I didn't like to finish things. For example, a pop-tart. The first few bites is a sugar heaven and a release from the dredgy waking hours that have come as a result of a busy summer with my family moving, cross country, and work. But by the time I have two bites left, I've had too much sugar. My mind is already looking forward to the next task, such as drinking some water to balance the unhealthy boost of blood sugar in my system. Another thing is art. It usually starts out with a bright idea, accompanied by 3-4 hours of hard work with no breaks, before I get burned out and leave it to gather dust. I wasn't proud of this bad habit. It caused me to struggle in school with large projects and other assignments that were meant to be attacked a little at a time, not the night before the due date. It's the reason why my art teacher has given me two drawers instead of the usual one so I could hold onto all the art projects that I've never finished. Going into senior year, I decided to change this. I was tired of starting things and never finishing them. My first step was to eliminate obstacles, such as Instagram. I purged my feed of anything that encouraged short-term dopamine, and I followed accounts that made art that I aspired to be like. I also followed a lot of college athletes to give myself more motivation in my running. I was able to take a college class on drawing. I also decided to take up rollerblading, since I needed to kill time that wasn't on a screen. Since making these changes, the amount of finished projects has skyrocketed. Previously, I didn't even have enough pieces to even make a portfolio. Now, I have so many pieces I am forced to pick between them. In terms of running, I improved my 5k time by 60 seconds exactly, my 1600 by 21s, and my 800 by 8s. And my GPA was the highest it has ever been. These events have taught me that "It's not how you start the game, it's how you finish". This mantra is how I approach all of my obstacles. I'm not exactly sure what profession I want to go into, but I do know I want to work in film and hopefully, someday this mantra helps me achieve my goal of using my art to change someone for the better.

I’ve always loved movies. I've seen so many movies from Christopher Nolan, Star Wars, and Peele that it's probably unhealthy. But when I started to see actors and directors in the industry who looked like me, I realized I not wanted to watch movies, but also make them. I now want to take a slight detour and tell you about a service project that impacted me and this dream. I began volunteering at My Brother’s Keeper to make a service requirement my junior year, but I continue to go now not out of requirement, but because I believe in its mission. (At my high school seniors are no longer required to have service hours) Every Tuesday, we would meet with middle schoolers from CCA (whose student body is made up of mainly students who come from underprivileged backgrounds)for a snack and a conversation. Topics ranged from stress management to civil rights activists. It's a safe space for the kids to just be themselves outside of their daily lives, and learn about themselves and have fun. Essentially, MBK is a social outreach for youth. Being a Mentor at MBK is where I started to take a deeper look at my responsibility to aid and guide my younger brothers (I'm the oldest of two).and Mentees. All these kids have these amazing perspectives that I'd previously been blind to. And that's why I love film. It shows us so many different perspectives and ideas, which is imperative if we're only exposed to one side of an argument. Being invested in a movie character's life breeds empathy for that character, and this can grow into empathy for real people and why they hold certain opinions. And the world could use more empathy. Also, and this may seem like a stretch, but empathy also makes it easier for people to attack/debate an idea, and not the person (which the world also needs more of). Another thing about film, and just media in general, is that it's a double-edged sword, especially in terms of representation. Used unfittingly, it can often domino into stereotypes and negative impacts on self-esteem. I hope to change this. Chimamanda Adichie (an author) tells us in her TedTalk to "beware the single story". As in, the single stories of a person, a place, or a people. This is because oftentimes we can extrapolate this incomplete single story to the entire entity, potentially marginalizing and hurting them. I will change this. In addition, diversity in film reflects a more accurate vision of society. Hollywood has historically been white-dominated. But the country has changed, and in order to create better and more meaningful films, these new cinemas must display diverse films to accurately portray diverse America. Put simply, Hollywood needs diversity. And as a result, this diversity can inspire the next generation to rise above their limits and succeed. In short, when I go into the film industry, I will collaborate and lead to create amazing movies that include and question, challenge and represent, foster compassion and understanding. Specifically, I will increase diversity in film and any other mediums I have the opportunity to work with. I hope that in the end, someone in the audience of a movie I helped create will be inspired to change the world for the better.

I will become a trailblazer, who is unafraid of challenging old and new ideas, unafraid of asking for help, and unafraid of failure while staying true to who I am.

He was alone. Alone against the entirety of Thanos and his army, and yet he stood, resolute, like the country of his namesake. Captain America, in the face of overwhelming odds, held his ground– and by not giving up, gave Doctor Strange the time he needed to call in the cavalry. Captain America had saved the world. This scene in the movie Avengers: Endgame is the epic culmination of over 20 years of Marvel Movies, and everyone in that theater felt its greatness. I was so gripped by this greatness that I realized I wanted to help create it. Arts have always been a part of my life. Ever since my early childhood, I’ve been singing and drawing. In elementary school, I was involved with choir and recognized by the school district for my art in 5th grade. Throughout middle school I was heavily involved with the music department of my parish, doing their yearly musical and various choirs. And I could probably make a small house with the number of sketchbooks I've accumulated. But when I reached high school, and the question about careers was asked, I was unsure about how art would play into my future. And somehow, after a summer of making iMovies and watching movies, I found my passion. I now want to take a slight detour and tell you about a service project that impacted me and this dream. I began volunteering at My Brother’s Keeper to make a service requirement my junior year, but I continue to go now not out of requirement, but because I believe in its mission. (At my high school seniors are no longer required to have service hours) Every Tuesday, we would meet with middle schoolers from CCA (whose student body is made up of mainly students who come from underprivileged backgrounds)for a snack and a conversation. Topics ranged from stress management to civil rights activists. It's a safe space for the kids to just be themselves outside of their daily lives, and learn about themselves and have fun. Essentially, MBK is a social outreach for youth. Being a Mentor at MBK is where I started to take a deeper look at my responsibility to aid and guide my younger brothers and Mentees. All these kids have these amazing perspectives that I'd previously been blind to. And that's why I love film. It shows us so many different perspectives and ideas. Being invested in a movie character's life breeds empathy for that character, and this can grow into empathy for real people. And the world could use more empathy. Another thing about film, and just media in general, is that it's a double-edged sword, especially in terms of representation. Used unfittingly, it can often domino into stereotypes and negative impacts on self-esteem. I hope to change this. Chimamanda Adichie (an author) tells us in her TedTalk to "beware the single story". As in, the single stories of a person, a place, or a people. This is because oftentimes we can extrapolate this incomplete single story to the entire entity, potentially marginalizing and hurting them. I will change this. In short, when I go into the film industry, I will collaborate and lead to create amazing movies that include and question, challenge and represent, foster compassion and understanding. I hope that in the end, someone in the audience of a movie I helped create will be inspired to change the world, all because of one thing - cinema greatness.

My parents have always told me and my brothers that their goal for us was to become better than them. Smarter, more athletic, better people. But it was really hard for me to understand this as I was growing up since everything they did for me felt like a punishment. The constant extracurriculars, their push for good grades, and their high standards of behavior made me a very stressed individual. But as I look forward to college and reflect on my journey, I realize that the majority of what makes me who I am comes from my parents. I can now juggle track, AP courses, and an evening college art course AND still have free time. Because of my parents, I am filled with ambition and drive, and taking initiative is almost second nature to me. All these traits I've acquired are born out of my parent's sacrifices for me and my brothers. More important than money, they've spent their talents, their dignity, and time to help me achieve my best. Because of this, I want to do the same for my children, and for my grandchildren, and so on. For me, generational wealth not only means creating monetary legacies but also teaching traits and values to our posterity that will enable them to achieve more than we, their ancestors, could ever hope to achieve. We can accomplish this by setting an example, living out our code, and not being afraid of our kids getting mad at us. My Mom has never caused a car accident. In the history of all car drivers, my Mom is most likely one of the safest. She's the reason I never walk around with a pencil in my pocket, vape, or drive recklessly. It was my Mom's idea for me to write down my homework in a planner, and now I can't function without it. My Dad is rarely late. He always is planning alongside my Mom for our future. He's the one that always checks on me and my brothers to make sure we are on time. He's the one who wakes up at 6:00 am to walk our dog. From my Dad, I learned how reliability can shape others' trust in you and your work. Both my parents are Christian. So they've made me go to church and Sunday School when I didn't want to, but in the end, this actually brought me closer to God. My Mom also made me go to a Catholic high school, and I ended up thriving in this new environment as it brought me new opportunities to grow my faith. Being a stronger Christian gives me strength and something to fall back on when times get hard. I let God guide my life on a more personal level, as he no longer seems like a far-off spectator. Lastly, all of the above was possible because my parents knew that making us kids into better people would mean dragging us, kicking and screaming, out of our comfort zones. This led to situations we would have never even imagined thriving in, like singing in the school talent show in 4th grade. I had originally not wanted to do it, but my parents forced me and I ended up really enjoying it. I've been involved with choir ever since. I want to give my children what my parents gave me: Generational Wealth. I will give them traits and values that will create success. Like my parents, I will accomplish this by being an example, living out my code, and not being afraid of my kids getting mad at me.

Being a leader means being a mentor. It means that you are responsible for those you lead, and you must bring those around you up to their full potential. But it also means that you have empathy and can relate to those who are within your responsibility. I learned this when I began volunteering at My Brother’s Keeper Mentoring and Tutoring Group to make a service requirement my junior year. But now, I continue to go not to make a service hour quota, but because I believe in its mission(At my high school seniors are no longer required to have service hours). MBK is a social outreach for youth headed by my school. Every Tuesday, middle schoolers from CCA (whose student body is made up of mainly students who come from underprivileged backgrounds) come to our school for a snack and we would have a conversation. It was a safe space for the kids to just be themselves and have somebody to talk to, which is especially important if their environment outside their school is a rough place to grow up in. Usually, to get the conversation going we would participate in physical activity and then have a specific topic for conversation. Topics ranged from stress management to social justice. All of these things are important for us to stress to these kids as their role models and leaders since knowing and understanding these topics is imperative to their success in high school and beyond. Also, being a Mentor has helped me reflect on myself and my responsibilities as a leader to these kids and as an older brother. I realized how much of an impact being a positive role model/leader for these kids was. If they saw us messing around, they would also mess around and most likely bring this unhealthy behavior home. But if they saw us being responsible by throwing our trash away, and not talking back, they would copy. By being the best we can be, we can inspire others to do the same and lift them to their full potential. Not only that, but we should also be able to empathize with those we are responsible for, as leaders are meant to be mentors, not dictators. For example, in my freshman year, I joined an athletic group called Miracle League which is a sports organization for athletes with mental and/or physical challenges. I volunteered as a Buddy, so I was tasked with helping a player hit the ball (if they needed it) and guiding them to each base. I’ve been incredibly appreciative of that opportunity because it has provided me with an outlook I'd been previously blind to. With the right mentoring and empathy, those kids are out there doing things that some people might think that they wouldn't be able to do - such as playing a game of baseball. And sometimes it takes a bit of coaxing and understanding from the Mentor because everyone knows what it's like to be shy and anxious about trying something new. Regardless, they all eventually decide to swing the bat. Their strength astounds me; I now have more of an understanding of the daily challenges some people have to face, and it inspires me to give the same kind of effort in my life. Without mentorship and empathy from their parents, Miracle League, and others, these kids probably would have never even known to try to play a game of baseball to that extent. In sum, being a leader means being empathetic and a mentor to those you're responsible for, leading them to their full potential.

I have gone above and beyond in my service projects. For one example, at my school seniors are no longer required to do service hours, yet I still complete them because I believe in each project’s mission. For example, one of the projects I’m involved in is called My Brother’s Keeper Mentoring and Tutoring group which is a social outreach for youth. Every Tuesday, middle schoolers from CCA (whose student body is made up of mainly students who come from underprivileged backgrounds) come to our school for a snack and we would then just talk about things. Topics ranged from stress management to civil rights activists and increasing diversity, as MBK was founded based on increasing diversity. It was a safe space for the kids to just be themselves and have somebody to talk to, which is especially important if their environment outside their school is a rough place to grow up in. Also, being a Mentor has really helped me reflect on myself and my responsibilities of being the oldest of my brothers. In addition, all these kids have these amazing perspectives that I'd previously been blind to, since any of my previous interaction with kids of this demographic was limited. I plan on continuing to give back to the community by volunteering in college and increasing diversity in film (which I am majoring in). Because of this, I've applied/attended several diversity-based and service-based programs and scholarships, such as the Morton-Finney Program and Scholarship at Butler, BSLA at OSU, and the Miami Bridges program at Miami(Oxford). I’ve also gone above and beyond for sports, specifically my Track and Cross Country teams. In addition to being a captain for Track and leading the warmups, I’ve created a “club” on Strava (running app) for my Cross-Country and Track teams. Clubs track the distance of their members and can also give team announcements. Now, my coaches can make sure my teammates do their runs on the weekends and breaks which makes my team stay accountable with their running. Also, I am one of the three seniors who are distance runners, so I needed to step up and take a more active role in leading the distance squad. This also meant that I needed to step up my performance for the 4x800 and the 4x1600 relays. I am on varsity, but I know that I have more speed in me. So this winter, instead of just logging 30+ mpw( miles per week), I’ve also taken the initiative to start plyometrics and strength training to up my middle-distance endurance. My vision is that I become a prominent figure in the film industry, trailblazing with new ideas and great movies! I want to continue volunteer work and take an active role in philanthropy, specifically scholarships. I also hope to be well versed in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, because I believe that more media implementation of this idea will lead to a better society and less harmful stereotypes and a growth in empathy. Besides the goal of securing my dream job and making the world a better place, I hope to make lifelong friends, discover new and nourish my current passions and have traveled the world, and in that process expose myself to new cultures and perspectives. Basically, I hope to finish refining who I am, so I can spend the rest of my life strengthening who I am meant to be.

The arts have always been a part of my life. Ever since my early childhood (my Dad would argue that I’m still a child), I’ve been singing and drawing. In elementary school, I was involved with choir and recognized by the school district for my art in 5th grade. Throughout middle school I was heavily involved with the music department of my parish, doing their yearly musical and various choirs (including handchime choir!). And I could probably make a small house with the number of sketchbooks I've accumulated. But when I reached high school, and the question about my career was asked, I was unsure about how my creativity would play into my future. Also, I've always wanted to leave a positive impact on my community and the world, and give back to the communities that have forged me. But how could I possibly hope to marry this insane dream of mine to what I love to do? Could I really hope to change the world for the better through my creativity? Then I discovered film. Film is all about communication. It tells a story, and through this story, it ties our emotions and thoughts to the characters on the screen. Basically, for a brief period of 150 minutes, we become them. What better way to understand someone's motivations and interests than to BE them? This way, it becomes easier to empathize, and in turn, this can be practiced on real people. And I believe that the world could really use more empathy. In addition, the themes film can bring to life contain important messages that can help us improve our lives and the lives of those around us. I've always wanted to create a gripping tale or story that inspired someone to become better, and what better way than through the subtle yet blaring power of cinema? Another thing about film and just media in general, is that it's a double-edged sword, especially in terms of representation. Used unfittingly, it can often domino into harmful stereotypes and negative impacts on self-esteem. Essentially, representation in the media has been shown to affect how we might see ourselves, whether that’s positively or negatively. I hope to change this. Chimamanda Adichie, and author, tells us to "beware the single story" of a person, a place, or a people. This is because oftentimes we might extrapolate this incomplete single story to an entire entity, potentially marginalizing and hurting them. I hope to change this, because nobody deserves to receive this kind of treatment. Another career I am considering is communications. With AI and other software systems on the rise, how data is presented is becoming more and more important. Data is the center of many decisions now, from corporate to legislative, and communicating it efficiently, creatively, and without bias is something I can imagine myself doing. Speaking of bias, I will make sure that all data is collected correctly, and displayed fully and totally without a trace of partiality. And this isn't just limited to data. More and more of our daily news outlets are entering the internet, which allows for more assertions without the data to back it up to be seen as truth. This can mislead millions of people, which is wrong. I hope to prevent this, by making sure that the information I need to convey is correct and without bias. In short, wherever I go, I will collaborate, lead to include, challenge, and foster compassion. I hope that in the end, I will inspire someone else to change the world.

One characteristic is my initiative. I love to take lead in group projects, and this attitude has been recognized by the faculty, which has led me to be asked to apply to the OSU Student Leadership Research Collaborative my junior year. A total of 6 students were selected. The purpose of this collaboration was to find ways to improve our school. To first gather data, we decided on teacher interviews and an all-school survey. I decided to interview the school dean and the physics teacher, whom I believed would provide valuable input for our goals. After this, we noticed that we had mixed reviews about the new enrichment period (an idea implemented by last year’s OSU SLRC group). We then drew our conclusions from this and presented our ideas to the school board, which resulted in the creation of the student-teacher advisory. Unlike a student council, the board is not a popularity vote, but it is instead composed of faculty members from different disciplines and hand-picked students. Together, they create a stronger sense of communication between students and teachers, allowing for the strengthening of their relationship in my school. Another characteristic worth mentioning is my tenacity. To be honest, math is a source of struggle for me. For example, in my sophomore year, I was pretty much locked in with a C+ in my AP Calc AB class. With the AP test coming in March, I knew I needed to change my study habits (Which involved cramming the day before the test). So I started to stagger my studying. 20 minutes, every day, one topic per day. It was hard to change my study habits so drastically, especially since my goal was so far away. Sometimes I would think about just stopping and doing something other than math because I was pretty much locked in for the C+ for the class. But I reminded myself that scoring well on the exam might allow me to skip a GenEd course in college, so I continued to push myself. Then, that July, I got my scores back and got a 4! Ever since then, I studied using this method for the rest of my AP classes and eventually got the AP Scholar with Honor award due to my consistency in scoring high grades, all thanks to my willingness to see things through, especially long-term goals. One of my life goals is to give back in greater value than what I have been given. For instance, I have been lucky to work at my Parish's very own garden: Anthony's Garden. It was created by his parents to honor him, as he had died as a child. I first started in the summer of sophomore year, taking the weekly shifts with my family watering/tending to the plants. It was in the dead of summer so work was tough, as the temperature was often 80 degrees. But I knew that each plant would go to a food bank, which would eventually feed a person in need. This gave me the strength I needed to toil away at the garden beds. I even was able to help create raised garden beds to protect the plants from the invading rabbits. It's nice to know that hard work at Anthony’s Garden will result in making someone in my community happier and less hungry. I hope to continue this kind of service in college, as I have already applied to multiple scholarships/groups that involve service work in college. Hopefully, these impacts, from the student-board advisory to Anthony's Garden, create lasting and positive change in my high school and community.

High school has been a turbulent ride, full of surprises and opportunities. One of those opportunities was to take part in more complex service projects than in middle school. For example, in my Freshman year, I joined Miracle League in Dublin, which is a sports organization for athletes with mental and physical challenges in the Central Ohio area. I volunteered as a Buddy, so I was tasked with helping them hit the ball (if they needed it) and guiding them to each base. I’ve been incredibly appreciative of that opportunity because those kids are out there doing things that some people might think that they wouldn't be able to do - such as play a game of baseball. Their strength astounds me; I now have more of an understanding of the daily challenges some people have to face, and it inspires me to give the same kind of effort in my life that they give. Not only that, but last year I was inducted into the Borromean chapter of the National Honor Society, which allowed me this year to take part in their NHS-exclusive service projects. This enabled me to take part in tutoring underclassmen and volunteer for several new service projects, such as volunteering at the soon-to-be school store. I have also been lucky to work at my Parish's very own garden: Anthony's Garden. I first started in the summer of sophomore year, taking the weekly shifts with my family and watering/tending the plants. It is usually in the dead of summer so work is a little bit hard. But each plant would eventually feed a person in need, which gave me the strength I needed to toil away at the garden beds. I even was able to help create raised garden beds to protect the plants from the invading rabbits. It's nice to know that hard work at Anthony’s Garden will always result in making someone happier and less hungry. I have done the project every summer since. I also started volunteering at MBK (My Brother's Keeper) to make a service requirement for junior year, but I continue to go this year not to make a service hour quota, but because I believe in its mission (Seniors at my high school are not required to do service hours). Every Tuesday, middle schoolers from underprivileged backgrounds come to our school and we would just talk about things. Topics ranged from stress management to civil rights activists. It was a safe space for the kids to just be themselves and have somebody to talk to. Usually, we have individual buddies, but I had conflicts with sports (XC and Track), so I do not have a regular Mentee. Instead, I am sort of like a substitute, so when someone’s Mentor is absent I become that Mentee’s Mentor. This way the Mentee still has someone to talk to. Through this method, I’ve met and talked to more kids than if I had had a singular Mentee, which I am incredibly grateful for. Being a Mentor has helped me look back at myself, as I am also an older brother. It's my responsibility to look out for and help my younger brothers to succeed, and become My Brother’s Keepers, in a sense. I also have had the opportunity to tutor middle schoolers through this program. Hopefully, these impacts, from My Brother's Keeper to Anthony's Garden, create lasting positive change in my high school and community.

Everyone wants to live a long, happy life. And one of the easiest ways to achieve and maintain this happier and longer life is to create healthier eating habits. For example, I'd assume your quality of life would be great if you didn't have continuous blood clots due to your eating habits. Unfortunately, this is a reality for some people. But you can potentially avoid this by consuming a balanced ratio of saturated and unsaturated fats. Saturated fats have a double bond in their molecular structure, which allows saturated fats to remain solid at room temperature. When consumed in unhealthy amounts, saturated fats can increase fatty deposits in your blood, causing them to harden and clog your arteries (AKA atherosclerosis). But there is hope at the end of the tunnel, because that nightmare can potentially be avoided by simply balancing the amount of saturated and unsaturated fats you consume. Another example of quality-of-life eating habits is fiber, and there is no such thing as too much fiber. Fiber is literally a miracle substance. First, it improves and maintains bowel health, lowering the probability of hemorrhoids and constipation. The body actually does not digest fiber, so it attracts more material into the stool, making it easier to pass. This also means that you can indulge in it without worrying about the extra potential weight. Fiber also lowers the probability of diabetes by regulating cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Lower levels mean that your blood is more efficient in transporting materials, and your heart doesn't need to work as hard either. And last but not least, it has even been associated with lower chances of developing cancer, due to it being a great all-around substance for the body. Fiber is simply awesome, and anyone who eats more fiber will see the benefits increase tenfold. Fiber and saturated vs unsaturated fats are simply two puzzle pieces of the thousands of pieces that create the mosaic called "healthy eating habits". Once completed and maintained, the mosaic(healthy eating habits) allows for quicker decision-making, more energy, and a plethora of other benefits. I discovered this when I first started eating healthier for running. I started to run in my sophomore year for track, and I loved it. There was something addicting about running around a circle four times. Anyways, I always ate peanut-butter crackers before a meeting, because I read online that it was recommended. But as the season went on, my race times weren't scaling to my practice times, so I wondered why. Eventually, I figured out that I simply could be eating better. I discovered a remedy: carbs. Carbohydrates are digested slowly, allowing for more energy longer; so eating meals high in carbs the day before should yield better times for the meet, since I could run faster and longer. This realization sparked an interest in eating healthily and was just the start of my journey to maintain healthy eating habits. Nowadays, I have more energy and now can keep up with the fastest kids at my school. I feel less lethargic (unless I stay up late doing homework), and feel more engaged during conversations with my friends. All of this progress is thanks to healthy eating. In sum, the great thing about healthy eating is that anyone and everyone can achieve it. Young, old, athlete or not, eating healthier can increase everyone's quality of life and age.

My community inspires me to get involved with my community. I have been lucky to be surrounded by people who have lots of ambition, and people who are driven to give back to their communities. These people have done great things for others, and I wanted to do my part too. So I got involved. Some projects I had done were Anthony's Garden at my church, two college outreach programs, and NHS tutoring. But perhaps my most gratifying experiences are my involvement in My Brother’s Keeper Mentoring and Tutoring Group, the OSU Student Leadership Research Collaborative and Anthony's Garden. I started MBK to make a service requirement for junior year. But I continue to go, not to make a service hour quota, but because I believe in its mission. Every Tuesday, middle schoolers from underprivileged backgrounds come to our school and we would just talk about things. Topics ranged from stress management to civil rights activists. It was a safe space for the kids to just be themselves and have somebody to talk to. Usually we have individual buddies, but I had conflicts with sports (XC and Track), so I do not have a regular Mentee. Instead, I am sort of like a substitute, so when someone’s Mentor is absent I become that Mentee’s Mentor. This way the Mentee still has someone to talk to. Through this method, I’ve met and talked to more kids than if I had had a singular Mentee, which I am incredibly grateful for. I also started the OSU Student Leadership Research Collaborative junior year, but instead of volunteering, I was lucky enough to be asked to apply. We (there were six of us in total) were selected for our attitudes inside and outside of the classroom. Our goal was to improve our school via research, and at the end, we were to present our findings to the school board. Together, we held 1-on-1 teacher interviews and conducted all-school student surveys. I was in charge of interviewing the school dean and the Physics teacher. In the end, our hard work at OSU SLRC led to the creation of the student-teacher advisory board. Unlike a student council, the board is not a popularity vote, but it is instead comprised of faculty members from different disciplines and hand-picked students. It's a place where both students and faculty can express concern, comment, and suggest changes to further the success of our school. Together, they created a stronger sense of communication between students and teachers, allowing for the strengthening of their relationship. I have also been lucky to work at my Parish's very own garden: Anthony's Garden. It was created by his parents to honor him, as he had died as a child. I first started in the summer of sophomore year, taking the weekly shifts with my family watering/tending to the plants. It was in the dead of summer so work was a little bit hard. But each plant would eventually feed a person in need, which gave me the strength I needed to toil away at the garden beds. I even was able to help create raised garden beds to protect the plants from the invading rabbits. It's nice to know that hard work at Anthony’s Garden will always result in making someone happier and less hungry. Hopefully, these impacts, from the student-board advisory to My Brother's Keeper to Anthony's Garden, create lasting positive change in my high school and community.

Community. Its definition on Google states that it's a "group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common". I feel like a description as simple and bland as Google's doesn't do true communities justice. While Google's definition certainly can be true, people can live in the same place and have similar characteristics and YET still not feel like a community (yet). For example, my choir class. There are only 5 kids in there, and I'm the only senior. Hopefully as the semester progresses we get to know each other better as we learn to sing together. Anyways, a community is more than just related characteristics and habitats. It's more than just a few similarities between random humans on this planet. To have a community, we must experience something all together, and we must mean something when we are together. An example from my life that I think best demonstrates this community is my Cross Country and Track teams. I like to think that running is 90% mental and 10% training. If you're not focused and training right, then training will only get you so far. The bad thing is, training right (especially on the faster days) is extremely painful. I'm talking about collapsed-after-only-the-first-rep painful. But that pain and exhilaration and adrenaline is something my team and I all experience, and that builds a strong camaraderie between us. It's easy to build mutual respect when you know your teammates are also feeling the pain you go through. This community was created because we all love running, but we all stay because of the community. I have been lucky enough to be part of many communities, like my Cross Country & Track teams, my school, and my family. These communities have forged me, spurring me into becoming who I am today. Communities that are more than just similar characteristics and habitats build every one of its members up. An example of this image of community is present in the movie Avengers. Consisting of six people with extraordinary powers, they are all used to working alone. But due to extenuating circumstances (aliens were trying to take over the world), they had to put aside their differences and fight for humanity. The final showdown occurs in New York, where the six Avengers are the last stand. In the ensuing battle, they learn to work in sync, since alone enemy would have crushed them. Together, they used their unique skills to catch the enemy by surpise and ultimately put an end to their invasion. The Avengers mean more as a team than they do as their individual selves-- the perfect community. In summation, I believe community is where we all experience something together, and mean something together. We go through stuff, good and bad, and that shared experience builds bonds that cannot be broken. And by being together, we will build each of our members up to become all that they can be. And that-- that is a true community.

Wonder by R. J. Palacio for its themes of empathy and self-realization. The world could always use some more empathy. It's easy to have empathy for people who we know and understand, but what about people who we barely know at all? It's so easy to judge someone by a first impression; once we get an idea of who they are, we can put them into neat mental boxes to deal with them more easily. This person was mean to me, so I can put this person in the "hate forever" box. This person looks strange, so I can put them into my "weird and therefore do not trust" box. Unfortunately, it is rarely this simple. Maybe this person just is having a bad day. Maybe their cat died, or maybe their mother died. And that person who you thought was strange? How many times do you think that other people shun them for being strange? How many times have you been shunned for being who you were? The book Wonder asks and answers these questions with a beautiful mixture of dialogue and prose. Another reason I would have the world read Wonder is because of how each character becomes a little less afraid of being themselves as the plot progresses. Auggie, the protagonist, is someone who suffers from a facial palate, which severely impacts his self-esteem. He has been homeschooled his entire life, and now he is terrified that he will be going to a private school. It was hard at first because Auggie is bullied, but he finds friends and begins to step out of his comfort zone as he gains more confidence. Similalilary, his sister Via finds her passion in theatre after a drama roller coaster in her freshman year at high school. These characters both have to cope with adversity, which eventually catalyzes their growth as people and boosts their self-confidence. Lastly, this book is for all ages. Most children can read and understand Wonder's themes just as well as adults, mainly because of how straightforwardly the story displays the conflict. The lessons contained within can be applied to everyone's life, from the Prime Minister of France to a 10-year-old child.

Wall-E. Easy. Why? Why would a (then)five-year-old find so much in common with a miniscule robot? Especially when there were Power Rangers to love, or Transformers to adore, etc? Wall-E, at first, isn't unique. He can transform, but so can the robots of the same name. And lasers? That's literally archetypical of ALL robots. Wall-E even isn't shiny and new, he's dirty and seven hundred years old! But like the themes of self-realization and environmentalism in the movie, you need to look deeper into Wall-E, at his actions and his motives. He was lonely. Alone on a planet, with nothing but cockroaches and romance films to keep him company. As a five-year-old, I felt for that robot. And then EVE walks(floats) into his life, and Wall-E is immediately head-over-treads. He even shows her his most prized possession, the plant, which also happens to be the reason why EVE traveled to Earth in the first place. Her goal is to find proof that life can survive on Earth. So naturally, she takes it and enters a hibernation mode. What? Wall-E must have been as confused as we were, but he changed his entire lifestyle to take care of EVE, even while she was unresponsive. He was now determined to keep a stranger he had just met safe.. In fact, for the rest of the movie, Wall-E leaves a positive impact he meets. He caused John and Mary to realize that they were just meant for each other, taught the robot secretary how to wave hello, and he gave purpose to an entire legion of defective robots! Wall-E stayed true to himself and still had the courage to pursue the love of his life, EVE. Wall-E had purpose, whether that being to clean up the trash on Earth (and being the sole robot still doing so), or protecting EVE while she was in hibernation mode, or even saving humanity by bringing them back to Earth! Wall-E preserved through each challenge he faced. And as a five-year-old, I could aspire to that. In fact, as a now 17-year-old, I can still find inspiration from that dingy little robot. Wall-E saved all of humanity and found love, just by being himself. So.... Wall-E. Easy.

Waiting for Never by Post Malone. I had just been listening to a Post Malone mix on Spotify, when I heard it and noticed how great it was! It's about someone who keeps turning a blind eye towards his bad relationship with his girlfriend. He is always hoping that her attitude about it will change, but it never will. Post Malone even acknowledges this futility when he writes: "I keep tellin' myself, if I wanted you to change I'd be waiting for never". He then realizes that he has to move on from this harmful relationship, or else "[He wouldn't] win, and still [he would] chase it", thus repeating this regrettable cycle. So then he writes: "There's nothin' left to fake ... It took a lil' while, baby, then I woke up" He knows that wishing and pretending is now pointless; and there is nothing he can do to fix this relationship. He needs to cut ties and move on. I luckily have not experienced any heartbreak like the singer has, but I've found that this idea of cutting loose what doesn't help you can be applied to other parts of life. Like a job, or maybe a bad habit that you keep coming back to. Maybe videogames or social media, which you can waste countless hours on. This song inspires me every time I listen to really understand my life and find which aspects of it help me; but also to cut off the other parts that I only pretend to help me, or things that I turn a blind eye to. In sum, improvement is possible, but only if you do something about it!

I never really appreciated dogs until I got one. I had a parakeet before, so I was kind of a pro at being a pet parent. But all the parakeet wanted to do was chirp and eat and poop and occasionally nibble your hair. Which was fine, of course! But I guess I was wishing for a bit more of a relationship. When my family finally got around to getting a dog, (our cousins are complete dog parents, and they've been urging us to get one since 2018) we drove about two hours into the heart of Amish land to check out a Bernedoodle litter. I was in a pretty bad mood, because those 120 minutes were spent on numerous hills and sharp turns. But when I saw that puppy I just MELTED. It was truly love at first sight. My fam shared this observation with me, and we brought him home a week later. For the first four hours, Arrow (we were inspired to name him by his inherent speed) was this perfect little puppy. But when we put him in his pen at our bedtime, he spent the next 12 hours being the least-perfect little puppy. He. Was. LOUD. I pondered going downstairs to keep him company, but when I suggested this to my Dad, he said that Arrow could develop separation anxiety if we kept keeping him company. So we all had to endure 12 hours of 90 decibel mania. Phew. That night, I learned the subtle art form of patience. A few months later, the puppy is 30lbs. 30 pounds! He was an absolute tank. And tanks CONSUME a lot of food. And those tanks DEPOSIT large amounts of used food. :( My first few times picking up Arrow's poop was not pleasant. There were little gifts here and there and omg the lawn was just a minefield. But that's just simply one of the chores that comes with owing a dog. Constantly cleaning up after Arrow has sort of provided me an analogy towards work I absolutely hate to do: sometimes it's necessary. Sometimes, there is no shortcut, no get-out-of-jail-free card, no break. Beautiful things come from the grit of hard work, just like a responsible and healthy relationship with your dog. In sum, my dog has taught/reminded me about patience, hard work, and so many other things that I just can't stop hugging him! Its amazing how such a simple creature can capture a human's heart. And Arrow sure has mine and every other person's he's ever encountered!

He was alone. Alone against the entirety of Thanos and his army, and yet he stood, resolute, like the country of his namesake. This dude, Captain freakin' America, in the face of overwhelming odds, held his ground. And by not giving up, he gave time for Doctor Strange to call in the cavalry. (*Honorary pause*). The Portals Scene in Avengers: Endgame is the epic culmination of over 20 years of Marvel Movies and everyone in that theater felt its greatness. I want to be a part of creating that greatness, and I will utilize that greatness into my art to represent marginalized populations and expose audiences to different perspectives. Representation is everything. Growing up as a Brown American to two Filipino parents, I rarely saw anyone like me in the media. But when I did, (i.e. Bruno Maaaaaaaaaaaaars) I felt acknowledged and inspired. I think I even started to sing seriously when I first heard him! On the flip side, exclusion can often lead to stereotypes and negative impacts to self-esteem. Also, the recent slogan "you can't be what you can't see" is basically where if you don't see people like you in an institution, you might not try and pursue it. Essentially, representation in media has been shown to affect how we see ourselves, whether it being positively or negatively--which is why its such an important aspect for me to include! When people bring up a different view than our own, its easy to feel like its personal. How could we ever begin to understand what the other person's point-of-view is when we're too busy thinking "They attacked my opinion!" It can get worse when we side with people with similar ideas. Social echo chambers are environments where similar ideas get reinforced--including the negative aspects. They weaken ties within a heterogenous society, thus weakening it. Diverse opinions protect against these, and that's the sort of art I want to collaborate in creating-- varying opinions that dare us to think deeper and prevent these social echo chambers. And in thinking deeper, we can foster compassion. Art that causes beneficial change to society usually represents, creates compassion, and provides different perspectives for their audiences. It’s movies like Endgame that continue to remind me why I love film, and why I strive to impact the world for the better through my art.

The majority of all the critical problems in the world can be pinned on one scapegoat: resource exhaustion. Fossil fuels have been the engines of the recent industrial revolutions, and since the 1970s, our consumption of these fuels and other nonrenewable resources have tripled. At this rate, our doomsday clock is set to alarm around 2060 - only 38 more years of cheap and convenient energy. Additionally, this overuse spider-webs into global warming and loss of biodiversity; both of which regularly secure morning headlines everywhere. Global warming, due to increased production of greenhouse gases (namely carbon dioxide, emitted from fossil fuel consumption), are linked to extreme weather events all over the world. 70% of 405 extreme weather events from 2011-2020 were discovered to be augmented by human-induced climate change. Rising ocean temperatures due to global warming are known to be a factor for algae blooms, or red tides. These super colonies create a by-product which poisons marine life, specifically larger animals due to biomagnification. On top of neurotoxins, algae blooms exhaust oxygen in the water, suffocating themselves and other marine animals. NOAA estimates these populations cause the annual loss of roughly 82 million dollars from the tourism industry in the U.S. In the end, its all a domino effect. These doom-dominos' origin is in resource exhaustion, and contrary to some beliefs, change is possible. Government and the economy are the two main factors which drive resource exhaustion, and both can be changed. Vote in leaders who will reign in fossil-fuel industries and increase incentives for green energy in the market. Recycling and making green choices, such as carpooling, will play a huge factor in decelerating global warming. Attend rallies, because there is always power in numbers. Others think that their actions are too insignificant to change anything. Don't be them.

56%. My first F ever for any math class I have ever taken. Was this a bad omen? I knew AP Calc would be hard, but not THIS hard. It was the end of my third-quarter sophomore year, and with each bad test, my confidence in earning a competitive score (4-5) on the AP exam was chipped away. I needed to do well on that exam! Being lazy and cramming a day or two before a test had always been my strategy; it had never let me down until then. I knew I had to change. The AP test was an opportunity that I was given, a chance to check a required class off the list of classes I needed to pay for. So I decided to quit being lazy. I decided to space out my studying. That weekend, I broke the test down by unit; one per day. Collegeboard did me a solid by compiling a ton of videos/practice problems for each unit on their website. I decided to knock out the hard stuff, so I started with differentiable equations and some integration rules. A little in the morning in homeroom, a little before practice. I started covering other topics using the same method - stealing time, and I made it a point to be consistent. I got an 81% on a review test. Not what I was hoping for, but it was a significant improvement. I continued my regiment. It was tough pushing myself to study everyday, but somehow I got it done. Test day came, and I reminded myself of all the things I had done to prepare, and how my resolve and patience pushed me into a position to succeed. July. I'm practically dying as I opened the email. Still dying when I see the 4.

My favorite runs are the ones at my local park, Highbanks. As the name suggests, it features high riverbanks, rolling hills, and misty mornings. These are primarily archetypes of maternal nature, which I’m truly lucky to get to experience there. This feeling is tastefully captured in the romantic ‘Kindred Spirits’ by Asher B. Durand, which makes it so inviting to me! When I first saw his painting, Durand’s expert touch at creating a serene mood, such as the way he painted the gentle trickle of the stream and the atmospheric perspective in the mountains, really caught my eye – it could have been pulled straight from an actual photograph! This painting's genre is American Romantic, so it would also contain the untamed aspect of nature, featuring torn tree limbs and a snapped tree trunk. But Durand draws more attention to the tranquil side of Mother Nature, where he painted a huge, overarching branch over the two men in the painting, as if to shield them. Everything about this composition reminds me of the peace I find at Highbanks, which is ESPECIALLY critical when I'm stuck in AP Stats. The two men shown are Thomas Cole and William C. Bryant, who were basically brothers from different mothers. They also happened to be pioneers in the art scene in America. Bryant is considered the father of American Romantic poetry, and his works are so influential he is also dubbed the ‘American Wordsworth’. Cole has an equally impressive resume; he is a self-taught painter who created the art movement “Hudson River School”. Each of these self-made men accomplished what I hope to do: become a game-changer. Essentially, this painting gives me serenity and inspires me to be better everyday by using what I have been gifted to create a future for myself.

Different classes require different study methods. I learned this the hard way sophomore year. English? I'll use Quizlet. Math? I don't care, I'm using Quizlet. Religion? Quizlet. (Quizlet is just online flashcards). As you probably know, trying to study for a math test using only flashcards is inconvenient, but I was stubborn. Consequently, after my first quarter of not being on the Honor Roll using this approach, I realized that my no-skill strategy wasn't working anymore. I needed a plan. I decided to ask other students how they studied for their classes. Most said "Quizlet" to my disappointment, but a few had real gems. One student realized that the practice problems in the back of the math textbook were extremely similar to those on the test. That was pretty funny because I hadn't opened my textbook until then. Practice problems are now my failsafe way to study Math, Chemistry, and Physics. As for English, I found listening to my favorite music really helps while rereading notes and the book in discussion. I'm not sure exactly how Post Malone helps me understand the numerous motifs of The Sun Also Rises, but somehow it works. As for Religion, Gov/Econ, and Health, they all fell under the same, boring umbrella: Quizlet. So I devised a method to make Quizlet more than just dull flashcards. For every time I got a flashcard wrong, I would find the right answer, then go backward 3 cards. Rinse and repeat. But that modus operandi is soooo grueling, as it usually takes about an hour to be effective. Remedy to the boring-ness? SNACKS. Just by changing up my study habits for a few classes, I was on the Honor Roll for every quarter of junior year. So go, therefore, Padawans, and know this: Post Malone equals Academic Success.