The Leading Women Award is given to young women in grades seven through twelve who have made “significant and lasting contributions to their communities and Harford County,” states harfordcountymd.gov. Senior Korynn Sims was one of the nominees this year.

      Sims was nominated by English teacher Mrs. Carla Harward and is being recognized for her many achievements. She describes the process of the application after being sent a letter and the “ha[ving] to write a few essays on the career I want to pursue, women I look up to, and general stuff about my achievements. I also submitted my resume and transcript,” says Sims. Rules and eligibility are listed as “currently reside and have lived a significant portion of their lives and currently reside in Harford County, Maryland ” and having to complete the online nominee form and letter, according to harfordcountymd.gov.

      Sims explains her plans after high school include getting into West Point  or the Naval Academy, as she wants to go into the military. She would like to go “specifically through an academy path because my father is a West Point graduate, I also want to have a career in which I know my everyday actions are protecting others” explains Sims. She stated she also wants to study criminology so that she can “study crimes and how to prevent them from occurring.”

       Some of the reasons for her recognition is for maintaining a 4.58 GPA. Sims explains how “it’s very stressful but over time you either learn how to balance it or you don’t. I wasn’t great at balancing the workload and time I had until I found motivation to do so, and for me that motivation was the military academy application standards that were set pretty high, and I wanted to achieve those standards.” She is also a member of Order of the arrow. She states how she joined around two or three years ago and “oa to scouts is like a reward for your rank, as you can only be inducted once you reach first class and other requirements. so, joining was a privilege.”

      She explains how the nomination meant a lot to her “as it showed me that my efforts were noticed by others and not just stats, I could put on my resume but that I actually did have the impact I hoped I did on others in my community.”

     Regarding her nomination “I hope that other women see themselves not as just a number but as an individual that has a voice and influence over those around them. I want women to feel noticed for the efforts they put into achieving their goals in life, regardless of how big those goals are each one is significant” explains Sims. She continues saying “I just want all women to know that it doesn’t matter how impossible their goals sound to others, if you set your mind to it and really put in the time, effort, and energy then you can achieve those goals.”