I grew up in a racially diverse area of Western Washington. Racial discrimination was not easy for me to understand as a young child. When I heard my friends sharing their stories and experiences of being discriminated against, I often could not begin to understand why or how that could happen, especially living in a rather progressive area. The more I learned about racial inequality and social injustices, the more I wanted to learn about ways to combat and uproot it.

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There were a lot of times growing up and through college where I'd experience both overt and underlying instances of sexism in sports. It was always hard for me to understand why those who engaged in sexist behavior wanted to tear me and other women down. It became degrading and mentally draining after years of it chipping away at me.
 

I received several offers to play volleyball at division II/III schools, as well as a few division I programs. I decided it was time to give up my sport competitively at the last minute, choosing WSU on a whim. This came as a surprise to not only the people around me, but to myself as well. I did not expect to abruptly abandon competitive volleyball, but I knew it was the right thing for me to do.

This was the first time for almost a decade where I was going to switch from the mindset of living and breathing my sport, to now having it completely removed from my list of priorities. This was an indescribable feeling of discomfort that would completely alter my life.
 

My mental and physical health deteriorated gradually as I adjusted to a lifestyle without volleyball, making my first two years of college incredibly difficult for me.
 

Over time as I learned to put school and my mental health first, I realized that sport could remain part of my life without me playing the role of an athlete. My academic specialties in psychology and writing revealed to me that I could combine many areas I am passionate about into many career avenues.