I started wrestling when I was probably in kindergarten because I saw my two older brothers doing it and wanted to join in on the fun. I was and still am very competitive so I always wanted to win and try my hardest. Of course, being a girl, some boys would not wrestle me, and there were not always enough girls at the meets to make a whole bracket. Sometimes (most of the time) I was the only girl my age wrestling in that weight class. If this happened, I would usually wrestle another girl who was either older or heavier than me, or both. Occasionally, a boy would be fine wrestling me too. But on the rare occasions that there was not anyone for me to wrestle, they would give me the trophy just for showing up. Keep in mind that I’m like a first or second grader at this point, so six to seven years old. I remember this one particular tournament and I did not get to wrestle anyone in my weight class or age-girl or boy-so the tournament officials said I won first and gave me the trophy. Most kids probably would have been ecstatic just to have gotten a trophy, but not me. I wanted to throw it in the trash because I did not earn it. It was just given to me for showing up. Now, since my mom would not let me throw it away, I took a pen, a piece of paper, and some tape. On that paper I wrote, “did not earn,” taped the paper to the bottom of that trophy, and put it on my shelf alongside the other trophies that I had earned. To this day, I do not know what happened to all my wrestling trophies or where they are, but I still know where that one trophy that I did not earn is. Out of all the wrestling tournaments and meets that I went to, this particular one is the one that sticks in my mind, I remember 10+ years later, and am now writing a scholarship essay about. You might be wondering why this story is important to me and why has it helped define who I am today? Well, the answer is that it really is more of a story about foreshadowing than anything because looking back on it now, I realize that this is my earliest memory of the competitor, hard worker, and dedicated person that I am today. Like I wanted to earn that trophy, I want to earn everything that I have. I want to earn my grades, my good reputation, my college degree, my future dream job. I want to earn this scholarship so that it will help make some of these future things that I want to earn just a little bit easier to do.

These are my doggies Baden and Chub! They both love going on long walks, are super energetic and loving, and love their attention!

Ever since I can remember, basketball has been my passion and dream. Anytime I was ever allowed or had free time, I could be seen playing in the gym. I became very good and everyone came to know me as a very dedicated and good basketball player. I was even recognized on the all-state team. This 'game' has become a part of my identity. While basketball has continued to stay my dream, it has just become a little bit harder to reach that dream because I am currently rehabbing from my second torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), medial meniscus, and lateral meniscus surgery. While this journey has been and continues to be very difficult and frustrating, I know that it is making me a better and more caring person. It has made me view sports, people, and life from a different perspective. I believe that I am more compassionate, helpful, and caring because of this injury, which is why I help to coach, teach, and mentor both my teammates and the younger elementary and junior high players. I want to help instill the successful, dedicated, driven, hard-working, confident, and competitive mindset into them that basketball has helped me create. I want to make a difference and become someone that they can rely on, even if they don't have the same goals and purpose for playing basketball that I do. It is for these reasons that I 'pay it forward' to others because I know how amazing and life-changing this sport be for someone.

The most helpful piece of financial advice that I have ever received would probably be from my older brother, Harland. He told me to "invest early" because just investing even a small amount in something like mutual funds and either leaving it completely or occasionally adding small amounts and not withdrawing that money until I'm of retiring age will pay dividends. With this advice in mind, I have decided to invest some money into mutual funds and bitcoin with the hopes that I make a substantial profit in the long run. I have seen enough statistics comparing those who invest early and those who wait to know that investing early is definitely the right choice to make. Although it may seem like a very big inconvenience right now, when I'm young, I know that this is an extremely smart and financially beneficial choice that will hopefully do wonders for me in the long run. Looking to the future is always extremely important when it comes to finances and so the sooner that someone can being to invest, the sooner that they can begin to make more money and then that money can make money, and the cycle continues. Being financially smart and looking to the future with your money will make life much easier later on. I just wish that more people knew this small fact and chose to take this advice. Looking out for one's future may possibly be one of the more important and rewarding decisions that can be made.

Personally, I think that when it comes to finances, prior planning, budgeting, and saving up money are some of the most important things that you can do. When you decide what you want to buy, make a detailed list of how you are going to achieve that goal, and then follow that list, you are going to meet your goals. I have personally followed these steps of planning, budgeting, and saving numerous times throughout my life. One of the more recent examples was when I decided that I wanted to buy a new pair of Jordan 1s. I already had more than enough money saved up, but I decided to keep that money in savings and budget the $120 I needed for my shoes into my new monthly budget. I decided that I would spend less money on snacks and drinks and combine those savings with the portion that I budget for clothes/accessories to buy my new shoes. Following these steps allowed me to buy what I wanted, consider the consequences of what it would take to purchase that item, and purchase the item without overspending. I think that if everyone followed these simple steps, nearly all would have a much better financial status.