Throughout my entire life, I have put great emphasis on being versatile. I have been blessed to have had the opportunity to experience so many different things. I believe that having a vast field of experiences and responsibilities throughout my life will help to prepare me for my aspired career field of law. During my academic career, I have enjoyed dance, swim, track, shown and judged livestock, played violin, and been involved in many school clubs and activities. I danced and swam both competitively for a club and for fun at my high school, ran hurdles and jumped for track, showed goats, performed in violin recitals, and more. Some clubs I am apart of in and outside of school include 4-H where I am secretary of my local chapter and serve as a camp counselor along with my judging and showing livestock, Service Club where I have been my grade representative all four years of high school, environmental club, debate club, vocational crew, Spanish club, national Spanish honors society, beta club, liberal arts exemplar scholars program, and student ambassadors. I also work as a CPR and AED certified lifeguard at my local YMCA pool where I help to teach occasional swim lessons to special needs individuals or school groups. Alongside all these activities and sports, a student athlete has to take into account their future. I plan on working in the field of law and becoming a lawyer. To prepare myself, I have had an internship where I got to do everything from shredding bank statements to observing courtroom procedures, been a part of Teen Court where I underwent training and served as prosecutor, defense counsel, juror, bailiff, and clerk for real juvenile cases, and finally I am currently conducting research with a lawyer on the encroachment of industry and residential development on agricultural land in the Pennyroyal region of Kentucky. Looking back on high school as I prepare myself for college, I reflect on how much being a student athlete has prepared me, not just for college, but for life. Every day, I go to school and work to keep my grades up while being involved in my student body and clubs, after that I head to swim practice for two hours then, depending on the day, I head to my next meeting or practice or court session. I get home late to work on my homework, then I sleep in order to wake up and do it all again. On my days off, I wake up early and go to practice in order to start my day full of activities and responsibilities. I have learned discipline, work ethic, determination, life skills, people skills, communication skills, networking, and responsibility. Being a student athlete has shaped me to have the drive and ambition to never give up and always strive to be the best. I will forever carry these lessons and characteristics that I have gained from my experience in being a student athlete and involved student because I am confident in them carrying me far in life.

When I was about 7 years old, I decided that I wanted to play the violin. I thought it would be a fun and different thing to do at that age, but I didn't really think anything more of it. I started taking lessons with a young lady at a music store in my town. My violin practices were filled with upbeat songs and laughs. Playing the violin became something cool I could show my friends, but that was all. Until I got a new teacher. My first practice with my new teacher came fast and I was nervous that playing the violin wouldn't be just a fun thing to do anymore. Little did I know, this teacher would change my life. The day I met Mr. Ceo, I was 13 years old. He walked into the room with a big smile on his face and greeted me with a warm welcome. He sat down next to me and instead of playing the violin, he talked. I thought to myself: "When are we going to get a new song or fun-colored tapes?", but he just talked. He brought new music books filled with intense and complicated songs that made my eyes endlessly wander across the page in distress at the sight of them. He gave me a piece to work on and sent me off. My next lesson came, and I walked into the same room and sat down. Once again, Mr. Ceo came in and talked. He told me of his time at a Benedictine high school, how he owned and flew his own plane, how his wife played the harp, how he played the violin across the world, and he loved to tell me about "The Nutcracker" and his violin playing in it. Then we played. I have never heard anyone play as beautifully as Mr. Ceo does. His bow moves with such passion and his notes roll off the strings in a buttery smooth manner. Months later, I was still going to Mr. Ceo and every lesson I would sit down and listen to his stories. Sometimes he would repeat them, but I began to love every second. I learned history, sports, and life lessons. I think by now I could tell anyone about the harp, the Pittsburg pirates, or planes. Violin started to become less of a task with stickers to gain and milestones to pass, but more of a mindset followed by a new grasp on life. Mr. Ceo taught me that life is too short to look ahead too far. One summer, I found out my next-door neighbor had been diagnosed with cancer. She was in hospice and confined to her bed. When I heard this, I decided to pick up my violin. I walked across the street and asked to play for her. After I played for her, we talked. We talked about life, memories, and futures. From then on, I started to realize how music could change lives. Now I sit, about to enter college and a completely new chapter in my life. I do not intend to study music but I believe my journey with music will forever follow me because Mr. Ceo will forever follow me. Music did not allow me to find my passion but rather allowed me to find myself. Through beginning to play as an act of service to sitting in Mr. Ceo's room every week to listen to his stories, I learned that the joy of music is not only heard in the notes but seen in the person behind them.

Ever since “Legally Blonde” was shown to me as a child, I have fallen in love with the idea of practicing law. Initially, the pink pantsuit was what pulled me in, but the more I learned about the art of law, I found much more to indulge myself in. From watching Law & Order under my bed sheets to Judge Judy freshman year of high school, my passion for law only grew. I started introducing myself to the field through an internship. I found every minute fascinating from shredding bank statements for hours to watching cases unfold in the court room. Knowing I wanted to learn more, I then begun conducting research. I worked with lawyers I have had the pleasure of meeting through my ties with the agriculture industry. I am currently completing research on Agricultural Planning and Zoning in Rural Kentucky in another attempt to explore all branches of this vast field. Finally, an experience that hooked me and brought me to the realization that studying law was something I wanted to pursue. I had the incredible opportunity to participate in teen court. I underwent five weeks of intensive training under several attorneys and am currently working as a prosecutor, defendant counsel, clerk, juror, and bailiff in the court room while dealing with real people and real-life cases. Through all of these experiences, I learned that I not only want to grow up in the courtroom, but I want to make a difference in people’s lives and assist them in their times of trouble. This goal of “giving back” became prevalent when I started receiving cases in Teen Court. Whether I was defense counsel or prosecution or even a juror, I had the honor of helping these teenagers who were struggling in life. I was able to help them find an appropriate way to deal with their consequences in a way that would assist them in their lives. I had never had an experience quite like Teen Court. Teen Court made me realize that by being a lawyer, I can change people’s lives and hopefully steer them onto the right track. I would like to think that at least one of the defendants that came through the court room remembers having a warm, non-judgmental smile in the crowd and an advocate that made their time of struggle easier. My goal is to not only be able to stand in a courtroom, but to also have a client next to me who has fully trusted me at their utmost vulnerable moments. I want to lead my life fighting for what is right and achieving justice. While living out my last weeks of high school, I’ve realized how all my endeavors for a future career could not only help me to become a lawyer, but to become a better person. I plan to start a Teen Court or help with the Teen Court wherever I go to college in order to provide teenagers in the area with a helping hand in life and in their times of trouble. I plan to continue and hopefully publish my research on Agricultural Planning and Zoning to potentially help farmers and the agricultural industry in whole in the fight to stop the encroachment of agricultural use land. With my degree in political science, philosophy, or criminal justice, I plan to reach as many people who are struggling as I can and use my experiences and knowledge to help them reach a wanted and profitable outcome.