When my friends randomly said “just give me my money” and had their phones out ready to record their responses, I quickly realized that they were referencing another TikTok trend to which I was oblivious. Of course, my friends knew I wouldn’t know the trend because it is embarrassingly well known at LHS that I have never had any social media.
In middle school, I only saw the negatives of not having social media. I saw friends gaining “followers” and receiving “likes”, and I envied them.
When I entered high school, I realized that not having social media was actually a benefit, not a hinderance. I saw the stress and social anxiety my friends experienced from their social media activity. Using social media to connect was actually preventing them from connecting. When a racially insensitive video was shared around my soccer team, it caused a rift within our team. I was able to avoid the conflict and maintain my relationships with teammates because I didn’t have social media and I did not even see the hurtful video.
I realized how my peers and I connected more effectively in settings when we didn’t have access to our phones. For example, on my trips to Guatemala, we built houses, painted schools, connected and created authentic friendships. When I took that “Guatemala” mindset back home, I started to value my social-media-free choice even more.
Participating in 5 sports every year of my high school career helped me connect with a diverse group of students without relying on social media. Connections formed through running in the rain, hard workouts in the heat, 6 am swim practices, triumphant wins, and tough losses are far more meaningful than another “follow” or “snap”.
Participating in sports has a special way of connecting people, but I also found that cheering others on has the same effect. Whether I am gathering people to watch my fellow runners or recruiting people to go games, connections are built when we cheer together. As one of 12 students selected for pep club, I lead the student section not only at the football games, but also at less popular activities and sporting events. As I build LHS Rams spirit, I help younger students connect to what we call our “Ramily”.
I also invest in making in-person connections with those outside my school community without social media. I lead a small group at my church where I coordinate games and lead the small group time. I also served at “Night to Shine” which is a Prom for individuals with disabilities. I connected with my non-verbal buddy, Isaiah, through eye-contact, facial expressions, and plenty of dancing.
I have benefited individually from never having social media as well. Instead of scrolling my phone before I go to bed, I developed a love of reading that calms my nerves and grew my curiosity in various historical time periods and topics. I enjoy a wide range of fiction and non-fiction books, including A History of Modern Day Finance, which chronicles the history of J.P Morgan bank and how it influenced the United States financial system.
Reflecting on my high school experience has reinforced my choice to avoid social media. I grew from envying friends with social media to helping them resist the temptation to isolate online and instead prioritize becoming involved. I am excited to actively participate in my college community and encourage others to do the same. Even though I will continue to endure the occasional embarrassment of learning the hard way about the newest TikTok trend like saying “Just Give Me my money” in different accents.
The world can be a rough place. There's a lot of problems - both in our homes, communities, countries, and globe. One problem that particularity stands out to me is climate change. Our world really suffers from a changing climate, and a lot of this can be chalked up to our energy use. We rely on fossil fuels to power our world, which is not sustainable, nor clean. I hope to change and revolutionize the energy sector, to make clean energy accessible, affordable, safe, and life-changing. I hope that it will foster a better enviornment, so that future generations can suceed on a healthy planet, and current generations can continue to work towards their dreams.
My future educational goals are to earn my PhD in Chemical Engineering, with an emphasis area in Energy Studies. I hope that this will prepare me to go out into the world and begin to work in the energy sector. I have big goals for myself, and I want to really live life and feel like I made a difference in the world. Everyone needs Planet Earth, and there is no Planet B. I hope that by doing my part to save it, I will be touching the lives of everyone on Earth that depends on the envionrnment for not only surviving, but thriving.
But I don't want to just use my education to work a job. I want to use other skills I learn at college to make a difference in other ways too. I hope to work with Engineers without Borders. I want to make clean water successful in developing countries, through volunteer work. I want to make engineering my way of giving back to the world that has given so much to me. I was supported and lifted up by teachers, parents, friends, coaches, and mentors. And with my future education, I want to be that person for someone else.
All together, I'm excited for this next chapter of my life, where I hope to get a Chemical Engineering degree, pour into the lives of others, and enact change on a global scale. The world always needs more good, and I will do my very best to be a light wherever I can be. I hope to leave my mark on the world. I'm greatful for the people that have gotten me to where I am now, and I'm looking forward to continuing down this wonderful path called life!
My last name starts with the letter W. As a student at Lafayette High School, this determinant meant Mr. Moore was my student counselor. During my sophomore year of high school, I had one goal in mind, to get accepted into the Governor's School of Science and Technology. To do this, I had to take on extra online coursework in addition to my eight core classes to meet the prerequisites required for this selective program. Upon completion, I submitted my application and waited. Several weeks later I was called into Mr. Moore’s office. He had a huge smile on his face, and the positive atmosphere he radiated immediately made me feel at ease. The smile never left his face after he relayed the good news, I had been accepted into the Governor’s School. I will never forget how Mr. Moore’s attentiveness impacted my life and educational career.
As I arrive at the doorsteps to a new chapter in my life, I look back and am extremely grateful for the opportunities the Governor’s School has opened to me. This upcoming fall, I will be attending a four-year university to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Becoming a nurse opens the door to a world of fulfilling career opportunities that will allow me to play a critical role in improving patient care throughout different hospital settings. Beyond this broad encompassment of nursing, a nurse must also focus on treating each patient based on their whole person, not just the health issue they possess. By incorporating this value of personalized care into my work as a nurse, I can ensure I am touching each patient’s life according to their needs. I will ensure each patient feels seen, heard, and understood as they battle with the challenge of whatever health issue they may possess.
This past summer, I volunteered at Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center to acquire new experience in the medical field. At this point, I was greatly unsure of what career path I wanted to pursue within the field of medicine. While volunteering in the surgical department, I was able to see firsthand how important interpersonal communication is between patients and their nurses. During this time, I wheeled out countless post-op patients from various walks of life to be discharged. I interacted with children, young adults, older adults, and seniors all coming out of taxing surgeries, ranging from colonoscopies to breast biopsies. Some of these patients were still suffering in pain and preferred not to talk. In this case, I learned it is best to limit verbal discussion and focus on reading their nonverbal cues, such as gesturing to where they need to go. Other patients were largely conversational, granting me the chance to perceive their surgical experience.
Because of this experience, I not only became sure of the career path I wanted to pursue, but I also learned exactly how I could touch each person and give them the most positive experience while they were enduring something so negative. Though it was this experience that allowed me to realize what I wanted to do with my life, it was Mr. Moore who shaped my future education by putting forth his best efforts to ensure my success. Because he so passionately touched my life, I have developed a strong motivation to use my career to positively touch the lives of others, in turn, impacting the world.
