While I was creating that horse, I drove myself mad. The design seems relatively easy, and the concept was simple, but put together, it was a stroke of genius. Although I struggled while making it, many regard it as my best project this year. Disney's Sword In The Stone inspired me. I wanted to combine the time period the movie was released with the time period it represented, the 1960's and medievalism. Although it was a short scene, the jousting had drawn me in, and I wanted to create a piece that depicted the sport. I made a horse wearing psychedelic garb, a pattern popular in the 60's, that they were dressed in when jousting. The concept was a bit bizarre, specifically when trying to combine two completely different time periods, but it was possible. The psychedelic pattern best demonstrates madness because of the surrealism; it draws a person in and completely absorbs them into the pattern. The pattern is inspired by the LSD drug, which drives people mad in a way that leaves them wanting more. The psychedelic counter-cultural movement is so intriguing because it is defined by the portrayal of the psych, which leaves a result that looks absolutely mad. I had given up making the horse after a month of building the structure. I had a cardboard shape, then added stuffing, then I sewed it together and used papier-mâché to hold it all together. It didn't look like a horse; it looked like a pig with horse legs. However, 7 months later, I dreamt of the horse. I dreamt of a full design and process. I had to finish it. The day after, I finished making the horse. I added more stuffing to the structure to give it more shape. I would papier-mâché it once again, I painted it black, and I sewed a caparison onto the horse. I consider this creation my stroke of genius. I was driven insane making it; I was full of stress, but the process only made me love it even more.

1. Just like TXT said in New Rules, “펑크이고 싶어” or “I want to be a punk.” I discovered TXT in 2020 after Blue Hour was released, back then I was trying to be punk. I was in middle school and struggled with opening up to people. I knew that many people didn’t like me, so to avoid being hurt, I would present myself as someone who didn’t care, a punk. They were the first group to draw me in because they understood my situation and brought me comfort with their lyrics, and their beat made me forget my pain. I wanted to be punk, but more than anything, I wanted to be understood. I felt as if TXT had understood me better than I did at that time. 2. From my experience, MOAs are kind-hearted and accepting. Their humor is elite. We bond over our love for the members and our appreciation for the music. A MOA needs to be a fan of TXT, and through that, a welcoming fandom for many other MOAs who are struggling. They encourage togetherness and are a support system. Also, the members of TXT are very joyful; their humor is contagious, making most MOAs the most fun people to be around. 3 & 4. Huening Kai is my bias and ult bias. I have always been drawn to him because he's so handsome. I also relate to him on a certain level; we both grew up very lonely, and seeing him enjoy life despite the struggles is inspiring. He is extremely funny, and I love it when he is able to laugh. It reminds me of how far we have come to enjoy life and reminds me to push through hardships. 5. 0X1=Lovesong because I wanted someone to love me that way. I have a soft spot for rock; I mostly listen to rock music, and this song is my type of genre outside of K-pop. It was the start of their rock era, which I was delighted to be a part of because it was also my start as a MOA. It is one of my top songs of all time and a huge source of nostalgia. 6. Unfortunately, no. 7. I love all of TXT's concepts, but my favorite would be from the Dream Chapter: Magic. I would analyze the music videos and lyrics constantly to better understand the universe that they were creating. It was also my favorite musically. I deeply related to the lyrics, the visuals were stunning, and their music was beautiful. I especially like watching the Eternally because it was like a short film and set the tone for TXT's concept. I loved analyzing the entire album and connecting it to other songs in their discography. 8. I have been trying to gain scholarships to pay for school. I do not have enough yet, so I have been working as an artisan and taking commissions to make 3-D art. I plan on getting an on-campus job. 9. This scholarship would cover my tuition, textbooks, dormitory housing, and other college expenses. 10. TXT has helped me understand other people better through analysis and relatability. It made me feel seen and pushed me to help others become seen too. They helped me understand myself better by putting my feelings into music. I wanted other people to be understood, even if it was by listening to them instead of music. 11. How will you use your education to do good in the world? I want to teach people, but to be qualified, I need to be educated on the subject I want to teach. I want to become an English teacher and help others grow an appreciation for the language arts and develop skills to help kids understand the world better. Just like TXT pushed me to become better at analysis through music, I want to teach how to analyze texts to understand society. Photo context: It was the day I bought my first album (Dream Chapter: Star)

As someone who is currently studying to become a teacher, I understand that pressure builds diamonds. As a student, I understand that it is overwhelming work. Most students need to balance their schoolwork, extracurriculars, and jobs. I was one of those students who wanted to achieve the best possible academics and participate in many extracurricular activities. I would pick odd jobs as an artisan to make money. It isn’t easy to handle, and sometimes I didn’t have anyone to rely on. I don’t want another student like myself to struggle balancing their life because they don’t have anyone to confide in to take the pressure off. All interesting people are depressed, or I just keep making depressed friends. It doesn’t take away from their humor or charm; they lead distressing lives and need support from people they trust, which, for some, included me. I love being someone that they could trust. When my friend was considering committing, she called me from the mental hospital. She came to me for help. For the 4 months after that, we were in constant communication as I supported her to leave the toxicity in her life and encouraged her to seek out help. There were times when her constant need for me became overwhelming. At those times, I would distance myself to clear my head, but I would always return because I cared for her deeply and would rather that she come to me than suffer alone. Eventually, we were able to celebrate 100 days of being clean. It has been over a year since then, and I am very thankful to still have her in my life. Another friend of mine is depressed and would distance himself to avoid hurting others. Honestly, his depression would weigh down on me, but I continued to care for him because he was someone I cared deeply for. It hurt more when he would become distant because I knew it would worsen his mindset and make me worry. Trust isn't easy to gain, but it is worth the effort because he was able to open up slightly towards me. Both of us were struggling, but we were able to confide in each other. With many people, I am unable to communicate clearly what is bothering me. When he and I made a promise to rely on each other, I was able to ease my mind and focus on the tasks that needed to be done. Having someone to confide in is important; it isn’t instant relief, but it helps clear the mind to focus. As a future teacher, I want people to be able to find that within me. I want my doors to be a safe space so that people can come and communicate their struggles with me. I want others to trust me and confide in me as a teacher. I want my students to appreciate my passion for the subject, my desire to educate others, and my support for others. I understand that communication is difficult, but having someone to be a rock of support and have faith that they can become better is necessary for many students during their turbulent times. I want to be that person. I love being someone that many people can confide in, and I want to continue being a source of support by becoming a teacher and reaching out to adolescents, who usually struggle with mental health and stress. I want my future students to be able to trust me and consider my classroom a safe place to deconstruct their day.

JROTC is a leadership program that intends to make young people into better citizens through their leadership capabilities and the civic work done in the program. The purpose of giving us these leadership roles is to give us discipline, self-confidence, and responsibility to prepare for the future. Through the program, I have learned about veteran affairs and how we aid them as well as honor the work that they have done for the country. By representing the colors during ceremonies, I learned the importance of honoring the people who fight for what the flag stands for, which is the pursuit of freedom and liberty, and trying to achieve it within this country. Not every veteran has fought in a war, but each has contributed to the pursuit of freedom for all and the rights of the American people. Saluting is a sign of respect; when we salute, we salute the uniform, the work that has been done to protect the people and defend our rights, although the belief of what we should fight for has changed many times. Volunteering in veteran affairs is showing up for people, acknowledging the work done, and wanting to give back to the people that gave so much for us. Although some people don’t agree with what they have done, they have still sacrificed for the ideas of what they believe we deserve, which is why people try to give back by honoring veterans in ceremonies and volunteering to aid them. Organizing a day in which people are available to volunteer is difficult. The responsibilities are spread out to different people, and I was given the responsibility of records management for all of the people that show up to volunteer and ensure that they come to fulfill the service that they signed up for. As the S1, I kept track of cadets and the people that are responsible for them; it makes organization easier, and it lifts some of the work others need to do. Recently, I have started a campaign to support my local libraries. I ran a Get Out The Vote drive to inform about the candidates and encourage others to vote on an Instagram account. I have also dropped in on public meetings to further support the libraries and offer a different perspective on issues such as the library's limited hours. Although most of the work has been recent, I have been able to inform a few people about library events and involve them in public meetings to prioritize the Albany community, the people the libraries work to serve, and bring attention to the public space available to the community. I plan on continuing by teaming up with local groups to establish the library as a third space. I also want to promote library usage and involvement from Albany County. So far, it has been rewarding to see people use their libraries and take advantage of the opportunities that it offers. Literature and community are extremely valuable, and I want my community to recognize that and take full advantage of what is available. I used to be scared to voice my opinions, but I pushed myself to act, and through that, I have been able to promote what I believe is important. I want to continue being involved in the community and volunteer at other organizations such as the Albany Institute of Art and History and the church I go to. There is value in helping out other people and recognizing the work they do.

I want to pursue education to become an educator. I've wanted to be a teacher since I was a little girl, and I know I have areas to improve, which is why I intend to further my education. Teaching has always been my goal since I was about six years old. While other people my age were dreaming of being a rock star or astronaut, I had my heart set on education. I was influenced by my own teachers, who taught with passion and kindness, and I knew that kind of gentleness was what I wanted to reflect when I was older. I wanted to influence others and encourage them to be good people, just like my own teachers have unintentionally done to me. I struggled with this dream due to the people who surrounded me, who discouraged me with their attitudes and priorities of wealth. When I became in charge of a class of my own, my passion for helping others came back. I have been told that I was understanding and attentive, which is because I genuinely want the best for the people around me. I want to give people a source of comfort. I also grew a passion for English as I became further aware of the literary crisis. I would assign essays as punishments when the standard was not met. Many of the essays that were returned to me were filled with mistakes that I knew could be prevented if they had someone who could be attentive to their issues and find the best way to help them understand. I aim to help people through education to enhance their own educational and communication skills. Attending college will help me pursue my dream of teaching. To become a teacher, the requirements are a mix of formal education, training, and certification, all of which can be obtained at the right college. I intend to get a bachelor's degree in education and a degree in English so that I can teach English education. During my time in college, I intend to take advantage of all the programs and events offered to me, especially if they are community-oriented or can help advance my educational goals. To find the right college for me, I need to know if I can afford to attend. Currently, I am unable to, as my family is struggling financially. Although they want what is best for me and care deeply about my education as a first-generation college student, it is not possible for me to attend the best-suited college without the proper funds. I hope that this scholarship will enable me to pursue my lifelong dream of teaching through financial aid.

I have fed the community, I have planted in multiple gardens, I have donated handmade bowls, I have done color guard for multiple events, such as a college basketball game, and I have guided people through the school to promote our programs. I often wonder how I started and got involved in my community. It feels as if I started and never stopped because it fulfilled a part of myself I didn't even know about beforehand. I know I am not the best person, but helping the community makes me believe I can become better. It gives me faith for other people as well; to make an effort is an attempt to be better. I have seen myself become a better person through my work with others. I once got angry at every moment, but through learning and witnessing the perspectives of other people, I was able to become kind. Kindness is more difficult to share than anger is; to help others out, I had to control myself. I had a low amount of kindness because I didn't interact with other people, but my service has allowed me meet people and gain understanding. I got involved because I was bored with my life. I had nothing else to do, and it gave me a chance to leave my house. I kept volunteering for events because it made me feel good. I gained higher empathy for others because I was exposed to all different types of people at different parts of their lives. I was able to get out more and find interests about myself I didn't know beforehand, like the extent of my creativity. Through the National Art Honor Society, I learned that I could do more than just drawing; I painted murals and worked with pottery because of our community service events. I socialized with other people, which I hated doing when I was younger. I once wasn't able to communicate, but through my involvement, I have met so many people and learned how to interact with them properly. I found a purpose to help others through my community service work, and I know I want to continue helping them. I believe I can do this by educating others as a teacher. I want to encourage others to become involved in their community because it is necessary work that changes one's character. It not only the people, but it also encourages personal growth. To influence others to do this, I will educate them on topics that impact the community. I will offer opportunities to work. Young people are the future; to influence them to serve the community is to have multiple generations serve the community. Educational spaces are one of the biggest spaces of influence to do that.

Communication is the most important thing to know because it connects the world. Whether someone speaks Spanish or English, as long as they have the means to communicate, they have the chance to understand the world on another level. It is more than just language; it becomes a means of communication. To first learn to communicate, they must learn their own language, understand the rhetoric and nuance, and then apply it to other languages and people. This process begins with who teaches you; their influence changes the perception of the world. Growing up, I was between English and Spanish. I was never good at either because I only spoke Spanish at home; my lack of interaction with other Spanish speakers weakened my understanding. My head was filled with two languages, but without the desire to learn either. I went to Mexico when I was 8, and I fell in love with the place. Everything was so bright. I wanted to share that excitement with my sister, in English, when my other sister told me that I could only speak Spanish. This was the first time I struggled with a language barrier; usually, I had my parents understand what I was trying to say without correcting me. I made an effort to fully involve myself in the language because I hated not being able to communicate with my own family. I came back to the United States with an improvement in my language and in my mindset. Since then, I gained an interest in language. I delved into literature to understand the English language. I spent more time speaking Spanish despite going to American schools because I refused to interact with anyone. In this moment, neither language could help me. It was a lonely life, and I wanted to change that. Entering high school, I made the effort to talk to others. From my friendships, I knew what we both needed: someone who could understand them on a deeper level. We wanted someone to understand our struggles, and communicating is how we achieved that. I was a translator in school in a program that pushed me to lead other kids my age. I would teach them the basics of JROTC for the entirety of the school year. I witnessed the class struggle to communicate due to the language barrier. I was the only bridge between them, but I wanted them to connect and create a team together. My interest in teaching grew from this experience. Not only was I teaching them, but I was also getting them involved in things that they weren’t before. I spent half of the year translating directions into Spanish, but I shunned them from others. I integrated them into activities, forcing each of my cadets to interact with one another. Our bond as a class grew, even if we couldn’t speak the same language, but because we had a method of communication that didn’t involve only translating. My platoon started as one of the worst and gradually became the best through our teamwork. I want to keep involving people in the world that doesn’t include them. My best is always going to be around others and helping them improve. Becoming a teacher is influencing others and becoming a stone for them to rely on. They don’t need to speak the same language for me to understand them. I can understand their struggles and apply the best course of action for them. English education opens their eyes to the fact that it is bigger than just language; it becomes understanding other people through their rhetoric and tone.

I feel as if I'm too ambitious for everyone around me. That it both holds me back and pushes me forward to become better than I ever could've imagined. Regardless of how tired I become, I always push through it and never give up. I never give up because I know that each addition to my resume gives me a better chance to achieve my goals. Despite the many challenges, including the many people who do not understand my need to be better, pursuing a college education and becoming an educator has always been my goal and nothing can take my ambition away. Going to college was a big dream of mine. While the others around me wanted to be a pop-star or an astronaut, I dreamed about college. The media I consumed influenced much of what I thought about and since most of what I watched were college students, I thought attending was the best thing I could ever do. I wanted to experience dorm life and professors. My parents always pushed me to go because I would be a first generation college student, but I kept pushing myself to make my younger self happier. I joined many programs, like JROTC and STEP, and I was a high achieving student to make that dream possible. Many people don't understand that the dream is a personal dream and not what is expected from me. When I was younger, I was scared of growing old too quickly, I was scared of the future and I was scared that I wouldn't know what to become. I had a life planned out for myself so that I would never have to struggle through not knowing what to do. Now, I feel as if there is too much to do and I don't have enough time. I have dreams of becoming a poet, a fashion designer, a college student, and becoming a teacher. Poetry and fashion design are both mediums where I could express myself the most but teaching others, despite how simple many people believe it is for someone who has done so much, has always been my biggest dream, bigger than the rest. I've wanted to teach others since I was a little girl, I knew it was something I wanted to do and helping others learn is a passion of mine. I like when other people can confide in me and rely on the information that I can provide. Being in charge of an entire class period during high school has made me realize that it is what I want to continue doing. I thought about quitting multiple times but always come back to wanting to teach others, not only to make my younger self happier, but also because I genuinely enjoy spreading knowledge to others. Education is a field that is undermined because it is everywhere, we forget how important it is to be educated. There are many women who fight for the chance to learn and go to school. We take advantage of it but it doesn’t take away from the importance of education. The people who have underestimated me, or become disappointed when I tell them I want to teach for a living is the reason that it becomes a “Pie in the Sky” dream. Teaching is my dream but I have made myself too ambitious and scared that they might be right. Regardless, I will continue to pursue it because it is something that I want to do, no matter what other dreams I may have that others consider as “more valuable.”

I always knew I wanted to become a teacher. I had my heart set on it since I was in elementary school. It didn't matter to me how much others tried to discourage me from it, because I knew that it was what I wanted to do. I looked up to my teachers and wholeheartedly wanted to be just like them. Every time they pushed me forward, I knew it was because they believed I could achieve more. They would support me through my struggles. I would not have gotten far in my life if it weren't for the educators who pushed me to do it. They have influenced every part of my life, and I want to pass that on to my own students in the future. Teachers have a significant influence, especially on young children. During my junior year, I became in charge of a class of 20 people in JROTC. I taught them what they needed to know for that class and grew attached to them. It was difficult at times because there were many cadets that refused to communicate, there were some who refused to participate. There was also a language barrier that I would translate for the others. Regardless, I pushed each of them because I knew they could do better. My cadets are now regarded as some of the best in the battalion. They helped me realize that I wanted to continue to teach others so I could continue to feel the same sense of pride that I did when they succeeded. Success looks different to other people; seeing them reach their different levels of success made me feel proud of them. I witnessed my own influence on other people, and I knew I wanted to continue doing that for others. I believe that education is the most important thing a child can receive. It gives them hopes and an ability to pursue their passions, or learn what that passion might be. I am grateful for every educator that helped me realize that I wanted to continue teaching. I am also grateful to every educator that shared their own passions with me, whether it be artistic, or a part of the stem field because it gave me the choice to branch out to other career paths, although I knew I wouldn’t pursue it. Earning this scholarship can help me pay for my own education and pursue the ability to educate others, therefore influencing their lives. I do not know Sergeant Lennon personally, but I have researched him. He has influenced every person he has met, he has touched the hearts of many. I know this because of the many people who still talk about him and share the memories they had with them. I do not want to join the marines, but I want to influence the people in my life, the same way that Sergeant Lennon has, but through education instead.