Hobbies and interests
Track and Field
Animals
Cooking
Exercise And Fitness
Nutrition and Health
Swimming
Streaming
Reading
Health
Cookbooks
True Story
I read books multiple times per month
Emma Madrigal
2,155
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FinalistEmma Madrigal
2,155
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FinalistBio
I am an extremely unique college sophomore who competes in NCAA cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field. I take pride in my accomplishments, as most ambitious student athletes. I believe there is one outlier that less than 10% of the population possess. I, not only, must be the best athlete and student; however, I have to do so while managing my type 1 diabetes. That's right! My motto is “No Pancreas, No Problem”! I have unique physical challenges everyday, and I need to adapt and adjust them constantly. I am currently enrolled in a physical therapy program , so one day I can help others overcome their physical limitations. I continue to embrace being different , as this defining characteristic is what builds a future leader, and someone who can balance competing demands while driving towards success.
Education
Shenandoah University
Bachelor's degree programMajors:
- Physical Sciences, Other
Miscellaneous
Desired degree level:
Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)
Graduate schools of interest:
Transfer schools of interest:
Majors of interest:
- Biological and Physical Sciences
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other
- Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions
Career
Dream career field:
Medicine
Dream career goals:
Biological Sciences Research
Head Lifeguard
Red Cross Certified- Cavalier Golf and Yacht Club2020 – 20222 years
Sports
Cross-Country Running
Varsity2023 – 20241 year
Awards
- NCAA All Region Academic Team 2024
- #10 All Time 5000m Indoor 2024
- #3 All Time Rookie 6000m 2023
- #5 All Time 3000m Outdoor 2023
Field Hockey
Junior Varsity2018 – 20213 years
Awards
- VHSL 5A JV Field Hockey 2018-2021
- TCOYO Club Hockey 2019-2020
- Field Hockey Shooting Stars Tournament Richmond, VA 2019
- Field Hockey Disney Showcase Medal Winner Orlando, FL 2020
- Varsity team ranked #4 nationally
Track & Field
Varsity2020 – 20222 years
Awards
- Adidas Indoor Nationals 2022 5th place Girls High Jump 2022
- AAU All American Track and Field-Awarded 2022
- AAU Indoor Nationals 2022 4th place Girls High Jump-2022
- USATF Junior Olympics Jacksonville, FL 2021
- AAU Junior Olympics Houston, TX 2021
- AAU Junior Olympics Greensboro, NC 2022
- Most Improved Plaque Award Recipient VHSL 5A Indoor Track 2019
- Captain Indoor and Outdoor Track 2020-2022
- VHSL 5A State Qualifier 2019-2022
- MVP Sprints and Jumps Indoor Track 2021-2022
- MVP Sprints and Jumps Outdoor Track 2021-2022
- Lottie Waters Award- Most Improved Female Varsity Athlete 2022
Research
Biological and Physical Sciences
Shenandoah University — Research design and data collection2023 – 2023
Public services
Volunteering
City of Winchester , Virginia — encouraging exercise and training low income children in community2024 – 2024Volunteering
Winchester Winter Kids Day Out — WAEC- Wilkins Athletic Events Center -track volunteer2022 – 2022Volunteering
Toys for Tots — Collecting and delivery donated toys2022 – 2022Volunteering
Middletown Elementary Winchester, VA — Reading to 3rd Grade2022 – 2022Volunteering
JDRF — Race Volunteer2019 – 2019Public Service (Politics)
US Election — Volunteer November 2021 Elections- Page 20212021 – 2021
Future Interests
Advocacy
Volunteering
Philanthropy
Jim Maxwell Memorial Scholarship
I hesitated ,for a moment, when I came across this scholarship. Am I really a candidate for a faith based scholarship? I took a deep dive into my faith journey. Although non-traditional, my faith is unwavering and has undoubtedly been my beacon driving my every achievement and enveloping my every fall since I can remember.
I had a pastor, at Spring Branch Community Church in Virginia Beach, who changed my entire life. He explained that acts of service don't always need to be performed at church. He would give examples of helping in the community as a faith based activity. He also explained faith is a state of trusting in a higher power, God , to be in control of the outcomes. My job is to believe in him and to have faith in his plan. I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when I was 12 and in the ICU the doctor asked me if I was angry, as there was no cure for the disease. I was not angry , and I knew it was God's plan. It has changed my life. I am insulin dependent , and I have to be on an insulin pump 24 hours a day seven days a week. I have other physical limitations, but God does not make mistakes. Every day, I know this disease also gives me a platform to help others overcome physical limitations with their faith. I chose exercise science as my major to further develop my platform utilizing one's faith to overcome physical limitations. God gave me an opportunity that day when I was 12,. My faith was critical in launching my track success , as I also joined a faith based track team where prayer was at the center of our practice. We prayed before and after every practice. We knew our successes on the track were by the grace of God. This coach and his children were top national athletes, and were training on an old concrete track with minimal resources. There were no fancy trainers, locker rooms, or facilities. The only outlier for this group of young athletes was faith and prayer. Grace comes in all shapes and forms. I believe every success has come through faith and even those obstacles through faith transformed into opportunities. I know faith is the way I overcome my physical limitations, and I will continue to use faith and my studies in physical therapy to help others . My pastor instilled in me spreading faith by showing what believing has done in your life can be a way of reaching even greater heights.
This award would mean everything to me. I have been blessed to be part of a small christian university in Virginia. I share my story, and I apply for scholarships every year as a needs-based 3 season NCAA track athlete with type 1 diabetes. I have a unique profile with unique financial demands. I have faith in God's plan and I hope his plan is to share this scholarship award with the world!
Ginny Biada Memorial Scholarship
I will never forget the day I accepted the symbol of my faith in front of the Spring Branch Community Church congregation. The shiny white marble stone engraved with the cross sat on the stage, and the only thing between me and this gift was my mother's heavy words "If you have accepted Jesus as your savior, then you may take a stone". I was seven and had been attending confirmation classes. I did not know what my mom meant, but I did know I wanted a stone. I knew Jesus was there with me in that decision-making moment due to the difficulty I was having deciphering if my belief in Jesus and my mother's words were synonymous. At the last minute, I ran past the seated parishioners, stood on my tip-toes, swiped a sacred stone off the stage, and hurried back to the seat next to my wide-eyed mother. Walking to the car after the service, my mother nonchalantly commented how proud she was I had accepted Jesus as my Savior. I took my stone, proudly displayed the symbolic treasure, and said "Mom, What's Jesus's last name again?".
This is my mother. She led by example. She knew including church and Jesus in my life was a foundation I would rely upon for my entire life. She also knew I would not always make the right decisions; however, I would always have Jesus and a community to be my guardrails in life if I was a believer. She never told me what to believe, but showed me how life could be with Jesus in my life. Early on, I was making decisions based on whether Jesus would approve and this was the best gift my mom ever gave me.
Through high school, I ran track and spent hours with athletes outside of the classroom. This can be a challenge when your social life is very different from your peers. My mother was relentless in trying to find a team with the right social platform as well as an adequate coaching staff and facilities for my development. The miracle appeared my Junior Year when a team named F.I.A. Ambassadors accepted me and everything became clear. F.I.A. stood for Faith In Action. The coach was a Christian pastor and prayed before and after every practice. Jesus had answered my mother's prayers, and I was spending 2-4 hours a day building my sport and my faith. What kept showing up for me was not only how through perseverance and belief Jesus continues to show up in your life in the most unexpected ways.
My mother was the room parent in the classroom, volunteered at track meets, painted faces for charity at Halloween, volunteered for class field trips, donated to local food banks, invited all the neighborhood children to parties, and was the driver to out-of-town sporting events. She was selfless and loved every single minute of putting smiles on the faces of the less fortunate. My life is forever changed by the faith, grace and benevolence of my mother. Growing up with a mother who accepted everyone and embraced the differences in others is something I will never take for granted. It is a gift I will treasure, employ in my own life, and bestow upon my children in the future.
BTL Athletes Scholarship
Chronic Boss Scholarship
No pancreas, no problem!
I was 12 when my life changed forever. I was the usual socially awkward pre-teen
striving to meet the standards of the world around me. I ran for SCA President, tried out for
sports teams, applied to elite academy programs, and went to my first dance. Most of these
attempts ended in rejection and highlighted my shortcomings more than my strengths. I was that
girl when cut from the sports team, and asked the coach if I could be the manager to learn more
about the game. I was always striving to be in the pack and to fit in. I didn’t want to stand out,
and I did not want to be different.
On January 27, 2017, I became so unique that less than 10% of the world’s population
was like me. My pancreas decided to stop working, and I was rushed to the ICU with blood
glucose levels over 800. Shortly after, I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is
a disease that requires constant and ever-changing management. Though this management is
a science, factors such as stress, exercise, and diet can produce dangerously high or low blood
glucose levels that can be life-threatening. Now I was told that I was not only different, but
disabled; however, I was 12, and I felt anything but disabled. The very definition suggests I was
“NOT abled”, so there must have been a mistake.
Throughout the diagnosis process, nutritionists, cardiologists, and endocrinologists
repeatedly inquired if I was angry about the disease, but to their surprise, I was not angry. In my
mind, I felt anger would be a useless emotion. I knew I had to educate myself about diabetes
and conquer the knowledge to optimize the management of my new normal. Instead of diabetes
being a disability, I wanted my malady to fuel me to not only become stronger than I was before
my diagnosis but also to surpass the expectations placed upon me. It was a hard few years
rejecting the crutch and trying to embrace the platform of the disease. When most kids were
trying to figure out what to wear on the first day of high school, I was counting carbs, calculating
correction factors, pricking my finger 6 times a day, and administering insulin to take my
next breath.
I strived to make my goals a reality, and after many trials and tribulations, I became a
hyper-abled student, leader, and athlete despite my disability.
My motto is “No Pancreas, No Problem!” Even when faced with trying to disclose who I
am and why my unique character traits contribute to any community in this very essay, my first
thoughts were not to base anything on type one diabetes. Since the day I was diagnosed, I
promised to not let my disease be a crutch to blame for my flaws. I am proud to say that I have
not fallen to meet the expectations of one with a disability, rather, I have used my disability to
further develop who I am. Diabetes and I are together 24/7, and we are extraordinary together. I
no longer desire to be among the masses because soaring above is a better view.