The Science Behind the Purpose by Madison

The Science Behind the Purpose by Madison - July 2026 Scholarship Essay

The class that challenged everything I thought I knew about learning became the class that taught me how to truly understand.

Throughout high school, science was a subject I performed well in, but it was never one I enjoyed. Even though I earned some of the highest grades in my classes, I never felt immersed in the material. To me, science was just another requirement to complete rather than something I saw as meaningful or connected to my future.

That perspective changed when I entered college and enrolled in my first university level biology course. Pre-college applications, I wouldn’t have guessed that I had thoughts about pursuing a STEM related field. As a collegiate athlete, I always knew I wanted to work in sports, but physical therapy never crossed my mind until I toured a school recognized for its program. In order to see if this was something I actually wanted, I needed to take the prerequisite courses for it.

After only a few weeks into class, I quickly came to the realization that college level biology was unlike anything I experienced before. I needed to understand complex relationships between systems, analyze why processes occurred, and apply concepts to real-world situations. Throughout my academic career, I was a successful student, relying on study methods that worked well for me. I was a flashcard learner, note-taker, and someone who could memorize textbook definitions. However, biology challenged me because memorization alone was no longer enough.

From someone who had been a straight-A student throughout the entirety of their academic career thus far, this disconnect was difficult to accept. Even after trying multiple different studying methods recommended by my peers and professor and dedicating significantly more time than I ever had before, I still struggled to see the results I expected. I began preparing for exams weeks in advance rather than relying on my typical review the night before, spent hours rewriting notes, created countless flashcards, and reviewed the textbook repeatedly. Yet, when I entered the exam room, I quickly realized that my preparation had not prepared me for what was to come.

I know most people would say that earning a B+ in a college level course is great and would never consider someone with that grade to be “struggling” in the course. For me, this was a huge discouragement which ultimately led me to letting go of the physical therapy idea and instead, declared my major as Sports Management the following semester. I assumed that because I didn’t enjoy science and found the course challenging, I was not meant for a career that depended on it.

However, once again, my perspective changed on this once again after just recently suffering from an injury. Suddenly, the concepts I had struggled to appreciate in the classroom became directly connected to my own life. I found myself in and out of physical therapy clinics, no longer learning about the human body from a textbook, but experiencing firsthand how that knowledge could be used to help someone recover. I began to understand how my body worked, the mechanisms that allowed me to move, why certain movements were restricted, and the biological processes involved in recovery. All of which were concepts I once struggled to relate to. Throughout my recovery and even to this day, I have been learning all types of information from this experience that strengthened my critical thinking skills because it taught me to look beyond the difficulty of a subject and understand its purpose. I’ve even discussed with my therapist about what it really takes to enter into this career. They had shared with me the highs and the lows and were completely transparent and honest with me about everything. I realized that the true purpose of sitting through all of the rigorous academic courses is to be able to apply that knowledge to help people. Whether it is to help someone return to playing a sport like myself, regain abilities they thought they had lost, or rebuild their confidence in their bodies, that is the most rewarding part of it all.

Seeing the impact they had on my recovery changed the way I viewed the science behind physical therapy. I realize now that struggling with a concept does not mean I am incapable of mastering it. It means I need to approach it differently. Now, as I prepare to enter my sophomore year of college, I find myself reconsidering the path I once walked away from. Although I recognize that I may feel behind compared to others who have followed this route from the beginning, I have also gained something more valuable: perspective. I do not want a challenging course or a difficult semester to become the reason I give up on something that could ultimately become my purpose.
Looking back, I realize that my biggest mistake was allowing one academic challenge to define what I was capable of achieving. Instead of seeing biology as a barrier, I now see it as an opportunity to grow. The true lesson biology taught me was not about scientific concepts. It taught me that goals are not always reached through the easiest path. Sometimes the challenges that frustrate us the most are the ones that reveal the areas where we have the greatest potential to grow.