Swimming, like all sports, requires discipline, commitment, dedication, and perseverance. But I would argue that to be an elite swimmer, those cannot just be skills; they have to be lifestyles. You have to wake up every morning knowing that today will be more challenging than yesterday. You have to train knowing that in a couple of months, it could all be for nothing. But that is the sport of swimming. People always say elite swimmers are a "different breed," and that is because they are willing to endure more pain in one practice than a regular human will endure in a lifetime. Now, I could go on a long tangent about how being an elite swimmer has shaped my life, but I don't think you want to read that much. But you did ask for my story and how that story has shaped my vision for the future of swimming. My story is far from normal and far from easy, and in short, it is much more complicated than I could ever express in one essay, but it shaped me in unimaginable ways. Amid the peak of my recruiting process, I was informed of a letter that had been sent to all 199 D1 colleges in the country. This letter urged the coaches not to recruit me because of my “narcissistic and manipulative behavior,” signed anonymously. I was blindsided and betrayed. For the past 11 years, my teammates were the reason I got up in the morning. The family we built was the reason I never quit. I knew this did not describe me, and my teammates, who laughed with me between sets, hung out with me on Saturday nights, and unanimously elected me captain, never hinted at these feelings. Overnight, I became the "victim" of defamation. This rumor quickly spread around my club team, and a picture of the letter seemed to be saved in everyone's camera roll. My next days and months were filled with confusion, anger, and self-doubt⎯ as questions of who and why echoed in my mind relentlessly. I feared for myself and my future, but all I could do was fear, because at the end of the day, I was only 17 years old. Suddenly, I made three realizations. Number one, I realized that I couldn't live my life in fear without closure. Number two, I couldn't keep allowing the letter to define who I was or how I lived my life. Finally, number three, I couldn't control who sent this letter or why, but I could control my response. That’s when things changed, and I grew years in months. I urgently set up a meeting with my therapist about presenting a speech to my teammates about my story and the adverse effects of gossip. That speech became my closure. I compared my experiences with surface-level gossip in high school to criminal-level drama that tried to ruin my life. I addressed issues of hate and urged my peers to question the reasons behind hurting one another. I warned them about the issues that arise from fake gossip and its lasting effects in society. When I concluded, I smiled with the realization that I was creating kindness that was bigger than myself and that my team would carry for generations to come; almost immediately, I saw kindness radiating out of my teammates. This challenge has opened my eyes to the cruelty that exists within our world and this sport. But it doesn't have to be like that, and that is what I preached to my teammates. The pool should be a place where kids feel they belong to something bigger than themselves. A place where everyone is welcome. A place where you can feel at peace with who you are because the people around you love and accept you. That is my goal and my dream. I will keep sharing my story and spreading my message because I believe that the effects of this go beyond just the sport. Plain and simple, the world needs to learn to be kinder to each other, despite our differences, and that is a very challenging task, but if it can begin in the sport I love, that's a good start. Despite the challenges I have endured, I am continuing my swimming career at Boston University in the fall of 2026 without an athletic scholarship. I plan to share my message and experience with the team, hoping it inspires them to be kinder to each other. I hope to contribute to the sport of swimming in an inclusive way that prioritizes athletes' bonds with one another, which are often overlooked. Swimming is difficult enough on its own, and I aim to make the friendship and belonging aspects easier so every swimmer feels like they matter. If I end my swimming career knowing that I have touched the lives of children and athletes in this sport and made the pool feel more like a home, then I will have accomplished the goal that 17-year-old-me set out for in the first place. Every kid deserves to feel like they matter and are loved, and in the pool, it should be no different. I believe I can achieve this goal because some would say I'm a "different beast," and if that includes having the passion and heart to do what's right for the sport of swimming, well, then I guess I am.

From a young age, I wanted to be a pediatric dentist. When I tell people this, they always look at me in disgust and ask me if I'm scared of getting bitten. They follow that up and ask why I would want to do that. They assume I would do it for the money or to be different from pre-med students. But my motivation for this career stems from serving my community, especially kids. In the future, as a pediatric dentist, I hope to create a dental office where kids feel safe and excited to show off their beautiful smiles. I will achieve this by shadowing various dental professionals early and getting a summer job in a dental office. Some of my most memorable moments with my friends and family all involved a smile, whether in the middle of a funny conversation or after a big accomplishment. Smiling is a unifying force that brings every human being together. Young to old, white skin to dark skin, Christian to Jewish, republican to democrat, smiling unifies us. Everyone deserves to smile, and that is why it saddens me when I hear that children are scared to go to the dentist and hate it. While that is understandable with the bright lights and strangers' hands in their mouths, I want to change that narrative. I want to make the dentist a safe space where kids can show off their radiant smiles. I believe that every kid should enjoy brightening their smile because smiling is what connects us and makes us human. Last summer, I started my journey into the dentistry field. I began by job shadowing my local dental office. I put in around 3 hours per week all summer and learned about the various jobs and skills necessary to be a successful dentist. My incredible mentor allowed me to use an iTero scanner on him and experiment with multiple instruments, giving me more exposure to the field. Amid my shadowing, my mentor put me in contact with an oral surgeon at Wise Decision. Soon after I began shadowing him, I discovered a different side of the field I had never experienced before, and it was highly fascinating. I was allowed to watch a wisdom tooth extraction in which I was taught about the procedure and the recovery process. These shadowing opportunities furthered my interest in the dental field and motivated me even more to keep working toward my goals. This summer, I plan to continue shadowing both my local dentist and the oral surgeon, as well as another local dentist who reached out to me over the winter. Additionally, I plan to apply for an unlicensed dental assistant position at Wise Decision. I believe these opportunities will allow me to serve my community while also advancing my education in the dental field. I am grateful for the position I have been given by the generous people in my community, who allow me to pursue my interests, and I hope to be able to give back to them in the near future. Achieving my goals will not be easy, but I'm committed to uniting the world through the power of a smile.

From a young age, I wanted to be a pediatric dentist. When I tell people this, they always look at me in disgust and ask me if I'm scared of getting bitten. They follow that up and ask why I would want to do that. They assume I would do it for the money or just to be different from pre-med students. But my motivation for this career stems from somewhere else. It grows from within the roots of serving my community, especially kids. Throughout my high school experience, I have been involved in a plethora of community service and volunteering, which has ultimately led me to my motivation to serve children in my community as a pediatric dentist. Making a difference in the community is something I've been doing since middle school. When I was a young girl, I always felt the need to help others because my parents were the type of people who always gave a couple of dollars to the homeless people on the street. They taught me that helping others is the joy of life, and I came to embody this. That's why in 7th grade, I joined a little club in Orono Middle School called FLIT (Future Leaders in Training). This was my first authentic taste of giving back to the community that I grew up in and loved. I followed this experience and joined the National Honor Society in High School. While most kids did this to check a box on their college applications or obtain a cord at graduation, I joined because I genuinely wanted to make a difference. I have done various activities to help out the community. Last year, I taught English to two fluent Spanish-speaking middle schoolers. This was much more challenging than I expected. Throughout the year, I became increasingly close to both of my students, and they started to pick up the language. What stood out to me about this experience was not only the fun I had doing it, but also the gratitude I felt following our sessions. I felt grateful for being a part of a community that was so diverse and allowed me to be a part of these kids' lives. I believe that these little differences in kids' lives grow into something much greater. That's why I've always wanted to be a pediatric dentist. I always hear about how scared children are to go to the dentist and how much they hate it. While that is understandable with the bright lights and strangers' hands in their mouths, I want to change that narrative. I want to make the dentist a safe space where kids can show off their radiant smiles. Smiling is contagious, and I believe that every kid should enjoy brightening their smile. Even if they only see the dentist a couple of times a year, it's the small things that matter. From growing up in a household that loves to give back, to becoming a young leader in middle school, to serving my community in high school, I hope to continue this legacy and give back to children as a pediatric dentist. While this goal will come with its challenges, seeing radiant smiles on children's faces will make it all worth it, because every kid deserves to smile.