My life aspiration is to become an occupational therapist to provide others with more life in their days. This aspiration is driven by my enduring desire to help others, my personal connections, and my academic ambition . I have always known that I wanted to pursue a career related to health and wellness , and reconnecting with my past experiences in occupational therapy, along with discovering my new ties to it, has only clarified this. My drive to help others will be vital in my future career. Throughout high school, I have volunteered in my community for over four hundred hours. These hours consisted of tutoring, teaching preschoolers, participating in sports camps, working in retirement homes, campus clean-up, and more . Knowing that I can help others in any way is incredibly fulfilling and brings me so much joy. Some of my favorite experiences have been through my teaching at my high school's preschool, which has allowed me to become familiar with teaching fine motor skills, an important focus in occupational therapy. Part of the preschool's curriculum involves teaching students how to write correctly, use scissors, and more . I've realized that I have the patience to teach these skills, and I love seeing the excitement on their faces as they realize they are completing tasks correctly. The potential of working with such a diverse set of patients also fills me with excitement, whether I am working with the elderly, disabled, youth, or others . I know it will be so rewarding to help many people in my community. Several of my family members also struggle with muscular dystrophy, a disease that causes muscle weakness. They face many physical limitations that leave them wheelchair-bound. Their arm and hand muscles are also significantly affected, limiting their daily living skills and requiring caretakers. As I grew up, I learned about their occupational therapy experiences that have allowed them to maintain their hand dexterity to complete simple tasks, like using utensils. It is truly astonishing how profoundly this affects their lives in ways that an ordinary person would never even consider . Observing their physical challenges has helped me appreciate the importance of this career and again fuels my desire to help others who are going through similar circumstances. Throughout high school, I've maintained a 4.0 GPA while still taking my school's most rigorous courses, preparing me for the challenges of college. My parents have instilled a passion for furthering my education in me since I was very young, essentially creating my love of learning. I've always thrived in school and have found joy in it. This will be essential to my pursuit of occupational therapy, as it requires extensive education. With my drive to help others, personal ties, and academic determination , this career is attainable. I will attend the University of Utah with a major in biology, and then I will obtain my master's degree in occupational therapy in hopes of providing others with more life in their days.

I view leadership as not merely a trait but something vital in life. Through my athletic and academic endeavors, I've been blessed with opportunities to apply leadership and work ethic qualities to my life. I am a multi-sport athlete, participating in both soccer and track at a varsity level, and I have participated in countless other sports throughout my youth. I am also a 4.0 student while working and serving my community. Although at times it is hard to balance these extracurriculars, I know they are preparing me for my future. Essentially, my life as I know it would look completely different without my experiences in these sports. I have played soccer since I was about three years old and have spent countless hours at the fields, practicing, traveling to tournaments, etc. Like every sport, soccer obviously has its competitive nature. Through my hours practicing to gain a starting position, or improvement in general, it has truly instilled my desire for consistent development. I recall the first time I practiced true determination was when I joined my first competitive soccer team. I started off the season as the last addition to the team; I struggled with playing time and was playing an unfamiliar position. I complained to my dad about it, and for the next few weeks, he spent hours training with me in our backyard. I later gained my starting position and became one of the leading players. From then on, I knew with hard work I could accomplish anything. This desire has guided my academics, pushing me to get the best grades possible and seek additional resources for improvement. It has also given me the determination to work through tough subjects, naturally guiding me as I further my education in college. This year I had the opportunity to be the varsity captain of Stansbury High’s soccer team! Although I've had previous experiences as team captain, since freshman year, I set a goal for myself to become captain for my senior year. Throughout the season, I learned many lessons as captain, such as how to guide my teammates through issues, observe individuals to ensure everyone's being included, and keep a positive environment. The skills I learned throughout being captain taught me how to work with groups of people and leadership; these will be necessary in my future work. I've also spent over four hundred hours serving my community. I have volunteered in retirement homes, preschools, tutored, set up sports camps, etc. The joy and fulfillment I’ve received through this is truly immeasurable; I love knowing that I can improve lives. My experiences in preschool volunteering, as well as sports, have led me to understand my dream career. I've always known I wanted to pursue a career where I can physically improve lives, and because of sports, I was interested in physical therapy for some time. But I realized that I was also interested in some of the fine motor aspects as well. With the combination of these experiences, I've decided to pursue a career in occupational therapy. I will attend the University of Utah with a biology major; I will then obtain my master's degree in occupational therapy in hopes of providing others with more life in their days. I know that my future is achievable with the continuation of practicing a driven work ethic. Sports have blessed my life in so many aspects, and with the traits I've learned from them, will guide my future success where I’ll continue to give back to my community.