Growing up, I wasn’t very confident. I always thought that everything in my life was more difficult just because my family was very athletically driven, and as a kid, I didn’t have the attributes. I didn’t have the height, the skills, or the talent to be great at athletics, and I always felt like the world was against me in some way.  

This feeling drew me closer to God, and my faith played a role in me becoming who I am; There came a time when my family would tell me that my time was coming and to pray about it and know that I won’t be left behind. They told me that they have my back and God has my back. 

The encouragement from my family made me turn to God. I learned that my time will come and that God hasn’t left me behind. Whether I was going to grow and get taller or get better at athletics or not, I wasn’t left behind. That was something I had to understand.

I did end up getting better at athletics, and I have come so far. 

Now, I would be wasting my blessing not to do my best to lead and show people my faith the best way I can. I show my faith through my social media because that’s the place where I have the most reach and can touch the most people and the most hearts.

I do that through my athletics. When it’s competition season, I share the ups and downs of my season, and I always finish with “trusting in God, trusting the process, and trusting in the plan regardless of the outcome,” whether I won the competition or had my worst meet ever.

I want to be a tool for God, and people have noticed this on campus. People will talk to me and say, “I love what you’re doing. You’re putting God first.” That’s how they would always say it, and that’s what I want people to see.