Ever since I was little, I was taught to try to achieve excellence in everything I do. For me, this turned into playing basketball and getting good grades in the classroom. The passion to succeed was instilled in me at a very young age by my mother. She always told me to take pride in everything I do and try to be the best at it. I am very grateful to my mother for teaching me this because I continue to carry this out. In the classroom, I try my best to ask questions to make sure I understood the material clearly, I seek out my teachers during my free periods when I need a little extra help, and I always put aside an appropriate amount of time to prepare for any assessments I have. I have always liked to be proactive and stay ahead of the curve to reduce stress and make sure I get all of my work done.

On the other end of the spectrum is how I strive to achieve greatness on the basketball court. In addition to playing on the team at school, I train outside of school three times weekly and at least once on the weekends to sharpen my skillset. I also played AAU basketball during the spring and summer on the weekends to gain high-level game experience. For me, this meant giving up a lot of time with my friends and family, but I did it because I had a larger dream motivating me. I set a goal for myself to earn a scholarship to play basketball in college, and this is what kept me going through the ups and downs basketball has shown me. D-E has given me an amazing opportunity and environment to achieve excellence, always encouraging me to strive for greatness and be the best I can be in every aspect.