Education is the key to success. My parents are firm believers of this mantra, and now, as I begin my journey as a soon-to-be adult, I have adopted it as my own mantra. I love learning and filling my mind with new information. I enjoy listening to others speak on topics which inspire me to delve deeper. It was just the other day when I was speaking with a professor, from the college I plan to attend. We discussed dystopian literature, Shakespeare, and Old English and it was fascinating. I saw a glimpse of my future self, soaking in all of the inspiring and enlightening topics that will be offered. I know college will be a place of growth and challenge and I intend to thrive in that environment. I am not the smartest or the wittiest person in a room, but I am a hard worker. My grandfather told me that college should not be about making money at the end; rather, it should be about acquiring knowledge so that I can have an intelligent and informed discussion with people of all races, cultures, and stations. As an aspiring educator, I believe I will never stop learning. I will be required to take additional classes, but I intend to do so without requirement. The world is ever-evolving and I hope to evolve with it. Thank you for considering me for this scholarship as I embark on my college journey.

Sports are my life-blood; they make me feel healthy, confident, and humble. There's nothing quite like working towards a goal and not only reaching it, but smashing it! I am a three-sport Varsity athlete (softball, field hockey, wrestling), but my true love is softball. Over the years I have been blessed to have some good coaches and cursed with some truly awful coaches. Through maturity, I have learned that the "awful" ones weren't all that awful; they were simply out of their depth. As time went on, I had to make some hard decisions about teams which led me to my current team, Pocono Pride Red. In reading about Coach Sutton, he sounds a lot like my coach, Bob Triano. He is a big, blustery fellow, but a big teddy bear underneath it all. Coach Triano has taught me trust both on and off the field. He has allowed each of us to fail in order for is to grow. Knowledge is one thing, technique is another thing, but perseverence and love of the game and the team is a completely different thing. Knowledge and technique are nothing without love of the game. Walking away from a practice or game knowing that I will still be appreciated and loved even if I am not at my best, makes me want to do my best. That doesn't happen by acciden; that is team culture, and team culture starts at the top. Just recently I was in a major batting slump. Coach Triano never said a word. He continued to work with me without stirring up my lack of confidence. He treated me the same way he treated the non-slumping girls. While at a high-stakes tournament, I was up to the plate with two on base and two outs. Coach called time and grabbed the mask of my helmet and said, "I need a hit. NOW!" and as I started to turn away, he grabbed my mask again and said, "but I'm going to love you no matter what". The next thing I know, I hit a double, scoring two runs. I was back. I am now batting .403! Coach Triano allowed me to fail so I could grow. That is what great coaches do...they inspire! Coaches Sutton and Triano are rare and inspiring and irreplaceable in the development of players and people. Thank you for considering me for this scholarship so I may continue my love of sports as I begin college.