When I first entered high school, I was the stereotypical nerd. I had glasses, side-parted hair, and no muscle on my frame; additionally, I was a Mathlete! For the first few months, I was content with staying as that stereotype. However, after one of my closest friends introduced me to the sport of wrestling, I realized that I could break the stereotype. When I asked my parents if I could join the wrestling team, I was met with a very reluctant “yes,” albeit after some doubtful facial expressions were exchanged between them. My suspicions about their doubts were confirmed later that day when I overheard my parents and older brother commenting about how I wouldn’t last longer than a day. At that point, I had looked up to my older brother; the fact that he didn’t believe in me was a punch in the gut. I had to prove him wrong. The first practice started shortly after, and I began to understand why my family was so doubtful of me. It was arguably the most grueling two-and-a-half hours I’ve ever been through - after fifteen minutes, I was drenched with sweat, gasping for air. I heard my coach blow a whistle, and I immediately started walking towards the door, searching for the water fountain. However, before I could make my second step towards the door, I heard him screaming, “Warm-ups over! Get with your partner and start drilling double legs!” Despite my body screaming, I reluctantly began following his orders. Soon after, my first practice was over, and I was exhausted. I began to think more about my family’s thoughts about my athletic ability, and I very nearly let them win. Luckily, something within me allowed me to push away those negative thoughts. I had to prove them wrong. 72 practices, 17 duals, and 10 tournaments later, I completed my very first wrestling season. Sure, my record was horrendous, and we don’t have to comment on my sprawling form, but I had made it through. I was still a nerd, but I was finally able to look at myself in the mirror and be proud of all the work I had put in. I was able to run for more than a hundred yards without my asthma crippling me. And most of all, I proved my family wrong. Well, I also had a fantastic, transformative season where I met many new friends and became a better person because of it, but I still did prove them wrong. Being an underdog was the hardest challenge I’ve ever faced, but the rewards I gathered from it were worth their weight in gold.

Growing up, I was fortunate enough to have excellent coaches who not only taught me the skills necessary to succeed in sports but also instilled in me important life lessons that I carry with me to this day. Now, as a coach myself, I strive to give my players the same level of care and attention that my coaches gave me and to use my experiences to help shape the next generation of athletes. Coaching has taught me the importance of patience and understanding. As a coach, I work with athletes of all skill levels, from beginners to seasoned veterans. It can be challenging to balance the needs of each player, especially when they are at different stages of development. However, I have learned that with patience and understanding, it is possible to meet the needs of all players and help them reach their full potential. Additionally, coaching has helped me become a more caring individual. When I started coaching, I focused primarily on teaching my players the skills they needed to succeed on the field. However, as I got to know my players better, I began to see them not just as athletes, but as individuals with unique strengths, weaknesses, and personalities. I began to care about their lives off the field and to take a more holistic approach to coaching, with a focus on helping them develop as people as well as athletes. My experience of being coached before has had a significant impact on how I approach coaching today. The coaches I had growing up were not just experts in their respective sports, but also caring individuals who took the time to get to know me as a person. They pushed me to work hard and improve my skills, but they also listened to my concerns, offered guidance, and provided emotional support when I needed it. Their care and attention had a profound impact on my life, teaching me the importance of hard work, dedication, and compassion. In my own coaching, I strive to give my players the same level of care and attention I received from my coaches. I believe that by creating a positive and supportive environment, I can help my players develop not just as athletes, but as individuals. Whether it's offering words of encouragement after a challenging game, or taking the time to listen to a player's concerns, I want my players to know that I am there for them, both on and off the field. Moving forward, I plan to continue coaching and using my experiences to help shape the next generation of athletes. I believe that sports can be a powerful tool for personal growth and development, and I am committed to doing everything in my power to help my players succeed, both on and off the field.

During middle school, I was ashamed of myself. I was shy and weak. I could attribute some of those traits to my lack of public schooling when I was younger--I was homeschooled til the sixth grade--but I still wasn't satisfied with being that type of person. However, that all changed when my closest friend introduced me to wrestling during my freshman year of high school. I didn't want to join the team. Sure, I wasn't satisfied with being so shy or weak, but there was a calming familiarity to doing what I've always done. Nevertheless, after a small amount of prodding by my friend, I reluctantly agreed to go to the first week of practice. I ended up having a relatively enjoyable time at practice, despite the joint, muscle, head, and foot pain! Our coach wasn't a terrifying monster like everyone online described their wrestling coach as. It seemed as though he cared about the well-being of his team, which continued to motivate me to show up to practices. As the season went on, my body became stronger and had more endurance, but the practices got much harder. Shortly after the first half of the season ended, I had to sit down and have a talk with myself. I wasn't quite sure if I could handle the mental or physical strain of the sport anymore, despite my persistence through the first half of the season. After a very heated debate between the two factions in my head, I decided on staying on the team for the rest of the year. If I couldn't handle the strain after the season, I'd simply quit then. Luckily for me, the season came and went much faster than I anticipated it to. I had survived! All it took was simply going with the flow for two more months. I learned that all you need to continue going through a hard task is to build up a tolerance to that hard task. If I was plunged into the middle of the season without any training, I would've instantly quit. However, once you get the ball rolling, it's really hard to get it to stop. I now apply this principle to my own life--when lifting after a break, I don't instantly throw 500 pounds on my back; rather, I work up to my working weight over a few weeks. When attempting to become more social, I didn't instantly thrust myself into social situations; rather, I did increasingly difficult social interactions until regular conversations with a stranger were a breeze. Just like Rome, you weren't built in a day.

My name is Andrew Salmon, and I am a driven individual with a passion for engineering. Throughout high school, I have taken a variety of courses in the STEM field, and I am currently enrolled in engineering fundamentals at Middle Tennessee State University. I have also had the opportunity to work with technology through my leadership role at GymFlicks, where I manage a team of programmers and assist with non-technical decision-making for the company. In addition, I have served as the lead software developer for my high school's VEX Robotics team, where we recently qualified for the Worlds competition. I believe that engineering has the power to change the world for the better, and I am excited about the opportunities that lie ahead. My experiences in the field have taught me that engineering is not just about building or designing things but also about using my skills to solve real-world problems. No matter how well I can solve for variables in Physics or integrate complicated equations in Calculus, I need to be able to apply those concepts in the real world if I want to create any impact on our world. One of my main career goals is to focus on sustainable engineering solutions that can help reduce our carbon footprint and slow the effects of climate change. Although I have yet to feel the impacts of climate change in my own life, I'm very well aware of the impacts that it has on others and the impact it may have on me in the future. Out of all possible career fields, engineering has the greatest chance of mitigating those effects. I hope to work on projects that aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and develop sustainable technologies, such as renewable energy sources. Another area that I am passionate about is healthcare engineering. I believe that technology can improve people's lives in many ways, and healthcare is no exception. I am interested in working on projects that focus on developing new medical devices or improving existing ones. I hope to use my engineering skills to make healthcare more accessible and affordable for everyone, especially in developing countries where access to medical care is limited. My passion for engineering continues to drive me to make a positive impact on the world. I am incredibly excited about the opportunities that lie ahead and I am committed to using my skills to create sustainable and innovative solutions. Through my career, I hope to make a meaningful contribution to society by working on projects that can make a real difference in people's lives.