I'm a military child. My dad is in the Navy, and I've grown up moving from state to state and even overseas for a few years. Granted, I've absolutely loved every place I've lived and have many friends all over the world, but it's never easy for a kid to have to be uprooted so many times and start over once time and time again. However, my many moves have taught me invaluable lessons on quickly adapting to my surroundings and making the best of any given situation. At times, I certainly wished that I could have more stability in my life, but in retrospect, I really couldn't be the person I am today without my dad's involvement in the military and the many sacrifices he and my family have had to make. My dad, Commander Eric Bischoff, has always been one of my major role models. He is an incredibly hard worker and has built himself a life that anyone would be proud of. As his eldest daughter, he taught me self reliance and raised me to be a capable young woman. He takes me rock climbing and back-packing, which have grown to be two of my favorite hobbies and through those, he's taught me so much about myself and just how much I am capable of. Now of course, he can be strict and is good at keeping my siblings and I in line, but he has taught us the value of discipline and respect in the way that only a member of the military could. His involvement has also instilled in me a deep sense of nationalism for my country. I love what our country stands for and am so grateful to our military for protecting our freedom. I was lucky enough to live in Okinawa, Japan for three years, a time where I was immersed in both military and Japanese culture. Previous to that, I lived off-base in Texas, so going to Japan was completely different. My family lived on base and I went to school on base with hundreds of other military children who grew up with the same ideals of respect and national pride that I had. Living in Japan also gave me the opportunity to learn to appreciate other cultures traditions and customs through visiting temples and attending local holidays and events. My time there helped me to appreciate diversity and it honestly was just a really cool experience to live in another country. In conclusion, I'm proud to say that my dad serves in the military and his involvement played a crucial part in making me who I am today. It is the military's lessons that were impressed on my dad that make him the man he is today who I look up to. I'm happy to say I love this country and the people who protect it, and I'm thankful for the many opportunities the military has given me to grow, whether it be moving to Japan or learning to be polite when having to eat my first MRE. I'm glad to be a child of a parent in the military and can't wait to take those experiences with me to college.

Ever since I’ve learned how to write, I’ve constantly been creating worlds through my words. I’m an avid reader, and because of that Ive always wanted to be able to create my own literary masterpiece for someone else to appreciate just as much as I appreciate reading. I’ve written many small novels, mainly for my own entertainment and as an outlet for emotions. High school has been an emotional roller coaster so being able to write about how I’m feeling or write to have an escape from my negative emotions has been an invaluable tool for me. I have not published any of my writing, but that has been a long term dream of mine. I love how writing allows me to let any crazy idea in my head become a reality. Most of the novels I’ve written were just random ideas that were slowly turned into actual themes and stories which I later put into words. I also keep a journal on which I write daily, whether I’m just discussing the days events or writing up a quick poem, but regardless of what it is, I make certain I am writing every day. At one point in my life I wanted nothing more than to be an author, though currently I wish to pursue a career in the medical field, possibly physical therapy. However, I do plan on studying English in college as a possible minor, because writing has always been one of my passions and I would love the opportunity to continue to cultivate my writing skills at college. I plan to continue to write short stories for myself as a way of escaping the troubles of the world. Furthermore, my backup plan has always been to become an English professor, so I can’t wait to go to college to meet the professors there and be able to study writing at the college level. Eventually, I would love nothing more than to be able to publish my own book, so I will always be looking to improve my writing so that when the time comes, I will have all the necessary skills to create a quality piece of writing. To conclude, I have always turned to writing as a way of finding peace for myself and I can’t ever see myself stop writing. I plan on continuing to write for the rest of my life and can’t wait to see what opportunities the future holds for me.

Everyone wants fulfillment in their life, and I strongly believe that physical therapy is career that provide me with that. I love sports and have been able to play many throughout high school, softball being my favorite. However, I’ve had numerous injuries that have landed me in physical therapy to recover. All the time I’ve been able to spend in physical therapy sessions has given me a deep appreciation for the profession. The long recovery months gave me the opportunity to glimpse a career as a physical therapist, through seeing the many different people coming in injured and being able to leave stronger than they were. Personally, I love volunteering and any opportunity to help others, so a career where I could come into work every day and help heal people and be able to see their progress towards recovery would be so incredibly rewarding for me. I want to go to college and major in exercise science so that I can hopefully become a physical therapist to help other athletes and pay forward the help and support I was given by my physical therapist. I want to be able to provide that same support and aid to other young athletes so they will be able to continue doing what they love. Currently, I am a senior in high school and I am taking anatomy and physiology as a third year of science so that I can begin my study and understanding of the human body and hopefully get a head start on my education. I love being prepared and being able to constantly expand my understanding of the world around me. I have been preparing for a career in physical therapy for a few years now, taking many different classes to improve my knowledge, and have enjoyed all opportunities to learn about PT. I’ve even talking to my own physical therapist and other adults in the profession about their job and what classes they recommend, how they enjoy the job, and what a work day looks like for them. I cannot wait to go to college to continue my education and want to commit myself to physical therapy and the pursuit to help others. I’m aware that the classes are going to be difficult and that I still have many more years of school ahead of me but I look forward to the rigor and the ability to challenge myself. Through preparation for the road ahead of me by means of classes and locating resources, along with an appreciation for course rigor, I am showing my ability to always be a student and am able learner, constantly open to new ideas and experiences that will improve my ability to help others. In conclusion, I can’t wait to begin my studies and delve into the world of physical therapy. I believe that this career would bring me great fulfillment through helping others. Thank you for your consideration!

I’ve been playing sports as long as I can remember, being a military child means that I move a lot, so I’ve tried many different sports over the years to make friends. Playing sports however, came with many injuries for me, some of which have I’ve had to spend months working with physical therapists for. Because of all my time in physical therapy, I’ve been familiarized with the profession and can say that it is my top career choice, all thanks to the amazing therapists who helped me heal. I’m sure everyone wants a job where they feel fulfilled, so for me that would be the opportunity to help others and make a positive impact on the world, even if it’s only a few peoples lives I’d help improve. I’d love to go to college and get my degree in exercise science so I can become a physical therapist to help others heal and grow stronger. Working as a woman in the healthcare industry, I would enjoy being able to make a name for myself and take steps towards possibly owning my own physical therapy practice. To me, becoming a physical therapist would be a chance to help out others on their journey to recovery, while also being able to financially support myself in a career where I can help others and have the opportunity for progression. I’m aware that some women don’t desire to become a mother, and I fully respect that decision, but for me, I would love the opportunity to have children of my own and to have a job in which I could confidently support them. Growing up with parents in the medical field has given me a great appreciation for their knowledge which has been an invaluable asset to me, and something that I would love my kids to grow up with. Through my parents, I’ve learned about the many different intricacies of the medical fields, and they have always been a constant source of encouragement for me to achieve as much as I can in life. I’ve always admired and been fascinated by our healthcare workers, so to become one would be a dream come true. Working as a physical therapist, I really hope I would be able to inspire other young women into wanting a career that supports and suits who they are and what they want for themselves, but if I can’t do that, at the very least I can hopefully be a role model to show that women can do and succeed at anything they want to accomplish. Putting in the hard work and long hours to become a medical professional will certainly be challenging, but I have been preparing for a career in the medical field by taking many difficult classes in high school— specifically extra science classes— so I can hit the ground running when I enter college, with as much knowledge as I can. I would like to end by saying how grateful I am for the excellent doctors and therapists who have put me back together after so many injuries and who inspired me to want to do the same for others. I’m thankful for my parents who encouraged my interest in a medical profession, and raised me to work hard so I can make a difference in the world. I would greatly appreciate the chance to receive any extra help I could in achieving my dreams, and cannot wait to see what the future holds for me and the career I hope to pursue.

Out of the eight sports that I’ve played in my seventeen years, only softball has stuck. My dad is in the military, so my family moves around a lot and because of that, I’ve had the opportunity to try out a plethora of sports. In fifth grade however, my dad offered to coach a softball team if I gave it a try. I happily agreed because it was a chance for me to spend time with my dad— who wasn’t around very much due to his job with the military. If I’m being honest, I kind of sucked at softball but our team won the tournament for our league and we each received these big golden trophies. That, and a few amazing friends on my team, was all the motivation eleven-year-old me needed to keep playing. Fast forward to my freshman year of high school, I hadn’t played for a year due to the pandemic, but I had recently moved to the area and really wanted to meet some friends, so I decided to try out for my school’s softball team. A bit to my surprise, I had made varsity, which I’m forever grateful for, because I was able to meet two of my closest high school friends. Fortunately, my dad was on military orders to remain stationed in the same area for four years, which happened to be the duration of my high school education. Because of this, I was able to build some of the strongest bonds I’ve ever had with the girls on my team, something I haven’t ever been able to do before due to the constant moving of a military job. My high school seasons have been a bit rocky because of my shoulder, which was dislocated during hitting practice freshman year, and then dislocated again sophomore year even after months of physical therapy. Luckily, I was quickly able to field again after each injury and resume my role as the starting first baseman, but I had to train and recover for much longer to start hitting again. My coaches have been so supportive with me through the whole ordeal, easing me back into the game and helping me train to be the best player I can be. I’ve been able to build a really strong relationship with my coaches that I honestly hope will last for years to come. Playing at first base has been as much fun for me as it has also been a learning experience. Dealing with the constant anxiety of knowing I need to catch the ball has really helped me learn how to manage stress in all aspects of my life. I learned how to be mindful and not worry so much about the “what-ifs”, and along with that, how to be okay when I do miss the ball or make a mistake. Softball has been so wonderful for me because it’s given me a hobby to share and enjoy with my dad, and it was the basis to which I’ve built some of my strongest friendships when I needed them the most. I’ve been able to make connections with adults who have become instrumental in helping me decide where I want to go with my future and I’ve learned how to be kind to myself, instead of plaguing my mind with “what-ifs” and thoughts of not being good enough. I would love to continue playing softball throughout my life, and would even love to be able to coach softball for kids of my own some day. I’m eternally grateful for the impact softball has had on my life.