I began my senior project over a year ago, but I had a completely different plan. My original plan was to reach others through dance! I was going to hold 2 dance mini-camps for K4-5th grade, 2 clinics for 6-12 grade, and choreograph several pieces! The goal of all of this was to get experience in teaching dance because I was planning to go to USC as a dance education major. I was really excited about it but God had a bigger plan for my senior project and career!
Now I have a new senior project that still incorporates dance! The goal of my new senior project is to raise awareness and funds for research for my conditions (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Chiari Malformation, and Tethered Spinal Cord). I started working on this last year in helping the Napier family with the Zebra Run. It was a 5K Run/Walk to raise awareness and money for their family to go towards their medical bills. I will continue to work with the Zebra Run again this year.
I am also in the process of starting a chapter of the Chiari and Syringomyelia Foundation for North and South Carolina. This will be a major part of my senior project. I am also setting up speaking engagements with this foundation. I already have one scheduled for October 13 in Bethesda, MD. Dr. Henderson has asked me to speak about my medical journey at a meeting of his local CSF chapter. He has also asked me to help him with many other projects that I will explain more about when I have more details on them! One of the "projects" I have already completed for him was an interview for an article that Doctors Community Hospital (hospital where I had my surgeries) is doing on me. The article will be finished shortly and I will post it here when it is!
In addition to working with my conditions, I plan to continue working with dance! Mrs. Howard has agreed to allow me to choreograph at least one piece for the Spring and Winter Concerts! I am very excited about this too, because I am now able to participate in dance class and can demonstrate my choreography! I am also brainstorming other ideas of how to connect dance and my conditions. I have talked with Sarah about working together on choreographing a group to take to hospitals to work with children and show them that despite their illness, they can dance in some way!
As far as mentors go, I have 2! Since I have 2 parts to my senior project and will have worked on it for 2 years, it made sense that I should have 2 mentors! My mentor last year was Mrs. Howard and she will help me with the dance aspect of my project! My second mentor is Dr. Henderson! He so graciously agreed to help me with this and we are both so excited!
The next step is to start setting up more fundraisers so we can start having CSF meetings. If you have any ideas for me I would greatly appreciate them!
