I am a giver. I am selfless and I live to help people around me. I lift others up and I love to bring joy to peoples lives. I shine bright. I like lifting others up and making someone’s day. I use uplifting words to encourage others. I want to motivate the people around me to be better. To make this world better and kinder. My biggest influence is my mother. She has taught me to be strong, while being kind. She is independent and works hard. Throughout my childhood, she worked to portrays life as perfect. Although that is very far from the truth, she made my childhood truly amazing. When I grew to become more mature and understanding, she introduced me to the realness of life. She introduced me to her struggles as a single mom, through her debt, depression, and anger. She taught me how to deal with those struggles and continue to live life in the best way possible. She made everyone feel special when around her and I strive to light up a room like she always has. Since I was a little girl, everyday she would tell me to shine bright. To show everyone who I truly was. To shine through a bad day or bad situation. I wanted to shine bright like she always has. She works hours on end, being kind and helpful. As a flight attendant, you have to effectively work on little to no sleep. They are expected to be the kindest and brightest. When really they are going through the most. Away from their family constantly, holidays included. Lonely and missing home, but they are still the brightest light on the plane. Truly my mom taught me to be bright amongst the darkness of life. The darkness from being lonely and missing home, the darkness from student loans, debt, and sadness. But she stayed bright through it all. My mother has shaped my career aspirations since she has shown me who I want to be. I want to help others. I want to make the people around me feel special like she does. I want to work with people and heal others. I want to pursue a career in medicine. I want to work with kids and women. Pediatrics and gynecology has always interested me. I will have the ability to create relationships and change a patients day. That’s what I want to strive for. Making someone’s day just a little brighter.

The true meaning in my life is based on interactions and time Interactions help me grow and continue to be better. Through interactions, I learn new things. I learn to be better at communicating. I learn how to have new and, possibly, uncomfortable conversations. For me, interactions will help to create a positive impact on the people around me. Through kindness and sincerity, I hope to make the people around me feel special and safe. Time is taken for granted. Genuine time with others and loved ones is better than a gift. It enhances and further builds love in our relationships. We can all give each other time. The time given to each other brings happiness into our lives. As I think about the meaning of life, it contains far more than what is listed. I believe that every aspect of our life and day means something. A new day is a gift, and we must treat it as such. Taking the good and the bad, both being pleasures in our life. Because really, every day that we live on this earth is a blessing.

The Reno Gospel Mission, serving food to the homeless in our area, does some truly spectacular things. Recently, my mother and I have volunteered with this truly amazing organization. It has been really special to plate and serve food with a smile and a short “God Bless”. Although that may not seem to be a big deal, it means the world to these people. When we come back, they remember our face and our name. My favorite thing about volunteering with this organization is that I actually make a difference in the community. I worry about the friends that I have made. I love seeing them every week. Volunteering here has helped me meet new people and see how others live. It has made me extremely grateful for what I am blessed to have. It has proved to me how important volunteer work in the community actually is. Volunteering has taught me a lot. It has taught me how important it is to give back to your community. It has taught me that you can make such a large difference in someone’s life, if you just provide a helping hand. Even after high school, I will continue to volunteer. Volunteering has taught me the most import attribute in life: selflessness.

My goals fuel my life. I have very difficult but rewarding goals for my future. I want to become a doctor to heal and bring positivity into my patient's life in hopes of creating a positive impact. They consist of attending undergraduate school at the University of Nevada, Reno or Stanford University. I will major in Biomedical Engineering, which will fill my requirements for Medical School. I would like to score very well on the MCAT, the entrance exam into Medical School. From there, hopefully, I will attend a top Medical School. When I finish Medical School, I will determine exactly what I want to do. I am thinking either a Gynecologist or a Pediatrician. I will work through my residency and end up at a nice hospital or practice. When I get a well-paying job, I hope that I can give back to the community in one way or another. Possibly, volunteer some of my time at a planned parenthood or offer financial help to individuals who may need healthcare or education. Those are my goals.

My life has been absolutely amazing. I have had a care-free, but also a very tough high school experience. I have great friends and play sports with some truly interesting people. I have challenged myself academically with advance classes, on top of a busy schedule with sports, friends, high school, college classes, and a job. I stay positive even with my parents getting a divorce and deaths in the family. I know that these challenges help me grow and become a better version of myself. Being a positive person, the challenges that I have faced do not and will not hold me back. I have very difficult but rewarding goals for my future. They consist of attending undergraduate school at the University of Nevada, Reno or Stanford University. I will major in Biomedical Engineering, which will fill my requirements for Medical School. I would like to score very well on the MCAT, the entrance exam into Medical School. From there, hopefully, I will attend a top Medical School. When I finish Medical School, I will determine exactly what I want to do. I am thinking either a Gynecologist or a Pediatrician. I will work through my residency and end up at a nice hospital or practice. When I get a well-paying job, I hope that I can give back to the community in one way or another. Possibly, volunteer some of my time at a planned parenthood or offer financial help to individuals who may need healthcare or education. Those are my goals.

I am looking forward to the technology of stem cell therapy. Stem cell therapy links medicine and technology. It includes innovation, research, and testing to create something truly wonderful in medicine. The goal of stem cell therapy is to use healthy stem cells found in the body to replace or activate your body’s own stem cells at an injured site. When you have damaged tissue anywhere in your body, the damaged tissue lets off signals to attract your body’s own stem cells. Although this has been an amazing finding, some problems exist among adults. Adult stem cells may not be able to be manipulated to produce all cell types, which limits how adult stem cells can be used to treat diseases. Adult stem cells also are more likely to contain abnormalities due to environmental hazards, such as toxins, or from errors acquired by the cells during replication. Stem cell therapy will help and heal many people, since it can be introduced into any part of the body. This new technology will help individuals that haven't found a treatment to some illnesses or injuries. As this technology continues to grow and become more widespread, it will become more common and available to patients. The access of stem cell therapy will help a lot of people. Hopefully, stem cell therapy will lead to many other findings, further increasing technology and advancements in society. I hope that stem cell therapy is just a tip of the iceberg in technology in medicine. Also, I hope that I will have the ability to play a role in this new technology. As a doctor and engineer in the future, I would love to take part and further advance medicine in incredible ways. My career path allows me to both heal and innovate in many different ways to advance society and healthcare.

I have very difficult but rewarding goals for my future. They consist of attending undergraduate school at the University of Nevada, Reno or Stanford University. I will major in Biomedical Engineering, which will fill my requirements for Medical School. I would like to score very well on the MCAT, the entrance exam into Medical School. From there, hopefully, I will attend a top Medical School. When I finish Medical School, I will determine exactly what I want to do. I am thinking either a Gynecologist or a Pediatrician. I will work through my residency and end up at a nice hospital or practice. When I get a well-paying job, I hope that I can give back to the community in one way or another. Possibly, volunteer some of my time at a planned parenthood or offer financial help to individuals who may need healthcare or education. Those are my goals. I plan to achieve these goals through my great work ethic and my passion for the career ahead of me. I have invested so much of myself into this dream, nothing can hold me back.

I have very difficult, but rewarding goals for my future. They consist of attending undergraduate school at the University of Nevada, Reno or Stanford University. I will major in Biomedical Engineering, which will fill my requirements for Medical School. I would like to score very well on the MCAT, the entrance exam into Medical School. From there, hopefully, I will attend a top Medical School. When I finish Medical School, I will determine exactly what I want to do. I am thinking either a Gynecologist or a Pediatrician. I will work through my residency and end up at a nice hospital or practice. When I get a well-paying job, I hope that I can give back to the community in one way or another. Possibly, volunteer some of my time at a planned parenthood or offer financial help to individuals who may need healthcare or education. Those are my goals.

The Reno Gospel Mission, serving food to the homeless in our area, does some truly spectacular things. Recently, my mother and I have volunteered with this truly amazing organization. It has been really special to plate and serve food with a smile and a short “God Bless”. Although that may not seem to be a big deal, it means the world to these people. When we come back, they remember our face and our name. My favorite thing about volunteering with this organization is that I actually make a difference in the community. I worry about the friends that I have made. I love seeing them every week. Volunteering here has helped me meet new people and see how others live. It has made me extremely grateful for what I am blessed to have. It has proved to me how important volunteer work in the community actually is. Volunteering has taught me a lot. It has taught me how important it is to give back to your community. It has taught me that you can make such a large difference in someone’s life, if you just provide a helping hand. Even after high school, I will continue to volunteer.

I hope that I am able to make some impact on the world. I want to live my life knowing that I have contributed to another's life in a positive way. Through love, I will make an impact on the world. I hope to leave an impact on the world through healing. As a doctor, I would like to positively impact each of my patient's life. The attribute that sets me apart from others is the fact that I care for others like no other. This makes my relationships closer and more personal, making me closer to patients. I would love to live my life knowing that I have made an impact in the life of others. I live for the possibility of impacting others. I strive to be better and work hard. I make an effort to do everything in my power to achieve my goals and reach my potential. The potential of making a difference in other people's lives.

I have very difficult, but rewarding goals for my future. They consist of attending undergraduate school at the University of Nevada, Reno or Stanford University. I will major in Biomedical Engineering, which will fill my requirements for Medical School. I would like to score very well on the MCAT, the entrance exam into Medical School. From there, hopefully, I will attend a top Medical School. When I finish Medical School, I will determine exactly what I want to do. I am thinking either a Gynecologist or a Pediatrician. I will work through my residency and end up at a nice hospital or practice. When I get a well-paying job, I hope that I can give back to the community in one way or another. Possibly, volunteer some of my time at a planned parenthood or offer financial help to individuals who may need healthcare or education. Those are my goals.

The simple pleasures in my life consist of interactions, time, and mornings. Interactions help me grow and continue to be better. Through interactions, I learn new things. I learn to be better at communicating. I learn how to have new and, possibly, uncomfortable conversations. Time is taken for granted. Genuine time with others and loved ones is better than a gift. It’s enhances and further builds love in our relationships. Mornings are amazing. Mornings represent a new day. They represent peace and excitement. I enjoy sitting down and having a cup of coffee in the morning. I love to sit, relax, and plan my day. This allows for the unknown to remain exciting. As I think about my simple pleasures, they contain far more than what is listed. I believe that every aspect of our life and day are simple pleasures. A new day is a gift and we must treat it as such. Taking the good and the bad, both being pleasures in our life. Because really, every day that we live on this earth is a blessing.

Giving is extremely important. To me, the definition of giving is providing something helpful to someone who may need it. Giving can be a simple hello, smile, or donation. Giving is a factor that shapes all communities. The process of giving helps each and every community. It provides a caring atmosphere for people to feel welcome and deserving. I give through feeding the homeless. Not only do I help feed my community, I provide someone who can be talked to. I provide a happy smile and caring eyes. Those individuals in my community feel loved and cherished because someone reached out and gave in some way. If each and every individual participated in giving each day, or even each weak, the world would be a lot happier. Not only does giving help the individuals around you, but it also makes you a better person. Giving is an important thing to do. We all need to give TODAY!

Educational inequity is a problem that our population must fight. The future depends on educated individuals to solve problems and create new ideas. This can only occur if our population gets an education. Currently, tuition and expenses are acting as an obstacle for individuals wanting to go to college. Our future depends on this generation. It depends on driven individuals to innovate and excite. We must fight and challenge the financial education systems in order to remove those obstacles.

I have high hopes for my life. These high hopes include a lot of schooling and possibly, a lot of debt. Maybe even $200,000 worth of debt and 10-14 years of schooling. My goal in life is to become a gyneocologist or a pediatrician. They both require a lot of hard work and years of school, but it will be worth it! My dream is to help and care for others. Being a doctor, I can do a lot more than simply living my life with kindness. I can truly heal and help others. To me, the schooling is an extremely important part of this journey and I am so excited for the future! Currently, I am a high school senior. Next year, my plan is to attend Stanford University or the University of Nevada, Reno and study Biomedical Engineering. This field requires extra lab fees and extra work. When I graduate, I want to go to Medical School. My objective is to finish my undergraduate school without debt. In a perfect world, I would like to have some remaining funds left over to help with Medical School. Using both public and academic scholarships, hopefully, I can accomplish this. Since I have been a good student throughout High School, I receive the Presidential and Millennial Scholarship for in-state school, so these funds would go toward the University of Nevada, Reno. If I decided to go out of state to Stanford, I would need to apply for more public and essay scholarships. On top of these scholarships, I have applied for Financial Aid, which is a need-based scholarship system, so I will get some assistance from this program. Before I start the college of my choice, I would like to reach out for financial assistance and apply for the scholarships that the school provides. Since I played two sports in High School, I can apply for sports and leadership scholarships. Additionally, I have volunteered over 250 hours, so I am able to apply for volunteer-based scholarships. Also, I have tested well on my standardized tests, so I may get some funds based on my scores. This opportunity will help my goal of getting through undergraduate school entirely debt-free. I am very active on Bold.org, but I have not received a scholarship yet. Hopefully, this scholarship will be my first! Thank you for helping other students similar to me with their college funds!

When you ask me, what does generosity mean to me, a lot of things come to mind. Selflessness and kindness would be the two character traits that I believe would define generosity. To have generosity is to be helpful and care for people other than yourself. Having generosity means that you give back, and provide help for others treat desperately need it. One thing that is unique about my definition of generosity is that it doesn’t include money. Everyone is capable of giving back, even if it’s smiling at a stranger or giving a compliment. Because in that moment, you are putting your own desires, chores, or errands aside and choosing to help another person. Small acts of kindness like this one, or maybe even larger things like volunteering at a homeless shelter reflects generosity. Generosity is so important in our lives today. Especially in these hard times we are working to overcome. But as we move along this new, and sometimes very rough, journey. It is vital that we help each other.

The Reno Gospel Mission, serving food to the homeless in our area, does some truly spectacular things. Recently, my mother and I have volunteered with this truly amazing organization. It has been really special to plate and serve food with a smile and a short “God Bless”. Although that may not seem to be a big deal, it means the world to these people. When we come back, they remember our face and our name. My favorite thing about volunteering with this organization is that I actually make a difference in the community. I worry about the friends that I have made. I love seeing them every week. Volunteering here has helped me meet new people and see how others live. It has made me extremely grateful for what I am blessed to have. It has proved to me how important volunteer work in the community actually is. The definition of a good leader is very complex. A leader posses a clear vision, is courageous, has integrity, honesty, humility and clear focus. They help people reach their goals and take pride in the accomplishments of those they help along the way. I completely agree with the definition of a leader, but I also think that a leader is someone who makes an effort to better themselves along with bettering others. They are not selfish and they put others before them. Volunteering has taught me a lot. It has taught me how important it is to give back to your community. It has taught me that you can make such a large difference in someone’s life, if you just provide a helping hand. Even after high school, I will continue to volunteer. In the future, I wish to continue a medicine career path. I aspire to become a Gynecologist or a Plastic Surgeon specializing in the reconstruction of breasts. I chose these two paths because they both empower women and give back. Along with the time I work, I would love to volunteer at a Planned Parenthood. I just want to make a difference. I want to better situations. I want to make beautiful people feel confident again. My main goal, is to create a safe and comfortable place for women to come in really tough times of their life. I want to provide them with someone to openly talk to. I want to be someone that they can come to. I want to be a leader in my job and better others.

Teachers are extremely important. Teachers create smart students, who become smart workers. One teacher that has helped me pursue higher education would be Mr. Cope in AP Environmental Science. Not only was he a truly amazing guy, he taught things differently. He taught ideas through fun and unique lessons. He was funny, encouraging, and really did care about his students. One thing that was different about him was that he checked up on us, which rarely happens in public schools. He wanted to know how everyone was doing and I think that’s how he connected with his students. He changed lessons to help each student learn in their own way. He cared about sports, family, and friends. He supported my volleyball and softball team. After every game, he would be the first to ask how it went. Mr. Cope taught through videos, power-points, lectures, projects, field trips, walks, Ed-puzzles, and so much more. He put crazy amounts of effort into each lesson and into every kid it really did show. I haven’t met a single person who hasn’t liked him as a teacher. That really does say something . Although the class was hard, he made it even harder to fail. He provided extra support and tutoring. Which helped to teach so many kids how to do well in class. He made everyone comfortable to ask questions. This was something that I had never been comfortable with doing. I started to ask questions in other classes. I know for a fact that that skill will help me tremendously in college, when classes become harder. I thank Mr. Cope for not only teaching me the subject, but also how to do well in school, especially in higher education. Teachers that think outside of the box are really hard to find. I learned that once you get a good teacher, you need to listen to them! They are so wise and they know how college will be. High School teachers are there to teach you and prepare you for college. I’m higher education, you will no longer have a teacher there to check up on you. You will need to do things on your own. Researching and asking questions is crucial for your success in school. I am so grateful that I learned this now, before going into college. I have a really great teacher to thank for that. Teachers help students strive to be better and to be successful. That’s what they are there for! Take their advice and be successful!

Society needs to change its norms. It is necessary that society should accept women in big, important jobs. I think society can most effectively empower women by changing their ideals. If society welcomes this new, hardworking work force into employment, then we will definitely change for the better. Empowering women is so important, especially today. Women need to go through so much. We are so strong, beautiful, and important. I wish everyone realized that. We are completely capable of doing everything that other people do, and more. Society needs to shrink this gap between men and women. Society needs to realize how important women truly are. We are capable of things that most people can’t even warp their heads around. Society needs to accept these hard workers. We need change. We need women to show these arrogant people what we can all accomplish things. We need to show everyone that women have changed. We need to empower each other. Although this is very far from our problem to solve, I truly believe that we may be the only answer. We are the solution. We need to prove everyone wrong. Women need to work smarter and harder to show everyone that we deserve the same pay, the same treatment, and the same responsibilities. We are in 2021. Things need to change. Currently, my goals are to go to Undergraduate School, then to Medical School. I aspire to be a Gynecologist or a Plastic Surgeon specializing in the reconstruction of breasts after breast cancer. I chose these two career paths because I want to empower women. Women’s bodies go through so much. As a Gynecologist, I would create a real safe and comfortable place for women to come during their hardship. And as a Plastic Surgeon, I would help to make these beautiful women feel more confident after something that nearly killed them physically and mentally. Society needs more strong women to obtain power jobs. We need to help each other. We need to lift each other up. We need to encourage each other and cheer each other on after big accomplishments. Women need people to fight for them. If we do this, Society may change their norms and ideals. I really hope that my career path will at least make a small difference. I want to be the change. It is crucial that we are the change, especially my generation. I believe that we will be.

Hi, my name is Allison Shima. I was born and raised in the U.S. and I will be a senior in High School, graduating in the Class of 2022. When I was 10 years old, my parents decided to get a divorce. So, their combined income became little to none. The split responsibilities became full responsibilities. Therefore a comfortable family turned to a struggling family fairly quickly. Their money saved up for college was used for more important things. When they could no longer sustain a college fund for me, I knew I needed to start looking for other options. I currently work two jobs, along with playing volleyball, hoping I can earn a sports scholarship. Although I work and play sports, I make it a priority to give back to my community. Currently I feed the homeless twice a week in my area. I love doing this because I truly love making a difference. Volunteering actually helped me realize what I want to be, which is a doctor. I want to give back and solve problems. My plan for the future is going to be fairly expensive. It includes Undergraduate School along with Medical School. I aspire to become a Gynecologist or Plastic Surgeon specializing in the reconstruction of breasts after breast cancer. I aspire to empower women and create a truly safe place for women to come. I want to change things for the better. But unfortunately, my goals and my future will quickly turn into debt. Debt that I’ll need to pay of for years to come. I worry that my debt may get in the way of finding a job and staying afloat after Medical School. If I am lucky enough to receive this scholarship money, I will be able to focus on school and my career, instead of my debt and other finances. This scholarship would be a life saver. It would help me to get closer to opening my own practice and actually making a real difference. This scholarship will help me get a jumpstart on my career. I will be able to achieve my goals without the financial stress. This is extremely important to me because I want to start helping my community as fast as possible. This scholarship would mean the world to me. It would help pay for books, undergraduate school, or medical school. Although it won’t pay for everything, it will definitely start the process of paying it off.

Change is an important thing. Although it may be scary, change alters or modifies something. Everyone needs change, especially when the change is crucial. Recently, I’be been working with my local Gospel Mission helping to serve food to the homeless and I provide someone to talk to and someone that can listen to them. As I go through my hours of volunteering, I start to think of all of the bad instances they have endured just because they are homeless. I hear about fights, prostitution, deaths, and other really horrible things. I truly believe that my local community, along with the country needs to find a way to help these suffering people. We need to find them jobs. We need to find them happiness. They are looked at like they are not human. How do you think that effects their mental health? They are sad to be treated the way that they are treated. About every week, I go down to the Gospel Mission to feed a group of about one hundred and fifty people. Not only do I serve them food, I serve them with I smile. I serve them with optimism and uplifting thoughts, prayers, and conversations because they need it somewhere. Don’t they? They are going through something that most people can’t be even wrap their heads around. They are so strong, but looked at as so inferior. In a perfect world, I would bring in therapists to talk to them, stylists to cut their hair, and suits and dresses for job interviews. The only thing they need is a job. And if I could give that to them, it would be tremendous for me, for them, and for my community.

I tend to have some pretty big dreams, but my biggest dream would be regarding my career. I am just a High School senior who is optimistic about my future. My future is something that will require hundreds of thousands of dollars, along with tens of thousands of hours of studying. I always get replies like, “a gynecologist? A plastic surgeon? Wow, good luck”, after I tell them my big fancy dreams. I understand that my goals are going to be expensive and time consuming, but my future is an investment. It’s an investment that will bring me joy for the rest of my life. It’s an investment that will change peoples lives. It’s an investment that will change me as a person, for the better. You only have one future, so why not invest in it?

The Reno Gospel Mission, serving food to the homeless in our area, is the epitome of allyship. Recently, my mother and I have volunteered with this truly amazing organization. It has been really special to plate and serve food with a smile and a short “God Bless”. Although that may not seem to be a big deal, it means the world to these people. When we come back, they remember our face and our name. My favorite thing about volunteering with this organization is that I actually make a difference in the community. I worry about the friends that I have made. I love seeing them every week. It helps me make sure that they are safe and doing okay. Volunteering here has helped me meet new people and see how others live. It has made me extremely grateful for what I am blessed to have. It has proved to me how important volunteer work in the community actually is.

Smartphones have drastically changed human life. They provide important information, but they create more problems than they solve. Smartphones have become so prevalent in society, that we have become glued to them. We forget that face-to-face conversations are important in relationships. Also, giving someone your undivided attention shows respect. It allows for an effective conversation, without distractions. Another detail, is that it has become a social norm, and for many, the use of cellphones are "trendy". The invention of smartphones also sparked the creation of social media. Social media has created these ridiculous expectations that, eventually, lead to insecurity and the loss of self confidence. Every morning, when I wake up, the first thing I look at is my phone. It will determine if I'll have a good day or a bad one. For instance, if I open Instagram and see a young women, similar to me, in a photoshopped picture. I start to compare myself to her. I think about my insecurities compared to her perfection. In that moment, I decide that the day ahead of me will not be a good one. These unattainable beliefs that all people will look perfect and similar to photoshopped pictures has created an incredibly toxic society. To conclude, Smartphones effect self image and we are no longer living in the moment. When behind the wheel, the use of smartphones becomes extremely dangerous. The fact that the use of them is considered somewhat normal when driving is unacceptable. 14% of fatal car accidents involve some sort of cellphone use. The text, snapchat, or direct message can always wait, but a persons life cannot. In my opinion, the use of smartphones while driving portrays that the driver is selfish. They believe that their social life is more important than another's actual life. Drivers forget how risky smartphones are when driving. They become distracted, therefore unaware of their surroundings. This can lead to crashes, destruction of property and vehicles, along with the loss of someone's life. According to the National Safety Council, "driving and cellphone conversations both require a great deal of thought", making it impossible to concentrate on both. The lack of concentration "often results in crashes due to delayed braking times and not seeing traffic signals". Even with hands-free devices, the multitasking cannot be done while driving a vehicle. The operation of vehicles require your full-attention. In conclusion, to drive safely, attentiveness is key and cannot be done while using a smartphone.

As a little girl, people have always told me that I would grow to be something special. I never knew what that really meant, but I have always known that I want to change lives for the better, and that is my greatest inspiration. Helping people drives me. It drives me to be the best person, student, employee, friend, and family that I can possibly be. It has pushed me to achieve great things. Just recently, I found out how I want to change lives. I want to be a doctor. I want to nurture and heal people. More specifically, I want to empower women by working on recently cured cancer patients and reconstructing their breasts to make them feel beautiful again. Being close to someone who has undergone one of the most fatal cancers in women has really showed me how much this cancer impacts the mind. It creates new insecurities and makes them extremely self conscious. My everything is to change that. I want to help in the best way I can. This goal of mine, has pushed me to accomplish more than I could ever dream, but I still have so much more ahead of me. I can confidently say that this drive I have won't go away until I have succeeded.

Last summer, I had never cliff jumped before. But that changed, when my family and I hiked to a small lake near Lake Tahoe. My brother had asked me to follow him up to some rocks and when we got to the top. In a split second, my brother jumped in. My body tensed up and my conscience held me back from taking another step toward the ledge. After many moments, I closed my eyes and just jumped. I remember falling for, what seemed like, minutes and feeling my stomach drop out of my body.

As a little girl, people have always told me that I would grow to be something special. I never knew what that really meant, but I have always known that I want to change lives for the better. Helping people drives me. It drives me to be the best person, student, employee, friend, and family that I can possibly be. It has pushed me to achieve great things. Just recently, I found out how I want to change lives. I found my everything. I want to be a doctor. I want to nurture and heal people. More specifically, I want to empower women by working on recently cured cancer patients and reconstructing their breasts to make them feel beautiful again. Being close to someone who has undergone one of the most fatal cancers in women has really showed me how much this cancer impacts the mind. It creates new insecurities and makes them extremely self conscious. My everything is to change that. I want to help in the best way I can. This goal of mine, my everything, has pushed me to accomplish more than I could ever dream, but I still have so much more ahead of me. I can confidently say that this drive I have won't go away until I have succeeded.

About a year ago, my grandfather, who was tremendously close to me, experienced a stroke. Unfortunately, he was declared brain dead when he arrived at the hospital. My family had to make a really hard decision. We needed to decide whether or not we should take him off life support. It was a terrible decision to make, and it still haunts me today. He inspires me to become a successful man like he was. He was athletic and he played on an Olympic senior baseball team. He was intelligent because he owned his own medical practice specializing in natural curing substances. He changed many lives, and my goal in life is to do the same. His passing effected me greatly. I was in a deep depression for months, but his successes pushed me to work hard and persevere. One year after his passing, I had achieved a 4.6 GPA and had made one of the best volleyball teams in my area. I use my loved one's successes to push me to do great things. I have developed great study habits, which will help me in Undergraduate and Medical School, as well as in life. After every achievement, I want to work and push harder. My goal in life is to become the greatest I can be. I will work my hardest to reach my full potential.