In tennis, you must move and think quickly. When you're receiving the ball, you have to think and act quickly, you never know where the ball is going to go. When the other person is serving, you don't know if you'll need to do a forehand, backhand, or even an overhand. There will be matches where you play doubles, and you'll have somebody to help and support you, and there will be matches where you play singles, and you have to trust yourself to do the right thing, no matter where on the court the ball is, as long as it is 'in'. Being a senior and preparing for my future has made me realize that tennis and life are quite similar. You never know what life is going to throw at you, and no matter how much you prepare, there is always going to be something that you weren't expecting. I joined tennis at the beginning of 2024, because my close friend, Olivia convinced me to. We had talked about joining tennis before, but I had always been hesitant. I had never played a sport for a school, and at the time, I was very scared of trying new things. The more I played, the more I learned about the specifics of the sport, and the more I began to enjoy the sport. Even when I didn't have to be on the courts, I was still there. I found myself playing tennis in my free time. One of the biggest lessons I learned in tennis was to move quickly. A ball can go from one side of the court to the other real quickly. No matter where the ball is going to go, you must adjust quickly to proceed. I find this lesson not only a tennis lesson, but also a life lesson. Just like tennis matches, you can't just stop because you're tired. Life is unpredictable, and you have to keep going with the flow. There were many times I wanted to quit tennis because I wasn't as good as the other girls, or when I missed an easy point. There are times where I question my future, and if i'm going to be successful or not. Like tennis, you never know what's going to happen. There will be easy shots, there will be shots you miss, but there will also be difficult shots, that you will succeed at. The more you try and attempt, the better you are, and the more you know.

I love helping people. Ever since I was little, when my mom let me push around the grocery cart, when I was my teachers helper, in middle school, helping the people around me with assignments, even if I didn't fully understand it either, and even in high school, being a student aide. I always felt good after helping somebody, and the fact that I could do something to make someones life just be a little bit easier, made me feel so happy. In my sophomore year of high school I discovered that I loved history, and my junior year that I wanted to teach. When I would tell my friends or peers that I wanted to be a teacher I always got a weird look or a "yikes" in response. I have researched so much about the career I am so excited to pursue, teachers not getting paid great is a well known fact, yet people love to keep reminding and informing. I get told "I would not have the patience for that to get paid that low." But that's not what matters to me in a career, yes, money is a big part of a job, however, no sum of money is equal to the satisfaction of knowing you helped somebody in some shape or form. Whether it's helping my student on a history assignment, or making sure they have at least one adult they trust, no paycheck could give me that same gratification. If I was in the position to be a teacher until I physically could not, that would give my life so much meaning and so much happiness, everyday the cost of living gets more and more expensive. Teachers already don't get paid great, so the question I ask myself is 'Will I be able to have a stable income and live a steady life as a teacher?" But there's only one way to find that out, all I can do is try. I will be extremely devastated if I can't become a teacher simply because of the current and future economy, but at least I can say I tried. I'd rather try 100 times rather than not try at all. My goal is to be the very best teacher that I can be, I want to help students not only academically, but in any way that I am able to. Helping is my passion, and I plan to do that for the rest of my life. I plan to utilize this scholarship by using it for the college I plan on going to, University of Colorado - Colorado Springs. They have an amazing teaching program, with internships involved, I believe this is the best way to get my career prepared and started, therefore, all the financial aid I can receive will be extremely beneficial to me.

I love helping people. Ever since I was little, when my mom let me push around the grocery cart, when I was my teachers helper, in middle school, helping the people around me with assignments, even if I didn't fully understand it either, and even in high school, being a student aide. I always felt good after helping somebody, and the fact that I could do something to make someones life just be a little bit easier, made me feel so happy. In my sophomore year of high school I discovered that I loved history, and my junior year that I wanted to teach. When I would tell my friends or peers that I wanted to be a teacher I always got a weird look or a "yikes" in response. I have researched so much about the career I am so excited to pursue, teachers not getting paid great is a well known fact, yet people love to keep reminding and informing. I get told "I would not have the patience for that to get paid that low." But that's not what matters to me in a career, yes, money is a big part of a job, however, no sum of money is equal to the satisfaction of knowing you helped somebody in some shape or form. Whether it's helping my student on a history assignment, or making sure they have at least one adult they trust, no paycheck could give me that same gratification. If I was in the position to be a teacher until I physically could not, that would give my life so much meaning and so much happiness, everyday the cost of living gets more and more expensive. Teachers already don't get paid great, so the question I ask myself is 'Will I be able to have a stable income and live a steady life as a teacher?" But there's only one way to find that out, all I can do is try. I will be extremely devastated if I can't become a teacher simply because of the current and future economy, but at least I can say I tried. I'd rather try 100 times rather than not try at all. My goal is to be the very best teacher that I can be, I want to help students not only academically, but in any way that I am able to. Helping is my passion, and I plan to do that for the rest of my life.

I love helping people. Ever since I was little, when my mom let me push around the grocery cart, when I was my teachers helper, in middle school, helping the people around me with assignments, even if I didn't fully understand it either, and even in high school, being a student aide. I always felt good after helping somebody, and the fact that I could do something to make someones life just be a little bit easier, makes me feel so happy. In my sophomore year of high school I discovered that I loved history, and my junior year that I wanted to teach. When I would tell my friends or peers that I wanted to be a teacher I always got a weird look or a "yikes" in response. I have researched so much about the career I am so excited to pursue, teachers not getting paid great is a well known fact, yet people love to keep reminding and informing. I get told "I would not have the patience for that to get paid that low." But that's not what matters to me in a career, yes, money is a big part of a job, however, no sum of money is equal to the satisfaction of knowing you helped somebody in some shape or form. Whether it's helping my future student on a history assignment, or making sure they have at least one adult they can trust, no paycheck could give me that same gratification. If I was in the position to be a teacher until I physically could not, that would give my life so much meaning and so much happiness, everyday the cost of living gets more and more expensive. Teachers already don't get paid great, so the question I ask myself is 'Will I be able to have a stable income and live a steady life as a teacher?" But there's only one way to find that out, all I can do is try. I will be extremely devastated if I can't become a teacher simply because of the current and future economy, but at least I can say I tried. I'd rather try 100 times rather than not try at all. My goal is to be the very best teacher that I can be, I want to help students not only academically, but in any way that I am able to. Helping is my passion, and I plan to do that for the rest of my life.

I love helping people. Ever since I was little, when my mom let me push around the grocery cart, when I was my teachers helper, in middle school, helping the people around me with assignments, even if I didn't fully understand it either, and even in high school, being a student aide. I always felt good after helping somebody, and the fact that I could do something to make someones life just be a little bit easier, made me feel so happy. In my sophomore year of high school I discovered that I loved history, and my junior year that I wanted to teach. When I would tell my friends or peers that I wanted to be a teacher I always got a weird look or a "yikes" in response. I have researched so much about the career I am so excited to pursue, teachers not getting paid great is a well known fact, yet people love to keep reminding and informing. I get told "I would not have the patience for that to get paid that low." But that's not what matters to me in a career, yes, money is a big part of a job, however, no sum of money is equal to the satisfaction of knowing you helped somebody in some shape or form. Whether it's helping my student on a history assignment, or making sure they have at least one adult they trust, no paycheck could give me that same gratification. If I was in the position to be a teacher until I physically could not, that would give my life so much meaning and so much happiness, everyday the cost of living gets more and more expensive. Teachers already don't get paid great, so the question I ask myself is 'Will I be able to have a stable income and live a steady life as a teacher?" But there's only one way to find that out, all I can do is try. I will be extremely devastated if I can't become a teacher simply because of the current and future economy, but at least I can say I tried. I'd rather try 100 times rather than not try at all. My goal is to be the very best teacher that I can be, I want to help students not only academically, but in any way that I am able to. Helping is my passion, and I plan to do that for the rest of my life.

In That Room Mikaylah Arnold In 2020 I was in 8th grade sitting at my desk, understanding what I was learning perfectly. Instead of only having one other girl in that math class there were 7 other students in that class. I understood what was being taught to me exceptionally better than the other students in my class. I questioned if I was “too smart” but then thought back to when I was put into gen-ed classes and felt “too dumb”. There were no classes in-between, there were only classes for kids with IEPs and regular students. Although I did get the help I needed in that room, I often felt different. When I had to go across the school for one class and all my other friends had the same math class together on the opposite side of the school from me. There were times I couldn’t relate to all my friends around me, nor the people in my math class. It felt lonely. In 2022 I was in 10th grade sitting at my desk, doing my geometry work extremely well. In the past, classes for my IEP were extremely simple. Yes, I needed extra help with certain concepts, but I learned PEMDAS back in elementary school. So yes it was easy, but I could be learning so much more. But that was different when I stepped in that room, the geometry classroom, with the best, most effective teacher I have ever had, Ms. Bjork. We were learning the same exact things that the other sophomores were learning, there was even a point where I helped out my friend who was in an advanced geometry class. I learned so much in that room, and I never felt “too smart” or “too dumb” I just needed the right teacher. She knew how to work with each student at their own pace, some students took longer than me, but we all understood what we were being taught. I even felt challenged in the class at some points in time, just like a ‘regular’ class. This was different from elementary and middle school though, this time I had friends. It wasn’t just a couple friends, like I had in my other classes. It was like I was friends with everyone in my class. We had built such a strong community and connection in that class, we all helped each other out. On the very last day, we held a potluck during that class period. We ate, we hung out, we watched a movie, and when we left we gave Ms. Bjork a hug because she was unfortunately moving after the school year. Ms. Bjork wasn't the only one who moved, a couple of kids in that class moved too. Math class was never like that again, I had a different teacher who was completely different, and the friends I did make in Ms. Bjork's class was gone. So while I still have never had a teacher like Ms. Bjork since, I was taught not only geometry, but a sense of community. I understood what it felt like for a teacher to truly care like she did, and no matter how different me and my classmates were, we were friends. Growing up feeling different from everyone isn’t the easiest thing, but with the right people, you can feel special, and even grateful. So now, in 2024, I am in 12th grade sitting at my desk, excited about my future, while reminiscing about the amazing people I got to meet along the way.