I grew up with two older brothers. Growing up, they always watched "The Office." I never understood the humor and could never appreciate it. However, as I grew up I began to enjoy watching the show too. The dry and witty humor was entertaining and relatable because my family has the same sense of humor. I always thought Dwight was a bit odd. However, once I got to watch the show I appreciated his character and what he brought to "The Office." The show has connected generations of people, as it is very quotable. To this day my brothers and I will still quote "Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica." from Season 3, Episode 21. Dwight would always say something out of pocket that would catch viewers off guard. This kept the show interesting as it was never the same thing twice. While "The Office" is a fun show with lots of humor I think it sends a good message. It reminds people that while work is important it does not always have to be serious. Work can be fun and it is good to loosen up and have a sense of humor. Although being in a typical office for work might feel mundane, "The Office" emphasizes the importance of the people you keep around you. The environment you work in is shaped by the people there, "The Office" reminds me to be someone who can bring people joy in everyday work.

Since I was born my mom has had a rare form of thyroid cancer. She has never made a big deal of it, but I can remember her telling me she had been diagnosed around the time I was born. No one has ever said it was my fault and my age has always been a marker for how long she has had cancer, but I can't help but wonder if it was my fault. For the longest time, I can remember my grandparents, from either side of my family, coming to stay with me and my brothers for days at a time. I knew it was for doctor appointments, but when I was little I didn't think of it as out of the ordinary. It was always normal for her to travel far, and I figured everyone must do it. My mom having cancer has never been made a big deal, it has always been a part of my life. However, I know it was not always a normal part of hers. I can remember various times as I grew up asking her questions about her cancer as I began to understand more about how serious a diagnosis is. She is always very open to telling me it was the hardest time in her life, but she is okay now. While it will never go away, the doctors can keep it at bay. There have been times when I have wondered if I should be worried but her even keel has always put me at ease. Her strength and calm manner has always been something I have admired. The first time my mom had surgery my grandparents stayed with me and my brothers. She had to fly to Minnesota to go to the Mayo Clinic for a special surgeon to do it. At the time I was still little and didn't understand. It didn't seem like a big deal but I can remember her coming home and having her neck taped up and when she removed the bandage, have a large scar across the front of her neck. She never seemed bothered by it but I remember seeing the scar and realizing the danger of her cancer. She started to take me with her a few times to her appointments. We would make trips out of it when she had to go to Jacksonville, Florida, or Rochester, Minnesota to go to the Mayo Clinic. I would sit in her appointments and listen to her meet with her specialist. Seeing her and the doctor talk always surprised me. Even if her numbers went up the doctor never seemed to be worried, helping keep my mom calm as well, and therefore my family. Watching this interaction made me realize the power a good doctor has. This experience has encouraged me to go into health care. I want to be able to help those who are battling a diagnosis or just need help staying healthy. I want to encourage patients and their families, as my mom's doctors have always done for us. Seeing how great an impact a healthcare provider can have on one person and their family made me want to do the same for others. I also want to study and understand more about different cancers and conditions to have a deeper understanding of various diagnosis and their effects. While my mom having cancer has left our family with lots of questions, it has been something that has driven me to want to pursue a path in the medical field.

Throughout high school, I was always an overachiever and had the mindset that if I did not have an "A" in every class I was failing. My mom homeschooled me from kindergarten through second grade. Being homeschooled I was with my mom all the time and learning more than just school from her. While I was young, watching her daily routine instilled the practice of hard work. She taught me always to do my best on assignments and sat with me for hours when I was frustrated about not understanding math. Then when we were done with school she would clean the house, go grocery shopping, or even spend hours doing yard work. She did all this while consistently cooking meals for my family and driving me and my brothers to practices. Her hard work and patience with balancing schedules and committing to teaching me well have been something I admire. As I went to school I sometimes struggled with math. My mom became a teacher to me once again when I came home every day asking her to help me understand math. I have always hated not understanding something I am learning in school and her patience and correction helped me endure. As I moved into high school math became one of my favorite subjects and I excelled at it. I studied a lot throughout high school because the discipline taught to me by my mom caused me to hold myself to a high standard. There were many nights when I would come home from school and have my mom or dad spend hours quizzing me over material for a test the next day, or even in a week. There were times that they would quiz me and assure me I knew everything perfectly, but I didn't feel confident and would ask them to quiz me again, and they would. My parents have always believed in me and supported me in all I do. Not only did they help me in school, but they made many financial sacrifices throughout school for me to be able to participate in club lacrosse. Doing a club sport was expensive but they knew it meant a lot to me and always made it work. I know there were times my mom and dad would go without buying new clothes for themselves or furniture for the house because they knew they needed the money for me to play club. While they might have thought I did not notice I appreciated their sacrifice always. My mom has also had a rare form of thyroid cancer since I was born. While it is not life-threatening now, she has had many surgeries throughout my life to remove lymph nodes where there cancer lies. Seeing her persistence and drive despite living with cancer amazes me and encourages me to pursue a career in health care. As I move to college I want to be able to show them how much their support has meant to me by excelling in college. They can offer some money to pay for my schooling but I am hoping to cover it with scholarships. While I know they are excited for me to attend school they are worried about the finances. I do not hold them responsible for me having some debt after school, but I know they would feel it was their fault if I did. I hope to earn a scholarship to pay for school and be able to show my appreciation for how they have shaped me into who I am today.

During freshman year, I attended Jupiter Christian School and excelled. After freshman year, I needed more of a challenge. I applied to Clark, a local charter school, and was accepted. Switching to Clark I did not know anyone. Clark classes are structured like a college, across multiple campuses, but students do not live on campus. I enjoyed my classes but knew something was missing socially. Since Clark did not have sports, student-athletes played for their designated public high school. I played lacrosse for South Fork High School. The start of the season was intimidating, but I ended up connecting with the girls on the team. I decided it was best to leave Clark and attend South Fork my Junior year. I continued to dual enroll and play lacrosse. I am staying at South Fork for my senior year. Despite having a very unusual high school experience, and attending multiple schools, I have learned to appreciate the way I have grown as a person. While it was hard always being "the new kid" for the first three years of high school, it has helped me grow as a person. My reason for switching schools was mainly based on the focus of wanting to someday be a health care worker. Even when I was unsure what path I would want to take I knew that education in high school was an important foundation leading into college. In my freshman year, I took my first biology class and it was my favorite class. I loved the content and was never bored. When I began to dual enroll I took two college-level sections of biology with a lab and loved the content just as much. This solidified that I would want to study biology in the future. While the courses were challenging they pushed me and gave me new perspectives. Although moving schools frequently was untraditional, I have gained many new perspectives and would say it gave me a well-rounded education. School is not just about the classes but is also a life experience. While I would have ideally been able to stay in one school all four years, moving around grew my community of people and challenged me to push myself academically. I am certain that gaining these new perspectives and problem-solving skills will set me up for success while studying biology. I will use my background in biology to become a physician assistant. I have always wanted to serve others and being a health care provider will allow me to do that. However, the cost of an education at a school that can give me the best education is expensive. I have chosen to attend Baylor University in the fall. Baylor has a very competitive biology and pre-physician assistant program that I am sure will set me up for success. They are also an R1 research university, which is very important in the field of science and medicine. I am eager to be able to use my knowledge to help those around me have a better life. The cost to attend Baylor is roughly $75,000 a year. While they have offered me $18,000 a year, I still have a large chunk of money to cover. I am working to gain scholarships to cover the cost of attendance, as I want to avoid loans that could hold me back in the future. The money from this scholarship will help me to cover the cost of attendance and take advantage of all the opportunities Baylor has to offer.

When I was in third grade my mom showed me a video about the organization Mercy Ships. I watched as a cruise ship, reconstructed to be a floating hospital, harbored on the coast of Africa. I watched as people from all over Africa came to the ship to get medical care. Elderly people and moms with babies, kids with bowed legs, and club feet were able to receive the care they needed. Seeing nurses and doctors have a powerful impact by providing people with medication, surgeries, and basic health care, inspired me to be in healthcare. I was undecided for a while about what I would like to do, I just knew I wanted to serve people. Seeing the impact doctors and nurses have on patients through the care they provide is something I want to be a part of. Being able to help others has always been a passion of mine. I originally wanted to study nursing because I knew how much nurses do in hospitals doctors' offices and everywhere in between. However, a friend's mom mentioned that being a physician's assistant might be the right path. I didn’t know much about it, but as I did more research I decided I want to pursue a career as a pediatric physician's assistant. To get a physician’s assistant degree I will get an undergraduate in science. I have chosen to pursue a degree in biomedical sciences. In my freshman year, I took honors biology and enjoyed the class. I was never bored and fascinated by new concepts I had never learned about. When I began to dual enroll I took two more biology classes at the college level and enjoyed the content just as much. I also took AP Psychology last year and learned more about the brain and how parts of the human body work together. This was another class that always kept me interested. By studying biomed I will be able to specifically learn about the biology of the human body, allowing me to best serve patients in the medical field. Throughout high school, I have babysat almost every weekend, volunteered on weekends in child care at my church, and volunteered at Hannah’s Home. Working with kids is something that makes me feel fulfilled. Being able to serve kids and their families is a passion of mine I am excited to pursue. While the healthcare field is very male-dominated, more and more women are getting involved each day. I think it has been challenging for many women, but I think it gives women an advantage to be new. This allows women to bring in new ideas and perspectives that may not have been considered before. I am excited to collaborate with other healthcare professionals, male or female, to create new ideas that better the healthcare system. While in school I want to participate in research and spend lots of time in a healthcare setting to gain as much experience as possible. Something important to me is patient care. Women are more conscientious of this than men because of how we are biologically wired, adding to ways women can impact the healthcare field. I want to get all the knowledge possible in school to be the best healthcare provider I can be and use my empathy to make patients feel comfortable. Many people feel uncomfortable in doctor’s offices, I have even experienced this before, causing them to put off routine checkups or avoid them altogether. By being someone who can connect with patients, they will be more confident in prioritizing their health and ultimately have a healthier life.

I have wanted to pursue a career in health care to benefit others since I was young. I was raised in a Christian home and as I have grown in my faith so has my desire to serve others. However, studying science at a secular university without a Christian worldview might not be the best environment for me to continue in both my faith and learning. I have friends who have experienced environments that tear down their faith in the name of science. This has encouraged me to seek out a faith-based education. This does not mean I do not want to be challenged, but I want to tie my faith and education together to provide the best care to future patients. To provide the best care to patients I will need an education that equips me with all the knowledge to do my job. Baylor College of Medicine has the first-ranked Physician Assistant Program in Texas and second in the nation. Having the opportunity to study under professors at Baylor would be an honor. It is essential to have clinical experience when pursuing a career in health care and studying at Baylor means studying at the world’s largest medical center, Texas Medical Center. Baylor strives to provide care to patients not just in the United States but around the world. I have always wanted to have the opportunity to serve others who do not have the access to health care we do in the United States. Being called to serve others means being a light in this dark world. Baylor College of Medicine helps to shape healthcare professionals who are considerate and caring of their patients. I do not just want to study medical conditions and how to “fix people” but to provide them with care so they know they are valued. The education at Baylor College of Medicine will help me be prepared to enter the field of health care with confidence. Training and education are vital to the success of any healthcare worker. Baylor’s simulation program will provide plenty of practice, allowing me to get the most of my education. Also as I pursue a career as a physician assistant, studying alongside future doctors will help push me to be the best I can be. Studying alongside students from various backgrounds will help shape me into the best version of myself. While some might share in a like-minded faith, others may challenge it. This will help me to think openly while also sharing my knowledge to help others. For a person to be the best healthcare provider they can be, they must know what it means to love others. I believe that Baylor College of Medicine will not only be a place where I grow as a physician assistant but one where I learn to love others and show this through providing quality care.

When I was in third grade my mom showed me a video about the organization Mercy Ships. I watched as a cruise ship, reconstructed to be a floating hospital, harbored on the coast of Africa. I watched as people from all over Africa came to the ship to get medical care. Elderly people and moms with babies, kids with bowed legs, and club feet were able to receive the care they needed. Seeing nurses and doctors have a powerful impact by providing people with medication, surgeries, and basic health care, inspired me to be in healthcare. I was undecided for a while about what I would like to do, I just knew I wanted to serve people. Seeing the impact doctors and nurses have on patients through the care they provide is something I want to be a part of. Being able to help others has always been a passion of mine. I originally wanted to study nursing because I knew how much nurses do in hospitals and doctors offices and everywhere in between. However, a friend's mom mentioned that being a physician's assistant might be the right path. I didn’t know much about it but as I did more research I decided that I want to pursue a career as a pediatric physician's assistant. To do this I will need to get a higher level education. My freshman year I took honors biology and enjoyed the class. I was never bored and was fascinated by new concepts that I had never learned about. When I began to dual enroll I took two more biology classes at the college level and enjoyed the content just as much. I also took AP Psychology last year and learned more about the brain and how parts of the human body work together. This was another class that always kept me interested. Pursuing a career as a physician assistant has made me excited about school because I am able to study biology for undergrad. This was an easy choice because of how much I loved my biology and science classes. By studying biomedical sciences I will be able to specifically learn about the biology of the human body, allowing me to best serve patients in the medical field. Throughout high school I have babysat almost every weekend, volunteered on weekends in child care at my church, and recently started volunteering at Hannah’s Home. Working with kids is something that makes me feel fulfilled. Being able to serve kids and their families is a passion of mine that I am excited to pursue. I originally wanted to work in dermatology, however, I enjoy working with children so I am eager to work in pediatrics. However, being a physician's assistant allows me to study all areas and switch specialities if needed. This education will allow me to be the most well-rounded healthcare provider I can be. As the time has come to think about where I would like to study, I know I want to go to a competitive school. I want to be challenged so I can get the most out of my education. I have also always known I want to attend somewhere out of state, which can get expensive. However, it is important to me that I go somewhere new and see new perspectives. I also know that research will be something I want to partake in at whatever college or university I decide to attend. I have chosen to attend Baylor University. Baylor has a top science program and after visiting I am very excited to study at Baylor. While the academics are challenging, I am eager to dive deeper into biology and start a career in healthcare. Baylor’s commitment to excellence assures me I will be challenged, but also prepared for life after school. After completing my undergraduate I will then also have to go to physician’s assistant school. Throughout high school I have contributed many volunteer hours, work hours, played a sport all four years and been captain of both teams I have played for, been part of the National Honor Society holding an officer position, and also the Spanish National Honor Society. While this has made me very busy, it has taught me time management to make sure my academics are prioritized while still being involved in my community. I cannot wait to begin my path to being a physician’s assistant in order to serve others and help them receive the best health care possible.