I am interested in a degree in history as learning about our world's past has always been an immense passion of mine. Since I was a young child, I could always be found reading biographies, autobiographies, historical nonfiction, and historical fiction novels. My peers would tease me about this, but I did not care, I preferred to read books with a historical background rather than those that children typically read. The history of America has perpetually been especially intriguing to me as I believe in the vast importance of being aware of our nation's origin, as well as fully appreciating the key people and events that changed the trajectory of the United States of America. History is my favorite subject and I have always been partial to history classes in school. In fact, I enrolled in AP US History, or APUSH, my junior year of high school not only for the academic challenge, but out of my willingness to dive deeper into the making of our great nation. I go above and beyond in my studies to be unwaveringly positive that I will continue to make high marks, as well as increase my knowledge about the subject of my passion. While my peers complain about the grueling hours of homework and boring lessons that come along with their history classes, I gush over the fascinating lectures, incredible knowledge I have gained thus far, and indulge in my schoolwork and research. In fact, history is such a passion of mine that whenever my family goes on road trips, I am consistently the first to insist we stop at as many museums and historical landmarks as possible. Even in my youth, these stops fascinated me, fostering my love for history quite early on. Prior to visiting historical sights I typically find myself researching the significance of the attraction, as well as the historical context of the person, event, or place to which they relate; this enables me to appreciate the attraction while reveling in its historical purpose. Ultimately, my fondness of history has driven me to seek a degree in the field of which I hold close to my heart. Did I always believe I would pursue a degree in history? No! Actually, I wavered between many potential careers in law and STEM based fields. However, during my junior year of high school, I was deeply inspired by my APUSH teacher. She was vastly knowledgeable and taught me so many things I never knew before! I constantly came home with a historical fact that captivated me. This class truly changed my life as it inspired me to earn a degree in history with the end goal of becoming a history professor. I settled on this plan, as it will allow me to grow my passion and studies while having the opportunity to spark a greater love for the past in my students and inspire them the way my teacher did for me. Overall, history has been a love of mine since a young age; I seize every possible moment to expand my knowledge to allow for furthering my passion for history. Earning a history degree will propel me one step closer to positively influencing the lives of future students while engaging in a career I truly care about. I am beyond thrilled to see what is in store for my future and encourage all students to recognize their passions and follow their dreams!

My favorite athlete to cheer on for the summer Olympics was bronze medalist male gymnast: Stephen Nedoroscik. Stephen was my favorite Team USA member to cheer for as he is a positive light for his team. His sunshine-like effect on his teammates is evident, as the men's gymnastics team won a bronze medal. Stephen was constantly seen smiling and hyping up others. This is plausible as he showed incredible sportsmanship and teamwork skills. In fact, watching Stephen in the Olympics inspired me to try to be a more positive person. Seeing the light he brought to a room and how quickly likeable he was shows that a little smile and positive attitude can go a long way. Stephen Nedoroscik specializes in the pommel horse category, but states he does not believe he is quite as strong at the other events. In my opinion, this makes him all the more deserving of praise and support because he is not afraid to admit that he, just like everyone else, has weaknesses. In fact, Stephen is at a disadvantage in comparison to other athletes as he has impaired vision. This prevents him from being able to rely on vision for hand placement, which is crucial in gymnastics, but rather muscle memory. Not only does this result in him being relatable for many people across the world, but also far more impressive. The fact that Stephen was able to get to his level of expertise while relying mainly on consistent training to keep the proper technique for pommel horse is utterly incredible and awe-inspiring. Stephen can truly be seen as an inspiration to all for his perseverance, work, and dedication to his team and country.