Sports has played a major role in my life. Throughout, middle school, I participated in every sport but ultimately fell in love with basketball. I fell in love with the workouts, the people, and the progress I've made; whether good or bad. I also fell in love with the escape. It became an escape for me and I've realized that playing basketball isn’t just a game, it’s how God will use me to reach others, it’s my getaway and my happy place. Everything fades away when I step onto the court, I leave behind my trauma, suppressing depression, stress, and countless disappointments. Playing basketball is most meaningful to me and has opened me up to a new world. It is an outlet for me to meet many people and get exposure to many things about the game. The biggest impact it had on me was my social life. Growing up I was a shy and introverted kid but by stepping out of my comfort zone, through basketball, I've met some great people that I consider now family. It gave me the courage to meet new people and go out in the world to showcase my continuously growing skills. It has caused me to miss out on a lot of other activities but because I love basketball that sacrifice is a chance I am willing to take; not only for myself but for others. It is a potential outlet for me to be a provider for others, helping family, friends, and anyone in need. I was in need and as a young athlete, I never pondered the idea of getting injured. I am competitive and learned at a young age the importance of being in sync mentally and physically. Getting injured changed my life, and comically it broke me down. Being injured forced me to reflect, and upon that reflection it made me realize that I've been in a battle between my physical and mental self. I was physically hurt, and mentally in a hole of darkness that I felt I couldn't escape. I lost hope and even lost myself throughout the game. I found myself on the baseline; tired, sweaty, and out of breath. I was in a space of true silence. Physically I was there but mentally I was on the bench. Overtime time and through at-home rehab; which was my mother's remedies, I overcame the physical. I tried my best to stay on the positive side, reminding myself that there are and will always be adversities but it is up to me to get through them. I found my passion again and through that, I developed a wanting to help athletes and even non-athletes recover from injuries and give them that encouragement to keep chasing their dream after it. I will attain my goal of being an athletic trainer and I want to be able to get professional training and hands-on experience. learning about career options available through athletic training which can lead to a career skill needed to be successful in the future. I love school and sports so perusing a degree in exercise science and minoring in kinesiology is the perfect field for me. The motivation of my family is why I want to further expand my education. I want to be a great role model for my siblings, and cousins, and prove to my family that I am capable. I try to excel in everything I do and I fight for everything. Although I am an underdog, I won't count myself out.

I plan to make a positive impact on the world through my career in athletic training. As a young athlete, I never ponder the idea of getting injured. I am competitive and learned at a young age the importance of being in sync mentally and physically. Getting injured changed my life, and comically it broke me down. Being injured forced me to reflect and upon that reflection it made me realize that I've been in a battle between my physical and mental self. I was physically hurt, and mentally in a hole of darkness; I felt as if I couldn't escape. I lost myself in the game and found myself on the baseline; tired, sweaty, and out of breath. I was in a space of true silence. Physically I was there but mentally I was on the bench. In the moment of being injured everything shut off. This was one of the biggest struggles I’ve faced. Resisting the urge to believe that I may never play again and trying my best to find a light in the darkness that I was submerged in. Playing basketball is most meaningful to me and it opened me up to a new world. It has taught me many valuable lessons that I consider more precious than gold. I've gained some skills that have only been sharpening and continue to sharpen. Basketball is a potential outlet for me to help my family, friends, and anyone in need. it is an outlet I am willing to give it my all and take that chance to be a provider for others. I lost hope and even lost myself throughout the injury. I overcame that, stayed on the positive side, and found my passion again. I want to help athletes and even non-athletes recover, from injuries and give them that encouragement to keep chasing their dream after an injury. I want to be a living testimony for all my patients that it is okay, to keep going, and don't give up. Sharing that with them so that it may be a chain of positive reinforcement It was difficult but then I soon found that light I was so desperately craving. I prayed for a great recovery and God delivered. The hope that I may bounce back and come back even stronger was my motivation. I'm blessed that God was able to help me find the bravery, joy, and strength that I needed to push through. I overcame that and looked at the situation with optimism. I found my passion again and in that, I wanted to help athletes and even non-athletes recover from injuries and encourage them to keep chasing their dream after an injury. Giving back to the world and helping rehabilitate our people. I made it through and am still recovering from what I thought would be the end. I thank God every day for pushing me to do and be better. I will have a positive impact on the world because I believe I can. In any and everything I do, I can!