I started off my year as the 2017 STEM Pillar winner in February with a film crew and members from National 4‑H Council arriving at my home in Mogadore, Ohio. We filmed for a few days at my home and school to create my Pillar Video. I had such a wonderful time getting to know all the crew and Council members and had a wonderful start to my experience as a Pillar winner.
In March, I began readying myself to embark on what has been the adventure of a lifetime. I flew out to Washington, D.C. for the official 4‑H Legacy Awards ceremony. I had a wonderful stay at National 4‑H Conference Center and enjoyed sightseeing in the D.C. area. While in D.C. I got to meet three of the most inspiring and driven youth I know: Amelia Day, Bryanne Sanchez, and Bubba Sugarman, the other three 2017 Pillar winners. We had media training, photo sessions, tours, hung out with each other and our families, and an overall amazing week. When the night of the Legacy Awards came around, it was so surreal. Just being in a room with so many incredibly influential and powerful people was an experience beyond words. I met some of my biggest idols and found so many new incredible people to look up to. The representatives from my sponsor, HughesNet, were an absolute delight to sit with at the ceremony and just as wonderful as we kept contact throughout the year.