Ever since I discovered landscape architecture, I knew that what I wanted to build was a network of sustainable green spaces within urban communities. This vision stems from my childhood in the inner-ring suburbs of Florida, where accessible natural areas were limited. Most green spaces were either tiny playgrounds or isolated pockets hidden between large buildings. When I grew older and started to learn about the environmental and social benefits of urban nature, I became passionate about creating communities where natural ecosystems are an essential part of everyday life rather than being an afterthought. Landscape architecture showed me a way to combine my interests of design, sustainability, and community improvement. I began imagining cities that were designed differently- cities with expansive parks, native vegetation, and accessible outdoor spaces that improve quality of life while supporting local biodiversity. Landscape architecture is not just about aesthetics; it is about creating resilient environments that benefit both people and nature. The future I hope to build is one where urban areas contain thoughtfully designed green spaces that are accessible to everyone. My goal is to work for a landscape architecture firm specializing in sustainable design and ecological restoration. Through my work, I hope to design parks, courtyards, and community spaces that provide opportunities for recreation while supporting birds, pollinators, and other wildlife. Incorporating native plants, water-conscious design, along with sustainable landscaping that will reduce environmental impact while keeping these spaces functional and welcoming to visitors. To achieve this goal, I am pursuing a degree in Landscape Architecture at the University of Arizona. I also plan to gain practical experience through internships and professional networking during my upcoming sophomore year and junior year of my college degree. Eventually, I intend to study urban and regional planning to master how cities develop and learn how to integrate landscape architecture into large-scale, long-term community goals. The positive impact of this work extends far beyond visual appeal. It is the benefit of having accessible green spaces that can improve physical and mental health by encouraging outdoor activity, reducing stress, and fostering community connections by having more spaces to meet with others. While at the same time the sustainable landscapes combat the urban heat island effect, improve air quality, manage stormwater runoff, and restore local habitats. By building spaces that serve both ecological and human needs, I hope to contribute to healthier, more resilient communities. Ultimately, the future I want to build is one where cities and nature can harmonize rather than compete with one another. This scholarship would be vital in helping me achieve this vision by covering essential college expenses like tuition and housing. Furthermore, it would provide the financial peace of mind and confidence to pursue my educational goals with complete dedication and reassurance.

Growing up with ADHD had a significant impact on my mental health. While it was not always physically isolating, it often felt emotionally isolating; when you behave differently from your peers, they tend to notice. I was frequently teased by people who appeared friendly on the surface, which deeply distorted how I viewed myself. Combined with feeling different in other ways- such as being noticeably taller than most of my classmates- I fell into a habit of constant comparison. Over time, I began to withdraw, and my mental health gradually worsened throughout my childhood and early adolescence. Looking back, ADHD affected far more than just my ability to focus. I struggled heavily with emotional regulation and becoming easily overwhelmed by situations that seemed entirely manageable to others. Whenever I broke down crying, I would immediately try to hide it, terrified of ruining my relationships by becoming a burden. Because my parents were divorced and facing their own immense challenges, I had somehow convinced myself that my struggles were mine alone to carry. I learned to internalize my emotions, building a wall between myself and the people who cared about me. This emotional isolation fed into executive dysfunction, which bred a paralyzing fear of failure. I worried constantly about falling behind on assignments or disappointing my parents. Instead of motivating me healthily, fear became my primary driver, leading me to associate my entire self-worth with academic performance. A poor grade was no longer just a mistake but a definitive reflection of my value as a person. This mindset inevitably created an exhausting cycle. I stayed up late into the night trying to perfect assignments, which only left me drained and ultimately hindered my academic performance. The more stressed I became, the more I isolated myself and avoided asking for help, stubbornly believing I had to handle everything on my own. Eventually, my dad and stepmom noticed my distress and confronted me. With their encouragement, I finally opened up about how overwhelmed I felt and admitted my belief that failure made me worthless. While they knew I feared failure, they never realized how deeply that fear was rooted until that conversation. From that point forward, we began having honest discussions about my anxiety and perfectionism—a turning point that completely transformed my relationship with my family into one of shared vulnerability. And although anxiety runs on both sides of my family, learning to manage it has completely shifted my perspective. In the past, my anxiety caused me to miss crucial opportunities to make friends, apply for jobs, and step outside my comfort zone because I was entirely hyper-focused on what could go wrong. However, these experiences have also shaped my ultimate goals. Learning to navigate my own mind has inspired me to pursue a future where I can advocate for others who struggle in silence, ensuring my professional goals are rooted in meaningful impact. Ultimately, my journey with ADHD and anxiety has fundamentally reshaped my understanding of the world and myself. With the support of my dad and stepmom, I sought treatment and am developing healthier coping strategies. I am still learning, but I am becoming far more forgiving of myself, accepting that failure is a necessary part of growth. These challenges have taught me that everyone is fighting invisible battles, and that true strength is not found in carrying a heavy load alone- it is found in the courage to ask for help, connect deeply with others, and keep moving forward.

As a Landscape Architecture student, I believe sustainability should be a priority because every design decision we make has a lasting impact on both people and the environment. Unlike many professions that interact with nature indirectly, landscape architecture works directly with living systems such as plants, soil, water, and wildlife. Because of this connection, landscape architects have a responsibility to create spaces that meet human needs while also protecting and restoring the natural environment. My interest in landscape architecture comes from the opportunity to improve communities through thoughtful and sustainable design. Public parks, community gathering spaces, courtyards, and green infrastructure all have the potential to make cities healthier and more environmentally responsible. As climate change, water shortages, and habitat loss become increasingly significant challenges, sustainability is no longer just a desirable feature of a project—it is a necessity. Landscape architects are uniquely positioned to address these issues by designing spaces that conserve resources, support biodiversity, and improve quality of life. As a student, I already see sustainability influencing the way I approach design projects. Every site requires careful consideration of which plants are appropriate for the local climate, how water will be managed, and how the design will interact with the surrounding ecosystem. Living and studying in Arizona has made me especially aware of the importance of water conservation. In a region where drought is a constant concern, sustainable design practices such as rainwater harvesting, efficient irrigation systems, and the use of native plants can significantly reduce environmental impact while still creating beautiful and functional spaces. Throughout my education, I have been inspired by projects that integrate sustainability into every stage of the design process. Whether it is preserving existing ecosystems, reducing resource consumption, or creating habitats for pollinators and wildlife, these projects demonstrate that environmental responsibility and good design can work together. They have reinforced my belief that sustainability should not be treated as an afterthought but as a fundamental principle of landscape architecture. In the future, I hope to help reduce environmental impact by designing spaces that work with nature rather than against it. My goal is to create landscapes that use resources efficiently, support local ecosystems, and remain welcoming and accessible to the communities that use them. I want my work to demonstrate that sustainable design can improve everyday life while also protecting the environment for future generations. For me, sustainability is not simply a professional responsibility—it is one of the reasons I chose landscape architecture in the first place. Through my education and future career, I hope to contribute to communities that are healthier, more resilient, and better prepared to meet the environmental challenges of the future.

While I am now choosing to be a landscape architect and have developed a deep passion for it, I originally wanted to be a graphic designer due to my love for design. It wasn't until I was in my first student year of high school when I learned about green spaces that I even considered becoming a landscape architect. When I looked more into landscape architecture as a career that I learned that I could create said green spaces and what goes into them- but that I could also make parks and have them be more accessible. The way I plan to make a difference in the landscape industry is by designing more parks and green spaces for not only a communal benefit, but an ecological one as well. Not only would I be involved in the conceptual and design part of making a park or green space as a landscape architect, but I would also be involved in the construction to make sure that the material being used to make paths was not only sustainable, but would make it easy for disabled people to get around without any hazards. In terms of ecological benefit, I not only want to make sure that the plants used in the creation of parks and green spaces are aesthetically pleasing- but promote the surrounding environment- whether that be from attracting pollinators to retaining water. I want to make sure that the plants being used in projects aren't dangerous in any way to the surrounding environment, such as introducing invasive plants to a different environment and therefore causing the surrounding area to be overtaken by said plant. The reason I'm so passionate about landscape architecture and wanting to make green spaces and parks is because I believe people should have easier access to parks and simple areas that are peaceful where people can take a break. I want to create spaces that decrease carbon levels in areas while providing a practical purpose, because I believe in things being both aesthetically pleasing and functional. There also aren't a ton of parks anymore- it always seems like there are either no parks in a nearby area- or that you have to walk there- nothing is within walking distance. I'm passionate about landscape architecture and getting into the field because i know I can have some say in where things go. I want to make sure these spaces are accessible to everyone, because I know that not everyone has access to a car or an easy option for transportation, so I want to make sure that everyone has access to spaces like parks that they can enjoy and not have to worry about how they're going to get there.

Unlike most children whose parents get divorced around six to twelve, my parents got divorced when I was around four. One morning I woke up in my bed to my parents standing in my room and telling me that they were going to get a divorce; that's at least how I remember it. It was confusing; I had just woken up, and I was told information that I had to have explained to me. Granted I'm lucky to still have had both parents in my life, but that didn't make it much easier. I still had to switch between Mom and Dad's house. I had essentially become a messenger for the two of them since they barely wanted to talk to each other, not to mention how it impacted my relationship with each of them as I grew up.  A while after my parents got divorced, or at least had started to separate, they both moved into different apartments, causing me to have to split my things between the two houses and get some new things for the other. It was hard having to keep track of homework going up until I hit middle school, where the work became more online. But it wasn’t just keeping track of my work either; it was remembering what I was and wasn’t allowed to talk about at each house, from how open I could be about myself to just what I could tell them happened at the other parent's house without getting in trouble. Looking back, this most likely played a part in me having an issue properly expressing what I’m feeling due to constantly having to keep something from either parent, whether that be something personal or something that happened at the other parent's house.  Then with my parents specifically, they didn’t particularly like talking to each other, and even now they don’t usually come out in a good mood even if it’s as simple as asking if the other has paid for one of my expenses. So growing up, I was often the messenger between the two. Often this involved having to remember a lot of information when I was younger until I got a phone where I could just text the other parent. That being said, being a messenger for my parents wasn’t any easier—it was still exhausting having to wait for responses and then relay them back to the other while being able to tell that both parents were getting annoyed depending on the topic that I was relaying back and forth. It may have played into why I feel anxious to ask for things now so as not to cause my parents any annoyance, even if that wouldn’t be the case if I did. Though there were a bit more issues than just insecurities with how my parents' divorce affected me, it was also how they talked about one another.  Growing up to even now, my parents have badmouthed one another more times than I could probably count. To say that these comments didn’t affect my interactions with my parents or that they didn’t hurt me in any way would be a lie. Growing up, my mother would often say my father was awful to her when they were married, and my father would say that my mother was emotionally manipulative and draining. While my father is not wrong in what he says, growing up—and even now—it would still hurt to hear, because no matter your relationship with your parents, it still hurts to some extent hearing them be talked about negatively. It’s also confusing when you’re younger to see your parent talk about things that you don’t fully understand but understand enough to know that it’s bad. So growing up, this impacted my relationship with both parents, as I was always told a negative story about the other parent by one or the other. It took a while until I was about thirteen to form an opinion based on my own thoughts and not what I’ve been told, after which my relationship with my father had improved significantly due to this.  Granted, my memory of how my parents' divorce has affected me is somewhat blurry due to repressing memories, but I am aware that it has affected me in some way, whether that be positive or negative. Though I do believe that I would be worse off if they didn’t divorce, so while having to deal with communication issues, switching between houses, and dealing with my parents talking behind each other's backs to me, I do think I’d be worse off if they didn’t divorce.