Surgery to All-American
The moment I heard that I needed surgery I thought my chances of being a competitive runner were over. After being told this news, I decided to still get the procedure as I wanted to live a healthy lifestyle that would allow me to be active, even if it meant I couldn’t be competitive. When my surgery was finished on January 28th, 2022, I knew I had a long road ahead of me, especially since I was told the full recovery could range anywhere from 6 to 9 months. During the first half of my recovery, I spent a lot of time by myself and focusing on strengthening my brain. Once I had these goals set, I set out to achieve them and wouldn’t let anything get in my way. When summer rolled around, I returned to cross-country running. After months of doing shorter runs and getting my hip back into shape, I decided to try racing again. My first race went rough, but I put a lot of faith in myself and the coaches and continued on racing. Once November started, I began feeling like myself and kept having good races week after week. When our team reached the national meet, the final meet of the season, we were able to secure a 4th place finish and I was 31st, achieving an All-American award. The overall message I learned from this journey was to stay patient because even though the future might seem blurry, there will always be something good or rewarding to look forward to.
Eagle Scout
Becoming an Eagle Scout took a lot of time to achieve. I began my journey for this award in 5th grade. To achieve this rank, I had to complete five ranks which required a lot of work outside of camps/weekly meetings. This work included merit badges, interviews, completing a community project, etc. I, however, really enjoyed these tasks as they taught me that I needed to grow up quickly if I wanted to be ready for life ahead. The Boy Scouts also taught me many life skills including survival, etiquette, hard work, etc. The Boy Scouts have taught me a lot, and I have applied that knowledge to the life I am living and the one I want to live as a leader.
2022 Summer Internship​
I interned at a company called Applied Industrial Technologies. For this internship, my position was title MDM (Master Data Management) intern and my role was to help analyze all the data with the company. When I had my first day, however, I was placed into a warehouse and was placed into a role that focused more on supply chain and less on data management. This adjustment taught me that it’s important to be flexible when in the workforce. Flexibility is a key concept for leaders because they need to be prepared to stay relaxed when plans don’t go as follow. This internship was a great opportunity for me and I can’t wait to enter the workforce in the future.
Fall 2020 Online Semester
When I began my sophomore year at John Carroll, the university told us that the fall semester would be online. This was saddening news at first, but after the semester was done, I realized it was great for building my character. When I was at home, I spent a lot of time with my family and focused on building study habits that I could use for the spring. I even planned some fun activities with my teammates that allowed us to get in great shape and bond over similarities. This semester helped my leadership skills because it allowed me to realize that as a leader, I need to cherish every moment I face. If I cherish every moment, then I’ll begin to learn to appreciate what I have at the moment and what could possibly come in the future. As a leader at John Carroll University, the Fall 2020 semester played a pivotal role in my development.
2nd Sole Lakewood
When I don’t have a busy Saturday, I like to work at a shoe store in Lakewood called 2nd Sole. I enjoy working at the store since I get to interact with other runners who have had different upbringings or reasons for running. At this store, we sell running items which include shoes, clothes, food, etc. When it comes to selling an item, we, the employees, must approach the customers when they come in and ask how we can help. Once we figure out what they’re looking for, we do our best to form a relationship and sell them the product of their interest. This job has taught me the idea of being personable with others. Being personable is something I've incorporated into my style as a leader, as it allows me to grow my followers and make new friends who I would otherwise never interact with. When I decide to resign, I will continue to shop at 2nd Sole Lakewood as it’s treated me well.