They always say, "Don't judge a book by its cover." Being 5'6" in sports always put me at a disadvantage — I always had to prove that I could be there, while kids who were over 6'0" had to prove they shouldn't be cut. This has been the story of my life. My name is Anthony, and I am from Sudbury, Massachusetts, where I've spent most of my time on a field, a rink, or someone's lawn. I'm a senior at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, where I play varsity lacrosse and varsity hockey, and outside of school I run my own landscaping business. Between practices, games, and mowing lawns before the sun goes down, I've learned how to manage my time, show up for people who are counting on me, and push through the days when I'd rather just sit still. I have always wanted to run my own business. Before starting my landscaping business, I started my own clothing line and built an online store. I did that for almost a year, but unfortunately it ended up failing, as I learned my idea was too focused on a small niche market. Pursuing education after high school matters to me because I want to keep building on what sports and running my own business have already taught me: hard work pays off, but only if you're willing to put in the reps nobody sees. I know a college degree will open doors that hard work alone can't, and I want to study in an environment where I'm challenged in the classroom the same way I'm challenged on the field. I've worked hard to bring my GPA up to a 3.32, and I've put real effort into strengthening my weaker academic areas, the same way I'd work on a weak stick-side move or a slow first step. College is the next rep, and I don't want to skip it. Lacrosse has shaped nearly everything about who I am. Playing sports has taught me how to read a situation quickly and adjust. This year, playing for a team that reached the state championship but lost, I finished with 40 goals and 18 assists for 58 points over 20 games — but the stats only tell part of the story. What I'm proudest of is how much I grew as a leader. Younger guys started coming to me for advice, and I realized that being good at something isn't worth much if you're not also lifting up the people around you. Hockey taught me a different kind of toughness. It's a sport where you get knocked down — literally — and the only option is to get back up before the play catches up to you. Doing both sports at a high level meant learning to manage soreness, tight schedules, and the mental grind of never really having an "off" season. It also meant learning to prioritize: What practice do I need most today? What does my body need? What does my business need? If there's one thing sports have given me that I'll carry into college, it's this: I don't back down from hard things, and I don't expect anything to be handed to me. Despite my size, and because of my work ethic, I've earned the opportunity to play college lacrosse at several Division III schools — proof that the kid who always had to prove he belonged has done exactly that. I want to bring that same mentality to a new team, a new classroom, and a new chapter.