For the vast majority of my life, I took for granted the freedoms and limitless possibilities America has offered me. When I arrived at Ohio University in the fall of 2020, I was still living in a bubble thinking that everyone had the same opportunities as I did. The large array of people I met at school showed me a very different world that I never knew I needed to be conscious of. I was shown the struggles, challenges, and hard work that other Americans had to put in just to survive. While I may have been unaware most of my life, I quickly was thrown into the other side of the world I had been sheltered from my entire life. Challenging circumstances would be an understatement but looking back, I would not want any of it to change. Through the darkness I experienced, I came out the other side a humble, grateful, and hard-working American. Honestly, the biggest reason that I am proud to be American is that I can say that I am a citizen of the same place that so many other hard-working, family-oriented, and morally good people are citizens of. The hours of work American citizens pour into their jobs, families, and America is unique and truly inspiring. My passion for helping the homeless started when I was a senior in high school. I was the manager at a local Subway. I worked with a young man, no older than 30, who worked over 60 hours a week at different Subway locations. He was an honest, charismatic, and true patriot to his morals man that I became very fond of working with. After 6 months, he suddenly came into work missing his phone, and wallet, and his shirt was torn. That day is forever engrained into my brain as it was when I finally found out that he was homeless. He did not present himself in an unkept manner nor did he fit the typical homeless stereotype. He confided in me the troubles he had being homeless and how he was working 60 hours just to save enough money to get himself back on his feet. I left work that day completely humbled and lost in thought. Since this moment, I have worked on helping the homeless and homeless shelters in any way I am able. I want to build a process that directly aids homeless people in rebuilding their lives. Homelessness, especially in the Veteran community, is an ever-increasing issue in America. Many people don't even bat an eye at a homeless person on the street but I see so much more than the present. I plan to open a 50/50 restaurant that operates on a community-based business plan. Half of the profits will be used to feed the homeless and underprivileged families in the community. The homeless in shelters that are actively looking for jobs will be hired at the restaurant to encourage their successful recovery and growth in society. Partnering with local homeless shelters would encourage the homeless population to get the help they need and reignite their lives.

After high school, many people discover new parts of themselves or explore different areas of interest they would not have otherwise tried in high school. For me I discovered a part of myself during my senior year of high school that I have actively worked on ever since. While working at Subway as a manager, I had a customer come in asking if he could have a cup of water. I happily served him a small cup of water and he thanked me for my kindness. As he drank his water, he told me the story of his life and how he was left homeless after serving in the military for over 10 years. In the past few years of his life, he found a new appreciation for the little acts of kindness people did for him such as getting him a glass of water. At first, I did not understand why he was so grateful for my 'kindness' when all I did was get him a cup of water; which was part of my job. My entire perspective shifted as he got further into his story. I felt this deep-rooted feeling in my chest where all I wanted to do was reach out and help him. I went home that night lost in thought about what I could do to make a difference in his life and the life of others like him. The next morning, I talked with my Leadership and Entrepreneurship teacher and we began to develop a plan of action. Over the following weeks, my teacher and I developed a fundraiser for Project Hope for the Homeless. This organization was local and helped the homeless find jobs, a place to live, and sheltered them/provided food while they were regaining control of their lives. The fundraiser was selling 'Care Cards' with discounts or deals to participating restaurants in the local area. I spent days talking to companies and convincing them to participate in the fundraiser. Once the fundraiser was ready to go, I had over 50 volunteers ready to help sell cards. Watching everyone's hard work coming together to form a successful event is a memory I will not soon forget. One man's story completely changed the way I viewed my blessings. I have made community outreach and service part of my core values. This change in my life has improved my spirituality and relationship with God which was an unexpected surprise.

The endless opportunities and unexplored territories in the consumer world are the two things that excite me the most about being an entrepreneur. From my very first memories, I remember my dad working harder than anyone I knew to create the businesses that he envisioned. My dad started with 1 business that he took over from my grandfather and as I grew up, he expanded his portfolio to owning/operating 6 companies. The path he followed and his work ethic caught my attention and kept it throughout my entire childhood. His strong example of a successful worker in the professional, entrepreneurial, and business world inspired me to declare a business major right when I went to college. This passion and path of mine soon blossomed into a triple major in business with a minor in athletic coaching. I explored this passion when I had just finished my freshman year of college and had an amazing opportunity to privately train young girls in the game of softball. My entrepreneurial spirit saw this 1 client as an opportunity to turn my passion into a company. Within 6 months of operation, my new private company had over 20 private clients and put on a camp with over 50 young athletes in attendance. I share that story to express my overall passion for entrepreneurship and the constant excitement I have for new entrepreneurial experiences. I truly believe that entrepreneurs can change the world we know but more importantly, they can help change people's lives. Part of my core passions includes helping people reach their highest potential and live the life they have always wanted. As an entrepreneur, I would have a high amount of opportunities to give people the chance to change their life. The realization that entrepreneurs can change lives came to me when I watched one of my dad's employees grow through the opportunity the company provided him. This employee came for an interview when I was with my dad at his work. He went through the entire process as I watched from afar, taking in what was being said or done. The interviewee had no prior experience but went above and beyond to sell himself to my dad as a person who always wanted to learn new things and did not mind going the extra mile to make up for his lack of experience. In the end, my dad decided to give him a chance through this job. After two years of learning the machines and what he needed to do to be successful in his role, he ended up getting an offer for his dream job in the printing industry. The company that offered him this position, told him that the experiences he had at my dad's company made him the perfect candidate for the role. Without the opportunity, my dad's company provided, this employee would not have been able to advance professionally on this timeline. While it is possible he could have accomplished this without working for my dad, seeing the aftermath of his growth changed part of my core reasons for wanting to become an entrepreneur. I want to change the course of people's lives for the better and that is one of the most exciting things about being an entrepreneur.