Inspired by Pain and Ready for Recovery by JADA

Inspired by Pain and Ready for Recovery by JADA - November 2018 Scholarship Essay

"Inspired by pain and ready for recovery" would be my high school yearbook quote. Pain is rarely pleasant but the product of pain can be inspiration that leads to recovery. At least this was the case for me.

When I was 11 years old, my dad went out to play football with "the guys". Three hours later, after several emergent phone calls and one ambulance, he arrived at the hospital with a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament, Medial Collateral Ligament, Posterior Cruciate Ligament, and meniscus in his knee. He had immediate surgery and suffered excruciating pain. Afterward, I remember seeing my father, a gym rat, a man who values his physical health everyday, now bedridden and immobile.

In the weeks following surgery, he began vigorous physical therapy. As a result, my summer was consumed with his doctor's appointments, rehabilitation, workouts, stretches and home exercises that I assisted him with during his recovery. The physical therapist was extremely hard on his patient because of the urgency to regain my father's full range of motion. Not doing so would result in the rapid development of scar tissue and potentially require additional surgeries. The painful rehab appointments led to my seeing tears of pain flow from my father’s eyes. I will never forget the grimacing look on his face.

My father's rehabilitative road to recovery was not an easy one or without tears and setbacks. He eventually had to undergo an additional surgery to remove the excessive scar tissue. Nevertheless, in the end, the time I spent helping my father regain his quality of life was extraordinarily impactful and rewarding.

This experience was the catalyst that inspired me to help others who, like my father, were hurting, in pain, and required physical rehabilitation. I determined that my calling was to serve others through physical therapy. I began researching the academic requirements to obtain a doctorate in physical therapy.

Over the next several summers, I volunteered with The American Red Cross at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia and worked side-by-side with their doctors and therapists to help facilitate the rehabilitation of active duty military personal. I quickly developed a love for physical therapy. I not only helped countless athletes, soldiers, mothers, and fathers, but I also built impactful relationships with patients while giving them the hope of a full recovery from the pain through my own experience with my father.

As an student athlete, I love physical therapy because of the challenge of someone having experienced a major physical setback; then having to diligently persevere through the pain, disappointment, and discouragement of an injury. The ultimate reward is witnessing the joy of each patient beating the odds and achieving the goal of full recovery. The pain and struggle can be great, but the reward is so much greater. This is why my high school yearbook quote would be "Inspired by Pain and Ready for Recovery!"

It would be a great honor for me to receive the Varsity Tutors Scholarship. This prominent scholarship would help me achieve my goal of serving others by helping them achieve their goal of a full physical recovery.