Losing my father was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever gone through. We definitely had a complicated relationship but I will always love him. My dad loved sports and I wish that he could be there to watch me wrestle throughout my college career. He would be so proud to see me chasing my dreams. Knowing that he won’t be able to watch me compete is heartbreaking. When I was growing up my family went through some very difficult times. My dad had a drug addiction and at home we would often have arguments, constant worry and fear. I loved my dad but his actions made our family suffer greatly. I would spend years wishing things could be different. In July 2024 my dad sadly passed away after a car accident. He was only 40 years old. I didn’t get to say goodbye to him. The last conversation we had was on my birthday. He said happy birthday and told me how much he loved me. All I said was thanks. I never thought those would be our last words. I wish I could go back and tell him that I love him. Overall I’m grieving for the loss of my dad and the relationship we never had. I wish he could have watched me achieve my dreams. Since my dad passed away, my family has struggled, both mentally and financially. My mum has worked extremely hard to provide for my siblings and I. Despite this, I have still managed to do well in school. I graduated with a 4.09 GPA and have got into the early admissions programme at St. Petersburg College. I’m proud that I have still managed to work towards my future. Wrestling has been my escape. I started wrestling during my sophomore year and it has taught me so many life lessons. It has taught me to be disciplined, resilient, and never to give up. Throughout the 3 years I have been wrestling, I have qualified for states twice. I placed 7th at the Florida High School Athletic Association state competition. I have also helped create a girls wrestling team at my school so other girls can benefit from the confidence I have gained. I now have the opportunity to go to New College of Florida in Sarasota. However, due to the financial struggles I have faced since my dad passed away, I find it difficult to afford college. The funeral and hospital costs have been expensive. This scholarship would help me chase my dreams without putting any extra pressure on my family. I aim to continue to develop women’s wrestling. I want to become a coach/referee so I can help other girls believe in themselves. Whilst my dad will never be able to watch me wrestle throughout my college career, I hope I can make him proud every time I step onto the mat by showing how much he loved sports. Whilst I can’t change my past, I can choose my future. Wrestling has taught me that being strong means pushing forward despite your heart hurting. With this scholarship I hope to make my family proud, chase my education and show that despite my losses I will never stop fighting for my dreams.

How I Am Overcoming Challenges Through My Connection with Olivia Roedigoes Music Music is a great way to show how we are feeling and can often tell us a lot about our experiences. Olivia’s songs often talk about overcoming challenges, learning and self development. There are many songs that relate to me in my life, but one in particular is “making the bed”. This song relates to me because it shows how we look back on our experiences, learn from them and grow as individuals. In my life I have overcome challenges due to being a college student and wrestler with aspirations of becoming a Police Officer. A large part of my life is wrestling. I am very proud that I am competing at a college level as it allows me to do something I love whilst completing my education. Wrestling is not an easy sport to do. It requires physical strength, mental strength, discipline and commitment. I will often feel tired and frustrated. However I have learnt that if I give up then I won’t achieve my goals. I must continue to train and learn from my mistakes. This means I have learnt that achieving things takes time and that there are important lessons to be learnt from challenges. Another large challenge in my life is funding my college. Due to me not having the funds to pay for everything I need for college it can be a stressful situation. College is an important part of my future but can be difficult due to the cost. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming thinking about how I am going to afford everything. However I do not want my lack of funds to hold me back. I know I need to keep searching for opportunities and work hard. My future goal is to become a Police Officer. This is because I want to help people and protect my community. I want to be someone people can trust when they need help. I know becoming a member of law enforcement requires responsibility, patience, bravery and making the right decisions under pressure. I believe my wrestling is helping me gain some of those qualities. By wrestling I am learning to deal with tough situations, stay disciplined and keep going. The song “making the bed” by Olivia Rodrigo helps remind me that life will not always go as planned. I need to learn from the tough experiences to become a better version of myself. I may not have everything sorted right now and still have challenges with money and myself. However I am learning that achieving my goals will take time, effort and sacrifice. I do not want my challenges to hold me back and instead I want to use them as motivation. Overall my journey has been about persistence, self development and believing in myself. Wrestling has taught me that I should never give up when things get tough, College has taught me responsibility and my dream of becoming a Police Officer has given me something meaningful to work towards. Olivia’s music relates to my experiences as it reminds me that tough times are part of growing up and finding out who I want to be. My challenges are only a small part of who I am and I am determined to work towards a future I can be proud of.

# My Future Goals and How this Scholarship Will Assist me My goals in the future are to earn my degree from college, continue doing what I love which is wrestling, and eventually become a police officer. I have goals I wish to achieve in life and I know that I will have to work very hard to be able to achieve them. I want to become a police officer to help people, keep my community safe and make a positive impact on peoples lives. I want to be someone people can trust and rely on. Although becoming a police officer comes with many responsibilities, I am willing to work very hard to gain the knowledge and experience needed to be successful. Wrestling plays a huge role in my life and I am proud to be continuing my wrestling career in college. Wrestling has taught me many life lessons that I can use in school and my future career. I have learnt how to be disciplined, respectful, work in a team, take responsibility and persevere through tough times. Although wrestling can be tough at times I have to push myself outside of my comfort zone. These challenges have made me a stronger person mentally and physically. Wrestling has also taught me that nothing comes easy and you have to practice, be patient, make sacrifices and learn from your mistakes to be successful. I believe these qualities will help me become a successful police officer in the future. Although I am excited for my future, one of the biggest challenges I face is funding my college. I do not have the funds to pay for all of my college costs. This can cause stress when trying to pay for my tuition, books, equipment etc. Whilst I want to continue my education and wrestling career, the financial issues can make this challenging. I do not want money to stop me from achieving my goals. I am willing to work hard to be successful however I need the financial support. This scholarship will make a real difference to my life. It will help me fund my college costs and relieve some of the stress. I would be able to focus more on my education, wrestling and preparing for my future career rather than worrying about how I will pay for school. This will keep me on track to gaining my degree and becoming a police officer. It will also show me that there are people who believe in me and want to help me succeed. In the future I hope to look back on my time in college knowing that all my hard work and sacrifices have paid off. I want to graduate, continue developing as a wrestler and create a successful career within law enforcement. I know my journey won’t be easy however I am determined to work towards my goals. I want to make my family and I proud whilst becoming someone who can give back to the community. This scholarship will not only help me financially but will give me the opportunity to continue my education, do what I love and create a better future for myself. I would be extremely grateful for this support and will do my best to make the most of it.

I love math because it just *makes sense*. There's this incredible sense of order and logic to it that I don't find anywhere else. When I'm working on a problem, it's like a puzzle that I get to untangle, and the feeling when everything clicks into place and I find the solution is just so satisfying. It's not about memorizing random facts; it's about understanding how things connect and build upon each other. This logical progression and the way concepts interlock are incredibly appealing to me. There's also a real beauty in the patterns and relationships you uncover in math. It's not just numbers and equations; it's a way of looking at the world that reveals its underlying structure. I feel like it gives me a deeper understanding of how things work, from the simplest calculations to the most complex theories that explain the universe. This ability to peel back the layers and see the fundamental truths is profoundly engaging. It's challenging, yes, but that challenge is what makes the reward of figuring it out so much sweeter. The intellectual thrill of grappling with a difficult concept and then finally mastering it is truly exhilarating. Math, for me, isn't just a subject; it's a powerful lens through which I can better comprehend and appreciate the world around me, and that's why I find it so endlessly fascinating and enjoyable

It wasn't always easy growing up with just my mom. There were times when I saw other kids with both parents, going on vacations or getting extra help with homework, and I felt a pang of something missing. My mom worked so hard, and I often felt the weight of her responsibilities, worrying if she was too tired or if we'd have enough for everything. There were definitely moments of struggle, whether it was figuring out a problem on my own or seeing her stretched thin trying to manage it all. But through it all, I saw her strength. I watched her handle every curveball life threw at her with this quiet, determined power. She never once let her burdens break her spirit or stop her from giving me her best. She was my rock, my biggest cheerleader, and the ultimate example of perseverance. Her sacrifices, the endless hours she put in, and the unwavering love she poured into our lives, even when things were tough, showed me what true strength really looks like. My mother is a very strong woman, as my dad was a drug addict and would hit my mom. My dad was physically and mentally abusive. My mom thankfully got us out of that situation, as she got a restraining order against my father. She was able to support me, my brother, and my baby sister, as we still struggle with the abuse that our father put us through and the trauma that will stick with me. That experience shaped me in ways I'm still discovering. It taught me to be independent, to appreciate the little things, and to never give up when things get hard. The bond we share is something special, forged in those shared challenges and triumphs. Seeing her strength firsthand gave me my own, and I'm forever grateful for the lessons she taught me, not just with her words, but with her incredible example. She continues to encourage me every day to be the best version of myself. She is my number one fan, as when I was on the wrestling team she would always go to my meets even if that meant sitting in the bleachers for 6 hours just to see me wrestle 2 times that day. She is the loudest person cheering for me, and she is always there for me during the ups and downs. Whether I was cutting weight or needed a ride to practice, she was always there. I love my mom, and i am so thankful to have her as my mom.

I lost my father almost 2 years ago in July 2024. He passed away in West Virginia, as he was murdered. He was in a car with another person, who was his girlfriend, and they were both intoxicated. My father ended up losing his life at the age of 40 as the person who was driving lost control of the vehicle and swerved off a cliff. My father ended up suffering while he was being taken to the hospital, and he passed away there. I didn’t get to say goodbye to my father, as I hadn’t seen him in over a year, since I live in Florida. The news devastated me tremendously, as my father and I didn’t have the best relationship, and the last time I had talked to him was on my birthday, when he said happy birthday to me and said I love you, and all I said was thank you. I wish my father and I had a better relationship, but he wasn’t the best person when he was around. When I was younger, he used to cheat on my mom, beat my mom, and threaten to kill my family and me. He chose drugs and pleasure over his own family. Despite what my father has put me through, I still miss him, and I love him. he passed away going into my junior year of high school, and I can definitely say I was not focused on my academics, but I still persevered as I ended up graduating high school with a 4.09 GPA and being in the early admissions program at Saint Petersburg College, my senior year. financially was the toughest, though, as my mom was trying to sue the person who killed my father, but we ended up getting nothing out of it. We don’t know where his ashes are, as he was cremated in West Virginia, and all of his belongings are either pawned by the person who murdered him or just sitting in a random storage locker. His siblings, who have not talked to me in years, also tried to sue for the money from his death because they felt like they were entitled to it, even though my father was not financially supporting them. My father's passing away, it created a huge divide between my family and my father‘s family. I was treated differently as they saw me as my mother‘s daughter and not my father‘s daughter. That time was very tough for me as I needed as many people to support me, but it’s not about who’s not there to support me; it’s about who is there. Thankfully, my mom and my siblings were there as we built each other back up brick by brick to be the best versions of ourselves as possible. I love my dad, I just wish he had made better decisions to see me go off to college to wrestle in college.

Women’s wrestling is the fastest-growing sport in the world, and thankfully, I get to be a part of it. I fell in love with this sport as my high school didn’t have many girl wrestlers at the time, so I had to create my own team at my school, and I also built different teams at different schools, as I am very dedicated to this sport and would go to as many practices as I could at different schools. I have just gotten a great opportunity at New College of Florida down in Sarasota to wrestle and further my education. I am trying to get as many scholarships and grants as possible so I can attend New College. I am highly motivated on the mat and in the classroom. Wrestling has taught me so much and has helped me grow as a person. Wrestling has taught me to never give up when things get hard and resilience, as this is such a mentally demanding sport. There were days I would feel like I was not good enough or I felt like I didn't belong in the wrestling room because I was a girl, and my teammates would tell me I didn't belong there, but I pushed through every day to become a better athlete and a better person. This scholarship will help me tremendously, as my father passed away recently, and we have been struggling with the funeral costs and hospital bills. I miss my dad tremendously, as he always supported me on the mat, and I know that he would want me to further my education and to continue wrestling. He would have loved to see me wrestling in college, and hopefully, if I get enough money with scholarships, I can wrestle in college, and so he can see me up in heaven doing what I love the most. It’s such a beautiful thing to be part of this growing sport, as I was the first female state placer at my school, and I got seventh at state this year. Also, at New College of Florida, which is the school I am attending, this is the first female NAIA wrestling team in Florida. It's so exciting to be a part of this program, as I am making history in Florida for female wrestlers. Wrestling isn't just a sport; it is a lifestyle.

When I first got into wrestling, I quickly noticed something big was missing. There wasn't a dedicated girls’ team at my school. I was training with the guys, but it felt like there was a huge gap. There wasn't a space just for us girls to connect, support each other, and build our own team identity. This made it tough for any girl even thinking about wrestling, and it made it harder for us existing female wrestlers to feel fully part of things and truly represented. I ran into a lot of obstacles and doubts when I first brought up the idea. People would tell me there weren't enough interested girls, or that starting a new program would be too much of a hassle, or even that wrestling just "wasn't for girls." Finding coaches who would lead a new team, get practice space, and find money for uniforms and gear felt like impossible challenges. It took so much constant talking, so many meetings with the school admin, and probably bugging every single girl I knew who even slightly liked the sport. But I pushed through all that. I showed everyone who doubted me that there wasn't just interest, but a real need for a girls' team. I collected signatures, set up unofficial training sessions, and just kept pushing for the idea until the school finally said yes. Starting that girls' wrestling team wasn't just about having a place to practice; it was about tearing down walls, empowering other young women, and creating a space just for us where we could really shine and compete on our own terms. I have been wrestling for 3 years now, and I am trying to wrestle in college. I placed 7th at FHSAA, and I have qualified for states 2 times in the 3 years I have wrestled. I am very dedicated to the sport, as I would go to as many practices as I could. This sport means a lot to me as it has helped me become a better person. Wrestling has helped me develop a good work ethic and to never give up when things get hard. Even in my personal life, wrestling has helped me, as when my father passed away, I had wrestling. Wrestling isn't just a sport; it is a lifestyle. Wrestling teaches young women so much, like discipline, resilience, and mental toughness. It builds incredible physical strength and confidence, shows them how to set goals and work hard to achieve them, and helps them understand the importance of strategy and quick thinking. It's also great for learning self-defense and how to push through challenges. With starting the girls' wrestling team, I was able to train girls and show them how beautiful this sport is. I didn't just help one person, but a community of young girls. Women’s wrestling is the fastest-growing sport in the world, and it is so amazing to be a part of it and teach others the lessons wrestling will give them.

i have been a fan of Sabrina Carpenter since day one. Sabrina Carpenter's whole thing with her music and her acting has really left a huge mark on my life. She’s given me a soundtrack for so many moments, and honestly, she's been a massive inspiration when I really needed it. From those early roles to how her sound has just kept growing, her career has always felt so genuine. You can really see her evolving, and that makes it super relatable and empowering. It's not just about catchy songs or characters you remember; it’s the real message of figuring yourself out and being tough that totally clicked with me as I was trying to navigate my own path. Her music often feels like she’s speaking directly to stuff I’ve been through, whether it’s that buzz of starting something new or just those quiet moments when I’m trying to sort things out. The honesty in her lyrics, plus that amazing voice she has, creates a connection that’s way deeper than just listening to a track. It’s almost like having a friend who can just put into words all these feelings I couldn't quite express, which brings a lot of comfort and makes me feel understood. Watching her jump between different creative things so confidently also showed me how important it is to be versatile and not be scared to explore new sides of myself. Ultimately, Sabrina Carpenter’s career has been this cool reminder that art can totally be a mirror, showing us our own experiences and making us feel less alone. Her dedication and how she just keeps evolving have been a quiet but powerful push, proving that sticking to your own voice, even as you grow, is key. Her work didn't just entertain me; it genuinely influenced how I saw my own potential and the whole emotional rollercoaster of growing up.

Women’s wrestling is the fastest-growing sport in the world, and thankfully, I get to be a part of it. I fell in love with this sport as my school didn’t have many girl wrestlers at the time, so I had to create my own team at my school, and I also built different teams at different schools, as I am very dedicated to this sport and would go to as many practices as I could at different schools. I have just gotten a great opportunity at New College of Florida down in Sarasota to wrestle and further my education. I am trying to get as many scholarships and grants as possible so I can attend New College. I am highly motivated on the mat and in the classroom. Wrestling has taught me so much and has helped me grow as a person. Wrestling has taught me to never give up when things get hard. As an example, in a match, I was down by 3 with 20 seconds left on the clock, and I took a shot, and I brought the girl straight to her back and ended up winning the match. Wrestling has also taught me resilience, as this is such a mentally demanding sport. There were days I would feel like I was not good enough or I felt like I didn't belong in the wrestling room because I was a girl, and my teammates would tell me I didn't belong there, but I pushed through every day to become a better athlete and a better person. This scholarship will help me tremendously, as my father passed away recently, and we have been struggling with the funeral costs and hospital bills. I miss my dad tremendously, as he always supported me on the mat, and I know that he would want me to further my education and to continue wrestling. He would have loved to see me wrestling in college, and hopefully, if I get enough money with scholarships and grants, I can wrestle in college, and so he can see me up in heaven doing what I love the most. It’s such a beautiful thing to be part of this growing sport, as I was the first female state placer at my school, and I got seventh at state this year. Also, at New College of Florida, which is the school I am attending, this is the first female NAIA wrestling team in Florida. It's so exciting to be a part of this program, as I am making history in Florida for female wrestlers. After college, I plan on coaching girls' wrestling and maybe even becoming a female ref. Wrestling is something that will always be part of my life, whether I am on the mat or off the mat, coaching. Wrestling has given me lifelong friendships and lessons I'll carry with me for the rest of my life. Wrestling isn't just a sport; it is a lifestyle.

An impact I want to make on my community to make my community better is in the wrestling world. Women’s wrestling is the fastest-growing sport in the world. I fell in love with this sport as my school didn’t have many girl wrestlers at the time, so I had to create my own team at my school, and I also built different teams at different schools, as I am very dedicated to this sport and would go to as many practices as I could at different schools. I have just gotten a great opportunity at New College of Florida down in Sarasota to wrestle and further my education. I am trying to get as many scholarships and grants as possible so I can attend New College. I am highly motivated on the mat and in the classroom. I care about my education, and I’ve finished high school early and was in the early admissions program at Saint Petersburg College during my senior year. I graduated high school with a 4.09 GPA while keeping up with different clubs and different sports, which include soccer, lacrosse, cross country, track, and my favorite, wrestling. This scholarship will help me tremendously, as my father passed away recently, and we have been struggling with the funeral costs and hospital bills. I miss my dad tremendously, as he always supported me on the mat, and I know that he would want me to further my education and to continue wrestling. He would have loved to see me wrestling in college, and hopefully, if I get enough money with scholarships and grants, I can wrestle in college, and so he can see me up in heaven doing what I love the most. It’s such a beautiful thing to be part of this growing sport, as I was the first female state placer at my school, and I got seventh at state this year. Also, at New College of Florida, which is the school I am attending, this is the first female NAIA wrestling team in Florida. It's so exciting to be a part of this program, as I am making history in Florida for female wrestlers. After college, I plan on coaching girls' wrestling and maybe even becoming a female ref, as I’ve been wrestling for three years, and I don't really see female refs in wrestling. Wrestling is something that will always be part of my life, whether I am on the mat or I’m off the mat, coaching or even refereeing.

Growing up, I loved my dad, but he wasn't the best person. When I was younger, my dad was highly addicted to drugs and didn't care much about my siblings and me. As I got older, my dad started to cheat on my mom with a bunch of different women at the time. I would always see my parents argue, but I never understood what was going on until I was older. The older I got, the worse his behavior was. In middle school, when COVID-19 happened, is when it started getting bad. My dad would put his hands on my mother and beat her. My siblings and I had to hide in the other room, crying as we heard our mother's screams. after awhile, my mom finally kicked my dad out of the house as my mom caught him cheating again, and she was done with the abuse, but he was still around as he was our father. He would come to the house every day and leave at night. After a while, this became our new normal. I hated it as I would hear my friends talk about their home lives, as I couldn't say anything about mine for fear that I would be judged. On multiple occasions, my father threatened to kill my family and me. He even got arrested. My mom finally got a restraining order from my father, then he left Florida and moved to West Virginia with a woman that he had cheated on my mom with. That woman later killed my father as they were both on drugs, and she ended up driving off a cliff. My mother is a very strong woman, and after my father left, she built herself up and my siblings and me. Every time I would cry because I missed my dad, she was there for me. She was able to support me, my brother, and my baby sister, as we still struggle with the abuse that our father put us through and the trauma that will stick with me. At the end of the day, it made me a stronger person as I ended up joining the wrestling team my sophomore year. Wrestling has helped me a lot and has become an outlet for what has happened to me. I have been wrestling for 3 years now, and I am trying to wrestle in college. I got 7th at FHSAA, and I have gone to states 2 times in the 3 years that I wrestle. I am currently trying to get scholarships so I can wrestle in college. I am very dedicated to the sport, as I would go to as many practices as I could. This sport means a lot to me as it has helped me become a better person. Wrestling has helped me develop a good work ethic and to never give up when things get hard. Even in my personal life, wrestling has helped me, as when my father passed away, I had wrestling. Wrestling isn't just a sport; it is a lifestyle. I have gained lifelong friendships with this sport and lessons that I will never forget.