I have become quite accustomed to the word adversity over my 18 years of life. I was born missing two-thirds of my left leg, which is known in the medical community as Proximal Femoral Focal Deficiency (PFFD) which is a complex birth defect in which the upper part of the femur bone is either malformerd or missing. If this doesn’t sound epic enough, my tibia didn’t lengthen to the normal size either.
Having this physical disability has affected me in positive and negative ways. I have always walked and ran differently than others, been perceived as less physically functional, and been underestimated in my performance abilities. At times, I struggled with body image and insecurities about myself, but the most difficult thing was that I often felt alone as an amputee.
Spending time with other amputees outside of my everyday life created a source of comfort and security. I’ve been attending a camp-no-limits, which is a camp for kids with limb loss, since I was three years old, and now I am a mentor. Over the years, this community has shown me ways I could adapt mentally and physically; I just needed to apply them. Growing up, I always played sports with able-bodied kids, never feeling that I was disadvantaged, but I just had to work
harder and learn how to best use my skill set. I developed throwing with my left arm at a young age. This was able to enhance my balance and power throwing a football and baseball, allowing me to use my prosthetic to push off for more concentrated power. Once I began playing at higher levels of athletics, I had to learn how to use more advanced prosthetics. One of these is my running leg, which is much lighter and has more bounce. At first, it was hard to control this new found speed as well as my lateral movements. After years of practice, I have now grown to be able to use it for every single sport.
Adapting also occurred for me academically. In elementary school, I struggled in some subjects with focus and retention. In middle school, I got tired of feeling like I wasn’t gaining anything from my experiences in the classroom, and I began applying the habits and skills in academics the same way I did in sports. This meant trying new strategies that took me out of my comfort zone and repeating them again and again. For math and the sciences, it was memorizing every function that would be on the next quiz or test. For Mandarin, English, and History, reading through the text multiple times allowed me to retain key details. For prior essays, tests, and quizzes, noticing how each teacher graded these allowed for an advantage of a higher grade. These strategies took me from a mediocre student, to a student who takes multiple APs and honors classes, where my grades arn’t half bad.
The next chapter of my life in college will involve a lot of personal growth and evolution. A part of me is scared of stepping outside of this comfort zone at Rolling Hills Prep and attending a large scale university. Some questions that are always jumping around in my head are, How big will my class sizes be, will I be able to make any friends, Am I going to have to cook on a regular bases, What if my roomate is a complete psychopath who really enjoys setting my things on fire. All of these questions would be overwhelming and intimidating had I not developed
the ability to adapt to the challenges I have experienced in my life. As a person with a disability I have many strengths, with the greatest of being able to work through extremely difficult situations. So no matter the loss, the mental struggles, and the jump from high school to college, I know I will adapt to my ever-changing environment on top. Thank you
Shoutouts:
First I would like to thank all of the teachers and staff members at RHP these past seven years. Each one of you has left a lasting impact on me, not only as a student, but as a person. I would not be in the position I’m in without you, and I greatly thank you for all the support you have given me.
Next is the class of 2023. We have been through a lot these past couple of years, but we all made it out of those dark times and are all standing here today. You all have left a lasting impression on me, and I appreciated the great friendships and the great times. I am gonna miss every single one of you next year, but I know with past experiences that all of you will do great things in college and in the rest of your lives.
I would also like to thank the basketball, football, baseball, and cross country teams.
Thank you for all the memoires, the moments of glory as well as the moments of hardship.
Being apart of these teams has made me a better man, and I’m grateful that I can call all of you my teammates.
I would also like to thank Coach Kitani, Coach Sereno, and Mr. Spencer, for beleiving in me and supporting me to be more successful than I have ever imagined in my athletic endeavors.
You all saw me for my ability, and not my disability, and I sincerally appreciate it. I want to thank my grandparent and my extended family members who couldn’t be here today, but are always cheering me on from across sate lines. I can’t wait to throw snowballs at you soon.
I also want to thank my one and only sibling, my sister Tori. She has always been my biggest cheerleader and is the kindest and funniest person I know. She is a ferocious protector of her little brother, and I am grateful to have her in my life. I would also like my brother in law Brennan, for being being the best older brother I never knew I wanted. And a special thanks goes out to my nephew Rowen. You have been a continued source of light and joy for me and my family. I can’t wait to see the person you will grow into, as well as I am looking forward to when we can play catch for the first time.
Now, my Mom and Dad:
Mom, you are the strongest, funniest, and most hard working person I have ever known. Each day seeing what you do inspires me, from starting work in the early parts of morning, to sometimes getting home at 8 o clock at night. At the same time you are running a successful business, as well as dealing with me and dad, which can sometimes be a difficult task. I can only hope that I can accomplish as much as you have in such a short amount of time. I love your cynical humor, your “tips” for how I should drive, and our car rides home from your office, listening to both of our favorite bands and enjoying each others company. The fondest memory of my life was our week long movie marathon, where we were both to sick to move. I enjoyed watching the whole harry potter series with you, as well as you torturing me by making me watch all of the twilight movies. In both the good and the bad days, you have given me more love and support than I could have ever asked for. I love you more than words can express, and I couldn’t think of a person that I would rather call my mom.
Dad. You have been my coach, my biggest cheerleader, and my greatest friend. The greatest memories of my life have been with you, whether it be us celebrating on the sidelines after one of our championship games, to watching Humphrey Bogart and Edward G. Robinson movies together, and screaming bloody murder on the couch watching our Utes play. Everyday I think about how lucky I am to have you in my life. You are the kindest and most gentile human being on this planet, and have always been right by my side no matter what. You have taught me almost everything I know today, with you and mom making me the man I am today. I hope that I have made you and mom proud, and I hope I can continue to do so. Most kids have a favorite superhero, whether it be Superman, Batman, etc.. For me, you have been my superhero dad, and will always continue to be. I am going to miss both of you so much in college, I know I will only be a short drive or a phone call away, but I am going to miss you guys every second. Love you.