I was born with an AV canal and was diagnosed at a week old. This news would change my family's plans for their start of parenthood. I was referred to a cardiologist and was told I had three holes in my heart. Two of them would close on their own, but one will have to be closed through open heart sugery which I would get at 10 months old. I was placed in the NICU at a week old because of the heart defect affecting my other organs. My breathing was off because of my heart working overtime, I wasn't able to keep any formula down, and I would have a feeding tube put in my stomach. I would struggle to gain weight, and when I did, I would lose it quickly. I was released from the NICU after 3 months. Then I would have my open heart surgery at 10 months. I had a minor surgery again right before kindergarden as well. Many people think this would not affect me very much because of how young I was. I don't remember much, which I would rather not. My family remembers a lot, so I hear a lot of stories. But my heart defect still affects me to this day. I see a cardiologist every year to make sure nothing has changed, and everything is working the way it should, and all the repairs they made stay. I am significantly smaller than people my age. I am only 4 feet 11 inches because of the heart problem, which people love to mention how small I am as if that is the only thing they see. I have many marks on my body from this time in my life. I have a large scar down my chest from the open-heart surgery. I still have the hole from my feeding tube. I have various other scars and marks from this time. I am sometimes insecure about these scars and marks because most people don't have the marks I have. But I have learned to embrace them because they are battle scars. My heart defect doesn't greatly affect me anymore because of the surgery and the defect being corrected. It greatly affected my childhood because of how long I was in the NICU, and it affected my development as a baby and toddler. Thankfully, I am on track with everything. I am cautious of what I put in my body because I am lucky to be here and should not take my body for granted. I don't drink energy drinks, smoke/vape, do any drugs, or drink. Why do something that might damage the organ that I fought to have? I need to really listen to my body if something is out of the ordinary, especially with my heart. My heart defect has made me appreciate my body and to listen to my body and to see how strong I am and my family is, especially during a hard time like the NICU days or during my surgery.

I was born with an AV Canal Heart Defect at a week old. I had three holes in my heart and had open-heart surgery at 10 months old. I then had another surgery right before kindergarden. My heart defect affected a lot of my organs. I had breathing issues, GI issues, etc. I had a feeding tube put in a couple months old and need to be fed through a tube for the first couple years of my life. I was in the NICU for the first three months of my life, which made me fall behind typical milestones that many babies complete at a certain period, resulting in "Failure to Thrive." Because of my development being behind, I had many different therapists come to my house and work with me, like PT, speech therapist, OT, etc. I eventually got on track, but it took some time. It took me so long to get my surgery because of how little I weighed. Because of my heart condition, I was unable to keep any formula down, which caused me to lose or not gain weight in a critical time when babies should gain weight. When I was younger, the doctors told my parents I would be small but mighty. Meaning I would be a fighter, but a short fighter. I am only four feet eleven inches because of my heart issue. Many people, even my family, pick on my height, which is something I can't control. People have told me I should be proud of my height because I fought hard to be here, but that is hard when that is the only thing people point out about me. I have been called a miget, asked if I'm a dwarf, or called an elf. Haha. I feel like people don't treat tall people like that. I will need to see a cardiologist for the rest of my life. I currently go every year. I get an ultrasound and an EKG every time I go. It is just part of my life now. I have to be really aware of my body and make sure nothing in out of sorts with my heart. I don't drink energy drinks, I don't drink alcohol, nor vape or smoke cigarettes. All of these are very prominent in our culture. Another thing I have to keep in mind now is my ability to carry a child. If I were to get pregnant, I would have a high-risk pregnancy. I would also need to see my cardiologist more. I need to consult my cardiologist if I want to become a mother, and I probably should get genetic testing done to see if I were to have a baby, to see what chance the baby would have of inheriting my heart defect. Which is hard to hear because I think most young women my age don't have to think about it, and I do. I try to be as positive as I can when it comes to my heart defect because I am strong. I fought a heart defect at an incredibly young age. I am proud of who I am. I personally wish there were more representation when it comes to heart defects, especially the scar I have on my chest. It would be cool to see a model have a scar like mine to show how strong heart defect babies are.

Imagine sitting with a creep and giving them all of your personal information and every picture of you in your phone in a binder. That is what many people do daily. They gamble the chance of having their personal information stolen and sold to companies and creeps. Bringing awareness and using a trusted company to bargain with companies that steal my information to make sure my personal information is still personal. The only person who has the right to your information is you.

My name is Lynna Brenizer, and I am from Saegertown, Pennsylvania. I am a junior attending Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, majoring in Special Education, PK-12. I attended Saegertown Jr-Sr High School, where I was a member of the National Honor Society and graduated with honors. I am also a first-generation college student. When I am not working on college, I am usually cleaning for my grandpa's janitor company or co-teaching 3rd-grade religious education. As a Catholic, I assist students in preparing for their First Communion. Since 2015, I have volunteered for my parish's Vacation Bible School, where I have served as a group leader or activity room leader. I love listening to music and spending time in nature. Some of my favorite artists are Taylor Swift and a rock band called Shinedown. I had the opportunity to see Taylor Swift once at The Eras Tour in 2023. I also got to see Shinedown twice. There are many other artists that I love, as well as various decades and genres. I love being in nature. I love having fresh air. The first thing I do in the morning is go outside and get some fresh air. The beauty of sunsets and sunrises takes my breath away. The colors that the sky is able to create, as well as the beauty of a rainbow after a rain shower. I also love the sunset and sunrise over the ocean when we go on vacation. As I write this, I will be heading to Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, in one week. I am excited to see the ocean again after being away for the last couple of years. I find the ocean so beautiful, as well as any body of water. I live a half hour away from Lake Erie, which is also really beautiful if you have ever seen it. I find nature to be a testament to God's existence and a source of great beauty and calm. A couple of my aspirations are to receive my master's degree after a couple of years of teaching. Another aspiration is to make an impact on my students. I want them to succeed in life and want to be a part of their success story. I want to be a safe space for my students. I also want to get married and raise a family. A couple of experiences that have shaped my life are the heart defect I was born with and a late friend of mine who inspired me to major in special education. I was born with a congenital heart defect and had open heart surgery at 10 months old, and would later have another surgery at 5. This has had a profound impact on me and the support I received from people for my family and me. I had hundreds of people praying for my family and me. I also have to see a cardiologist every year. I had a friend named Austin who had muscular dystrophy, who sadly passed away, and made a huge impact on me. My mom and I became close with his family and got to know him even though he was basically non-verbal. He was so innocent and carefree, even though he had muscular dystrophy. His death had a profound impact on me and is one of the reasons I chose to major in special education; I hope that more students like Austin will have a similar impact on me as he did.

My faith has significantly influenced my leadership skills. Most of my leadership skills were built through volunteering at my church. Much of my volunteering has involved teaching others about faith and helping them develop their faith in God. My faith is a constantly evolving relationship. Faith has helped me develop my leadership skills and overcome anxieties in my life. I struggle with social anxiety and generalized anxiety, and volunteering has helped me. My desire to help others develop their faith in God has motivated me to get out of my comfort zone. I have gotten more comfortable with talking to people and public speaking. I have been volunteering for my church's Vacation Bible School since I was 12. I have served as a group leader, a Bible story room actor, and, most recently, a sticky scripture room leader. Being a leader requires me to step out of my comfort zone. I have to speak to multiple groups about a specific topic of the day for a week. What was kind of cool/weird was that any of the topics I had to discuss with the kids were things that I struggle with, so I am also learning as the students were learning. A couple of topics I discussed that stuck with me the most were about loving people that are hard for you to get along with and how God can help with your anxiety. I think at times like these, learning to love the people who are hard to get along with is important. People are often divided and hateful, and it's essential to remember that we should love others because God loves them. This is something I struggle with, especially if someone disagrees with me politically or religiously. I need to remember they are also God's children and God loves them. As I mentioned, I struggle with anxiety and need to put more trust in God. Another aspect of my faith that has influenced me is my leadership skills, particularly as a religious education teacher. I help co-teach religious education with my mom. We help the students prepare for their First Communion. We also help the students grow in their faith in God. I often wonder how much of an influence I am having on these students' faith, especially when they aren't listening, but I have been told that I am making a difference. When one of my students waves to me or gives me a hug, that's when I feel like I'm making a difference. I realized I can't force someone to have faith, and it's someone's journey, but I'm glad I get to have some form of impact, hopefully. I hope to continue helping grow the youth in their faith as I develop my leadership skills, especially since I am on my way to becoming a special education teacher.

I remember the first time I ever heard of the term prolife. My mom and my aunt were talking about abortion and how they were against it. I didn't know what an abortion was as I was only a preteen. My aunt had sent me a video by a former abortionist describing how a second-term abortion is performed. I remember watching that video and feeling a sense of disgust. From then on, I have been a prolife advocate. The pro-life issue is the political issue I am most knowledgeable about. I follow many pro-life advocates, such as Lila Rose, the founder of Live Action, and Kristan Hawkins, the president of Students for Life Action. They have helped me become more knowledgeable about being prolife. I have watched many of Kristan Hawkins' debates and also listened to Lila Rose's podcast. My parish raises money to help provide for women in need and buys ultrasound machines, which help protect the unborn. When a mother sees her baby on an ultrasound, she is much more likely to keep the baby. The parish members fill up baby bottles with money to donate to help save the unborn and help pregnant women in need. Another thing my parish does every year to make their voices heard is attend the March for Life in Washington, DC. They rent a bus and take parishioners to Washington, DC overnight. They march all day long. I have always wanted to attend the March for Life, but with college, I often have classes on the Friday of the March for Life. I will probably have to wait til I graduate to be able to attend. Unfortunately, we are currently experiencing a period of political division, and both sides tend to villainize the other. Many people who are prochoice like to say that prolife people are just pro-controlling women. Which isn't true. I care just as much about the mother as I do about the baby. During these politically divided times, I am somewhat wary of sharing my political views because people aren't open-minded to hearing others' views. But in these times, I think it is more important than ever to express my views. I attend a very liberal leaning college, which can be frustrating at times, especially when it feels like I'm the only one who disagrees with their views. I have shared my pro-life views with my class a couple of times. In my first semester, we were required to write an eight-page paper on a current issue or topic. I chose to write my paper on how I believe that abortion is murder. The professor asked if anyone wanted to share their topic, and I chose to read my controversial topic. I could feel the eye daggers. Another time at college that I chose to show my prolife views is when I had to give my bucket list of 5 items. One of my bucket list items was to attend the March for Life. My professor is incredibly prochoice, so I'm sure he loved reading that. Over the years, I have grown to understand more about what it means to be prolife. Prolife also means being against the death penalty, injustice, and caring for every life on earth.

I am a junior majoring in Special Education. As a special education teacher, I can impact my community by educating children with disabilities. I will have a big responsibility in educating the youth. I have been impacting my community for years while also improving my teaching skills. Since I was 12, I have been volunteering at Vacation Bible School. I've been a co-group leader, story room leader, and scripture station leader. I didn't realize that I was making some form of impact on the students, especially when they are distracted and feel like no one is listening. After vacation bible school, a couple of kids would wave to me in church, which surprised me because I didn't think they liked me. I'm glad they liked me and didn't find my station boring. It made my day when they waved to me during church. Another time I felt I was making an impact on my community through vacation Bible school was a couple of years ago. Vacation Bible School had just ended, and one of the adult volunteers came up to my parents and told them how well I was doing as a group leader and how good I am with kids. That made me feel good, and I'm sure my parents felt good about that compliment as well. Another way I have been impacting my community at a young age is that I have been a religious education teacher since 2022. I prepare them for their First Communion. It's not always easy teaching, but it's incredibly rewarding. There are times I question how much of an influence I am making on them if I feel they aren't listening. I have been told I am making a difference to them. I believe the most rewarding aspect of teaching religious education is the connection you form with students throughout the year. When I was in high school, I was accepted into the National Honor Society, which required me to complete 100 hours of community service over two years. A couple of things I got to participate in while I was in NHS were Read Across America and Elementary Field Day. I got to read to a class of first graders, which was a lot of fun. On Elementary Field Day, my friend and I ran the limbo station. Some of my favorite high school memories were from volunteering for Field Day. These things have helped me develop my passion for working with kids. I have felt I have already made somewhat of an impact on the kids I have worked with. My passion for positively impacting the community will grow as I become a special education teacher and hopefully make a meaningful difference in my students' lives. The teacher I had impacted my life positively, and I hope to do the same for my students.

First, I would like to send my condolences to your family. I find it beautiful that you are keeping Rebecca's memory alive with this scholarship. Coming up on 10 years ago, I loss a close friend named Austin, who had muscular dystrophy and made such a huge impact on me and so many others, which I'm sure Rebecca did the same. Austin was one of the reasons I wanted to major in special education. He impacted me, and I'm sure students like Austin would do the same. While becoming a special education teacher, I heard amazing advice from other special education teachers. The one thing they all seemed to express was to love the student first before teaching, which I'm sure you also believe. I would ensure a student like Rebecca would be loved and cared for. It takes a lot of trust for a parent with a child with high needs to allow teachers and therapists to be with their child for many hours a day. I will make sure I am as informed as possible on the specific child's disorder and communicate well with the child's parents. It takes great dedication and training to work with children with high needs. Whatever the students' age, when I have them in class, I will meet them where they are. I will do fun learning activities and make them as involved as possible. One thing my high school did was include the students with high needs as much as we could. They would attend the assemblies, we would hang out with them in the gym, and the art class would do crafts with them. I would encourage inclusivity as much as I could. I would do my best to teach them different concepts to their ability. I believe family plays the biggest role in the education and progress of a disabled child. Another thing that the special education teacher I had the opportunity to observe was how parents should be a part of their child's education. It surprised me that some parents don't even attend their child's IEP meetings. That shows you care very little about your child's future and education. Everything starts at home. If your child sees that you don't care about their education, why would they? Showing up matters, I know it from experience, my parents always showed up for me, I can't imagine not having that support and love. Effort matters, as long as you show effort for your child's learning and care, that is the start. Parents make just as much of an impact on learning because parents are the first teachers in a child's life. Thank you for this opportunity to apply for this scholarship. My heart is with you. As I said, this is a beautiful way to remember Rebecca. May God Bless You.

A couple of things I have heard from special education teachers that have stayed with me since my journey to becoming a special educator are that we always talk about their strengths before discussing their struggles. The other thing is to love the student first. Those two pieces of advice are more important than the teaching part. As a special education teacher, you work with many different types of students. Special education is a vast field, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. One student may have Down Syndrome, one student may have a specific learning disability, or one student might have emotional disturbance. Not one specific thing is gonna work for those very different disabilities. That is why we have IEPs for student, so they have instruction designed for their abilities. I like the idea of discussing their strengths before their struggles. Students and their parents don't want to always be hearing about everything that their son or daughter is struggling with. They want to hear what they are good at. So much of special education is about working on their struggles that we rarely speak of their strengths. Students should hear what they are good at to help encourage them to work on things they may struggle with. They don't want to constantly hear everything they need help with. I wouldn't want to hear the things I struggled with either. I want to hear my strengths just as much as what we need to work on. So much of education and soceity is focused on struggles and what we need to work on, so we rarely appreciate our strengths. I want to hear my strengths; it makes me feel good, so why wouldn't a student with a disability want to do the same? I believe the students should be a part of discussing their strengths and their struggles. I saw a video on TikTok where a student with Down Syndrome led their IEP meeting. I thought this was cool and want to encourage my future students. The IEP is about the students and how to better their education to best fit them. So why should they not get a say in their meeting or co-run it if they can? It encourages the student to lead and improve their social and leadership skills. I had the opportunity last semester to visit three different types of special education classrooms: an emotional support classroom, a learning support classroom, and a life skills classroom. The biggest thing I learned from visiting the classrooms wasn't how to teach but how to bond with and love those students. Unfortunately, many students with special needs are bullied, come from rough households, or live in families that struggle financially. The special education teacher and aides love those students as their children. They say to love those students first and then teach them second. I could tell that the students love their teachers and aides, and the teacher-student bonds I saw were beautiful, especially in the life skills room. Everybody was family, and the main teacher and aides had a fun relationship. The main teacher would tell the students that she loved them and ensured they were loved. She would hug them if they needed a hug. You could feel the love in the classroom. I aspire to have such amazing relationships with my students and aides in my classroom. The teacher I want to be is a teacher who talks positively about my students and celebrates their strengths. I want to make sure they are loved and seen. I want to create a great relationship with my students and my aides. One of the best things I saw and experienced was the students. I loved getting to know the students and meeting the teachers. I felt welcomed and was sad when it was my last week in the classroom. One student would get so excited to see me each week, which was the highlight of my week. It was crazy how much of a relationship I created with some students in only 3 days, for a couple of hours. Teachers have a huge influence on their students, and it can be positive or negative. The best thing I can do for my students is show them love and make the classroom a safe space. If I become a life skills teacher, I will make sure my students are prepared for the world emotionally and physically. I will teach them social skills, but also emotional skills, which are just as important. Students should not feel like school is a punishment. I want to be a fun and loving teacher who teaches the students life skills they can use for their entire lives. I want to impact my students' lives just as much as the teacher I had in school did on me.

1. Being the first in my family to obtain a college degree means that I get to open the door for the future generation of my family. When I graduate, I will make history in my family by getting a college degree. I can show younger and future family members that getting a college degree is achievable. It's not easy, but you can do it. I had many family members who did not go to college and became as successful as those who did. I want to support my future children and the next generation in the family, whether they choose to go to college or not. My dad didn't go to college and makes as much money as someone with a college degree. I also know people with a college degree who are greatly successful. My great-uncle is a scientist and is very good at his job. I have family members who regret not going to college for different reasons. It makes me grateful that I can go and get the degree I want. I am thankful to be the first in the family to go to college and succeed, and make way for the future generations in my family. 2. I am a college junior pursuing a degree in special education, PK-12. Over the years, I have become passionate about working with children, especially those with disabilities. I deserve to get an equal education. One opportunity I have so far at college that makes me want to be a special education teacher is observing the different rooms. We got to go into three types of special education rooms: emotional support, learning support, and life skills. I really enjoyed the learning support and life skills. I miss the students I met and had a great experience observing the different rooms. 3. My long-term goal is to be the best teacher I can be and ensure a positive impact on my students. A couple of years into my teaching career, I plan on getting a master's degree. My goals are to move out of my parents and buy a house. I want to get a new car sometime in my life. I hope to get married and start a family. I have always wanted to adopt a child, which might be something I will do in the future. I am not a person who makes bucket list goals; I'm more about going with the flow and following God's plan for my life.

Hello. I'm Lynna Brenizer, a junior at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. I am majoring in Special Education Pk-12. If I were awarded this scholarship, it would greatly help with the financial aspect of college. It would take away the great stress that comes with paying for college. I want to focus on my studies and learn to be the best teacher. Currently, I am seeing different types of special education classrooms to see which type of special ed room would work best for me, which I have greatly enjoyed. If awarded this scholarship, I would enjoy my college experience and working with the kids more because the stress of money would be dealt with somehow. My family and I work hard and would greatly appreciate being awarded this scholarship, and I promise it will be of good use.

When I was younger, I was defined as "shy." I rarely talked to my peers and teachers. It felt like every day, someone would ask me why I was so shy or ask me if I could even talk. I would only talk to one or two friends. It wasn't until this past semester that I heard of the term selective mutism. When my professor described what selective mutism was, a light bulb turned on. That is how I felt and acted in my early school years. I'm surprised it wasn't something that my teachers weren't concerned about because the professor described me to a t. It wasn't until middle school that my full-on anxiety kicked in. I would have such anxiety with school presentations or anything that involved socialization. Then I got older, and anxiety became more consistent. Throughout high school, I had anxiety, but it was undiagnosed. I always felt on edge and was somewhat in a panic. I would get intense anxiety with driving, and still do. I struggle with most socialization, even with family. I remember in high school, and I would think How am I gonna get through college and become a special education teacher if I have intense social anxiety? It also didn't help that people would question my degree choice. College started, and I had the normal amount of anxiety. My spring semester of my freshman year really challenged my anxiety. I took a public speaking class where I gave 3 10-minute presentations, and another class where I did 5 8-minute presentations for special education. I'm proud of myself for taking those classes and helping face my anxiety. My sophomore semester, I got to go into different types of special education classes, which was a great experience, and I'm glad I challenged my anxiety and did that experience. After many years of knowing I have anxiety, but not being diagnosed, this past Christmas Eve, I had to get a physical to go into the field. The doctor gave me an anxiety test and I was a winner. I finally got diagnosed, and I also might have ADHD, which was a surprise. It was kind of nice to know I'm not crazy, and things about me finally make sense. So, why did I go to college if I have intense anxiety? I knew I wanted to work with students with disabilities for a while. People ask me why I chose special education; it was something I felt like I was called to do. I loved doing the observation and seeing the different types of special education. That experience solidified my decision on my major and what I want to do.

When I reflected on my childhood a question I wished that influential adults in my life asked me more was how are you actually doing? I feel like when people would ask me how I was doing I would immediately answer good or fine just as a quick response, but there were many times where I wasn't fine or good for whatever reason. Many people do the same thing as me with the fast answer of good or fine when they aren't. Many people fear or don't want to "inconvenience" other people with their problems which I relate to. We need to fix that and allow people to tell how they are feeling without the fear of ridicule. I believe that people just don't want to feel a burden to others with their problems, but this is still an issue. People need people to talk to others about their problems. Many people go to therapists to talk about their feelings, but that is expensive. We should feel like the people we care about and love should be there for us. We should feel comfortable talking to people we trust without judgment. Unfortunately, people are only around when things are going great in people's lives, but fail to be there for any other times and feelings. I think if people were just honest with people with their feelings, maybe that person could help that person. If they know a therapist or counselor they can refer them. Many of the problems we have that we go to therapists for are because we can't talk about them to others without judgment. If we were less judgmental to others problems we could help so many people. I know that sometimes if I have a problem with someone I have a hard time talking about it for fear of not offending said person. If we all had open and peaceful conversations without the feeling of being threatened/attacked then we could solve another problem. Another problem I have with this issue is showing a side of me that people don't think exists. In my family, school, work, etc. I am known as the quiet nice girl who is pretty smart and pretty happy. I am human and sometimes go through phases of being upset or not always happy. I think the reputation I have made for myself is a blessing and a curse in some ways. I love that people find me nice and smart and can trust me. Since I am known as smart and people brag about how smart I can be, I have put this expectation on myself that if I don't fulfill I am bummed out. I am not a perfect person and have my flaws and aware of those flaws. Sometimes I have to put on a character for others because that is just who I am. I wish everyone could feel like they can be their full authentic self and show the emotions that they have and feel. I wished people cared more when they asked how it going and not just a nice thing to say, which I am guilty of. I think if we cared more about how people were doing that if they say bad or not too great we would open our ears and listen to them. Sometimes people just need someone to listen to.

My favorite concert memory is the start of Taylor Swift's 'The Eras Tour' in Pittsburgh on night 1. I love Taylor Swift and have been a fan since Reputation. I have wanted to see Taylor Swift in concert and thought I never would. During the Reputation tour, I had major FOMO and thought I would never get to experience seeing Taylor. During Covid, I thought concerts wouldn't come back and would never see any of my favorite artists again, especially Taylor because of how in demand her tickets are and the prices of the tickets. When Taylor announced the Eras Tour and saw she would be in Pittsburgh for two nights I saw this as an opportunity to see if seeing her was in the picture. I took a screenshot of the post about the Eras Tour and sent it to my mom. She replied, "Maybe a graduation gift". I saw nothing of this because I thought the ticket would be too expensive and hard to get. Apart from me, I might get tickets as a Christmas present, but I didn't. A quick funny story my family knew my parents had bought the Taylor Swift tickets, but they thought it was for Christmas. I went to my grandparents for Christmas as usual and my grandpa said, " I heard you got Taylor Swift tickets" and I said no. Meanwhile, my mom was shaking her head no, so it wouldn't be brought up because it was a surprise later on. On the day of my graduation, we were in the car ready to head to meet my aunt and grandma because they were at my cousin's graduation and wanted to see me. I was sitting in the back of the car and suddenly my dad had his phone pointed at me I thought he was taking a picture, but then my mom handed me tickets to Taylor Swift! I was so surprised and didn't expect it. I couldn't believe I was seeing my favorite artist after having major FOMO from seeing other people having the time of their lives at The Eras Tour. I wouldn't have to wait long to see her, as it was only 2 weeks from the concert date. When we were driving to find a parking spot, I saw so many outfits from different eras and I was pointing out which era it was to my parents. When the countdown to the start of the show happened everyone got excited and ready for what was about to happen. It was the longest 2 minutes waiting for Taylor to take the stage. When she popped out of the stage and started singing I felt like I was gonna cry because I finally was seeing my favorite artist and to share the love of Taylor's music with other people was amazing. Everyone in the stadium had one thing in common they loved Taylor. I never thought I would get to see her. Another moment from the concert was the Reputation set because that was the start of me being a swiftie and loving the album. The feeling of waiting for Taylor and seeing her take the stage will be a feeling I will never forget. * I don't have a picture of me at the concert, but I have pictures of Taylor at the show*

My name is Lynna Brenizer and I am from a small town in Pennsylvania. I am a sophomore at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania majoring in special education. I joined the National Honors Soceity and the Young Conservatives Club in high school. I am involved in my church by helping teach 3rd graders preparing them for their First Communion. I also have volunteered at vacation bible school for many years. Volunteering to work with children is one of the reasons I chose to go into the field of education. I love spending time with my family and going on adventures with them. I love listening to music a couple of artists that I love are Shinedown, Taylor Swift, and Imagine Dragons. I find music to be a safety blanket for me and find it relaxing. There is a song for any feeling you have ever felt and those artists do that for me. I want to attend college to become a special education teacher. I will be the first in my family to graduate and not many in my entire family graduate college. I am only a sophomore and I have learned so much already. I am ready to be the best teacher I can be for my students. The college has been such a different experience for me and has taken me out of my comfort zone which I need. I have already met many people and many people with different beliefs. The college has been such a learning experience for me and will continue to be a learning experience. I find education so important and I want to encourage my students that education is important and love to learn. I am so blessed to have the opportunity to get a good education and pursue my career dreams. Having the career I have working towards will help me accomplish my career/life goals. I want to make a huge impact on my students and be the best teacher I can be. I want to be one of those teachers that a student remembers forever and said that they inspired them to be who they are today. I also plan on having a house and having a family of my own. Family is a huge thing for me and I want to be just as an amazing parent as my parents are to my brother and me. I want a really simple life where I have a career that I enjoy and a family that I love.

My favorite athlete to cheer for on Team USA is Tara Davis-Woodhall. She is a track athlete and Olympic women's long jump champion. I have only heard of her til this last Omplypics and I become so fascinated by her and her husband's career. The first time that I heard of her was in a TikTok, which showed when she got gold and how happy she and her husband were. I ended up deep-diving into their couple's channel on YouTube and learned so much about them. I found out that her husband Hunter is in the Paralympics because he is missing his legs. I am becoming a special education teacher, so I am involved in people with disabilities change stereotypes and make history through their disability. Tara through their videos I can see how genuine and happy she is and how much she trains for what she does as well as her husband. Tara opened up about her mental health and said she wanted to give up on the track for so many years because of the feeling of failure and she is now an Olympic champion. After finding out how likable and hardworking Tara and her husband are made me 10x more excited that she won and hope that Hunter gets gold as well. To see the love and how supportive they are of each other is so inspiring and makes my standards for a future partner 10 times higher. I hope to have Tara in the 2028 Olympics and see her get gold again would be amazing and so happy for her dream to come true with her hard work.

I give back to my community and others by volunteering my time to them through various activities. I have completed many hours of community service since I was young. I was a part of my high school's National Honors Soceity so I had to complete 50 hours of community service per school year. I have a couple hundred hours of community service over the years. I have participated in service projects, such as vacation bible school, tree planting, religious education teaching, etc. I have been volunteering for multiple things at my church. I have been a group leader and storeroom actor for vacation bible school. I have led the students around to their different activities. I also have acted out stories of the bible with other volunteers. I also co-teach religious education for 3rd grader preparing them for their first communion. I have also volunteered at the clothesline at my church and other small activities there. I have also volunteered for things at my high school. I have volunteered at the limbo station for the elementary school field day. I also have volunteered for Read Across America where I read a Dr. Suess book to 1st graders. I have also helped plant trees with my science class and we planted a couple hundred trees. I have also volunteered to help family members. I used to help my grandma Instachart because she struggled to walk upstairs and carry stuff, so she needed an extra pair of hands. I also helped my aunt at her garage sale helped put out stuff, organized and bag the customer's stuff. My psychology/ history teacher, Mr. Hayes, has impacted me. He was one of the best teachers I have ever seen. He truly cared for his students and was there for them. Many times students would ask him to attend one of their extra circulars and he would attend. He was always open to talk if students needed someone to talk to. He made sure to include students. I was a shy kid and he still would go out of his way to talk to me and other shy kids when other teachers ignored us. He was also amazing at teaching and catering to student's different learning styles. A couple of things he would do that stand out to me are Today in History, "speed-dating" and psychology projects. Mr. Hayes impacted me and others so much that my friend and I nominated him for a Golden Apple Award that awards amazing teachers and he won. I plan to pay it forward through my own teaching and mentoring experience. I want to create a relationship with each of my students to make them feel comfortable. I plan to be their biggest cheerleader and show up for them as much as they can. I am becoming a special education teacher and I need to be their biggest advocate for their disabilities and educate others on disabilities in hopes of eliminating bullying. I plan to impact my love of learning into the next generation. It seems like the next generation is struggling to learn and I hope to change that. I love integrating games and a little fun into learning and I think I can have my students love learning through integrating something fun into the lessons. I will understand what the students like and dislike because I was in their shoes at one point and I will consider that.

My name is Lynna Brenizer and I am a sophomore at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania studying special education. I love spending time with my family, listening to music, participating in church, and volunteering. My family and I are so close and they are my best friends. My parents are my biggest supporter and are always there for me. I would rather be around my family than partying. So many people don't have a great relationship with their parents and I am blessed to have such a loving relationship with them. I love listening to music and it is my comfort blanket. Some of the artists I enjoy are Taylor Swift, Shinedown, and Imagine Dragons. I have seen Taylor Swift once, Shinedown twice, and Imagine Dragons once. Music makes me happy when I'm upset, I don't know what I would do without music. I am involved in my church and have volunteered for many things for them. I have been volunteering for vacation bible school since I was 12. I have been a group leader and actor in the story room for many years. I love doing it because I have so much fun with the activities, music, and getting to know the kids. I also help teach 3rd grade Sunday school helping prepare them for their First Communion. I look forward to it every Sunday and love getting to know the kids throughout the year. I have participated in smaller activities for the church like a live nativity, clothesline, and other small projects. I have also done many other volunteer projects as I was a part of my school's National Honors Soceity where we had to do 50 hours of community service a year. I have over 100+ hours of community service over the years. Other community service projects that I have been a part of are Read Across America, Tree Planting, and Field Day Volunteer. Many of the projects I have done have dealt with children because I love working with children and planning on becoming a special education teacher. I think working with children from a young age. I hope that working with children since I was young will make me the best teacher I can be for my future students. This scholarship will help support my educational goals. The scholarship will help fund my classes, so I can focus on class to be the best teacher I can be for my students. My family and I work hard for what we have and will be so grateful to be awarded the scholarship. I promise I will make this scholarship worth it and make you proud.

I have to overcome my struggle with writing and reading to be able to apply for higher education. When I was younger I didn't read and write as well as should have at the age I was, so I was placed in a learning group. In the learning group, the teacher would help us spell and help us with pronunciation and reading. They encouraged parents to get involved with their student's learning, so my mom would attend these parent meetings to learn how to help me learn better. I also attended a summer reading program where I got extra help with reading and writing and that was fun. I remember being disappointed that I was placed in learning support, but it helped me so much. I know my learning support teacher would be proud of all the things I accomplished. Areas that I have expelled is being a great student. I have never gotten in trouble at school and have always respected teachers. Many teachers and faculty members go to me to hear the truth and ask what happened during class. Teachers would put the badly behaved kids by me in hopes I would rub off on them. Teachers always trusted me to do my work without having to nag me about it. I always turned in my work and did my best on it. Teachers said wonderful things about me at parent-teacher conferences and recommendation letters. I respect my teachers as I want to be a teacher myself. I loved being the student they could trust and I know I always made my parents proud. My field of study currently is special education k-12. I have wanted to be a special education teacher for a while and currently taking classes to achieve that goal. I want to be the best teacher I can be for my future students. I have seen how much of an impact special education teacher make on their students and I want to be a part of the impact. As I previously mentioned I was in a learning support when I was younger and how much it helped me better my reading and writing. A co-worker of mine said that he wouldn't be where he is today if it wasn't for his learning support teachers. One person who made an impact on my decision to be a special education teacher was a friend I had named Austin. He had muscular dystrophy and he was nonverbal but was the sweetest most innocent kid. My family and I got to become close with his family and they became family. Unfortunately, he passed away a couple of years ago and he has made such an impact on me and so many others. I want my future students like him to make the same impact on me that he did. I also have become a huge advocate for people with disabilities over the last couple of years. I have self-educated myself on various disabilities and have learned so much about disabilities in my first year of college. I have always been interested in Schiner's Hospital for Children and wanted to work with students like them. When people ask me why I want to be a special education teacher I answer with the examples I gave above, but I just feel like in my heart this is something I should do. I hope to accomplish this with my students to make them want to come to school. Unfortunately, many students with disabilities get bullied just because of having a disability and I want to change that. No student should feel unsafe and discriminated against because they are a little different. Everyone is different why aren't we celebrating people's differences? I have heard so many people call people in the special education room the R-word and that is so offensive. I want my students to feel like they can do anything. There are so many people with disabilities making history and changing the world by advocating and adding to diversity. So many people with Down Syndrome are acting now and speaking at rallies to advocate for their disability. I have watched many YouTubers who speak and spread awareness about their disability and other disabilities. I hope that my students are as confident as the people that I mentioned. Changes I am looking to accomplish for my field and myself are advocating for my students. I want to fight for my special ed students even if I have to go to the board. I would ask other teachers to back me up as well. I want to add more education toward teaching students without disabilities about disabilities in hopes they will be nicer. I want my students with disabilities to be more involved in the school and participate like everyone else. I hope to include students without disabilities and students with disabilities together in activities. Teachers should make sure that their classroom is accessible for their students to make it easier for the students to learn. I hope to fight and love the career I have chosen and allow my students to love to learn.

I have spent much of my life thinking of the things that could go wrong for most of my life. I am a very anxiety-ridden person and constantly worried about what could go wrong. Many times I think of one bad thing that creates a domino effect of everything can go wrong. I feel like many people think of everything that can go wrong and create a domino effect like I do. It seems like society today is so negative and thinks of everything that can go wrong, which needs to change. Some people think that you can just immediately stop thinking about everything that can go wrong which isn't true, it's a process. Many people naturally struggle with what can go wrong through anxiety and need to find a way to cope with this issue. A podcast that I listen to mentioned a way you can help the stuff that stresses you out, it's called worry time. You find a specific time in the day to worry about something and you don't worry about it or think about it for the rest of the day. I have never heard of it and it sounded interesting to try and might help others with worrying about things that can go wrong. The things that I think can go wrong stem from me putting time limits on things in my life. I remember being younger and thinking my life would look a certain way at almost 20 than it does, even though high school would have been so much different. I think seeing people my age and younger that I know doing certain things that I haven't done yet doesn't help either. I wish I would have never put timelines on things because it also causes me to spiral into everything in my life going wrong. So, how can I fix the thought of what could go wrong in my life? I could think of everything can could go well in my life. I have many amazing things happening and amazing people in my life. I am young and still have so much life to live, why rush it? I need to understand that I'm on God's plan and timeline and not mine. I need to let go of things I can't control and focus on things I can control. I am an extremely blessed person and love the life I have. I think people should think of what could go right in their life. If we had a more positive outlook on life and weren't so focused on the future and didn't compare each other we would have a happier society. We are so focused on winning an imaginary race of who can do the most stuff in life and who has the most wrong things in life. When we all have wins and losses in life and need to understand that. The people who look like they have it all together are the ones who probably have it least together. The ones who are always talking about how better they are than some people are the ones who will have the most wrong because they feel like they need to prove something. If we all just minded our own business and focused on what good we have in our lives and stopped worrying so much about what can go wrong, we would have many more things go right in life.

I am Lynna Brenizer pursuing a bachelor's degree in Special Education K-12 at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. I wanted to be a special education teacher for a while, and I just felt in my heart that it was what I needed to do. I have personal experience in learning support and have heard about others' experiences with special education. Special education teachers make a big difference in their students' lives, and I wanted to be a part of them. I have also been a huge advocate for disability rights and people and know many amazing people with various disabilities. I had a friend with muscular dystrophy and he was the sweetest kid even though he was non-verbal, unfortunately, he passed away and he is one of the reasons I want to be a special education teacher. This scholarship will help me with my studies by helping me pay for my classes to become a special education teacher. My family and I work hard for what we have and college is expensive, so this would be a big weight lifted from our shoulders. If I was awarded this my family and I would be so grateful. This award would help me pursue my dream of being a special education teacher and help me be the best teacher I can be for my students. This scholarship would help my family and me so much and we would be so grateful for this scholarship.

Education will change my path forward in life by educating me on various disabilities and how to teach students with those disabilities. I am in college to get my bachelor's degree in special education and educate myself as much as I can on various disabilities of students I may have in the future. I find education so important in general and we need education and good educators. I feel like many people take education and educators important anymore and if people in the world didn't have any form of proper education the world would suffer. If I were a special education teacher who didn't have any education dealing with disabilities what would happen? Nothing good because that person needs education to do the job in life. I need education to do my job because it does not come naturally to me like a doctor needs the education to do their job. I have learned so much in many classes over the years and I am forever grateful for many of the teachers who went above and beyond to educate their students. I love education so much that I plan to become a special education teacher teaching students with disabilities as they need to have an equal education. I will be able to give back to society in the future by volunteering my time and being an advocate for my students. I have been volunteering for many years and have done hundreds of hours of community service through various activities. A couple of activities I have done dealt with working with children. I currently help teach religious education for 3rd graders preparing them for their first communion. During the summer I help run the vacation bible at my church by being a group leader. I love doing this because of working with kids, listening to catchy vacation bible school music, and getting to meet new people. I find it so important to be a good role model for children and I feel like I'm doing that by volunteering my time to them. It seems like there are few role models now and if I can be a role model for the kids who help through volunteering and my future students then I did a good job. I will also encourage my students to volunteer in their community because of how much of a rewarding experience it is. I plan on volunteering in the future for many years. That is how I will be able to give back to society in the future.

I currently give back to my community through community service. I have been volunteering for various activities for many years. I was a part of my school's National Honors Soceity, volunteering over 50 hours yearly for 2 years. I love volunteering because it helps me speak to new people, which is hard for me, and I get to give back. I am involved in my church where I have volunteered for many activities. I currently help teach religious education for 3rd graders preparing them for their first communion. I have helped with my church's vacation bible school for years and continue to do so. My mom and I volunteered for the church's live nativity where we dressed up and played shopkeepers in Bethlehem. I have also volunteered at the church's clothesline and food drive. I have also participated in elementary school field day running the limbo station. My friend and I volunteered for Read Across America where we read to 1st graders as many other read classic books across America that day. My science class got to plant trees for a day, and we planted a couple hundred trees in one day. I have volunteered my time to help my family. I help my aunt with her garage sale bagging things and organizing. I would help my grandma with Instacart because she has trouble walking and needs help carrying the groceries to the customer's houses. I get to spend time with my family while doing activities I love. How I plan to positively impact the world in the future is through my influence on my future students. I am currently in college getting my bachelor's degree in special education and I plan on making a huge impact on my students. I have seen so many people bully people with disabilities and I hate that. I want my students to love coming to school. I want to be their biggest advocate at the school and I want to educate others on various disabilities in the hope to eliminate bullying of people with disabilities. One of the reasons I choose to participate in community service activities that involve working with children is so I can get used to working with children and I love it. I have also seen how much special education teachers can affect their students. I was placed in a learning support group because I had trouble reading and writing and it helped me so much. A co-worker of mine said he wouldn't be where he is today without his learning support teachers. Special education teachers have a huge impact on their students, and being a huge advocate for my future students is how I plan on positively impacting the world in the future.

I have chosen the field of special education. I chose the field of special education because I have become a huge advocate for disability rights. I have personal experience in special education and have heard many great stories of how special education teachers have helped so many children. Everyone should have the right to education and people with disabilities should not be discriminated against because of a disability. I hope to create an impact on my student's lives so that they love coming to school. Many teachers have made a huge impact on my life and I want to make the same impact on my students. I wouldn't be where I am now if it wasn't for some of the teachers I have had in the past. When I was younger I was placed in a learning support program and they helped me so much with writing and reading. My learning support teacher would be very proud of where I am today. A co-worker of mine has said that he wouldn't be where he is today without his learning support teacher. I want to make the same impact that my learning support teacher has on me to my students. A personal reason I want to become a special education teacher is I had a friend who has muscular dystrophy and he made a huge impact on me. He was non-verbal, but one of the sweetest people. My mom and I got to be close to him and his family. Unfortunately, he passed away his senior year which was devastating. He is one of the reasons for becoming a special education teacher, just because of the impact he made on me and so many other people. I would love to have other students like him make an impact on me and others.

I plan on pursuing a career in special education. I want to pursue a career in teaching because of the amazing teachers that I have had over the years in school. I also want to pursue teaching because I want to give students with disabilities equal education opportunities. I have seen many students with various disabilities get bullied just because they have a disability. I love working with kids and have done it for years. I have many teachers from over the years that I have that inspired me to become a teacher. A couple of teachers that come to mind are my learning support teacher Mrs. Kolecker, my psychology teacher Mr. Hayes, and my chemistry teacher Mrs. Peters. When I was in elementary school I struggled with grammar and spelling and, she would work with me on advancing me. She was extremely patient and gave many tips on how to spell things that I still remember today. My psychology teacher, Mr. Hayes has probably the biggest influence on my choice of becoming a teacher. Seeing how his teachers really inspire, he does so many different things to help teach his students. He really incorporated everyone's learning styles to allow them to get the best out of his class. He really cared about his students on an emotional level. I am really shy and he really tried to connect with me and that means a lot because many teachers just ignore the shy kids. One thing he said is if his students come out of his class a little less ignorant then he did his job, which I have never heard a teacher say. My best friend and I ended up giving him a Golden Apple Award because he made such an impact in our lives. Mrs. Peters is one of the most motherly teachers I have ever met. If students are having a bad day and need a hug she is there. She will stop what she is doing to attend to a student who is crying or just needs someone to talk to. I learned so much about chemistry from her and she made it fun with the experiments. I have never seen a teacher connect so emotionally with so many students than Mrs. Peters. I realized I wanted to be a special educator a couple of years ago when I saw so many influencers speaking on their disabilities and how to advocate for them. Watching these influencers made me think about how students reached students with disabilities in my school and I hated it. So many students would make fun of and call the students with disabilities the R-word. I want to change that. I want students with various disabilities. They should not go to school thinking about how they are going to get bullied. They should be excited to go to school and learn and have fun. I hope with my teacher I can accomplish this goal and make an impact in my school. I have worked with children for many years. I have volunteered for vacation bible school since I was 12. I have led the group and worked in the story room. I love working with children. I find them so fun and have enjoyed working with them. I also help my mom teach 3rd grade Sunday school and I love it. I have so many great memories working with these children and they seem to love it. Watching them love to learn and see how engaged they are in the lessons and activities is really rewarding.

I plan to create a better world through my career while also sharing my faith. I plan on becoming a special education teacher and I plan on making my students have a better experience in school. I have seen so many people be mean and ableist to so many people with disabilities. God calls us to be kind to everyone as everyone is God's children. So, many people feel the need to discriminate against people just based on their disabilities and assume they can't function in society as well as an abled person. My professor said something that really stuck out to me regarding special education he said, "When discussing a student you have to discuss not just their needs, but their strengths just as much." I love that. Everyone has needs and strengths, so why is it okay to discriminate against someone with a disability? My faith is a huge part of my life and I really want to incorporate my faith into my career appropriately. My high school had a campus club where they would discuss faith and God. If my school had that, I would really participate in it. I believe that every human should be treated with dignity and everyone should be treated as equal. Even if the student is not religious or faith-based, they still have no right to speak or treat someone inappropriately. I help teach 3rd grade Sunday school with my mom and that has made a huge impact on me and hopefully, the students I teach. Last year was my first year teaching and one of my former students came up to me and hugged me. That meant a lot to me because it showed he liked us and I maybe made some impact in his life. Another example of this is I used to volunteer at my church's vacation bible school and at the end of the week one of the other volunteers came up to my parents and told them how good I am with them kids and how good of a leader I was. It meant a lot that someone recognized my hard work. I hope to do that many more times with other students and make an impact in their lives. If I can make an impact in one of my special education student's life then my goal is complete and if I somehow make people realize that everyone is a child of God and deserves to be treated as equal that would be amazing.

If my year so far had a soundtrack, the songs from 1989 (Taylor's Version) would have the songs "Shake It Off" and "Now That We Don't Talk" on it.This year was the start of my second semester of my freshman year of college and "Shake It Off" really stands out to me. Another song that comes to mind when thinking about this year is "Now That We Don't Talk". Why I chose "Shake It Off" is college is stressful. "Shake It Off" is about shaking off the small stuff. The world will not end if I get one bad grade on something and I need to think about that. Many times I have been stressed out because of small things in college and I think other people need to hear it. Especially, during finals weeks, you can just feel the tension in the room with the amount of stress people were showing. If we all just took a deep breath, we would all calm down. If I get a bad grade I try to shake it off and do better next time. I can't tell how many times I have broken out in tears over grades during high school and if I listen to songs like "Shake It Off", I might have calmed down. "Shake It Off" is also a very light-hearted happy upbeat song. I love songs that are happy and upbeat. When I am sad or having a bad day, I listen to upbeat songs that would lighten my spirits. Songs like "Shake It Off" a go-to song, and a couple of others are "Me!", "22", "Welcome to New York", and a couple of others. The album Lover is a huge way for me to be upbeat and happy just because of the colors. I find that album so pretty and upbeat for the most part. I am a victim of "white girl bops", but I take pride in it. Another song that would describe my year so far is "Now That We Don't Talk". My mom said that when you graduate high school, you don't talk to the people you went to high school with and I'm already seeing it. I have unfortunately fallen out with some friends that I cared about, but some friendships were for the best. I had a friend that affected me that would make fun of me and was friends with her out of desperation. One of Taylor's lyrics in the song is " I call my mom, she said that it was for the best, Remind myself, the more I gave, you'd want me less." I confide in my mom with friendship advice and my mom would say some friendship end for the best and I have seen that. I remember hearing this song and immediately relating to it and I think many people relate to it as well.

Hey, I'm Lynna Brenizer and I am from Saegertown, Pennsylvania. I am currently about to be a sophomore at Edinboro University majoring in Special Education K-12. I love spending time with family, being with nature, and going to church. I love listening to music, especially Taylor Swift and Shinedown. I use music as an escape whether it is listening to music that relates to my feelings at the time or listening to music to uplift my spirits. I did really well in high school with graduating as a member of the National Honors Society and graduating with Honors in general. Being in the National Honors Society it requires you to do many hours of community service. The community service that I have done is participating in activities in my church. I have volunteered for vacation bible school since I was 12 and for 2 years I have been helping teach 3rd grade Sunday school. I have participated in Read Across America where I read to young children. I ran the limbo station at my school's elementary field day. My grandma used to work for Instacart and she needed help with delivering the groceries and I would help her. My future career as a special education teacher will have a positive impact on the world. I will be working with students with disabilities. I will be helping give them an equal opportunity for education. Through this career, I will become an advocate for individuals with disabilities which I already becoming. I have seen so many times people being ableist to many people with disabilities. People only focus on what the individual can't do than what they can do. One thing my special education professor taught me is when discussing someone's needs you need to discuss their strengths and it really stuck with me. Teachers in general have such a ingeneral have such impact on their students' lives. The reason for wanting to become a teacher was because of such impactful teaches that I had and still inspire me today, seeing how passionate and caring they are about the job and the students. Special ed teachers don't just work with the student, but the student's parents, and different specialists that work at the school. I'm proud to be associated with a program that gives so many great opportunities for students with disabilities that they deserve to have. I am excited to make an impact in someone's life and have them make just as great of an impact in my life.

A crossover of my 2 favorite Disney Channel shows would be a crossover between Austin & Ally and Good Luck Charlie. The title would be The Concert. The plot would be Austin Moon and his friends are on tour and are about to do a show in Denver, where the Duncan family lives. Austin's manager holds a contest where if you make a song the Austin likes you will be able to have a backstage pass to meet Austin Moon. PJ is a huge fan of Austin as is Teddy. PJ and Teddy fight over who will win the Austin Moon meet and greet. Turns out Gabe has entered the contest in an attempt to get back at PJ and Teddy and he is informed he has won. PJ and Teddy find out that Gabe has won this contest and is allowed to bring one person with him to this meet and greet. PJ and Teddy fight to win over Gabe, so they will be taken to meet Austin. Amy and Bob find out that Gabe has been using his older siblings to get what he wants and has gotten into trouble at school. His punishment is to give Teddy and PJ his tickets to meet Austin Moon. When PJ and Teddy get to the meet and greet. They are both excited to meet Austin as well as their friends. PJ and Dez get along great and Teddy and Ally realize they have much in common. Ally and Teddy talk about their love for school and education, while Dez and PJ share their love for being silly. ( They both get along because they're " the dumb characters" in the show. Trish is trying to talk to Ally, but all Ally can talk about how great Teddy is and that starts to make Trish jealous. Austin discovered the same thing with PJ and Dez and shares the same feeling Trish has with Teddy and Ally. Trish and Austin start giving attitude and ignoring Dez and Ally because they are upset, which upsets Ally and Dez. Dez and PJ are hanging out behind the scenes of Austin's tour and Dez accidentally spills stuff on Austin's clothes, which he was supposed to wear for the show. Austin finds out and is even more upset at Dez. Before the show, there is much tension between everyone. Jimmy Star (Austin's label manager) asks Austin and Trish what is going on and he says they need to fix it because he doemts want the fighting to affect his show I'm Denver. Austin, Ally, Dez, and Trish all get into a argument and "yell" each other. Teddy and PJ feel bad for getting in the way of their friendship and they all apologize. Austin performs a great show and they all get along again. Austin and his crew are about to leave and Teddy and Ally agree to call each other and maybe visit each other, same with PJ and Dez. Everything goes back to normal and they gained friendships with other people.

My experiences with mental health have shaped my goals, relationships, and my understanding of the world. Over the years I have struggled with anxiety which has affected my life in many ways. I have family members who have also struggled with their mental health with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and other mental illnesses. I have taken many types of psychology classes as a way to understand why certain people struggle with their mental health and how to help them. My career goal is to become a special education teacher. Being a teacher in general you have to understand why certain students act the way they do, maybe because of a mental health factor. With our better understanding of mental health, we can be more empathetic to students who may struggle mentally. Teachers can be seen as a comfort to students who may have parents who don't understand the importance of mental health. Many schools have incorporated mental health screenings and ways to help students cope with their mental health, which is amazing. Another goal of mine is to raise a family. Since we have a better understanding of mental health, parents have been more empathetic towards their children who may be struggling mentally. I want my kids to be able to come to me if they ever struggle with their mental health because unfortunately many kids don't and they end up doing something they can never take back. My understanding of mental health has shaped my relationships with friends and family. I have many family and friends who unfortunately suffer from mental illnesses. I try to be empathetic as much as I can even if I have never struggled with mine the way they have. Seeing family members that I'm close to struggle with depression and be close to taking their own life has taken a toll on my mental health as well. The family member also refuses to go to therapy to get the help they need which is frustrating because I believe that it would help them greatly. Another family member is bipolar and refuses to get help. He has caused many problems in the family because of manic episodes. He struggles with a great deal of depression as well, which is upsetting. My family members who struggle with mental health rarely get help for their mental health which affects others in the family. A couple of friends of mine have struggled with their mental health as well. My best friend struggles with her mental health because of her environment. One of my elementary school friends self-harmed herself at age 12, which is extremely young. I have learned so much about mental health from other people's personal experiences and how I have seen it affect people I care about. My experience with mental health has shaped my understanding of the world. Seeing how other people view mental health in general has made me realize why mental health is so stigmatized. I have seen influencers say that mental health specifically depression is just caused by not being grateful and just thinking happy. The influencer does not understand that depression is caused by many different factors. Since taking a couple of psychology classes I have a better understanding of mental health and why people struggle. Understanding mental health has made me more empathetic to others who struggle with mental health. My experiences with mental health have shaped my goals in my professional and personal life. It has also affected my relationships by better understanding my family and friends who have struggled their mental health. It also has shaped my understanding of the world by understanding the toxic stigma people put on mental health and people who struggle with mental health.

My name is Lynna Brenizer and I'm from Saegertown, Pennsylvania. I am currently a sophomore at Pennwest Edinboro University, pursuing a bachelor's degree in special education k-12. I have 2 amazing parents and one brother. I have 2 dogs and a cat that I love. I enjoy spending time with my family, going outside, and attending church. In high school, I was a part of the National Honors Society and the Young Conservative Club at my school. With being a part of the National Honors Society you have to serve a good amount of service hours in your community which has given me many opportunities. I have been volunteering at my church's vacation bible school since I was 12 and love spending time with the kids. I also help teach 3rd grade Sunday school with my mom preparing the students for their first communion. I participated in Read Across America in 2023 where I read a book to 1st graders. In spring 2022, I volunteered at Saegertown Elementary School's field day with my best friend running the bimbo station. Volunteering at the field day gave me some of the best memories with some of my closest friends. My grandma used to do Instacart where you shop for other people, like Postmates. She struggles with walking and I would help her carry the groceries and help her shop. One thing that has impacted me the most is my high school because it was 6 years of my life, but also because I had amazing teachers who inspired me to become a teacher. I have had so many amazing teachers who inspired me to be a teacher. One teacher that immediately comes to mind is my history and psychology teacher, Mr. Hayes. Mr. Hayes is one of the best teachers I have ever had. My friend and I awarded him the Golden Apple which recognizes teachers who make an impact on their student's lives. Mr. Hayes makes learning fun and seriously cares about his students. He tried to make learning fun and did many different activities to cater to everyone's learning strengths. I remember when we spoke about sensitive subjects he did it very maturely and empathetically. One thing he would always say "If you can get one thing out of this class is to be a little less ignorant." Which still sticks with me today. I want to be a teacher because of how passionate Mr. Hayes is about teaching and how much he cares for his students. I am working on becoming a special education teacher and I want to make an impact on my student's lives too. I remember seeing how poor some students treat students with disabilities and it hurts my heart. I want to change that and make sure every student gets the same opportunity to learn as everyone else. If I can positively affect one student when I will be happy.

Receiving this scholarship will help me pursue my future career goals as a special education teacher. I am currently attending college to become a special education teacher and receiving this scholarship will take less stress off my family and me with paying for the classes. I plan to get a job in the same school district I graduated high school from because they have a great special ed program and the district has been a part of my life for so long. I have wanted to be a teacher for a while. I just wasn't sure what type of teacher I wanted to be. A couple of years ago I started paying attention to how people treated other peers with disabilities and it hurt my heart. I want students with disabilities to be treated as equal because they are as equal to everyone else. Seeing the special ed teachers and how passionate they are about their job is inspiring and how much they care for the student is so admirable. Over the years I have learned so much about different disabilities on my own through social media influencers, movies, and shows and it has been so informative. Watching and following these people have made me a huge advocate for those individuals with disabilities. This spring semester I learned so much about so many disabilities. I learned so much about so many types of disabilities and how expanded special education is. My professor is so passionate about what he teaches about special education. One of the first things he taught us that sticks with me still is when discussing students with a specific disability you have to speak about their strengths as much as their needs and I love that. I love that special education focuses so much on the strengths of the students and I find that so important. Being educated on different types of disabilities this soon in my future with students with disabilities is important because it allows me to be aware of how I treat people. I think of the many people that I probably judged because they were "different" and I want to change that. I am currently volunteering at my church treated 3rd grade Sunday school and I love it. I find it so rewarding to work with children. I have been volunteering at my church's vacation bible school since I was 12 and I love it. I remember a couple of moments with working with children that made me think that teaching was for me. One year of vacation bible school another volunteer there went up to my parents on the last day and told me how good I was with the kids and that felt good. Another example is my former Sunday school student who hugged me when he saw me entering the church, and every time he saw me he waved and it was just so cute. Seeing how grateful the parents are is also really rewarding. I can't wait to be working with children daily and hopefully help students with disabilities who deserve to have just as good of an education as everyone else. Thank you for this opportunity to apply for this scholarship and I hope you choose the person who deserves it the most. If you were to choose mine you would be making a family who works so hard very happy.

A character from "The Office" that I resonate with the most is Pam. I see a lot of myself in Pam, especially with her facial expressions. Pam is a shy and nice character who does a lot for the company. I am shy and can see myself having some of the reaction she would have. I think Pam has grown a lot over the seasons as well. In the beginning, she was a shy and awkward receptionist and in the end, she was a confident hardworking saleswoman. I like that Pam kinda represents the shy and awkward girl. You can see many people in the show care about Pam, maybe even Angela. I also look up to her and Jim's romance a lot. They went through hard times and worked it through. I loved how beautiful their wedding episode was and loved to recreate the dancing scene. Jim is such a great guy and makes her laugh. I aspire to have a guy who loves and makes me laugh as much as Jim made Pam laugh. The show has shaped my sense of humor by teaching me to not always be serious. I think I can take life too seriously and this show shows how not to take life too seriously. The office has fun and isn't just working away. I would love to work in a place that had fun and cared about employee happiness. The characters in "The Office" seem more like family than coworkers and I like that. You can see they care about each other and support each other.

This opportunity is meaningful to me because of how gracious you guys are in giving this opportunity to others in college. I have been going to church since kindergarten and have been confirmed in my church in 2022. I also help teach 3rd Grade at my church and prepare the students for their First Communion which is a big deal in the church. I wouldn't have as much faith in God if it weren't for my mom. She started taking me to church when she was confirmed as an adult. My family and I go to church every Sunday. Many people doubt or make fun of how religious and faith-based I am and wonder why I am who I am. It is because of what I believe and see in my personal life. Long story short I was born with a heart defect when I was a baby which caused other health problems putting me in the NICU for 3 months of my short life. I wouldn't be here without God pushing me through at such a young age. He was there for me through the surgeries I had and many doctor appointments during that time. I didn't know it yet, but he was there. I have seen it in my mom. God has helped my mom survive a brutal car accident with little damage and has helped her with health issues. God has helped me through challenges and mental health moments too and with other family members. I struggle with anxiety and he has helped me many times. When I have turned to him, he has never let me down. I always learn a lesson in the experience. A couple of my family members struggle with depression and God has helped them through it. Prayer can be a powerful thing. If it is only one person or a whole church it is powerful. God has been with me through really scary moments in my life and just times when I needed guidance. When I need help in school or with anything. One thing I like about social media is I can see and hear other's miracles from God. Like a woman finally becoming a mother after years of struggling or how God saved a young kid in the hospital. There are so many miracles big and small that can only be explained by God. I remember watching a show about God's miracles and I was blown away by what he has done and continues to do. I plan on utilizing my faith as a guiding force in my life by continuing my growth in faith. By continuing to go to church and still teaching young kids about God. I plan to talk about my faith more and more to people, just talking about how I believe. I also want to teach my kids about faith and God hoping that they will find the grace too. Thank you for allowing me to have this opportunity to write to you. Winning this scholarship would pay for most of my college and make one family happy. My parents are extremely hard-working people and they would sure appreciate it. May God Bless You and have a great day.

My education goal is to graduate with a bachelor's degree in special education. My career goal is to get a special education teacher job in the same school district that I graduated from. Hi, I'm Lynna Brenizer and I am a freshman at the Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. I am currently majoring in special education for k-12. I remember being young and playing school with my cousin and my stuffed animals. I think it was then I realized I wanted to pursue a career in education. I love working with children and have volunteered to do various things with them for example volunteering to be a leader at vacation bible school and co-teaching religious education with my mom. I just find kids so funny and wholesome and I have been told I'm great with children. Over the last couple of years, I have become very educated on the different disabilities that students can have. It has opened my mind to how people teach others with disabilities. This makes me want to become a special education teacher. I want to give students with disabilities an equal and fair chance in education. I am currently taking an Intro to Special Education and it has taught me so much about special ed already. One thing I learned is you can't discuss a student's struggle without acknowledging their strengths. I love that, I love that we focus on what the student can do and go from there. I have learned so much about so many disabilities and week by week continue to learn more. I think it will be interesting when I start working with some of the children. I feel like I will enjoy it because I have had only a few occasions where I was frustrated with a student for a reason. This class has worked in my personal life because I have a student in my religious ed classroom, who is very stubborn and doesn't listen well. The class has taught me how to deal with a student who may be defiant with the teacher. I want to work in the same school district as I graduated from. I want still live around here because all of my family is here. I think my school district does a good job and I support a good amount of the decisions they make. I think it would be ideal if I worked in the same school too. I loved that school and a lot of the teachers there, I miss it. This scholarship will help me pay for my education at college, so I can get my degree in special ed. I will then be off to work with students. Winning this scholarship will mean so much to my parents and I. You would be making a young woman's dream come true. Also support a family that works hard and needs recognition for how amazing my parents are and how much this would help them.

Someone who has profoundly impacted my life by helping me realize my full potential is my mom. My mom is my best friend and my biggest cheerleader. I can get hard on myself when it comes to school, grades, or life in general. She has always reassured me that everything we be ok and I will figure it out. When I think I can't do something, she always says that I can. She has more belief in me than I do in myself sometimes. An example is when I was learning how to drive. I had and still have driving anxiety and she has always said things that calm me down. She once told me that I have every right to be on the road as much as everyone else, that helped me and I still think of that today. She just says things that calm me down from the years that I still think about. Every sporting event whether it was soccer games or dance recitals, she has been there. Even though I felt I was not as good as everyone else doing the said activity, she still said I did well. She has been there more for me not just academically and anxiety-wise, but through personal things. My mom is very open about her faith in God and has taken me to church for many years. She has brought me closer to God. Seeing her be so strong in her faith, makes me want to be strong in my faith as well. When I'm overwhelmed in stressed, I look to God. I wouldn't have that without my mom. Also, when I was a baby, I was sick and had to be in the NICU. My mom would be with me almost all day and every day. She was always there in my most scary health moments. She was young too and to see her strength at that young is amazing. My mom has had to go through pretty scary things, but she always shines through the whole thing. One thing she said a lot and still does when I stress out is along as I do my best that is all she asks for. I have seen so many friends of mine have parents that put unrealistic expectations on their kids that are hard to reach and it causes the kid to stress out about every little thing. I am so blessed to have a mother that doesn't a create toxic home life. I love spending time with her. I admire to be as strong and mature as she is. She may not think she is , but I sure do. I have one great role model as a mom. I would be grateful if I came out just as amazing as she is.

Educating low-incidence children will benefit them now and in the future by making them feel like any other student. I think making low-incidence children feel included is a good start to educating them. Yes, teaching them the school circular is important, but making them feel equal to their peers is just as important. If we teach them young and are a part of what every other student is doing it will benefit them in the future. They will need alternation of the material, but just being in class with their peers will make them feel included later. If students without low incidence see that students with low incidence can be a part of the class and be friends with them and then in the future, they will more likely to be polite toward them. So low-incidence children won't feel left out in the future because of their disabilities. I think some people underestimate people with disabilities and sometimes treat them as children when some are full-grown adults. So, we should include them in class, teach them similarly to every other student with alternations, and make them be included in sports if they wish. Including low-incidence children will benefit them and students without low-incidence. Non-low-incidence students will see that low-incidence children are just like them at a young age and will hopefully continue that view throughout adulthood. Making them feel included in work or on a team. Low-incidence children will feel a sense of normal if they are included with non-low-incidence children. Currently, I see people making fun of children with low-incidence and it is just not ok. They should not go to school for fear of being made fun of for something they can't control. Everyone is different and if everyone was the same then the world would be boring. So why are we making fun of people that are a little different from us? So my goal is to give children with low incidence a sense of normalcy and make them feel included in a world that treats children unequally just because they are a little different from them. I believe that every child should be treated the same regardless of how "different" they are. I don't understand why people would treat people with low-incidence as if they are not human or as equal people. I also would treat them like a persona and not talk to them as if they were a young child when they aren't My goal in general is to just treat every student the same regardless of their disability.

What inspires me to get involved in my community is the future. I realize if people are not willing to participate in our community then our future is duped. We need people willing to make a change, especially young people. Our now young people are the future. They will be running our country someday. We need good role models to show them to get involved in the community. Taylor Swift has a song called "Only the Young" in which she sings about how adults now have given up on the world and have destroyed it and it is up to the young to change that. How will our youth know how to care for the community if the role models they have don't care? I realize it is important to show how important serving our community is. I'm a member of my school's Nation Honor Society and we get many chances to volunteer for our community. Over the years I have volunteered at my church's vacation bible school. At the vacation bible school, I have been a group leader and led the storytime room. I am currently working with my mom as a 3rd-grade catechist to help the student prepare for the sacrament of first communion. In December of 2021, my mom and I volunteered at a live nativity as shop workers. I led an activity at my school's elementary field day. I would help my grandma instacart as she cannot walk long distances and carry very heavy things anymore, so I help her with the more strenuous activities. I have volunteered to read to 4th graders in support of Reading Across America. I mostly have worked with children, but they are the future. Showing them that they can volunteer for their community and bring joy to others is fun. Maybe it will inspire them to work for their community. The career that I'm into is being a Special Education Teacher. I will be working with children with disabilities. I want them to feel included and feel the same as every other student. I have seen multiple times students making fun of students with disabilities. I can't help but think they didn't have a good role. If students have good role models in their life then maybe they will do good for their community. If they see a parent or someone doing a good deed for their community maybe they will do one too. They are the future.

I believe that the education and mentoring of the youth are important. I believe this because they are the future. If our youth does not have good role models then they will struggle in the future. A teacher's goal is to educate the young in hopes to prepare them, for the future. I truly believe that every teacher wants the best for their students and wants them to succeed. I hope that having good role models for youth will inspire them to make a change. So many times I have heard and seen things that if maybe the person have good mentors in their life that they wouldn't do that. I believe mentoring the youth about the good and the bad will encourage the youth to do good things and change our world. There is a song by Taylor Swift called "Only the Young" that speaks on how the youth is our future and how they have the power to change our divided world. But how will our youth know what is good or bad if we don't have good people showing them? I am attending college in the fall for a bachelor's degree in Special Education. I hope with my career I could do some good and mentor our youth to help change our world in ways we need. Many times have I seen people make fun of or call names of the special education children. That makes my blood boil. Special Education kids are the same as every other student that walks into our school building and the way people treat them is disgusting. I want to change that. I want to advocate for these kids and show other students that special education kids are the same as them. Maybe, if I mentor them young they won't be as judgemental in their adult life. I have seen multiple times adults making fun of or judging adults and children with special needs. I can't help but think that they didn't have good role models in their life to show that everyone is the same. We are all human. I have worked with children on multiple occasions. I have volunteered at vacation bible school, every week I volunteered with my mom at church to teach 3rd-grade Sunday school, and I volunteered at my school's elementary field day. All I want to do is be a good role model for the youth of the world because they are the future.

How I plan to inspire the youth in my career is by helping kids with different disabilities get the education they deserve. I want to become a special education teacher to help children with special needs feel included. I believe it is extremely important to make students feel included no matter their differences. I will be working on different subjects and activities with them throughout the day. I have always had some sort of passion to work and help people. When I help a person I feel good about what I did and did a favor for someone else. Currently, I am helping my mom teach a 3rd-grade Sunday school class. In September 2021, I was inducted into the National Honor Society. Being a member of the National Honor Society comes with many different opportunities. I have been able to participate as a volunteer for our elementary's field day. Since I was in 6th grade I have volunteered at my church's vacation bible school. Participating in these activities that deal with working with children has prepared me for my future endeavors. I plan to inspire the youth in my career by helping kids with disabilities get the educated that everyone deserves.

A story of my life that makes my friends and me laugh is from gym class in my sophomore year. We were in the gym playing a game called mattball. It is pretty much like kickball, but there can be multiple people at one base. I was playing the game with my friends and other classmates. I was at third base, waiting for a good kick, so I could run to home base. A student kicks the ball and it goes flying. I decide not to run, as it would be too much of a risk of getting out. A student from second base comes flying into third and runs into me. He hits me and I fall back, opening the doors of the gym and hitting my head on the hard floor. My friends describe it as I was flying. My one friend that was on base with me said "one second you were standing beside me and next you were gone." I get up and my friends and the student that hit me asked if I was ok and I said yeah. I continue playing the game. Usually, when students hit their heads in the gym the teacher has to send the student down to the nurse, but no teacher noticed me. A few minutes later, I decided I was going to ask to go the nurse to get an ice pack for my head. I ask the teacher if I can go down and she said with a confused look "why?" I'm thinking, you didn't just see me fly? I go down to the nurse and tell her what happened. The nurse tells me she is going to send me home, just like that. I guess because of a potential concussion. I go upstairs to tell my teacher, I'm going home. He is confused because he doesn't know why. I tell him, he is just alright then. My friends think it is so funny that I just got sent home because I got trampled by a kid and the teachers have no clue that this happened. I get picked up by my parents and they ask me what happened and I tell them my story. My dad thought it would have been funny if I pulled a prank on my friend or teacher. If when my friend asked me if I was ok, I should have mistaken her for Taylor Swift. As I am a big fan and my friend is blonde. Every time I bring up the story to my friends they always start crying and laughing over it with me flying out the door, the teacher having no clue what is happening, and me getting sent home. That is one of the funniest stories of my life.

The characteristics/qualities that I value most in myself are my patients, my work ethic, and my respect for my peers. I'm a patient person. I don't get frustrated easily and when I do get frustrated I can easily calm myself down. When I get frustrated I try to make a few deep breaths and restart. I like to use music as a relaxer for my frustration. Sometimes listening to a good song will do the trick. I have seen many people take their frustration out on other people and snap at them. I don't snap at people with my frustration if they're not the ones causing the frustration. Even when I have angry or frustrated with someone I try to just talk to them about what I'm feeling. Another quality, I value of myself is my work ethic. I have been told countless times that I have a great work ethic. When I am told to do something I do it. I am not much of a procrastinator when I have a deadline I get the assignment done before. I am never late for my classes and when I have homework assigned it is always done. When I'm taking a test I always give my 110%, and always study if I'm unsure of the material. During the summer I help my grandpa clean a building. I have been told by other family members that he talks about how much of a strong worker I am. He tells me what to do that day, I put my earbuds in and get to work until it's time to leave. Every teacher I've had has told my parents in parent-teacher confrences that I am a hard worker and have a great work ethic. Another great quality that I'm proud that I have is I'm extremely respectful to my teachers and peers. When they are talking I don't talk, out of respect for them. I never argue with teachers. I try to be as polite as I can be to everyone. The golden rule says to treat others how you want to be treated, I want to be treated with respect, so I have to treat others with respect. The career field that I want to pursue is education. All of these qualities that I have will work great with my career. You have to have a lot of patients to be a teacher, you can't just flip out on a student for a simple mistake so that quality will do me well. You have to have a good work ethic to keep a job. You have to respect your coworkers and your students, I respect everyone. These qualities will be good in college and my future career.

My name is Lynna Brenizer and I am passionate about making people feel included. In the fall of 2023, I will be attending college to become a Special Education Teacher. I am passionate about working with children and making every child feel included. It makes me upset when people exclude and bully children with disabilities. My passion is to make sure children with disabilities feel included. I have what it takes to overcome my obstacles because of my passion and patients. I understand that college will be hard work and stressful. I am a very patient person and extremely driven. In becoming a teacher, you have to have patients to work with children. I like to challenge myself with the high school courses I choose. Even when I struggle in my class, I always try to do my best and strive to succeed. I know how to calm my stress and work through things that cause stress. I love listening to music and trying to take deep breaths to calm my nerves. I am aware of this I need to work on it. I am a pretty introverted and shy person and I realize becoming a teacher I will need to work on that. When I decided that wanted to pursue an education, I realized that I needed to work on social skills. I have been trying to talk to more of my peers and teacher. I struggle with asking for help from a teacher, but I am getting more comfortable asking for help and realizing it is ok to ask for help. I am letting my peers and teacher see more of my personality which has made me feel more comfortable and happier. How I will give back to those less fortunate than myself by volunteering my time. I have been volunteering at my church's vacation bible school since I was 12. I have been group leader, and co-group leader and ran the storytime room at vacation bible school. Last year, I was inducted into the National Honor Society and with that comes a lot of responsibility. We have to volunteer 25 hours of our time in the summer and 25 hours in the school year. In total. I will have 100 hours of community service when I graduate. Other activities I have done for the community are my mom and I volunteering at a live nativity during Christmas time. I have helped my grandma with instacarting. My grandma has bad knees and can't walk up many steps or walk far distances without assistance. So I help her shop for the customers and when it is time to drop off the groceries I help her put groceries on the deck to make it easier for her. Currently, I am a 3rd-grade catechist at my church with my mom. I help the students learn about their religion and help them with a large sacrament in our church. I love working with the kids and teaching them. How I plan on helping in the future to help with volunteering in college if given the opportunity and help work with children with special needs feel included.

Someone who has profoundly impacted my life by helping me realize my full potential is my mom. Anytime I feel like I am not enough or have disappointed myself my mom is always there to pick me back up. I always put a lot of pressure on myself when it comes to school. For example, if I didn't do as well on a test as I thought I did, it bugs me. Sometimes even little homework assignments can affect me. My mom is always there to tell me that I am smart and have the potential to do great things. Both my mom and dad are my biggest cheerleaders. My mom has never put pressure on me to always get perfect scores on everything because it is not realistic. We are human and we aren't perfect, so why do we put so much pressure on ourselves? When I have a test coming up, she always says as long as I do my best that is all that matters. I know this is silly, but my mom posts stuff on Facebook about my brother and my accomplishments. She is always mentioning how proud she is of the young woman I'm becoming. Little things like that make me feel good. I have found that I like praise because I put a lot of pressure on myself and think that I work hard, maybe too hard sometimes. It is nice every once and a while to get praise for something that you have worked hard to accomplish. Even when I was little my mom was always my cheerleader, going to every soccer game or karate test, she was always cheering me on. Recently I had a Christmas concert for my highschool chorus and I was nervous she made me realize that all the preparation was for that concert to show off are hard work. My mom always cheered me on since when I was young and always told me that I can do it making me realize my full potential. Even with small things like a presentation that I'm worked up about or a final test for a class. People mention the saying leave it all out on the field, which is a great metaphor and what my mom is always telling me with her words. I am incredibly blessed to have such a loving and supportive mother who always roots for me. She is always telling me just do my best.

This scholarship will help me pursue my future career by helping to provide financially. The college that I am planning on attending costs 10K a year. This scholarship could pay for a half-year of college to help me pursue my career in special education. I am incredibly passionate about becoming a teacher to help students with disabilities receive an education. My family doesn't have a ton of money always in the bank and I plan to help them pay for my college tuition to receiving this scholarship would help greatly in achieving my goal. I have worked extremely hard through my high school year, even getting inducted into the National Honor Society a year ago. National Honor Society members have to do 50 hours of community service every year, so when I graduate I will have 100 service hours. Community service that I have helped out at is VBS since I was 12, helping out the elementary track and field, volunteering at a live nativity around Christmas, and volunteering my time at a clothesline. I have also helped my grandma on many occasions instacart because she doesn't have the best walking skill anymore and needs me and other family members to help carry things. I also have donated money to the Knights of Columbus at my church to help buy a fetal ultrasound machine to help mothers in need. I have helped my community out and have worked hard for where I am today. Even before receiving the honor, I volunteered at my church over the summer at VBS. Being a member of the National Honor Society means having specific characteristics that make you a leader. Over the years I have been told I am hard working, always doing what I am told and not procrastinating. I have been told I am a good listener, I always listen to people when they need someone to talk to and always make people feel they can always talk to me. I am caring, I always have people's back and I am always doing things for people with no expectations of repayment. I am also a member of my school's Young Conservative Club, which is important to me to stand up for what I believe in and respectfully influence others. Receiving this scholarship would be an honor. Helping pursue my future career in Special Education would be greatly appreciated. My family and I would be forever grateful to you for helping support a hardworking student's dreams. Thank You!

The people that have been the greatest driving force in my life have been my parents. I was born with an AV Canal (atrioventricular canal) congenital heart defect, that got diagnosed at 2 weeks old. I was placed in the NICU for about 3 months because of the heart defect and reflux issues. The hospital that I was limited to was about 40 minutes away from my house. So, my parents had to drive that distance constantly to go and visit me. They ended up staying in the Ronald McDonald House while I was in the NICU, out of convenience. Our finical situation was affected by this health crisis. My dad worked, while my mom stayed with me in the hospital. My mom was with me from early in the morning to late at night every day for 3 months. My dad would come and visit me after work. He worked hard every day for my family and still does. Realizing that my parents have always been there, since day one. They have always been my biggest cheerleader. Always pushing me to do better, and helping me to do better when I fall. My parents have always supported my brother and me with everything. Been to every sports game that we had or any school concert. After they both come home from a long hard day of work, they still make time for family. My parents seem to always have a smile on their faces and are always in a good mood. They always try to find fun little daycations we can go on, whether it’s going to a pumpkin patch or an arcade. Both of them seem to be kids at heart. Some parents look miserable taking their kids to a place where only the kid seems like they are enjoying themselves. When we go to an arcade, my parents play games too with my brother and me. My parents are an example of how I wanna be in my adult life. I don’t want to be a grumpy adult that hates their life, I want to be a person who tries to have as much fun as they can. When things don’t go the way you expected, just try again. When I have a family, I want to have fun with my kids, and not just sit there and be miserable. People don’t seem to look for the positive in life, even when things don't go their way. I believe everything happens for a reason, and so do my parents. My parents are a good example of how to live your life, just do your best to enjoy it. My parents are the driving force in my life, and to be a great example like them.

My name is Lynna Brenizer and I live in Saegertown Pa. I am a member of the National Honor Society. I have to receive 50 hours of volunteer honors to keep up my position in the National Honor Society. Some of the volunteer work that I have done is helping with a clothesline, being a group leader at VBS, volunteering at a field day for elementary kids, and I am currently helping teach a Sunday School class with my mom. Volunteering is incredibly important to me as it gives me a chance to give back to a community that has done so much for me. I get to meet and talk to many new faces in our community and make new friends. Volunteering has shown me that it makes more than one person make a change for the community, it takes a family willing to help. I have volunteered at my church’s VBS program since 6 grade and I love it. I want to be a teacher someday, so this gives me insight into what I’ll be enduring in my future career. Volunteering has made me a better person. Realizing that everything is not about me and seeing people who have harder lives than me has made me grateful to have such a beautiful life. Volunteering for multiple organizations has made me a more socially confident person. I struggle with speaking with people because I am shy. Doing community service jobs that require me to speak to people has made me more ok with opening up to people and realizing the world is not as scary. I have also made more friends by doing community service. My church school requires that kids achieve 15 hours of community service a year, which has allowed me to volunteer from a young age. I have come to realize that after I volunteer at a place, I feel much happier and better about myself. I feel a part of something bigger than myself, as a part of a team. I love feeling like I am impacting people’s lives positively with the work I am doing. The person that runs the VBS group said something that has stuck with me, “these kids look up to you, if they see you having fun, they’ll have fun”. I then realized that being a role model is incredibly important to me, the fact that the future of our world can look up to me as a good example is such an honor, and volunteering for a great community that has done so much for me is also such an honor.