There are a lot of songs that hold an important message to me because the music I listen to encompasses a large range of themes. Due to that wide range, it’s hard to pick just one song. However, if I had to pick a single song, it would be “Don’t Throw Out My Legos” by AJR. The meaning behind the song is that the person singing is moving out, but they aren't ready to leave their parents' house just yet. They’re worried about moving out but not ready for that change, which leads to them worrying about eventually going back to their parent's house. “Don’t Throw Out My Legos” has an important message to me because of how the person in the song experiences moving on. They’re excited and looking forward to being on their own, but at the same time, they are scared of the change that it leads to. It’s a very relatable feeling, especially since I’m a senior in high school and I’ll be moving to college here in a couple of months. I’m excited to go to a new place and experience what college life is like, but at the same time, I don’t feel ready for that change. Going to college hours away from home is a daunting thought, and there’s a small part of me that’s afraid that I can’t do it. If I can’t handle college, then I’d move back to my hometown and work full-time in retail, which is something I don’t want to do. The uncertainty of moving on is something that doesn’t seem to be talked about in music, and the way AJR talks about it in their song shows what it's like so well.

I think to make a permanent change in the country and the world, I should start with my community. My community isn’t small, a little over 40,000 people but it’s still a very tight-knit city. Most people know each other or know people who know other people in our community. However, there isn’t a lot to do in my community. It’s a suburb that mainly relies on other cities for business and entertainment, which doesn’t make it a very exciting place to live. I would like for more community-based events to happen, like block parties and field days, as well as more events like marathons for charity. Additionally, I would like to advocate for more small businesses in our community because we have had so many small businesses close due to a lack of business. When I see a new business in town, I try to buy something from them, either for myself or as a gift for friends or family. If I don’t buy anything or buy something small, I try to tell my friends about the business so they can support them too. Getting people more involved with the community and businesses would be a fantastic change here in Central Ohio. To change the country, I would first like to make changes to make the whole country a little safer. Crime has increased a lot over the past few years, and it causes people to be afraid to go out and try new things. By raising awareness and signing petitions, I try to make my country a safer place to live. Safety measures must be implemented in our communities so we don’t live in fear of our family and friends getting hurt. I, fortunately, live in a relatively safe community, but I know that many Americans don’t have that luxury. By making the US safer, more people will try new opportunities, whether it be traveling to a new place or opening a new business. If these measures are implemented in the United States and improve the lives of Americans, other countries will start to follow. Not only will we set a good example, but we could also take examples from other countries and we can all help each other. The US could also help other countries by sending and advocating for volunteers, which can lead to a more direct advantage for these countries. Communities or states could set up volunteer offers so that more people can get out there and help people.

There are a lot of things that make me excited about going to college next year. The chance to be on my own is something that I look forward to because I’ve never really dealt with that before. Being on my own, I would like to see how I can handle being away from my family and hometown. The college lifestyle that some colleges have seems rather unique compared to other lifestyles and is something I look forward to trying out for myself. Colleges can offer tons of new experiences compared to high schools or even particular communities like my own. Meeting new people from different backgrounds is another thing I look forward to as well. I like meeting new people and seeing how their experiences differ from mine. Lastly, and probably most importantly, is the chance to learn things I’m extremely passionate about. Going to college and learning about writing and film full-time is the most exciting thing about college. My school and community have never offered a bunch of opportunities for creative writing and filmmaking, so going to a college with hundreds of kids like me wanting to learn the same things I do is compelling. Even seeing professors with years of experience and the chance to intern at companies to show me what the industry is really like is extremely exciting to me. Maintaining a good balance between myself and schoolwork can be a challenge at times. Exam season is a good example of this- sometimes I forget to take care of myself properly in favor of cramming more information into my brain. Knowing my limits and pacing myself are things I had to learn to maintain good physical and mental health. Even through tough times, I try to remember to take care of myself. One thing I like to do to stay healthy is to walk around my neighborhood and listen to music. Seeing the scenery around me and listening to my favorite songs always clears my mind and makes me feel at peace. Baking is another hobby I use to help deal with school. Whenever school stresses me out, I like to make chocolate chip cookies from scratch and give them to my friends. I think my friends getting cookies stresses them out less too, and I feel happy knowing I can brighten my friend’s days. Sometimes while listening to long video essays I’ll clean my room, which makes me feel a lot more accomplished and ready to continue my schoolwork. Spending time with friends after school throughout the year is another thing I like to do because I love to hear about my friends and what they do. Going out to eat or watching a movie with them are the two main things I like to do with my friends. Trying to balance out school work and everyday life can be hard at times, but with a bit of practice I’ve become very good at it and it has greatly positively impacted my life.

My dog's name is Coco, and she's a nine-year-old Shih Tzu. Before I got my dog, I was obsessed with dogs, especially Shih Tzus. I read and researched dogs constantly and begged for a dog to my parents, because when you're five and everyone else has a dog you feel like you're missing out. I don't know why I was drawn to Shih Tzu's so much, but when I was younger I preferred smaller dogs over bigger dogs. In 2013, my parents got me Coco, and she was the best dog I had ever seen. Coco is abnormally colored for a Shih Tzu; most Shih Tzus are colored black, brown, or tan splotches, with white coloring covering the rest of their bodies. However, Coco was mainly dark brown with some light black coloring. She was also extremely small because she's the runt of her litter, and has a spine injury that affects her back legs and tail, so much so that her tail doesn't work at all. When I first got Coco I was extremely excited because after asking for several years, I finally got a dog. Not only did I get a dog, but she was also an awesome dog. Whenever friends come over to my house, they always get excited to see Coco too, because they also think Coco is an awesome dog. Coco has a great ability to make people happy and brighten people's days, just by being there. Despite her old age and antisocial behavior, my friends are still excited to see her when they come over. Even people on the sidewalk are excited to see her and compliment her on how she's such a good dog. For most of my life, I have struggled with mental health issues, mainly anxiety and depression. It was hard to handle for a few years because I never reached out for help, and I suffered the consequences of it more often than not. I also couldn't handle the large amounts of stress that came with things like school or social events as well as others did. Thankfully, Coco was there for me when I was struggling. She seems to have a sixth sense of knowing when I am stressed out or having a rough time, and she is always there to help me feel better and brighten my day. Whenever I feel scared or overwhelmed, she's close to my heels and lets me pick her up and pet her until I've managed to calm down. She's very much a lap dog and she loves to cuddle, so it feels nice knowing that she is right there next to me. For most of my life, she has been very good at comforting me and being a very good dog overall. If it wasn't for my dog, my life would be a lot different, and I would be lost without her.