Rowing is something you have to work for and believe me; I worked for it. I learned quickly that strength is not the only important factor to doing well- it takes dedication, attitude, and willingness to listen and fix technique. You have to be willing to stick out grueling workouts for months before even thinking about racing- and one missed practice can always be that half-second difference between boats in a final. I believe rowing has changed so much about me, giving me confidence and turning me from a shy freshman to someone willing and able to lead the team and apply that confidence to many other parts of my life, such as directing patrons at my job and preparing speeches for class. And of course, it would be remiss of me not to mention the grueling life of a student athlete. AP homework, projects, and exams can stack up very easily, and when I have absolutely no free time from 8am through to 7pm, it's a hard balance to manage. But I'm happy to say I managed it, and though sometimes I don't know how, I still kept my perfect GPA throughout my rowing career, something that was certainly not easy. Being chosen as captain of the team last year felt amazing. It was the best feeling to know that my team, which has such a big influence on my life, has allowed me to apply my influence on it. Even though sometimes I have to play the bad cop and enforce the rules of the team, when I interact with the rowers, I feel kinder and like I gained a whole new understanding of the team. Having to direct and coordinate the entire women's team, and the men's team as well at times, has made me acutely aware of the way I present myself as a leader, and that it matters how people perceive me if I want them to listen. I am intensely grateful to be in a sport that has such a strong female presence. Although rowing is a male-dominated sport nationally, like so many, the United States collegiate rowing scene has made great jumps in support of female athletes, with women's rowing being added as an NCAA sport nationwide. Even so, there does seem to be a lack of female leadership on the local level; for example, not one of the seven coaches on my combined high school team was female. Of course, I greatly appreciate the hard work my coaches put into this team, but I have felt the need to step up and be the best captain that I can be, if only so that all the girls on the team know that women can lead and teach just as well as men. This sport is tough. And as much as any rower complains about it, I don’t know who I would be without the long practices, rainy regattas, and roughly six hundred times running up and down the boathouse hill. There is no other single thing in my life that has had such an impact on who I am and how I live my life, and I plan to continue club rowing in college.

Throughout my life, I have experienced firsthand how susceptible kids can be to peer pressure. There was one day, during the summer I worked as a lifeguard when a little boy came up to me at the front desk. As he fidgeted in front of me, he told me how another kid, when they were playing in the pool, had shouted in anger that he was going to kill him. Even though I knew it was probably just a joke, maybe a saying picked up from the media, my heart dropped to see this little boy was so worried and bothered by the interaction. All I could do was kneel in front of the boy and tell him that if it ever happened again, to come to me or another adult and we’d help. That was my first brush with how bullying and careless language can have a massive impact on the confidence of children, but it wasn’t the last. A few years ago, my own younger brother came home one day from school dejected and insecure. He said a boy in his class had been calling him fat repeatedly at recess. I watched as my ten-year-old brother became obsessed with exercising, trying to “get in shape” and shed the cruel words that had stuck to him. I couldn’t confront the offending classmate, so all I could do was try and teach my brother the art of having a thick skin and ignoring the bullies. He now avoids the boy who said these things to him, but I still worry that there will be another incident that brings back his old insecurities, especially now that he is exploring the internet, and will get to use his own phone when he goes to middle school next year. My family and I have done our best to impress upon him the importance of informed media consumption, and trying not to become phone-addicted. Being the oldest of three, I feel responsible for my younger brothers. It’s also because of them that I’m seeking financial assistance to pay for college, because I want them to be able to enter higher education, when it’s their time, with as much money as possible available to help pay for it. We are a financially stable family, but there’s no way my parents can pay for all three of our college expenses out of pocket, and I don’t want them to have to. When I was in middle school, I definitely felt a lot of the same insecurities that my brother, and lots of other kids, all feel. I think teaching kids to think critically and know how to distance themselves from unwelcome things and people is the best way to prevent bad situations from happening. I am reminded of what is at stake when I volunteer every year at my school choir fundraiser, Breakfast With Santa. All of us choir students dress up as Disney characters and run crafts and other holiday activities. When I am sitting in front of children, painting their faces, they tell me about themselves and their lives, and it’s always with a smile on their faces and an air of innocence. Young kids are so carefree and happy, and I wish that they could stay that way for as long as possible. After all, everyone says that kids are the future, so I hope we can give them as good a future as possible.