Community for me will always be those around me. No matter where I live or am, I am part of the community and try to be a positive in that community. Everyday I try to make an impact on the community around me, but the most meaningful impact I have had was on November 25th, 2021, Thanksgiving Day. Over the past 5.5 years I have dedicated myself to the Y of Central Maryland including the annual Turkey Trot where I work to help gather fundraisers, make decisions on how it is run, make sure all the volunteers are in place, and guide runners through the neighborhood. This past year was different from the others though as the return from COVID meant many were eager to run once again as it had become a community tradition, and I was tasked with leading the group meant to guide them along the course. Having to lead a group of people who were my age, many of which were my friends, was a daunting task. I fully admit that I was worried and scared but I pushed through. Helping everyone get to their destination whether it be their location or end of the race felt amazing. I felt like I had truly helped make a positive impact on the lives of thousands as we collectively pushed past COVID. Throughout my time at the Y I have done a lot of things, from running food drives to selling popcorn but in that moment I truly felt impactful. Even in the below freezing temperatures of that autumn day, I could still feel the warmth of those smiles as I yelled out “That’s a beautiful dog!” to the runners with pooches in tow and “Great work pushing that stroller! Uphill too!” to the parents pushing babies along. People’s days were brightened by me and that is all I ever want to do and to do that for so many people who live in the city I call home is amazing. Truly a life changing experience that puts everything into perspective. At that moment my main thought wasn’t the $130,000 I helped raised, the years of dedication to making the Leaders Club successful, or the group I led to work the Turkey Trot. My main thought was the smiles of each person and that’s a feeling that will never be forgotten or taken for granted. This event changed my perspective as I realized that I did have the power to make an impact, something that I have debated and questioned since I was young. Being able to confidently say I can eases a lot of the stresses within my life and allows me to better be myself, because I no longer have to wonder "can I make a difference?"

Every year, my childhood summer meant one thing: strawberries. I would pick them straight from my family’s little garden on the side of our house in Towson, giving them to friends as we ate them in the front yard, handing them to neighbors as they walked by with their dogs, or at the Y Day camp around the corner. The flavor melted on our tongues as our friend groups melted together and as my own patch of earth grew. Summer was a time of connections growing stronger and the building of a community and foundation I could rely on. Strawberries have been with me since the day I was born. In Maryland, they grow throughout the spring and spread through a process called runners. These runners are small plant sprouts from the own strawberry plant’s roots, connecting the strawberry plant to new soil and giving it the chance to build new connections and a community of its own. I watched these runners spread and connect, and as a child they mimicked my own connections, friendships, and relationships that I developed every day. I met new people as I branched out, forming more roots as my network of people grew and developed. Like the strawberry runners, not every connection lasted but those that did became ripe and full. When I moved in middle school, I no longer watched the strawberries grow each summer, mimicked once again by my own life as I began to lose touch with those connections from when I was little. As those around me began to wilt away, I needed to go back to my roots, and regain those connections and regrow my runners. I started heading down to community events in Towson and Baltimore, making sure that I met up with old friends as I rebuilt connections I once thought were lost. Friends that were now at a variety of different schools, but all wanting to make an impact. My parents let me go. They let me wander after school and explore downtown as they knew that was in my soul. And I regained those connections to my old preschool and camp friends, building a team of youth leaders for the Y and establishing a youth movement that would be cohesive and inspiring. You see, I was no longer there to take from the community, but I was there to give back, giving myself to the community that provided me with such a great foundation. My time in Y Leaders youth program allowed me to develop leadership skills, to learn fundraising skills, and to master organization, project management, and working as a team. Together, we were able to allow our fundraising and event management skills to run and grow, being creative in the beginning of the pandemic in order to provide a virtual community to the most vulnerable people through phone calls and food drives. Strawberries and community: Two things that dominated my young summers and two things I still love today. I could eat strawberries till I fall asleep, and I could volunteer to make my community better till I pass out. I love Towson, I love my friends, and most importantly I love community. No matter where I go, I will continue to strive to make my community better and to give back, making new connections and new roots along the way.

A community for me will always be those around me. No matter where I live or am, I am part of the community and try to be positive in that community. Every day I try to make an impact on the community around me, but the most meaningful impact I have had was on November 25th, 2021, Thanksgiving Day. Over the past 5.5 years, I have dedicated myself to the Y of Central Maryland including the annual Turkey Trot where I work to help gather fundraisers, make decisions on how it is run, make sure all the volunteers are in place and guide runners through the neighborhood. 2 years ago though was different from the others though as the return from COVID meant many were eager to run once again as it had become a community tradition, and I was tasked with leading the group meant to guide them along the course. COVID had decimated the club I love, forcing people to move and leave. Losing friends who I considered to be family led me into a deep depression. Without Leaders' Club, I felt like I was nothing. The events, activities, and personal growth were what fueled me and that was now gone. Getting back to a place where I was happy took a lot of work, and the final step was Turkey Trot. As President of Leaders' Club, along with being the longest-standing member and a member of the Community Leadership Board I was tasked with leading a group of people my age, many of which were my friends, was a daunting task. I fully admit that I was worried and scared but I pushed through. Helping everyone get to their destination whether it be their location or the end of the race felt amazing. I felt like I had truly helped make a positive impact on the lives of thousands as we collectively pushed past COVID. Throughout my time at the Y, I have done a lot of things, from running food drives to selling popcorn but at that moment I truly felt impactful. Even in the below-freezing temperatures of that autumn day, I could still feel the warmth of those smiles as I yelled out “That’s a beautiful dog!” to the runners with pooches in tow and “Great work pushing that stroller! Uphill too!” to the parents pushing babies along. People’s days were brightened by me and that is all I ever want to do and to do that for so many people who live in the city I call home is amazing. Truly a life-changing experience that puts everything into perspective. At that moment my main thought wasn’t the $130,000 I helped raised, the years of dedication to making the Leaders Club successful, or the group I led to work the Turkey Trot. My main thought was the smiles of each person and that’s a feeling that will never be forgotten or taken for granted.

Every year, my childhood summer meant one thing: strawberries. I would pick them straight from my family’s little garden on the side of our house in Towson, giving them to friends as we ate them in the front yard, handing them to neighbors as they walked by with their dogs, or at the Y Day camp around the corner. The flavor melted on our tongues as our friend groups melted together and as my own patch of earth grew. Summer was a time of connections growing stronger and the building of a community and foundation I could rely on. Strawberries have been with me since the day I was born. In Maryland, they grow throughout the spring and spread through a process called runners. These runners are small plant sprouts from the own strawberry plant’s roots, connecting the strawberry plant to new soil and giving it the chance to build new connections and a community of its own. I watched these runners spread and connect, and as a child they mimicked my own connections, friendships, and relationships that I developed every day. I met new people as I branched out, forming more roots as my network of people grew and developed. Like the strawberry runners, not every connection lasted but those that did became ripe and full. When I moved in middle school, I no longer watched the strawberries grow each summer, mimicked once again by my own life as I began to lose touch with those connections from when I was little. As those around me began to wilt away, I needed to go back to my roots, and regain those connections and regrow my runners. I started heading down to community events in Towson and Baltimore, making sure that I met up with old friends as I rebuilt connections I once thought were lost. Friends that were now at a variety of different schools, but all wanting to make an impact. My parents let me go. They let me wander after school and explore downtown as they knew that was in my soul. And I regained those connections to my old preschool and camp friends, building a team of youth leaders for the Y and establishing a youth movement that would be cohesive and inspiring. You see, I was no longer there to take from the community, but I was there to give back, giving myself to the community that provided me with such a great foundation. My time in Y Leaders youth program allowed me to develop leadership skills, to learn fundraising skills, and to master organization, project management, and working as a team. Together, we were able to allow our fundraising and event management skills to run and grow, being creative in the beginning of the pandemic in order to provide a virtual community to the most vulnerable people through phone calls and food drives. Strawberries and community: Two things that dominated my young summers and two things I still love today. I could eat strawberries till I fall asleep, and I could volunteer to make my community better till I pass out. I love Towson, I love my friends, and most importantly I love community. No matter where I go, I will continue to strive to make my community better and to give back, making new connections and new roots along the way.

Over the past 5.5 years, I have dedicated myself to the Y of Central Maryland including the annual Turkey Trot where I work to help gather fundraisers, make decisions on how it is run, make sure all the volunteers are in place and guide runners through the neighborhood. This past year was different from the others though as the return from COVID meant many were eager to run once again as it had become a community tradition, and I was tasked with leading the group meant to guide them along the course. Having to lead a group of people who were my age, many of which were my friends, was a daunting task. I fully admit that I was worried and scared but I pushed through. Helping everyone get to their destination whether it be their location or the end of the race felt amazing. I felt like I had truly helped make a positive impact on the lives of thousands as we collectively pushed past COVID. Throughout my time at the Y, I have done a lot of things, from running food drives to selling popcorn but at that moment I truly felt impactful. Even in the below-freezing temperatures of that autumn day, I could still feel the warmth of those smiles as I yelled out “That’s a beautiful dog!” to the runners with pooches in tow and “Great work pushing that stroller! Uphill too!” to the parents pushing babies along. People’s days were brightened by me and that is all I ever want to do, and to do that for so many people who live in the city I call home is amazing. Truly a life-changing experience that puts everything into perspective. At that moment my main thought wasn’t the $130,000 I helped raised, the years of dedication to making the Leaders Club successful, or the group I led to work the Turkey Trot. My main thought was the smiles of each person and that’s a feeling that will never be forgotten or taken for granted. My intended major is computer science as it is an academic area that I find myself constantly drawn to. It may not look like something community oriented to most individuals, but in my eyes, the art of coding can have an immense impact on the lives of others. I love the way that lines of code can make a positive impact on other's day-to-day life as inventions, websites, and apps can make it easier for someone to live their life. Code can be broadly applicable & individualized. Code connect the future & the past. Code can be whatever it needs to be to help those around us. An amazing example of this is the Stem Player, a device I personally have helped with the rollout and release of through my internship. The stem player is music & technology. It isn’t one or the other it is both and that is why I love it. This idea of competing ideas joined together by code is applicable to anything and everything and I want to help spread that, especially in my community.

The Y has been my life ever since I could talk, walk, and remember. I met my best friends there and I built the lifelong connections that fuel me today in its walls. Joining and participating in the Leaders' Club is one of the most important extracurriculars and things I have ever done, and ever will do. I know that I spent a lot of time within the club and contributed a lot, but the club did so much more for me than I could ever do for it. My life has been defined by the Y, and my roles within it. For me, the community will always be those around me and that is what the Y has been. Even as I move forward in life, no matter where I live or am, I learned from the Y that I have to be a part of the community and try to be a positive in that community. That knowledge sticks with me every day, and because of that I try to make an impact on the community around me every day, but the most meaningful impact I have had was on November 25th, 2021, Thanksgiving Day. Over the past 5.5 years, I have dedicated myself to the Y of Central Maryland including the annual Turkey Trot where I work to help gather fundraisers, make decisions on how it is run, make sure all the volunteers are in place and guide runners through the neighborhood. This past year was different from the others though as the return from COVID meant many were eager to run once again as it had become a community tradition, and I was tasked with leading the group meant to guide them along the course. Having to lead a group of people who were my age, many of which were my friends, was a daunting task. I fully admit that I was worried and scared but I pushed through. Helping everyone get to their destination whether it be their location or the end of the race felt amazing. I felt like I had truly helped make a positive impact on the lives of thousands as we collectively pushed past COVID. Throughout my time at the Y, I have done a variety of things, from running food drives to selling popcorn but within that small moment, I truly felt impactful. Even in the below freezing temperatures of that autumn day, I could still feel the warmth of those smiles as I yelled out “That’s a beautiful dog!” to the runners with pooches in tow and “Great work pushing that stroller! Uphill too!” to the parents pushing babies along. People’s days were brightened by me and that is all I ever want to do, and to do that for so many people who live in the city I call home is amazing. Truly a life-changing experience that puts everything into perspective. At that moment my main thought wasn’t the $500,000 I helped raised, the years of dedication to making the Leaders Club successful, or the group I led to work the Turkey Trot. My main thought was the smiles of each person and that’s a feeling that will never be forgotten or taken for granted.