If there’s anything that sticks out to me in the world of sports, it’s hockey; if there’s anything that sticks out to me in the world of hockey, it’s journalism. I think articles in hockey define the sport, because that’s what people all around the world read. When the Stanley Cup Champions are announced, there are always articles from the champion team, ESPN, TSN Sports, and so many other networks. Whether it’s a play-by-play article, opinion article, or interview, hockey is showcased as a whole. I want to represent a team, organization, or network by utilizing my writing skills to write top tier articles to be read by the whole country. Out of all thirty-two NHL clubs, I am partial to the Pittsburgh Penguins. I mean, it’s hard not to, as during my youth Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, and Evgeni Malkin were (and still are) dominating the league. I followed the Penguins mainly on social media, but when I saw articles on my timeline, I read them. I found these articles to be quite interesting, as their authors equipped themselves with incredible diction and imagery. These writers also get to be around professional hockey players and watch their games, which would be a nice bonus. My favorite journalist at the moment is Mike DeFabo, a beat writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. DeFabo mainly writes about the Penguins, and he has a great Twitter feed. To be a journalist for a professional hockey team would require watching, analyzing, and breaking down the game, which sounds incredibly fun to me. The atmosphere at professional hockey games is out of this world, and being around people supporting one team creates a feel-good moment. Watching a fast-paced, energetic, intense game feels less like a job and more like a career to me. Sports journalism is a profession where I truly believe I could show up to work happy every day. All in all, sports journalism is a place where I think I belong. This industry is dominated by men, but I feel as though I would have a strong presence wherever I end up. I want my articles to impact the hockey world. Getting to interview NHL star players, coaches, and Hall-of-Famers is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I think that if I complete my bachelor’s degree in college and acquire internships throughout those four years, I could come out with a great job, and if I don’t, I will roll up my sleeves and climb the ladder to the top. I believe that a career in sports journalism would make me truly happy. Through volunteering for my high school's wrestling team, I was able to record the wrestles at all of their tournaments. Doing this opened my eyes to the world of sports and how much fun talking about sports can be. Volunteering for the wrestlers inspired my major and I have continued to pursue activities and volunteer opportunities since my time with the team came to an end.

With $1,000, I'd like to think that I would save it for college, but if I was given $1,000 right now, I would buy some breakfast. I'm writing this in my Drivers Education class, and I was almost late this morning because I didn't set my seven alarms last night. I got ready in like six minutes this morning, skipped breakfast, and then drove twenty minutes to school, and while on the way, I got stuck behind a bus. I think I made it to school on time because the assistant principal didn't make me get a tardy slip. But anyways, I would buy breakfast with some of that money. I also need gas, so that takes about $45 more dollars away, so now I'm down to about like $900? I was chosen for callbacks for my school's production of "Romeo and Juliet," so I might treat myself a little by going to the movies or something. There's been some clothing pieces I've had my eye on, so maybe I'd get one of those, too. I need a new rash guard for summer, and yes, I'm eighteen and I wear a rash guard because when I was ten I had second-degree burns from being sunburnt so badly. Rash guards can be pricey, with good quality ones coming in around $100. Now I'm probably down to like $715. I'll put the rest away and it will be used for books for whatever college I decide to go to.

My life has been greatly impacted by cheerleading. I started cheerleading at six years old in 2010, and now I am the captain of my team. There was something about cheer that was different from dance, softball, and volleyball; cheer was exciting. Traveling to different places gave me eyes to see different experiences, warm-ups allowed me to develop nerves of steel and competing got my blood pumping. Not only has cheer given me these, but it’s also given me leadership skills. In cheerleading, trust is a must. As a base and a backspot, I hoist my teammates into the air, and that requires trust. As I’ve gotten older, I understand why this bond is so critical to the team; so no one gets injured. And somehow, even if my teammate does fall, I will be there to catch her. Throughout the past eleven years, I have developed trust in my teammates and coaches, and they have developed trust in me. Not only does cheer inspire trust, but it also inspires loyalty. Since I’ve cheered at the same place for over a decade, I have learned what it means to be loyal. I have seen countless teammates, people I considered friends, walk out the door and never come back. When times were hard during my cheer career, I didn’t stop. With the support of my teammates and coaches, along with loyalty and discipline, I was able to push through rough patches. I have never felt alone during my cheerleading career. One of my favorite parts about cheer is how creative you have to be to create a routine. A competitive cheerleading routine is two minutes and thirty seconds of fast-paced stunting, jumping, tumbling and dancing. With twenty-nine other athletes on the mat, coaches have to develop creativity. In the more recent years, I have been asked by my coaches to be a junior coach and help choreograph routines; this is a challenge. The routines are scored by a panel of judges, so having a unique routine is a must. Finally, cheerleading has developed my leadership skills greatly. Since 2018, I have been seen as a leader by not only my teammates but my coaches as well. I represent the team I am on and the whole cheerleading gym. I know how to be respectful, gracious, and encouraging towards my team and competitors. I would not trade my cheer experience for the world, because nothing will ever live up to the skills I have learned.

I think the forty-nine other states overlook West Virginia. I mean, there are people born in the USA that don’t know West Virginia is a state. Ever heard of the Civil War? Anyway, West Virginia is so far behind the rest of the country in many aspects, including but not limited to education, economy, and health care. I think living in West Virginia has made me view the rest of the world as bigger and better. Don’t get me wrong, living in this state all my life has been great, but the lack of opportunity here can be vastly improved. I live in Upshur County, which is in the North Central part of the state. Out of the fifty-five counties in West Virginia, Upshur County is ranked 39th in education, putting us toward the bottom half. Also, almost fifty percent of students at Buckhannon-Upshur High School identify as living in poverty, and that doesn’t account for the rest of the schools in the county. This year, I was voted Senior Class President, so I have tried to make school fun for my class. So far, we have held a fall pep rally, fall spirit week, and a powderpuff football game; all of which have had great participation from all classes. My goal for this year is to supply senior T-shirts for all 267 students in my grade for free. At the moment, over half of the funds have been raised. One of West Virginia’s attributes that is my favorite is our culture. I think there is a very unique mix of European culture here because of the groups that immigrated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. To elaborate, there are communities like Helvetia, festivals like the Italian Heritage Festival, and the Vandalia Gathering, which all showcase the cultural diversity within this melting pot. I believe West Virginia is a state that upholds tradition, but is open to new ideas, as long as everyone benefits. Living in West Virginia has made me realize something: I want to leave for college. I want to go to a state that produces more opportunities, so after attending school in that state, I can come back here and open up more doors. I really do believe West Virginia can be a special, flourishing state, but there is work that needs to be done. I want to eradicate poverty, financial depression, and the educational slump. West Virginia can and will rise to a top state again, and I want to make it happen.

The most inspiring book I have read is Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. This book tackles a tough topic: rape. The first time I read this book I was in fourth grade, so I didn't understand anything. I re-read the book over the summer, and it is such a great read. Since this was kind of an autobiography for Anderson, you can really relate to the psychology of the main character. This book was banned in schools all across the country because of the topic, but it needs to be advertised. I feel that sexual assault is something that America puts in a dark corner. Rape brings up sinister stories that aren't appropriate and that shouldn't have happened. I think that through this novel we see the climaxes and abysses of what happens to a person's psyche when they are assaulted. This book is realistic, and it's inspiring because it shows that no matter what, you can get through it.

My late cat, Mia, shaped my life completely. Mia lived to be sixteen years old, with diabetes and Cushing’s Disease. As a vet, my goals would be to cure both of these ailments in animals, which would pave the way for a cure for humans.

I was almost never born. In 2003, my mother and two of my brothers were on the way to pick my brother up from elementary school, but they never made it. My mother’s car was hit by a drunk driver in the middle of the day. At the time, my brothers that were in the vehicle were four years old and one year old. My brother they were going to pick up was eight years old. Thankfully, no one was severely injured in the crash, but it could have been fatal. I was born in January of 2004. I am extremely grateful to be on this planet, because I almost wasn’t. Now, to introduce myself. My name is Amelia (Katie) Pearson and I am seventeen years old. I currently attend Buckhannon-Upshur High School in Buckhannon, West Virginia. I have three older brothers: Brad, Bryce, and Breagan, two cats: Yogi and Knox, and my parents are divorced. At B-UHS, I am the Senior Class President, Youth Leadership Association Club President, an AP, Honors, and Dual-Credit student, yearbook editor, and top five in the class of 2022. I was also the 2020 Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Ambassador my sophomore year. I achieved 4’s on both the AP Language and Composition exam and the AP Psychology Exam. I am involved in my school’s theatre program as well, where we tackle critical issues facing our society through our productions. I have a 4.16 cumulative GPA and a 4.0 unweighted GPA. I consider myself to be ambitious, diligent, and mature. By the spring, I hope to know where I am going to attend college, as I have applied to twelve schools, including Cornell University, Duke University, and University of Wisconsin-Madison. I plan to major in English or animal science- two completely different subjects, I know- and then I would pursue law school to veterinary school. With either profession, I want to help animals. Although it sounds silly, my late cat, Mia, shaped my life completely. Mia lived to be sixteen years old, with diabetes and Cushing’s Disease. As a vet, my goals would be to cure both of these ailments in animals, which would pave the way for a cure for humans. If I pursue law, I would become an animal attorney, where I represent animals in court. These animals could have been abused, neglected, or experimented on by companies. Either way, I want to help those who cannot help themselves. That drunk driver eighteen years ago almost killed my mom, my two brothers, and consequently me. I am so incredibly grateful that they all survived. I believe I have a calling to serve my community and advocate for those who need it. I have big dreams, and I plan to bring them to life.

If there’s anything that sticks out to me in the world of sports, it’s hockey; if there’s anything that sticks out to me in the world of hockey, it’s journalism. I think articles in hockey define the sport, because that’s what people who don’t know the see. When the Stanley Cup Champions are announced, there are always articles from the champion team, ESPN, TSN Sports, and so many other networks. Whether it’s a play-by-play article, opinion article, or interview, hockey is showcased as a whole. I want to represent a team, organization, or network by utilizing my writing skills to write top tier articles to be read by the whole country. Out of all thirty-two NHL clubs, I am partial to the Pittsburgh Penguins. I mean, it’s hard not to, as during my youth Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, and Evgeni Malkin were (and still are) dominating the league. I followed the Penguins mainly on social media, but when I saw articles on my timeline, I read them. I found these articles to be quite interesting, as their authors equipped themselves with incredible diction and imagery. These writers also get to be around professional hockey players and watch their games, which would be a nice bonus. My favorite journalist at the moment is Mike DeFabo, a beat writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. DeFabo mainly writes about the Penguins, and he has a great Twitter feed. To be a journalist for a professional hockey team would require watching, analyzing, and breaking down the game, which sounds incredibly fun to me. The atmosphere at professional hockey games is out of this world, and being around people supporting one team creates a feel-good moment. Watching a fast-paced, energetic, intense game feels less like a job and more like a career to me. Sports journalism is a profession where I truly believe I could show up to work happy every day. All in all, sports journalism is a place where I think I belong. This industry is dominated by men, but I feel as though I would have a strong presence wherever I end up. I want my articles to impact the hockey world. Getting to interview NHL star players, coaches, and Hall-of-Famers is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I think that if I complete my bachelor’s degree in college and acquire internships throughout those four years, I could come out with a great job, and if I don’t, I will roll up my sleeves and climb the ladder to the top. I believe that a career in sports journalism would make me truly happy.