An achievement that I am extremely proud of is overcoming the challenge of maintaining a strong academic record while also excelling in extracurricular activities with a daunting and strenuous schedule. For the past three years, and now almost four, I have maintained high grades while excelling in field hockey and marching band in the fall, as well as stage crew and softball in the spring. To overcome the challenge of conflicting schedules, I communicated with my coaches and directors, prepared myself for each activity, and found time to commit to my studies. No matter how tired I was, I always did my best to put in maximum effort and have the best attitude to ensure that my absence didn’t affect my teammates.
I have always put in the most effort to ensure self-improvement in field hockey. When I started to participate in this sport, I was a scared freshman who knew nothing about the game. The first time I tried to play, it was completely intimidating stepping onto a field where everyone else had been playing the sport for 5 or more years, but I turned that fear into motivation, and that motivation is what pushed me to put my best effort into every practice and game. I was never afraid to ask questions, I practiced my technique daily, and pushed myself to the limit during conditioning training. My teammates always had my back when I made mistakes and helped me to do better next time. Similar to my experience in field hockey, marching band helped me learn the value and importance of hard work through countless hours of rehearsals, performances, and practice. I have made countless bonds and memories with students who share my love for music, and no matter how exhausted I was, the hard work always paid off. I had to practice for hours every single day, and I came to every rehearsal determined to self-assess and improve. I provided my fellow peers with support, whether it was giving them one of my snacks, offering water, or even just being there to listen and offer some advice. During my freshman year, we were a small band competing against ourselves in the festival class. Fast forward four years, and countless hours of work later, and I was in Hershey Stadium, hearing the announcement that our marching band had won the 2023 Atlantic Coast Championships. I am now proud to say that after four seasons of hard work in every activity, I have surpassed the expectations that come with being a student-athlete. I have proven to be a dedicated student-athlete who is determined to always work toward self-improvement. I am a leader for those around me as I demonstrate maturity, integrity, and kindness to others.
Although new experiences can be daunting, and pursuing my dream career of becoming a veterinarian will be scary, I will use the work ethic I learned from marching band and the perseverance I learned from field hockey to find success in my day-to-day life. I will dedicate myself to my studies and I will not be afraid to pursue my interests in athletics at the same time. I will learn from my mistakes and use those lessons to grow as a person. I will work as hard as I can to be the best version of myself I can become.