My dream is simple. I want to heal. I want to serve. I want to build a life my children can be proud of. I want to use my challenges as fuel to lift others. Being a first generation student is my opportunity to rewrite the future. This scholarship would help me keep going.

My Story and Why I Chose to Research a Breast Cancer Cure My name is Robert Thurman, and my life has been shaped by service, adversity, healing, and the commitment to help others through compassion and science. I am a United States Army combat veteran, a father of a medically complex child, and a student pursuing education in Alternative Medicine with long term goals of entering the medical field. My journey through trauma, disability, and healing has shown me the incredible importance of medical research. These experiences inspired my interest in cancer research, especially in the search for more effective and more compassionate breast cancer treatments and ultimately a cure. Cancer changed my life long before I ever thought about going back to school. My son is a brain cancer survivor who endured twelve major surgeries in his young life. He lives with significant neurological challenges including an opening in the right side of his brain, autism, left side hemiplegia, and non verbal communication. Caring for him, advocating for him, and witnessing his fight for life opened my eyes to the realities of cancer in a way that no textbook or lecture ever could. Watching your child face something that terrifying changes you at a level that cannot be undone. Through my son’s battle, I saw the strength of medical teams, the power of scientific discovery, and the life changing importance of research. However, I also saw how devastating cancer is for families who are forced to watch someone they love struggle. That experience is the foundation of my desire to contribute to research that can prevent suffering and save lives. Breast cancer in particular holds a deep importance to me because of the women in my life and the families I have seen impacted by the disease. As a father, husband, coach, and community member, I have seen how many women silently carry fear or uncertainty about their health. Many put their families first and delay their own care. Some do not have access to screenings or education. Others face diagnoses that come too late. Breast cancer does not affect one person. It affects children, partners, parents, and entire communities. Research gives us the power to change that. My goals in research are rooted in my belief that science and compassion must work together. I want to support the development of treatments that are less invasive, more personalized, and easier for patients to tolerate. I want to contribute to early detection strategies that give families more hope and more time. I want to help create a future where no woman has to fear a diagnosis that steals her health, her choices, or her life. My background makes me uniquely committed to this mission. My military service taught me discipline, leadership, and the ability to work under pressure. My disabilities taught me patience and resilience. My son’s battle with cancer taught me empathy and the value of scientific discovery. My education in holistic wellness gives me a full person perspective that can complement medical research with insights into lifestyle, prevention, stress reduction, and quality of life for patients. I chose to research a breast cancer cure because I believe that no family should have to experience the fear, pain, and helplessness that cancer brings. My life has shown me what it means to fight for survival and what it means to pray for hope. Through research, I want to turn that hope into reality for families everywhere.

Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia related illnesses do not affect only the person diagnosed. They reshape families, change relationships, and leave lasting emotional and practical challenges that touch every part of daily life. My understanding of dementia comes from witnessing its impact on loved ones and on the families around me, and from experiencing the emotional weight that long term illness can place on an entire community. The first time I encountered dementia on a personal level was through a family member who slowly began to lose memory, personality, and the ability to manage basic tasks. At first it seemed like simple forgetfulness or aging. Over time, conversations became harder, daily routines became confusing, and familiar faces became uncertain. The most painful part was watching someone who had once been strong, capable, and independent begin to feel lost in their own home. It was heartbreaking not only for the person living with dementia, but also for the family members who were trying to hold everything together. As the disease progressed, the emotional strain grew heavier. Family dynamics changed. Roles shifted. People who had never expected to become caregivers suddenly found themselves managing medications, redirecting conversations, answering the same question every few minutes, and ensuring the home remained safe. Moments of clarity became precious. Moments of frustration became common. Through it all, the most important lessons came from learning to offer patience and compassion in situations that were often exhausting and emotionally draining. Dementia taught me how important it is to understand what a person is experiencing beneath the surface. Even when memory fades, the need for love, safety, and dignity remains strong. I learned that patience is not simply waiting. It is the ability to remain calm, to provide comfort, and to offer support even when the situation feels repetitive or overwhelming. I learned that communication is not always about words. Sometimes it is a gentle tone, a steady presence, or the reassurance of a familiar face. I also witnessed the impact on the larger community. Many families struggle in silence. Caregivers often feel alone and overwhelmed. The medical and financial systems can be difficult to navigate, especially for those who are already emotionally exhausted. Seeing this made me understand how important community support, education, and accessible resources are for families dealing with dementia. These experiences influenced my desire to work in healthcare. As a veteran and a father of a medically complex child, I have already lived through situations that require resilience, patience, and advocacy. My interactions with dementia taught me the importance of treating every patient as a whole person, not just a diagnosis. It showed me that families need guidance, emotional support, and clear communication. It also showed me how valuable it is for healthcare professionals to approach each case with empathy and understanding. What I have learned from dementia is both simple and profound. Every moment matters. Every person deserves dignity. Every family deserves support. And every act of kindness has the power to ease fear and confusion. As I continue my education in Alternative Medicine and plan to enter the medical field, I will carry these lessons with me. I want to bring compassion, patience, and whole person care to individuals and families who are facing the challenges of dementia. This illness taught me how fragile the mind can be, but it also showed me how strong the human heart can become when it is guided by understanding and love.

Every experience in my life has shaped the person I am becoming and the healer I hope to be. My decision to pursue a career in medicine did not come from one single event. It came from years of hardship, pain, service, and the responsibility of caring for my medically complex son. My challenges have not only shaped my identity, they have given me a purpose that I carry into my education and future career. I served many years in the United States Army as a Combat Engineer. That experience taught me discipline, teamwork, and the importance of protecting those around me. It also left me with injuries and conditions including PTSD, traumatic brain injury, scoliosis, and chronic pain. Learning to navigate these challenges showed me how powerful compassionate medical care can be. It also revealed the importance of being heard, understood, and treated as a whole person. My life changed even more when my son was diagnosed with brain cancer. He survived twelve major surgeries and still lives with significant neurological challenges. He has a large opening on the right side of his brain, autism, left side hemiplegia, and he is non verbal. Caring for him has been the most demanding and meaningful responsibility of my life. I have witnessed him fight through pain, fear, and limitations with more strength than I ever saw in combat. He taught me what true courage looks like. Walking with him through hospital rooms, therapy appointments, and long nights of uncertainty opened my eyes to the world of medicine in a new way. I saw incredible nurses, doctors, therapists, and specialists who gave my son not only medical care, but dignity and hope. I also saw how overwhelming the medical system can be for parents and families who are scared and exhausted. This experience made me realize that I wanted to step into a role where I could help children and families feel supported, safe, and understood. These personal challenges guided me to pursue a degree in Alternative Medicine and to continue toward advanced medical training. I want to contribute to healthcare with lived experience, empathy, and the understanding that every patient has a story. My disabilities allow me to relate to those who feel broken or unseen. My son’s journey gives me insight into neurological care, trauma, and the emotional weight families carry. My military background gives me leadership, calm under pressure, and the ability to care for others in difficult situations. I plan to work in the medical field as a provider who honors the whole person. I want to specialize in trauma informed care, neurological support, and integrative health practices. My goal is to open a clinic that supports veterans, medically fragile children, and families who often fall through the cracks. My experiences have taught me that medicine is not just science. It is compassion, connection, patience, and humanity. I will bring all of my challenges with me into this career, not as burdens, but as the foundation of my ability to make a positive impact in healthcare.

My name is Robert Thurman, and my life has been shaped by service, resilience, fatherhood, and the determination to create a better future for my family. I spent many years in the United States Army as a Combat Engineer, where I learned discipline, leadership, and the importance of protecting others. After leaving the military, I faced my own serious health challenges including PTSD, traumatic brain injury, scoliosis, and chronic pain. These struggles alone were enough to change the direction of my life. However, nothing has transformed me more deeply than the medical journey of my son. My son is a brain cancer survivor. He has endured twelve major surgeries in his young life. He has a significant opening in the right side of his brain near the temple where cancer and surrounding tissue had to be removed. He presents with autism and hemiplegia on the left side of his body. He is also non verbal. Every day he faces challenges that most people will never experience. Watching him fight through recovery, physical limitations, pain, and communication barriers has taught me more about strength and perseverance than anything I ever learned in combat. Raising a medically complex child requires constant advocacy, patience, creativity, and emotional endurance. My wife and I navigate therapies, doctor appointments, safety concerns, and the daily adjustments needed to help him live a full life. He is the reason I refuse to quit, no matter how difficult my own disabilities become. If he can fight for every step, every movement, every smile, then I can fight for my education and my future. My son inspires me to pursue advanced education. He pushes me to grow into a person who can help others by understanding trauma, neurological challenges, and whole person wellness. This is why I returned to school later in life. I am currently studying Alternative Medicine so I can build a foundation in holistic health. My long term goal is to pursue advanced medical training and become a healthcare provider who specializes in trauma informed care, neurological support, and integrative healing. My son has taught me that healing is not only physical. It is emotional, spiritual, and deeply individual. Many families caring for children with disabilities feel overwhelmed, isolated, or unheard. My goal is to support parents, veterans, and medically fragile individuals by offering compassion, education, and empowerment. I want to use my training to guide families through recovery and give them hope the same way others gave hope to us. This scholarship would be life changing for me. As a disabled veteran, a father of a medically complex child, and a full time student, financial strain is a significant barrier. Tuition, books, medical appointments, assistive devices, and daily living expenses add pressure to an already demanding environment. Receiving this scholarship would allow me to stay focused on my education rather than worrying about choosing between school needs and family needs. Most importantly, this scholarship would support a future where I can give back through healing. My son’s courage fuels my commitment to serve others. My education gives me direction. And my disabilities give me the empathy required to help people who feel overwhelmed by their own struggles. I am building a career that honors my son’s strength, my military service, and my desire to uplift my community. With your support, I can continue moving toward a future where my experiences become a source of healing for others.

My motivation for pursuing advanced education comes from a combination of personal healing, service, and the desire to help others rebuild their lives. My journey began long before I sat in a classroom. I spent many years in the United States Army as a Combat Engineer. During that time, I learned discipline, resilience, leadership, and responsibility. While I was proud to serve, the experiences came with invisible wounds such as PTSD, traumatic brain injury, scoliosis, and chronic pain. Transitioning out of the military forced me to face these challenges and begin a long process of recovery. During my healing journey, I discovered the power of holistic wellness and the impact that small, consistent health practices can have on the body and mind. Breathwork, meditation, fitness, cupping, nutrition, and stress management helped me manage pain while rebuilding my mental strength and emotional balance. At a certain point, I realized that I wanted to be on the other side of the healing process. I wanted to provide care, not just receive it. That desire is what motivated me to return to school later in life. I am now studying Alternative Medicine and building a foundation that will help me pursue advanced degrees in healthcare. My long term goal is to continue into medical training and eventually become a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine or a licensed holistic practitioner who specializes in trauma informed whole person healing. Education gives me the knowledge and training I need to turn my personal transformation into a career that supports others through their own challenges. I want to serve veterans, families, and underserved communities who often struggle silently with physical or emotional pain. Returning to school as an adult comes with many responsibilities. I am balancing coursework, my role as a father, my health needs, and my commitment as a youth baseball coach. Even with these challenges, I remain committed, because I know exactly why I am pursuing this path. Education is not only an academic opportunity for me. It is the next step in my mission to serve others again. This scholarship will significantly benefit me by reducing the financial challenges that come with returning to school as a disabled veteran and father. Tuition, textbooks, technology costs, and course materials add up quickly. Financial strain can make it hard to stay fully focused on my education. Receiving this scholarship will allow me to devote more energy to my studies rather than worrying about how to cover expenses. More importantly, this scholarship is an investment in my future impact. With your support, I will be able to complete my degree, advance into medical training, and ultimately serve my community as a practitioner who understands trauma, compassion, holistic wellness, and the importance of treating the whole person. This scholarship will help me become a healer who lifts others the way many have lifted me. It will allow me to turn resilience into service and education into a lifetime of positive impact.

My inspiration for pursuing a career in nursing comes from a lifetime shaped by service, leadership, trauma, and healing. As a United States Army combat veteran, I spent many years caring for the people around me, often in high-stress and dangerous environments. Being responsible for the well-being of my soldiers taught me what it means to be calm under pressure, to act with compassion in difficult moments, and to protect others with everything I had. Looking back, those were the earliest experiences that planted the seeds of a nursing mindset inside me. But the inspiration did not come only from the times I served others. A large part came from the moments when I needed help myself. After leaving the military, I struggled with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, scoliosis, and chronic pain. I had to navigate the medical system repeatedly, and what made the biggest difference in my recovery were the nurses. They were often the people who slowed down long enough to listen, who treated me like a human being instead of a diagnosis, and who recognized the pain I was trying to hide. Nurses were the ones who helped me feel seen. Experiencing healthcare from the patient side opened my eyes to how powerful empathy can be. I realized that nursing is not just technical skill or clinical knowledge. It is presence. It is compassion. It is advocacy. Nurses are the bridge between pain and stability, fear and reassurance, confusion and clarity. Their impact stays with people long after the hospital room is empty. My healing journey eventually led me into holistic wellness — meditation, cupping, breathwork, fitness, and trauma-informed healing. The more I learned, the more I understood how deeply connected the mind and body are. That realization is what ultimately pushed me toward nursing. Nursing allows me to integrate everything I have learned about healing, resilience, and human connection. It gives me the opportunity to care for the whole person, not just their symptoms. Another inspiration for nursing came from coaching youth baseball. Working with kids taught me patience, communication, and the responsibility that comes with being a positive role model. Many of the children I coach struggle with confidence, stress, or difficult situations at home. Helping them grow stronger emotionally and physically has shown me how impactful supportive guidance can be. Nursing carries that same spirit — the ability to encourage, uplift, and guide someone toward a better place. My long-term goal is to work in a nursing role that allows me to support individuals dealing with trauma, chronic pain, or emotional overwhelm. Veterans, first responders, and underserved communities hold a special place in my heart. I want to be the person who stands beside them during their hardest moments, offering not only medical care but understanding and stability. What inspired me to pursue nursing is simple. Nursing represents everything I value: service, compassion, healing, leadership, and human connection. It is the opportunity to use my experiences — both the painful and the empowering ones — to help others find strength, hope, and health. Nursing is the next step in my lifelong mission to serve.

Breast health education is important to me because it represents something far greater than medical awareness. It represents empowerment, early intervention, community strength, and the ability for families to stay whole. As a father, husband, veteran, and future healthcare provider, I have seen firsthand how health issues ripple out beyond the individual and affect the entire support system around them. Breast health is no exception. When women do not have access to education, screening, or awareness, the consequences extend emotionally, financially, and generationally. My commitment to breast health education comes from my values of service, prevention, and holistic healing, and it aligns deeply with the career I am building in medicine. My awareness of the importance of breast health began with the women in my life. In the military, many of my soldiers were young women with limited access to preventative education. Conversations about breast exams, symptoms, or risks were rarely discussed openly. The culture of the military often taught us to push through pain and ignore early signs, and I saw the danger in that mindset. As I grew older, I realized how many women simply did not know what to look for, when to speak up, or how to advocate for their own care. This silence can be deadly. In my personal life, I have watched strong women face medical issues silently because they did not want to worry their families. I’ve witnessed the fear that comes with waiting for test results, the uncertainty of not knowing whether a lump is harmless or dangerous, and the emotional strain that health concerns can place on relationships. I’ve learned that breast health is not just about the body; it is about emotional well-being, mental health, resilience, and the ability to continue caring for a family without the weight of unspoken fear. As a veteran who has walked through trauma, pain, and chronic health challenges, I understand how overwhelming it can feel to navigate the healthcare system. That is one of the reasons I am pursuing a degree in Alternative Medicine and planning to become a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. I want to help bridge the gap between patients and healthcare systems, especially for women who often carry the burden of putting everyone else first. Breast health education aligns perfectly with the holistic approach I believe in: prevention, awareness, empowerment, and whole-person care. Breast health education is also important to me because early detection saves lives. It is one of the clearest examples of how knowledge can be the difference between a manageable treatment plan and a devastating diagnosis. Yet many people still lack access to routine screenings, do not understand genetic risk factors, or hesitate to seek care because of fear, stigma, or lack of support. As someone who plans to work with underserved communities, veterans’ families, and individuals facing significant health disparities, I believe it is my responsibility to promote education that can prevent suffering before it begins. My background in coaching youth sports has shaped my view of community responsibility. While coaching baseball, I have gotten to know many parents who sacrifice much of their time and energy for their children. Mothers especially often push aside their own health needs to care for their families, attend games, and support their children’s dreams. They carry stress silently and put themselves last. These women deserve access to accurate information, affordable screening, and compassionate guidance. If they are educated and supported, the entire family benefits. My personal healing journey has shown me how important it is for people—women especially—to feel heard, respected, and empowered in medical settings. When someone understands their own body, their symptoms, and their risks, they are more likely to advocate for themselves. They are more likely to catch problems early. And they are more likely to survive. As a future healthcare provider, I plan to make breast health education a central part of my practice. I want to teach patients how to perform self-exams, understand warning signs, interpret risk factors, and navigate follow-up care. I want to create a safe environment where women feel comfortable discussing their concerns without fear or embarrassment. I also plan to work with community organizations to host workshops, provide free educational materials, and partner with groups that offer screenings for women who have limited access to medical care. My goal is to bring breast health education into everyday life through small, sustainable habits—monthly self-checks, annual screenings, stress management, balanced nutrition, and lifestyle awareness. These simple steps can save lives, and they align directly with the holistic, prevention-based medical approach I believe in wholeheartedly. Breast health education is important to me because every person deserves a chance at a long, healthy life. Every mother, daughter, sister, aunt, and partner deserves access to knowledge that can protect her. Every family deserves the peace that comes with awareness instead of uncertainty. My mission is to use my education, my military experience, my holistic health training, and my future medical practice to empower women with the tools, knowledge, and confidence they need to take control of their breast health. Through education, compassion, and prevention, I believe I can play a role in building a healthier, more informed, and more resilient community—one woman at a time.

My life has been shaped by service, adversity, healing, and the desire to lift others up. As a United States Army combat veteran, a father, a youth baseball coach, and a student of Alternative Medicine, I have developed a unique combination of skills and experiences that I believe can help create a more empathetic and understanding global community. One of the strongest talents I bring is the ability to connect with people during their most challenging moments. After serving many years in the Army, I struggled with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, scoliosis, and chronic pain. Those experiences forced me to confront vulnerability, mental health, and the deep need for emotional support. They also taught me the value of empathy, because I learned firsthand how powerful it is when someone truly listens and understands without judgment. My healing journey introduced me to holistic wellness practices such as meditation, breathwork, cupping therapy, mindfulness, fitness, and nutrition. These tools not only helped me rebuild my own life but also taught me how to guide others through stress, anxiety, physical pain, and trauma. Through this experience, I developed a skill I consider essential for building a more compassionate world: the ability to encourage healing through patience, presence, and human connection. As a youth baseball coach, I bring these same values to my community. Coaching children goes far beyond teaching them how to swing a bat or catch a ball. It means helping them build confidence, navigate emotions, work as a team, handle setbacks, and treat others with respect. Many kids deal with pressures they don’t talk about—school stress, family issues, self-esteem struggles—and youth sports allow me to model empathy and teach young people how to show kindness and support to one another. I believe that shaping compassionate children creates compassionate future adults. My long-term goal is to become a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, and this path aligns perfectly with the vision of a more empathetic global community. Osteopathic medicine focuses on the whole person—mind, body, and spirit—and emphasizes listening, hands-on healing, and understanding each person’s unique story. I want to specialize in trauma-informed care, musculoskeletal medicine, and integrative wellness so I can help veterans, underserved communities, families, and individuals dealing with chronic stress or pain. The medical field desperately needs providers who treat patients as human beings rather than numbers or diagnoses. With my background, I can bring a rare combination of military leadership, personal vulnerability, holistic healing, and emotional understanding into my practice. My goal is to change healthcare interactions from cold and clinical to compassionate and human-centered. I plan to teach sustainable habits, physical and emotional resilience, and small daily practices that promote long-term health. I want to open a holistic wellness and rehabilitation center that operates not only as a clinic but also as a safe community space where people learn to support one another. By building an environment rooted in respect, compassion, and shared healing, I hope to contribute to a more understanding world—one patient, one family, and one community at a time. Empathy is not something I learned from a textbook; it is something I earned through hardship, healing, and service. With my education and life experience, I plan to use my skills to empower others, bridge understanding across backgrounds, and help build a global community grounded in compassion and humanity.

My name is Robert Thurman, and my life has been shaped by service, resilience, and the commitment to grow into the best version of myself for my family and my community. I am a father, a husband, a United States Army combat veteran, a youth baseball coach, and now a full-time college student pursuing a future in holistic healthcare. My family dynamic is at the center of everything I do. I am a father who is deeply involved in my children’s lives, especially through their involvement in Little League baseball. Coaching my son’s teams has allowed me to build structure, leadership, confidence, and teamwork in young athletes while creating unforgettable memories with my own children. My wife has been my constant support system, helping me balance school, work, parenting, and my personal healing journey. We operate as a team, each of us committed to building a better and healthier future for our family. My journey has not been without challenges. After serving many years in the United States Army as a Combat Engineer, I transitioned out of service carrying invisible wounds. I struggled with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, scoliosis, chronic pain, and the emotional difficulties that come with long-term service. Rebuilding myself mentally and physically became a major part of my life. Instead of giving up, I turned to holistic wellness practices: breathwork, meditation, mindfulness, cupping therapy, fitness, and nutrition. These small, daily habits helped me regain control of my health and rediscovered a sense of purpose. That personal transformation is what led me back to school later in life. I am currently studying Alternative Medicine, which aligns with both the scientific and holistic approaches that helped me heal. Education has become not only a tool for personal growth but a path toward a new mission: helping others heal the way I did. As a disabled veteran returning to school, I know the value of starting over with determination. I balance classes, assignments, family responsibilities, coaching, and continuing my own recovery, but I remain focused because I know exactly why I am doing it. My future plans are centered on service, healing, and leadership. My long-term goal is to become a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. Osteopathic medicine reflects everything I believe about health: that the mind, body, and spirit are connected, and that healing requires a whole-person approach. I plan to specialize in trauma-informed care, musculoskeletal medicine, and integrative wellness. I want to open a holistic wellness and rehabilitation center that supports veterans, first responders, families, and underserved communities. My mission is to provide care that focuses on sustainable habits, movement therapy, manual medicine, mental wellness, stress reduction, physical rehabilitation, and long-term lifestyle change. I want to offer a safe space for individuals who feel lost, overwhelmed, or in pain. My hope is to use my education and personal experience to restore health, hope, and dignity in people’s lives. My family motivates me every day. My education gives me purpose. My future career gives me direction. And my past gives me the empathy and strength needed to make a real difference. I am committed to serving again—not in uniform, but through healing, teaching, and building healthier communities.

Giving back has always been an important part of my life. As a United States Army combat veteran, service was at the core of my identity for many years. When I transitioned out of the military, I carried that commitment with me. Today, I give back to my community in several meaningful ways, with the most impactful being my role as a youth baseball coach for my son’s Little League teams. Coaching allows me to mentor young athletes, teach them discipline, build their confidence, and create a positive environment where they can grow. Kids today face pressures and challenges that often go unnoticed, and sports give them structure, encouragement, and something positive to look forward to. I consider it an honor to help shape the mindset and character of the next generation. I also give back by supporting veterans and families after major storms. Using my background in construction, storm response, and insurance navigation, I help homeowners understand their damage, avoid predatory contractors, and rebuild safely. Many elderly, disabled, and single-parent families would have struggled without guidance. Being able to step in and protect people during their most vulnerable moments is something I take seriously. My long-term goal is to make an even greater impact through healthcare. I am currently studying Alternative Medicine, and I plan to continue into medical school to become a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. My passion for healing started after overcoming PTSD, traumatic brain injury, scoliosis, and chronic pain. I discovered how powerful holistic and medical approaches can be when they are combined with compassion, consistency, and a whole-person perspective. I want to take what I have learned and use it to help others who feel stuck, overwhelmed, or in pain. In the future, I plan to open a holistic wellness and rehabilitation center focused on trauma recovery, musculoskeletal health, physical activity, and daily sustainable habits. I want to serve veterans, first responders, families, and underserved communities who often fall through the cracks of the healthcare system. My goal is not only to treat symptoms but to help people rebuild their lives through education, support, and practical tools they can use every day. Giving back is not something I do occasionally; it is who I am. Whether I am coaching kids, helping storm victims, or working toward becoming a healer, I am committed to making the world a little stronger, healthier, and more hopeful—one person at a time.

My name is Robert Thurman, and throughout my life I have been guided by service, leadership, and the desire to help others grow. After spending many years in the United States Army as a Combat Engineer, I learned the importance of discipline, teamwork, mentorship, and resilience. These values shaped me as a leader, and today I continue that mission in my community as a youth baseball coach for my son’s Little League teams. Coaching youth sports has become one of the most meaningful roles in my life, because it allows me to support children during some of their most important developmental years. Kids today face challenges that many adults do not fully recognize, including pressure from school, social stress, self-confidence issues, and a world full of distractions. Through baseball, I can give them structure, encouragement, and a safe place to grow both as athletes and as young people. My coaching philosophy is built on patience, effort, and steady improvement. I teach my players that success does not come from perfection, but from showing up, trying hard, and learning from mistakes. A child who strikes out today can get a hit tomorrow, and a kid who doubts himself one week can become a leader the next. Celebrating those small steps forward helps build confidence that extends far beyond the baseball field. I believe every child deserves a coach who believes in them. Some kids come to practice struggling in school, facing challenges at home, or lacking confidence. On my team, they receive positive reinforcement, discipline delivered with respect, and a mentor who sees their potential even when they do not. The military taught me that leadership is not about rank; it is about lifting others up. I carry that belief into every huddle, practice, and game. Youth baseball also allows me to promote healthy habits. As someone studying Alternative Medicine and pursuing a future in holistic wellness, I understand the importance of physical activity, emotional support, teamwork, and stress management. Sports give kids an outlet, a community, and a positive routine. They help children build strong bodies, strong minds, and strong character. My goal is to continue coaching for many years, increasing my involvement in youth sports and helping more children discover their confidence and passion for teamwork. By teaching discipline, sportsmanship, and resilience, I hope to make a lasting difference in the lives of young athletes in my community. Through coaching, I am not only helping kids become better players. I am helping them become stronger, kinder, and more confident versions of themselves.

Continuing Dr. Aldana’s Mission Word Count: ~422 Dr. Steve Aldana’s message that powerful health improvements come from small, sustainable habits resonates deeply with me because it mirrors my own healing journey and the foundation of the career I am building. As a United States Army combat veteran, I have lived through experiences that tested my physical, mental, and emotional limits. After leaving the military, I faced PTSD, traumatic brain injury, scoliosis, and chronic pain. For years, I struggled to regain control of my health, and I learned that dramatic changes rarely stick. What made a real difference were simple habits practiced consistently: breathwork to calm my mind, movement to reduce pain, mindfulness to stabilize my emotions, and nutrition to support my recovery. These small, daily practices became the stepping stones that helped rebuild my life. They showed me that wellness is not an event but a lifestyle. That personal transformation inspired me to pursue education in Alternative Medicine, where I am learning the science and methodology behind holistic healing. My long-term goal is to become a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine so I can integrate medical knowledge with natural, sustainable health habits that empower individuals to heal themselves over time. I plan to continue Dr. Aldana’s mission by teaching people that health is not about perfection; it is about consistency. As someone who has worked through trauma, pain, and rebuilding, I understand how overwhelming major health changes can feel. By focusing on small, accessible steps, I aim to help individuals create routines that fit their daily lives. Whether it is breathwork for stress, short mobility routines for pain relief, basic nutrition habits, or mindfulness practices that improve emotional balance, sustainable change comes from meeting people where they are. In my future career, I want to open a wellness and rehabilitation center designed especially for veterans, first responders, and families dealing with chronic pain, trauma, or stress. My approach will combine osteopathic principles, movement therapy, cupping, nutrition, and behavioral lifestyle changes rooted in Dr. Aldana’s philosophy. My goal is not only to treat symptoms but to teach patients how to build long-term health through simple habits they can maintain outside of appointments. By blending education, personal experience, and medical training, I will help people understand that they have the power to heal themselves through sustainable daily actions. Continuing Dr. Aldana’s mission means empowering individuals with knowledge, supporting their progress with compassion, and giving them the tools to transform their lives one small step at a time.

About Me and How This Scholarship Will Help My name is Robert Thurman, and my life has been shaped by service, resilience, and a deep commitment to helping others. I spent many years in the United States Army as a Combat Engineer, leading soldiers in high-pressure environments and responding to dangerous situations with discipline and responsibility. The military gave me structure and purpose, but it also left lasting physical and emotional challenges. When I transitioned out of service, I faced PTSD, traumatic brain injury, scoliosis, and chronic pain. These obstacles became some of the biggest tests of my life. There was a time when the weight of these struggles felt overwhelming. I had to relearn how to function physically and mentally while trying to build a new life outside the military. Instead of giving up, I made the choice to rebuild myself. I turned to holistic health practices like cupping therapy, breathwork, meditation, fitness training, and nutrition. These tools helped me manage pain, calm my mind, and regain control of my life. Through them, I discovered a deep passion for healing, not only for myself, but for others who are suffering or trying to rebuild after trauma. This personal transformation led me back to higher education. I am currently studying Alternative Medicine because I want to understand healing from both a scientific and integrative standpoint. My long-term goal is to continue into medical school and become a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. Osteopathic medicine aligns with everything I believe about health. It focuses on the whole person and the connection between mind, body, and spirit. With my background, I want to specialize in trauma-informed care, musculoskeletal medicine, and integrative wellness so that I can serve veterans, first responders, and families dealing with chronic pain or stress. This scholarship would have an enormous impact on my journey. As a disabled veteran returning to school later in life, I carry financial responsibilities that many traditional students do not. Balancing education, health, and family can be challenging, and financial strain adds another layer of difficulty. This scholarship would help cover the cost of tuition, books, and required materials so I can stay focused on my studies without the pressure of choosing between school and basic living needs. Most importantly, this scholarship would be an investment not just in my education, but in the countless people I plan to help in the future. With your support, I can continue my path toward becoming a healthcare provider who leads with compassion, empathy, and whole-person healing.

Overcoming Obstacles and Demonstrating Leadership One of the greatest obstacles I have faced in my life came after leaving the United States Army. I served many years as a Combat Engineer, leading soldiers, responding to crises, and operating under constant pressure. When I transitioned out of the military, I believed I could handle anything on my own. What I did not expect was how difficult it would be to face PTSD, traumatic brain injury, scoliosis, chronic pain, and the emotional weight that followed me home. There was a period when everything felt like it was falling apart. I lost parts of my physical strength, battled sleepless nights, and struggled to keep my life moving forward. It would have been easy to give up or shut down, but I chose a different path. I made the decision to rebuild myself piece by piece. That choice became the turning point in my life. Instead of giving in to the pain or the isolation, I sought healing through holistic practices like breathwork, fitness, cupping therapy, meditation, and nutrition. I began studying the mind-body connection, learning how trauma affects the nervous system, and taking back control of my health. This journey led me back into higher education. I am now studying Alternative Medicine with the long-term goal of becoming a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine so I can help others who feel broken or overwhelmed by their circumstances. Leadership has been a constant thread through my life. In the Army, I was responsible for the lives of the soldiers under my command. I learned how to lead by example, stay calm under pressure, and make decisions that protected the entire team. Leadership to me has always meant service. That commitment continued long after the military. After major hurricanes in Southeast Texas, I used my construction and storm-response experience to help families whose homes were destroyed. I walked door to door performing safety inspections, documenting damage, and helping people navigate their insurance claims so they would not be taken advantage of. Many of the people I assisted were elderly, disabled, or single parents with no idea where to begin. My leadership showed up not through rank, but through compassion, knowledge, and the willingness to stand with people when they needed help the most. I overcame obstacles by refusing to quit, and I continue to lead by serving my community. My goal is to carry that same leadership into the healthcare field, helping people heal with integrity, empathy, and strength.

Life Journey, Higher Education, and Community Impact My life has been a journey of service, struggle, rebuilding, and purpose. I spent many years in the United States Army as a Combat Engineer, where I learned discipline, leadership, resilience, and what it means to protect others. The military shaped my core values, but it also left me with invisible wounds. After years of deployments and high-stress environments, I found myself battling PTSD, traumatic brain injury, scoliosis, and chronic pain. When I left the service, I faced a difficult transition. I had to learn how to heal mentally, physically, and emotionally while redefining who I was outside of the uniform. These challenges changed me. They forced me to confront the parts of myself I used to suppress, and they pushed me toward a deeper understanding of human health and wellness. Through holistic practices like cupping, breathwork, fitness, meditation, and nutrition, I began rebuilding my life piece by piece. These practices did not just ease pain. They restored my balance, helped quiet my mind, and gave me a sense of purpose I had not felt in years. That experience ignited my passion for healing and sparked my decision to return to school. Pursuing higher education at this stage in my life is not about starting over. It is about evolving. I am currently studying Alternative Medicine because I want to learn the science behind healing, wellness, and human performance. My long-term goal is to continue into medical school and become a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. Osteopathic medicine aligns with everything I believe in because it focuses on treating the whole person. I want to specialize in trauma-informed care, musculoskeletal medicine, and integrative wellness so I can help veterans, families, and anyone struggling with pain or stress. Community service has always been a part of my life. After hurricanes and severe storms, I used my experience in construction and insurance to help families navigate damage claims, rebuild safely, and avoid predatory contractors. I walked door to door inspecting homes for elderly residents, single parents, and families who had nowhere else to turn. Those moments showed me how much impact one person can have with the right knowledge and the willingness to show up. My education will allow me to continue that impact on a much larger scale. I plan to open a holistic wellness and rehabilitation center focused on trauma recovery, preventive health, and hands-on healing. My goal is to provide care that restores strength, balance, and dignity to people who feel unseen or overwhelmed by their circumstances. This scholarship will help me reduce financial pressure, stay focused on my studies, and continue moving toward my mission. I have spent my life serving others, and through my education, I am preparing myself to serve again in a way that brings healing, hope, and lasting change to my community.

My name is Robert Thurman, and service has shaped every part of who I am. I spent many years in the United States Army as a Combat Engineer, leading soldiers, responding to crises, and protecting communities both at home and overseas. The military taught me discipline, integrity, and the responsibility of looking after the people around me. Even after my service ended, those values stayed with me. Servitude became more than an action. It became a way of life. One of the most meaningful times I made a positive impact on my community happened after a major hurricane tore through Southeast Texas. Neighborhoods were flooded, families were displaced, and homes were either severely damaged or destroyed. Because of my background in storm response, construction, and leadership, I felt a deep responsibility to step in and help. I knew that many homeowners would be overwhelmed, confused, and at risk of being taken advantage of by predatory contractors or insurance companies looking for shortcuts. I mobilized quickly. I went door to door performing safety checks and inspecting roofs, walls, and structures to help families understand how much damage they truly had. Many people had no idea what to look for or what their insurance companies would require. I spent hours explaining the process, documenting damage, and guiding them on how to file claims correctly so they were not denied or underpaid. For elderly residents, single parents, and disabled individuals, this support made all the difference. In some neighborhoods, I organized volunteers and local workers to help tarp roofs, remove water-damaged materials, and clear debris. What mattered most to me was making sure people felt seen, supported, and protected during a time when they felt hopeless. Servitude is not just about giving time. It is about restoring dignity and stability to people who have lost control of their situation. That experience changed me. I realized that the same leadership and protective instincts I used in the military could still serve a greater purpose. Helping families rebuild after the storm gave me a deeper understanding of how service can impact someone’s life long after the moment has passed. It made me realize how much I care about people’s well-being, health, and safety. This is one of the reasons I am pursuing a career in holistic healthcare. Serving my community showed me that healing comes in many forms. I want to continue serving, not through combat, but through compassion, education, and whole-person care. My life has been centered on service, and my future career will carry that same mission forward.

Values, Experiences, and Passion for Health & Wellness I am a United States Army combat veteran whose life and purpose were shaped by years of service, adversity, and recovery. My experiences with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, scoliosis, and chronic pain pushed me to understand healing on a deeper level. These challenges taught me resilience, discipline, and compassion, but they also taught me humility. I learned what it feels like to struggle and what it means to rebuild yourself piece by piece. My passion for human health and wellness began during my own healing journey. Through cupping therapy, fitness, breathwork, meditation, and holistic practices, I found tools that helped me regain strength, balance, and clarity. These experiences made me realize that healing is not just physical. It is emotional, mental, and spiritual. The values that guide me today are service, integrity, and empathy. I believe every person deserves to feel seen, heard, and cared for. That belief is why I am studying Alternative Medicine and working toward becoming a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. My goal is to help people heal in a way that honors the whole person. I want to support veterans, families, and anyone facing pain or trauma by offering compassion, education, and evidence based care. What Empathy Means to Me To me, empathy is the ability to step into another person’s experience and truly feel their struggle, their fear, their hope, and their humanity. It is more than understanding someone’s situation. It is caring enough to see the world through their eyes and respond with compassion. Empathy is the foundation of trust, and without trust, healing cannot happen. In both holistic medicine and osteopathic medicine, empathy is one of the most important qualities a practitioner can have. My passion for healthcare grew out of personal adversity. As a combat veteran, I have experienced PTSD, TBI, chronic pain, and the invisible weight that comes with trauma. I know how it feels when someone rushes your story, dismisses your pain, or treats you like a number on a chart. But I also know how powerful it is when someone listens. When a provider slows down long enough to see you as a whole person, everything changes. That is empathy, and it is at the heart of the career I want to build. As a future Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, empathy is essential because osteopathic practice is grounded in treating the whole person. It recognizes that the body, mind, and spirit are connected, and that healing requires attention to all three. Without empathy, it is impossible to understand the emotional and psychological layers that contribute to pain, dysfunction, or illness. Patients do not just need treatment. They need understanding. To ensure that my work remains human centered, I plan to approach every patient with curiosity, patience, and respect. I want to understand who they are, not just what hurts. That means listening without judgment, asking questions that invite honesty, and creating a safe environment where people feel seen and valued. It also means honoring cultural differences, individual goals, and personal definitions of wellness. Human centered care requires viewing every patient as a partner in their healing, not a passive recipient of instructions. I plan to integrate patient education, collaborative goal setting, and personalized treatment plans that reflect the patient’s life, beliefs, and challenges. My background in holistic practices such as cupping, breathwork, and movement therapy has taught me that healing happens when people feel empowered, not pressured. Empathy also means advocating for those who cannot advocate for themselves. Many veterans, trauma survivors, and underserved individuals are overlooked or misunderstood within the healthcare system. I want to be a voice for them. I want to create a clinic where people feel respected, heard, and supported, regardless of their past or their pain. Empathy shapes the kind of provider I want to be. It keeps medicine human. It is the quality that turns knowledge into healing and treatment into transformation. It is the core of my future career and the promise I intend to uphold with every person I serve.

My name is Robert Thurman, and my journey into healthcare began long before I stepped into a classroom. I served many years in the United States Army as a Combat Engineer. During that time, I learned discipline, leadership, and how to push through difficult situations. I also witnessed injuries, trauma, and emotional stress in myself and in those around me. After leaving the military, I faced my own challenges with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, scoliosis, and chronic pain. These experiences changed how I viewed health, strength, and resilience. They also pushed me toward a deeper understanding of healing that goes beyond the surface. What started as a personal recovery journey turned into a mission to help others. I explored holistic practices including cupping therapy, breathwork, meditation, Qi Gong, fitness training, and nutrition. These approaches gave me the ability to manage pain, calm my mind, and rebuild my life in a way that felt natural and balanced. For the first time in years, I started to feel like myself again. That experience opened my eyes to the power of integrative health. It made me realize that healing is not just physical. It is emotional, mental, and spiritual. Today, I am studying Alternative Medicine at Everglades University with the goal of entering the medical field as a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. I chose osteopathic medicine because it treats the whole person and sees the body as a connected system. This approach matches everything I learned through personal healing and through helping others. Osteopathic physicians focus on structure and function, hands-on treatment, and the relationship between the mind and the body. That aligns perfectly with my background in holistic health, cupping, natural therapies, and physical training. My goal is to specialize in trauma informed care, musculoskeletal medicine, and integrative wellness. I want to combine medical knowledge with natural therapies like movement, breathwork, and hands-on healing. Many veterans, first responders, and families struggle with chronic pain, stress, and trauma, yet they often do not receive care that looks at the full picture of their lives. I want to change that. My plan is to open a wellness and rehabilitation center that focuses on restoring balance and function for individuals who feel stuck, overwhelmed, or forgotten. I believe my military experience, my personal healing journey, and my education in Alternative Medicine give me a unique perspective. My passion is to serve again, not through combat, but through healing. This career is not just something I want to do. It is something I feel called to do, and I am committed to making a positive impact in my community and beyond.