The first game of 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 did, even though I was coaching and running practices. We all worked together to tweak the drills and scrimmages so each kid could make the most of the experience. I grew as a leader by allowing the parents and kids to voice their opinions and needs. With such a wide range of ages, it becomes easy for kids to feel left out of the game or feel like they aren't contributing as much as the rest of the team. One girl, Maria, would often leave during the game to shoot hoops on the other side of the court or just watch from a distance. In between quarters, we had a team chat about passing to everyone before shooting, and it changed the trajectory of the game. While two of the girls were a little disappointed with having fewer points, that small sacrifice changed the trajectory of the game. Every time the ball went into the hoop, the cheering and clapping grew louder and the kids were more motivated to work as a team. A few months later, a new session of the Adapted Bowling League started. I was standing at the door waiting to check people in and saw Maria’s name on the list. I was elated to see how she was doing and knew she would bring so much energy and excitement to the day. When she walked in, she recognized me right away and gave me the biggest hug, not even knowing she made my day. When I first met her, she would shy away from the kids or step away during games and practices. Now she was excited to see everyone, ran around and gave everyone hugs, and bowled with her friends for the entirety of the time. It was then I knew the impact that sports and inclusivity could have on people. It takes incredible bravery to try everything and meet new people. She inspires me daily to step out of my comfort zone and work to continuously meet new and interesting people.  I also learned the power of sports when I started golf in 10th grade. I had been an athlete my whole life, playing soccer and hockey from a young age, but in doing so, I always knew people and had friends on my team. Starting golf was a whole new experience. It was hard to start a sport so old while everyone else had been on the team forever, but the captains were so welcoming and I made numerous friends from joining. As I grow older there seems to be less encouragement to try new things. I have realized that it takes courage to start from the beginning and to keep an open mind, and it takes courage to include people and to be included.

My life is laid out in a timeline of melodious phases. Ever since I could talk, I’ve been obsessed with some sort of music. My first phase was The Wizard of Oz. Two year old me would sing and dance like a munchkin around the house, wore Dorothy’s blue gingham dress for two years straight, and threw a temper tantrum after seeing the play end. Just as this fixation began to fizzle out, a new one was ignited after seeing the Sound of Music, then Mary Poppins. This back and forth between movies resulted in confusion of how Julie Andrews could take care of so many kids, but the movies kept rolling, the songs kept playing, and the phase was not given up for another three years. By third grade, I felt I had matured past silly musical movies and instead jammed out to P!nk. There was not a single car ride to soccer practice that didn’t include singing Just Give Me a Reason at the top of my lungs. While my sisters would complain about listening to the same song, I saw each carpool karaoke session as a chance to hit that high note, and eventually they enjoyed it as much as I did. When Covid sent everyone home from school, I discovered a new form of musical entertainment: Hamilton. It was unlike anything I had ever heard. The lofty sopranos and witty rap songs were added to the karaoke rotation, and within months I not only had every song memorized, but US history facts that would have me reciting the lyrics years later to figure out test answers. My most recent phase has yet to come to a close. Through dramatic ballads and rich melodies, Adele’s music has kept my attention for the last four years. I learn her songs on the piano, cover them on my trumpet, and play the albums on repeat. I have also met so many wonderful people from band and orchestra and have had the privilege to learn from highly educated and experienced musicians during rehearsals. In this next chapter of my life, I look forward to new phases but will always keep the others close to my heart. Throughout my high school career, I have played three different sports, taken a wide range of classes, and had multiple jobs, but music has been a constant. It has helped distract me in hard times and motivated me in challenges.

A year ago, I created an organization through my high school to help students figure out a career path and post-secondary education plans. I really noticed a lack of direction and preparation from myself and many of my peers, and I was determined to solve this school-wide struggle. 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. Through founding Project Pathway and working as a coach and league manager, I learned that the most important attribute to 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.

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.