Though the spring sun shone brightly through the glistening classroom windows, a hurricane silently roared through my unsuspecting brain, a whirlwind of lost time, space, and reason. My classmates shuffled out of our chemistry class, giggling at the strange shadow in my seat, as I sat frozen, staring at the table, unable to move or speak. Thoughts spiraled around me, just out of reach, as the 86 billion neurons in my brain fired synchronously. As the electrical storm subsided, my brain clung desperately to a single coherent thought, and my trembling hands began to float over the numbers in my phone. “Mom, help me! I don’t know where I am,” I pleaded. The dismissal bell on March 7, 2024, while trivial and routine, marked an event so monumental for me that it split my life into a “before” and “after”. The changes that the seizure heralded led to a paradigm shift in how I view myself and others, and how I live my life.

A week later, I was diagnosed with a rare form of epilepsy. The storm’s wrath blocked the life path I had been traveling unhindered. In my “before,” I was a charmed child, merrily strolling along with blue skies ahead. Everything came easily for me, as I excelled in school, debate, football, and DECA with seeming effortlessness. I envisioned graduating at the top of my class, attending a prestigious university, and pursuing a career in finance. I was, perhaps, overly confident in who I was and where I was going, and had little understanding of, nor empathy for, those who were not born with the privileges I took for granted. The “after” Blake is a profoundly and fundamentally different person.

Twenty months post-diagnosis, my epilepsy remains uncontrolled. Despite numerous trials with high-dose medications, the storm of seizures rages on. The side effects of 17 daily pills have led to hair loss, tremors, and a significant slowing of my brain. For “after” Blake, nothing comes easily. My grades are no longer perfect; my test scores are not as high as I would have expected; my shaky hands drop footballs that “before” Blake never would have missed. I had begun to doubt my ability to accomplish what I hoped for in my life, wondering if my goals in the “after” were too lofty to attain. With time, I have come to realize that the pathway to achieve them is simply longer and harder. Rather than abandoning my dreams, I have doubled down on them. I had to learn what it means to dedicate the time and energy needed to achieve what you want in life, the principle of hard work in the face of adversity. I learned both humility and empathy, gaining an appreciation for the gifts I was given, and seeking to recognize the varying strengths and struggles of others. The “after” Blake began tutoring middle school students who are having difficulties in their classes. The experience has been both humbling and rewarding, and I find that I am proud of who “after” Blake has become.

Despite the longer, more arduous journey ahead, I continue to pursue my goal of working tirelessly toward my dream career in investment banking by attending the best college that I can., where I will work tirelessly toward my dream career in investment banking. I am eager and ready to forge my own path, and nothing would make me more proud than to join some form of an elite legacy. The storms I have weathered have equipped me for this next stage of life. With my passion for learning, combined with my newfound work ethic and compassion for others, I am poised to achieve my personal goals while bringing brighter, sunnier days for my fellow students and beyond.

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