My favourite scientific discovery is the neutron. It was revolutionary in many large branches of science, including chemistry and astronomy. The neutron discovery was pretty cool, because of how unexpected its existence was to the majority of the science world, and how its existence perplexed chemists before they discovered its existence in the nucleus. In 1932, physicist James Chadwick conducted an experiment where he bombarded beryllium with alpha particles from polonium’s natural radioactive decay, resulting in radiation showing a high penetration through a lead shield, which lead to the discovery of something else present in an atom’s nucleus alongside the protons known to be there. It solved the mystery and helped expand understanding of many future discoveries that were revolutionary in their fields. For example, the neutron’s existence completed the knowledge of certain life cycles of stars. It helped astronomers figure out that some stars, after a supernova, formed a neutron star, which is an extremely dense star spanning a 10-kilometre diameter made up entirely of neutrons. During the explosion, electrons and protons fused to form neutrons, which joined with already existing neutrons. It also helped establish nuclear power. When a free neutron collides with the nucleus of a radioactive atom, like plutonium, it releases 2 or 3 neutrons, leading to a chain reaction that leads to the formation of nuclear power, and, if enriched enough, a bomb is made. 80% of France’s power comes from nuclear power, and it is a growing source of energy. The discovery of the neutron led to discoveries in so many other branches of science, by providing information to further the knowledge of the universe and how it works, as well as providing us with basic needs in a modernizing world.

A little bit of happiness, a lot of laughter. Reality or fiction? I live in both. I’ll be an astronaut. Or I’ll crochet a cardigan, draw stars around my scars. I’ll be a lightsaber-wielding lady. It’s purple. I’ll make the most scrumptious brownies. I grow like a daisy. That dress, so pretty on me. I feel like a diamond. Cherry lips, raspberry perfume. Gorgeous girls like sage green and Taylor Swift. A butterfly, exploring the world, feeling the salt air. Look at how my dress flutters like my spirit. Or a wolf, I’ll fight for my pack. I’ll go to Peru, or Iceland. I’m living, flying, like a shooting star.

Few books have held me in such a strong grasp as Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows has. I had heard so much praise of this book online, and I was really excited to find out the truth behind such a popular novel. From the very first sentence, I knew I was in for a very tumultuous ride. Right away, the conflict began, delving straight into the major conflict. Each chapter was from a different point-of-view, and it was so interesting to see the complex story unfold from each perspective. It involved multiple prison break-ins, theft from governments, gangs, and complex relationships, and I loved how each played out, as emotions and relationships made each character so unique. It was so great to see someone representing a part of me in a popular novel. One of the main characters, Inej Ghafa, was Suli, the equivalent of a South Asian. The representation of her culture and how her character was portrayed as essential to the plot, instead of token diversity, made me feel like I finally had a character who I could really relate to, and who could represent me as a person in a good light, instead of the usual South Asian comedy relief side characters, or the wider portfolio of terrorists. I don’t like to reread novels, but Six of Crows, which has so much emotion, a very good plot, and complex relationships and situations that are played out very well, is one that I will always read, because of how amazing it is in every possible aspect, especially when, for the first time, I can place myself in the story without adding in my own additions to make it make sense.

Muhammad Ali is the epitome of an inspiring role model. He was a great person who continuously fought for his beliefs no matter who opposed him and stood up for those who faced severe discrimination and hatred. He opposed the Vietnam War as he saw it as an unjust fight against people who have never threatened him or the American people. Despite being sentenced to jail for five years and losing his boxing license, he went to many university campuses to give speeches opposing the war. Although he lost his career for the foreseeable future, he continued to fight against injustice, because he knew that that was nothing compared to killing innocent people. He also stood up for himself and his beliefs. He was a black man who faced unending racism in a white-dominated sport, but he still continued to play and speak out against racism against all African Americans, especially in the Civil Rights era. As a Muslim convert, he was very faithful to his religion, and received a lot of hatred for it. However, despite all of the Islamophobia and discrimination he faced, he still preached his beliefs and stayed true to what he believed in, so much so that his Hollywood Hall of Fame star is on a wall so that people wouldn’t be stepping over the name of Islam's most beloved prophet. At times, it’s just so hard to keep my head up when I face discrimination, but then I remember how Muhammad Ali never stopped fighting for what he believed in, which I deeply admire him for, and his actions have helped me persevere through hard times. I deeply admire how he was not only against injustice, but actively spoke out, even with his career lost and a prison sentence waiting to be fulfilled.

One thing I do to care for the seniors in my community is help them with yard work. A lot of elders in my neighbourhood live alone or with an elderly partner, so work like mowing the lawn and gardening can be really tough, as it can require a lot of strength, and some don’t have enough sight or a proper back to do the work they need to do. I come over on the weekends to help them keep their yard in shape, as it makes them neater and prettier. I’ve acquired many gardening skills as a result of helping many elders keep their gardens in shape, and I can now keep a garden by myself. In the fall, when there are a lot of leaves and twigs lying around, I rake the yards as I can easily place everything in garbage bags, especially sharp sticks. A few times, some seniors have hurt themselves when they tried to clean up sticks, so now I do it to reduce the risk of them getting hurt. In the winter last year, I shovelled a lot of their driveways and cleared out a safe path for them to walk for their houses because of how dangerous the situation was. Helping the elderly people in my community by helping them with different kinds of yard work is something I have always done willingly, and I will gladly continue to do so in the future.

Being a Texan means being strong-willed and determined in achieving what I work towards. I work towards achieving a better future for myself by working and gaining experience of many different types. I study hard in the variety of classes I take, like AP classes where I can challenge myself, and electives like Astronomy and AP Psychology, where I can learn more about different fields that I may want to pursue. I volunteer at many different places like religious organizations such as mosques and churches, animal shelters, school events, and blood, toy, clothing and food drives. I also expand my range of hobbies, work on myself physically and mentally, and improve my financial situation by working and saving more. My goal is to go to a great college that will help me enter into a career where I can really work towards a fulfilling, enjoyable life, and all of my hard work pays off. I work on becoming a well-rounded person, bettering my people skills, giving back to the community in many ways, increasing my academic knowledge, and trying out new things, like hobbies and food. This way, I can be the person I dream to be, and I can be more than prepared to get out into the real world. Being a Texan means being ready to take on the world, and I want to be the best possible Texan by working hard and being the best person I know.

My goal is to establish myself in a successful career in the future, after attending college and living out my dreams. I want to pursue a career in archaeology as it appeals to my interests. It's a career I would enjoy, considering how I would spend several decades of my life in it, and I don’t want to waste them doing something I don't enjoy. I want to be successful by having a high position and making a lot of money, so I am working towards going to a college that would give me the right skills and direction that would allow me to work smart and understand what skills I need to climb to the top. When I go higher, I would make more money, so I can be more financially comfortable than I was during most of my childhood. I wouldn’t have to worry about having enough food on my table as well as paying bills, car expenses, rent, and other financial necessities. College and money would allow me to follow my dreams. I can travel the world through study abroad programs, touring Europe on weekends or visiting North African countries on my breaks. I can also meet new people, which would further help me achieve success. There is every type of person out there, and understanding how they function and how they succeed in their own ways can help me build skills and character that would allow me to be a better person and a better leader, which could help me in my career. College is a great way to do that because everyone is someone I have never met before, and I can really improve myself there, especially in a larger, more diverse college. When I pursue my listed goals, my future will be very bright.

I am always reminded by the beauty in this world to live with gratitude and to appreciate everything I have. Every day when I wake up, I am grateful that I did, and I am able to get up, walk without any help, that I don’t need any expensive or tiring equipment to help me do so. I’ve seen first-hand how people struggle to even sit up in bed, let alone eat properly without a feeding tube, or go to the bathroom without assistance, which has made me more grateful that I don’t experience that. Every time I look at something beautiful or entertaining, like the blooming trees outside, or my favourite show, I am grateful that I have my eyesight, and I am grateful I can hear the birds singing or Taylor Swift on my speakers, and that I am not blind. I am so grateful I have my supportive family because I know so many people who don’t even have a family or have one that brings them down mentally and emotionally. They have helped me persevere through three different high schools, college rejections, mental and physical health, and they provide everything for me. I wouldn’t have been able to go on overnight trips to places like Ottawa, buy merchandise from my favourite shows and artists, or eat my favourite foods as much I do. Simply living reminds me to stay grateful for everything I have, and helps me appreciate it more. Seeing first and how people who are disadvantaged in health finances, family and love have helped me appreciate what I have more and has brought me to love everything so much more.

The meaning of life is being able to fulfill your desires and your character with everything you believe means the best for yourself, and I try to achieve it by expanding my comfort zone to find out what I like to do to make life meaningful. I desire to be a great person, helping people in any way I can, being productive in both my hobbies and in the house, and spending more time improving myself than wasting it on my phone. I bake a lot more, I read more books that challenge me as a reader and analyzer, I work out a lot more, include more runs and bike rides, I cook a lot more, I help my parents with miscellaneous chores like redecorating rooms and creating homemade clocks, I spend more time at clubs, I spend more time with my family, I study more and work on better academic performance, and I like to have fun, like dancing or going go-karting. It helps me achieve a healthy mind and body and works on building my character. I am more even-tempered now, a lot happier than I was before, and I look forward to what life has to offer. I cannot wait to go to college, to make new friends, I dream of travelling the world and seeing its beauty. I want to live a great life, and I want to be able to try everything I want to try and continue what I love to do, as I have found that the meaning of life is a sign of what makes you the happiest you can be.

Being honest with myself and my morals helps me to speak my mind on all kinds of issues. I need to understand where I stand on many different issues, such as racial, religious and cultural discrimination, family dynamics, school reforms and my future. If I don’t accept how much I will stand up to people to fight for human rights, and my right to live life how I feel would benefit me the most in the long run, then it would be quite difficult for me to actually speak out against so much hate and injustice. First-hand experience of racism, islamophobia, and xenophobia have made me more perceptible when it comes to fighting issues like racial discrimination and police brutality, as I speak out against the injustice of such deep-rooted issues, regardless of what others say. Knowing myself also means knowing my morals. I can’t speak my mind on something that I don’t have a moral capacity for, so I educate myself on developing such morals. This way, I can empathize with other minorities who face discrimination, as I genuinely want to make changes in their lives for the better, instead of the opposite. In my personal life, I also learn to speak my mind, especially when it comes to my future. I want to be in control of it, whether it’s the right college, the right major, or the right job. It is my life that I am living, and I deserve to live how I feel it would benefit me the most. Without morals and a place of standing, speaking my mind would never be possible. If I don’t know who and what I’m fighting for, then no determination to help those who need it, myself and everyone else.

In order to motivate me to study, I use multiple strategies to do so and to perform well. Writing out notes is one way that really helps me remember the content. It's one thing to watch a boring lecture about soil horizons, it's another to write out and organize notes, read them over, highlight keywords, underline definitions, and read them out loud, as I pay attention and take in the content. Flashcards are useful because it forces me to use my memory. With notes, I can read the answer as it's right next to the key term, but with flashcards, I only turn them if I think I know the definition, and redo them if not. I can also change words as many terms could have the same definitions, like intercropping, alley cropping, and interplanting all meaning the same thing. I like to take practice tests as they help me prepare better. I get more acquainted with the format of the test, how well I already know and how much I improved, and I can see what I struggle with so I can work on improving it. To ensure motivation to study thoroughly, I give myself 10-minute breaks after every 45 minutes to allow myself time to relax and for my memory to recuperate and be able to take in more information. Instead of sitting for hours reading and rereading test materials, I can eat snacks, listen to a little music, or do a little yoga to relax before studying more. All these techniques help me study as efficiently as possible so I can do the best I can. They help me understand and memorize information and allow me to retain it for a long time.