Personal Statement

The morning of September 15, 2020, I woke up with an uneasy feeling. The feeling was brought on by the fact that 4 weeks of my senior year football season had passed and The School City of Hammond was still not allowing fall sports to be played despite the rest of the state having their fall sports continue. As a football player for Gavit High School, my senior year football season was just as important to me as my academics for the semester considering that I’m maintaining a top 10 GPA in my class. Since the age of 6, I’ve been an aspiring leader, playing football for clubs up until high school. My ambitious mindset destined me to be an exceptional student athlete. I saw varsity games as a sophomore and finally earned a starting position as a junior. Football sets me free and I couldn’t bear to watch what could be the final year of football slip away without a fight.

    During that same day as I completed my school work online, my leadership skills lit a bulb and allowed me to formulate a plan. Some of my teammates and I gathered athletes from all around the city to rally outside of a school board meeting set to take place that night. In full preparation mode, I quickly made signs that read “Let Us Play” and “Give Us One More Chance.”

    Little did I know, my spontaneous movement would affect so many students and parents. Toward the end of the meeting, I rose before the school board, surrounded by supporters, and gave a speech, voicing my opinion on behalf of hundreds of athletes. About 10 minutes later, us athletes cheered with pure joy as we were granted permission to continue playing fall sports. That same week my name was all across social media and my picture was on the front page of the Sports Section of the NWI Times Sunday newspaper. The publicity was a lot to take in at once, but I took a step back and consumed the moment. That day changed me forever. 

    Public speaking, setting a positive example for others and working hard have always been notable characteristics of mine, but after leading a movement that impacted so many of my peers, I feel a sense of duty. A duty to embrace and use my God given skills to be a part of positive change. This experience continues to motivate me to never stop, never settle and never be afraid to use my voice. It’s all been a momentum booster to be the greatest me all the time in the classroom, on the field and in life.