Seizing Opportunities

My journey of resiliance

Hello, my name is Elizabeth, and I am delighted to have the opportunity to share some pivotal moments that got me where I am today.

There is a moment of self-reflection where we often find ourselves standing at the intersection of who we were, who we are, and who we aspire to become. What we could have done differently and the outcomes that would result from it. As I develop as a person, athlete, and student, I am in this moment frequently.

My story begins in North Carolina where I was born and raised. I was like a little mermaid. There was always a generous amount of sand in my hair, always kissed by the sun, and would spend every moment possible on the beach. It was truly my playground. 

Worries didn’t even attempt to cross my mind. Just me and nature.

However, when I turned six, my perspective of reality would shift abruptly.

As I was patiently waiting for my mother to pump gas while sitting in the back seat, I began having a seizure. During the conscious amidst chaotic neurological misfires, I stayed calm until my mom returned. Shortly after, I was diagnosed with childhood epilepsy, meaning it would fade when I began puberty.

Roughly a year later, the seizures stopped and my family and I could finally rest easy knowing I was not affected by a neurological disorder anymore.

At 14, I got another opportunity to be resilient. I had a sudden tonic-clonic seizure one morning that caught my whole family off guard. We held to the hope that it was because of a non-epileptic source, however, that would not be the case. 

I continued having convulsive seizures for the following months. I was then diagnosed with Generalized Epilepsy.

This obstacle made me dependent on my family because of the unconscious loss of control during seizures that could and did put me in vulnerable positions of danger.

However, with the unconditional support from my family and the fact that I was six feet in middle school, I started playing volleyball.

I fell in love with volleyball. I felt a sense of equality among my peers. Everyone was the same, just developing in the sport. I found immense confort knowing that I was not labeled as someone with a seizure disorder, but rather a volleyball player. I even began playing sand volleyball to fulfill my love for the beach environment.

I continued playing throughout middle and high school, with the idea of going to college creeping closer and closer in my mind.

Parting with my family for several years was off the table. I made my circle of options for schools within 30 minutes of my home in fear that I would have another seizure. I had a sense that out of fear of witnessing a seizure, I would be abandoned by the people around me.

In August of 2021, I got an email from a college coach asking to arrange a Zoom meeting to discuss possible recruitment. I took the call as “practice” for future business opportunities because the school was UAF. I specifically remember telling my mother “I just want to let you know that a coach from Alaska reached out to me for recruitment. I am not going, I just took the call for networking.”

After several follow-up discussions with the coaching staff and anxious support from my parents, I started encouraging the idea of moving up here for the next four years. So I accepted the offer and began preparing for Alaska life. 

I would be mendacious to say that my family and I were stress-free while navigating this new step, but I can say with confidence that I was fully prepared to take on this journey, to strengthen my independence, and leap out of my comfort zone.

Today, as I look back three years to the decision I made to move across the country alone to pursue collegiate volleyball, it was the best decision I have ever made.

Not only have I created many different networks and met new individuals that would positively impact me, but I get to experience this beautiful state and all of its unique aspects. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I made the right decision in coming up here.

Our team has been fortunate enough to travel all over the United States as well as Canada, Hawaii, and Costa Rica for volleyball. I value the relationships I have built, the cultures I have explored, and the diverse experiences that come with living in Alaska.

As for the future, I will continue my academic career here at UAF by attending graduate school next semester for Clinical Mental Health Counseling.

My aim in pursuing higher education is to explore the intricacies of mental health with dedication to understanding, supporting, and advocating for individuals navigating the complexities of their minds. Graduate school will not only provide me with essential theoretical knowledge but also offer practical experiences crucial for further developing my counseling skills.

I reminisce about the day that I get to welcome clients into my own practice with my Ph.D. certificate framed and hanging on the wall.