My parents, Eileen and David Stone always encouraged me to “be the best Amelia I could be” and by doing so I would end up where I need to be in life. I always questioned this idea. What is the best Amelia and how do I become her? I am nurturing and bubbly like my mother but also determined and stubborn like my father. I grew up in the small city of Tucker, Georgia, just 20 minutes outside of Atlanta. I often spent weekends exploring the city with my friends or brother. I went to school at Tucker High School where I became very involved. Joining countless clubs and held the position of chief editor of our school's yearbook my senior year. While high school was fun, it was also a rough time. I struggled to be “best Amelia I could be” and lost sight of where I wanted to end up. But there was always one thing that I never lost sight of and that was my involvement in horses.

The “horse-bug” bit me at the young age of seven. Often times, the sport of equestrian proves to be a phase, but for me, it grew to become a lifestyle. From the time I set foot in the barn, I knew that this would be a place that I could call home. The barn atmosphere provided me with close friends and an accepting community, something that I struggled to build at school despite being so involved. Horse show weekends were where I learned so many lessons about sportsmanship and responsibility. While these lessons sound like hard ones to learn, by being in an environment that I loved, I never noticed how difficult they may be. The feeling of disappointment when I may not have come in first place was often replaced with excitement for those who did. The friendships that I made within my barn community are those that I have since carried with me to college. I learned what success feels like, as well as the pain that is experienced when you fall (both literally and figuratively). Reflecting back, horses have allowed me to grow into the outgoing and ambitious young woman I am today.