The sound of a softball snapping into my glove is the soundtrack of my childhood and the beginning of the person I have become. Countless hours spent on the field, from practices after school to weekend tournaments, shaped far more than my athletic abilities. Softball taught me the value of perseverance, discipline, and meaningful relationships. Lessons which continue to guide me as a civil engineering student and in the person I strive to be each day. One of the greatest lessons softball taught me was the importance of hard work and embracing opportunities to improve. I spent countless hours taking ground balls, repeating the same drills over and over in pursuit of perfection. As I got older, I realized perfection was never the goal because mistakes were inevitable. Even in high school, after years of experience, I still made errors that challenged my confidence. Instead of letting those moments define me, I learned to treat them as opportunities to grow. Softball taught me that improvement comes from accepting feedback, showing up even when practice is difficult, and having the discipline to keep working when progress feels slow. That mindset has carried into every aspect of my life, especially my engineering studies, where every challenge is another chance to learn rather than a reason to quit. Beyond the lessons of discipline, softball showed me the power of relationships and community. Success on the field depended on more than individual talent, it required trust, communication, and supporting one another through both victories and setbacks. My coaches invested their time in helping me grow, and my teammates became lifelong friends who celebrated successes and encouraged me through failures. Those experiences taught me that strong relationships are built by listening, encouraging others, and being someone people can depend on. Today, I carry those same values into engineering projects, where collaboration is essential, and into study groups where we succeed by helping one another. I also see those lessons every time I play catch with my younger siblings, hoping to encourage them the same way my coaches and teammates encouraged me. Softball didn’t just give me meaningful relationships, it taught me how to build them. Although I no longer compete on the field, softball continues to influence the way I approach life. Whether I am working through a difficult engineering problem, collaborating with classmates, or spending time with friends and family, the values I learned through the game remain with me. I still enjoy picking up a glove to play catch or a casual game with friends because it reminds me where those lessons began. As I pursue a career in civil engineering, I hope to carry those values forward by leading with integrity, working collaboratively, and mentoring others just as I was mentored. The lessons I learned on the softball field have shaped my character, strengthened my work ethic, and given me an appreciation for the impact one person can have on another. Long after the final inning, those lessons continue to guide the person I am becoming.

Growing up in the city of Springfield, Illinois, I have always encouraged and helped individuals of all diverse backgrounds. I made an effort to be involved in multiple clubs, sports, and organizations to uplift and engage with those of all diversities throughout middle and high school. Without these experiences, I would not be the same individual I am today, being able to go out of my comfort zone and experience new opportunities. Here at Iowa State University, my engagement in WiSE, SWE, and Habitat for Humanity Club, I have met countless individuals of all backgrounds and am always interested in their stories. I have continued to learn, develop, and pursue my interest in obtaining my degree. As a female civil engineering student, I want to empower the younger generations of females interested in STEM careers and mentor them in the development and knowledge of the field. Furthering my personal development, community service is an essential part of my life. All throughout high school, I was highly involved in volunteering in my community through the St. John’s Breadline, Vachel Lindsay Elementary School, and coaching third-grade girls basketball. After my sister was diagnosed with cancer two years ago, I realized the true importance of community. We could navigate through life with the Springfield community's support and help. Appreciation, thankfulness, and gratitude are genuine words we felt during this time, and I further realized the importance of what one act of kindness could do for somebody’s life. Wanting to continue to uplift and help inspire others, I have continued to volunteer through multiple acts of service. Transitioning to Iowa State University, I wanted to continue giving back to the community of Ames, and I started volunteering at Food at First. Being in a college town, the food insecurities are not highlighted where the focus is directed toward the big game or some upcoming event. Volunteering at Food at First has opened my eyes to how fortunate I am to know where my next meal is coming from. Donating four hours a week to help prepare, serve, and clean up meals for the less fortunate allows me to feel I am helping to provide support in an area where there is a lack of in the community. Through acts of service of volunteering to give back to the community, I can inspire others to do the same, creating a ripple effect of generosity and kindness.

Across generations, multiple artists stand out amongst others, developing songs that move everyday individuals. Today, Noah Kahan has swiftly risen to prominence throughout the younger generations, writing one hit song after another. His rich voice transforms listeners following an emotional journey across all his songs. Although Noah Kahan has been active in the music industry for a while, the music star did not rise to fame early in his career. Still pursuing his dream of writing music, Kahan wrote Stick Season, which put him on the charts. After this single, the vocalist continued writing beloved songs and albums continuing to rise to the top of the charts. In the album "Forever", Noah Kahan takes individuals embarking on a new journey through an emotional voyage, articulating how the past will continue to follow perpetually alongside the latest journey through metaphors, juxtaposition, and animated imagery. Growing up in a small town in Vermont, Kahan sets the setting for the album Forever in the very town he grew up in (Mitchell). As Kahan starts the album, he immediately describes the importance of building a solid foundation through metaphors. In the song, Northern Attitude, Kahan compares a boat to life, singing, “You build a boat, you build a life” (Northern Attitude 0:31). Using this metaphor, Kahan compares the effort needed to build a boat with the same effort required when finding an individual’s way in life. Considerable traits for building a ship include, hard work, teamwork, and communication are some basics. These same traits can be applied to everyday life. An individual must be capable of hard work because multiple opportunities in life will not come easy. Continuous hard work will help an individual reach new opportunities and goals throughout life. Daily communication occurs with a friend, family member, or stranger. Sometimes, an individual must ask for help or work with another, requiring teamwork to complete the task or activity. Returning to Kahan’s message, these skills are developed in the beginning stages of life, carrying individuals along their lives through the early stages of being nurtured or cared for. Furthermore, Kahan expands on the idea of the past defining an individual's future in the song, Your Needs, My Needs. An emotional metaphor is sung during the piece: "You’ll always be a flower on my skin” (Your Needs, My Needs 0:38). In this line, Kahan compares an individual person to a flower. He communicates that a human from an individual’s past will continue to impact life, always carried from within the soul. The importance of including this specific line in the song highlights significant parts of an individual’s childhood that follow them forever, all through their life journey. Even if some individuals might try to run from their past, the past will continue to follow from one point to another. In the beginning stages of life, a child must be nurtured by a guardian, becoming reliant on that individual. As a child grows and becomes more independent with age, the qualities learned will continue to follow. Kahan sings this line quietly, causing the audience to believe he struggles with this idea. Throughout this song, Kahan seems to be singing from personal experience from events he has experienced throughout his life, appealing to the emotions and logistics of countless listeners. He sings as though feeling trapped within the times of his past life, wanting to start a new chapter. The use of the metaphor, comparing an individual person to a flower, helps listeners understand pieces from the past will continue to follow along even though a handful may try to escape the past. A couple of songs later, Kahan sings about his past when he was a child growing up. In the song, View Between Villages, Kahan uses juxtaposition, expressing his struggles with seeing his hometown after returning at an older age. No longer feeling connected to his childhood, Kahan sings, “Past Alger Brook Road, I’m over the bridge, a minute from home, but I feel so far from it” (View Between Villages 1:47). Even though he is only a minute away from his hometown, he has never felt farther. Growing up, a hometown may seem like the only part of an individual’s life, but individuals grow and evolve as life continues. A child has a piece of limited knowledge of all the opportunities out in the world. In the growth process, the child will develop into an adult, learning about all the unique opportunities in the world. Kahan refers to his hometown as feeling restricted from growth, as though having emotions such as feeling trapped. For an audience growing into a new journey, Kahan expresses how moving on from the past is excellent but will always be a part of who the individual is. This specific line applies to those individuals who may move far from home, head off to college, or simply have a substantial change in their lives. Kahan emphasizes the importance of moving away and growing as an individual, but the feelings from childhood will continue throughout each journey. Expressing the importance of growing and not staying stagnant is essential in feeling detached from his hometown. Utilizing this metaphor further examines the struggles with an individual’s feelings as the past is faced but shows the growth of an individual. Kahan, growing his appeals to emotion, paints animated imagery throughout the song, You’re Gonna Go Far. The focus of this song emphasizes the importance of growing in life and chasing dreams while an individual has the opportunity to. Kahan further expresses through the music that an individual’s hometown will always be there to travel back to if the journey takes an improper path. Painting imagery of leaving home, Kahan sings, “So, pack up your car, put a hand on your heart, say whatever you feel, be wherever you are, we ain’t angry at you, love, you’re the greatest thing we’ve lost, the birds will still sing, your folks will still fight, the boards will still creak, the leaves will still die” (You’re Gonna Go Far 1:16). Kahan uses key observations from life to indicate, life will still go on as the individual leaves and chases their dreams; including imagery that appeals further to the listeners' emotions, painting the scene as though the audience is present. This imagery assists in adding emotional appeal to the thought of leaving home. At some point in life, an individual can depart their hometown, and Kahan emphasizes the importance of chasing and following those dreams. Without the imagery in this song, the audience would not consider the impacts of departing out of an individual’s comfort zone. The components of an individual’s hometown will follow as they grow and chase dreams. Music enables individuals to transform into a different world and reflect on their lives. Traveling through Noah Kahan’s album "Forever", impacts individuals entering a new phase of their lives by appealing to emotions through metaphors, juxtaposition, and animated imagery. Appealing to the feelings of nostalgia, homesickness, change, and anxiety, Kahan implements a light and raw voice across each song throughout this album. Listening to this album during a transition part of an individual’s life further certifies the ability to chase dreams one may never dream of. Copy: Lyrics from Noah Kahan's Album "Forever" The reason I decided to choose a song album was because I believe music is a part of who we are. During a time in my life where I was facing major changes, my sister's diagnosis with cancer, and transitioning to college, I was able to relate and feel as though I was expressing those feelings through music. Music is important, and taking a deeper dive into a small portion of Noah Kahan's lyrics was a rewarding feeling looking back on the growth I have accomplished.

Studying abroad will allow me to grow in these aspects as an individual who loves to explore, broaden my horizons, learn, and develop. I have always loved exploring new places, whether checking out a new spot in Springfield or going on family vacations. I have been privileged to have the opportunity to travel within the United States to states like Florida, Oregon, South Carolina, and Massachusetts. Traveling and experiencing new places is essential for an individual to grow and learn about new places. Traveling has allowed me to appreciate and have gratitude for each day I have the opportunity to learn new things. With always having a strong desire to explore and learn more throughout my history classes, I have taken both in high school and college, studying abroad will allow me to see the places I have read about in books, in real life. It is so important to understand the background and making of a country. There is much to explore and learn about through places, culture, and people. Growing up in Springfield, Illinois, I have always encouraged and helped individuals of all diverse backgrounds. I tried to be involved in multiple clubs, sports, and organizations to uplift and engage with individuals of all backgrounds. This allowed me to be the individual I am today, dedicated to giving back to my community. After my sister was diagnosed with cancer two years ago, I realized the true importance of community. We could navigate life through this rough time with the Springfield community's support and help. Appreciation, thankfulness, and gratitude are genuine words we felt during this time, and I further realized the importance of what one little act of kindness could do for somebody's life. Through high school, I participated in various volunteer opportunities, such as St. John's Breadline, raking leaves for veterans, Lindsay Elementary School, and coaching a third-grade girls basketball team, all allowing me to give back to the community of Springfield, wanting to make an impact on individuals' lives. As I continued into college at Iowa State University, I continued my love for helping others in a community through volunteering at Food At First and Society of Women Engineers Elementary Learn Days. I have experienced enormous joy and thankfulness through these volunteer opportunities, allowing me to grow as an individual. Studying abroad will allow me to expand my desire to help give back to individuals in another country, as I will find opportunities where I can give back. The one word that immediately comes to mind when I hear the phrase study abroad is opportunity. This experience allows you to become a well-rounded individual for life and professionally. Understanding how to develop connections with any individual is extremely important in Civil Engineering. Working on projects, several individuals are from different backgrounds, and the ability to communicate is pivotal. Studying abroad will allow me to submerge myself in various cultures, history, and knowledge in one semester. The opportunities I will be able to experience all within one semester will allow me to grow in enormous ways, which will help me down the road in my professional career. Being in a male-dominated field, I always look for ways to improve and be the best individual I can be. Life-long learning is significant, and studying abroad will allow me to grow in ways I never thought possible. As an individual dedicated to giving back, personal growth, and exploring, studying abroad will allow me to immerse myself in endless opportunities.