When I was in kindergarten, sight words were the worst homework. I remember sitting at the table frustrated because my twin brother always seemed to recognize them faster than I could. It felt like no matter how hard I tried, I was always one step behind. Then, all of a sudden, something clicked. The words began to make sense, reading became easier, and before long I couldn't get enough of books. What started as my biggest challenge quickly became one of my favorite hobbies. In elementary school, our school held an Accelerated Reader (AR) point contest every year, and I took it very seriously. I remember reading Harry Potter during the summer before third grade so I could take the AR test on the very first day of school and start the year ahead in the competition. My trips to the library became a weekly routine. I would check out several books at a time, read through them as quickly as I could, and eagerly return the next week for another stack. I loved discovering new stories, but I also loved challenging myself to read more than I had the week before. My goal wasn't just to earn points; it was to become the best reader in the school. My passion for books led me to join my school's Battle of the Books team, where students competed by answering questions about books they had read throughout the year. By fifth grade, I was honored to serve as the team's captain. I enjoyed working with my teammates, discussing our books, and representing our school in competitions against other elementary schools. Winning was exciting, but what I appreciated most was being surrounded by other students who loved reading as much as I did. That enthusiasm has stayed with me through middle school and high school. I still enjoy discovering new authors and attending book signings whenever I have the opportunity. One of my favorite authors is James Ponti, who lives in my area, and it has been exciting to meet him and hear him talk about the inspiration behind his books. Experiences like these have made reading feel even more personal and meaningful. In high school, I continued to challenge myself by taking Advanced Placement Literature and Advanced Placement Language. Through these courses, I earned college credit for English while strengthening my reading, writing, and analytical skills. Reading has shaped who I am by expanding my perspective, encouraging my curiosity, and giving me a lifelong love of learning. Whether I'm reading for school or for pleasure, books continue to inspire me, and I know they will remain an important part of my life for years to come.

I would like to major in mathematics and then eventually become an actuary. I have learned a lot about the environment through my dual enrollment environmental studies class. I had to create an art project related to citizenship and sustainable materials. I collected old political campaign advertising signs from my local area and created a house out of the boards. I then spoke about how if all politicians worked together, we would create a stronger society for all of us. I also learned about my own carbon footprint. I drive a Tesla and use a refillable water bottle, so I thought that I was doing pretty well with my footprint. But then I learned about all the other ways that I was wasting energy, like eating meat, buying new clothes, and not recycling my yogurt cups. This class really set the stage for me to think about how my profession, actuarial science, could help our environment become more sustainable. I plan on becoming an actuary after majoring in mathematics at Rollins College. Sustainability is a big part of this field, as AI has significant negative environmental impacts worldwide. Having someone with a brain who can also speak with clients about risk assessment will help me reduce poor environmental choices and make the world a more sustainable place. I will most likely be working for an insurance company after graduating from college. Insurance companies are concerned with risk assessment and rely on actuaries to estimate how the environment and the ever-changing nature of our climate affect claim costs during hurricane season, floods, etc. These companies will need to create premium costs that encourage clients to reduce their risk, such as installing hurricane-resistant windows, keeping up with roofing codes, and reducing flood risk. Actuaries can also help companies encourage sustainable practices among clients by offering low premiums to clients with solar panels or other energy-efficiency measures, offering discounts for electric or hybrid cars, or encouraging companies to install solar panels or wind farms. Actuaries also work with companies on ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) Risk Analysis. Investors love to save money, and actuaries can showcase how being conscious of the environment can help them do so. In summary, actuaries help companies understand the consequences of social and environmental risks. This helps our society become more sustainable overall and build a stronger economic future. I care a lot about our environment and want to make sure that whatever I do for a living helps my children and my future grandchildren have better futures.

I plan on becoming an actuary after majoring in mathematics and minoring in AI and data science at Rollins College. I will need about $500-1500 per test for study materials. These tests are taken during my college years and I will take at least two tests in order to qualify for internships and prepare for future actuarial exams with four being taken prior to graduation. I will also need to register and pay for each test, which cost about $275 each. I will take 6-7 exams over the time period of being credentialled as an actuary within 10 years. It is my hope that I will get an internship after my first year of college and then another one after my second year. I would love to work for a company like Fidelity so that I can gain experience in the field during college then obtain full time employment post-graduation. I will attend Rollins College in the fall. My best day ever was in fifth grade when I was competing with my Lakemont Elementary Mathlete team against other local schools at Dommerich Elementary. Mathletes is a team of students who compete in answering math problems. The quicker and more accurate your team is, the more points your team will obtain. Lakemont had a really great team, and I was on Team 2 with a few other kids. Team 1 was the higher-ranked team, and it always annoyed me that the team was all boys, and that I never qualified for that team in our qualifying events. But that day at Dommerich, our team was on fire. I knew our team had our best day ever, and during the relay race for a problem, we knocked it out of the park with our speed and accuracy. At the end of the day all of the local elementary school teams gathered in the cafeteria for the awards ceremony. My Mathlete Team 2 coach was by my side when the officials started calling out the teams who placed. To my surprise, Lakemont Team 1 was awarded third place. At that moment, I saw the looks of surprise and confusion on the boys’ faces since they were so used to winning tournaments. I grasped Ms. Basalari’s arm. Another elementary school’s Team 1 won second place, and my jaw opened, and I squeezed her arm harder. When they announced Lakemont team 2 received first place, I screamed, jumped up, and hugged her and my fellow teammates. I have a picture to this day on my bookshelf of me holding the trophy along with my math teachers and teammates. This was the best day ever because we were the underdogs and we were victorious. Sometimes, underdogs can surprise those who are slated to win. Sometimes, the second team comes in first. And sometimes, a group of girls will be victorious over boys who used to turn their noses down at us because we were not the top team. This was one of those days that solidified my passion for math and wanting to study it further. Now, I am in AP Calculus BC and will major in mathematics at Rollins next year. I tutor a fifth-grade girl in math, and life has come full circle. I will forever remember that day that Team 2 won, and every time I look at that picture, I smile, remembering the pride I felt that day in my team.

I will attend Rollins College in the fall. My goal is to study Mathematics and become an actuary, utilizing my love of math and statistics. My best day ever was in fifth grade when I was competing with my Lakemont Elementary Mathlete team against other local schools at Dommerich Elementary. Mathletes is a team of students who compete in answering math problems. The quicker and more accurate your team is, the more points your team will obtain. Lakemont had a really great team, and I was on Team 2 with a few other kids. Team 1 was the higher-ranked team, and it always annoyed me that the team was all boys, and that I never qualified for that team in our qualifying events. But that day at Dommerich, our team was on fire. I knew our team had our best day ever, and during the relay race for a problem, we knocked it out of the park with our speed and accuracy. At the end of the day all of the local elementary school teams gathered in the cafeteria for the awards ceremony. My Mathlete Team 2 coach was by my side when the officials started calling out the teams who placed. To my surprise, Lakemont Team 1 was awarded third place. At that moment, I saw the looks of surprise and confusion on the boys’ faces since they were so used to winning tournaments. I grasped Ms. Basalari’s arm. Another elementary school’s Team 1 won second place, and my jaw opened, and I squeezed her arm harder. When they announced Lakemont team 2 received first place, I screamed, jumped up, and hugged her and my fellow teammates. I have a picture to this day on my bookshelf of me holding the trophy along with my math teachers and teammates. This was the best day ever because we were the underdogs and we were victorious. Sometimes, underdogs can surprise those who are slated to win. Sometimes, the second team comes in first. And sometimes, a group of girls will be victorious over boys who used to turn their noses down at us because we were not the top team. This was one of those days that solidified my passion for math and wanting to study it further. Now, I am in AP Calculus BC and will major in mathematics at Rollins next year. I tutor a fifth-grade girl in math, and life has come full circle. I will forever remember that day that Team 2 won, and every time I look at that picture, I smile, remembering the pride I felt that day in my team. As I aged, I considered engineering and a career as a statistician before committing to becoming an actuarial scientist. All of these professions require not only a passion for math but also an aptitude for math, which I am grateful to have. Math has helped me in so many ways. I am blessed to be able to figure out a tip without a calculator, or to help my mom figure out the final price after a discount at a sale at Macy's. I can also help people as a math tutor with the National Honor Society. I am so blessed to have a passion and aptitude for math. So many of my peers dread math class, but it's been my favorite class since elementary school. I know many think that math is not something that you will use in adulthood, but it's the skills and process of figuring out math problems that are truly invaluable.

I share my birthday with my best friend, my twin brother. My twin brother and I have been through everything together, however my path in life has been much easier than his has. Brandon was born with a hole in his heart, and he went through two open-heart surgeries as an infant. A couple of years later, he was diagnosed with autism. I didn’t realize that he was different; he was my brother, and to me, that was the only thing that mattered. Growing up, I became more protective of my brother because I was six minutes older and aware of the many challenges he faced. I am very thankful to my brother, as he is the reason why I was introduced to community service and the medical profession at such a young age. My parents also found non-profit agencies and programs for Brandon to attend, and again, I tagged along to all of them. This allowed me to gain early access to the special needs population and opened my eyes to community service. I have been volunteering since around the 3rd or 4th grade. The reason I got into volunteering was to be by my brother's side as he started a new program called Gliding Stars. This program teaches kids with special needs how to ice skate. As the youngest volunteer, I was proud to give back to my community and had the opportunity to collaborate with other kids like my brother. From this experience, I not only improved my ice-skating skills but also learned vital communication and empathy skills, which will help me better understand my brother’s needs and how to better provide for this community. Growing up, I learned how to be more independent because my parents had to focus most of their time on my brother's special needs, as he was diagnosed with autism at a young age. Instead of feeling left out, I dedicated my time and effort to academics and extracurricular activities, where I could truly shine and feel valued. This experience of being Brandon’s sister is what molded me into the leader, academic, and mentor I am today. Without the experience of growing up with the responsibilities of being a caretaker, friend, and responsible child, I am unsure that I would have developed into the seventeen-year-old I am today, mature and competent to embark on my path as a student leader in college.

As my school lists the class of 2026 roster, two Malarets are named back to back: Brandon and Madison. This often surprises many of my friends, who never realized I was a twin. The stereotype associated with twins is that they are the same, or even identical. However, my brother and I break this stereotype. We resemble yin and yang, opposites, yet fit perfectly when put together. Being born six minutes apart may seem like a short period of time; however, those six minutes have shaped my growth and personality through being the older sister to a younger brother who was born with a heart defect and has autism. Before my brother and I were born, my parents already knew there would be complications with my brother. Brandon was scheduled to have two heart surgeries before he turned one, fighting for his life every second after he was born. Thankfully, all of my brother's surgeries were successful, and he is as healthy as ever. Even at a young age, my brother showed me that obstacles are only hard if you let them get the best of you. His perseverance throughout this newborn period was necessary for the struggles that unknowingly lay ahead with his autism diagnosis. As twins, we shared things: a stroller, a room, and even birthday parties. I remember our joint birthday parties at Aloma Bowl, where we had to alternate turns choosing the cake design. When Brandon was 10, he was obsessed with SpongeBob, and of course, we had to have a crabby patty-shaped birthday cake! It didn’t seem like our childhood was any different than others, but maybe that was because we did not find it meaningful to compare ourselves with others. As time elapsed, however, life became harder. We both reached the common childhood milestones, but in very different ways and at different times. From kindergarten to third grade, my brother and I were in separate classrooms due to his autism diagnosis. We parted ways once we got off the bus and met again when the bell rang at 3 PM. This was the moment when I realized that my brother and I were more different than I once thought. As I was learning addition and subtraction in first grade, he was learning how to better communicate his feelings with others in a self-contained classroom. It sometimes surprises me how different my brother and I are. Our brains are wired differently: he is a creative person who excels at art. If you gave me a pencil and paper, the best I could do is draw a stick figure. His drawings have even been showcased in the city art festival. Whereas I am more of a left-brain oriented person, excelling in math and computations that require precision and persistence. This shows how even though we are so different, we need each other to balance the hard-minded person with the soft, more understanding person. Growing up with a brother with autism is a unique experience that many cannot relate to. This relationship has its highs and lows, but the relationship you create, in my opinion, is stronger than just being a twin. We have grown together, literally and figuratively, since before we were born. We have learned how to depend on each other when life gets tough. I’ve also learned how to help him when his life gets tough. Having a twin means having a built-in best friend, but it also comes with the pressure to maintain your composure and the knowledge that your parents' attention is skewed towards him. Being Brandon’s sister has taught me empathy, patience, and resilience. It can be hard to stay patient in a world that is endlessly changing. I learned that I had to be okay with the uncertainty that life has in store. I have learned to understand the struggles my brother goes through because, frankly, everyone goes through the same struggles. Even in these hard times throughout my life, I have learned to grow from my experiences, and that one step backward isn't the end of the world. Last year, I was in my math class when I heard screaming in the hallway. I immediately knew that it was my brother. Seconds later, his teacher came knocking on my classroom door, asking me to help. I was comforting my brother as he was lying down, crying and thrashing on the dirty floor. At that moment, I lost my composure and started to cry beside my brother. Looking back, I am not sure if it was more because of the stares, or how overwhelming this experience was, but this moment solidified my relationship with him more than before. From being in the back of my parent’s mind for the majority of my life, I have learned how to be independent, knowing that in many cases I would be the only person standing up for myself and pushing myself towards perfectionism. My left-brained thinking, combined with my empathy and perseverance, has shown me that I can succeed even when life is not as pristine and perfect as many of my peers might think. These traits compel me to look out for those who are unable to look out for themselves. I know that any obstacles will not discourage me, but only push me to be my best self, not only for myself, but for my brother, who I know wishes he had these same opportunities. So no, my brother and I are not the same, but I am grateful for that. Without him, I would not be here. Who knew that being a twin was more than having the “annoying little brother” that many ignore? It was knowing that I would always have someone that I could talk to, and knowing he would never be alone in a world full of complications.

Hello, my name is Madison Malaret, and I am from Winter Park, Florida. I am a senior at Winter Park High School, and I play on their Varsity Girls Golf Team. In my free time, I enjoy staying active by volunteering in my community, leading various campus clubs, and practicing golf for upcoming tournaments. Currently, I maintain a weighted GPA of 5.265 and an unweighted GPA of 4.0. I am ranked in the top 5% of my class. Because of all the AP courses I have taken so far, I have earned the AP Scholar Award. Through the College Board, I received the National Hispanic Recognition Award in the fall of 2024. I currently have a 1470 SAT score and completed my AA degree last fall at Valencia Community College, thanks to various CLEP, AP, and dual-enrollment credits. I am very interested in mathematics and would also like to further my knowledge in this area. I have begun looking into the actuarial field, which combines mathematical and scientific knowledge and works with the health insurance industry. I trust that my classes in both of these fields at Rollins College will help me make the best career choice for me in the future. Beyond academics, I am deeply involved in leadership experiences. Whether it be through serving as vice president of the Beta Club, captain of my golf team, Girl Scouts, the executive board for my youth group, or the Leadership Winter Park program, I consistently seek opportunities to make a positive impact. These experiences have not only honed my leadership skills but have also reinforced the importance of ethical decision-making and social responsibility – values that I believe align closely with the principles upheld by the USSYP. I have always believed in standing up for what is right, and my commitment to service is a testament to this belief. I have been volunteering since around the 3rd or 4th grade and have logged 484 service hours in my community during high school. . During high school, I completed 484 service hours. Because of my leadership and service background, I was selected as one of 10 students to serve as a Rollins Bonner Scholar. This program requires students to complete 8 service hours a week, complete an immersion service project, and attend leadership workshops. I am very excited about this opportunity. I am very excited that I will be playing D2 golf at Rollins College next year. I know that playing a sport in college will help me be more involved at school and also create a close-knit group of friends with similar interests. Beyond the athletic aspect, I want to receive the best education possible to set me up for my aspiration to become an actuary. This means attending an academically rigorous school, which I am prepared for, given my academic pursuits in high school. I think the balance between sports and academics is an important combination for me to get out of college, as it will help me improve my time management. The life of a student-athlete is not a stroll in the park; it takes dedication and passion to balance and achieve in both aspects. To attend Rollins College this fall, I need financial support as my partial merit scholarship and family resources are insufficient. Although I will receive a partial golf scholarship starting my sophomore year, covering the first year's expenses remains difficult. Your generous support would make a significant difference in enabling me to pursue my academic and athletic goals at Rollins.

Six minutes-this is the amount of time that separates me from my twin brother, Brandon. Our parents knew complications awaited Brandon before our birth. As he drew his first breath, it was clear Brandon was a fighter. Determined, he survived two heart surgeries before our first birthday candles were lit. Being born six minutes earlier may seem like a short period of time; however, those minutes continually shape my personality, resilience, and protective nature. As twins, we shared everything: a stroller, a room, and even birthday parties, but we reached childhood milestones at different paces. Even at a young age, Brandon showed me that obstacles are only opportunities for perseverance. In elementary school, my brother and I were in separate classrooms due to his autism. As I was learning addition and subtraction, he was learning how to communicate in a self-contained classroom. While many of his successes were related to communication breakthroughs, some of my most significant achievements at the time came through participating in Mathletes or being accepted into the gifted program. Our differences were not only apparent from an academic standpoint, but also from a social lens. Having a brother with autism has its highs and lows. Last year, during my first period Calculus class, I heard screaming in the hallway, and instinctively, I knew it was Brandon. Moments later, his teacher appeared at the door, requesting help. To my surprise, Brandon was thrashing on the floor, overwhelmed with frustration. I knelt beside him, assuring him everything was going to be alright. I gently distracted him with questions about Fortnite to calm him. In that moment, overwhelmed by his pain, I began crying. Reflecting now, I am unsure if it was the stares from our peers or actually feeling his emotions radiate through me, but for the first time, I understood the physiological responses of miscommunication from his point of view. My brother has shown me that it is necessary to face challenges to reach your dreams. He has helped me realize that roadblocks are inevitable, but it is the lessons gathered along the journey that set you up for the unknown. I look back at our first day of school photos, smiling, holding hands, never imagining how far we would both come. As we approach the fork in the road, it is hard not to feel like we represent “Andy and Woody” from Toy Story, our once-conjoined paths diverging into very different futures. As he goes to community college next year, I plan to follow my dream of studying math and science. I just hope Brandon always knows, “he has a friend in me.”

I have learned a lot about the environment through my dual enrollment environmental studies class. I had to create an art project related to citizenship and sustainable materials. I collected old political campaign advertising signs from my local area and created a house out of the boards. I then spoke about how if all politicians worked together, we would create a stronger society for all of us. I also learned about my own carbon footprint. I drive a Tesla and use a refillable water bottle, so I thought that I was doing pretty well with my footprint. But then I learned about all the other ways that I was wasting energy, like eating meat, buying new clothes, and not recycling my yogurt cups. This class really set the stage for me to think about how my profession, actuarial science, could help our environment become more sustainable. I plan on becoming an actuary after majoring in mathematics at Rollins College. Sustainability is a big part of this field, as AI has significant negative environmental impacts worldwide. Having someone with a brain who can also speak with clients about risk assessment will help me reduce poor environmental choices and make the world a more sustainable place. I will most likely be working for an insurance company after graduating from college. Insurance companies are concerned with risk assessment and rely on actuaries to estimate how the environment and the ever-changing nature of our climate affect claim costs during hurricane season, floods, etc. These companies will need to create premium costs that encourage clients to reduce their risk, such as installing hurricane-resistant windows, keeping up with roofing codes, and reducing flood risk. Actuaries can also help companies encourage sustainable practices among clients by offering low premiums to clients with solar panels or other energy-efficiency measures, offering discounts for electric or hybrid cars, or encouraging companies to install solar panels or wind farms. Actuaries also work with companies on ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) Risk Analysis. Investors love to save money, and actuaries can showcase how being conscious of the environment can help them do so. In summary, actuaries help companies understand the consequences of social and environmental risks. This helps our society become more sustainable overall and build a stronger economic future. I care a lot about our environment and want to make sure that whatever I do for a living helps my children and my future grandchildren have better futures.

I will attend Rollins College in the fall. My goal is to study Mathematics and become an actuary, utilizing my love of math and statistics. The first career that I wanted to explore was being a math teacher. The movie Hidden Figures really inspired me to focus on math and become a woman in the field. I also had several math teachers and Mathlete coaches who pushed me during elementary school, which solidified my passion for math. I still feel an adrenaline rush when I have a piece of paper full of unsolved questions in front of me, waiting to be answered. My best day ever was in fifth grade when I was competing with my Mathlete team against other local schools. Mathletes is a team of students who compete in answering math problems. The quicker and more accurate your team is, the more points your team will obtain. Lakemont had a really great team, and I was on Team 2 with a few other kids. Team 1 was the higher-ranked team, and it always annoyed me that the team was all boys, and that I never qualified for that team in our qualifying events. But that day, our team was on fire. I knew our team had our best day ever, and during the relay race for a problem, we knocked it out of the park with our speed and accuracy. At the end of the day all of the teams gathered for the awards ceremony. My coach was by my side when the officials started calling out the teams who placed. To my surprise, Lakemont Team 1 was awarded third place. At that moment, I saw the looks of surprise and confusion on the boys’ faces since they were so used to winning tournaments. I grasped her arm. Another elementary school’s Team 1 won second place, and my jaw opened, and I squeezed her arm harder. When they announced Lakemont team 2 received first place, I screamed, jumped up, and hugged her and my fellow teammates. This was the best day ever because we were the underdogs and we were victorious. Sometimes, underdogs can surprise those who are slated to win. Sometimes, the second team comes in first. And sometimes, a group of girls will be victorious over boys who used to turn their noses down at us.. This was one of those days that solidified my passion for math and wanting to study it further. Now, I am in AP Calculus BC and will major in mathematics at Rollins next year. I now tutor a fifth-grade girl in math, and life has come full circle. Math has helped me in so many ways. I am blessed to be able to figure out a tip without a calculator, or to help my mom figure out the final price after a discount at a sale at Macy's. I can also help people as a math tutor with the National Honor Society. I am so blessed to have a passion and aptitude for math. So many of my peers dread math class, but it's been my favorite class since elementary school. I know many think that math is not something that you will use in adulthood, but it's the skills and process of figuring out math problems that are truly invaluable. With unlimited resources I would create a personal tutor for everyone, so that they could understand and learn math on their time.

I am very interested in mathematics and would also like to further my knowledge in this area. I have begun looking into the actuarial field, which combines mathematical, computer science, statistics and and scientific knowledge to assist the health insurance industry. I trust that my classes in both of these fields at Rollins College will help me make the best career choice for me in the future. I will be required to take advanced, math, statistics and computer science courses in college to become an actuary. The first career that I wanted to explore was being a math teacher. The movie Hidden Figures really inspired me to focus on math and become a woman in the field. I also had several math teachers and Mathlete coaches who pushed me during elementary school, which solidified my passion for math. I still feel an adrenaline rush when I have a piece of paper full of unsolved questions in front of me, waiting to be answered. As I aged, I considered engineering and a career as a statistician before committing to becoming an actuarial scientist. All of these professions require not only a passion for math but also an aptitude for math, which I am grateful to have. I love teaching others about math, whether it is staying after school with the National Honor Society to tutor high school math subjects or assisting an elementary school kid with learning how to add fractions. I love anything and everything to do with math. I have learned from my mom that being involved in the community is something that we just shouldn't do, but that we have an obligation to do as citizens in our country, state, city, and even neighborhood. She has served on countless boards and committees and utilizes her skills as an educator to help others. I think I could serve as a treasurer, accountant, or in another bookkeeping role to help organizations stay organized with their finances. I hope to learn the skills in college through financial accounting, statistics, calculus, and similar classes, so I can serve organizations in need. I served my Student Government Association as treasurer and really enjoyed balancing the books and making sure we were on track with our budget, while planning events in accordance with the budget we were provided. Being good with numbers will always come in handy. I've learned throughout my life that many people actually despise math, and I have been lucky to have an aptitude and passion for the subject. I hope that my tutoring, volunteering, or attitude about math may someday rub off on someone else. Even if it doesn't, I hope I can get others excited about math instead of shying away from it.

I will attend Rollins College in the fall. My goal is to study Mathematics and become an actuary, utilizing my love of math and statistics. The first career that I wanted to explore was being a math teacher. The movie Hidden Figures really inspired me to focus on math and become a woman in the field. I also had several math teachers and Mathlete coaches who pushed me during elementary school, which solidified my passion for math. I still feel an adrenaline rush when I have a piece of paper full of unsolved questions in front of me, waiting to be answered. My best day ever was in fifth grade when I was competing with my Mathlete team against other local schools. Mathletes is a team of students who compete in answering math problems. The quicker and more accurate your team is, the more points your team will obtain. Lakemont had a really great team, and I was on Team 2 with a few other kids. Team 1 was the higher-ranked team, and it always annoyed me that the team was all boys, and that I never qualified for that team in our qualifying events. But that day, our team was on fire. I knew our team had our best day ever, and during the relay race for a problem, we knocked it out of the park with our speed and accuracy. At the end of the day all of the teams gathered for the awards ceremony. My coach was by my side when the officials started calling out the teams who placed. To my surprise, Lakemont Team 1 was awarded third place. At that moment, I saw the looks of surprise and confusion on the boys’ faces since they were so used to winning tournaments. I grasped her arm. Another elementary school’s Team 1 won second place, and my jaw opened, and I squeezed her arm harder. When they announced Lakemont team 2 received first place, I screamed, jumped up, and hugged her and my fellow teammates. This was the best day ever because we were the underdogs and we were victorious. Sometimes, underdogs can surprise those who are slated to win. Sometimes, the second team comes in first. And sometimes, a group of girls will be victorious over boys who used to turn their noses down at us.. This was one of those days that solidified my passion for math and wanting to study it further. Now, I am in AP Calculus BC and will major in mathematics at Rollins next year. I now tutor a fifth-grade girl in math, and life has come full circle. As I aged, I considered engineering and a career as a statistician before committing to becoming an actuarial scientist. All of these professions require not only a passion for math but also an aptitude for math, which I am grateful to have. Math has helped me in so many ways. I am blessed to be able to figure out a tip without a calculator, or to help my mom figure out the final price after a discount at a sale at Macy's. I can also help people as a math tutor with the National Honor Society. I am so blessed to have a passion and aptitude for math. So many of my peers dread math class, but it's been my favorite class since elementary school. I know many think that math is not something that you will use in adulthood, but it's the skills and process of figuring out math problems that are truly invaluable.

My name is Madison Malaret, and I am from Winter Park, Florida. I am a senior at Winter Park High School, and I play on the Varsity Girls Golf Team. In my free time, I enjoy staying active by volunteering in my community, leading various campus clubs, and practicing golf for upcoming tournaments. I was offered a spot on the Rollins College golf team next school year. My golf passion began in 2018 when I attended the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill and saw Tiger Woods play. After this experience, I knew that I wanted to learn how to play. Of course, as a beginner, I didn’t have the form, but my dad was with me every step of the way, and he was my first coach. There is a Netflix show that I would watch all the time when I first started playing golf called “The Short Game.” It was a documentary about a group of junior golfers who traveled to Pinehurst to compete in the US Kids World Championship. After watching all of these individuals' hard work and success at this big tournament, I knew that I had to push harder to play at this course as well. After one year of playing, I qualified for my first US Kids World tournament. Two years later, I played in the US Kids World Teen Championships and achieved my best performance, shooting under par in one round and finishing in the top 20. This tournament helped me gain the confidence I needed to play in even harder tournaments. I've been lucky to have several personal and team experiences. I have played at the state tournament all four years of my high school career, and my team placed fourth this past season. I have also placed in several FJT and AJGA tournaments and was a semi-finalist for the Drive, Chip, and Putt tournament. My personal best score is a 62 at the Winter Park Pines golf club, which tied the women's record on the course. Being a golfer has led me to find great friends, great coaches, and a passion that can now help me play D2 golf at Rollins College. Hard work and perseverance are necessary in achieving success in golf and in life. The parallels I have experienced in golf have shown me that hard work and success do not always look the same from week to week, which means it is essential never to give up, as success will eventually find its way back to you. As an actuary, it will be necessary to have the persistence and grit that golf has taught me these last eight years.

I will attend Rollins College in the fall. My goal is to study Mathematics and become an actuary, utilizing my love of math and statistics. The first career that I wanted to explore was being a math teacher. The movie Hidden Figures really inspired me to focus on math and become a woman in the field. I also had several math teachers and Mathlete coaches who pushed me during elementary school, which solidified my passion for math. I still feel an adrenaline rush when I have a piece of paper full of unsolved questions in front of me, waiting to be answered. As I aged, I considered engineering and a career as a statistician before committing to becoming an actuarial scientist. All of these professions require not only a passion for math but also an aptitude for math, which I am grateful to have. My best day ever was in fifth grade when I was competing with my Lakemont Elementary Mathlete team against other local schools at Dommerich Elementary. Mathletes is a team of students who compete in answering math problems. The quicker and more accurate your team is, the more points your team will obtain. Lakemont had a really great team, and I was on Team 2 with a few other kids. Team 1 was the higher-ranked team, and it always annoyed me that the team was all boys, and that I never qualified for that team in our qualifying events. But that day at Dommerich, our team was on fire. I knew our team had our best day ever, and during the relay race for a problem, we knocked it out of the park with our speed and accuracy. At the end of the day all of the local elementary school teams gathered in the cafeteria for the awards ceremony. My Mathlete Team 2 coach was by my side when the officials started calling out the teams who placed. To my surprise, Lakemont Team 1 was awarded third place. At that moment, I saw the looks of surprise and confusion on the boys’ faces since they were so used to winning tournaments. I grasped Ms. Basalari’s arm. Another elementary school’s Team 1 won second place, and my jaw opened, and I squeezed her arm harder. When they announced Lakemont team 2 received first place, I screamed, jumped up, and hugged her and my fellow teammates. I have a picture to this day on my bookshelf of me holding the trophy along with my math teachers and teammates. This was the best day ever because we were the underdogs and we were victorious. Sometimes, underdogs can surprise those who are slated to win. Sometimes, the second team comes in first. And sometimes, a group of girls will be victorious over boys who used to turn their noses down at us because we were not the top team. This was one of those days that solidified my passion for math and wanting to study it further. Now, I am in AP Calculus BC and will major in mathematics at Rollins next year. I tutor a fifth-grade girl in math, and life has come full circle. I will forever remember that day that Team 2 won, and every time I look at that picture, I smile, remembering the pride I felt that day in my team. I love teaching others about math, whether it is staying after school with the National Honor Society to tutor high school math subjects or assisting an elementary school kid with learning how to add fractions. I love anything and everything to do with math. I have learned from my mom that being involved in the community is something that we just shouldn't do, but that we have an obligation to do as citizens in our country, state, city, and even neighborhood. She has served on countless boards and committees and utilizes her skills as an educator to help others. I think I could serve as a treasurer, accountant, or in another bookkeeping role to help organizations stay organized with their finances. I hope to learn the skills in college through financial accounting, statistics, calculus, and similar classes, so I can serve organizations in need. I served my Student Government Association as treasurer and really enjoyed balancing the books and making sure we were on track with our budget, while planning events in accordance with the budget we were provided. Being good with numbers will always come in handy. I've learned throughout my life that many people actually despise math, and I have been lucky to have an aptitude and passion for the subject. I hope that my tutoring, volunteering, or attitude about math may someday rub off on someone else. Even if it doesn't, I hope I can get others excited about math instead of shying away from it.

I have been volunteering since around the 3rd or 4th grade, starting early to try to be a positive force in society. The reason I got into volunteering was to be by my brother's side as he started a new program called Gliding Stars. This program teaches kids with special needs how to ice skate. As the youngest volunteer, I was proud to give back to my community and had the opportunity to collaborate with other kids like my brother. From this experience, I not only improved my ice skating skills but also learned vital communication and empathy skills, which will help me better understand my brother’s needs and how to better provide for this community. After Gliding Stars, I started volunteering at Nathaniel’s Hope Buddy Break, an organization that provides individual attention to kids with special needs while their caregivers receive respite care. I used to go to this program with my brother as a sibling participant, and I loved how we were cared for and how much we felt loved by the volunteers. I was the first kid volunteer at this national program, too, and assisted with the training presentation that showcased the background of Buddy Break to future Buddies. Most recently, I started volunteering in the transportation department at my local hospital, AdventHealth Winter Park. I volunteer every Thursday from 4–8 PM and help discharge around 10 patients during my shift. This experience has given me an inside look at the lives of medical professionals, and I am blessed to have these opportunities to help others. My biggest motivator in life is the hope of making a positive impact on my community. I understand that the path to achieving this is not easy and requires a significant amount of commitment. Through my various extracurricular activities and the many attributes I have developed, I am capable of handling a heavy workload and achieving success. Ultimately, my passion for leadership is not driven by accolades or gratitude from others, but by a desire to give back to society. I want to be part of a society that can give back to the community as much as it helped my family, especially my brother, during my growing-up years. Throughout all of these service experiences I have strived to be a positive role model for others. So many people ignore the special needs population or those that are vulnerable. I am the opposite-I want to help those who need it the most and try to make a positive change in my society.

My grandmother is a HUGE Wizard of Oz fan. She has ruby slippers everywhere in her house, and my great aunts even have nicknames-Ruby 1, 2, and 3 for the first, second, and third sisters. So, naturally, I was a huge Wizard of Oz fan as well. I also grew up watching Ariana Grande on the Disney Channel, and when I heard that she was going to star in Wicked, I was so excited! I started listening to the Wicked soundtrack and went with my mom when it opened in theaters. I loved seeing the backstory of the Wizard of Oz. I did not really think about why the Wicked Witch of the East was under Dorothy's Kansas house when I was growing up, or that there may have been another side of the story, as opposed to the one that we were all led to believe from the Good Witch's point of view. Seeing Wicked let me know that you shouldn't take anything at face value. There are always two distinct sides to a story, and then the truth is usually somewhere in the middle of the two tales. This is definitely the case with Wicked. I used to think I was a Good Witch fan, but now I think I may be trading in my pink dress for a black hat.

I will attend Rollins College in the fall. My goal is to study Mathematics and become an actuary, utilizing my love of math and statistics. The first career that I wanted to explore was being a math teacher. The movie Hidden Figures really inspired me to focus on math and become a woman in the field. I also had several math teachers and Mathlete coaches who pushed me during elementary school, which solidified my passion for math. I still feel an adrenaline rush when I have a piece of paper full of unsolved questions in front of me, waiting to be answered. As I aged, I considered engineering and a career as a statistician before committing to becoming an actuarial scientist. All of these professions require not only a passion for math but also an aptitude for math, which I am grateful to have. I am currently in Calculus BC and will take Calculus 3 in the fall. Most people are scared when they hear the class Calculus 3 but I am so excited for it! I know that math is a subject most people run away from, but I (like a first responder), runs toward Calculus. It is such an important component of the math major and I am ready for the challenge. I love teaching others about math, whether it is staying after school with the National Honor Society to tutor high school math subjects or assisting an elementary school kid with learning how to add fractions. I love anything and everything to do with math. I have learned from my mom that being involved in the community is something that we just shouldn't do, but that we have an obligation to do as citizens in our country, state, city, and even neighborhood. She has served on countless boards and committees and utilizes her skills as an educator to help others. I think I could serve as a treasurer, accountant, or in another bookkeeping role to help organizations stay organized with their finances. I hope to learn the skills in college through financial accounting, statistics, calculus, and similar classes, so I can serve organizations in need. I served my Student Government Association as treasurer and really enjoyed balancing the books and making sure we were on track with our budget, while planning events in accordance with the budget we were provided. Being good with numbers will always come in handy. I've learned throughout my life that many people actually despise math, and I have been lucky to have an aptitude and passion for the subject. I hope that my tutoring, volunteering, or attitude about math may someday rub off on someone else. Even if it doesn't, I hope that I can help my future self someday get excited about math instead of shying away from it.

I will attend Rollins College in the fall. My goal is to study Mathematics and become an actuary, utilizing my love of math and statistics. The first career that I wanted to explore was being a math teacher. The movie Hidden Figures really inspired me to focus on math and become a woman in the field. I also had several math teachers and Mathlete coaches who pushed me during elementary school, which solidified my passion for math. I still feel an adrenaline rush when I have a piece of paper full of unsolved questions in front of me, waiting to be answered. As I aged, I considered engineering and a career as a statistician before committing to becoming an actuarial scientist. All of these professions require not only a passion for math but also an aptitude for math, which I am grateful to have. I love teaching others about math, whether it is staying after school with the National Honor Society to tutor high school math subjects or assisting an elementary school kid with learning how to add fractions. I love anything and everything to do with math. I have learned from my mom that being involved in the community is something that we just shouldn't do, but that we have an obligation to do as citizens in our country, state, city, and even neighborhood. She has served on countless boards and committees and utilizes her skills as an educator to help others. I think I could serve as a treasurer, accountant, or in another bookkeeping role to help organizations stay organized with their finances. I hope to learn the skills in college through financial accounting, statistics, calculus, and similar classes, so I can serve organizations in need. I served my Student Government Association as treasurer and really enjoyed balancing the books and making sure we were on track with our budget, while planning events in accordance with the budget we were provided. Being good with numbers will always come in handy. I've learned throughout my life that many people actually despise math, and I have been lucky to have an aptitude and passion for the subject. I hope that my tutoring, volunteering, or attitude about math may someday rub off on someone else. Regarding the challenges I have had to overcome, I will focus on my relationship with my twin brother, Brandon. From kindergarten to third grade, my brother and I were in separate classrooms due to his disability. He had two heart surgeries as a baby and was diagnosed with autism at the age of four. We parted ways once we got off the bus and met again when the bell rang at 3 PM. This was the moment when I realized that my brother and I were more different than I once thought. As I was learning addition and subtraction in first grade, he was learning how to better communicate his feelings with others in a self-contained classroom. As I got older, I became used to not receiving most of my parents' attention because my brother needed more help, whether that was in school, with hygiene, or in social interactions. Inadvertently, I became a more mature, independent, hardworking, and efficient person. Intrinsically, I think I wanted to make myself stand out in any way possible. I think this may have been why I put so much time and effort into my school: it's the environment where I can truly shine and express my passion for math and science. Growing up with a brother with autism is a unique experience that many cannot relate to. I am so grateful to my brother for being with me before day one. This relationship has its highs and lows, but the one we created, in my opinion, is stronger than just being twins. I know that in any scenario, he will always be with me, supporting me by my side. My brother has shown me that facing challenges is necessary to reach your dreams. He has helped me realize that roadblocks are inevitable, but the lessons gathered along the way set you up for the unknown. I look back at our first-day-of-school photos, smiling, holding hands, never imagining how far we would both come. As we approach the fork in the road, it is hard not to feel like we represent “Andy and Woody” from Toy Story, our once-conjoined paths diverging into very different futures. As he goes to community college next year, I plan to follow my dream of becoming a doctor. I just hope Brandon always knows, “he has a friend in me.”

I will attend Rollins College in the fall. My goal is to study Mathematics and become an actuary, utilizing my love of math and statistics. The first career that I wanted to explore was being a math teacher. The movie Hidden Figures really inspired me to focus on math and become a woman in the field. I also had several math teachers and Mathlete coaches who pushed me during elementary school, which solidified my passion for math. I still feel an adrenaline rush when I have a piece of paper full of unsolved questions in front of me, waiting to be answered. As I aged, I considered engineering and a career as a statistician before committing to becoming an actuarial scientist. All of these professions require not only a passion for math but also an aptitude for math, which I am grateful to have. I love teaching others about math, whether it is staying after school with the National Honor Society to tutor high school math subjects or assisting an elementary school kid with learning how to add fractions. I love anything and everything to do with math. I have learned from my mom that being involved in the community is something that we just shouldn't do, but that we have an obligation to do as citizens in our country, state, city, and even neighborhood. She has served on countless boards and committees and utilizes her skills as an educator to help others. I think I could serve as a treasurer, accountant, or in another bookkeeping role to help organizations stay organized with their finances. I hope to learn the skills in college through financial accounting, statistics, calculus, and similar classes, so I can serve organizations in need. I served my Student Government Association as treasurer and really enjoyed balancing the books and making sure we were on track with our budget, while planning events in accordance with the budget we were provided. Being good with numbers will always come in handy. I've learned throughout my life that many people actually despise math, and I have been lucky to have an aptitude and passion for the subject. I hope that my tutoring, volunteering, or attitude about math may someday rub off on someone else. Even if it doesn't, I hope that I can help my future self someday get excited about math instead of shying away from it and running away.

Having a brother with autism has its highs and lows. Last year, during my first period Calculus class, I heard screaming in the hallway, and instinctively, I knew it was Brandon. Moments later, his teacher appeared at the door, requesting help. To my surprise, Brandon was thrashing on the floor, overwhelmed with frustration. I knelt beside him, assuring him everything was going to be alright. I gently distracted him with questions about Fortnite to calm him. In that moment, overwhelmed by his pain, I began crying. Reflecting now, I am unsure if it was the stares from our peers or actually feeling his emotions radiate through me, but for the first time, I understood the physiological responses of miscommunication from his point of view. I often tagged along to Brandon’s doctor's appointments with my mom. Some doctors allowed me to listen to Brandon's heart, explained the X-rays, and spoke to me with care. Little did they know they ignited my love of STEM. I pretended to be a doctor, carrying my Doc McStuffins medical bag, and anxiously listened for my American Girl doll's heartbeat. UCF hosts a Dance Marathon fundraiser every year, benefitting children at Arnold Palmer Hospital. Brandon was selected as a miracle child, which meant I had full access to the event. I spent the evening amazed, watching how easily the pre-med students interacted with all the kids. I was so inspired that I started volunteering at “Buddy Break,” where I played games and did crafts with children with special needs at church. This led to an opportunity at Gliding Stars in Orlando, where I helped children with special needs learn how to ice skate. My brother has shown me that it is necessary to face challenges to reach your dreams. He has helped me realize that roadblocks are inevitable, but it is the lessons gathered along the journey that set you up for the unknown. I look back at our first day of school photos, smiling, holding hands, never imagining how far we would both come. As we approach the fork in the road, it is hard not to feel like we represent “Andy and Woody” from Toy Story, our once-conjoined paths diverging into very different futures. As he goes to community college next year, I plan to follow my dream of studying math and science. I just hope Brandon always knows, “he has a friend in me.” Advice that I would give others is that it does not take any more time or energy to be thoughtful and caring, and that this mindset will help you throughout life.

I am currently the vice president of my Beta Club at Winter Park High School. Each week, we organize a recycling drive in which members pick up recyclables from each classroom and put them in the large bin. This not only helps our school be more sustainable but also teaches our classmates about recycling. We have pictures showing what can and can't be recycled in each classroom to help ensure only recycled materials are placed in the blue bins. This is one small step towards making our school a greener place. I define leadership as the ability to motivate a group of individuals to make a positive, ethical change in society. I am fortunate to have held numerous leadership roles, which have enabled me to learn, develop, and grow, and to navigate the world as an informed citizen. The leadership theory that I most relate to is servant leadership, and my community service experience demonstrates how I have become a servant leader in my hometown of Winter Park, FL. I have been officially volunteering since around the 3rd or 4th grade. I started volunteering so I could be by my brother's side as he began a new program called Gliding Stars. This program teaches kids with special needs how to ice skate. As the youngest volunteer, I was proud to give back to my community and had the opportunity to collaborate with other kids like my brother. From this experience, I not only improved my ice skating skills but also learned vital communication and empathy skills, which will help me better understand my brother’s needs and educate me on how to better serve this community. After Gliding Stars, I started volunteering at Nathaniel’s Hope Buddy Break, an organization that offers individualized attention for children with special needs while their caregivers receive respite care. I used to attend this program with my brother as a sibling participant, and I loved how we were cared for and how we felt so loved by the volunteers. I was the first kid volunteer in this national program, too, and assisted with the training presentation that showcased Buddy Break's background to future Buddies. Most recently, I have begun volunteering in the transportation department at my local hospital, AdventHealth Winter Park. I think this has been my most impactful service so far in my life. I volunteer every Thursday from 4:00 to 8:00 PM and assist with the discharge of around 10 patients during my shift. I am the last person that these patients interact with as they leave the hospital, some of them happy as new parents, some of them worried since they will no longer have the assistance of nurses helping them post-surgery, and some of them still in pain. It is important that I provide them good customer service, a friendly smile, and that they leave with a positive feeling about AdventHealth.

I will attend Rollins College in the fall. My goal is to study Mathematics and become an actuary, utilizing my love of math and statistics. The first career that I wanted to explore was being a math teacher. The movie Hidden Figures really inspired me to focus on math and become a woman in the field. I also had several math teachers and Mathlete coaches who pushed me during elementary school, which solidified my passion for math. I still feel an adrenaline rush when I have a piece of paper full of unsolved questions in front of me, waiting to be answered. As I aged, I considered engineering and a career as a statistician before committing to becoming an actuarial scientist. All of these professions require not only a passion for math but also an aptitude for math, which I am grateful to have. I hope to continue a life of citizenship and give back to my hometown of Winter Park, Florida, as a college student. I would like to help others who may not have a gift for math learn to love the subject. I know how impactful math has been on me, and I hope that one day I can help someone learn to love it as much as I do. As a high school golfer, I have had many adversities on and off the course. But being a sister to a brother with autism has taught me the most about adversities. Having a brother with autism has its highs and lows. Last year, during my first-period Calculus class, I heard screaming in the hallway, and instinctively I knew it was Brandon. Moments later, his teacher appeared at the door, requesting help. To my surprise, Brandon was thrashing on the floor, overwhelmed with frustration. I knelt beside him, assuring him everything was going to be alright. I gently distracted him with questions about Fortnite to calm him. In that moment, overwhelmed by his pain, I began crying. Reflecting now, I am unsure if it was the stares from our peers or actually feeling his emotions radiate through me, but for the first time, I understood the physiological responses of miscommunication from his point of view. I often tagged along to Brandon’s doctor's appointments with my mom. Some doctors allowed me to listen to Brandon's heart, explained the X-rays, and spoke to me with care. Little did they know they ignited my love of STEM. I pretended to be a doctor, carrying my Doc McStuffins medical bag, and anxiously listened for my American Girl doll's heartbeat. UCF hosts a Dance Marathon fundraiser every year to benefit children at Arnold Palmer Hospital. Brandon was selected as a miracle child, which meant I had full access to the event. I spent the evening amazed, watching how easily the pre-med students interacted with all the kids. I was so inspired that I started volunteering at “Buddy Break,” where I played games and did crafts with children with special needs at church. This led to an opportunity at Gliding Stars in Orlando, where I helped children with special needs learn how to ice skate. My brother has shown me that facing challenges is necessary to reach your dreams. He has helped me realize that roadblocks are inevitable, but the lessons gathered along the way set you up for the unknown.

Option 1: Relationships & Impact Six minutes-this is the amount of time that separates me from my twin brother, Brandon. Our parents knew complications awaited Brandon before our birth. As he drew his first breath, it was clear Brandon was a fighter. Determined, he survived two heart surgeries before our first birthday candles were lit. Being born six minutes earlier may seem like a short period of time; however, those minutes continually shape my personality, resilience, and protective nature. As twins, we shared everything: a stroller, a room, and even birthday parties, but we reached childhood milestones at different paces. Even at a young age, Brandon showed me that obstacles are only opportunities for perseverance. In elementary school, my brother and I were in separate classrooms due to his autism. As I was learning addition and subtraction, he was learning how to communicate in a self-contained classroom. While many of his successes were related to communication breakthroughs, some of my most significant achievements at the time came through participating in Mathletes or being accepted into the gifted program. Our differences were not only apparent from an academic standpoint, but also from a social lens. Having a brother with autism has its highs and lows. Last year, during my first-period Calculus class, I heard screaming in the hallway, and instinctively, I knew it was Brandon. Moments later, his teacher appeared at the door, requesting help. To my surprise, Brandon was thrashing on the floor, overwhelmed with frustration. I knelt beside him, assuring him everything was going to be alright. I gently distracted him with questions about Fortnite to calm him. In that moment, overwhelmed by his pain, I began crying. Reflecting now, I am unsure if it was the stares from our peers or actually feeling his emotions radiate through me, but for the first time, I understood the physiological responses of miscommunication from his point of view. I often tagged along to Brandon’s doctor's appointments with my mom. Some doctors allowed me to listen to Brandon's heart, explained the X-rays, and spoke to me with care. Little did they know they ignited my love of STEM. I pretended to be a doctor, carrying my Doc McStuffins medical bag, and anxiously listened for my American Girl doll's heartbeat. UCF hosts a Dance Marathon fundraiser every year to benefit children at Arnold Palmer Hospital. Brandon was selected as a miracle child, which meant I had full access to the event. I spent the evening amazed, watching how easily the pre-med students interacted with all the kids. I was so inspired that I started volunteering at “Buddy Break,” where I played games and did crafts with children with special needs at church. This led to an opportunity at Gliding Stars in Orlando, where I helped children with special needs learn how to ice skate. My brother has shown me that facing challenges is necessary to reach your dreams. He has helped me realize that roadblocks are inevitable, but the lessons gathered along the way set you up for the unknown. I look back at our first-day-of-school photos, smiling, holding hands, never imagining how far we would both come. As we approach the fork in the road, it is hard not to feel like we represent “Andy and Woody” from Toy Story, our once-conjoined paths diverging into very different futures. As he goes to community college next year, I plan to follow my dream of studying math and science. I just hope Brandon always knows, “he has a friend in me.”

The leadership theory that I most relate to is servant leadership, and my community service experience demonstrates how I have become a servant leader in my hometown of Winter Park, FL. I have completed about 500 service hours so far in high school, but even more as an elementary and middle school student. I have been volunteering since around the 3rd or 4th grade. I started volunteering so I could be by my brother's side as he began a new program called Gliding Stars. This program teaches kids with special needs how to ice skate. As the youngest volunteer, I was proud to give back to my community and had the opportunity to collaborate with other kids like my brother. From this experience, I not only improved my ice skating skills but also learned vital communication and empathy skills that will help me better understand my brother’s needs and how to better serve this community. This experience really planted the seed of the importance of community service in my heart, and it continues to grow to this day. I saw firsthand how the participants with special needs demonstrated social progress, gaining confidence, coordination, and communication skills. In return, volunteers gained empathy, a sense of citizenship, and a stronger sense of self. All of these outcomes lead to social progress, as the humans involved progressed exponentially through the volunteer program they either participated in or volunteered for. Perhaps a need for community service will always be present, but this is not a negative thing. As long as there are community service opportunities, volunteers will become stronger citizens, and participants will have experiences in the community they would not otherwise have. Volunteering is a significant part of my life, and I am grateful for all the experiences I have gained through local non-profit agencies. I hope that the agencies have gained as much from my volunteering as I have gained from the opportunity to serve. I will use my education to serve others, using my math skills to tutor those who need help. I have already done this through the National Honor Society, and I am sure that in college, others will need the same assistance. Math is a skill that many need help with, and I am lucky that numbers come easily to me. I love helping others, and this is a way that I can be useful to my peers.

I have two major goals in life: to be the best academic and golfer I can be. I have been enrolled in accelerated courses since I was at Lakemont Elementary School. In 4th grade, my teachers nominated me to join the mathletes team, where we consistently finished on the podium. I joined the gifted program in 5th grade, where I qualified with my team to go to the Future Problem Solvers State Competition. Apart from my academic accomplishments in elementary school, I was involved in various extracurricular activities. I was the head director of our news show in the morning, captain of the Battle of the Books Team, Captain of the Safety Patrols, and President of the National Elementary Honor Society. Going into middle school, COVID-19 impacted my involvement in extracurricular activities until 8th grade. I was involved in the new high school-level Agriscience course, where my team qualified for the state FFA Forestry competition and placed. I was also highly involved in tending the flag at the front of the school. I would stay after school every day and help any teachers throughout the school who needed any assistance, whether that be organization, grading, etc. At the end of the 8th-grade year, I received the Glendrige Middle School Citizenship Award for my involvement in the community, both in and out of school. In high school, I started my academic year taking 1 AP course and multiple honors courses. I earned a 5 on the AP Human Geography exam, which prompted me to take an even more rigorous course load the following year. As a sophomore, I took 2 AP classes and 1 IB class, earning a 5 on AP Pre-Calculus and a 4 on AP World History. In my eyes, junior year has always been the monumental year to showcase your academic abilities to colleges. I enrolled in 4 AP classes, including the AP Capstone Program. My strong suit in school has always been math, so I have taken as rigorous a course load in that subject as possible. Currently, I maintain a 5.219 weighted GPA and a 4.0 unweighted GPA. I am ranked 32 out of 824 in my class (top 4%). Because of all the AP courses I have taken so far, I have earned the AP Scholar Award. Through the College Board, I received the National Hispanic Recognition Award in the fall of 2024. I currently have a 1460 SAT score and am on track to earn my AA degree this fall from Valencia Community College, thanks to various CLEP, AP, and dual-enrollment credits. My golf passion began when I went to the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill and saw Tiger Woods play right in front of my eyes. After this experience, I immediately knew that I wanted to learn how to play the game. I started playing late in life, at 12, so I knew I had some catching up to do. My dad went to the PGA Superstore and bought me my first real set of clubs, Lexi Thompson’s Cobra Junior Club set. We then went to my home course, and I started practicing on the driving range. Of course, as a beginner, I didn’t have the form, but my dad was with me every step of the way, and he was my first real coach. I started playing relatively late compared to the other girls I competed against in my local tournaments, so my dad decided it was best if we played not only locally but also in Tampa. This experience of playing tournaments every week helped me improve my game exponentially. I started improving my scoring average and started getting invited to even bigger tournaments. There is a Netflix show that I would watch all the time when I first started playing golf called “The Short Game.” It was a documentary about all of these junior golfers who went to Pinehurst to play in the US Kids World Championship. After watching all of these individuals' hard work and success at this big tournament, I knew that I had to push harder to play at this course as well. After one year of playing, I qualified for my first US Kids World tournament and played decently. Two years later, I played at the US Kids World Teen Championships and had my best performance, placing higher than many girls from my home area, shooting under par in one of the rounds, and finishing in the top 20. This tournament helped me gain the confidence I needed to play in even harder tournaments. I started playing Florida Junior Tour (FJT) tournaments, learning my way around by caddying for myself and consistently playing two-day tournaments. In the past year, I shot my best tournament round at the Notah Begay Orlando Jr. Showcase, shooting 70 (-2) par. Even though I didn’t end up winning the tournament, I was able to see my potential in pursuing this love of golf in college. The week later, I placed the highest I ever had in the FJT Sam Parks Major in Belleair, FL. Placing 3rd on a difficult course further opened me up to the possibilities that could occur if I kept up my play. Golf is a game of highs and lows, just like life. The main takeaway I have come to in golf is that you will not always have your best round. At this moment, it is essential to stay in the moment and not stray from the goal. Hard work and perseverance are necessary in achieving success in golf and in life. The parallels I have experienced in golf have shown me that hard work and success do not always look the same every week, meaning it is essential to never give up, as success will eventually find its way back to you.

I have been volunteering from an early age, around 3rd and 4th grade. The reason that I got into volunteering was so I could be by my brother's side as he started a new program called Gliding Stars. This program teaches kids with special needs how to ice skate. As the youngest volunteer, I was proud to give back to my community and had the opportunity to collaborate with other kids who were similar to my brother. From this experience, I not only improved my ice skating skills, but I also learned vital communication and empathy skills, which will help me better understand my brother’s needs and educate me on how to better provide for this community. After Gliding Stars, I started volunteering at Nathaniel’s Hope Buddy Break, an organization that gives individual attention to kids with special needs while their caregivers can experience respite care. I used to go to this program with my brother as a sibling participant, and loved how we were cared for and felt so loved by the volunteers. I was the first kid volunteer at this national program too, and assisted with the training presentation that showcased the background of Buddy Break to future Buddies. Most recently, I have started volunteering at my local hospital, AdventHealth Winter Park, in the transportation department. I volunteer every Thursday from 4-8 PM and help discharge around 10 patients during my shift. I want to continue this commitment of being a good citizen in my communtiy while I'm in college. So many of my peers completed service hours just to get the Bright Futures Scholarship or earn a cord for National Honor Society, but service should not be about getting a cord or scholarship dollars, it should be about helping others. I want to live my life as a servant leader, someone who is selfless with their time and compassion towards others. Volunteering is a significant part of my life, and I am grateful for all the experiences I have gained through local non-profit agencies. I hope that the agencies have gained as much from my volunteering as I have gained from the opportunity to serve. All of my service experiences has given me this empathy and I am greatful for it. I know that I have a lot to learn about leadership, service, and who I am as a citizen. I think that the courses, service-learning, group projects, research, and reflection that I will gain in college will help me graduate as a mature, civic-minded individual ready for the world.

I am a proud student at the First United Methodist Church of Winter Park in Winter Park, FL. I was confirmed in middle school and then became active in their youth group, attending retreats and service events with the church. Knowing God and learning about Jesus have had an immense impact on me, as I know that being a Christian is not just about going to church but about doing the right thing even when no one is looking. I try to always live a life of integrity, whether it is on the golf course, in the classroom, or through volunteering. I have committed to living a life of honesty and honor, and I attribute that to my love of Christ. My future goal is to be a math major at Rollins College and eventually become an actuary. My mother and father really pushed me to pursue higher education. Both of them have advanced degrees, and my mother works at our local university. I have always been interested in higher education. Since I was a baby, I accompanied my mother to her job at our local university. But I knew that I wanted a deeper connection to academics than what her university offered. I enrolled in the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth Program, joined Mensa, took an online immersion program with Wake Forest, applied as a dual enrollment student during my ninth-grade year, and currently take six AP courses. I love the art of learning, of delving deeply into topics, engaging in in-depth conversations with classmates, and being inspired by my instructors. I grew up tagging along with her on my teacher workdays to her office and got to know her campus and students very well, so I always knew I would go to college; it was a matter of where. Beyond academics, I am deeply involved in leadership experiences. Whether it be through serving as vice president of the Beta Club, captain of my golf team, Girl Scouts, the executive board for my youth group, or the Leadership Winter Park program, I consistently seek opportunities to make a positive impact. These experiences have not only honed my leadership skills but have also reinforced the importance of ethical decision-making and social responsibility. I have always believed in standing up for what is right, and my commitment to service is a testament to this belief. I am so blessed to have the opportunity now to go to a college campus for real, not just as a visitor, and I hope to make both of my parents proud. Madison Malaret: IG-madisonmalaret_golf

I am a high school senior at Winter Park High School and Varsity Golf player and captain of my team. I have also been volunteering since around the 3rd or 4th grade. The reason I got into volunteering was to be by my brother's side as he started a new program called Gliding Stars. This program teaches kids with special needs how to ice skate. As the youngest volunteer, I was proud to give back to my community and had the opportunity to collaborate with other kids like my brother. From this experience, I not only improved my ice skating skills but also learned vital communication and empathy skills, which will help me better understand my brother’s needs and how to better provide for this community. After Gliding Stars, I started volunteering at Nathaniel’s Hope Buddy Break, an organization that provides individual attention to kids with special needs while their caregivers receive respite care. I used to go to this program with my brother as a sibling participant, and I loved how we were cared for and how much we felt loved by the volunteers. I was the first kid volunteer at this national program, too, and assisted with the training presentation that showcased the background of Buddy Break to future Buddies. Most recently, I started volunteering in the transportation department at my local hospital, AdventHealth Winter Park. I volunteer every Thursday from 4-8 PM and help discharge around 10 patients during my shift. I will attend Rollins College in the fall. My goal is to study Mathematics and become an actuary, utilizing my love of math and statistics. The first career that I wanted to explore was being a math teacher. The movie Hidden Figures really inspired me to focus on math and become a woman in the field. I also had several math teachers and Mathlete coaches who pushed me during elementary school, which solidified my passion for math. I still feel an adrenaline rush when I have a piece of paper full of unsolved questions in front of me, waiting to be answered. As I aged, I considered engineering and a career as a statistician before committing to becoming an actuarial scientist. All of these professions require not only a passion for math but also an aptitude for math, which I am grateful to have. This scholarship will greatly impact me. Rollins College is a private school and costs over $80,000 for tuition, room, and board. I have a partial scholarship, but not nearly enough to cover the entire amount. I am striving to piece together scholarships so that my dream of attending Rollins can come true.

I will attend Rollins College in the fall. My goal is to study Mathematics and become an actuary, utilizing my love of math and statistics. The first career that I wanted to explore was being a math teacher. The movie Hidden Figures really inspired me to focus on math and become a woman in the field. I also had several math teachers and Mathlete coaches who pushed me during elementary school, which solidified my passion for math. I still feel an adrenaline rush when I have a piece of paper full of unsolved questions in front of me, waiting to be answered. As I aged, I considered engineering, as well as a career as a statistician, before committing to becoming an actuarial scientist. All of these professions require not only a passion for math but also an aptitude for math, which I am grateful to have. I have been volunteering since around the 3rd or 4th grade. The reason I got into volunteering was to be by my brother's side as he started a new program called Gliding Stars. This program teaches kids with special needs how to ice skate. As the youngest volunteer, I was proud to give back to my community and had the opportunity to collaborate with other kids like my brother. From this experience, I not only improved my ice skating skills but also learned vital communication and empathy skills, which will help me better understand my brother’s needs and how to better provide for this community. After Gliding Stars, I started volunteering at Nathaniel’s Hope Buddy Break, an organization that provides individual attention to kids with special needs while their caregivers receive respite care. I used to go to this program with my brother as a sibling participant, and I loved how we were cared for and how much we felt loved by the volunteers. I was the first kid volunteer at this national program, too, and assisted with the training presentation that showcased the background of Buddy Break to future Buddies. Most recently, I started volunteering in the transportation department at my local hospital, AdventHealth Winter Park. I volunteer every Thursday from 4-8 PM and help discharge around 10 patients during my shift. I am always inspired by others and want to make a difference in my community. I know that being the person who wheels a patient out at the end of their hospital visit may not seem like much, but I enjoy being the last person someone sees. I hope that I make a great ending impression of their hospital stay. Sometimes their stays were hard (like if they had surgery) or happy (like having a baby). Either way, leaving the hospital can be scary though as they no longer have nurses taking care of them. I just hope that my smile and encouragement may help them in this vulneraable moment of saying goodbye to the care they received 24/7 and that they would like to come back to AdventHealth in the future if the need arises.

Ms. Basalari was my fifth-grade math teacher at Lakemont Elementary in Winter Park, FL, and sponsor of our mathlete team. I remember wanting to become a math teacher because she made the class so fun and really opened my eyes to what math was like, beyond just doing homework. I remember doing an escape room in her class with math problems and loving the competition. Mathletes was a competition team, similar to a quiz bowl team, where elementary children competed against other elementary schools in math-related activities. We would practice a few days a week after school and typically rode with Ms. Basalari to a competition once every other week or hosted a competition in our cafeteria. One of the fondest moments I had in fifth grade was when I was on the second mathlete team. The first mathlete team was typically the smartest and fastest team in answering questions, and they happened to be all boys. My team had three girls and one boy, and I hated always coming in second to them. In one competition against a rival elementary team, I knew our team did amazing in the math relay race, where we started answering a problem, then passed the sheet down the line until all of us had input on the question. The moment of truth arrived at the end of the event, and they were saying who was first, second, and third. Ms. Basalari was next to me when they announced third place to Lakemont Team 1. The boys looked confused because they were so used to winning competitions. At that moment, I grabbed Ms. Basalari's arm. Then they announced second place was Brookshire Elementary Team 1. My jaw opened, and I squeezed her arm harder, anticipating what I hoped would be next. When they announced that Lakemonth Team 2 won first place, I screamed, jumped up, hugged her, and started to cry tears of joy. I still have a picture of me and my team holding the trophy with the biggest smiles ever on my desk. Even though this was not a state championship or major competition, the moment was just as sweet. Ms. Basalari coached us every week to help us get stronger, and we finally surpassed all expectations, as we were the second team. I am now going to be a math major and would like to become an actuary upon graduation. I am thankful to Ms. Basalari for believing in my fifth-grade self and inspiring me to love math. I hope I can do the same for someone else one day.

My name is Madison Malaret, and I am from Winter Park, Florida. I am an incoming senior at Winter Park High School, and I play on their Varsity Girls Golf Team. In my free time, I enjoy staying active by volunteering in my community, leading various campus clubs, and practicing golf for upcoming tournaments. My chosen career path is becoming an actuary. I want to make a difference in risk analysis for insurance companies, but also be a responsible citizen in my community. As my school lists the class of 2026 roster, two Malarets are named back-to-back: Brandon and Madison. This often surprises many of my friends, who never realized I was a twin in the first place. The stereotype associated with twins is that they are the same, or even identical. My brother and I break this stereotype, as we are very different from each other. We resemble yin and yang, opposites, yet fit perfectly when put together. Being born six minutes apart may seem like such a short period of time; however, those precious six minutes have shaped my growth and personality through being the older sister to a younger brother who was born with a heart defect and has autism. As time went on, my brother and I became more and more different. Before my brother and I were born, my parents already knew there would be complications with my brother. Brandon was scheduled to have two heart surgeries before he even turned one, while I did not have to worry about fighting for my life every second after I left the womb. Thankfully, all of my brother's surgeries were successful, and he is as healthy as ever. Even at a young age, my brother showed me that obstacles are only hard if you let them get the best of you. His perseverance throughout this newborn period was necessary for the struggles that unknowingly lay ahead with his autism diagnosis. As time elapsed, however, life became harder. We reached the common childhood milestones, but in very different ways and at different times. From kindergarten to third grade, my brother and I were in separate classrooms due to his disability. We parted ways once we got off the bus and met again when the bell rang at 3 PM. This was the moment when I realized that my brother and I were more different than I once thought. As I was learning addition and subtraction in first grade, he was learning how to better communicate his feelings with others in a self-contained classroom. As I got older, I became used to not receiving most of my parents' attention because my brother needed more help, whether that was in school, with hygiene, or in social interactions. Inadvertently, I became a more mature, independent, hardworking, and efficient person. Intrinsically, I think I wanted to make myself stand out in any way possible. I think this may have been why I put so much time and effort into my school: it's the environment where I can truly shine and express my passion for math and science. Growing up with a brother with autism is a unique experience that many cannot relate to. I am so grateful to my brother for being with me before day one. This relationship has its highs and lows, but the one we created, in my opinion, is stronger than just being twins. I know that in any scenario, he will always be with me, supporting me by my side.

“Kindness in Action” I have been volunteering from an early age, around 3rd and 4th grade. The reason that I got into volunteering was so I could be by my brother's side as he started a new program called Gliding Stars. This program teaches kids with special needs how to ice skate. As the youngest volunteer, I was proud to give back to my community and had the opportunity to collaborate with other kids who were similar to my brother. From this experience, I not only improved my ice skating skills, but I also learned vital communication and empathy skills, which will help me better understand my brother’s needs and educate me on how to better provide for this community. After Gliding Stars, I started volunteering at Nathaniel’s Hope Buddy Break, an organization that gives individual attention to kids with special needs while their caregivers can experience respite care. I used to go to this program with my brother as a sibling participant, and loved how we were cared for and felt so loved by the volunteers. I was the first kid volunteer at this national program too, and assisted with the training presentation that showcased the background of Buddy Break to future Buddies. Most recently, I have started volunteering at my local hospital, AdventHealth Winter Park, in the transportation department. I volunteer every Thursday from 4-8 PM and help discharge around 10 patients during my shift. This experience has given me an inside look at the life of a doctor, further deepening my passion to go to medical school. "Creating Connection" I have had several experiences that have helped me solidify my passion for inclusion and differences. As SGA treasurer, I was part of a team that offered diverse opportunities for the entire student body. It was challenging to create activities and traditions that were appreciated by all in the school, and as a group we strived to make these experiences. At the beginning of the year, we had a mentor/mentee program to get to know individuals who were different from us, which gave us an opportunity to learn and grow from each other and foster a sense of community. In Beta Club, I serve as vice president, and we advertise and host service events ranging from helping underprivileged schools develop school spirit to local park and recreation events in our city. This enables us to become an integral part of the community, rather than merely being a member of it. At my high school, we sponsor a tutoring club every Wednesday within the National Honor Society. This is an opportunity for all students who need help with math or other challenging subjects to learn from the expertise of honor students. This allows NHS students to help those who are different from them and with whom they may not regularly collaborate. As captain of my golf team, I have had the opportunity to mentor younger or more inexperienced players throughout my time. It has been an honor to share my golf expertise over the years and help those who did not have the opportunity to learn the proper rules and techniques of golf. Lastly, in my youth group, we have a motto: Everyone has a seat at the table. I serve on my executive board, and we are tasked with creating inclusive and entertaining events that fellow students want to attend while also fostering Christian ideals. At our core, we offer inclusive programming so that no youth group member is ever left alone, a quality that clearly aligns with our Christian mission.

The interests that have shaped me include volunteering, extra-curricular clubs in school and golf. I have been volunteering since around the 3rd or 4th grade. The reason I got into volunteering was to be by my brother's side as he started a new program called Gliding Stars. This program teaches kids with special needs how to ice skate. As the youngest volunteer, I was proud to give back to my community and had the opportunity to collaborate with other kids like my brother. From this experience, I not only improved my ice skating skills but also learned vital communication and empathy skills, which will help me better understand my brother’s needs and how to better provide for this community. After Gliding Stars, I started volunteering at Nathaniel’s Hope Buddy Break, an organization that provides individual attention to kids with special needs while their caregivers receive respite care. I used to go to this program with my brother as a sibling participant, and I loved how we were cared for and how much we felt loved by the volunteers. I was the first kid volunteer at this national program, too, and assisted with the training presentation that showcased the background of Buddy Break to future Buddies. Most recently, I started volunteering in the transportation department at my local hospital, AdventHealth Winter Park. I volunteer every Thursday from 4-8 PM and help discharge around 10 patients during my shift. I have also been enrolled in accelerated courses and activities since I was young and have strived to be innovative in everything I do. As a mathlete, Future Problem Solvers State Competitor, Director of our news show in the morning, Captain of the Battle of the Books Team, Captain of the Safety Patrols, and President of the National Elementary Honor Society I strived to lead my school in every endeavor. Innovation has always been a big part of my life. Beyond academics, I am deeply involved in leadership experiences. Whether it be through serving as vice president of the Beta Club, captain of my golf team, the executive board for my youth group, or the Leadership Winter Park program, I consistently seek opportunities to make a positive impact. These experiences have not only honed my leadership skills but have also reinforced the importance of ethical decision-making and social responsibility. My golf passion began when I went to the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill and saw Tiger Woods play right in front of my eyes. After this experience, I immediately knew that I wanted to learn how to play the game. I have since played for eight years and was able to compete in the Florida state championship all four years of high school. The main takeaway I have come to in golf is that you will not always have your best round out on the golf course. At this moment, it is essential to stay in the moment and not stray from the goal in mind. Hard work and perseverance are necessary in achieving success in golf and in life. The parallels I have experienced in golf have shown me that hard work and success do not always look the same every week, meaning it is essential to never give up, as success will eventually find its way back to you.

I will attend Rollins College in the fall. My goal is to study Mathematics and become an actuary, utilizing my love of math and statistics. This scholarship will greatly assist me in covering Rollins' tuition costs, as my family's support is limited. Being involved outside of the classroom has greatly impacted my life for the better. I have been fortunate to play competitive golf since middle school and will play for Rollins College on its women’s golf team as well. It has been a lifelong goal of mine to attend Rollins and play collegiate golf, and I am so happy to have the opportunity to do both in the fall. I have also been very involved in the community through my leadership with the Beta Club, First United Methodist Church of Winter Park, National Honor Society, AdventHealth Winter Park, and Nathaniel’s Hope Buddy Break. I have gained many leadership skills through these opportunities, which will help me become a stronger citizen in my community. I have been volunteering since around the 3rd or 4th grade. The reason I got into volunteering was to be by my brother's side as he started a new program called Gliding Stars. This program teaches kids with special needs how to ice skate. As the youngest volunteer, I was proud to give back to my community and had the opportunity to collaborate with other kids like my brother. From this experience, I not only improved my ice skating skills but also learned vital communication and empathy skills, which will help me better understand my brother’s needs and how to better provide for this community. After Gliding Stars, I started volunteering at Nathaniel’s Hope Buddy Break, an organization that provides individual attention to kids with special needs while their caregivers receive respite care. I used to go to this program with my brother as a sibling participant, and I loved how we were cared for and how much we felt loved by the volunteers. I was the first kid volunteer at this national program, too, and assisted with the training presentation that showcased the background of Buddy Break to future Buddies. Most recently, I started volunteering in the transportation department at my local hospital, AdventHealth Winter Park. I volunteer every Thursday from 4-8 PM and help discharge around 10 patients during my shift. If I could create my own charity, I would start a program that mentors and encourages young girls to learn how to golf. Golf is a very male-dominated sport and sometimes girls feel that they "can't be what they can't see." Starting a program that matches young girls with high school or college women golfers will help the younger generations be mentored by an older role model and will hopefully instill a love of the game.

My name is Madison Malaret, and I am from Winter Park, Florida. I am a senior at Winter Park High School, and I play on the Varsity Girls Golf Team. In my free time, I enjoy staying active by volunteering in my community, leading various campus clubs, and practicing golf for upcoming tournaments. I was offered a spot on the Rollins College golf team, a Division 2 team known for its excellence. My golf passion began in 2018 when I attended the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill and saw Tiger Woods play. After this experience, I knew that I wanted to learn how to play. Of course, as a beginner, I didn’t have the form, but my dad was with me every step of the way, and he was my first coach. There is a Netflix show that I would watch all the time when I first started playing golf called “The Short Game.” It was a documentary about a group of junior golfers who traveled to Pinehurst to compete in the US Kids World Championship. After watching all of these individuals' hard work and success at this big tournament, I knew that I had to push harder to play at this course as well. After one year of playing, I qualified for my first US Kids World tournament. Two years later, I played in the US Kids World Teen Championships and achieved my best performance, shooting under par in one of the rounds and finishing in the top 20. This tournament helped me gain the confidence I needed to play in even harder tournaments. I've been lucky to have several personal and team experiences. I have played at the state tournament all four years of my high school career, and my team placed fourth this past season. I have also placed in several FJT and AJGA tournaments and was a semi-finalist for the Drive, Chip, and Putt tournament. My personal best score is a 62 at the Winter Park Pines golf club, which tied the women's record on the course. Being a golfer has led me to find great friends, great coaches, and a passion that can now help me play D2 golf at Rollins College. Hard work and perseverance are necessary in achieving success in golf and in life. The parallels I have experienced in golf have shown me that hard work and success do not always look the same from week to week, which means it is essential never to give up, as success will eventually find its way back to you. A lack of women golfers and coaches has always been an adversity that I’ve faced. I would love to mentor other girls, encouraging them to try the sport, and help them learn to love the game as much as I do.

1. I have been volunteering since around the 3rd or 4th grade. The reason I got into volunteering was to be by my brother's side as he started a new program called Gliding Stars. This program teaches kids with special needs how to ice skate. As the youngest volunteer, I was proud to give back to my community and had the opportunity to collaborate with other kids like my brother. From this experience, I not only improved my ice skating skills but also learned vital communication and empathy skills, which will help me better understand my brother’s needs and how to better provide for this community. After Gliding Stars, I started volunteering at Nathaniel’s Hope Buddy Break, an organization that provides individual attention to kids with special needs while their caregivers receive respite care. I used to go to this program with my brother as a sibling participant, and I loved how we were cared for and how much we felt loved by the volunteers. I was the first kid volunteer at this national program, too, and assisted with the training presentation that showcased the background of Buddy Break to future Buddies. Most recently, I started volunteering in the transportation department at my local hospital, AdventHealth Winter Park. I volunteer every Thursday from 4-8 PM and help discharge around 10 patients during my shift. 2. I will attend Rollins College in the fall and will be a member of the Women's Golf team. My goal is to study Mathematics and become an actuary, utilizing my love of math and statistics. The first career that I wanted to explore was being a math teacher. The movie Hidden Figures really inspired me to focus on math and become a woman in the field. I also had several math teachers and Mathlete coaches who pushed me during elementary school, which solidified my passion for math. I still feel an adrenaline rush when I have a piece of paper full of unsolved questions in front of me, waiting to be answered. As I aged, I considered engineering, as well as a career as a statistician, before committing to becoming an actuarial scientist. All of these professions require not only a passion for math but also an aptitude for math, which I am grateful to have. 3. I have earned about 500 service hours in high school and am the vice president of the Beta Club, a service-focused organization. Service has always been a big part of my life and I do not plan on slowing down on my community involvement in college. I have applied to be a Bonner Scholar at Rollins College, where I will attend in the fall and play Division 2 golf. This program is a selective leadership and service organization that requires members to serve seven hours a week and attend leadership and teambuilding activities throughout the year. 4. I will be a first-year student at Rollins College this fall. I was offered a spot on their team, but my athletic scholarship will not be awarded until my second year due to a lack of graduating seniors this year. Rollins College costs about $80,000 a year for tuition, room, and board, and unfortunately, my family does not have enough funds to cover the full cost. Any additional aid I can receive would greatly help me achieve my dream of playing collegiate golf and becoming an actuary after graduation. 5. Growing up, I learned to be more independent because my parents had to focus most of their time on my brother's special needs, as he was diagnosed with autism at a young age. Instead of feeling left out, I dedicated my time and effort to academics and extracurricular activities, where I could truly shine and feel valued. This experience of being Brandon’s sister is what molded me into the leader, academic, and mentor I am today. Without the experience of growing up with the responsibilities of being a caretaker, friend, and responsible child, I am unsure that I would have developed into the seventeen-year-old I am today, mature and competent to embark on my path as a student leader in college.

My name is Madison Malaret, and I am from Winter Park, Florida. I am a senior at Winter Park High School, and I play on their Varsity Girls Golf Team. In my free time, I enjoy staying active by volunteering in my community, leading various campus clubs, and practicing golf for upcoming tournaments. I was offered a spot on the Rollins College golf team, a Division 2 team known for their excellence. My golf passion began in 2018 when I attended the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill and saw Tiger Woods play. After this experience, I knew that I wanted to learn how to play. Of course, as a beginner, I didn’t have the form, but my dad was with me every step of the way, and he was my first coach. There is a Netflix show that I would watch all the time when I first started playing golf called “The Short Game.” It was a documentary about a group of junior golfers who traveled to Pinehurst to compete in the US Kids World Championship. After watching all of these individuals' hard work and success at this big tournament, I knew that I had to push harder to play at this course as well. After one year of playing, I qualified for my first US Kids World tournament. Two years later, I played in the US Kids World Teen Championships and achieved my best performance, shooting under par in one of the rounds and finishing in the top 20 of the field. This tournament helped me gain the confidence I needed to play in even harder tournaments. I've been lucky to have several personal and team experiences. I have played at the state tournament all four years of my high school career and my team placed fourth this past season. I have also placed in several FJT and AJGA tournaments and was a semi-finalist for the Drive, Chip and Putt tournament. My personal best score is a 62 at the Winter Park Pines golf club, which tied for a woman's record on the course. Being a golfer has led me to find great friends, great coaches and a passion that can now help me play D2 golf at Rollins College. Hard work and perseverance are necessary in achieving success in golf and in life. The parallels I have experienced in golf have shown me that hard work and success do not always look the same every week, meaning it is essential never to give up, as success will eventually find its way back to you.

My name is Madison Malaret, and I am from Winter Park, Florida. I am a senior at Winter Park High School, and I play on their Varsity Girls Golf Team. In my free time, I enjoy staying active by volunteering in my community, leading various campus clubs, and practicing golf for upcoming tournaments. I was offered a spot on the Rollins College golf team, a Division 2 team known for their excellence. My golf passion began in 2018 when I attended the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill and saw Tiger Woods play. After this experience, I knew that I wanted to learn how to play. Of course, as a beginner, I didn’t have the form, but my dad was with me every step of the way, and he was my first coach. There is a Netflix show that I would watch all the time when I first started playing golf called “The Short Game.” It was a documentary about a group of junior golfers who traveled to Pinehurst to compete in the US Kids World Championship. After watching all of these individuals' hard work and success at this big tournament, I knew that I had to push harder to play at this course as well. After one year of playing, I qualified for my first US Kids World tournament. Two years later, I played in the US Kids World Teen Championships and achieved my best performance, shooting under par in one of the rounds and finishing in the top 20 of the field. This tournament helped me gain the confidence I needed to play in even harder tournaments. I've been lucky to have several great personal and team experiences. I have played at the state tournament all four years of my high school career and my team placed fourth this past season. I have also placed in several FJT and AJGA tournaments and was a semi-finalist for the Drive, Chip and Putt tournament. My personal best score is a 62 at the Winter Park Pines golf club, which tied for a woman's record on the course. Being a golfer has led me to find great friends, great coaches and a passion that can now help me play D2 golf at Rollins College. Hard work and perseverance are necessary in achieving success in golf and in life. The parallels I have experienced in golf have shown me that hard work and success do not always look the same every week, meaning it is essential never to give up, as success will eventually find its way back to you.

My name is Madison Malaret, and I am from Winter Park, Florida. I am a senior at Winter Park High School, and I play on their Varsity Girls Golf Team. In my free time, I enjoy staying active by volunteering in my community, leading various campus clubs, and practicing golf for upcoming tournaments. I was offered a spot on the Rollins College golf team, a Division 2 team known for their excellence. My golf passion began in 2018 when I attended the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill and saw Tiger Woods play. After this experience, I knew that I wanted to learn how to play. Of course, as a beginner, I didn’t have the form, but my dad was with me every step of the way, and he was my first coach. There is a Netflix show that I would watch all the time when I first started playing golf called “The Short Game.” It was a documentary about a group of junior golfers who traveled to Pinehurst to compete in the US Kids World Championship. After watching all of these individuals' hard work and success at this big tournament, I knew that I had to push harder to play at this course as well. After one year of playing, I qualified for my first US Kids World tournament. Two years later, I played in the US Kids World Teen Championships and achieved my best performance, shooting under par in one of the rounds and finishing in the top 20 of the field. This tournament helped me gain the confidence I needed to play in even harder tournaments. Hard work and perseverance are necessary in achieving success in golf and in life. The parallels I have experienced in golf have shown me that hard work and success do not always look the same every week, meaning it is essential never to give up, as success will eventually find its way back to you. I've been lucky to have several personal and team experiences. I have played at the state tournament all four years of my high school career and my team placed fourth this past season. I have also placed in several FJT and AJGA tournaments and was a semi-finalist for the Drive, Chip and Putt tournament. My personal best score is a 62 at the Winter Park Pines golf club, which tied for a woman's record on the course. Being a golfer has led me to find great friends, great coaches and a passion that can now help me play D2 golf at Rollins College.

The first career that I wanted to explore was being a math teacher. I loved all of the math teachers that I had and I used to help tutor other students in my classes who were struggling. The movie Hidden Figures also really inspired me to focus on math and become a woman in the field. Katherine Johson was such a great role model for me and I loved how she was able to use her brain to help the space industry. I also had several math teachers and Mathlete coaches who pushed me during elementary school, which solidified my passion for math. I still feel an adrenaline rush when I have a piece of paper full of unsolved questions in front of me, waiting to be answered. The competition with other elementary schools was also very fun! As I aged, I considered engineering, as well as a career as a statistician or data scientist. All of these professions require not only a passion for math but also an aptitude for math, which I am grateful to have. I have decided that I will pursue an actuarial science career path, majoring in Mathematics at Rollins College so that I can use math and statistics in my intended career.