My name is Joseph Raville, and I am a senior at Gettysburg Area High School. I've lived in Gettysburg since 2020, and I began attending GAHS in 2022. I spent the majority of my childhood growing up in Hanover, PA with my dad and my sister, Emma. My parents divorced at a young age which led to a fair number of stressful times for me. And yet, I can still readily recount innumerable happy memories I shared with my family, like the weekend golf trips that my dad would take my sister and I on every now and again. I remember my dad recording me and Emma taking swings on the course and letting me putt the ball on a couple holes. Even for something as non-competitive and relaxing as such, I always wanted to do well. Whenever my dad let me hit, I treated it like a mission. The point overall may have been to have fun, but my kind of fun involved success. That kind of passion stuck with me throughout my life and throughout all the challenges I've faced, many of which were more difficult and complex than sinking a putt from a few feet away. When I was a sophomore, I remember a specific meeting I had with my academic advisor where we discussed what classes I wanted to take the next year. What I remembered most was when my mouth wrote a check that I never thought I'd be able to cash: "Yeah, I think I'd like to take AP Lang." I was always a good student - always getting the highest grades and always getting the work done on time. I knew it would be challenging, but I assumed that I would crush it all the same. Then came the time where I started the class. On the first day, my teacher began by reading the other students and I a passage on the topic of self-doubt in the pursuit of success. Looking back at what I went through, I now see why. Week after week, I grew more and more incredulous at what I had gotten myself into. Constant mental strain, constant self-doubt, constant stress, and constant late nights sacrificing hours of sleep just to get that assignment done - not just done but done well. I spent many days after school sequestered in my room, pouring everything I had into cashing that check, even well after the sun went down. For the bursts of a break I had, I'd stare outside into my backyard, the same backyard where Samuel D. Hartley caddied for President Eisenhower in their time spent golfing. I'd think about how they likely spent a good chunk of time working at their craft, always looking to get better. I ignored the signals from my body - signals that I was tired and that my brain was mush and that I couldn't do it. I'd instead persist. As much as the class weighed me down physically and mentally, my hunger and persistence for success helped me tremendously. As a result, I achieved a 99 in the class and a 4 on the AP exam. Now, I ambitiously pursuing a college education. However, there are still obstacles in my way. My Dad is a single parent. He raised me and Emma by himself and recently paid for my sister's college. With it now being my turn, I know this scholarship will help us tremendously. With my love for golf and my determination to be the best in everything I do, I believe I am the right fit for this scholarship.