“Welcome to New York City…,” announced a flight attendant. As I opened my eyes I realized I’ve really left home and have begun the next chapter of my life. I have now touched down in “The City That Never Sleeps,” and how accurate a name that really is.
I was really excited that the launch event was being held in New York City because my teammate from college is from there and lives 15 minutes away from the airport that I was flying in to. When she came to pick me up, as soon as she saw me she started running and jumped on top of me. We got to spend a lot of quality time that I really am grateful for. She then helped me get to the hostel where I dropped off my bags and quickly changed to walk over to the event. As I stepped outside, I was overwhelmed with the amount of other scholars that were in their colored polos just like me! It was really nice to finally meet the people that I would be spending the next year of my life with.
Walking into the Nike New York Headquarters Office was definitely an experience in itself. First, we were invited by Nike to have a sneak peak at an unreleased running collection. We were then given the opportunity to personally meet and talk to Rory McIlroy. Those of you unfamiliar with who he is, McIlroy is a professional golfer; one of the best in the world. Being able to get to know McIlroy was something to remember. He was such a humble and genuine person. I also admire his want to give back and make a difference in the world. It was then time for the actual launch event to begin! During this time, I got to talk and get to know some of the other scholars. The speakers and the presentation given at the event were phenomenal. Being a part of it all was so surreal and I will never forget that feeling. We were all stars in our own stories.
