University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Bachelor's degree program
2024 – 2028
Majors:
- Political Science and Government
Minors:
- Music
General information
Hobbies & Interests
- Music
- Law
- Environmental Science and Sustainability
- Singing
- Advocacy And Activism
- Human Rights
- Liberal Arts and Humanities
- Social Justice
- Songwriting
Reading
-
Alanya Abou-Elmajd
1x
FinalistAlanya Abou-Elmajd
1x
FinalistGeneral information
Hobbies & Interests
- Music
- Law
- Environmental Science and Sustainability
- Singing
- Advocacy And Activism
- Human Rights
- Liberal Arts and Humanities
- Social Justice
- Songwriting
Reading
-
Bio
Hey, my name is Alanya and I am a Freshman at the University of Washington in Seattle! I have a passion for activism (environmental and civil rights) and music! Even though they are incredibly diverse, I absolutely love finding creative ways to intertwine them together. Some of my favorite things to do include singing, event planning, gift giving, advocating for climate justice, reading, and listening to all genres and eras of music! I am a Pacific Northwest girl, so I spend a lot of time in nature by going on walks and exploring as well. I truly hope to earn scholarships because I have a single mom that supports my brother and I after us getting out of a heavily abusive household due to my "father." Even though she knew it would be a struggle, she encouraged me to follow my dreams by going to my dream University. My goal by the end of summer is to apply for 1000 scholarships in hopes of creating a path to graduating college debt-free! I want to be an attorney (either civil rights or environmental) to help the world one day too! I believe that earning the money for school is the first step to ending my family cycle, reaching for my goals, and opening the door for the many ambitions I have!
Education
Westview High School
High School
2020 – 2024
Miscellaneous
Desired degree level:
Bachelor's degree program
Majors of interest:
Political Science and Government, Music
Career
Miscellaneous
Dream career field:
Law Practice
Dream career goals:
To become a civil rights or environmental attorney!
Has nursing license:
No
Future Interests
- Advocacy
- Politics
- Volunteering
- Philanthropy
- Entrepreneurship
Healing Self and Community Scholarship
I own a time machine. One that teleports me to any era and country. As I travel through the past - times before I was even born, I heal; it is impossible to not fall in love with every time period and location, each so versatile yet connected.
There were always broken bridges in my identity as I found myself searching for the path to connect my Arab culture while living in America. The struggle of belonging devoured me internally, until I found music. Its diversity has granted the trails to mend those bridges because of its inspiring versatility. Through lyrics, I learned my native language and rediscovered the lights of my culture. Through every note, I have been able to link my passions of advocacy and justice. Through singing, joining a choir has given me a community.
Music is my path to having a healthy mindset. Personally, listening, singing, and writing songs are my gateway to a flourishing mentality. Music is proven to assist humans with more positive mental health, utilizing this as a tool to assist others’ mentality would be an affordable and unique method to improving a person’s wellbeing. Despite all of my trauma, the way I succeeded was with lyrical notes by my side.
I walk into my room, turn on my time machine and close my eyes, ready to dive into a new era and discover a new culture. Through music, I express myself. I heal. I time travel.
Elizabeth Schalk Memorial Scholarship
My mother and grandmother are my role models, but are also prisoners. Plato’s Allegory
of the Cave relates to my life where the abusive men in my family represent the shadow puppets,
but they are who imprisoned the women in my family. Throughout my life, I have been plunged
into a sea of manipulation and dictatorship, where the only way out is through an illusive mirror
maze, destructing my reality.
I believe that I escaped the cave, though my time in the darkness led to discovering my
fervor for law and social justice. One of my greatest achievements is going to Washington DC to be presented the Congressional Award Gold Medal - an award I worked toward for four years. My hardships are what shaped my passions and who I am as a person today. Instead of continuing to hide in the shadows, I choose to persist, use my voice, and advocate for the best future for the planet. This led me to my two contradicting passions of law and music. The passion I have for activism empowers and inspires me while singing heals my soul and gives me hope. Continuing this through becoming a Civil Rights or Environmental attorney will allow me to flourish in discovering a balance while unleashing a flame of ambition and vigor.
I want to make change in the world and inspire others to do the same, so these passions influenced me to create a Climate Change Club at my school. CCC not only educates people and spreads awareness about the climate crisis, but communicates a variety of ways humans can create more of an eco-friendly lifestyle in their everyday lives. Through fundraising for nonprofits nationally, hosting a district wide sustainable fashion show and thrift swap, pressing our district to have an adequate climate change policy, state-wide conservation summits, and service projects I have formed a community of those who are passionate about the environment and ache for change.
My passions have carried me to lead climate actions in the community while continuing
to learn about it in school. In April 2023, I testified for my school district to gain a proper
climate policy:
“We have gathered here today with a vision. A vision of a green and eco-friendly planet.
A vision for everyone to treat our home with delicacy, to learn how to live sustainably. A vision
of schools to be our role model for all of this. Let us all start here. Let us all stand together. Let
us all make a difference.”
The justice system is heavily corrupted, it has hurt my family and left us unprotected from my abusive father. I want to fight to fix the system, to stand up for those and the planet who do not receive justice - who are ignored. My past traumas not only taught me how to persevere, but drove me to discovering one of my eminently determined passions: activism. I strive to educate myself in order to not just have my voice be heard, but to influence and execute. Submerging myself into discomfort for the greater good is essential to construct change.
Through practicing law, I want to be able to start assisting others in escaping their own cave. I want to help the suffering planet escape its cave. Through studying Political Science at the University of Washington, I believe I can build the foundation to do this. To escape, I pursued acts no female family member dared - I learned to defend myself and those I love. I learned how to say no. I learned how to escape the sea for good.
Elevate Mental Health Awareness Scholarship
Time Travel
I own a time machine. One that teleports me to any era and country. As I travel through the past - times before I was even born, I heal; it is impossible to not fall in love with every time period and location, each so versatile yet connected. When I arrive back into the present, my inspiration are my discoveries as I write new lyrics in my songbook. The more I journey, the closer I become to my roots and identity.
There were always broken bridges in my identity as I found myself searching for the path to connect my Arab culture while living in America. The struggle of belonging devoured me internally, until I found music. Its diversity has granted the trails to mend those bridges because of its inspiring versatility. Through lyrics, I learned my native language and rediscovered the lights of my culture when I had no role models to teach me. Through every note, I have been able to link my other passions of advocacy and justice. Through singing, joining a choir has given me a community and home where I can authentically express myself.
Being part of an environment of those passionate about music since fourth grade was one of the best decisions of my life, it allowed me many opportunities and allowed me to expand my passion into high school, and now college. Proceeding to study vocal music education will continue to give me a home, and flourished my creativity for advocacy. Heal the World Cabaret was one of my first musical advocacy projects, where I was able to intertwine Earth-themed performances with climate activism by donating all proceeds to EarthJustice nonprofit. This experience was just the beginning of a strong form of activism that is continuously advancing.
Being able to execute my passion for music and social justice sparks a fire of creativity in me through having an organization that utilizes the capability of music to influence the dark controversies that lie in the light of activism. Additionally, having a diverse passion with many genres does not just assist me to flourish as a person, but allows me to continue exploring my Middle Eastern roots.
Music is my path to having a healthy mindset. Without it, I am not sure where I would be. Diving into different genres, cultures, and eras of music is part of my identity. I believe mental health is heavily overlooked among society, and everyone has their own methods of healing. Personally, listening, singing, and writing songs are my gateway to a flourishing mentality. For others, it may be different. Despite all of the traumas in my life, I truly believe the way I succeeded was with the lyrical notes by my side.
I walk to my room, grab my journal, and sit in my macrame swinging chair. I turn on my time machine and close my eyes, ready to dive into a new era and discover a new culture. Through music, I express myself. I heal. I time travel.
Linda McCoy-Aitkens Memorial Scholarship
The Cycle
“You have to break the cycle.”
I was eight when my mom’s words touched my ears for the first time. At three, my “father” hit me for the first time. At eight, I understood he was sleeping with other women, ten when I had to cover my brother’s ears from their fights, and fourteen when I found the text he had a baby with his affair. My brother was ten years old when this happened, ten years old when we were locked out of our house for three months, ten years old when they divorced, and ten years old when he fled off to Florida.
The only word to describe my mother for going through the terror she did is resilient. She always made sure we had a home, new shoes for school, and food in the refrigerator. She hid her struggles and swallowed her pride in exchange for giving her children a childhood. She is my role model and inspiration. A woman that is so hard-working to provide us a life, yet is always there for every choir concert, climate event, and soccer game for my brother. She loses sleep just to help my brother with his homework or have deep talks with me - knowing she will have to get up at six AM the next morning.
“You have to break the cycle.”
The woman that raised me acted as a mother and father - we have never felt bare of one parent. My mother means everything to me, and her encouraging me to go to the University of my dreams - despite the financial circumstances - was the encouragement in striving to break the cycle of the abusive men that slithered in the cracks throughout generations in my family. However, I do know the largest obstacle will be paying for tuition but I will do whatever possible to ensure we are debt free. She has fueled my strength, she is my rock of hope.
Watching the resilient woman as I grew up created a spark that turned into a fuel of passion and motivation inside of me. She showed me I could do anything, and the consistent injustice we faced needed to be changed. This led me to my two contradicting passions of law and music. The passion I have for activism empowers and inspires me while singing heals my soul and gives me hope. Continuing this through becoming a Civil Rights or Environmental attorney will allow me to flourish in discovering a balance while unleashing a flame of ambition and vigor.
“You have to break the cycle.”
“Are you okay?” is a question that I wish I had been asked more as a child. My mother tried her best, but I then struggled with shielding my vulnerability with a facade of happiness for years.
Her words ring in my ears like wind chimes. Despite my mom not officially divorcing my father until I was fourteen, I have always had a single mother. At eighteen, she paid for a trip to Washington DC to make sure I properly got presented the Congressional Award Gold Medal - an award I had been working toward for four years. All my life, she has told me I could do anything I set my mind to. The woman that raised me is the embodiment of strength and resilience. Because of her, I have dreams to follow. Because of her, I aim for resilience. Because of her, I will break the cycle.
Mental Health Importance Scholarship
Time Travel
I own a time machine. One that teleports me to any era and country. As I travel through the past - times before I was even born, I heal; it is impossible to not fall in love with every time period and location, each so versatile yet connected. When I arrive back into the present, my inspiration are my discoveries as I write new lyrics in my songbook. The more I journey, the closer I become to my roots and identity.
There were always broken bridges in my identity as I found myself searching for the path to connect my Arab culture while living in America. The struggle of belonging devoured me internally, until I found music. Its diversity has granted the trails to mend those bridges because of its inspiring versatility. Through lyrics, I learned my native language and rediscovered the lights of my culture when I had no role models to teach me. Through every note, I have been able to link my other passions of advocacy and justice. Through singing, joining a choir has given me a community and home where I can authentically express myself.
Being part of an environment of those passionate about music since fourth grade was one of the best decisions of my life, it allowed me many opportunities and allowed me to expand my passion into high school, and now college. Proceeding to study vocal music education will continue to give me a home, and flourished my creativity for advocacy. Heal the World Cabaret was one of my first musical advocacy projects, where I was able to intertwine Earth-themed performances with climate activism by donating all proceeds to EarthJustice nonprofit. This experience was just the beginning of a strong form of activism that is continuously advancing.
Being able to execute my passion for music and social justice sparks a fire of creativity in me through having an organization that utilizes the capability of music to influence the dark controversies that lie in the light of activism. Additionally, having a diverse passion with many genres does not just assist me to flourish as a person, but allows me to continue exploring my Middle Eastern roots.
Music is my path to having a healthy mindset. Without it, I am not sure where I would be. Diving into different genres, cultures, and eras of music is part of my identity. I believe mental health is heavily overlooked among society, and everyone has their own methods of healing. Personally, listening, singing, and writing songs are my gateway to a flourishing mentality. For others, it may be different. Despite all of the traumas in my life, I truly believe the way I succeeded was with the lyrical notes by my side.
I walk to my room, grab my journal, and sit in my macrame swinging chair. I turn on my time machine and close my eyes, ready to dive into a new era and discover a new culture. Through music, I express myself. I heal. I time travel.
Autumn Davis Memorial Scholarship
My mother and grandmother are my role models, but are also prisoners. Plato’s Allegory
of the Cave relates to my life where the abusive men in my family represent the shadow puppets,
but they are who imprisoned the women in my family. Throughout my life, I have been plunged
into a sea of manipulation and dictatorship, where the only way out is through an illusive mirror
maze, destructing my reality.
I believe that I escaped the cave, though my time in the darkness led to discovering my
fervor for law and social justice. One of my greatest achievements is going to Washington DC to be presented the Congressional Award Gold Medal - an award I worked toward for four years. My hardships are what shaped my passions and who I am as a person today. Instead of continuing to hide in the shadows, I choose to persist, use my voice, and advocate for the best future for the planet. This led me to my two contradicting passions of law and music. The passion I have for activism empowers and inspires me while singing heals my soul and gives me hope. Continuing this through becoming a Civil Rights or Environmental attorney will allow me to flourish in discovering a balance while unleashing a flame of ambition and vigor.
I want to make change in the world and inspire others to do the same, so these passions influenced me to create a Climate Change Club at my school. CCC not only educates people and spreads awareness about the climate crisis, but communicates a variety of ways humans can create more of an eco-friendly lifestyle in their everyday lives. Through fundraising for nonprofits nationally, hosting a district wide sustainable fashion show and thrift swap, pressing our district to have an adequate climate change policy, state-wide conservation summits, and service projects I have formed a community of those who are passionate about the environment and ache for change.
My passions have carried me to lead climate actions in the community while continuing
to learn about it in school. In April 2023, I testified for my school district to gain a proper
climate policy:
“We have gathered here today with a vision. A vision of a green and eco-friendly planet.
A vision for everyone to treat our home with delicacy, to learn how to live sustainably. A vision
of schools to be our role model for all of this. Let us all start here. Let us all stand together. Let
us all make a difference.”
The justice system is heavily corrupted, it has hurt my family and left us unprotected from my abusive father. I want to fight to fix the system, to stand up for those and the planet who do not receive justice - who are ignored. My past traumas not only taught me how to persevere, but drove me to discovering one of my eminently determined passions: activism. I strive to educate myself in order to not just have my voice be heard, but to influence and execute. Submerging myself into discomfort for the greater good is essential to construct change.
Through practicing law, I want to be able to start assisting others in escaping their own cave. I want to help the suffering planet escape its cave. Through studying Political Science at the University of Washington, I believe I can build the foundation to do this. To escape, I pursued acts no female family member dared - I learned to defend myself and those I love. I learned how to say no. I learned how to escape the sea for good.
Leave A Legacy Always Scholarship
The Door
My front door could talk. It was ordinary on the outside, however, when opened, sound vociferously exploded and the other side of my neighborhood could hear. I never knew I was capable of missing a door’s irritating voice until it was taken away from me.
I was eight when my mom’s words touched my ears for the first time. “You have to break the cycle.” I was never fully aware of what it meant until I watched my life shatter before me.
I still remember the text message. It remains engraved in my brain and returns like the same billboard passed on highways.
My “father” used his endless abuse towards us as punishment to himself - we were a constant reminder of guilt that overshadowed him. However, outside the house, he was a light to society; he knew how to manipulate people in unexplainable ways - he was a puppet master and they did not realize they were puppets. He chose me to carry on those tactics - he wanted me to be him.
“You’re my blood, we are the same,” he explained.
A phrase that still haunts me today and fills my brain with clouds from reality.
As a child, I mocked those thoughts with optimism. He loved me - this was normal. I am his blood.
It was not until I was fourteen, I was forced to evacuate this mindset - the day my door got ripped away, along with what felt like the rest of my life.
The second he walked in, my door warned me. Its voice louder than ever and energy as dark as possible - it felt like we were entering hell.
I was looking for a costume for the seventh grade Renaissance Fair when he barged into my room, took my phone, and started rummaging through it frantically.
But why? What could I have done?
“I need my phone to buy a costume or I will fail the grade,” I attempted to beg.
“Use mine!” he shouted.
He cheated on my mom for all their marriage; she stayed because she believed children needed a father and dealt with all his abuse, completely blinded he was doing the same to us. My mom is my role model, and she always attempted viewing the contents of that phone. Now was my chance.
“Look at our beautiful baby, she is doing great and cannot wait to see her father mashallah.”
I examined the picture of a baby girl, at least a few weeks old.
My heart dropped.
I threw the phone and ran upstairs - I was stabbed in the heart. It partly felt like my fault because I was the one that found the baby.
When we escaped the house after he chased us out, I was unaware that would be the last breath I took in my home for the next three months - the last time I heard the eager voice of my door. He kicked us out.
The same traumas repeated with my grandpa and uncle on my Mom’s side, so I was taught to associate this annihilation with Arab men. On the other hand, society told me through the red dotted line under my name it was misspelled and my race was “white” on forms, making me question why I never experienced white privilege. My childhood was centered around the concrete concepts where in the world we were terrorists, and in my home life, the family figures responsible for revealing the light in my culture overshadowed it with tyranny and abuse. Why would I want to be part of this culture?
Rebuilding myself after trauma was one of the most difficult things I have had to do. It took years to realize the beauty in my roots and culture. However, I discovered its bliss through music. Through lyrics, I learned my native language and rediscovered the lights of my culture when I had no role models to teach me. Through every note, I have been able to link my other passions of advocacy and justice. To add on, the experiences in my life not only taught me how to persevere, but drove me to discovering one of my eminently determined passions: activism. I strive to educate myself in order to not just have my voice be heard, but to influence and execute. Submerging myself into discomfort for the greater good is essential to construct change.
Despite the hardships, my mother has always been by my side. Her words ring in my ears like wind chimes. “You have to break the cycle.”
Despite my mom not officially divorcing my father until I was fourteen, I have always had a single mother. At eighteen, she paid for a trip to Washington DC to make sure I properly got presented the Congressional Award Gold Medal - an award I had been working toward for four years. All my life, she has told me I could do anything I set my mind to. The woman that raised me is the embodiment of strength and resilience. Because of her, I have dreams to follow. Because of her, I aim for resilience. Because of her, I will break the cycle.
My identity had always been lost in a sea of manipulation and dictatorship, but that was the moment everything had truly shattered - yet my true character was granted the opportunity to blossom. Today, my traumas act as the angel and devil on my shoulders. One gives me hope to stay grateful and live life to the fullest, while the other fuels fire to strive for my goals and push myself. My hardships led me to my contradicting passions of law and music. The passion I have for activism empowers and inspires me while singing heals my soul and gives me hope. Continuing this through becoming a Civil Rights or Environmental attorney will allow me to flourish in discovering a balance while unleashing a flame of ambition and vigor. My front door separated my worlds, but now acts as a gateway to mend them together.
Boatswain’s Mate Third Class Antonie Bernard Thomas Memorial Scholarship
My mother and grandmother are my role models, but are also prisoners. Plato’s Allegory
of the Cave relates to my life where the abusive men in my family represent the shadow puppets,
but they are who imprisoned the women in my family. Throughout my life, I have been plunged
into a sea of manipulation and dictatorship, where the only way out is through an illusive mirror
maze, destructing my reality.
I believe that I escaped the cave, though my time in the darkness led to discovering my
fervor for law and social justice. One of my greatest achievements is going to Washington DC to be presented the Congressional Award Gold Medal - an award I worked toward for four years. My hardships are what shaped my passions and who I am as a person today. Instead of continuing to hide in the shadows, I choose to persist, use my voice, and advocate for the best future for the planet. This led me to my two contradicting passions of law and music. The passion I have for activism empowers and inspires me while singing heals my soul and gives me hope. Continuing this through becoming a Civil Rights or Environmental attorney will allow me to flourish in discovering a balance while unleashing a flame of ambition and vigor.
I want to make change in the world and inspire others to do the same, so these passions influenced me to create a Climate Change Club at my school. CCC not only educates people and spreads awareness about the climate crisis, but communicates a variety of ways humans can create more of an eco-friendly lifestyle in their everyday lives. Through fundraising for nonprofits nationally, hosting a district wide sustainable fashion show and thrift swap, pressing our district to have an adequate climate change policy, state-wide conservation summits, and service projects I have formed a community of those who are passionate about the environment and ache for change.
My passions have carried me to lead climate actions in the community while continuing
to learn about it in school. In April 2023, I testified for my school district to gain a proper
climate policy:
“We have gathered here today with a vision. A vision of a green and eco-friendly planet.
A vision for everyone to treat our home with delicacy, to learn how to live sustainably. A vision
of schools to be our role model for all of this. Let us all start here. Let us all stand together. Let
us all make a difference.”
The justice system is heavily corrupted, it has hurt my family and left us unprotected from my abusive father. I want to fight to fix the system, to stand up for those and the planet who do not receive justice - who are ignored. My past traumas not only taught me how to persevere, but drove me to discovering one of my eminently determined passions: activism. I strive to educate myself in order to not just have my voice be heard, but to influence and execute. Submerging myself into discomfort for the greater good is essential to construct change.
Through practicing law, I want to be able to start assisting others in escaping their own cave. I want to help the suffering planet escape its cave. Through studying Political Science at the University of Washington, I believe I can build the foundation to do this. To escape, I pursued acts no female family member dared - I learned to defend myself and those I love. I learned how to say no. I learned how to escape the sea for good.
Kim Moon Bae Underrepresented Students Scholarship
My Language
My mind raced as I got called by the director to stand in front of the honor choir rehearsal at Pacific University I had been accepted into. She had chosen a song in Arabic and asked me to teach the pronunciation, as I was the only Arab there. The students all stared at me eager to learn, as my thoughts clouded reality. What if I teach them wrong? Does that still make me Arab?
There were always broken bridges in my identity as I found myself searching for the path to connect my Arab culture while living in America. The struggle of belonging devoured me internally, until I found music. Its diversity has granted the trails to mend those bridges because of its inspiring versatility. Through lyrics, I learned my native language and rediscovered the lights of my culture when I had no role models to teach me. Through every note, I have been able to link my other passions of advocacy and justice. Through singing, joining a choir has given me a community and home where I can authentically express myself.
“What will remain of this happiness other than its shadow? A specter walking among your illusions, a ghost running among your dreams. Why wait for the days to pass without a word?”
Arabic is one of the most romantic languages, as some words are not even translatable in English. These are the lyrics of Layali El Ons Fi Vienna - which translates to: The Beautiful Nights in Vienna, sung by my cousin Asmahan Al-Attrash, a famous singer in the 1940’s all over the Middle East.
Music has given me a language where the barrier between my American and Arab identity can vanish and intertwine as one. It has allowed me to understand the beauty of Arabic fluently, while enjoying the fluctuating history of music in english.
To add on, taking part in an environment of those passionate about music since fourth grade was one of the best decisions of my life, it allowed me many opportunities and allowed me to expand my passion into high school, and now college. Proceeding to study vocal music education will continue to give me a home, and flourished my creativity for advocacy. Heal the World Cabaret was one of my first musical advocacy projects, where I was able to intertwine Earth-themed performances with climate activism by donating all proceeds to EarthJustice nonprofit. This experience was just the beginning of a strong form of activism that is continuously advancing.
Being able to execute my passion for music and social justice at the University of Washington sparks a fire of creativity through having an organization that utilizes the capability of music to influence the dark controversies that lie in the light of activism. Additionally, having a diverse environment to continue exploring my Middle Eastern roots through a community would not just assist me to flourish as a person, but add to the rich layers of history as the depth of community develops.
When the time came to perform the Arabic song at the concert, I realized how intertwined music is with my culture and identity. I reminded myself of my love for my heritage, my love for the realization that music is my language - something universal to all. No single characteristic could define it, and everyone is able to understand. I took a deep breath, and began to sing.
Dr. C.L. Gupta Young Scholars Award
The Cycle
“You have to break the cycle.”
I was eight when my mom’s words touched my ears for the first time. At three, my “father” hit me for the first time. At eight, I understood he was sleeping with other women, ten when I had to cover my brother’s ears from their fights, and fourteen when I found the text he had a baby with his affair. My brother was ten years old when this happened, ten years old when we were locked out of our house for three months, ten years old when they divorced, and ten years old when he fled off to Florida.
The only word to describe my mother for going through the terror she did is resilient. She always made sure we had a home, new shoes for school, and food in the refrigerator. She hid her struggles and swallowed her pride in exchange for giving her children a childhood. She is my role model and inspiration. A woman that is so hard-working to provide us a life, yet is always there for every choir concert, climate event, and soccer game for my brother. She loses sleep just to help my brother with his homework or have deep talks with me - knowing she will have to get up at six AM the next morning.
“You have to break the cycle.”
The woman that raised me acted as a mother and father - we have never felt bare of one parent. My mother means everything to me, and her encouraging me to go to the University of my dreams - despite the financial circumstances - was the encouragement in striving to break the cycle of the abusive men that slithered in the cracks throughout generations in my family. However, I do know the largest obstacle will be paying for tuition but I will do whatever possible to ensure we are debt free. She has fueled my strength, she is my rock of hope.
Being away from my family for college will be a painful obstacle. However, I know that when they are not visiting or calling, they will be with me through my passions of music and justice. Watching the resilient woman as I grew up created a spark that turned into a fuel of passion and motivation inside of me. She showed me I could do anything, and the consistent injustice we faced needed to be changed. This led me to my two contradicting passions of law and music. The passion I have for activism empowers and inspires me while singing heals my soul and gives me hope. Continuing this through becoming a Civil Rights or Environmental attorney will allow me to flourish in discovering a balance while unleashing a flame of ambition and vigor.
“You have to break the cycle.”
Her words ring in my ears like wind chimes. Despite my mom not officially divorcing my father until I was fourteen, I have always had a single mother. At eighteen, she paid for a trip to Washington DC to make sure I properly got presented the Congressional Award Gold Medal - an award I had been working toward for four years. All my life, she has told me I could do anything I set my mind to. The woman that raised me is the embodiment of strength and resilience. Because of her, I have dreams to follow. Because of her, I aim for resilience. Because of her, I will break the cycle.
Eco-Warrior Scholarship
Tick. Tick. Tick.
The clock on the overhead twitches in silence. Over 170 people seated stare in captivation - curious why that clock was chosen, why it looked so different.
“We’re ready!” I announce through my headset to the rest of my board members.
After the video runs, “Gimme More” by Britney Spears sounds through the speaker as the audience looks toward the runway that we had put together in less than five hours with a team. Our first student model struts in along with the beat as everyone gasps and claps in shock.
Photographers on each angle of the stage, and an Oregonian reporter front and center with her notepad and camera. What was so unique about a high school fashion show? What impact did this have on the world?
I want to make change in the world and inspire others to do the same, so I was influenced to create a Climate Change Club at my school in junior year. CCC not only educates people and spreads awareness about the climate crisis, but communicates a variety of ways humans can create more of an eco-friendly lifestyle in their everyday lives. Through fundraising for nonprofits nationally, hosting a districtwide sustainable fashion show and thrift swap, pressing our district to have an adequate climate change policy, statewide conservation summits, and service projects, I have formed a community of those who are passionate about the environment and ache for change.
In my senior year, I formed a board that shared similar passions for climate activism. It was our objective to make our community more sustainable and use modern methods to positively influence humans to be more sustainable, which is how we came up with holding a fashion show. We had held a thrift swap earlier in the year, and integrating both ideas would allow activity and execution. The event would be completely free, and there would be five different schools involved around our district for a larger audience, student models, and second-hand clothes collected from our community.
Six months. Six months of preparation. Six months of collecting clothes from around our community. Countless meet-ups of clothes sorting, advertisement photoshoots with each school, and setting up for the big event. “Countdown to Change: Sustainability on the Runway.” This was going to be an event the community would remember.
The show was an immense success. We had over one-thousand pieces of clothing to create outfits from and lay out for our thrift swap, an Oregonian reporter wrote an article about us, and we received much praise from multiple schools. The show not only brought awareness to thrifting, the massive destruction of fast fashion, and the horrors of climate change, but it also opened the door to a new form of activism that interested diverse people.
The clock ticking during our show was the New York Climate Clock - an enormous timer on Union Square - counting down until the ability to get to net zero emissions is completely irreversible. The fast fashion industry is responsible for ten percent of emissions. This fueled my passion for advocacy even more, assisting the world in its struggles is what I want to do with my life. Continuing this through becoming a Civil Rights or Environmental attorney will allow me to flourish in discovering a balance while unleashing a flame of ambition and vigor.
Through a unique method of community service, I had created an impact. Through community service, the world can create an impact. The clock may be ticking, but we can fight. We can choose unity over sparsity. Before the clock’s deadline, we can succeed.
Walking In Authority International Ministry Scholarship
Tick. Tick. Tick.
The clock on the overhead twitches in silence. Over 170 people seated stare in captivation - curious why that clock was chosen, why it looked so different.
“We’re ready!” I announce through my headset to the rest of my board members.
After the video runs, “Gimme More” by Britney Spears sounds through the speaker as the audience looks toward the runway that we had put together in less than five hours with a team. Our first student model struts in along with the beat as everyone gasps and claps in shock.
Photographers on each angle of the stage, and an Oregonian reporter front and center with her notepad and camera. What was so unique about a high school fashion show? What impact did this have on the world?
I want to make change in the world and inspire others to do the same, so I was influenced to create a Climate Change Club at my school in junior year. CCC not only educates people and spreads awareness about the climate crisis, but communicates a variety of ways humans can create more of an eco-friendly lifestyle in their everyday lives. Through fundraising for nonprofits nationally, hosting a districtwide sustainable fashion show and thrift swap, pressing our district to have an adequate climate change policy, statewide conservation summits, and service projects, I have formed a community of those who are passionate about the environment and ache for change.
In my senior year, I formed a board that shared similar passions for climate activism. It was our objective to make our community more sustainable and use modern methods to positively influence humans to be more sustainable, which is how we came up with holding a fashion show. We had held a thrift swap earlier in the year, and integrating both ideas would allow activity and execution. The event would be completely free, and there would be five different schools involved around our district for a larger audience, student models, and second-hand clothes collected from our community.
Six months. Six months of preparation. Six months of collecting clothes from around our community. Countless meet-ups of clothes sorting, advertisement photoshoots with each school, and setting up for the big event. “Countdown to Change: Sustainability on the Runway.” This was going to be an event the community would remember.
The show was an immense success. We had over one-thousand pieces of clothing to create outfits from and lay out for our thrift swap, an Oregonian reporter wrote an article about us, and we received much praise from multiple schools. The show not only brought awareness to thrifting, the massive destruction of fast fashion, and the horrors of climate change, but it also opened the door to a new form of activism that interested diverse people.
The clock ticking during our show was the New York Climate Clock - an enormous timer on Union Square - counting down until the ability to get to net zero emissions is completely irreversible. The fast fashion industry is responsible for ten percent of emissions. This fueled my passion for advocacy even more, assisting the world in its struggles is what I want to do with my life. Continuing this through becoming a Civil Rights or Environmental attorney will allow me to flourish in discovering a balance while unleashing a flame of ambition and vigor.
Through a unique method of community service, I had created an impact. Through community service, the world can create an impact. The clock may be ticking, but we can fight. We can choose unity over sparsity. Before the clock’s deadline, we can succeed.
Future Leaders Scholarship
Tick. Tick. Tick.
The clock on the overhead twitches in silence. Over 170 people seated stare in captivation - curious why that clock was chosen, why it looked so different
.
“We’re ready!” I announce through my headset to the rest of my board members.
After the video runs, “Gimme More” by Britney Spears sounds through the speaker as the audience looks toward the runway that we had put together in less than five hours with a team. Our first student model struts in along with the beat as everyone gasps and claps in shock. Photographers on each angle of the stage, and an Oregonian reporter front and center with her notepad and camera. What was so unique about a high school fashion show? What impact did this have on the world?
I want to make change in the world and inspire others to do the same, so I was influenced to create a Climate Change Club at my school in junior year. CCC not only educates people and spreads awareness about the climate crisis, but communicates a variety of ways humans can create more of an eco-friendly lifestyle in their everyday lives. Through fundraising for nonprofits nationally, hosting a districtwide sustainable fashion show and thrift swap, pressing our district to have an adequate climate change policy, statewide conservation summits, and service projects, I have formed a community of those who are passionate about the environment and ache for change.
In my senior year, I formed a board that shared similar passions for climate activism. It was our objective to make our community more sustainable and use modern methods to positively influence humans to be more sustainable, which is how we came up with holding a fashion show. We had held a thrift swap earlier in the year, and integrating both ideas would allow activity and execution. The event would be completely free, and there would be five different schools involved around our district for a larger audience, student models, and second-hand clothes collected from our community.
Six months. Six months of preparation. Six months of collecting clothes from around our community. Countless meet-ups of clothes sorting, advertisement photoshoots with each school, and setting up for the big event. “Countdown to Change: Sustainability on the Runway.” This was going to be an event the community would remember.
The show was an immense success. We had over one-thousand pieces of clothing to create outfits from and lay out for our thrift swap, an Oregonian reporter wrote an article about us, and we received much praise from multiple schools. The show not only brought awareness to thrifting, the massive destruction of fast fashion, and the horrors of climate change, but it also opened the door to a new form of activism that interested diverse people.
The clock ticking during our show was the New York Climate Clock - an enormous timer on Union Square - counting down until the ability to get to net zero emissions is irreversible. The fast fashion industry is responsible for ten percent of emissions. This fueled my passion for advocacy even more, assisting the world in its struggles is what I want to do with my life. Continuing this through becoming a Civil Rights or Environmental attorney will allow me to flourish in discovering a balance while unleashing a flame of ambition and vigor.
Through a unique method of community service, I had created an impact. Through community service, the world can create an impact. The clock may be ticking, but we can fight. We can choose unity over sparsity. Before the clock’s deadline, we can succeed.
HeySunday Eco-Innovation Scholarship
Tick. Tick. Tick.
The clock on the overhead twitches in silence. Over 170 people seated stare in captivation - curious why that clock was chosen, why it looked so different.
“We’re ready!” I announce through my headset to the rest of my board members.
After the video runs, “Gimme More” by Britney Spears sounds through the speaker as the audience looks toward the runway that we had put together in less than five hours with a team. Our first student model struts in along with the beat as everyone gasps and claps in shock.
Photographers on each angle of the stage, and an Oregonian reporter front and center with her notepad and camera.
I want to make change in the world and inspire others to do the same, so I was influenced to create a Climate Change Club at my school in junior year. Through fundraising for nonprofits nationally, hosting a districtwide sustainable fashion show and thrift swap, pressing our district to have an adequate climate change policy, statewide conservation summits, and service projects, I have formed a community of those who are passionate about the environment and ache for change.
In my senior year, I formed a board that shared similar passions for climate activism. It was our objective to make our community more sustainable and use modern methods to positively influence humans to be more sustainable, which is how we came up with holding a fashion show. We had held a thrift swap earlier in the year, and integrating both ideas would allow activity and execution. The event would be completely free, and there would be five different schools involved around our district for a larger audience, student models, and second-hand clothes collected from our community.
The show was an immense success. We had over one-thousand pieces of clothing to create outfits from and lay out for our thrift swap, an Oregonian reporter wrote an article about us, and we received much praise from multiple schools. The show not only brought awareness to thrifting, the massive destruction of fast fashion, and the horrors of climate change, but it also opened the door to a new form of activism that interested people.
The clock ticking during our show was the New York Climate Clock - an enormous timer on Union Square - counting down until the ability to get to net zero emissions is irreversible. The fast fashion industry is responsible for ten percent of emissions. This fueled my passion for advocacy even more, assisting the world in its struggles is what I want to do with my life. Continuing this through becoming a Civil Rights or Environmental attorney will allow me to flourish in discovering a balance while unleashing a flame of ambition and vigor.
Through a unique method of community service, I had created an impact. Through community service, the world can create an impact. The clock may be ticking, but we can fight. We can choose unity over sparsity. Before the clock’s deadline, we can succeed.
Larry Darnell Green Scholarship
“You have to break the cycle.”
I was eight when my mom’s words touched my ears for the first time. At three, my “father” hit me for the first time. At eight, I understood he was sleeping with other women, ten when I had to cover my brother’s ears from their fights, and fourteen when I found the text he had a baby with his affair. My brother was ten years old when this happened, ten years old when we were locked out of our house for three months, ten years old when they divorced, and ten years old when he fled off to Florida.
The only word to describe my mother for going through the terror she did is resilient. She always made sure we had a home, new shoes for school, and food in the refrigerator. She hid her struggles and swallowed her pride in exchange for giving her children a childhood. She is my role model and inspiration. A woman that is so hard-working to provide us a life, yet is always there for every choir concert, climate event, and soccer game for my brother. She loses sleep just to help my brother with his homework or have deep talks with me - knowing she will have to get up at six AM the next morning.
“You have to break the cycle.”
The woman that raised me acted as a mother and father - we have never felt bare of one parent. My mother means everything to me, and her encouraging me to go to the University of my dreams - despite the financial circumstances - was the encouragement in striving to break the cycle of the abusive men that slithered in the cracks throughout generations in my family. She has fueled my strength, she is my rock of hope.
Watching the resilient woman as I grew up created a spark that turned into a fuel of passion and motivation inside of me. She showed me I could do anything, and the consistent injustice we faced needed to be changed. This led me to my two contradicting passions of law and music. The passion I have for activism empowers and inspires me while singing heals my soul and gives me hope. Continuing this through becoming a Civil Rights or Environmental attorney will allow me to flourish in discovering a balance while unleashing a flame of ambition and vigor.
“You have to break the cycle.”
Her words ring in my ears like wind chimes. Despite my mom not officially divorcing my father until I was fourteen, I have always had a single mother. At eighteen, she paid for a trip to Washington, D.C. to make sure I properly got presented the Congressional Award Gold Medal - an award I had been working toward for four years. All my life, she has told me I could do anything I set my mind to. The woman that raised me is the embodiment of strength and resilience. Because of her, I have dreams to follow. Because of her, I aim for resilience. Because of her, I will break the cycle.
Ken Larson Memorial Scholarship
My mother and grandmother are my role models, but are also prisoners. Plato’s Allegory
of the Cave relates to my life where the abusive men in my family represent the shadow puppets,
but they are who imprisoned the women in my family. Throughout my life, I have been plunged
into a sea of manipulation and dictatorship, where the only way out is through an illusive mirror
maze, destructing my reality.
I believe that I escaped the cave, though my time in the darkness led to discovering my
fervor for law and social justice. My hardships are what shaped my passions and who I am as a
person today. Instead of continuing to hide in the shadows, I choose to persist, use my voice, and
advocate for the best future for the planet. This led me to my two contradicting passions of law
and music. The passion I have for activism empowers and inspires me while singing heals my
soul and gives me hope. Continuing this through becoming a Civil Rights or Environmental
attorney will allow me to flourish in discovering a balance while unleashing a flame of ambition
and vigor.
My passions have carried me to lead climate actions in the community while continuing
to learn about it in school. In April 2023, I testified for my school district to gain a proper
climate policy:
“We have gathered here today with a vision. A vision of a green and eco-friendly planet.
A vision for everyone to treat our home with delicacy, to learn how to live sustainably. A vision
of schools to be our role model for all of this. Let us all start here. Let us all stand together. Let
us all make a difference.”
The justice system is heavily corrupted, it has hurt my family and left us unprotected from my abusive father. Legal professionals have been in my life involuntarily, but have taught me there are those that act as a mentor and fight the system, but those that have ulterior motives as well. I want to fight to fix the system, to stand up for those and the planet who do not receive justice - who are ignored. My past traumas not only taught me how to persevere, but drove me to discovering one of my eminently determined passions: activism. One of my greatest achievements was going to Washington, D.C. to be presented the Congressional Award Gold Medal - an award I worked toward for four years.
Through practicing law, I want to be able to start assisting others in escaping their own cave. I want to help the suffering planet escape its cave. Through majoring in Political Science at the University of Washington, I believe I can build the foundation to do this. To escape, I pursued acts no female family member dared - I learned to defend myself and those I love. I learned how to say no. I learned how to escape the sea for good.
Audra Dominguez "Be Brave" Scholarship
My mother and grandmother are my role models, but are also prisoners. Plato’s Allegory
of the Cave relates to my life where the abusive men in my family represent the shadow puppets,
but they are who imprisoned the women in my family. Throughout my life, I have been plunged
into a sea of manipulation and dictatorship, where the only way out is through an illusive mirror
maze, destructing my reality.
I believe that I escaped the cave, though my time in the darkness led to discovering my
fervor for law and social justice. One of my greatest achievements is going to Washington DC to be presented the Congressional Award Gold Medal - an award I worked toward for four years. My hardships are what shaped my passions and who I am as a person today. Instead of continuing to hide in the shadows, I choose to persist, use my voice, and advocate for the best future for the planet. This led me to my two contradicting passions of law and music. The passion I have for activism empowers and inspires me while singing heals my soul and gives me hope. Continuing this through becoming a Civil Rights or Environmental attorney will allow me to flourish in discovering a balance while unleashing a flame of ambition and vigor.
I want to make change in the world and inspire others to do the same, so these passions influenced me to create a Climate Change Club at my school. CCC not only educates people and spreads awareness about the climate crisis, but communicates a variety of ways humans can create more of an eco-friendly lifestyle in their everyday lives. Through fundraising for nonprofits nationally, hosting a district wide sustainable fashion show and thrift swap, pressing our district to have an adequate climate change policy, state-wide conservation summits, and service projects I have formed a community of those who are passionate about the environment and ache for change.
My passions have carried me to lead climate actions in the community while continuing
to learn about it in school. In April 2023, I testified for my school district to gain a proper
climate policy:
“We have gathered here today with a vision. A vision of a green and eco-friendly planet.
A vision for everyone to treat our home with delicacy, to learn how to live sustainably. A vision
of schools to be our role model for all of this. Let us all start here. Let us all stand together. Let
us all make a difference.”
The justice system is heavily corrupted, it has hurt my family and left us unprotected from my abusive father. I want to fight to fix the system, to stand up for those and the planet who do not receive justice - who are ignored. My past traumas not only taught me how to persevere, but drove me to discovering one of my eminently determined passions: activism. I strive to educate myself in order to not just have my voice be heard, but to influence and execute. Submerging myself into discomfort for the greater good is essential to construct change.
Through practicing law, I want to be able to start assisting others in escaping their own cave. I want to help the suffering planet escape its cave. Through studying Political Science at the University of Washington, I believe I can build the foundation to do this. To escape, I pursued acts no female family member dared - I learned to defend myself and those I love. I learned how to say no. I learned how to escape the sea for good.
Abner & Irmene Memorial Scholarship
My front door could talk. It was ordinary on the outside, however, when opened, sound vociferously exploded and the other side of my neighborhood could hear. I never knew I was capable of missing a door’s irritating voice until it was taken away from me.
I still remember the text message. It remains engraved in my brain and returns like the same billboard passed on highways.
My “father” used his endless abuse towards us as punishment to himself - we were a constant reminder of guilt that overshadowed him. He cheated on my mom all their marriage; we all knew. She stayed because she believed children needed a father and dealt with all his abuse, completely blinded we were receiving the same treatment.
It was not until a haphazardous day my fourteen-year-old self had gotten access to his phone, little did I know the text on it would scar my life forever.
“Look at our beautiful baby, she is doing great and cannot wait to see her father mashallah.”
I examined the picture of a baby girl, at least a few weeks old.
My heart dropped.
I threw the phone and ran upstairs - I was stabbed in the heart. It partly felt like my fault because I was the one that found the baby.
When we escaped the house after he chased us out, I was unaware that would be the last breath I took in my home for the next three months - the last time I heard the eager voice of my door. He kicked us out.
The same traumas repeated with my grandpa and uncle on my Mom’s side, so I was taught to associate this annihilation with Arab men. Additionally, society told me through the red dotted line under my name it was misspelled and my race was “white” on forms, making me question why I never experienced white privilege. My childhood was centered around the concepts where in the world we were terrorists, and in my home life, the family figures responsible for revealing the light in my culture overshadowed it with tyranny and abuse.
My identity had always been lost in a sea of manipulation and dictatorship, but that was the moment everything had truly shattered - yet my true character was granted the opportunity to blossom. Today, my traumas act as the angel and devil on my shoulders. One gives me hope to stay grateful and live life to the fullest, while the other fuels fire to strive for my goals and push myself. I currently have a single mother, who has been through more than me but is my role model. She is allowing me to follow my dreams because she believed in me - knowing she would not be able to afford it financially. My hardships led me to my two contradicting passions of law and music. The passion I have for activism empowers and inspires me while singing heals my soul and gives me hope. Continuing this through gaining the education to become a Civil Rights or Environmental attorney will allow me to flourish in discovering a balance while unleashing a flame of ambition and vigor. My front door separated my worlds, but now acts as a gateway to mend them together.
Michael Rudometkin Memorial Scholarship
My mother and grandmother are my role models, but are also prisoners. Plato’s Allegory
of the Cave relates to my life where the abusive men in my family represent the shadow puppets,
but they are who imprisoned the women in my family. Throughout my life, I have been plunged
into a sea of manipulation and dictatorship, where the only way out is through an illusive mirror
maze, destructing my reality.
I believe that I escaped the cave, though my time in the darkness led to discovering my
fervor for law and social justice. My hardships are what shaped my passions and who I am as a
person today. Instead of continuing to hide in the shadows, I choose to persist, use my voice, and
advocate for the best future for the planet. This led me to my two contradicting passions of law
and music. The passion I have for activism empowers and inspires me while singing heals my
soul and gives me hope. Continuing this through becoming a Civil Rights or Environmental
attorney will allow me to flourish in discovering a balance while unleashing a flame of ambition
and vigor.
I want to make a change in the world and inspire others to do the same, so these passions influenced me to create a Climate Change Club at my school. CCC not only educates people and spreads awareness about the climate crisis, but communicates a variety of ways humans can create more of an eco-friendly lifestyle in their everyday lives. Through fundraising for nonprofits nationally, hosting a district wide sustainable fashion show and thrift swap, pressing our district to have an adequate climate change policy, state-wide conservation summits, and service projects I have formed a community of those who are passionate about the environment and ache for change.
My passions have carried me to lead climate actions in the community while continuing
to learn about it in school. In April 2023, I testified for my school district to gain a proper
climate policy:
“We have gathered here today with a vision. A vision of a green and eco-friendly planet.
A vision for everyone to treat our home with delicacy, to learn how to live sustainably. A vision
of schools to be our role model for all of this. Let us all start here. Let us all stand together. Let
us all make a difference.”
The justice system is heavily corrupted, it has hurt my family and left us unprotected from my abusive father. I want to fight to fix the system, to stand up for those and the planet who do not receive justice - who are ignored. My past traumas not only taught me how to persevere, but drove me to discovering one of my eminently determined passions: activism. I strive to educate myself in order to not just have my voice be heard, but to influence and execute. Submerging myself into discomfort for the greater good is essential to construct change.
Through practicing law, I want to be able to start assisting others in escaping their own cave. I want to help the suffering planet escape its cave. Through majoring in Political Science at the University of Washington, I believe I can build the foundation to do this. To escape, I pursued acts no female family member dared - I learned to defend myself and those I love. I learned how to say no. I learned how to escape the sea for good.
Curtis Holloway Memorial Scholarship
“You have to break the cycle.”
I was eight when my mom’s words touched my ears for the first time. At three, my “father” hit me for the first time. At eight, I understood he was sleeping with other women, ten when I had to cover my brother’s ears from their fights, and fourteen when I found the text he had a baby with his affair. My brother was ten years old when this happened, ten years old when we were locked out of our house for three months, ten years old when they divorced, and ten years old when he fled off to Florida.
The only word to describe my mother for going through the terror she did is resilient. She always made sure we had a home, new shoes for school, and food in the refrigerator. She hid her struggles and swallowed her pride in exchange for giving her children a childhood. She is my role model and inspiration. A woman that is so hard-working to provide us a life, yet is always there for every choir concert, climate event, and soccer game for my brother. She loses sleep just to help my brother with his homework or have deep talks with me - knowing she will have to get up at six AM the next morning.
“You have to break the cycle.”
The woman that raised me acted as a mother and father - we have never felt bare of one parent. My mother means everything to me, and her encouraging me to go to the University of my dreams - despite the financial circumstances - was the encouragement in striving to break the cycle of the abusive men that slithered in the cracks throughout generations in my family. She has fueled my strength, she is my rock of hope.
Watching the resilient woman as I grew up created a spark that turned into a fuel of passion and motivation inside of me. She showed me I could do anything, and the consistent injustice we faced needed to be changed. This led me to my two contradicting passions of law and music. The passion I have for activism empowers and inspires me while singing heals my soul and gives me hope. Continuing this through becoming a Civil Rights or Environmental attorney will allow me to flourish in discovering a balance while unleashing a flame of ambition and vigor.
“You have to break the cycle.”
Her words ring in my ears like wind chimes. Despite my mom not officially divorcing my father until I was fourteen, I have always had a single mother. At eighteen, she paid for a trip to Washington, D.C. to make sure I properly got presented the Congressional Award Gold Medal - an award I had been working toward for four years. All my life, she has told me I could do anything I set my mind to. The woman that raised me is the embodiment of strength and resilience. Because of her, I have dreams to follow. Because of her, I aim for resilience. Because of her, I will break the cycle.
Harvest Achievement Scholarship
The Cave
My mother and grandmother are my role models, but are also prisoners. Plato’s Allegory
of the Cave relates to my life where the abusive men in my family represent the shadow puppets,
but they are who imprisoned the women in my family. Throughout my life, I have been plunged
into a sea of manipulation and dictatorship, where the only way out is through an illusive mirror
maze, destructing my reality.
I believe that I escaped the cave, though my time in the darkness led to discovering my
fervor for law and social justice. My hardships are what shaped my passions and who I am as a
person today. Instead of continuing to hide in the shadows, I choose to persist, use my voice, and
advocate for the best future for the planet. This led me to my two contradicting passions of law
and music. The passion I have for activism empowers and inspires me while singing heals my
soul and gives me hope. Continuing this through becoming a Civil Rights or Environmental
attorney will allow me to flourish in discovering a balance while unleashing a flame of ambition
and vigor.
My passions have carried me to lead climate actions in the community while continuing
to learn about it in school. In April 2023, I testified for my school district to gain a proper
climate policy:
“We have gathered here today with a vision. A vision of a green and eco-friendly planet.
A vision for everyone to treat our home with delicacy, to learn how to live sustainably. A vision
of schools to be our role model for all of this. Let us all start here. Let us all stand together. Let
us all make a difference.”
The justice system is heavily corrupted, it has hurt my family and left us unprotected from my abusive father. Legal professionals have been in my life involuntarily, but have taught me there are those that act as a mentor and fight the system, but those that have ulterior motives as well. I want to fight to fix the system, to stand up for those and the planet who do not receive justice - who are ignored. My past traumas not only taught me how to persevere, but drove me to discovering one of my eminently determined passions: activism. One of my greatest achievements is going to Washington, D.C. to be presented the Congressional Award Gold Medal - an award I worked toward for four years.
Through practicing law, I want to be able to start assisting others in escaping their own cave. I want to help the suffering planet escape its cave. Through majoring in Political Science at the University of Washington, I believe I can build the foundation to do this. To escape, I pursued acts no female family member dared - I learned to defend myself and those I love. I learned how to say no. I learned how to escape the sea for good.
Lotus Scholarship
My mother and grandmother are my role models, but are also prisoners. Plato’s Allegory of the Cave relates to me where the abusive men in my family are the shadow puppets, but they imprisoned the women in my family. Throughout my life, I have been plunged into a sea of manipulation and dictatorship; getting out was difficult but led me to activism.
I believe that I escaped the cave, which has sparked fervor in becoming a Civil Rights or Environmental lawyer. One of my greatest achievements is going to Washington DC to be presented the Congressional Award Gold Medal - an award I worked toward for four years. Instead of continuing to hide in the shadows, I choose to persist, use my voice, and advocate for the best future for the planet which led me to my two contradicting passions of law and music. The passion I have for activism empowers and inspires me while singing heals my soul and gives me hope.
I want to be able to assist others in escaping their own cave through becoming an Environmental or Civil Rights Lawyer. I want to help the suffering planet escape its cave. To escape, I pursued acts no female family member dared - I learned to defend myself and those I love. I learned how to say no. I learned how to escape the sea for good.
Hines Scholarship
“You have to break the cycle.”
I was eight when my mom’s words touched my ears for the first time. At three, my “father” hit me for the first time. At eight, I understood he was sleeping with other women, ten when I had to cover my brother’s ears from their fights, and fourteen when I found the text he had a baby with his affair. My brother was ten years old when this happened, ten years old when we were locked out of our house for three months, ten years old when they divorced, and ten years old when he fled off to Florida.
The only word to describe my mother for going through the terror she did is resilient. She always made sure we had a home, new shoes for school, and food in the refrigerator. She hid her struggles and swallowed her pride in exchange for giving her children a childhood. She is my role model and inspiration. A woman that is so hard-working to provide us a life, yet is always there for every choir concert, climate event, and soccer game for my brother. She loses sleep just to help my brother with his homework or have deep talks with me - knowing she will have to get up at six AM the next morning.
“You have to break the cycle.”
The woman that raised me acted as a mother and father - we have never felt bare of one parent. My mother means everything to me, and her encouraging me to go to the University of my dreams because she knew how important it was in my eyes - despite the financial circumstances - was the encouragement in striving to break the cycle of the abusive men that slithered in the cracks throughout generations in my family. However, I do know the largest obstacle will be paying for tuition but I will do whatever possible to ensure we are debt free. She has fueled my strength, she is my rock of hope.
Being away from my family for college will be a painful obstacle. However, I know that when they are not visiting or calling, they will be with me through my passions of music and justice. Watching the resilient woman as I grew up created a spark that turned into a fuel of passion and motivation inside of me. She showed me I could do anything, and the consistent injustice we faced needed to be changed. This led me to my two contradicting passions of law and music. The passion I have for activism empowers and inspires me while singing heals my soul and gives me hope. Continuing this through becoming a Civil Rights or Environmental attorney will allow me to flourish in discovering a balance while unleashing a flame of ambition and vigor.
“You have to break the cycle.”
Her words ring in my ears like wind chimes. Despite my mom not officially divorcing my father until I was fourteen, I have always had a single mother. At eighteen, she paid for a trip to Washington DC to make sure I properly got presented the Congressional Award Gold Medal - an award I had been working toward for four years. All my life, she has told me I could do anything I set my mind to. The woman that raised me is the embodiment of strength and resilience. Because of her, I have dreams to follow. Because of her, I aim for resilience. Because of her, I will break the cycle.
John Young 'Pursue Your Passion' Scholarship
The Cave
My mother and grandmother are my role models, but are also prisoners. Plato’s Allegory
of the Cave relates to my life where the abusive men in my family represent the shadow puppets,
but they are who imprisoned the women in my family. Throughout my life, I have been plunged
into a sea of manipulation and dictatorship, where the only way out is through an illusive mirror
maze, destructing my reality.
I believe that I escaped the cave, though my time in the darkness led to discovering my
fervor for law and social justice. My hardships are what shaped my passions and who I am as a
person today. Instead of continuing to hide in the shadows, I choose to persist, use my voice, and
advocate for the best future for the planet. This led me to my two contradicting passions of law
and music. The passion I have for activism empowers and inspires me while singing heals my
soul and gives me hope. Continuing this through becoming a Civil Rights or Environmental
attorney will allow me to flourish in discovering a balance while unleashing a flame of ambition
and vigor.
My passions have carried me to lead climate actions in the community while continuing
to learn about it in school. In April 2023, I testified for my school district to gain a proper
climate policy:
“We have gathered here today with a vision. A vision of a green and eco-friendly planet.
A vision for everyone to treat our home with delicacy, to learn how to live sustainably. A vision
of schools to be our role model for all of this. Let us all start here. Let us all stand together. Let
us all make a difference.”
The justice system is heavily corrupted, it has hurt my family and left us unprotected from my abusive father. Legal professionals have been in my life involuntarily, but have taught me there are those that act as a mentor and fight the system, but those that have ulterior motives as well. I want to fight to fix the system, to stand up for those and the planet who do not receive justice - who are ignored. My past traumas not only taught me how to persevere, but drove me to discovering one of my eminently determined passions: activism. One of my greatest achievements is going to Washington DC to be presented the Congressional Award Gold Medal - an award I worked toward for four years.
Through practicing law, I want to be able to start assisting others in escaping their own cave. I want to help the suffering planet escape its cave. Through majoring in Political Science at the University of Washington, I believe I can build the foundation to do this. To escape, I pursued acts no female family member dared - I learned to defend myself and those I love. I learned how to say no. I learned how to escape the sea for good.
Bright Lights Scholarship
My mother and grandmother are my role models, but are also prisoners. Plato’s Allegory
of the Cave relates to my life where the abusive men in my family represent the shadow puppets,
but they are who imprisoned the women in my family. Throughout my life, I have been plunged
into a sea of manipulation and dictatorship, where the only way out is through an illusive mirror
maze, destructing my reality.
I believe that I escaped the cave, though my time in the darkness led to discovering my
fervor for law and social justice. My hardships are what shaped my passions and who I am as a
person today. Instead of continuing to hide in the shadows, I choose to persist, use my voice, and
advocate for the best future for the planet. This led me to my two contradicting passions of law
and music. The passion I have for activism empowers and inspires me while singing heals my
soul and gives me hope. Continuing this through becoming a Civil Rights or Environmental
attorney will allow me to flourish in discovering a balance while unleashing a flame of ambition
and vigor.
I want to make a change in the world and inspire others to do the same, so these passions influenced me to create a Climate Change Club at my school. CCC not only educates people and spreads awareness about the climate crisis, but communicates a variety of ways humans can create more of an eco-friendly lifestyle in their everyday lives. Through fundraising for nonprofits nationally, hosting a district wide sustainable fashion show and thrift swap, pressing our district to have an adequate climate change policy, state-wide conservation summits, and service projects I have formed a community of those who are passionate about the environment and ache for change.
My passions have carried me to lead climate actions in the community while continuing
to learn about it in school. In April 2023, I testified for my school district to gain a proper
climate policy:
“We have gathered here today with a vision. A vision of a green and eco-friendly planet.
A vision for everyone to treat our home with delicacy, to learn how to live sustainably. A vision
of schools to be our role model for all of this. Let us all start here. Let us all stand together. Let
us all make a difference.”
The justice system is heavily corrupted, it has hurt my family and left us unprotected from my abusive father. I want to fight to fix the system, to stand up for those and the planet who do not receive justice - who are ignored. My past traumas not only taught me how to persevere, but drove me to discovering one of my eminently determined passions: activism. I strive to educate myself in order to not just have my voice be heard, but to influence and execute. Submerging myself into discomfort for the greater good is essential to construct change.
Through practicing law, I want to be able to start assisting others in escaping their own cave. I want to help the suffering planet escape its cave. Through majoring in Political Science at the University of Washington, I believe I can build the foundation to do this. To escape, I pursued acts no female family member dared - I learned to defend myself and those I love. I learned how to say no. I learned how to escape the sea for good.
Barbara Cain Literary Scholarship
“I don’t regret anything I’ve ever done in life, any choice that I’ve made. But I’m consumed with regret for the things I didn’t do, the choices I didn’t make, the things I didn’t say.” (Noah 208). Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime was one of the most memorable novels I have read in high school, uncovering a new layer each time I read it through. However, regardless of the multiple attempts of analyzing the book, this was the line that ultimately protruded and had the largest impact in my life. From the moment my sixteen-year-old self had digested those lines, I had decided to embark on every opportunity and engulf myself in every experience - this is when my best friend and I discovered our motto: for the plot.
The socially constructed ideas that have been created throughout the years illude humans to take life with extreme earnestness - with each individual placing themself in an invisible bubble at the core of the Earth. The motto for the plot has shed many barriers society has embedded in me and instilled the reminder that no matter the circumstance, the planet will proceed to rotate. This mentality has guided me to audition for every honor choir, apply for prestigious programs, finally travel to one of my home countries - Lebanon - to discover my roots, ask for that person’s number, sit on the wing of a giant airplane, defend my family, choose advocacy for humans and the climate, and seize every opportunity. All of this has had an influence on my family and community. This allowed me to stand up for my mom and I against the abusive men in our family.
My mother and grandmother are my role models, but are also prisoners. Plato’s Allegory of the Cave relates to my life where the abusive men in my family represent the shadow puppets, but they are who imprisoned the women in my family. Throughout my life, I have been plunged into a sea of manipulation and dictatorship, where the only way out is through an illusive mirror maze, destructing my reality.
I believe that I escaped the cave, though my time in the darkness led to discovering my fervor for law and social justice. My hardships are what shaped my passions and who I am as a person today. Instead of continuing to hide in the shadows, I choose to persist, use my voice, and advocate for the best future for the planet. This led me to my two contradicting passions of law and music. The passion I have for activism empowers and inspires me while singing heals my soul and gives me hope. Continuing this through becoming a Civil Rights or Environmental attorney will allow me to flourish in discovering a balance while unleashing a flame of ambition and vigor.
Being able to live by this motto - rather than the burden pushed by society of embarrassment and superficiality - has allowed me to contribute to the most prestigious and valuable gift available to those I care about: experience and opportunity. Therefore, I want to be able to assist others in escaping their own cave. I want to help the suffering planet escape its cave. To escape, I pursued acts no female family member dared - I learned to defend myself and those I love. I learned how to say no. I learned how to escape the sea for good.
Every time I am in doubt, I recall the wisdom from the famous comedian that transformed my life, take a deep breath, and remember - it’s all for the plot.
Career Test Scholarship
My mother and grandmother are my role models, but are also prisoners. Plato’s Allegory
of the Cave relates to my life where the abusive men in my family represent the shadow puppets,
but they are who imprisoned the women in my family. Throughout my life, I have been plunged
into a sea of manipulation and dictatorship, where the only way out is through an illusive mirror
maze, destructing my reality.
I believe that I escaped the cave, though my time in the darkness led to discovering my
fervor for law and social justice. My hardships are what shaped my passions and who I am as a
person today. Instead of continuing to hide in the shadows, I choose to persist, use my voice, and
advocate for the best future for the planet. This led me to my two contradicting passions of law
and music. The passion I have for activism empowers and inspires me while singing heals my
soul and gives me hope. Continuing this through becoming a Civil Rights or Environmental
attorney will allow me to flourish in discovering a balance while unleashing a flame of ambition
and vigor.
I want to make change in the world and inspire others to do the same, so these passions influenced me to create a Climate Change Club at my school. CCC not only educates people and spreads awareness about the climate crisis, but communicates methods humans can create more of an eco-friendly lifestyle in their everyday lives. Through fundraising for nonprofits nationally, hosting a district wide sustainable fashion show and thrift swap, pressing our district to have an adequate climate change policy, state-wide conservation summits, and service projects I have formed a community of those who are passionate about the environment and ache for change.
My passions have carried me to lead climate actions in the community while continuing
to learn about it in school. In April 2023, I testified for my school district to gain a proper
climate policy:
“We have gathered here today with a vision. A vision of a green and eco-friendly planet.
A vision for everyone to treat our home with delicacy, to learn how to live sustainably. A vision
of schools to be our role model for all of this. Let us all start here. Let us all stand together. Let
us all make a difference.”
The justice system is heavily corrupted, it has hurt my family and left us unprotected from my abusive father. I want to fight to fix the system, to stand up for those and the planet who do not receive justice - who are ignored. My past traumas not only taught me how to persevere, but drove me to discovering one of my eminently determined passions: activism. I strive to educate myself in order to not just have my voice be heard, but to influence and execute. Submerging myself into discomfort for the greater good is essential to construct change.
Through practicing law, I want to be able to start assisting others in escaping their own cave. I want to help the suffering planet escape its cave. Through majoring in Political Science at the University of Washington, I believe I can build the foundation to do this. To escape, I pursued acts no female family member dared - I learned to defend myself and those I love. I learned how to say no. I learned how to escape the sea for good.
Sola Family Scholarship
“You have to break the cycle.”
I was eight when my mom’s words touched my ears for the first time. At three, my “father” hit me for the first time. At eight, I understood he was sleeping with other women, ten when I had to cover my brother’s ears from their fights, and fourteen when I found the text he had a baby with his affair. My brother was ten years old when this happened, ten years old when we were locked out of our house for three months, ten years old when they divorced, and ten years old when he fled off to Florida.
The only word to describe my mother for going through the terror she did is resilient. She always made sure we had a home, new shoes for school, and food in the refrigerator. She hid her struggles and swallowed her pride in exchange for giving her children a childhood. She is my role model and inspiration. A woman that is so hard-working to provide us a life, yet is always there for every choir concert, climate event, and soccer game for my brother. She loses sleep just to help my brother with his homework or have deep talks with me - knowing she will have to get up at six AM the next morning.
“You have to break the cycle.”
The woman that raised me acted as a mother and father - we have never felt bare of one parent. My mother means everything to me, and her encouraging me to go to the University of my dreams - despite the financial circumstances - was the encouragement in striving to break the cycle of the abusive men that slithered in the cracks throughout generations in my family. She has fueled my strength, she is my rock of hope.
Watching the resilient woman as I grew up created a spark that turned into a fuel of passion and motivation inside of me. She showed me I could do anything, and the consistent injustice we faced needed to be changed. This led me to my two contradicting passions of law and music. The passion I have for activism empowers and inspires me while singing heals my soul and gives me hope. Continuing this through becoming a Civil Rights or Environmental attorney will allow me to flourish in discovering a balance while unleashing a flame of ambition and vigor.
“You have to break the cycle.”
Her words ring in my ears like wind chimes. Despite my mom not officially divorcing my father until I was fourteen, I have always had a single mother. At eighteen, she paid for a trip to Washington DC to make sure I properly got presented the Congressional Award Gold Medal - an award I had been working toward for four years. All my life, she has told me I could do anything I set my mind to. The woman that raised me is the embodiment of strength and resilience. Because of her, I have dreams to follow. Because of her, I aim for resilience. Because of her, I will break the cycle.
Schmid Memorial Scholarship
My mother and grandmother are my role models, but are also prisoners. Plato’s Allegory of the Cave relates to my life where the abusive men in my family represent the shadow puppets, but they are who imprisoned the women in my family. Throughout my life, I have been plunged into a sea of manipulation and dictatorship, where the only way out is through an illusive mirror maze, destructing my reality.
I believe that I escaped the cave, though my time in the darkness led to discovering my fervor for law and social justice. My hardships are what shaped my passions and who I am as a person today. Instead of continuing to hide in the shadows, I choose to persist, use my voice, and advocate for the best future for the planet. This led me to my two contradicting passions of law and music. The passion I have for activism empowers and inspires me while singing heals my soul and gives me hope. Continuing this through becoming a Civil Rights or Environmental attorney will allow me to flourish in discovering a balance while unleashing a flame of ambition and vigor.
My past traumas not only taught me how to persevere, but drove me to discovering one of my eminently determined passions: activism. I strive to educate myself in order to not just have my voice be heard, but to influence and execute. Submerging myself into discomfort for the greater good is essential to construct change.
I want to be able to assist others in escaping their own cave. I want to help the suffering planet escape its cave. To escape, I pursued acts no female family member dared - I learned to defend myself and those I love. I learned how to say no. I learned how to escape the sea for good.
Douglass M. Hamilton Memorial Scholarship
My front door could talk. It was ordinary on the outside, however, when opened, sound vociferously exploded and the other side of my neighborhood could hear. I never knew I was capable of missing a door’s irritating voice until it was taken away from me.
I still remember the text message. It remains engraved in my brain and returns like the same billboard passed on highways.
My “father” used his endless abuse towards us as punishment to himself - we were a constant reminder of guilt that overshadowed him. He cheated on my mom all their marriage; we all knew. She stayed because she believed children needed a father and dealt with all his abuse, completely blinded we were receiving the same treatment.
It was not until a haphazardous day my fourteen-year-old self had gotten access to his phone, little did I know the text on it would scar my life forever.
“Look at our beautiful baby, she is doing great and cannot wait to see her father mashallah.”
I examined the picture of a baby girl, at least a few weeks old.
My heart dropped.
I threw the phone and ran upstairs - I was stabbed in the heart. It partly felt like my fault because I was the one that found the baby.
When we escaped the house after he chased us out, I was unaware that would be the last breath I took in my home for the next three months - the last time I heard the eager voice of my door. He kicked us out.
The same traumas repeated with my grandpa and uncle on my Mom’s side, so I was taught to associate this annihilation with Arab men. Additionally, society told me through the red dotted line under my name it was misspelled and my race was “white” on forms, making me question why I never experienced white privilege. My childhood was centered around the concepts where in the world we were terrorists, and in my home life, the family figures responsible for revealing the light in my culture overshadowed it with tyranny and abuse.
My identity had always been lost in a sea of manipulation and dictatorship, but that was the moment everything had truly shattered - yet my true character was granted the opportunity to blossom. Today, my traumas act as the angel and devil on my shoulders. One gives me hope to stay grateful and live life to the fullest, while the other fuels fire to strive for my goals and push myself. I currently have a single mother, who has been through more than me but is my role model. She is allowing me to follow my dreams because she believed in me - knowing she would not be able to afford it financially. My hardships led me to my two contradicting passions of law and music. The passion I have for activism empowers and inspires me while singing heals my soul and gives me hope. Continuing this through gaining the education to become a Civil Rights or Environmental attorney will allow me to flourish in discovering a balance while unleashing a flame of ambition and vigor. My front door separated my worlds, but now acts as a gateway to mend them together.
Endeavor Public Service Scholarship
My mother and grandmother are my role models, but are also prisoners. Plato’s Allegory of the Cave relates to my life where the abusive men in my family represent the shadow puppets, but they are who imprisoned the women in my family. Throughout my life, I have been plunged into a sea of manipulation and dictatorship, where the only way out is through an illusive mirror maze, destructing my reality.
I believe that I escaped the cave, though my time in the darkness led to discovering the roots of leadership - reliance, ambition, and passion. Through these experiences, my fervor for law and social justice blossomed. My hardships are what shaped my passions and who I am as a person today. Instead of continuing to hide in the shadows, I choose to persist, use my voice, and advocate for the best future for the planet. This led me to my two contradicting passions of law and music. The passion I have for activism empowers and inspires me while singing heals my soul and gives me hope. Continuing this through becoming a Civil Rights or Environmental attorney will allow me to flourish in discovering a balance while unleashing a flame of ambition and vigor.
Being able to allow words to meet with action is another strong leadership aspect. My passions have carried me to lead climate actions in the community while continuing to learn about it in school. In April 2023, I testified for my school district to gain a proper climate policy:
“We have gathered here today with a vision. A vision of a green and eco-friendly planet. A vision for everyone to treat our home with delicacy, to learn how to live sustainably. A vision of schools to be our role model for all of this. Let us all start here. Let us all stand together. Let us all make a difference.”
My past traumas not only taught me how to persevere, but drove me to discovering one of my eminently determined passions: activism. I strive to educate myself in order to not just have my voice be heard, but to influence and execute. Submerging myself into discomfort for the greater good is essential to construct change.
I believe that the conflicts in my life were learning experiences that sculpted the path to leadership to aid others, rather than continuing the cycle. I want to be able to assist others in escaping their own cave. I want to help the suffering planet escape its cave. To escape, I pursued acts no female family member dared - I learned to defend myself and those I love. I learned how to say no. I learned how to escape the sea for good.
Strong Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship
My mother and grandmother are my role models, but are also prisoners. Plato’s Allegory of the Cave relates to my life where the abusive men in my family represent the shadow puppets, but they are who imprisoned the women in my family. Throughout my life, I have been plunged into a sea of manipulation and dictatorship, where the only way out is through an illusive mirror maze, destructing my reality.
I believe that I escaped the cave, though my time in the darkness led to discovering the roots of leadership - reliance, ambition, and passion. Through these experiences, my fervor for law and social justice blossomed. My hardships are what shaped my passions and who I am as a person today. Instead of continuing to hide in the shadows, I choose to persist, use my voice, and advocate for the best future for the planet. This led me to my two contradicting passions of law and music. The passion I have for activism empowers and inspires me while singing heals my soul and gives me hope. Continuing this through becoming a Civil Rights or Environmental attorney will allow me to flourish in discovering a balance while unleashing a flame of ambition and vigor.
Being able to allow words to meet with action is another strong leadership aspect. My passions have carried me to lead climate actions in the community while continuing to learn about it in school. In April 2023, I testified for my school district to gain a proper climate policy:
“We have gathered here today with a vision. A vision of a green and eco-friendly planet. A vision for everyone to treat our home with delicacy, to learn how to live sustainably. A vision of schools to be our role model for all of this. Let us all start here. Let us all stand together. Let us all make a difference.”
My past traumas not only taught me how to persevere, but drove me to discovering one of my eminently determined passions: activism. I strive to educate myself in order to not just have my voice be heard, but to influence and execute. Submerging myself into discomfort for the greater good is essential to construct change.
I believe that the conflicts in my life were learning experiences that sculpted the path to leadership to aid others, rather than continuing the cycle. I want to be able to assist others in escaping their own cave. I want to help the suffering planet escape its cave. To escape, I pursued acts no female family member dared - I learned to defend myself and those I love. I learned how to say no. I learned how to escape the sea for good.
Carlos F. Garcia Muentes Scholarship
My front door could talk. It was ordinary on the outside, however, when opened, sound vociferously exploded and the other side of my neighborhood could hear. I never knew I was capable of missing a door’s irritating voice until it was taken away from me.
I still remember the text message. It remains engraved in my brain and returns like the same billboard passed on highways.
My “father” - a first generation immigrant from Egypt - used his endless abuse towards us as punishment to himself - we were a constant reminder of guilt that overshadowed him. He cheated on my mom all their marriage; we all knew. She stayed because she believed children needed a father and dealt with all his abuse, completely blinded we were receiving the same treatment.
It was not until a haphazardous day my fourteen-year-old self had gotten access to his phone, little did I know the text on it would scar my life forever.
“Look at our beautiful baby, she is doing great and cannot wait to see her father mashallah.”
I examined the picture of a baby girl, at least a few weeks old.
My heart dropped.
I threw the phone and ran upstairs - I was stabbed in the heart. It partly felt like my fault because I was the one that found the baby.
When we escaped the house after he chased us out, I was unaware that would be the last breath I took in my home for the next three months - the last time I heard the eager voice of my door. He kicked us out.
The same traumas repeated with my grandpa and uncle on my Mom’s side, so I was taught to associate this annihilation with Arab men. Additionally, society told me through the red dotted line under my name it was misspelled and my race was “white” on forms, making me question why I never experienced white privilege. My childhood was centered around the concepts where in the world we were terrorists, and in my home life, the family figures responsible for revealing the light in my culture overshadowed it with tyranny and abuse.
My identity had always been lost in a sea of manipulation and dictatorship, but that was the moment everything had truly shattered - yet my true character was granted the opportunity to blossom. Today, my traumas act as the angel and devil on my shoulders. One gives me hope to stay grateful and live life to the fullest, while the other fuels fire to strive for my goals and push myself. My hardships led me to my two contradicting passions of law and music. The passion I have for activism empowers and inspires me while singing heals my soul and gives me hope. Continuing this through becoming a Civil Rights or Environmental attorney will allow me to flourish in discovering a balance while unleashing a flame of ambition and vigor. My front door separated my worlds, but now acts as a gateway to mend them together.
Rossi and Ferguson Memorial Scholarship
“I don’t regret anything I’ve ever done in life, any choice that I’ve made. But I’m consumed with regret for the things I didn’t do, the choices I didn’t make, the things I didn’t say.” (Noah 208). Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime was one of the most memorable novels I have read in high school, uncovering a new layer each time I read it through. However, regardless of the multiple attempts of analyzing the book, this was the line that ultimately protruded and had the largest impact in my life. From the moment my sixteen-year-old self had digested those lines, I had decided to embark on every opportunity and engulf myself in every experience - this is when my best friend and I discovered our motto: for the plot.
The socially constructed ideas that have been created throughout the years illude humans to take life with extreme earnestness - with each individual placing themself in an invisible bubble at the core of the Earth. Mankind can get so wrapped up in the hardships of life, the small beauties that fulfill one’s soul are often forgotten and abandoned. The motto for the plot has shedded many barriers society has embedded in me and instilled the reminder that no matter the circumstance, the planet will proceed to rotate. This mentality has guided me to audition for every honor choir, apply for prestigious programs, finally travel to one of my home countries - Lebanon - to discover my roots, ask for that person’s number, sit on the wing of a giant airplane, defend my family, choose advocacy for humans and the climate, and seize every opportunity. All of this has had an influence on my family and community. This allowed me to stand up for my mom and I against the abusive men in our family.
My mother and grandmother are my role models, but are also prisoners. Plato’s Allegory of the Cave relates to my life where the abusive men in my family represent the shadow puppets, but they are who imprisoned the women in my family. Throughout my life, I have been plunged into a sea of manipulation and dictatorship, where the only way out is through an illusive mirror maze, destructing my reality.
I believe that I escaped the cave, though my time in the darkness led to discovering my fervor for law and social justice. My hardships are what shaped my passions and who I am as a person today. Instead of continuing to hide in the shadows, I choose to persist, use my voice, and advocate for the best future for the planet. This led me to my two contradicting passions of law and music. The passion I have for activism empowers and inspires me while singing heals my soul and gives me hope. Continuing this through becoming a Civil Rights or Environmental attorney will allow me to flourish in discovering a balance while unleashing a flame of ambition and vigor.
My past traumas not only taught me how to persevere, but drove me to discovering one of my eminently determined passions: activism. I strive to educate myself in order to not just have my voice be heard, but to influence and execute. Submerging myself into discomfort for the greater good is essential to construct change. By looking at what could go right, I paved the path to ending the cycle of my intergenerational wounds.
Being able to live by this motto - rather than the burden pushed by society of embarrassment and superficiality - has allowed me to contribute to the most prestigious and valuable gift available to those I care about: experience and opportunity. Therefore, I want to be able to assist others in escaping their own cave. I want to help the suffering planet escape its cave. To escape, I pursued acts no female family member dared - I learned to defend myself and those I love. I learned how to say no. I learned how to escape the sea for good.
Every time I am in doubt, I recall the wisdom from the famous comedian that transformed my life, take a deep breath, and remember - it’s all for the plot.
Redefining Victory Scholarship
The Cave
My mother and grandmother are my role models, but are also prisoners. Plato’s Allegory
of the Cave relates to my life where the abusive men in my family represent the shadow puppets,
but they are who imprisoned the women in my family. Throughout my life, I have been plunged
into a sea of manipulation and dictatorship, where the only way out is through an illusive mirror
maze, destructing my reality.
I believe that I escaped the cave, though my time in the darkness led to discovering my
fervor for law and social justice. My hardships are what shaped my passions and who I am as a
person today. Instead of continuing to hide in the shadows, I choose to persist, use my voice, and
advocate for the best future for the planet. This led me to my two contradicting passions of law
and music. The passion I have for activism empowers and inspires me while singing heals my
soul and gives me hope. Continuing this through becoming a Civil Rights or Environmental
attorney will allow me to flourish in discovering a balance while unleashing a flame of ambition
and vigor.
This assisted me throughout my academics as well. I want to make a change in the world
and inspire others to do the same, so these passions influenced me to create a Climate Change
Club at my school. CCC not only educates people and spreads awareness about the climate
crisis, but communicates a variety of ways humans can create more of an eco-friendly lifestyle in
their everyday lives. Through fundraising for nonprofits nationally, hosting a district wide
sustainable fashion show and thrift swap, pressing our district to have an adequate climate
change policy, state-wide conservation summits, and service projects I have formed a community
of those who are passionate about the environment and ache for change.
My passions have carried me to lead climate actions in the community while continuing
to learn about it in school. In April 2023, I testified for my school district to gain a proper
climate policy:
“We have gathered here today with a vision. A vision of a green and eco-friendly planet.
A vision for everyone to treat our home with delicacy, to learn how to live sustainably. A vision
of schools to be our role model for all of this. Let us all start here. Let us all stand together. Let
us all make a difference.”
My past traumas not only taught me how to persevere, but drove me to discovering one
of my eminently determined passions: activism. I strive to educate myself in order to not just
have my voice be heard, but to influence and execute. Submerging myself into discomfort for the
greater good is essential to construct change.
Through practicing law, I want to be able to start assisting others in escaping their own cave. I want to help the suffering planet escape its cave. Through majoring in Political Science at the University of Washington, I believe I can build the foundation to do this. To escape, I pursued acts no female family member dared - I learned to defend myself and those I love. I learned how to say no. I learned how to escape the sea for good.
Nyadollie Scholarship
The Cave
My mother and grandmother are my role models, but are also prisoners. Plato’s Allegory
of the Cave relates to my life where the abusive men in my family represent the shadow puppets,
but they are who imprisoned the women in my family. Throughout my life, I have been plunged
into a sea of manipulation and dictatorship, where the only way out is through an illusive mirror
maze, destructing my reality.
I believe that I escaped the cave, though my time in the darkness led to discovering my
fervor for law and social justice. My hardships are what shaped my passions and who I am as a
person today. Instead of continuing to hide in the shadows, I choose to persist, use my voice, and
advocate for the best future for the planet. This led me to my two contradicting passions of law
and music. The passion I have for activism empowers and inspires me while singing heals my
soul and gives me hope. Continuing this through becoming a Civil Rights or Environmental
attorney will allow me to flourish in discovering a balance while unleashing a flame of ambition
and vigor.
This assisted me throughout my academics as well. I want to make a change in the world
and inspire others to do the same, so these passions influenced me to create a Climate Change
Club at my school. CCC not only educates people and spreads awareness about the climate
crisis, but communicates a variety of ways humans can create more of an eco-friendly lifestyle in
their everyday lives. Through fundraising for nonprofits nationally, hosting a district wide
sustainable fashion show and thrift swap, pressing our district to have an adequate climate
change policy, state-wide conservation summits, and service projects I have formed a community
of those who are passionate about the environment and ache for change.
My passions have carried me to lead climate actions in the community while continuing
to learn about it in school. In April 2023, I testified for my school district to gain a proper
climate policy:
“We have gathered here today with a vision. A vision of a green and eco-friendly planet.
A vision for everyone to treat our home with delicacy, to learn how to live sustainably. A vision
of schools to be our role model for all of this. Let us all start here. Let us all stand together. Let
us all make a difference.”
My past traumas not only taught me how to persevere, but drove me to discovering one
of my eminently determined passions: activism. I strive to educate myself in order to not just
have my voice be heard, but to influence and execute. Submerging myself into discomfort for the
greater good is essential to construct change.
Through practicing law, I want to be able to start assisting others in escaping their own cave. I want to help the suffering planet escape its cave. Through majoring in Political Science at the University of Washington, I believe I can build the foundation to do this. To escape, I pursued acts no female family member dared - I learned to defend myself and those I love. I learned how to say no. I learned how to escape the sea for good.
Rev. and Mrs. E B Dunbar Scholarship
My mother and grandmother are my role models, but are also prisoners. Plato’s Allegory of the Cave relates to my life where the abusive men in my family represent the shadow puppets, but they are who imprisoned the women in my family. Throughout my life, I have been plunged into a sea of manipulation and dictatorship, where the only way out is through an illusive mirror maze, destructing my reality.
I believe that I escaped the cave, though my time in the darkness led to discovering my fervor for law and social justice. My hardships are what shaped my passions and who I am as a person today. Instead of continuing to hide in the shadows, I choose to persist, use my voice, and advocate for the best future for the planet. This led me to my two contradicting passions of law and music. The passion I have for activism empowers and inspires me while singing heals my soul and gives me hope. Continuing this through becoming a Civil Rights or Environmental attorney will allow me to flourish in discovering a balance while unleashing a flame of ambition and vigor.
My past traumas not only taught me how to persevere, but drove me to discovering one of my eminently determined passions: activism. I strive to educate myself in order to not just have my voice be heard, but to influence and execute. Submerging myself into discomfort for the greater good is essential to construct change.
I want to be able to assist others in escaping their own cave. I want to help the suffering planet escape its cave. To escape, I pursued acts no female family member dared - I learned to defend myself and those I love. I learned how to say no. I learned how to escape the sea for good.
West Family Scholarship
My mother and grandmother are my role models, but are also prisoners. Plato’s Allegory of the Cave relates to my life where the abusive men in my family represent the shadow puppets, but they are who imprisoned the women in my family. Throughout my life, I have been plunged into a sea of manipulation and dictatorship, where the only way out is through an illusive mirror maze, destructing my reality.
I believe that I escaped the cave, though my time in the darkness led to discovering my fervor for law and social justice. My hardships are what shaped my passions and who I am as a person today. Instead of continuing to hide in the shadows, I choose to persist, use my voice, and advocate for the best future for the planet. This led me to my two contradicting passions of law and music. The passion I have for activism empowers and inspires me while singing heals my soul and gives me hope. Continuing this through becoming a Civil Rights or Environmental attorney will allow me to flourish in discovering a balance while unleashing a flame of ambition and vigor.
This assisted me throughout my academics as well. I want to make a change in the world and inspire others to do the same, so these passions influenced me to create a Climate Change Club at my school. CCC not only educates people and spreads awareness about the climate crisis, but communicates a variety of ways humans can create more of an eco-friendly lifestyle in their everyday lives. Through fundraising for nonprofits nationally, hosting a district wide sustainable fashion show and thrift swap, pressing our district to have an adequate climate change policy, state-wide conservation summits, and service projects I have formed a community of those who are passionate about the environment and ache for change.
My passions have carried me to lead climate actions in the community while continuing to learn about it in school. In April 2023, I testified for my school district to gain a proper climate policy:
“We have gathered here today with a vision. A vision of a green and eco-friendly planet. A vision for everyone to treat our home with delicacy, to learn how to live sustainably. A vision of schools to be our role model for all of this. Let us all start here. Let us all stand together. Let us all make a difference.”
My past traumas not only taught me how to persevere, but drove me to discovering one of my eminently determined passions: activism. I strive to educate myself in order to not just have my voice be heard, but to influence and execute. Submerging myself into discomfort for the greater good is essential to construct change.
I want to be able to assist others in escaping their own cave. I want to help the suffering planet escape its cave. Through majoring in Political Science at the University of Washington, I believe I can build the foundation to do this. To escape, I pursued acts no female family member dared - I learned to defend myself and those I love. I learned how to say no. I learned how to escape the sea for good.
Sports
Taekwondo
Club · 3 awards
2010 – 2020
Awards:second degree black belt, silver trophy, multiple bronze medals
Arts
student
Voice Lessons 4/4 School of Music · Music
2018 – 2024
Productions:Attended voice lessons for 7 years and performed in various shows, concerts, and planned/hosted own concert as wellAttendee
OMEA Solo and Ensemble Festival · Music
2020 – 2022
Productions:Earned first rank 3 years in a rowAttendee
Music in May · Music
2022 – 2024
Productions:Nominated 3x for advanced regional choir and attendedIntern
Oregon Chorale · Music
2024 – 2024
Productions:Intern for 3 months with Oregon Chorale ChoirChoir member
School · Music
2020 – 2024
Productions:top two choirs in my high school
Public services
Leader of Climate Action Committee
Advocacy · Beaverton School District Student Union
2022 – 2024
Mission:Led climate action committee of local activism group & engaged in other committees as well. Worked on climate justice through changing my district climate policy and wrote letters to Congress demanding change. Took part in multiple school gun violence peaceful protests & advocated for student rights.Planner and Host
Volunteering · Westview CCC (Climate Change Club)
2022 – 2024
Mission:Planned for 7 months, advertised, & executed statewide conservation summit that taught the community eco-friendly methods. Had over 15 sponsors, well-known speakers, & 30+ local businesses + schools hold booths. Learned how to manage & contribute to such a large event as well as how to gain & utilize connections.Vice President
Advocacy · Amnesty International
2022 – 2024
Mission:Starting w/being a communications manager, I upgraded to vice president. Through amnesty, I shared responsibility to represent an environment of justice in my school. Through the reputable organization, we have held fundraisers such as bake sales, submitted 20+ letters for "write for rights," & sent 50+ letters to the White House.Advocate and Policy Maker
Public Service (Politics) · Westview CCC (Climate Change Club)
2023 – 2024
Mission:"Drafted, edited, & perfected a climate solution & education policy for my school district to follow for 0 net emissions by 2050. Continuing to attend my school district board meetings to advocate and fight for this to be concretely executed. Formed group of 50+ diverse students, parents, staff, & teachers to demand policy to be implemented. "Planner and Host
Advocacy · Westview CCC (Climate Change Club)
2024 – 2024
Mission:With climate change club, planned for 6 months, held, and hosted district wide sustainable fashion show with over 170+ turnout. Collected clothes and student models from 5 different schools, sorted, picked outfits, and catered for show. After show, held a thrift swap with remaining clothes to promote sustainable shopping and end to fast fashion.President and Founder
Volunteering · President/Founder of Just Sing! Club
2021 – 2024
Mission:President & founder of Just Sing! Club that collaborates w/inexperienced singers who enjoy music & want to learn. Performed @ 10+ local venues around community, membership increased from 5 to 50 singers, and 200+ volunteer hrs. Learned how to teach, organize, and promote safe environment for those who never had access to private voice lessons.President and Founder
Advocacy · President/Founder of CCC (Climate Change Club)
2022 – 2024
Mission:President & founder of CCC, a club that executes to create a more eco-friendly world. Plan & led statewide conservation summit, raised $10,000+ in fundraisers, 300+ volunteer hrs, partnered w/local businesses such as wildlife refuge, & increased from 10 to 100+ members. Learned how to lead, organize, & collaborate w/those who share same passion!Volunteer Socializer
Volunteering · Animal Aid
2020 – 2023
Mission:Came in for 1 hr bi-weekly for 3 years to help socialize & care for cats in the shelter. Earned 100 volunteer hrs, held fundraiser that earned $500, & received honorable personalized charm hung up in shelter. Learned to delicately treat animals & expanded my ideas of possibility once I saw them nursed back to health & adopted to loving homes.Student Leader
Volunteering · NW Outdoor Science School
2022 – 2024
Mission:Was student leader & cared for 120+ 6th graders per season, taught intensive, hands-on environmental lessons w/1 day training. Arrived 1 day early to train, 5 day overnight program, & 14 hr work days. Earned 600 volunteer hrs total, received 3 certificates of excellence. Learned effective leadership, patience, & flexibility. This opportunity allowed me to help kids and teach them about nature.Intern
Volunteering · Internship at SAGE (Senior Advocates for Generational Equity)
2023 – Present
Mission:Vision 2030 Intern, a team educating youth about 2030 goals to advance climate solutions. Worked on planning & executing booths for climate solution fairs, educating 3 school districts on climate, and worked as an active leader for climate justice. I continue as an unpaid intern to learn about eco-activism under the wing of an environmental attorney.Accepted Member
Volunteering · National Society of High School Scholars
2021 – Present
Mission:Once I was nominated and joined, I planned to utilize all of the tools to be able to gain more opportunity to assist my community.Accepted Member
Volunteering · National Honors Society
2022 – 2024
Mission:I made sure to take prestigious classes that I knew I could thrive in to maintain my GPA. Studying daily, volunteering in PAWS & Key club, running my own clubs, and demonstrating cooperation & collaboration were all key factors to be invited. Taking time to value every word in my essays that display who I am and lead to my acceptance and be able to gain more opportunities to help the community..Nominated Attendee
Public Service (Politics) · National Youth Leadership Forum
2022 – 2022
Mission:Attend Stanford University for 10 days and learn about law, politics, and mock trial in order to build a foundation for my passion of wanting to be an attorney.Congressional Award Gold medalist recipient
Volunteering · Congressional Award
2020 – 2024
Mission:To receive the gold medal of the Congressional Award and be presented the medal in Washington DC by completing 400 hrs voluntary public service, 200 hrs personal development, work 200 hrs physical fitness, and a minimum 5 day expedition