Write Down Your Goals by Donald

Write Down Your Goals by Donald - February 2026 Scholarship Essay

“...The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly…” – Theodore Roosevelt from the Man in the Arena

This quote hangs above my bed as a constant reminder to keep fighting to meet my goals. In July of 2024, I achieved becoming a member of the US Olympic Junior National Team. Reading this quote every day is a habit which is a constant reminder of my goals.

Becoming the first Men’s International Bunker Trap Olympic Athlete from Western Pennsylvania has been the hardest goal I have ever achieved. I have always had a passion for the shooting sports, but I never took it seriously until my sophomore year in high school when my coaches encouraged me to work towards the next level. Being completely new to the sport, I had no outstanding goals, but quickly found myself very competitive. I figured if I truly wanted to commit to this, I needed to use my discipline and strong work ethic from working in a small family business. Within 16 months I hung my country’s letters on my back. That is one of the fastest times anyone has gone from knowing nothing to being a USA Olympic team member in the sport, and I have my coaches to thank for that. Without their guidance and dedication I could not have achieved this goal.

Representing my country is not so bad when you first think about it, but when the shooting vest is finally earned, there is a completely different feeling. My entire world turned upside down, and I didn’t think I’d ever be the same again. The letters weighed heavily on my shoulders. This new change was scary, but for the better. Earning this achievement showed me that if I want something in life, all I have to do is make a plan by writing down my goals, stick to the plan by practicing the basics every day, and my goals will be achieved. Within those 16 months of competing, I won the USA shooting men’s 18U Division, placed in multiple USA shooting junior finals, and am currently ranked in the top 10 in the country for the USA Shooting Junior Division, and just this past summer my International Bunker Trap team took first place at SCTP Nationals. It has been an amazing experience.

My experience has been guided by coaches who have taught me to write down my goals, practice the basics, and trust the process. I used to laugh because I had no idea what “the process” was, but slugging it out in “the arena”, being a man who “...spends himself in a worthy cause…”, I will hopefully know “in the end the triumph of high achievement”. I strive for the Olympics in 2028, and “if [ I ] fail, I will “at least [ be the man who failed ] while daring greatly!”

So if I were to describe my leadership role in the shooting sports, I can say without a doubt the little kids on my Lawrence County Young Guns team are watching me. The parents are watching me, and now the world is watching me. Therefore, I try to demonstrate how my experience aligns with the values of having a dream and growing towards that vision. The impact of this whole experience has helped me to be an example to others. I try to exemplify that if you have a dream, write it down. Create a list of performance and outcome goals for that dream and start doing them. There will be bumps in the road and you may not always have the answer, but talk with God. He may not give you the answer right away but he will give you the strength to keep fighting. Embrace what you’re doing and never think, “I have to do this task.” Turn it into, “I get to do this task.” Following that simple exercise has changed my entire life and anything is possible.