A few months after I turned sixteen, I was riding with my best friend on a road we had traveled countless times. We headed to a local store after school before football practice when a heavy rainstorm reduced visibility. My friend failed to see a stop sign, and we crashed head-on into another vehicle. My airbag deployed, and I lost consciousness. I was taken to the hospital by ambulance. I suffered neck and back sprains and significant bruising to my shoulder and hip. For the remainder of football season, I had my shoulder wrapped and had to wear a spleen guard. After 6 months, I fully recovered from my injuries, but the people in the other vehicle were not as fortunate. The elderly man driving died shortly after the accident, and his wife continues to suffer from her injuries. She went from living independently with her husband to becoming a widow in a nursing home. My best friend continues to struggle with survivors’ guilt and PTSD. For a long time, I did not want to drive. With encouragement from my parents, I slowly regained my confidence, but I returned to the road as a completely different driver. The accident taught me how fragile life is and how every decision carries consequences. Living in a rural area, many of my friends spend their free time riding dirt bikes, four-wheelers, and motorcycles. I participated in some of these activities and felt invincible. After the accident, I stopped taking unnecessary risks and became more focused on making the most of the opportunities I have. I started going to church. My parents raised me in a methodist home, but after moving when I was 7-years old, we stopped going to church. I went to church by myself, and I liked it. I felt blessed, surviving the accident and know God was watching over me. Lessons taught in church motivated me to be my best self. I got a part-time job detailing vehicles at Delta Sonic, dedicated more effort to my academics and athletics, and made choices that reflected my new priorities. This experience strengthened my desire to build a meaningful career that combines my entrepreneurial spirit with my love of the outdoors. I used what I learned at Delta Sonic and started my own detailing business. It started out casual to fill time when not working at Delta, but I became so busy with requests that it became a full-time source of income for me this summer. My plan is to attend college at Penn West Edinboro University. My goal is to earn dual degrees in Business and Environmental Science. The detailing business was so successful, I will continue to operate this in the summers when home from college, However, my ultimate dream is to own and operate a fish hatchery or fishing charter business. I want to promote responsible stewardship of natural resources while creating opportunities for others to enjoy and appreciate the outdoors. I will continue to have God in my life. My faith will assist with my career as it will keep me grounded, give me courage to step out on my own as an entrepreneur, fill me with gratitude for all the gifts, talents, experiences, and opportunities I receive, and lead with an open heart. This scholarship would help me achieve those goals by reducing the financial burden of college and allowing me to focus on gaining the education and experience necessary to build a successful business that benefits both my community and the environment.

Growing up in a rural community has taught me many valuable lessons, but the most important came from a tragic experience that completely changed my perspective on life, responsibility, and my future goals. A few months after I turned sixteen, I was riding with my best friend on a road we had traveled countless times. We were heading to a local store after school before football practice when a heavy rainstorm reduced visibility. My friend failed to see a stop sign, and we crashed head-on into another vehicle. My airbag deployed, and I lost consciousness. I was taken to the hospital by ambulance and recovered from my injuries, but the people in the other vehicle were not as fortunate. The elderly man driving died shortly after the accident, and his wife continues to suffer from her injuries. She went from living independently with her husband to becoming a widow in a nursing home. My best friend continues to struggle with survivor’s guilt and PTSD. For a long time, I did not want to drive. With encouragement from my parents, I slowly regained my confidence, but I returned to the road as a completely different driver. The accident taught me how fragile life is and how every decision carries consequences. Living in a rural area, many of my friends spend their free time riding dirt bikes, four-wheelers, and motorcycles. I participated in some of these activities and felt invincible. After the accident, I stopped taking unnecessary risks and became more focused on making the most of the opportunities I have. I got a part-time job detailing vehicles at Delta Sonic, dedicated more effort to my academics and athletics, and made choices that reflected my new priorities. This experience strengthened my desire to build a meaningful career that combines my passion for business with my love of the outdoors. Growing up surrounded by State game lands, lakes, and wildlife sparked my interest in conservation and natural resource management. My goal is to earn dual degrees in Business and Environmental Science and eventually own and operate a fish hatchery or fishing charter business. I want to promote responsible stewardship of natural resources while creating opportunities for others to enjoy and appreciate the outdoors. This scholarship would help me achieve those goals by reducing the financial burden of college and allowing me to focus on gaining the education and experience necessary to build a successful business that benefits both my community and the environment.