Since I was young, I have been drawn to healthcare because of my passion for helping others and making a meaningful difference. Over time, personal experiences and a deep love for science have strengthened my commitment to becoming a physician assistant, a profession where I can work directly with patients, provide high-quality care, and contribute to the well-being of my community. Growing up, I witnessed firsthand the powerful impact that compassionate healthcare providers can have on patients and their families. During challenging times in my own family, it was the kindness, knowledge, and dedication of medical professionals that offered us hope and healing. Those moments made it clear to me that I wanted to spend my life giving others that same sense of support. Choosing the physician assistant path means I will have the ability to deliver patient-centered care, build trusting relationships, and adapt to the needs of different communities over time. My commitment to healthcare is grounded not only in my experiences but also in the work I have put into preparing for my future. I have focused my education around building a strong foundation in science and healthcare, taking rigorous courses to challenge myself and grow academically. Outside the classroom, I have pursued opportunities to volunteer, learn from healthcare professionals, and deepen my understanding of the real-world skills and compassion needed to succeed in this field. These experiences have strengthened my ambition to one day serve patients with the same excellence and kindness that inspired me. As I look ahead to my career, I am motivated by the opportunity to make a lasting impact, not just by treating illnesses, but by promoting health education, preventative care, and compassion in every interaction. I am especially committed to giving back to communities in Texas, much like Siv Anderson did through her teaching and mentoring. Her dedication to guiding future healthcare professionals is inspiring, and I hope to follow a similar path by not only practicing medicine but also mentoring others and helping strengthen the future of healthcare. Being part of the next generation of healthcare workers means carrying forward a spirit of service, perseverance, and continual learning. I am ready for the challenges of this journey, and I am driven by the belief that through hard work and compassion, I can truly make a difference in the lives of individuals and families. Pursuing a degree in healthcare is not just my dream, it is my purpose. Thank you for considering my application. I am honored to be part of a field that can bring hope and healing to so many.

My name is Grace Jansen, and I am a high school senior committed to making a difference in my community and in the lives of others. I have been involved in a number of extracurricular activities during my time in high school, including student council and the National Honor Society, where I have focused my efforts on leadership, service, and assisting my peers. Volunteering and helping others have been a priority in my life, and it is this dedication to helping others that has made me desire to become a physician assistant after attending Southern Methodist University, where I will be pursuing health sciences. If I had the opportunity to create my own charity, I would like to assist first-generation college students who are studying STEM fields, including medicine. As a first-generation college student myself, I understand how difficult it is to navigate college without the guidance and support that others may take for granted. I know that students from underrepresented groups often do not have the financial and educational means to pursue a career in STEM because it becomes a far-off dream when one does not have the resources to explore these disciplines. My charity organization would attempt to provide such students with the support and resources they need to pursue careers in STEM, from mentorship and academic assistance to financial support. Volunteers would offer one-on-one mentoring, navigating the students through the college application process, discussing STEM programs, and making introductions to professionals in the field. In addition to mentoring, the charity would offer tutoring, scholarships, and workshops that enhance skills like research, public speaking, and time management skills essential to success in STEM education. By placing particular focus on STEM subjects like medicine, the charity would also host events and match students with medical practitioners who would encourage and give valuable insight into their field. I believe it's so vital to open up STEM subjects, and medicine especially, to underrepresented and young women students. The impact of this charity would extend far beyond providing students with the means to succeed in college. It would give young people the chance to live their dreams in careers that may have been out of reach, to break down barriers and bring innovation to the sciences and healthcare fields. These students would pay it forward by inspiring others in their communities, ushering in a new generation of passionate, motivated, and diverse STEM professionals. This scholarship would enable me to further my education at SMU and give me the foundation to make my charity a reality. By empowering the next generation of STEM leaders, I will be carrying on Aserina Hill's legacy of service and kindness. Through my charity, I would like to support and inspire first-generation students in the same manner that Aserina supported so many others so that every student will have the opportunity to pursue their dreams and leave a positive mark in the world.

I knew since a very early age that life was uncertain. I discovered that pain does not always come with warning signs and that sometimes, it is those whom we love the most who leave us with the greatest scars. My journey into the world of medicine is not just science or a passion for taking care of people, it is healing, for myself, too, and for those in need of it most. My parents divorced in my freshman year of high school , after years of chaos in our household. There had been pain born of abuse, pain that shaded my youth with colors that, at the time, I only partially perceived. I lived in years of tiptoeing through terror, learning to anticipate the next moment of strain, the next storm that swept through our home. When my parents actually broke up, it should have been a blessing, but healing did not happen overnight. I had to pick up the pieces of an early life that wasn't quite straightforward, and attempt to work out what life was like afterwards. It was amidst this pain that I realized my purpose. School became my sanctuary, where I could focus on something bigger than my issues. I was drawn to science, captivated by the way the human body works, how it could heal even after having been through so much. But most of all, I was drawn to the people behind the medicine, the doctors, nurses, and physician assistants who dedicate their lives to delivering care, compassion, and hope. I longed to be among them. I took my model from the past, and more recently from several of the nurses and other healthcare workers who have instructed me in real compassion. I have seen what a difference, even to their patients' families, such an attentive, empathetic healthcare provider can make in one's life. Healing is not prescribing or doing procedures, it is in how you speak to a patient, how you reassure them, how you tell them they are not a name on a piece of paper. That is the type of doctor I want to become. As I get ready to embark on a career as a physician assistant, I know that my path has taught me a special thing. I have seen pain, fear, and uncertainty. But I have also learned about resilience. I know that healing is not only physical, it is emotional, as well. And that is why I am so enthusiastic about medicine. I want to be there for those patients who feel afraid and overlooked. I want to provide not just treatment, but solace. I want to be an inspiration to individuals in their most desperate moments. This scholarship would not only ease the economic burden of my education, but it would also allow me to remain on the course that I know I am called to pursue. My past has shaped me, but it does not define me. Instead, it has given me the resilience and determination to build a future in which I can transform my pain into purpose, one patient, one life, and one act of compassion at a time.

Some of the most fulfilling careers are a result of adversity. My own journey to becoming a physician assistant is one of personal adversity as well as a strong desire to help heal others. I know what it is like to be in limbo, to go through struggles that shape you before you are even old enough to make sense of them. My family has struggled, yet we have also become strong because of surviving it. When I was a freshman in high school, my parents divorced after years of abuse and turmoil in our home. While the divorce was necessary, it was not without its obstacles. I was made to grow up quickly, learning to exist in a world that felt unsteady, where hurt and love coexisted in ways that I had yet to understand. I had to become a rock of strength for myself and for others. There were moments when it felt overwhelming, when the past appeared as though it was going to pull me under. But instead of letting my tribulations define me, I chose to rise above them. Along the way, I found comfort in learning. School became my sanctuary, a place where I could focus on the future, not the past. I immersed myself in my studies and extracurricular activities, joining National Honor Society and dedicating my time to volunteer work. Helping out became my therapy. Regardless of whether I was volunteering at local food banks or tutoring classmates, I realized that in my own pain, I could become a source of hope for someone else. It is this love for serving that has led me to pursue a career in healthcare. I want to be the kind of medical professional who not only treats patients but genuinely cares about them. I know the terror that comes with not knowing, the need for someone who will listen and offer comfort. As a physician assistant, I want to be that person for someone else. I want to practice care with compassion, to remind people that they are seen, heard, and loved, especially in their most vulnerable moments. Beyond patient care, I also want to use my education to be a voice for the voiceless. Having experienced an unstable home life as a child, I know how easy it is to feel powerless. But I also know the power of resilience. I wish to practice in communities where healthcare is not only a service but a source of hope. Whether it is through medical outreach, patient education, or merely providing compassion in a clinical environment, I am determined to make a difference in others' lives. No matter what life has thrown at me, I have not let it shatter me. Instead, I have used it to nourish my dreams, to push me when giving up was easier. I know that my past does not define me; my future does. And I am determined to make that future one where I use my education, my experiences, and my heart to make the world a better place. Adversity may have defined me, but it will never limit me. Instead, it has given me purpose. And that purpose is to heal, help, and bring hope, one patient, one act of kindness, and one life at a time.

The greatest fulfillment in life comes from serving others. I learned this from my experiences in community service, where the smallest things: serving a warm meal, listening, or simply being kind, can make someone's day. Through my volunteer work with National Honor Society, I have dedicated my time to volunteering at my town’s food bank, aiding with events for the gifted and talented, our districts teachers, and our special education department. Each experience has further reinforced my understanding of compassion and the strength of selflessness. It is this passion for service that drives my desire to become a physician assistant. I would like to be an agent of care and comfort for others in need, as I have been striving to become within my community. Serving others not only shaped me but solidified my commitment to the practice of medicine. Wherever life leads me, I will always be devoted to making a difference, one act of kindness at a time.

I never imagined that one discussion would change the course of my childhood. But when my parents arrived to sit me down and told me that they were divorcing, my life was changed in a way that I could not then fully grasp. I was a freshman, old enough to comprehend the seriousness of their words, yet still young enough to be immobilized by what it meant for my life. Though divorce is never easy, what was going on in the house complicated matters even further. Abuse had been my reality in my home for many years, but until then, I didn't know how it had shaped me. When my parents were divorcing, my home was an uncertain place. The tension was always there, echoing behind the argument, behind the slammed door, behind the echoing silence that was louder than anything words could ever be. As a child, I was taught how to read a room, how to anticipate moods, how to curl up when I needed to. I learned because I had to. But amidst it all, I had hope that things would get better someday. And when my parents finally did get a divorce, that hope took on a new form, one where I could at least see the possibility of a future beyond fear. It wasn't easy. Divorce can't erase the past, and it certainly doesn't heal wounds overnight. I struggled with anger, confusion, and sadness, not just for the dad I had lost but for the childhood I had endured to cope with things no child should ever have to endure. I was maturing before I had time to, was becoming emotionally strong in ways most of my friends couldn't relate to. While they worried about homework and highschool drama, I was learning to rebuild my sense of stability. But through it all, I learned something important: I am stronger than I ever knew. My experiences, painful as they were, did not break me. Instead, they gave me the strength to survive. They gave me the strength to stand up for myself and the strength to turn my pain into something better. As opposed to allowing my past to define me, I chose to use it to drive me forward as fuel. In school, I threw myself into my homework and after-school activities. I was on student council, National Honor Society, and dedicated myself to leadership roles, not so I would be busy, but so I could show myself that I could succeed in spite of everything that had happened to me. I wasn't going to allow my past determine my future. Most of all, I learned the value of empathy. Having to grow up in the midst of uncertainty and fear gave me a unique perspective to understand other people's battles. I became more attuned to the silent struggles that individuals deal with every day, and I consciously tried to be a voice of empathy and support wherever I could. Whether it was standing up for a friend, sticking up for someone in need, or simply listening, I wanted to be the kind of person I had needed when times were worst for me. And now, as I go off to college, I know that my history has hardened me in ways I did not even know. It has hardened me, it has made me more determined, and it has made me more grateful for what lies ahead of me. I carry the lessons I've learned, the toughness, the optimism, and the compassion with me to this next part of my life. My parents' divorce was a turning point, but it was hardly the end of my story. It was the opening page of a new tome, where I dictate my own fate. And for that, I am grateful.

I spent much of my childhood talking to my father through a telephone, separated by a sheet of glass. After his release, a cycle of abuse began at home, and I quickly realized that life wouldn’t be without its struggles. Sophomore year, my father attempted to murder my mother. I woke up to his terrifying threats and the sounds of crashing. I cowardly stayed in bed, unsure if my mother was alive. She eventually appeared, and I held her while she sobbed herself to sleep. This moment solidified the instability and fear that had long dominated our home. My father’s abuse left lasting emotional scars. Fear and insecurity clouded my life, making me hesitant to speak up or express my opinions, both at home and in school. I became a "yes" friend, always accommodating others to avoid conflict and seek approval. To maintain a sense of control amidst the chaos, I carefully crafted an image of myself, hiding the reality of my broken home from the world. I couldn’t control my father's actions, but I could control how others saw me. When my parents divorced, I made the difficult decision to cut my father out of my life. I blocked him physically and digitally, distancing myself from his toxicity. Although family members called me selfish and reminded me “he’s your dad,” I knew I needed to prioritize my own well-being. In time, I realized that cutting him off wasn’t selfish—it was a necessary act of self-preservation. With my father no longer in my life, I began to discover my true self. I let go of the facade I had created and learned that my value wasn’t dependent on others’ approval. I understood the importance of setting boundaries and started saying “no” when overwhelmed, prioritizing my own balance and mental health. Embracing this new strength, I joined student council and was elected to multiple leadership positions, ultimately becoming senior class Vice President. I flourished, finding confidence in expressing my opinions, even when they might not be approved by everyone. This growth wasn’t just personal—it gave me a deeper understanding of others as well. Cutting ties with my abusive father was the hardest decision I’ve ever made, but it was also the catalyst for my personal growth. It taught me resilience, the importance of boundaries, and the commitment to living a life free from abuse. Through it all, I learned that I have the power to shape my own life, free from my past and my father’s shadow. My future goal is to become a physician assistant (PA), working closely with patients to provide high-quality healthcare. To achieve this, gaining further education is essential. Completing a rigorous PA program will equip me with the medical knowledge, clinical skills, and hands-on experience needed to diagnose, treat, and care for patients. Additionally, it will prepare me for the certification exams required to practice as a PA. Despite my dads negative lasting impact on me I want to become qualified to make a positive impact in healthcare and on patients. My journey has instilled in me the empathy and resilience to succeed in this role and help others navigate their own challenges.