Throughout my life, I have always been fascinated with science. Sure, I was interested and even proficient in other subject areas, but I knew that there was something about science that intrigued me. As I grow older and discover my passions for competitive running and anatomy, I realize that I am called to become a physical therapist. As a physical therapist, I will positively impact the lives of others by aiding them in their physical and emotional healing. It may seem on the outside as if my vocational path has always been clear and apparent to me. However, this is not the case. This year as the top senior at my school in cross country and track, I sustained a navicular bone stress fracture, which has kept me away from running. At first and as a result of my injury, I began to lose my passion and desire to help others, since I realized that my career would be characterized by pain. However, when I took a step back from my current situation, I realized that my passion is still intact, and that I must use my gifts to provide healing to others. As a physical therapist, I want to help the terrified, new runner who has sustained a stress fracture understand that this singular injury does not define her, and that I am here to help her move forward. I want to be a physical therapist because I want to help a grandparent gain strength and flexibility, so he or she has the ability to chase his or her grandkids. I want to be a physical therapist, so I can help someone who has been injured on the job to return to what he or she loves to do. Although physical therapists study methods to heal soft tissue and palpable material of the body, I also feel called to provide emotional healing to others. With injuries and physical setbacks, I know that they either produce anxiety or depression or exacerbate current mental health struggles. I want to be the one to alleviate the new runner’s anxiety regarding the uncertainty of her situation. I want to be the one to tend to the grandparent’s depression about not being able to do the things he or she was once able to do. I want to be the one to help combat PTSD and other anxiety-related disorders in people who have been involved in terrible accidents, so I can aid them in their holistic healing process. It is my goal to become a physical therapist, so I can positively influence the lives of others through physical and emotional healing. I firmly believe that I can use my unique gifts and passions to provide healing to those in need in the future.

My name is Veronica Dworak, and I am a current senior in high school. Even though I have never personally had a job due to my vigorous academic, athletic, and extracurricular schedules, I have a deep understanding of the value of money. My father is a retired police officer, while my mother is an insurance agent, and they work very hard to earn money. Because my parents serve as an example of how much effort and energy one must put in to earn money, I am inspired by them to even more effectively manage my money. My parents have taught me that managing my personal finances moving forward is essential because the money will help me pursue my future goals. I aspire to be a physical therapist, and this profession requires years of schooling. Because of this, I am inspired to save money and allocate it towards fulfilling this goal. Not only do I create a budget to manage my finances as a student, I also actively pursue scholarships. Whether it be on bold.org, at my current high school, or at my future educational institution, I routinely look and apply for scholarships, in order to become an independent student who finances her own future and the pursuit of her individual goals. Although I have played many sports, running has proven to be the sport that has most left its mark on me. It is my passion, and I plan to pursue it by running on a collegiate team and hopefully beyond this. However, there are costs that are associated with this sport. I require running shoes and recovery items in order to keep me healthy and injury free. Because I have prioritized running in my life, it is part of my monthly budget, and it is a category in which I manage money the most. Being a runner has also taught me the importance of managing money, since it has taught me that the things that are most important to me require sacrifice and planning, and that I must work hard financially in order to allot running it’s deserved place in my life. I believe that the hardworking nature of my parents has helped me realize the importance of managing money. My responsibility with money helps determine my future and allows me to pursue my career and personal goals. I feel that I am called to manage my finances well now and in the future in order to maximize my full potential.

My name is Veronica Dworak, and I am a BTS Stan. Although I do not understand Korean, nor am I Korean myself, I believe that music is a universal language that transcends the boundaries that separate and divide us. A BTS song that most resonates with me is “We are Bulletproof: The Eternal” because it allows me to embrace that I am different. Throughout my life, I have struggled with the fact that my conscientious and intense nature separated me from my peers and subjects me to bullying. When I discovered this song during the pandemic in 2020, I have adopted a new outlook on life that allows me to feel empowered by struggle, as the obstacles in my life will eventually pass like the season of winter. I also find strength in the ideas of not being afraid anymore and being bulletproof to the criticism of other people, as these lyrics remind me that I have the courage to be myself and to unite with my close friends and family who unconditionally support me.

I am Veronica Dworak, and I am a highly dedicated, hardworking, and passionate student, athlete, and volunteer. I have discovered my love for volunteering when I was inducted into the National Honor Society. I envision myself being an active member of my community and beyond throughout my entire life because it is one of my goals to positively influence the lives of others. Even though I feel that all of my service opportunities have been meaningful, I feel that my service at Feed My Starving Children has had the most profound impact on me because I experienced firsthand the power and beauty of working with other people who have the same goal of ending world hunger. As a Christian, I believe that my faith drives me to serve my community. As a fortunate person who has her food and water needs more than met, I feel compelled to physically and spiritually nourish the hunger of others. While at Feed My Starving Children, I truly felt their Christian spirit around me when packing food for countries in need. People arrived to the packing location from different areas, and we were of different ages, genders, ethnicities, and statuses. However, one thing remained the same: we are all called to help others. I found it most affirming and inspiring when everyone as a group watched videos of the children who have received food, as well as how many children and families our packed food can nourish in one year. I could feel the power of God’s children working together after learning that our collective hard work fed dozens of families and children in a year. My positive impact on the world and on those in need inspired and drives me to continue to serve both my community and beyond throughout my entire life. My service experiences at Feed My Starving Children have left a mark of inspiration on me. Because of my service, I have learned that a room of people working toward achieving a common goal is powerfully unstoppable. I have also realized how much influence I have as a single person working toward a mission greater than myself. I envision myself as a Christian who continues to serve her community and those in need around the world throughout her life, and I am grateful that I have the opportunity to contribute to a cause that both physically and spiritually nurtures and saves countless lives.

My name is Veronica Dworak, and I am a current senior at Resurrection College Prep High School. With this being said, it is evident that my high school experience has been greatly altered, due to the pandemic. Not only did class lectures turn into zoom meetings and lunch turn into eating alone at home, my mental health drastically changed. I am diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, and I have come to learn a lot more about what triggers my anxiety and how to keep it at bay. My mental health journey has profoundly shaped my goals, relationships, and understanding of the world. My mental health has influenced my goals. Even though I am innately determined and goal-oriented, my mental health journey further fuels my goals and aspirations. Because I have experienced many mental health-related stigmas firsthand, one of my goals is to help educate others about the importance of mental health and defend those who cannot speak for themselves about their mental health. I have learned from my own experiences and from the experiences of others that mental health is just as important as physical health, and that I should never pass judgment on others because I do not know their stories. I ultimately aspire to advocate for my mental health and for the mental health of others everywhere I go. My relationship with mental health has significantly impacted my relationships with others. Due to my intense passion for psychology and understanding of many mental health disorders, I believe that this makes me a more thoughtful and tolerant family member, friend, and daughter. I have learned firsthand that people fight their darkest battles alone or in private, and that even people I am close to can be fighting battles that I am unaware of. I believe that my anxiety disorder, as well as my strong understanding of mental health, allows me to connect with others on a deeper level and maintain meaningful relationships. My mental health journey has shaped my understanding of the world. When I was a sophomore in high school, I attended our class retreat and learned a lesson that will always stick with me. I learned that the reason why people should not judge others is not because it is mean, but because we do not know what they are going through. The girl who seems rude and disinterested is actually from an unstable household. The boy who is seen crying at school recently lost a loved one. The “quiet kid” who is bullied for being shy might just have anxiety or a personality disorder. I have learned that, until you meet someone with kindness and understanding, you will never truly know what he or she is going through. As humans, it is virtually impossible to establish such an intimate connection with everyone, so it is important to not judge others harshly, since they may be having a bad day, or they may be fighting battles alone in the boxing arena against their mental health struggles. My relationship with mental health has heavily influenced my goals, relationships, and understanding of the world. Because of my passion for mental health, as well as my own mental health struggles, I have come to realize that I am called to educate others about mental health and advocate for those who cannot speak up for themselves. I have also come to learn that being a kind, tolerant, and understanding person is what allows me to form meaningful relationships with those around me. I have realized that we should not judge others, since we have not yet read their stories, and we do not know what wars they are fighting by themselves. I know that mental health will continue to profoundly impact my life in the future.

My name is Veronica Dworak, and I am a highly passionate, determined, and hardworking student-athlete. Although I played a variety of sports my entire life, such as basketball, volleyball, and bowling to name a few, running is the only sport that has truly and fully captivated me. Running is my greatest passion because it makes me the strongest, happiest, and most confident version of myself. Being a runner has allowed me to develop great physical and mental strength. As a long distance cross country and track runner, I maintain a specialized training schedule year round, and it is designed to improve my aerobic capacity, as well as my muscular strength and endurance. Running long, running for hard efforts, strength training, and cross training are the many reasons why I am a physically strong runner, and I am highly passionate about self improvement and reaching my goals. I believe that running has helped immensely in strengthening my mind. As a runner, I have trained my mind to push past hardships and to give my very best during every moment of every practice, workout, and race. Running is one of the main components of my happiness due to its dependability. Whenever I am having a stressful day, I know that I have the ability to press pause on the watch of life and press start on my Garmin. I always feel so much happier after coming back from my long run, or after finishing a tough workout, since these serve as reminders that I am one step closer to my goal of becoming stronger and faster. Many things in life, such as friends, family, and work, are inconsistent, but running has always proven to be my dependable outlet. It makes my soul happy that my passions and goals are aligned in the sport of running; I have goals to be a fast runner, and it just so happens that I have found running to be my greatest passion. My passion has helped me develop self-confidence. The more work I put in over time, I notice how much stronger and faster I become as a runner. Because of these results, I am not only confident in the training process, but I am also confident in myself, since I have proven to be capable of reaching my goals. During the summer of 2020, I started to focus solely on running as my sport, and this was the first time that I started a structured training plan with mileage goals. My time goal was to run a sub 6 minute mile. My Garmin watch, which I presumed was accurate, told me that I was running a 5:50 mile, and I truly believed it. Because of how much faster I thought I was, I began to abandon my toxic relationship with food, and I began to fuel and hydrate properly as an athlete. Because I truly believed that I was faster, I became faster, and by the end of the summer, I was able to run a true sub 6 minute mile on the track. Running has allowed me to become more confident in my ability to set and reach goals, and I am grateful that my Garmin quite literally tricked me into believing in myself. Running is my greatest passion because it allows me to be strong, happy, and confident. Because of my passion, I have developed great physical and mental strength, I have discovered my dependable outlet for expression, and I have fostered a greater sense of confidence in my abilities.

My name is Veronica Dworak, and I am a current senior at Resurrection College Prep High School. I am a highly dedicated student and cross country and track and field athlete. Throughout my high school experience, I have discovered that I am called to become a physical therapist. I believe that my passion for science and sports fuels my aspiration and will be something that sets me apart from the crowd. I am pursuing a college degree because I believe that I can utilize my passion and determination to improve the lives of others. I aspire to pursue my Doctorate of Physical Therapy Degree because I want to use my passions to help others. I want to connect with a struggling, injured runner by being able to understand what she is going through and how to help her gain back her strength. Because I know how painful it is for my body to be injured and for my mind to be ready to race, I feel that I can use my passion for running and sports as a whole to provide athletes with holistic treatment that will provide them with the acquisition of both physical and mental strength and flexibility. I want to interact with people who have undergone surgery and lost most of their physical strength, so I can serve as a beacon of hope for them. I believe that my tenacity and passion would help mentally guide them throughout their rehabilitative journey. I want to help heal elderly people who are struggling in their daily activities both mentally and physically by equipping them with the vital skills to navigate their limitations. I want to help people with disabilities realize that they are just as capable of overcoming physical limitations as people without disabilities. I believe that I can use my passions and determination to profoundly influence the lives of others. I seek to pursue a college degree because I believe that my passion and determination have the strength to change lives. Whether it be an injured athlete, someone recovering from surgery, an elderly person, or a person with a physical or mental disability, I believe that my passion and determination possess the strength necessary to help transform the lives of many.

As a child, I was always fascinated by superheroes not only because their qualities were inherently heroic, but also because these same characteristics positively influenced the lives of others. Super speed and super strength were not only impressive and desirable to me as a child, but I realized that these powers were the reason why heroes were able to prevent problems before they happen and intervene in problems that were currently unfolding. In a similar way, I believe that my most valuable quality is determination because it allows me to successfully pursue my goals and improve the lives of others; my determination aids me along the path of life because it fuels me to run over hurdles that appear insurmountable. I value my determination because it is a quality of mine that most allows me to pursue excellence. Whether it be in the classroom or on the track, I find that my determination drives me to do the optional extra credit assignment and to push as much as I can on the bell lap. Not only does my determination aid me in becoming a better version of myself, I believe that my determination transcends myself and goes on to being determined to help others. While volunteering, I believe that my determination allows me to strongly believe in the power of many people, like myself, working toward the same goal to help a cause larger than us. As a friend, I have often been told that I am as determined for my friends to reach their goals as I am determined that I achieve my own. As a future physical therapist, I plan to utilize my unbending determination to help the military veteran get his quality of life back, to help the injured athlete regain her confidence and strength, and to help a grandparent become stronger, so this person can still play with his or her grandchildren. My determination is an asset to me in life because it serves as the impetus behind why I continue to push forward. When an AP exam seems too overwhelming, or when racing at an important meet seems all too nerve-wracking, my determination to reach my goals proves to be taller than the hurdles in my path and stronger than my strongest reason to be scared. In my future career as a physical therapist, I can clearly envision my determination being a significant reason behind why my patients are stronger, happier, and accomplished. Determination has proven itself to be my most valuable characteristic because it pushes me to achieve my goals and profoundly influence the lives of others, despite the intimidating height of the hurdles in front of me. My determination is the reason for my desire to be the best student, athlete, volunteer, and friend that I can be, and I believe that this same quality of mine will be positively influential toward my patients as a physical therapist. I firmly believe that my determination stands out from my other characteristics because it is the reason why I study harder, run faster, volunteer frequently, love intensely, and dream courageously. My determination has allowed me to push past the highest of hurdles to accomplish goals for myself and those around me, and I know that my younger self would be proud that I have my very own unique and heroic quality.

Everyone perceives the world in his or her own unique way. As people, we have variation in the strength of our senses, emotions, and beliefs, and the way that we experience situations differs greatly from person to person. Unfortunately, we live in a world today in which people believe in stigmas surrounding mental health, and that if one perceives the world in a different way, this person is labeled as ¨weird¨ or ¨different.¨ As a highly determined, passionate, and hardworking student, athlete, and volunteer, I have come to learn that being ¨different¨ is something that I should embrace, since this is what makes me excellent. I have learned to adopt this same attitude toward my mental health journey. As a person diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, I understand that it is not ¨normal¨ for a person to experience anxiety to the degree in which I experience it. However, I have learned to become more patient and understanding of myself, since I realize that it is only ¨normal¨ for such a high-achieving and passionate person to experience the world, and therefore her emotions, more intensely than the average person. My experience with mental health has heavily influenced my beliefs, relationships, and career aspirations. I believe that people should view others as unread stories before passing negative judgment on them. We are told to never judge a book by its cover, but I think that many people, myself included at one point in my life, lose sight of this mantra´s message and feel that its applications only extend to the classroom. Similar to how it is unfair to make a judgment about a book solely by reading its back cover, it is unfair to judge a person without having read their full story. The boy at school who everyone deems as ¨antisocial¨ and ¨rude¨ is diagnosed with avoidant personality disorder, and he is simply afraid of being rejected by others in social settings. The teacher´s pet who is labeled as ¨a goody two shoes¨ actually suffers from anxiety and depression because she is simply overwhelmed by her potential and is saddened by how much she still has yet to accomplish in the classroom. I too have been reduced to negative labels, and I speak for many people when I say that it is an extremely painful and dehumanizing experience, especially for someone with anxiety. This is a major part of the reason why I refrain from passing judgment on someone, since merely reading a couple sentences about them on their back cover in no way paints the full picture of who they are as a person, and this should not reduce someone to their mental health struggles. My experience with anxiety has profoundly influenced my relationships with others. I am seeing a mental health professional to combat my anxiety and to learn coping strategies that are designed to confront problems I experience in my life. For instance, I am often anxious about new and unfamiliar social interactions. In order to combat this, I like using the coping strategy of reframing to remind myself that I am most likely not the only one who feels like this. Because I am learning to build compassion and understanding for myself and my diagnosis, this allows me to do the same for my friends and family as well. My experiences with anxiety have gifted me with a higher level of understanding and tolerance for the mental health struggles of others, especially those close to me. My mental health journey has closely impacted my career aspiration. As a determined student athlete who is fascinated by the sciences and who is committed to run at the collegiate level, I aspire to become a physical therapist. As a physical therapist, I believe that I can not only utilize my passion for sports and science, but also my understanding of psychology, to provide holistic care to my patients. As an athlete, I even further understand that a large percentage of racing and competing is mental, and I believe that I can help all people, especially those who are injured or who are rehabilitating athletes, build mental toughness and strength, since this strength will complement physical strength. Also, I understand that many athletes, especially those who compete at the higher level, experience common mental health disorders, such as anxiety and depression, and I aspire to provide these athletes with the tools to improve the strength of their entire being. My mental health journey has immensely shaped my beliefs, relationships, and career aspirations. Because of the increasing awareness I have for my mental health and the mental health of those around me, I believe that we must first read the stories of others and never pass judgment on them, since people often fight their darkest battles alone. Additionally, I believe that my anxiety has allowed me to foster a deeper sense of compassion and patience for both myself, my loved ones, and others around me. Furthermore, I believe that my mental health struggles have played a significant role in my aspiration to become a physical therapist, as I not only want to help all people, especially athletes, gain physical strength, but I also want to help others create a strong sense of compassion and understanding of themselves, their mental health struggles, and the mental health struggles of those around them. I firmly believe that my mental health journey has heavily impacted what I believe, how I treat others, and who I will become in the future.

While growing up, I have always associated the term ¨technology¨ solely with electronic devices, and I thought that phones, computers, and tablets were the only pieces of technology in our modern world. However, I have learned that technology is much more than just my smartphone, and that there are countless pieces of other technologies that have greatly impacted our world. I am particularly inspired and infatuated by medical technology, since these technologies have the power to exceptionally improve many people´s quality of life. More precisely, I am inspired by prosthetic technology because it has the ability to improve the quality of life, make people feel normal again, and stabilize their mental health. Whether the loss of limb be from a terrible accident, a medical condition, or on the battlefield, I find it inspiring that people who have experienced any of these hardships have a chance to live fully like the rest of us. Fortunately, prosthetic technology is not limited in improving the lives of humans. Many animals, especially dogs, benefit from the impact of prosthetic technology, since this technology helps extend their life and improve the quality and happiness of their days. A main reason why I am highly fascinated by prosthetic technology is because it bridges the gap between dreams and reality, and it allows people and animals to continue to accomplish their goals and live their lives to the fullest. On top of this, prosthetic technology instills a sense of normalcy back into people´s lives, which therefore stabilizes and improves their mental health. I am highly inspired by prosthetic technology because it is the reason why the people and animals impacted by it dream bigger and live happier.

From an early age, we have been told to not judge a book by its cover. Sadly, this mantra is easier said than done, as many stray away from its message and judge others. People suffering from mental health disorders are an extremely vulnerable population that faces the adversity of mental health-related stigmas. As someone who suffers from generalized anxiety disorder, I not only have come to learn more about myself and how to navigate anxiety-inducing situations, but this journey was not a paved road. I stumbled along the cracks and have personally experienced the debilitating stigmas surrounding anxiety. Although this was quite a demoralizing experience, I have drawn from my strength and have learned important life lessons. Through my experiences, I have learned that the preservation and fostering of mental health is essential in being the best version of myself and helping others. My beliefs, relationships, and career aspirations have been shaped by my experiences. As a Christian woman who strives to understand and empathize with the stories of others, I have always lived by the Golden Rule and treated others with kindness. Even though our society has been making progress in the area of destigmatization, I aim to further this idea by refraining from acting upon my initial judgments of others. I once read an inspirational quote that stated the first judgment a person has is what society has conditioned him or her to think, while this person’s following action determines his or her character. This idea teaches me that we all have judgments about others, but our actions and character are what set us apart from the crowd. This quote relates to mental health illnesses because it teaches the world to not discriminate against others who are fighting their darkest battles against their deteriorating mental health. In reference to my faith and my own experiences of mental health stigmas, I do not want others to experience this pain, so I therefore strive to treat everyone equitably and with kindness. Mental health has influenced my relationships because mental health has taught me that, even though I may feel lonely, I am never alone. Mental health, as well as health in general, is a great equalizer because unstable mental health can render all of us weak and unable to function in our daily lives. Considering these ideas, I strive to be a person who is considerate, kind, and accepting of my friends and family. I also strive to be someone in which others can vent to and express their emotions. The pandemic has opened my eyes to the reality that, while I may feel alone in my struggles, there are millions of other people out there who are fighting in the same battle as me, and I just cannot see them yet because we are housed at different headquarters. Mental health has influenced my aspiration to become a physical therapist. As an athlete and as one who is diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, I have experienced self-worth issues, stress, anxiety, as well as the stigmas that are attached to these problems. Between believing that my self-worth is solely defined by my running performance, and feeling as if I am unable to jump over the immense hurdle that my anxiety has placed in my path, I have made progress and am continuing my progression into reframing my perspective. Considering my experiences combatting mental health stings and my background as an athlete and runner, I want to become a physical therapist because my goal is to not only help athletes and other people push through injuries and physical setbacks, but to also mentor them and use psychology to improve their quality of life. As an athlete who has previously been injured and has been fighting recurring physical and mental issues, I ultimately want to be a reassuring and inspirational presence for all people, especially athletes, and I want to positively touch their lives. My experiences with mental health and combatting stigmas has shaped my beliefs, relationships, and career aspirations. My belief in seeking to understand the stories of others without acting upon my judgments has strengthened my existing relationships and has forged new ones. My realization that I am not alone in my mental health struggles has enhanced my perspective of the world. My experiences as an athlete and as a person who has experienced the effects of mental health stigmas have fueled my pursuit of a career in physical therapy. As I continue pursuing my goals and maneuvering around the hurdles that life places in my way, I am understanding more that both my triumphs and hardships have the potential to change the world for the better.

As a prospective college student-athlete who wants to pursue a doctorate of physical therapy, I am fascinated by medical technologies and how they have shaped the world and improved the quality of life for millions. As a recipient of physical therapy due to sports-related injuries, I have experienced the miracle-working capabilities of this technology first-hand. However, the technology that has been the most influential in my life has been the pacemaker. As an only child with parents who are both the youngest of eight children, I did not get to spend as much time with my grandparents as other children typically do. Even though my grandparents led healthy and meaningful lives, with my grandfather being a successful high school athlete who won third place at state in discus and a father who worked multiple jobs to support his family, and my grandmother raising her family instead of pursuing her desired career as a doctor, they were not immune to experiencing heart issues. Both my grandmother and grandfather needed medical intervention and required pacemakers to preserve their lives. My grandfather’s story is especially inspirational and serves as a reminder that God is the ultimate performer of miracles. My grandfather’s heart was functioning at approximately 25% capacity, and his condition was fueled by both his genetics, since heart disease ran in the family, as well as the build up of plaque as he aged. He had to undergo surgery for the installation of a pacemaker. If it weren’t for the vast array of life-saving and preserving medical technologies, like the pacemaker, my grandfather and countless others would be deprived of life and of the opportunities to spend it and to positively influence the world. I believe that the expansion and growth of the medical field is paving the way for newfound ingenuity in the realm of medical technology, which will ultimately change our future generations for the better.

I believe that equality and diversity enrich our world and make it a more inclusive and happy place for all. I support equality by staying informed about people of different cultures, professions, and backgrounds. Additionally, I learn Spanish both in and out of school, since it is one of the most popular languages, so I am able to effectively communicate with more people. Furthermore, I treat all people with respect, regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, or age because my Catholic faith has taught me to treat others how I would like to be treated. Lastly, I personally work to understand the opinions and beliefs of others who are different from me, so I can not only enrich and challenge my own opinions and beliefs, but so I can also make others feel valid and included.

My experience with mental health has shaped my goals of becoming a better athlete and a physical therapist. In order to be a successful athlete, I have found that it is essential to establish a balance between physical and mental strength. Without mental toughness and strength, my body is rendered weaker and unable to perform and run. Because solid mental health is especially crucial for athletes, I dedicate more time to talk with a therapist, as well as more time to mentally decompress and recharge, and my overall health thanks me for this good practice. Because it is crucial to have a strong understanding of mental health as a physical therapist, I believe that my own personal experiences and knowledge about mental health can positively influence the lives of many. Additionally, my experience with mental health has opened my eyes to the reality that one is never truly alone, and that many people experience similar struggles and obstacles. On top of this, I have learned to never judge others without knowing their full story, since many fight their darkest battles alone. My experiences have enhanced my understanding that mental health is universal, and that despite cultural barriers and differing traditions, we as humans have our mental health in common. This realization has allowed me to learn about and empathize with people of other cultures and backgrounds, since we have more in common than what it seems. I aspire to utilize my own experiences with mental health in order to change the world for the better.

As a woman of Catholic faith, I believe in the golden rule and treating people the way we would like to be treated. Because of this, I strive to not harshly judge others and understand that everyone has a unique story in terms of his or her mental health journey. Additionally, it is my goal to pursue a career as a physical therapist; it is evident that a huge part of providing others with physical therapy is an understanding of psychology and mental health issues. As someone who is diagnosed with a mental health disorder, I would like to be a reassuring and encouraging presence to others while administering physical therapy, since I know how demoralizing and saddening it can be to be injured, whether it be someone recovering from a surgery, or an athlete who is out and unable to compete. My experiences inspire me to de-stigmatize mental health because I want to foster a more tolerant and accepting culture of people who understand and respect others suffering from mental health issues. I want to convey that someone suffering from mental health issues is not “that depressed person.” Rather, I want others to regard someone as “a person who has a mental illness.” By putting people’s humanity before their diagnosis, I believe that this can begin the de-stigmatization process of mental illnesses because this reminds us all that we are all human.

Eating disorders have directly and indirectly impacted my life. Between being subjected to harmful body image stereotypes in the media, as well as having experienced an eating disorder myself, I plan to use my experiences and insight to support others fighting eating disorders. I am specifically passionate about helping fellow athletes, especially distance runners, understand that lighter is not necessarily faster, that muscle is denser than fat, and that gaining muscle, mass, and fat is a healthy process our bodies undergo as athletes and people. In the past, I have given into misinformation about the body, and I believed that athletes who are lighter and do not eat as much are faster. Because of this, I became weaker and unable to evaluate myself without statistics and numbers, such as the number on the scale. However, I have overcome that rough patch and have an extremely healthy relationship and understanding of my body. It is one of my goals to help athletes and everyone understand that our bodies do not work unless we fuel them and that health is not one size or number. I plan to do this by providing moral support and being an available resource for others to talk to. Additionally, I plan to inform others about proper nutrition. Lastly, I will stand up and dismantle eating disorder stereotypes by explaining the great harm they cause people, and that everyone with an eating disorder has a unique story.

In order to help more people heal from the mental trauma they have experienced, our society first needs to normalize and acknowledge mental health issues. By creating an accepting and educated society, this will not only allow people struggling with mental health issues to feel welcome and like they are not alone, but it will also dismantle hurtful and inaccurate mental health stereotypes, therefore allowing our society to take one step closer toward improvement in this area. Our world can normalize mental health issues, as well as therapy for all, by creating advertisements and including mental health education in the school curriculum; this approach will create a generation filled with people who are aware and accepting, rather than more people who are uninformed and intolerant. I firmly believe that normalizing mental health issues and therapy, as well as informing students about these topics, will abolish harmful mental health stereotypes and create a more understanding and inclusive world.

I am an athlete and a woman of faith who is a silent leader. I am humble and lead by example, and I am always open to new ideas. I respect the opinions of others, even if different from my own, and I am never afraid to go alone or be in the minority. My faith in Jesus inspires me to be a better person, since he has blessed me with being able to emulate him and follow in his footsteps. I am also inspired by the principles of morality to be a better person, as well as by many teachings of the Catholic Church. I embrace the golden rule, and I carry out the corporal and spiritual works of mercy in my daily life with the ultimate goal to help others. I aspire to become a physical therapist in the future, and I want to create physical therapy technologies and apparatuses that will aid in the recovery of all people, especially athletes. I plan to help engineer machines to help all people, such as athletes and those recovering from medical procedures, to strengthen and stretch their legs and other body parts. In addition, I plan to help revolutionize other recovery tools, such as foam rollers and massage, so more people can receive the treatment they need without having to expend all of their time and money. I firmly believe that I can use my values in my future career as a physical therapist to positively change the lives of others.