A “You Got It girl” is an athlete that’s a leader, someone who brings the team together and is resilient. I believe that my story and who I am applies to each of these words. This YGIG Scholarship will help not only fund my education as I will be studying Business, with the intent to go to Law School, at Manhattan University. But also funding my accomplished dream of becoming a Division 1 track athlete. Growing up, I did competitive gymnastics for 9 years. Once I got to high school at Western Reserve Academy, I transitioned into two years of Varsity Soccer and four years of varsity Track and Field. The accomplishments I have had are: Junior Olympic Championship Qualifier, New Balance Indoor Nationals Qualifier, and Adidas Qualifier, and 3x NEOTIC Black Division Hurdle Champ. The awards I have received are: 2x MVP, Coaches Award, and Most Improved Runner. During my athletic career I have faced multiple setbacks regarding my asthma. I was born with asthma, and growing up my asthma has always been a concern but in January of 2025, it had the biggest impact on my life. In December of 2024, I qualified for Indoor Nationals. I had spent my entire summer and fall training to qualify for Nationals. But, even though I qualified, I was sick. In January, my family and I made the decision to go to the Emergency Room. I would spend an entire week in the hospital. My body was so weak that I couldn’t walk, and my lungs were closing, making it harder to breathe. After being released, I spent 6 months getting my body back into shape for the summer. That summer, I qualified for the Junior Olympics in Savannah Georgia and I later signed with Manhattan University to run Division 1 track. This experience gave me a new appreciation for simpler things as well as a new appreciation for track. I no longer saw experiences like this as a challenge, but as a positive. Not only this, but it revealed my drive of resilience. My determination to bounce back from a setback and come back even stronger. Someone who I look up to is my Coach, Coach Asysa. I originally met her while she was working in the dining hall at my school, and we quickly bonded over track. She later told me that she ran Division 1 track at Georgia and Michigan State, and she had also ran at the Olympics. After training with her for over a year, I admire her strength and how far she has come. She always has a lot of positive energy and her desire to become better everyday is inspiring. Coach Asya has believed in me from the start and during times when I didn’t believe in myself. She has truly been the biggest gift track and field has given me. This scholarship would go towards my School Tuition. Though I plan to continue working over the summer. The scholarship would be a huge help in being able to support my athletic and academic career at Manhattan University. After leaving Manhattan University, my goal is to work toward becoming a professional track athlete and studying in Law School. Lastly, I would love to be a part of representing YGIG! I will be attending Manhattan University on an athletic scholarship as well. Thank you so much for your consideration and I'm excited to hear back!