A table of four to a table of ten almost overnight. The question of what happens next is life-altering. My brothers, Dustin, and Dalton, and I were faced with devastation very young, not understanding what it would mean. Later I began to appreciate all the obstacles that I faced as a five- year-old. I always struggled with why it was my mom who was taken. My life continued to fall apart. Her absence was frustrating and confusing at the time and still affects me. Today, it’s those times that inspire me to stay positive and do my best. As a five-year-old, my mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at 36. Her condition progressed rapidly. My mom made the decision for us to move to her cousin’s home. Despite an already full house, my cousin Billie and her husband Mike welcomed us in wholeheartedly, but this life situation was a struggle. With our four plus Billie and Mike and their four children, a table of four expanded to a table of ten. Then my mom passed away, leaving us feeling lost. At the time I was too young to understand death. I could not understand how someone could be gone so fast. My family provided the support to help me overcome those fears. I began to be more positive about the future. My older brothers and I all have different fathers, things were complicated. A few years later Dalton decided to live with his dad and Dustin moved in with his aunt. This made life easier by being the only additional child. I was unable to move in with my dad, he was not interested in being a part of my life. My brother, Dalton was graduating high school and enlisting in the United States Marines Corps. His father offered for me to go and live with them in Wellington, Florida. I was excited and said yes. After moving I began a new school. Dalton loved fishing and I did too. It was at this time, I realized that my future, my career choices, and life would be tied to the ocean. Then, I began to investigate what I needed to do to achieve this goal. I discovered I would need a degree in marine science. Then, two weeks after moving in, at 3 o’clock in the morning, my brother was shot and killed while sleeping. I was ten and devastated again. For the second time, a family member was taken in such a sudden and unfair way. I struggled to understand. Before I could process the feelings of losing my brother, I moved back in with Billie, avoiding the madness of police, investigators, and court. So, I began the sixth grade back in Frostproof, I became very quiet and withdrawn. Things changed when I began athletics. Sports helped me branch out, finding love and support from my teammates. With the stability, love, and support of my family, things got easier and I became stronger. As a student-athlete and an honor roll student, I’ve managed to continue that performance into my senior year. Also continuing sports, progressing from cross country in middle school years to volleyball and weightlifting from freshman to senior year.Attempting to accomplish a clean and safe environment. I wish to invent something. Something that will used by many making it easier for us to take care of the ocean. It will be used and widely known. As I hope by then others to will realize the importance of helping our oceans. Rather than just using and abusing them for our own purposes and needs and wants. One will want to see them prosper and grow tired of hearing of a death of an animal do to being suffocated from a grocery bag. That has a one time use then to never be used again rather thrown into the trash. Although it doesn't stay there for long. It instead makes its way into our oceans. I’m unsure of what it will be yet at such a young age. I do know I want it to be something big, important and widely known. That you will remember helping me and be happy for making my wishes come true because it sure would. Hoping to make something innovative that combines our new world and laid back way of living as well as the oceans as they were here before us. While of course I know that it is quite impossible to get them as if no one lived here. But my dream is to protect them my whole life. Creating an end to our endangered species list. As well as horror stories told on the news of oil leaks and reefs ruined all over oceans edge. Most importantly of all I wish to be apart of removing our oceans waste. This is something so sad that I hold close to heart. Never quitting or giving up. I have found that pushing through adversity will determine what I can accomplish. Now, those goals I once thought unreachable are beginning to come into focus. Proving myself to doubters and overcoming adversity is all I have known. I assure you will never see a candidate more focused and committed to achieving success.