I believe that leadership is rooted in inclusion, kindness, and showing up for others, even in the smallest ways. To me, being a leader is not about being the loudest person in the room or always having the right answers. It is about making people feel seen, valued, and supported. My experiences as a student-athlete, food bank volunteer, and mentor have shown me that I want to make a positive impact on the people around me. Receiving this scholarship would help me continue that journey as I grow personally, academically, and as a future educator and leader. After high school, I will be attending Western Washington University to pursue a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education, followed by a master's degree. I chose this path because I have always loved working with children. Growing up, I was a quiet and reserved student who often struggled to speak up in class. Although I was shy, I always felt comfortable talking with my teachers because they created a classroom where I felt welcomed, accepted, and encouraged to be myself. They took the time to listen to me, celebrate my successes, and help me through my challenges. Their kindness had a lasting impact on me, and I hope to provide that same sense of belonging for my future students. I want my classroom to be a place where every child feels safe, valued, and excited to learn. Every student deserves a teacher who believes in them, especially on the days when they struggle to believe in themselves. I am excited to learn more about child development, effective teaching strategies, and ways to create meaningful relationships with students. My goal is not only to help children succeed academically but also to help them build confidence, curiosity, and a love for learning that lasts beyond elementary school. As a varsity swimmer and golfer for four years, I had the privilege of serving as captain of both teams. Athletics taught me that leadership is about much more than winning competitions. It means encouraging teammates after difficult practices, celebrating everyone's accomplishments, and creating an environment where every person feels included regardless of their skill level. My co-captains and I worked hard to build a positive team culture by supporting our teammates through challenges and leading by example. One of the biggest challenges I faced in high school was learning to step into a leadership role despite being naturally quiet. At first, I believed leaders had to be outgoing and confident speakers. I often questioned whether I was capable of leading because I wasn't the loudest person on the team. Over time, however, I realized that leadership comes in many different forms. I discovered that listening carefully, encouraging others, and treating everyone with kindness could have just as much impact as giving speeches. That lesson changed the way I viewed both leadership and myself, and it gave me confidence that I can make a difference by simply being authentic. Outside of athletics, I volunteer every Tuesday at my church's food bank, an experience that has strengthened my commitment to serving my community. My responsibilities include organizing groceries, stocking shelves, and helping families find the items they need. While these tasks may seem simple, they have shown me how meaningful small acts of kindness can be. One moment I think about often is seeing the gratitude on the faces of single mothers and their children as they pick up groceries each week. Knowing that something as simple as helping them carry bags or making them feel welcomed can ease a small part of their burden reminds me why service is so important. Volunteering has also opened my eyes to the challenges many families face, including food insecurity. Before volunteering, I never fully understood how many people in my own community relied on resources like the food bank. This experience has strengthened my desire to continue serving others throughout my life, whether through volunteer work or as a teacher who supports students both inside and outside the classroom. Receiving the Christian Fitness Association General scholarship would allow me to continue developing these leadership qualities while pursuing my dream of becoming an elementary school teacher. The scholarship would help reduce the financial burden of tuition, books, housing, and other college expenses, allowing me to focus more on my education, leadership opportunities, and gaining valuable classroom experience working with children. Most importantly, I hope the committee sees that my compassion, perseverance, and commitment to helping others are qualities that cannot be measured by grades or test scores alone. The experiences I have had as an athlete, volunteer, and leader have shaped who I am far beyond academics. They have taught me that leadership begins with kindness, grows through service, and creates lasting change through genuine connections with others. At Western Washington University, I hope to continue serving my community, working directly with children, and ultimately fulfilling my dream of becoming a third-grade teacher who helps every student feel capable, valued, and inspired to succeed.

Throughout the many years that I have been playing golf, the biggest lesson it has taught me is patience, especially patience with myself. Golf is a sport that can completely test your emotions. One bad shot can turn into a bad hole, then a bad round, if you let it get into your head. Learning how to move on from mistakes instead of letting them consume me has honestly been one of the hardest things I have ever had to learn, especially as a woman. Being a woman in golf has also made it hard to practice patience. Growing up I constantly felt like I had to prove that I belonged and that I was just as capable as everyone else. I often compared myself to other players and felt like no matter how hard I worked or practiced, I'd never be good enough. That pressure made every mistake feel even bigger because I believed that it confirmed every doubt I already had about myself. Looking back I realized all the pressure didn't come from anyone but myself. I started playing golf when I was really young because of my dad and my grandpa. When I was little, I used to cry after bad shots because I felt like I should be better. In my mind, if I practiced enough, I should not be making mistakes. My dad and grandpa would always tell me to take a deep breath and let it go because it was only one shot, but to me it never felt that simple. I cared so much about doing well that every mistake I made felt like I was a failure. By my junior year, I made it my ultimate goal to make it to the state tournament. I practiced constantly and worked harder than I ever had before. But my senior year was when golf taught me the lesson I think I needed to hear the most. During one invitational during my season, my grandpa flew all the way from Utah to Washington to caddy for me. It was supposed to be a fun bonding experience, but I let my emotions ruin the whole thing. I started playing badly on the back nine and became so frustrated with myself that I completely shut down. On the second to last hole, I hit my ball into the water and immediately started crying. I told my grandpa that I quit and refused to finish the tournament, even though he tried to convince me to stay. Looking back now, I am not embarrassed that I played badly, I'm embarrassed that I let one bad round take away what should have been a special memory with my grandpa. That day made me realize how much pressure I put on myself and how much I tied my self-worth to my performance. Since then, I have tried my absolute best to remind myself that one bad game does not define me. Golf has taught me that failure is unavoidable, but what matters is how you respond to it. In my future, whether that be in school, my career, or relationships, or whatever, I know that there will be times where things don't go perfectly and that's okay. Golf has taught me how to stay patient and keep going even when I get frustrated. Most importantly, golf has taught me that I am more than my worst moments and that is a lesson I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

I believe that leadership is rooted in inclusion and kindness, as well as showing up for others. My experiences as a student - athlete, a foodbank volunteer, and as a mentor, have shown me that I want to make that positive impact on people, and a scholarship would help me on my journey with how I hope to grow personally, academically, and as a leader. After high school, I am going to be pursuing a master's in elementary education at Western Washington University up in Bellingham. I chose this path because I have always loved working with kids. Growing up, I was not a very outgoing or extroverted kid, but I always loved talking to my teachers and they helped me to feel welcomed and accepted in the classroom. My hope is that I can be that teacher to someone in my own classroom and help other kids feel accepted and loved in class, just as my former teachers did for me. I'm most excited to learn more about how to connect with kids and learn how to make them feel excited to learn. As a varsity swimmer and golfer for four years, I've had the opportunity to serve as my team's captain and learn what leadership is like. Being a captain is not always easy, but it has taught me very important lessons such as supporting my teammates, encouraging growth and making sure everyone feels valued. I wanted to create a team where different personalities and backgrounds were respected, so my co-captains and I worked to support our teammates through their challenges, and lead by example. One challenge I faced in high school was learning how to step into a leadership role despite being naturally quiet and reserved. At first, I struggled with speaking up and having to lead discussions, but over time, I learned that I don't have to be loud to be a leader but rather listening and encouraging my teammates can be just as impactful. Outside of athletics, I volunteer every Tuesday at my church's foodbank, an experience that has shaped my strong commitment to my community. One moment that I think of often is seeing the appreciation of single women and their children as they come to pick up their weekly groceries. Their gratitude is so meaningful to me, and I feel happy knowing that just simply organizing their groceries and helping them shop is making a real difference in their lives. Since I started volunteering here, it has opened my eyes to the food insecurity in my community and it has only strengthened my desire to continue serving and giving back to my community. A scholarship like the Hines scholarship one is an opportunity for me to continue to grow as a leader in a community of other students who have the same mindset, while also furthering my education to be able to achieve my dream of working with kids. This scholarship would help me lessen the financial burden of tuition, books, and housing while attending Western Washington University. It would allow me to focus more on my education and leadership opportunities, and gain more hands-on experience working with children. I would also like the committee to know that my compassion and commitment to helping others are qualities that cannot be reflected through grades or test scores. The experiences I have had serving my community have shaped who I am far beyond academics. At Western and with this scholarship, I hope to continue working directly with children and achieve my dream of being a third grade teacher!

Growing up, I lost count of how many times I've had to pack my life into boxes. My life has felt like I was living out of a suitcase, never fully unpacked before it was time to move again. When I moved to Washington from St. George, Utah, in 2019, I was only eleven years old and didn't know how to handle leaving behind my family and the friends I grew up with. My mom remarried, and my dad followed us soon after. A couple of years later, my mom moved to Arizona with my sister. Suddenly, she wasn't there for everyday moments like doing my hair, cheering for me at swim meets, and just being there for me after a long day. For two years, my mom lived hundreds of miles away. Even though it was really hard not having her around, it pushed me to be independent and hardworking because I had to figure out how to do things on my own. I first remember feeling stability in the third grade. In a classroom led by Mrs. Whalberg, every student felt seen and heard, no matter what. I was a quiet and shy kid back then, still adjusting to family changes, but she noticed me. She taught with this warmth and energy that made every student feel like they belonged. Her kindness made me feel safe and valued, even when my life was all over the place. That experience stayed with me for a long time, and I began to believe I could make that same kind of difference for someone else. As I got older, I started helping others, including volunteering at my church's food bank, tutoring kids after school, and even becoming the golf and swim captain at my school. One of my favorite moments was during swim practice. I was helping new swimmers learn a stroke, and one of the girls had been struggling, but then she finally understood how to do it. She looked at me with this huge smile on her face, and I realized it is so rewarding to help someone gain confidence in themselves. It reminded me how Mrs. Whalberg made me feel seen and capable, and I wanted to pass that feeling on. Helping others gave me a sense of purpose and direction, especially when my own life felt uncertain. As I look towards college and my future, I want to study early childhood education because I want to further understand how people learn and grow, including myself; the experiences I've gone through, like my mom leaving for Arizona, and my parents' divorce, and how they have shaped who I am. Psychology is the 'why' behind behavior, and education is 'how' to reach people. I want to combine these two passions of mine to pursue a path that directly works with children, such as a teacher, school counseling, or youth therapy and development. I want to help kids navigate their challenges when life feels difficult. My life experiences, including moving to new states, adjusting to new schools and homes, and finding stability through sports and activities, have shaped me into an empathetic and resilient person. Leading as a team captain taught me how to help others believe in themselves. Volunteering showed me that sometimes all people need is to be listened to. Throughout every move and moment I've missed my mom, I've learned that stability does not come from a place but from people who care about you. I want to be that person for someone one day, just as Mrs. Whalberg was for me.

Growing up, I lost count of how many times I've had to pack my life into boxes. My life has felt like I was living out of a suitcase, never fully unpacked before it was time to move again. When I moved to Washington from St. George, Utah, in 2019, I was only eleven years old and didn't know how to handle leaving behind my family and the friends I grew up with. My mom remarried, and my dad followed us soon after. A couple of years later, my mom moved to Arizona with my sister. Suddenly, she wasn't there for everyday moments like doing my hair, cheering for me at swim meets, and just being there for me after a long day. For two years, my mom lived hundreds of miles away. Even though it was really hard not having her around, it pushed me to be independent and hardworking because I had to figure out how to do things on my own. I first remember feeling stability in the third grade. In a classroom led by Mrs. Whalberg, every student felt seen and heard, no matter what. I was a quiet and shy kid back then, still adjusting to family changes, but she noticed me. She taught with this warmth and energy that made every student feel like they belonged. Her kindness made me feel safe and valued, even when my life was all over the place. That experience stayed with me for a long time, and I began to believe I could make that same kind of difference for someone else. As I got older, I started helping others, including volunteering at my church's food bank, tutoring kids after school, and even becoming the golf and swim captain at my school. One of my favorite moments was during swim practice. I was helping new swimmers learn a stroke, and one of the girls had been struggling, but then she finally understood how to do it. She looked at me with this huge smile on her face, and I realized it is so rewarding to help someone gain confidence in themselves. It reminded me how Mrs. Whalberg made me feel seen and capable, and I wanted to pass that feeling on. Helping others gave me a sense of purpose and direction, especially when my own life felt uncertain. As I look towards college and my future, I want to study social sciences and education because I want to further understand how people learn and grow, including myself; the experiences I've gone through, like my mom leaving for Arizona, and my parents' divorce, and how they have shaped who I am. Psychology is the 'why' behind behavior, and education is 'how' to reach people. I want to combine these two passions of mine to pursue a path that directly works with children, such as child psychology, school counseling, or youth therapy and development. I want to help kids navigate their challenges when life feels difficult. My life experiences, including moving to new states, adjusting to new schools and homes, and finding stability through sports and activities, have shaped me into an empathetic and resilient person. Leading as a team captain taught me how to help others believe in themselves. Volunteering showed me that sometimes all people need is to be listened to. Throughout every move and moment I've missed my mom, I've learned that stability does not come from a place but from people who care about you. I want to be that person for someone one day, just as Mrs. Whalberg was for me.