My plan is to become a Pediatric Anesthesiologist. This was inspired through my personal experiences through my surgeries. However, the flame of my passion for the healthcare field began when I was a child. As I grew, my interest has changed from one field to another, but my goal of impacting other’s lives has never wavered. My late uncle was medically fragile and disabled, he had cerebral palsy and much, much more. My mother, his half-sister, took care of him his whole life. He outlived all the doctor’s life expectations by decades. But, growing up with him has taught me countless life lessons that others will never get to experience. This also gave me an inside look into the medical field in almost every way. I was able to see how one doctor could change how everyone treats a patient, how they fight for a patient, or how they care for a patient. I learned the importance of patient care and saw it from many perspectives. I knew how one doctor could change the patient’s life for the better. Through these experiences, my love and passion for the medical field grew. However, it was not until my own surgeries that I knew exactly what I wished to do in the medical field. Bilateral Femoral Derotation, this is the surgery I had as a fifth grader and sixth grader. My legs were knocked-kneed and pigeon-toed because my femurs were twisted since birth. This caused problems in my life to where I needed surgery. From my surgeries, the doctor broke my femur in half, rotated it, then inserted a titanium rod and pins. This, let alone the word surgery, is scary to adults, let alone a child. However, because of the way the Pediatric Anesthesiologist spoke to me, explained what was going to happen, and their overall patient care, my experience was not concerning at all. And I know that I am stronger and tougher than most kids, but it was this interaction with the Pediatric Anesthesiologist that quieted any concerns. After that experience, I knew that was what I was meant to do, that was what I wanted to do, and that was what I was going to do. For I always knew I wanted to help people the most that I possibly can. But through this, through Pediatric Anesthesiology, I am able to help young children whom undergo surgeries whom are terrified, be less so. I am able to help kids just as I was helped, to treat them with the patient care they deserve, explain everything so that they know what will happen, and to make this scary part of their lives less so. So, my plan to make a positive impact on the world through my healthcare career is to help every child I can. Because, with every child’s life I will impact, I will help change the world around me as well as them. Even if it is as small as making them less afraid or inspiring a future doctor, the world will be impacted in a positive way.

I believe that being selfless is not one act you have done, or even doing a good turn daily. Being selfless is doing these acts of kindness not because you wish to be selfless or to say you did them, but because you know it is the right thing to do. To pick up the trash blowing in the wind without thinking about it, to hang up a sign that has fallen, to help another when you see they are struggling. To rehabilitate the injured animal, stop traffic to let the ducks cross the road. To take a stand for others, to make a change when it is needed, and to encourage others to find their voice. Being selfless to me, means to be doing your part in our society and the world. And to do it without seeking recognition. So, it is a little hard for me to brag or recall about what I have done. But I will do my best because it is what you have asked for. I am the type of person who cannot put a worm on a hook and say a prayer every time I see an animal on the side of the road. I will break for birds, stop and help turtles cross the road, and on multiple occasions I have stopped traffic so ducks can cross the road. I have been told that I will not fight for myself, but I will fight for others. Whenever I see something missing or something that can be changed, I set my mind to do it. I have started the first female Boy Scouts of America troop in Hays, Kansas because along with myself, I saw a need in the community. Similarly, I have started the World Language Club at my local high school because I saw a surplus of students wishing to learn languages not offered. I donate to food pantries and shelters as much as I can. I volunteer every chance I can get through my various activities. As I was picking what I wised to do for my Eagle and Gold Award, I struggled to pick what idea because I wanted to do something impactful that directly helped people. I finally decided on working with the SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) and SAER (Sextual Abuse Emergency Response) to provide clothing to the victims as they leave the hospital. I may be a senior, but the freshmen at tennis camp from our high school all believed me to be a freshmen or sophomore because I was the only one to teach them what to do, make sure they knew what was going on, and was nice to them. I find this astonishing. That in a group of fifty—five girls only one reached outside of their friend group to the others. I apologize for my inability to fully describe selflessness and how I portray it. But I do truly believe that to be selfless you must do things beyond yourself simply because it is the right thing to do.

Superfoods are truly supper. They are filled full of important vitamins and nutrients that we all need, as well as, benefits towards our health. But, to me, superfoods are a life saver. I am allergic to soy, and as soy is in everything, my options for food are extremely limited. Superfoods allow me to gain the nutrients I am lacking to stay healthy. A fun little experiment for you, that I do every day, is to look at the ingredients in some of your favorite foods and food products. You will be surprised to see that almost everything has some sort of soy product. Prepackaged items almost always have soy, but a few that might surprise you are breads, cheeses, and yogurts. Soy ingredients prohibits me from eating almost everything but fresh fruits, vegetables, and foods. Therefore, I love superfoods. They are some of the few things I can eat, are extremely healthy, and delicious. Some of my favorite superfoods are fruits. I love fruits because they go great with anything, you can eat them fresh or dried, and there are a million different recipes. From fruit salads to smoothies, baked to fried. You can add them to any meal, and they are the perfect snack. Blueberries, strawberries, cranberries, and cantaloupe are my favorite super fruits. I eat them on an almost daily basis. I cannot count the times that dried fruits and nuts have saved me from a meal others were eating that I could not. Whenever I know I may not be able to eat what is offered because of my allergy, I pack superfoods. There are countless options as to what I can make with them. From meats, nuts, fruits, and vegetables the opportunities are endless. I truly love superfoods. I eat them for every meal, snacks, and even take superfood supplements. Without superfoods my options for food would be extremely limited and my health would be severely lacking especially due to my active lifestyle. Superfoods give me the nutrients I lack. They are filled with vitamins, beneficial towards heart health, cellular health, blood sugar, digestive system, and cognitive functioning. Superfoods help your health in many different ways. With foods that are so vitally important to your health, it astonishes me that so many people do not eat them. I am grateful to superfoods for what they do for me. Not only are they beneficial to your health and have countless recipe options, but they are delicious.

My mother has supported me the most throughout my life. My father died when I was eight and there has always been a gap missing in my life. But this void has been filled with the love of my mother. She has always supported my brother and me, so much so that we would forget we were still kids. She would encourage us to express our opinions, have a say in our lives, and support us in our many endeavors. She always gives one-hundred percent support no matter what. From allowing me to create a crayon business with my best friend in elementary school to teaching my brother and me many valuable life lessons through our egg business (Broke Yolk). With every crazy idea I get, she is supportive and allows me to learn and grow. From taking us to countless activities and practices, purchasing instruments and equipment, educational presentations, and finding teachers for us. She is always there to help. My mother would allow us a say in matters other children did not. She encourages us to be critical thinkers, research about any topic, and to be an active participant in our lives. One example of this is some money from my late father. While we were children, she placed it in a CD so no one could touch it. Then, as we grew older, she gave us the option to continue with a CD or to place it in stock. Research, planning, and a deeper understanding of the stock markets were gained from this experience. She always allows us to learn life lessons, some that others never come to learn, but with maternal love and safety. My mother teaches me that my voice is my own. That no one can take it from me and to use it to change the world for the better. To educate others on what life has dealt me and what I have taken from it. That being determined and resilient is just as important as being compassionate and kind. She teaches me to be a leader. A leader with the power to lead and the compassion for whom I may lead. She is always there to help. Whether it be as trivial as picking one color over the other or as important as making decisions about my surgeries and what college I want to go to. She has taught me to be compassionate, determined, strong, kind, inclusive, independent, brilliant, hard-working, creative, open-minded, resilient, imaginative, and so much more. I truly believe that you cannot sum up a person in one essay. But simply put, my mother, brother, and I would not be alive if it were not for the strength of my mother. I would not be the person I am without her inspiring, guiding, teaching, and loving me. I owe everything I am to her.

My passions are what drive me to be the best I can and to change the world for the better. From my childhood I learned the importance of treating everyone as equal, to help everyone no matter what, and to make your mark in the world. These values I carry with me every day and pursue them through my passions. Although my activities and involvements are vast, the ones I am most passionate about are Bobby Blessings, Boy Scouts of America, and World Language Club. These three things I dedicate most of my time to. Bobby Blessings is a Pay-it-Forward movement I started in honor of my late uncle. Bobby was medically fragile and disabled. However, when some people would see a disability and burden, he saw a gift. He chose to see the positive, treat everyone with respect, and to try and make someone else’s day better. This is something we honor through Bobby Blessings. We have done things as small as paying for someone’s laudy at the laundromat to as large as building water wells and livestock in third world countries. Every project and Blessing Box changes people’s days one way at a time. Growing up as a Girl Scout, you eventually age out of the activities and camps. However, I still had a passion for scouting and saw other girls in the community like me. Therefore, I am the founder of the first female Boy Scouts of America troop in Hays, Kan. My passion for scouting has led me to take my troop on countless campouts, help with a surplus of service projects, and lead two of the first female Eagle Scouts in the Coronado Council with me following closely behind. I have set the ambitious personal goal of obtaining each merit badge. I believe if there is an opportunity for me to learn, I should take it. My passion for learning and giving others the same opportunities I wish I had, is the reason I have started the World Language Club at my high school. Through this club, students are able to learn any language they wish regardless of having a teacher for the desired language.This brings students together that have a desire to learn another language and work together to accomplish their goals. My passion drives me to set goals and to accomplish them. With every goal I set, I hope to impact others in the best way possible and to change the world for the better. Whether it be treating others with compassion, making someone’s life better in a small way, or to help others who are climbing the same mountain.