Ever since I was young, I've loved artistic performance. From very influential episodes of "Angelina Ballerina," (a show about a dancing mouse,) to playing with Barbie dolls in their pink tutus, I've always admired the grace and charm of dancers. I started ballet quite young, and really enjoyed it.

Eventually, I discovered figure skating. I didn't have some story where I was enthralled with the performance of a skater, or inspired by their monumental tale. The first time I heard that there was a rink near us, I didn't even give it a second thought. My family figured we could go a few times for fun, and that would be it. By the end of the first month though, I was hooked. The skills I learned from ballet had easily translated over, and I realized that skating was quickly taking over my life. It soon began to consume my every waking thought, and I realized that I’d finally found the thing that I was passionate about.

I managed to harness that obsession and turn it into something beneficial to my academic life. Through practicing tricks, I went through a process similar to the scientific method. I learned the importance of repetition, and how to alter my performance after receiving feedback. Through genuine curiosity, I searched up endless articles on famous skaters and spent ages just going through their histories. While my younger obsession has waned a little, getting on the ice still makes my worries instantly dissipate, and as the wind whips through my hair, I feel free.