We all love a great underdog story and want the underdog to overcome their obstacle and win. I cheered for the movie character "Rudy" to achieve his dream of playing football at the University of Notre Dame. Last year, I became the underdog in my own life story. I started my Freshman year at Winona State University and was a failure. I could make excuses about the COVID-19 pandemic impacting my high school education. In March 2020, my Freshman year went virtual, and then we were also virtual the following Sophomore year. The Department of Education published a study in 2021 stating that K-12 students fell behind in core subjects like math and reading due to the lockdown measures. Stating this, however, would only be an excuse. The truth is that I failed my college classes because I was not fully prepared for the rigor required for college and had to learn these skills the hard way. By the time I fully realized how poorly I was doing in my classes, it was too late in the semester to turn my grades around. Failure provides invaluable lessons. When things don’t go as planned, you must analyze what went wrong, understand your mistakes, and adjust your approach. The process of reflection and learning can lead to better strategies and improvements, ultimately contributing to future success. I wanted to stay in college at Winona and realized I would need to work much harder to change in a positive direction. I connected with the success center at my college, worked with an advisor, and re-enrolled in the classes I failed. My second semester was better than my first. I also completed two summer courses to remain on track toward my educational goals. The change from failure to success involved my attending classes regularly and actively engaged in what the professors were teaching. I also created a weekly schedule to budget enough time for homework and studying for exams.  Success can mean different things to different people. Success is about constantly improving myself, both personally and professionally, and striving to be the best version of myself that I can be. It is about self-awareness, reflecting on strengths and weaknesses, and using that knowledge to improve and evolve. I view success as a process. I have learned that focusing on small accomplishments will lead to achievements. The pathway toward success is paved with many short-term wins, like completing a paper, studying adequately for an exam, passing a class, and improving my grade point average. Viewing success as a process has helped me move forward, overcoming the obstacles I created for myself. I will move forward in my second year at Winona prepared to put in the work that will lead to my academic success. I am proud of my accomplishment in turning my situation around. This year, I will continue working hard to improve my grades. My next step towards success will be to earn my college degree. Completing my college degree moves me toward my personal passions and goals for the career I hope to attain. I would greatly appreciate the financial support in being awarded this scholarship. You would be contributing towards my future academic and professional accomplishments and success.

I lost my grandmother, Ruth to Alzheimer’s disease in June 2016. She was 74 years old. It was the summer between my fifth and sixth grades of middle school. I feel like my grandmother was lost years before the day she died. I remember visiting my grandmother’s home in Fond du Lac since I was a toddler. I was always excited to go to my grandmother's house. Sometimes we would stay for days. I thought my grandmother was amazing at everything she did. She made the best meals which always included dessert. She had games and toys for my sister and me. She was excited to see me and ask about what I was doing and she loved to cuddle with me even when I thought I was too old to cuddle. The changes to my grandmother's behavior were gradual. I first noticed she stopped making meals. When we went to visit, she started ordering takeout. She also stopped reading books and started to watch more television. Gradually her confusion became concerning. She got lost driving to and from the grocery store in a city she had lived for over 40 years. My dad realized in 2013 that she could no longer live alone in her own home, so we moved her to an assisted living apartment. The following year she had to leave the apartment and move into a room in a care facility. In 2014, my grandmother moved again now to a dementia care facility within 10 minutes from my home. Even though this was the closest my grandmother had ever been in proximity to me, this is when I felt she was the farthest away. I felt guilty as I no longer wanted to visit my grandmother. She was different. She did not know who I was. By 2015 she could no longer speak. My grandmother's personality and behaviors were now completely different from the memories I had of her from my childhood. Losing someone to Alzheimer's disease for me has been a difficult and painful experience. Alzheimer's is a progressive neurological disorder that causes memory loss, cognitive decline, and changes in behavior and personality. As the disease progresses, individuals with Alzheimer's may become more and more dependent on others for their care. My grandmother, during the final four years of her life, had become fully dependent upon caregivers. Watching my grandmother gradually lose her memory and independence made me sad and feel helpless. I have great memories from my childhood, but my grandmother will never see me graduate high school, or college, get married, or start my own family. Altzheimers took that from me. Researchers have not identified a single cause of Alzheimer's disease, but believe it may be caused by a combination of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. There is growing evidence that lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, and social engagement may affect the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. For example, a diet high in saturated fat and sugar may increase the risk of Alzheimer's, while regular exercise and social engagement may help to protect against the disease. As I start college, I will complete many courses to minor in nutrition. I hope to live a lifestyle full of exercise, a healthy diet, and social engagement that may protect me against Alzheimer’s. I also hope to work with athletes to build those life skills. I have learned through losing my grandmother to this disease that every day is a precious memory. We never know when we will lose someone we know and love to injury or illness. Every day we are making memories and not losing those memories is a precious gift.

I can’t remember a time in my life when I wasn’t playing a sport. Spring and summer youth baseball turned into fall football, which transitioned into winter basketball. Playing on various sports teams from youth to varsity, I have come to develop a life structured around athletics. I learned many great life lessons while playing sports. First, athletes are both born and made; it’s not one or the other. I was always the tallest kid in elementary school. My third-grade teacher was the first to give me a flier about signing up to play youth basketball. Unfortunately, I was not a natural at playing but I learned the value of hard work and great coaching. Because I was tall, I often was selected for the tournament team. As I grew older, continuing to be selected for the tournament team required hard work. I would spend hours doing ball handling and shooting drills on my own. I also had a talented coach who stressed discipline, provided encouragement, and created a culture of teamwork and sportsmanship. Another lesson is that sports are a great way of making friendships. Over my years of participating in youth through high school sports, the people I consider my closest friends I met through my involvement in athletics. My tightest circle of friends includes mostly those teammates from baseball, football, or basketball. As a player, I’ve spent countless hours on a practice field or in-game situations and have shared those experiences with only a handful of people, my teammates. We sweat together, joke with each other, compete for positions and playtime against one another, and sometimes hate our coach together. That bond of shared experiences gave me a strong brotherhood of friends. A final lesson is that sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and sometimes it rains. Athletics is not about winning; instead it’s about doing your best to improve as an individual while growing as a team. It’s about seeing how far you can push yourself without giving up. Athletics have taught me to persevere when times get tough, and that success does not build character failure does. This year, due to the gr in population, our community was split between two schools, east and west. The two football teams competed against each other. On the scoreboard, my team lost the football game, but on the field, my team won. We showed more sportsmanship and character in how we treated our competition who just the prior year were our teammates. That was mentally the toughest game of the season. Thanks to athletics, I built friendships that will last a lifetime. I am thankful for the memories, the values, and the character I have gained from them. I will be forever grateful for the sacrifices my parents, coaches, and teammates made for me. The lessons I learned from participation in athletics have helped shape my life and what drives my future career goal. I want to continue to be part of an athletic community. This fall I will attend Winona State University in Minnesota. I plan to complete the Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT) program and work as an athletic trainer.

Having healthy eating habits is essential for several reasons. It promotes physical health and helps to prevent chronic diseases such as obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. A balanced diet rich in lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats helps provide the body with the necessary nutrients to function. Additionally, healthy eating habits can positively impact energy levels, provides adequate fuel for the body, and can help improve endurance and overall athletic performance. As a student-athlete, I understand the role of what foods I eat and how they provide the fuel to improve my strength and conditioning and my performance on the athletic field. A well-balanced diet of calories, protein, carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables, and hydration is an essential part of a healthy diet. Consuming enough calories to support training and recovery is crucial to building muscle and improving performance. Eating sufficient protein to support muscle repair and growth is essential. Adequate carbohydrate intake also increases energy levels during training and competition. Eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to ensure adequate vitamins and nutrients is critical to overall health and performance. Staying hydrated is also essential for optimal performance. A healthy diet can also improve mental health and cognitive function. Studies have shown that consuming a diet high in processed foods and added sugars can lead to inflammation in the brain and negatively impact mood and cognitive function. Consuming the right foods can help improve mood, reduce stress and anxiety, and enhance cognitive function and memory. Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and omega-3 fatty acids have been linked to improved mood, reduced symptoms of depression, and better cognitive function. Physically, when I practice healthy eating habits, I notice that I have better weight management and increased energy levels. I like to eat a lot of granola. Granola is a source of carbohydrates to fuel the muscles and provide energy. Mentally, when I make healthy food choices, it improves my mood and concentration. I sleep better and am better able to manage the stressors of sports, school, and work. I enjoy soda, candy, and other junk food like any teenager, but I know those food choices are treats, not full meals. In conclusion, healthy eating habits are essential to maintain physical and mental health and preventing disease. It promotes physical and mental health and improves energy levels and athletic performance. To maintain a healthy diet, it is essential to make mindful food choices, consume a variety of foods, and limit the consumption of processed foods and added sugars. Healthy eating habits are important because a balanced and nutritious diet provides the body with the essential nutrients needed to properly function.

I can’t remember a time in my life when I wasn’t playing a sport. Spring and summer youth baseball turned into fall football, which transitioned into winter basketball. Playing on various sports teams from youth to varsity, I have come to develop a life structured around athletics. I learned many great life lessons while playing sports. First, athletes are both born and made; it’s not one or the other. I was always the tallest kid in elementary school. My third-grade teacher was the first to give me a flier about signing up to play youth basketball. Unfortunately, I was not a natural at playing but learned the value of hard work and great coaching. Because I was tall, I often was selected for the tournament team. As I grew older, continuing to be selected for the tournament team required hard work. I would spend hours doing ball handling and shooting drills on my own. I also had a talented coach who stressed discipline, provided encouragement, and created a culture of teamwork and sportsmanship. Another lesson is that sports are a great way of making friendships. Over my years of participating in youth through high school sports, the people I consider my closest friends I met through my involvement in athletics. My tightest circle of friends includes mostly those teammates from baseball, football, or basketball. As a player, I’ve spent countless hours on a practice field or in-game situations and have shared those experiences with only a handful of people, my teammates. We sweat together, joke with each other, compete for positions and playtime against one another, and sometimes hate our coach together. That bond of shared experiences gave me a strong brotherhood of friends. A final lesson is that sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and sometimes it rains. Athletics is not about winning; rather it’s about doing your best to improve as an individual while growing as a team. It’s about seeing how far you can push yourself without giving up. Athletics have taught me to persevere when times get tough, and that success does not build character failure does. This year, due to the growth in population, our community was split between two schools, east, and west. The two football teams competed against each other. On the scoreboard, my team lost the football game, but on the field, my team won. We showed more sportsmanship and character in how we treated our competition who just the prior year were our teammates. That was mentally the toughest game of the season. Thanks to athletics, I built friendships that will last a lifetime. I am thankful for the memories, the values, and the character I have gained from them. I will be forever grateful for the sacrifices my parents, coaches, and teammates made for me. The lessons I learned from participation in athletics have helped shape my life and what drives my future career goal. I want to continue to be part of an athletic community. This fall I will attend Winona State University in Minnesota. I plan to complete the Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT) program and work as an athletic trainer.

I want to share a story about myself and my older sister, Kate. We each have a savings and checking account and use debit cards and mobile apps to check our online balances and transfer money between accounts. Every month, I hear my parents tell Kate that she is paying an unnecessary $3 bank fee every time the bank moves her money from savings to checking to cover her debit card transactions and that she could manage that herself for free. According to the National Financial Educators Council, the average American adult lost about $1,389 in 2021 due to a lack of knowledge in money management. That means billions of dollars lost due to the lack of financial literacy. Understanding and mastering money management is the key to financial stability. I think managing finances well is both a skill and a will. A skill because one needs to learn how earning, spending, and saving work. The will because one needs to understand their earning limitations and set a spending budget that matches the situation. Individuals will soon fall into debt if they spend more than they earn and don’t learn how to manage their finances. Managing money means effectively setting and achieving goals for earnings, spending, saving, and investing. When one learns how to manage finances properly, one can easily set aside money to achieve short-term and long-term goals. My short-term goals are simple. I am 18 and planning to attend college. I have been working part-time jobs since the age of 15. When I started working, I spent 100% of what I earned even though my parents recommended I save for college. I have no idea how or where I spent my money. I think most of it went to Kwik Trip. I had areas for improvement. As I finish my senior year of high school and college is right around the corner, I realize I need to lower my spending and save more of what I earn. I set a goal to save 80% of my earnings this year. I have also set goals to apply for and earn financial scholarships to reduce my loan debt. Completing the FAFSA application and totaling up the cost of tuition, room, and board, meal plan, books, and supplies have me thinking a lot about the financial commitment I am about to make. I will need to manage my finances as a college student. I will be living away from home for the first time, and my parents have committed limited financial support. I understand my funds will be limited, and I will need to be sure my college lifestyle stays within my budget. I will be assuming student loan debt to pursue further education. Even with some financial support from my family and my savings from past jobs, my financial resources do not equal the money I will need to finance my college education. I will need to manage my finances as a college student. I need to set and keep to a spending budget, fully understand how student loans work, and limit daily expenses to ensure I don't overspend. To manage my college debt, I plan to use the skills learned about managing finances and the will to not get careless and overspend my budget to complete my college education with as little debt as possible. I plan to reach my long-term financial goal to achieve a master's degree with under $60,000 in student loan debt.

How have athletics impacted my life in a positive way by Jack Augustine, Sun Prairie West High School I can’t remember a time in my life when I wasn’t playing a sport. Spring and summer youth baseball turned into fall football, which transitioned into winter basketball. Playing on various sports teams from youth to varsity, I have come to develop a life structured around athletics. I learned many great life lessons while playing sports. First, athletes are both born and made; it’s not one or the other. I was always the tallest kid in elementary school. My third-grade teacher was the first to give me a flier about signing up to play youth basketball. Unfortunately, I was not a natural at playing but I learned the value of hard work and great coaching. Because I was tall, I often was selected for the tournament team. As I grew older, continuing to be selected for the tournament team required hard work. I would spend hours doing ball handling and shooting drills on my own. I also had a talented coach who stressed discipline, provided encouragement, and created a culture of teamwork and sportsmanship. Another lesson is that sports are a great way of making friendships. Over my years of participating in youth through high school sports, the people I consider my closest friends I met through my involvement in athletics. My tightest circle of friends includes mostly those teammates from baseball, football, or basketball. As a player, I’ve spent countless hours on a practice field or in-game situations and have shared those experiences with only a handful of people, my teammates. We sweat together, joke with each other, compete for positions and playtime against one another, and sometimes hate our coach together. That bond of shared experiences gave me a strong brotherhood of friends. A final lesson is that sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and sometimes it rains. Athletics is not about winning; instead, it’s about doing your best to improve as an individual while growing as a team. It’s about seeing how far you can push yourself without giving up. Athletics have taught me to persevere when times get tough, and that success does not build character failure does. This year, due to the growth in population, our community was split between two schools, east, and west. The two football teams competed against each other. On the scoreboard, my team lost the football game, but on the field, my team won. We showed more sportsmanship and character in how we treated our competition who just the prior year were our teammates. That was mentally the toughest game of the season. Thanks to athletics, I built friendships that will last a lifetime. I am thankful for the memories, the values, and the character I have gained from them. I will be forever grateful for the sacrifices my parents, coaches, and teammates made for me. The lessons I learned from participation in athletics have helped shape my life and what drives my future career goal. I want to continue to be part of an athletic community. This fall I will attend Winona State University in Minnesota. I plan to complete the Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT) program and work as an athletic trainer.