Children are often asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” They are encouraged to dream. This was not always the case for me. At two, I was diagnosed with Leukemia. At three, I relapsed with the same blood cancer. Then at four, I had a stem cell transplant. It was a journey my family never expected to take, and it put a stop to all dreaming for a season.

This diagnosis, years of treatment, and survival will continue to shape me. It’s now been 15 years since diagnosis. 15 years of surviving, 15 years of learning what happened to me, and 15 years of navigating the emotional and physical side effects. The benefit of having cancer so early is that I don’t remember all the specifics, but the side effects are real. For many years, the doctors kept an eye on my blood, lungs, hormones, heart, and health. Thankfully, I haven’t had many long term side-effects, but my height and sight suffered. I stopped growing around 13 years old at 5ft. Around that same time, I learned cataracts had developed. Though I’m grateful there hasn’t been a secondary cancer, it’s hard to know that these two side effects will always impact my future.

After treatment, the doctor told us that I would never play competitive sports and most likely struggle academically. I am now about to start my fourth year of high school baseball, I am the Varsity team captain, I have a 4.0 GPA, passed the AP tests, was voted “Most Inspirational,” earned a Scholar-Athlete award, opened my own business, raised over 10k with a team for LLS, work with children at camps ai1d childcare, and give generously as others have done for me. It’s uncomfortable to write that sentence because I’m not a bragger. I tell you those things to show you how I respond to adversity. Each one of those “wins” required me to prove myself over and over again, as my height doesn’t naturally say that I’m a leader. I want to use my story for the good of others. I want to get rid of the lies that being “too short” means success isn’t an option. I want to give back in ways that were given to me. My journey through Leukemia will continue to shape my life, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to live.

I am still discovering my very ambitious goals. I know that I want to go to college and work in an industry that’s business related–creating my own financial firm, being a sports agent, or a real estate agent. Math makes sense to me, but people matter more and business is a place I can work with both. Regardless of the job I choose, I know it won’t be easy. I’m not afraid of work, pressure, or failure. My cancer journey and baseball has taught me that. I’ve had to learn to lead differently than what’s normal. For obvious reasons, I don’t stand out in a crowd. Instead of being the loud leader, I’m the one who goes to the back of my line and makes sure the entire team finishes the run. I lead by example–by being the first one in and the last one to leave. I will always be the one running the hardest, the one giving the most effort, the one who keeps his composer on and off the field, the one picking up his teammates, and the one putting in work when no one else is watching. Cancer caused this need to lead differently, but it also gave me a bigger perspective. My experience with cancer has taught me never to take advantage of what I have. So, though the career world will come with challenges, I believe I have the tools to overcome them.

So, as I begin my journey into college my eyes are wide open. This scholarship will help catapult me into my continued desire to help others without debt slowing me down. Serving others will always be a part of my story and as I enter adulthood it’s exciting to watch it unfold.