My family's passion for volunteering has inspired me to get involved in my community. My dad got into being a volunteer first responder in two ways. The first was working as an EMT for a few years. Then after following another career path, he began volunteering as a firefighter leading him to get more certifications. It inspired me to see my dad working as a positive influence in our community and I wanted to take part in that task as well. I became interested in being a volunteer firefighter when I was 8 years old and represented my fire company as the ‘little fire princess’. Following my crown, I became an auxiliary member. Once I turned 14 I joined the company as a junior firefighter, and have been helping out ever since. I have been in the fire service for 4 years and have completed Mods 1, 2, and 3 leading up to my Firefighter I certification. Now that I am 18, I plan to find a Mod 4 and burn class to complete the Firefighter I class. I volunteer as a legacy to my dad and my family. He has been involved in volunteering for 20+ years. I wanted to show my family that being in the fire service is a lifelong tradition. Even if you're not running into a burning building, there is always other help that is needed in first-responder activities. I also found that I was able to make an impact in my community by helping whenever needed. I strive to be a positive impact on my community by fundraising, willing to learn and taking time out of my schedule to help others. Another way I have been motivated to volunteer is by seeing the work behind the scenes being put on by the rest of my department. They all give up countless hours of hard work and dedication to the service. They have been inspiring to see how much our company has worked to get the best equipment possible to utilize on calls. It also hits me when I see brave men and women running into a burning building, caring for injured patients, or cutting victims out of a car after an accident. To see through their eyes, they are just doing their job. But from a junior’s perspective looking in, I am in awe and disbelief to watch the amazing acts that my company can do. It is truly inspiring to see them in action. They have pushed me to better myself and to my limits, which all have helped me to be the person I am today. I am thankful for my fire company family and all that they do. They are always there for me, lending a hand, and most importantly loving unconditionally. Everyone that is a first responder in my life continues to inspire me day after day to keep going. They help me to not give up when it's hard and celebrate the victories when it’s all over. All in all, I am in the fire service to better my community, myself, and future generations.

The song that has the biggest impact in my life is The Commission by CAIN. It is a Christian song that hits home for me. It’s message is about spreading God’s word and how he sent his son to die for us. It also talks about how everyone has a place on earth as well as in heaven, as long as they believe and preach his word. I think that this song hits me the hardest because throughout middle school and my early high school years I felt lost. I didn’t know who I was or what my purpose in life was. Once I turned to God, I stumbled across this song. I immediately felt uplifted and inspired to continue with my dreams and passions. The Commission has given me the reminder that in the end, I will be where I am supposed to be because God has a plan for everyone.

As a brief description of myself: I am a determined student leader who is diverse in many clubs, activities, and life experiences. I volunteer for my fire department because I want to make a change in my community. I have had many experiences on calls where I have felt that I am in the right place. It is very intimidating at first trying to understand what you’re supposed to do as a first instinct in a time of crisis, but I have learned so much in a short amount of time. Although I am a busy student athlete who is in many clubs and activities, I make all efforts to try and help in anyway possible around the fire hall and participating in calls. I have been in the fire service for three years, and have completed Mods one, two, and three leading up to my Fire Fighter 1 certification requirements. My passion for volunteering began when I was 8 years old and represented my company as the little fire princess. Once I turn 18 in January, I plan to take Mod 4 and complete my burn evaluation. I have also taken CPR and HAZMAT Operations. With the certifications, I have also learned life skills that I see that are transferable into my every day life. All in all, I am in the fire service to better my community, myself, and the future generations. There is a need for firefighters in the service, and I have also raised awareness in my local community for the need of firefighters. My senior project that I am doing as a community service project is benefiting the fire company in attempts to promote not only the fire service as a whole, but also local businesses as well. I also volunteer as a legacy to my dad and my family. He has been a firefighter and EMT for 20+ years and I wanted to show not only him but the rest of my family that being in the fire service can be a lifelong tradition, even if you’re not running into burning buildings. A prime example of that is my sister and my mom. They are both in the auxiliary in my fire department, who are in charge of fundraisers and bringing food and water to the first responders on the scene of an accident or call. Finally, I am in the fire service and a volunteer because I want to squash the stigma that only men can be firefighters and that there is more to the fire service then putting out fires.

I volunteer for my fire department because I want to make a change in my community. I have had many experiences on calls where I have felt that I am in the right place. It is very intimidating at first trying to understand what you’re supposed to do as a first instinct in a time of crisis, but I have learned so much in a short amount of time. Although I am a busy student athlete who is in many clubs and activities, I make all efforts to try and help in anyway possible around the fire hall and participating in calls. I have been in the fire service for three years, and have completed Mods one, two, and three leading up to my Fire Fighter 1 certification requirements. I became interested in being a volunteer when I was 8 years old and represented my company as the little fire princess. Once I turn 18 in January, I plan to take Mod 4 and complete my burn evaluation. I have also taken CPR and HAZMAT Operations. With the certifications, I have also learned life skills that I see that are transferable into my every day life. All in all, I am in the fire service to better my community, myself, and the future generations. There is a need for firefighters in the service, and I have also raised awareness in my local community for the need of firefighters. My senior project that I am doing as a community service project is benefiting the fire company in attempts to promote not only the fire service as a whole, but also local businesses as well. I also volunteer as a legacy to my dad and my family. He has been a firefighter and EMT for 20+ years and I wanted to show not only him but also the rest of my family that being in the fire service can be a lifelong tradition, even if you’re not running into burning buildings. A prime example of that is my sister and my mom. They are both in the auxiliary in my fire department, who are in charge of fundraiser and bringing food/water to the first responders on the scene of an accident or call. Finally, I am in the fire service and a volunteer because I want to squash the stigma that only men can be firefighters and that there is more to the fire service then putting out fires.

My future plans are to attend The Pennsylvania State University and major in Animal Science with a focus in dairy. I also would like to minor in Agriculture Business. Following graduation, I would like to build a housing/boarding facility on my farm to house show cattle for myself and other people. Once I get my feet on the ground with this operation, I plan to build a satellite facility for IVF/embryo transfer work. Along with these plans to benefit the dairy community within my area by providing housing for top of the line show cattle, I also plan to continue improving the genetics in my own herd the entire way through college. From the age of 8, I have been showing cows and more recently developed a passion for genetics and furthering the dairy breeding industry. I love the idea of embryology and anything related to it. By majoring in Animal Science also opens the doors for opportunities such as being an embryologist. Attending college can be a hardy task when it comes to funding your education. By receiving this monetary donation, it would assist me in getting my business off the ground faster due to having less debt coming out of college. I have high hopes for my future as well as a go-getter attitude, and by getting scholarship money where I can is the best way to push through my education and life goals.

The biggest thing I do to help my community is my involvement with my local fire company. I have been a junior firefighter since I was 14, and was an auxiliary member since I was 7. I help with fundraisers, attend meetings, and attend calls. I assist in any way that is useful. It can range from cooking food, to going to trainings, helping make decisions, etc. I strive to be a positive impact on the community by fundraising so that the fire company has the best equipment on staff to keep the community safe. Money plays a large role in what we can achieve as a unit, but together we make it all work. I have been training since I became a junior and another impact that I have is my willingness to learn to benefit the community whether it is vehicle rescue to structure fires. My goal is to benefit the community by helping those in need.

As a farmer, we do everything that we can to have a positive impact on the environment. We don’t use pesticides or herbicides on any of our crops. We also care for animals with the utmost responsibility to ensure a long and happy life. We want the best for the area that we live in and try to integrate sustainable practices into our everyday routines. This includes using pressed manure solids for bedding, speeding manure on fields as natural fertilizer, planting cover crops to prevent erosion, and other techniques happening around the globe. A common misconception about farming is that we burn a bunch of fossil fuels and our cows are the cause of global warming due to methane output, but overall we are trying to feed the nation and serve the best food to put on their dinner table. Technology is constantly increasing to assist in sustainability and farming’s positive impact for the climate.