In highschool staying true to yourself can be very difficult. There is a lot of pressure to fit in. Between pure pressure and bullying, it can be very easy to lose sight of your values. One way that I stay true to myself is my work with Winona County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP). Through this group, I have better learned how to say no and not give in to peer pressure. It is not an easy thing and saying no is something I have always struggled with. I do not like to feel like I am letting someone down or disappointing them. My work with ASAP has also given me the courage to help others do the same. I am currently in the process of starting a student leadership group in our school. This would be a student-led group that tackles the issues facing our school, including substance abuse and use. I also conducted a recent survey in our school that showed that 90% of the students felt that vaping was some sort of a problem in our school. We had 217 respondents and only 10% replied that vaping was not an issue. The students in our school want to see change and want to learn how to cut these substances out of the culture in our school. My work gives me the confidence and support I need to truly be me. Although standing up against what may be seen as cool is not the easiest thing to do I think it is essential to change the environment of our school. Not only does this help me to express my true values and beliefs but I am hoping to make a positive difference in our school.

I have had 3 dogs that have made a major impact on my life. Surprisingly, none of these dogs were my own, or even owned by anyone in my family. I have always loved dogs and used to have two dogs until I was about four years old. Although I do not have many memories of them they formed my strong love for dogs. I have been dog sitting and walking through all four years of high school. The first dog that started my dog care is named Tera. She is a 3-legged, 13-year-old, partially blind, miniature poodle. I cared for Tera for around two years every day after school and over the summer. I stayed with her for up to two weeks at a time in the summer. Although she required more care than most dogs her sweetness and gentle nature made it worth it. Once Covid-19 hit us and most people were working from home I was no longer needed to come and care for her. Although my services were not needed I still returned just to visit with her. Even if I had a bad day at school I could always count on her companionship every day after school. Shortly after the pandemic started I started walking a golden retriever named Lily. When I started walking her she was just a puppy but now she is two years old. Since she was a very high-energy puppy she needed extra attention during the day while her owner was working from home. I took her out on walks and to the dog park frequently. For two years I watched her grow and watched her personality develop. Unfortunately, 2 days ago from when I am writing this Lily moved 3 hours away and I no longer get to frequently see her. For our last day together, I took her on a hike, to the dog park, and then we went to a river at sunset. Although she is gone I have not yet removed the muddy paw prints from my car. She made such an impact on my life over those two years and taught me many lessons about dog walking. An example of this is how I should always hold the leash with two hands. This is a lesson I learned by being pulled down and dragged when she saw another dog around the corner, Although I was in shock I could never be mad at such a kind face who instantly came to check on me. The final dog who has made an impact on my life is a chocolate lab and pitbull mix also named Lilly. I started walking her while her owner was battling esophageal cancer. I walked her for about half a year until she moved after her owner passed away. She made me feel like I had an important purpose. I was able to provide a service to their family who needed it. She was always excitedly waiting for me at the door every day, as she knew I was coming. She also brought me closer to her owner. When her owner passed after getting Covid-19 with esophageal cancer I was only further motivated to continue my career in healthcare. Although they can not speak, dogs have taught me many lessons about kindness and empathy. They have also been a source of motivation for me in both my career and my daily life. After graduating college I plan to get my own place where I can adopt and foster dogs. Every dog deserves the unconditional love that these dogs showed me.

To me, the word legacy means what ideas and impact you leave behind. Everyone wants to be remembered but for what is the varying factor. For me, I want to be remembered as a caregiver and as someone who helped others. The people in my life are the most important thing to me. My family and friends motivate me daily and are my source of happiness. Without them, I would not be where I am and who I am. As far as my legacy I would like to be as important in someone else's life as my family and friends are to me. I want to motivate people and to support them in their experience in this world both the good and bad ones. I want to be known for happily giving aid to others. Through my work with Winona County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP) and my work in healthcare, I have gotten to work with so many different people. Helping others, even those I may not know personally is my true passion. The thought that I could improve someone's day or even week is enough to motivate me to continue my work even when it gets difficult or stressful. If I had to describe what I want my legacy to be in one word I would pick kindhearted as I feel empathy and sympathy are essential in our society. Although they are not always easy I believe that they are two important traits that everyone can improve on to better our world, including me.

After playing the violin in Orchestra for 9 years I may surprise you when I say that the song that most inspires me is not a classical or an orchestral song. Rather it is Excavate by Macklemore featuring Saint Claire. I have always found this song calming. It is not the normal type of music I listen to but it is my favorite song. Every time I have flown during landing and take off I have always played this song. It relaxes me and causes me to reflect on my life. Although there may be different interpretations of this song to me I feel like he is questioning if he has done enough to help others and to make a lasting impact on the world. He questions how wealth and fame has helped him but not others. I find this viewpoint intriguing. It has also caused me to reflect on my life. It has been a motivator for me to become more involved in my community. It has encouraged me to work to be more selfless and to do more for others. It is one of the reasons I wanted to start my job in healthcare and have chosen to go into the healthcare field long term. It is also one of the reasons I am strongly involved in our local substance abuse prevention coalition. Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP) plays a huge role in my life. I am very involved and it not only brings me joy but makes me feel like I have fulfilled my purpose of helping others. He also talks about how his biggest successes may not be the fame or wealth but rather the smaller things, like his daughter. This inspires me to appreciate the smaller, everday things in life.

Despite struggling with social anxiety, I would say that my best skill is my ability to introduce myself to new people. This has led to me meeting all sorts of amazing people and some of my closest friends. I categorize this as a skill since it is something I had to work towards and still can improve on but feel I can do well. This skill has allowed me to recently make new friends and to put myself out there. Due to the development of this skill I have been more confident and have chosen to apply for the youth chair on the board of directors for our local substance abuse prevention coalition. To improve this skill I need to continue my treatment plan for social anxiety while also pushing myself. Although many situations can easily cause me to become uncomfortable, forcing myself into these situations is what causes me to grow. I strongly believe that college is a great way for me to improve this skill. There will be thousands of new people for me to use this skill with and many social situations that will cause me to adapt. People skills are very important for my current healthcare job and my future career in healthcare. It is an essential skill that will allow me to make connections and to grow my empathy towards others even further. It is a skill that will not only help me in my personal life but also my professional life. It may not be an easy skill for everyone to obtain but it is the key to forming lasting connections. Therefore I see it as one of the most important skills to succeed personally, professionally, and socially.

After going through a global pandemic the first thought I have when I hear the word selfless is healthcare workers. We have seen how they have been pushed to their limits during this pandemic. Burnout became common as well as longer shifts and staffing issues. In many cases, they put their patients before their own wants and needs. During this time I was a healthcare worker and I still am. From the summer of 2021 to the present day I have been working directly with covid testing, antibody infusions, and vaccinations. Although it was a job most avoided I decided to apply to serve my community. I have worked on both vaccines and testing in our Covid Clinic as well as in our Urgent Care. Although I feel that the nurses in our hospital have done much more and all deserve awards it was a time when we were all stressed out. I constantly found myself picking up shifts even when it was inconvenient timing and constantly wanting to help regardless if I was tired from the influx of patients. Although there were times I had wanted to quit due to stress I have continued to work there and find it truly amazing how healthcare workers have all come together to help others during this demanding time. This pandemic has created uncertain times for all of us and the thought that I could help to make someone else's day even slightly better is enough for me to push through the stress and to continue to pursue this career. I plan to continue my career in healthcare long-term as I feel there is nothing I'd rather be doing than making a difference in the lives of others.

The thing that brings me the most joy in life is simply other people. Until recently I was struggling with social anxiety and throughout high school struggled to make friends due to it. It has been something that I have had to overcome and work on daily to improve. By reducing my social anxiety I have been able to find friends that make me happy. Spending time with them and making real connections is what brings me joy along with my family. I am very lucky for the strong support system I have created and I am grateful for them every day. The people in my life are what motivated me to push myself to become a better person and to be an involved member of our community. I also find joy in the people I help at work. While working in healthcare I constantly get to meet new people who all have different stories. Interacting with these patients brings me joy and I am glad that I can help them. Through my work with Winona County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention, I also find happiness. Not only do I get to make a difference in my community but I also get to meet amazing people every day. In February of 2022, the organization sent me to Washington, D.C., for a youth leadership forum. During this forum, I connected with the other students from both my community and other communities in Minnesota. This trip brought me pure joy and it is how I met one of my best friends Averie. I am forever grateful for this experience and the connections it allowed me to make. It truly changed my life and has helped to form who I am now.