My parents always told me that no matter how well I do in school, being kind is more important. And that’s exactly my goal. Whether it's my role as a senior leader giving campus tours to the freshmen or writing heartfelt letters to kids in hospitals for letters of love, I work tirelessly to make an impact around my school. Even as a kid, I demonstrated this in my attempts to save little bugs from the rain or help my parents around the house. When I was in 6th grade, I took a box of chalk to a nearby sidewalk and coated it in feet of messy doodles and well-thought-out words of affirmation, such as “You are loved” or “Be Kind”. After hours of hard work, I looked up and gazed at the art that stretched more than 50 feet. I couldn’t help but smile as I stood among the colorful contrast of illustrations and words stretched out before me. A week later, my dad came up to me with the newspaper. There, on the front page, was a picture of me sitting in the middle of my art, smiling proudly. A feeling of fulfillment washed over me as I realized that my messy art actually caught people's attention. I will never be able to describe the level of satisfaction this experience gave me and the overwhelming feeling of love I had for my community. Seeing everyone's faces light up as they passed by made the countless hours of hard work under the beating sun worth it. Today, I still try to make the same impact on people in my community. Some ways I do this are through my honors and leadership programs at my school (NHS, Tri - M, band leadership, senior leadership). With many hours of volunteering under my belt due to these opportunities, I have been able to help people in need and continue my passion for brightening the community through love. My time on the Orono Girls Swim and Dive had taught me many things. I was taught that life is not always fair and how I should deal with that. There were many times when my races didn't go the way that I had wanted. Maybe it was getting disqualified in my early years, or maybe it was breaking my arm right before the state meet in my senior year. The old me would have been devastated. But every time something didn't go as I had planned, my team was right there to back me up. When it comes to a loving community, Orono Girls Swim and Dive was just that. I had a loving family and a group of sisters who loved me and cared for me, which made me only want to love others more. I think that is one of the most important parts of life, as love only brings positive things into the world. Therefore, I will continue to follow that childhood dream of changing my community in Long Lake, Orono High School, Orono Girls Swim and Dive, and wherever I end up next.