Once you're aware of something, you can't simply look away. We are all living on the same planet. We breathe the same air, drink the same water, and witness the same wars. Or so I thought. I thought I knew what was going on around me. I figured that my drinking water could never be contaminated and that world catastrophe was far away. While we are all blessed that the world is still here despite what humanity has put it through, toxins are much easier to come by. The movie Dark Waters changed my perspective of our environment and how harmful everyday things can be. I was a junior in my Dual Enrollment Environmental 101 class. We had recently been discussing forever chemicals and our teacher decided to show us this movie. Dark Waters surrounds the main character Robert Billot who is a lawyer, working to fight for chemical companies. However, when a local from his grandmother's town recruits him, he soon learns that the company DuPont has been releasing harmful chemicals into the water. Affecting thousands of citizens and leading to harm. These people suffered from tumors, blackened teeth, pregnancy issues, and thyroid disease among many others. As I was watching the film, it continued to unsettle me. I couldn't imagine living in a town that was so detrimentally impacted by toxins. While many of us are fortunate to not experience what these poor people went through, I realized how evil greed can be. I've known since I was a kid that we've been destroying the earth. I never paid attention to it (what kid does?), but after watching that movie, I was terrified. It made me think about how much we don't know, and how much people get away with. In today's society it is so common to see companies or people disregard the planet for their own monetary success. To this day, I still think about two scenes in particular. The first is when the main character is digging through the pans in his house late at night because he realized that the Teflon used to prevent food from sticking, contained the PFOA chemicals and was harming his own family. It was truly heartbreaking because he saw how it impacted the people he loved and realized that these chemicals would stay in their bodies forever. The second scene was when Robert was speaking with a scientist about the chemicals and what would happen if someone drank them. The scientist responded, saying that drinking the PFOA chemicals DuPont was leaking into the water, would be the same as swallowing a tire. I would have never suspected that the material used on non-stick pans could be harmful. I assumed everyday items were untouchable and safe. Thankfully, nowadays these things are changed and combated for safety. But the fact that many citizens and wildlife had to suffer to get here, still sits with me. Dark Waters opened my eyes and made me care for the environment so much more. It showed me just how much I take advantage of each day, and how much we still need to fix. I hope we continue to love our world and treat it kindly, for us and the future.

My junior year of high school I took Environmental 101 through the University of Nevada Reno's Dual Enrollment program. I didn't expect to enjoy the class as much as I did (science is not my strong suit), but it was truly fascinating and eye opening. I didn't realize how much we have done to the world until we spent months discussing what humans have done to the planet. The unit I remember the best was when we discussed companies that have polluted the atmosphere and impacted citizens and wildlife. While learning this, we watched Dark Waters and Erin Brockovich. Those movies opened my eyes to the horrible things that have occurred because people were not caring for the planet. As a senior approaching graduation, I still think about that class constantly and rewatch the movies. I had rarely thought about the environment before, and felt disaster was far away. but now I care very deeply about the world. I am going to the University of Nevada Reno in the fall for a Marketing degree. My dream is to market for fashion and beauty companies however, I want to continue to live and think sustainably. It is very common for fashion or beauty brands to have excess product, that they simply throw away. By constantly pushing new trends and throwing away the old ones, we are overconsuming our world into the ground. My hope is that I can not only do what I love but help the planet while doing it. I want to work for sustainable companies and try to move companies to be more sustainable. Additionally, I hope to bring even more attention to horrible working conditions and the wastefulness of modern-day companies. Bringing more attention to impact. Preventing companies from releasing toxins into the atmosphere or unloading tons of product into other countries or the ocean would help the planet immensely. We need to hold people accountable and not let greed get in the way of protecting the planet. My goal in life is not to be rich. I want to do what I love, and be with the people I love. To be able to live this way, as a society, we need to focus on what's important. I understand that the only way to be around my loved ones in a healthy environment is to help make a change. I hope that I can use my degree to do good things.

My parents both push me towards academic success. My father, growing up, did not focus his energy on school and barely graduated high school by the end of it. My mother was the opposite. She strove to graduate with an honors diploma, which she did and ended up being top 10 of her class. But even after coming from such different educational backgrounds, they both attended university and have both received their bachelor's degrees. My father put his life on hold to be an amazing dad and role model for me. Being a dad at 22 changed his entire path and I'm eternally grateful. This has allowed me to pursue my dreams and live a wonderful life. This shaped me into who I am academically. They both find education to be incredibly important and helped me understand that when you apply yourself, you can accomplish anything and everything. My high school journey thus far has been filled with me taking as many classes as I can that are either honors, AP, or Dual Enrollment. Currently, I have taken 2 AP classes, 6 Honors courses and 2 Dual-Enrollment courses. The dual enrollment program was new as of my junior year, so my district made it free the first two years. Now as a Senior, I am taking 4 more Dual Enrollment and 2 more Honors courses. This has already helped me save money on college. The lowest grade I have ever received in high school is a C (Formal Geometry and Honors Algebra 2 got to me). After receiving these grades, I realized my own academic standards. After that, I refused to finish with a C in any class, which led to me excelling in all my courses during Junior year including the college classes. I also joined as many clubs as a could that I was interested in. Junior year I did Student Voice, Murals Club, National Art Honors Society, National Honors Society and Latinos Unidos. I chose Student Voice, NAHS, and NHS for academic purposes because they are important. I then did Murals club because I enjoy art and It allowed us to put our own mark on our school. Finally, Latinos Unidos club was about appreciating Latino culture. I am not Latino but the club welcomes anyone to join and appreciate the culture a little more. I also received an invitation to join the National Society of High School Scholars, and I joined that as well. The career path I have decided on is Marketing. My father's bachelor's is in Marketing which inspired me. I was able to see just how versatile the career is and some of what I'll learn. My dream is to market for fashion or beauty companies because they have always been of interest to me. My financial situation is comfortable. I am being raised in middle class thanks to my parent's hard work and dedication to our family. I am an only child which comes with many benefits, however, this does not mean that we have enough money to pay for university since it is incredibly expensive. I would benefit from this scholarship because I take my academics seriously and I intend on going to school full time to receive my Bachelor's degree.

When I was six years old, my mother was arrested. At the time, I had no idea what was happening; my dad was always the parent that was responsible and took care of me, so while she was still a part of my life, it didnt hit me very hard. She was in another state until I was about 11, and would only visit when she was able to (which became increasingly more difficult the more she violated parole and became homeless). By the time she came back, she began getting back on her feet and not breaking the law, but I didnt see her much, and I still don't. For any child, having a parent who isn't a part of your life, is incredibly hard, but for me it wasn't as bad, because I had my real mom-- My stepmom. My biological parents divorced when I was two. Not long after, my dad met my stepmom who I loved insantly. When my mother was spiraling and eventually got arrested, I always had my dad, and eventually, my stepmom. Both of my parents provided me with what they lacked growing up. They pushed me to strive for success and follow my passions. Additionally, they always made me feel like I was enough. My achievements have always been celebrated, big or small. When my biological mom would leave me with empty promises and pop in once and a while, my dad and stepmom were there every single day, for every single moment. My future goals are to become an elementary school teacher. I want to be able to help kids reach their academic potential and enjoy learning, but mainly, I want to be there for kids who may not be as blessed as I was. There are too many children out there, who need just one person, to listen to them and show that they care for them. I want my future students to feel safe and have a trusted adult to help them during their lives. Without my mom, my childhood would have still been great, because of my dad, but I would not be same and I wouldve lacked the maternal figure who helped shape me into the girl I am today. Every single child deserves to have a role model, someone to listen and someone to support them through whatever they are dealing with. I hope that throughout my career in teaching, I can be there for my students when they need it the most.

I was born and raised in Sparks NV, which is about a half an hour away from Fernley. I have attended Spanish Springs High School for my entire high school career and have been a part of many clubs that have given back to our community. I was in NAHS, NHS, Student Voice, Murals Club and Latinos Unidos. NAHS and NHS are both nationally recognized clubs that require a certain amount of community service hours to be inducted. NAHS requires 20 hours and NHS requires 40. Murals club is a club where we paint murals around our school to give back to our small community of SSHS, and Student Voice is a club where we go to the district to change things for our school as well. Finally, I was in Latinos Unidos, not because I am Latino myself, but because I wanted to help support their club and appreciate their cultures. My educational and career goals are to attend university and become a teacher. Looking back, I realize that my interest in teaching was sparked by my third-grade teacher Mrs. Leary. She was incredibly kind, patient, and dedicated to her students. She helped me enjoy learning and school so much more. However, while Mrs. Leary made me curious about teaching, I credit my high school teachers for why I stuck with it. Additionally, by helping my school through my clubs, I have gained a new level of respect and love for my school and the overall vibe of a campus. I've had such amazing teachers throughout high school, in every subject. My English teachers made me love writing, my history teachers made me fascinated with the past, and even my math and science teachers made me enjoy subjects I once struggled with. They have all made learning enjoyable and engaging for me and I want to be able to pass that along to future students. The university I plan to attend is The University of Nevada Reno. At UNR, they have the “Pack Teach” program. This program allows future teachers to receive a degree in a subject that they love, while simultaneously receiving the credits needed to teach it. Throughout my education, I have been drawn most to history. It has always fascinated me that we are constantly walking the same earth as our ancestors, but in such different ways. My history teachers have made me love the subject more than I ever expected and I am now excited to learn more about it in college. What excites me even more is knowing that eventually I can do what they do and help future kids love history just as much or more.

Teachers are truly like superheroes. They dedicate so much of their time to their students to make sure they feel heard and learn. I have always admired teachers and this is what ultimately led me to wanting that as my future! While I do not do much volunteer work, I still participate! At my high school we have many clubs. I began joining clubs my sophomore year, because I wanted to be well-rounded and have extracurriculars to participate in. Initially, I was doing it for college applications, but I soon realized how nice it was to give back to my school through these activities. Now, I merely do it for the fun. Two of the clubs I am a part of require a certain amount of community service hours to be inducted. These clubs are the National Honors Society and the National Art Honors Society. NHS requires 40 hours from September to April, and NAHS requires 20 hours from September to May. As a sophomore, I was constantly nervous about my hours because I felt as though I wouldn't be able to meet them. When I successfully did, I showed myself that I could do whatever I set my mind to and that I can be of more help to my school through my clubs. As someone who does not do leadership, It is nice to still be able to help my school through my volunteering. How I achieve my hours is in a simple way. I am a part of a club where we paint murals around our school. These murals bring more life to the white walls and make our school appear more welcoming. I love this club because it allows me to tap into my artistic side more, while also helping my school, even if it’s in a small way. Another way I reach my hours is by tagging along to leadership events. Every year before break, leadership decorated the entire downstairs portion of our school to show spirit. They always have one wall dedicated to each class, and a specific theme for each class to decorate as. Last year, the theme before prom was all about Disney movies. The juniors decided to have our wall be Alice in Wonderland themed and they went all out. I always try to help because it is a big task and while leadership is self-sufficient, more hands equal less work! Additionally, I love any way to help the school because I enjoy the environment of school. I want to become a teacher because I notice all that they do. Every teacher I have had has come into class ready to teach and energized. They truly make or break the experience of school, and for me, they always make it. The idea of being able to become like them is truly exciting and I dream of becoming a supportive, caring and helpful teacher for my future students. As I mentioned before, I truly enjoy the environment and feeling of a school. Every school I have attended, has made a point to make it feel welcoming and happy to the best of their ability and it always pays off. I would love to be a part of the magic.

I want to become an elementary school teacher for the future generations. When I was in elementary school, I always looked up to my teachers. I grew up with teachers who dedicated their time to making sure their students understood the lessons while having fun. One teacher that I remember the most from that time was my third grade teacher Mrs. Leary. Mrs. Leary was beloved in my family. My uncle (who is only 3 years older than me) had her as a teacher for third grade. My grandma always told us about how kind and amazing she was as a teacher. When I transferred from one school to another in the third grade, I ended up having Mrs. Leary and I loved her. I still think about activities we did in that class and what we learned. That class was the first time I thought about becoming a teacher. As I got older, I constantly heard from people how teachers made little money. This derailed me from my track. I decided to try and find careers that would make me a lot of money, but none of them interested me like teaching did. Now, I cant wait to begin my journey as a teacher. The main reason I want to become a teacher however, is for the young kids. I have always been good with kids and I have always enjoyed being around them. Things that would annoy me from people around my age or older, suddenly does not annoy me when it comes from a kid. I have much more patience around children and I adore their curiosity. What truly blows my mind is how quickly they can learn something new, whether it be academically or a hobby. I would love to be a small part in helping them become smarter and find what they love. Children are the future of this world and it is a dream to be able to teach them. I hope to one day inspire kids to follow the same path. I want to be the teacher that makes kids love school and learning. I want my future students to feel as though they can do anything they set their mind to. Hopefully, I can help studetns follow their dreams (maybe some of their dreams would be to pursue teaching and become an educator. In that way, the impact is maintained for generations to come).

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." — Nelson Mandela Education is so important for the future of the world. I think it is so amazing that teachers can influence future teachers, construction workers, presidents, musicians, doctors, firemen, police, etc., into who they become. I would love to be a part of this journey for the future generations. I want to provide an environment where they learn a lot but feel heard and safe in their surroundings. I intend on becoming an elementary school teacher after college. I want to teach that age specifically because it is the most fun. I have always enjoyed being around 5-10 year olds because they are authentically themselves. They like what they like, they are their own people and I love that about them. They still carry around their childlike wonder with them. They believe that when they loose a tooth, they place it under their pillow and recieve money for it. Or they believe that when they fall asleep on December 24th, that when they wake the next morning, a mythical man with a long white beard, will give them their dream toys because they are good kids. At that age of students, they are typically excited to learn and are open to new concepts. They can learn things so quickly which is admirable and impressive. Overall, the vibe of elementary is not lost on me. I remember so many moments in elementary school where I had an amazing time. We did crafts and learned things in fun ways. There was no pressure on school because the teachers I had, always helped me succeed to the best of my ability. In high school, school becomes more stressful and I would dread it sometimes. I never dreaded elementary school and I miss the weightlessness of that time. No worries, no pressure, just absolute fun all the time. Lastly, I want to make sure that kids these age do not get discouraged from their path in any way. Whether that be because of comments from adults about what they can and can't be, or from bullies their age, the list goes on and on. I don't ever want children this age, to not have someone to talk to when they need help. If there is something at home or in the classroom, I want to make sure that they understand they are loved and that they are meant for greatness. Nobody should feel alone, especially not someone so young.

"I despise my jealous eyes and how hard they fell for you". This lyric resonates with me and my own teenage experience because comparing yourself to people is hard to avoid. As a teenage girl during the 2020's, social media is heavily influencing everything we see and do, especially at such an impressionable age. My parents do not allow me to have TikTok or Instagram for this reason. They understand how harmful social media is to everyone, no matter how old, and they do not want me to become upset with who I am. All people compare themselves to others at some point in their life. With beauty standards corrupting everything we see, boys feel the need to be muscular and tall, while girls feel the need to be an hourglass with a blemish free appearance. As a girl, I have gone through my moments of hating my curly hair, my figure, my nose, my lips, etc. When you are insecure, you notice everyone around you who has what you want. The lyric I chose, is from Olivia Rodrigo's song "Lacy". This song is incredibly popular online. I have seen videos of girls around my age talking about their "Lacy". It really shows how common and almost normalized being insecure is for girls. At the teen age, it is hard to have a rational head about things. For instance, when I was insecure about my curly hair, I was envious of every single person I saw who either had straight hair naturally or were allowed to straighten it. My mom always refused to let me straighten my hair too often, to prevent damage and to allow me to love my natural hair. I resented this at the time but now, I am appreciative. I love that my mom did not let me ruin my hair before I liked it naturally. She always talked me through my insecurity and got me products to try and make it better. It is important for teenage girls to have an outlet and someone to help. Bottling up insecurities can make them worse. When girls experience their "Lacy"'s or are insecure over a trait of theirs (because media loves to nitpick) they need someone to talk them through it. My mom has helped me in so many ways. She explains to me why I should not be insecure and tries to make it better. She always finds the solution and this has helped me a lot with overcoming the "Lacy" feeling.

I love Chappell Roan because she is creative and herself. I love how she uplifts the queer community through her music and uses her fame as an outlet for bigger things. I myself am not a part of the LGBTQ+ community, but I find Chappell's music to be incredibly vibey. Her singing voice is wonderful and her style is hers. Additionally, she is not afraid to speak up about what she cares about or defend herself. I love that she is strong because it is important for young girls to see that you can defend yourself and that you should defend yourself. There is a stigma around women that speak up for what is right but Chappell Roan does not seem to care. Lastly, her music lifts me up. It makes me feel amped up and happy about the day. Im not sure if this is because of her energy that she exudes or her music but I never feel sad when listening to Chappell. I am curious as to where her career will go off to next. Because of her unique brand, style, and voice, I do not see her falling off any time soon. I hope for a new album soon!

I am a fan of Wicked because I have always loved the Wizard of Oz. Growing up, I loved the story and movie surrounding the world of Oz but I always wondered why the Wicked witch was the way she was. As I became older, I began liking musicals more. I knew wicked was a musical and I had heard songs from it before, but i never lsitened to it fully until the movie. The movie was set up wonderfully. It went through the backstory in a captivating way that made me curious as to what would happen next. The backstory was truly interesting and answered the question my younger self constantly wondered. My favorite character was of course Elphaba, because she isherself through and through. She does not need the validation of others and that is admirable to me. It is fascinating that the good witch is only good for her benefit. I hope Glinda recieves a redemtion arc in the second part, to show that she deserves the title she has been known for. I loved every minute of the adaptation and found that it was well thought out and that a lot of effort was put into the creation of it. I cannot wait for the second part of the movie to come out and wrap up every plot point that hasnt been finished yet. The day will be marked on my calender.

I have completed over 90 hours of community service so far during my high school education. I joined the National Honors Society in my sophomore year and continued it through my junior year. I then joined the National Arts Honors Society my junior year. Both of those clubs require a minimum amount of community service hours to be inducted and hold your position in the clubs. The ways I received these hours were helping my small community; my school. I would help with events during the year, typically leadership ones but not always. I also joined Murals club, where we painted murals inside the school to bring more joy to the walls. As I pursue higher education, I will need help financially. My family is comfortable to provide me with a wonderful life, but college is incredibly expensive and is something my family cannot outright pay for. I have taken every possible opportunity thus far to get money/save money for college. I have taken AP classes, and Dual-Credit classes, Ive applied for scholarships and Ive already planned to retake my ACT to help me recieve more scholarships. I intend on becoming an elementary school teacher. Children at that age are incredibly impressionable. This will make it easy to teach them the harm and impact of bullying and make it stick. As the internet grows and grows, future generations are using electronics more and more. I have seen 5 year olds, knowing how to operate YouTube and games like Roblox. Both of which have chat functions. The older they get and the better they understand harmful "jokes" and typing, it will be easy for them to hurt other people online. Teaching them how to stay nice online will help cyberbullying not progress. I can also talk to parents about how to set up parental controls, which removes access to chatting since kids do not understand the gravity of online chatting with strangers. When it comes to bullying in person, I can find ways for the students to report it, without feeling they are "tattling" or that it is going to make it worse. I could have a box where they write out whats going on, or they could simply speak to me after class. This way I can alert the parents of the bully, about what their child is doing and how it is not okay to hopefully stop the harm. Bullying is not something that should ever be taken lightly. It can impact people for years or even decades after it happens because of the emotional harm it causes. Nobody should feel that they are worthless or not enough because of what someone says. In the future, I intend to take it even more seriously than I already do.

A high school teacher who influenced me was my 11th grade history teacher, Miss. Cable. Miss. Cable taught AP U.S. History and AP Euro. In my Sophomore year, I had a friend who had Cable as her teacher and raved about her constantly. When I first entered her class on the first day of my Junior Year, she was genuinly one of the nicest teachers. She instantly brought a caring vibe to the classroom and everyone was at ease in her class. You could always tell that she loves what she does and spends her time making the class enjoyable for everyone. She always made the class interactive through her activities and allowance for communication. One activity I will always remember from that class, was the one she created based on the Cuban Missle Crisis. We had recently read up about it in our textbooks and she had spent the classes before, teaching and interacting with us to make sure we understood it. When I walked in on the day of the activity, I instantly became excited because her activities were always so fun. She had four tables set up, each a different country (United Kingdom, United States, Cuba and Russia). I sat at the U.S. table with my friends. We were all assigned jobs, the most notable being the messenger. We then spent the entire class period reading articles and communicating with the other countries to try and solve the crisis that was occuring. She walked us through the crisis like real life, except we ended up making the crucial decisions ourselves. Being 16-17 year olds in class meant we were all immature. The option of pretend "Nuclear Bombing/War" was on the table, since it almost occurred during the real Cuban Missle Crisis. She knew that if there were no reprocutions, we would all instantly end the game as a joke. She wanted us to understand the gravity of the situation and how horrible it could have been, so she made it a grade. If any country decided to "Nuke" any other country, the entire class would fail the assignment. This instantly made the game stressful, because it takes just one group of people to ruin it for everyone. Thankfully, after much help from Cable and the groups, we all walked away with an 100% on that assignment. Her dedication to the students and our success on our AP tests, made me believe I could succeed. She gave me a new found love for history and school. I always looked forward to her class and her class only. Cable showed me that education can be fun. I want to become a teacher for this reason. Growing up I had amazing teachers, but once I hit high school, it was 50/50. This made me rethink my desire for teaching, but Cable's class brought me so much joy. It made me realize just how enjoyable school can be, at any age.

Im the most Gen Z person alive in many ways but one is the way I talk. The slang is unmatched in my opinion and I use it all the time. Rizz, Chat, PMO, Fire, Lit, etc. I also use phrases like "...In the big 2025" or "frickin packet yo". Really anything remotely stupid or funny that I've seen, I quote. Another thing that makes me incredibly Gen Z is my amount of hyper specific playlists and Pinterest boards. Half the time, I don't even use them but I randomly spent hours making them one day and now they sit on my phone. I don't have social media except for YouTube, but I find myself spending hours watching videos with little to no substance because it is entertaining to me. I also find myself taking pictures of everything. Sometimes I don't know why because they are just going to sit in my camera roll but it's for the vibes, I guess. Common emotes I hit when I'm taking a picture are the peace sign, having my tongue out and the kissy face. In basically all the pictures I am in that aren't family photos, I'm hitting one of those three. Finally, what makes me the most gen Z person alive is hating on millennials (I apologize to any millennials who may be reading this). I love millennials. my parents are millenials so there is nothing but love deep down, but some millenials cringe me out so hard. Not saying Gen Z isn't bad because there are so many Gen Z'ers who are insanely cringe, millennials just do it different its hard to explain.

My top three Billie Eilish songs are all from her album "Hit me Hard and Soft". They are "SKINNY", "BLUE", and "THE GREATEST". Skinny was one of the songs I enjoyed from the beginning because it is her explaining how her fitting other's beauty standards (the example she used being her weight), didn't make her any happier. This is important for young girls to understand because there is nothing wrong with them. Fitting beauty standards doesn't make you beautiful or happy because you're beautiful from the start, and happiness is different for everyone. Next, I enjoyed Blue because from the beginning of the song, it reminded me of old Billie's music (when she had first come out). Once she starts singing and the beat picks up, there is nothing unenjoyable about the song. My favorite part of the song is when she starts singing "I don't hate you, but I can't change you" because her voice is beautiful and it gives me goosebumps. Lastly but definitely not least, my third favorite is The Greatest. I love the emotion that she portrays when she sings. While I can't relate to the song, I can feel the emotion that she has while she sings it and that impacts me every time.

I first saw Sabrina Carpenter on Girl Meets World. I loved her character and her humor always made me laugh. As she began her music career, I remember when she Released "Thumbs". From that point until Nonsense was released, I forgot about her. However, she came back with a bang. When the album "emails i cant send" was released I really enjoyed the songs from that album. Then, the day Espresso was released I listened to it and instantly loved it. I played it on repeat throughout 2024 and still do to this day. When the "Short n Sweet" album came out I loved every single song. It always boosts my mood and I love how much she is herself in everything she does. I love Sabrina's music because I have always been a girly girl and that is what she encapsulates. She doesn't care if she comes off a certain way because she is a grown woman and is allowed to act how she wants. If she wants to make certain jokes or dress a certain way that is okay. I will remain a fan of her for years to come and I can't wait to see what music she releases going forward.

My favorite song on Brat is Von Dutch because it is hype. Whenever I hear it, I get super pumped and it brings back a memory from my Junior Prom. My junior year prom had QR codes scattered around the dance floor. These would give you the DJ's number, that way we could all request songs that we wanted to hear. The music ended up being amazing because all of us high schoolers have similar taste in music. A couple of my friends started requesting Von Dutch. After a couple of hours of them requesting it, it started playing. Like a movie, everyone but a few people and our group were on the dance floor. Our group huddled in a circle and we all began jumping and dancing to the song. That was one of the moments from that night that I remember quite often. Brat is an amazing album. Charli XCX has been a popstar for so long, but this album felt like it was her finding her brand and finding herself. People may believe that the songs have no meaning because its club music, but the truth is there is meaning behind every song on the album and that doesn't go unnoticed. I can't wait to see what she releases in the future, but for now, I'll keep vibing to Brat!

When I was a small child, teachers were like superheroes. Hearing that they had lives and families outside of school boggled my mind because in class, they gave their everything to the students. I was blessed to have great teachers growing up, that shaped me as a student, but also as a person. They made their classrooms feel like blended families and that is what ultimately made me choose teaching as my career path. Growing up, I played two games most often; family and school. Since I was six years old, I could've told you the same thing I would tell you now; that I want to go to college, marry and have kids while living in the suburbs (in so many words). This is why I loved playing family, because I had an interesting obsession with motherhood from a young age. Back then I couldn't tell you why, it was just what it was, but I realized now that it is because I have an amazing mother. The same could be said for teaching. Whenever I would play school with my friends or my cousins, I always loved being the teacher. I would make up little lessons and give them tests because I loved grading them. I made little schedules, we set up books and blankets to make desks and I always loved writing on the whiteboard. This was because my classes always felt safe, secure and fun. Teaching is an incredibly important job and I find it so amazing that you get to be a part of shaping the future generation, even if it's only for a school year. I intend to become a teacher that not only helps kids understand school easier, but that also is a support system if they ever need it. I never want young children to feel like nobody is there for them or have to go through something with no help. Thankfully there are many resources at schools, but when you're young, speaking to adults you don't know is intimidating. I want my future students to feel like they can speak to me if they need help, big or small. I also love the creativity that I would be surrounded by on a daily basis. Kids imaginations are precious and wonderful and I want to make sure that while they are learning the curriculum they need to know, they are also given time to harness their creativity. Being a creative person myself, I would love to craft with my students and allow my students to play games while learning at the same time. Ultimately, it is amazing all the things teachers do that they aren't always given credit for. I have always looked up to my educators and will appreciate their impact for years and years to come. I am so excited to become what I've looked up to for so long and I hope I can make an impact like them.

Some kids want to astronauts, while others want to be popstars. I wanted to be an artist. Since I was a small child, I have always loved crafting. I attended public elementary school and a summer program that always had fun activities and crafts for us to do. There was something so exciting about the little things; glueing paper to paper, cutting out shapes, stickers, pens, paints, markers, the list goes on and on. However, as I continued through elementary school, I had amazing teachers that unintentionally changed my mind. At that point I knew I wanted to teach. Growing up I always heard one thing about teachers: "They dont get paid enough". Of course, money was the last thing on my mind when I was 9, but this stuck out to me. I was always under the impression that teachers could not support themselves financially, which led me to change my career plan. I danced around different ideas, but ended up at a loss. In my Dual-Credit English 101 class, we needed to choose a career that we would like to pursue for our future essays. My mind was blank until a friend of mine, reminded me that teaching is an option. At that moment I felt nothing but excitement for my future. The cards ligned up perfectly; I have always loved being around little kids because of their kindess, honesty and of course cuteness, I love to craft which is common in teaching but especially for littles, the school environment has never given me anything but joy, and last but not least, I get to be a small part in shaping the future generation. I hope that I can impact my students positively. I want them all to look at the world and think that theres nothing they can't accomplish. You always remember the teachers that were amazing. The ones who helped you when you were confused, the ones that didn't make you feel dumb, and the ones who you felt like you could confide in. My goal when teaching is to make my students feel safe and heard. In high school, if a student is dealing with something, they speak to a counselor. Of course, counselors are common in elementary schools as well, but kids at that age, may feel intimidated speaking to an adult they barely know. That is why it is important that they feel they can speak to their teachers. I have always been a feminist. My mother and father have always taught me right; that everyone is equal. That is why I have always become so confused when others think that women are stupid or that they need a man. A girl's life goal should be what she wants. She should not feel like she needs a husband or needs to fit a males view of her. I plan to help little girls understand that they are just as capable as a boy in all aspects through my teaching. All of my students will be treated equally and I will not tolerate any sexist comments. At a young age, kids are like sponges. When they hear sexism at home, they think it's normal, but it's important that they know it isn't. Girls can do anything they set their mind to. Being taught that at a young age, I hope to see nothing but confidence as they grow into the future leaders of whatever they choose to be. As for me, all I dream of is becoming a part in it, big or small.

My parents both push me towards academic success. My father, growing up, did not focus his energy on school and barely graduated high school by the end of it. My mother was the opposite. She strove to graduate with an honors diploma, which she did and ended up being top 10 of her class. But even after coming from such different educational backgrounds, they both attended university and have both received their bachelor's degrees. This shaped me into who I am academically. They both find education to be incredibly important and helped me understand that when you apply yourself, you can accomplish anything and everything. My highschool journey thus far has been filled with me taking as many classes as I can that are either honors or even better, AP. Currently, I have taken 2 AP classes (AP Euro and AP U.S. History), 6 Honors courses (Honors English 1-2, Honors English 3-4, Formal Geometry, Honors Algebra 2, Honors Pre-Calc and Trig, and Honors Chem) and 2 Dual-Enrollment courses (English 101 and Environmental 101). The dual enrollment program was new as of my junior year, so my district made it free the first two years. This has already helped me save money on college courses through the University of Nevada-Reno and in my senior year, I am hoping to take 4 to make college cheaper. The lowest grade I have ever received in high school is a C (Formal Geometry and Honors Algebra 2 got to me). After receiving these grades, I realized my own academic standards. After that, I refused to finish with a C in any class, which led to me excelling in all my courses during Junior year including the college classes. I also joined as many clubs as a could that I was interested in. Junior year I did Student Voice, Murals Club, National Art Honors Society, National Honors Society and Latinos Unidos. I chose Student Voice, NAHS, and NHS for academic purposes because they are important. I then did Murals club because I enjoy art and It allowed us to put our own mark on our school. Finally, Latinos Unidos club was about appreciating Latino culture. I am not Latino but the club welcomes anyone to join and appreciate the culture a little more. I also received an invitation to join the National Society of High School Scholars, and I joined that as well. As I wrap up my high school career I intend on doing as many clubs and classes that could benefit me and allow me to enjoy school more. The career path I intend on is becoming an Elementary school teacher. Growing up an only child, there is an assumption that we're completely solo but the truth is, I have family everywhere. I have many cousins who I love dearly and see constantly. One of which, recently turned 5. Being around her reminds me why I would love to teach. Children that young are a little crazy but are honest, sweet and themselves. I believe that it's important to have more teachers because they are teaching the future generation and that is amazing. My financial situation is comfortable. I am being raised in middle class thanks to my parent's hard work and dedication to our family. I am an only child which comes with many benefits, however, this does not mean that we have enough money to pay for university since it is incredibly expensive. I would benefit from this scholarship because I take my academics seriously and I intend on going to school full time to receive my Bachelor's degree.