I live in a small town in Northern New Hampshire. Many members of my family have served and protected our country in the United States Armed Forces. Both of my grandfathers and my father have served in the United States Air Force. In the spring of 2022 we laid my grandfather to rest in Arlington National Cemetary. This was a difficult but beautiful day for our family as my grandfather was honored for his service to our country. While growing up my father would say that he went into the military to give back to our country. "Service before self", was something that was instilled in me from a young age. It is important to give back to people and do things so that others do not have to do it for you. My father was in the United States Air Force Active Duty, went on to the Air Force Reserves and then retired as an Air Force National Guard member. I am extremely proud of my father and grandfathers and the sacrifices that they made for our country. Growing up I understood that my Dad would not always be able to be there for celebrations or events. We have come up with many creative ways to still enjoy family time through annual tours, deployments and weekend obligations to the service. I have been able to meet so many interesting people and go to really fun events through my fathers service. It has been an incredible journey and I am stronger and braver for being a military daughter. I have first hand knowledge what is is to be a military child. I consider myself lucky and honored that in my own special way sharing my dad and grampa was a way to give to our country. Being a military dependent has had a positive impact on my life. I am proud to be an American and I am honored by the men and women whole have given their service to our country so that I can be free. As I move on to college I do so knowing that many people have given willingly of their time and lives so that I can pursue my dreams. That is a huge honor and I take the responsibility to live a well and fulfilled life for all the men and women who have given this right to me. I am truly blessed to have been a part of the Air Force family and I will always cherish my experiences with my service members.

In the future I plan to give back to the sport that has given me so much. Cheer has been a saving grace to me and helped me work through many challenges in my life. I have been able to learn how to overcome mental blocks, push through difficult tasks and complete all of this within 2 minutes and 30 seconds on the mat. This summer I am going to be a National Cheerleading Association [NCA] Instructor. I am super excited about this opportunity to influence other athletes to pursue their dreams and accomplish their goals. When I started cheer in 2014 I looked up to Emma Cook. She is an instructor at NCA cheer camp and a coach at my local gym. She has inspired me to reach for my goals and taught me that I can do whatever I put my mind to. This summer I will be an instructor beside my mentor and I am so excited to have this opportunity for continued growth. When I was younger I struggled with confidence and believing in myself. When I get onto the mat to perform, or on the sideline to cheer on my team I am able to overcome my insecurities and focus on giving back to my teammates and the crowd. This is an amazing outlet for me and I am able to challenge myself by attempting new tumbling skills and stunting skills. My coaches have had a profound impact on my life and I am forever grateful for all they have invested in me. In the future I am looking forward to entering the Athletic Training career. I desire to help others and assist them in achieving their personal goals. My hope is that I am able to help others the way that many of my coaches and trainers have helped me. When I participated in HOSA last year I learned that I am very good at helping people and I discovered my desire to help others with injuries and overcoming them. I plan on bringing my optimism and positivity to my everyday tasks. The feeling of being yourself and honoring yourself and your goals is the best way to shine my light. I want to be there as an example like Emma was for me to other girls that are striving to be their best. When I accomplish my goal of becoming an Athletic Trainer I am hoping to have a positive impact on athletes getting back into playing and competitive shape. The best way for me to shine my light is to work hard to achieve my goals. I want to be able to share the things that I know and help others carry the torch on when I am finished. That is the ultimate goal.