Four years ago, if you would have asked me whether I believed people could change, I would immediately say no. But, as someone who desperately wanted to change and eventually completely transformed myself, I can tell you my perspective completely shifted. People can change, but only if they truly want to and are willing to put in the effort. 

Freshman year, if you told me I would end up as a drop out, or worse, I would have believed you without hesitation. But, that is not how my story unfolded. Instead, through a friendship I will forever cherish with Kait Marshall and through the grace of God, I became the exact opposite of who I thought I would be. I became someone that little me would be incredibly proud of. 

Now, going from a student who earned Ds and Fs, surrounded herself with the wrong influences and made poor choices to becoming a student with a 3.7 GPA senior year, deeply involved in her church community, a cheerleader, head editor of the West Word and a mentor to many amazing students, was far from easy. In fact I stumbled and fell back more than once along the way. And I am not claiming to be perfect, because that would be a total lie. 

But, what I can say is this, if you want to change and become better, it is possible. My whole high school journey is proof that when you want something badly enough, it can happen. However this is not something you can accomplish on your own. Without incredible mentors like Elijah Hendershott, David Falter, Nicholas Jacoby, Whitney Upshaw and my coach, Brodie Subia, I would not be the woman I am today, walking into a very bright future with confidence and purpose. 

Today, I am proud to say that I am a three year varsity athlete, a youth leader in my local church, working toward earning my CNA certification in a week, and preparing to attend Grand Canyon to pursue my nursing degree. 

Let this be a testimony to the transformation that can occur in anyone’s life. If I can do it from a very low place, anyone can. So, keep working hard in those classes no matter what they are, surround yourself with mentors and peers who encourage you to be the best version of yourself. And every single day, strive to be better than you were yesterday even if it’s only by 1 percent. The journey will not always be easy, but when you look back and realize how far you have come, every single challenge becomes worth it.