Moving to a new school during my freshman year was not exactly easy however my guardian suggested that I join a sport. I was frankly kinda shocked, I knew we didn't have the most comfortable life when it came to money but I was not going to let this opportunity pass me by. The front desk told me about cheer and it turned out that she was the head coach. She was very adamant about my joining, so I showed up to a few practices. I instantly fell in love. I told my uncle and he kinda freaked out because his two daughters when they were in high school did the same sport. Which isn't exactly cheap... We managed somehow the first year but after that, I would help make payments and support myself doing it. I am in love with anything that involves cheer. It is one of my favorite things to do. But besides the competition or games we support, we do a lot of community events. We're at basically everything when help is needed. That is something that I love about our team. We support not just the school but the community around us. We go to the retirement home, festivals, or just make gifts for people around us. A lot of our time goes to the community rather than other sports and I'm not going to lie we were busy but it was worth it. I made lots of friends from these events. I got to help people who were struggling or stressing about their own events. It was all worth it because I got closer to my community. I was given the chance to be the captain in my senior year. I got to make a lot of calls and give support to my coaches. I also helped pick out what we do as a team. I liked to choose things outside of school. Like participating in our community parade and festival, Strasburg Days. We would cook food for people or organize games for kids. I believe it brought us closer as a team but also recognize those who support us and bring us all closer as a community. I believe most don't see the importance of being involved with your community. I value the time and little things we can do for each other. I will always want to be there for others in any way that I can be.

As a child, I never once thought about how wrong someone's life could go wrong and I definitely did not think about how my own life can take a drastic turn. I love my family, even though they are the very reason that I had to face the hardships that I did. They are also the reason that I turned out to be who I am to this day. I will take everything that I went through growing up and use it to fulfill my goals. I was ten years old when my father was incarcerated and my mom was forced to take on the role of a single mother. It was no easy task for her, she had four kids that she now had to raise by herself. It was especially hard because all of us were devastated by what happened to our dad. She did her best in giving advice, comfort, and care for all of her children. I respect her for showing us her courage and taking on all of that responsibility but sadly that didn't last long. Slowly everything that she was disappeared. I just turned fourteen when my mother was taken from me before my own eyes in handcuffs. I specifically remember my mom being dazed and unaware of her surrounding. She didn't put up a fight or look at us, she stayed silent as she was put into a vehicle. My mom had been acting strange for about a year and a half. She just was not herself. Come to find out my mom had a major drug addiction and she had made her own bed because of it. I was barely the age of fifteen when I moved to Colorado to live with my uncle and aunt. I truly believed that this was my new start, that this was when I will begin to heal and everything will go back to the way when it was "normal". It was a slow realization when I learned that my "normal" was never going to be what others considered it to be. I was in a better household however it came at a price. I was constricted and controlled but I was fine with it because at least someone showed me that I was thought of. That same year of moving, I once again moved but this time it was all together and to a smaller area. I joined a sport and met someone who changed everything for me. She's the reason that I believe in myself and that I am confident that I can do anything if I wished. She was my coach, Tobi Whitehead. She is strong, brave, confident, caring, stubborn and so many other things. Tobi is the most influential person in my life. She is my step-in mom. She has given me more advice than I can count. She is the prime reason that I have accomplished as much as I have. I am thankful for everything that she has done for me. I will forever look up to this woman because she helped me through a truckload and more. She is now supporting me through my future and I know she will be forever my side. I would not be where am today if I had never met her.

At a young age, I was always active and doing something but once I moved out of Utah to Colorado where I attended Strasburg high school I decided to join the cheer team during my freshman year. In the beginning, I was uneasy and frankly worried I wasn't going to like being a cheerleader or that I wouldn't make any friends but I was very wrong. I am currently in my senior year of high school, my very last year and now I am nervous that I won't be able to cheer in college or ever again. I not only fell in love with the sport but also the teams that have been there for me for the past four years. I am obsessed with everything that involves being a cheerleader but my favorite thing about it without fail would be the stunting. I love being in the air but most of all I LOVE the amount of trust I put into my friends that do it with me. It's hard to put into words however I'm going to try my best to describe the relationship I have with my teammates. For an entire year or more, you get to bond with all types of different individuals who you share an incredible tie with. All of these personalities are supporting you constantly and then become your family. We have to trust one another to not hurt, blame, and practice the materials we learn. This insane amount of trust you build up over time helps you rely upon the whole squad as well. You've been together through thick and thin, and you become like a family. I'm not going to lie we don't always get along. We do fight and bicker when were upset but it shows us that we care so much about what we are doing that we don't want our team to fail. We care greatly that when we have our up's it feels like nothing going to stop us and when we have our downs we encourage each other. The connection we have as a whole is something I know I can always depend on because they can relate to me more than anyone else can and for that, I am thankful for our friendship. They taught me to rely on others, to ask for help, to trust people, and to be my bubbly self. As a cheerleader, I learned how to work hard, manage my time, be understanding, and most of all become a leader through the years. When cheering you will have almost no time because you have school combined with school functions whether it's practice, games, performances, or even traveling to support school clubs. You don't have the privilege of slacking because, in your free time, you will be doing homework on top of practicing on top of studying. You learn to manage your time wisely so you succeed in everything you are working towards. Then you're constantly going to be doing your best to work at your fullest extent. I went over my routines any chance in the shower, before bed, or even eating breakfast. I perform in school and my sport always at 100%. I believe that you have to work for what you want and always do it at your full capacity. The hard work and dedication that I put into the things I care about is something I will forever be proud of because It makes me who I am and how I accomplish my goals. I am the person will all my flaws and perfections because of cheer.

I remeber tthe first day my baby girl came into my world. My mom was showing me pictures of the new puppies my uncles dog just had. I specifically spoted out this white little lump with black spots. She was curled up into her siblings making one of her spots look like a heart. I fell in love instantly. I begged by dad for weeks to get a dog and he kept repeating the same answer in different fonts "no". I finally was able to convince him (mind the fact he was half alseep) and we left a week later to my uncles. There were five little fur balls wadling literally everywhere they could. This little white pup looks at me and that is one of the best moment in my life. We obviously took her home the day after. That is when our life started. I will be so thankful to my dad for forever for letting me have the responsibility of her. Kisses is an absolute sweetheart whom I love as a child. She has gotten me through the roughest moments of my life. She may not be able to talk or completely understand me as a person would but she gets me. She's there for me when I'm having a rough day. She'll go up to me curl up into the smallest ball she can and plop her cute little head on me. Her eyes tell me that she cares for me and my problems. She knows I treat her like a friend, family, and princess. I spoil the crap out of her and she knows that. She tends to get her way the most because she knows how to hit my soft spots but that is one of the many things I love about her. Eventually growing up I lived in a home that wasn't a healthy environment. My mother was an addict, my father was in prison, my sister abandoned us, and my brother closed off. I could always count on going to bed with my princess right next to me and waking up next to her in my face waiting for me to play ball with her. I can always count on her to lift my mood up because of her goofy side. When she'll roll on her back like a worm or when she sticks her but up and wag her tail before she takes off running to grab one of her favorite toys. Or one of my favorites when she drags her hind legs behind her flat against the ground like a goof ball. I cant count on her to be by my side when I need her and she can count on me coming home to her everyday for as long as I live. Kisses is the famliy that did not leave me and I'm glad of it. The bond that we share is irreplaceable and she will forever be my dog, babygirl, princess, sweetheart, and famliy.