I lost my mother when I was 12 due to preeclampsia. She was supposed to give birth to our baby brother three weeks before she died. Unfortunately, due to her passing, I was placed in foster care, and I ended up going to a perfect family, which in turn was a wrestling-oriented family. My siblings and I got adopted in February 2023 after being in the foster care system for over five years. I plan to study psychology and become an art therapist. Art therapy is focused on understanding and exploring through creative expression. This type of therapy is less intimidating to patients as it is hands-on and more sensory-impacted. Psychology entails behavior changes, social skills, and self-esteem; these can be tackled by allowing individuals to express emotions through art. By enhancing and building up the skills to process emotions, patients are able to feel empowered to show up in the world at their best. I know there are other people out there fighting to become understood. People are fighting to deserve recognition and a sense of belonging, just like I did. I want to work with children and adolescents, so, therefore, there are a lot more stipulations. I have to have more awareness of younger age groups. Some examples to avoid are failing to communicate privacy issues, the youth's role in the family system, developmental periods, and misinterpreting the child and making them feel misunderstood. Some individuals will be more challenging as they have gone through complex life events such as divorce, the death of a loved one, bullying, or trauma, affecting their mindset to function at their maximum potential. It is very common for youth might feel intimidated or overwhelmed if asked to discuss these events directly. Knowing different approach techniques to address life challenges creatively and speaking through metaphor offers a level of distance from what might otherwise be overwhelming to handle. Making art eases children into facing their challenges, beginning the process of acceptance and healing. To introduce artistic collaboration and creative team-building exercises in an art therapy group is to utilize a language that all children enjoy and respond to. Children can more effectively communicate and bond with their peers. Social skills concepts such as teamwork, reading social/emotional cues, listening, are addressed as they arise in the group process to achieve learning through experience. In art therapy, youth are non-judgmentally heard and praised for any form of creation they make. The concept of "good" art does not exist. Instead, children are empowered to appreciate the uniqueness of their artistic voices. All children, regardless of creative ability, learn to think of themselves as competent artists with something to say, which builds self-esteem and motivation. Receiving this scholarship will increase my opportunities to pursue higher education. Before transferring to Mesa State University, I would use this scholarship to help pay for my first two years at Aims Community College.

Being successful on a sports team in a small school sounds like it would be easy, but the usual barriers of playing names over ability determines if you get a spot or not. After giving up so much over the years, I realized that no matter how much passion and knowledge I showed, the odds were already set in stone. I respected my coach and continued to play my senior year after my parents told me things would be the same as last year. I hoped things would be different and she would see me, but my final year turned into my worst year. Ultimately this sparked me to join wrestling, and now I'm entering my fourth year on Yuma's girl's wrestling team. Joining this sport/arena has pushed me beyond my comfort zone and made me a better person and athlete. The thing about wrestling is that everything you do is earned, not given; there is no coach to determine how you do it's all on you. Tournament by tournament, I went from nobody to someone. Girl's wrestling is one division meaning all classifications such as 5a, 4a, 3a, and 2a are together. I was ranked in the top 4 in the 130 weight class in the girl's division in Colorado. Out of only 14 other girls, I made it to the state tournament. Wrestling has taught me to be more comfortable in my body,, and assert myself confidently on and off the mat. The rigorous training and competition have allowed me to develop mental toughness and discipline, enabling me to overcome obstacles and setbacks with a positive mindset. My teammates' support has helped me cultivate a sense of belonging and a community boosting my confidence and self-worth. From my experience on the mat, I have installed valuable life lessons that I carry every day. Being part of a growing community has been an incredible experience. When I first started, there were few female wrestlers in my area, and it was challenging to find training partners at first and took a lot of dedication to drive the extra miles to be able to participate in the competition. However, as the sport has grown in popularity and more girls have become interested, I have been fortunate to become part of a supportive and thriving community. Through social media groups, tournaments, duals, and training camps, I have connected and been friends with wrestlers nationwide Wrestling has always been a male-dominated sport, but I took the courage to join the team and grow women's wrestling. I have had the opportunity to inspire and empower other girls who may not have even considered wrestling a sport they could participate in or keep going in. By breaking down stereotypes and showing that girls can be just as strong and competitive, I have contributed to the community meaningfully. I have volunteered to ref pee-wee tournaments through the last couple of months to show the diversity and that girls can continue their passion through high school. Numerous parents come up to me and tell me that their child looks up to me, and it means a lot to them to see that girl wrestling is growing. Unfortunately, this is my last year being able to wrestle, and I am grateful that I got to be part of something bigger than myself and work towards a shared goal of empowering women. I have officially decided to be a CHSSA ref for wrestling to give back to the sport and create diversity.

Being successful on a sports team in a small school sounds like it would be easy, but the usual barriers of playing names over ability determines if you get a spot or not. After giving up so much over the years, I realized that no matter how much passion and knowledge I showed, the odds were already set in stone. I respected my coach and continued to play my senior year after my parents told me things would be the same as last year. I hoped things would be different and she would see me, but my final year turned into my worst year. I lost my mother when I was 12 due to preeclampsia. She was supposed to give birth to our baby brother three weeks before she died. Unfortunately, due to her passing, I was placed in foster care, and I ended up going to a perfect family, which in turn was a wrestling-oriented family. My siblings and I got adopted in February 2023 after being in the foster care system for over five years. Ultimately this sparked me to join wrestling, and now I'm entering my fourth year on Yuma's girl's wrestling team. Joining this sport/arena has pushed me beyond my comfort zone and made me a better person and athlete. Wrestling has made me realize I can go farther than I thought. Most of our practices have made me want to tap out, but I have learned to push through challenging moments. The thing about wrestling is that everything you do is earned, not given; there is no coach to determine how you do it's all on you. Tournament by tournament, I went from nobody to someone. Girl's wrestling is one division meaning all classifications such as 5a, 4a, 3a, and 2a are together. I was ranked in the top 4 in the 130 weight class in the girl's division in Colorado. Out of only 14 other girls, I made it to the state tournament. Wrestling has taught me to be more comfortable in my body, take up space, and assert myself confidently on and off the mat. The rigorous training and competition have allowed me to develop mental toughness and discipline, enabling me to overcome obstacles and setbacks with a positive mindset. My teammates' support has helped me cultivate a sense of belonging and a community boosting my confidence and self-worth. From my experience on the mat, I have installed valuable life lessons that I carry every day. Being part of a growing community has been an incredible experience. When I first started, there were few female wrestlers in my area, and it was challenging to find training partners at first and took a lot of dedication to drive the extra miles to be able to participate in the competition. However, as the sport has grown in popularity and more girls have become interested, I have been fortunate to become part of a supportive and thriving community. Through social media groups, tournaments, duals, and training camps, I have connected and been friends with wrestlers nationwide. Unfortunately, this is my last year, and I am grateful that I got to be part of something bigger than myself and work towards a shared goal of empowering women. I am thankful for the women that paved the way for us, and I hope other girls get the same positive experience I had.

I lost my mother when I was 12 due to preeclampsia. She was supposed to give birth to our baby brother three weeks before she died. Unfortunately, due to her passing, I was placed in foster care, and I ended up going to a perfect family, which in turn was a wrestling-oriented family. My siblings and I got adopted in February 2023 after being in the foster care system for over five years. Being successful on a sports team in a small school sounds like it would be easy, but the usual barriers of playing names over ability determines if you get a spot or not. After giving up so much over the years, I realized that no matter how much passion and knowledge I showed, the odds were already set in stone. I continued to play my senior year after my parents told me things would be the same as last year. I hoped things would be different and she would see me, but my final year turned into my worst year. Ultimately this sparked me to join wrestling, and now I'm entering my fourth year. Joining this sport/arena has pushed me beyond my comfort zone and made me a better person and athlete. The thing about wrestling is that everything you do is earned, not given; there is no coach to determine how you do it's all on you. Tournament by tournament, I went from nobody to someone. Girl's wrestling is one division meaning all classifications such as 5a, 4a, 3a, and 2a are together. I was ranked in the top 4 in the 130 weight class in the girl's division in Colorado. Out of only 14 other girls, I made it to the state tournament. Being part of a growing community has been an incredible experience. When I first started, there were few female wrestlers in my area, and it was challenging to find training partners at first and took a lot of dedication to drive the extra miles to be able to participate in competition. As the sport has grown in popularity and more girls have become interested, I have been fortunate to become part of a supportive and thriving community. Through social media groups, tournaments, duals, and training camps, I have connected with female wrestlers nationwide. Unfortunately, this is my last year, and I am grateful that I got to be part of something bigger than myself and work towards a shared goal of empowering women I hate to admit this, but my mother's passing was probably the best thing for me. I was super shy and never wanted to try new things, and I likely would have headed down the wrong path in life. I love her dearly and want her back every day, but I would have never gotten the opportunities I have now. Due to her loss, I gained a supportive family, a wonderful set of teammates and coaches, and a chance to have a better future. Before transferring to Mesa State University, I would use this scholarship to help pay for my first two years at Aims Community College. I plan to study psychology and become an art therapist. Art therapy is focused on understanding and exploring through creative expression. This type of therapy is less intimidating as it is hands-on and more sensory-impacted. Psychology entails behavior changes, social skills, and self-esteem; these can be tackled by allowing individuals to express emotions through art. By enhancing and building up the skills to process emotions, patients are able to feel empowered to show up in the world at their best.

Being successful on a sports team in a small school sounds like it would be easy, but the usual barriers of playing names over ability basically determines if you get a spot or not. After giving up so much over the years, I realized that no matter how much passion and knowledge I showed, the odds were already set in stone. I respected my coach and continued to play volleyball my senior year after my parents told me things would be the same as last year. I hoped things would be different and she would see me, but my final year turned into my worst year. Ultimately this sparked me to join wrestling, and now I'm entering my fourth year on Yuma's girl's wrestling team. Joining this sport/arena has pushed me beyond my comfort zone and made me a better person and athlete. My teammates and coaches' support has helped me cultivate a sense of belonging and a community boosting my confidence and self-worth. From my experience on the mat, I have installed valuable life lessons that I carry every day. The thing about wrestling is that everything you do is earned, not given; there is no coach to determine how you do it's all on you. Tournament by tournament, I went from nobody to someone. Girl's wrestling is one division meaning all classifications such as 5a, 4a, 3a, and 2a are together. I was ranked in the top 4 in the 130 weight class in the girl's division in Colorado. Out of only 14 other girls, I made it to the state tournament. Wrestling has played an integral role in shaping me into a more confident woman. Before I discovered wrestling, I struggled with self-doubt and insecurity, often feeling unsure of myself and my abilities. However, through the physical and mental challenges of wrestling, I have learned to push through my limits and trust in my strength and resilience. Wrestling has taught me to be more comfortable in my body, take up space, and assert myself confidently on and off the mat. The rigorous training and competition have allowed me to develop mental toughness and discipline, enabling me to overcome obstacles and setbacks with a positive mindset. Most of our practices have made me want to tap out, but I have learned to push through challenging moments. Being part of a growing community has been an incredible experience. When I first started, there were few female wrestlers in my area, and it was challenging to find training partners at first and took a lot of dedication to drive the extra miles to be able to participate in the competition. However, as the sport has grown in popularity and more girls have become interested, I have been fortunate to become part of a supportive and thriving community. Through social media groups, tournaments, duals, and training camps, I have connected and been friends with female wrestlers nationwide. Unfortunately, this is my last year, but I am grateful that I got to be part of something bigger than myself and work towards a shared goal of empowering women. I am thankful for the women that paved the way for us, and I hope other girls get the same positive experience I had.

I lost my mother when I was 12 due to preeclampsia. She was supposed to give birth to our baby brother three weeks before she died. Unfortunately, due to her passing, I was placed in foster care, and I ended up going to a perfect family, which in turn was a wrestling-oriented family. My siblings and I got adopted in February 2023 after being in the foster care system for over five years. Being successful on a sports team in a small school sounds like it would be easy, but the usual barriers of playing names over ability determines if you get a spot or not. After giving up so much over the years, I realized that no matter how much passion I showed, the odds were already set in stone. I respected my coach and continued to play after my parents told me things would be the same as last year. I hoped things would be different and she would see me, but my senior year turned into my worst year. Ultimately this sparked me to join wrestling, and now I'm entering my fourth year on Yuma's girl's wrestling team. Joining this sport/arena has pushed me beyond my comfort zone and made me a better person and athlete. Wrestling has made me realize I can go farther than I thought. Most of our practices have made me want to tap out, but I have learned to push through challenging moments. The thing about wrestling is that everything you do is earned, not given; there is no coach to determine how you do it's all on you. Tournament by tournament, I went from nobody to someone. Girl's wrestling is one division meaning all classifications such as 5a, 4a, 3a, and 2a are together. I was ranked in the top 4 in the 130 weight class in the girl's division in Colorado. Out of only 14 other girls, I made it to the state tournament. I hate to admit this, but my mother's passing was probably the best thing for me. I was super shy and never wanted to try new things, and I likely would have headed down the wrong path in life. I love her dearly and want her back every day, but I would have never gotten the opportunities I have now. Due to her loss, I gained a supportive family, a wonderful set of teammates and coaches, and a chance to have a better future. Receiving this scholarship will increase my opportunities to pursue higher education. Before transferring to Mesa State University, I would use this scholarship to help pay for my first two years at Aims Community College. I have gotten many wrestling scholarships offered nationwide, but unfortunately, I can not afford to go out of state. I plan to continue my wrestling career on a bigger platform. In the near future, I want to grow women's wrestling and start an all-girls elementary/middle school wrestling team. I plan to study psychology and become an art therapist. Art therapy is focused on understanding and exploring through creative expression. This type of therapy is less intimidating to patients as it is hands-on and more sensory-impacted. Psychology entails behavior changes, social skills, and self-esteem; these can be tackled by allowing individuals to express emotions through art. By enhancing and building up the skills to process emotions, patients are able to feel empowered to show up in the world at their best. I know there are other people out there fighting to become understood. People are fighting to deserve recognition and a sense of belonging, just like I did.

I lost my mother when I was 12 due to preeclampsia. She was supposed to give birth to our baby brother three weeks before she died. Unfortunately, due to her passing, I was placed in foster care, and I ended up going to a perfect family, which in turn was a wrestling-oriented family. My siblings and I got adopted in February 2023 after being in the foster care system for over five years. I came from a poor drug-involved family and didn't have the best role models. My brothers and I have witnessed domestic violence, drug abuse, and emotionally unavailable parents. Living in a small town, everyone knows what has happened to you and where you came from, so therefore, that's what you defined. You are automatically not as good as other kids, and you constantly have had people pitying me while growing up, leading to much humiliation. I'm fighting to prove that we are nothing like our parents and make a name for ourselves. I know who I am as a person, and I'm fighting to prove that I am on the same level as everyone else. People having biases against me led to my volleyball career being taken away from me by my coach. They never once believed in me and overlooked me even though I was one of the prominent athletes willing to do what the team needed. Senior year was the hardest as I was verbally degraded and benched more than I got to play. I know who I am, and I'm fighting to prove that I am on the same level as everyone else. Ultimately this sparked me to join wrestling, and now I'm entering my fourth year of wrestling. Joining this sport/arena has pushed me beyond my comfort zone and made me a better person and athlete. Wrestling has made me realize I can go farther than I thought. Believe me, most of our practices have made me want to tap out, but I never have, neither in this sport nor in life. Tournament by tournament, I went from nobody to someone. I am now ranked in the top 4 in Colorado and made it to the state tournament. I hate to admit this, but my mother's passing was probably the best thing for me. I was super shy and never wanted to try new things, and I likely would have headed down the wrong path in life. I love her dearly and want her back every single day, but I would have never gotten the opportunities I have now if I had continued living in that environment. Due to her loss, I gained a supportive family, an excellent set of teammates and coaches, and a chance to have a better future. I never knew that one day I would want to work in the human services category since I have never liked social services and have been uncomfortable around therapists. They took me away from my real family and made my life harder. Even though the experience was unexpected, I now see the importance of being removed from my home. As a child, it is just so hard to understand why. One day it hit me that I wanted to major in psychology. I have already taken several high school classes and about three online college courses on psychology. I have chosen this path to learn about myself and why I do the things I do and because I know other people are fighting to become more and be understood. People are fighting to deserve recognition and a sense of belonging, just like I did. I have finally started going to therapy after refusing it for so long. My mental health has improved, and I'm learning to recognize and deal with my traumatic events. I have overcome and fought hard for not wanting to be here anymore. There have been so many times when I have wanted to be with my mother again and dreaded waking up every day. I no longer feel that way. I have found my purpose and my reasons to continue living. I have gotten many wrestling scholarships offers all over Colorado and a few out-of-state ones. I hope to continue my wrestling career on a bigger platform. While doing this, I plan to study psychology and become an art therapist. My long-term goal is to open up a unique mental health treatment center as it will be decorated by regional artists and offers mainly art therapy to children ranging from adults.

I lost my mother when I was 12 due to preeclampsia. She was supposed to give birth to our baby brother three weeks before she died. Unfortunately, due to her passing, I was placed in foster care, and I ended up going to a perfect family, which in turn was a wrestling-oriented family. My siblings and I got adopted in February 2023 after being in the foster care system for over five years. I came from a poor drug-involved family and didn't have the best role models. My brothers and I have witnessed domestic violence, drug abuse, and emotionally unavailable parents. Living in a small town, everyone knows what happened to you and where you came from, so you are defined as that. You are automatically not as good as other kids, and you constantly have had people pitying me while growing up, which has led to much humiliation. People having biases against me led to my coach taking my volleyball career away from me. They never once believed in me and overlooked me even though I was one of the prominent athletes willing to do what the team needed. Senior year was the most challenging as I was verbally degraded and benched more than I got to play. I know who I am, and I'm fighting to prove that I am on the same level as everyone else. Ultimately this sparked me to join wrestling, and now I'm entering my fourth year of wrestling. Joining this sport/arena has pushed me beyond my comfort zone and made me a better person and athlete. Wrestling has made me realize I can go farther than I thought. Most of our practices have made me want to tap out, but I never have, neither in this sport nor in life. Wrestling became more of a family to me as I gained an excellent set of teammates and a fantastic coach. The thing about wrestling is that everything you do is earned, not given; there is no coach to determine how you do it's all on you. Tournament by tournament, I went from nobody to someone. I am now ranked in the top 4 in Colorado and made it to the state tournament. I have gotten many wrestling scholarships offers all over Colorado and a few out-of-state ones. I hope to continue my wrestling career on a bigger platform. While doing this, I plan to study psychology and become an art therapist. My long-term goal is to open up a unique mental health treatment center as it will be decorated by regional artists and offers mainly art therapy to children ranging from adults. I am choosing a better life by pursuing higher education and not letting my past define me.

I lost my mother when I was 12 due to preeclampsia. This affected me greatly. I didn't see it at the time because my mind went into a fight or flight response and I completely flighted. My mind put itself through a coping mechanism that was completely numbing out so I didn’t have to deal with the intense emotions. This went on for about 2 years. Unfortunately due to her passing, I was placed in foster care and I ended up going to a really good family, which in turn was a wrestling-oriented family, ultimately this sparked me to join wrestling and now I'm going into my fourth year of wrestling. Joining this sport has pushed me so far out of my comfort zone but has made me a way better person and athlete. Joining wrestling has made me realize I can push myself way farther than I thought I could. Believe me, most of our practices have made me want to tap out. It has pushed me to earn that varsity sport on the team, to learn from many many losses which over time have turned into wins, and ultimately made me better at volleyball. I really hate to admit this but I genuinely think that my mother's passing was probably the best thing for me. I was super shy and never wanted to try new things and probably would have headed down the wrong path in life. I love her dearly and want her back every single day but I would have never gotten the opportunity I have now. Due to her loss, I gained a really supportive family, a wonderful set of coaches, and a team. I've thrived in volleyball, finally stepping up and earning my varsity spot, I’m no longer afraid speak up. I never knew that one day I was going to want to work in the human services category because franked I have genuinely never liked health care workers such as social services and therapists because they took me away from my real family and have just made my life harder. One day it hit me that I wanted to major in psychology and minor in graphic design. I have already taken several highschool classes and about 3 online college classes on psychology. This has made me learn so much about myself and why I do the things I do. I have finally started going to therapy after refusing it for so long and my mental health has gotten so much better and I'm learning how to recognize and deal with my traumatic events. Now my long-term goal is to own a facility oriented around mental health. I want to be an art therapist so I want individuals to express themselves through their sessions. I have finally started going to therapy after refusing it for so long and my mental health has gotten so much better and I'm learning how to recognize and deal with my traumatic events. I have overcome not wanting to be here anymore. There have been so many times when I have wanted to be with my mother again and dreaded waking up every day. I no longer feel that way. I think I have found my purpose and my reasons to stay.