"Kindness in Action" - One of the most impactful acts of kindness I have ever made was my decision to talk to a new student at my school. The summer before Sophomore year, a new kid began showing up at soccer practices that nobody knew. Nobody talked to him or really even acknowledged him because we had never seen him before. I was the first person to go over and introduce myself, becoming friends with him. This moment was not only important for him, but it was important for me, as he is now one of my closest friends and people that I trust the most in my life. He has told me on multiple occasions how much it meant to him that I said hi to him that day and helped to bring him into our school and team. I really don't know where I would be today without his friendship and am so happy that I made the decision to go up and talk to him that day. No matter how they seem or appear, always be the person that includes the new kid, not the one that sits there and judges them. You never know what kind of person they are or how important they could end up being in your life. "Creating Connection" - In the days, weeks, and even months following the passing of Ava Wood, our school just didn't feel right. Everything was quiet, the days were slower than usual, and the environment that our school previously had was thrown off. Our community desperately needed to find ways to connect and come back together. I took initiative, and in the two weeks following Ava's passing I was able to put together a team for an event called the Big Chill in our community. My father runs this community event and I often volunteer to help or come to support anyway, but me and my parents made the decision that this big of a cause was a good reason for me to finally participate. I sent out texts, and within two weeks I created a team of around 30 classmates who were all close friends with Ava. We were able to raise thousands and thousands of dollars which we paid back to both the community and Ava's new scholarship. This was more than just another event for our community, it brought together our team and even other classmates who came to watch in a time of need. A new bond was created between us, and we were able to use this tragedy to fill a huge gap in our community and bring the love back to our school.

My name is Aidan Griffin and basketball is my passion. I have played aports my whole life, and not just basketball, but soccer, golf, baseball and football as well. From the time I was very young, the one person other than my parents who would be at every single one of my basketball games was my grandfather. I would show up to my 8 AM game and 7:30 and without fail he would already be there waiting for it to start every time. When he passed away it truly crushed me and my father as we always played basketball but especially golf with him. This hurt a lot but at the end of the day, everyone will die eventually. What was unexpected was someone much younger than him passing away. During 9th grade, my friend Ava Wood passed away and it sent our entire town spiraling. Since that day, we have had 4 other classmates pass away due to a variety of reasons such as suicide, drugs, and car accidents. My town has gone through a lot in the past few years and it never seems to stop. We must overcome though and that is what we have done. Ava was an amazing athlete and when she passed away I never wanted to play sports again. Instead of quitting and giving up though, and continued and decided to forever play in her honor. I have come so far as a basketball player since her passing I don’t know if I would have gotten to this point without that extra motivation. When my playing career is eventually over, I want to continue as a coach. I want to be able to teach children everuthing I have learned in my life both about being a good player and about being a good person. One of my biggest inspirations in life is one of my former basketball coach and he has had more of an impact on my life than he could ever know. He is the reason I want to be a coach. I want to be like him and get my players prepared for life. I want to give as many kids as I can all of the opportunities that were stolen from Ava that she should have one day gotten. I love basketball and include it in every aspect of my life. If I have it my way, it will be in my life forever.