In so many ways, looking back now, my journey through high school was about learning to serve rather than being an individual athlete on a field or a student in the classroom. Service, with empathy, I’ve learned, goes far beyond having a benevolent heart. Whether via my roles in Student Council, Best Buddies, or helping a stranger in need, one of the greatest lessons I learned in my youth is that a humble leader preserves dignity and ignites compassion when people are treated not as recipients of aid, but as partners in change to make this world a better place. Like Ryan, I love facts and history, stats and rewatching the greatest sports moments in history. Learning from our mistakes, acknowledging our weaknesses, we have a chance to be better than we were before. This August I will be starting at Villanova University, studying political science. My greatest hope is that my education, fueled by the generosity and belief within this purpose-driven scholarship, might turn my small heartfelt efforts into scalable global movements. At Villanova I hope to lean into every opportunity to learn, grow and be a better version of myself. I plan to apply for the Villanova on The Hill in DC program or lead one of their inspiring Service and Justice Experiences. And the goal is to utilize my education, leadership and commitment to greater good in a way that is collaborative, progressive and deserving of this great Earth. As I delve into political science and public policy with a special interest in public health, I hope to continue the example set before me, to care as much about my neighbor as I do about the complex world around me. It is my belief that public health isn’t just about hospitals and vaccines, but rather laws, funding, and systems. For if medicine treats the patient, public health treats the population, and it will be politics that dictate the conditions people live in. I am particularly interested in global health diplomacy, that place where foreign policy and health intersect. I want to learn how humanitarian responses are coordinated and how I can help bridge gaps and build coalitions in spite of complex political divides. I am drawn to Villanova for the emphasis they put on the intersection of action and humility, spurring graduates to use their education not for wealth or personal wisdom but rather for the greater good. Admittedly, it doesn’t seem enough to simply send these paragraphs. I know what an impact Ryan had on so many and I wish so much I could have met him. Still, I thank you for your consideration of my application and for all you have made possible for so many in spite of the significant loss and heartache you have experienced yourselves. It is selfless, forward thinking people like you, inspired by people like Ryan that make this world the kind of home we can all feel proud of and work tirelessly to better. It is now my turn to take the facts and stats and turn them into workable actions. In writing this now, my greatest hope is that you feel Ryan's spirit so vividly alive and at work in us all. It would be an honor to lift up his bright light, so that even more people might see it and be encouraged to soldier on, even when life gets hard and history begs to repeats itself. Within us all there is an unyielding ability to take what is broken and feels unbearably heavy, and shape it into something that heals, connects, and moves the world forward.

CREATING CONNECTION: In the 8th grade I began volunteering at an organization called North Shore Rovers which organizes 8-12th graders from around the North Shore to pair up with children who have any variety of disabilities and together we all play soccer. Being an avid soccer player my entire life I was excited for this opportunity to mix one of my lifelong passions with a new experience that would also be a way to give back to the community that had given me so much. I ended up getting paired with a young girl named Orin who had a mix of social and sensory disabilities and was on the Autism spectrum. My relationship with Orin would last for 5 whole years, in which I grew as much as she did, and we each learned important life skills from one another. Every Sunday when I would arrive at McGrath Park I would immediately feel grateful for the chance to slow down and realize that each word and movement I could share with her had great meaning. Her family was so grateful for the patience and care I showed and gestures as small as rolling a ball a few feet or holding hands for a few minutes seemed to change the whole evolution our our morning. Her family would often write me thank you notes expressing the impact our time had on their weekends and Orin’s ability to integrate and enjoy some of life's simplest moments. Working with her for so long also taught me valuable lessons like adapting on the fly and changing my expectations, tone and mannerisms to help her feel more comfortable and confident. Each fall, I found new ways to see the world through her eyes, and I left each day feeling like I was the one who received the gift. Volunteering with Rovers since I was 13 led me to pursue many more opportunities to use sport and our amazing Marblehead community to make an impact throughout high school. I became a four year member and two year board member for Best Buddies at the High School. Additionally I became an ambassador for Rovers this past fall. These experiences opened my eyes to brand new connections and responsibilities. I became inspired to foster inclusion and friendships for all students. KINDNESS IN ACTION: For four years I have been involved with the Best Buddies Program at my school, as a volunteer, officer and board member. My high school memories are full of smiles from the Best Buddy birthday parties I've fundraised for, organized, and seeing our peers' pride at a full cinema or while bowling with bumpers is better than any birthday present I myself have ever received. Certain individuals had a special, unforgettable impact on me. One, of course, was Orin, and another was Mikey, a buddy with whom I have been lucky enough to spend a lot of time while I volunteered for 4 years at our local basketball camp. Mikey was also a regular on our fields or in the gym, often seeing us off in the spring when the softball and tennis teams were waiting to get on their buses. Seeing Mikey anywhere was always an instant pick-me-up. He is always the first to make time to come over and say hello, and never fails to crack an awesome joke. His smile can light up the entire Field House and his gentle and enthusiastic devotion to Marblehead High School set the standard for all of us growing up in the town, striving to give back. His kindness is the action I hope to emulate.

From an early age, I was taught to view things through a lens of ‘what can I do for others?’ Whether shoveling, raking or cooking for those going through their darkest days, or serving my school as a four year Student Council Executive or twelve season varsity athlete, I learned to roll up my sleeves to make a tangible difference. On the weekends, I volunteer with my grandmother to ‘Welcome the Stranger,’ moving furniture people are gifting to those in desperate need of a hand. My high school memories are full of smiles from the Best Buddy birthday parties I've organized, and seeing our peers' pride at a full cinema or while bowling with bumpers is better than any birthday present I myself have ever received. Our family's treasured vacations have been humanitarian expeditions where we returned with empty suitcases, gifting every last ounce of shampoo, every extra pair of socks because somewhere there was always someone with a greater need than ours. It is simply all I remember, gratefully how I was raised, and humbly an example I hope to continue in this ever-complicated world I long to serve. The example of service and hard work I learned from my parents is the foundation for my future. With the knowledge that education changes lives, in August I will be starting at either Boston College or Villanova University, studying public policy and business. With the help of this scholarship, I may be able to avoid taking out such significant loans, leaning into every opportunity to learn, grow and be a better version of myself. I hope to experience the Villanova on The Hill in DC program or lead one of their inspiring Service and Justice Experiences. I am drawn to these two institutions for the emphasis they put on the intersection of action and humility, spurring citizens to use their education not for wealth or personal wisdom but rather for the greater good. As I delve into business and public policy with a special interest in public health, I hope to continue the example set before me, to care as much about my neighbor as I do about the complex world around me. It is my belief that public health isn’t just about hospitals and vaccines, but rather laws, funding, and systems. For if medicine treats the patient, public health treats the population, and it will be politics that dictate the conditions people live in. I am particularly interested in global health diplomacy, that place where foreign policy and health intersect. I was born in Bogota, Colombia, and my extended family resides on six of the seven continents, experiencing global health crises and the perils of war, horrors we can only imagine. I want to learn how humanitarian responses are coordinated and how I can help bridge gaps and build coalitions in spite of complex political divides. Through service in my hometown, I have learned that a humble leader recognizes that dignity is preserved when people are treated not as recipients of aid, but as partners in change and allies in building up our world. My greatest hope is that my education, fueled by the generosity and belief within this purpose-driven scholarship, might turn these kinds of heartfelt efforts into scalable global movements, because empathy, to me, is more than an idea or a feeling. It is a verb, and it has become my favorite sport, something I try to actively practice and improve, encourage and inspire, in the hope to make an impact far greater than I alone ever could.

Throughout my high school years, whether serving my school as a four year student council executive or twelve season varsity athlete, leading a spirited beach clean-up or a 5K for someone battling a scary diagnosis, I learned the importance of rolling up my sleeves and not just giving back, but paying it forward. On the weekends, I volunteer with my grandmother to ‘Welcome the Stranger,’ moving furniture people are gifting to those in desperate need of a hand. My high school memories are full of smiles from the Best Buddy birthday parties I've organized, and seeing our peers' pride at a full cinema or while bowling with bumpers is better than any birthday present I myself have ever received. Our family's treasured vacations have been humanitarian expeditions where we returned with empty suitcases, gifting every last ounce of shampoo, every extra pair of socks because somewhere there was always someone with a greater need than ours. It is simply all I remember, gratefully how I was raised, and humbly an example I hope to continue in this ever-complicated world I long to serve. Throughout high school I strived to find the greater why for my studies, the fuel behind the grit needed to succeed. I am now drawn to continue my education and growth at Villanova for the emphasis they put on the intersection of action and humility, spurring graduates to use their education not for wealth or personal wisdom but rather for the greater good. As I delve into public policy, perhaps diplomacy and advocacy in the NGO sector, I hope to continue the example set before me, furthering my hometown energy as a contributor to the global level as a catalyst for change. Service over self, to me, goes far beyond a benevolent heart. I now see that a humble leader recognizes that dignity is preserved when people are treated not as recipients of aid, but as partners in change. Just like John F Puffer, I believe in the power of both words and actions, delivered with warmth and a smile. Small deeds with great love can indeed change the world. It starts with community, perhaps in a town just ours, and then gathers magnitude and muscle as good people everywhere read, learn and believe. The next generation is now being called to carry John's light up high so that all the world can see it. And I am ready and willing to now do my part.

I am the daughter and granddaughter of athletes, and the captain of my teams, and for years I believed it was the love of the game that drove me, but as the silence of the final whistles came too soon, it was what echoed in that emptiness that remained. High school, you see, these four years of perfect small-town songs, sung in packed stadiums under Friday night lights, has been full of loss, heartbreak, let down, and strife. So many of our teachers quit, our coaches fired amidst scandal and hurt, my own bones shattered in a terrible accident, our school system on strike, and far, far too many teammates dead to drunk driving and disease. One of my closest friends, Emma, endured all of this and then both of her parents dying within weeks of one another. Days of utter triumph on the courts, with trophies for the ages, all of it shushed with sorrow. There were days I thought the tears would never dry. But then I realized that only I had the power to change the lessons coming from what was in front of me. I needed to let my scars be the signposts, not the roadblocks, of my journey. As high school went on, and I grew stronger and wiser, I realized it was never about the games, and all about the strength we needed to gather. The pain made me more human, the injustice made me seek advocacy and purpose, the hardships made me less afraid of failure. In the end, all of the trouble and heartache has prepared me for the mountains and mayhem I know will always find us. Tennis has helped me discover what I am made of. When you step onto the court, all you have is yourself and your preparation. That mirrors life and what it takes to overcome all that lies ahead. And if you’ve been a long-time athlete, balancing academics, leadership, injuries and enduring rivalries, it is the big and small lessons, the wins and losses, and the times you almost fell apart but didn't that make you more human and a greater ally to those who will surely need you in life, just like my friend Emma. The world is hard and heavy and full of so much noise. Tennis was my constant since age 5, but in the silence of singles, in our quietest of sports, when all I had was myself, that was when I could hear my calling loudest of all. It's that familiar feeling you get when you walk out and the sun is in your eyes, the wind is whistling, and you make the first shot to still your shaking hands. It says: I’ve been here before, I can handle this, and no matter what happens, I'm never going to give up. I am returning to tennis this spring, as first singles, my senior year. After a bad accident robbed some of my high school athletic experience, getting back on the court is a homecoming I never dreamed possible. I plan to continue to play next year at Villanova, and will carry this sport, these lessons, and my strength and empathy learned with a racket in my hand, all the days of my life. I am drawn to Villanova for the emphasis they put on the intersection of action and humility, spurring graduates to use their education not for wealth or personal wisdom but rather for the greater good. Tennis has helped me to uncover the depths of the human spirit and I am now ready to do my part.