From a young age, I've been drawn to building dream projects of mine that allow me to tap into my creativity and leadership skills, whether that means creating opportunities for myself or opening doors for others. The work experience I've had over the course of my childhood and early adulthood has played a huge role in really building my character and confidence as I continue my path here at the University of Georgia.

At Kinder Ring sleepaway camp in Hopewell Junction, New York, I was an athletic specialist (flag football) and general camp counselor. In that role, I not only taught the sport to all campers, but also helped create the program. As a child, I spent 10 full summers at camp, meeting lifelong friends and engaging in playful, outdoor activities. One sport I always asked about, but never had the chance to play at camp, was football. I grew up watching and rooting for the New York Giants, went to all the home games and even played flag football myself in elementary school. Given my background and deep appreciation for this sport, I pitched the idea of having an official flag football program to the director, knowing that the potential of this program could carry the camp in a great direction and allow campers to enjoy the sport while also being able to compete against other camps in organized tournaments. What started as a “rough idea” eventually turned into a brand new, full-fledged flag football program that I was able to implement for campers of all ages. I loved sharing this piece of my childhood with other campers like me and learning how to build something from the ground up with initiative, planning, and belief.

This same mindset carried over into my experience as a co-founder of a window-washing and gutter-cleaning business with my two hometown best friends. At just 17 years old, I learned to overcome objections and smoke screens people would put up when they saw three teenage boys in hoodies with soap buckets and squeegees on their porch. Doors closed fast. Some didn't open at all. Nonetheless, that didn't stop my friends and me from taking a crack at something we believed in. As we fought through doubt and adversity, we learned to be persistent and personable, showing homeowners the real value behind cleaning their homes with young entrepreneurs who are willing to help neighbors in whatever way possible. The hard truth was, getting the benefit of the doubt isn't guaranteed and credibility isn't just bestowed on you; it's earned one door at a time. So, we ordered uniforms, printed business cards, put signs on lawns, and formed an LLC so that we could provide the most effective and seamless service possible to homeowners who took a chance on us. We stopped waiting to be taken seriously and started showing them why they should. I stepped us as the sales representative of our door-to-door selling and learned something pretty quickly: you have about 20 seconds to make an impression. Credibility isn't loud. It's obvious. It's preparation. It's ownership. We built more than a business; we built social proof and trust. With every job, customers became referrals. Referrals became neighborhoods. Social media became zip codes. Our effort truly persisted and allowed us to live comfortably outside our comfort zone. Because truthfully, our success didn't begin when others took us seriously. It began when we did. And that lesson isn't just for front porches.

Whether I was exploring the opportunity to bring a flag football program to life at my camp with people who raised me, or embracing adversity and turning a simple summer project into a business, the lesson was all the same: initiative creates opportunity. It isn't going to be easy, but by being comfortable being uncomfortable, having unwavering belief in your dreams, and by building credibility, you'll find that success comes much easier. Because of my time at camp and waiting on the porches, the doors are open for me and plenty of new opportunities are waiting for me to take action.