At sixteen, I learned how frightening it can be when something is happening to your body and you do not understand why. While other girls my age had begun menstruating years earlier, my menstrual cycle never came. I waited, wondered, and worried until I was finally diagnosed with cervical agenesis with an obstructed functioning uterus. My body was cycling and my uterus was producing menstrual blood, but because my cervix had not developed, there was no opening for the blood to leave my body. Having an explanation did not immediately bring relief. Instead, it began one of the most difficult periods of my life. I was sixteen, trying to understand a rare congenital condition while trying to be a normal high school student. I was confused and scared, and eventually developed severe anxiety. I spent much of my junior year sick and depressed. There were days when simply getting through school felt like an accomplishment. But I fought through it. Despite everything happening physically and emotionally, I maintained approximately a 3.9 GPA. I doubled down in biology. More importantly, I learned something that could never be measured on a transcript: when you do not understand what is happening inside your own body, the emotional consequences can be just as significant as the physical ones. That experience is what draws me to PMDD and PME. My condition is different from PMDD and PME, but I understand the fear of experiencing symptoms without understanding their cause. Too often, women’s symptoms can be attributed to normal periods, stress, anxiety, or simply “being emotional” rather than investigated as part of a larger reproductive-health picture. When that happens, patients can spend months or years believing they simply need to live with what they are experiencing. I know what it feels like to ask, “Why is this happening to me?” Today, I am pursuing pharmaceutical science with an interest in pharmacogenomics and personalized medicine. My experience has made me particularly interested in the relationship between reproductive hormones, mental health, individual biology, and medication response. One concrete way I hope to contribute is through research into personalized treatment approaches for women’s health conditions such as PMDD and PME. Patients do not necessarily respond to antidepressants, hormonal therapies, or other treatments in the same way. I am interested in how pharmacogenomics, biomarkers, and individual patient characteristics could eventually help clinicians better determine which treatment is most appropriate for each patient. Instead of asking only, “What treatment works?” I want research to ask, “For whom does it work, and why?” But better treatment begins with better recognition. I would also advocate for menstrual and symptom tracking to become a more routine part of adolescent and women’s healthcare. Asking patients specifically about the timing of emotional and physical symptoms in relation to their menstrual cycles could reveal patterns that might otherwise remain invisible. At sixteen, I desperately wanted someone to help me understand my body. What began as one of the most frightening experiences of my life ultimately gave me purpose. I cannot change what happened to me, but I can decide what I do with what I learned from it. I want to help create a future where a young woman experiencing frightening changes in her body does not spend years wondering whether what she feels is real. She deserves to be heard. She deserves answers. And she deserves healthcare supported by research that recognizes how deeply women’s physical, reproductive, and mental health are connected. I very much need and appreciate scholarship that helps enable me to deliver this goal.

Tennis has been part of my life since I was three years old. It has taught me discipline, resilience, confidence, and something even more important: when a community gives you an opportunity, you have a responsibility to help preserve that opportunity for the people who come after you. I learned that lesson as a freshman when financial challenges threatened the future of my high school tennis program. Rather than accept that my teammates and future students might lose something that meant so much to us, I decided to act. I organized a fundraising campaign that ultimately raised more than $18,000 through 174 donations. What began as an effort to save a tennis season became my first real lesson in leadership. I learned that one person does not need to have all the resources or answers to make a difference. Sometimes leadership means being willing to ask for help, bring people together, and believe that a community will respond. Four years later, I am leaving high school as a stronger player and person. I progressed from playing varsity second singles as a freshman to becoming an ECC Division II All-Star. During my senior season, our team won the division championship, and I finished undefeated in divisional play. Those accomplishments matter to me, but the tennis legacy I am proudest of is helping protect an opportunity that younger players can continue to experience. Now I want to carry that same philosophy into my education and career. I plan to earn my Doctor of Pharmacy and Master of Science in Pharmacogenomics and pursue a career developing medicines that improve people’s quality and longevity of life. Pharmacogenomics particularly inspires me because it represents a future in which treatment can become more personalized to the individual rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach. The connection between tennis and pharmacy may not seem obvious, but to me it is. Both are about improving someone’s self—whether that means giving a young athlete a court on which to compete or helping a patient have access to a treatment that allows them to live a healthier life. In college, I will continue competing in tennis, and will also continue to give back to the tennis community that helped shape me. I will continue to mentor younger players, volunteer with youth programs, and help make tennis accessible to children who may not otherwise have the opportunity to play. Eventually, I want to use my professional success to support programs that remove financial barriers to athletics and education. My education will give me scientific knowledge, but I want my impact to extend beyond a laboratory or pharmacy. I want to use what I learn, what I earn, and the relationships I build to create opportunities for other people. At fourteen, I learned that when something important is at risk, I do not have to wait for someone else to solve the problem. I can step forward. That is the person I intend to remain—on the tennis court, in the pharmaceutical industry, and in every community I am fortunate enough to be part of

My goal is to build a career in the pharmaceutical industry developing medicines that improve the quality and longevity of people’s lives. I am especially interested in pharmacogenomics and its potential to identify why medications work differently for each person. My educational goal is to earn both my Doctor of Pharmacy and Master of Science in Pharmacogenomics (MSPGx) within six years. I have learned that ambitious goals become achievable when they are translated into daily actions—and that replanning is just as important as planning. I proved this to myself in high school. While finishing in the top 15% of my graduating class and completing my final tennis season undefeated in my division, I worked as a shift leader at Burger King saving $78,000 toward my education. Balancing academics, athletics, work, and finances taught me how to manage today while preparing for tomorrow. I am bringing that discipline to my six-year college plan. I will carry a full academic course load and strategically take summer classes to stay on track for both degrees. Regular meetings with academic advisors will allow me to monitor my progress and adjust quickly when needed. Beginning in my first year, I will also pursue pharmaceutical internships and industry experience. I have already mapped out companies I want to approach and developed a strategy for introducing myself to professionals before asking for an opportunity. Through networking, career events, research, and internships, I intend to build relationships and gain progressively more meaningful experience in drug development, personalized medicine, and pharmacogenomics. I have also earned a spot to compete on my college tennis team. This requires diligence in planning from what I eat to when I train, when I practice and when I travel to compete. To prepare, I created a first-year calendar designed to help me excel both on the court and in the classroom. It accounts for classes, studying, practices, matches, travel, exams, internship outreach, industry introductions, and even everyday responsibilities such as laundry. During demanding periods like finals or tennis travel, I have planned my schedule and priorities while remaining focused on my larger goals. Financially, the money I saved provides a strong foundation to fund my studies but I recognize that six years of education requires continued discipline. My budget accounts for tuition, housing, books, laboratory and professional fees, transportation, and living expenses. I continue to pursue scholarships, grants, paid internships, research assignments and pharmacy-related employment while using summer coursework to avoid unnecessary additional semesters. I have dedicated 3 hours per week to applying for scholarships and grants to help me fund my goals At the end of six years, I want to have more than a PharmD and MSPGx. I want to have built pharmaceutical experience, professional relationships, financial responsibility, and the discipline to balance demanding priorities. Ultimately, I want to help create medicines that allow people to live better and longer lives. I know how to turn long-term goals into daily actions—and when the plan changes, I know how to replan without changing the goal.

Leukemia is more than a medical diagnosis—it is a devastating disease that affects millions of people and their families around the world. Every year, hundreds of thousands of individuals are diagnosed with leukemia, and many face difficult treatments, financial hardship, and emotional suffering. Although medical research has led to remarkable advances, there is still no universal cure, and access to lifesaving treatments remains unequal across countries. This makes leukemia not only a health issue but also a global challenge that demands continued research, awareness, and collaboration. For me, leukemia is deeply personal. My aunt has Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), an aggressive form of blood cancer. Watching her battle this disease has changed the way I see the world. I have seen the physical toll of chemotherapy, the exhaustion that never seems to end, and the countless hospital visits that have become part of her daily life. I have also witnessed something that cannot be measured by medical tests—the way leukemia slowly tries to steal a person’s spirit and the hope of everyone who loves them. My aunt was once energetic, independent, and full of life. Today, every good day is a victory, and every setback reminds our family how relentless this disease can be. Leukemia does not only attack the body; it affects entire families. It brings fear, uncertainty, and heartbreak while forcing loved ones to stay strong even when they feel helpless. These experiences have inspired my desire to help eradicate leukemia. I want to live in a world where no family has to watch someone they love suffer through this disease. I believe that continued scientific research, earlier detection, improved treatments, and greater access to care can make that future possible. Supporting organizations that fund research, encouraging bone marrow donor registration, and raising awareness can all help move us closer to a cure. My aunt’s courage has taught me that hope is powerful, but hope alone is not enough. It must be matched with action. Every breakthrough in medicine begins with people who refuse to accept that a disease is unbeatable. I want to be one of those people by supporting efforts that improve treatments and, one day, eliminate leukemia altogether. Leukemia may be a global problem, but every global problem is made up of individual stories. My aunt’s story is the reason this fight matters so much to me. Her strength inspires me every day, and her battle has given me a purpose: to help create a future where no one has to endure the pain, fear, and loss that leukemia causes. Eradicating leukemia would not only save lives—it would restore hope to families around the world. I have been accepted into a PhD program to make medicine. My goal is to be able to help people surviving Leukemia have better quality of life until a cure can be found. I aspire to be part of a team that finds a cure. This program is 7 years long focusing on biology, pharmaceutical sciences and technology. My GPA in high school was 3.9 while working to save for college and being an all state tennis athlete. I graduated top 15% off my class. Even with this, obtaining these two degrees is very expensive. I will need to take out large loans to complete my education to prepare me to help change the world for people globally.

For the majority of high school I believed I wanted to be a aerospace engineer. I had met with the admissions office at a college in Florida and tailored my classwork in school to that program earning awards in engineering. As I entered my junior year in high school, my perspective changed. I had never had anyone I loved hospitalized or sick. I had never seen someone suffer through unimaginable circumstances and I never felt truly helpless. Any obstacle or difficulty I had faced I had the ability to change. That was until my Aunt became critically ill almost overnight. She was 39 years old & the picture of health. We are like Ying and Yang. She and I share a passion for tennis. We would play together every chance we got. Tennis is what I call home for my heart. It provides clarity. Happy I have the opportunity to play on the college team. Jessica lived alone in NYC. Her family lived in Boston. Honestly, I loved the freedom and independence she had built for herself. I never thought about what would happen if she needed something or someone to help her. Jessica went to the doctor as she was feeling tired. They told her it was likely nothing but did some blood work. That same day she went to the gym and to work. The next day her doctor called and told her to get to the hospital immediately. I remember the phone call and the emotion, the panic in my mother’s eyes as she talked to Jessica. All we knew was she was headed to the hospital for a spinal tap, alone. She told us her condition was critical as her white blood count was soo high in a matter of hours she would be untreatable and that would cause her organs to start failing. We live the closest in our family to NYC. My mother jumped in her car and drove there. As she arrived at the hospital, the results of the spinal tap had come in. Jessica had Acute Myeloid Leukemia. I googled for hours to learn about AML, the treatment and the prognosis. It was scary. Jessica wanted to go to a Boston hospital to be near family that could help her. The doctors told her she wouldn’t survive the 5 hour trip. They needed to start induction chemotherapy. They admitted her and started treatment. By day 3 Jessica’s lungs had filled with blood. They stopped treatment as she needed a ventilator to breathe. My mother and her brother had to make choices for Jessica that were unimaginable. The doctors prepared us for the worst. Every hour we waited for phone calls. It was the most helpless feeling I can describe. After 3 days on a ventilator she started to show signs of improving. A lung aspiration was performed and they were able to remove the ventilator. She was breathing on her own but her battle had only begun. She spent 3 months in the hospital fighting for her life. My first live visit was week 4. She was unrecognizable. I felt her pain. She didn’t need to share that the treatment for this disease was tearing her apart because I could see it. I could also see what was building her hope up was the incredible nurses and doctors that not only provided the best medical care they could but kindness, compassion and the courage to fight. She wouldn’t have survived without them. It has been two years of treatments and doctors. She moved back to Boston with her parents. I went through this journey with her for almost two years. Chemotherapy, procedures, therapy appointments, hospitalizations, wig fittings, special diets, dressers full of medications, hugs, tears and finally celebration as she reached remission. It would not have been possible without the care and hope her medical teams provided. Her fight is far from over and her quality of life is forever changed. My goal is to become a doctor in pharmaceutical sciences to make the quality of life better for patients. I want to understand the science behind these awful diseases and help find cures. I never want anyone to endure what Jessica has. I want to make patients feel hopeful and believe. Today, I value life, family & being surrounded by people who love me very differently. I have elected to stay close to my family for college. I plan to work in patient care until I complete my studies.

In the times I have faced a setback or personal challenge, I draw upon a lesson that I learned as an outcome of a setback that most people thought could not be overcome. Through that experience I learned that resilience, commitment and action can solve most challenges Tennis has been a key part of who I am since I was 5 years old. Tennis is important to me because it brings me a sense of joy, belonging and community. My passion lies in the competition. It has also become an important aspect of bonding for my family, especially between me and my grandfather. This has led me to be very dedicated to building a strong community to our team here at WA. It is also what drives me to want to help the younger generations build the same skills and love for the sport that I have through a variety of tennis programs I volunteer my time to support our community in. My freshman year of high school, I was told we would not have a tennis team due to lack of funds for transportation and lack of courts. Me and my fellow teammates were crushed. I decided that I had worked too hard in my life to allow my first opportunity of being on a team to slip away. I brought my teammates together and told them we could not accept this defeat. These were girls I hardly knew as a freshman, but knew they loved the sport. I told them we could raise the money, and the awareness required to get the community to support us. I went to the girls’ and the boys' practices and collected photos and statements around why tennis mattered in their lives. With the support of my team behind me, I started Go Fund Me, shared our story, and raised $18,000 in three days. That year, our team went undefeated, winning ECCs as together we believed in our strength. We built confidence and resilience to come back from anything. We won together, and we won for each other. That year, I received the ECC All Star Award. As I finished my senior year of high school, my team won our division ECC title, we have broke ground on tennis courts for Woodstock Academy and we have found a coach to invest as much as we did. Our four years of effort built a program that supported the investment in tennis for our community for the future. I am proud to be going to college at Western New England University in a 6 year Pharmaceutical program where I will play on the school tennis team. This is an expensive and important investment in my future. Additionally, I will be close enough to my hometown of Woodstock, CT to return to continue to develop the tennis program so other children will find tennis as a home for their hearts. I volunteer my time with the coach for the elementary and middle school students program to build skills of boys and girls across our community. The lessons tennis has taught me have been as important as the educational experiences I have had. I want to share those lessons with as many children as I can. The go fund me and full story: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-save-our-tennis-program-we-need-your-help