Hi! My name is Ariana Davenport. I'm attending GVSU in the fall and majoring in Hospitality and Tourism Management. My dream job right now would be event planning! I have always been drawn to leading, planning, and organizing events and activities both within my personal life and my community. I enjoy the business and its involvement, as well as the way it can bring people together and make them smile. I think it's so valuable to be proactive and to take initiative and make things happen, to be the "captain of my soul." I am passionate about sustainability efforts. I love to make changes and help others to work towards living sustainably. To me, this means phasing out synthetics, single-use and disposable items, and using what I have around me when possible. I planned my Graduation open house with these values in mind, and I sourced everything I needed second-hand, including materials to make decorations, serveware, tables, chairs, and yard games. I am proud of what I put together, and I enjoyed the process and the work put into making everything happen. I am passionate about helping to create things that bring my community together, whether it be to host a team bonding night, throw a birthday party for a friend, or help my orchestra celebrate the seniors each year with a special senior night. I love to see the way a well-planned event creates a relaxing experience for those who attend and fosters a sense of unity . All of the hard work put into making a fun and enjoyable experience is always worth it when you get to see the smiles and bonds built between people. If I am awarded this scholarship, it will allow me to pursue this passion and build a career out of it where I can positively impact both my community and our environment. Thank you for your consideration!

I owe how far I've gotten so far in life to my teacher, Mrs. McJames. She has played so many roles in my life: freshman year Algebra 1 teacher, mentor, tutor, mom, and now my Senior year FST teacher. I came into freshman year completely unworried about academics and just excited for high school. In her class, we had a lot of autonomy, so it was up to us to pay attention, stay off our phones, and be ready to learn. At some point in the year, I was feeling very over everything, and even though we had talked about why I wasn't picking up the material at lunch that day, I decided to play on my phone the whole hour. At the end of the period, she told me that she was disappointed in me. Later that day, I couldn't stop thinking about the situation. I felt so bad. So I sent an email explaining my frustration with what was going on in school, in my life, and that I was sorry and wanted to do better. She responded that night thanking me for sharing and explaining that what I was going through was normal, that she is here to help me through it, and not to give up. She wrote in all caps, DON'T GIVE UP!! YOU'VE GOT THIS!!!! I think this was the biggest turning point for me so far in my life. Mrs. McJames taught me that I have to take responsibility for myself. She has inspired me to do what makes me happy. I've always been a very busy and involved student, so sometimes the stress of extra curricular and academics and social life adds up, and I would be forced to choose between what I really wanted to do, and what I felt like I should do. She would always have wise advice about taking a breath and she asked me what would matter more to me in ten years. This mindset has led me to so many new opportunities and so many experiences I would have otherwise missed out on. She encouraged me to join different sports and clubs, and to spend time with the people who matter to me and do the things I love. I joined a bowling team, made lifelong friends, discovered a love for theatre crew, and a passion for volunteer work. My favorite part about her is that she practices what she preaches. She has been everwhere and done everything. She went to college for 12 years because she enjoyed the learning, she was a body builder, a professional dancer, an English teacher, a theatre major, dance teacher, and so much more. She ended up teaching math because she didn't agree with the way it was taught. She advocates for her students, and is always finding new ways to improve the way she teaches and to alter the curriculum to what we need. She works to not only teach us the material, but teach us how and why and how it connects to what we know. My junior year I had a teacher who did not work with us to understand the material, she just handed it to us and gave us a test. I spent every single lunch period in Mrs. McJames room, going over the material and learning how I can work with what I have. I'm so lucky to have had Mrs. McJames as a support pillar throughout my highschool years. I am sad to leave her, but I know I will take her lessons and metorship with me wherever I go. Thank you Mrs.Mcjames.