"It's not how good you are, It's how good you want to be." (Paul Arden) I’ve been swimming competitively since I was 6 years old and as any beginner, I started at the bottom. Over the years I have grown, not only in swimming, but as a person. Swimming has helped me to become who I am today by teaching me life skills, such as determination and time management. Swimming has also taught me how to balance my sport, my education, and the rest of my life. I hope to swim in college as swimming has become a very big part of who I am. In addition to swimming, I also love school and push myself to expand my mind everyday. I hope someday to help people in a medical profession and am also intrigued by the idea of working with children. Swimming and school are two major parts of my life, but when I’m away from school and away from the pool I love gardening, reading, and helping people in a variety of ways. One example of this is through the LAUNCH leadership program at my school in which we guide freshmen through their transition to high school. I can’t wait to explore the new opportunities for my future and look forward to finding these new opportunities through which I can further grow.