During the summer after my sophomore year, I was electrocuted by an industrial transformer. 13,800 volts went in my shoulder and out my leg, and from my knee to the top of my foot is completely numb, and my foot is 50% paralyzed. After being life-flighted to St. Elizabeth's Burn Center, I spent 46 agonizing days in the hospital in horrible pain. For the first three weeks, I had to get my bandages changed. At this time, school started, and I felt pressured to keep up with the rigor of classes/grades. Many days, I wouldn't even do online school because I would have to undergo ample surgeries and bandage changes. My main encouragement was the goal of being back at school and being able to compete in wrestling. I knew the only way to become healthy was through my own determination and work ethic. I had finally done it. I had made it to the rehab facility that would help me walk again. Though I had to be there for at least nine days, I applied myself, so I started walking on my own on the third day, pushing myself more than what they expected of me. One week later, I had to get a skin graft surgery, taking the skin from my head and putting it on my shoulder and leg. This was the worst physical pain I have ever been through. The next morning, with my pain being managed by medication, I was able to go home and had to spend two weeks completely immobilized, only to find out that less than half of the skin grafts had actually stuck to the wound. The news was disappointing, but I accepted it was part of the process. It's been almost 15 months, and I have finally completely recovered. All of my wounds are healed, but my foot is still 50% paralyzed. Getting back to school was extremely difficult. I had stacks of homework, and it was hard to catch up, focus, and move around. I would have headaches constantly, and I went to physical therapy four times a week. Physical therapy helped me get back into school and athletics, and I spent two hours each day challenging my body. I had to miss three periods a day to do it. Eventually, I was healthy enough to wrestle with open wounds. Wrestling helped me with my grades during this time because to stay in wrestling, I had to keep my grades from failing. By the end of wrestling, my lowest grade was an 86%, and I had maintained a 3.68 GPA throughout the year. My accident has pushed me to do the absolute best I can since I know I only have one shot to prove myself. My biggest goal throughout this whole accident was to overcome the expectations placed on me, and I did. I maintained a good GPA, wrestled with a record of 26-20 with a 50% paralyzed foot, and left the hospital four months sooner than anticipated.

When my aunt Julie Baker passed away, my family and I were left with a void that we are still struggling to fill. She was a vibrant and loving person who touched the lives of so many people, and her absence is felt every day. In this essay, I will share some personal anecdotes about my aunt Julie and how much we miss her dearly. From the moment I was born, my aunt Julie was a constant presence in my life. She was my mother’s older sister, and they were incredibly close. I have fond memories of spending time with her as a child, listening to her stories and laughing at her jokes. One of my favorite memories is of a family vacation we took when I was about ten years old. My aunt Julie had rented a cabin in the woods, and we spent a week exploring the surrounding area. She took us on hikes, taught us how to fish, and even built a fire pit so we could roast marshmallows at night. It was one of the happiest times of my childhood, and I will always cherish that memory. As I grew older, my relationship with my aunt Julie deepened. She was a constant source of support and encouragement for me, always pushing me to be my best self. When I was struggling in school, she would sit with me for hours, helping me with my homework and offering words of wisdom. When I was going through a difficult time in my personal life, she was the one who listened to me and offered me a shoulder to cry on. She was the kind of person who always put others first, and she had a gift for making everyone feel loved and valued. When my aunt Julie passed away, it was a shock to all of us. She had been diagnosed with cancer several years earlier, and while we knew that her condition was serious, we never expected her to pass away so soon. The weeks and months that followed were a blur of grief and sadness. We struggled to come to terms with our loss, and it felt like there was a hole in our lives that could never be filled. As time passed, we began to find ways to honor my aunt Julie’s memory. We started a scholarship fund in her name, to help students who shared her passion for education. We also started volunteering at a local cancer center, to help other families who were going through what we had experienced. These actions gave us a sense of purpose and helped us to feel like we were doing something positive in the face of our loss. Despite our efforts to move forward, we still miss my aunt Julie dearly. There are so many things that remind us of her, from the smell of her favorite perfume to the sound of her laughter. We still celebrate her birthday every year, with a special dinner and a toast in her honor. And whenever we gather as a family, we make sure to share stories and memories of her, so that her spirit lives on. My aunt Julie was an incredible person who touched the lives of so many people. Her passing was a profound loss for our family, but we have found ways to honor her memory and keep her spirit alive. We miss her dearly, but we take comfort in knowing that she lives on in the love and memories that she left behind. She has motivated me to become a doctor. Seeing all the things she did, made me want to help others in need, like she did. I will be going to college, and trying my hardest to make everyone proud.