From the ages of 5 to 18, my entire life has been spent in school and cheerleading. Recently, that changed. Although cheer has always played a significant role in my life, I decided to focus on my future. I aim to improve my academic performance over the next couple of years. I also want to get a business degree and start my own business, becoming my family's first female business owner. Ever since I could remember, I have had something other than school keeping me busy—one of those things being cheer. I participated in competitive cheer from the ages of five to thirteen and school cheer from the ages of fourteen to eighteen, with three of those years spent on the varsity team. Growing up, cheer took up a significant portion of my time, especially in high school, but it taught me many valuable lessons. Cheer has taught me to be part of a team, trust others, and let them trust me in return. Cheer has also taught me the importance of time management and the value of working hard. Although sports have been a very positive experience, I have also had some tough times in my cheerleading career. I've gone through injuries, brutal falls, mental blocks, bullying, etc. Although some of my best childhood memories stem from cheer, there have also been difficult experiences that will stay with me for the rest of my life. I take those challenging moments as a lesson, though. Those brutal falls, those injuries, and those mental blocks have all made me a stronger person. And the people who told me I wasn't good enough, that I was too lazy, too fat, too heavy, and not strong enough have all made me stronger, too. This contributed to body image issues, being one hundred pounds overweight. Through those experiences, I had to pick myself up and prove to them and myself that I was strong, hard-working, and worthy despite what had been said about me. Not only have I been involved in sports, but I have also been involved in volunteer work. I have always had tremendous respect and gratitude for the sacrifices U.S. military members and veterans have made to keep this country and U.S. Citizens safe. I have been volunteering with the Focus Marines Foundation for three years now. I have job-shadowed, volunteered for events, and helped organize letters. Learning the stories of how FOCUS graduates have overcome the advertises in their lives has inspired me to do the same. As a student, I am a diligent and driven individual. Throughout my life, my academics have always been essential to me. I'm very thankful for my parents' support and encouragement, which helped me excel in school, and I wouldn't have achieved what I have without it. I have a 3.8 GPA and have been an A/B student my entire academic career. I have also been on the Honor Roll since grade school and have maintained a 97% attendance record. I was awarded All-State Athlete Academic in 2023. I am also enrolled in online courses through St. Charles Community College and Missouri Baptist to further my education. These experiences have helped prepare me for my degree and thereafter.

From the ages of 5 to 18, my entire life has been spent in school and cheerleading. Recently, that changed. Although cheer has always played a significant role in my life, I decided to focus on my future. I aim to improve my academic performance over the next couple of years. I also want to get a business degree and start my own business, becoming my family's first female business owner. Ever since I could remember, I have had something other than school keeping me busy—one of those things being cheer. I participated in competitive cheer from the ages of five to thirteen and school cheer from the ages of fourteen to eighteen, with three of those years spent on the varsity team. Growing up, cheer took up a significant portion of my time, especially in high school, but it taught me many valuable lessons. Cheer has taught me to be part of a team, trust others, and let them trust me in return. Cheer has also taught me the importance of time management and the value of working hard. Although sports have been a very positive experience, I have also had some tough times in my cheerleading career. I've gone through injuries, brutal falls, mental blocks, bullying, etc. Although some of my best childhood memories stem from cheer, there have also been difficult experiences that will stay with me for the rest of my life. I take those challenging moments as a lesson, though. Those brutal falls, those injuries, and those mental blocks have all made me a stronger person. And the people who told me I wasn't good enough, that I was too lazy, too fat, too heavy, and not strong enough have all made me stronger, too. This contributed to body image issues, being one hundred pounds overweight. Through those experiences, I had to pick myself up and prove to them and myself that I was strong, hard-working, and worthy despite what had been said about me. Not only have I been involved in sports, but I have also been involved in volunteer work. I have always had tremendous respect and gratitude for the sacrifices U.S. military members and veterans have made to keep this country and U.S. Citizens safe. I have been volunteering with the Focus Marines Foundation for three years now. I have job-shadowed, volunteered for events, and helped organize letters. Learning the stories of how FOCUS graduates have overcome the advertises in their lives has inspired me to do the same. As a student, I am a diligent and driven individual. Throughout my life, my academics have always been essential to me. I'm very thankful for my parents' support and encouragement, which helped me excel in school, and I wouldn't have achieved what I have without it. I have a 3.8 GPA and have been an A/B student my entire academic career. I have also been on the Honor Roll since grade school and have maintained a 97% attendance record. I was awarded All-State Athlete Academic in 2023. I am also enrolled in online courses through St. Charles Community College and Missouri Baptist to further my education. These experiences have helped prepare me for my degree and thereafter. I will be paying for all my college education myself. Due to the pandemic, my family is now in significant debt, and my parents cannot help me with my education. Although my father now has a secure and well-paying career, the impact has been quite significant, and they can no longer provide the support they once did. My sister also attends Missouri State University, which puts a strain on the family finances. She is also paying for her degree herself. She and I would be the first in our family to graduate from college. I am proud of my family for deciding not to file for bankruptcy and instead taking out loans to pay it off. Additionally, my parents did not reveal the hardships we were going through. This “can-do” spirit is something I choose to emulate once I own a business. We are not victims of our circumstances; they do not define us. One must keep pushing. I appreciate your consideration of any help with my education expenses.

From the ages of 5 to 18, my entire life has been spent in school and cheerleading. Recently, that changed. Although cheer has always played a significant role in my life, I decided to focus on my future. I aim to improve my academic performance over the next couple of years. I also want to get a business degree and start my own business, becoming my family's first female business owner. Ever since I could remember, I have had something other than school keeping me busy—one of those things being cheer. I participated in competitive cheer from the ages of five to thirteen and school cheer from the ages of fourteen to eighteen, with three of those years spent on the varsity team. Growing up, cheer took up a significant portion of my time, especially in high school, but it taught me many valuable lessons. Cheer has taught me to be part of a team, trust others, and let them trust me in return. Cheer has also taught me the importance of time management and the value of working hard. Although sports have been a very positive experience, I have also had some tough times in my cheerleading career. I've gone through injuries, brutal falls, mental blocks, bullying, etc. Although some of my best childhood memories stem from cheer, there have also been difficult experiences that will stay with me for the rest of my life. I take those challenging moments as a lesson, though. Those brutal falls, those injuries, and those mental blocks have all made me a stronger person. And the people who told me I wasn't good enough, that I was too lazy, too fat, too heavy, and not strong enough have all made me stronger, too. This contributed to body image issues, being one hundred pounds overweight. Through those experiences, I had to pick myself up and prove to them and myself that I was strong, hard-working, and worthy despite what had been said about me. Not only have I been involved in sports, but I have also been involved in volunteer work. I have always had tremendous respect and gratitude for the sacrifices U.S. military members and veterans have made to keep this country and U.S. Citizens safe. I have been volunteering with the Focus Marines Foundation for three years now. I have job-shadowed, volunteered for events, and helped organize letters. As a student, I am a diligent and driven individual. Throughout my life, my academics have always been essential to me. I'm very thankful for my parents' support and encouragement, which helped me excel in school, and I wouldn't have achieved what I have without it. I have a 3.8 GPA and have been an A/B student my entire academic career. I have also been on the Honor Roll since grade school and have maintained a 97% attendance record. I was awarded All-State Athlete Academic in 2023. I am also enrolled in online courses through St. Charles Community College and Missouri Baptist to further my education. These experiences have helped prepare me for my degree and thereafter.