The bell rings with a sense of freedom, echoing through the hallways. We were blissfully unaware of the storm awaiting. My friends and I are excited to head into spring break. Little did we know that this would be the last time we would hear that bell ring in person for a while. A taste of carefree adolescence that we grew to miss. As we left school,making our typical Spring break plans we were blind of impending changes the world outside our school was bracing for a pandemic. Parents were acting strange. They were making us stay home.The beginning of a journey that would test me in ways I could never have imagined. My new hobbies were apparently sanitizing everything and washing my hands vigorously. On the morning of March 12th, my Mom walked into my room playing a voicemail RCISD had left. The words echo, like a fever dream. “As a precaution RCISD will extend spring break one week to minimize the potential spread of Covid 19, no extracurricular activities will take place until further notice." She had a panicked expression but as Moms do she tried to hide it. Later finding out her work had shut down. How is it possible for a dental office to shut down? That one week turned into never returning to RCMS again. Cue:online classes. They were pretty easy as I finished my 8th grade year. As the pandemic progressed the world became scary though. It was mandated we wear masks, grocery stores had arrows telling you where to go. I'm not sure why we were there, the shelves were empty. Months passed, spring turned to summer, summer faded into fall. Yes!!! High school is here. My excitement was quickly shot down when we get notification that we will be doing online learning again. This devastates me. I had already fallen into a depressive state. I miss friends, sleepovers, and human interaction. I don't want to be locked in this house anymore. I am sick of the smell of Lysol and washing my hands so much. Luckily, we were able to go back to school in person. Not so lucky was hybrid learning. If you're last name began with N-Z your days were Tuesday and Thursdays. My first day of High School was online. I was excited to get 2 days in person, even if masks were required. My online days were a struggle, testing my resilience and adaptability. The isolation was suffocating, and the lack of face-to-face interaction made me feel disconnected from my peers and my own learning process. I was being counted absent numerous times a day. My grades slipped due to attendance issues and the lack of teaching I was used to. My depression gets worse, now throw in anxiety. I feel like everything is going wrong. As time passes on everything falls into a new version of normal. I began my Sophomore year in person and without a mask. Still washing my hands a lot, it's became an OCD thing. Despite the challenges, I've learned to adapt and persevere, became more resilient, more self-reliant, and more appreciative of the small moments of normalcy in uncertain times. The pandemic forced me to adapt to new ways of learning and interacting with others. Taught me the value of resilience and adaptability, traits that I now consider integral to my personality. I found that my sense of humor was a valuable tool in coping, teaching me to find light in the darkest moments and maintain my positivity. I learned the value of mental health, self-care, I became more self-aware and empathetic.

Hello, my name is Alyssa Stephens. I am a current Senior at Royse City High School. I plan to pursue a college degree in Nursing. I began Cheering when I was 3 years old. For several years my coaches were all volunteers. The amount of time they put into me was astonishing. They were positive role models to me on and off the field. That’s when I knew I wanted to be like them. I have had the honor to Volunteer over 100 hours for RCYDSL and 50 to RCYBL. The joy that the kids bring me is one of the things I am going to miss most when I have to go off to college. While I was able to instill the given sports fundamentals that is not what mattered most to me. Knowing parents are allowing me to help impressionable young minds learn how to love themselves, discipline themselves, respect themselves and others is an indescribable honor. I have been allowed to be a role model and that is something that will follow me through life. I wish all teenagers had the motivation and desire to help our next generation. You learn just as much as you teach. It was rewarding to see how my efforts made a difference in people's lives. I learned the importance of empathy, time management, self control. I knew to always make good choices because I have little eyes that are looking up to me and I can’t let them down. I have received awards for Cheer, Basketball, the Bowers Beacon, but my most honorable award has been being their coach. Being a cheerleader/basketball player I have also had several opportunities to volunteer. I have been able to raise money to provide Christmas gifts for less fortunate children in our area. In peewee my team raised money for down syndrome awareness. I have also volunteered to help decorate the school after hours. Mr McCauley always knows that if he needs something done I am willing and eager to help out. I have a genuine calling to serve others. That is why I love this scholarship opportunity. This will encourage others to get out there and help! I do not come from a family with a lot of money. I will be a first generation college student. In fact, I will be the first in my family to attend college. To some it may seem like I don’t have a lot to offer, but what I do have is my time, desire and knowledge to help others. In conclusion, I want to extend my sincere appreciation for your time and thoughtfulness of this scholarship opportunity. Do good, be good!