No one prepares you for loss. It isn’t easy to move on, and you need to experience grief to get through it. It takes pain to heal, and it is hard to overcome. I have experienced a lot of loss I wasn’t prepared for. However, it shifted my journey and focus in life, and I had the opportunity to learn from it whether I wanted to or not. When I was two, my pap was diagnosed with cancer on June 30, 2005. I was blessed to have another nine years with my pap until August 20, 2014. Pap was my greatest role model in life. He was the most grateful, happy, and friendly person you would ever meet. Thousands of people that he met over his life attended his funeral. The common theme they said was, “Your pap was the most gracious man I ever met, and I had no idea he was going through all this.” It was true. My mom took care of my pap during appointments at Pittsburgh Hospital. She would drive me, grandma, and pap to the hospital on weekends, and we would shop or watch movies while pap was at appointments, as they would typically last most of the day. Every time I saw my pap at the appointments, he was beaten down by cancer. I would worry about how long we would have him, but he reassured me with a smile that he would fight till the end. Losing my pap was one of the hardest things I ever felt. He showed me how to pursue something with real purpose as he pursued living life and seeing all his grandkids. I knew my pap loved me, and I hope to honor him by being the most gracious person ever to anybody I meet. After taking a long time to recover from grief, I began to grow in life and pursue living life like my pap. I helped in various community services through my local church and tried to be a great friend to every person I met. However, I was about to learn another lesson before my senior year. COVID hit in the spring of 2020, my Junior year. For a while, I was unable to see my friends. I then learned life was not guaranteed for me and my friends. This is because my best friend died in a car accident that summer. He was swerving to miss a branch, and the car slid into the other lane where he collided head-on. What hurt most was my inability to see him in person since everybody was quarantined. I was devastated. How could this happen to any of us? I never got the chance to tell him how much I cared for him. The pain we felt as a friend group left us speechless for a couple of months. When we could hang out together again, it didn’t feel the same. It took probably a year before we enjoyed time with each other again. This taught us that tomorrow is not promised, so we need to make the most of what is today. Also, tell everyone how much we care for them. Lastly, I thought I had experienced a good bit of loss for my age at the time. I couldn’t imagine it would get worse, but it did. One of my childhood best friends committed suicide in 2022. This left me on the brink of collapse. I wondered, could I have been at fault for this. I hadn’t checked up on him in a while as we began to split paths in life. As I remembered our childhood memories fondly, it brought a lot of grief. I know I shouldn’t put myself to blame for it, but I still wonder if I could have prevented it if I reached out to him more. This taught me the lesson that I may never know what someone is going through, so I need to be attentive and caring to people that I know. Overall, I wouldn’t want anyone else to experience the loss I did at such a young age. However, I am grateful that I am learning these lessons now rather than later. Therefore, I check up on people whenever I get the chance, even those that have gone separate paths from me. I look to be gracious to anybody I meet as my pap would. Finally, I look to devote each day of my life to helping those around me, understanding that together we are stronger and nothing is ever promised. Most importantly, I am thankful this essay has allowed me to self-reflect and refocus on my present purpose in life.

My mother’s love is “Evergreen,” described by the song from Pentatonix. To quote the chorus that explains my Mom so well: “For all the weight she carries, she ain't tired I spend my whole life tryna be more like her So on every Christmas Eve I thank my family tree Yeah, a mother's love gave us everything Oh, a mother's love is evergreen” My mom is so special to my heart in her storge and agape love for me. She is continually there for me. She enables me to shine and is comforting when I am hurting. Mom worked so hard not just to provide the necessities of our family, but also when little time is had, she goes above and beyond what is required of a mother. She has taught me passion, how to love and raise a family, and persistence. Foremost, instrumental is a direct figure of speech for my mother’s impact on my life because she happens to be a music teacher and is my reason for loving music. She grew up playing in our family's southern gospel band called “The Gospel Messengers.” She would sing and play piano in this band across the eastern side of the country and Canada. I had the privilege to travel with them as well. They sadly decided to stop playing when I was nine because my Pap, the leader of the band, was near death due to cancer. However, since I was young, I was exposed to the musical talent of my mother’s family. In fifth grade, I began playing the trumpet and singing in the chorus. I still play in the Fishertown Community Band with my mother. I also have played the guitar for three years learning from my older brother and Mom. Currently, I became interested in playing piano, so my mom aids in my pursuit. She is a very experienced piano player. Apart from aiding in my music endeavors, Mom was there to support me in my pursuits academically and athletically. Despite her inability to help me practice sports, she would cheer me on every step of the way, never missing a single game. It’s amazing to ponder, especially knowing her schedule as a teacher and how few parents usually attend their kid’s sports. Yeah, she was sometimes late to a four o’clock game of soccer, but she was there before the final whistle after already working at school all day. That is how committed she is to us as kids. Then, academically, she would be there pushing me to pursue my greatest intellect. She would correct my grammar and would help guide me through homework if necessary. Also, making sure to take a picture for any awards I won. Therefore, I have a passion to pursue two majors in college because of her, and I want to devote myself, as my mother did in college, to prepare to support my family. Overall, my mom is exceptional. There are no ways to describe the way my mother loved me. When I have my own family, I will tell my kids about the memories and lessons and that she is the reason I am situated here to enjoy my family. I have the opportunity to live out the love my mother showed me for the next generations. As the song says: “So come on, boy, let's sit by the fire I wanna tell you a story about my mother How she would give up everything for her little boy's dreams Yeah, a mother's love is evergreen” Thank you, Mom, for being evergreen.

Sports are in everything. It is the competition of sports that makes it a sport in my opinion. That is why I consider paper football, spike ball, ping pong, and many others as sports compared to college soccer, which I played for two years. Sports have always been in my life. I competed in baseball, basketball, soccer, football, and track and field throughout my school years. Also, unofficial sports were a pastime with my friends. We would have summer backyard basketball seasons with six teams of three consisting of about ten full-length games. We were all competitive; therefore, games could get very intense. Overall, I always felt blessed in all those moments. There was intense anticipation regardless of what sport was played. The nervous feeling you experience is unmatched by most experiences in life. Also, the pure joy of making an amazing contribution to your team is in itself a euphoric feeling. All of this is why I love sports. However, why did I choose to pursue that career field? The answer is very simple. I enjoy it, and that is what we should do for our careers. Also, there is a story behind how it seemed attainable to work in the sports industry. Oftentimes, I would spend time with my grandparents when my parents were at work. These were some of the best times a kid could ask for. They spoiled me with various candy, food, and other things that weren't necessities, but even greater than that, I enjoyed watching sports with my pap. We could have conversations that would last for hours about sports news and our thoughts on how our favorite teams were doing. It could range from football, baseball, soccer, golf, and NASCAR, to just about any sport. I cherished those moments. My grandparents were so convinced they would see me on television someday on ESPN that they got me an ESPN mic for Christmas. My pap and grandma are the reason I first found the idea of working in the sports industry. For them, I have a lot to be thankful for. Therefore, the career I am pursuing is where I can combine my data science and exercise science expertise to work with an organization such as ESPN, a professional sports team, or another related opportunity. Currently, I am doing heart rate monitor research on the men's soccer team at Seton Hill University. There, I hope to assess how soccer positions will affect heart rate. I also want to see how we can use that data to provide effective training suited to the needs of each individual in the process of producing their greatest performances consistently. I hope that this research can be used to push forward the scope of data in soccer, as there is still so much to be explored. Lastly, I appreciate the opportunity to pursue a passion that I enjoy. Wherever it takes me, I plan to make the most of that opportunity.

Sports are in everything. It is the competition of sports that makes it a sport in my opinion. That is why I consider paper football, spike ball, ping pong, and many others as sports compared to college soccer, which I played for two years. Sports have always been in my life. I competed in baseball, basketball, soccer, football, and track and field throughout my school years. Also, unofficial sports were a pastime with my friends. We would have summer backyard basketball seasons with six teams of three consisting of about ten full-length games. We were all competitive; therefore, games could get very intense. Overall, I always felt blessed in all those moments. There was intense anticipation regardless of what sport was played. The nervous feeling you experience is unmatched by most experiences in life. Also, the pure joy of making an amazing contribution to your team is in itself a euphoric feeling. All of this is why I love sports. However, why did I choose to pursue that career field? The answer is very simple. I enjoy it, and that is what we should do for our careers. Also, there is a story behind how it seemed attainable to work in the sports industry. Oftentimes, I would spend time with my grandparents when my parents were at work. These were some of the best times a kid could ask for. They spoiled me with various candy, food, and other things that weren't necessities, but even greater than that, I enjoyed watching sports with my pap. We could have conversations that would last for hours about sports news and our thoughts on how our favorite teams were doing. It could range from football, baseball, soccer, golf, and NASCAR, to just about any sport. I cherished those moments. My grandparents were so convinced they would see me on television someday on ESPN that they got me an ESPN mic for Christmas. My pap and grandma are the reason I first found the idea of working in the sports industry. For them, I have a lot to be thankful for. Therefore, the career I am pursuing is where I can combine my data science and exercise science expertise to work with an organization such as ESPN, a professional sports team, or another related opportunity. Currently, I am doing heart rate monitor research on the men's soccer team at Seton Hill University. There, I hope to assess how soccer positions will affect heart rate. I also want to see how we can use that data to provide effective training suited to the needs of each individual in the process of producing their greatest performances consistently. I hope that this research can be used to push forward the scope of data in soccer, as there is still so much to be explored. Lastly, I appreciate the opportunity to pursue a passion that I enjoy. Wherever it takes me, I plan to make the most of that opportunity.

I have always been different. Further, I like my generational phrase, “built different.” We are all “built different.” None of us will have the same passions, talents, enjoyment, or pain. So, how am I “built different?” That is easy to answer. First, I am a Christian that tends to go against the grain of society, religious institutions, and political beliefs. For me, I follow what the Bible says and interpret it through consistent prayer and meditation. I ask God for wisdom and discernment daily to see God in all the people I know who need help. Therefore, I try to love as the example Jesus loved. Jesus was different from society and religious leaders (Pharisees and Sadducees). He called out the hypocrisy in all of it. Jesus didn’t live swayed by the passions of a society filled with all kinds of immorality. However, he still loved and produced miracles for every person that put faith in him. I try to love others as Jesus loves by “leaving the ninety-nine sheep to find the one lost sheep.” Jesus didn’t want the religious leaders to follow traditional law if it was taking them away from helping the person that is right there in great need. Religious practices can bring us close to God, but they can also become an idol that God did not intend. Jesus said the greatest commandments are to “honor God and love your neighbor as yourself.” We can’t love our neighbor as God intended if we are stuck with a religious task of no value to helping another than ourselves. Furthermore, I have learned to be slow to judge people around me. The Lord says, “judgment is mine.” Before Jesus saved me from my sins, I was just as liable to judgment as any other person. When the greatest commandment itself is to honor God and love your neighbor as yourself, we have all fallen short. Therefore, despite me now being saved by the propitiation of Jesus for my sins, it doesn’t give me any right to judge another human being that is also made in the image of God because I still made and will make mistakes. Overall, I want to help those that are marginalized. That is the passion God gave me. In my career, I want to give graciously to those that need it. I have been fortunately raised in a home with two parents who loved me very much, but some don’t have that opportunity. These people don’t have to be defined by their circumstances, but they need help. Therefore, rather than worrying so much about my holiness, I try to worry about the things of God. That is helping those in need right in front and all around me.

College is hard. Stresses do accumulate. You experience academic, relational, and to some, athletic pressures that can culminate in a lot of emotion. It can be hard to process heightened emotions, especially when our body still hasn’t fully developed. It can be hard to understand what we should do. We are worried that we will make a wrong decision in some of the most important decisions of our lives. I have struggled with this worry. If there is one thing that has helped me grow stronger in confidence, it is my relationship with God. I have seen God show up in miraculous ways. He’s shown up in my life and the lives of others around me. Because I believe in God and trust that God is working for my good. I can trust that it will work out in the best way possible so that I can grow stronger and give glory to God. That has helped me in this time of stress, tribulation, and unrest. It has never been easy, but I have found so much peace by daily tapping into my relationship with the God I believe created and saved me. Therefore, I keep pushing to do good work, love others, and be a representation of Jesus. When I live in what I am called to do, life is not as hard as it seems. I push to keep my body healthy through healthy nutritional and physical habits each week. I still lift three times a week and do high-intensity interval cardio twice a week. I don't want it to be my fault that I am physically incapable. Also, I maintain balance by not restricting myself to the point of burnout. I have learned from past experiences of burnout to find balance in applied work and applied fun. Meaning that I apply myself completely in all areas whether it is time to work or have fun. I don't want to do anything robotically. Therefore, I have felt very healthy. I attribute this all to my gracious God. Lastly, I am excited about college because of the rich opportunities. I choose to avoid focusing on what is hard and instead focus on what is profitable and rewarding. I have developed various relationships with people that will last for my lifetime. I have learned from experiences that will give me the wisdom to instruct my family someday. Most importantly, I have experienced God in all the minor details of life and tried to honor God in all that I do. That is what brings me excitement.

Sports are in everything. It is the competition of sports that makes it a sport in my opinion. That is why I consider paper football, spike ball, ping pong, and many others as sports compared to college soccer, which I played for two years. Sports have always been in my life. I competed in baseball, basketball, soccer, football, and track and field throughout my school years. Also, unofficial sports were a pastime with my friends. We would have summer backyard basketball seasons with six teams of three consisting of about ten full-length games. We were all competitive; therefore, games could get very intense. Overall, I always felt blessed in all those moments. There was intense anticipation regardless of what sport was played. The nervous feeling you experience is unmatched by most experiences in life. Also, the pure joy of making an amazing contribution to your team is in itself a euphoric feeling. All of this is why I love sports. However, why did I choose to pursue that career field? The answer is very simple. I enjoy it, and that is what we should do for our careers. Also, there is a story behind how it seemed attainable to work in the sports industry. Oftentimes, I would spend time with my grandparents when my parents were at work. These were some of the best times a kid could ask for. They spoiled me with various candy, food, and other things that weren't necessities, but even greater than that, I enjoyed watching sports with my pap. We could have conversations that would last for hours about sports news and our thoughts on how our favorite teams were doing. It could range from football, baseball, soccer, golf, and NASCAR, to just about any sport. I cherished those moments. My grandparents were so convinced they would see me on television someday on ESPN that they got me an ESPN mic for Christmas. My pap and grandma are the reason I first found the idea of working in the sports industry. For them, I have a lot to be thankful for. Therefore, the career I am pursuing is where I can combine my data science and exercise science expertise to work with an organization such as ESPN, a professional sports team, or another related opportunity. Currently, I am doing heart rate monitor research on the men's soccer team at Seton Hill University. There, I hope to assess how soccer positions will affect heart rate. I also want to see how we can use that data to provide effective training suited to the needs of each individual in the process of producing their greatest performances consistently. I hope that this research can be used to push forward the scope of data in soccer, as there is still so much to be explored. Lastly, I appreciate the opportunity to pursue a passion that I enjoy. Wherever it takes me, I plan to make the most of that opportunity.

I am involved in community service in many areas. Musically, I sing in the church choir for many different events, such as Night Divine. Night Divine is a two-day event in December, and the event includes a beautiful live nativity scene. There are wise men camped, a gleaming star in the distance, shepherds on the hill with their sheep, an inn and stable, a manger scene, roman centurions on horseback, and incredible lights. The choir performs beautiful Christmas songs of silent night, holly and the ivy, etc. There is special instrumental music. There is an enormous amount of tasty cookies, classic hot chocolate, and hot apple cider, a favorite of many people I know. It is welcome for visitors to drive through to look at the nativity scene, come in for food and drinks, and listen to live performances. Also, I play the first trumpet part in the Fishertown Community Band. The Fishertown Community Band plays great classic marching songs such as Yankee Doodle Boy, Washington Post, and Hogan’s Heroes at many parades and nursing homes. It is so special to see all the smiling faces and happiness the music we play brings to nursing homes. Outside of music, I have been thankful to participate in His Work His Way, an Operation Christmas Child Packing Plant, Crossroads Bible Church Junior Church, and be a Pen Pal to a middle school kid. In His Work His Way, I get together with the church family a week through the summer every year. We work on other people’s homes that are unable to be fixed by the homeowner because of incapabilities and include painting, roofing, cleaning, etc. It reminds me to be thankful I have a working physical body and, for the young age that allows me to move around and work. Also, I have the opportunity to learn from experienced people the proper way to stain a deck, powerwash, or fix a leaking roof. In December of 2020, I participated in an Operation Christmas Child Packing Plant, an incredible experience. It was amazing to see how Operation Christmas Child processes over ten point five million shoeboxes sent to more than one hundred various countries to kids in poverty. I worked on scanning shoeboxes that had tracking labels and then placed each shoebox in the correct age and gender boxes. Then, I would push them down the manual conveyor to the workers down the line. I would grab a new box and add the same label for the age and gender of the previous box. This process became very taxing on the body, but I enjoyed every moment because of its impact on kids that receive those shoeboxes. The testimonies and videos of kids that have received shoeboxes make me proud to have been a part of the process. Also, I help out with Crossroads Bible Church Junior Church as an aid for the Junior Church teacher Kelsea. I assist in whatever way necessary to create an enjoyable learning environment about God. My assistance could involve cleaning, setting up the craft for a bible lesson, setting up a game of gaga ball, or teaching. Lastly, through the National Honor Society, I have been a Pen Pal for a middle schoolboy. I am excited to use the opportunity to bestow the wisdom I have gained through my high school experience to help him prepare for high school. I remember how nervous I was in my transition to high school, so I want to encourage him in a way I would’ve desired. Overall, these community service experiences are most of the many I have participated in. They have taught me gratitude and teamwork. Most importantly, they give me tremendous joy! I know community service will have a lasting effect on people. It truly means so much to me. The reason being for how much you can gain personally and give outwardly from community service. Every time I have an opportunity to participate in community service, I utilize it. Even with the number of sports and extracurricular activities I participate in, I create a healthy balance where I can do the most community service while not neglecting my own life and family. In the future, I plan to use whatever resources I am blessed with to give to charities, as well as my time. Also, I will instill altruistic values into my kids and my future family. I want to produce consistent generations of my family to be voluntary community service workers that build a lasting effect on other people to change our world for the better. I dream of a whole world that loves each other with selfless love.

Covid-19 gave me a new perspective on life. The pandemic continues to show how short our life is and our need for a savior. I found a savior in Jesus Christ who lived a perfect life. There is an immense amount of truthful historical findings proving his existence, as the bible tells it. His agape sacrificial love given to us is a blessing that I want to give to others. Almost every disciple was willing to die for Jesus, which shows the reality of their faith in Jesus. Also, God is still working today through people to reach all peoples with the gospel of Jesus Christ. He promises us a perfect world where we are finally satisfied, and nothing in this world can compare to that. I have always gone to church, but this year I found a new ambition and passion for God. It was only because of God that I could train so efficiently and receive nine college soccer offers. It gave me a purpose to train for his glory. Without God, I wouldn’t have received any offers because I never was incredibly talented. However, that’s not implying that it was easy for me to obtain these offers. I am glad it wasn’t because I had the opportunity to glorify God through the people who saw me working for God’s glory. I was going to the soccer field almost every day while lifting at home and keeping a strict nutritional standard. Many people noticed my progress and saw the work enabling me to achieve my goal of playing college soccer at Seton Hill University. In the future, I want to continue displaying God’s love for us and glorifying him throughout all I do. God has given me satisfaction with anticipation for our promised perfect world. I encourage you to find more about God and don’t be discouraged. It is not easy, and we will face persecution. However, it will all be worth it when the glory of God reveals in our perfect lives with friends and family who accepted Jesus. The Christian standard established by Christ is to go and reach all peoples. That is my most honorable objective in life. Lastly, Jesus showed so much compassion to others. Especially the ones who need it most the sick, the unpopular, and the poor, etc. Also, Jesus sought peace between peoples of all diversity, such as the Jews and Samaritans. Everyone is made in the image of God and has been promised eternal life in Heaven through faith in Jesus Christ. Not only are compassion and peace important, but God established leadership, respectfulness, holiness, and many more traits. Hopefully, we can work together to inspire people in living as Christ would, so we could reach all peoples as the Great Commission of the Bible states. I wait in anticipation for the promises of the perfect world through the new-testament covenant of our holy God. I hope to manage my time in reaching people and living a glorifying life for God in this brief life compared to eternity.

“I love you,” said Grandma. She said this to me three times before crying, as she believed she was not there throughout my younger years. I had no idea how to react back. What would I say? There was one huge problem with her statement. She was there with me throughout all those years. My Grandma was so amazing, supportive, kind, and spoiled me a lot with Oreos and Hot Wheels cars. Every time I went over to Grandma's house, I left with more than I came. I enjoyed every moment of staying with Grandma and Pap. So why would she say that? It was a result of the horrible news we received from the doctor. My Grandma has Alzheimer's disease, and it has been occurring for the past two years. Grandma cannot drive, talk fluently, or remember anything. The classy Christian woman I remember now acts like a young child. It is extremely heartbreaking to witness this happening. Not only that, we cannot afford professional care; therefore, my mother and her siblings take turns making sure Grandma eats. I participate as well with making sure Grandma eats. Dementia is devastating, and it brought my attention to a problem that is very overlooked. In college, I will be majoring in data analytics. Data analytics will provide the knowledge needed to research the best statistical methods and medicines for people with dementia. Not to mention, I can use the money earned from my job to fund projects producing readily available help for families affected by these terrible illnesses. Overall, my objective is to eradicate dementia and find a cure. Finding a cure for dementia would change the world and benefit the lives of affected individuals and their families. With the drastic impact my family has experienced from my Grandma’s dementia, I gained an insatiable desire to prevent dementia from entering the lives of any other family. It affected us mentally, financially, and hurt our family bond. Mentally, it was awful to see a family member experience the loss of their memory. Financially, it costs more money to transport Grandma everywhere and drive to her house to ensure she eats. Lastly, the bond of our family was severed with the division when considering what we would do with the will, allocating when we would take care of Grandma, and dealing with anxiety and stress caused by the whole situation. To end with, the experiences I had were incredibly horrible, but I gained a passion to better the world by finding the cure for dementia.

Covid-19 has no doubt made a tremendous impact on the lives of each person in this world. We have experienced losses in health, economy, jobs, companies, opportunities, schooling, food, etc. Truthfully, it is a time that we are all waiting in anticipation for the end. However, I believe we can mention at least something amazing that happened during this time which wouldn’t have occurred if there was no pandemic shutdown. To start with, we attained more quality family time, a rest from our overwhelming schedules, and a prospect to start something new of ourselves personally and outwardly. Thankfully, I gained opportunities and perspectives on life that I wouldn’t possess without the pandemic. In soccer, I gained a bountiful amount of time to improve my ability. I was insufficient in the skill to move on to college but undoubtedly wanted to play soccer in college. Therefore, to achieve this intention, I needed to do increasingly extra individual work, and I used the superabundant time from the pandemic shutdown to my advantage. I researched and discovered a few professional soccer players, coaches, and other knowledgeable people on YouTube. I was absorbing so much information on nutrition and training, and I assessed my weaknesses to create my training regimen. I became ambitious by putting in countless hours of training. Then, I began to see improvements in various attributes of soccer and personal life with my current hard-working mindset. It was a blessing to have the opportunity to play for nine college soccer programs. Not only did I receive multiple offers, but also my soccer training introduced an interest in exercise science. My interest sparked from the training and research of bettering myself in soccer. I would love to explore the science behind sports-specific movements, as well as the nutrition of keeping our bodies at optimal fitness. My goal is to be a personal trainer for soccer and own a gym and indoor turf field. Also, to help people of all ages and money classes with nutrition and exercise plans to lead better lives and feel healthier. Eventually, to create a soccer league for the underprivileged youth because high-level clubs are expensive, and my family could never afford it. Therefore, I want to cut down the barrier restricting these kids from reaching their potential. Not to mention, I want to use this opportunity to instill good morals and witness to kids my experiences with God and Jesus so they may possibly accept God into their lives. Not only am I planning to double major, but I am going to play college soccer at Seton Hill University. I am so excited about everything I can learn in college to improve myself as a person. Lastly, I always remember a quote from my dad saying, “If you ever think you are the best at something, there is always someone else out there who is better.” Most importantly, Covid-19 gave me a new perspective on life. The pandemic continues to show how short our life is and our need for a savior. I found a savior in Jesus Christ who lived a perfect life. There is an immense amount of truthful historical findings proving his existence as the bible tells it. His agape sacrificial love given to us is a blessing that I want to give to others. Almost every disciple was willing to die for Jesus, which shows the reality of their faith in Jesus. Also, God is still working today through people and himself to reach all peoples with the gospel of Jesus Christ. He promises us a perfect world where we are finally satisfied, and nothing in this world can compare to that. I have always gone to church, but this year I found a new ambition and passion for God. It was only because of God that I could train so efficiently and receive nine college soccer offers. Without God, I wouldn’t have received any offers because I never was incredibly talented. However, that’s not implying that it was easy for me to obtain these offers. I am glad it wasn’t because I had the opportunity to glorify God through the people who saw me working for God’s glory. I was going to the soccer field almost every day while lifting at home and keeping a strict nutritional standard. Many people noticed my progress and saw the work enabling me to achieve my goal of playing college soccer at Seton Hill. In the future, I want to continue displaying God’s love for us and glorifying him throughout all I do. God has given me satisfaction with anticipation for our promised perfect world. I encourage you to find more about God and don’t be discouraged. It is not easy, and we will face persecution. However, it will all be worth it when the glory of God reveals in our perfect lives with friends and family who accepted Jesus. The Christian standard established by Christ is to go and reach all peoples. That is my most honorable objective in life.

There I was, attending a college soccer camp to be recruited. I was so excited! I was putting on my cleats and listening to the talk of the other players around me. I was amazed and a little disheartened. All of them were in respected travel clubs and professional academy teams I couldn't dream of affording to play on. The one player asked me what club team I played on. I was embarrassed to say, “I don’t play for a club team.” “Really?” he said. He was surprised because many people think I have no chance of playing college soccer without that experience. I even experienced constant doubt about it myself. However, I thought, “Why not me?” If God is willing, I will put in the effort necessary to go as far as I can with my passion, soccer, and give him the glory for it. So as my junior season approached, I started to work harder. I began using the training regimens of athletes in other sports while doing some research on YouTube. That year, I gained respect from my teammates by becoming a Varsity Captain. After the season, I continued to do my research and found a few professional soccer players, coaches, and other knowledgeable people on YouTube. I absorbed and learned so much information on nutrition and training, assessing my weaknesses to create my training regimen. I was ambitious and started putting in countless hours of training. I began to see improvements in various attributes of soccer and even in my life with my new hard-working mindset. I always remember a quote from my dad saying, “If you ever think you are the best at something, there is always someone else out there who is better.” I have developed an interest from many coaches and have improved myself tremendously in soccer. It was my time to decide on the college I would be attending in the fall of 2021. My decision was difficult, and I was so grateful for all nine total opportunities I could choose from. I had to decide. Then, I told my mom and dad on New Year's Eve, “I am going to decide on Seton Hill!” They embraced me with a hug of celebration! I was so happy to reward them in this way for all the tireless support they provided. I don’t think I could’ve accomplished it without them and God, keeping me strong and humble through it all. I am extremely anxious and excited to attend Seton Hill. The majors I plan to pursue are bachelor's degrees in Data Analytics and Exercise Science. I have become very interested in Exercise Science because of the training and research of bettering myself in soccer. I would love to explore the science behind different sports-specific movements, as well as the nutrition of keeping one's body at optimal fitness. Then, I plan to be a personal trainer for soccer and own a gym and indoor turf field. I want to help people of all ages and money classes with nutrition and exercise plans to lead better lives and feel healthier. Eventually, I want to create a soccer league for the underprivileged youth because high-level clubs are expensive, and my family could never afford it. I want to cut down the barrier restricting these kids from reaching their potential. Not to mention, I want to use this opportunity to instill good morals and witness to kids my experiences with God and Jesus so they may possibly accept God into their lives. Also, I plan to use my knowledge in Data Analytics to continue dementia research. My grandma has been struggling with dementia for the last two years now. It is heartbreaking to see her go through it. They now have labeled her as having dementia but specifically Alzheimer’s Disease. As I research and develop various statistics, I want to find the best methods and medicines to ameliorate people with dementia. So ultimately, no one else will suffer from dementia. Lastly, in the future, I plan to use my money to support my family with necessities, help my community through volunteer work or money, and provide money or volunteer support to various charities. I especially want to participate in the charity Tim Tebow has started against human trafficking because I believe many people are hurting from this atrocity. We should give maximum effort to help them. Overall, I hope to use both of my degrees to benefit my community as much as possible.

I am very passionate about working hard now, so in the future, I am well-prepared for life and the ability to help my community. I plan to double major in college at Seton Hill University. The majors I plan to pursue are a bachelor's degree in Data Analytics and Exercise Science. I have become very interested in Exercise Science because of the training and research I have done to better myself in soccer. I would love to dive into the science behind different sports-specific movements as well as the nutrition of keeping one's body at optimal fitness. I want to be a personal trainer for soccer and own a gym and indoor turf field. I want to help people of all ages and money classes with nutrition and exercise plans to lead better lives and feel healthier. Eventually, I want to create a soccer league for the underprivileged youth because high-level clubs are expensive, and my family could never afford it. I want to cut down the barrier restricting these kids from reaching their potential. I want to use this opportunity to instill good morals and witness to them my experiences with God and Jesus so that they may possibly accept God into their lives. Also, I plan to use my knowledge in Data Analytics to continue dementia research. My grandma has been struggling with dementia for the last two years now. It is heartbreaking to see her go through it. As I research and develop various statistics, I want to find the best methods and medicines to help people with dementia. So ultimately, no one else will suffer from dementia. Overall, I hope to use both of my degrees to benefit my community as much as possible.

I am very passionate about working hard now, so in the future, I am well-prepared for life and the ability to help my community. I plan to double major in college at Seton Hill University. The majors I plan to pursue are a bachelor's degree in Data Analytics and Exercise Science. I have become very interested in Exercise Science because of the training and research I have done to better myself in soccer. I would love to dive into the science behind different sports-specific movements as well as the nutrition of keeping one's body at optimal fitness. I want to be a personal trainer for soccer and own a gym and indoor turf field. I want to help people of all ages and money classes with nutrition and exercise plans to lead better lives and feel healthier. Eventually, I want to create a soccer league for the underprivileged youth because high-level clubs are expensive, and my family could never afford it. I want to cut down the barrier restricting these kids from reaching their potential. I want to use this opportunity to instill good morals and witness to them my experiences with God and Jesus so that they may possibly accept God into their lives. Also, I plan to use my knowledge in Data Analytics to continue dementia research. My grandma has been struggling with dementia for the last two years now. It is heartbreaking to see her go through it. As I research and develop various statistics, I want to find the best methods and medicines to help people with dementia. So ultimately, no one else will suffer from dementia. Overall, I hope to use both of my degrees to benefit my community as much as possible.

I worked in a group called His Work His Way with my church. We took a week in July, and for 10 hours a day, we went and worked on other people's houses who are incapable of fixing their houses themselves. I was able to fully power wash an older lady's deck and porch. Also, I worked with others in staining and painting a deck for an older couple. The husband of the couple has gone through over 20 heart catheterizations and other issues. It is so special to be able to help these people and give them joy.

As people, we will face many obstacles in life. Those obstacles will be different for each person. How we recover and learn from challenging moments is what truly defines us. My favorite activity, soccer, has taught me many lessons. Soccer has helped me become a harder worker, leader, friend, and coachable athlete while providing me with new perspectives. I love the game of soccer and have played it since fifth grade. I spend so much time with the sport, whether training, playing games, or just practicing different skills. In the last four years, I started to gain an interest in playing college soccer. It did not take long for me to learn how difficult that would be. I mostly played around with the soccer ball during my early underclassmen years of high school. It was never difficult for me to be the best player in my small community. Once I started having aspirations of playing college soccer, I began attending ID Camps at a variety of colleges. However, I had a huge wake-up call in my first ID Camp. I went to the camp, feeling confident in my ability to perform. We started with a simple rondo drill that I have done before, which seemed fine, although as we got closer to the end of the camp, I felt terrible. I could hear my heart beating, and I was exhausted. I was unconditioned and slow compared to other soccer athletes. They were practically running circles around me. I was tremendously demoralized and humbled. The coach had rejected the possibility of recruiting me because of my performance. It brought me to the realization that I was not working nearly hard enough to become a college soccer player. So as my Junior season approached, I started to work harder. I began using the training regimens of athletes in other sports while doing some research on YouTube. That year, I gained respect from my teammates by becoming a Varsity Captain. After the season, I continued to do my research and found a few professional soccer players, coaches, and other knowledgeable people on YouTube. I absorbed and learned so much information on nutrition and training, assessing my weaknesses to create my training regimen. I was ambitious and started putting in countless hours of training. I began to see improvements in various attributes of soccer and even in my life with my new hard-working mindset. I have created interest from many coaches, using the increased time from the pandemic to my advantage. In fact, nine different coaches are offering me a chance to play for their program. Lastly, I always remember a quote from my dad saying, “If you ever think you’re the best at something, there is always someone else out there who is better.” Through soccer, I have bettered myself as a person and gained a new interest in studying Exercise Science in college to be a personal trainer for other athletes to help them along the journey I experienced. I hope to reveal to them they can always better themselves, to reach their potential.

When I am searching for the song that is my full inspiration, I remembered the Lecrae song Restored. He created this song and an album to showcase his experience of straying away from God and the restoration he gained after it. I experienced a very similar situation in my life. I believed in God, but he started becoming less of a priority when the pressures of my teenage years came. I became self-centered and driven to get likes. Until finally, God brought me back, and I realized the dark path I was on. I then became restored with God.

I am very thankful for my dad. Not many kids have fathers that are there to raise them and teach them fatherly things throughout their entire lives. Not only does my father do this, but he goes above and beyond the expectation of a great father. My father supports me in whatever I do. No matter what the event is, a concert or sporting game, he always makes sure to attend. Also, as I grew a passion for soccer and all the training and nutrition behind it, he supported me financially through food and training equipment so I could perform at my best. Furthermore, as I have attempted to be recruited by college soccer programs, he has been there with me to drive to camps and college visits. I appreciate all that he has done to help me in soccer, but I know that even if my passion was not soccer, he would support me. Also, my father has taught me the core values in life. He has shown me what it truly means to work hard. My dad always says, “If you ever think you are the best at something, there is always someone else out there who is better.” He teaches me always to be humble and never be satisfied with my performance in anything. I know not to brag and instead let others talk about me. Never should I be seeking praise because that is unhealthy. I have learned this and so many new perspectives when I work with my dad in a family embroidery and screen printing business. I have seen how much it benefits working hard in the present so you can finish the orders by the deadlines. Then, how much you can relax afterward because you didn’t create unneeded stress by procrastinating. Overall, I have so much respect for my dad and all he does in the business. It isn’t an easy job as it can be hot with the heaters and tiring on your back as you bend over to put on or take off shirts. My dad doesn’t make a ton of money from his job, but he still has the ambition to do his best and complete everything promptly. Especially when we are overabundant with orders and the deadlines are looming. The responsibility he takes in my church as the technology leader and the time he spends with me is astonishing because of the balance he displays to complete everything while showing a positive attitude. The fatherly things my dad teaches me are more than life lessons on using tools or mowing the lawn. He continues to teach me new perspectives I can use in the future to provide the best I can for my family and be a great father for the children I may have someday. My dad influenced me to do my best in everything while having a healthy balance. I hope that I will never forget my experiences with my dad and instill his core values in the lives of my family while living it out in the presence of my friends and coworkers.

I am very thankful for my dad. Not many kids have fathers that are there to raise them and teach them fatherly things throughout their entire lives. Not only does my father do this, but he goes above and beyond the expectation of a great father. My father supports me in whatever I do. No matter what the event is, if it’s a concert or sporting game, he always makes sure to attend. Also, as I grew a passion for soccer and all the training and nutrition behind it, he supported me financially through food and training equipment so I could perform at my best. Furthermore, as I have attempted to be recruited by college soccer programs, he has been there with me to drive to camps and college visits. I appreciate all that he has done to help me in soccer, but I know that even if my passion was not soccer, he would support me. Also, my father has taught me the core values in life. He has shown me what it truly means to work hard. My dad always says, “If you ever think you are the best at something, there is always someone else out there who is better.” He teaches me always to be humble and never be satisfied with my performance in anything. I have learned so many new perspectives when I work with my dad in a family embroidery and screen printing business. I have learned how much it benefits working hard in the present so you can finish the orders by the deadlines. Then, how much you can relax afterward because you didn’t create unneeded stress by procrastinating. Overall, I have so much respect for my dad and all he does in the business. It isn’t an easy job as it can be hot with the heaters and tiring on your back as you bend over to put on or take off shirts. My dad doesn’t make a ton of money for the job, but he still has the ambition to do his best and complete everything promptly. Especially when we are overabundant with orders and the deadlines are looming. The fatherly things my dad teaches me are more than life lessons on using tools or mowing the lawn. He teaches me new perspectives I can use in the future to provide the best I can for my family and be a great father for the children I may have someday. I hope that I will never forget my experiences with my dad and instill his core values in the lives of my family and friends.

Currently, I am working for an embroidery and screenprinting business that my dad manages. Our company has three workers: my dad, great uncle, and I. Occasionally, the owner, my cousin, will help as well. We get many different orders for spirit wear, sports teams, school groups, small businesses, etc. Overall, we are thankful for the support our community shows us. When we get close to the sports season of the fall, winter, or spring, we are overabundant with orders and shirts to print. I have learned great hardworking mindsets and strategies when attempting to finish shirts by the impending deadlines. I increasingly found new ways to speed up the process more effectively. Also, I learned that the more you work now, the more time you have to enjoy and relax. Therefore, if everything I do is my best, then I will reap the benefits from it. The Bible says, “A man reaps what he sows.” I heed this advice, as well as a quote from my dad, “If you ever think you are the best at something, there is always someone else out there who is better.” These truths remind me never to procrastinate because the small decisions now will impact the future positively or negatively. In the future, I plan to major in exercise science for college. I am excited to learn more about exercise science and further improve my soccer training. While I strived to be the best I can be at soccer and gain interest from college coaches, I developed an interest in the nutrition, lifting, and conditioning needed for it. So I want to be a personal trainer that can help people of various ages and wealth. I will aim to make an impact on the lives of people in my community positively by showing them healthier lifestyles, as well as pushing them to work harder to help them realize their potential. Through my experience of training in the present and college, I will use my knowledge to help others with achieving their goals. Whether it is to lose weight, gain strength, increase athletic performance, or live a healthier lifestyle. Whatever it may be, I plan to use my perspective gained from working in a small business to assist me in the future with my business or job by doing my best wherever I may be, in or outside the workplace.

As people, we will face many obstacles in life. Those obstacles will be different for each person. How we recover and learn from challenging moments is what truly defines us. My favorite activity, soccer, has taught me many lessons. Soccer has helped me become a harder worker, leader, friend, and coachable athlete while providing me with new perspectives. I love the game of soccer and have played it since fifth grade. I spend so much time with the sport, whether training, playing games, or just practicing different skills. In the last four years, I started to gain an interest in playing college soccer. It did not take long for me to learn how difficult that would be. I mostly played around with the soccer ball during my early underclassmen years of high school. It was never difficult for me to be the best player in my small community. Once I started having aspirations of playing college soccer, I began attending ID Camps at a variety of colleges. However, I had a huge wake-up call in my first ID Camp. I went to the camp, feeling confident in my ability to perform. We started with a simple rondo drill that I have done before, which seemed fine, although as we got closer to the end of the camp, I felt terrible. I could hear my heart beating, and I was exhausted. I was unconditioned and slow compared to other soccer athletes. They were practically running circles around me. I was tremendously demoralized and humbled. It brought me to the realization that I was not working nearly hard enough to become a college soccer player. So as my Junior season approached, I started to work harder. I began using the training regimens of athletes in other sports while doing some research on YouTube. That year, I gained respect from my teammates by becoming a Varsity Captain. After the season, I continued to do my research and found a few professional soccer players, coaches, and other knowledgeable people on YouTube. I absorbed and learned so much information on nutrition and training, assessing my weaknesses to create my training regimen. I was ambitious and started putting in countless hours of training. I began to see improvements in various attributes of soccer and even in my life with my new hard-working mindset. I have peaked interest in many coaches and have improved myself tremendously in soccer and other areas of my life, using the increased time from the pandemic to my advantage. Lastly, I always remember a quote from my dad saying, “If you ever think you’re the best at something, there is always someone else out there who is better.” Through soccer, I have bettered myself as a person and gained a new interest in studying Exercise Science in college to be a personal trainer for other athletes to help them along the journey I experienced. I hope to reveal to them they can always better themselves, to reach their potential.