I have always had a passion for science. My sophomore year is when I realized that I wanted to pursue a future career in science and study biology in college. This is when I decided to only take IB Math and IB Biology instead of the full IB diploma so I could focus on and gain as much experience and knowledge as I could about possible future careers. I have enjoyed challenging myself by taking other classes such as AP Chemistry, Medical Terminology, and Anatomy and Physiology. By taking these classes along with IB classes, I have learned how to balance my time in order to get good grades while also being able to play volleyball and run track for TR. I am grateful for these experiences as I have loved being a part of these teams and have developed life long friendships. In addition to playing two high school sports, I have managed to continue my passion of playing beach volleyball. I have been recruited to play D1 Beach Volleyball at Mercer University. I am excited about this opportunity and hopeful that scholarships will work out to ensure that I can attend. I have worked hard to be recruited and accepted to Mercer, however, because it is out of state, it’s more expensive. By going to Mercer, I am ineligible for the SC Education Lottery Palmetto Fellows Scholarship which would be $36,700 over four years. I also did not receive tuition exchange and they are currently expecting me to pay about $30,000 a year. By having a twin brother attending college at the same time, my parents can only contribute so much. Even with my parents' help, I will have to take out student loans, so any amount of scholarship would help! Mercer University is my dream college and before I was offered a spot on the roster, the coach asked me a series of questions relating to my academics. He asked about my GPA, grades, SAT score, and the kinds of classes I take. He needed to know that I would be able to handle balancing athletics while also being academically competitive at the school. Taking AP and IB classes has helped me learn the importance of hard work and discipline. I learned the best ways to efficiently study so I could perform well in my classes and properly manage my time. The coach also said that I passed the, “team test.” This means that while attending his camp, the team liked my personality and thought I would fit in well there. In life, it is important to be nice and kind to everyone. I always try to have a positive attitude and keep a smile on my face even if I'm frustrated. I have learned that by having a positive outlook on things, everything will work out how it is supposed to. As of now, attending Mercer University is going to be hard. I have not received a lot of financial aid, but it is my dream school so I will not give up. Something IB and AP has taught me is that no matter how difficult a topic may be to understand, if you keep trying and working hard, you will figure it out. I apply this same concept to college and scholarships. Even though, financially, it is going to be hard to attend Mercer University, I am not giving up on my dream. I am applying to scholarships and doing every possible thing I can to be able to attend, all while keeping a positive attitude.