I have played field hockey since the ninth grade and before that I was involved in swimming and dancing. I enjoy playing sports and being a leader on the team. In eleventh and twelfth grade, I was team captain for my high school field hockey team. I have struggled with hearing loss since the age of four which has made sports a little harder for me. Having to really focus on my coaches to understand and hear them is something that has become easier for me. My field hockey coach always worked with me and made sure I heard her during practice and games. Despite being hearing impaired, I have been able to teach others how to play field hockey. I was a leader at a city-wide introduction for field hockey and I have taught incoming freshmen the basics of the sport. Children have a special place in my heart because there is so much room for them to grow and blossom for the future. I enjoy working with children, teaching them new things, and learning from them. Kids see things from a totally different perspective than adults and teenagers; it is interesting to hear things from a fresh mind. Last summer, I started working at a church for childcare and before that I was babysitting for family friends. I am not completely sure what my plans are for the future and my career, but I either want to coach or teach kids. I hope to be able to inspire kids and urge them to want to learn more and more. Whether I end up coaching, teaching, or both, I hope that I make an influence on these kids like my coaches and teachers have made on me. Some of my past teachers have really helped me grow into the person I am today. My ninth grade English teacher became a mentor to me while in tenth grade. She was always there for me to vent about what was going on at home, with friends, and anything else I needed. She helped inspire me into wanting to be there for students one day the way she was there for me. Tenth grade was probably the year I struggled the most within the past four years between family, relationships, and friends. It was nice having someone to get my worries out with before going home. She helped me understand the way things happened and would let me know everything would be alright. I am so thankful that she was more than a teacher and went above and beyond in her job.