I have always been around my parents struggling in finances. I am the oldest child and when my parents had me, they were teenagers still. Being so young and starting a family with very little money had led them through many struggles such as affording housing, clothes, and even our next , meal at times. I had witnessed all of this because I am the oldest and things that my sisters may not think about, always cross my mind first. For example, when my parents were struggling when I was older but had enough money to eat out at fast food, I remember ordering stuff from the value menu or looking for the cheapest options. I was just grateful for the opportunity to eat at McDonald's or Jack in the Box. Now I realize my sisters just order what ever they want without taking into account how much it may cost and they should be able to do that but I often find myself getting overwhelmed with things cost to much because I still have the mindset of having to be cheep. My parents struggles have taught me very valuable lessons. Through their life, I have been able to learn how to save money without any problems. It has also taught me to be a hard worker in everything I do because I realize that you have to earn many things and that necessities such as food are not a promise in this world. I have also learned how to realize things that I need versus what I want which can also save me money. I know that the struggles with finances that I had whiteness my parents will continue to teach me and the lessons I learn from them will stay with me forever. Recently my parents separated, making my plan to pay for college a bit more complicated. Before the separation our house had 2 incomes making it easier for my dad to put aside money for future use, such as helping me pay for college. After the separation my mom left and took all of the savings leaving my dad struggling to pay bills. Now my dad mostly caught up with bills he still has to pick up the slack on taking care of my younger siblings. This makes it incredibly difficult for him to put money in savings. I am getting a summer job and will be doing work study but even then I'm not sure if I will be able to afford college. The money that my mom took with her would have been what paid for most of my college given he was saving for a few years at that point. I know that I will be alright financially no matter what, because of what I have learned from the passed.

Jack Terry's remarkable story has shown me that no matter what you go through you can find a way to achieve remarkable things. Through resilient and hard work you can overcome anything no matter how impossible it may seem. His story has inspired me to overcome my own adversity with perseverance, determination, and resilience. During the end of my freshman wrestling season, I was in agony. My back hurt so much to the point that I could barely walk up the stairs at school. I was having trouble sleeping because of the pain, and what made all of this worse was that the Doctors couldn’t find out what was causing the pain. Not having answers caused me to spiral a bit mentally, and I became a bit depressed. I was frustrated with the doctors for not having answers and for not helping me with my pain. I had tried so many different ways to get rid of the pain as I waited for answers. Although I tried physical therapy, massages, cryotherapy, cupping and many other treatment options, but nothing helped. It took until the end of my sophomore year for the doctors to finally have some answers. They had discovered that I fractured part of my spine freshman year and because I wrestled on it and didn’t know, it led to spinal fluid leakage that caused a cyst by my spinal cord. I was very happy when the doctors decided to do a procedure that made the cyst go away. After the procedure, there was still some pain but for the most part it was all gone. I was so happy and no longer depressed. I socialized way more with my friends and family. I was also able to sleep and do normal things without being in excruciating pain. This unfortunate experience has taught me to have patience with others no matter how hard it may be and no matter the circumstances. I may not get answers right away like freshman year, but over time the answers will come. I have also learned to have resilience and perseverance. It was hard to stay motivated during the injury and at times I wanted to give up completely, but with discipline I got through the injury. I now know that no matter how hard a situation gets, I will be able to persevere through it. Most importantly, it has made me grateful for every opportunity I get to play a sport. I realized how much of a privilege it is to participate in sports and what people will do in order to just get a chance. It has pushed me to want to study exercise science. With my college education and degree I will use it to become a wrestling coach and ensure that my athletes are safe and understand the importance of taking care of their body’s. I want to help athletes overcome injuries without spiraling mentally. When athletes get hurt, I will be able to help them get back into their sport as soon as possible so they aren't stuck on the sidelines with no answers like I was.

My wrestling career has helped me in many ways. It has taught me to be a better person and through wrestling and challenges I have faced, I have learned how to deal with difficult, stressful situations. Wrestling has also taught me to have discipline. It has helped me overcome tough times in my personal life by giving me skills such as perseverance and resilience. Wrestling gives me a network of people that I can rely on and have had to rely on when I was going through devastating times such as an injury. The injury occurred during my freshman year during my run for state (which I ended up qualifying for). I didn’t know it then but I had fractured one of my vertebrae in my spin that caused so much pain. I was frustrated with the doctors for not having answers because it was difficult to diagnose. I had tried many ways to get rid of the pain as I waited for answers. Although I tried physical therapy, massages, cryotherapy, cupping and many other treatment options just to see if it would relieve a bit of pain, nothing helped. Not having answers caused me to spiral a bit mentally, and I became a bit depressed. Thankfully because of the wonderful people that wrestling had introduced me to, I was able to get through this difficult time in my life with their support. For all these reasons, It has made it to where I would like to become a wrestling coach so I can give back the support I had received through my wrestling career. I want to be able to help kids grow, not only in a sport, but also as young people and adults. I want to be able to give them an opportunity to learn important life skills that I have been able to learn through wrestling and give them a wonderful environment of people who are there for them, especially if they don't have that environment at home. Many kids might not be able to afford college or never even think about going to college. Sports open up a door and many opportunities that can change people’s lives. I want to make sure that these young athletes value education and understand the importance of school. Along with that, I want to encourage young wrestlers to pursue higher education and help them understand that no matter their financial or family situation, they can accomplish anything they set their mind to. I would also like to help young girls and women recognize that it is possible to break barriers and succeed in “male-dominated” fields. I want them to grow up feeling confident in the world and not be scared about what is out there or about the challenges they may face along the way. Many young girls need a role model to look up to and I want to be that person that inspires them to be able to do anything they want.

In college I will be getting a degree in exercise science. With my college education I plan on helping people not only physically but mentally as well. I want to study exercise science/ kinesiology because I want to help athletes overcome injuries without spiraling mentally. An injury can be devastating to a young athlete, especially when they believe their world revolves around that sport. I have personally suffered from an injury that took me out of my sport for quite some time. This injury caused me to spiral a bit mentally, and I became a bit depressed. I want to prevent athletes from going through that. My college degree will help me be a better coach, to ensure my athletes are taking care of their bodies and minds. Wrestling has helped me in many ways. It has taught me to be a better person and through wrestling, I have learned how to deal with difficult, stressful situations. Wrestling has also taught me to have discipline. It has helped me overcome tough times in my personal life by giving me skills such as perseverance and resilience. Wrestling gives me a network of people that I can rely on and this is the main reason why I would also like to become a wrestling coach. I want to be able to help kids grow, not only in a sport, but also as young people and adults. I want to be able to give them an opportunity to learn important life skills that I have been able to learn through wrestling and give them a wonderful environment of people who are there for them, especially if they don't have that environment at home. I want to do these things all while ensuring that my athletes stay safe and understand the importance of taking care of their body. If my athlete does unfortunately get hurt, I will be able to help them safely recover and get back to the sport they love without having to suffer mentally as I had.

Many challenges such as time management, physical and emotional fatigue, social life, and even mental health struggles that come with a serious injury are faced when playing sports through high school. I personally have gone through some of these challenges myself and through these challenges I have learned to build discipline, resilience, and a good work ethic. These challenges have also made me a better person and push me to want to help others. One big challenge that I have faced myself and have watched many other athletes go through is an injury. An injury can be devastating to a young athlete, especially when they believe their world revolves around that sport. During the end of my freshman wrestling season, I was in agony. My back hurt so much that I could barely walk up the stairs at school. I was having trouble sleeping because of the pain, and what made all of this worse was that the Doctors couldn’t find out what was causing the pain. Not having answers caused me to spiral a bit mentally, and I became a bit depressed. I was frustrated with the doctors for not having answers and for not helping me with my pain. I had tried many ways to get rid of the pain as I waited for answers. Although, I tried physical therapy, massages, cryotherapy, cupping and many other treatment options just to see if it would relieve a bit of pain, nothing helped. It took until the end of my sophomore year for the doctors to finally have some answers. They had discovered that I fractured part of my spine freshman year and because I wrestled on it and didn’t know, it led to spinal fluid leakage that caused a cis by my spinal cord. I was very happy when the doctors decided to do a procedure that made the cis go away. After the procedure, there was still a bit of pain but for the most part it was all gone. I was so happy and no longer depressed. I socialized more with my friends and family and was able to sleep and do normal things without being in excruciating pain. This unfortunate experience has taught me to have patience with others no matter how hard it may be and no matter the circumstances. I may not get answers right away like freshman year, but over time the answers will come. I have also learned to have resilience and perseverance. It was hard to stay motivated during the injury and at times I wanted to give up completely, but with discipline I got through the injury. I now know that no matter how hard a situation gets, I will be able to persevere through it. Most importantly, it has made me grateful for every opportunity I get to play a sport. I realized how much of a privilege it is to participate in sports and what people will do in order to just get a chance. It has pushed me to want to study exercise science so when other athletes get hurt, I can help them get back into their sport as soon as possible so they aren't stuck on the sidelines with no answers like I was.

Since a kindergarten field trip that took my class to the local fire station, I’ve had the goal of becoming a firefighter. Driven by a passion to help and protect others and a determination to make a difference in my community. This goal of becoming a firefighter stays with me in everything that I do. Whether I’m on the wrestling mat, at home, or out in public, I always think about the type of person I want to be and how I can help others along the way. Wrestling has helped me in many ways. It has taught me to be a better person and through wrestling, I have learned how to deal with difficult, stressful situations. Wrestling has also taught me to have discipline. It has helped me overcome tough times in my personal life by giving me skills such as perseverance and resilience. Wrestling gives me a network of people that I can rely on and this is the main reason why I would also like to become a wrestling coach. I want to be able to help kids grow, not only in a sport, but also as young people and adults. I want to be able to give them an opportunity to learn important life skills that I have been able to learn through wrestling and give them a wonderful environment of people who are there for them, especially if they don't have that environment at home. Many kids might not be able to afford college or never even think about going to college. Sports open up a door and many opportunities that can change people’s lives. I want to make sure that these young athletes value education and understand the importance of school. Along with that, I want to encourage young wrestlers to pursue higher education and help them understand that no matter their financial or family situation, they can accomplish anything they set their mind to. I would also like to help young girls and women recognize that it is possible to break barriers and succeed in “male-dominated” fields. I want them to grow up feeling confident in the world and not be scared about what is out there or about the challenges they may face along the way. Many young girls need a role model to look up to and I want to be that person that inspires them to be able to do anything they want.

My favorite athlete to cheer for on Team USA is Ilina Maher. She is a women's rugby player for team USA. Not only does she show great athleticism in her incredibly tough sport, but off the rugby field she works hard, dedicating her time in promoting body positivity to many people across the world. She uses her radiant personality to promote on social media that it is okay to be a big, muscular, strong athlete like her self, all while being comfortable and confident in how you look. Ilina uses her successes from the Olympics to encourage other young athletes to continue to work hard towards their goals of going up and beyond. She also gives tips on how you can change your mindset, not only in sports but how you view yourself. I am a women wrestler and that isn't the most feminine sport, similar to rugby, but Ilina helps me feel confident when I watch her videos. She gives tips like when you don't feel confident in your body, remember all the amazing things it does for you and love it they way it is for that. I know Ilina has so many people that look up to her like I do. I love how she uses her platform to not only promote sports but also promote a love for oneself.

To me wrestling is much more than a sport or a hobby, it is an opportunity to do more and be more. Wrestling gives me the opportunity to be the best version of myself that I can be and also allows me to compete at a high level constantly working to be the best wrestler I can become. If I wrestle an opponent that is better than me, it pushes me to work even harder than I was already working and drives me to wanting to beat that person the next time we compete against each other. Wrestling is constantly forcing me to work harder and become better. Wrestling also allows me to be more than just an athlete. It gives me the chance to be a leader as well as a mentor. I help teach younger kids not only how to wrestle but also give them advice such as not being discouraged after losing a wrestling match. Wrestling has naturally taught me leadership skills that I carry with me even off the mat. On the mat I am the team captain of my wrestling team and that has led over to me naturally wanting to help and build the skills of younger kids. It also transfers over to the classroom like when we do group projects I find myself leading the group. Wrestling has given me more confidence that I use outside of the wrestling room as well. I used to be very shy and timid when talking to a large group but being a team captain and having to motivate a group of wrestlers has helped me break through that shyness and now I feel comfortable talking to large groups. Being a wrestler means I go to many tournaments, and at those tournaments I get to meet the most amazing people. Some of my best friends are from different schools and different wrestling teams. Not only do I become closer to other wrestlers, I also become close with their family’s. Outside of the high school wrestling room, as I am a mentor for the younger kids, wrestling allows me to meet young kids who share the same ambition of wanting to wrestle and learn the sport. Every year we get a group of new kids who are excited and even a bit nervous to get on the mat but within a few practices they are out there making friends and learning this amazing sport. For the returning wrestlers who I also get to mentor, I get to help teach them new skills and moves that they continue to practice. One of my favorite things is when a move clicks for a kid and they finally do the move during a match. I can't wait to come back and coach after wrestling in college, to give back to the community and help make wrestling mean something for a young kid as well.