Growing up, my great-grandfather's stories of service always fascinated me. His dedication, resilience, and sense of duty left a lasting impression on me. He often talked about the importance of teamwork, discipline, and leadership, which I have tried to embody in my life. His experiences motivated me to find ways to serve my community and step up when needed, as he has always stepped up to support his family and community. One way I have stepped up to the plate is when I became a coach on my mountain bike team. The indirect responsibility of leading my peers gave me great insight and helped me understand the value of being a proper leader. Being a young leader helped me raise the standard of expectations for high school cyclists in my community. It also showed me how to act and be on stage at all times, given all the younger aspiring athletes looking up to me, as you never know what kind of impact you will have on someone. At each state cycling event, I would volunteer to help younger kids in my community and across the state pre-ride the course. I would often stop to help them when obstacles on the course were intimidating. Furthermore, I was able to help younger kids with their strategy to tactically advance during the race by showing them lines that made them faster. Most importantly, I was there to cheer them on and help them learn about good sportsmanship when they struggled to finish the race or performed worse than they expected. I have overcome many injuries in my cycling career, and the gumption to get back up and go again was instilled in me by my great-grandfather, who always pushed me to try harder and to get back up when I fell short. His service in the Army during WWII made him the strong man that he was, which translated into how he taught and mentored his grandchildren as well as great-grandchildren like me. My great grandfather's influence has shaped my leadership style and career aspirations. Inspired by his service, I plan to pursue a degree in exercise science. I want to work in physical therapy, helping individuals improve their lives and get back on their feet so they can contribute to the greater good. I plan to continue to inspire, motivate, and lead the people I can help during my career through my indirect leadership's impact on their lives.