As my final year of high school comes to an end, it gives me time to reflect on all of the valuable lessons I've learned and how my accomplishments from my activities have shaped who I am. Next year I plan on attending the University of Wyoming to study Civil Engineering. With this degree, I will have a lot of flexibility for future job opportunities. Currently, surveying is the career I am most interested in pursuing. To plan for this degree, I have taken higher-level and dual-enrollment classes, with an emphasis in math. Engineering will be a difficult degree, so practicing a similar class load has been preparing me for the future. I have also done multiple volunteer days with a cadastral surveyor through the Bureau of Land Management, to see if surveying is a good fit for me. Working with the BLM has given me great insight into the daily activities of a land surveyor and I have determined that the work and responsibilities are well-suited for my personality and work ethic. My academic excellence is demonstrated through my consistent placement on the Honor Roll and membership in the National Honor Society. Having earned many college credits, some for math, to prepare me better to excel in my future college education. I have done this while maintaining top academic performance, and I have proven my ability to manage multiple responsibilities effectively while delivering outstanding results. Being selected for Honor Court as the top male scholastic student in my junior class further highlights my commitment to academic achievement. My athletic accomplishments in cross country and track showcase my dedication to continuous improvement and leadership. As the Conference Runner of the Year and state runner-up champion in cross country, I have demonstrated my ability to perform under pressure and achieve ambitious goals. These accomplishments hold great significance to me because of the consistent work I have put in throughout the summer and winter. I dedicated time to creating a custom plan that I initiated and followed through with my actions. I have developed valuable practical skills through diverse work experiences. As a ranch hand at Bliss Ranch LLC, I gained experience in equipment maintenance, livestock care, and irrigation systems. My time job shadowing with the Bureau of Land Management and working independently as a laborer has honed my problem-solving abilities and work ethic. For example, I would pull weeds a lot in the summer because it was good money, even though it wasn't fun or enjoyable. : These experiences, combined with my involvement in FFA and community service projects, demonstrate my versatility and commitment to contributing to my community. Through my involvement in various activities, I have developed many important skills, all of which will serve me well in my future academic and career endeavors. I am excited about the opportunity to continue my education and contribute to the field of Engineering by becoming a civil engineer and a land surveyor. As an avid outdoorsman, this will allow me to work in areas that combine my work responsibilities with my passion for nature by designing culverts and bridges to help protect the environment and surveying landscapes for reclamation projects and watersheds. I believe that this scholarship would be a valuable resource in helping me achieve my goals and further my commitment to excellence in all areas of my life.

I have grown over the past 4 years in leadership, academics, and character by pushing and improving myself in the classroom and on the field. I have learned that leadership can be quiet and being a positive example can say more than words. I have improved at time management and how to use it wisely to prepare myself, whether for a test or an athletic event. I have also learned the value of taking proper care of myself mentally, physically, and socially. However I believe that all of these components reflect back onto a person's character and I try to display good character not only in school and sports, but in how I conduct myself in my daily activities and personal hobbies. Running cross-country has been a big part of my life for the past 7 years. I see my future self running at the collegiate level. Running requires a lot of preseason training and discipline. Not only did I plan my workouts, but I took action and was the leader for preseason training for my teammates, which earned me the Inspirational Athlete of the Year award. In middle school, I won districts in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade; my 8th grade year I took first and won every race I ran. In high school, I wanted to excel enough to pique the interest of college recruiters. I believe I did this by going to state all 4 years of XC. I was a three-time runner of the year for my high school. My senior season for cross country consisted of being conference runner of the year, state runner-up and leading my team to the state runner-up title. On the track I have had a lot of ups and downs over these last 4 seasons, but through determination, hard work, and off-season training I have achieved some great accomplishments. I anchored my team to a State Championship in the 3200 relay the past 2 (hopefully 3) seasons. I was the 800 and 1600 Conference Champion my junior year, which helped me earn the title of Track MVP. These accolades did not come easy as I had to overcome some injuries and compete through the pain. All of these hindrances though made the victories seem even greater. The greatest lessons I will glean from my years as an athlete are the importance of teamwork, personal sacrifice, determination, and preparation. Entering a season conditioned and goal-minded are the primary keys to success. Day one of practice should just continue all the hard work accomplished in the offseason. A great lesson for athletics and for life is to be prepped and ready to give your best because those are things that you can control.