“Throw, cast, throw, cast, throw, cast.” The thoughts that circulate in my mind for hours, as I bake in the sun, listening to a football game I wish I was watching on my couch. I continue to cast into...

“Avery, take a look at these careers.” As a freshman in high school, I was not worried about my future career, but as the question kept coming up, I couldn’t answer with a job that I wanted to pursue....

The score – 43-42 with 16 seconds left on the clock, Justin Northwest Texans set up a 20 yard field goal to bring them in the lead. Snap was right, Dre sent pressure from the right side, their kicker...

“Selma Tower, Skyhawk-Eight-One-Four-Sierra-Alpha, student-pilot solo ready for departure.” Holding short of the airport runway, I make my departing radio call to air traffic control. “Student-pilot...

HOW DID I GET HERE? I ask myself this question more than I ever have before. At mass. Praying. Reading the Bible. I couldn’t imagine myself being like this a year ago. Even less than that. It’s...

Changing sports your junior year of high school is challenging. Especially after doing the sport for nine years. That is what I did. I swam competitively for nine years. I started when I was 8 years old,...

SOMETHING IS WRONG.  But this time it’s different.  I knew it was coming. I just didn’t know it’d be this soon.  ++++ Sitting outside of school, my athletic clothes sticking to my...

SOMETHING IS WRONG. I can feel it. But what?  I sit in class, think — something feels wrong.  My teacher's voice echoes in the back of my mind as I stare at my phone. Waiting for the notification.  “What...

Friendsgiving is the worst. There’s no unspoken-but-obviously-present family drama. No weird cousin you don’t want to be with. No grandma pretending you should be modeling for cologne advertisements....

“It’s just words on paper.”  “What’s the point of reading when there are movies?”  “Reading is overrated.”  “Books give you unrealistic expectations.”  Many people have...