“My mom has definitely been the most influential person in my life. She has taught me perseverance because she had a really tough family life and growing up was really hard for her. She was faced with a lot of challenges in her life and overcame all of them in her own way, and she taught me to overcome all my challenges in my own way. She taught me that giving up is never an option.” – Kaya Boettcher, class of 2021