Growing up, my favorite part of hockey was always the long car ride. It was a sacred oasis of warmth and tranquility between biting wind and frozen rinks. As soon as I threw my bag and sticks into the trunk, I would crank the heat and ask my dad to turn on NPR’s Planet Money podcast. The warm air would settle into a strong flow from the vents as the soothing voices of economists melted out of the speakers like chocolate. During these car rides, I absorbed discussions about supply and demand, markets, and how anything can be tied back to the economy. With each new episode, my love of learning and my intrigue with the world around me grew exponentially. These car rides sparked my interest in economics before I had the chance to learn about it in school. One especially memorable moment was deciphering the monologue of Ferris Bueler’s economics teacher in Ferris Bueler’s Day Off. Despite the dull and monotone delivery, I found the story of how the Smoot-Hawley Tariffs helped cause the Great Depression intriguing and cautionary. After listening to the Planet Money Episode on this speech, the subject came up in my eighth grade history class and I was practically bursting at the seams ready to contribute to the conversation. Throughout high school I developed this interest through clubs and classes. I joined the Investment club and learned about stock trading and indexes, and practiced investing in a market simulation throughout the year. I also took AP Microeconomics this trimester and loved the course’s content and relevance. My curiosity in economics has shaped the way I see the world and has made me excited to learn even more about it in college.

It is the first meeting of the school year for Project Pathway. A year ago, I created an organization through my high school to help students figure out a career path and post-secondary education plans. The first year was a great start with high attendance numbers and enthusiastic participation in research projects from each member. Despite our previous success, the meeting is starting in ten minutes and the room looks sparse. The box of doughnuts is nearly full and my presentation is waiting patiently on the Smartboard. After the meeting, I learn from the members in the previous year that most people already had a plan figured out and there was less incentive to return. It is hard to face the truth but their words allowed me to make changes and make the meetings more engaging. I started reaching out to underclassmen and students who were interested in a career exploration course but had no room in their schedule. I also found that there is more that goes into career exploration than quizzes and guest speakers. Everyone in Project Pathway helped each other plan out courses and find college majors that they were interested in. Through learning from mistakes, we grew as a community and were able to give back to each other. The first game in Woodbury’s adaptive basketball league is almost over. The turnout is high and cheers are ricocheting off the gym walls, but the noise is mostly from chaos. The league is a new program and I was learning just as much as the parents and kids, even though I was coaching and running practices. We all had to work together to tweak the drills and scrimmages so each kid could make the most of the experience, and I grew as a leader by allowing the parents and kids to voice their opinions and needs. Through founding Project Pathway and working as a coach and league manager, I learned that the most important attribute of a leader is being comfortable with being challenged. It is necessary to encourage opposing views and opinions, and to allow people to dictate their own needs and aspirations. I also saw this as a member of Key Club when the president would change the atmosphere from a lecture to a discussion, and quickly add new ideas from other group members. My journey with Project Pathway and the adaptive basketball league has also revealed that excellence is achieved not only through personal growth, but more importantly through creating welcoming communities where everyone is excited to contribute and participate.

It is the first meeting of the school year for Project Pathway. A year ago, I created an organization through my high school to help students figure out a career path and post-secondary education plans. The first year was a great start with high attendance numbers and enthusiastic participation in research projects from each member. Despite our previous success, the meeting is starting in ten minutes and the room looks sparse. The box of doughnuts is nearly full and my presentation is waiting patiently on the Smartboard. After the meeting, I learn from the members in the previous year that most people already had a plan figured out and there was less incentive to return. It is hard to face the truth but their words allowed me to make changes and make the meetings more engaging. I started reaching out to underclassmen and students who were interested in a career exploration course but had no room in their schedule. I also found that there is more that goes into career exploration than quizzes and guest speakers. Everyone in Project Pathway helped each other plan out courses and find college majors that they were interested in. Through learning from mistakes, we grew as a community and were able to give back to each other. The first game in Woodbury’s adaptive basketball league is almost over. The turnout is high and cheers are ricocheting off the gym walls, but the noise is mostly from chaos. The league is a new program and I was learning just as much as the parents and kids, even though I was coaching and running practices. We all had to work together to tweak the drills and scrimmages so each kid could make the most of the experience, and I grew as a leader by allowing the parents and kids to voice their opinions and needs. Through founding Project Pathway and working as a coach and league manager, I learned that the most important attribute of a leader is being comfortable with being challenged. It is necessary to encourage opposing views and opinions, and to allow people to dictate their own needs and aspirations. I also saw this as a member of Key Club when the president would change the atmosphere from a lecture to a discussion, and quickly add new ideas from other group members. My journey with Project Pathway and the adaptive basketball league has also revealed that excellence is achieved not only through personal growth but more importantly through creating welcoming communities where everyone is excited to contribute and participate.