I am 17 years old and love to play sports, perform in 4-H, and accomplish new hairstyles on my sisters and friends. I had several odd jobs before I turned 16- babysitting, doing concessions, umpiring, and landscaping- and for the past year and a half, I have worked at Bunker Hill Chill and Grill as a waitress. Sports is something that I have done ever since I was a little girl. I play basketball at Covenant Christian High School, and in my freshman and sophomore years we only lost 2 games. I've played softball since I was 7 years old, with my favorite position being a pitcher. I have worked hard at practicing pitching ever since I started playing the sport. My dad and great-grandpa played fastpitch softball when they were teenagers, so they have played a huge role in helping me learn. Although sports take up a large chunk of my day, I still find time to show pigs while doing 4-H. When I was 8 years old I bought my first 2 pigs in March and showed them at the Allegan County Fair that Fall. I got a first-place ribbon which I was extremely excited about, and I continued to do the same year after year. Showing pigs takes a lot of work because you have to walk them multiple times a day to make them listen better and have a chance at winning. I walk them once in the morning for about an hour and then cool them off multiple times a day in the hot summer months before walking them again at night. I always make sure that they have enough food and water, and clean pens so that they stay healthy. Along with sports and 4-H I also have a passion for doing hair. Ever since my aunt graduated from hair school when I was around the age of 11 I have always loved to watch her do hair and see the before and after pictures. I started practicing on my siblings and mom soon after that, and now every Sunday for church everyone asks me to do their hair. My goal is to go to the Salon Professional Academy in Holland next fall and graduate the following summer of 2025. After I become licensed as a hair stylist I hope to find a job in a salon where I can build up my clientele. I would soak up as much learning as I can in hopes of one day owning my own salon. I love doing hair, and I hope to do it for the rest of my life even if I get married someday. It brings me joy every time that I get to talk to people as I do their hair, and I hope that one day my dreams will come true where I will get to do this every day.

The field of study that I am planning to pursue after I graduate from high school this spring is Cosmetology. I have always loved looking at people's hair, and am always the first one to notice if someone gets a haircut or a different color. I will often scroll on Instagram or Pinterest and look at different styles or colors for inspiration, and I'm so excited to learn on a more experienced level how to do hair. My aunt who is 8 years older than me went to hair school when I was around the age of 11. She graduated from Douglas J. Aveda Institute and worked at a salon for several years before doing hair from her home. Ever since she graduated and started doing my hair or others that I knew I have had a much bigger interest in this industry. I saw everything that you learned in hair school and wanted it for myself. So for about 6 years, I've had the goal to go to cosmetology school and pursue my dreams. Over the past year, I've looked into hair school a lot more closely, even going on several college visits and job shadows. Every time I visited a different school I fell even more in love with the career. A couple of months ago I sent my application to The Salon Professional Academy of Holland and was accepted. After receiving an acceptance letter I was extremely excited, and I can not wait to start my new career next fall. To begin a career in this field means so much to me. After years of looking up to my aunt and counting down the days until I was old enough to pursue my own career, I have finally almost reached my goal. As I am about to begin this new stage in my life I know that I will enjoy every second of it. My goal after I graduate from hair school is to work in a salon until I grow enough clientele and then one day start my own business. Another dream of mine has been to own my own business. When I was younger I remember sitting on my dad's lap and telling him about how much money I was going to have one day when I had my own business. Ever since then he has encouraged me to pursue this goal and has been one of my biggest supporters. This is another reason that beginning a career in the Cosmetology field would mean so much to me. My dad has helped me so much over the years and given me lots of advice, and to be successful in this career and to be able to thank him for some of the success would mean the world to me.