In high school we all envision what our perfect situation will be and for me much of my time there went just how I imagined. i was a top athlete and a very successful student with several people that I could call my friends. Despite this, my high school journey was not been without challenges and trials. As I was preparing to be a two-way starter for my senior football season, I completely blew out knee at a spring practice. This injury devastated me. I felt like the hard work that I put into this team for 4 years had been all for not, but I wasn’t going to simply give up. Instead, I used this setback as new motivation to grow the mental aspect of my game and to work even harder for the chance to play the game that I love for, what could be, the last time. I went through surgery and immediately started my rehabilitation process. Not only was this process physically challenging and painful, it was also mentally draining. There were times when I questioned if it was worth all the hardship and suffering. I knew it would be easier to simply quit, but my determination never faded. I knew that I wanted to play, and I let that drive me through all of the adversities I faced along the way. When I set this goal, I dedicated everything that I could to pursue and achieve it. Eventually, I was able to return to full play, and when I set foot on that field, I knew that persevering through those months of pain was worth it. Through this experience, I have become tougher mentally and learned not to take anything for granted because it can disappear in an instant. If someone was in my same situation I would simply encourage them to not give up. You have to always remember why you started and that reason, if it is a genuine outcome that you desire, will motivate you to get across that finish line no matter what the cost may be. In conclusion, while my high school journey did not shape out in the way that I had hoped, I have learned valuable lessons that will stay with me for a lifetime. Through perseverance, determination, a growth mindset, and gratitude, I have been able to overcome adversity, achieve my goals, and move forward in life. I hope that my story can inspire others to do the same, no matter what challenges they may face.

The immense passion that I have for athletics and academics has drastically influenced my life as a whole. In my community, I am a leader as a top ranking academic student and 1st Team All-State athlete. For the past 3 years, I have been a varsity captain of the Crowley High School football team. I have motivated my peers to fight through the adversities we faced and brought the team together to truly create a brotherhood from a group that started out as complete strangers. I took it upon myself to make sure, as a leader, to not let my team give up when things got tough and fight for one another because we all had a goal we wanted to achieve. We have created a completely different culture that is on C.A.C.T.U.S (Competition, Accountability, Commitment, Toughness, Urgency, and Sacrifice). This is something me and the other captains developed that we believe will leave a lasting impact on future teams to come through the program because the traits that we now value are the traits of a team that wants to win. I know that life is bigger than me and setting an example for others to follow is something that I try to do as I take my walk through life because I believe if I can positively influence someone else then I am living a meaningful life. Who I am also expands far outside of the realm of simply being an athlete. I was elected as the NHS Vice-President by my fellow members because I was the most qualified candidate for the position. Since my election, I have coordinated chapter events, organized information, and collaborated with members to create a more inclusive environment with the goal of leaving an enduring positive impact on our community. This organization has been a very helpful avenue that has allowed me to give back to my community. Unlike most people, I genuinely enjoy being a blessing to others and simply do a good deed whenever I find the opportunity. I have learned throughout my time in these positions that it is essential to listen to the opinions of those who you lead in order to create a place that they want to be apart of and, in turn, this will lead to an enjoyable and productive result. I now know that the role of a leader is to help others on their endeavors, set the example for them to follow, and light the path that allows them to achieve success.

The immense passion that I have for athletics and academics has drastically influenced my life as a whole. In my community, I am a leader as a top ranking academic student and 1st Team All-State athlete. For the past 3 years, I have been a varsity captain of the Crowley High School football team. I have motivated my peers to fight through the adversities we faced and brought the team together to truly create a brotherhood from a group that started out as complete strangers. I took it upon myself to make sure, as a leader, to not let my team give up when things got tough and fight for one another because we all had a goal we wanted to achieve. We have created a completely different culture that is on C.A.C.T.U.S (Competition, Accountability, Commitment, Toughness, Urgency, and Sacrifice). This is something me and the other captains developed that we believe will leave a lasting impact on future teams to come through the program because the traits that we now value are the traits of a team that wants to win. I know that life is bigger than me and setting an example for others to follow is something that I try to do as I take my walk through life because I believe if I can positively influence someone else then I am living a meaningful life. Who I am also expands far outside of the realm of simply being an athlete. I was elected as the NHS Vice-President by my fellow members because I was the most qualified candidate for the position. Since my election, I have coordinated chapter events, organized information, and collaborated with members to create a more inclusive environment with the goal of leaving an enduring positive impact on our community. This organization has been a very helpful avenue that has allowed me to give back to my community. Unlike most people, I genuinely enjoy being a blessing to others and simply do a good deed whenever I find the opportunity. I have learned throughout my time in these positions that it is essential to listen to the opinions of those who you lead in order to create a place that they want to be apart of and, in turn, this will lead to an enjoyable and productive result. I now know that the role of a leader is to help others on their endeavors, set the example for them to follow, and light the path that allows them to achieve success.

I have always had an immense passion for engineering and the concept of STEM throughout my life. I enjoy problem solving and find it fascinating when you are able to develop new ways to improve something. I plan to have a future career in engineering in order to make a difference in the world through innovation and improvement. I have always been captivated by technologically advanced objects and wanted to learn more about how they were developed. Since then I have taken it upon myself to pursue a professional career in engineering and improve my understanding of what it means to be an engineer. I have researched different job opportunities, explored various programs to grow my knowledge of engineering as a whole, and I currently have an internship with Lockheed Martin Aeronautics throughout the 2022-2023 school year. I saw this as a great opportunity to gain first hand experience of the career field and build a positive relationship within a prestigious engineering company. I hope to have the chance to return for summer internships throughout college and possibly a career with this company in the future. This internship has been a very helpful experience that has solidified my intentions to have a future in this career field. Being able to get that direct feel of what it‘s like to work for a company like that is a once in a lifetime experience and one that I surely will always remember as I embark on my career journey. Engineering in general really encompasses all of my interests and my strengths as a whole, to the point that I believe I am set up perfectly to be a very successful engineer in the future with the potential to change the world with the things I will develop and accomplish. Who I am expands far outside of the borders of an average person in society. In my community, I am a leader as a top academic student and captain of the varsity football team. As a 3 year varsity captain of the Crowley High School football team, I’ve learned how to work with my peers to reach a common goal and motivate those around me even when times get hard. As a leader, I held my teammates accountable as we developed a culture within the program built on C.A.C.T.U.S (Competition, Accountability, Commitment, Toughness, Urgency, and Sacrifice). We believe that this foundation will leave a lasting impact on the future teams to come. I know that life is bigger than just me and setting an example for others to follow is something that I try to do as I take my walk through life because I believe if I can positively influence someone then I am living a meaningful life. I was also elected as the NHS Vice-President by my fellow members because I was the most qualified candidate for the position. Since my election, I have coordinated chapter events, organized information, and collaborated with members to create a more inclusive environment with the goal of leaving an enduring positive impact on our community. Most people enjoy obtaining individual success, but I genuinely enjoy helping others every chance that I get. I have learned throughout my time in these leadership positions that it is essential to listen to the opinions of those who you lead in order to create a place that they enjoy being apart of and, in turn, this will lead to productive results. Now I know that the role of a leader isn’t to just simply succeed, but to light the path that allows others to obtain success.

The immense passion that I have for athletics and academics has drastically influenced my life as a whole. This passion is something that I value most and honestly defines the kind of person that I am. In my community, I am a leader as a top ranking academic student and 1st Team All-State athlete. For the past 3 years, I have been a varsity captain of the Crowley High School football team. I have motivated my peers to fight through the adversities we faced and brought the team together to truly create a brotherhood from a group that started out as complete strangers. I took it upon myself to make sure, as a leader, to not let my team give up when things got tough and fight for one another because we all had a goal we wanted to achieve. We have created a completely different culture that is on C.A.C.T.U.S (Competition, Accountability, Commitment, Toughness, Urgency, and Sacrifice). This is something me and the other captains developed that we believe will leave a lasting impact on future teams to come through the program because the traits that we now value are the traits of a team that wants to win. I know that life is bigger than me and setting an example for others to follow is something that I try to do as I take my walk through life because I believe if I can positively influence someone else then I am living a meaningful life. Who I am also expands far outside of the realm of simply being an athlete. I was elected as the NHS Vice-President by my fellow members because I was the most qualified candidate for the position. Since my election, I have coordinated chapter events, organized information, and collaborated with members to create a more inclusive environment with the goal of leaving an enduring positive impact on our community. This organization has been a very helpful avenue that has allowed me to give back to my community. Unlike most people, I genuinely enjoy being a blessing to others and simply do a good deed whenever I find the opportunity. I have learned throughout my time in these positions that it is essential to listen to the opinions of those who you lead in order to create a place that they want to be apart of and, in turn, this will lead to an enjoyable and productive result. I now know that the role of a leader is to help others on their endeavors, set the example for them to follow, and light the path that allows them to achieve success. I hope to incorporate these experiences and new understandings into my actions as I begin this next chapter of my life. An achievement that, I feel, has stemmed from how I carry myself is my internship with Lockheed Martin Aeronautics which aligns with my dreams to become an Aerospace Engineer. I saw this as a great opportunity to gain first hand experience in the career field, while also refining my engineering skillset. Not only was the process of obtaining this distinguished position difficult, but the work I do on a daily basis is far above your average high school curriculum. I work side-by-side with elite, expert engineers on various projects pertaining to the F-35 Lightning II that will directly impact the development and performance of the fighter jet. This is a once in a lifetime experience that has exposed me to so much new information and truly solidified my intentions to pursue a professional career in engineering because it encompasses all of my interests.