I was first called “an old soul” when my fifth-grade teacher chuckled at my expressed desire to live in Mayberry, the corny and fictitious town of the Andy Griffith Show. Though she said them with a smile, her words couldn’t have wounded me more. 
An old sole?! I misunderstood this idiom and wondered how evidence of wear from the journey of life could be a compliment when society values all that is shiny and new. Over time, as I came to realize the value of use, my paradigm would shift, and I would appreciate that wear and tear on old shoes attests to a life well lived.
In 2020, prior to the current conflict there, I stepped onto the cobblestone streets of Kyiv, Ukraine. There in the capital city’s Independence Square, the locals’ gathering place for passionate nightly celebrations, I found community. Music emanated through the air as the youth blissfully sang and danced in the streets. In this scene, attention was redirected to the opportunity and hope of the future, sidestepping the traumas of their past. As locals welcomed me into their festivities, I began to understand that life could be much more than a fixation on inevitable obstacles. Rather, its purpose is to be fully immersed and thankful for the present moment, regardless of what that might entail.
My journey to Kyiv inspired me; by embracing the hardships, retying my laces, and continuing to move, each day I work to be a person who never dismisses the past stories that have built who I am. I am enabled to live eagerly for today and my future by revering what was overcome. The wear on my shoes does not leave me ignorant, nor afraid of falling, but rather, they serve as fuel to live fearlessly. Their dull and old qualities empower me, and I am liberated to freely dance in the streets. I can throw up my arms and sing carelessly and laugh as strongly as my heart desires.
As I enter my next chapter on the UT Austin campus as a Forty Acres Scholar, I hold dreams to make a difference in my new community with the understanding that endured struggles and the communal overcoming of them are what promote improvement and compassion. Throughout high school, I worked to highlight empathetic service for others in my love for leadership, whether it be through the organization of many personal-care item drives for local women’s shelters or in my mentorship of middle school students at my church’s youth group meetings. With a business degree, I similarly aim to bridge disparities and invest my efforts into bettering communities. However, this is with the grateful understanding that the struggle is what makes any outcome beautiful. I look forward to finding joys in both the highs and lows that these next four years hold.

Major:
Business Honors

Honors Program:
Canfield Business Honors Program

Other Academic Interests:
Management Information Systems, Data Science

What drew you to the Forty Acres Scholars Program?
The intentionality behind the actions and dreams of every individual associated with the Forty Acres Scholars Program, whether they be students or alumni, mentors and donors, or staff members involved, is a characterization that is impossible to ignore. Each person, though unique in the paths that life has taken them down or the varying interests they currently explore, holds a shared passion for service and support of their community, making everyone they encounter someone who is a valuable and meaningful component to their life. This common thread of being sincere in supporting others unites the community in both the discovery and connection pillars of the scholarship program- There is always someone to turn to, learn from, be inspired by, aid, have a conversation with, or even just sit with.

What makes your scholar cohort unique?
My scholar cohort, aside from having an unmatched sense of humor, is unique in their inherent enthusiasm for life. Throughout both Finalist Weekend and the Freshman Retreat, I found that my peers took intense excitement from every activity, and, particularly, the unknown. Walking through the streets of Austin in heels was a challenge that was taken on and overcome together. Sampling every dessert at our Freshman Retreat became a self-proclaimed obligation. The Texas-themed skit portion of Camp Texas was the ultimate opportunity to share the group’s comedy that I have so heavily bragged about. I have truly never met a more joyful group of individuals. I feel so incredibly blessed that I have the opportunity to spend four years by their sides!