1.) My name is John Micucci. I live in Northern New Hampshire and am currently attending the University of New Hampshire pursuing a degree in community and environmental planning with a minor in sustainability. 2.)This scholarship will ease the cost of school as UNH has one of the highest in-state tuition across the country and I am paying for my schooling out of pocket. This scholarship will allow me to be more focused on my degree rather than worrying about paying for the degree. 3.) For academic goals, I have been focusing on maintaining a GPA above 3.5. Recently, I have been setting more career goals for myself to set me up for the future. I have been working hard to get an internship with a city planner in New Hampshire who has lots of insight into the industry and who seems like someone I can learn a lot from. This will hopefully lead me to get a job in the field through the connections I will build there. Once I build a good foundation here in New England, I hope to move out west to Oregon or Washington where I hope to keep pursuing city planning as a career. 4.) To contribute to my community, first as a senior in high school, I built a gaga pit where our local summer program is. This is a small, easy-to-play game that kids in the area love. I have also helped coach children's soccer and basketball programs in my hometown. Here at UNH, I have been able to join the student body as a senator. Within the Student Senate, I have joined the Campus Structure which is a board that puts forth resolutions urging the university to build, repair, or update infrastructure around campus. Personally, I have written a resolution to fix a path leading to the gym through a dorm. I have also joined the Health and Wellness board where I am the dining commission chairperson. Here, I get feedback from students about our dining halls and act as a liaison to our chefs, dietitians, and the people who run the retail stores around campus. 5.) A time I have failed was when my father passed away. After this, I seemingly shut down for a few days. I believe this to be a failure because this was a time when my sister and mother needed me most and I couldn't be there for them. From this experience, I learned that even when things get rough, I need to be able to keep moving because the people around me may be counting on me. 6.) I believe my greatest strengths are ambition as I have always gone full throttle when I make the decision to do something, courage, as I always choose to put my first foot forward to make a movement happen when others are scared to, and the ability to make the people around me better. I believe this is one of my greatest strengths because I always try and push the people in my life hard but to a point where it makes them greater and not to a point that makes them hate me and the task they are doing.

My grandfather, a veteran who served our country during the Korean War, has profoundly shaped the person I am today. Through his life and stories, he taught me to be present and appreciative of every experience, a value that influences everything I do, including my approach to golf. Now 93, he still joins me at the driving range, coaching me with the same patience and encouragement he has always shown and instilled in me. These moments are not just about technique or scores; they’re about connection, growth, and cherishing time together. Surrounded by his friends, who share stories from their years playing together, I have come to appreciate the camaraderie and life lessons golf offers. Four years ago, after my grandfather encouraged me to try golf, I began playing with my friends, and it quickly became a passion of mine. From the start, I recognized that golf demands patience and dedication, two traits that I continue to develop on the course and in life. Every swing is a lesson in focus, every round an exercise in resilience. My ultimate goal now is to make the golf team at the University of New Hampshire, where I am a student. Being part of a college team would not only push me to refine my skills but also allow me to represent my university with the same pride my grandfather had in his service. If awarded this scholarship, I would be honored to promote the foundation and the veteran community that means so much to me. One way I envision giving back is by organizing a veterans’ golf tournament at my local course. Such an event would serve as a tribute to veterans’ contributions and create an opportunity for people to connect through a shared love of golf. By highlighting the values of resilience, honor, and dedication that veterans embody, I hope to inspire others to support the veteran community in ways both big and small. This would also give veterans from the community to meet outside of the legion and have fun together. This scholarship would not only support my personal journey in golf but also enable me to bring my grandfather’s legacy forward by honoring veterans through my efforts. I am grateful for the opportunity to build upon his lessons, and if chosen, I would strive to uphold the foundation’s mission and values in all that I do, on and off the course.

Winning a golf scholarship would be an incredible opportunity for me, not only because of my commitment to the sport but also due to the direction I envision for my career. Over the past four years, I have worked to improve my golf skills which has caused passion for the game to grow even stronger. This past summer I worked at a country club has further deepened my appreciation for golf and exposed me to the importance of golf facilities in communities. This scholarship would not only support my education but would also bring me one step closer to my long-term goal of becoming a community planner where the development of golf courses to create valuable recreational spaces would be something I plan on striving for. Since my grandfather taught me how to play, golf has taught me invaluable lessons about patience, discipline, and perseverance. Playing this sport for four years, I have encountered many challenges and have worked hard to improve my performance. The consistent practice, learning from mistakes, and understanding the nuances of the game have all contributed to my personal growth. This scholarship would allow me to continue developing my skills, and I am eager to bring the same dedication to my studies and future career. Working at my local country club has given me a unique perspective on the operational side of golf. I see firsthand the positive impact that golf courses have on the community, providing a place where people can gather, relax, and enjoy the outdoors. I have developed an understanding of how golf courses can be spaces that foster connections with the older generations and improve the quality of life for community members. Additionally, working alongside the people who run a golf course has provided me with insights into the planning and management of golf facilities, which I hope to incorporate into my future career as a community planner. My ambition is to become a community planner who not only designs functional spaces but also enhances recreational options by implementing more golf courses where I work. I believe that golf courses, when thoughtfully integrated, can promote well-being and bring people together. By providing more communities with access to golf facilities, I hope to create spaces where people of all ages and backgrounds can experience the benefits of this sport. This scholarship would be an essential investment in my journey to bring these ideas to life. Overall, this scholarship represents more than financial assistance, it gives me an opportunity to bridge my passion for golf with my career aspirations. My commitment to golf, experience working in a country club, and vision for my future make me a strong candidate for this scholarship. Winning this award would enable me to pursue a career where I can combine my love for golf with my dedication to community planning. I am excited about the possibility of contributing to the growth of golf as a sport and a community asset, and I am confident that this scholarship will help me achieve my goals.

Of course, LeGoat is the greatest to ever play the game of basketball. I will stray from the usual argument that MJ is better because this has nothing to do with that. We done with the 90s. I will also steer clear of the countless accomplishments that the chosen one has made such as being the longest active player in the league, the highest scorer in NBA history and his four championships to focus on the greatness of my glorious king. As someone born in New England in 2005, I have grown up a Celtics fan my whole life watching NBA basketball thus I have seen Big Bron play my whole life. Watching countless mixtapes, watching this spectacle of a man, I and many others have grown up trying to recreate things The King has done. As Mr. Goat was drafted in 2003, this has caused many others to be affected by the Akron Hammer in a similar way to me. This has crafted a multitude of players in the league today that have become living legends in the league. LeKings influence transcends stats, inspiring generations of fans and players alike, leaving an undeniable legacy that reshapes basketball forever naming him the undisputed GOAT.

My name is John Micucci, and I am a Community and Environmental Planning major with a minor in sustainability student at the University of New Hampshire. I am part of the Community Planning club here as well as the Student Senate, where I am part of the Campus Structure Board, which looks at fixing problems around campus that have to do with things like crosswalks, paths and outdoor working spaces. With my major, I am interested in multiple career paths, although I am especially interested in landscape architecture in the field of golf course planning and construction. I plan to make a difference in the field of the landscape industry by making the processes of how everything is done more sustainable. I plan to do this by implementing the skills and tools I will acquire through school in this field and pave the way to a more sustainable future for the landscape industry. I am passionate about this field of work because, growing up in northern New Hampshire, I learned the importance of keeping our land healthy. My father who passed away in 2022 (my sophomore year of high school) instilled a passion for keeping the environment around me healthy. This area of study gives me the opportunity to look deeper into how the landscape industry is done, which I can look to improve. I believe that sustainability in the landscape business is critical for protecting natural ecosystems and ensuring that our current interactions with our environment do not jeopardize the health of future generations. Growing up surrounded by New Hampshire's forests, mountains, and waterways, I developed a strong connection to the landscape. This link has given me a responsibility to conserve and improve the natural environment through sustainable activities. Current landscaping practices frequently disregard the long term consequences on soil health, water conservation, and biodiversity. By focusing on long term solutions, we may decrease hazardous chemicals, prevent erosion, and design landscapes that work with nature rather than against it. Furthermore, sustainable landscaping encourages the use of native plants, which benefit local wildlife while reducing the need for frequent watering and upkeep. I am eager to learn how new technologies and environmentally responsible practices may transform the sector, from incorporating renewable energy solutions to encouraging organic land care approaches. Finally, my ambition is to contribute to a future in which landscapes are not only beautiful but also function as functioning ecosystems that support the environment and the communities that rely on it.

My father passed away when I was 15. I am now 19 and have realized how much of a journey I have been through since we found out he had cancer. When we first found out he had cancer for the second time in my life, I couldn't believe it had come back. The pain I knew he would go through tore me apart. Trying to focus on anything other than what was happening at home I wanted to throw myself into school and my extracurricular life. This, however, did not last very long as I soon found out that his cancer was terminal, and we only had a few months left with him. Making an almost full 180-degree turn, I spend all of my extra time with my dad going on hikes, listening to music and going on long drives to talk. This gave me a whole new appreciation for the father I had as I found out so much more about his life as a young man. His stories made me want to be better and put myself into the world being my best self. Eventually, everything started to slow down as his cancer got worse and he could no longer go out and do the things he loved the most like hike and mountain bike. Realizing how hard this would all be for me my dad told me to keep moving because the world wouldn't stop just because of what was happening with him. This caused me to spiral because I realized how little time, I had left with him causing me to turn back to my old ways. Trying my best to get out of the house and "keep moving" like he said, I went on runs every day, tried to stay in town after school for as long as possible and worked hard in school. Although this is what he wanted, this started to make me feel as though I was leaving him behind already as he seemed gone already in my mind. Making yet another realization, I spent the last few weeks spending all of my time with my dad trying to make the best of it. Then it happened. I woke up to get ready for school and my mom walked into my room to tell me that he had passed away in his sleep. After spending the day with my family, I remembered his words, "Just keep going" echoing in my head over and over again. Although it has been a hard few years, I have always remembered my father as one of the most amazing people. He gave me so much in my life including the best advice I have ever received which was to keep moving even if you have to slow everything down because everything else will keep moving around you. This has made me grow into the person I am today because I have learned to look at the bigger picture and see that even if there is a roadblock, I must work through it to see the other side.