From the beginning of time, humans have depended on each other for everything. Survival, success, happiness, and so much more has been the direct product of people supporting other people. While this may not be some huge secret, on an individual level it is overlooked. It has taken around 15 years of my life to truly dive deep and acknowledge not only the people that support me, but the individuals whom I support as well. I am a member of both the marching band, and varsity soccer team. Recently, I have been privileged to have received the title of drum major this season. I also play a huge role on the soccer team and I’m in the running for varsity captain. Due to the leadership roles I possess, it is my responsibility to support my teammates and band members in every way possible. Although this dedication may seem daunting, it is something that was provided to me in my early years and I plan to continue the support. In my eyes, supporting these individuals means that I will give it my all to ensure their success. I will put them first because it is my job, and that's how great leaders support their team members. I also recognize that not everything will go according to plan, and I need to be prepared to support people in times of need. To do so, I will make sure they feel heard, appreciated, and understood. Even though I just recently began to realize how much my support can mean to people, I am doing my best to help others. It was actually this past school year that I learned about supporting others in a class I took through the University of Pittsburgh, called “Theories of Leadership.” While this class was primarily geared towards leadership, I learned a great deal about the support I am able to offer to others and it has truly opened my eyes to the amount of positivity I am able to spread. While I intend to make this a great season for marching band and soccer, I understand that soon I will be departing from high school and going to college and the real world. However I will have strengthened my supportive skills through soccer and band as well as through experiences in college. While this is an uncertain time for me, I still want to offer support to those around me. Although I may not be supporting the kids I grew up with, I still will be helping others. In short, I appreciate beyond words the support I have received over the years. However now I feel it is time for me to pass it on to many other individuals so that they can be set up for success. Support may not have been something I always paid attention to in my childhood, but after learning about it I am pleased to be given the opportunity to offer support to so many people in the years to come.

“Her heart stopped.” The words played over and over inside my head, and yet no matter how many times I said it, it never felt real. Everything in my life leading up to this event was insignificant, I was consumed by just this one moment in time. It was at this moment that I first learned about the death of my sister, Presley Ryan Hill. All the excitement and joy surrounding her birth in just one week had suddenly, and without warning, shattered. I was eleven years old when I lost my sister, and it was absolutely heartbreaking. I’ve carried her loss with me throughout the years, and I have learned so much because of it. To say the death of Presley changed me would be an understatement. My experience has completely changed me as a person, and my character as well as my outlook on life have been seriously altered since. When my step-mom gave birth to my stillborn sister, my brother and I went to the hospital to say our goodbyes. During this time I was told I could hold Presley, but it was okay if that would be uncomfortable or too overwhelming for me. Seeing as it was my first and last chance, I held my sister and reluctantly said goodbye. As I held her I began to fully understand the gravity of the situation. With everything sinking in, I made a promise to myself that I will never forget. I swore that I would live my life to the fullest and appreciate as much of life as I could, I did this because Presley would never be able to. Throughout the years as I have coped with my sister's death, I learned something along the way. I learned that tragedy is inevitable, and that the only way to truly succeed in life is to not let tragedies best you, and instead learn and grow from them. My parents were the ones who really reinforced this belief. Every year on my sister's birthday, my parents will do something to help or give to those affected by the loss of a child/sibling. As of right now, my parents are working with a local hospital to fund-raise a child loss room for grieving families. Even though the loss of Presley was painful, my parents showed me that it's okay to hurt, but a successful person will use that pain to motivate them to do good. I learned this about success the hard way, nonetheless, I am glad I learned it. In short, the passing of my sister was deeply saddening, however instead of letting that defeat me, I use it to make Presley proud. It is because of my sister that I live my life to the fullest. Without my experience I would never view success as I do today. Presley changed my life, because of this, I live my life in honor of her.