The experience of losing a close friend or family member has a lasting impact on our hearts and thoughts, permeating all parts of our existence. My dad, my guardian angel, passed suddenly on July 9th, 2019, at a family meal. For me, that loss came as a shock. His passing left a hole in my life that would never be filled, but it also gave me the drive to live a life that would honor his memory by being meaningful and purposeful. For me, my dad was more than simply a parent; he was also a guide, an inspiration, and a constant source of love and support. One of my most treasured recollections of Dad is his straightforward yet deep motto, "All I ever want you to be in life is happy." His unwavering love, his faith in me, and his unwavering desire for my happiness are all captured in these lines. His unfailing confidence in my abilities and his endless optimism served as a beacon for me while I navigated the difficulties of life. I gained priceless knowledge from him that still influences my goals and point of view. He inspired me to pursue ongoing self-improvement by teaching me that the only competition worth participating in is the one I have with myself. Under his direction, I learned that as long as I stayed committed and goal-oriented, no dream was too big to achieve. "You pick your path, and I will lead you to your destination" is his motto, and it has given me the courage and conviction to forge my path and face life's uncertainties head-on. The value of appreciating family ties and not taking life too seriously, however, may have been my dad's most memorable lesson. Even though there would inevitably be difficulties in life, he greeted each day with a cheerful disposition, bringing happiness into every second. I learned the value of resilience and spreading joy wherever I go from his contagious laughter and ability to find humor in even the most difficult situations. Even though my dad isn't here to walk beside me anymore, his spirit still leads and motivates me from above. His unshakable faith in my ability gives me the willpower to aggressively pursue my goals. Because I know that every accomplishment is a reflection of his love and faith in me, I will never settle for anything less than my dreams. I am firm in my desire to pursue my future career ambitions, using his memory as my compass. I'm adamant about going to East Carolina University to study public health with a pre-dental concentration to prepare for my eventual goal of going to the university's dental school. It is a tribute to my dad's unshakable conviction in my abilities and his unwavering support for my aspirations, not just the career route I am following. I'm determined to uphold the principles Dad valued most—resilience, optimism, and unwavering love—to honor his legacy. His memory serves as a source of inspiration and strength for me, and every step I take forward bears witness to the enormous influence he had on my life. Even though he's not with us in the physical sense, his spirit is with me in every smile I make, every accomplishment I'm proud of, and every ambition I dare to chase. His love and wisdom have shaped who I am today and are guiding me toward a bright and promising future. Thank you for your consideration.

The process of discovering one's passion and persevering through life's trials is extremely personal and transforming. For me, this path began with a series of tries and errors in numerous activities before I discovered my true calling, horseback riding. Throughout my childhood, my parents pushed me to try new activities in the hopes of sparking a passion within me. Despite their efforts, I struggled to find meaning in hobbies like dance, soccer, and gymnastics. Despite my initial lack of excitement, my parents remained supportive, determined to help me discover an activity that matched my interests. It wasn't until I showed an interest in horseback riding that I discovered my genuine passion. With my mother's help, we went on a journey that would permanently alter my life. What started as a mere interest quickly grew into a deep and abiding love of horses. After six years of serious training and competition, I was lucky to be given my own horse, Charlie. From the moment I saw him, I knew he was more than simply an animal; he was a buddy, mentor, and endless source of inspiration. I had no idea that our friendship would change me into the person I am today, in addition to earning me several titles. Charlie offered me a valuable lesson about patience. As a young rider, my whole concentration was on winning , but Charlie rapidly showed me the value of enjoying the road rather than focusing on the destination. Through his coaching, I learnt to move with purpose and intention, eventually perfecting my talents and strengthening my bond with him. Furthermore, Charlie instilled in me the values of maturity and responsibility. I learnt to admit my mistakes and view them as chances for progress rather than causes of shame. Taking care of Charlie became more than a duty; it was a privilege and a symbol of our bond. ​​Perhaps most importantly, Charlie instilled in me bravery. As he grew older and experienced health issues, I found myself in the role of caregiver, responsible for his well-being and happiness. Despite the pain of retiring him from competition, I found the courage to support him in his golden years, just as he had supported me in mine. Charlie became my guiding light during a particularly difficult time in my life. Following my father's unexpected death and a horrific accident, Charlie was a consistent source of comfort and stability. His unwavering presence reminded me of my father's words: pursue happiness and live life with purpose. As I begin the next chapter of my life, I am determined to use my degree to make a difference in the world. Inspired by Charlie's tenacity and my father's wisdom, I hope to push for the inclusion of therapeutic horseback riding programs, allowing those with physical and emotional challenges to experience the transformational power of equine therapy. In addition, I am passionate about advocating animal welfare and conservation activities, using my education to promote awareness and implement legislation reforms that protect horses' well-being and the environment. In conclusion, my experience with Charlie has been nothing short of wonderful. He taught in me the genuine meaning of passion, determination, and compassion, transforming me into the person I am today. Moving forward, I am dedicated to honoring his legacy by facing life's problems with unwavering perseverance and a firm commitment to make a positive difference in the world.

From preschool to 8th grade, I attended the same small, close-knit private school where everyone essentially grew up together, forming bonds that made us feel like family. We shared the ups and downs of life, even on the days when we couldn't stand each other, and that shared history was something unique. When it came time to move on to high school, most of my peers naturally gravitated towards the private high school our middle school fed into. However, I craved a different experience. I decided to enroll in our local public school, where I knew no one. Walking into my freshman year at the public high school, I felt entirely lost. The school was not only physically larger but also a more extensive and diverse student body. My apprehension about making new friends and trying out for sports was noticeable, as it seemed like everyone else had solidified friendships from their previous schools. Freshman year is generally difficult for everyone, but it is especially difficult for my class. We became freshmen during the 2020-2021 school year, right in COVID prime. This gave me a feeling that the kids didn't want to talk to me because I was new, but also because they didn't want to get too close to me. On top of that, we had an "A Day & B Day" schedule. This was where kids with last names beginning with A went on Mondays and Tuesdays, while kids O-Z went on Thursdays and Fridays, therefore I had only met half of the school during my freshman year. This didn’t make the adjustment into high school any easier. I flew through the school year with some classmates as peers, but no meaningful friendships. As I entered my sophomore year, school began to return to normalcy. I met so many new individuals and began to form meaningful relationships. I started to realize that these kids are just as scared to make new friends as I am and that maybe I need to start the conversations, and that is exactly what I did. I stopped caring about people judging me and just started acting like my normal self. I soon realized that people like other people who are real and don't pretend to be someone else. Now, as a senior, I have had to look back on my high school experience with numerous college scholarships to reflect on myself. I am proud of the person I have become, but I wish I would have been braver. Due to my fear of embarrassment at my new high school, I chose to not play sports during my freshman and sophomore years, which is truly my biggest regret of high school. I finally found the confidence in myself to play basketball my junior and now senior year and it has been the most amazing experience. I have made so many friendships and memories in just these two years. I have learned so many life lessons, that I wished I would've learned sooner. I am proud to have been “the new kid” because it taught me that it is everyone's first time living through this crazy world we call life, and mistakes are what make us who we are. Being the new kid encouraged me to pursue my goals, even if I fell short. Whether it's with relationships, family, sports, or a profession, I've learned to be fearless and embrace every chance that comes my way. I am proud of the person I have become and I owe it to the battles I conquered being "the new kid".

Since I was little, I have always loved to help people, and my favorite subject in school has always been science. I knew I wanted to be in the medical field but I needed to figure out what branch. When I was just 13 years old I got into a traumatic ATV accident causing me to lose 6 teeth, break my alveolar bone, and displace my jaw. This caused me to have many dentist, orthodontist, and prosthodontist appointments, which led to my interest in the mouth and teeth. My injuries caused me to undergo surgeries to remove multiple teeth from my gums, pull teeth, try to save most of my alveolar bone, and realign my jaw. This leads to a long healing process and ultimately wearing a partial. This experience was a unique one, I never thought I would be a 13-year-old with dentures. Although, I was never a huge fan of my teeth because they were small. When going to the prosthodontist to start the process of getting a partial she let me design what I wanted my teeth to look like. Not only was this fun to play with all the tooth gadgets and see what my options were, but now I have my dream teeth. I always joke around saying that I am okay and that the accident happened because I got beautiful teeth out of it! Over the years, I have learned about my mouth, its injuries, and how it generally operates. The mouth is more intricate than I could have ever imagined, and it is a topic that I want to continue growing my knowledge. My journey from a severe ATV accident to a newfound passion for dentistry has been a turning experience that continues to impact my goals. This one-of-a-kind experience introduced me to a world of cutting-edge technology and dedicated professionals who were crucial in recovering my confidence and smile. Looking ahead, I am excited to look into pre-dental opportunities that will allow me to further educate myself in this subject, increase my knowledge, and contribute to the improvement of oral health. My goal of going to dental school is not only a personal one, but also an opportunity to give back, much like my doctors did for me. I wish to encourage and support young people facing similar struggles, assisting them in regaining their confidence and achieving their own beautiful smiles. My desire to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others, one smile at a time, drives my passion for dentistry, which is more than just a career decision.

My name is Becca Turner and I am from a small town in North Carolina named Walburg. Growing up I had the most picture-perfect family. My parents had been in love since college and showed me how relationships should be. My brother despite all the typical stereotypes was the best big brother a girl could have ever asked for. We were best friends growing up and did everything together. I was so blessed with an amazing family and had to go through a tough experience in my life. Still, in my young years of life, I was quickly hit with reality. When I was 13, I went through two traumatic experiences within two weeks. My father had unexpectedly passed away, and I was in a traumatic ATV accident, which resulted in numerous injuries. This time was challenging not to lose myself and fall into the wrong path, but what kept me going was the fact that my dad would have wanted me to continue making him proud and I had the biggest support system around me. My resilience to make my father proud kept me positive and motivated to not fall into the wrong path of grief. This event led me to a new understanding of life and appreciation of the people in it. I had always been told "life is so short" but I never truly grasped what that meant until these events. I went from believing only the elderly pass away to seeing my father pass and then almost losing my life. This impacted me to start living my life to the fullest that I possibly can. I try my hardest to never turn down an opportunity or back down from a goal. I have become ambitious because of the fear of regret. Also, the appreciation I had for people grew through seeing all my friends and relatives come to support my family through this time. I saw how loved my family and my father were through meals being cooked for us, clothes being cleaned, flowers being sent, and all the amazing text messages we received. Although this time was very hard, I have learned so many life lessons that I will forever be grateful for. I so incredibly miss my dad, but he continues to be with me from the sky. I believe the hardest battles are given to the strongest people and I am proud to call myself strong!

My name is Becca Turner and I was born and raised in Davidson County. Growing up I had the most picture-perfect family. My parents had been in love since college and showed me how relationships should be. My brother despite all the typical stereotypes was the best big brother a girl could have ever asked for. We were best friends growing up and did everything together. I was so blessed with an amazing family and have never gone through a tough experience in my life. Still, in my young years of life, I was quickly hit with reality. When I was 13, I went through two traumatic experiences within two weeks. My father had unexpectedly passed away, and I was in a traumatic ATV accident, which resulted in numerous injuries. This time was challenging not to lose myself and fall into the wrong path, but what kept me going was the fact that my dad would have wanted me to continue making him proud. My resilience to make my father proud kept me positive and motivated to not fall into the wrong path of grief. This event led me to a new understanding of life and appreciation of the people in it. I had always been told "life is so short" but I never truly grasped what that meant until these events. I went from believing only the elderly passed away to seeing my father pass and then almost losing my life. This impacted me to start living my life to the fullest that I possibly can. I believe I am a deserving candidate for this scholarship not because of going through these tragedies, but because of the life lessons I have gained from them. I now do everything I can to never turn down an opportunity or back down from a goal. I have become ambitious because of the fear of regret. My motto I constantly keep in the back of my head is “You never know until you try”. This means to me that you should give everything a shot, even if you're not sure about the outcome. Life is about taking chances and not letting fear stop you from discovering new things or opportunities. In Conclusion, I believe I would be a deserving candidate for this scholarship because I have gone through more than most my age and come out stronger on the other side! I have learned valuable life lessons that I will always carry with me, I value life more than ever, and I am so unbelievably grateful for my family and friends who have always supported me. I believe the toughest battles are given to the strongest people and I am proud to call myself strong!