The first time I can remember saving my dad’s life I was 6 years old. I heard a thud and rushed to his bedroom to find him in the floor having a seizure. My whole childhood was spent missing school and staying home to be with him just incase he needed me. I grew to hate school and just wanted to be with my dad, I closed myself in these walls of anxiety. However, this all changed at the end of my eighth grade year when my dad got brain surgery. The brain surgery got rid of his epilepsy and I was left feeling like I was no longer needed, but instead of closing myself in more I took this newfound freedom for granted and started high school with a goal to discover myself. I took every class, joined every club, joined every sport, made new friends, connected with teachers, and built my skills everyday because of those around me. It is what has led me to the passion to become a teacher, and I felt as though I finally found myself. I want to be apart of the future of education and give back every blessing I have been given because every student deserves to understand themselves and not feel closed in. Wrestling, specifically, has given me that structure and those opportunities that have shaped me to who I am today and it has given me every ounce of strength I have needed. It is meaningful to me to also give back to the wrestling community, which is a major reason I coach for the Maryland Mat Monsters junior league team. Quickly after my father’s brain surgery he began to face the negative effects which led him to be emotionally hurtful towards me. After every hurtful interaction with my dad I would want to leave. I felt like I didn’t belong in my home and it created the self doubt and insecurities held in my mind. I held onto these emotions throughout the school day and my time at home until it was 6:00pm. Wrestling practice had started at 6:00pm and I thought it would be a normal day. My coach pulled me over and asked if I was okay, he recognized the emotion and hurt on my face even when I tried my hardest to hide it. He reminded me I was at practice, he reminded me of my goals to place states, and he reminded me of all my hard work. My day may had been rough but I almost let it get in the way of a place I felt safe at. This seemingly normal day opened my eyes to the support system I had grown. It showed me wrestling was my escape and a way to let it all go and focus on my technique and strength. It was nearly impossible for me to decide my most favorite moment in my time wrestling, just because there has been so much beauty around me within this sport. But I realized it isn’t the sport itself, it’s the people that have given me such drive and hope for myself. It’s the people who have given me not just my blast double, but it’s the coaches and teammates who have stood in my corner and showed me nothing but love, loyalty, and home. Everyday since that interaction with my coach, being my favorite moment in wrestling, I make every practice count and I have grown to be so grateful for the opportunities I have, I have learned to accept my past and move forward for my future.