I have played softball since I can remember. It's been over ten years now, and softball has helped me grow tremendously as an athlete, a friend, and a teammate. In the past ten years, I have struggled to find a team that suited me. I come from a low-income area, so I joined teams far from home, often driving 30 minutes or more a day. When I first started playing softball, my parents made sure I tried out all positions so I could determine which one I liked the best. I started as a catcher, but I eventually discovered that pitching was a better fit. I now play as a pitcher, shortstop, second baseman, third baseman, and outfielder. I am overall a utility player. Pitching has been one of my biggest challenges in softball. I have the passion, but sometimes I lack the skill. Many other pitchers have had pitching coaches since they were young, but I could never afford one. Despite not having a pitching coach, my dad and I watched multiple videos on pitching technique, attended games, and focused on the pitcher's form. I practiced every day, throwing one hundred pitches sometimes to my dad, or to a net, determined to improve. When I began playing high school softball, the competition was more intense, but I continued to work hard and became a starting JV pitcher. In my sophomore year, I was a flex player on both the varsity and JV teams, but I found that I wasn’t getting much playing time on varsity because my pitching skills didn't match my skills at infield, outfield, and batting. I decided to stop pitching for my high school team, but I still played for my offseason teams during the summer and winter. I learned how to pitch more effectively and dedicated more time to it. I also learned that many of my pitching problems stemmed from mental issues. I didn’t believe in myself, and that was where the problem started. As I began to trust myself, I decided to come back to pitch my current senior year. The season hasn’t ended yet, but I've pitched in four varsity softball games, and I've done a good job. In this challenge, I learned to communicate my needs more effectively and better understand what I want to do. I realized that it's essential not to compare myself to other pitchers and to continue doing what I'm passionate about. This experience has also helped me become a better leader. I now help coach younger softball players to play infield and outfield, and to believe in themselves, even if they think the next girl is better. I have also taught them the importance of trusting themselves, both inside and outside the game. These experiences have also helped me beyond being an athlete. I plan to pursue an international business career, and softball has enabled me to learn how to treat people with respect and gain insight into their backgrounds, regardless of their background. It has also helped me to understand the importance of staying calm and keeping a positive attitude in any situation. This scholarship will alleviate the stress of financial pressure, allowing me to commit fully to my next steps in academics and athletics, and, most importantly, honor my younger self's determination and carry it forward into my future leadership.