Grit, commitment, perseverance, humility and character are all tested and trained in the pursuit of competitive lacrosse. It has been through the victories and defeats that I have seen my character revealed. Thus, lacrosse is an extracurricular activity that has been highly meaningful to me. Through lacrosse, relationships flourish given the rigor and necessity of teamwork. Playing midfield is often viewed as the most demanding position on the field requiring tremendous stamina and boldness to communicate on the field. True, but the preparation actually induces personal examination, both physically and emotionally. Lacrosse has provided me confidence and purpose as well as a willingness to sacrifice social activities for my athletic goals. However, my identity as a gifted lacrosse player was challenged when I suffered a devastating injury, an ACL tear. I was the lead scorer, captain as a junior of my high school team, midfielder on a nationally ranked club team and talking to colleges for recruiting. Up until that point, I thought my character was clearly revealed as I competed. Committed, fast, agile, aggressive and smart were all words that described me on the field. Ironically, I swiftly realized it was not on the field that my true character was revealed, rather it was when I sat on the sideline watching my team play or the grueling physical therapy day-after-day or the quiet times when I was left to my thoughts. Recently I hit the 6 month mark from surgery which signifies key milestones. I have been told that I am the fastest anyone within my therapy practice has achieved running unassisted along with other key goals. This is the fruit of my willful decision to commit that I would not allow this to crush my spirit. Believe me, I am overwhelmed with excitement for the day that I can play lacrosse competitively again, yet through this difficult experience I have realized I am a fighter. My aunt fondly says I am like a lion in how she has seen me navigate my recovery and I love this visual. My choice is to believe this all is part of the long-term purpose of my life given the difficult timing. Character is revealed in adversity and I am certain mine has been tested and proven solid, which undoubtedly will benefit me back on the field, but more importantly in this journey called life. My vision is that I will be a voice of justice and encouragement to young women that trials do not define you rather see yourself as an overcomer. This is how I choose to live and there is nothing more powerful than a testimony and I am committed to share mine freely.

Grit, commitment, perseverance, humility and character are all tested and trained in the pursuit of competitive lacrosse. It has been through the victories and defeats that I have seen my character revealed. Thus, lacrosse is an extracurricular activity that has been highly meaningful to me. Through lacrosse, relationships flourish given the rigor and necessity of teamwork. Playing midfield is often viewed as the most demanding position on the field requiring tremendous stamina and boldness to communicate on the field. True, but the preparation actually induces personal examination, both physically and emotionally. Lacrosse has provided me confidence and purpose as well as a willingness to sacrifice social activities for my athletic goals. However, my identity as a gifted lacrosse player was challenged when I suffered a devastating injury, an ACL tear. I was the lead scorer, captain as a junior of my high school team, midfielder on a nationally ranked club team and talking to colleges for recruiting. Up until that point, I thought my character was clearly revealed as I competed. Committed, fast, agile, aggressive and smart were all words that described me on the field. Ironically, I swiftly realized it was not on the field that my true character was revealed, rather it was when I sat on the sideline watching my team play or the grueling physical therapy day-after-day or the quiet times when I was left to my thoughts. Recently I hit the 6 month mark from surgery which signifies key milestones. I have been told that I am the fastest anyone within my therapy practice has achieved running unassisted along with other key goals. This is the fruit of my willful decision to commit that I would not allow this to crush my spirit. Believe me, I am overwhelmed with excitement for the day that I can play lacrosse competitively again, yet through this difficult experience I have realized I am a fighter. My aunt fondly says I am like a lion in how she has seen me navigate my recovery and I love this visual. My choice is to believe this all is part of the long-term purpose of my life given the difficult timing. Character is revealed in adversity and I am certain mine has been tested and proven solid, which undoubtedly will benefit me back on the field, but more importantly in this journey called life.

Grit, commitment, perseverance, humility and character are all tested and trained in the pursuit of competitive lacrosse. It has been through the victories and defeats that I have seen my character revealed. Thus, lacrosse is an extracurricular activity that has been highly meaningful to me. Through lacrosse, relationships flourish given the rigor and necessity of teamwork. Playing midfield is often viewed as the most demanding position on the field requiring tremendous stamina and boldness to communicate on the field. True, but the preparation actually induces personal examination, both physically and emotionally. Lacrosse has provided me confidence and purpose as well as a willingness to sacrifice social activities for my athletic goals. However, my identity as a gifted lacrosse player was challenged when I suffered a devastating injury, an ACL tear. I was the lead scorer, captain as a junior of my high school team, midfielder on a nationally ranked club team and talking to colleges for recruiting. Up until that point, I thought my character was clearly revealed as I competed. Committed, fast, agile, aggressive and smart were all words that described me on the field. Ironically, I swiftly realized it was not on the field that my true character was revealed, rather it was when I sat on the sideline watching my team play or the grueling physical therapy day-after-day or the quiet times when I was left to my thoughts. Recently I hit the 6 month mark from surgery which signifies key milestones. I have been told that I am the fastest anyone within my therapy practice has achieved running unassisted along with other key goals. This is the fruit of my willful decision to commit that I would not allow this to crush my spirit. Believe me, I am overwhelmed with excitement for the day that I can play lacrosse competitively again, yet through this difficult experience I have realized I am a fighter. My aunt fondly says I am like a lion in how she has seen me navigate my recovery with courage, commitment and determination and I love this visual. My choice is to believe this all is part of the long-term purpose of my life given the difficult timing. Character is revealed in adversity and I am certain mine has been tested and proven solid, which undoubtedly will benefit me back on the field, but more importantly in this journey called life.

Mental health is crucial for a student's success and I am living-proof of this. Life offers unexpected challenges. My junior year of high school was extremely difficult and had I not engaged in healthy choices including counseling and parental support, I am not sure where I would be at this moment. Having endured both physical and emotional trauma, I was left to navigate these trials with little experience of how to manage these in a productive manner. Fortunately, I had a foundation of faith, meditation and physical exercise that promoted a healthy lifestyle, but now in my healing were crucial to engage in a deeper level. No one is immune to challenges and it is likely everyone will endure difficulty at various points of their lives. Investing in mental health sets a person up for success and establishes habits that when the storms of life come, there is preparation for these difficult days. Early on, I realized I wanted to play competitive lacrosse so I began writing affirmations and put them around my bathroom mirror and would read them aloud as I got ready in the morning. They were the first words I saw when I woke and last words I saw before I went to bed. I also journal and allow my rawest thoughts onto the pages as a means of release. My journal is reserved for my doubts, fears, hopes and dreams. Exercise provides me tremendous relief from the stress of the world. When I suffered an ACL injury, I was so discouraged and depressed. I played lacrosse literally everyday and it was a source of mental health. I had to reevaluate this and find new ways to release the cares of the day and I incorporated lifting and yoga. In the journey of mental health we must be patient with ourselves and be willing to pivot even while working through coping mechanisms. I am living proof that mental health is crucial for success. It requires taking steps, it just doesn't fall into our laps. One must willfully wake up and confront the day on the offensive, seizing the opportunity to do something healthy for oneself. Put down the phone, stop scrolling and wake up to the day and its promise. Engage in personal growth and the beauty of one's surroundings. Mental health is being attacked among youth and the biggest culprit is technology. Be willing to step away from this and embrace the goodness and purity of the day. There is so much promise and hope for each one of us. I have experienced both sides of this, suffering and discouragement versus hope and gratitude. I can testify that the latter is a far more peace-filled and enjoyable way to live and I will continue to advocate for my generation of this truth.

Mental and physical health is crucial for a student's success and I am living-proof of this. Life offers unexpected challenges. My junior year of high school was extremely difficult and had I not engaged in healthy choices including counseling and parental support, I am not sure where I would be at this moment. Having endured both physical and emotional trauma, I was left to navigate these trials with little experience of how to manage these in a productive manner. Fortunately, I had a foundation of faith, meditation and physical exercise that promoted a healthy lifestyle, but now in my healing were crucial to engage in a deeper level. No one is immune to challenges and it is likely everyone will endure difficulty at various points of their lives. Investing in mental health sets a person up for success and establishes habits that when the storms of life come, there is preparation for these difficult days. Early on, I realized I wanted to play competitive lacrosse so I began writing affirmations and put them around my bathroom mirror and would read them aloud as I got ready in the morning. They were the first words I saw when I woke and last words I saw before I went to bed. I also journal and allow my rawest thoughts onto the pages as a means of release. My journal is reserved for my doubts, fears, hopes and dreams. Exercise provides me tremendous relief from the stress of the world. When I suffered an ACL injury, I was so discouraged and depressed. I played lacrosse literally everyday and it was a source of mental health. I had to reevaluate this and find new ways to release the cares of the day and I incorporated lifting and yoga. In the journey of mental health we must be patient with ourselves and be willing to pivot even while working through coping mechanisms. I am living proof that mental health is crucial for success. It requires taking steps, it just doesn't fall into our laps. One must willfully wake up and confront the day on the offensive, seizing the opportunity to do something healthy for oneself. Put down the phone, stop scrolling and wake up to the day and its promise. Engage in personal growth and the beauty of one's surroundings. Mental health is being attacked among youth and the biggest culprit is technology. Be willing to step away from this and embrace the goodness and purity of the day. There is so much promise and hope for each one of us. I have experienced both sides of this, suffering and discouragement versus hope and gratitude. I can testify that the latter is a far more peace-filled and enjoyable way to live and I will continue to advocate for my generation of this truth. I am excited to continue this journey advocating as an example of choosing a healthy lifestyle emotionally and physically while in college. There is nothing more powerful than someone who is a living example of overcoming and I have done this through physical and mental healthy choices. I am eager to continue this journey in college.

Mental and physical health is crucial for a student's success and I am living-proof of this. Life offers unexpected challenges. My junior year of high school was extremely difficult and had I not engaged in healthy choices including counseling and parental support, I am not sure where I would be at this moment. Having endured both physical and emotional trauma, I was left to navigate these trials with little experience of how to manage these in a productive manner. Fortunately, I had a foundation of faith, meditation and physical exercise that promoted a healthy lifestyle, but now in my healing were crucial to engage in a deeper level. No one is immune to challenges and it is likely everyone will endure difficulty at various points of their lives. Investing in mental health sets a person up for success and establishes habits that when the storms of life come, there is preparation for these difficult days. Early on, I realized I wanted to play competitive lacrosse so I began writing affirmations and put them around my bathroom mirror and would read them aloud as I got ready in the morning. They were the first words I saw when I woke and last words I saw before I went to bed. I also journal and allow my rawest thoughts onto the pages as a means of release. My journal is reserved for my doubts, fears, hopes and dreams. Exercise provides me tremendous relief from the stress of the world. When I suffered an ACL injury, I was so discouraged and depressed. I played lacrosse literally everyday and it was a source of mental health. I had to reevaluate this and find new ways to release the cares of the day and I incorporated lifting and yoga. In the journey of mental health we must be patient with ourselves and be willing to pivot even while working through coping mechanisms. I am living proof that mental health is crucial for success. It requires taking steps, it just doesn't fall into our laps. One must willfully wake up and confront the day on the offensive, seizing the opportunity to do something healthy for oneself. Put down the phone, stop scrolling and wake up to the day and its promise. Engage in personal growth and the beauty of one's surroundings. Mental and physical health is being attacked among youth and the biggest culprit is technology. Be willing to step away from this and embrace the goodness and purity of the day. There is so much promise and hope for each one of us. I have experienced both sides of this, suffering and discouragement versus hope and gratitude. I can testify that the latter is a far more peace-filled and enjoyable way to live and I will continue to advocate for my generation of this truth.

Education is the key to unlocking a world of growth intellectually and emotionally. College is about expanding one's capacity in the classroom, but also in society. College opens up a whole new world of students and their cultures, professors and their experiences and subjects and their value. It is my desire to continue on this journey of personal growth and while doing this become more educated so that I am able to pursue an excellent career and give back to my community. By pursuing a college degree, I am able to hone into several subjects and find my passions. I am eager to take elective classes and work on areas of my life that I have had limited guidance, such as poetry and art. What I love about the prospect of college is that I am able to choose my courses beyond my major and invest in skills that I have been wanting to develop. The relationships as well are something that I am so excited about that present themselves in pursuit of a college degree. It is my desire to surround myself with students that all want to expand, grow and become more engaged in our community so that we can make a positive impact as college students. The sky is the limit when pursuing a college degree and I am thrilled to embark on this journey.

I love math because it is tangible, definitive and frankly, I'm good at it. Human nature is that we tend to enjoy those things that we excel at and I have discovered this about myself in high school. I attend a STEM school and there is a strong emphasis on mathematics. Upon entering one must take a math exam for placement. The results came back and sure enough, I was placed into sophomore year math as a freshman. My journey continued with success as I took classes like Calculus and AP Statistics. My classes were filled with students just like me that actually enjoyed math and the pursuit of answering problems. Math offers me the ability in a world of subjective topics and results, a stability that there is a right answer, but the journey to get to that answer may vary. Math provides me fulfillment that there are tangible goals to achieve when answering a problem and once arriving at the right answer, there is a significant wave of accomplishment that overtakes my being. I do hope to continue in STEM related fields and I may even be a navy pilot as I am working towards that goal. This career requires significant math courses and I am not fearful, rather excited at the prospect of continuing this journey of learning math and developing into an even more complex student who loves all things, math!

Mental health is crucial for a student's success and I am living-proof of this. Life offers unexpected challenges. My junior year of high school was extremely difficult and had I not engaged in healthy choices including counseling and parental support, I am not sure where I would be at this moment. Having endured both physical and emotional trauma, I was left to navigate these trials with little experience of how to manage these in a productive manner. Fortunately, I had a foundation of faith, meditation and physical exercise that promoted a healthy lifestyle, but now in my healing were crucial to engage in a deeper level. No one is immune to challenges and it is likely everyone will endure difficulty at various points of their lives. Investing in mental health sets a person up for success and establishes habits that when the storms of life come, there is preparation for these difficult days. Early on, I realized I wanted to play competitive lacrosse so I began writing affirmations and put them around my bathroom mirror and would read them aloud as I got ready in the morning. They were the first words I saw when I woke and last words I saw before I went to bed. I also journal and allow my rawest thoughts onto the pages as a means of release. My journal is reserved for my doubts, fears, hopes and dreams. Exercise provides me tremendous relief from the stress of the world. When I suffered an ACL injury, I was so discouraged and depressed. I played lacrosse literally everyday and it was a source of mental health. I had to reevaluate this and find new ways to release the cares of the day and I incorporated lifting and yoga. In the journey of mental health we must be patient with ourselves and be willing to pivot even while working through coping mechanisms. I am living proof that mental health is crucial for success. It requires taking steps, it just doesn't fall into our laps. One must willfully wake up and confront the day on the offensive, seizing the opportunity to do something healthy for oneself. Put down the phone, stop scrolling and wake up to the day and its promise. Engage in personal growth and the beauty of one's surroundings. Mental health is being attacked among youth and the biggest culprit is technology. Be willing to step away from this and embrace the goodness and purity of the day. There is so much promise and hope for each one of us. I have experienced both sides of this, suffering and discouragement versus hope and gratitude. I can testify that the latter is a far more peace-filled and enjoyable way to live and I will continue to advocate for my generation of this truth.

Yes! I have the sweetest, most loyal dog, Reese. She brings me so much joy and faithfully loves me at every moment of every day. She is my sister, my beloved furry friend. She wakes each morning when it is dark outside to greet me before I head off to school. Her favorite greeting is walking back and forth through my legs with her tail wagging in a consistent tempo of delight. But, my most endearing time of the day is when I get home from school, she comes to the door abounding in excitement, runs to find a tennis ball and drops it at my feet. You see we have a routine. I eat a quick snack and then we head outside for a game of fetch. It doesn't matter the temperature outside, rain, snow or sleet, I must throw the ball to her as it is a highlight of her day. Funny thing is that she continues to bring the ball back and drops it every time a foot from where I am standing so our throwing spot continues to change. I have recently sat down to see if this helps her to place the ball closer to me, but to my chagrin, she continues to drop the ball slightly out of my reach. Oh sweet Reese, she is truly one of the most precious girls with eyes that captivate and a little tush that wags in the simplest acknowledgment of her name. Our girl is a labradoodle and she was exactly what my family needed in a pet. You may have never seen a dog so good in the car either. You can easily forget about her if you wanted to as she sits patiently, fully trusting her owners that we are bringing her somewhere fun and we will never harm her. The role Reese plays in our life is that of family. She is an integral part of our family. She has helped me as I watched my 2 older siblings leave for college leaving me the only child at home. She became like a sister to me. I endured a very difficult injury which brought me much time at home and frankly, I was deeply depressed. Reese was my listening ear to my deepest thoughts of sadness and loss. If you could see her eyes and the amount of life in them, you would know too that Reese was listening. She may not have understood all I was dealing with, but she knew it was important and was a willing listener and faithful friend. My life is richer for having this beautiful, funny, furry girl. Reese will always remain one of my most treasured friends and I believe I am this to her.

Mental health is crucial for a student's success and I am living-proof of this. Life offers unexpected challenges. My junior year of high school was extremely difficult and had I not engaged in healthy choices including counseling and parental support, I am not sure where I would be at this moment. Having endured both physical and emotional trauma, I was left to navigate these trials with little experience of how to manage these in a productive manner. Fortunately, I had a foundation of faith, meditation and physical exercise that promoted a healthy lifestyle, but now in my healing were crucial to engage in a deeper level. No one is immune to challenges and it is likely everyone will endure difficulty at various points of their lives. Investing in mental health sets a person up for success and establishes habits that when the storms of life come, there is preparation for these difficult days. Early on, I realized I wanted to play competitive lacrosse so I began writing affirmations and put them around my bathroom mirror and would read them aloud as I got ready in the morning. They were the first words I saw when I woke and last words I saw before I went to bed. I also journal and allow my rawest thoughts onto the pages as a means of release. My journal is reserved for my doubts, fears, hopes and dreams. Exercise provides me tremendous relief from the stress of the world. When I suffered an ACL injury, I was so discouraged and depressed. I played lacrosse literally everyday and it was a source of mental health. I had to reevaluate this and find new ways to release the cares of the day and I incorporated lifting and yoga. In the journey of mental health we must be patient with ourselves and be willing to pivot even while working through coping mechanisms. I am living proof that mental health is crucial for success. It requires taking steps, it just doesn't fall into our laps. One must willfully wake up and confront the day on the offensive, seizing the opportunity to do something healthy for oneself. Put down the phone, stop scrolling and wake up to the day and its promise. Engage in personal growth and the beauty of one's surroundings. Mental health is being attacked among youth and the biggest culprit is technology. Be willing to step away from this and embrace the goodness and purity of the day. There is so much promise and hope for each one of us. I have experienced both sides of this, suffering and discouragement versus hope and gratitude. I can testify that the latter is a far more peace-filled and enjoyable way to live and I will continue to advocate for my generation of this truth.

Grit, commitment, perseverance, humility and character are all tested and trained in the pursuit of competitive lacrosse. It has been through the victories and defeats that I have seen my character revealed. Thus, lacrosse is an extracurricular activity that has been highly meaningful to me. Through lacrosse, relationships flourish given the rigor and necessity of teamwork. Playing midfield is often viewed as the most demanding position on the field requiring tremendous stamina and boldness to communicate on the field. True, but the preparation actually induces personal examination, both physically and emotionally. Lacrosse has provided me confidence and purpose as well as a willingness to sacrifice social activities for my athletic goals. However, my identity as a gifted lacrosse player was challenged when I suffered a devastating injury, an ACL tear. I was the lead scorer, captain as a junior of my high school team, midfielder on a nationally ranked club team and talking to colleges for recruiting. Up until that point, I thought my character was clearly revealed as I competed. Committed, fast, agile, aggressive and smart were all words that described me on the field. Ironically, I swiftly realized it was not on the field that my true character was revealed, rather it was when I sat on the sideline watching my team play or the grueling physical therapy day-after-day or the quiet times when I was left to my thoughts. Recently I hit the 6 month mark from surgery which signifies key milestones. I have been told that I am the fastest anyone within my therapy practice has achieved running unassisted along with other key goals. This is the fruit of my willful decision to commit that I would not allow this to crush my spirit. Believe me, I am overwhelmed with excitement for the day that I can play lacrosse competitively again, yet through this difficult experience I have realized I am a fighter. My aunt fondly says I am like a lion in how she has seen me navigate my recovery with courage, discipline and strength and I love this visual. My choice is to believe this all is part of the long-term purpose of my life given the difficult timing. Character is revealed in adversity and I am certain mine has been tested and proven solid, which undoubtedly will benefit me back on the field, but more importantly in this journey called life. Through an unwavering commitment to remaining positive and my proven work ethic, these obstacles will serve as a great reminder to myself and others that I am am overcomer and this is possible for anyone who believes the best is yet to come!

Cinderella is my favorite character because she represents goodness and kindness indiscriminately. My favorite line that my mother would often repeat to me is, "you have more kindness in your pinky finger than most in their entire being." I do work to live my life in this manner offering grace and compassion to people as we don't know what people are experiencing. Cinderella's heart for forgiveness is a powerful force. Forgiving requires strength and an intellect in order to reconcile a wrong and attaining grace and mercy for the wrong-doer. I experienced a terrible situation when I was sexually assaulted by someone I know and am I am currently working through forgiveness. It is one of the hardest things I have experienced. I look to others around me, including those in film as a means to spur me onto forgiveness. I look to the hard real life situations, like a woman I have come to admire that is a public figure who was assaulted by her father for years and she forgave him before his death. I also look to stories of forgiveness that are endless and the power forgiveness unleashes in one's life. As I ponder this essay question, I think of Cinderella and how she offered forgiveness to step-sisters and step-mother despite them not even being sorry. It is wonderful that the Disney writers captured this important concept that is often lost in society that forgiveness is not contingent upon one asking for forgiveness. In fact, sadly, many will not acknowledge their wrongdoing. But, forgiveness is for the one that is suffering as it sets them free, provides a clean conscience and does not allow bitterness to take root. I am literally in the midst of this difficult journey, but with kindness as my close friend and forgiveness on the horizon, I have no doubt the best is yet to come as I live out my own, "Cinderella" life

Grit, commitment, perseverance, humility and character are all tested and trained in the pursuit of competitive lacrosse. It has been through the victories and defeats that I have seen my character revealed. Thus, lacrosse is an extracurricular activity that has been highly meaningful to me. Through lacrosse, relationships flourish given the rigor and necessity of teamwork. Playing midfield is often viewed as the most demanding position on the field requiring tremendous stamina and boldness to communicate on the field. True, but the preparation actually induces personal examination, both physically and emotionally. Lacrosse has provided me confidence and purpose as well as a willingness to sacrifice social activities for my athletic goals. However, my identity as a gifted lacrosse player was challenged when I suffered a devastating injury, an ACL tear. I was the lead scorer, captain as a junior of my high school team, midfielder on a nationally ranked club team and talking to colleges for recruiting. Up until that point, I thought my character was clearly revealed as I competed. Committed, fast, agile, aggressive and smart were all words that described me on the field. Ironically, I swiftly realized it was not on the field that my true character was revealed, rather it was when I sat on the sideline watching my team play or the grueling physical therapy day-after-day or the quiet times when I was left to my thoughts. Recently I hit the 6 month mark from surgery which signifies key milestones. I have been told that I am the fastest anyone within my therapy practice has achieved running unassisted along with other key goals. This is the fruit of my willful decision to commit that I would not allow this to crush my spirit. Believe me, I am overwhelmed with excitement for the day that I can play lacrosse competitively again, yet through this difficult experience I have realized I am a fighter. My aunt fondly says I am like a lion in how she has seen me navigate my recovery and I love this visual. My choice is to believe this all is part of the long-term purpose of my life given the difficult timing. Character is revealed in adversity and I am certain mine has been tested and proven solid, which undoubtedly will benefit me back on the field, but more importantly in this journey called life.

Grit, commitment, perseverance, humility and character are all tested and trained in the pursuit of competitive lacrosse. It has been through the victories and defeats that I have seen my character revealed. Thus, lacrosse is an extracurricular activity that has been highly meaningful to me. Through lacrosse, relationships flourish given the rigor and necessity of teamwork. Playing midfield is often viewed as the most demanding position on the field requiring tremendous stamina and boldness to communicate on the field. True, but the preparation actually induces personal examination, both physically and emotionally. Lacrosse has provided me confidence and purpose as well as a willingness to sacrifice social activities for my athletic goals. However, my identity as a gifted lacrosse player was challenged when I suffered a devastating injury, an ACL tear. I was the lead scorer, captain as a junior of my high school team, midfielder on a nationally ranked club team and talking to colleges for recruiting. Up until that point, I thought my character was clearly revealed as I competed. Committed, fast, agile, aggressive and smart were all words that described me on the field. Ironically, I swiftly realized it was not on the field that my true character was revealed, rather it was when I sat on the sideline watching my team play or the grueling physical therapy day-after-day or the quiet times when I was left to my thoughts. Recently I hit the 6 month mark from surgery which signifies key milestones. I have been told that I am the fastest anyone within my therapy practice has achieved running unassisted along with other key goals. This is the fruit of my willful decision to commit that I would not allow this to crush my spirit. Believe me, I am overwhelmed with excitement for the day that I can play lacrosse competitively again, yet through this difficult experience I have realized I am a fighter. My aunt fondly says I am like a lion in how she has seen me navigate my recovery and I love this visual. My choice is to believe this all is part of the long-term purpose of my life given the difficult timing. Character is revealed in adversity and I am certain mine has been tested and proven solid, which undoubtedly will benefit me back on the field, but more importantly in this journey called life.

Mental health impacted me as I navigated two very difficult situations in a short time frame during my junior year of high school. I refer to them as my scars, invisible and visible. The visible scar occurred when I was playing the best lacrosse of my life, I was captain of my team as a junior and lead scorer. I was working to be recruited to play in college and I was just coming off a D1 visit to a university. During a rainy day in March on wet turf, I had a violent contact with another player and suffered an ACL tear. Immediately I knew that my dreams were in grave jeopardy. Lacrosse had been my coping mechanism due to an invisible scar that occurred 5 weeks prior. I was sexually assaulted by a classmate and left to navigate a very serious journey that no one could ever prepare you for. I met with counselors, detectives and felt tremendous pain and suffering as I mourned my innocence stolen by an evil human being that I thought was a friend. Needless-to-say, these 2 traumas brought on depression, emotional and physical pain, isolation and questions about my purpose and reason for living. One night in the midst of my deep sadness, I had an incredible experience where I felt God visited me and saw my pain. I was seen and felt understood. I realized how powerful it was to be seen and heard. Something broke in me that night. I am still on this journey of healing, but I have experienced the power of acknowledging my daily victories, being thankful for so much goodness and loving people around me, my faith is engaged in a place where I have hope again for my future, and I have just begun the journey of forgiveness. I am far from arriving to a place of forgiveness, but I can see it is something that I need to do for my sake and my freedom. I have learned 1 in 5 women in college are sexually assaulted. I also learned from the detective that this is an epidemic among high school females that is rarely reported due to the fears associated with reporting and being ostracized by classmates. I have experienced this and honestly, I have much more work to do on this front. I am truly in the midst of this journey and it is slow moving, but I will be patient with myself. I do feel hope that I will become bolder in my voice for justice. As for the mental health component, I am being a voice of encouragement to other female athletes that are struggling with ACL injuries as this has plagued women's' high school sports and it is a devastating injury since the recovery is so long and many struggle with having mental courage again to do things they once did physically. I am a living example and use my strength to encourage female classmates that they can do what they once did. As for my invisible scar, I am just touching the surface at the moment, but I am absolutely committed that I will be a voice for my generation of empowerment to report these incidents and a voice for justice for the victim. I also am committed to live not as a survivor but an overcomer and to be a voice for mental health that you CAN overcome this awful experience and the best days are ahead!