Three important things in my life that have shaped my identity are my family, the Mount, and being a member of the crew team. My family has shaped my identity because I have learned many of my habits and actions from being around them. My family consists of my mother, father and three sisters: Katie (23), Molly (19), and Emma (16). My parents have inspired me to become a hard-working and persistent person. They have helped me set my priorities which include my faith, family and friends, schoolwork and my passions. My sisters are also responsible for shaping my identity because I have always looked up to my older sisters and tried to be the same type of role model to my younger sister. It was my mother and sisters who introduced me to the Mount and helped me realize that it was the perfect fit for me.

Going into eighth grade my classmates and I were all applying to different high schools and beginning to look for where we wanted to continue our educations. Because all of my aunts and sisters had gone to the Mount I wanted to be different and desperately wanted to go to Gwynedd Mercy. However, when I visited at Mount I was amazed at the friendliness of the studetns and faculty. I knew that it was the right school for me. Throughout these four years of high school I have made many new friends and been introduced to new experiences. I have been able to explore my interests and realize what I really enjoy doing. I have learned my strengths and weaknesses inside and outside of the classroom. One important part of my experience at Mount that has also helped shape my identity was being a member of the crew team.

Freshman year I had a hard time deciding what I wanted to do, which sports I wanted to play and which clubs I wanted to join. My older sister, Molly, was a part of the team and I loved the competition and unity I saw every weekend. I made many of my close friends through joining this team and really found my place at the school. By becoming a member of this team I also was given many opportunites to travel to places such as Tennessee, Boston, and England. By traveling to Boston I fell in love with the city and realized I wanted to go to college somewhere there. These values and experiences I have gained from my family, school, and team are invaluable and have all helped to shape my identity.