Similar to most high school students who are looking for a job during the summer, I was a camp counselor for my school's lacrosse camp. However, this recent summer I encountered a situation that allowed me to grow and change myself like nothing before. Being the head coach I was often tasked with dealing with the most serious issues, in this case, it was two special needs brothers being bullied. I was tasked with two routes: the ethical decision of keeping the brothers away from those who targeted them to minimize conflict or the smart option of building them up to face their problems to grow from them.  In a camp with over 40 boys, bullying was likely to happen and these two brothers being special needs made them easy targets. Subsequently, I was tasked with taking them under my wing for the summer to teach them about the fundamentals of lacrosse and improve their social skills. Although the ethical route seemed like the easiest option at first, I realized if I truly wanted to make an impact on these children’s lives I should pursue the smart option. After talking with them for some time and getting to know them well during private lessons I realized how kind and caring they are. They just unfortunately did not have the same level of social skills as the rest of the campers. Furthermore, I learned that the brothers were part of a triplet set but due to complications, they weren’t supplied adequate help during times of need, leading to their detriments. Learning about their lives and seeing them for who they are fueled me with a passion to give them the best summer possible and construct impeccable social skills for them.  For 3 months every day of the week, I would coach these two boys about lacrosse fundamentals and supervise them throughout the various other summer camp activities. Whether it was getting beamed with stray lacrosse balls or breaking up fights between the brothers there was a new challenge every day. However, as time passed every day got better and they slowly broke out of their shells. Seeing them branch out by talking to other kids and making new friends was a joy that cannot be replicated. Eventually by the end of the summer through my guidance, they had formed their friend group and began branching out to other age groups as well. Not only had their social skills improved by leaps and bounds they also improved their lacrosse skills up to par as well.  At the end of the camp, the brother's mother came up to personally thank me for my guidance along their journey and expressed her gratitude immensely, thanking me for my support with her sons. As of today, they are currently playing junior high lacrosse with the friends they made in camp.  Working with the brothers not only taught me a lot about them but myself as well. Our road to success was rocky and often had setbacks, but through patience and making the smart decision we persevered and made it a summer to never forget.

Mental health has been and always will be an issue not only for me but for my family as well. Coming from a family that has a long history of poor mental health, and losing some to it, mental health has always been a serious issue. However, this is not to say it has strengthened my bonds with those around me, changed my beliefs for the better, and given me the motivation to make a positive difference in the world.  My issues with mental health started when I was 10 years old and began noticing that I would become incredibly nervous out of the blue. This eventually became panic attacks that I would frequently have to dart into the isolated areas to deal with. Hiding in a bathroom stall while trying to figure out why my body was in fight or flight mode was a terrifying experience for a 10-year-old me. Becoming frozen in fear and my mind unable to conjure a thought, made it feel like the end of the world. After months of trying to deal with this anxiety, I eventually told my parents what was wrong. I never told anyone my problems because I was scared to need help. I never wanted to become a burden, so I tried to quietly deal with it on my own. However, as time passed, it would become all too much to handle, leading me to tell my family and seek help. This experience changed my beliefs about mental health and allowed me to realize that it is ok to not be ok. This experience showed me the importance of seeking help when you need it, and that you should never feel like a burden for needing help.  Mental health has influenced my relationships greatly by giving me stronger connections with those around me, most notably my sister. My sister suffers from depression and anxiety, and it has been an ongoing issue in her life. Dealing with my issues and my sister doing the same has given us a bond stronger than most siblings. We often talk about our issues together and help each other when we need it. Us being able to freely talk about our battles to each other has been a blessing for both of us. While we help each other overcome our problems, we give each other strength to keep pushing. Expressing our feelings and supporting each other has given us the ability to form a bond that is more than just being siblings. It has allowed us to confront our problems head-on and be there for each other. This has carried over into my social life, allowing me to be able to talk to my friends about not only my struggles but theirs as well. This provided true, meaningful relationships for me to have and a support system like no other.  Throughout time, my career aspirations have changed across the spectrum. Deciding on the future job I want has been a question for a long time and has changed a multitude of times. However, one thing that is for certain is my desire to help others. The impact mental health has had on me and those around me has given me the incentive to devote the rest of my life to helping those in need and making a true difference in the world. Whether it is becoming an EMT to help those in danger or becoming a therapist to battle mental illness, I will always try and make a positive impact in the world.

Seeing Santa Claus riding on top of a fire truck was the pinnacle of my life for a 5-year-old me. Every year, seeing Santa fly by on top of a fire truck would leave me with holiday joy to last a lifetime. Whether it was the candy raining down from the following trucks or the Christmas caroling, the Plantation Christmas Day Parade was my favorite community event ever. However, what 5 year old me didn't notice was what was happening around me as well. Joining the local police explorers program meant I was often working at a variety of community events and hosting many more. Out of the dozens of events that I have been a part of, the Christmas parade always sticks out to me. As an explorer, I was tasked with selling small cookies as the parade drove by, while also keeping the crowds back. Being an explorer revolved a lot around hostile situations and how to overcome them. Watching the parade drive by was a nice change of tone compared to learning how to retrieve blood samples from clothes. The parade drew big crowds and many more little children eagerly trying to see Santa. As time passed until Santa swung by, the police and fire department showcased their various vehicles and equipment to the amazement of the crowd. As they passed, the children would play pickup games of soccer and run around having fun. Then I began to take notice of how meaningful the event truly is. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people were gathered together to see the parade, but also to come together as a community. Seeing the variety of people all laughing and talking together despite never knowing each other showed how it is much more than a parade. Seeing kids from different ways of life all become incredibly excited when the cool trucks pass by shows how similar we all are. In such a large community with a busy environment, it is easy to get wrapped up in our problems and forget where we are. Watching how easily everyone came together to witness the parade showed the importance of looking out for one another and taking time for yourself. People of all walks of life came together for the shared goal of seeing Santa Claus, but left feeling more intertwined with their community. Seeing how the parade brought people together and broke down social barriers proved to me that we are the same people, just going about our lives differently. Overall, this parade left an impact on me, as there is often negativity surrounding us, no matter where we look. There is almost always division and controversy amongst people if you only look through a screen. This parade showed me how we are all people of the same community and are not so different after all. It goes to show that it is good to get outside and break out of your shell to try new things now and again. Not only demonstrating the benefits of being more open-minded within life, but also the power of wanting to see Santa.

Being the head counselor of a summer camp that has over 40 boys from the ages of 4 to 14 can be as chaotic as it gets. Whether it was breaking up brawls or being jumped by the campers, there was always something going down. Oftentimes these disputes were quickly settled and everyone moved on. However, these two specific brothers were at the center of many problems. It was evident from the start that they were special needs and lacked most of the social skills typical for kids their age. Subsequently, they became easy targets for bullying at the camp, which created a variety of problems. As head counselor, I was tasked with mentoring them for the summer and building their social skills, while also preventing any more bullying. Of course this wasn’t easy and there were plenty of crying and long days. With patience and time I eventually got them into the swing of the camp and they became more involved with their fellow campers. Seeing them at the start of the camp being too afraid to talk to anyone but each other was a heartbreaking sight, as summer camp is supposed to be all about having fun and making friends. After spending weeks with them I learned that they were truly kind children and all they wanted was to fit in. Fortunately over time and a lot of guidance I helped them break out of their shells and they began making friends, eventually forming their own friend group. By the end of the summer they not only made a variety of friends but started befriending the other age groups as well. This was one of the most rewarding experiences I have been a part of. From finding them crying together while hiding in a bathroom to growing and developing has given me a feeling of accomplishment that cannot be replicated. In the end, they had a blast at the camp despite the rocky start and now attend it every summer. Having their mother come up and personally thank me for my guidance once the camp was over, solidified my commitment to ensuring that no child who attends my camp ever feels isolated or bullied. This has given me a sense of accomplishment that will forever stick with me, and fuel my desire to always help those who cannot stick up for themselves.

My name is Will Dorr and I am from Broward County, Florida and attend American Heritage School. Both of my parents work multiple jobs with my Dad’s primary being a captain at our police department, while my mom works in evidence processing. I plan on choosing a career that gives me the opportunity to make a difference in this world all while helping others who are in need. My long term goal is to become a fireman/EMT and save lives while also being able to make a real difference in the world. However, with the surplus of time I have desired to open my very own gym. Operating these two careers will give me the accomplishment and satisfaction of being able to truly change lives and genuinely make a difference in the world. While also being able to fulfill my dream of running my very own business. Health and fitness have been a lifelong love of mine due to playing sports all year long but also truly enjoying it. When sports weren’t around I was always in the gym as it was my true therapy and place to go for silence. Unfortunately during a lacrosse game I tore two ligaments in my wrist and waited too long to get the proper help. By the time the summer came through my wrist could not be bent and upon examination I was diagnosed with a rare bone disease in my arm causing even more injury to my wrist. Immediately my wrist went into lockdown and wrapped in a unique cast. I did not realize that the physical pain of the wrist wasn’t my only concern but what it took away. The injury being in my dominant hand took away sports and weightlifting from me for several months. Once the boredom set in so did the unrealized issues. Physical activity was my main outlet for any problems I had. When it was taken away from me, anxiety and mental health issues followed suit. Before I knew it I was in a deep hole and could only stew in my own self pity. Weeks went by as I deteriorated and eventually I decided I cannot let this hold me back from doing what I love. I began to workout with the cast on which was a very awkward experience, so I did my legs for 2 months while it was on. As that gave me some hope I still emotionally needed some work to do. This was when I looked at myself in the mirror one day and told myself the only person getting me out of this is me. I began to only think positive thoughts and act in ways to break old comfort habits. Many Ted talks later I learned to never let anything deter me from doing what I love. Overall I plan on making a positive impact in the world by saving lives and helping those who are in need. Becoming an EMT will give me the satisfaction of being able to say I truly helped people, and eventually opening up my own business. My goal is to help people and make a positive impact on their lives making a true effort to make the world a better place.

My name is Will Dorr and I am from Broward County, Florida and attend American Heritage School. Both of my parents work multiple jobs with my Dads primary being a captain at our police department, while my mom works in evidence processing.This scholarship would make a huge difference in my life as it would allow me to pursue my higher education and dreams without having to hold myself back for financial reasons. This scholarship would grant me the opportunity to be able to chase my dream career to the fullest extent all while receiving my education. It has always been my goal to truly change the world and be able to say I genuinely helped someone. The decisions I will make going forward in the future will be geared towards me getting the best education possible and beginning my journey into adult life. This scholarship would ease my financial burden of going to pursue higher education and allow me to give back to others the way this scholarship gave to me. My long term goal is to become a fireman/EMT to save lives while also being able to make a real difference in the world. However, with the surplus of time I have desired to open my very own gym. Operating these two careers will give me the accomplishment and satisfaction of being able to truly change lives and genuinely make a difference in the world. While also being able to fulfill my dream of running my very own business. Although both careers fill me with excitement I am aware that it will be a long and difficult process. However I am prepared as I know it will be worthwhile in the long run in order to chase my dreams. With this scholarship it will give me invaluable opportunities to extend my education to prepare me to the fullest extent in my journey. While also allowing me to focus on my current aspirations in my life and not have to hold myself back due to financial reasons. Overall, this scholarship would grant me the opportunity to continue my education to its fullest potential, and prepare me for my ascent into adulthood. Whether it is operating my own business or becoming an EMT I could not be more excited and motivated to begin my journey. With the use of this scholarship I will be able to continue my journey chasing my dreams to its final destination.

My name is Will Dorr and I am from Broward County Florida, and attend American Heritage School. I have played varsity lacrosse for 4 years at my school and have been playing lacrosse for 14 years. Lacrosse has been with me since I could walk and I cannot imagine my life without lacrosse. Being a student athlete for my entire life has sparked my interest in career options I would have never guessed and has taught me lessons that can never be forgotten. For the first 10 years of my lacrosse career I was on a historically bad lacrosse team which did not record a win for the first 4 years. My team wasn’t bad, we just could not seem to win and would lose in spectacular fashion. Fortunately this would teach me how to deal with loss and setbacks from a young age. Playing on other teams as a guest player showed me how some people aren’t able to take a loss and I learned very quickly how much my initial experience impacted me. While other players were distraught about a close loss, I was able to get over it quickly and bring the team back together before our next game. Dealing with losses wasn’t the only key lesson learned from being on losing teams, it was also dealing with adversity. I had a typical meat head coach for my middle school lacrosse experience, except he seemed to have it out for me. He was exceptionally violent and brutal to my team and me in particular. Whether it was him grabbing my helmet and screaming in my face to our team having to run until we puked we learned how to deal with difficult people fast. The bond I formed within my team under this coach was a bond found no other and gave me an early start on learning to deal with people who just might not like you. Undertaking the variety of challenges faced by being a student athlete has given me prestige, discipline and self control. Meal prepping, studying, working out, recovery, all after practice have given me superior time management skills to be the best I can at sports and school. Being a student athlete has made me obsessed with my health in order to be at the top of my game and have superior grades. Fortunately, this has also carried over in career decisions and has led me to an interest into medicine. Playing sports for so long I have dealt with countless injuries and have witnessed many, this has given me a thorough insight into the medical field and sparked my interest in it as well. I plan on attending college and studying to become a paramedic to fulfill my goal of being able to help others and make a true difference in the world. I am also interested in operating my own gym since it has become my place of peace and want to make sure everyone can feel the amount of peace I feel when working out. Overall, being a student athlete has given me a foundation to succeed and perform at my best at all times. It has taught me lessons that cannot be learned anywhere else and has built me relationships that will last a lifetime. This has broadened my perspective of the world and given me insight into a career that will reward me and fill me with joy like no other. All in all being a student athlete is something that has given me the strength and ability to succeed no matter what challenges I may face.

My name is Will Dorr and I am from Broward County, Florida and attend American Heritage School. Both of my parents work multiple jobs with my Dad’s primary being a captain at our police department, while my mom works in evidence processing. This scholarship would relieve the financial burden of pursuing my education to acquire my life goals. My long term goal is to become a fireman/EMT and save lives while also being able to make a real difference in the world. However, with the surplus of time I have desired to open my very own gym. Operating these two careers will give me the accomplishment and satisfaction of being able to truly change lives and genuinely make a difference in the world. While also being able to fulfill my dream of running my very own business. Health and fitness have been a lifelong love of mine due to playing sports all year long but also truly enjoying it. When sports weren’t around I was always in the gym as it was my true therapy and place to go for silence. Unfortunately during a lacrosse game I tore two ligaments in my wrist and waited too long to get the proper help. By the time the summer came through my wrist could not be bent and upon examination I was diagnosed with a rare bone disease in my arm causing even more injury to my wrist. Immediately my wrist went into lockdown and wrapped in a unique cast. I did not realize that the physical pain of the wrist wasn’t my only concern but what it took away. The injury being in my dominant hand took away sports and weightlifting from me for several months. Once the boredom set in so did the unrealized issues. Physical activity was my main outlet for any problems I had. When it was taken away from me, anxiety and mental health issues followed suit. Before I knew it I was in a deep hole and could only stew in my own self pity. Weeks went by as I deteriorated and eventually I decided I cannot let this hold me back from doing what I love. I began to workout with the cast on which was a very awkward experience, so I did my legs for 2 months while it was on. As that gave me some hope I still emotionally needed some work to do. This was when I looked at myself in the mirror one day and told myself the only person getting me out of this is me. I began to only think positive thoughts and act in ways to break old comfort habits. Many Ted talks later I learned to never let anything deter me from doing what I love. This scholarship would grant me freedom from the financial burden of pursuing my dreams and being able to carry these learned lessons into my life while saving and changing the lives of others.

My name is Will Dorr and I am from Broward County, Florida and attend American Heritage School. Both of my parents work multiple jobs with my Dads primary being a captain at our police department, while my mom works in evidence processing. With both parents being employed by the police department I was often surrounded by first responders in social events. Whether it was hearing about wild police stories or crazy situations with firemen/EMT I was also so interested in the medical aspect of it. How you have to do so much in so little time with such high stakes regarding first responder situations also fascinated me. The stories of hearing how they are able to save someone’s life and brush it off casually always perplexed me. Working in the medical field is the most rewarding field of work to me as you can directly change and save lives. This I believe is the ultimate line of work I can be in as it would give me the sense of accomplishment that cannot be found anywhere else. Overall giving me a fitting career where every morning I will be able to say I will do something today and be able to go home and say I did something that truly changed the world today. Whether it is someone who I can help having a bad day or whom is in serious need of help, I can say I changed their life. Another large aspiration for pursuing the medical field is my sister who is epileptic. This led me to being familiar with the medical field on how to monitor her and help her. From having to learn how to deal with a seizure in the moment, to watching her every time she went in the pool or riding with her while she was driving. The fact that any second should could have a serious seizure always loomed in the back of my mind. I needed to know what to do in case of an emergency which drew me to the medical field from a young age. In times of an emergency I understand the importance of preparedness. Pursuing the medical field will give me the satisfaction and accomplishment of being able to make a difference in the world. With being able to help those around me and those who need it the most, I cannot imagine a more rewarding profession than one in medicine.

Most summer jobs for high schoolers are often not glamorous or well paying. I am no exception to this as my summer job was far more than just a summer job. Working at an indoor trampoline park was awesome enough and fortunately I worked with an awesome crew and always had fun while on the job except for one key part of the job. Cleaning bathrooms. I am a very squeamish person when it comes to bathroom hygiene and cleaning. It’s a huge joke in my family to make me do the dishes and watch me gag while cleaning them. For me to clean these bathrooms was essentially asking for me to do the impossible. However, it was part of my job and I had to do it. Now I don’t know what it is about our specific store but it seemed like the customers knew that I was sensitive to bathroom hygiene, and wanted to play a sick prank on me. I have cleaned everything under the rainbow that you can imagine. If it comes out of the human body, I was boots on the ground in that bathroom cleaning it up. I would come out of the bathrooms with tears in my eyes from gagging. Unfortunately, I was the new guy and it was part of my job. As I am writing this essay I am feeling nauseous from those memories. Fortunately finding the humor in this task helped me survive and at the end of the day even after all of the dreaded bathroom cleanings, it was made worthwhile because of those who were next to me while I was there, my coworkers.

The most influential way to make a positive impact on the world is to help someone do a service. My earliest experience with this has been being a camp counselor over the summer. The camp ran by my school was a summer camp to teach young children the fundamentals of lacrosse and how the game is played. As head coach I was the person dealing with any problems between campers, whether it was their scuffles or solving assistant coach problems. Most problems came from two brothers from a triplet set who were often getting bullied. It was to my surprise finding out they were from a triplet set and talking to them further into the summer gave me insight into their life. During their mothers pregnancy the oldest sister was able to get more nutrition than the brothers leaving the brothers with serious developmental issues. I made it my mission to make these two the most beloved guys in the camp even after the bullying while teaching them from the ground up about playing lacrosse and dealing with people socially. Slowly but surely (and a lot of crying) they learned everything under the moon about lacrosse and improved their stick skills. While also acting as their mentor for them to socialize and learn how to make friends. Eventually by the end of the summer they knew how to play lacrosse and brought their stick skills to the level everyone else was at. Of course this did not come easy whether it was the daily brawls amongst the brothers, swinging sticks like baseball bats at each other, or being randomly attacked. They were slowly coming up to the same standard as the rest of the campers. Fortunately by the end of the summer there were no longer any fights or bullying and all of the children formed into one giant friend group, most importantly the two brothers were included. After a giant thank you from their mother at the end of the summer my coach informed me of my influence on the two brothers and how positively I impacted them, especially since every other assistant coach did not have the patience to work with them. 2 years later they are now playing lacrosse on my schools junior high lacrosse team and will be playing their first year of highschool lacrosse next year. I will make a positive impact in the world by giving those who do not have the ability to stand up for themselves the ability to stand up for themselves. Whether it is at a summer camp to the real world, it is my goal to make a positive impact by helping those who truly need it.

Summer is the most wonderful time of the year for most students. However, I found a much different way to spend it— Lacrosse camp. My highschool lacrosse team hosts a summer camp to help children learn to play lacrosse and enjoy their summer with a variety of outdoor activities. The camp becomes much more than just improving in lacrosse skills but also social skills for the children. Being the head coach of the camp and watching over 40 children and 4 assistant coaches I was often mediating conflicts. The largest one by far was dealing with 2 brothers from a triplet set. The brothers were extremely small for their age and often lacked basic social skills to deal with the ruthless other boys. Their inability to communicate well with others combined with their general lack of stick skills led to them being bullied in the camp. Obviously as head coach I was the person dealing with their scuffles and solving their problems. In fact the owner of the camp tasked me with being the brothers personal coach. For the entire summer I coached these 2 brothers and taught them from the ground up about playing lacrosse and dealing with people socially. Whether it was teaching them correct shooting form all the way to breaking up fight we were together all summer. It was to my surprise finding out they were from a triplet set and talking to them further into the summer gave me insight to their life. During their mothers pregnancy the oldest sister was able to get more nutrition than the brothers leaving the brothers with serious developmental issues. I made it my mission to make these two the most loved guys in the camp even among the bullies. Slowly but surely (and a lot of crying) they learned the rules of lacrosse and were able to catch, throw, and shoot like everyone else. Eventually by the end of the summer they knew how to play lacrosse and brought their stick skills to the level everyone else was at. Of course this did not come easy whether it was the daily brawls amongst the brothers, swinging sticks like baseball bats at each other, or being randomly attacked. They were slowly coming up to the same levels as the rest of the campers. Fortunately by the end of the summer there were no longer anymore fights or bullying and all of the children formed into one giant friend group, most importantly the two brothers. After a giant thank you by their mother at the end of the summer my coach informed me of my influence on the two brothers and how positive I impacted, especially since every other assistant coach did not have the patience to work with them. 2 years later they are now playing lacrosse on my schools junior high lacrosse team and will be playing their first year of highschool lacrosse next year.