My name is Alyssa Dickens, and I am in pursuit of a Bachelor of Science in Physics and a Bachelor in Music Performance at Texas Christian University. I have a passion for both physics and music, and through these two disciplines I strive to leave a lasting impact on society. My end goal is to obtain an advanced degree in medical physics. I recently discovered what a medical physicist was, and I am fascinated by the work they do, particularly in cancer research. While I am thankful no one in my family has been diagnosed with cancer, I have felt its effects through my friends. My best friend's father passed away from cancer when we were in eighth grade. The doctors didn't know he had a tumor until he started to feel pain, and by then they determined he was already in stage 4. There was nothing the doctors could do except ease his pain. I am forever haunted by the effects of his passing on my friend. I aspire to further cancer research so that less people are affected and get to spend more time with the people they love. If I could do anything with my life, I would find the cure to cancer. As a physics major, I spend a lot of time learning about math and how the world works, both on a minute scale and for objects seen by the human eye. I am passionate about learning physics theories and their applications to everyday life. My experience with physics at TCU has been a privilege, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities offered here. I am in a biophysics research group on campus. We work with carbon-based quantum dots and conduct numerous research projects that have far-reaching implications in the future with an emphasis on writing research papers on our findings. We use our quantum dots and experiment with attaching them to cancer cells so that tumors will fluoresce, and this will be extremely helpful for oncologists to identify and treat cancer patients in the future. We have done other experiments with neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, with the intent to monitor the levels of these neurotransmitters in the blood, particularly for patients with depression, anxiety, or any other mental health condition that deals with a deficit or excess of certain neurotransmitters. We are always looking for the next experiment that can benefit humanity. I find purpose in my research group, and I know the skills I learn through conducting experiments and writing research papers will follow me to the workplace. I am confident that I can help people in the future with the knowledge I gather through my undergraduate classes. I aspire to create a society where a cancer diagnosis does not mean the end of someone's world.

Behind every success story is a pillar of support. From keeping an empire standing to holding up a mailbox, every pillar that remains unbreakable is the best one. Even though I am only in my mailbox stage as a student, my mom is always there for me, and I know she will still be there when I reach my empire stage post-graduation. My happy childhood memories are overshadowed by those of fear and emotional neglect on behalf of my father. His alcohol addiction and later incarceration created a stressful environment for me and my three sisters at home. My mom did everything she could to shield us from my father's actions, and in my sophomore year of high school, she finally found a way to divorce him without putting our safety at risk. Since then, my mom has been working hard to replace the bad memories with better ones and doing everything she can to raise her four daughters on her own with no child support. My mom always has a light in her eyes and reminds me to laugh, even in the hardest of times. When I am stressed about a college assignment, she listens and helps me settle my thoughts. We watch TV shows together when I am home from college and occasionally surprises me with my favorite chocolate. She always knows the right thing to say when I am upset, and I could never have made it to college without her encouragement. I learned many life lessons from my mom, particularly the importance of patience and perseverance. She sings a song to my siblings and I about patience whenever we complain about waiting. Now that my siblings and I are older, she tells us that good things come to those who wait. She doesn't just tell us to wait patiently, however, her message is coupled with perseverance and hard work. If we work hard, then great things will come in the future. Her mantra stuck with me through high school, and I worked diligently on my grades and extracurricular activities. Thanks to her support, I am now studying at my dream college and able to pursue my two passions of physics and music. In my freshman year of high school, my mom impressed upon me the importance of volunteering and giving back to the community. Even though we didn't have much, she always gave tithes to the church and contributed small amounts to emergency funds at her workplace for coworkers in need. I began volunteering at our church, Christ Fellowship McKinney, and spent over fifty hours within the year aiding childcare leaders during Sunday School. I helped children complete crafts, served snacks, and sang with them while parents attended the sermon. My dedication to volunteering at the same place allowed me to receive the President's Volunteer Service Award. Two of my younger sisters are currently following in my footsteps and are now volunteering at our church, just as I did. I am grateful for the skills I learned while volunteering and interacting with young children, and I hope to inspire others to give back to their communities as well. Living in a world revolving around the nuclear family is incredibly difficult when you don't fit the mold. With my mom's positive affirmations and life lessons she taught me, I hope to be a success story that students living in single parent households can look up to.

My name is Alyssa Dickens, and I am in pursuit of a Bachelor of Science in Physics and a Bachelor in Music Performance at Texas Christian University. I have a passion for both physics and music, and through these two disciplines I strive to leave a lasting impact on society. My end goal is to obtain an advanced degree in medical physics. I recently discovered what a medical physicist was, and I am fascinated by the work they do, particularly in cancer research. While I am thankful no one in my family has been diagnosed with cancer, I have felt its effects through my friends. My best friend's father passed away from cancer when we were in eighth grade. The doctors didn't know he had a tumor until he started to feel pain, and by then they determined he was already in stage 4. There was nothing the doctors could do except ease his pain. I am forever haunted by the effects of his passing on my friend. I aspire to further cancer research so that less people are affected and get to spend more time with the people they love. If I could do anything with my life, I would find the cure to cancer. As a physics major, I spend a lot of time learning about math and how the world works, both on a minute scale and for objects seen by the human eye. I am passionate about learning physics theories and their applications to everyday life. My experience with physics at TCU has been a privilege, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities offered here. I am in a biophysics research group on campus. We work with carbon-based quantum dots and conduct numerous research projects that have far-reaching implications in the future with an emphasis on writing research papers on our findings. We use our quantum dots and experiment with attaching them to cancer cells so that tumors will fluoresce, and this will be extremely helpful for oncologists to identify and treat cancer patients in the future. We have done other experiments with neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, with the intent to monitor the levels of these neurotransmitters in the blood, particularly for patients with depression, anxiety, or any other mental health condition that deals with a deficit or excess of certain neurotransmitters. We are always looking for the next experiment that can benefit humanity. I find purpose in my research group, and I know the skills I learn through conducting experiments and writing research papers will follow me to the workplace. I am confident that I can help people in the future with the knowledge I gather through my undergraduate classes. Everyone faces challenges in life and must learn to overcome them or be left behind. I find that the challenges of low-income families tend to have far-reaching consequences, both on my quality of life and on my perception of the world around me. I am constantly thinking about how much things cost and whether it is worth it for me to spend money on things. While having financial awareness is a strength in many ways, it can also be a burden, choosing me to pick the cheaper option when I should spend a few extra dollars and get the item that would serve me better. This scholarship would ease some of my financial stress and allow me to fully focus on my studies. I am thankful to all of the adults that push me to pursue my dreams.

My name is Alyssa Dickens, and I am in pursuit of a Bachelor of Science in Physics and a Bachelor in Music Performance at Texas Christian University. I have a passion for both physics and music, and through these two disciplines I strive to leave a lasting impact on society. My end goal is to obtain an advanced degree in medical physics. I recently discovered what a medical physicist was, and I am fascinated by the work they do, particularly in cancer research. While I am thankful no one in my family has been diagnosed with cancer, I have felt its effects through my friends. My best friend's father passed away from cancer when we were in eighth grade. The doctors didn't know he had a tumor until he started to feel pain, and by then they determined he was already in stage 4. There was nothing the doctors could do except ease his pain. I am forever haunted by the effects of his passing on my friend. I aspire to further cancer research so that less people are affected and get to spend more time with the people they love. If I could do anything with my life, I would find the cure to cancer. As a physics major, I spend a lot of time learning about math and how the world works, both on a minute scale and for objects seen by the human eye. I am passionate about learning physics theories and their applications to everyday life. My experience with physics at TCU has been a privilege, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities offered here. I am in a biophysics research group on campus. We work with carbon-based quantum dots and conduct numerous research projects that have far-reaching implications in the future with an emphasis on writing research papers on our findings. We use our quantum dots and experiment with attaching them to cancer cells so that tumors will fluoresce, and this will be extremely helpful for oncologists to identify and treat cancer patients in the future. We have done other experiments with neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, with the intent to monitor the levels of these neurotransmitters in the blood, particularly for patients with depression, anxiety, or any other mental health condition that deals with a deficit or excess of certain neurotransmitters. We are always looking for the next experiment that can benefit humanity. I find purpose in my research group, and I know the skills I learn through conducting experiments and writing research papers will follow me to the workplace. I am confident that I can help people in the future with the knowledge I gather through my undergraduate classes. I aspire to build a society where a cancer diagnosis isn't the end of someone's world.

My name is Alyssa Dickens, and I am in pursuit of a Bachelor of Science in Physics and a Bachelor in Music Performance at Texas Christian University. I have a passion for both physics and music, and through these two disciplines I strive to leave a lasting impact on society. My end goal is to obtain an advanced degree in medical physics. I recently discovered what a medical physicist was, and I am fascinated by the work they do, particularly in cancer research. While I am thankful no one in my family has been diagnosed with cancer, I have felt its effects through my friends. My best friend's father passed away from cancer when we were in eighth grade. The doctors didn't know he had a tumor until he started to feel pain, and by then they determined he was already in stage 4. There was nothing the doctors could do except ease his pain. I am forever haunted by the effects of his passing on my friend. I aspire to further cancer research so that less people are affected and get to spend more time with the people they love. If I could do anything with my life, I would find the cure to cancer and build a society where cancer's reach isn't as wide. As a physics major, I spend a lot of time learning about math and how the world works, both on a minute scale and for objects seen by the human eye. I am passionate about learning physics theories and their applications to everyday life. My experience with physics at TCU has been a privilege, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities offered here. I am in a biophysics research group on campus. We work with carbon-based quantum dots and conduct numerous research projects that have far-reaching implications in the future with an emphasis on writing research papers on our findings. We use our quantum dots and experiment with attaching them to cancer cells so that tumors will fluoresce, and this will be extremely helpful for oncologists to identify and treat cancer patients in the future. We have done other experiments with neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, with the intent to monitor the levels of these neurotransmitters in the blood, particularly for patients with depression, anxiety, or any other mental health condition that deals with a deficit or excess of certain neurotransmitters. We are always looking for the next experiment that can benefit humanity. I find purpose in my research group, and I know the skills I learn through conducting experiments and writing research papers will follow me to the workplace. I am confident that I can help people in the future with the knowledge I gather through my undergraduate classes. I want to build a reality where cancer isn't the end of someone's world.

My name is Alyssa Dickens, and I am in pursuit of a Bachelor of Science in Physics and a Bachelor in Music Performance at Texas Christian University. I have a passion for both physics and music, and through these two disciplines I strive to leave a lasting impact on society. My end goal is to obtain an advanced degree in medical physics. I recently discovered what a medical physicist was, and I am fascinated by the work they do, particularly in cancer research. While I am thankful no one in my family has been diagnosed with cancer, I have felt its effects through my friends. My best friend's father passed away from cancer when we were in eighth grade. The doctors didn't know he had a tumor until he started to feel pain, and by then they determined he was already in stage 4. There was nothing the doctors could do except ease his pain. I am forever haunted by the effects of his passing on my friend. I aspire to further cancer research so that less people are affected and get to spend more time with the people they love. If I could do anything with my life, I would find the cure to cancer. As a physics major, I spend a lot of time learning about math and how the world works, both on a minute scale and for objects seen by the human eye. I am passionate about learning physics theories and their applications to everyday life. My experience with physics at TCU has been a privilege, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities offered here. I am in a biophysics research group on campus. We work with carbon-based quantum dots and conduct numerous research projects that have far-reaching implications in the future with an emphasis on writing research papers on our findings. We use our quantum dots and experiment with attaching them to cancer cells so that tumors will fluoresce, and this will be extremely helpful for oncologists to identify and treat cancer patients in the future. We have done other experiments with neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, with the intent to monitor the levels of these neurotransmitters in the blood, particularly for patients with depression, anxiety, or any other mental health condition that deals with a deficit or excess of certain neurotransmitters. We are always looking for the next experiment that can benefit humanity. I find purpose in my research group, and I know the skills I learn through conducting experiments and writing research papers will follow me to the workplace. I am confident that I can help people in the future with the knowledge I gather through my undergraduate classes. Everyone faces challenges in life and must learn to overcome them or be left behind. I find that the challenges of low-income families tend to have far-reaching consequences, both on my quality of life and on my perception of the world around me. I am constantly thinking about how much things cost and whether it is worth it for me to spend money on things. While having financial awareness is a strength in many ways, it can also be a burden, choosing me to pick the cheaper option when I should spend a few extra dollars and get the item that would serve me better. I am thankful to all of the adults that pushed me to pursue my dreams in high school and the people in my life that continue to encourage me to reach for the stars now that I am in college.

My name is Alyssa Dickens, and I am in pursuit of a Bachelor of Science in Physics and a Bachelor in Music Performance at Texas Christian University. I have a passion for both physics and music, and through these two disciplines I strive to leave a lasting impact on society. My end goal is to obtain an advanced degree in medical physics. I recently discovered what a medical physicist was, and I am fascinated by the work they do, particularly in cancer research. While I am thankful no one in my family has been diagnosed with cancer, I have felt its effects through my friends. My best friend's father passed away from cancer when we were in eighth grade. The doctors didn't know he had a tumor until he started to feel pain, and by then they determined he was already in stage 4. There was nothing the doctors could do except ease his pain. I am forever haunted by the effects of his passing on my friend. I aspire to further cancer research so that less people are affected and get to spend more time with the people they love. If I could do anything with my life, I would find the cure to cancer. As a physics major, I spend a lot of time learning about math and how the world works, both on a minute scale and for objects seen by the human eye. I am passionate about learning physics theories and their applications to everyday life. My experience with physics at TCU has been a privilege, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities offered here. I am in a biophysics research group on campus. We work with carbon-based quantum dots and conduct numerous research projects that have far-reaching implications in the future with an emphasis on writing research papers on our findings. We use our quantum dots and experiment with attaching them to cancer cells so that tumors will fluoresce, and this will be extremely helpful for oncologists to identify and treat cancer patients in the future. We have done other experiments with neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, with the intent to monitor the levels of these neurotransmitters in the blood, particularly for patients with depression, anxiety, or any other mental health condition that deals with a deficit or excess of certain neurotransmitters. We are always looking for the next experiment that can benefit humanity. I find purpose in my research group, and I know the skills I learn through conducting experiments and writing research papers will follow me to the workplace. I am confident that I can help people in the future with the knowledge I gather through my undergraduate classes.

My name is Alyssa Dickens, and I am in pursuit of a Bachelor of Science in Physics and a Bachelor in Music Performance at Texas Christian University. I have a passion for both physics and music, and through these two disciplines I strive to leave a lasting impact on society. My end goal is to obtain an advanced degree in medical physics. I recently discovered what a medical physicist was, and I am fascinated by the work they do, particularly in cancer research. While I am thankful no one in my family has been diagnosed with cancer, I have felt its effects through my friends. My best friend's father passed away from a cancer when we were in eighth grade. The doctors didn't know he had a tumor until he started to feel pain, and by then they determined he was already in stage 4. There was nothing the doctors could do except ease his pain. I am forever haunted by the effects of his passing on my friend. I aspire to further cancer research so that less people are affected and get to spend more time with the people they love. If I could do anything with my life, I would find the cure to cancer. As a physics major, I spend a lot of time learning about math and how the world works, both on a minute scale and for objects seen by the human eye. I am passionate about learning physics theories and their applications to everyday life. My experience with physics at TCU has been a privilege, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities offered here. I am in a biophysics research group on campus. We work with carbon-based quantum dots and conduct numerous research projects that have far-reaching implications in the future with an emphasis on writing research papers on our findings. We use our quantum dots and experiment with attaching them to cancer cells so that tumors will fluoresce, and this will be extremely helpful for oncologists to identify and treat cancer patients in the future. We have done other experiments with neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, with the intent to monitor the levels of these neurotransmitters in the blood, particularly for patients with depression, anxiety, or any other mental health condition that deals with a deficit or excess of certain neurotransmitters. We are always looking for the next experiment that can benefit humanity. I find purpose in my research group, and I know the skills I learn through conducting experiments and writing research papers will follow me to the workplace. I am confident that I can help people in the future with the knowledge I gather through my undergraduate classes.

My name is Alyssa Dickens, and I am in pursuit of a Bachelor of Science in Physics and a Bachelor in Music Performance at Texas Christian University. I have a passion for both physics and music, and through these two disciplines I strive to leave a lasting impact on society. My end goal is to obtain an advanced degree in medical physics. I recently discovered what a medical physicist was, and I am fascinated by the work they do, particularly in cancer research. While I am thankful no one in my family has been diagnosed with cancer, I have felt its effects through my friends. My best friend's father passed away from a cancer when we were in eighth grade. The doctors did not know he had a tumor until he started to feel pain, and they determined he was already in stage 4. There was nothing the doctors could do except ease his pain. I am forever haunted by the effects of his passing on my friend. I aspire to further cancer research so that less people are affected and get to spend more time with the people they love. If I could do anything with my life, I would find the cure to cancer. As a physics major, I spend a lot of time learning about math and how the world works, both on a minute scale and for objects seen by the human eye. I am passionate about learning physics theories and their applications to everyday life. My experience with physics at TCU has been a privilege, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities offered here. I am in a biophysics research group on campus. We work with carbon-based quantum dots and conduct numerous research projects that have far-reaching implications in the future as well as writing research papers on our findings. We use our quantum dots and experiment with attaching them to cancer cells so that tumors will fluoresce, and this will be extremely helpful for oncologists to identify and treat cancer patients in the future. We have done other experiments with neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, with the intent to monitor the levels of these neurotransmitters in the blood, particularly for patients with depression, anxiety, or any other mental health condition that deals with a deficit or excess of certain neurotransmitters. We are always looking for the next experiment that can benefit humanity. I find purpose in my research group, and I know the skills I learn through conducting experiments and writing research papers will follow me to the workplace. I am confident that I can help people in the future with the knowledge I gather through my undergraduate classes. Everyone faces challenges in life and must learn to overcome them or be left behind. I find that the challenges of low-income families tend to have far-reaching consequences, both on my quality of life and on my perception of the world around me. I am constantly thinking about how much things cost and whether it is worth it for me to spend money on things. While having financial awareness is a strength in many ways, it can also be a burden, choosing me to pick the cheaper option when I should spend a few extra dollars and get the item that would serve me better. I am thankful to all of the adults that pushed me to pursue my dreams in high school and the people in my life that continue to encourage me to reach for the stars now that I am in college.

Behind every success story is a pillar of support. From keeping an empire standing to holding up a mailbox, every pillar that remains unbreakable is the best one. Even though I am only in my mailbox stage as a student, my mom is always there for me, and I know she will still be there when I reach my empire stage post-graduation. My happy childhood memories are overshadowed by those of fear and emotional neglect on behalf of my father. His alcohol addiction and later incarceration created a stressful environment for me and my three sisters at home. My mom did everything she could to shield us from my father's actions, and in my sophomore year of high school, she finally found a way to divorce him without putting our safety at risk. Since then, my mom has been working hard to replace the bad memories with better ones and doing everything she can to raise her four daughters on her own with no child support. I learned many life lessons from my mom, particularly the importance of patience and perseverance. She sings a song to my siblings and I about patience whenever we complain about waiting. Now that my siblings and I are older, she tells us that good things come to those who wait. She doesn't just tell us to wait patiently, however, her message is coupled with perseverance and hard work. If we work hard, then great things will come in the future. Her mantra stuck with me through high school, and I worked diligently on my grades and extracurricular activities. Thanks to her support, I am now studying at my dream college and able to pursue my two passions of physics and music. In my freshman year of high school, my mom impressed upon me the importance of volunteering and giving back to the community. Even though we didn't have much, she always gave tithes to the church and contributed small amounts to emergency funds at her workplace for coworkers in need. I began volunteering at our church, Christ Fellowship McKinney, and spent over fifty hours within the year aiding childcare leaders during Sunday School. I helped children complete crafts, served snacks, and sang with them while parents attended the sermon. My dedication to volunteering at the same place allowed me to receive the President's Volunteer Service Award. Two of my younger sisters are currently following in my footsteps and are now volunteering at our church, just as I did. I am grateful for the skills I learned while volunteering and interacting with young children, and I hope to inspire others to give back to their communities as well. I am now a sophomore undergraduate student at Texas Christian University. As a low-income individual, it is no surprise that I don't always fit in with my peers. I chose to attend TCU because of the opportunities available to me for physics. I am involved in a biophysics research group where we run experiments on carbon-based quantum dots and apply them to cancer research. We are working on attaching molecules to our quantum dots so that they bind to tumors in the human body and fluoresce, making it possible to locate and image tumors. Through my research, I aspire to help others. Living in a world revolving around the nuclear family is incredibly difficult when you don't fit the mold. This scholarship would help me achieve my dreams. With my mom's positive affirmations and life lessons she taught me, I hope to be a success story that students living in single parent households can look up to.

1. My name is Alyssa Dickens, and I am in pursuit of a Bachelor of Science in Physics and a Bachelor in Music Performance at Texas Christian University. I have a passion for both physics and music, and through these two disciplines I strive to leave a lasting impact on society. I play clarinet, and I am majoring in music because I love it and I appreciate the fine arts education. However, my end goal is to apply for and obtain an advanced degree in the realm of physics. I recently discovered what a medical physicist was, and I am fascinated by the work they do. As a physics undergraduate student, this career choice matches with the experiences I have so far, and I have been interested in cancer research and treatment since I was young. While I am thankful no one in my family has been diagnosed with cancer, I have felt its effects through my friends and the people they know. My best friend's father passed away from a cancer in his abdomen when we were in eighth grade. The doctors did not know he had a tumor until he started to feel pain, and they determined he was already in stage 4. There was nothing the doctors could do except ease his pain. I am forever haunted by the effects of his passing on my friend. I aspire to further cancer research so that less people are affected by cancer and get to spend more time with the people they love. If I could do anything with my life, I would find the cure to cancer. The best way to start with my background would be to become a medical physicist. 2. As a physics major, I spend a lot of time learning about math and how the world works, both on a minute scale and for objects seen by the human eye. I am passionate about learning physics theories and their applications to everyday life. However, I am not so fascinated by astronomy or planets far beyond my reach. I prefer learning about physics topics that are down to earth and are applicable to helping people. My experience with physics at TCU has been a privilege, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities I have received while in attendance. I am part of a biophysics research group on campus. We work with carbon-based quantum dots and conduct numerous research projects that have far-reaching implications in the future as well as writing research papers on our findings. I am getting close to finishing my own projects and writing my own papers. We use our quantum dots and experiment with attaching them to cancer cells so that tumors will fluoresce, and this will be extremely helpful for oncologists to identify and treat cancer patients in the future. We have done other experiments with neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, with the intent to monitor the levels of these neurotransmitters in the blood, particularly for patients with depression, anxiety, or any other mental health condition that deals with a deficit or excess of certain neurotransmitters. We are always looking for the next experiment that can benefit humanity. I find purpose in my research group, and I know the skills I learn through conducting experiments and writing research papers will follow me to the workplace. I am confident that I can help people in the future with the knowledge I gather through my undergraduate classes. 3. Everyone faces challenges in lifes and must learn to overcome them or be left behind. I find that the challenges of low-income families tend to have far-reaching consequences, both on my quality of life and on my perception of the world around me. I am constantly thinking about how much things cost and whether it is worth it for me to spend money on things. While having financial awareness is a strength in many ways, it can also be a burden, choosing me to pick the cheaper option when I should spend a few extra dollars and get the item that would serve me better. My biggest challenge in life has not been a lack of monetary wealth, but rather the lack of emotional wealth in the form of a father. My parents got divorced when I was 15 after my father was convicted of a felony. I haven’t spoken with him in four years, and I feel it would be best if that number only continued to grow. However, while I may not wish to speak with him again, I find myself missing having a father. I had to overcome not having both parents at my graduation as I had envisioned as a young child, not having my father give me away at my wedding, not participating in father daughter dances, and the list goes on. The most difficult thing is knowing that society was built for nuclear families, and seeing the nuclear families of my peers was hard for me. My family struggles to fit the standard since I live with just my mom and three younger sisters. As time went on and I grew older, this lifestyle became familiar to me, and I am able to focus on my dreams. I overcame my situation through working hard at school, building meaningful relationships with friends, and reaching out to adults when I needed help, especially for emotional health. While I do sometimes still struggle with my circumstances, I know that everything will turn out alright, and I have people to turn to. I am thankful to all of the adults that pushed me to pursue my dreams in high school, and the people in my life that continue to encourage me to reach for the stars now that I am in college.

As a student pursuing music in college, soundtracks of anime series and movies play a large role in determining my favorite thing to watch and listen to. I love rewatching HunterxHunter and have specific episodes that I turn on depending on my mood. Since it is an expansive series, there are even seasons that I turn to that are based on how I am feeling in the moment. HunterxHunter includes themes of perseverance, sacrifice, and friendship. The show is wholesome most of the time, but the last season turns out to be a little dark. I love the art style and my favorite character is Killua, so naturally I almost exclusively rewatch episodes with Killua in it. While I am hooked on many of the aspects that make HunterxHunter so captivating for audiences, I am in love with the soundtrack and the ways it functions with what is happening on screen. Characters that frequently appear on screen have their own music that plays when the show is letting the audience in on their thought processes. Not only do the characters have their own theme that stays consistent throughout all the seasons, but the theme has connections to their character. Gon's background music is light and cheery, reflective of his bouncy personality while Killua's background music is secretive and calming. I especially liked that Melody's theme incorporated flute music since she plays the flute, an important aspect of her character that is touched on multiple times throughout her time on screen. Many of the main melodies are soaring and dramatic, and I love the consistency throughout the show. The intros to each season are very musically similar, often differing only slightly in certain harmonies. The words are completely changed, however, and I appreciate the consistency the anime maintains throughout the entire show. HunterxHunter is the show I suggest to anyone that asks me for a recommendation, and I mention the music every time. It seems like a small detail to most, but to a music student, it means the world.

Behind every success story is a pillar of support. From keeping an empire standing to holding up a mailbox, every pillar that remains unbreakable is the best one. Even though I am only in my mailbox stage as a student, my mom is always there for me, and I know she will still be there when I reach my empire stage post-graduation. My happy childhood memories are overshadowed by those of fear and emotional neglect on behalf of my father. His alcohol addiction and later incarceration created a stressful environment for me and my three sisters at home. My mom did everything she could to shield us from my father's actions, and in my sophomore year of high school, she finally found a way to divorce him without putting our safety at risk. Since then, my mom has been working hard to replace the bad memories with better ones and doing everything she can to raise her four daughters on her own with no child support. My mom always has a light in her eyes and reminds me to laugh, even in the hardest of times. When I am stressed about a college assignment, she listens and helps me settle my thoughts. We watch TV shows together when I am home from college and occasionally surprises me with my favorite chocolate. She always knows the right thing to say when I am upset, and I could never have made it to college without her encouragement. I learned many life lessons from my mom, particularly the importance of patience and perseverance. She sings a song to my siblings and I about patience whenever we complain about waiting. Now that my siblings and I are older, she tells us that good things come to those who wait. She doesn't just tell us to wait patiently, however, her message is coupled with perseverance and hard work. If we work hard, then great things will come in the future. Her mantra stuck with me through high school, and I worked diligently on my grades and extra-curricular activities. Thanks to her support, I am now studying at my dream college and able to pursue my two passions of physics and music. In my freshman year of high school, my mom impressed upon me the importance of volunteering and giving back to the community. Even though we didn't have much, she always gave tithes to the church and contributed small amounts to emergency funds at her workplace for coworkers in need. I began volunteering at our church, Christ Fellowship McKinney, and spent over fifty hours within the year aiding childcare leaders during Sunday School. I helped children complete crafts, served snacks, and sang with them while parents attended the sermon. My dedication to volunteering at the same place allowed me to receive the President's Volunteer Service Award. Two of my younger sisters are currently following in my footsteps and are now volunteering at our church, just as I did. I am grateful for the skills I learned while volunteering and interacting with young children, and I hope to inspire others to give back to their communities as well. Living in a world revolving around the nuclear family is incredibly difficult when you don't fit the mold. With my mom's positive affirmations and life lessons she taught me, I hope to be a success story that students living in single parent households can look up to.

Behind every success story is a pillar of support. From keeping an empire standing to holding up a mailbox, every pillar that remains unbreakable is the best one. Even though I am only in my mailbox stage as a student, my mom is always there for me, and I know she will still be there when I reach my empire stage post-graduation. My happy childhood memories are overshadowed by those of fear and emotional neglect on behalf of my father. His alcohol addiction and later incarceration created a stressful environment for me and my three sisters at home. My mom did everything she could to shield us from my father's actions, and in my sophomore year of high school, she finally found a way to divorce him without putting our safety at risk. Since then, my mom has been working hard to replace the bad memories with better ones and doing everything she can to raise her four daughters on her own with no child support. My mom always has a light in her eyes and reminds me to laugh, even in the hardest of times. When I am stressed about a college assignment, she listens and helps me settle my thoughts. We watch TV shows together when I am home from college and occasionally surprises me with my favorite chocolate. She always knows the right thing to say when I am upset, and I could never have made it to college without her encouragement. I learned many life lessons from my mom, particularly the importance of patience and perseverance. She sings a song to my siblings and I about patience whenever we complain about waiting. Now that my siblings and I are older, she tells us that good things come to those who wait. She doesn't just tell us to wait patiently, however, her message is coupled with perseverance and hard work. If we work hard, then great things will come in the future. Her mantra stuck with me through high school, and I worked diligently on my grades and extra-curricular activities. Thanks to her support, I am now studying at my dream college and able to pursue my two passions of physics and music. Living in a world revolving around the nuclear family is incredibly difficult when you don't fit the mold. With my mom's positive affirmations and life lessons she taught me, I hope to be a success story that students living in single parent households can look up to.

Behind every success story is a pillar of support. From keeping an empire standing to holding up a mailbox, every pillar that remains unbreakable is the best one. Even though I am only in my mailbox stage as a student, my mom is always there for me, and I know she will still be there when I reach my empire stage post-graduation. My happy childhood memories are overshadowed by those of fear and emotional neglect on behalf of my father. His alcohol addiction and later incarceration created a stressful environment for me and my three sisters at home. My mom did everything she could to shield us from my father's actions, and in my sophomore year of high school, she finally found a way to divorce him without putting our safety at risk. Since then, my mom has been working hard to replace the bad memories with better ones and doing everything she can to raise her four daughters on her own with no child support. My mom always has a light in her eyes and reminds me to laugh, even in the hardest of times. When I am stressed about a college assignment, she listens and helps me settle my thoughts. We watch TV shows together when I am home from college and occasionally surprises me with my favorite chocolate. She always knows the right thing to say when I am upset, and I could never have made it to college without her encouragement. I learned many life lessons from my mom, particularly the importance of patience and perseverance. She sings a song to my siblings and I about patience whenever we complain about waiting. Now that my siblings and I are older, she tells us that good things come to those who wait. She doesn't just tell us to wait patiently, however, her message is coupled with perseverance and hard work. If we work hard, then great things will come in the future. Her mantra stuck with me through high school, and I worked diligently on my grades and extra-curricular activities. Thanks to her support, I am now studying at my dream college and able to pursue my two passions of physics and music. Living in a world revolving around the nuclear family is incredibly difficult when you don't fit the mold. With my mom's positive affirmations and life lessons she taught me, I hope to be a success story that students living in single parent households can look up to.