The most influential experience of my life that has shaped a big part of who I am today, is playing baseball growing up. For many, this is a very common part of a boy's childhood, but for me, it was very unique as I was always the only girl on the team. I grew up always being the outcast in the one thing I loved doing. This taught me early in life that going after what you want is not always the most comfortable situation but can be very rewarding. My long hair never allowed me to blend in with the boys and always left the other team asking "is that a girl on the other team." This always left me feeling like an outcast but was never enough to keep me from playing. This continued on through my senior year but it did not take away from my love for the game. Being the only girl on the team taught me many very valuable life lessons. I learned that I am the only one who needed to believe in myself to succeed. This has helped me tremendously as I have gotten older, I have been able to block out the negative voices and opinions of others. It also made me realize at a young that consistent hard work is the best way to succeed in life. My hard work gained me many experiences that I will remember for the rest of my life. Although I did not choose the easiest path, I learned many valuable lessons that shaped me to be the person that I am today.