The end of a season brings with it a time for reflection and evaluation. Looking back on the goals I set at the end of 2024, I can see how much that reflection mattered. After April 2024 became one of the toughest months of my career, I knew that helping the team meant making sure 2025 didn’t follow the same path. In the end, the games we won in April proved crucial to our postseason push.
I was lucky to learn about goal-setting at a young age with the help of my parents. I loved video games—still do—and there was one game I wanted more than anything. My parents told me that if I really wanted it, I would have to earn the money myself. They helped me get started by finding yard work for our neighbors: mowing lawns, pulling weeds, and sweeping porches.
It took a handful of weekends, and at times the work felt endless, but watching my small stash of cash grow was addictive. When I finally had enough saved to buy that game, it felt like a huge victory. More than the video game itself, the whole experience taught me the value of setting a goal, sticking with it, and feeling the rush of accomplishment when I reached it.
When we started ALL RISE, we couldn’t have envisioned where it would go. Each year, the number of youth we support through our Mini-Grant program and our Aspiring Leaders program has grown. Our book club grew by more than 25% last year, and we have our sights set on an even bigger milestone for 2026. Even the number of people reading this newsletter has grown beyond what we could have imagined when we were starting out my rookie season.
As 2025 comes to a close, I reflect on the goals I set for myself before the season. While my April was better, the season didn’t end the way we wanted it to, and that will shape my goals for next season. Growth, after all, comes from the willingness to keep striving. As my foundation continues to grow, so do the needs of young people. For 2026, we are committed to reaching higher, doing more, and creating even greater opportunities for the next generation. We hope you will stay connected and help us reach our goals.