Educational Goals:
I have big dreams and goals for myself because I know I have the courage, determination and motivation to achieve them. I will be attending Ohio University in Athens,Ohio. I will be studying Child and Family Studies in pursuit of becoming a Child Life Specialist. Child Life Specialists are typically found in hospitals or schools to make a child’s life easier and fun. For example, I job shadowed a wonderful woman at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland,Ohio. Her job was designed around the PICU to assist children and their families in medical care. She combined therapeutic child play to be age appropriate for the child and guided families with coping strategies. What a rewarding job! Before my injury, I wanted to be a journalist. I love the way writers make words so appealing and moving. After my injury, however, I knew God wanted me on this Earth to help children with what I had already survived. I plan to earn a Global Health Certificate and a Women’s Studies minor while I am at Ohio University. One day I hope to be able to travel and empower women. After my undergraduate degree, I plan to attend graduate school at Pitt or Vanderbilt.
Essay:
First, I would like to attach an essay I wrote nearly two years ago. This essay moved me to tears when I read it in front of my peers.
I Believe
Everything happens for a reason, even if we are unaware of what the particular reason is at the very moment something happens. The reason something happened can be good or bad and may not appear for years to come. The reason may never appear to be grasped either and you could catch yourself mumbling, “Why?” all the time. Believing in this phrase has carried me through some of the biggest obstacles I will have to face in life.
Nearly two years has passed since I took a traumatic slipped that forever changed my life within a matter of seconds. The slip resulted in a TBI, but it was a TBI unlike any of my specialists had ever seen before. As a result, I missed 87 days of school my junior year, a doctor’s appointment every other day, and a constant feeling of knives being stabbed into my head. My senior year I missed half of the year and I deferred from higher education. These impacts made me wonder what I could have done differently to avoid the slip that changed my life.
At this moment I can’t tell you what went through my mind when the accident happened or anything up until three months after. Memories are something to cherish and hold on to, but now all I can refer back to are pictures that were taken during those three months to relive milestones that happened. I still search through these pictures in hopes of an answer that will clue me a reason of why this happened.
A clue of what the reason was did not occur to me until two weekends ago when I met a young man named Sam. I was able to connect with Sam by telling him my story to help him overcome a family situation that a thirteen year old should never have to endure. I discussed how my attitude changed throughout my journey and that everyday will still be difficult, but when I can reflect on what I have overcome it makes tomorrow easier. The reason my injury happened to me could be to help someone else by sharing my story. I helped Sam break out of a shell of silence to begin to heal from a tragedy that happened in his family. The reason I had been searching for was written in invisible ink and I had not unveiled it until I met Sam.
My accident was followed by many events that led me to the clear understanding and firm belief that everything happens for a reason. I no longer have to ask myself why this happened to me, because what proceeded my injury resulted in nothing but positive outcomes. If I could have told myself what would have happened to me and explained what I now know, I wouldn’t want to change any of it.
My TBI has affected me in various aspects of my life. My health varies. One good day for every three, but I’ll take it. I look completely different. I’ve lost nearly thirty pounds, my hair is curly and I have terrible acne. My eyesight has worsened by half, but my hearing has improved. I suffer from seizures and a heart condition called POTS. I contemplated suicide and spent time in the hospital for it. I knew I could survive my TBI, so my thoughts ended. Stephen Hawking inspired me. He has lived with ALS nearly his entire life. He is still alive and still works to the best of his ability. If he can do it, so can I. I’m blessed I am able to share my story and inspire others.
15 Jun 2016