My mom is an engineer and hearing all the projects she is involved with just fascinates me. My dad is a locksmith and I've learned to make and program keys (started that when I was 13 years old). Between the 2 of them the ingenuity, the drive, the projects, the ideas, the people, the tools, and all the things they get to deal with intrigues me. I have a lot of the same skills they have. They both built their careers by starting small, being willing to go through a door that was opened and trying new things - though they took a couple of steps back they still learned from that job and built up the skills so they could take on the next job. I see engineering as the same - taking small steps and building upon each layer to build something whether its a production line, a building or a program - the joy in seeing it built from scratch and seeing the end result is a great reward. There are so many aspects with engineering from the idea to the drawing to the research and design as well as the planning and budgeting and everything in between to that final result. I love math so and that is a huge asset in engineering. I can't wait to dig in and start learning more about it. As for my experiences in HS and the impact - wow where do I start? Moving from a very small K-12 school to a bigger HS where I did not know anyone impacted me in that I needed to be confident in who I was and my abilities and to overcome the fear of being new. I was able to overcome those fears by getting involved in the softball team and using the people skills I learned from my parents to make new friends and be a valued contributor on a team. Both my parents can talk the paint off the wall and my dad has never met a stranger. When I was working with my dad on keys he made me learn to talk to the customers and hand them the invoices and the completed keys. By being able to talk to folks made all the new experiences of HS easier. I also quickly got involved with tutoring and helping others learn math and I love math. Seeing other students minds click when they finally get it is a great reward. My senior year I did not want to go easy and skate - it will mean pushing my self hard. So my senior year I am in the process of taking 4 AP Courses (Statistics, Calculus, Physics & Euro History) - not an easy course set. All while playing HS and Travel Softball and tutoring - learning to multi-task and handle the work load and still get great grades (4.0). The lessons I've learned and the skills I've learned will guide me for the rest of my life - even during difficult times (my mom was hit by a car and in a coma - we thought we would lose her), I was able to step in and cancel a trip for softball the week it happened because my dad had to step in and deal with the trauma - all during COVID - though I was hurting and scared I was able to call the airlines, rental car and hotel and cancel and get our money back. Learning that life goes on and despite the events still need to look at the big picture and make things happen.

When I was in 12U Softball we lost all of our pitchers to the higher level - my coach thought I would make a good pitcher - I cried because I absolutely did not want to be a pitcher - but his encouragement and his teaching of the skill changed all of that - I exceled at it and as I became better and better I was able to help my HS team win our County Championship for the 1st time in school history. Through this coach and my pitching coach I was able to share that same type of encouragement and teaching to younger would be pitchers. Some of these younger pitchers have traveled to my travel team games and HS games to help support me and to see what being part of a team is all about. Especially as a pitcher, I've learned to be a leader on the field and help other pitchers as well as other players to give it their all, even if they are not the best, its all about the heart and what you put into it. I've also learned the importance of bucket time - started out with another coach who happens to be my dad - but this time is a great time to listen to the coach as the game happens and look at scenarios and critique choices and learn better approaches. I have bucket time with new players and we work through the game and we encourage each other during that time as well as call each other out on our choices and behavior to ultimately show the other team and all those that are watching that we are good sportsman on and off the field. I've used that memory of those tears and how that coach encouraged me to overcome moving to a new community and a new HS, where I didn't know anyone, to making a switch to a new travel team where I was coming in and potentially being a threat to others on the team. He taught me to have courage to try new things - especially things out of my comfort zone. Just this year I volunteered to help with the school play (not my typical group of athletes that I am used to) but I ended doing the lighting for performances and had a great time and had the chance to get to know some folks better. Pretty soon I will be heading off to college for that next big adventure playing softball for a D2 school and all the challenges that will be - but I have the heart and the backing to I've it my best shot and along the way make new friends, encourage those around me and just enjoy the journey. In the end I will always keep that memory of how that coach pushed me through my fear and tears and see the faith he had in me - we need to have faith in ourselves and push ourselves to be the best we can be. A skill we can use every day - come on world - here I come!!

My favorite would be The Chosen - whole family can watch it - sorry but there are so many shows and movies that families can't watch and this one you can. Even if you don't believe in Jesus, the message is for everyone and it can be very simple - Be Kind! Love Others! Help Others! No reason for hate! Or it can be very deep when it comes to spiritual matters and eternity - and there is a heaven and there is a hell and we need to live life like this is true - what could it hurt - being kind, helping others, getting rid of hate. The life lessons it teaches in the series can be applied to us to day - from relationships - to being there for those that are hurting - to team work to get a job done and more. We are accountable and responsible for our actions - why not make them good ones versus poor ones which we see every day from selfishness - to greed - to immediate satisfaction (which doesn't last) - to death instead of life and so much more. I love watching the interactions of all the characters from Jesus and His humor - to Matthew changing his career path and giving it all up for a cause and his "friendship" with the Roman Centurion, Gaius. Even the struggles Gaius has in his own life and his relationship with his boss Quintus. So many twists and turns in the series that are intriguing and genuine. The actors do a great job of portraying their characters. For example seeing the heartache in Little John as he want s to be able to walk normally and the battle going on in Nicodemus' heart, mind and soul on the offer the offer that Jesus gave him. To take a group of people and put them together with so many different personalities and backgrounds and focus them on one direction is pretty amazing. The scenes, photography and props are very realistic and they make me, at least, wonder about life during Bible times. The ingenuity to live during those times, most people to day would have a hard time working as hard as they did just to put a meal on the table. Ultimately this series is about the life of Christ and bringing more people to be saved and have eternal life with God. But even if one does not believe in God or Christ this series to still for everyone as the lessons can be applied to us today everyday - Be Kind! Help Others in Need! Servant Leadership!