Growing up in rural New Jersey, believe it or not, allowed me to experience an array of different opportunities. My hometown is very closely knit. Although it holds many citizens, I got to know people through many recreational activities and it always felt as if everyone was one big family. I was a cheerleader for thirteen years with the same group of amazing girls. I played softball as a little girl and volunteered countless hours of my time to community service as well as being a volunteer cheerleading coach. I met so many amazing people in my community by doing this.

Going to college out of state was something I thought I would never do just because I love where I live. Moving from a farm town to Baltimore has been quite the adjustment. To have a corn field as your backyard for 15 years of your life and then moving in to a concrete high-rise is extremely strange at first. The loudest noise I would hear at night back home was crickets. Here, it is the sound of someone’s car alarm or loud voices.

There is so much love back home. People love to help each other in every single way. The farmer who lives on my road plows the driveway of every single home on our road every time it snows.

The most amazing people are from my hometown. I met my lifelong friends in elementary school. I have met families that have become part of my own extended ‘family’ that I have taken vacations with.

My high school is state of the art. I am so thankful that I received my high school diploma there. I was so involved in high school, being varsity cheerleading captain and an active member of Key Club. I even won the Senior Superlative “Most School Spirit." There is nothing that makes me more proud than being able to say I went to my high school. My graduating class was full of some of the greatest friends I will ever have, and some extremely smart classmates. Our valedictorian attends an Ivy League university. So many of the amazing young men and women I graduated with decided to serve our military straight out of high school.

Friday night football games were always the best. Seeing the young football players and cheerleaders in our town come out to support the high school team was always so sweet. Although I never got to see a game from the stands because I was always cheerleading, I could always feel the energy from the fans. The spirit of our community was always something that other towns wanted to live up to.

When my good friend Mike Nichols suffered a spinal cord injury playing high school hockey, his life changed forever. Knowing my community, I knew that he would never have to suffer alone. Instantly, everyone united for his support and the outpour of care continues to this day. With all of the money raised and the efforts to make his house more comfortable, he is doing so well today, all thanks to the overwhelming support from the people of my hometown.

I will always be honored to be from my hometown. This place gave me some of the best memories of my life. It’s where I met my best friend Casey and my "squad." It is where I learned that your roots are important and that you should always be proud of where you came from. It is where I met my middle school sweetheart, who is still my current boyfriend, and who will soon become more than that. It is where I learned to cheerlead, and it is where I earned three National Champion titles. No matter where life takes you, do not ever forget where you started. My hometown is where I learned how to fly.

It is where I will always be proud to call home.