Athletics had a crucial hand in who I am today both on and off the field. Looking back, I do not know what my life would have been without lacrosse. I have been playing lacrosse for over nine years. My passion for the game has not wavered which shows my commitment, discipline, and desire to work in a team setting. However, this journey did not come without initial struggles. During my freshman year, I believed I had the talent to be on the varsity roster. But due to my smaller size, I was put on the junior varsity team. I used this opportunity to work with my teammates and prove to others my full potential. At the end of the season, I was awarded the Offensive Most Valuable Player. As I grew over that next year, I was able to compete at the level I knew I could and was placed on the Varsity team. I was selected as Texas High School Lacrosse League All-District Honorable Mention Attackman. I continued to hustle, and in my junior year, I was awarded Texas High School Lacrosse League All-District Attackman, high school “Team MVP”, along with setting a school record for the most goals, assists, and points. In my senior year, I was selected by my coaches and teammates to be a team captain. I was selected as a USA Lacrosse All-American and Texas High School Lacrosse League All-State Attackman. I feel incredibly fortunate to have committed to play D1 lacrosse at Manhattan College this fall. None of this recognition would have been possible without my team and coaches who supported me along the way. Commitment, teamwork, and discipline also play a role outside of sports and are critical when participating in any team setting. I have been heavily involved in the health science program at my high school and exposed to the various paths this field of study can lead to. I received my EKG certification in my junior year, and I became certified as a Clinical Medical Assistant in my senior year. I have developed a passion for the health sciences and want to make an impact on the well-being of those around me. I have been a member of Young Men's Service League, a mother-and-son volunteer organization, since my freshman year. I have served over one hundred hours of community service. This year, I have expanded my leadership off the field and have taken on the President's role for the Class of 2023. I have been able to help lead my chapter in meetings and various philanthropy events. Teamwork is important when working on volunteer projects. It involves agreeing on goals, careful planning within the group, and constant communication. The volunteer experience I have enjoyed the most is working with a residential community with cognitive disabilities. Their incapacities may prevent them from living on their own, but their will to experience life is what I appreciate. These moments have shown me how important it is to be a good friend and to show compassion for all. In my high school lacrosse team, we have a saying, “Leave it better than you found it.” That has become my mantra on and off the field. I want to positively impact my team and leave the program better than when I arrived. I feel the same about my life outside of lacrosse. I want to make a difference in others' lives whether it is physically lending a hand or just being a friend to someone in need. This is truly my life lesson, and I will forever take it wherever I go.

Athletics had a crucial hand in who I am today. And looking back, I do not know what my life would have been without sports. Growing up I played baseball and basketball since my mom was fearful of me playing contact sports. In fourth grade, I picked up my first lacrosse stick. It was true love and it never left my side. But still, my mom would not let me play because of the physicality of the sport. By fifth grade, I was able to convince her to let me join a local youth lacrosse team. And ever since then, I have not put down my stick. I have now been playing lacrosse for over eight years and my passion for the game has not wavered. However, this journey has not come without overcoming some hardships. During my freshman year in high school, I believed I had the talent to be on the varsity roster, but due to my smaller stature, I was put on the junior varsity team. I used this opportunity to prove to others my full potential and was ultimately awarded the Offensive Most Valuable Player that year. Over that next year, I grew about eight inches and was now 5’11” and able to compete at the level I knew I could. In my sophomore year, I had a solid season and helped my team get to the second round of playoffs. Wanting more, I hustled the summer between my sophomore and junior year to ensure I laid the groundwork for the upcoming year. In the lacrosse season of my junior year, I was awarded All-District Attackman and the “Team MVP” award along with setting a school record for the most goals and assists at my high school. I feel incredibly fortunate and have committed to play lacrosse at Manhattan College in New York. Now as a senior in high school, I feel that during my junior year, I truly came into my own. I became a leader both on and off the field for my team. Although we did not advance as far as we wanted in the state playoffs we played with heart and determination and that is all one could ask for in teammates. To some, lacrosse is just a sport and is considered only a game, but to me, it has been so much more. The Dripping Springs lacrosse team has taught me many valuable lessons. The game of lacrosse created a connection between me and so many players that I truly consider my family. I was taught to leave it all on the field and to be disciplined, but always maintain a love for one another. Respecting teammates is imperative to have a successful team. For me, high school lacrosse was always more than a team. It is a family that has been shaped and molded by its predecessors. It was sculpted by the hands who held it before me. Dripping Springs Lacrosse has given me a family to fight for and a family to pick me up. This team has bonded me with my closest friends and showed me what a brotherhood is. I have one last season to make my mark on this team and this family. At Drip Lacrosse we have a saying, “Leave it better than you found it.” That is my goal for this team. I want our class to have impacted this team positively and leave this program better than when we arrived. These are truly life lessons and I will forever take them wherever I go.

On July 3rd, 2021 my life changed forever. It was an event I would not be able to shake. One that I would not be able to overcome. I would not be able to move forward. It was a tragedy that put a whole new perspective on my life. On this date, one of my best friends who I had known since the second grade passed away. Taden was one of the most positive and uplifting people in my life. He always had a smile on his face and lived his life to help and encourage others. Strong in his faith, Taden was the one to openly share his beliefs and help others through difficult times. Taden had played lacrosse with me since the fifth grade. I encouraged him to try the sport because I felt it would be a great fit. Since the moment he stepped on the field he developed a special love for the game. He had strong relationships in every team he was on and his energy was contagious. The game of lacrosse was just one more thing we shared a love for. Taden was just as influential on the field as he was off it. He was a natural-born leader and gave everything he had during practice and games. He always accomplished whatever he sought to do and was made of true grit. Taden brought a special energy needed to pump everyone up and lead us into action. His goal was to always be better and he managed to make others better in the process. Lacrosse was his one true passion. When Taden passed, I was heartbroken. To me, he was the one person who had zero flaws and could always bring me a positive light. He was the one who could always pick me up when I was down. Taden always stood up for me even in times when no one else would. The one person who always encouraged me when I was at my worst was now gone. It was a feeling I had never experienced before. Taden’s family and I have always been close. They have always supported me and the entire team year after year. They are the most caring and loving family anyone could have, and their faith is like no other. The guidance and wisdom of his family helped me to understand that these challenges in life are used to shape who we are. They ultimately show what we are made of in how we will choose to move forward. These conversations with Taden’s parents made me realize there is a plan larger than us that we cannot dictate or control. Through Taden’s passing, it has shown me to cherish each moment we have with one another on this earth. I carry Taden’s memory with me and honor him by giving one hundred percent in everything I do because that is how he would have lived his life. I feel that even in Taden’s passing he is still leading and doing the hard work. He continues to bring me closer to my faith and my family and friends. I feel more comfortable and secure confiding and talking with my friends no matter what is going on in our lives. I am understanding more of what it means to be truly connected with those around me. Whether in school, on the field, or at home Taden always had a goal in mind. He pushed himself and others past any limits one thought they had and never stopped just because the situation was challenging. I promised myself to do the same and embrace the uncomfortable and use it to push through. I believe it is because of the strength I feel from him that I had the "FIGHT" to excel so much in lacrosse these last few years. Playing at the college level is what I have dreamed of for so long. This year I pushed myself with all I had to perform at the intensity I knew I was capable of. And in the end, I was able to secure a position on a D1 college lacrosse team. As I enter college in the Fall, in a state a few thousand miles from my home, I will continue to follow his lead to take initiative in finding joy in being better and helping others in the process. I love you Taden, and for what you have taught me I will be forever grateful.