Leading Through Losing by Reagan

Leading Through Losing by Reagan - January 2026 Scholarship Essay

I used to think my proudest moment would be winning the soccer conference championship during my junior year of college. I had chased that dream since I was six, believing discipline guaranteed results. But I discovered my greatest strength in a quiet preseason practice with no coach on the sideline and no one coming to lead us.

Two weeks before my senior year, our head coach left. Several key players did not return. As usual, we gathered in August to start preparing for the season. I was a captain on the team, and as my teammates looked to me for guidance, I realized I did not know what to do.

I pulled a practice plan from last season, and started anyway. "Possession first," I said, louder than I felt. "Talk early. Reset fast." It was not perfect. I was not pretending to be a coach. I was trying to give us something steadier than panic. As the team began to move, I realized I had to find strength from within. I could create stability for others even while searching for it myself.
Our new coach arrived a few days before our first game. Then the season started, and losing began to test our strength. We struggled to score. The bus rides grew quieter. After one shutout, a teammate snapped at another over a missed run, and the argument escalated too quickly, fueled by fear more than anger. In that moment, I recognized the temptation in all of us to protect ourselves from disappointment by pushing someone else away.

That night, I wrote down what I wished someone would say to us, not a speech about winning, but a way forward. At the next practice, I asked everyone to circle up. "I can't promise a turnaround," I said. "But I can promise this: if we stop trusting each other, the season is over in more ways than the record. We can't control what has changed. We can control how we respond to it." I opened the floor for discussion after that. A freshman admitted she was afraid to make mistakes. A senior said she felt like she had to carry everyone alone. As teammates spoke, the tension finally had somewhere to go. I learned to hold space for honest frustration without letting it turn into hopelessness.
Our record never became what we wanted, but our identity did. We met with our new coach to close the gap between expectations and reality. We watched game film to ask better questions rather than assign fault. We focused on controllables: communication after mistakes, effort when confidence dipped, and supporting each other through doubt. When we huddled before free kicks, I started calling out specific strengths. I wanted to remind us what we still had. In our final game, we played with pride and finally won. It did not erase the season. It redeemed it.

This season shaped the kind of leader I choose to be off the field. I learned what leadership looks like, not just from leading, but from receiving it. In New Mexico, my math teacher, Mr. Barba, saw potential in me that I couldn't see. He urged me to apply to a highly ranked private school I assumed was out of reach, helped me prepare for entrance exams, and guided my family through the financial aid process. I was accepted with a scholarship, and my trajectory changed because someone made an opportunity reachable. He showed me that authentic leadership means creating pathways for others.

Now, as a first-year medical student, I pay that forward as the first in my family to be a doctor. Currently, I serve as a mentor for first-generation students navigating the path I once did. Over the course of a full year, I mentor five pre-medical students through monthly meetings. Together, we create timelines for coursework, summer programs, and MCAT preparation, and I assist them in navigating financial resources, such as the AAMC Fee Assistance Program. I also prioritize wellness check-ins because this path can be demanding. In this cycle, two of my mentees were accepted into medical school. Another completed the same summer internship program that expanded my own path. Several also reached their target MCAT scores on the first attempt after we built structured study plans and accountability routines, reinforcing my commitment to expanding opportunity and representation in medicine. Eventually, I want to establish a nonprofit that supports first-generation students in higher education, providing structured support and financial resources.
I recognize the same dynamic I saw on the field in medicine: patients facing uncertainty need more than technical answers. They need someone who can create stability in chaos, who helps them see a path forward when options feel overwhelming.

My long-term goal is to open a clinic in an underserved community where healthcare extends beyond the exam room. I envision a space with on-site community resources and health-focused events that bring people together. Winning taught me what achievement feels like. Losing taught me what leadership looks like. I will always carry the strength I discovered that day on an empty practice field.