The crowd of proud parents, siblings, grandmas, and grandpas is chanting my name as the ball meets my purple bat. Once I heard the loud chime and felt the vibrating sensation down my forearm, I ran. I could’ve sworn the first base moved farther with every step I took. I wasn’t sure if the sound in my head was the crowd clapping or my heart thumping; either way, I knew I never wanted this feeling to end. I couldn’t believe that in my first game, I was hitting what I thought was a home run. As that thought passes my mind, I notice that I’m finally catching up to the base. I went to put my cleat down, growing a feeling of victory, then my cleat missed the base, causing me to fall straight onto my face. The taste of dirt and embarrassment was strong on my tongue. I stood back up with tears in my eyes, wiping off the dirt on the big six printed on my bright golden jersey. I hear people laughing and clapping. At first, I thought that they were making fun of me, but once I looked up, I saw that they were clapping because I got back up. I continued to get up again and again for six years after that. Throughout those six years, I made new friends, learned many life lessons, and grew a strong passion for softball. That love that I had grew intoxicating to the point that any mistake I made, I would tear myself down for it. Softball used to be an escape for me from school, abuse, and at times myself. I slowly got to a point where the only thing I wanted to escape from was softball. After a long time of thinking, I decided to retire from softball for my senior year. I was seeing the sport that I love turn into something that drained me. Softball has completely molded me into who I am today. It has taught me patience, effort, hard work, kindness, and how to let something I love go. I had let the game play me instead of the other way around. After my break, I plan to play non-competitive softball in college and hopefully still be playing in my forties. I would love to start coaching other players who once felt like me to grow that passion we all had when we first stepped foot on the field. I hope to gain that spark again. I will forever be grateful to be a part of a team, and I’m excited to see where the bases lead me.

Two years ago, I pushed my friends, family, and even myself away. I was an all-A honor roll student, a part of multiple clubs and sports, yet nothing fulfilled me. I was suffocating in a deep pit of loneliness. That was until I received an email about volunteering at my county's pumpkin run. On one shoulder, I had the anxiety devil telling me that I would embarrass myself since I didn't know what to expect. On the other shoulder, I had a miniature version of myself as a kid wearing a big smile. I wanted that smile back. I signed up for the pumpkin run. That day a year ago, I volunteered for six hours. I gained new friendships and had the most fun I've had in a while. This year I volunteered again, this time for eighteen hours. I made more friends and grew out of my thick depressive shell. A shell I once thought was protecting me, but in reality, it was weighing me down. Although the pumpkin run helped me grow, it still wasn't enough. I decided that I, myself, needed to make a change. A month ago, I created a club called CNE-Tutors where middle and high school students can get tutoring for any subject. This club counts as community service hours for upperclassmen. My goal is to help students enjoy learning and ultimately like school. CNE-Tutors help upperclassmen gain volunteer hours by tutoring students while giving back to their community. I finally branched out and overcame my fear of connection by breaking down the barriers I had. However, I still felt I needed to do more. I applied for The Contribution Project, partnered with Cornell University. High schools in twenty counties in Ohio can apply to this organization, but only 50 students can win. Once you win, you will receive four hundred dollars to put towards your project. The project you choose is meant to impact your community. In the past, I've done a lot of volunteering to help the people in my community. This time, I wanted to do something different. Before I filled out the application form, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. I was driving in Owensville, brewing up ideas. My ideas came to a stop when a cat ran out in front of me. As the cat was running off, I came to a realization. There are multiple cats in Owensville, Newtonville, and Goshen- most of them are passed lying near the road. Not only cats but raccoons, squirrels, and possums. That's when I knew what I wanted my project to be and who I wanted it to impact. I filled out the application and gave them my whole story. I told them that I would use the money to get weather-durable shelters, food, and water. I would also set up a donation drop and swap in the middle of town. On the table, I will provide pet supplies and animal shelter business cards for those who want to adopt. If a family has a dog and can't afford a leash, they can come to my table and pick one up for free. Or if a family has five leashes and needs to get rid of four, they can drop them off at my table. The Contribution Project liked what I had to offer and made me one of the fifty winners. It took me years to get to this point, but I don't regret the hardships I had to go through because those moments in my life wouldn't have motivated me to make change happen today.