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College Application Essay
College Application Essay
1 November 2020
My growing passion for baseball began when I was six years old as playing baseball was
what I did during the springs and summers. During the summer of 2016, I played for a local
traveling baseball team. The experience was like no other as I was playing the game that I love
with some of my best friends all summer long. I felt that nothing could bring me down; and I
However, that enjoyment came to an abrupt halt when I felt numbness in my hand and
fingers that began as tightness and discomfort in my elbow when throwing. Over the next few
weeks, there was minor discomfort that lingered with spikes of more severe pain that forced me
to temporarily stop throwing. I continued to play conservatively and managed the pain until we
That appointment was the beginning of our journey to discovering and correcting the
problem. We were referred to a children’s orthopedic surgeon in Dayton who requested an MRI
and confirmed his suspicion that there was pinching of my ulnar nerve in my elbow. He
recommended surgery to transpose my ulnar nerve to create a shorter path so that it would not be
strained when throwing. I knew that it would require hard work and determination to get back to
playing the game I love, but I was ready for the challenge ahead.
The surgery occurred that fall and everything went according to plan. After an extensive
recovery process, I was back to playing baseball that very next summer. I was not at full strength
in my ability, but the surgery gave me pain-free throwing for the summer of 2017 and the spring
of 2018. Unfortunately, towards the end of that spring, I started to feel discomfort again. I played
through it because I wanted to enjoy the game I love. But as the season continued, the pain
became much worse to the point where I thought my baseball-playing days would soon be over.
The pain kept me from playing during the spring of last year, 2019.
When I was at my lowest point in terms of my arm health, I had a moment of inspiration
that made me want to do everything I could to play baseball again. The summer of last year, I
went to another orthopedic surgeon who diagnosed me with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome which
may have been the problem the entire time. He referred me to a specialist in Indianapolis who
recommended another surgery that would require part of my top rib to be removed along with
detaching a muscle in my shoulder. Knowing the difficult road ahead, I was more than
The surgery went smoothly and I quickly began my extensive physical therapy and
recovery. After putting in countless hours to regain mobility and strength, I was finally able to
throw again just this past February. I kept working towards my goal and I was able to play
baseball again this past summer for a short season due to covid-19. It is my greatest
accomplishment to come back from two surgeries on my arm to be able to play baseball once
again.
This experience affected me like nothing else in my life. The anguish that was caused by this
nagging injury is something that will shape who I am for the rest of my life. It taught me that, in
the end, everything will work out even in the darkest of times. I also had a realization of the true
power of dedication. It made me notice how powerful we can be when we have a passion for
something that we love. The people in my life are an amazing group of people to lean on in hard