I look at the GPS in the car reading 5 minutes before we get to our destination. My father and I just traveled an hour and a half to get to the complex. My hands are shaking, my stomach has butterflies, and I am starting to get really nervous knowing this is my first AAU tournament. I know I have worked hard to get to this point but I still want to show up and play my best, to make everyone proud of me. 5 years later. I look over at the clock on the scoreboard reading 30 seconds left of the last AAU game I will ever have. My throat chokes up a little, my eyes sting with unshed tears as I look over at the other girls on the court with me. Some of the most important people to me to this day because of the memories we have made on and off the court. I no longer feel butterflies in my stomach or nervousness for the game, just complete comfort on the court. It has turned into a second home. One that soon I will never return to. Basketball is so much more than just a sport. It is a part of my everyday life. It has taught me to be a good person, to never give up, and to keep working for anything I love. The love I have for basketball is hard to put into words. I love the people it has introduced to me. I love the experiences I have been able to go through. But I mostly love the way basketball makes me feel. A part of me feels that I have taken for granted what basketball has provided me. Before every game, every tournament, and sometimes even practices I would get butterflies in my stomach knowing I would be out on the court within minutes. It is exhilarating. Not only do I love the way basketball makes me feel, I also love the work. Basketball is hard as any sport is, but it has taught me to work for the things I want. I haven’t made every team or made every shot. But, the thing I love about basketball is that it has stoked the flame that I could, if I kept working. I love basketball for the work ethic it has enlisted in me. I would never have the dreams or the drive to accomplish my dreams that I do today if it weren’t for basketball. I am grateful for that. The scholarship money will be used to pay for my tuition at Harford Community College and Towson University in Northeastern Maryland as part of the TUNE Program. I plan to major in Business Management and Entrepreneurship. My main calling in life is to help others and one of my goals of accomplishing that is to become a business owner within real estate. I want to help others find the house of their dreams where they can call home. I want home to be a safe, relaxing space for people to go at the end of the day after dealing with whatever life brings them. In conclusion, the work ethic that has allowed me to further my basketball skills throughout my life will be a solid foundation for me in the future when I am using the same dedication to find clients' homes. While this scholarship money could help change my life today, I’ll be working to help change others lives in the future.