As a Muslim individual growing up surrounded by non-muslims, I was exposed to a plethora of fitna throughout my childhood, to steer clear from harmful ideologies I had to stick close to my deen, although at some points it became a struggle, the teachings of Islam allowed me to be at peace with the idea that I may not project an outwardly "cool" image to my peers. Islam has kept me grounded and focused on my one goal in life, to submit my will to the almighty. Islamic ideologies encourage believers to approach their tasks and responsibilities with dedication, sincerity, and a strong work ethic. With steadfast faith in Islam, I applied these principles to my life. As a varsity basketball player, time management becomes a struggle every year, with practice ranging from 2-3 hours every day with an hour of film afterward, my academic life takes a large hit, my grades begin to drop, and my mental health starts to decline. I would find myself lost in a cycle of school, basketball, repeat. One Friday khutbah changed my outlook on struggles, I was at a low point in life, my parents hounded me about grades, I struggled to get minutes on the basketball court despite my hard work, and I was beginning to give up and victimize myself. I intuitively listened to the khutbah given at my local mosque. "Tawakkul" was the word used, this means to put one's trust in Allah, the almighty creator of the heavens and the earth, the imam gave a speech on the importance of trusting in Allah no matter what. If an individual is at a low point, putting one's trust in god allows them to gain a sense of inner peace that the pain they are feeling is indeed just an event in Allah's plan for us. I was reminded of a beautiful quote from the Quran, “Allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear” This Friday khutbah genuinely transformed my school year into the best academic year of my life. I implemented "tawakkul" into my life realizing this struggle was a blessing from Allah, it brought me closer to him, I found myself praying to Allah constantly, whether it was for school, health, or basketball, I would constantly be praying. Through asking for guidance I learned I needed to have a balance between basketball and school, I needed to persevere. As I came home from school, I would instantly begin studying, thriving to be the best version of myself. This allowed me to dramatically improve my grades. Islam also teaches the beauty of helping others, Islam teaches the beauty of donation and charity and of supporting the vulnerable. Wanting to be a true follower of Allah, I gained a passion for health care, health care is a blessing from Allah, by working in health care, one encompasses a life full of baraka and good deeds, provides a service to humanity, and reflects the prophet's (PBUH) traditions as he placed great importance on helping communities. The financial burden associated with medical education can be quite daunting, potentially deterring many passionate and qualified individuals from pursuing their dreams, this scholarship would allow me to specifically focus on my studies as I would not have to spend as much time working, serving as a means to alleviate the financial burdens associated with pursuing a college education, allowing me to concentrate on academic efforts rather than expending energy on repaying financial obligations, resulting in an easier path to achieve my goals of becoming a practicing physician in the healthcare field.