Ilona Maher is not only my favorite athlete to cheer for, but her message both on and off the field has changed my life. I was diagnosed with a eating disorder two years ago, at the age of 16. Everyday continues to be a struggle, but everyday I tackle the negative thoughts about eating and exercise. Having been a competitive gymnast throughout high school, rugby was not a sport I watched or knew anything about. I discovered Ilona through social media about two years ago. Her body positive and food reality messages have helped me to better embrace who I am and better understand that starving myself does not make me a better athlete. She is an absolute beast on the rugby field. Watching Illona has helped me address my own body dysmorphia and accept that being muscular and strong is a great attribute. I've learned to be more accepting of all body types, and that there isn't a one size fits all body style for athletes. Off the field, she's taught me to accept eating carbs and reminded me coffee was not enough for breakfast. Her videos from Paris, where she was eating three different carbs or two bagels for breakfast, helped me accept that athletes need carbs, not just proteins. Ilona's next adventure on Dancing With The Stars put her into a role where her fans watched her not at the top of her game, but rather an amateur struggling to learn a new sport. She tackled this new challenge with the same determination we watched repeatedly on the rugby field. As the series continued, we saw Ilona get frustrated with a misstep here or there, but we also saw her learn to give herself grace. She allowed herself to have fun and enjoy the process. As a perfectionist, these are all aspects of sports I struggle with as well. She continues to be a positive reminder that it's acceptable and necessarily to make mistakes as we are learning new skills.

For my career, I would like to major in Computer Science and enter the field of data forensics working for local or state law enforcement, the FBI, or a national agency in the intelligence community. Through this field, I can continue serving my community and my country while challenging myself and doing something I enjoy. Both of my parents are veterans of the U.S. Army. My mother served in the intelligence community and my dad was assigned to artillery. Both of my parents served on active duty for over five years. My father continues to serve as a member of the National Guard while my mother has continued her federal service in the civilian ranks. I first became interested in computer science in my elementary school tech class, where we got to program Lego Robots. As I took more advanced computer science and cybersecurity classes through high school, I realized how much I enjoy the problem-solving and innovation involved in computer science. Several years ago, I was able to go to work with my mother on bring your kid to work day. The experience significantly shaped my thinking about my desired career. I met a team of computer programmers, and although they couldn't talk to me about their actual projects, they showed me several of their personal home projects. I always thought software engineers were introverts who hid at their desks and avoided contact with people. This team of developers challenged all of my assumptions about programmers and careers in computer science. They showed me the power of working in a team and how individual accomplishments could contribute to the larger goal. They were funny and outspoken and even though I had just met them, I felt like I fit right in. In my junior year of high school, I did a capstone class where we worked in teams to develop an innovative product for the technology industry. The team I worked on consisted of six very strong-minded people who often had differing opinions and ideas. I realized early on in this project that I'm a very goal-oriented person, and I am good at communicating information in terms that everyone understands, so I became the person in the group who helped organize our tasks, set deadlines, and explained to the people in our group working on the business side what was happening on the IT side. From this experience, I learned the major key to building an inclusive team is communication. I found we were not successful until everyone had a chance to, and felt capable of, communicating their ideas, opinions, plans, and reasoning. I learned I could make sure everyone had a voice that was heard. This experience has a special meaning to me because not only did I learn more about myself and how to build an inclusive team, but it also served as the foundation for my desired career choice in data forensics. Through all of these experiences, my desire and intent to enter the field of computer science solidified. I now know it's where I want to be and it's where I belong.

How do computer science, community service, sports, and supporting women/girls in STEM relate to one another? Let me share a bit about my experiences and the unique path I have started on to make the world a better place. Many of the activities I enjoy are not traditional for women. Whether I'm using power tools, playing golf, coding, or weight lifting I often notice younger girls watching me. I realize by just doing the things I love, I'm serving as a role model to the next generation and breaking down generational stereotypes. I recently had the opportunity to serve as a group leader at a Society of Women Engineers sponsored event for 1,200 5th graders from underrepresented communities. I had never really thought of myself as a role model or trailblazer before, but in that moment, I realized the value of my story. I have been very involved with Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a non-profit that builds and delivers beds to children to tackle child bedlessness. This is my 4th year volunteering, third year serving as a delivery team co-lead, and just recently I started leading delivery teams on my own. Initially, I began by completing manual tasks assigned to me, such as sanding or measuring. As I've gained more experience, I am now able to help and teach others how to complete the myriad of tasks required for building and delivering beds. Volunteering has helped me to see past a person's circumstances, and focus on the person. Having compassion and understanding for people, and realizing that more is likely going on in their lives than what they are talking about, is incredibly important and is a life skill I will continue to use everyday, whether at school or work. For my career, I would like to major in Computer Science and enter the field of data forensics working for local or state law enforcement, the FBI, or a national agency in the intelligence community. I first became interested in computer science in elementary school and as I took more advanced computer science and cybersecurity classes, I realized how much I enjoy problem solving and innovation. Technology has changed our society in so many positive ways, but in order to reap the positive benefits, we also have to conquer the negatives, such as cybercrimes. Through this field, I can serve my community and my country while challenging myself and doing something I really enjoy. I can continue to volunteer and serve as a role model to others that may be interested in a similar path but aren't sure they belong. I am right where I belong and look forward to continuing to establish a new norm for future generations to come.

What does community service mean to me? It means being part of something bigger than oneself, it means being selfless with my time, and it means helping improve the lives of people around me. It means leading by example, showing compassion and empathy, and avoiding judgment. I have learned what it means to serve my community through my experiences volunteering. Let me start by sharing a story. On a delivery with Sleep in Heavenly Peace, I walked into a house and noticed the general absence of furniture. There was a large pile of laundry and blankets in the hallway, which I presumed was what the kids had been using as a bed. I asked the older teen if he wanted to help with the drill; noticing that he had never held a power tool before I offered to show him how. When we finished building the bunk beds, we were getting ready to take a group picture and there was a tear rolling down the older teen’s face, he said he had never had his very own bed before. I couldn’t help but think how lucky I am to have had my very own bed my whole life. Building beds is hard work but it was at this moment that I realized the impact we were having on the lives of kids and their families in my community. The Sleep in Heavenly Peace slogan is “no child sleeps on the floor in our town". Until that moment, I hadn’t understood the power of that statement or the impact of the greater effort I was contributing towards. Sleep in Heavenly Peace is a non-profit that builds and delivers beds to children to tackle child bedlessness. This is my 4th year volunteering, third year serving as a delivery team co-lead, and just recently I started leading teams on my own. Initially, I began by completing manual tasks assigned to me, such as sanding or measuring. As I've gained more experience, I am now able to help and teach others how to complete the myriad of tasks required for building and delivering beds. Volunteering with Sleep in Heavenly Peace has helped me to see past a person's circumstances, and focus on the person. This has been a valuable life skill that I have been able to apply nearly every day. Whether working as a gymnastics coach, leading my high school gymnastics team, or just interacting with peers on projects or assignments. Having compassion and understanding for people, and realizing that more is likely going on in their lives than what they are talking about, is incredibly important. I am a perfectionist and like to hold myself and others to very high standards. This experience has helped me understand and accept why I need to be more forgiving and not hold everyone to my standards, but rather ask them to perform at the level they are capable of. For my career, I would like to major in Computer Science and enter the field of data forensics working for local or state law enforcement, the FBI, or a national agency in the intelligence community. I first became interested in computer science in elementary school and as I took more advanced computer science and cybersecurity classes, I realized how much I enjoy problem solving and innovation. Through this field, I can continue serving my community and my country while challenging myself and doing something I really enjoy.

To me, golf is much more than a sport, it's become a social activity that I enjoy because it allows me to spend time with my family and friends. In the summer, my grandparents take my brother, two cousins, and myself to the driving range. We hit golf balls until our hands hurt and then we sit and enjoy lunch together. We laugh at our blunders and cheer for each other's successes, we talk about anything and everything. Going to the driving range with my grandparents is one of my favorite family activities. When I entered high school, I tried out for girl's golf. Because there were so few girls trying out, it was a no-cut sport. This was very different from my brother's experience where 70 boys were trying out for three positions. I was on the Junior Varsity team in 9th and 10th grade. I loved going to the course every day and spending time with a group of girls. During the Summer before 11th grade, I decided not to try out for the golf team. I discovered I really enjoyed playing golf, but I didn't enjoy the competition. I like that golf is something I can do and just enjoy and don't need to pressure myself to be good at it. As a perfectionist, this was a novel realization. My experience on the golf team was very different from what I usually experience when I'm at a golf course. I usually play golf or go to the driving range with my mom. It's hard not to notice that my mom and I are usually the only women we'll see the entire time we're playing, other than the ladies driving the beer cart. The men are usually respectful, but I always find it intimidating stepping onto the course. I usually try to play from the men's blocks, because I don't like having everyone waiting on me, watching me, while I walk to the women's tee. When I'm on the driving range, I feel like I always have to hit the ball as hard as I can so my shots are going as far as everyone else's. As I've gotten older, I've found that the feeling of intimidation and not belonging goes away as soon as I start swinging a club. I've learned that it's okay if I don't hit as far or hard as others. I've also learned that a compliment goes a long way. When I see young girls on the course, I make a point to say hi, make sure they see me, and do what I can to help them feel like they belong there. While the golf course has often been a place I feel like I don't fit in, it's a place I love to go, and I want to make sure golfers younger than me have a different experience and love to play golf as well.