My name is Tanner Jones but to my family and friends I am better known as “Tanman”. I am a Sophomore student athlete at the University of Alabama on the Men’s swim team. Men’s swimming does not receive the athletic scholarship opportunities as many other collegiate sports however, I am grateful for the opportunity I have been blessed with to attend college to further my education and also continue to compete in the sport I love. My family and I live in South Jersey. We are a family of 4. We are a very close family. I have an older sister and I value our relationship very much. My parents have taught my sister and I to always be thankful, humble, to work hard for who and what you love, and to treat others with kindness. I have so much respect and admiration for my parents’ hard work to provide for us despite their long work days. My Dad works 12 hour rotating shifts and my Mom is a nurse. I have always looked up to them for all they do in their work life for others and for my sister and I. My Mom is an inspiration for me to continue my education. She works full time as a nurse and went back to college to graduate with her Master’s degree in nursing last year. I really admire my Mom’s determination to educate herself and to take care of others, including our family. My sister, is currently working towards her Masters degree at Georgia Southern University. My mom and sister’s pursuit of higher education are role models to me to continue my higher educational goals. I am a Consumer Science Business major. There are many business opportunities for my exploration. I am looking forward to exploring areas that I can be most productive and make a real impact to help others. I will be exploring internship opportunities this summer that will guide me in the direction for my future career. I enjoy the outdoors and working with my hands and those are some qualities about myself I would like to incorporate into my future career. I am attending college through personal student loans and financial aid funding. The exponential cost of my current student loans are daunting. This scholarship would be instrumental to my financial stability post graduation to alleviate my student loan debt as well as reducing the financial burden on my parents. Being a student athlete has provided me with exceptional time management skills, determination, goal setting, and accountability which are qualities I will carry with me into my career. I am blessed in my life to have the support and guidance from my family, friends, teammates, coaching staff, and education from the University of Alabama. I will utilize this scholarship to achieve my higher education goals and use the attributes I have gained being an SEC student athlete to be productive and impactful in my future career.

My name is Tanner Jones but to my family and friends I am better known as “Tanman”. I am a Sophomore student athlete at the University of Alabama on the Men’s swim team. Men’s swimming does not receive the athletic scholarship opportunities as many other collegiate sports however, I am grateful for the opportunity I have been blessed with to attend college to further my education and also continue to compete in the sport I love. I love to fish any chance I can get! Fishing allows me time to relax. I enjoy the quietness of the water but my favorite fishing is with my Dad. My Dad always says we can solve all of life’s problems while fishing. My family and I live in South Jersey. We are a family of 4. We are a very close family. I have an older sister and I value our relationship very much. I have a sister and best friend all in one! My parents have taught my sister and I to always be thankful, humble, to work hard for who and what you love, and to treat others with kindness. I have so much respect and admiration for my parents’ hard work to provide for us despite their long work days. My Dad works 12 hour rotating shifts and my Mom is a nurse. I have always looked up to them for all they do in their work life for others and for my sister and I. My Mom is an inspiration for me to continue my education. She works full time as a nurse and went back to college to graduate with her Master’s degree in nursing last year. She always told my sister and I, if she can do it then so can we! I really admire my Mom’s determination to educate herself and to take care of others, including our family. My family means everything to me! Oh! And, we also have a dog, Fletcher who rounds out our family! In addition to my family at home, my Alabama swim & dive family are incredibly supportive and are my family away from home. Our team is a family that is undeniably the best part of being a student athlete. I am a Consumer Science Business major. There are many business opportunities for my exploration. Although I haven’t decided “what I want to be when I grow up”, I am looking forward to exploring areas that I can be most productive and make a real impact to help others. I will be exploring internship opportunities this summer that will guide me in the direction for my future career. I enjoy the outdoors and working with my hands and those are some qualities about myself I would like to incorporate into my future career. I know my future plans will be what God intends them to be. My determination and goal setting will bless my life along with the support and guidance from my family, friends, teammates, coaching staff, and education from the University of Alabama.

“To infinity and beyond!” Buzz light year is my favorite Disney character because of the character attributes he possesses that I can relate to myself. Buzz light year loves his friends and is loyal. I especially admire his humor, bravery, selflessness, and above his good-hearted nature. Buzz light year is determined and adventurous while still being cautious. As I enter my freshman year of college I would like to think of myself as Buzz lightyear in that I am determined to do my best and stay loyal to my own personal goals. Friendships are important to me and have helped shape me into the person I am today. Buzz Lightyear loves being together with his family as do I. Buzz lightyear is a noble Disney character that I admire the most.

Superfoods is a special category of foods found in nature; They are 100% natural. They carry the name super foods they contain large amounts of nutrients with few calories. Why do I love superfoods? They are an excellent way to fuel my body, prevent diseases, help me to stay physically fit, and energized with the additional help to strengthen my immune system. There are many super foods that are more familiar to us, such as green leafy vegetables, fruits, and nuts. However, not everyone enjoys the taste of plain vegetables such as myself! My favorite way to incorporate superfoods into my diet for healthy living is with superfood, power packed bowls such as açaí bowls and poke bowls. I also enjoy making smoothies with green leafy vegetables that are more palatable to my liking. Staying healthy and active with superfoods in my daily diet are important for me to maintain my health and overall well-being as a competitive swimmer. Power on, superfoods!

My career path will make a positive impact on the world through my desire to own my own landscaping company and turf farm through eco-conscious efforts. I love to be outside and appreciate the environment in its natural habitat. I will incorporate eco-friendly products to grow and beautify landscape.

Persistence, anxiety, and panic attacks normally do not have much in common. However, I have been dealing with anxiety and panic attacks during the most in opportune times, in the middle of swimming races. I am a competitive swimmer and I have persevered these challenges throughout the past year and a half. My persistence to continue swimming competitively as well as overcoming my over charged thoughts has been tough but it has also given me a sense of pride and confidence in myself as I worked with a psychologist to be successful through breathing techniques. I worked everyday to practice the breathing and relaxation techniques which improved not only my swimming abilities but also in my academic studies in my senior year of high school. This has been a great learning year for me about myself and I am proud of my perseverance to accomplish my goals.

Learning how to relax and care for my mental health has been a primary focus for me this year. Since January, I have been talking with a psychologist through tele-health appointments which has increased my confidence, improved my academics, and taught me life skills. With the help of my psychologist, he has been teaching me how to practice my breathing patterns to relax. This has been a tremendous help to me in that focusing on my breathing brings a sense of calm and I have learned to control my breathing. It takes a lot of work but I now have the tools to help me relax in many different scenarios and environments that I previously did not know how to do. I have learned that taking care of my mental health is so important and has changed my outlook on life for a better self. I will use the strategies I have learned over the past year as I head to college which I believe will help me in the classroom and in daily life. For me personally, I want to be able to share my personal story and difficulties I have had to overcome.

Sometimes societal challenges need simple solutions. Homelessness, is a societal challenge in the United States. Through creative thinking and the science of engineering, organizations such as Habitat for Humanity has been able to offer support to the homeless worldwide. Habitat for Humanity was formed through creative thinking to help those in need of the basic necessity for shelter. The family who started this organization went to Africa to pilot their creative thinking. Upon their success in building homes for shelter in Africa, they returned to the United States to plant their creativity. Through the science of engineering, they have been able to collaboratively design and build structures to provide the homeless with a place to call home. Homelessness has not met resolution, however, the creative minds and application of science has had a tremendous impact on many individuals and families to build confidence, provide the basic need for shelter, and improve lives. Creative thinking in addition to science has the capability to change the world. As I set my sight for the future and prepare for college, I will rely on my creative thinking and desire to help others to be a positive change and help others in need.

The personal quality that I value the most in myself is my kindness in to help others. I am the person that my friends come to for advice or when they need support. I value my trait of kindness because I genuinely want to see my friends, family, and even people I don’t know be happy. Kindness is really a simple act that can change lives. You never know what someone else is going through and being kind, even if it’s just saying hello can change a person’s mood or emotion. Showing kindness to everyone throughout my journey in life not only positively affects others, it also makes me happy that I may have played a little part in making someone’s day or made an impact in their life. Kindness is contagious. My kindness to others in turn encourages others to be kind. With so many obstacles in life, it is easy to become discouraged, depressed, and unhappy. My kindness may not change the world but if I can impact someone’s life or just make them feel valued through my kindness that is a success in my journey through life.

Golf is an interesting sport. The sport of golf has taught me many valuable lessons that I will use throughout my life. The biggest lesson I have learned through playing golf is patience. Patience, for myself has been a process. I have been a competitive swimmer most of my life and decided to join my high school golf team last year. I had to learn patience, as golf was a new sport to me. Learning a new skill requires patience. I have not always been a patient person but golf has taught me this important life skill. It has also been a very rewarding experience as I not only learned how to play golf but the time spent with my friends on the course is what drew me in to the game of golf. There is a contentment and camaraderie among us that play the game of golf. Learning patience is especially important throughout your life. College will be a new environment that will require patience to adapt. A first time job after college, marriage, and parenting later in life will also require patience that I can attribute to learning through playing golf. It will also allow the time I love being with my best friends as we get older playing on the golf course.

I feel fortunate to have been inspired by my sister and coach to become a better person and a better athlete. My sister, Emily and I are competitive swimmers. I grew up watching her love of the sport which also became mine. Sharing the love of a sport with my sister and best friend has been important to me. We spent time together driving to early morning practices, double practices, and practice time together. The time spent with Emily was invaluable to me as her younger brother. My sister taught me determination, confidence, resilience, and time management. When she left for college, I relied on everything she taught me. The bond we share from the time spent together has impacted my life and inspired me more than she knows. I have also been inspired by Coach Ryan. Ryan’s belief in me to achieve my accomplishments inspired my desire to swim in college and be the best I can be in my sport both in and out of the water. As a coach, he saw abilities that I haven’t always seen in myself. As I near the end of my senior year of high school, my sister and coach’s confidence in me will always inspire my desire to be successful as an athlete, better person, and to inspire others as they have to me as I continue on to college and in life. I have had a successful senior year of swimming. Most recently at the New Jersey Individual State Championships, I placed 4th in the state in the 200 freestyle and 2nd in the state in the 500 freestyle. I will continue my swimming and academic career at the University of Alabama in the Fall. I will always carry with me the importance of self confidence, determination, and resilience that my sister and coach have instilled in me.

Self-care means taking care of yourself to be healthy so you can do your best to learn, and you can help and care for others. I have learned self-care practices to maintain and improve my mental health and overall well-being, especially through the pandemic. The pandemic changed everyone’s lives and as a high school student, not being able to attend school in person for over a year, being isolated from friends and family was a lot to endure. I enjoy working out at the gym, swimming, and spending time with my friends and family to take care of my mental and physical health. I believe if you don’t take care of yourself, you aren’t able to help others. I have learned a lot about myself through my self-care practices to be a better me.