Teamwork Makes the Dream Work by Meghan

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work by Meghan - January 2022 Scholarship Essay

As I reflect on 2021, a year of craziness, I am beyond grateful for the experience of serving as Drill Captain. We practiced virtually which required me to master the art of Google Meet and deliver my message with the distractions of everyday household activities going on in the background. At times it seemed like the routine would never come together, especially as a team we could not physically work off each other, which made me question if my team would be successful or not.
Over the course of the four month season, though, I witnessed incredible growth in not just my team but also as myself as a leader. The benefits of working as a team brought me success in the classroom as well. Stepping up as a captain in my junior year is not common, which made it difficult as I had to balance academics such as Pre-Calculus, AP Statistics and Anatomy and Physiology. I became an advocate of my academics whenever I was struggling. I asked questions and attended extra help sessions in order to advance myself academically and be a role model for my team showing them that it is ok to struggle. I recognized the reason that I wanted to do well in school as these courses excited me. I studied not just to pass the class, but to understand the material and be prepared for the next chapter of my academic journey.
I could not be happier in my journey to be a part of the Drill Team. When I joined freshman year, my classmates looked down on the group because there were no cuts and we welcomed people of all levels of experience to join. Little did they know this was surely not the case because we are just as talented and extraordinary as any other team in other unique ways. As the Drill Captain, I defied this shortsighted stigma by choreographing a challenging routine with creative costumes that proved to everyone at the school wide spirit competition, Sports Night, how incredible Drill is! Being Drill Captain has given me so many opportunities. I have transformed into a confident leader and gained a family of people I can proudly call my team. The underclassman looked up to me, both in the classroom and at Drill practice. Most critically, I have learned that everything is by design and has a role that contributes to yourself and others.
This experience required me to think outside the box, as we had to be unique and come up with abstract ways to express ourselves during our routine while at the same time following Covid-19 protocols. While the entire world was battling Covid, I was beginning to explore career opportunities, and biomedical engineering instantly stood out to me. Unfortunately, Americans in poverty stricken areas were more susceptible to getting Covid-19 and did not have the same access as others to hospitals, clinics and ventilators. This is just one problem in America where inequality and inequity is found. I look forward to being in the healthcare field as a biomedical engineering student, and be a part of lifesaving changes. I am determined to make sure everyone has access to the healthcare they need without worrying about how much it costs. It may not get reported on the news every day, but I aspire that one day I can inspire someone else to bring positive change to the medical field. This will be the vital role I will play for the safety and health of our communities, just as I served as a leader on the Drill Team.