My name is Alexa Bittner and I'm 20 years old, originally from Long Island but attending the University of Massachusetts Boston. Growing up, I was a quiet child that was not only quiet but more mature than other kids, which made making friends difficult. This lead me into doing lots of research in many things that I was interested in. True crime, history that we were never taught in school, random facts. I love dogs, and had 2 who have both long passed on. When I was 9 years old, I dreamed of being a pet groomer, specifically a dog groomer. I remember telling my parents this, who told me that I wouldn't earn enough money to support myself. So, I stopped wanting to be a pet groomer, and tried to think of something that interested me, but came up short. Being a veteranian would be cool, but the idea of having to put dogs down destroyed me. For a couple of years, I had no idea what I wanted to do. Then I wanted to become an author, as I loved reading and was pretty creative, so I thought I'd be good at that. But being a writer is such an uncertain career, and financials worried me so I no longer wanted that, either. I stopped thinking about my future until I was in the 10th grade and was told by the high school counselors to start thinking of what I wanted to do, as we would apply to colleges in less than a year and it'd be easier to declare a major than go in undecided. So, I started doing research and taking quizzes, which lead to me finding a job as a therapist. Talking about people's lives sounded nice, especially as I was really lonely, but I realized that therapy would take over 4 years of school which wasn't what I wanted. I couldn't find anything I would seriously consider until I thought back to my childhood and remembered my cousin's birth. I wasn't there during the actual birth, but a few hours after my cousin was born I was able to go to the hospital with my parents and sister. There, I was able to see my cousin, a brand-new, fresh, newborn baby. He was laying in the nursery, sound asleep with the other babies. I remember watching him from afar, and the nurse asked my family if we wanted to see him up close, which we all said yes. Unfortunuately, my sister and I were too young and weren't allowed to do this. But I remembered thinking how cool it would be to be around babies all the time. I would even ask my parents later on to have more kids, as it was just me and my sister who are twins, but that would never happen. As I thought about this I did more research, and I ended up finding a labor and delivery nurse. Almost immediately upon reading the description I fell in love. I could work with babies, experience childbirth in person, and would be able to care for vulnerable mothers. I knew this was the career I wanted. This was almost 5 years ago now, and I still have the dream of being a labor and delivery nurse, though working in the NICU isn't something I completely cut off, either. Even though NICU is more intensive and doesn't involve actual birth, I will still be able to work with babies all the time which is what I dream of doing.

The nursing industry interests me as a career choice because of how diverse it is. There are many types of nurses out there, and no matter what you choose to do, you're still helping people. There's emergency nurses, neonatal nurses, operating room nurses, neuro nurses. If you don't like one aspect of nursing, you always have the ability to switch. Not all types of nursing are meant for everyone, and instead of having to suffer or go back to school, you can switch specialties and still accomplish what you want to do. My goals for a successful career is to make sure my patients are cared for, happy, and have realistic outcomes. Although myself and every other nurse wants their patients to stay alive, both in our care and without, the reality is that people will unfortunately die, and our goal is to respect the patient's wishes while caring for them adequately. Another goal I have is more specific, but I would love to work with babies. Since even before I planned on going into nursing, I knew I wanted to do something with babies when I peeked through the window of the nursery my cousin was in when he was born 13 years ago. I remember seeing how tiny and adorable the babies were, and even asking my mom to have another child so I could experience a baby (which unfortunuately did not happen). Although I am not a nurse yet, I have two jobs that are related to nursing which I believe will improve my skills in the long-run. My first job is as a medical assistant, which I have been working at my school for nearly 2 years now. This was my first job and taught me lots of information on caring for patients, speaking with patients, and the importance of some tests like a Urinalysis, or blood sugar testing. My second was an internship I recently got over the summer and has since been changed to a per diem job, and I work as a Clinical Care Technician on an adult complex medical unit. I work under the nurses and perform tasks like taking orders, cleaning patients, taking vitals andd blood sugars, seting up purewicks, and more. It has been said that nurses who have experience as aides have treated their patients better than those without, and I am hoping people will feel that way with me when I become a nurse.

I decided I was going to be a nurse when I was in 10th grade. During this time, the guidance counselors were reminding students to start thinking about what they wanted to do, as time would fly by quickly. The next time we blinked our eyes, they told us, we would be applying to colleges. I’ve always been a person who did things early. I liked it that way, as it allowed me more time to change any errors, it gave me freedom, and eased my anxiety. I first did career quizzes that got me nowhere. I wanted a successful, interesting job. I didn’t want to do the same activities like sitting in an office every day for the rest of my life. Something that had always interested me was a doctor. There were a ton of specialties, various appointments, and emergencies happening every day. It was rewarding, and doctors were very successful. However, I'd be swimming in debt which wasn’t what I wanted. Then, I went down the path of healthcare, as healthcare careers were respectable, fascinating, and always in need. What seemed to fit what I wanted to do was a nurse. Like a doctor, there was a variety of specialties. You got to help people every day. The work environment was thrilling. I started thinking of something that would interest me, something I could be passionate about. Then, I came across the subject of babies. When I was 7 years old, my cousin was born. I got to stand outside the nursery and watch all the squishy babies sleep. At the time, I was beyond jealous of the nurses that got to be there. My searches were now more specific. What nurses dealt with babies? What was the differences between them? After reading many articles, I realized a labor and delivery nurse was what I wanted to do. I would be involved in the birthing process and get to witness an extraordinary thing: childbirth. Throughout my career, I hope to achieve helping women feel comfortable before, during, and after giving birth. Many first time mothers don’t know what is normal in giving birth. What if something tears? Is it okay to defecate? Does shaving matter? What’s normal? I want to provide mothers and families with emotional support, empathy, and trust. Mothers are performing miracles by bringing children in the world and should be treated like goddesses. I would like to make a big impact on the community by education people about childbirth. I want to show people that hours of physical pain can lead to one of the greatest things women can do. I want to demonstrate to people that giving birth doesn’t always have to be scary, and I want to raise awareness of risks or complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Maureen was an exemplary nurse who's traits included devotion, compassion, proactiveness, dedication, and strength. Demonstrated by her willingness to drive patients to appointments and finding alternative breast cancer therapies, Maureen was an inspirational person who viewed nursing not as a job, but as a calling. To carry on Maureen’s traits, I want to commit to my patients the same way Maureen committed to hers. I want to make sure my patients are comfortable at all times and feel safe. If they feel something is wrong, I want to exhaust every avenue before declaring everything is fine. I want to have the reputation of being the best labor and delivery nurse, because that shows me that I’m doing my job right.

In the winter of my sophomore year of high school, the guidance counselors were meeting with each student of the sophomore cohort and discussing college plans with us. "Make sure you know what you want to do," they told us, "because time flies by fast, and you don't want to be completely clueless." After that meeting, I went home and started looking for ideas. I had no idea what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Heck, I could barely think about next week! Google search after search, I'd get the same thing. I had no desire for anything. So, I sat there and thought of a topic that really interested me, something that I might be able to do as a career. It wasn't until I thought of my cousin's birth, back when I was 7 years old, that I realized what I wanted to do. I remember standing right at the nursery, staring at all the babies. Nothing interesting was going on. There was barely any noise, and the babies were all asleep. One nurse was in the nursery watching over them, while another was talking to my family. The nurse asked if we wanted to go in and see my sleeping cousin up close, so of course we all said yes! Unfortunuately, though, my sister and I were too young, and we weren't allowed. I sat at one of the chairs outside the nursery and sulked. I wanted nothing more than to see an adorable baby up close. After that, I looked for careers that related to babies and found a labor and delivery nurse. Not only would I be dealing with newborns, but I'd get to witness the miracle of childbirth up close. I wanted to see the expansion of family, the joy on people's faces when they got to look at their long-awaited bundle of joy. To become a labor and delivery and get to deal with birth everyday would be an absolute honor and privilege. I hope to contribute to my community as a nurse by educating people on having babies and starting a famiy. I want to be able to help them myself or give them resources on how to take care of their baby. I'd also love to be the nurse that always supports people, no matter what their situation is. Many times in the healthcare industry, workers will get too caught up in their job, lose the people aspect, and do what they think is best, not what the patient wants. I want my patients and community to trust me to tell me anything and I want to be able to provide them with support.

Since I was ten years old, I've been wanting a job. I always asked my parents to let me apply, since I wanted to earn my own money, but they told me I was too young and to wait a few years. Just months after I turned sixteen years old, my parents informed me that they'd allow me to have a job if I'd like, as I was mature enough. But, shortly after, COVID-19 hit. Then, they took back what they said. Throughout the next two years, I never got a job. COVID made things harder on my family and their schedule was already packed. It wasn't until I got to college and moved to a place with public transportation that I finally looked into getting a job. Actually, the main reason why I chose the college I did was due to public transportation. I knew I wanted a job and I needed to be able to travel. I didn't have a car, haven't learned how to drive, and even so, I didn't have the money to afford a car in the first place. I started working at my first and only job on December 6th, 2022. I was so excited to be doing something that made me useful and to finally earn my own money. I currently work at my school as a medical assistant, and over a year later, I'm still working here. Since I was forced to do work-study, as they wouldn't hire if you weren't, I earned very little money. Although I wanted to work more, I couldn't. Balancing work and school wasn't too bad, until exams came up. If I had an anatomy exam on Tuesday, then I'd work Wednesday, and Thursday a chemistry exam. I'd struggle to study adequately, especially because I like studying one thing, finishing it, and then studying something else. Work made it a lot harder to do, but I was determined to not quit. And I didn't. My GPA is also still great, as well. It wasn't until mycurrent year as a sophomore nursing student that I a) no longer had to use work study and b) studied a lot more. Due to the sudden increase in time working, I struggle a lot more now, particularly in statistics where my average is currently a 70, and if I get lower than a 40 on the final, which seems very likely, I'm at risk of failing the class which terrifies me. The lowest grade I've ever gotten was an 88, and I'm proud of that. Luckily, I used my pass/fail option, but I haven't been stressed like this in a long time. If I fail statistics, I have to take it until I pass so I can go on to clinicals, which delays graduation and increases my loan amount. Since I picked up more hours becauase I need money, I don't have time to study anymore. During lunch and whenever there's a break in action, I immediately get out my textbook and powerpoints to start studying. Personally, I had more responsibility and less time to do things. Instead of having a lot of me-time, I spend most of my time working or doing something related to my classes. In terms of professional growth, I learned how to do everything I needed and became a bit of a veteran in my workplace. I've learned things like taking COVID tests, flu tests, strep tests, UTI and STI tests, performing EKGs, scanning papers, taking vitals, and speaking to patients in a professional way. This will help my career growth as a nurse as well.

When one experiences new things, they become more opened to the world and to who other people are. Many people are exposed to only their culture, and begin to have a closed mind on other cultures. As a result, they don't have the same understanding as another person may have. With exposure to different cultures, perspectives, and environments, people will learn why others are the way they are. As a person who will work in healthcare in the future, it's paramount that I learn about other people's cultures to fully educate them and keep them safe as possible, as if they don't understand something, then they may not recieve something that will save their life. An example of this could be a vaccine that's purpose is to protect them, but a person may have grew up to think that vaccines are harmful. Travel can be a transformative experience for individuals because they enter an environment that, many times, is unfamilar. A person living in New York City has never experienced a place like Aruba, where you have a hot climate and can stay on the beach. The food is also different, as each culture has different climates where different foods thrive. You won't find lots of fish in Chad due to the country not being surrounded by water, but Japan and Iceland have lots of fish, due to the fact that both countries are islands and surrounded by water. In addition, activities can vary depending on what country your in. A place like Costa Rica has ziplining, which is not common in Mississippi, one of the only states without any form of ziplining. People also have their own traditions, beliefs, and religions, which is their way of life. A person who is conservative won't be doing something untraditional, while a person who's the opposite won't act conservatively. Personal growth and development occurs when one is open and understanding about people. The only way to truly be this is to communicate with people who live in the country your traveling to, and learn more about everything: from how they lived, their family, what they love, their beliefs and traditions, culture, language, history, and more. A person has to have a positive mindset and realize that just because someone is different doesn't mean they're evil or have bad intentions. People are the way they are due to the way they grew up. Many beliefs and ways of acting are due to things that happened in the past, whether directly to a person or indirectly. Being able to realize that while traveling can open a person's mind to new mindsets, leading to growth and development.

It was the winter of 10th grade when the guidance counselors were having meetings with all the students in my grade, giving us more information about colleges and how to apply to them. The next time you blink your eyes, I recall them saying, you'll be applying to colleges. Time flies by, so make sure you have an idea of where you want to go and what you want to do with your life. So, as a person who likes to get stuff done early, I started searching for career ideas. In the past, I wanted to be a pet groomer, but my parents steered me away from this as they told me I'd never earn enough money to do anything. Then, I wanted to be a writer for a few years, but the idea of my words being put out there scared me, and even if I did publish books, I had to do amazing to earn enough money. I didn't want a life where I had to worry about money 24/7. After this, I took a career quiz that was an assignment in one of my classes, just to give the students an idea of something they might be interested in majoring in. The result I got after taking this quiz was that I should be a marriage therapist. I only considered this for 30 seconds until I realized that a) I'm terrible with talking to people, b) I'm quiet and have a habit of thinking of something good to say 10 minutes after the conversation already occurred, and c) the idea of conversing with people in my class gave me enough anxiety to last the year. So, I wasn't really into the idea of being a therapist, though I did think psychology was cool. I began to think of anything in my life that I witnessed that I'd love to do. One of the first things I remembered was how in the first grade, I had a get-to-know-you project where we made posters and were given prompts. One prompt was "In the future, I want to be..." and the first thing that came to mind was a mother. I loved babies then, and still do. It's my dream to have lots of kids running around, even today. I then thought of a year later, when my cousin was born. It was after dinner when my parents were notified of his birth and we immediately drove to the hospital. We got to go to the nursery and saw my newborn cousin through the glass. The nurse asked us if we wanted to go into the nursery to see him up close, which we all said yes to. Unfortunately, we were told my sister and I were too young. So, we sat in the chairs with one adult rotating in and out. I crossed my arms and sulked. Why was everyone else allowed in and not me? Just because of my age? I wouldn't touch anything as long as I could go in. I was jealous of everything, especially of the nurses who were allowed to work with babies all the time. After thinking of this, I realized I wanted to work with babies. I started searching for careers that related to this, and I finally found what I wanted to do: labor and delivery nursing. To work with both newborn babies and witnessing the miracle of childbirth on a day-to-day basis sounded amazing. It would be an honor to be able to deliver babies and witness the joy of a family gaining another member.

In my educational journey, I am a sophomore nursing attending the University of Massachusetts - Boston. I currently work as a medical assistant for my school, where I room patients, take vitals, write down symptoms, and clean the rooms once the patients are done. By the time this entry is read, I'll be doing my first clinical, which I am both excited and nervous about. My goal is to become a labor and delivery nurse. I've known this since the spring of 10th grade. It was the time when the guidance counselors in my school were having meetings with us and speaking about the journey of applying to college. They told us that it'd be a good idea to think about what we wanted to do one day, as time would go by in a flash. I remember not knowing what I wanted to do. When I was 9 I wanted to be a pet groomer, but my parents moved me away from that as they said I'd never make enough money. Then I wanted to be a writer, but to earn good money would take a long time, and sometimes it never happened. I had a dream of having a big family with children and pets, and it seemed that if I became an author, that might never happen. I needed something with more stability. Not to mention, having my thoughts published out in the world scared me a little bit. So, for years I didn't think about what I wanted to do, until that meeting. I took a career quiz shortly after that was an assignment one of my teachers gave out. It was on Naviance, and my results told me I should be a marriage therapist. I thought that was odd, especially for me, as I found difficulty in having regular conversations and dreaded small talk. Having to do that made me anxious. Also, it required grad school, and I had no desire of spending even more money than necessary. I thought about the time my cousin was born when I was 7 years old. My family and I got the call during dinnertime, and after we ate we ran to the hospital to see him for the first time. After chatting with the mother, we all left the room she was in and went to the nursery, where all the cute babies were bundled up and sleeping. There was no noise, except for a few whispers of the adults. A nurse asked if we wanted to go in, and everyone said yes, but my sister and I weren't allowed to go in as we were too young. I sulked on the waiting room chair, angry that I wasn't allowed in. I wanted to be able to see my cousin up close. The workers were very lucky, I remember thinking. After thinking about my life, I realized that I loved babies and wanted to work with them. So, I went to Google and started looking up careers that worked with them. I found doctors and sonographers, but I didn't want to go to school for that long and I wanted to work with babies, not with fetuses still in their mothers' wombs. I found a NICU nurse and thought that sounded interesting. But then, I came across labor and delivery and that was it, I knew that's what I wanted to do. To be with both mother and baby during birth and get to witness the miracle that is childbirth was something I could see myself doing forever. Since then, I knew what I wanted to do.

My name is Alexa Bittner. By the time you're reading this, I'll be 20 years old and ending my sophomore year at college. I'm majoring in nursing, and I currently work as a medical assistant at my school with hopes of getting another job. When I graduate college, I want to specialize in labor and delivery. I've been wanting to become a labor and delivery nurse for 4 years now. It all started back in the 10th grade when the guidance counselors told us to start thinking of majors, as the time would quickly pass and the next time we blinked our eyes, we'd be applying to colleges. My school showed us things to do to figure out what we wanted to be, like career quizzes and such. I took those quizzes and got some results, but nothing that interested me. In my free time, I'd search on Google about different careers to see something that fascinated me. I wanted a career that I enjoyed, was successful, and earned a good amount of money. If I was going to sign my life away in student loan debt, then I had to find something that I knew I wanted, as switching majors and having even more debt was not and will never be an option for me. One day, I found myself thinking about the day my cousin was born. It was June 1st, and I was 7 years old. While my family was eating dinner, we got a call from my aunt and uncle saying he had arrived. After finishing our dinner, my family and I raced to the hospital. There, we got to see the nursery with all the cute babies. The nurse asked if we wanted to see my cousin up close, to which we nodded enthusiastically. Unfortunately, my sister and I were too young and not allowed to go inside. I was furious. Why wasn't I allowed in? I wanted nothing more than to be able to see the babies up close. I wanted my parents to have another kid so I could have a baby in the house, but they said no. This was my one time to see a baby up close and it was already ruined for me. I was so jealous of the nurses. That day, I decided I'd major in nursing with a desire to go into labor and delivery. I plan to make a positive impact on the world with my career by educating women and families about birth. I want to make women feel safe and protected in a vulnerable position, while they do one of the greatest miracles: give birth. I want to educate people on starting families and raising babies, and I want to make sure they enjoy every moment with their bundle of joy. I'd love to one day be a part of some medical experiments or studies or whatever, especially related to pregnancy, children, or the reproductive system. Since I was a little girl, I've wanted to be a mother and experience birth. Even today, I have fears that I won't be able to get pregnant or give birth, even though I got my period and don't have any medical issues that would prevent me from getting pregnant. Not being able to give birth would destroy me, and I want to help women who can't get pregnant get pregnant. Whether it's creating a makeshift uterus, or a real one, or creating some sort of medicine that would allow women to get pregnant and achieve their dream of giving birth, I want to do it.

My name is Alexa Bittner. I have brown hair, green eyes, and am the average (female) height of 5'4". My favorite animals are dogs, bunnies, and sting rays. I had a 12-year-old golden lab named Midas, who passed in 2013. I also had another dog, a soft-coated wheaten terrier, who just recently passed on December 1st (2022). My dogs were my life, and I miss them very much. My favorite color usually changes, but right now it's green. I'm left-handed, have terrible vision, and enjoy reading. My birthday is February 1st, and by the time you read this, I'll be 20 years old. My favorite thing to do is watch hockey. I'm infatuated with players skating up and down the ice (as I have no clue how to skate) and I love being a part of a community. It also gives me and my dad something to bond about. As a native Long Islander, my favorite team is the New York Islanders. I don't have a favorite player, because I hate picking favorites. At my school, I'm a hardworking nursing student who's almost always doing homework or studying. I currently work as a medical assistant for my school, and I'm trying to get another job for the weekends (hopefully by the time you read this, I'll already have the job). I plan to contribute to the field of science by becoming a labor and delivery nurse. Since I was a little girl, I've had the desire to become a mother and I love babies. In the future, I want to help women in a vulnerable position and I want to witness the miracle of childbirth. By becoming a labor and delivery nurse, I will deal with people from many different backgrounds, like medical, and mothers who are at different stages. Some will be first-time mothers and have no idea what they're doing, and others may be onto their fifth child. I would love to be a part of a group or something like that where we can solve reproductive issues. Why is getting pregnant so easy for some, and harder for others? Why is carrying to term impossible for some, and can medical professionals make it possible for one with medical issues to carry to term, but with affordable pricing? One of my biggest fears growing up was that I couldn't have children, or that having children would be extremely difficult for me. I have no realistic reason for this, as I've gotten my period and have no medical issues. However, I still fear not having biological kids, as this is a dream I've had since I was a little girl. Of course, adopting or in-vitro are options, but they aren't options I want to consider. With all respect to adoptees, I don't want an adopted kid, and in-vitro is so expensive that this would be an end-all option. In a patriarchal society, women are constantly pressured to have kids. Not wanting kids is one thing, but to feel the pressure of not having children from the outside while wanting nothing more than a baby sounds like one of the worst things. Seeing women suffer miscarriages and not getting pregnant breaks my heart. I want to somehow find a realistic way for people with pregnancy difficulties to have kids. A uterine transplant? Probably too expensive. But what if medical scientists could somehow create a viable uterus with fallopian tubes, something that would be tailored to the patient? Could be expensive at first, but if there's eventually a simple way, it may be worth it. I'd love to see it.

My name is Alexa Bittner. By the time you're reading this, I'll be 20 years old. I'm a nursing student attending the University of Massachusetts - Boston, and when I graduate I plan on becoming a labor and delivery nurse. I've been wanting to specialize in labor and delivery nursing for four years now. When I was seven years old, my cousin came into the world and I got to meet him while he was a tiny, squishy baby. I've always wanted a sibling to experience having a newborn in the house but my parents always told me that they planned on having two (my twin and I) and stopping. If any of my friends had siblings, then they were usually the youngest or didn't have any baby/toddler siblings. When my family and I got the call that my cousin was born, we raced to the hospital right after dinner to meet him. First, we all spoke to the mother for a while, and then we got to go to the nursery. I remember standing up against the glass on my tip toes and watching all the babies sleep in their cribs, wrapped up so nicely. None of the babies were crying, so it was peaceful. The nurse came and pointed out my cousin. We all cooed at how cute he was. He had a little button face. Then, she went to check something and came to us, apologizing and saying she got the wrong baby. She pointed out the correct one, and again we all cooed. I could barely even see my cousin, as he was all the way at the back, but he looked the same as the other baby. The nurse came out and asked if we wanted to go inside to view my cousin up close. Of course, we all said yes, but after verifying my sister's and I's ages, they told us we were too young and not allowed to see the babies up close. At the time, I was furious. I wanted nothing more than to view my cousin up close, and they weren't even letting me! I wouldn't touch him if they said so, I thought, I knew how to follow directions! And so, my sister and I sat on the benches next to an adult, who was a member of our family. My family went into the nursery and rotated on who got to watch my sister and me. I was so jealous. It wasn't until I was in 10th grade that I remembered this and realized how I would love to work with babies. They're sweet, cuddly, and adorable. This memory is what inspired me to figure out what careers deal with babies. Of course, I first found a neonatalogist, which was too many years of school. Then, I came across a baby sonographer, which sounded cool but this career required me to view fetuses, not babies, so I didn't immediately cross it off. I came across nursing and felt that the years of school it required, could be perfect for me. Then I viewed the nurses that dealt with babies, like NICU, neonatal, labor and delivery, etc. I've always wanted to become a mother since I was a kid, and I felt that helping women during childbirth is something I'd love to do. So, I ended up selecting labor and delivery as my specialty. It's not too much school, and I can specialize in labor and delivery right when I graduate. It'd be an honor to work as a labor and delivery nurse.

I have always planned to go to a college close to where I live, so I can pay very little in student loans. However, as I got older and was entering the end of my secondary school years, I realized how miserable I was around everyone. I was too different, and the people I knew made sure I knew it. I lived around privileged people who got everything they ever wanted and more. While I was living with a cheap Android phone and a $500 off-brand laptop that barely worked, everyone had Apples, $100 Lulu Lemon leggings, and cars. They bought prom dresses nearly $1000 and some even had limos. I didn't even bother going to prom. When I was stressing about COVID-19 decreasing jobs, they didn't bat an eye. I was one of very few people at my school who weren't gifted a car when they turned 18. In fact, I still don't have a car, not even a driver's license. People always make faces, and my friends would even make comments about how bad quality my phone and laptop were. Getting my iPhone after years of my Android is one of the greatest gifts I've gotten. If I went to college where I lived, I'd be surrounded by people who'd do nothing but drag me down. I'd have very few loans. If I went to college in a different state, I might have a chance of being happy, but have 6 figures in loans, assuming I didn't win any scholarships. When it was time to accept a college, I realized I hadn't been happy in months, and couldn't even remember the last time I smiled. I went out of state. When I was a kid I dreamed of traveling the world, having no loans, eventually getting married, having 6 kids, and adopting many dogs. Of course, this was all fantasy, but I was determined to make that happen. Step 1: attend college and have barely any loans. That didn't happen. So, as of today, my only career goal is to pay off my debt. For four years now I've been wanting to become a labor and delivery nurse, and all I have to do is graduate nursing school and get the needed certificates, which I am confident I'll do because I'm a hardworking student who takes school seriously, and I know that if I set my mind to something, especially like school, which is one of the few things I'm naturally good at, I'll be able to graduate. I have tried using a loan calculator, and have determined that if I have an unrealistic, insanely tight budget and only spend money on food, rent, and wifi, I can pay off my loans in potentially less than 3 years. I'll need to work as a nurse and have another job, but I'm determined to make it happen. Winning this scholarship would do a ton for me, especially since it's $5000, which is a lot of money. This could save me up to $10,000 and even more, considering the amount of interest I would accrue over time from my preexisting loans. Doing this would relieve a lot of stress and let me focus more on school. If I'm not doing schoolwork or studying, then I'm working, trying to get another job, or applying for scholarships. I'll have less stress in general. Stress not only causes headaches for me, but I get stomach issues as well which makes it two times more difficult to put 100% in school. This money would be life-changing. Thank you for this opportunity.

If I could watch one movie for the rest of my life, it'd be Twilight. Specifically, the 5-movie collection. Though it's not my favorite movie of all time, it ranks up on the "Movies I Love" list. Twilight is an iconic movie that was released in 2008. Even today, it's still popular and a must-see movie. I remember years after its release, I was at a family friend's house and they had a huge Twilight poster in their basement. The twins there would have a birthday party, and the party favors they handed out were those 8-ounce water bottles, but instead of the label being something like Poland Spring, it was Twilight-themed. Even today I think that's so cool. The reason why I'd select this movie as the one I'd see for the rest of my life is because it's a movie for (almost) any age. Of course, it's not meant for little kids, but I don't need to worry about that since I'm way past that, and the topic specifically says "for the rest of your life". I think teenagers, adults, and even the elderly would enjoy this movie. It has a lot of action and is very entertaining. In addition, there's romance which, come on, everyone loves (especially me). As I mentioned in the first paragraph, I would specifically choose the 5-movie collection. Yes, that may be considered cheating, however, hear me out: it's on one disc. If it's on one disc, it's considered, in my eyes, as one movie. If you buy a single movie from anywhere, you'll get a single disc, unless it's in a pack with multiple discs. But, since this is one disc for technically 5 movies, I believe it still counts as one. If it was called "The Twilight Series" or anything other than "5-movie collection", it would be "one movie". So, I think I can count it as one. Therefore, instead of watching one movie that's two hours long and potentially becoming bored with it, you can watch 5 movies that are a combined 10 hours long. I actually did the math on this one, and all 5 movies are a whopping 9 hours and 59 minutes long, so I'm not that far off. I digress. The Twilight series as a whole has released enjoyable movies. Fans loved it so much that they created ship names, like Bedward and Jella. In a short summary, here's the movie: first, you meet Bella and see into her life. Then, she meets Edward and then Jacob. Throughout the movie, you see some romances grow, some die. You also meet beloved characters. There are also fighting scenes between the vampires and the werewolves. Bella chooses who she'll end up with. There are more issues, but you'll have to watch to see how they were resolved. The Twilight Series are action-packed, romantic, dramatic, and include fantasy all in one. For that reason, Twilight was able to encapture the hearts of millions of people. A movie or series becomes popular for a reason, and it's obvious that Twilight was a successful movie that provided people with plenty of entertainment. You could never be bored of it, and that's why if I watched one movie for the rest of my life, I'd choose Twilight.

Since I was a little girl, I've adored babies. I love their cute, squishy faces and tiny sausage fingers. When I was seven years old, I visited the hospital nursery for the second time in my young life: the first only being when I was a baby. I got to see my cousin, just hours old, sleeping with other babies. I remember the nurse asking my family if we wanted to see my cousin up close. We all said yes ecstatically, because who wouldn't want to see a newborn up close? Unfortunately, the nurse told me and my sister we were too young to go into the nursery, and we had to stay outside and watch him from afar. The adults rotated going in and out to watch us kids. I was furious: why wasn't I allowed to see him up close? I was so jealous of the nurses. Thinking back at that memory is why I decided to pursue nursing. I wanted to be able to deal with babies every day. I don't want to be a nursery or neonatal nurse (whatever suits your fancy), but I'd love to be a labor and delivery nurse. I want to witness the miracle of childbirth firsthand. I want to support women giving birth and educate them when I can. Of course, I know there are going to be hard times, for instance when there's a stillbirth or unexpected circumstance. However, the pros outweigh the risks. I've wanted to pursue labor and delivery for four years now, and I can't wait to one day be doing my dream job. My career goal as a nurse is to make sure all my patients are as healthy and happy as possible. I want them to feel supported no matter what, whether it's their first or their sixth child. In the healthcare industry, it's common for people to feel disrespected or not represented well by their nurses. I want to show people that nurses are genuinely nice people who care about them, and not the "mean girl" from high school, as I've seen many describe. A hardship I've had to overcome was moving to a new city to attend college. As someone who was always guarded by my parents, my independence skyrocketed when I left. When I moved, I thought things wouldn't be hard and I'd be used to everything. However, one thing that was extremely different for me was public transportation. Where I'm from, public transportation is awful and barely anyone uses it. Here, people use public transportation daily. Having to learn where to go, outbound vs. inbound, and locating where I was going was a lot harder than I thought. Sometimes, I'd take a train the wrong way, and I had to wait even longer to get to where I wanted to be. I felt embarrassed being confused while everyone else seemed to know where they were going. Not to mention finding friends where I currently am is impossible, so I've had to do everything, including looking like a moron, by myself. This will impact my career because my experience shows that not everyone knows the things I know, and vice versa. When dealing with patients, I'll have to explain things specifically and make sure my patients know what's going to happen so they feel as comfortable as possible. Since I'll have a nursing education, knowing what's to happen would be easy for me to understand. However, this is uncharted territory for a person without healthcare knowledge and it's paramount that I describe things in a simple way for a patient to understand.

Just a few months ago, I decided to start watching The Office since it was extremely popular and I heard it was hilarious. After over 200 episodes, I finished the series and I have to say: I understand why it was so popular. It's a hilarious show containing loveable characters with diverse personalities. In real life, I tend to be the person in the background, the person who's often forgotten about. Once I know how to do something, I hate asking questions and bothering other people. I also don't have many friends, and I'm on the shy and introverted side rather than the extroverted side. In The Office, I'd select Toby as the character I most resonate with. He's more of a background character and works in the back away from the main cast, making him one of the more forgettable characters, though I did find myself rooting for him, especially when Michael insulted him (though I will say, I was hysterically laughing). He only seems to come out of his mini office area when Michael needs him, or when he needs to tell someone important information which, if I'm being honest, is exactly what I would do, too. Though Michael sees him as this annoying brat who hates having fun, Toby actually does seem to genuinely care about his fellow coworkers and has rules to protect them and keep the place running. Without him, Michael's immaturity may have driven the workplace out of business. I'd also argue that Phyllis could be another character I resonate with, for the two reasons being that I find myself often forgetting about her, and she seems like a family-oriented person, demonstrated by her obsession with her husband and her longing for her daughter, who she had to give away. However, I tend to find myself often confused by Phyllis' character. At most points, she seemed like a nice, kind older lady. However, at other times, she seemed rude and brazen, which is not something I'm like. An example of this was when Pam was juggling between Roy and Jim, and Phyllis made it clear she didn't approve. She'd also mock her sometimes. Since Phyllis has been working with the same people for a long time, maybe she saw them as her family and her attitude towards Pam was her way of showing her how she felt. It also seemed that Pam was her only target, so maybe Phyllis was molding Pam to be more like her, or she was jealous of the most attractive female in the workplace. Who knows. But because of the way she treated Pam, I wouldn't say I'm most like her. I wouldn't be rude towards anyone in my workplace, whether I worked with them for over a decade or a day. I'm not sure the show has shaped my perspective on workplace dynamics because I find this show to be unrealistic. For a TV show to be popular, and gain supporters, you need it to be entertaining, which is what the cast of The Office were able to do. In real life, I still see office jobs as boring, if I'm going to be honest. I think reality would show people only doing their jobs, talking to each other occasionally about life or about a client during the job, then during lunch, they talk some more, and if work friends are really close, then they may hang out after work hours. Then, once the workers are done at their jobs for the night, they go home and enjoy time with separate friends and family away from work.

Although Zendaya is young and has a whole life ahead of her, she has achieved so much. She's played Rue on Euphoria, MJ in Spiderman, KC in KC Undercover, and Rocky on Shake It Up. She's competed on Dancing With the Stars and almost won the Mirror Ball Trophy. She's sung songs like Replay and performed on The Greatest Showman. She's advocated for many marginalized groups, including black people and less fortunate people. She's also had iconic looks, including the 2015 Academy Awards, 2019 Met Gala as Cinderella, and the 2023 NAACP Image Awards look. Anyone can tell you she's had a very successful career thus far. The one thing I admire most about Zendaya's career is her activism. Many celebrities tend to get money and forget where they come from. Some grow up rich and are so absorbed into their own little bubble that they don't realize there are people struggling. Some celebrities will even donate a little of their time or money, making it more than obvious they are doing it just for publicity. However, Zendaya has proven time and time again that she's not interested in the money, but wants to genuinely help people and make a positive difference. First, she became an ambassador for Convoy of Hope, a group that helped Hurricane Sandy victims. She'd also record John Legend's "All of Me", and all proceeds were sent to charity. She'd raise $50,000 to help Convoy's Women Empowerment Initiative. Then, she started a campaign to feed people in Haiti, Tanzania, and the Phillipines. In 2012, Zendaya visited South Africa to help promote treatment for HIV and AIDS. She also performed at the Operation Smile benefit, whose goal was to help afford surgery for people with cleft lips and cleft palates. Zendaya also raises awareness to underprivileged schools, helped funded a computer science program at a school, advocated for women, black people, voting, and anti-bullying. All of this was done before Zendaya turned 25. She's done more for people in a few years than some celebrities have done their entire lifetimes. Zendaya would also be placed on Forbes 30 under 30, showing how influential she was. As I've expressed earlier, I'm not a fan of many celebrities, and I am by no means updated in the celebrity world. Nonetheless, I have heard of Zendaya, and I've known of her since 2013, which was towards the beginning of her career. She's always stayed true to herself, no matter how much money she has. She's also advocated for many things, which is something I largely respect in her.

Like many people, Minecraft was incredibly popular when I was younger, and even today it's still just as popular. I first started playing Minecraft over a decade ago, when I saw my sister was having so much fun playing with her friends. It seemed like overnight, Minecraft had become extremely popular, even at school. There's a ton of memories I have while playing Minecraft. Some include strangers, some include my family and friends. However, the most memorable moment of playing Minecraft had to come one night, many years ago, when we were playing Creative Mode together. This would be my favorite aspect of the game, as I could build whatever I wanted. I had mansions, artwork of characters I liked, farms, etc. Even building a gold house was possible in Creative Mode. That night, it was around 5 or 6 pm when my sister and I began to play together. We gathered in my room, me on my laptop sitting on my bed, and my sister laying on the floor with hers. I entered Creative Mode, and she followed me in. At first, we had a normal day. My sister went off to do something, and I started building these extravagent houses. I liked to roleplay and pretend I was preparing food, cleaning, taking a bath. When I was done with my gorgeous house, I went on to build a farm with lots of animals. I decorated the outside of the house and the area surrounding my farm with beautiful flowers. It was aesthetically pleasing. I grabbed a horse, saddled it, and climbed on. Another thing I loved was that I could ride horses. I was obsessed with it. I'm riding around when, all of a sudden, I see fire in my peripheral. I turn, and see my sister's avatar maniacally running around, causing chaos in my world. In real life, she's hysterically laughing. "Stop it!" I cried out. My horse and I tried to put out the fires she caused, but there were too many. "Try to save your stupid horsey!" My sister cackled. She killed my horse. We started chasing after each other, destroying the Earth while trying to destroy each other. Eventually, I gave up on everything I had and started building anew. Of course, she did the same thing. This went over and over again, and we were both having nothing but fun. This lasted for about an hour until my mom called us for dinner. We turned off the game. My sister left to place her laptop in her room, and I plugged mine in to it's charger to let it rest. We both entered the kitchen to eat. We would never open up that world again. My sister wouldn't play Minecraft for a few years, as she found other games she enjoyed more. I'd play Roblox sometimes, and eventually, video games were no longer my thing. What's funny is that you never realize when the last time you do something is. Even though we loved playing Minecraft, and enjoyed playing together, that would be one of the last times. I think this is my favorite memory of Minecraft because of the happy moments we had. We didn't do much, my sister and I, but we played together and had so much fun back then.

My favorite game to play in co-op mode is Mario Kart because of all the memories I have of playing it. Everyone knows what Mario Kart is, and even if they don't own any Nintendo games, they love to play this game with their friends. I remember the first time I got this game was when my parents first bought the Wii, as my dad liked the Mario games in the 80's and thought racing was cool. My sister and I wanted to play separately, so my parents gave us a timer on how long each of us could play. While playing, I decided to go through every course, and unlock the courses that weren't available at the time. Over the next few years or so, I'd work extremely hard at trying to unlock new characters. I'll never forget how I finally unlocked Mii Outfit B, the most advanced character in the game, and how excited I should have been, but I had just overheard my mom telling my sister my dog was going to die, so I turned off the Wii. That would end up being one of the last times I've ever played Mario Kart Wii and one of the last times I'd be on the Wii at all, as the Wii U was becoming more popular so my family brought that. However, one time before that, maybe in 2011, my family was all playing Mario Kart on the Wii. It was pitch black and the TV was illuminating our faces as we intently stared into the screen while pressing the 2 button and turning our steering wheels. All I remember was my mom was Toad. Knowing me, I was Princess Peach. My sister was most likely Yoshi. I believe my dad played as Donkey Kong, but Bowser, Mario, or Luigi was also probable, maybe even his own Mii. The race was Wii DK Summit, and my mom was getting irritated, as she kept falling. Finally, she had enough and yelled, "F---ing TOAD!!" My sister and I, being extremely young and thinking curses were hilarious, cracked up. Even our parents started laughing as well. To this day, this was one of the funniest things that's occurred during Mario Kart. Another memory was at my friend's house. It was her birthday, and she had 4 people come over (I remember this because 1 of us always had to alternate, as there were 5 people total and only 4 players). We'd play Mario Kart for an hour or two, just laughing and trying to beat the other racers. Usually, it was my friend and I battling for 1st or 2nd, because we played a lot already and were really good. We'd throw blue shells, and bombs, and use mushrooms to try to beat the other. We were extremely competitive, but friendly at the same time. There wasn't anything particularly hilarious or a specific memory that made this so fun. It was just fun because we were all friends, hanging out, and racing with no care in the world. My family was caught up with the video game world. After the Wii went out of style and the Wii U was in, we brought the Wii U. Of course, the first game we'd look for was Mario Kart 8. When the Wii U flopped, the Switch took over and yet again, the first game we'd invest in was Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Even though we loved the different versions of Mario Kart, the first one I'd ever have, Mario Kart Wii, would remain my favorite.

alexa_bittner

My favorite series on Netflix, by far and away, is Grey's Anatomy. I haven't watched a medical drama or any type of show similar to Grey's Anatomy beforehand, but I've been wanting to watch it since I'm a nursing major and I figured I should probably watch some type of medical-related show. I figured watching Grey's Anatomy would be a good idea because it was popular when it came out in 2005 and is still going on to its 19th season today, so it can't be awful. Anyhow, I've been watching since last September or October, and this show has taken over my life. One reason you should watch Grey's Anatomy is because of all the twists in the show that you won't see coming. Yes, this show has broken my heart more times than I can count and it will definitely break yours too, so beware. Here's a warning: do not to fall in love with any character. They'll most likely be killed or be brutally kicked off the show. I learned it the hard way. I'm still traumatized by the way some of my favorites left the show. Anyways, what makes Grey's Anatomy so great is that it takes place in both the hospital (where the surgeons work all the time) and even in the outside world, so you see what the characters are like outside of their job. The surgeons deal with heartbreaking cases and deaths, conditions that are extremely rare and many (including myself) have never heard of, and crazy scenarios that have you questioning how the patient got out of it alive. One patient came in after being covered head-to-toe in cement, and the surgeons were in a race against time to get him out of the cement before he dehydrated and died. Another 2 patients came in after a train crashed, having a single pole impaled in both of their bodies, and the surgeons had to figure out how to remove the pole without the patients bleeding out. Of course, there's the Denny Duquette and Henry Burton cases, both extremely loveable characters. And then there's the musical episode with Callie's case, which even though many Grey's Anatomy fans hate because the singing is random, I personally loved it. Their voices sounded amazing together. Another fascinating thing is that the surgeons specialize in something different, so you'll see plenty of different cases. Some of the specialties the surgeons are in are general, neuro, peds, neonatal, ortho, cardiothoracic, plastic, trauma, urology, and more. This is what makes the show so interesting. You'll see routine surgeries being performed, like an appendectomy. Then you'll see people get life-changing surgeries, like a bypass or an impossible brain tumor being removed. And don't forget Code Black, that episode had me on my heels wondering who'd live and who'd die, if anyone. There are so many different, crazy scenarios that make Grey's Anatomy worth watching. If you're looking for something happy, this show may not be for you. However, if you love plot twists and a challenge, then this show is worth watching. It's a semi-realistic show that shows what surgeons lives are like and how they perform their jobs, with lots of entertainment combined. This is also a great show to watch because there are 19 seasons, and over 400 episodes.

The two Disney Channel shows I would crossover would be Jessie and Wizards of Waverly Place. The title would be called "Jessie of Waverly Place" and would take place on Halloween, or close to it. The show will be considered Jessie's, as the episode starts off at her penthouse. The episode starts at Jessie's penthouse. Luke and Ravi would fight over homework at school in the living room, with Luke wanting Ravi to give him the answers and Ravi refusing. Emma will come downstairs from her room where she was previously trying on new clothes, and Zuri will come from the kitchen, where she was doing arts and crafts. Both will yell at the boys to be quiet, but most of the blame will go on Luke because he started the fight. They start to fight, and while doing so, they break something important, like a lamp, for instance. Jessie will storm into the room, asking what the commotion is about. Jessie then decides that they need to spend time as a family, so she gets Bertram and all 6 of them take the elevator down and go outside to air out their anger. They walk around for a bit and then stop by an old store with a neon blue sign saying Waverly Wizards. Luke and Zuri are intrigued and want to go inside. Emma and Ravi are hesitant, but eventually, Emma decides that it wouldn't hurt to look. Bertram refuses to go in, saying it looks suspicious, and Jessie agrees. However, after seeing how the majority of the group wants to go in, they decide to go inside the store and are disappointed by the lack of energy. Inside is dark and dreary. There's a large wooden counter that contains a single cash register, but no one is standing behind it. The rest of the store has all sorts of collectibles, decorations, cards, and who knows what else. "What is this place?" Zuri will ask, starting to get a little fearful because the store is so dark. Bertram and Ravi want to leave, but Jessie forces them to stay. Then Jessie calls out, and there's no response. The family walks to the back of the store, hoping to find someone who could help. They find a door and hesitantly decide to go wherever it leads because no one's in the store. After a long walk being surrounded by nothing but themselves and the darkness around them, they finally reach another area. There, they see 3 people, 1 girl and 2 boys, using some sort of powers. Luke rushes through and asks who they are. At first, the people are startled, then are annoyed that strangers are interrupting their practice session. They introduce themselves as Alex, Justin, and Max. Even though Alex, Justin, and Max are skeptical at first, they realize that the kids, Jessie, and Bertram won't do any harm. They'll show the group how to perform wizard-y tricks like spellcasting, cloning, enchanting, telekinesis, elemental manipulation, teleporting, and more. Once the group learns this, the 3 wizards will bring everyone to Wiz Tech, the school they attend, and learn more about wizards. At the school, they'll take a tour, go to classes, and spend a day as a student at Wiz Tech. By the end of the day, everyone will be exhausted and go back to Waverly Wizards. Buying souvenirs to remember the great time, the Jessie family leaves the store, goes back to the penthouse, and by the end of the episode, the group will all be together and playing a wizard board game.

When I was 11 years old, I got really into art. I loved drawing and even had an app called Art Amino, where I posted my artwork. I loved drawing characters and creating their own backstory. The artstyle that I had was most similar to anime characters. A lot of my characters were also drawn in chibi style, which could be found in anime. While looking at other people's art, I noticed that a lot of them were anime characters or inspired by anime, similar to my drawings. One day, I was bored and had nothing to watch. I wasn't in the mood to draw or read, which were other hobbies that I had. So I decided to download Crunchyroll, an app that is specifically made for anime. There, I could find any anime I wanted to watch for free. I was originally looking for Sailor Moon, as it was one of the most popular animes here. However, I came across one of the cutest-looking characters I've ever seen and had to click that title. It was called Squid Girl. I think part of it that makes it so captivating for me is that I love mermaids and anything ocean-related. I think the ocean's beautiful, and if it were possible for humans to live there, I would. No, Squid Girl is not a mermaid but she does come from the ocean. In the anime, Squid Girl comes to land having the intention of taking over humanity. There, she damages a restaurant and is forced to work there to repair the damages. This is a funny and adorable anime about a girl who is not human nor is she used to them. Though she wants to destroy the human population, she grows to love the people she meets and doesn't want to go back to the ocean. This anime is fun, enjoyable, and contains cute characters who will make you smile. It makes me a bit nostalgic to think about Squid Girl. The first time I watched this was when my mom was buying her new white Dodge Durango. Sitting in the dealership took so long and I was bored, especially considering that I was a kid and time went by a lot slower. After the car was brought home after 8 pm, maybe even 9 pm, I ran to my room and laid on my bed as my legs were kicking in the air, entranced in Squid Girl. It wasn't long until I finished the entire series.

Ever since I was a little girl, my favorite thing about Disney has been the princesses. From Cinderella to Tiana to Belle or Mulan... I adored the princesses and their elegant gowns. The Disney Princess who was my favorite when I was a child was Ariel. The main reason for this was that she was a mermaid. I used to be obsessed with mermaids, demonstrated by my mermaid Barbies, mermaid-themed clothing, mermaid beach towels, and even trying to swim like one underwater. I've been to Disney twice when I was 8 and 10 years old. I remember when I was 8 I got this reversible doll. On one side there was Aurora, and when you flipped the dress over, it became Ariel. I bought this doll because in the store it was Ariel, and I didn't even realized it flipped over to another character until later on (even today I still haven't flipped the doll over to Aurora's side.) For the rest of that vacation, I would fall asleep hugging that doll. Another significant moment regarding Ariel for me was at the very end of the vacation. During the week, my family and I got to meet the Disney characters, take pictures, and even get their signatures in some notebook we got. We met characters like Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Jasmine and Aladdin, Chip and Dale, Snow White, and more. My parents knew that Ariel was my favorite, but we still haven't met her yet. On the very last day, in torrential rain with less than an hour to race to the airport, I finally got to meet my hero (and Eric). Her long red hair was down, and there was a greenish-teal-colored flower in her hair. This color would match her dress and makeup. She was even prettier in person, and I was very happy at the end of the trip. (Eric was also good-looking, for the record. I did not appreciate his hotness until way after the trip when I was looking back on pictures!) After meeting both of them, my family and I raced through the rain, trying to make our flight. We did end up making it, by the way. Anyways, today, my favorite Disney Princess would have to be Belle, with Ariel taking 2nd place. Belle's my favorite because she tends to be more similar to me than Ariel was, as we both enjoyed reading and were quieter people. I also love the message of Beauty and the Beast, which is to not judge someone based on what they look like, but on their character instead. Before ending, I also want to mention one more thing I saw at Disney that was amazing but has nothing to do with the Disney Princesses: It's a Small World, After All! Seeing those tiny little dolls all lined up and dancing around in the lights was truly one of the greatest things I'll ever witness. My parents ended up giving me the camera and I started snapping pictures of every one of those dolls, no doll was left behind. I could have stayed on the ride all day just to watch them dance in their cute outfits. Disney was a very integral part of my childhood. From watching movies to dressing up as the princesses, to playing with dolls, and finally being able to visit Disney, Disney had an unforgettable role in my childhood and I am glad I got the privilege to experience it in person.

There are two types of people: people who love pumpkin spice, and people who are wrong. I love when Starbucks has fall-inspired drinks because those are drinks that you can't have year-round, which makes them taste so much better. Before last year, I barely had Starbucks. I'd never had a fall-inspired drink from them until I went off to college and tried it for the first time. I finally understood the obsession. For over a month after that, all I had every day was anything pumpkin-spice-related. I was obsessed. The light flavor of pumpkin mixed with cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove is divine. I truly don't get how anyone could hate the classic PSL. My favorite fall-inspired drink, however, would be the iced pumpkin spice latte. What throws this over the edge compared to the other pumpkin-inspired drinks is that it doesn't irritate my stomach. This isn't just a Starbucks thing, but an all-around thing: Starbucks, Dunkin, Tim Hortons, store-brought brands..my stomach simply refuses most coffees, and I don't know why. It's why I love Starbucks frappuccinos so much: a majority of them I can drink. Because I love pumpkin spice lattes and the iced pumpkin spice latte is the one type of PSL I can drink, it holds a dear place in my heart. It doesn't taste the same as a classic hot PSL, but it still tastes as good. I'm extremely excited about the iced pumpkin cream chai tea latte, which is a new item coming out this fall. I'm curious to know if it's going to taste similar to the iced pumpkin spice latte or if the chai will make it quite different. Maybe it'll become my new fall-inspired drink. Fall is not one of the seasons I enjoy most. That happens to be spring, followed by summer, and then there's fall. But to me, fall and winter are interchangeable, it just depends on what the weather's like. I like a lot of snow now, I used to hate it but since my area barely gets snow anymore, I wish for it more. In the fall, school starts, which is nice for the first week or so until you really have to start studying. Then there are the decorating houses with Halloween decorations, pumpkin picking, apple picking, and anything else that doesn't seem interesting. I'm more of a Christmas girl, not a fall person. The addition of the iced pumpkin spice latte makes me feel happier, cozier, even. It makes it feel like it's winter but in the fall. I can just imagine a wooden cabin, and in the background is a fireplace that has flames crackling. There's a cozy-looking couch, a dark color, and on top of it is a thick, warm red blanket. In front of the fireplace and close to the couch is a table that matches the room, and on top of it are 3 things. The first is a nice, long book to read on one end, and on top of the book is a dark red candle, probably cinnamon or apple-scented, maybe even both. It's a medium-sized candle, with one wick, and it's currently lit up, flames dancing along with the fireplace. The room smells delicious. Then, finally, right to the book and candle is the iced pumpkin spice latte, half-drunken. The taste of the pumpkin along with the spices matches the aesthetic I'm imagining perfectly. It's warm, relaxing, and inviting. It's a time when you can just sit back and relax, and not have to worry about a thing.

Since Season 1, Episode 1 of the Summer I Turned Pretty, I have been Team Jeremiah. Time and time again, he has shown that he cares about Belly and respects her, which is something Conrad doesn't always do, especially in season 2. In season 1, episode 1, the boys go to a party on the beach and specifically don't want Belly there because she's "the little sister". Belly goes anyway because she was invited. Conrad and Steven, Belly's brother, are angry. Jeremiah, on the other hand, is perfectly fine with it and even helps her when she gets punched in the face and falls as a result of trying to stop a fight. Meanwhile, Conrad ignores her at the party and is kissing another girl, clearly showing he has no interest in Belly. In episode 2, Jeremiah doesn't do much except go to the movie drive-in with Conrad and Steven to make fun of Belly on her date with Cam. Conrad is the only one in the group who doesn't fool around, and when she yells at them to leave, he makes the boys leave. This is one of the only times he stuck up for Belly while Jeremiah and Steven made fun of her. However, when boys like girls they will make fun of her, and maybe this is just something Jeremiah did for that reason. In episode 3, Jeremiah's willing to drive Belly to get Taylor for her birthday, and then when they're in the pool together, Belly rides on his shoulders to play chicken, which is the start of something romantic. In addition, when Taylor kisses Steven behind Belly's back and Belly finds out, Jeremiah acts as a therapist and lets Belly air her frustrations, fully supporting her. In episode 5, Jeremiah shows up to the debutante ball practice and makes light of it by turning on an inappropriate song and dancing to it. This entertains Belly and makes her ecstatic. In episode 7, Jeremiah is who Belly chose to go to the debutante ball with her, not Conrad who she's been in love with for 6 years. Though Jeremiah ditches her and Conrad takes over so Belly has someone to dance with, Jeremiah also finds out his mom is dying which is a perfectly reasonable excuse to leave. Now, on to season 2. This season was less about love and more about trying to survive after Susannah's death, who was a huge reason why the Conklin and Fisher families met up every summer at the Cousins house. In this season, Conrad and Belly are dating. He takes her to the prom, forgets her corsage, and then breaks up with her on a night that should've been memorable. She deserved better. Jeremiah stopped talking to them for a while, but for a good reason: he was heartbroken and needed time away. Throughout the season, they get closer while trying to figure out how to keep the house. In episode 6, Belly describes kissing Cam, Conrad, and Jeremiah to Taylor and Skye. While describing the first two, she gives an ordinary response. However, when describing Jeremiah, Belly has a wistful face, and it's obvious by her magical description that at this point she's in love with him, but doesn't know or doesn't want to reveal it. I'm Team Jeremiah because he's always been respectful and supports Belly. He's expressed his disdain towards Conrad on multiple occasions and even tells Belly that he wouldn't treat her the way Conrad's treated her. Conrad may have been Belly's dream man years ago, but now, Jeremiah's treating her the way she deserves.

My favorite book genre is romance, and most of the time you'll find me reading anything romance. However, over the past few weeks, I've been reading not only romantic book recommendations that I've gotten from BookTok, but other genres that have caught my interest, as well. This includes mysteries, psychological, suspense, and fantasy. I love reading, and over the past 3 years I have read 160 books (I keep track of this on Libby). So, with all the books that I've read throughout my life, here is what would go on my shelf, some books on here that were solely found on BookTok, and others that were inspired by BookTok recommendations. 1. The "Blood and Ash Series" by Jennifer L. Armentrout. This includes 6 books, 5 of which have already been released and a 6th book that I 100% will be reading when it's released next summer. The author kept me on my feet throughout these novels. Definitely one of my favorite series of all time. 2. Verity by Colleen Hoover. Verity is one of the most interesting and creepy books I've ever read. I finished this book at 4 am because of how interested I was. I couldn't even put it down. It may not be for people who are used to scary books, but for someone like me, it was very good. Even the ending had me begging for more. 3. The French Girl by Lexie Elliott. I recently read this mystery/suspense novel, and it had me wanting more, even after the novel ended. I love the style of the book and thought the author's ideas were very interesting, but I will say that the ending had me infuriated! I'd recommend it for those on BookTok who enjoy murder mysteries. 4. Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty. This book is about a group of 4 siblings whose mother goes missing, and the biggest suspect is the father. I enjoyed the way the author used both past and present tense. It led to interesting discoveries, which contributed to the shocking ending. I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading mysteries or family drama. 5. Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen. This is one of my favorite novels. It's a story of an Asian-American girl who is sent to Taiwan for the summer to learn Mandarin. Though she hates it at first, she grows to enjoy it and doesn't want to leave. Though this is a romance novel, it also shows the differences between the U.S. and Taiwan, and as someone who likes learning about different cultures, this was a 10/10 for me. 6. The "Medlar Mystery" series by Jude Deveraux. These 4 books are about an author, her niece, and a houseguest who discover dead bodies and try to solve the crime. I haven't seen these books recommended on BookTok yet, but I have a feeling they will soon. 7. Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert. This book is an enemies-turn-to-lovers. The main character, a girl named Celine, signs up for a survival course in the woods for a chance to win a scholarship. Bradley Graeme, the so-called enemy, also ends up signing up for the survival course, and there they both hash misunderstandings and learn to get along. If there wasn't a word limit, I could go on all day about books that I'd add to my ideal bookshelf. This might sound a little lazy, but I'd consider all of these books must-haves. These books impacted the BookTok community by providing people with a way to escape, entertain themselves, and a way to connect.

My first thought is from your similarities between the Greatest Generation and Gen Z paragraph. I disagree with that last sentence. I don't think we Gen Z accept burdens gracefully, I believe we're forced to deal with burdens and raise awareness. If we don't act graceful and instead riot, we'll be arrested. That'll take us nowhere. The issue is, with many of the burdens you mentioned like bankruptcy, student loans, and healthcare, is that there's simply nothing we can do. The only way to do something about this is to elect presidents, and Gen Zs can't represent themselves until at least 2032 when the first Gen Zs born in 1997 will be able to run. Even so, almost all of the Presidents in the past have all been elderly. The reason there's rarely any Presidential candidate closer to the age of 35 than to 100 anymore is because the potential younger presidents don't have the money to form campaigns and try to make a run. Most Gen Zs (except the 10 years old and whatnot) know about the issues with the economy, student loans, and healthcare, but we accept that we simply can't change anything, not for a long time, anyways. Let's be real: the candidates for Presidents running for the 2024 election are going to most likely be Trump and Biden, and with all due respect, I genuinely believe neither will make a difference with any of the issues. I also believe that whoever gets elected will die in office, but I digress. The White House right now is a battle between the Democrats and the Republicans. They only care for themselves, not for the people helping them get to where they are today. How to work in the White House? Being elected. By people. In addition, these candidates are older and they don't care about younger people as by the time the things could affect them, they'll (respectfully) be dead. I wouldn't say we accept the burden, but more that we are forced to accept it. "Vote for a president who will change things!" Well, what if there's not a president who will fully represent what we want? Half the things candidates running for president say lie just to get vulnerable people to vote for them. Gen Zs are not the only generation voting, and therefore we won't be able to make a difference for a long time. However, I won't let it go unnoticed that you notice all the issues that Gen Zs will have to go through, and for that, I thank you. Many people who are in older generations will tell Gen Zs to suck it up, to pay off student loans because "we took it out and knew what we were getting into", even though they were the ones to tell us we'd earn zip and be nothing without college. So thank you for being one of the rare but good exceptions. Moving on, I do think it's interesting and correct that Gen Zs are less resentful than older generations, and I wonder why this is the way it is. Sure, older generations have dealt with things for so long that they don't want to change, but why is change always so bad? Many changes have been good: LGBTQ+ have more rights than ever, POCs are being treated more respectfully than in the past, people nowadays can have piercings and tattoos without being as harshly judged as decades ago, where you weren't able to fully express yourself. Why do older generations see people be different and automatically assume they're evil? This is just a thought. I can't answer this because honestly, I don't get it. A person choosing to become transgender does not affect me personally. A person being of a different ethnicity doesn't automatically make me think badly of them. Having tattoos, piercings, dyed hair, etc doesn't make a person evil. Yet, older generations are more worried about these people than actual murderers. Murderers, for goodness sakes! It's ludicrous. I'd like to live and see a world where the past is the past, and the future is happy. I'd like to live to see something done about the disgusting increase in the cost of colleges and student loan rates, which at this rate needs to be considered illegal. I'd like to see people get accessible healthcare and not have to worry about having the money to pay for treatment or fear of being deported. I'd like groceries, gas prices, and homes to decrease, and for the homeless to become to be homed. Give us raises. I'd like for taxes to be lower for us ordinary middle and lower-class people, and for the rich to be taxed drastically because they can afford it while the rest of us are lucky to afford food. I'd like all colleges to be free, not just community college like Mr. Biden wants because I think that if we want to start a new life somewhere, we should be allowed to without being bankrupt forever. I'd like to see people have amazing dreams that may be attainable. I had dreams of graduating without debt, working for a few years, and saving so much that I could visit every country, then go home, get married, have children and pets, and work while raising them. This isn't much. But, I don't see this anymore. I'd like to graduate and work all day, every day until I can pay off my loans. Then, we'll see about traveling, marriage, and kids: things I see as blessings. First loans, then everything else is on the back burner. The beginning of my life is already started, and yet I'll be lucky if my debt is still 5 figures by the time I graduate. I'd like to live in one of the richest countries in the world without being drowned in debt. It'll take a long, long time, but I think we can one day get there.

In September of 2021, my dad got the flu, or some sort of bug that was going around. A few days later, my mom caught this same bug. Less than a week later, my mom got better. My dad, however, did not. His coughing, fatigue, and ill stomach turned into nausea, stomach pain, and diarrhea. That would get worse. He'd be unable to keep anything down. He'd go to the bathroom every 5 minutes having diarrhea, and quickly enough, the only thing that would come out was copious amounts of blood. Is that even considered diarrhea anymore? Anyways, that was the first time I thought, "Holy shit, something is terribly wrong". All he did was get worse. I've dealt with death early on and was prepared for my older members to die, especially because I had such a tiny family. My immediate family, however, was fairly young and had gotten sick on occasion and always got better. After noticing how pale and skinny my dad was becoming, my mom took him to the emergency room. Now, according to Google, my dad had colon cancer. I refused to say anything about this. We were already stressed enough. I was terrified and stood by my living room window, watching them leave and pacing around until my mom would come back with news or text me. She'd come home hours later, past 8 pm to feed my sister and I. So far, no updates other than the fact that he lost 20 pounds in less than 2 weeks, which we weren't surprised to hear. The hospital decided to keep him overnight for observation. At around 11 pm or so, he'd call us and we'd speak with him for a while. My dad finally got a diagnosis: ulcerative colitis, a form of inflammatory bowel disease. I was relieved it wasn't cancer. Alas, as soon as I was done speaking with him I got out my phone and started researching this condition, learning that it was genetic. Funny enough, my dad's side of the family had a lot of stomach issues but he had no idea what they were, as his family wasn't big on going to the doctors. Now, they'd been dead for a few decades, and we'd never learn what they had. Of course, this condition isn't curable and he still has it. But he was discharged the next day, was given medication to control the blood and inflammation, and ever since then, he's been going to the gastroenterologist regularly, gets yearly colonoscopies, gets injections (Stelara) and takes pills for his nutrition. He gets stomach issues often, wakes up nauseous, and often feels fatigued. There always needs to be a bathroom open at all times, just in case his stomach acts up. No matter how he's feeling, he is still able to get up, go to work every day, and help provide for my family. Even though he's had his condition for nearly 2 years now, it has influenced me to a large extent. Watching my dad handle and fight this disease has taught me perseverance, especially through the pain he's dealt with on and off, to go to the doctor if something feels off, and showed me how to properly care for family. Even though he could've chose to stop working due to his disease, or even wallow in the fact that some foods he enjoyed he couldn't eat anymore or had to eat in moderation, he didn't.

Since I was a little girl, I’ve always wanted to become a mother. When I was in first grade, I had a get-to-know-you project where I had a poster paper with prompts and had to fill them in. There was a topic called “In The Future” and I had a picture of a mother holding a baby. In the caption, I wrote that I wanted to be a mother. Then, a year later, my cousin was born. My family and I were at the nursery, peering in at the babies through the glass. The nurse working asked if we all wanted to see him up close, and we all agreed. However, because my sister and I were too young, we weren’t allowed in. At the time, I was angry and jealous of the nurses who got to be in the nursery. They were so lucky, being able to care for babies all the time. When I first started thinking of something I wanted to major in, I had no idea what I wanted. However, after finding a baby sonographer and remembering my adoration for mothers and my desire to have babies, I did more research and realized that I wanted to be a labor and delivery nurse. To make a positive impact on the world, I want mothers to always feel safe and comfortable both with me and with giving birth. I want to inform them of anything they would need to know, and if they have questions, I will gladly answer. Many mothers, especially first-timers, don’t know what’s exactly going on until they have to push, being left confused until they give birth. I want to ease the anxiety any mothers have about this. I want my patients to feel heard. I also want to educate parents on normal and atypical behavior of their babies, so if they feel their baby needs some sort of testing, they are able to get that. If they suspect something is wrong, I want to exhaust every avenue before telling them that they’re fine. Many times, patients will have issues and go to the doctor about it. The doctor will do some tests and tell them that there’s nothing to be worried about. A few days or weeks later, the patient will still have issues and go to the same or different doctor. They’ll find out that there was something wrong, and their intuition was correct. I want to avoid this with my patients, because not only is going to multiple doctors more expensive, but it wastes time when the patient should’ve only been there once. I want my patients to have the most effective care possible.

Since I was a little girl, the idea of being a mother was something I adored and was fascinated with. When I was in first grade, I had a project where I had to put pictures on poster paper that showed people who I was. I had pictures of family, myself, my favorite food, and most of all, a picture of a woman holding a child in her arms. "I want to be a Mother," I wrote. Over a year later, my cousin would be born. The one thing I remember from that visit to the hospital was the nursery. How all the babies were swaddled in their cribs and looked absolutely adorable and blissful. Not a single one was crying. Or making any noise, for that matter. Unfortunately all I could do was look from the outside, as I wasn't allowed in the nursery because I was too young. As time went by, I'd grow up and change my interests. For a long time, I wanted to be a pet groomer, a writer, or maybe an artist. I completely forgot about my strong desire to be a mother, or my love for infants. When it came time to search for college majors at my high school, I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to be. But suddenly coming across babies and infants reminded me of what I loved when I was younger, and that's when I knew I wanted to be a labor and delivery nurse. My mission for joining the healthcare industry is to make sure that all families enter and leave the hospital in the best possible condition. I want mothers to feel comfortable and as stress-free as possible be while giving birth. I want babies to come out as healthy as can be. I want to educate parents on how to take care of their babies, and teach them what's typical and abnormal behavior so if they suspect anything is wrong, they'll go to a doctor and get a diagnosis. An issue in today's healthcare system is patients complaining of an issue, and doctors will do some tests and determine everything is fine. They'll insist other tests are not necessary without hearing the patient out. A patient will have a gut feeling the doctor is incorrect, and go to multiple doctors to see if there is an issue. Many times in this scenario, the patient will be correct in that there's something wrong with them, but because of how rare or how insignificant the symptoms may be at first sight, a lot of other doctors won't be able to make an accurate diagnosis. I do not want to put my patients through this. I want to make sure they only have to go to one doctor. If there's at least one suspicion that there's something wrong with the mother or the baby, I want to exhaust every possible avenue there is before declaring that everything is fine. When mothers look back on their births in five, ten, or twenty years from now, I want to be the nurse they remembered in a positive light, a nurse that made them feel safe in a vulnerable situation. I want to be the nurse that inspires other labor and delivery nurses to do what I love, and to see this not as a job, but a calling.

If I could have everyone in the world read just one book, I'd choose Imperfect Chemistry by Mary Frame. In this book, a girl named Lucy is a genius who, at only the age of 20, has a PhD. Because she's skipped so many grades, she was never around people her age and found difficulty in communicating. However, she was offered a grant, and in order to receive this, she needs to study human emotions. Since she's awkward and has no where to start, she picks on the first person she sees, who happens to be Jensen. Jensen is the exact opposite of Lucy, as he's popular, witty, and enjoys the social life. It also helps that he's her neighbor, which makes studying him easy, as long as he approves of this research. So, why choose this book? These two people, Lucy and Jensen, are the exact opposites. If not for this research, they would never communicate with each other and become educated on what different people feel. I think this is eerily similar to real life. The loud, party-goer doesn't talk to the quiet, introverted person. The so-called attractive person would never speak to the ugly person. In society, if you are not in the "superior" group, then you aren't treated with the fairness and respect that all people deserve. All people should be treated with respect, and the fact that people refuse to give others a single chance based on something so artificial is awful. This is common with people my age, especially the dating scene, but there's plenty of both older and younger people who do this, as well. Not giving someone a chance because they're too poor? Attractive enough? Interesting enough? You will have no idea how you'll feel around someone, but as soon as they are labelled as different they become some sort of villain. It's like being different is a crime. It's horrible. The words "different" and "crime" do not have the same definition, do they? This book, albeit more on the romantic side, shows that opposites could, indeed, attract. Reading this book, especially through Lucy's point of view, shows you have no idea what a person is really thinking unless you get to know them. Are they insensitive, or do they not understand? Just because a person isn't how you behave doesn't mean you get to judge them without getting to know them.

"Why don't you ever talk?" "Do you know how to speak?" "Look at her eyebrows." "What happened to her?" The people who I've been around for the last 19 years of my life have done nothing but to destroy my mental health, one by one. When I was 9 years old, all the popular girls had thin eyebrows. They were also beautiful. I wanted to be popular and beautiful, too. So, I plucked all my eyebrows off in my basement on Halloween, one by one until my fingers were numb, red, and indented. I went upstairs minutes later, digging through candy. As I popped a butterscotch into my mouth, my parents told me to look at them. I did. They screamed at me, demanding what I did to my face. "Nothing," I muttered over and over again. Later on, I'd move to my eyelashes. Those were gone in a breeze, too. The next day on my school bus, everyone looked at me while whispering. In school, people would ask my sister what happened to me. She'd proceed to insult me with them. The people who could never bother speaking to me were suddenly very loud. I guess I could never be pretty or popular. In 7th grade English, we had to write some report on a book we read over the summer. "You should speak more, I'd like to hear your opinions," the secondary teacher would tell me. I was in the very last seat of the row, just like I always was. It was because I was tall, wore glasses, and was quiet. That's the way it worked. I was in the back of the room for my entire schooling career. No teacher had to worry about me, and they never did. What I thought didn't matter, until the secondary teacher. Anyways, that teacher was fired less than 2 weeks later due to inappropriate behavior with male students. In Italian, I sat right behind this very loud, vocal boy. I liked sitting behind him because he would always speak and answer questions in class, which made it less likely for me to be called on. One day he came strolling into class, took a seat at his desk, and leaned back. He hit something of mine, then turned around and yelled, "Why don't you ever talk in class? Do you know how to speak? I've never seen you here before!" As if this wasn't towards the very end of the year where, yes dude, you knew I was here. What do you even say to people like that? I don't know. My eyes saw black dots and I felt dizzy. Sad. Embarassed, quite frankly. After quarantine, I had 1 friend. She claimed she was just like me, having difficulty with making friends, but was always texting people and everyone spoke to her. My classmates in had no problem with interrupting every conversation I had with her and never once acted like I existed. They couldn't even look at me. I thought the day I graduated and left those monsters would be the best day of my life. Instead, I went to college, made no friends, and was bullied by a roommate and her friends because I didn't allow them to have sex in my dorm. I'm depressed, lonely, and after 40+ job applications, no one's hired me. Even managers don't want to deal with me! Oh, and apparently I'm evil. High school was supposed to be a new start. College was supposed to be a new start. There are no new starts after this. Where does it end?

I've never told anyone this before, nor have I typed it, but mental health is something I struggle with daily. In high school, I was miserable, as I was quiet and no one liked me. I was the weird kid who liked getting lost in a fantasy of reading instead of human interactions. Once Covid-19 happened, I lost a good majority of friends who turned out to be fake. The "real" ones left as soon as high school was over. When I left that hellhole, I was glad. I was off to college in a different state and I thought I'd make plenty of friends and be happy. Fast-forward a year later. I was wrong. College was not what I expected. I lived with roommates that were completely different. Although one talked all the time, it was never a true conversation, as it was always about her. I can count the times roommate two spoke to me on one hand. The third roommate and her friends bullied me because I refused to leave the room so she could have sex, then at the end of the year called me out in front of everyone because I never spoke to her, accused me of being homophobic (she thought I hated her because she was lesbian, even though I had no issue with her on a personal level.) She then insulted everything about me and made herself the victim when I confronted her with bullying. I thought I was being nice by buying her things at no cost to her when she was sick or letting her borrow my calculator charger because she didn't want to buy one herself, but I suppose I'm the villain. No one defended me. Everytime I walked into the dining hall, I saw her friends, who gave me looks and pointed at me, laughing as if I were a circus. I no longer felt safe, so I stopped eating in the dining hall. 2 meals a day was lucky. I spent nearly 10 hours in the library, my only safe space. No one judged if I was alone. 2 weeks before this all was over. I get bloated daily which makes me depressed and I've thought before of harming myself as a result, but I have never considered suicide seriously until that moment when she called me out. I thought somebody had my back. I thought someone would understand why I didn't want to leave my dorm at 1 a.m. just for my roommate, who didn't talk to me, to have sex. I had new, sharp razors and everything. If I wasn't afraid of the pain, I truly would've done that, no doubt. Pills were my next option, but I didn't have any. If I did, I wouldn't have to worry about this anymore. I'd be at peace. Maybe a part of me also wanted her to be the one to find my dead body. Traumatize her the way she hurt me. I guess I'm still here, though, and I sleep a lot to avoid being awake. I'm home, and except for paranormal activity occurring in my house, I feel safe. Not happy yet, just safe. I wish I had my dog to comfort me like he always did, but God wanted him, too. I guess He gives his hardest battles to the toughest soldiers. I have 43 days from writing this until I have to go back to school, and believe it or not, I'm NOT excited. I just hope next year can be a little better, because I'm not sure I can imagine much worse.

One of the most embarrassing things about starting a new job is when something goes wrong and being caught off-guard. You look new, act new, you are new, and therefore, can't do anything to make it look like you're experienced because you're not (unless you are a good actor. I was not blessed with the ability). My first job was as a medical assistant at the university I currently attend. As part of training, I had to learn things like taking vital signs. I also learned how to navigate the website my school used for logging patient information, how to clean rooms, etc. The very first thing I learned was how to take vitals. We used vital carts, which make things a lot easier. To measure the oxygen level, we have to take this clamp which is connected to the vital cart and put it around any finger except the thumb. To measure the blood pressure, we take the cuff and wrap it in a specific way on the patient's upper arm. For temperature, there is a separate thermometer piece in the vital cart, and we take out the metal rod, put a plastic thermometer cover over it, and place the rod in the patient's mouth under the tongue. I did this plenty of times before seeing a patient by myself for the first time. I would dare say I was confident about everything, as I've been taking patients in with other more experienced medical assistants and I did fine. Sometimes, I put the cuff for blood pressure on the wrong way (the way I put on the cuff is opposite to everyone else, as I am left-handed and my brain apparently thinks differently than everyone else) but other than that, I was fine. I made a few mistakes before, learned how to correct them, and all was good. The first patient I had was a boy. As a girl with extremely limited interactions with men, I was already nervous, as I find it harder to communicate with boys than with girls. But what was I going to do, say I can't do it? No. I got the patient and went my merry way. All was fine. Until the blood pressure cuff. That was my demise. I got the oxygen and temperature information, then was getting the blood pressure. I guess I didn't velcro the cuff properly, because the thing opened up and got massive whilst filling with air. This was the worse possible time for this to happen to an awkward female, as this patient, who was a tall, good-looking man, was also shirtless (his shirt was in the way of getting proper blood pressure so he took it off). I immediately grabbed the cuff and pressed the stop button on the vital cart. I proceeded to struggle with getting the air out for a few minutes, then, when all was well, measured the blood pressure again. This was fine, except for the fact that the room was extremely tiny and when I went to grab the computer mouse to put in the information, my idiot self grabbed it wrong and the mouse when flying off the mini stand. It broke, I had to put it back together, and this poor man was still shirtless in front of my clumsy self. My face was burning red. I apologized, continued on, then informed the nurse her patient was ready. I learned to not be too confident and do things slower to get them right. Boy was I thankful that masks were required. Also to leave that room!

Alzheimer's disease is an awful, debilitating disease that causes a person to increasingly lose their memories. It also causes severe impairment both physically and mentally, with the loss of function ultimately leading to a person's death. I have been blessed in that no one in my family has yet had this disease or any other dementia-related illness. However, this ailment is becoming more popular, which unfortunately leads to more deaths, but also more awareness. Through the community, I have learned that Alzheimer's not only affects the person diagnosed with the illness, but their entire friends and family. Alzheimer's will, at first, slowly cause a person to forget little details. As time goes on, their memories will drastically become worse until they no longer recognize anything. They will forget how to do things that people like me find simple, like eating, drinking, and even communicating. Imagine suddenly waking up, and having no idea what anything is: where you came from, where you are, who you are, and how you got there. It's like having a newborn baby's brain, but instead, you're an adult. Alzheimer's disease is unique in that it affects your family and friends in a different way than other life-changing diagnoses, like cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, or heart disease. With the latter examples, you know you are diagnosed with it and what to do or expect to manage the condition. You'll always be aware of how you're doing medically. However, will Alzheimer's, you only know this information to a certain extent. Once you lose your memory, you'll forget that you have the disease. You won't know what's wrong with you, or if anything is wrong at all. You'll be confused and possibly even stressed due to the confusion every day, and it will only get worse until you die. Then, there is the family aspect of Alzheimer's. Someone will have to take care of you. At first it won't be much, but as the disease progresses, you'll no longer be able to provide for yourself and you'll need around-the-clock care. This is not only draining for the family, as they now have a new responsibility, but they'll have to watch as the person they've known forever and have created many happy memories with disappear, and the only thing left is a body. If no one is able to care for you, they'll need to put you in a home where someone will care for you. This is not only expensive for the family, but heartbreaking as they won't see you much. Even if they visit a couple of times a week, the disease could progress to the point where they don't even recognize you. Alzheimer's disease and other dementia-related illnesses are so excruciating because you have to witness a person lose everything that makes them them. These diseases cause them to forget everything, including memory and motor functions, and there is no way for a person to suddenly become cured of something like this. With increased awareness of Alzheimer's, hopefully, one day there can be a cure so people don't have to witness someone going through this or suffering themselves.

My Barbie Dream House would be a 3-story, neo-Mediterranean style house painted a light, off-white with charcoal roofing. In the front of the house, there will be a semi-circular driveway paved with a black chevron design. In front of the house will be beautiful bushes lined to make the house looking inviting. The bushes I would surround this house with are white hydrangeas, purple catmint, boxwood, and false cypress. In the center of the semi-circle will be an area with grass, and on this area will be a hill. On the top of the hill will be one large oak tree. Hanging from one of the tree's branches will be a swing so you could see everything in the neighborhood while feeling like a kid again. The house will be made up of a garage -- which has room for 5 cars -- a living room, dining room, kitchen, 5 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, a bowling alley, a poker room, wine cellar, sauna, gym, movie theater room, a conservatory room for plants, a mudroom, and an attic. The living room walls will be painted with canyon dusk paint, have a large flat-screen TV on the walls, and below will be a TV stand that has cabinets with doors on the sides. On top of the stand will be photographs of family and good memories. In the cabinets, there will be books, candles, and souvenirs from places traveled. In front of the TV will be a large light gray sectional sofa so all friends and family can sit and lay comfortably when hanging out. There will also be a mini table where you could place things without it getting in the way of the TV. The dining room will be smaller and have light green wallpaper with dark green olive branches. In the center of the room will be a large rectangular table that sits 12 people. On the wall would sit a small circular mirror, and hanging from the ceiling would be an elegant chandelier. The kitchen would have a modern design. The walls and cabinets would have a white design trimmed with gold, while the countertops would have a marble design. In addition, there would be a kitchen island that matches, and 5 stools to sit on. There would be a silver refrigerator, and next to it would be a large pantry for food. The 5 bedrooms would each have a theme (minimalism, plants, sea, night, and plaid). The 2.5 bathrooms would be painted with atmospheric blue, poolhouse blue, and indigo batik color for each room. The wine cellar would be designed with cherry wood with a large array of wines you could only get at this house. The gym would be a boring dark gray but have all the equipment a normal gym would have. The movie theater room would look just like a movie theater, and even have a popcorn and cotton candy machine available. The conservatory room would have one wall painted beige and a partial ceiling, with wood floors, while the rest of the room would be made of glass so the sun to hit the plants. I would have plenty of plants in there, including cacti, pelargoniums, bougainvilleas, plumbagos, succulents, mandevillas, passion flowers, and hoyas. In the backyard area, there will be a sunroom, a multi-level deck, a large, kidney-shaped inground pool with a large pile of rocks on one end circulating the water, and a large area fenced in that could be used for running, roaming the land, pets, camping, etc. There would be a firepit with plenty of chairs surrounding it.

Typical leaders are extroverted. They know how to command a room, are accountable, get work done, and are supportive of other people’s needs. Oftentimes, leaders are seen as loud and demanding. This is not me. What I am is an introverted leader. I may not have the voice to always be able to command a room like what one may call a typical leader, but I lurk in the background. I make sure things get done at the deadline. I don’t procrastinate ever, because if something is not finished on time, it makes the company look bad. I watch and observe other people and the way they do things. Are they more creative or more practical? Do they prefer art or numbers? Are they the ones who do things that no one wants to do, or are they the ones doing the popular activities? Do they prefer silence or noise? These are some of the ways that people are affected. When an issue breaks out, I don’t take sides. I listen to both people’s point of view and try to find a solution that includes both of their needs. I prefer to let people know what to do once, and if they need further assistance, to come to me. I don’t yell or get involved with what another person is doing once instructed unless I notice there is something off or if they are falling far behind. I believe this is the best method for being a leader because if people feel like you are always down their throat, they won’t like you and therefore won’t want to listen to you. People have their own methods of doing something, and in order to be a successful leader, you need to respect that. I wish to be the leader that people trust and are able to come to whenever any problem arises. One example of me being a leader was when I was working on my high school yearbook. There was once, early on when I was the managing editor, where one section of the book had no editors, as the people who were supposed to edit that section didn’t have the availability to complete it. The deadline was coming up close, and in order to complete this section, I decided to take on the role as editor of that section. After spending countless hours during lunch to edit, and staying after school, the section was completed and submitted to the company who printed out the books on time. Another way I demonstrated being a leader was at work when there were patients coming in after my shift ended. That day, the only two medical assistants I was working with decided to leave on time, which also happened to be the time that my shift ended. Instead of leaving without saying anything and putting more responsibility on the nurses, I spent 46 minutes cleaning the rooms, letting patients into their rooms, and restocking products. In the future, I will be a labor and delivery nurse. With my leadership skills, I want babies to be born healthy and safe. I want mothers to be as stress-free as possible while giving birth and to focus on their bundle of joy, not on what the nurses and doctors will think if they scream too loud, are hairy, or defecate. I want to help families in any way I can provide. There’s always a leader in everyone, even if they may not exhibit “typical” leadership qualities. Just because I may not be loud doesn’t mean I’m any less of a leader than another person.

A leader is a person who takes responsibility, is accountable for their own actions, and gets work done. It’s a person who’s supportive of other people’s needs and lends a helping hand for people and a company to succeed. I believe that there are two types of leaders: the extroverted leader, and the less common introverted leader. The extroverted leader is a person who often uses their voice to get the message across, instructs people on what to do, and isn’t afraid to speak their minds. Though caring, they also make sure you know what needs to be done at all times. This is not me. What I am is an introverted leader. I may not have the voice to always be able to command a room like what one may call a typical leader, but I lurk in the background. I make sure things get done at the deadline. I don’t procrastinate ever, because if something is not finished on time, it makes the company look bad. I watch and observe other people and the way they do things. Are they more creative or more practical? Do they prefer art or numbers? Are they the ones who do things that no one wants to do, or are they the ones doing the popular activities? Do they prefer silence or noise? These are some of the ways that people are affected. When an issue breaks out, I don’t take sides. I listen to both people’s point of view and try to find a solution that includes both of their needs. I prefer to let people know what to do once, and if they need further assistance, to come to me. I don’t yell or get extremely involved with what another person is doing unless I notice there is something off or if they are falling far behind. I believe this is the best method for being a leader because if people feel like you are always down their throat, they won’t like you and therefore won’t want to listen to you. People have their own methods of doing something, and in order to be a successful leader, you need to respect that. I wish to be the leader that people trust and are able to come to whenever any problem arises. One example of me being a leader was when I was working on my high school yearbook. There was once, early on when I was the managing editor, where one section of the book had no editors, as the people who were supposed to edit that section didn’t have the availability to complete it. The deadline was coming up close, and in order to complete this section, I had to take on the role as editor of that section. After spending countless hours during lunch to edit and staying after school, the section was completed and submitted to the company who printed out the books on time. Another way I demonstrated being a leader was at work when there were patients coming in after my shift ended. That day, the two medical assistants I was working with decided to leave on time, which also happened to be the time that my shift ended. Instead of leaving without saying anything and putting more responsibility on the nurses, I spent 46 minutes post-shift cleaning the rooms, letting patients into their rooms, and restocking products. There’s always a leader in everyone, even if they may not exhibit “typical” leadership qualities. Just because I may not be loud doesn’t mean I’m any less of a leader than another person.

I decided to pursue a career in nursing when I was in 10th grade. It was the time of year when the guidance counselors were visiting classrooms and telling us we needed to start thinking about what we wanted to major in, or what our plans were going to be if we didn't choose to go to college. The next time we blinked our eyes, they told us, we would be applying to colleges. Since I’ve been a little girl, I’ve always wanted to become a mother. The idea of being able to grow a child in my womb and produce something with my flesh and blood was astounding. Now, of course, being a mother doesn’t always mean being pregnant, as parents can always adopt, use surrogacy, etc., but this was a thought that crossed my mind when deciding what to major. Was there something I could do that related to motherhood? While searching online for majors that could interest me, like using Naviance or taking random career quizzes to give me ideas, my brain suddenly birthed a memory that I haven't thought about in the last decade: my cousin's birth. When I was 7 years old, my cousin was born at around dinner time. My parents and I finished eating, got ready, and left to go to the hospital before visiting hours closed. My parents were in a discussion with the mother for a bit, and then we were offered to see the baby, which of course we agreed to. We were so excited to see him! We walked down some halls, and then we were in front of the nursery staring at tiny squishy newborns swaddled in blankets. I stood on my tippy toes to look at my cousin, but he was too far away from where I was so I was staring at another baby instead. They looked adorable. The nurse walked out of the nursery and asked if we wanted to go closer. My parents agreed, but unfortunately, my sister and I were too young to be allowed in there. I calmly sat on the chairs nearby with my sister, but I was fuming internally. Why did I have to be too young? I wasn't going to touch him if they didn't want me to! I was so jealous of everyone in there, cooing over the newborns. As I thought back to this, I opened a new tab and typed in "jobs that work with babies". I scrolled down and started reading about careers and how I could become each career listed. I didn't want to be in school for over 4 years, I wanted something successful and would pay decent money, and unlike a baby sonographer, I wanted to have a job where I dealt with babies that were being born or after they were born, not still in the mother's stomach. After dozens of articles later, I concluded that nursing with a specialty in labor and delivery was for me. Even almost 4 years later since I decided on this career, I still want to be a labor and delivery nurse. Having the opportunity to witness one of the world's greatest miracles, giving birth, would be a blessing. I want to help women feel comfortable while giving birth and witness the joy on families' faces when seeing a new being. And if a woman, unfortunately, suffers a miscarriage or stillbirth, I want to be there and help the family as much as I can. Some events may be hard, but a successful birth with happy parents will make this career worth it.

As a bookworm who reads books from the romance genre 99% of the time, I have learned that romance in books isn't romance in real life, and you shouldn't hold your expectations insanely high. Here's the thing: I think a majority, not all, but most, romance novels are, quite frankly, bullshit. Romance books are like a type of not-as-intense sexual fantasy. Most books I've read have a female lead who, to some capacity, has difficulty finding love. 90% of books I've experienced have a bad boy falling in love with a nerdy girl, a shy girl falling for an extroverted boy, two people who despise each other falling in love, or a story has a forbidden love between a girl hidden from society and a popular bachelor living lavishly in a kingdom. See the pattern? These are already insanely unrealistic standards. If this were real life, the nerdy girl may be interested in the boy, but she wouldn't be popular enough for him to consider even talking to her. The shy girl would be lonely, and the extroverted boy would be too busy to notice her anyway. The two people who hate each other would... hate each other. They wouldn't be falling in love, come on now. And finally, the forbidden love simply wouldn't happen, like, at all. I feel that this is why I love the romance genre so much. The happy endings are pretty predictable. You'll meet a main character, then meet another character that is the opposite, and bam, you already know they'll end up together. I enjoy happy endings if the rest of the book is well-written. Maybe it's boring and cliche of me, but it's what I like. The middle part is what makes romantic books so good. Yes, it's unrealistic because these people would never fall in love with each other in real life, but you get to see where the author's imagination goes and the direction they choose to take. There's also the rising action, which is where the problem in the story builds up. I happen to enjoy this because by the time the problem is so awful that the main characters could leave each other forever, I'm already hooked on the book. This is how I determine if it's a good book or not: if I'm heartbroken at the issue, it's a great romance book. If I feel happy with the matter in question, then I'm frustrated because it's romance and I should desire my characters to be romantic, not wanting to leave each other! If I feel nothing, then I'm bored and it's simply not a good book. This has shaped my goals because, as I mentioned previously, you can't have absurd expectations. So, here's a goal I have based on what books I read: don't immediately start judging people until you get to know them, unless they did something disgusting or offensive. I'll admit: sometimes I am guilty of judging potential romantic partners on stupid things, but I am trying. The issue of why so many romance novels are unrealistic is because of how people act in the real world. Many women want someone tall, dark, sexy, muscles galore, rich. Many men want someone skinny, glamorous, submissive, gorgeous. Both genders have something in common with both friendships and relationships: they won't give someone they see as inferior a chance. Some people close themselves off due to not wanting heartbreak. Why do so many people refuse to date others they view as lesser? This is why romance novels are unrealistic! Give someone a chance. Be willing. It won't hurt you.

I decided I was going to be a nurse when I was in 10th grade. During this time, the guidance counselors were reminding students to start thinking about what they wanted to do, as time would fly by quickly. The next time we blinked our eyes, they told us, we would be applying to colleges. I've always been a person who did things early. I liked it that way, as it allowed me more time to change any errors, it gave me freedom, and it eased my anxiety. I first did career quizzes that got me nowhere. I wanted a successful, interesting job. I didn't want to do the same stuff like sitting in an office every day for the rest of my life. Something that has always interested me was a doctor. There were a ton of specialties, various appointments, and emergencies happening every day, it was rewarding, and doctors were very successful. However, I would be swimming in debt which wasn't what I wanted. Then, I went down the path of healthcare, as healthcare careers are respectable, fascinating, and always in need. What seemed to fit what I wanted was a nurse. Like a doctor, there was a variety of specialties. You got to help people every day. The work environment was thrilling. I started thinking of something that would interest me, something I could be passionate about. Then, I came across the subject of babies. When I was 7 years old, my cousin was born. I got to stand outside the nursery and watch all the squishy babies sleep. At the time, I was beyond jealous of the nurses that got to be there. My searches were now more specific. What nurses dealt with babies? What was the difference between them? After reading many articles, I realized being a labor and delivery nurse was what I wanted to do. I would be involved with the birthing process and get to witness an extraordinary thing: childbirth. Throughout my career, I hope to achieve helping women feel comfortable before, during, and after giving birth. Many first-time mothers don't know what is normal in giving birth. What if something tears? Is it okay to defecate? Does shaving matter? What's normal? I want to provide mothers and families with emotional support, empathy, and trust. Mothers are performing miracles by bringing children into the world and should be treated like goddesses. I would like to make a big impact on the community by educating people about childbirth. I want to show people that hours of physical pain can lead to one of the greatest things women can do. I want to demonstrate to people that giving birth doesn't always have to be scary, and I want to spread awareness of risks or complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Maureen was an exemplary nurse whose traits included devotion, compassion, proactiveness, dedication, and strength. Demonstrated by her willingness to drive patients to appointments and find alternative breast cancer therapies, Maureen was an inspirational person who viewed nursing not as a job, but as a calling. To carry on Maureen's traits, I want to commit to my patients the same way Maureen committed to hers. I want to make sure my patients are comfortable at all times and feel safe. If they feel something is wrong, I want to exhaust every avenue before declaring everything is fine. I want to have the reputation of being the best labor and delivery nurse because that means I am doing my job right.

I decided I was going to be a nurse when I was in 10th grade. During this time, the guidance counselors were reminding students to start thinking about what they wanted to do, as time would fly by quickly. The next time we blinked our eyes, they told us, we would be applying to colleges. I've always been a person who did things early. I liked it that way, as it allowed me more time to change any errors, it gave me freedom, and it eased my anxiety. I first did career quizzes that got me nowhere. I wanted a successful, interesting job. I didn't want to do the same stuff like sitting in an office every day for the rest of my life. Something that has always interested me was a doctor. There were a ton of specialties, various appointments, and emergencies happening every day, it was rewarding, and doctors were very successful. However, I would be swimming in debt which wasn't what I wanted. Then, I went down the path of healthcare, as healthcare careers are respectable, fascinating, and always in need. What seemed to fit what I wanted was a nurse. Like a doctor, there was a variety of specialties. You got to help people every day. The work environment was thrilling. I started thinking of something that would interest me, something I could be passionate about. Then, I came across the subject of babies. When I was 7 years old, my cousin was born. My family and I arrived at the hospital later that night. I got to stand outside the nursery and watch all the squishy babies sleep. I remember when one of the doctors came to permit us to go inside the nursery to see my cousin, but my sister and I were the only ones not allowed in there because we were too young. At the time, I was beyond jealous and angry of the nurses that got to be there. I didn't plan on touching anything! My searches were now more specific. What nurses dealt with babies? What was the difference between them? After reading many articles, I realized being a labor and delivery nurse was what I wanted to do. I would be involved with the birthing process and get to witness an extraordinary thing: childbirth. So, 12 years later, my cousin's birth would play the biggest role in determining what I wanted to do. To make a positive impact, I want to help women feel comfortable before, during, and after giving birth. Many first-time mothers don't know what is normal in giving birth. What if something tears? Is it okay to defecate? Does shaving matter? What's normal? I want to provide mothers and families with emotional support, empathy, and trust. Mothers are performing miracles by bringing children into the world and should be treated like goddesses. I would also love to educate people about childbirth. I want to show people that hours of physical pain can lead to one of the greatest things women can do. I want to demonstrate to people that giving birth doesn't always have to be scary, and I want to spread awareness of risks or complications during pregnancy and childbirth.

If Hogwarts were real, the Sorting Hat would put me in the Ravenclaw House. A Ravenclaw is a person who is individualistic, intelligent, curious, and creative. Out of all the houses, this most accurately describes me. I tend to be by myself, as I am introverted and enjoy my company more than other people's. I do well in school, study, work hard for my grades, and enjoy watching gameshows and learning new things, hence why I would describe myself as intelligent and curious. Another reason I would describe myself as curious is because I am also an observant person, which is a result of me being more quieter. Instead of speaking my mind, I listen to people and try to understand why they do what they do. I view myself as having a creative mind, as I enjoy reading, viewing artwork, sometimes making art myself, and, to an extent, writing. I also tend to have fantasies and daydream a lot. The other House that I could fit into is Hufflepuff, as I have a few things I have in common with that House. For example, I view myself as humble because I don't like to brag about anything and typically keep to myself. I also see myself as dedicated, as I work hard to get the things I earn and I try my best in everything. However, a trait that Hufflepuffs have that I feel I don't is honesty. I can be honest in important or legal situations, however, if a friend asks if something looks good and I'm not a fan, I'll lie and tell them they look good or I'll try to bend the truth by saying they look good, but some other thing might look even better. Hufflepuffs seem to always be honest, where I'll lie if I don't want to hurt your feelings. Another difference between me and the Hufflepuff House is that Hufflepuffs are all friends with each other, while I keep more to myself and don't have a lot of friendships. I feel as if I do not fit the Gryffindor House because Gryffindors, like Harry Potter, are brave and daring. This doesn't describe me, as I will never be the first to do something, nor would I be willing to risk my life. I don't see myself as a Slytherin because Slytherins tend to be selfish, crave power, and bully other houses. Unlike Slytherins, I don't have a desire for much power. Sure, it's nice to have some power, but I don't want to have all the power, as I prefer the attention to be away from me.

My favorite song on Taylor Swift's '1989' album would be Wildest Dreams, one of the main reasons simply being because of the vocals. The way Taylor sings some of the lyrics, in particular, "Say you'll remember me", "Even if it's just in your wildest dreams, ah-ah ha", and "But this is getting good now" is beyond satisfying to my ears in a way that cannot be comprehended. In addition, the music also compliments the song so well. Typically, I like songs being more dominant in the melody than vocals, but Taylor seems to have used the perfect amount of music for this particular song. At certain parts of the song, especially the lyrics that were provided earlier, the music becomes very minimal and low compared to other parts of the song, emphasizing and complimenting Taylor's voice perfectly. Another reason Wildest Dreams is my favorite song from Taylor's '1989' album is because of the whole mysterious vibe it gives. It's no Blank Space, but to me, the song is almost comparable to not being able to put a great romance novel down or skipping right to the end. You don't want to put this story down because it has you captivated and you have an intense desire to figure out how the story ends. Does your favorite character miraculously end up with her lover, making you happy, or does the insane plot twist not resolve, breaking your heart? This is the same reasoning for skipping to the end: you read something that completely shakes your world, and you have to know how this affects the main character in the end. When you read books and get to know the character you are reading about, you begin to feel as if they are your friend, or perhaps imagine yourself as them. This is the same feeling I get with Wildest Dreams. The final reason why this is my favorite song is because of the visualization. In Wildest Dreams, Taylor is detailed in her descriptions of herself and the man she is singing about. He's tall, handsome (as hell). She's wearing red lipstick, is blushing, has a bit of blush makeup on, or is maybe even sweating (rosy cheeks). She is also described as wearing a beautiful dress while looking at the sunset. At some points in the song, she's even making out with him. Taylor doesn't provide the most detailed description, but just enough where you can visualize both yourself and your dream man (or whoever) in the same scenario. People like forming their own conclusions, and this song provides that which is why the visualization in Wildest Dreams is so satisfying.

Ever since I was a little girl, I always wanted to be a mother. The idea of reproducing something that was your genetics is something that has amazed me for a long time. Currently in college, the reproductive system has been my favorite unit. In high school, I loved learning about genetics. In elementary school, I remember having a project where I had to introduce myself to others, and I wrote that one of the things I wanted to be the most was a mother. A particular life experience I had that solidified my decision to choose nursing as a career was when I was 7 years old. That day was June 1st, 2011. I remember this day because it was the day my cousin was born. It was in the evening, around dinnertime. My parents were notified that my little cousin was born, and soon enough we were riding in the car on the way to the hospital to meet him. I was so excited to see him for the first time. When we arrived, we stood in front of the nursery and looked at my cousin through the glass. The nurse pointed him out, and we were all cooing at how sweet he looked while resting. Then, she apologized and pointed out another baby, who was actually my cousin. Since I was too short at the time, I could barely stand on my tiptoes and see what my cousin looked like. The lady asked if we wanted to come in, to which everyone said yes, but then questioned me and my sister’s ages and stated that we were too young to be allowed in. So, my sister and I were escorted to the seats with an adult and while the rest of my family were rotating on who got to see my cousin and who would watch my sister and me, I just sat there sulking. At the time, I was angry that I couldn’t join in on the fun and see my cousin up close with his squishy head and tiny sausage fingers. I couldn’t help but think how amazing it would be if I were to work with newborns. Fast forwarding to today, this has drastically influenced the wants of my future career. Before deciding what I would study, I thought of how much I loved babies and, at that moment, I wanted to work with babies. To be able to become a nurse and help people every day is a privilege. To be able to work in a nursing specialty that I adore is a dream. This career would allow me to make people's fantasies come true and begin starting a family. Witnessing the pure happiness and joy on people's faces after welcoming a baby in the world is an experience that cannot be described in words. Like all nurses and future nurses, I am prepared for tough times, like miscarriages or stillbirths, but no career would be worth it if it were easy. This is why pursing nursing as a career path is so important to me.

The dream version of my future self is a person who stops ridiculing everything about myself and finds a group of real, genuine people.

Since I was a little girl, the idea of being a mother was something I adored and was fascinated with. When I was in first grade, I had a project where I had to put pictures on poster paper that would tell people about myself. I had a picture of a woman holding a child and said I wanted to be a mother. Even when my cousin was born years later, I was attracted to the nursery and wanted to go there forever, though the nurse said I was too young to even be allowed in there. I decided that I was going to pick a major that I was passionate about in the spring of 10th grade, as I didn’t want to be one of those people who had no idea what to do when it came time to apply for college. Many of those people came to regret their major and even switch, which is something I wasn’t willing to do as I didn’t want to risk spending even more money on college, in case I had to start all over. So, when I finally started searching for majors, I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to do. I didn’t even remember my love for babies, as my family is small and on the older end of the scale. I did at one point want to be a pet groomer, but this was years ago, and it was something I let my parents talk me out of. But then I was doing research online, and whilst looking at majors I came across nursing and healthcare. This seemed cool to me, working in healthcare, but I still wanted to see what else was out there, as maybe something else out there would interest me more. It wasn’t until I found a baby sonographer as a career that I realized what I was missing: babies! Even though being a baby sonographer was interesting and certainly something I wanted to do, it still didn’t feel right. I wanted to be with babies, to touch them and see them being born firsthand. That's when I went back into nursing, and I started looking at specialties that included babies. There were so many that I was searching: midwifery, NICU, nursery, neonatal, perinatal...there were so much to choose from and I started comparing the differences in what I would do. That’s when it hit me: labor and delivery was the way to go. I wanted to witness babies being born firsthand, and I wanted to see the pure ecstasy on the family’s faces. Nobody could be miserable when you have a squishy alien with sausage fingers all bundled up in your arms. My mission for joining the healthcare industry is to make mothers confident while giving birth. I want to make them feel comfortable while giving birth and to let them know that the pain of childbirth will be worth it once you’re holding your baby in your arms. I want to educate people on how to take care of their babies, and what’s typical and atypical. When mothers look back on their birth stories 5, 10, even 20 years from when they had their baby, I want to be the nurse that they remembered in a positive light, a nurse that made them feel comfortable and safe. I want to be the nurse that inspires other potential nurses to specialize in labor and delivery, as having the ability to work with babies every day and help mothers through birth would be a blessing.

Ever since I was a little girl, I always wanted to be a mother. The idea of reproducing something that was your genetics is something that has amazed me for a long time. Currently in college, the reproductive system has been my favorite unit. In high school, I loved learning about genetics. In elementary school, I remember having a project where I had to introduce myself to others, and I wrote that one of the things I wanted to be the most was a mother. A particular life experience I had that solidified my decision to choose nursing as a career was when I was 7 years old. That day was June 1st, 2011. I remember this day because it was the day my cousin was born. It was in the evening, around dinnertime. It was around 6 or 7 pm. My parents were notified that my little cousin was born, and soon enough we were riding in the car on the way to the hospital to meet him. I was so excited to see him for the first time. When we got there, we sat in the room and spoke with the mother for a bit, then we went to the nursery where my newborn cousin was. First, we stood in front of the nursery and looked at my cousin through the glass. The nurse pointed him out, and we were all cooing at how sweet he looked while resting. Then, she apologized and pointed out another baby, who was actually my cousin. Since I was too short at the time, I could barely stand on my tiptoes and see what my cousin looked like. The lady asked if we wanted to come in, to which everyone said yes, but then questioned my and my sister’s ages and stated that we were too young to be allowed in. So, my sister and I were escorted to the seats with an adult and while the rest of my family were rotating on who got to see my cousin and who would watch my sister and me, I just sat there sulking. At the time, I was angry that I couldn’t join in on the fun and see my cousin up close with his squishy head and tiny sausage fingers. I couldn’t help but think how amazing it would be if I were to work with newborns. Fast forwarding to today, this has drastically influenced the wants of my future career. Before deciding what I would study, I thought of how much I loved babies and, at that moment, I wanted to work with babies. Though it was something I hadn’t thought about in a long time, I realized that this was something I wanted to seriously commit to. So, like anyone who had little to no clue of what they wanted to do in the future, I went to Google and searched for careers that work with babies. I found many results, including a neonatologist, a baby sonographer, and a whole bunch of nursing specialties, like the NICU, labor and delivery, midwifery, neonatal, nursery, and more. I even had results that would let me work with kids, but I decided I wanted to go younger. After all my research, I determined that the best career for me would be a labor and delivery nurse. Not only would I get to be involved with babies, but this career would allow me to make families’ dreams come true. Of course, I am prepared for tough times, like miscarriages or stillbirths, but no career would be worth it if it were easy.

Since I’ve been a little girl, I’ve always wanted to become a mother. The idea of being able to grow a child in my womb and produce something with my flesh and blood was astounding. Now, of course, being a mother doesn’t always mean being pregnant, as parents can always adopt, use surrogacy, etc., which is just as awe-inspiring, but for purposes of this essay and my specific dream, I’ve always wanted to get pregnant and have a child of my own. When I was in first grade, I had a project where I was given a template on a huge poster paper, and I had to fill in things that would tell others what I wanted in my future. I had to fill out things like what my family looked like, my favorite color, my favorite food, and most importantly, what I wanted to be when I grew up. Under that section, I had a picture of a woman holding a small child, and captioned it, “Mother”. The most obvious greatest part of nursing is being able to help people. But the second greatest part about the nursing industry? You can choose any specialty and change at any time. Not sure what to specialize in? Registered nurse. Passionate about the heart? Cardiac nursing. Need a schedule where you’ll never know what’ll happen? Emergency room nurse. Intrigued by the skin? Dermatology nurse. Want to work with babies? Midwife or labor and delivery nurse. To change nursing specialties, you’ll need to be trained, but you don’t need a whole other degree, extra years of schooling, and extra student loans like you would if you wanted to switch from an English major to a Nursing major. This is why nursing interests me as a career. There are so many different, intriguing options to choose from, and if you ever get bored you can just switch specialties. A goal I have for a successful career is to be able to help as many people as possible. For the last few years, I’ve had my eye on labor and delivery nursing. I want to help other women with giving birth and being able to take care of their children. Giving birth is a scary, exhilarating experience and I want women to feel as comfortable as possible in a vulnerable position. Another goal I have is to be able to travel the world. I’d love to have the privilege of doing something like Nurses Without Borders where I could help those less fortunate and will be able to learn more about their culture. Maybe I'll do travel nursing for a while. The third goal I have for my career is to simply be happy doing what I’m doing. If I don’t like my specialty or hospital or whatever, I want to have the confidence of changing what I don’t like about my job, as I tend to be too loyal to what I do, whether I enjoy it or not. I currently have some experience in the medical field. I work at the health sciences center at my college as a medical assistant. There, I’ve been taught how to take vitals, including blood pressure, heart rate, and pulse ox. I’ve also learned how to perform COVID tests, influenza tests, strep tests, and the difference between STI and UTI urinary samples. In addition, I can perform physical exams, like taking height, weight, and eyesight. Finally, I got the hang of speaking with patients and helping ease whatever stress they might have.

I've only known life with dogs. Since the day I was born, I've had a dog living with me. I've had two dogs, and both of them, although owned at different stages of life, have taught valuable lessons to child me and adult me. Both dogs have played valuable roles, and I believe they are the perfect companion. Dogs can teach children responsibility and provide companionship to anyone of any age. My first dog's name was Midas. He was a golden Labrador retriever. He was born the last day of March and was 3 years older than me. Since children's memories can start as early as 2, and many of these memories are considered as "childhood amnesia", I don't remember a lot of life with Midas. When my memories did start forming, Midas would have been 8 years old, already nearing the end of his life. I don't remember much about Midas to be honest, but he was a very calm dog who fought against the odds, as when he was very young he ended up injuring his hip and was told he wouldn't live as long as other dogs his breed. He ended up passing at 12, the max age for labs. Whenever you were sad he'd be there, and he enjoyed sniffing leaves in the fall. Owning Midas taught me responsibility and, when he died, he taught me what it meant to truly lose something that was so important. Even though I wish I had longer with him, his death would help me deal with other emotional things that would happen later in life. My second dog's name is Shaggy. My parents adopted him when Midas was closing in to 9 years because they feared he'd die soon and wanted company when he left us. He helped soften the blow of Midas' death, though he was depressed when his best friend passed. Shaggy is a soft-coated wheaten terrier and will be turning 13 on the 23rd of October. Shaggy's life I remember more than Midas. He's the exact opposite, a crazy dog who was very spiteful. Now, Shaggy is more calm and sleeps all the time as a result of aging. Nonetheless, Shaggy has his moments and when he's happy, he'll let you pet him for hours. Shaggy's been there since I was a child, and now as an adult he grew up with me and experienced everything from happiness, anger, sadness.. even vacations, going to new schools, and now, being in college. I think I've done everything with Shaggy -- watching TV with him, taking him on walks, playing with him, bathing him, taking him to the doctors, feeding him, letting him outside, teaching him to sit when he got treats, even watching him roll on the couches and destroy the beds... even though Midas taught me responsibility, Shaggy expanded on that. Both of my dogs have been through different stages of life with me, and they have provided company in the way no human ever could. No matter what happened, they were loyal and always wanting to give kisses. They played a huge and important role in my life, maturing me before I was matured. I could never thank them enough.

As a child, my favorite Disney character was Ariel because I thought mermaids were the coolest thing to exist. Whenever I'd go to the beach, I would wonder where the mermaids were and if they were any close to me. I had mermaid pajamas, I made my Barbie dolls swim like mermaids, and I'd draw mermaids all the time. I've been to Disney twice, and both times I'd come back with something Ariel-related, whether it was a signature, a doll, or even an Ariel-themed Mickey Mouse ears. Another reason why Ariel was one of my favorite characters was because she lived in the ocean, and I love the ocean. Swimming, going to the beach, seeing the animals and corals... all of that are things I am interested in. When I was a kid, Ariel was the only mermaid and the only character to live in the water, so this drew me to her and The Little Mermaid. Even today, the idea of mermaids existing is still so fascinating to me. Recently, I had a school project where I could research whatever interested me. In this project, I had to create two sides and state what side I supported. Of course, I had to research mermaids because I've always loved them, and I decided that my two arguments were if mermaids were real or if they weren't real. In my research, I discovered that the idea of mermaids was created hundreds of years ago, starting with the sailors creating stories about them because they spotted human-like fish creatures while traveling. In addition, over the years to even modern day there have documented mermaid sightings in areas such as Israel, Kenya, Hawaii, and Zimbabwe. There have even been pictures shown, which look crazy similar to real mermaids. After looking at my evidence, I determined that mermaids were real but weren't seen often because of how far out they live. Only about 1% of the ocean in the world has been explored, so it makes sense why mermaids aren't seen often. However, those who may be seen could have been lost, curious, or something else that would lead them near land. My favorite Disney character was Ariel because she was a mermaid and the only Disney character who wasn't a human. From living in the sea to using a fork as a hairbrush, she has always fascinated me.

The best back-to-school tip is to surround yourself with things that make you YOU. This includes friends, school essentials like backpacks, folders, notebooks, your dorm rooms, etc. By making your environment most like yourself, you are less likely to be stressed and will be more likely to do good on your school work. The best part about this is that this isn't something specific to one age group, but everyone! When you have friends that are like you, they will support you and have your best interests in mind. When you have school essentials that are you, you are able to be expressive and will remain in a positive mindset, which leads to you being more motivated to do good in school. When your dorm room is you, you will be more interested and willing to do your school work and study, which leads to higher grades. If you go away, it will remind you of things you enjoy and will make you happier. Going to school doesn't have to be miserable. The best advice is to express yourself, as this will lead you to being happier and will lead to a better all-around experience. Instagram: alexa_bittner

Something valuable that I learned about myself was that I am very dedicated. This can be seen in many places, whether it's in school, a hobby, sport, or any type of activity. No matter what, I never give up. I have shown this in school using my grades on tests and projects. On tests, I always answer questions, even if it's something I don't know. For all I know, maybe I could be correct. I also take lots of time of my projects to make sure they're perfect because I want to get the best grade that I can have. A hobby that I have is art. I love drawing or creating things. I have shown my dedication through redrawing and remodeling things that I think look bad. For example, a person's hand may look too unrealistic, or clay design was too skinny and completely fell apart, which made me need to start all over. A sport that I have shown dedication is basketball. Although I don't play anymore, I was on a team that was not good and would lose all the time. Most of my teammates were frustrated and stopped coming to practice. We had 10 girls on the team, and only about 3 of them would show up to practice each week. Even though we kept losing, I still learned through the practices and became a better player because of it. I was rewarded at the end of the year when I participated in a shooting contest and won first place. I have learned that dedication is something valuable in life because without dedication, no one would have purpose to do anything. Dedication is going to be something that gets me through college, and through the other challenges I will face in life.

A time where I had to persevere through a difficult situation was not exactly something that took place once, but throughout an entire school year. This was when I was around 10 years old, and struggled through 4th grade. When I was in 4th grade, I didn't do very well on my tests. I usually got 2-, 2, or 2+, which was basically failing. My mom would speak to my teacher on the phone near the end of the marking period and would discuss my grades with him, making sure I was doing fine. Even though he said my grades were normal because he gave out harder tests, I didn't think they were. I mean, I literally wrote that Abraham Lincoln was the first president on one of my social studies tests. And, all my friends and classmates seemed to always get at least a 3 on their tests. I'll admit and say I was very jealous, as I wanted higher grades too. But I didn't show that. Instead, I studied harder. My grades didn't improve that year, but instead, years after that. A year later, my lowest grade was now a 3-, and when I entered middle and high school, my averages would be around the mid-90s, with the occasional high 80. No matter how many times I wanted to quit school or simply stop trying, I didn't let that get to me. I used the year that I struggled to help me through hard situations today, as I learned many things about myself and my learning abilities. Because of my bad grades, I was able to teach myself new ways of studying and I found something that made me successful today, and although not a fun experience, I am grateful today to both my teacher and my abilities.

An experience that has shaped a part of who I am is when my dog Midas died. I was nine years old, Midas was twelve. At this time, I have never experienced a lot of death. The only death I knew was of my grandma when I was five, and even though I was really upset for a day, it never really impacted me that much. I'd cry when my parents drove past her hair salon, since that's where we went with her every few weeks, but other than that, I never really thought about her. The big death in my family was of my dog, Midas. I didn't handle that death very well. I remember when my parents told me he was going to pass on I pleaded with them, telling them that Midas was alright and he'd better soon. He never ate, couldn't even walk, lost a ton of weight, and was probably in pain, but I didn't care. I just wanted him to stay with me, as I've known him my entire life. No matter how hard I pleaded, my parents never gave in and a week later, on August 10th, 2013, Midas left me forever. I cried for a long time, and was depressed for weeks. I couldn't stop thinking about him or where he was, if he just disappeared or if he was watching me from above. However, this experience, even though it was horrible, did have an impact on my life. I learned that not everything will stay the same, and it taught me that there are going to be things that I need to do for the better, even if I don't want to do them. I was also able to mature more that day, which shows in the person I am today.

On a daily basis, I am motivated by success. Success can be seen as many things, like being rich, being happy, or maybe having a good job. However, I define success as all of that and other intangibles. I would love to wake up one day with my dream job, dream home, a husband, children, and pets. I'd want to have a good relationship with family and friends, and have no negativity in my life. I want to be healthy. I want to wake up and have absolutely no clue what I want, because I have everything I need. In order for this to happen, I need to wake up every day and be motivated. I need to control everything that I am able to control in my life right now, like good grades, getting into college, and more because once something happens, it happens. You can't redo anything or go back in time. To one day be successful, I need to be motivated, prepare myself in the present day, and get ready for the future. I need to have a positive attitude, and realize that everything happens for a reason. All people go through both good and bad things, but it's the people who defeat the bad and learn from it that succeed the most in the world.

Something that makes me happy is the idea of the future. I know because of circumstances that the future is not something everyone is looking forward to, but I am. The future can always change, and that's what's so exciting about it. I may have an idea of something I want to do in the future, but it's not set in stone and something completely different can happen. Another reason why this makes me happy is because of the new generation. There has been drastic changes to societal norms. Women used to have specific jobs, while men had others. Today, the barrier between them has broken and now they are able to do the same thing. The line between "feminine" and "masculine" is now fading. There is also an increase in diversity around the world, which is an excellent sign of things to come because minorities are being treated more fairly and voices are being heard. Although no where close towards perfect, there are steps being taken that will one day guarantee peace, and I do believe that this upcoming generation will take huge steps in that direction. Of course, like many people, I do fear the future because there's a lot of uncertainty around it. No one knows what'll happen. I have a dog who's twelve, and he won't live forever. I've had him nearly my entire life, and I can't imagine life without my best friend. I know one day he'll be gone, but I don't know when. It could be today, months from now, or even a few years. However, this'll be another challenge in my life to overcome and leads to personal growth. There are going to be scary and exciting things in the road, but that's what makes the future exciting, which makes me happy.

My academic goals for the future is to graduate with a nursing degree. I'd like to graduate with all As, however, if I don't, I will still be happy as long as I'm doing well in school. I want to take the NCLEX exam and pass so I can be a registered nurse, then I want to get a few certifications to help with not only getting a nursing job but to become a labor and delivery nurse, as I not only love babies but adore how a child entering the world can make a family very happy. These certifications would be the Basic Life Support (BSL) certification, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACSL) certification, and the Inpatient Obstetric Nursing (RNC-OB) certification. I would also love to make enough money where I can travel to every country in the world. I think this would be a huge accomplishment, as not many people have done it, and I love to travel and see new cultures. After this, I want to begin settling down. I'd like to have a few pets, mainly dogs and rabbits, and I'd like to get married and start a family.

My favorite way to help others is through the little things in life that may not seem like they matter, but they do. For example, helping someone with their groceries or walking a dog. I like doing these activities because they are often overlooked. Many people nowadays believe that the only way to truly help others in an impactful way is to have lots of money, which is not true and I want to prove that. An example of something I've been doing is taking advantage of virtual volunteer opportunities. I've done things like writing a book review, creating bookmarks, helping scientists identify animals, painting inspirational rocks, drawing cards for people in need, donating money to animal shelters, proofreading books that are about to be published online, and more. I enjoy doing these because I want to help others and inspire them.