Life is like a mathematics equation. Each year, you add certain experiences, multiply certain sensations, subtract certain perceptions, and divide certain perspectives. The sum of this equation is what determines who you are. The three biggest influencers on my equation have been academics, athletics, and culture.

It is not until you start school that you realize that you are different from other people. It is the first time that you are around people who did not raise you and were not raised by the same people you were. Yes, at school you learn reading and mathematics but you also learn much more. You learn how to socialize with people and work through the differences while learning phonics, algebra, or advanced placement economics. The academics I have learned in school are not only from books but also from my interactions with people.

All my life, I’ve done or been involved in gymnastics. Gymnastics is an individual sport that allows you to excel as a team. While you perform by yourself, you have a team supporting you and cheering you on until you finish. Gymnastics has taught me to win with grace, to lose with dignity, to try new things, to work through the pain, to strive through negative criticism, and has shaped the person I am today.

I have grown up as a minority in a predominately Caucasian area. This makes it a little harder to find an identity but not impossible. Being from a different culture than most of my classmates, I got to experience everything from multiple perspectives and I would not trade the lessons I have learned from this for anything.

Everyone’s life equation is different. My equation is completely unique to me. As I learn more and grow older, I cannot wait to add to my equation.