The unique path I've taken makes me the most compelling applicant for the Jim and Jane Boettcher scholarship. I have built my own path independently to better prepare myself for my future. I enrolled in PSEO my 11th and 12th grade years. I knew I wanted to graduate high school with a two-year degree in business through PSEO. I wasn't sure how I would do it or if it was even possible when I first enrolled. However, I am proud to say that this May, I will officially graduate from St. Cloud Technical and Community College with an AAS in Business Management, nearly a month before I graduate from Becker High School, earning a college GPA of 3.6. I am the only student from Becker to have ever achieved this. I did this while remaining a student athlete and community volunteer, I was a boy scout in troop 13-volunteering at the St. Cloud Granite City Days doing trash cleanup and helping to build the gaga ball pit at the Becker City Park for my friend and troopmate John Hooper’s eagle scout project. During this, I have also held two part-time jobs. For 3 years, I have worked for the City of Becker as a Lifeguard at the BCC. I've received numerous compliments from patrons for my work. Over the past three years I've taken several leaps in pursuit of passion; the one that has made the biggest difference in my life is my other job working at Granite City Aquaria. For context, I was previously determined to open my own aquarium store; in fact, it was the primary reason I pursued a degree in business at SCTCC during high school. I wanted a degree with no debt or wasted time. Simultaneously, I discovered that a new aquarium store, Granite City Aquaria, was opening in St. Cloud. I became the first employee there to gain unmatched experience for opening my own store and the team I have helped build since still makes an impact on every customer we serve. I have found so much meaning working at Granite City Aquaria. Every positive development I’ve made over the last two years can be tied back to the store. But after nearly completing my business degree, I realized starting my own store was not the path I wanted to take. The time I spent working there taught me that I can make a positive difference in people’s lives with my effort. But I want more than to impact a niche community, I want to impact society as a whole. Due to the flexibility being a PSEO student offered, I started exploring independently in the Twin Cities when others my age were in school. An interest in cities developed into an obsession. I wanted to know everything about cities, especially the Twin Cities. This led me to discover urban planning. I am driven to pursue urban planning because everyone benefits from it. It will build on my interests in cities and human geography, enabling me to create better physical spaces for all to live in. That is why I want to pivot from business to urban planning. I am attending the University of Minnesota for a master's in urban and regional planning-focused on public transportation. I'm seeking this scholarship to help offset the major cost of living that follows being a U of M student. I this career will directly tackle the high cost of living. My mission is to help create a more efficient and beautiful environment that is affordable for all to live in.