I want to start this by saying that I am far from a finished product. I like to look at myself like I do with my writing: very good, but in need of assistance to get to the next level. My life, to this point, has been full of turns and character shifts. For the longest time, I thought that my destiny was to be a professional baseball player. But maybe from the start, I was always destined for this path. I never excelled at baseball. I tried out for countless travel teams, getting cut from each of them. This was in Little League (so even before middle school). And yet, the dream was not dead. When I was noticed by a coach for my arm strength, I was given the opportunity to try my hand (or arm) at pitching. I was not immediately the next Cy Young winner, but I had a lot of raw potential. For the next few years, I worked at my craft on the mound, becoming confident in my abilities. Although once I got to high school baseball, I was pretty much shut out of any type of role.

By the time COVID-19 hit, I was a sophomore toiling on JV without a true path to stardom. I knew my time on the field was dwindling. In actuality, the pandemic was a blessing in disguise for me. In March of 2020, I got a Twitter DM asking me if I wanted to intern at a website specializing in high school football recruiting. It was a small opportunity, but my first. I accepted it and began to write for them. I received a lot of positive feedback on my writing. In a few short months, I came to the conclusion that maybe, just maybe, media was the field for me. By then, I had quit high school baseball and committed to my journalistic career. I have since collected other opportunities, going to prestigious conferences and winning multiple awards for my writing.

This, however, is not just a place for me to gloat about my achievements. It is to discuss how I got to this point in my life. I have always loved sports, which is one of the chief reasons I went into baseball as a kid. When the flame for playing the sport I loved so dearly extinguished, I pivoted my focus within the industry. If I can’t play the game I love, I can watch and report on it. I expanded to other sports, but the same principle remains true.

Over the past year and a half where my career has taken off, I have had people ask me what it is like to be called things like a “prodigy” by bosses. I don’t have an answer for that question, but I do have an analogy for it. As someone who has seen numerous people be “prodigies” on the baseball field, I know what it looks like to have the ultimate swagger and confidence in oneself. I never was like that; I always had to grind and work hard for every bit of success on the field. Now, I am in the opposite position. I am the one who effortlessly weaves words with wondrous results. My ten fingers contain more creativity than most people have in their entire beings. People are looking to me, not the other around, for advice and tips.

Considering that I am in the midst of my senior year, I am thinking about my legacy. I am Editor in Chief of my school newspaper, and hold other leadership positions within the school community. I have begun to carve out a name for myself. I love my platform. I want to broadcast all of the good things that are happening to the world. I am capable of doing so much good, and I have such a bright future that it astonishes me sometimes. As someone who just turned 18, I have more accolades than most people five years older than me. I have done so much so far, and I am just getting started with my career.

I would like to think that I am capable of anything in journalism. I have recently branched out to not only photography and videography but broadcast journalism. I am so deeply interested in everything in the industry. I know that given the proper education in college and beyond, I can be the next great sportswriter. It may sound cocky and whatnot, but I believe in my abilities so deeply. I have found my path in life. I am honestly so grateful for the opportunities to this point, and I hope people find their passion in the same manner.