To me, sports have always been more than just practices, games, and winning; they represent a unique sense of community and togetherness through a common interest. I didn't learn this until I quit playing tennis when I was 9. I started playing tennis at the young age of 6, and I was very good for my age. Despite the feelings of success when I would beat many kids much older than me, I still felt like I was missing something more. So I quit tennis to play a more team-oriented sport: soccer. Soccer was extremely fun when I first started. I had the huge team that I always wanted but as the season went on, I realized I was not in love with playing like I was tennis; so I tried something new yet again. I started playing volleyball. Immediately I fell in love with playing again, and even better than tennis: I had a team! Being a part of a tight-knit team was a large contribution to my love for the sport. Every single volleyball team I've ever been on has felt like family to me, and to this day I feel the exact same. I still keep in contact with my teammates from my first 11U travel team. These long-lasting friendships built through volleyball are what built this sense of community and togetherness for me at such a young age. Not only has volleyball given me some of my best friends, but it also taught me mental toughness and teamwork skills that I use almost every day. I see these qualities present on and off the court. Whether it's in my Captains pre-game speech or in my hours of English essays, I know I can pay it off to my beloved sport for making me strong. Because of my immense love and gratitude for sports, I plan to study sports journalism and media in college. As I study I intend on getting an internship and becoming involved in my school's writing and news programs so I can have more hands-on experience before I graduate. My ultimate goal is to have a career in sports broadcasting. Currently, this field is extremely male-dominated as there are only about 16% of sports broadcasters that are women. I want to change this demographic and make this field more unified with representation. I want that same sense of community and togetherness that I experienced in my sport to become a part of the field of sports broadcasting through gender equality. I know that pursuing a position in this career will be difficult for me because of my gender, but the self-discipline and motivation to win I have by being an athlete will drive me to become successful in this field. I hope to use my future position as a platform to inspire young women and show them that anything is possible, despite the odds being against them. Sports have always taught me lives greatest lessons, and I hope to use these lessons in my future career and in my quest for gender equality in sports.

Volleyball was not my first sport of choice growing up. I started with tennis, then soccer, and eventually tried volleyball. Immediately, I fell in love with the sport; I would have to owe this instant love to the amazing playing environment my coaches had made at such an early time in the sport. So at the ripe age of eight years old, I made my decision and stuck with it ever since. Playing for all of these years has given me so many opportunities to evolve as a leader and create many friendships in the process. I am so passionate about this sport as it is the source of so many of the special connections I have, and it has inspired me in the field of work I hope to pursue in college. Volleyball has acted as a medium for me to build many lifelong relationships, and a way to stay connected with my friends and family. Some of my best friends in life were made on the court. My best friend of seven years is in fact my setter! The relationship between us that was built on the court has lasted all these years and continues to grow stronger with each practice and game. She has been there for all of my highs and lows, and I am so grateful to have this sport as the thing that brought us together. Volleyball has also acted as a connecting piece to many relationships with my family and friends who don’t play volleyball. My volleyball games are one of the places where my mom, dad, step mom, and step dad, can unite as one to support me. Their coexisting presence all to support me has strengthened our relationships, and I’m beyond appreciative to have them supporting me. Ultimately, volleyball has always been a way for me to make new friendships and strengthen existing relationships all while playing the sport I love. Not only does volleyball work as a relationship builder, but it also is the reason I want to pursue a career in sports. When I first started playing volleyball, I know it wasn't that popular of a sport. But in today's day, it is extremely popular amongst young girls. This scenario is similar to the representation of women in the sports field. Today in sports media, you always see more men commentating, reporting, and broadcasting sports than women. Much like the change in volleyball, I want to become a sports broadcaster to influence change in young girls. I want young girls to be inspired and see that women can strongly exist in male-dominated workplaces, and thrive while doing so. Volleyball has contributed to much success in my life as I become a better player every day, it has also allowed me to become comfortable with change. When I first transitioned from indoor to beach volleyball, I was practically terrified. There are so many differences between the two, and that's what intimidated me the most. But as soon as I began playing beach, the change was not nearly as scary as I thought it was to be. Since volleyball has taught me that change is not frightening, I am ready to create that change in sports media to inspire the next generations to come. Therefore, volleyball has inspired me in many ways that I wish to pass on to others. Overall, volleyball has always been more than just a sport to me. It is a way to showcase my athletic ability, stay connected with my friends, and has inspired me to pursue my ambitions.

In August of 2020, I lost my step-father, Mark. He passed away unexpectedly at 50 years old, leaving behind his son, Nik. I know to most people step-parents and step-siblings aren't considered "real" family, but to me Mark and Nik were. Mark was the largest father figure in my life for seven years, and when he passed I was shattered. Losing Mark was the most emotionally confusing time in my life and my mental health. I was devastated but did not want to show it as I wanted to be strong to support my mom. Though it was extremely difficult, my mom and I were able to get through it together by supporting each other emotionally. Nik had to move out and live with his mom full time. Despite this, my mom and I keep in strong touch and hang out with Nik regularly, and I still call him my brother to this day. Mark was always such a large supporter of my volleyball career. He came to every game he could and was always the loudest in the crowd. At first, I felt almost no motivation to play. I was too sad to even consider going to practice. But soon enough, this sadness transformed into determination as I remembered how much he loved to see me play. I felt this strong connection to him every time I played and eventually forgot about the sadness. Volleyball became my outlet to release these confusing emotions whenever I felt them. I always play like he's watching, because I know he would be proud of the person and athlete I am today. I plan to study sports media and journalism in college as a way for me to stay connected to the many sports I love. My overall career goal is to commentate and interview or write for ESPN. This would allow me to change the norms in a male-dominated industry and become an example to young girls who are also interested in the sports industry. With this position, I would also be able to raise awareness of the mental health issues athletes often experience in their athletic career; whether it's due to the loss of a parent or any other traumatic experiences. Shedding light on topics of gender equality and mental health are so important in the sports industry as these topics are not often recognized. By talking about these issues, I hope to influence the younger generation of athletes.

Anxiety. A thousand thoughts of what could go wrong, all rushing to the mind at once. Anxiety can be triggered by many different events. For me, my anxiety is triggered in medical scenarios. It started a couple of years ago. I went to the doctor for a normal checkup and next thing you know, I passed out. The doctor was just talking about giving me a shot and a thousand thoughts came rushing at once. That was the first time that my anxiety caused me to react like that. I always just tried to push it away, but that's when my anxiety began to grow worse. Every time I would even hear anything medical related or go to the doctor, I would get this feeling that all of the worse possible outcomes would come true. I knew I needed help, so my mom and I set up meetings for me to see a counselor. I was really learning and feeling better. Just when I thought things were getting better, it happened at school. One of my teachers was talking about a medical incident, and I started to feel light-headed and faint. I got up to ask if I could leave the room, and I passed out in front of the whole class. This was a huge disappointment to me, I felt like everything I worked up to was all for nothing. But, I knew that I had to keep trying, I wasn't going to let my anxiety dictate my life. I continued to see my counselor, and now I'm doing better. I can go to the doctors, get blood drawn, and talk about medical concepts without my anxiety striking. I want to use my experiences to help others know that they can overcome their mental health struggles, even if it seems impossible. Seeking the proper help is a major part of overcoming mental health struggles. Many people want to deny that they have mental health issues, I know I did, but I want to help people know that it's ok and that you can overcome them.