My Story

Tragedy. I have experienced this only a few times in life. I first came in contact with tragedy on May 25th, 2012 when I found out my grandpa had passed away that day while I was at school. I still remember the feeling of my stomach falling to my feet, the taste of the tears that flowed down my face, the shakiness of my hands and legs that I couldn’t stop. I was 7 years old when I first felt the feeling of my heart breaking and knowing I could not see my best friend anymore. As I started to learn how to overcome the tragic things that come and go in my life I fell back into a serious tragedy that I couldn’t overcome. On September 26th, 2020 tragedy came hard that day. During a soccer game I collided with the goalie running full speed for the ball and ended up breaking my tibia and fibula.  I don’t remember much after that but I can remember the numbness that went through my body as I crashed into the grass, the coolness of the grass as I laid on my back not being able to move, hearing the break of my leg, and the different voices that surrounded me asking the same questions for hours it seemed. When the paramedics got to the field I was taken to Dayton Childrens to have surgery. I now have four screws in my leg, two by my left ankle, the other two right below my knee, and a rod in my lower leg where the bone came out. This tragedy ended the rest of my sophomore year and my club season.

With my family being spread out in different states traveling started out really young for me. My first vacation I took with my family was to Hawaii to see my family that we rarely saw due to my uncle being in the Army and moving back and forth overseas. My whole family from the Krupp side all went to Hawaii as a family vacation. With me being two years old when we went I don't remember the trip but I still look through the pictures we took exploring various places and trying foods and activities we never will experience again. This was only the first of many vacations that I hold close. The most memorable trip I went on was at the end of sixth grade. My parents told me and my siblings that we were going to Germany to travel around Europe and to see my family members that lived in Germany for my uncle's job. We left for Germany on May 17th, 2017 and planned on going back to the states on the 28th. We had planned the whole trip and had everything written down that we wanted to do. There was so much to look at and I looked forward to exploring different parts of Europe. The first couple of days we stayed in Germany traveling all around visiting different castles and monuments. We then went to Switzerland and ziplined through the Dark Forest, walked through all types of towns and ate all different kinds of food. Switzerland had to be my favorite place we went to on the trip. The last few days of the trip was spent in Paris visiting the Eiffel Tower and going to the top to see the whole city, riding tour boats and buses learning more about the places we went to, walking through the city and savoring every minute spent in the place I never thought I would be able to visit. 

All people have things that make them their happiest. Soccer is one thing that makes me the happiest. I grew up in a very athletic family with my brother and sister playing soccer among other sports but for me soccer was the only sport that I enjoyed and felt right at home when I played. I started playing at a very young age around 3 years old. As I got older my love for soccer grew too. Through the years of playing and changes that came and went I have learned that not everything will last forever and you can’t waste the good days and the bad days and to keep your head high through it all. Soccer is one of the most important things to me and it will always be in the future. When I am not playing soccer I am hanging out with my closest friends. I first met Sarah and Emily in preschool at Catholic Central. We became best friends the first minute we met each other and haven’t lost that connection. Sarah and Emily are two of the best people who have come into my life. We have made so many memories together and we’re by each other’s side through the good times and the bad times. I look forward to every weekend because I know we will be at one of our houses hanging out and begging our parents to let us stay over. We know they will say yes but it’s still fun to ask even though we already knew the answer. And if they say no I am spending time with my mom and dad at home. My parents are two very hard workers and have given me and my siblings everything we needed. They never lose faith in each other and have given us so much that we will never be able to give back in return. 

Through the past couple of years I have met some of my other close friends since transferring from Catholic Central to Shawnee in 5th grade. I never regret meeting a person because I believe that when a person comes into your life they have a reason to why they do and you can either choose to learn from the past and apply it for the future or you can regret meeting the person and not learn for the person.I With meeting so many of my friends I have learned more about their stories and the connection we share grows. I would not replace all the memories I have created or made with family and friends for the world.