I have played soccer since I was 5 years old and now I am 17. I have played on recreational teams as well as competitive teams. I would have to say the worst time was last year when I played on a National Team that was pretty competive and was not fun at all. It was a time when I though about quiting because I played with the most negative girls I have every encountered. These girls/ teammates where mean to each other and all they did was yell at each other and complain when someone made a mistake. I did not play with this team on a regular basis, I joined them because they were short players and it gave me the opportunity to play at a higher level to gain more experience. Well needless to say, I hated every minute of it and although I learned some valuable skills, it was hard to maintain my enthusiasm for the game with all the negativity on the team. Well I did not let that spoil my love and enjoyment for the game, when the season was over I basically had to regroup and find that joy again. I still had my regular team which was also competitive, but it was made up of the best girls ever. I loved going to practice, tournaments and just spending time with them, they made soccer so much fun for me. These girls were encouraging and helped each other learn and grow in their skills and in their love of the game. We didn't win all of our games and that was ok, we encouraged each other each and every day at practice and during games, we didn't yell at each other or discourage each other. No one felt inferior for not being as good as someone else, we all gave it our all everytime we were on the pitch. This team and the girls I played with is where I regained my joy and confidence to continue to play and where I felt I belonged. I was not judged, yelled or ridiculed for missing a ball or not running fast enough, and for not feeling like I was doing my part. I was excepted regardless and this is what made playing soccer so rewarding for me as I ended my competitive soccer career. Our last game was in the President's Cup with the WA State Youth Soccer Association and although we came in second place in our division I will never forget how hard we played and how I learned not only sportsmanship I learned the true meaning of teamwork. I loved those girls who where like family by the time our season came to an end. I hold some many fond memories from each and every year I played soccer, all the tounaments, the traveling, and the commraderie each team had and shared. So my love for the game is still pretty strong, and as I go off to college I will continue to play. I was recruited and look forward to meeting my new teammates and forging new friendships. I will bring that enthusiasm I learned as a young soccer player into my adulthood and to the collegiate level. This scholarship will help me tremendously with my tuition, books, and other college fees. I am going to a private college and they are more expensive, I have a 3.7 GPA which helped me, but I still need more help. This scholarship would be a true blessing in helping with expenses, I plan to major in pre-medicine. Thank you so much, Savanna

I am a young African American woman with a college degree ready to take on the world

My career goal is to become an Occupational Therapist so that I can work with clients that are trying to regain their independence. I chose this career field because it seemed like a good fit for what I like to do. I am an athlete and getting hurt can sideline someone for a long time so that they can recover. In the meantime, physical or occupational therapy can help people regain strength, skills, and the ability to perform everyday tasks again so that they get their independence back. When I first started thinking about what I wanted to major in I found it to be a difficult task. I believe this scholarship would be tremendous help in reaching my goal because college is very expensive, and every little bit helps with the cost of tuition, books, room and board etc. The more I researched occupational therapy to more I found that it was right up my alley so to speak. I actually like physical therapy as well, so between the two I will narrow it down as I learn more and get into just what the career entails, I am not a first generation college student and I think that helps because my parents both are college graduates and they give great advice on what to expect, how to prepare, and what to look forward to as a college student. Two schools would like me to play soccer for them, and I am considering both based on different circumstances. I am leaning toward the closest one as it has my major and a great OT program. I would love to be that close to home so that I can drive home on weekends and holidays. The school in Oregon has seems ideal, but of course it is also the most expensive school. This makes me contemplate if I can afford to attend and what other options are available to afford the school. Work study, scholarships, grants, loans, all of these are options to make it possible. The school is a division 3 school for athletics so it does not give out athletic scholarships unfortunately so that is not an option. Once I finish school, I plan to work for a non-profit hospital in my community, I believe it is important to give back in the community you come from. There is a shortage of healthcare workers all over the country and I know I could probably work anywhere I want, but my commitment must be given to my community first as I know I am needed here and this is where I grew up and feel a dedication to give back, so that is what I plan to do after I graduate and enter the working world.

I believe my mental health is important because I have seen how Depression can affect the lives of everyone in a family. Mental health afects how people feel about themselves and others and can be detrimental in a lot of ways if untreated. My mom has Major Depression and I have seen how it has affecter her over the years. Some days she is good and other days she is quiet and withdrawn, and keeps to herself. If I didn't know she was diagnosed with depression I would have thought she just didn't care, but I know otherwise. She pushes through it when it is at it's worse and the family supports her in any way we can. She has been able to work and to take care of her family just fine, she is lucky because I know that not everyone is able to continue to function appropriately day to day. Depression is an illness that can change a person and make life difficult to live, treatment and medication are important, but not always feasible. Mental health has grown to be a much larger problem since Covid and I wish everyone had the same opporunities to get the help they need to live healthy lives. Maintaining my mental health is important to me, I play sports 4 days a week and this helps me to stay active and healthy. I take time to make sure I'm ok, I relieve my stress by taking time to relax and take time for myself. As a student and an athlete I don't have a lot of time in my day to help my family, but I take the time to be there for them when I am needed the most. I love my family and I spend time with them so that we can remain close and connected. We just started to implement our 3 day weekend getaways so that we can connect as a family, Covid stopped us from having this family time for the last 2 years, but now we are back at it. We are heading to Seaside Oregon for the weekend, we have not gone there for 3 years now. I look forward to spending time with my family on the beach, tossing the football, playing volleyball, and I can't forget kicking the soccer ball around. It may not be sunny, but who cares, spending time with my family, laughing and having fun is my kind of mental health relief and that is how I maintain my mental wellness.

I come froma pretty close family, not close in location but close in love. Both sets of my grandparents are all deceased. I only knew one grandparent and it was my paternal grandmother, she passed away when I was 12 years old. She played a big role in my life because she was loved and cared about me deeply. She was always encouraging and would never forget my birthday. They year she died was a few months before my birthday and it was a really difficult loss for my family. She was the last living grandparent between my two parents. Losing my grandmother was devastating to my Dad as well because he could not be there for her during her last days on earth. She was the matriarch in his family and she was the glue that kept him and his siblings together. We all went to Alabama for the funeral and to tie up her lose ends and to visit family we had not seen in a few years. Losing my grandmother was hard and I still miss her dearly. When my birth day rolled around that same year that she passed, I grieved all over again because I didn't get that card she always sent like clock work. I knew that she was always thinking about me, but when my birthday card arrived a day or two before my birthday, I always felt so special. In 2018, I didn't get that birthday card and I knew why, but it was still a very emotional moment for me. They symbolism of a birthday card on my birthday was the catalyst that started my birthday off each year. Well there was not card that year, nor the 5 years that followed her death. Each year I use my birthday as a day to remember her and to reflect on what each card would have said and how she though of me on that day. I miss my grandmother, as she was the only grand parent I met and had a relationship with, as all the others had passed before I was born. Her loss has made me a stronger person and what she wanted for me I am able to pursue. She wanted me to focus on school, getting good grades, and going to college, and I can say all those things are coming to fruition. I thank my grandmother Ruby for her place in my life, it may have been brief but it was memorable. Family means a lot to me and when you lose the ones closest to you, you have to keep moving forward despite the pain. For me I will continue to fight and achieve because it is what I do, I will be going to college in the Fall of 2023 and I look forward to making my grandmother proud. Education was important to her, but it also very important to me and this scholarship will help me afford my dream. Thank you for taking the time to read my essay, I truly appreciate this opportunity.

My career goal is to become an Occupational Therapist so that I can work with clients that are trying to regain their independence. I chose this career field because it seemed like a good fit for what I like to do. I am an athlete and getting hurt can sideline someone for a long time so that they can recover. In the meantime, physical or occupational therapy can help people regain strength, skills, and the ability to perform everyday tasks again so that they get their independence back. When I first started thinking about what I wanted to major in I found it to be a difficult task. I believed becoming a doctor would be stressful with having people’s lives in your hands and that seemed like a lot of pressure. I think over the next four years as an undergrad I will learn so much that its possible I could change my mind and go to medical school, but for now my interest lie in occupational therapy. The more I researched occupational therapy to more I found that it was right up my alley so to speak. I actually like physical therapy as well, so between the two I will narrow it down as I learn more and get into just what the career entails, I am not a first generation college student and I think that helps because my parents both are college graduates and they give great advice on what to expect, how to prepare, and what to look forward to as a college student. Two schools would like me to play soccer for them, and I am considering both based on different circumstances. I am leaning toward the closest one as it has my major and a great OT program. I would love to be that close to home so that I can drive home on weekends and holidays. The school in Oregon has seems ideal, but of course it is also the most expensive school. This makes me contemplate if I can afford to attend and what other options are available to afford the school. Work study, scholarships, grants, loans, all of these are options to make it possible. The school is a division 3 school for athletics so it does not give out athletic scholarships unfortunately so that is not an option. Once I finish school, I plan to work for a non-profit hospital in my community, I believe it is important to give back in the community you come from. There is a shortage of healthcare workers all over the country and I know I could probably work anywhere I want, but my commitment must be given to my community first as I know I am needed here and this is where I grew up and feel a dedication to give back, so that is what I plan to do after I graduate and enter the working world.

My career goal is to become an Occupational Therapist so that I can work with clients that are trying to regain their independence. I chose this career field because it seemed like a good fit for what I like to do. I am an athlete and getting hurt can sideline someone for a long time so that they can recover. In the meantime, physical or occupational therapy can help people regain strength, skills, and the ability to perform everyday tasks again so that they get their independence back. When I first started thinking about what I wanted to major in I found it to be a difficult task. I believed becoming a doctor would be stressful with having people’s lives in your hands and that seemed like a lot of pressure. I think over the next four years as an undergrad I will learn so much that its possible I could change my mind and go to medical school, but for now my interest lie in occupational therapy. The more I researched occupational therapy to more I found that it was right up my alley so to speak. I actually like physical therapy as well, so between the two I will narrow it down as I learn more and get into just what the career entails, I am not a first generation college student and I think that helps because my parents both are college graduates and they give great advice on what to expect, how to prepare, and what to look forward to as a college student. Two schools would like me to play soccer for them, and I am considering both based on different circumstances. I am leaning toward the closest one as it has my major and a great OT program. I would love to be that close to home so that I can drive home on weekends and holidays. The school in Oregon has seems ideal, but of course it is also the most expensive school. This makes me contemplate if I can afford to attend and what other options are available to afford the school. Work study, scholarships, grants, loans, all of these are options to make it possible. The school is a division 3 school for athletics so it does not give out athletic scholarships unfortunately so that is not an option. Once I finish school, I plan to work for a non-profit hospital in my community, I believe it is important to give back in the community you come from. There is a shortage of healthcare workers all over the country and I know I could probably work anywhere I want, but my commitment must be given to my community first as I know I am needed here and this is where I grew up and feel a dedication to give back, so that is what I plan to do after I graduate and enter the working world. I think that makes me unique because I feel the need to give back to the community that raised me to be able to go to college and learn in a field that is needed. I love where I come from and find that I can only contribute to it and not take away from it. This scholarship would contribute to the cost that I know is coming with attending a private college, but I am very up to the challenge. Thank you

My career goal is to become an Occupational Therapist so that I can work with clients that are trying to regain their independence. I chose this career field because it seemed like a good fit for what I like to do. I am an athlete and getting hurt can sideline someone for a long time so that they care recover. In the meantime, physical or occupational therapy can help people regain strength, skills, and the ability to perform everyday tasks again so that they get their independence back. When I first started thinking about what I wanted to major in I found it to be a difficult task. I believed becoming a doctor would be stressful with having people’s lives in your hands and that seemed like a lot of pressure. I think over the next four years as an undergrad I will learn so much that its possible I could change my mind and go to medical school, but for now my interest lie in occupational therapy. The more I researched occupational therapy to more I found that it was right up my alley so to speak. I actually like physical therapy as well, so between the two I will narrow it down as I learn more and get into just what the career entails, I am not a first generation college student and I think that helps because my parents both are college graduates and they give great advice on what to expect, how to prepare, and what to look forward to as a college student. Two schools would like me to play soccer for them, and I am considering both based on different circumstances. I am leaning toward the closest one as it has my major and a great OT program. I would love to be that close to home so that I can drive home on weekends and holidays. The school in Oregon has seems ideal, but of course it is also the most expensive school. This makes me contemplate if I can afford to attend and what other options are available to afford the school. Work study, scholarships, grants, loans, all of these are options to make it possible. The school is a division 3 school for athletics so it does not give out athletic scholarships unfortunately so that is not an option. Once I finish school, I plan to work for a non-profit hospital in my community, I believe it is important to give back in the community you come from. There is a shortage of healthcare workers all over the country and I know I could probably work anywhere I want, but my commitment must be given to my community first as I know I am needed here and this is where I grew up and feel a dedication to give back, so that is what I plan to do after I graduate and enter the working world. This scholarship will help me be able to pay toward my tuition which I hope to pay for with scholarships mostly. Any amount will help me reach my goals as I plan to be in school for quite a while in order to accomplish the skills and knowldege necessary for my chosen profession.

Future Occupational Therapist My career goal is to become an Occupational Therapist so that I can work with clients that are trying to regain their independence. I chose this career field because it seemed like a good fit for what I like to do. I am an athlete and getting hurt can sideline someone for a long time so that they care recover. In the meantime, physical or occupational therapy can help people regain strength, skills, and the ability to perform everyday tasks again so that they get their independence back. When I first started thinking about what I wanted to major in I found it to be a difficult task. I believed becoming a doctor would be stressful with having people’s lives in your hands and that seemed like a lot of pressure. I think over the next four years as an undergrad I will learn so much that its possible I could change my mind and go to medical school, but for now my interest lie in occupational therapy. The more I researched occupational therapy to more I found that it was right up my alley so to speak. I actually like physical therapy as well, so between the two I will narrow it down as I learn more and get into just what the career entails, I am not a first generation college student and I think that helps because my parents both are college graduates and they give great advice on what to expect, how to prepare, and what to look forward to as a college student. Two schools would like me to play soccer for them, and I am considering both based on different circumstances. I am leaning toward the closest one as it has my major and a great OT program. I would love to be that close to home so that I can drive home on weekends and holidays. The school in Oregon has seems ideal, but of course it is also the most expensive school. This makes me contemplate if I can afford to attend and what other options are available to afford the school. Work study, scholarships, grants, loans, all of these are options to make it possible. The school is a division 3 school for athletics so it does not give out athletic scholarships unfortunately so that is not an option. Once I finish school, I plan to work for a non-profit hospital in my community, I believe it is important to give back in the community you come from. There is a shortage of healthcare workers all over the country and I know I could probably work anywhere I want, but my commitment must be given to my community first as I know I am needed here and this is where I grew up and feel a dedication to give back, so that is what I plan to do after I graduate and enter the working world.

Future Occupational Therapist My career goal is to become an Occupational Therapist so that I can work with clients that are trying to regain their independence. I chose this career field because it seemed like a good fit for what I like to do. I am an athlete and getting hurt can sideline someone for a long time so that they care recover. In the meantime, physical or occupational therapy can help people regain strength, skills, and the ability to perform everyday tasks again so that they get their independence back. When I first started thinking about what I wanted to major in I found it to be a difficult task. I believed becoming a doctor would be stressful with having people’s lives in your hands and that seemed like a lot of pressure. I think over the next four years as an undergrad I will learn so much that its possible I could change my mind and go to medical school, but for now my interest lie in occupational therapy. The more I researched occupational therapy to more I found that it was right up my alley so to speak. I actually like physical therapy as well, so between the two I will narrow it down as I learn more and get into just what the career entails, I am not a first generation college student and I think that helps because my parents both are college graduates and they give great advice on what to expect, how to prepare, and what to look forward to as a college student. Two schools would like me to play soccer for them, and I am considering both based on different circumstances. I am leaning toward the closest one as it has my major and a great OT program. I would love to be that close to home so that I can drive home on weekends and holidays. The school in Oregon has seems ideal, but of course it is also the most expensive school. This makes me contemplate if I can afford to attend and what other options are available to afford the school. Work study, scholarships, grants, loans, all of these are options to make it possible. The school is a division 3 school for athletics so it does not give out athletic scholarships unfortunately so that is not an option. Once I finish school, I plan to work for a non-profit hospital in my community, I believe it is important to give back in the community you come from. There is a shortage of healthcare workers all over the country and I know I could probably work anywhere I want, but my commitment must be given to my community first as I know I am needed here and this is where I grew up and feel a dedication to give back, so that is what I plan to do after I graduate and enter the working world. I believe this scholarship would help me reach my goal because school is expensive and every little bit helps in the long run.

Hello, I am an athlete who plays competive soccer. I have been accepted at Pacific University in Oregon to pursue my goal of Occupational Therapy and to play soccer. I was recruited to play at a couple different schools, but chose Pacific because of their outstanding occupational therapy program and the opportunity to reach my goal all at one school. I chose Occupational Therapy because it was an interesting field that fit with my helpig spirit. I have always wanted to work in a field where I would be able to help people. It was tough trying to decide which direction I wanted to help, and I did entertain being a physician. I swayed a bit from that area due to the fact that I would hav peoples lives in my hands, and that is a lot of stress as a 17 year old, so I may reconsider this field later in life as I grow wiser and more intelligent it may not seem as intense. For now my interest lie in helping people regain their independence after an illness, stroke or unfortuanate accident. It's tough getting older because we tend to need more help and we lose a part of our independence in the process, as a therapist I would be able to help people maintain that independence a little longer. It's inevitable that we will all need some kind of help as we age, but to be able to help people who have lost it way too soon is a very challenging yet rewarding experience. As I prepare to enter college in the fall, I am excited that I have found a school that will meet all my expectations. I am also really looking forward to playing soccer for the college, I have been playing since I was 5 years old, I believe that I have really improved from that 5 year old little girl who used to run past the goal because I was so focused on the ball that I forgot to look up and see where I was. Well now I am focused and looking up all the time, I want to keep my eyes on where I'm going and on what I need to do to reach those goals. The field of healthcare has always been my direction because there is such a need all the time. I plan to return to my community when I finish school because I want to give back to the community I live and grew up in. I beleive if more people return home after school it would lessen the healthcare shortage that plagues most of America. So my focus and direction is to bring back the knowledge and know how that I learn in school back to the people that matter to me, my community and my village. Thank you for the opportunity to apply for such a great memorial scholarship, as I feel very priviledged to relate to what Christina would have accomplished if she had not passed before her time.

I started playing soccer when I was 5 years old and back then I didn't know what I was doing, it was just lots of running and kicking the ball. I was having fun and I was hanging out with my friends. Soccer for me was a way to get some excersize and have fun. As the years passed I continued to play soccer and my skills got better and I learned the rules as did my friends and this changed my attitude towards the game. My skills improved and so did my technique, soccer became a big part of my life. I played in high school and I played for a select soccer club for many years. All that soccer has helped me get recruited to play in college, and that is very exciting and scary for me. Playing in front of family and friends was always just fun, but now I will be playing in front of college folk and I wonder if my skills will be up to par, well I sure hope so. Soccer has given me the the confidence to feel good about myself and my abilities. I has helped me stay in shape and be a healthy individual. I am conscience of what I eat and how I treat my body, because it is important to how I play. Soccer has made me a strong minded and physical fit person. I look forward to playing in college as I work toward getting my degree in Occupational Therapy. I want to work with people who are trying to regain their independence after an accident or stroke where they have lost their ability to perform everyday activities of living. I plan to return to my community and work with people that I have grown up with and I want to give back to my community. Soccer is just one thing that makes my life great, it has helped me meet so many wonderful people and gain so many friendships over the years. I have made friendships that will last a lifetime through playing and traveling with my team. Some of my friends have moved to other states and some are still playing and some have stopped, but the friendships are still there. Starting soccer a such an early age taught me so many usful skills over the years to include teamwork, respect, leadership, problem solving, and good listening skills to name a few. Athletics has impacted my life in such a wonderful way that it has set a firm positive foundation for me as I proceed into the next phase of my life as a college student. Thank you for taking the time to read my essay.

I believe overall athleticism is good for your health and for your well being. I have played soccer since I was 5 years old and it has taught me sportsmanship, teamwork, and discipline. Soccer requires a lot of running and running has helped me stay in shape all these years. I will be the first to admit I love milkshakes and any kind of ice cream, it's my down fall. No matter how much I resist I will have at least one milkshake a week. Well we all know milkshakes are not good for you in excess, so I use soccer to work off those calories so that I can continue to have my milkshakes. So no one is to blame but me when I gain a few pounds or start to slow down on the field. I love playing soccer with my friends and it has taught me how to play well with others and to depend on others to achieve a goal, like winning. I had a game on Saturday, Dec 3, 2022, the first game of the club season, It was a cold one because we had just gotten snow fall for the first time this winter. My team is not that big anymore we keep losing players because as we age our interest change, so some of the girls dropped off the team during our break. We had been practicing for about a month before our first game so we were sort of ready. I was impressed because we were playing as a team, no one was hogging the ball and we all played well that day. We won 2 - 0, a shut out, I defininitely was not up to par, I made several shots, but none landed in the goal. I was a little disappointed, but it actually took the spotlight off of me, I am usually the top scorer, but on that Saturday I wasn't and thats ok. Our win was all that mattered, because we won as a team. Soccer is defininely a team sport, that takes a good attitude and skill, I love it because it teaches me how to play well with others, how to rely on others, and how to win as a whole. I never take credit for what the team does, because there is no "I" in team. Soccer has also impacted how I perform in school, I am a disciplined learner, I always to the best that I can so that I can get the best grades. Getting good grades has always been my goal, because good grades leads to going to the college of my choice. It gives me the ability to have more choices and to qualify for more scholarships. My plan is to major in Occupational Therapy, because I have always wanted to major in a helping field, I enjoy giving back. In short Occupational Therapy gives me the oportunity to help patients that have lost their ability to take care of their daily living activities. As a Occupational Therapist, I would work with those patients to regain those abilities and in turn regain their independence. I plan to return to my community to work, because it is the community that supported me growing up and I want to return that help to my community, and to the people I grew up around. It thinks it's important to give back, because it is the right thing to do.