A quick Google search reveals that a paperclip, in spiritual terms, embodies unity, strength, and resilience. Being such a small, trifling object, it is often overlooked for how much it holds together through everything. That is why paperclips absolutely terrify me and send a chill down my spine, as each symbol places utmost fear in my mind. Unity: Being born a silly, careless boy with his head in the clouds was dreadful for my mental health living in an immigrant household of seven. My dad, never failing to agitate the atmosphere, and my mom, constantly carrying the expectation of her ungrateful, selfish children to be perfect on her back. And, drumroll please, the superstitious five children who imagine their presence will ease tension and heal the wounds left on our egg shells. The smell of the infamous Haitian cuisine bouillon will forever resonate as the TV coming down with full force. It feels like a cold sore that will never go away. My parents are now sleeping in separate rooms. Even the usual “I love you” before leaving felt jittery. Maturing so young, my plus sized itchy from Itchy and Scratchy was so last year, but who else knows all my secrets? I was so afraid that this family would burst my remaining pieces of hope to finally bring us together. Strength: Coming back from my third trip to the hospital in three months, it felt as if even the perception of strength had been forgotten. It was like even confusion had been stripped away from me after unexplained rhabdomyolysis took away my junior basketball season. A caterpillar might have been able to move faster than my soul. The final remnants of hope were beginning to disappear. My carefree intentions are trying to be serious for once, but even as Let the Light in by Lana Del Rey starts to play, the lights become dimmer and my mind begins to put up the shutters before the hurricane. Hoping to finally find peace by laying down on my bed to fall asleep, the sharp metal from a torn paper clip pierces me. “DAISY!” How did my dog remind me of every trauma ever? Dogs are not given that responsibility; the only thing they are allowed to do is eat grass when told not to and act as military personnel when a guest arrives. Everything is rushing back to me; I can feel my nervous system clock back in for work. With a heart as heavy as steel, I throw the blanket over me and it molds into a cocoon. Resilience: I come across some of the greatest people in my lifetime. People who never fail to make me laugh, and people who understand me for who I am. Even when it feels impossible to find my inner strength again, I am able to push through adversity and stay resilient when it comes to helping others. My resilience helps me become a true leader, and the burning urge to advocate for mental health becomes reality. Camaraderie exists in the walls of my family after we all agreed to spend more time together and pursue leisure activities. The light starts shining through the cocoon, a different shade than before. I let the light in, and it's beautiful. I can stretch my arms in the morning with wings like a butterfly.

Not many rainbows are shown on the walls of a small parochial Catholic school, but there is one hiding behind a blue polo and khaki pants that radiates the hallway and everyone in it. The common implication of being "straight and white" is so definitively portrayed between these walls. The false, infinite notion has followed me for a long time and has served as a huge loss, but has made me into who I am today. The antidote to the pain lives within the pain. My acting career started just over two years ago, with auditions being the first day of freshman year, sensing what the crowd liked and following the ideologies of the audience. Not very long after, I was cast! A relatively nice group of people showed up. The generally asked question, "Are you gay?" came up several times per day. To alleviate the audience, I disregarded the question, though the rumors weren't even true. As life went on, I met more people during the play. People with the same mindset, end goal, and often music taste came along. Rap, Christian music, and r&b all in one existed beyond the realm of me. The idea of being "different" didn't seem so bad after all. People might misunderstand you, but life is too precious to be spent at war with yourself. Nowhere did the questions and assumptions stop, but the mountain did not need to be conquered to take the first step. This was my grand finale. An official end to my acting career. After a long and patient journey, my resignation letter is now complete and includes all the good and bad times of the past two years. Surrounded by friends who care for me, love me, and, most importantly, love as He did, I don't need to worry about personal dismay for the first time in a long time. And then my acting career ended. The last scene was a chart-topping hit. The grueling darkness was lifted that day. The rain came over Cardinal Newman High School and a rainbow was visible. It was refreshing, and it felt free. "And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth." The same God who paints beautiful rainbows and sunsets is the same God who created me. The same God who reassured me when I was buried in the darkness is the same God who lifted me out. Acting is all about giving it your all, and during my inevitable career, I was uneasy about taking the next strides. Instead, it taught me. It taught me to reach for every possible opportunity: scholarships, volunteering, reaching out to others, and much more. It taught me that every opportunity that I can get my hands on opens the door for a new opportunity, whether it's sports-related, academic, or in society. Opportunities like this can help me overcome various challenges and help me pursue my endmost goal. You and your actions can determine what your future life will be like, and in this big play, there's an endless amount of freedom and opportunities. That is what makes it enjoyable.

When people use the term “student-athlete”, they put the student before the athlete for a reason. Being on top of your grades is crucial for an athlete to participate in a competitive sport. There were a handful of things I had to realize to keep myself motivated and excel in both the classroom and on the court. Ever since I was young, I’ve always had this gut feeling that I wasn’t going to leave Earth without being a concrete change for generations to come. My parents have always told me that I have a brain that could be useful, no matter what path I take. Whether it’s pursuing a degree in mental health, or helping repair teeth, finding a way to positively influence the world is the ultimate objective. Staying on top of my grades and staying focused is the least I could possibly do. I know the work and effort that I am putting in now will eventually contribute towards the endmost goal. Even through education, helping and supporting the less fortunate is a way to not only make a change, but also to spread acts of kindness. When you try to be the good, you see the good. Being a student-athletes passes on an effect on you that strives for you to be the best version of yourself. Being an athlete has very well shaped me into who I am today. I have faced lots of different trials and adversity on and off the court. One pill that was hard for me to swallow was ignoring the temporary glory that the social media platforms display to the public. Constantly looking forward to be posted on social media would eventually find its way into my performance. Recurring anxiety from things that happen outside of basketball and the instant gratification that the public can give you started to alter the way that I would play. What I’ve come to realize is, whatever it is, do it for yourself. Certain things including exercise, learning, rest, and leisure can always be done for the sake of seeing yourself improve and grow. Coaches, teammates, and other individuals have said things that make me feel helpless, like questioning my music interests, my playing style, making inappropriate jokes, etc. I have come to realize that it hurts nobody else but me to let it run my mood. The only person who can respond in an appropriate manner is me. Great amounts of growth are made that cannot be seen. This helped me in everyday life as well. Knowing I can overcome any other problems or issues assists me to keep my mental boat steady, whether it is a situation at home, school, or l relating to basketball. The amount of money, time, tears, and hardships spent on an orange ball to go through a netting is unbearable, so why not have a little fun with it? There is a time to buckle down and handle business, but the sport is supposed to bring joy. It’s important to find what brings you joy and get yourself there. You cannot determine your happiness on your sports performance. It may be a bad game, but it is certainly not a bad career. Everything happens at the right time, even though it might not feel like it. Staying positive is the main principle when it comes down to helping yourself and others. The external voices, like social media and individuals, can become so loud that it is hard to hear your internal one. Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom and success.

Not many rainbows are shown on the walls of a small parochial Catholic school, but there is one hiding behind a blue polo and khaki pants that radiates the hallway and everyone in it. The common implication of being "straight and white" is so definitively portrayed between these walls. The false, infinite notion has followed me for a long time and has served as a huge loss, but has made me into who I am today. The antidote to the pain lives within the pain. My acting career started just over two years ago, with auditions being the first day of freshman year, sensing what the crowd liked and following the ideologies of the audience. Not very long after, I was cast! A relatively nice group of people showed up. The generally asked question, "Are you gay?" came up several times per day. To alleviate the audience, I disregarded the question, though the rumors weren't even true. As life went on, I met more people during the play. People with the same mindset, end goal, and often music taste came along. Rap, Christian music, and r&b all in one existed beyond the realm of me. The idea of being "different" didn't seem so bad after all. People might misunderstand you, but life is too precious to be spent at war with yourself. Nowhere did the questions and assumptions stop, but the mountain did not need to be conquered to take the first step. This was my grand finale. An official end to my acting career. After a long and patient journey, my resignation letter is now complete and includes all the good and bad times of the past two years. Surrounded by friends who care for me, love me, and, most importantly, love as He did, I don't need to worry about personal dismay for the first time in a long time. And then my acting career ended. The last scene was a chart-topping hit. The grueling darkness was lifted that day. The rain came over Cardinal Newman High School and a rainbow was visible. It was refreshing, and it felt free. "And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth." The same God who paints beautiful rainbows and sunsets is the same God who created me. The same God who reassured me when I was buried in the darkness is the same God who lifted me out. Acting is all about giving it your all, and during my inevitable career, I was uneasy about taking the next strides. Instead, it taught me. It taught me to reach for every possible opportunity: scholarships, volunteering, reaching out to others, and much more. It taught me that every opportunity that I can get my hands on opens the door for a new opportunity, whether it's sports-related, academic, or in society. Opportunities like this can help me overcome various challenges and help me pursue my endmost goal. You and your actions can determine what your future life will be like, and in this big play, there's an endless amount of freedom and opportunities. That is what makes it enjoyable.

Not many rainbows are shown on the walls of a small parochial Catholic school, but there is one hiding behind a blue polo and khaki pants that radiates the hallway and everyone in it. The common implication of being "straight and white" is so definitively portrayed between these walls. The false, infinite notion has followed me for a long time and has served as a huge loss, but has made me into who I am today. The antidote to the pain lives within the pain. My acting career started just over two years ago, with auditions being the first day of freshman year, sensing what the crowd liked and following the ideologies of the audience. Not very long after, I was cast! A relatively nice group of people showed up. The generally asked question, "Are you gay?" came up several times per day. To alleviate the audience, I disregarded the question, though the rumors weren't even true. As life went on, I met more people during the play. People with the same mindset, end goal, and often music taste came along. Rap, Christian music, and r&b all in one existed beyond the realm of me. The idea of being "different" didn't seem so bad after all. People might misunderstand you, but life is too precious to be spent at war with yourself. Nowhere did the questions and assumptions stop, but the mountain did not need to be conquered to take the first step. This was my grand finale. An official end to my acting career. After a long and patient journey, my resignation letter is now complete and includes all the good and bad times of the past two years. Surrounded by friends who care for me, love me, and, most importantly, love as He did, I don't need to worry about personal dismay for the first time in a long time. And then my acting career ended. The last scene was a chart-topping hit. The grueling darkness was lifted that day. The rain came over Cardinal Newman High School and a rainbow was visible. It was refreshing, and it felt free. "And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth." The same God who paints beautiful rainbows and sunsets is the same God who created me. The same God who reassured me when I was buried in the darkness is the same God who lifted me out. Acting is all about giving it your all, and during my inevitable career, I was uneasy about taking the next strides. Instead, it taught me. It taught me to reach for every possible opportunity: scholarships, volunteering, reaching out to others, and much more. It taught me that every opportunity that I can get my hands on opens the door for a new opportunity, whether it's sports-related, academic, or in society. Opportunities like this can help me overcome various challenges and help me pursue my endmost goal. You and your actions can determine what your future life will be like, and in this big play, there's an endless amount of freedom and opportunities. That is what makes it enjoyable.

It’s 11:30 at night on June 17th, 2022. I lay in my room with tears rolling down my face. In my hands are two pill bottles, Advil and Benadryl. The feeling of instant regret eats me up inside as I finish taking 13 Advil pills and 4 Benadryl. I realized this wasn’t the way I wanted to go out. Praying to God I would survive this, I think to myself 13 reasons why I shouldn’t survive. Only coming up with eight, I told myself this was God’s way of telling me I need to be here. I put the caps back on the bottles and go to sleep. I wake up on Saturday at 3:36 p.m. I get up and feel sharp pain running through my body. I ignore the pain and fall straight to the floor and I start sobbing. I immediately start thanking God for waking me up. Telling myself I wouldn’t allow myself to be like this, I make a promise to help myself for the better. I was going to help myself with my peace. I just needed a place to start. The rest of the day goes by and all I do is ponder. Ponder about what’s next. If I really wanted to find my happiness, my peace, I would have to look for it in other things. What really made me happy and at peace? Well, running with the sound of relatable music does. What about alone time at the beach during sunset hour? With that, I’ve come to realize that whatever you do, do it for yourself! Whether it’s leisure, rest, exercise, healing, or learning, approach it with a sense of bettering yourself. This led me to realize that I needed to help myself do things from love, not for love. When we try to act from love, we will attract love. When we act for love, we tend to chase it away. We only find ourselves in a loving place when we come from a loving place within. It’s hard to do so when you think you pour out all of your love and your energy to make others feel happy. It’s time to say thanks to yourself because you deserve it. Only you have been there for you. One thing that I have learned is that life is too short to be spent at war with yourself. Life is filled with all sorts of challenges and lessons. The further you push yourself to go, the more beauty you will help yourself see. Take things one day at a time, and everything else falls into place. Find joy along the journey. Growing up in a church makes you feel like you would never have to feel any type of adversity along the way. It is the complete opposite. Learning to face adversity as well as staying strong in your faith is a challenge that most give up on. What I’ve realized is beautiful flowers grow through trials and tribulations. Adversity is certainly not the enemy, but it is an opportunity to grow. Eight reasons, eight realizations, and eight months later, I feel the most peace and the most happiness that I have ever felt. When you let go of who you thought you were, you become who your heart wants you to be. One day, I hope to use my knowledge and help others who are struggling to find the person that they destine to be. In the end, the real secret to having it all is knowing what to do, and I hope to share all that I know. The heartbreaking thought of seeing a number of other people go through similar trials gives me motivation to help others win their own mental illness battle and shine through adversity.

It’s 11:30 at night on June 17th, 2022. I lay in my room with tears rolling down my face. In my hands are two pill bottles, Advil and Benadryl. The feeling of instant regret eats me up inside as I finish taking 13 Advil pills and 4 Benadryl. I realized this wasn’t the way I wanted to go out. Praying to God I would survive this, I think to myself 13 reasons why I shouldn’t survive. Only coming up with eight, I told myself this was God’s way of telling me I need to be here. I put the caps back on the bottles and go to sleep. I wake up on Saturday at 3:36 p.m. I get up and feel sharp pain running through my body. I ignore the pain and fall straight to the floor and I start sobbing. I immediately start thanking God for waking me up. Telling myself I wouldn’t allow myself to be like this, I make a promise to help myself for the better. I was going to help myself with my peace. I just needed a place to start. The rest of the day goes by and all I do is ponder. Ponder about what’s next. If I really wanted to find my happiness, my peace, I would have to look for it in other things. What really made me happy and at peace? Well, running with the sound of relatable music does. What about alone time at the beach during sunset hour? With that, I’ve come to realize that whatever you do, do it for yourself! Whether it’s leisure, rest, exercise, healing, or learning, approach it with a sense of bettering yourself. This led me to realize that I needed to help myself do things from love, not for love. When we try to act from love, we will attract love. When we act for love, we tend to chase it away. We only find ourselves in a loving place when we come from a loving place within. It’s hard to do so when you think you pour out all of your love and your energy to make others feel happy. It’s time to say thanks to yourself because you deserve it. Only you have been there for you. One thing that I have learned is that life is too short to be spent at war with yourself. Life is filled with all sorts of challenges and lessons. The further you push yourself to go, the more beauty you will help yourself see. Take things one day at a time, and everything else falls into place. Find joy along the journey. Growing up in a church makes you feel like you would never have to feel any type of adversity along the way. It is the complete opposite. Learning to face adversity as well as staying strong in your faith is a challenge that most give up on. What I’ve realized is beautiful flowers grow through trials and tribulations. Adversity is certainly not the enemy, but it is an opportunity to grow. Eight reasons, eight realizations, and eight months later, I feel the most peace and the most happiness that I have ever felt. When you let go of who you thought you were, you become who your heart wants you to be. One day, I hope to use my knowledge and help others who are struggling to find the person that they destine to be. In the end, the real secret to having it all is knowing what to do, and I hope to share all that I know.

It’s 11:30 at night on June 17th, 2022. I lay in my room with tears rolling down my face. In my hands are two pill bottles, Advil and Benadryl. The feeling of instant regret eats me up inside as I finish taking 13 Advil pills and 4 Benadryl. I realized this wasn’t the way I wanted to go out. Praying to God I would survive this, I think to myself 13 reasons why I shouldn’t survive. Only coming up with eight, I told myself this was God’s way of telling me I need to be here. I put the caps back on the bottles and go to sleep. I wake up on Saturday at 3:36 p.m. I get up and feel sharp pain running through my body. I ignore the pain and fall straight to the floor and I start sobbing. I immediately start thanking God for waking me up. Telling myself I wouldn’t allow myself to be like this, I make a promise to help myself for the better. I was going to help myself with my peace. I just needed a place to start. The rest of the day goes by and all I do is ponder. Ponder about what’s next. If I really wanted to find my happiness, my peace, I would have to look for it in other things. What really made me happy and at peace? Well, running with the sound of relatable music does. What about alone time at the beach during sunset hour? With that, I’ve come to realize that whatever you do, do it for yourself! Whether it’s leisure, rest, exercise, healing, or learning, approach it with a sense of bettering yourself. This led me to realize that I needed to help myself do things from love, not for love. When we try to act from love, we will attract love. When we act for love, we tend to chase it away. We only find ourselves in a loving place when we come from a loving place within. It’s hard to do so when you think you pour out all of your love and your energy to make others feel happy. It’s time to say thanks to yourself because you deserve it. Only you have been there for you. One thing that I have learned is that life is too short to be spent at war with yourself. Life is filled with all sorts of challenges and lessons. The further you push yourself to go, the more beauty you will help yourself see. Take things one day at a time, and everything else falls into place. Find joy along the journey. Growing up in a church makes you feel like you would never have to feel any type of adversity along the way. It is the complete opposite. Learning to face adversity as well as staying strong in your faith is a challenge that most give up on. What I’ve realized is beautiful flowers grow through trials and tribulations. Adversity is certainly not the enemy, but it is an opportunity to grow. Eight reasons, eight realizations, and eight months later, I feel the most peace and the most happiness that I have ever felt. When you let go of who you thought you were, you become who your heart wants you to be. One day, I hope to use my knowledge and help others who are struggling to find the person that they destine to be. In the end, the real secret to having it all is knowing what to do, and I hope to share all that I know.

It’s 11:30 at night on June 17th, 2022. I lay in my room with tears rolling down my face. In my hands are two pill bottles, Advil and Benadryl. The feeling of instant regret eats me up inside as I finish taking 13 Advil pills and 4 Benadryl. I realized this wasn’t the way I wanted to go out. Praying to God I would survive this, I think to myself 13 reasons why I shouldn’t survive. Only coming up with eight, I told myself this was God’s way of telling me I need to be here. I put the caps back on the bottles and go to sleep. I wake up on Saturday at 3:36 p.m. I get up and feel sharp pain running through my body. I ignore the pain and fall straight to the floor and I start sobbing. I immediately start thanking God for waking me up. Telling myself I wouldn’t allow myself to be like this, I make a promise to help myself for the better. I was going to help myself with my peace. I just needed a place to start. The rest of the day goes by and all I do is ponder. Ponder about what’s next. If I really wanted to find my happiness, my peace, I would have to look for it in other things. What really made me happy and at peace? Well, running with the sound of relatable music does. What about alone time at the beach during sunset hour? With that, I’ve come to realize that whatever you do, do it for yourself! Whether it’s leisure, rest, exercise, healing, or learning, approach it with a sense of bettering yourself. This led me to realize that I needed to help myself do things from love, not for love. When we try to act from love, we will attract love. When we act for love, we tend to chase it away. We only find ourselves in a loving place when we come from a loving place within. It’s hard to do so when you think you pour out all of your love and your energy to make others feel happy. It’s time to say thanks to yourself because you deserve it. Only you have been there for you. One thing that I have learned is that life is too short to be spent at war with yourself. Life is filled with all sorts of challenges and lessons. The further you push yourself to go, the more beauty you will help yourself see. Take things one day at a time, and everything else falls into place. Find joy along the journey. Growing up in a church makes you feel like you would never have to feel any type of adversity along the way. It is the complete opposite. Learning to face adversity as well as staying strong in your faith is a challenge that most give up on. What I’ve realized is beautiful flowers grow through trials and tribulations. Adversity is certainly not the enemy, but it is an opportunity to grow. Eight reasons, eight realizations, and eight months later, I feel the most peace and the most happiness that I have ever felt. When you let go of who you thought you were, you become who your heart wants you to be. One day, I hope to use my knowledge and help others who are struggling to find the person that they destine to be. In the end, the real secret to having it all is knowing what to do, and I hope to share all that I know.

It’s 11:30 at night on June 17th, 2022. I lay in my room with tears rolling down my face. In my hands are two pill bottles, Advil and Benadryl. The feeling of instant regret eats me up inside as I finish taking 13 Advil pills and 4 Benadryls. I realized this wasn’t the way I wanted to go out. Praying to God I would survive this, I think to myself 13 reasons why I shouldn’t survive. Only coming up with eight, I told myself this was God’s way of telling me I need to be here. I put the caps back on the bottles and go to sleep. I wake up on Saturday at 3:36 p.m. I get up and feel sharp pain running through my body. I ignore the pain and fall straight to the floor and I start sobbing. I immediately start thanking God for waking me up. Telling myself I wouldn’t allow myself to be like this, I make a promise to help myself for the better. I was going to help myself my peace. I just needed a place to start. The rest of the day goes by and all I do is ponder. Ponder about what’s next. If I really wanted to find my happiness, my peace, I would have to look for it in other things. What really made me happy and at peace? Well, running with the sound of relatable music does. What about alone time at the beach during sunset hour? With that, I’ve come to realize that whatever you do, do it for yourself! Whether it’s leisure, rest, exercise, healing, or learning, approach it with a sense of bettering yourself. This led me realize that I needed to help myself do things from love, not for love. When we try to act from love, we will attract love. When we act for love, we tend to chase it away. We only find ourselves in a loving place when we come from a loving place within. It’s hard to do so when you think you pour out all of your love and your energy to make others feel happy. It’s time to say thanks to yourself, because you deserve it. Only you have been there for you. One thing that I have definitely learned is that life is too short to be spent at war with yourself. Life is filled with all sorts of challenges and lessons. The further you push yourself to go, the more beauty that you will help yourself see. Take things one day at a time, and everything else falls into place. Find joy along the journey. Growing up in a church makes you feel like you would never have to feel any type of adversity along the way. It is the complete opposite. Learning to face adversity as well as staying strong in your faith is a challenge that most give up on. What I’ve realized is beautiful flowers grow through the trials and tribulations. Adversity is certainly not the enemy, but it is an opportunity to grow. Eight reasons, eight realizations, and eight months later, I feel the most peace and the most happiness that I have ever felt. When you really let go of who you thought you were, you become who your heart wants you to be. One day, I hope to use my knowledge and help others who are struggling to find the person that they destine to be. In the end, the real secret to having it all is knowing what to do, and I hope to share all that I know.

It’s 11:30 at night on June 17th, 2022. I lay in my room with tears rolling down my face. In my hands are two pill bottles, Advil and Benadryl. The feeling of instant regret eats me up inside as I finish taking 13 Advil pills and 4 Benadryls. I realized this wasn’t the way I wanted to go out. Praying to God I would survive this, I think to myself 13 reasons why I shouldn’t survive. Only coming up with eight, I told myself this was God’s way of telling me I need to be here. I put the caps back on the bottles and go to sleep. I wake up on Saturday at 3:36 p.m. I get up and feel sharp pain running through my body. I ignore the pain and fall straight to the floor and I start sobbing. I immediately start thanking God for waking me up. Telling myself I wouldn’t allow myself to be like this, I make a promise to help myself for the better. I was going to help myself my peace. I just needed a place to start. The rest of the day goes by and all I do is ponder. Ponder about what’s next. If I really wanted to find my happiness, my peace, I would have to look for it in other things. What really made me happy and at peace? Well, running with the sound of relatable music does. What about alone time at the beach during sunset hour? With that, I’ve come to realize that whatever you do, do it for yourself! Whether it’s leisure, rest, exercise, healing, or learning, approach it with a sense of bettering yourself. This led me realize that I needed to help myself do things from love, not for love. When we try to act from love, we will attract love. When we act for love, we tend to chase it away. We only find ourselves in a loving place when we come from a loving place within. It’s hard to do so when you think you pour out all of your love and your energy to make others feel happy. It’s time to say thanks to yourself, because you deserve it. Only you have been there for you. One thing that I have definitely learned is that life is too short to be spent at war with yourself. Life is filled with all sorts of challenges and lessons. The further you push yourself to go, the more beauty that you will help yourself see. Take things one day at a time, and everything else falls into place. Find joy along the journey. Growing up in a church makes you feel like you would never have to feel any type of adversity along the way. It is the complete opposite. Learning to face adversity as well as staying strong in your faith is a challenge that most give up on. What I’ve realized is beautiful flowers grow through the trials and tribulations. Adversity is certainly not the enemy, but it is an opportunity to grow. Eight reasons, eight realizations, and eight months later, I feel the most peace and the most happiness that I have ever felt. When you really let go of who you thought you were, you become who your heart wants you to be. One day, I hope to use my knowledge and help others who are struggling to find the person that they destine to be. In the end, the real secret to having it all is knowing what to do, and I hope to share all that I know.

When people use the term “student-athlete”, they put the student before the athlete for a reason. Being on top of your grades is crucial for an athlete to participate in a competitive sport. There were a handful of things I had to realize to keep myself motivated and excel in both the classroom and on the court. Ever since I was young, I’ve always had this gut feeling that I wasn’t going to leave Earth without being a concrete change for generations to come. My parents have always told me that I have a brain that could be useful, no matter what path I take. Whether it’s pursuing a degree in mental health, or helping repair teeth, finding a way to positively influence the world is the ultimate objective. Staying on top of my grades and staying focused is the least I could possibly do. I know the work and effort that I am putting in now will eventually contribute towards the endmost goal. Even through education, helping and supporting the less fortunate is a way to not only make a change, but also to spread acts of kindness. When you try to be the good, you see the good. Being a student-athletes passes on an effect on you that strives for you to be the best version of yourself. Being an athlete has very well shaped me into who I am today. I have faced lots of different trials and adversity on and off the court. One pill that was hard for me to swallow was ignoring the temporary glory that the social media platforms display to the public. Constantly looking forward to be posted on social media would eventually find its way into my performance. Recurring anxiety from things that happen outside of basketball and the instant gratification that the public can give you started to alter the way that I would play. What I’ve come to realize is, whatever it is, do it for yourself. Certain things including exercise, learning, rest, and leisure can always be done for the sake of seeing yourself improve and grow. Coaches, teammates, and other individuals have said things that make me feel helpless, like questioning my music interests, my playing style, making inappropriate jokes, etc. I have come to realize that it hurts nobody else but me to let it run my mood. The only person who can respond in an appropriate manner is me. Great amounts of growth is made that is not seen. This helped me in everyday life as well. Knowing I can overcome any other problems or issues assists me to keep my mental boat steady, whether it is a situation at home, school, or l relating to basketball. The amount of money, time, tears, and hardships spent on an orange ball to go through a netting is unbearable, so why not have a little fun with it? There is a time to buckle down and handle business, but the sport is supposed to bring joy. It’s important to find what brings you joy and get yourself there. You cannot determine your happiness on your sports performance. It may be a bad game, but it is certainly not a bad career. Everything happens at the right time, even though it might not feel like it. Staying positive is the main principle when it comes down to helping yourself and others. The external voices, like social media and individuals, can become so loud that it is hard to hear your internal one. Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom and success.

When people use the term “student-athlete”, they put the student before the athlete for a reason. Being on top of your grades is crucial for an athlete to participate in a competitive sport. There were a handful of things I had to realize to keep myself motivated and excel in both the classroom and on the court. Ever since I was young, I’ve always had this gut feeling that I wasn’t going to leave Earth without being a concrete change for generations to come. My parents have always told me that I have a brain that could be useful, no matter what path I take. Whether it’s pursuing a degree in mental health, or helping repair teeth, finding a way to positively influence the world is the ultimate objective. Staying on top of my grades and staying focused is the least I could possibly do. I know the work and effort that I am putting in now will eventually contribute towards the endmost goal. Even through education, helping and supporting the less fortunate is a way to not only make a change, but also to spread acts of kindness. When you try to be the good, you see the good. Being an athlete has very well shaped me into who I am today. I have faced lots of different trials and adversity on and off the court. One pill that was hard for me to swallow was ignoring the temporary glory that the social media platforms display to the public. Constantly looking forward to be posted on social media would eventually find its way into my performance. Recurring anxiety from things that happen outside of basketball and the instant gratification that the public can give you started to alter the way that I would play. What I’ve come to realize is, whatever it is, do it for yourself. Certain things including exercise, learning, rest, and leisure can always be done for the sake of seeing yourself improve and grow. Coaches, teammates, and other individuals have said things that make me feel helpless, like questioning my music interests, my playing style, making inappropriate jokes, etc. I have come to realize that it hurts nobody else but me to let it run my mood. The only person who can respond in an appropriate manner is me. Great amounts of growth is made that is not seen. This helped me in everyday life as well. Knowing I can overcome any other problems or issues assists me to keep my mental boat steady, whether it is a situation at home, school, or l relating to basketball. The amount of money, time, tears, and hardships spent on an orange ball to go through a netting is unbearable, so why not have a little fun with it? There is a time to buckle down and handle business, but the sport is supposed to bring joy. It’s important to find what brings you joy and get yourself there. You cannot determine your happiness on your sports performance. It may be a bad game, but it is certainly not a bad career. Everything happens at the right time, even though it might not feel like it. Staying positive is the main principle when it comes down to helping yourself and others. The external voices, like social media and individuals, can become so loud that it is hard to hear your internal one. Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom and success.

I am the odd one out when it comes to music. I have been asked numerous times why my music taste is the way it is, and sometimes I ask myself that question too. The song Tek it by Cafuné explains that pretty well. “Where did you learn what it means to reciprocate? And how much can I be expected to tolerate?” Looking at this verse makes me ask myself, how much am I supposed to tolerate? I’ve shown my gratitude and commitment for so many things, so how much longer until I can finally get a break from all of the trials and tribulations of life? The chorus speaks to me like it knows me and my backstory. “I watch the moon, let it run my mood, cant stop thinking of you”. There are times where I hear something that I do not want to hear and I will let it determine my mood for the day. Yeah, we started off great, and we were on the same page, but even when I am opening doors for new people, I am also closing them. That’s the truth, but saying it to you would do no good. You really just can’t call a spade a spade. One thing I know for sure is that even though a few times you made yourself visible in my mind, it was nice knowing you. I’ll be moving on.