Success is not something that is just handed to you, instead it is something that is earned through hard work and dedication. Kristen Mullendore is a senior at Harrah High School and she has put in the work and seen it pay off.

“Being successful in softball is honestly hard to do because it is a sport based on failure,” she stated. “It’s taken long nights in the cages when most people would rather be sitting on the couch watching television. As a family, we went out to the fields behind our high school and I hit it for a few hours. My parents also built a cage in our barn, so I could go out there in the winter and play catch and hit every night. If you want to succeed, you have to put in the work. One of the best highlights of my career was going to state because it was an amazing experience for my teammates and I. We were able to see the results of all of the hard work we had invested.”

As a student at Harrah, Kristen plays both fast pitch and slow pitch softball. Throughout her career, she has used the negativity of others as motivation to help her become stronger and better.

“I have always been motivated by the people who told me that I am too small to do something,” Mullendore stated. “When you have the love and passion for the game as I do, nothing will stop you from having the confidence to do great things on and off the field.”

While Kristen works hard to be her best on the field, she also works hard in the classroom. She says that here is one teacher that has had a great influence on her.

“Mrs. Neary is a teacher at Harrah High School and she has made the biggest impact on my life,” she said. “She’s always kind to each student and willing to help, even if you aren’t in her class. She’s also the teacher you can talk to about anything and everything and she will just simply listen. She has a strong relationship with God which brought me to love having her as a teacher even more.”