Gabrielle Avila

Leadership qualities can be essential for success in life. As a student, I often heard, Be a leader, never a follower. I believe the choices I have made thus far have prepared me for the challenges of university life. Throughout high school, I established a strong work ethic, successfully serving my student body with prominent positions, excelled in school athletics, and challenged myself in the classroom with rigorous coursework. My experience has taught me to lead by example. As captain of the softball team, I encouraged others to stay focused, positive and believe in themselves. In many ways, a softball game is a metaphor for life as sometimes when its your turn at bat, life pitches you a curve ball. On some occasions, you strike out. With perseverance, you continue to step up to the plate, and its not long before you hit and get in play. With continued effort, you hit a homerun! I always kept a positive outlook, brought my team together and encouraged them to leave everything we had on that softball field. As captain, I believe that was my responsibility. My responsibilities as a leader continued off the field as well with my involvement in student body government. Previously as Junior class president and currently as the Associated Student Body Vice President, I continue to hold responsibilities of planning and executing school functions, including the Senior Prom festivities, homecoming events, multiple rallies, and a multitude of other functions. Ive taken advantage of the opportunity to interact and improve my interpersonal communication skills with not only other classmates, but adults on and off campus. Furthermore, I believe that a leader must continuously perform self-assessments and be receptive of feedback, as I have discovered that the success of my events and other endeavors directly correlates to the dedication and effort I put forward. The spring semester of my junior year was a memorable time, with a strenuous course load including AP classes, practice and games with the varsity softball team, and the responsibilities of planning and preparing for the school prom. Without a doubt, my time management skills were put to the test. Prioritizing tasks and responsibilities, delegating and collaborating with others, and a continued strong work ethic allowed me to stay on course throughout that semester and see the completion of the year. It was a complete success. Success can be measured in many ways. Ive always made academics my priority and academic standards have always been set high. I am proud to be ranked in the top ten students of my class, maintaining a 4.27 GPA. In addition, taking part in Leadership has also proved successful, as Ive continued to expand my communication skills and it has given me the opportunity to give back to my community in various ways. That is a win for all. It gives me a great sense of satisfaction to do for others and see them benefit. Volunteering to provide meals for the homeless, participating in community clean up, or volunteering at a local clinic, these experiences have taught me an appreciation for life and the importance of empathy towards others circumstances. Ive discovered how one persons simple efforts can make a difference in the lives of others. That is success. I am proud of the effort that I have put forth and the accomplishments that have come as a result.

Gabrielle Avila

I am humbled by those who support me and encourage me to be a leader.

Their petite bodies enveloped with endless amounts of tubes and machinery. Their tiny lungs struggling for every breath of air given by a respirator. The incubator sheltering their fragile frames. The struggle between life and death was an everyday occurrence for the 24 week premature twins, Anabella and Christian Zamora, and my family was there for it all. I watched through young and naive eyes as my cousins endured setback after setback and miraculous recovery after miraculous recovery. Walking into that huge hospital that housed the young and the old, and realizing the extensive amount of people that needed medical attention. My heart went out to all those people and I wished to have the opportunity to help and alleviate their pain. I have personally endured injuries and hospitalizations. I was helped every step of the way, from the removal of my appendix, to the realignment of my badly broken ankle, I want to have the opportunity to give back to my community by helping those in need. Having personal experience with the setbacks, the frustration, the pain and the struggles of rehabilitation, helped me understand the true difficulties of these uncertain times. My loved ones were affected when I was in need of medical attention, and so are the other millions of families that are enduring similar ordeals. I was intrigued by the care and support I received from every medical personnel, not only doctors and nurses, but nurses aides, administrative staff, and social services. They are the reason I am healthy and walking to this day. They gave me hope when I felt hopeless. They constantly reminded me of the importance of each step of my recovery, including the importance of tedious exercises, improved appetite, and to have a positive outlook. These experiences have influenced my view on physical functional deficits, chronic and acute medical conditions, and struggle of overcoming, managing, and rehabilitating. I am happy to say that my cousins are doing well despite such a difficult beginning including multiple surgeries, continued treatments, and management of chronic conditions. One cannot possibly understand all of the hardships until one has endured them, but I am empathetic and feel driven to be part of the medical team that can help patients and their families overcome. I realize my path to a career in the medical field will be a challenging one, but I am confident that my strong work ethic, dedication to academics, and my continued commitment to learn will allow me to succeed at the university level.