How Coach Scannella Changed My Life

At some point in time in their development, most people encounter an adult figure, who instills a positive change in their lives. For me, that person was Cindy Scannella--my track and my cross country coach for my first two years of high school. With her unique approach to coaching, Coach Scannella not only gave me the confidence to flourish in the sport and lead my team, but she also gifted me with a love for running. This passion of mine as well as her continual support has carried me through the difficulties of my grandfather’s death, my parents’ divorce, and other strenuous circumstances including the end of her time as my coach. Her presence in my life has truly altered my life for the better. Therefore, I have discovered over the course of my running career that I want to have a similar effect on young people, whether it is just a handful …show more content…
Although I am currently in pursuit of a career as an engineer, I hope to retire early into a less demanding profession, so I can return to a small community such as my hometown and volunteer as a high school track and cross country coach. If I can share the same passion for the sport, which Coach Scannella shared with me, and alter at least one young person’s life in a positive manner, then I will be satisfied with my efforts. While my aspirations lie in the somewhat distant future, I have already taken steps to bring me closer to that point. One technical aspect of reaching this dream is to be able to advance my engineering career in a timely fashion, so I can achieve my personal goals and move on to this new pursuit. Thus, I have remained focused on my schoolwork throughout high school in order to prepare myself for the challenges that await me in college. If my college experience proves to be successful, this fact will