Many are not able to reach their potential as a result of their living situations. Often an addict or abusive parent demolishes all hope for an opportune and fulfilled life for a child. Their future hopes and dreams become an impossible goals; they will feel like too little and settle for a life they never wanted. A cheating spouse ruining the mental health of their significant other. An abusive partner seriously injuring or even killing their partner. My goal in life is to help these people out of their situation and allow them to hope for a better life, a life where they can reach their full potential and live to experience true happiness. Over time, my courses in high school have sparked an interest involving political science, psychology, and history. I thrive in these subjects, as they highlight my academic interests and abilities. Therefore, by studying the areas I know best, I will be able to help those around me and make the world a better place. I have dual-enrolled in college courses and take psychology, history, and political science related courses and I am currently taking Criminal Justice and Political Science. I have been involved in 12 extracurriculars in high school including speech activities, clubs, and varsity athletics. Because I enjoy spending time with others and making a difference in my community, I also have 130+ hours of volunteering which started my freshman year. These volunteer opportunities and extracurriculars exposed me to different people and experiences, helping me better understand the lives of others. I have heard of many unfortunate situations that people have experienced with their families. The experiences have inspired me to choose a career path where I can work with these situations first-hand and better the lives of those going through them. I want to be able to help prevent those experiences in the future or help shorten the length of time they are dealing with it. I plan to spark a difference in the world through history, political science, and psychology by using my abilities and knowledge of these subjects in my career field; I plan to study family law. By studying family law, I will deal with family-related issues and domestic situations. I will be able to represent children that are living in unfortunate situations and try to help them better their life by providing them with new options and opportunities. I will be able to do this by working with adoption cases, foster care cases, deciding custody between divorced parents, and representing abuse cases. I have always been passionate about adoption and foster care as I was a part of the system as well. There are many children who are undergoing unfortunate lifestyles and deserve to live in better homes, which would allow them to live a better life. I plan to advocate for these children and help them reach their potential in life. I strive to find better homes, living situations, and ensure a more desirable life for these children. This applies to spouses that are dealing with these unjust experiences as well. The lessons of these classes have inspired me over time to make the world a better place. I will contribute to this by helping the beautiful people in the world that are living in grotesque situations. I will take the lessons I have learned through my education to help these people escape their situations and find a preferable lifestyle for themselves.

When I was young, I was infatuated by the Tangled movie and Rapunzel. She was my favorite Disney character as a result of her creativity, braveness, motivation, and aspirations. She inspired me to do what I loved. Music and Art played a large role in this movie, like most movies, but something about this movie was different. Although my interest was not art-related, she taught me how to be persistent in regard to my dreams. I learned that you cannot limit yourself; you must find new ways to be creative. For example, although her walls were full, she found new places for art. She found beauty in everything. This taught me to focus on when something seems unreachable, but to instead find opportunities where I least expect them. She found beauty in everything around her. Although she faced many obstacles throughout the movie, she always found something positive to look forward to. She focused on the positive traits in people and never judged someone based on their appearance or their presenting attitudes. For example, when she and Flynn go to The Ugly Duckling, instead of judging the characters that were meant to be scary, or ugly, she found beauty in them. She focused on their dreams; she wanted to hear their stories. This helped me to understand that people are not always as they seem; everyone has a certain beauty to them and everyone has aspirations. Rapunzel taught me at a young age that I should love everything and everyone around me. There is beauty in everything, you just have to dig deep enough to find it. The things in life that matter the most are not seen on the surface, you must search. She taught me to look for opportunities around me, not to focus on what is already full or anything that may seem unattainable. Focusing on the positives in life will take you a long way; there will always be obstacles and hardships, but what matters is how you choose to handle them. She taught me that life is only as beautiful as you make it.

It is important that people have a sense of community around them, whether that is in their physical environment or in their connections with other people. Community activities are crucial for people to form meaningful relationships and become familiar with those around them. In order to have those activities, it is important that you keep the town well kept and have designated areas for different activities. It's important to promote those activities as well and make them available to everyone. A well-kept community is desirable for those in the community; it also attracts people from outside of the community which gives the potential for growing the community. When I volunteer, I aim to help our community to be a more enjoyable place for all. In order to create a clean environment, I help clean ditches, pick up litter around the town, and assist with the painting/upkeeping of buildings. Keeping a clean town encourages people to go outside or do outdoor activities. When there is a pretty environment, people want to enjoy it. To promote community involvement, I assist in our town activities and school activities as well. Supporting all activities shows your support towards programs and the people involved in those programs. I enjoy promoting these activities so that we have larger crowds and more involvement in the community. Involvement is crucial. I enjoy seeing both adults and children meet new people at these activities and create new relationships. Whenever I am able, I help those around me. I encourage asking for help and letting people know I'm always available if they need assistance with anything. When I was younger, I volunteered at a nursing home once a week. While I was there, I helped make meals for them, played games, and did many other things as well. My favorite thing to do was paint the ladies' nails. Although many people wouldn't consider painting someone's nails "making a difference", I did. The first time I painted one of their nails, one of the ladies told me that having their nails painted made her feel young and beautiful again. When she said that, a switch flipped in my brain. I realize that doing physical work or volunteering at activities isn't the only way to make a difference. Helping someone feel better about themselves is also a great way to make a difference. From there on out, I helped paint their nails and do their makeup from time to time. I felt like I was making a difference in their lives. I enjoy making them feel better about themselves and boosting their self-confidence. In my community, I've made a difference in many ways. I've helped create a clean and positive environment for people to enjoy by helping with the upkeep of the town. I've helped promote community involvement in activities by volunteering during activities and promoting those activities or programs to the public as well. I've made a difference in people's lives by helping them with things they struggle with and by trying to help boost their confidence. I think these are the basics to help make a change anywhere. If everyone is involved in the community, everything will thrive. Keeping the environment clean will encourage outside activities and encourage activity within the town. When there are more opportunities for people, they are going to be more active within the community. Keeping people involved in the community will promote more activities and will allow people to create more relationships. When more people in the community have relationships, it creates a safety net for everyone and more resources when people are struggling. When a community is close, the people inside of it will thrive. Everyone can contribute to society in a different way, but by showing your strengths and talking to others about theirs, you can work together, fix many issues, and help people around you and your community.

I was given the privilege to go on a mission trip to Kansas City and as many know, Kansas City has many struggling or homeless people in the area. I was able to participate in many projects to help those in need during this time. The day that we arrived, we stopped for food and drinks before arriving at the Church we were staying at. I went outside to look around the town and I had a homeless woman come up to me and ask for help. I asked her what she needed, and she said she needed money for food. I left the woman there and I went inside. I was able to get her a bag of food (fruit, bread, and some sandwiches) and went back outside to greet her. I choose not to give money, but I will gladly give whatever they need. She was beyond grateful for the food and I saw her bring it over to another, very young, girl to share. It was amazing to see. The next day, I went to an apartment building that was designed for low-income single mothers. I spent the day cleaning out apartments that were going to be used soon. I cleaned up trash, deep cleaned, fixed some cupboards in the kitchen, and repainted the walls. At the end of the day, I was able to pick up some groceries before the families moved in and make sure some of the cupboards were full before they got there. I did many other things throughout the week as well. I was able to help organize clothes at thrift stores, I believe thrift stores help those in need because it helps provide cheap clothes. Clothes are a necessity in everyone's lives and it's important that everyone has access to clothes, especially clothes that fit the weather season. I was able to go to many different camps as well. Many for families with low-income, camps that provided free admission to provide a place for the children to go while the parent/s worked. Because these camps don't get money from admission, it can be hard for them to keep up with maintenance. While I was there, I painted the entrance doors, buildings, and fences. I was also able to fix broken-down fences. This helps create a welcoming and safe environment for the children there. On one of the last days, I went to another housing facility. This was for people of all kinds: older people, young people, families, etc. While I was there, I did the same thing as many other places. I helped fix broken-down parts of the facility and paint to make sure it was welcoming to all. I also helped create a new garden. It was a very large garden, we put up wooden panels on the outside and then dug up a majority of the middle. We planted an assortment of vegetables and some bushes and trees as well. I believe that this is helpful because it helps give a hobby, or something to do, to the people that were living there. It provides some food, slight entertainment, and a pretty sight for those who live there as well. I love being able to help others and give back to my community and other communities when I'm able to. The best thing about life is giving back to others and making a difference. In high school, I have 118 hours of volunteering. I'm very busy with activities but being able to volunteer and help others brings joy to me, I want to help everyone that I'm able to.

One of the most rewarding things in life is to give your time, thoughts, and effort to those around you. I most perform acts of service through my volunteer projects. I have volunteered through my school, community, and Church. Each has been a rewarding experience. Through my school, I have volunteered for many activities and projects. During homecoming, I help create decorations and posters to decorate the school with to show school spirit. I also volunteer at cross-country meets to help provide water to runners, hand out rewards, and also provide any assistance needed while they're running. I often work with activities such as track, basketball, volleyball, and more. Within my community, I enjoy spending time at our local nursing home, picking up trash, and helping with city landscape maintenance. At our nursing home, I enjoy painting residents' nails, setting up games, reading to those who struggle with their eyesight, and helping with meals. I also encourage the activities and clubs I'm involved in through school to come to perform for the residents. The residents love to watch these performances and will often reminisce with me about their past with these activities as well. With my Church, I have gone on multiple mission trips. During these mission trips, we provide meals and volunteer at food kitchens, paint residencies for veterans, help landscape local areas for those in need, clean and organize new apartments, help single mothers and their children move into these apartments, and more. We do as much as we can during the week for those around the area. Anyone who is willing to accept our help will obtain it. While I'm there, I sit and talk with the homeless in the area. There are times that holding a conversation with someone is an act of service within itself.

This past year I took a Financial Literacy Class; this class proved to be very beneficial for my life and I learned many important life lessons. I learned a lot of information about finances, budgeting, and investing. One investing tip my teacher shared with me that I have taken to heart would be to start investing for your retirement, or any long-term investments you have in mind, at a young age. As a teenager in high school, I was seldom thinking about investing in my future. I was focused on my present and believed I would have the rest of my life to prepare for my future; I was wrong. Your success in investing is very dependent on when you begin investing; I was not made aware of this until my Financial Literacy class. When you begin to invest at a young age, compounding is in your favor. I have learned that compounding only requires the reinvestment of earnings and time. With longer periods of time comes a larger sum of money you will have gained from your investments. When you begin investing young, you can gain tens of thousands of dollars more than those who invest later in life. This information has been very beneficial to me and motivated me to prioritize future investments and my current finances. Now that I know how crucial it is to start early, I can start investing early for my long-term investments and this will help me maximize my financial gains and profits. Knowing that I have this time for my investments, I can start investing with any amount that my current finances will allow. Also, because time allows, I will always have the capability of adding to that amount over time to best fit my needs and best maximize my profits.

“Listen with the will to learn.”― Unarine Ramaru In the activities I am involved in, I have learned many important things through actively listening. During Individual and Group Speech, I have listened to those around me by eliminating any distractions around me and focusing on the person in front of me. I believe that while actively listening you need to focus on body language, emotional prosody, and focus on the topic on which they are speaking. Being attentive to these things is how I have learned to most effectively listen to those around me and best understand what information they are trying to convey. Another important aspect of listening that I have learned is to focus on what the person is saying to me and not focus on how I will answer them. When I am thinking of how I will answer I'm not focusing on actively listening. For me, to best retain the information that I'm taking in, I need to be fully present for the conversation. I believe that listening is the beginning of change. To understand how to better yourself you need to listen to and learn from those around you. When listening with the intent to learn, you retain the smaller details which will help you become more successful. I also believe that listening is a pathway to making or keeping strong relationships. People will feel more obligated to talk to you when they know you are engaged in your conversations. I believe that important things to do in a conversation include staying distraction-free, maintaining eye contact, and asking follow-up questions. When you ask follow-up questions during a conversation it shows that you are listening and it shows your interest in the conversation. This shows that you value what the person has to say.

"Little things seem nothing, but they give peace" - Georges Bernanos. One of my fondest memories with the elderly ladies of my community would be painting their nails. Starting around the age of 10, I have volunteered at nursing homes. One of my favorite things to do is to paint nails. Seeing the pure joy on their faces as I apply the bright colors on their nails is priceless. It is such a simple gesture, yet it means a lot to them. They have told me it makes them feel beautiful and young again; this is a hard feeling to capture but it is one of the most significant feelings to give them. To continue to make them feel beautiful gives me a sense of fulfillment; I want them to feel happy. I am involved in many activities in school and I always encourage my groups to perform for the elderly because I know it brings joy. I performed a cheer routine, with my cheer team, at a local nursing home. My group stayed for a while after we were done and talked with the ladies as they were reminiscing their high school days. I always enjoy hearing the stories they have to share, and I know they enjoy telling their stories and relating with younger people in those activities now. Occasionally, I help elderly people still living at home with yard work. I know that this can be hard on their bodies and they appreciate the help. I will help with picking up litter that has flown into yards or help clear small paths on their sidewalk. I often do this without consulting the person because I don't want them to feel as though they aren't able to do it on their own; I know that's an uncomfortable feeling.

To me, friendship means honesty, companionship, and support. With the friends I have, I have experienced, and try to provide, endless support at all times. For activities my friends are involved in that I am not, I always go to support them as often as I'm able. I make it to as many of their events as my schedule allows. More often than not, my friends and I are in the same activities but I show my support by uplifting them during activities. I also try to show support, or companionship, to my friends in other ways. When they are struggling with something, I ask if they want advice or someone to listen to them. When they need someone to listen, I always give my time to listen to them and how they're feeling and try to console them. When they want advice, I give my honest opinion on the situation, what I advise do, and then ask if there is anything I can do to help them in the situation. I think it is important for friends to know they have someone advocating for them, and that they don't ever feel alone in their problems. I also believe it is important, to be honest with friends. There are times when you must be honest and voice your opinion around a friend. If they are acting inappropriately in a situation, or say something insensitive to someone, I will let them know that I disagree and tell them why I feel that way. It is important to hold friends accountable (as well as yourself) because it allows them to learn from mistakes and grow as a person. I try to always listen to my friends when they're giving me constructive criticism and learn from it so they feel comfortable around me.

Joy to me means seeing others happy as well as seeing myself happy. It means feeling happy and secure in my surroundings and enjoying my time with those around me. In my life, I seek joy by helping others with volunteer projects. I also find joy in the activities I participate in. One of the volunteer projects I found the most joy in of would-be my Kansas City mission trip. I was able to help single mothers by helping them move into new apartments, deep cleaning their apartments, and helping them shop for groceries. On this trip, I was also able to help turn an old building into new living quarters for those in need and made it into a very friendly environment for those moving in. I found joy in this because I knew I was bringing joy to other people. Knowing I was able to make an impact on someone's life made an impact on mine as well. I also find joy in my activities in school. I am involved in show choir, group speech, individual speech, musical, summer theatre, and basketball and football cheerleading. Within these activities, I have met so many people that changed my life for the better. I find joy in these activities because I am constantly seeing the smiles and reactions from the audience as I perform; it brings me joy to see others happy. The people that I've met in these activities have stayed a part of my life and they bring me so much happiness. These people radiate positivity and they're always supportive of me; meeting them made my life much better. I find joy in meeting new people, I find joy in new things, and I find joy in helping those around me.