Growing up, I always knew I should go to college, but I didn't know how I would get there or what I would major in. The greatest influence on my decision to attend college was becoming a three-time international competitor for DECA: An Association of Marketing Students. My high school marketing teacher helped me find my passion for business management and marketing. He showed me that I matter and taught me that I can be extremely successful as long as I am willing to work hard to get there.

I chose to go to UE because I believed I would have the most opportunities as a Purple Ace. The business program is amazing and they make it easy to double major! I am also able to continue competing in Division 1 athletics in UE's relatively new track and field program. This representation really matters to athletes from small high schools like where I come from. UE has helped me on my journey as a first-generation student by offering resources including great academic scholarships and a wide variety of student organizations to become involved in, such as the University of Evansville Leadership Academy and the LEAD Forward Fellowship.

As a first-generation student, the biggest challenge I faced was paying for my education on my own. I wasn't able to ask my parents for help, so I work part-time in addition to being a student athlete. I am extremely grateful to Lippert Components for the internships they have provided me as a means to cover my cost of living as well as providing meaningful work experience.

To me, being a first-generation student means that I need to have extra persistence because I have to work very hard to attend college. My mom has encouraged me to continue giving 100 percent effort throughout high school and college because she understands the power of education. She never even had a chance to attend high school, so I work hard each day to someday give her a better future. I also wanted to show my younger siblings that they can go to college, too!