Scholarship / Volunteering at equine therapy center for autistic kids/ Contribution to community [5]

Discuss your involvement in and contributions to a community near your home, school or elsewhere. What did you accomplish? How did this experience influence your goals?

It's for a big scholarship. Any feedback would be great. Be harsh on me lol. I really need scholarship money. thank you so much!!!

"Mom, I forgot to tell you. I have to go to..."
"Did you know that George Washington was six foot three and over two hundred pounds?"
"Daniel, Stephanie was talking; you have to wait your turn."
"I have to go to the sto..."
"They would send him to negotiate with the French during the French and Indian War because he was so intimidating and..."
"Daniel, you have to learn to wait your turn."
That's Daniel for you. He is my autistic fourteen year old brother. Understanding and accepting what autistic means has been one of the most challenging things I have ever done. We had always known that Daniel was different from other kids, but it wasn't until he was about ten that we discovered he had Asperger's Syndrome. Daniel's Asperger's completely flipped our lives upside down. We had to learn to get rid of certain habits we had in our home. We had to make time for weekly therapy and psychologist visits. But the hardest thing we had to do is learn how he thinks and how to deal with certain situations. I honestly don't think I would have ever been able to do this without my experience of volunteering at his equine therapy center. The involvement gave me something I don't think I could have learned from any book or website, an appreciation for not only Daniel's autism but every other rider at the center. I met kids just like Daniel and it helped me understand what made him not different but "special" and so precious. After four years working with the autistic kids, Mr. Mike, and Mrs. Dianne, I feel as if the Daniel I know now is a completely different person. They taught me so many things about Daniel that I never noticed before we knew he had autism. So many things clicked as I talked with Dianne about Daniel's Asperger's, everything made sense- his habits, mood swings, characteristics. As my thirst for knowledge about autism grew, Mr. Mike explained to me that I would learn so much more if I would come and meet the kids and volunteer as a side-walker. I have to admit I was reluctant to accept but I did, and it is one of the best decisions I have ever made.

When I began working at the center, I was a tad nervous to be working with the more severe autistic kids; Damian, CJ, and Evilio. Like so many other people, I really just didn't know what to do or how to act around the bunch. Simply put, they were different. I was unsure if I should talk to them, or if they would even understand me if I did. I didn't know what to do if they started pulling my hair, like I had seen them do to other side-walkers. Do I say "no"? Do they know what "no" means? The first few times of volunteering were like that. But Mr. Mike was great explaining to me which kids understood more and which understood less. Soon enough I knew all the perks and peeves about all the kids. Never wear sunglasses or hats with Damian, he likes to steal them. When Damian makes noises and does hand motions, he wants me to mimic him. Evilio understands more; he like to grab the reigns and tell Dream (the horse) what to do. Hold onto CJ lightly on the foot he doesn't like to be touched on the leg. CJ doesn't have good balance so I always keep a sharp eye on him. After about two months of volunteering I felt like I had known the boys for years. I wasn't nervous about going there. Quite the contrary, I absolutely loved it and couldn't wait for Saturday morning to roll around again. I understood these kids, I could tell what they wanted and I could tell when they were happy or upset. I saw the pure innocence in them, how the simplest things filled them with joy. The transformation that I saw from twelve year old Evilio as he mounted the horse was amazing. He literally squealed with delight, his cries of laughter bellowed though the field as he circled the ring. The sound of his loud voice screaming "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Look Mommy," always brings a smile to my face. I'm so grateful that I have had the pleasure of working with kids like Evilio.

And it's something that I hope to do in the future. I have always known that I wanted to be a doctor and I wanted to specialize in some field, but I just never had any clue what to specialize in. Working at the equine therapy center these past few years had made me sincerely want to continue my work with autistic kids and specialize in neurological and developmental services. One day, I hope to acquire a position at the Miami Children's Hospital Dan Marino's Outpatient Center which assists kids with autism and cognitive disorders from all over the world. It seems like the perfect place for me and I hope one day I can be a part of their amazing outreach.

Scholarship / SHORT/LONG TERM GOALS INFLUENCED BY HISPANIC HERITAGE. [NEW]

4. Goals Influenced by Hispanic Heritage: *
Tell us about your academic/career short-term and long-term goals.
How has your Hispanic heritage influenced these goals? *
Please answer this essay question (400 to 600 words).

I'm not too sure how great this is but I really need a lot of scholarships if I'm going to go to my dream college so please tell me if it's not winning material so I can revise it. Thanks!

My father and I arrived to the run down trailer park, Casa Verde, about four in the afternoon. He had come home early to assure we got a visit with el sobador that day. Already there was a line of a men sitting in front of the pink trailer. As I attempted to step down from the truck I looked down at my ankle, the swelling had increased significantly since the day before and walking was painful. When I reached the ledge where the men sat I took a sigh of relief and stretched out my leg. Quickly, I glimpsed around at the men around me. In particular I noticed the man beside me whose knee was swollen nearly to the size of a softball. I grimaced imagining the pain he must have been feeling. The man clearly noticed my facial expression because he laughed and explained to me that it wasn't as bad as it looked. He further added that he had been working in construction and fallen off a scaffold. The black and purple knee was the result of him trying to land on his feet but inertia inevitably twisting his leg sideways when he made contact with the ground. I grimaced again and he simply smiled. As the time passed the line began to snake around the trailer. Since I was in front of the line I could only guess there were about fifteen people anxiously waiting for medical attention. Finally, el sobador arrived from work. Soon it was my turn, the man was so kind. He gently explained to me he was going to twist my ankle back into place and wrap it up to reduce the swelling. After he was done he patted me on the back and my father asked him how much it would be. El sobador responded "lo que tu me puedes dar amigo." (What you can afford my friend.)

The scene I witnessed after we rolled out of the community is one I never have forgotten and never will forget. The line of injured people didn't end at the man's driveway. It ended two houses down; there must have been thirty to forty people all waiting for el sobador. I was astounded. My dad explained to me that many of the people waiting were very poor and they had no money to see a legitimate doctor. He explained that el sobador tried to help these people by giving them treatments that he learned from his village in Mexico but sometimes the people would come with injuries he simply could not cure. His noble actions of taking in the sick and poor and healing them in the best of his ability to me seemed the most inspirational thing I had ever seen. He was a poor man. He lived in a small house with a large family and yet he opened his home to people who suffered after all the work he had done. I want to someday have the ability to provide medical care to those who need it, not only in America but in the world. There are so many people who die because they don't have proper medical assistance. In the future, I plan to visit many third world countries and help in any way I can, with my medical education. To achieve this goal, I plan to work hard and attend the University of Miami. My goal is to major in Biology on the pre-health track at the top of my class. After earning my bachelors degree I plan to continue my education in the University of Miami School of Medicine. And one day I hope to be as great a hero as el sobador .