Why Did My Body React That Way? by Olivia

Why Did My Body React That Way? by Olivia - February 2025 Scholarship Essay

Why did my body react the way it did when I fell at practice? This question sparked my intellectual curiosity while I was being treated by a sports medicine physician. I became interested in knowing how and why my body reacts when it’s under certain circumstances and what medication or remedies would help relieve the pain I was feeling. After a while, my visit to this doctor blew over and I didn’t think about it again. However, at the end of my junior year in high school, I needed to start thinking about what I wanted to study and what career path I wanted to follow. Due to this event and doing lots of research, I have decided to take on a career path of becoming a certified athletic trainer and studying kinesiology in college.

Almost 3 years ago, I fell at my figure skating practice and fell right on my tailbone, which caused me to become dizzy and feel a little bit nauseous for a few minutes. Then, it went away, so I continued practicing. Later that night, though, I started having a migraine that lasted for more than 4 days, so I talked to my athletic trainer. She ran some tests and told me to go to urgent care right after practice that day. I did, and long story short, I went to several doctor’s appointments with my pediatrician and ended up having migraine for a little over 3 weeks. My parents then decided to take me to a sports medicine physician, and they gave me some steroids, to which I was then healed.

This whole experience was lengthy yet captivating and left me with a spark of interest in sports medicine. As I said, I didn’t think about it again after the situation passed, but it wasn’t over yet. About a year ago, I had to start thinking about college and what I wanted to study. So, I did some thinking and lots of aptitude tests and came up with a plan. I decided to job shadow my athletic trainer to see what her typical day looks like and to see if I would be interested in that lifestyle. I scheduled a time to go watch her, and I brought some questions with me to get an in-depth understanding of what she does. I came to her office and watched her twice, and I could picture myself doing what she did both times I went to watch her.

Becoming an athletic trainer is difficult, but I am fascinated by how the body works, and I am determined to learn and develop skills to pursue the knowledge of how the human body operates. I chose kinesiology because if I decide not to follow through on becoming an athletic trainer, there are many other job options that require a bachelor of kinesiology degree, and I would still be able to find a job. As of right now, I want to become a college football athletic trainer and personal trainer outside of working with the National Collegiate Athletic Association. It will take me around 5-10 years to reach my goal, and I plan on staying determined and persevering through rough challenges to get there.

My experience with doctor appointments and job shadowing has sparked an interest in expanding my intellectual knowledge. If it wasn’t for the concussion I had or my athletic trainer, I wouldn’t be writing an essay on how they inspired my educational career. It was tough for me to find something that I was not only interested in but also something I would like to study in college, so I am thankful for the events that led me to where I am today. Looking ahead, I am excited to see what’s to come and to explore new ideas for all the athletic trainers out there. I’m confident that I will succeed in reaching my goals in higher education.