I came into high school thinking I would just play a little sports and eventually move onto college. Little did I know how much my expectations were wrong. I would never believe if I was told my freshman year that I would represent Louisa on numerous occasions at the highest level or myself at the national level.

I will always remember Panorama Farms during my freshmen cross country season. I didn’t even race in spikes yet, but Coach Cutright told me that one day I would be racing with the “big dogs.” My sophomore year, I rose from fighting for the tenth spot on varsity to a top three finisher for Louisa. My junior and senior year I was one of the “big dogs” at the regional meet finishing top 10 in both. I continued to lead my junior year at states, leading the team to its equally best finish at state competition, and one place below in 5th my senior year. Now I will be representing Randolph College.

If it wasn’t for Mrs. Curran, I don’t think I would have ever found my poise. For some reason in her freshman class, she saw something in me. When she gave me the newspaper application, she told me that I could be an Editor-in-Chief one day. In my freshman year, I was still trying to discover who I was and where I would fit in. As soon as I became a part of the newspaper, I found it. From that moment of whatever Mrs. Curran saw in me, I have accomplished more than I ever would have thought, for myself and the newspaper. I get to leave the school with a smile of being a state champion and a nationally recognized confident individual. I owe the world to Mrs. Curran.

High school is about discovering who you could be… and acting on it. My advice to anyone reading this is to not be afraid to act. People will always be first to judge because they are too afraid to act themselves. Become your own person, do whatever you want, and the right group of people will find you. Always be supportive of other people’s ambitions.