When I began high school, like most people, I had no idea where I wanted my life to lead. I spent a few years trying new avenues and learning as much as I could about all kinds of subjects. I hoped something would click and that I would see a pathway to what my future might look like. One of the most important decisions I made early on in high school was joining Unified Gym, Best Buddies, and The Special Olympics. Working with special needs kids has given me a true and valuable perspective on something that felt foreign to me growing up. Before I walked into my first Unified Gym class, my life simply did not include anything like that. It was a day that changed my worldview forever. I knew then and there that I wanted my future to revolve around helping this often-overlooked group. Helping people with disabilities reach their goals has brought me great joy. What I love most though are the relationships I have built. For me, it is not just another class on my schedule during the school day. I feel a tremendous sense of responsibility when helping these kids. It’s a true honor to be a friend, not just one of the hundreds of kids at school passing by with whom they will never get a chance to interact. The Unified program not only allows you to help lead special needs students, but also help lead the rest of the student population in engaging and accepting these students with disabilities, both in and out of school. Bridging that gap between the special needs students and the rest of the student population has been both the biggest challenge and the most fulfilling event of my life thus far. My goal now beyond high school is to earn a business degree and create my own business where I can also offer job opportunities to special needs candidates. Employment is a key element to development and independence, but unfortunately it is very inaccessible for many people with disabilities. I aim to help change that. Working with special needs people is not just a skill, but something I feel people are born to do. I want to be one of the leaders to help improve these lives, and I will always carry this passion regardless of where school and life lead me. I want that to one day be my life's legacy.

Entering a new stage in my life academically and athletically, I was still searching for answers. The love I had always had for certain sports was beginning to fade entering the most important athletic time period of my life - high school. Baseball, a sport I grew up loving with my dad, cousins, and uncles, felt more like a chore to play now, rather than playing it for the love of the game. Similarly, as my soccer skills fell behind my peers, the passion I had carried for that sport since 2nd grade died rather quickly too. As I was nearing high school in 7th grade, the game of golf was introduced to me. I spent fall evenings with my friends slowly getting better, teaching myself how to master an unmasterable craft. It became an addiction. Spending early mornings and late nights on the course, range, and putting green instilled the passion for sports that I had started to lose. During the summer before 8th grade, it felt like every single day a golf club was in my hand. The pain of the blisters from the gloves was a feeling I would die with if it meant I got to play the game with which I was quickly falling in love. Every minute spent on the golf course felt like time stood still. The hours I spent playing baseball and soccer was time in my life that I wish I had gotten back, but not golf. Losing track of time and everything else on my mind built a sense of passion back into everything I did in life. It felt like I had a purpose to serve and a goal to achieve. Golf improved aspects of my life such as relationships with my friends and family, my love of athletics, and my focus on life goals. Golf slowly began to build bridges for me and my future that I could not even fathom just a few summers ago. The game of golf is so mentally challenging that you often lose track of time in the moment. It brought me back to my childhood routine of reading books daily. Losing track of time on the golf course, similar to reading a book, is essential to grow your game and develop your work ethic. Any minor hiccup can ruin your day. I learned how to expand my mental toughness even outside of just sports. Checking your phone once before your round, then realizing you’re already eight holes deep is a sign of how much you care. I’ve been guilty of that feeling a few hundred times since I started taking the game religiously. I made the golf team my 8th grade year, and it’s been the best experience I could hope for. I learned a lot from solo tournaments, and from competing with my team. Fast forward five years, and I’ve finished my senior season as captain, yet am still in search of how to master the game. What was once a sport I looked down upon has turned into an addiction. I can surely say that all of my success and drive can directly relate back to that summer before high school. Hours upon hours, days upon days, and it still felt like time was standing still. I take pride in every minute I’ve spent on the golf course, and every minute that seemed to slip away into time.

When I began high school, like most people, I had no idea where I wanted my life to lead. I spent a few years trying new avenues and learning as much as I could about all kinds of subjects. I hoped something would click and that I would see a pathway to what my future might look like. One of the most important decisions I made early on in high school was joining Unified Gym, Best Buddies, and The Special Olympics. Working with special needs kids has given me a true and valuable perspective on something that felt foreign to me growing up. Before I walked into my first Unified Gym class, my life simply did not include anything like that. It was a day that changed my worldview forever. I knew then and there that I wanted my future to revolve around helping this often-overlooked group. Helping people with disabilities reach their goals has brought me great joy. What I love most though are the relationships I have built. For me, it is not just another class on my schedule during the school day. I feel a tremendous sense of responsibility when helping these kids. It’s a true honor to be a friend, not just one of the hundreds of kids at school passing by with whom they will never get a chance to interact. The Unified program not only allows you to help lead special needs students, but also help lead the rest of the student population in engaging and accepting these students with disabilities. Helping bridge that gap between the special needs students and the rest of the student population has been both the biggest challenge and the most fulfilling event of my life thus far. My goal now beyond high school is to earn a business degree and create my own business where I can also offer job opportunities to special needs candidates. Employment is a key element to development and independence, but unfortunately it is very inaccessible for many people with disabilities. I aim to help change that. Working with special needs people is not just a skill, but something I feel people are born to do. I want to be one of the leaders to help improve these lives, and I will always carry this passion regardless of where school and life lead me. That is what I hope to one day be my legacy.

When I began high school, like most people, I had no idea where I wanted my life to lead. I spent a few years trying new avenues and learning as much as I could about all kinds of subjects. I hoped something would click and that I would see a pathway to what my future might look like. One of the most important decisions I made early on in high school was joining Unified Gym, Best Buddies, and The Special Olympics. Working with special needs kids has given me a true and valuable perspective on something that felt foreign to me growing up. Before I walked into my first Unified Gym class, my life simply did not include anything like that. It was a day that changed my worldview forever. I knew then and there that I wanted my future to revolve around helping this often-overlooked group. Helping people with disabilities reach their goals has brought me great joy. What I love most though are the relationships I have built. For me, it is not just another class on my schedule during the school day. I feel a tremendous sense of responsibility when helping these kids. It’s a true honor to be a friend, not just to be one of the hundreds of kids at school passing by with whom they will never get a chance to interact. The Unified program not only allows us to help lead special needs students, but also to help lead the rest of the student population in engaging and accepting these students with disabilities. There is too much separation between the general school population and the special needs students. Through volunteering with these programs, I have learned to help bridge this gap both in and out of school. It has truly been a beneficial development for both sides. My goal now beyond high school is to earn a business degree and create my own business where I can also offer job opportunities to special needs candidates. Employment is a key element to development and independence, but unfortunately it is very inaccessible for many people with disabilities. I aim to help change that. Working with special needs people is not just a skill, but something I feel people are born to do. I want to be one of the leaders to help improve these lives, and I will always carry this passion regardless of where school and life lead me.

My grandfather introduced me to the sport of golf before I can even remember. We went from the putting green, to the driving range, to the pitch and putt, and eventually to a real course - Patriot Golf Course in Bedford, MA near Hanscom Air Force Base and the VA Hospital. It was a beautiful place to play. We spent more time together on the course than even at my house. It was there where he would tell me about his time in the military, and how he had served his country in Vietnam. It was time that I cherish today, as he has since passed. My grandfather taught me all he knew before he died. Not just about golf, but about life. He is the one who encouraged me to practice hard so I could one day play competitively. I bring his wisdom and his work ethic to the course now, while I am playing in the PGA Junior Tour, in the Massachusetts Amateur events, and in my high school seasons. He would have been proud to see me earn the All-Conference honors, the Team MVP award, and mostly being named Team Captain of my high school team. I play now to honor him, and plan to continue my golf journey in college. The golf team at Emmanuel College has welcomed me to their team. The players and coach have been so great in accepting me and offering their guidance for next year as my freshman year. They are a program that is on the rise, and I am very much looking forward to joining their team. This scholarship would help me tremendously in making this a reality. My family is doing their best to help me pay for the chance to attend Emmanuel and play on their golf team. It is a struggle however. I am the first one of my siblings to move on to college, so the experience has been a little overwhelming. I have worked hard over the past three years to save up for tuition, but it is still not enough to cover all the costs. My grandfather always said that anything in life worth doing is worth the cost. If I am able to succeed at Emmanuel, I plan to give back to the game and help with clinics at the Patriot Course where my grandfather and I bonded when I was just starting out. I want to help other young players, just as my grandfather helped me.