One day, my friend and I were practicing lacrosse when we stumbled upon a spare football on the wrong side of the field. She set the ball down on the 20 yard line and after a few minutes of promising I wouldn’t kick her hand, I sent the ball flying through the uprights. Then I did it again. And again. Unbeknownst to me, those field goals would become a gateway to a world of athletic and social opportunities. As I was leaving the field, I was approached by the varsity football coach who told me the entire team had been watching my kicks and the team needed a new kicker. He invited me to practice the next day. But how could this be? Girls don’t play tackle football. I wrestled with the idea of playing football the rest of that day and night. It terrified me to think about practice with my athletic capability on full display. My friends advised against me playing. Nevertheless, something about playing intrigued me and, despite being terrified, I decided the least I could do is show up. A few weeks later, as the first game approached, my biggest fear was not about missing a kick, but rather a potential failure being viewed as an excuse to say “we shouldn’t have let a girl on the team.” Finally, my opportunity arrived. I took my three steps back and two to the side, braids sticking out of my helmet, hundreds of people watching. Set. Hike. Now is my chance. I would love to tell you that I kicked it through the uprights and the crowd erupted, as I single-handedly solved gender inequality in America. However, after a bad snap, a defender blindsided me and I went flying through the air, my helmet tumbling on the ground 10 yards away from me. A hush fell over the crowd. I got up laughing. I didn’t get to kick, but I learned that I can take a hit. Despite that early failure, later in the season I earned the nickname Miss Automatic for my consistent extra points. Although life may throw things at you (or quite literally get you thrown), I learned the value in adapting my definition of success. I also learned that if you enjoy something but there isn’t space for you, you can make space. This same lesson further fostered my love for politics. I’ve had a deep passion for politics since a very young age. In elementary school, my dream was to become President, but the lack of women in the upper echelons of government dampened those desires for a while. However, my experience on the gridiron, earning respect in a traditionally male-dominated world, reignited my dream for politics because it taught me I can make space for myself, even if it scares me. I’m particularly grateful for the unexpected connections I found with many of my teammates. Although the teamwork and camaraderie I found on my team isn’t often found in our current political environment, I believe it is possible. We just need more people willing to find “teammates” in unexpected places and work toward a common goal rather than for personal (political) gain. Through my experience of being a female trailblazer on the football team, I challenged the status quo. Through studying political science, I would like to further create new paths for everybody and leave a lasting impact on the world. I now understand that our team–the United States of America–suffers when the best players remain on the sidelines.