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Winning Horseback Riding Show
I started riding horses when I was 8 and did it until I was about 13. I was pretty good and I loved interacting with the horses. I competed in two shows and in the first show I was ever apart of, I won two first place ribbons, a second place ribbon, and a champion ribbon. I ended up quitting because I got hurt a few times and my dad didn't want me to continue and hurt myself even more. Riding horses and bonding with the gentle giants is an indescribable feeling and experience. -
Becoming An Aunt
I have three siblings; two sisters and a brother. My sisters are my half-sisters but we consider each other full sisters. Because they are older than me, they started their lives before me. My oldest sister has one daughter and another baby girl on the way. My other sister has two daughters and a son. All of the kids bring a tremendous amount of joy to my life and I can't imagine life without them. -
Softball
When I was younger, my brother and dad were really into baseball. My brother was an amazing baseball player. My dad thought that I would be good at softball. That was not the case. I played for two years and then stopped because I was absolutely terrible. It was a fun experience but not the best. -
Getting Thrown Off A Horse
Although I had such a love for horseback riding, it was very dangerous. One time I was riding a horse and it got spooked. When it spooked, it bucked and sent me flying. That was a very bad experience. I hurt my arm but in the end, I was okay and got right back on. -
Dirtbike Accident
My and brother had the same interests growing up. One of the things we did together was ride dirt bikes. We had just gotten new dirt bikes and took them out. He was ahead of me and I fell off mine. The way the bike fell, the hot exhaust fell on my leg and was too heavy for me to pick up. I was crying and waiting for him to turn around to come help. Even though I was in a ton of pain and crying, he made me get back on and continue so I wouldn't be scared. That experience only made me stronger. -
My Brother Leaving Home For Bootcamp
Growing up, my brother was lucky enough to find his passion at a young age and know exactly what he wanted to do when he was older; become a Marine. Me and him are two peas in a pod and we practically spent all of our time together. When he left home, I felt like I was missing something and I was scared to lose him. However, he is living out his dream and I couldn't be prouder of him. -
Winning First Place In A Meet
In gymnastics, I compete one event, beam. A lot of people think this event would be the hardest, but trust me, they're all really hard. I've been working for years to perfect my routines, and my hard work finally paid off when I won first place in a meet. Knowing that you're progressing and all the time you've put in was worth it, is an amazing feeling. -
Getting Tattoos
A lot of people think that when a teenager gets a tattoo, it is stupid, they will regret it, and it's teenage angst. However, that is not the case for me. I have two tattoos, both with a lot of meaning and symbolism. Both of these tattoos, I got when I was going through a difficult time in my life. I was dealing with a lot of anxiety and other things, and my tattoos remind me to be at peace with the things happening, and all will be okay in the end. -
Mom Being In Kidney Failure
My mom has dealt with a hereditary kidney disease, called polycystic kidney disease, or PKD, all her life. My grandmother and other family members have passed away due to this disease. Although it was heartbreaking, it wasn't shocking that the function of my moms kidneys was deteriorating. Each of her kidneys were the size of footballs due to the cysts. She was in stage 3 of kidney failure and was in need of a transplant or dialysis. -
Mom and Dad: Kidney Transplant
My mom went to Yale Hospital to try to find a kidney donor. She had 9 people try to give a kidney, yet none of them were a match. She ended up going to Columbia Hospital, and there, my dad was a match! They got their surgery in November of 2018. During their stay in the hospital, the doctors recommended that both of them stay in bed for a while. However, every day, my dad would sneak out of his room to go see my mom. Both of my parents are well and my mom has 3 kidneys and my dad has 1. -
Dishwasher mishap
When my friend and I were in Florida, we cleaned while no one was home. We were too lazy to hand wash the dishes so we decided to use the dishwasher. What we didn't know, was that you don't use dish soap in the dishwasher. She went to take a shower and I started the dishwasher and walked away. When I can back that were bubbles coming out of the dishwasher. I got her and as many towels as I could carry. After we cleaned up, we put more dish soap in because we didn't know. And the rest is history. -
Becoming Captain Of The Gymnastics Team
I have been doing gymnastics for as long as I can remember. It is a huge passion of mine and, I have been on the varsity gymnastics team since 7th grade. Me and my friend Aaliyah have been dreaming of becoming captain since the first day we were on the team. This year we got to become captains together and it was very exciting for the both of us!
