When I first started wrestling I was the second girl in my program. It was post season which was the all girls season since. The other girl in my program had been wrestling during the guys season so she had a one up of experience on me. The first week I had wrestled was girls regionals, to qualify for states. At the time since girls wrestling in PA hadn’t been sanctioned yet, in order to go to states you only had to compete at regionals, not place. I got to the tournament. I was so nervous since I hadn’t seen that many experienced girls in one place. I didn’t end up placing at regionals but I went to states the next week. I remember losing my first match and feeling so defeated. It was hard to compete with girls who had years of experience that I didn’t. The next match was almost two hours after that one. My coaches had not told me anything about this match. I was standing in front of the mat, watching the match before mine when I looked over to my left side. There she was, returning state champ, muscles as big as my head, so calm and collected like she knew she was going to win. I asked my coaches “That’s not who i’m wrestling right..?” They laughed a little and then said “Yeah, you got this.” The little bit of confidence they gave me was enough to get me on the mat. Yet the amount of confidence she had was terrifying. My coaches never told me who she was until after the match. But during that match I tried my best. She did not get a single shot on me. I was so proud of the little achievement that was. I ended up losing to fall, but I held out… for a minute and 10 seconds. After the match I came off the mat wide eyed and smiling. My coaches laughing with the enjoyment of watching me try to push through the match. The rest of the day went on and I lost the rest of my matches. Then at states it was a new day. I lost my first match and again lost hope. But my second match I ended up winning by fall. I remember my coaches screaming out of excitement when I got a double leg and being proud that they had taught me something. That gave me a boost of confidence which made me think that maybe I did have a chance. Although it was a slim chance, wrestling was something I enjoyed. And even though I wasn’t the best at it, I was decent for having wrestled two weeks. I continued to fight through the day losing the rest of my matches which I was upset about. I used my losses to continue working to become a better wrestler. The next year I came back and ended up placing in a couple tournaments, even placing first in one. I placed one place too low to qualify for states, but I am proud that I placed. I used the fact that I had less experience than everyone else to push myself. I wanted to be the girl people were afraid to wrestle when they saw her next to the mat. I like to think I am becoming that girl. I am continuing to use those losses as my motivation to continue working hard.Being an underdog isn’t always a bad thing. They never know what to expect with an underdog. They never know what to expect with me.

My passion for science started when I was little. Anything that had to do with science I was the first to try. At the book fair I would always get science books or science projects. Specifically in marine biology and human biology. My fourth grade teacher was the one who pushed me to pursue my dreams and try to change the world in a positive way. I was always interested in science whether it was marine biology or surgery. These two things have stuck with me. I am passionate about pursuing a degree in pre-med. With this degree I will be able to go to medical school and start the path to becoming a cardiothoracic surgeon. I am considering double majoring in Marine biology as well as this is one of my hobbies and interests. I want to be able to change the world. Whether I succeed in either path or both, I will be proud. It is important to me to be able to impact people’s lives in a positive way. In surgery I will be able to research ways to make risky surgeries more efficient and safe. I will be able to provide patients with a welcoming environment in which they will feel safe and protected. I believe this is something that is valuable to the medical community. Being able to save lives in the safest and most comfortable environments is important for both patients and practitioners. With a degree in marine biology I would be able to impact the world by researching and figuring out ways to protect our oceans and environments, reduce pollution, use our natural resources to create things which would make the world a better place. I could even intertwine these degrees, figuring out ways to use ocean resources to impact the medical field. For example, finding a way to make sutures out of seaweed or kelp, finding a way to use oysters pH identifying properties to help the sutures identify if an infection is present. I believe that my passion for these topics will help me impact these fields in a very positive way. Passion is something that gives me drive to continue to the path that I have chosen. I ultimately thank my interest in science as a child for the path I have started. It has given me an opportunity to start my way to something amazing. My passion for science will continue to help me pursue my dreams in a career that will change the world.