The journey of being a female athlete has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. The sport of volleyball has brought me my best friends, endless memories, immense hugs, and countless laughs. Through these past ten years of playing, I have traveled to more than 20 states for volleyball and have competed at the top level. Although I could talk about the positives of my journey forever, there have also been many obstacles. Ever since I decided to play volleyball for the first time at recess in the second grade, I knew this was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life. From a very young age, I dreamed of playing collegiate volleyball at the Division I level. As I sat in class, I would watch highlights of Jordan Larson, Morgan Hentz, and Katelyn Plummer religiously. At that age, dreams were endless, but I did not yet understand the harsh reality of playing a competitive sport at the highest level. I learned early on, at the age of 13, what real pressure felt like as a competitive athlete. I constantly had to perform in order to earn my spot and start on the court. There were two other talented girls in my position, and for the first time I realized that I had to work for what I wanted. I became obsessed with the idea of perfection. At the age of 14, I began lifting and squatting and started to understand the importance of taking care of my body. Starting my freshman year, I unfortunately began dealing with injuries. My left shoulder would dislocate when I would dive for balls. I constantly had to tape my shoulder because of the instability I felt when I played. I dislocated it five times before deciding that the best option was surgery. It was six months of depression, loss of identity, and coping with the pain. This was one of the hardest things I had to go through. At that point in my life, I had won eight qualifiers and placed second in the nation at Nationals. Although this time was difficult, I finally learned who I was as a person. I realized that volleyball is something I love, but it does not define who I am as a person. That realization changed the way I approached both sports and life, teaching me that resilience, self-worth, and determination matter far more than my success. I am not just a volleyball player—I am a girl who happens to play volleyball. Even though volleyball was all I had ever known, it is not who I am as a person. This period of time was an era where I truly reflected on what I wanted as a person and not just an athlete. After recovering from that journey, I moved to one of the best South Florida volleyball clubs in the country, Tribe. I joined the top team for the 16's, where I got to play with BIG 10, ACC, and power school commits. I was exposed to the competition I had always wanted every day in practice, but the setback was that I was behind in the recruiting process because of my injury. As the season went on, I was constantly faced with the reality that the path to playing Division I volleyball was becoming more difficult. I attended endless camps over the summer going into my senior year, but unfortunately my position as a libero does not receive much financial aid and most roster spots were filled. This year I had the realization that I would be happy playing Division II and that it did not matter what people thought. I took a moment to reflect and realized that whatever made me happy was what mattered most. Two weeks ago, my recruiting journey finally came to an end when I verbally committed to Southern Connecticut State University. I fell in love with the campus and the team. I unfortunately did not get the scholarship I wanted, but I truly felt that it was the right place for me. Because of that, I decided to apply for scholarships to help support my education. If I receive this scholarship, I would use the money toward my tuition and it would help me fulfill my dream of playing at the next level. I am an advocate that Division II sports are just as important as Division I. I will continue working to make my dream possible. I hope to inspire younger girls to pursue sports with confidence and resilience, even when the path does not go exactly as planned. I have overcome setbacks and learned how to handle the pressure of being an athlete. I am still willing to fight for my dream and make my younger self proud.