The idea of “Just One More” intrigues me. I have always been driven, motivated, and purposeful, but I have not labeled these characteristics as “Just One More. “ My soul feels the connection. I see possibilities in the world. I ask the question “why” instead of “why not,” and choose to see through the lens of “I can.” I want my days to be full and those around me to be better because they know me.
As I reflect on Jake’s life and legacy, I love the characteristics he modeled - the outdoors - art - creativity - entrepreneurship. He made an incredible impact on others, and I am inspired to continue the “Just One More” legacy.
Without knowing, I have actively engaged in “Just One More” footprint including academics, sports, outdoors, gathering people, and entrepreneurship. I would like to focus on three: running, gathering others, and entrepreneurship.
First, I am always game for one more run. I have been running since second grade starting for fun with my family, then becoming more disciplined in eighth grade joining the high school track team. Since then, I have improved my 5k time from a 21:20 to a 16:39, placed second in the state in the 4x800 and won the Louisville 10k. Most importantly, I have found a sport that I love, gained lifelong friendships, discipline, perseverance, and passion.
Not only has running been a “Just One More” experience, but gathering people has become a passion. Our modest home has been a hub for multiple communities - college kids my mom has mentored, family gatherings, and bible studies, And my parents have taught me to continue this legacy. Beyond our home this passion continues whether through gathering teams for pickleball matches, inviting others to my local church youth group or connecting teammates for mutual encouragement. I know what it feels like to want community, so I intentionally bring it wherever I go. How we treat others may be one of the most important legacies we leave.
Finally, I understand “Just One More” in entrepreneurship. I want to own my own business one day. I started small with owning my own dog sitting business but have bigger dreams. I love the opportunity to create. I want to go into engineering - not for the field of engineering itself but for problem solving and lifelong creativity. In my current engineering class we are creating a product that could revolutionize relay timing and it brings me joy to innovate in the running world I love.
Life is a gift. Day by day, friend by friend, opportunity by opportunity is meant to be experienced and valued. I recognize the moments in front of me and want to value each one of them whether it be a daily run, gathering of those around me or by creating in an area I am passionate about. I love the idea of “Just One More.” It gives me a mindset to make the most of the experiences in front of me daily and face them with love, excitement and excellence.
I want to start by saying reading about Jake's interests and personality created a moment of shock for myself. I grew up with a fascination of the wilderness and the means to survive off the land, spending many hours in hammocks and kayaks in Kentucky's wilderness. Furthermore, I also have had a fascination of entrepreneurship and fiscal self-reliance - and sneakers.
I grew up in the back of my fathers restaurant, my grandmothers hair salon and my mom's art studio. My family of small business entrepreneurs passed along their philosophy of working for themselves and creating something bigger to me, which I have practiced before I knew what entrepreneurship was. During my time at Meyzeek Middle School, my interest into streetwear fashion and memorabilia outgrew the financial capabilities of me or my family. It was then I practiced what I saw my family do my entire life; hustle and create opportunities to afford my interests. I started slow and small, often times losing money, but slowly learning the game of sneaker reselling and entrepreneurship. Over the three years of middle school, I sold as many sneakers, t-shirts, and stickers as I could and often times did sneaker cleanings and restorations. At the end of my 8th grade year, Covid-19 shut down America, leaving me with infinite time to grow and perfect my business. I went from maybe a couple hundred dollars in sales over a few month period, to growing to six figures in revenue over the course of the shutdown. The entrepreneurship journey taught me more than anything else in my life, and it came with plenty of ups and downs that matured me and gave me a level of wisdom that many of my peers do not have. Looking back, this entrepreneurial endeavor was the single most important thing I have done, and has benefited me in a complex and multifaceted way. Not only did it teach me about business and finances, but it honed and defined much of my philosophical ideas, especially surrounding money and what it means to be a good and honest person. Due to my fascination and small business venture, I ended up being accepted into the Governor's School for Entrepreneurs (GSE), where I stayed on NKU's campus for three weeks learning how to be a better entrepreneur and building a business to present to a group of judges. This was also a defining moment in my life, as the hard work and success was being recognized for the first time outside of my family. It was an incredibly validating experience, filled with once in a life time learning moments, most importantly being comfortable with "failing without fear."
The most important philosophical idea defined by my entrepreneurship was the need to help others. I plan graduating college with a nursing degree, then sometime in my future becoming a Nurse Practitioner. Becoming an NP would allow me to open my own practice and run my own healthcare business, something that I am very interested in doing. I believe through the route of nursing I can fulfill my need to help others while simultaneously practicing entrepreneurship. I have no doubt in my mind Jake and I would've been friends, and maybe we have even crossed paths at a sneaker event or over our instagram businesses. I will keep him in my thoughts, and I want to thank you for reading my submitted application.
My first memorable photo captured a black widow spider grasping an off-white egg sack in my backyard. The warm spring breeze carried my father’s words as he warned me to be careful, reiterating the dangers of the spider. As I promised him I would, I sprinted inside to retrieve my camera, a recent gift. Shortly after, I was crouched down next to the black widow, camera in hand. Messing with the focus on the camera, the shutter clicked away, and I captured not only the spider but the beginning of my photography journey.
This was the first photo I was truly proud of and looking back, I am happy with how far I have come and the growth that has taken place within the past few years. Now, I would describe myself as a passionate individual who is interested in growing and expanding my photography abilities. The number of opportunities photography has opened up for me is indescribable. I have entered numerous competitions, applied for leadership positions, and I have become more confident in myself. Photography is more than a mere art form for me, it is a way to creatively express my passions and ideas. Over the span of multiple years, I have been able to connect with the world around me on an interpersonal level. Revealing the layers of my surroundings, I have been able to discover concepts that previously remained beneath the surface. Forming better relationships with friends, exploring new places, and experiencing different cultures have all been prevalent themes throughout my photos.
Since the original spark which fueled my interest, photography has become more than a hobby. I often bring my camera to any event I attend because it has become such a major part of my life. I want to capture the pure, raw emotion of those around me and the natural state of the earth which surrounds me. My main goal is to have the image my camera captures be as candid as possible because it allows the viewer to view themselves as a part of the photo. To me, photography is a way to convey emotions and my ultimate goal as a photographer is to accurately and extensively capture the true essence of any situation: the peace of nature, the energy at a Friday night football game, or the beauty of an elk in its natural habitat. Each of these scenes has one thing in common, they are uninterrupted by the photographer and display the reality of the situation.
In the coming years, I plan to continue taking photos to document my life. In college, I aim to become more involved in media opportunities within my community and my school. Being able to share my passion is crucial to my development as a photographer because others can provide me with changes and interpretations of my work I would not have otherwise thought of. Growth is the most important part of being a photographer because there is always room for it. Through reflecting on past pieces and imagining future ones, I have begun to put together a vision of what I would like my photography to evolve into. I want to continue to offer different perspectives of the world that everyone plays a part in while connecting people through a singular photograph.
I started my auto detailing business in July of 2021 at the age of 17. Previously, I had worked as a Clicklist Clerk at Kroger and an assistant in a hardscaping business. While I enjoyed my time at both of these jobs, I also learned the importance of thinking outside of the box. I thought of these jobs as a starting point but I wanted to invest my money in something bigger and better. I wanted something different for myself. Covid taught me a lot about needs so in reflecting on starting a business, I took into consideration what people needed AND wanted. I decided that people's cars are very important to them from both perspectives. After some research, I decided to launch a mobile auto detailing business. It immediately took off. My only source of advertising at that point was the NextDoor app. As I began to get swarmed with business, I needed help. I reached out to a close friend, Peyton Coffey, and offered the opportunity to form a partnership. Peyton had his own pressure washing business at the time which I thought might be useful for the business. The pressure washing made us much more efficient. At this point, S&P Mobile Detailing was born. While this cut down on my own profit, I knew that in the long run, it would serve us better. After Peyton and I gained headway in the east end of Louisville with are business, we began to expand. I purchased a truck with a large bed and topper to hold our existing gear. With the extra space in mind, we invested in a sandwich board sign with our newly created logo, pictures, and phone number. We researched SEO and worked to establish a website, QR code, online scheduling and a social media presence. We met with an attorney who helped us understand some basic rules of business, including liabilities and various financial pieces. Our business continues to grow and we have recently started taking on boats. This is an area that we hope to advance. I greatly enjoy our business. I like seeing the end result when we work on a filthy car or boat. Working with people and talking to them is a bonus. I look forward to their stories. I think about that this was a thought a year ago and now we have a successful business. I am hopeful that as we move onto college, we will be able to continue our business on weekends and in the summers. I plan on majoring in Business and Accounting to assist in our current business as well as my future entrepreneurial endeavors.
