You often associate a person's outward appearance with their health. If they look similar to others, we tend to assume they are fine. I learned that this often isn't the case. The first time I heard I might have NF was after an eye appointment. I was confused and wondered, "why me?" When I was officially diagnosed with NF type 1 in eighth grade, it was an enormous shock to my family and me. Certain aspects of life started to come together after my diagnosis, like my numerous cafe au lait spots, lisch nodules in both eyes, my speech delay as a young child, and the bullying because of my height. It was even harder to hear that my children have a 50/50 chance of inheriting NF. I don't want to take the risk of passing on NF, so I've decided to foster children and teens instead. Since then, I have developed hypothyroidism and neurofibromas. I manage my hypothyroidism by taking medication. It is always a bit alarming at first when I discover another neurofibroma on my body. My mom reminds me that it's normal for me and to monitor them. I will likely develop hypertension due to my family history and NF. I still don't know what the future holds for me with having NF, but I take one day at a time because that's all I can do. I wasn't going to let having NF stop me from pursuing my dreams. I was in 5th grade when I knew I wanted to be a nurse. After listening to a missionary nurse in church one Sunday, I knew that was my calling. I find the human body fascinating and how everything depends on each other. A few years after my diagnosis, anatomy and genetics became more real to me. I found it unreal how one slight change can have a tremendous impact on a person. I want to make a difference in others' lives. In the Fall of 2022, I am attending Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa. I am going to major in nursing. While I live there, I plan on participating in the symphonic band, choir, and worship band. After receiving my Bachelor of Science in Nursing, I want to join a missionary outlook program in a third-world country. It can be hard to find people with NF due to it being rare. I sometimes feel I will never find someone with NF. When I discovered this scholarship, I felt relief knowing that I'm not alone. I would feel honored to receive this scholarship in Dylan's honor as someone with NF.