My best back-to-school tip is to take a deep breath and just be. Stressing out over all the different hacks, and tips, and tricks that have to do with going back to school? Trying to become the perfect student overnight to the point where you've got no time for friends or clubs? That's not going to help you with your real education. All you should really be focusing on is staying stress-free, and enjoying your time as a student. School is not the most important thing in the world; doing well in school is good, sure, but it's not the most vital thing in your existence. Truthfully, all that matters is that you're having fun, that you're trying your best, and that you have a good school-life balance. Enjoy yourself and enjoy your time in school. Savor the little moments between your classes, and the connections you make with your peers. Laugh with your teachers, doodle on your notes, and listen to music as you sway through the hallways. Forget about what people think, and focus on yourself. Just be. --- My handle is @amanicooper04 on Instagram

The first time I saw Ratatouille was when I was around four or five. Almost immediately, I fell in love with the story of a simple little rat going on to cook---I watched it over and over, obsessively, much to my parents' dismay. Fourteen years later, I'm still in love with the exact same story. Remy, a humble rat with glorious ideas, spends his life watching his idol on the television---until he learns that the famous chef Gusteau is dead, and he loses his family. Then, he decides that the only thing he has left is his passion; so he follows his passion. Armed with the grief of loss and the realization of inevitability, he cooks. The story is simple, with few characters, and no real life-threatening adventure that has to happen in order to save someone's life, home, or anything else. There's really nothing at stake; if Remy is caught, after Linguini makes the pact with him, he would simply be released outside. Instead of a monumental journey, Ratatouille is an exploration of individuality, self, and passion---it is a case study on what makes this single little rat want to get up in the morning. I believe that the movie is one of the few Disney films that isn't some grand escape from reality, like Up, Cinderella, or Aladdin; rather, it is an internalization of what it really means to pursue one's dream. I love Remy because, in a strange way, he's frighteningly human. He's an amalgamation of many tired tropes mushed together. He's an outcast yet he loves his family---and his family loves him despite his eccentric tendencies, and he understands why his father hates humanity once he is shown rat poisons and traps, and comes to see the dilemma from a different side. He's a well-rounded character with a well-rounded story and he, most importantly, has flaws; he betrays Linguini and he plays tricks. Remy is my favorite Disney character because he follows his passion above all else---but does not throw away his family and friends in order to get to his desires. He has his dreams and ambitions, but eventually, when they are shut down at the end of the movie, he accepts the fact that he was able to accomplish them for at least a short while---and he moves on. He's real, raw, and everything a good character should be.

Yoga is often initiated with several chants of Aum. ॐ (Aum) is considered by Yogic scripts and many yogis to be the sound of the universe---chanting in line with proper breaths, Aum connects the mind, body, and soul to all around the practitioner, creating a sense of oneness. The A sound is felt in the stomach, the U in the chest, and the M in the head---chanting Aum activates the spiritual power of the Crown and Third Eye Chakras. Successful Aum is then succeeded by yoga; the asana (or poses) practiced during yoga are meant to align the body, mind, and soul in a healthful, nourishing manner. In turn, this allows for self-realization and unification of all there is in the universe. I have been on my mat for around four months---at first, I started with beginner asana, like marjaryasana, and now I am able to hold garudasana with relative ease. My current goal is to be able to fully achieve bakasana, though I know that this will still take many more weeks of dedication and practice. Through practicing yoga, I have found a sense of control and calm---and an awareness of my body's capabilities. I am able to connect more fully with my body, mind, and soul; I can check in on how each facet of my individual triune is feeling as soon as I step onto my mat. There is a sense of peace, tranquility, and universal connectedness that shrouds me as soon as I close my eyes and settle into padmasana. I have never felt a unity or communion with all aspects of myself that is quite the same as yoga---which is why it is considered by many people (including myself) to be a practice instead of a sport or hobby. To become a yogi is to put forth conscious effort into the care of one's body, mind, and soul as a singular entity---preserving and maintaining each of them at the exact same time instead of only focusing on one. The benefits of yoga practice are plentiful---everything from increased flexibility to the improvement of heart and mental health is listed as a result of practicing. As I move into the next phase of my life---university awaiting me in just thirty short days---I intend to take the practice of yoga with me. In doing so, I will care simultaneously for all aspects of my physical and spiritual self; through yoga, I hope to achieve a sense of inner peace and appreciation amidst the anxiety and excitement I feel regarding college. Through attending university, I am most excited about meeting new people who inhabit this beautiful universe with me---and creating new relationships that will hopefully last for a thousand lifetimes. I am thrilled to be expanding my horizons in a way that I have only ever dreamed of since I was small---by leaving the nest and cultivating my own identity among other fledgling adults all trying to do the same. When I feel stressed---when my exams are approaching, or when I feel as though I'm drowning in far too much work to be ethical, I will take a breath, and sit down on my mat so that I may chant Aum, reminding myself that I am part of a greater whole. And as I practice yoga, I will nurture my trinity of existence---and subsequently maintain a healthy mind, body, and soul.

The reason why I love math can be best illustrated through the lyrics of one of my favorite songs---Tom Lehrer's 'That's Mathematics.' --- "Counting sheep when you're trying to sleep Being fair when there's something to share Being neat when you're folding a sheet That's mathematics! When a ball bounces off of a wall When you cook from a recipe book When you know how much money you owe That's mathematics! How much gold can you hold in an elephant's ear? When it's noon on the moon, then what time is it here? If you could count for a year, would you get to infinity Or somewhere in that vicinity? When you choose how much postage to use When you know what's the chance it will snow When you bet and you end up in debt Oh, try as you may you just can't get away from mathematics! Tap your feet keepin' time to a beat of a song while you're singing along Harmonize with the rest of the guys Yes, try as you may you just can't get away from mathematics!" --- I love math because it can, quite literally, be applied to anything---from calculating hypothetical scenarios, to finance, to statistics and probability. Math can be applied in music, cooking and baking, and banking scenarios. I cannot think of a single area of life where, at the very least, basic mathematical principles do not apply. Our world is and always has been entwined with none other than mathematics. Theoretical physics, chemistry, and engineering all rely on math---and without math, we would not have digital art, digital music mixing, or any technology (at all) within our grasp. Math has been the foundation upon which all societies have been built; from haggling prices of spices in ancient Egypt to the Antikythera Mechanism of Greece to now, with our innovative laptops and smartphones. Learning math teaches us how to perform logical operations---by solving mathematical equations and learning how to think about the world in a mathematical sort of way, we are learning how to use logic from an early age. This can apply to a broad variety of other facets of life outside of math, but the initial critical skills of critical thinking, problem-solving, and logic that math teaches us are irreplaceable. I love math because Tom Lehrer is right about it---try as we may, we just can't get away from mathematics!

Around five months ago, my door handle broke. I went to open my door one morning to get ready for school, and it came clean off in my hand; the handle fell right off of the escutcheon. For a few moments, I stared at the handle in my hand, and then I flattened my lips into a thin line---because I thought, initially, that I was locked in my room. After some troubleshooting, it turned out I wasn't, and I could just place the door handle back onto the escutcheon and it fit right into where it needed to go---and my door functioned normally. I opened my door, set my door handle on my desk, and then went about my day with the full intention of fixing my door handle once I got home. Upon returning home, I took a little flashlight and peeked into the handle's interior to see what I could find and what the problem could be. I determined I needed a new screw to reattach the handle to the cylinder. So, I went and found a new screw, dug out of the trenches of my father's garage. It did not work. I could not fit the screw inside of the hole, even though it was the same length as the old one, and I eventually realized that I did not just need a new screw---I needed to remove the hardened, stuck bit of the old screw that was inside of the door handle as well. Tweezers, toothpicks, a magnet, and pliers later, nothing. The screw was well and truly stuck---and preventing further repair. So I left the door handle alone for a while. I eventually told my father that I needed a new door handle and that there was a stuck screw. He took a look at it, said we'd get a new one, and two months later, still no door handle. Every time I brought up fixing it myself, he told me not to---that he would get it done. So I let the handle sit on my desk, popping it onto the cylinder each time I needed to open my door, and putting it back on my desk when I was finished with it. I realized eventually that I couldn't rely on my father to do anything about it because he was busy with his own little projects. So, I tried to make a half-screw out of armature wire that I had leftover from an old sculpture I'd made, and after shimmying it inside of the hole, I wrapped it around the handle and inserted the handle back into its rightful place. Two days later, the armature wire broke, and the handle was back in my hand. Only now, I had made the blockage worse with the wire. I tried taping the handle back on---didn't work. I tried securing the handle with a different screw from another angle---didn't work. I tried to shimmy, craft, and invent every temporary solution I could to my door handle problem that wouldn't affect it when the time came that my father fixed it---none of it worked. Yesterday, out of finality and a desire to finally fix it, I took a hot glue gun and glued the handle back onto its place. It's certainly not a great fix and I know that I ruined the handle, but I was sick of opening my door in extra steps. My family, however, finds the entire situation hilarious, amused with my tinkering 'skills.' At least now I can open my door like any other normal person---without keeping track of the handle separately.

I first saw Iron Man when I was around six or seven---my family and I were piled onto the couches at my aunt's house, with homemade pizzas in hand, and fresh baked cookies splayed across the coffee table in front of us. The movie was picked at my brother and I's discretion; and the cool metal man on the front, a pinnacle symbol of action figures and downright awesomeness, was what drove us to choose the movie. Being small, I didn't understand many of the references made throughout the film, nor did I understand overly what the subtitles were trying to tell me; but I understood the overall plot. The bad guys trapped Tony Stark (who, at the time, I didn't realize was Iron Man) in a smelly cave, and he had to build a robot. Once the robot was done, he flew out of the cave with it. I saw my first glimpse of Iron Man at that moment---and throughout the entire movie, I found myself fascinated. Not because Iron Man was smashing bad guys, or because of his fighting, or anything similar. While my brother enjoyed the action scenes and jets and flying---I found myself utterly entranced with the tinkering. I watched Tony Stark with a little screwdriver, working on his Iron Man suit. And in that moment, I wanted to be him; building something fascinating that strapped to my own body and allowed me to do all of the things that he could do. I spent the better part of my young childhood trying to build flying machines, time machines, and other inventions that never quite worked (or really worked at all), completely inspired by Tony Stark and his engineering prowess. Now, I have to confess, as I gear up to get ready for my first quarter studying Biomedical Engineering at the University of California, Irvine, I have been indulgently rewatching Iron Man, and everything else that Tony Stark is in---because I want to relive the original content that inspired me to choose a career path of organic engineering. Biomedical Engineering fascinates me most because I can use engineering principles to make artificial limbs, hearts, and other organs---and think of Iron Man as I do so. I may not make super-suits that can fly at the speed of sound, but I can use Tony Stark as my inspiration as I create engineering marvels that help people with their daily lives---and insert a little bit of Marvel itself into everything I do.

Above all else, when I die, I want to look back on my life and know that I did something great---that I put forth my time into bettering myself, my relationships, and my community. My goal in life is to one day glance over my shoulder, one foot into the afterlife, and as I see the summation of all that I did, smile with a bittersweet sense of achievement. Because I will have lived---lived well, fully, and truly---and there will be nothing more left for me to do.

Throughout my life, I have had a few chronic illnesses. Since I was twelve, I have battled Crohn's Disease. Crohn's is a type of IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease) that, despite its name, affects more than the digestive system. It affects my skin, liver, joints, teeth, bone health, and energy. Because of it, I have spent more time out of school than I ever thought I would. I completed eighth grade via hospital school, and I attended a charter school program---my first semester of freshman year---for two days per week in order to get used to going out and doing activities, again. My grades suffered, and I found myself bitter at the fact that I could not go to school normally like everyone else. Simultaneously, I also have struggled with Psoriasis---which causes red lesions on my skin when I'm in a flare of the disease. At its worst, I was in sixth grade, freshly new to my middle school---and I was the girl with the blotches on her face. I was picked on. People asked if I was contagious constantly. Asked me if I was safe to touch. I was ashamed of my 'shedding'---which is when Psoriasis skin flakes fall off of irritated patches. One particular instance I remember quite well; an older boy took one look at me and called me a 'disgusting freak.' I know it's tame on the insult bar, but I was twelve. It hurt. Even outside of school, I was the subject of stares and rude comments. Everywhere I went, children would stare at me---asking their parents "what's wrong with her?" It was innocent, but still, it reminded me I wasn't normal. Even adults stared right at me in stores and restaurant lines. I felt like a spectacle everywhere I went; no matter how many broad-rim hats or scarves pulled up to my bottom lip I wore, I couldn't hide. Now, whenever I get a patch, it's usually in a place I can conceal. Behind my knees or elbows. In my belly button---I'm grateful for my disease's change of heart, however, that doesn't mean that it doesn't still hurt. It's inexplicably itchy. It's terrible, awful, distracting. Schoolwork or studying is almost impossible when dealing with a Psoriasis patch. On top of Crohn's Disease and Psoriasis, I have endured a syndrome called POTS. Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome is a syndrome in which the body is 'allergic' to standing up. At the height of my disorder, when I stood, I would pass out and go into a fit of tremors on the floor. It was the strangest thing---and the cure is long, arduous exercise therapy. During therapy, I couldn't go to school. So, yet again, I returned home, my life nothing but my disorders and my frustration, and completed my studies online. I have lived through painful health conditions my entire teenage life---though I am managed on medications now, there is not a day that goes by that I am hyperaware of it. I could slip into a flare at any time. But I know that I cannot live my life frightened of what could happen, so I am taking my chances and pursuing my dreams of going to university and studying engineering. My goals for the future are not set in stone---all I want to do is 'persevere,' whatever that may look like at the time. At any point, I may take one step forward, and my disabilities may take me two steps back. I cannot make certain plans for my future; all I can do is roll with the punches.

As a Christian child, I never thought my God could be different from someone else's. Whenever anyone uttered of 'God,' I thought of the Christian deity, of Christ---with a shimmering halo around his thorn-lined head. However, in my first year of middle school, I had a conversation with people of several other religious denominations. For the first time in my life, I truly comprehended Allah, Brahma, Kami, and the concept of atheism and agnosticism. It was a shock to my Christian values, and for a moment, I recoiled, my beliefs challenged, but soon I grew too curious to close my mind off for long. As I progressed through middle and high school, I learned there are many ways of viewing the universe and that the Christian worldview is not the summation of truth. Being exposed to a plethora of different spiritualities and religions has allowed me to reflect upon my own beliefs and what I consider to be good or evil, real or fake. I concluded that it is foolish to think that only one group of people can ever be "right" about a topic like creationism (or the lack thereof) when it is so steeped in subjectivity and culture. The conclusions that everyone makes, even individuals within identical religions, are all vastly unlike one another, and that is the core driving force that keeps me coming back to the mystified concept of God(s)/Goddess(es). It is completely, utterly inconclusive. Each and every viewpoint about religion is as beautifully unique as the person who holds it. This has allowed me to come to the comfortable conclusion that every religion in the world must be correct in some way; if we as people stopped naming our gods and goddesses, stopped attaching rituals to our practices, and stopped excluding others from practice based on arbitrary factors like sexual orientation or race, we might find that many of us believe, at the core of our hearts, in the integrity of a divine creator(s). I believe that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit trinity God of the Christian religion is one and the same as the Mother, Maiden, and Crone trinity Goddess of Wicca. I revere the Buddha as an enlightened, peaceful teacher just as I revere Jesus Christ as the kind big brother of humanity. I fear the eternal darkness of Apophis just as I fear the wickedness of Satan. This ideology has helped me in my life in a variety of ways---but the most prominent is my ability to make friends with people in a plethora of different faiths. I have made friends with Wiccans, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, and others. I have had conversations with many people regarding faith, and I never feel as though we hate each other by the end of it---in fact, I feel that discussing faith, and discussing religion, in a way that validates both of our beliefs in a peaceful way, brings us closer together, despite our differences. I have a strong belief that this method of faith and desire to understand the world and all of its different religions, spiritualities, and practices will ultimately help me in my career by helping to train my mind not to close itself off to other possibilities and ideas---even if they might not completely line up with what I believe is the best, or what I believe is right. Because of my faith, I hope to continue to move through life as openly as I possibly can---because people who make a commitment to being open-minded always give themselves the opportunity to improve.

I remember finding my father's old comic book collection in the closet of our playroom when I was tiny. I was at the age where I could read decently well despite my inability to write anything legible---I taught myself a variety of words through Pokémon and other text-based video games. The language in the comic books was oftentimes too much for me to truly grasp, but I put forth my best effort into understanding the great stories. There was no effort required to enjoy the lovely artwork---and as I picked up one of my favorite comic books still to this day, I almost immediately fell in love with one character in particular. Doctor Octopus---one of Spider-Man's greatest foes. A friend-turned-supervillain of Peter Parker, he became possessed by his own mechanical arms and proceeded to turn to a life of crime. In recent movies, Peter Parker from the future saved Doctor Octopus from becoming completely evil, and the entire MCU gets boggled up after a while with twists and plots if you look too deep into it, so the lore of the character is mostly irrelevant. What I truly loved, and still love, the most about him are his huge, octopus-like prostheses that arch out of his back---they let him do all sorts of things, from fighting without moving his body, to climbing buildings, to falling from high places without getting hurt. I know that these sorts of prostheses are on the extreme side of science fiction, however, I could not, and still cannot, shake the idea that comic books carry the inspiration for a possible future of the prosthetics industry. By taking pointers from fictional heroes and villains---and the prosthetics and enhancements made to their bodies in a world of fiction---I can't help but wonder if we could accomplish something great in the real world. When I watch Marvel movies, I imagine a world where advanced prostheses like Doctor Octopus' mechanical arms could actually exist; and the fields to which they could be applied to. I think of robotic suits that could help with large load transportation, multiple-armed prostheses that could aid in surgery, and even fully-functioning prosthetic eyeballs that could eradicate blindness entirely. I hope to use my love for Marvel and DC in the field of Biomedical Engineering to create prostheses that are more aligned with the future instead of the present---we make arms that are just arms, and legs that are just legs, but what if we could do more? What if we could make prosthetic arms that are faster, stronger, and more durable than flesh and bone? I know that these are theoretical, outlandish ideas, but someday, I want to see the world actually get there. And if it doesn't happen in my lifetime, I want to know that my work contributed to paving the way for a world where Bucky Barnes' arm or Thor's prosthetic eye could be a reality. I believe that the industry of prosthetics has so much potential for expansion---whether in practical, or creative ways---and I hope to make a positive impact on the world by doing my absolute best to attempt to steer the industry, and at the very least my personal innovations, in the direction of science-fiction greatness.

Often, I like to start my mornings with a cup of tea. Sometimes, I reach for the wintery bite of peppermint tea---but when I'm feeling sluggish, I brew myself green tea. Caffeine-free. But even without caffeine, green tea, a recognized superfood, is one of the best drinks for the body besides the ever-faithful water; it is a source of antioxidants and may help prevent a variety of different disorders, including cardiovascular disease and some types of cancer. It also increases the rate at which fat burns, possibly improves brain function, and might even protect the brain from aging. Knowing this, I happily stir a teaspoon of sugar, or a dollop of honey, into my green tea, and enjoy my mornings with a serene sense of relaxation. I tend to snack throughout the day, and one of my favorite snacks is a protein bar---made of just a few ingredients. Peanuts, dates, eggs, salt, and chocolate. Surprisingly, all but one of these ingredients (salt) are considered superfoods. Peanuts, for their rich protein, fat, and fiber contents---dates, for their plethora of different vitamins---eggs, for their complete protein content and nutrient density---and even chocolate, with one of the highest magnesium contents of any food on the planet. That's a lot of bang for one single bar, and each time I eat one, it leaves me feeling refreshed, with a little punch of energy to keep me going until lunchtime. When I finally do get to lunch, however, one of my favorite meals is some variety of a sandwich and fruit. Whole wheat, cheddar, and turkey---or Hawaiian and honey ham. Either way, sandwiches pair perfectly with fresh, summery fruits. Raspberries, the most common colleague to my sandwiches, are one of my favorite superfoods. A berry high in omega-3 fatty acids, it has been linked to a reduction of heart disease. I love the tangy, sweet bite of a raspberry partnered along with a cool turkey and cheese sandwich on whole grain bread---I find they compliment each other quite well. Strawberries are another fruit that goes incredibly well with sandwiches, and oftentimes I can be found with a neatly cut array of strawberries lining my plate at lunchtime. However, during dinner, I like to eat heavier foods. I love tacos, taco bowls, taco salads, and nachos---made at home each night with care, I often consume Mexican-inspired foods that contain healthy ingredients. The ground meat (turkey, always) is seasoned with garlic, onion, and Creole seasonings. Garlic, surprisingly, is considered a superfood---as is turkey and onion. Garlic and onion contain strong antioxidants, and turkey provides a vital source of iron, potassium, and other essential nutrients. I love eating meals like this because I feel as though I am nourishing my body instead of hurting it, and I never feel awful afterward (unlike when I go out to eat fast food... then, I never feel good). Another one of the meals that my household makes sometimes is baked salmon in pepper and olive oil---salmon and olive oil are both considered superfoods. Salmon, along with most seafood, is a superfood because of its high omega-3 fatty acid content. Fish, in general, is incredibly healthy to eat because studies have linked it to be beneficial in preventing heart disease, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. I love eating superfoods because they are relatively easy to incorporate into one's diet, and the benefits of eating superfoods far outweigh the less desirable flavor profiles that some of them have. I also love them because there are so many of them that are delicious---and there is bound to be a superfood for everyone's palate!

I have not yet taken out loans, however, my plan to tackle my debt is quite simple. Firstly, I will study hard, and work hard, in order to save up as much money as I possibly can throughout my college career so that I can graduate with my degree in Biomedical Engineering, with as little debt as possible. Then, I will work diligently at a biotech company that pays me decently well, doing whatever they want me to do so that I can get money. Afterward, I will use that money to fund an investive side project; the world's first fully-functioning time machine---I don't know, yet, what I will name it, but I'm thinking 'Hindsight.' I will use Hindsight to travel back in time to 1990---just four years before Amazon is founded. During this time, I will tell both of my parents that it is absolutely imperative that they become the best of friends with Jeffrey Bezos; and ask him if he wanted to start a company with them. I will visit my parents through varying places in the timeline to make sure that they are still close friends with Jeffrey Bezos (and make sure that they find each other, eventually, of course, because I still want to exist). After I help my parents to take the right step to co-found Amazon with Jeffrey Bezos---they will start to see an influx of money. They will most likely abandon their jobs or whatever else they are doing at the time, but that is fine, because Amazon will, predictably, take off with unprecedented success. My work with them will be done as soon as the first paycheck comes in. Once that happens, I will travel back into the future, where I now come from a self-made family of enormous wealth. I will use my new status as a trust-fund baby to completely pay off my student loan debt, and then some. After that, I will live a carefree life, tinkering around with my own engineering company founded upon the wealth and status of my parents, and I will be able to do whatever I want, making keen advances in the fields of prosthetics, medication, and biotech. My life will be completely amazing and untroubled because of my past success with the time machine---and, of course, I will make sure to destroy my creation so nobody else has the chance to alter time. Ergo, my plan to address my student loan debt is complete.

I am scatter-brained and ditzy All manners of clumsy I tend to trip Elegance runs from me And when it comes to my things My possessions and items They are always misplaced "I swear---I just had them!" I often lose my things Like my purse and my wallet I always lose my phone "Hey, Mum, can you call it?" But there is one item I swear is like magic Each time I lose it It's completely tragic My sunglasses---dear me! I only have two pairs It's not done on purpose It's not like I don't care I simply often find That my glasses are missing And they're not in my room They've simply 'gone fishing' What is worse, then Is that my family, or a friend Will chuckle at my misfortune "Oh my, again?" And I promise I did I lost them again! Just like I lose my bags My water bottles, and pens But unlike those items Which are often found in The kitchen, the couch My room, or the bin My glasses are special My glasses are unique They always appear In the last place I'd think Each and every time I realize with dread... Woe is me They were on my head.

Mystery Snails are freshwater gastropods that can grow up to two inches in length---they love to eat both natural-growing algae and algae pellets, fish pellets, and blanched vegetables like zucchini or carrot. They are incredibly peaceful little creatures who only want to eat, sleep, and do their own thing; they pair fantastically with ghost shrimp and small, peaceful fish species. Tragically, the Mystery Snail's lifespan is only around one year. I owned four Mystery Snails for the better part of a year and a half; my quartet lived longer than most Mystery Snails do, and I like to think that my vigilance with their tank maintenance and nourishing diet contributed to their success. That, combined with the overwhelming love that I held for them, I believe made them live a long, satisfactory life. Snails are not very interesting by pet standards---they mostly meander around on the bottom of their enclosures, eye stalks collapsing in on themselves whenever they feel something, little mouths nibbling on rocks, leftover food bits, and tiny tongues licking the glass walls of their aquarium tank. They are, however, incredibly calming idling things to watch, just like fish. Each day after school, I found myself returning to my room just to check up on my snails to make sure that they were still doing okay. I loved to place a small carrot or algae tablet inside of the tank just to watch the snails flock to the food and peck at it with genuine happiness---marveling at how something so small could make them so grateful. Through simple observation, I learned more than I ever thought I could learn from simple snails when I first brought my tank home. I learned that snails abide by three major life principles. 1. Snails cohabitate and are friendly with other freshwater creatures; they are peaceful tankmates, and they keep to their own, without fighting or attacking anything else---even their own species. They are serene. 2. Snails spend the majority of their time pursuing their goals gradually (most often in the search for algae). They do not feverishly chase something with abandon, which gives them time to enjoy other things in life as well (like a cool rock, or another pretty snail). They are dedicated. 3. Snails are intensely appreciative of gifts once they receive them; if a vegetable is dropped into their enclosure, they will eat it immediately, and completely. They are unwasteful. Snails are simple---they don't require much to be happy. I think that there is a certain beauty in the simplicity of both form and theory; snails embody simplicity far more than any creature I've ever had the pleasure of having as a pet. I believe that people can learn a lot from snails, as silly as it may sound. Snails, of all things, have changed my life because they have instilled in me the value of slowing down, being appreciative, and taking my time. They have shown me that not everything is a race, and there are many things along the way to any one particular goal that can be enjoyed---snails have taught me patience and appreciation. Animals have so many different methods, ideologies, and techniques for just living. From the over-active Cockatoo to the rough-and-ready Golden Retriever to the minuscule Mystery Snail, animals each have a lesson to teach that is woven through the fabric of their very beings---and we can carry these lessons into our daily lives, whether conscious or not. Whenever I need a reminder to slow down, when my own life seems hectic, when I feel like I'm pursuing something too quickly, when I waste, and when I feel out of control---I think: be serene, be dedicated, and be unwasteful. As I employ these values in my life, I think of the impact they've had on my successes in recent years---and I love pets, wholly and fully, because the beings that taught these principles to me in the first place were none other than my humble, simple snails.

The first time I saw my dog, he was a little wriggly black-and-white body in a playpen full of toys and a single brother---his tail did not wag as I approached, and he regarded me with a calm, simple expression that communicated clearly that he wasn't very impressed with my presence. In fact, he was impressed with nothing; he was collected and content, and didn't seem to mind the cars going by, nor the other sounds of the parking lot where I was at to take a look at him. Any other puppy would be raring to go, bouncing off the walls, but as soon as I picked him up, he immediately fell asleep. I knew then that he was the dog I wanted---simply because the act of napping was enough to make me laugh. I paid seven hundred and fifty dollars for the laziest lump of a dog that I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. His full name is 'Stone Leah Enzo Ferrari's Suit and Tie'---though I just call him Enzo---and he comes from AKC grand champion lineage. He is a Toy Fox Terrier, a member of a breed known for its playfulness, openness to strangers, and high personability. Rated 4/5 for their energy level and mental stimulation needs by the AKC, Toy Fox Terriers were originally bred to be barnyard ratters. As such, they typically have a rough and ready demeanor that endearingly compliments being overtly sweet and lively. Enzo is none of these things. Enzo laments going for walks, going so far as to lay down and refuse to move when I attempt to get him to meander around the perimeter of our neighborhood. He spends most of his time sleeping on his plush, oversized dog beds that are scattered around the house. He goes to sleep at 9 P.M. sharp, and puts himself in his crate when he's done with the rest of the household. He snippily barks at anyone who makes too much noise when he's trying to sleep, and he is the grand master of the 'death glare' if someone tries to pet him during his many daytime siestas. I once tried to get him to complete an agility course at my local dog park---he hid beneath a bench for twenty minutes before I gave up. The only thing Enzo moves for is the thought of food, and even then, it has to be something good for him to even consider it. My dog is three years old, and he acts as though he is an old man---he enjoys his life doing what he wants to do with it, not what others want him to do. At first, I had grand plans to change his behavior, and immerse him in training, walks, and other physical activities, but I soon realized that Enzo is, quite simply, content. He has a simple life and a simple purpose. He cuddles with me when I get sick, and he licks my face tenderly when I feel sad. He is always down to be held on his back like a baby, rocked back and forth whenever I feel like coddling something. Through his stubbornness, Enzo has taught me that I can't change everything. His stubborn demeanor can rival no other and through knowing him, I have come to the realization that not everything needs to be changed. At first, this was difficult for me to accept; I am a person who likes control, I like when things are exactly the way I want, and I tend to do everything I can to make that happen. But I was not able to---and still am not able to---change Enzo. Enzo still refuses to wear a collar---for weeks, I put a collar on him. For weeks, he stood in the corner and cried because of it. So I relented. And Enzo still refuses to wear clothes---eventually, I stopped trying to adorn him in cute little sweaters and dog shirts because of how much he absolutely detests them. Enzo refuses to do a lot of things, and on the topic of most of those things, I have stopped trying to get him to do them. Because Enzo is a good dog, with a gentle, loving demeanor---even with all of his moodiness and desire to be alone. He doesn't need to do exactly what I want, all of the time, because he makes up for it with gentle doggy kisses on the back of my hand, and the slight wag of a tail when I approach him with 'good morning.' He is his own being, and more than any other dog I have ever met, Enzo refuses to modify himself or his behavior for anyone. By coming to know and love my dog Enzo---mulishness, faults, and all---my life has been changed. Enzo has taught me that I don't need to control everything, and that sometimes the best way to regard things is to simply love them---just as they are.

When I first picked up the wide, tan body of my Mitchell acoustic guitar, I had ambitions to play songs by the likes of Colter Wall and Johnny Cash. After adorning my guitar with a checkered-pattern strap, I immediately went online to find out how to play my first chord---A minor. I learned the basic chords I could find; E minor, G major, E7... eventually, I encountered a chord with a silenced string. At first, the positioning of incorporating my thumb to mute a string was awkward, but I got the hang of it quickly. It was a minor obstacle, and after I conquered it, I felt as though I could play anything. Then, I discovered barre chords. Barre chords are made with a 'barre' on a fret, with the index finger pressing across some or all of the strings---the remaining fingers create the shape of the chord on a new tone. They are used across a plethora of different genres; they are extremely versatile and useful. For beginner players, they are also extremely hard; barre chords can hurt the index finger, put strain on the hand, and when played with an unskilled touch, they sound unpleasant---full of buzziness, incorrect tones, and unnecessarily muted strings. My Mitchell guitar has large frets; my hands are small. Because of these factors, and my inexperience, I found myself unable to play a barre chord that stretched past two frets; this was extremely frustrating for me, so for a while, I gave up on barre chords. I found some alternatives that were easier than the barres, but they never quite sounded the way I wanted them to. Each time I wanted to learn a new song, I dreaded the presence of a barre chord and did my best to avoid them at all costs. But I found that my playing was severely inhibited because of my lack of willingness to push through playing the elusive barre chord---so I played, and played, and played them some more. Until one day, I was able to play through the entirety of 'Sixteen Tons,' barred F major chord and all. I kept playing, and one day, I decided to learn one of my favorite songs, Colter Wall's 'The Devil Wears A Suit And Tie,' however, the introduction to the song seems insurmountable when listened to. There are slides, hammer-ons, and scales to be played that moved far too quickly for my mind to wrap around. I was actually intimidated by the thought of attempting to learn it, but I knew from my practice with the barre chord that all I had to do was be consistent. I broke the introduction down step by step and suffered through accidentally plucking the wrong strings again, and again---losing my rhythm, forgetting the strum pattern, and drumming off-beat. It was not perfect by any means, but after several days of slaving over the introduction, wrist aching and finger callouses cut through, I could play it. Life is like a guitar---some problems are just muted strings, and can be navigated with a little getting used to. Some obstacles are more like barre chords; which require dedicated practice to conquer. And further, still, many tribulations are like the elusive fingerstyle introduction to Colter Wall's 'The Devil Wears A Suit And Tie'---seemingly virtually impossible, until they are broken down to their bare, underwhelming parts, that can then be learned and overcome step by step. Guitar has taught me that no matter how difficult something seems, no matter how much it hurts to try and accomplish---I should always keep strumming, because eventually, the 'music' will come.

I plan to make a positive impact on the world by investing time into engineering better medicines---specifically, I have a keen interest in engineering medications for autoimmune disorders. This is a heavily considered career path that is directly inspired by my personal experiences---my drive to research medication starts with my very own traitor of a body. I have several autoimmune disorders for which there are no cures. Each day I live with them, and each night they slip my mind only to return the next morning, reminding me of their existence with a little chronic pain there, a little fatigue there... it is entirely irritating, and I wish for nothing else but them to disappear and leave me forever. However, I know that that is not possible. At least---not yet, not with today's technology. But once I secure my degree in Biomedical Engineering, I will be part of the proud legion of engineers working tirelessly to invent tomorrow's technology, and though my interests currently lie with prostheses, I also am heavily considering pharmaceutical development when it comes to a career path. As a victim of multiple autoimmune disorders, I would like to do research for the very same people who share my experiences. For people like me, who take biologics and are living each day as close to normal as possible---who would prefer an actual cure, instead of maintenance medication. But even more importantly, I would like to focus on medication development because of the people who are unlike me; those unfortunate souls who have yet to find any medication that truly works for them, who toil through each day, bodies screaming in agony, with no reprieve in sight. People with autoimmune disorders need to be heard, seen, and cared for by the pharmaceutical industry. We need to be shown that we matter, that our conditions matter, and that the road to a cure is being paved---I've met many people with autoimmune diseases, and they all cry the same thing: research! I cry research too, but it is more of a self-motivating squawk to myself. I have a zealous tendency to do things myself if I want them done properly. This has followed me throughout my entire life, and, evidently, it will continue to follow me well into my future, here my time may very well be spent laboring away in service of the very group of people I belong to—searching for a cure.

The beginning of my health journey is when I was in a place that was not very healthy at all, and this place starts small—with a cell. A single traitorous cell in my body was the first inkling of Inflammatory Bowel Disease; an infinitesimal little molecule that I never acknowledged. Not when I grew fatigued on the basketball court and not when I was unable to concentrate on academics---I collectively ignored it, because I didn't want to be bothered with paying attention to the needs or wants of my body. I was twelve years old and believed myself to be invincible. But much to my chagrin, this single diseased cell declared war on the rest of my body. Loyal cells subsequently converted to the dark side and proceeded to attack my joints, making it impossible to attend school. They clashed with my intestines, subjecting me to malnourishment. Battle after battle, I lost to IBD---I found myself not knowing what to do, because my health was so out of my control that I couldn't even think to start to try and clean it up. As if it wasn't enough in itself, IBD soon brought in its allies: Psoriasis and another condition affecting the autonomic nervous system---POTS. Psoriasis attacked my self-esteem with skin sores. POTS was the most formidable of my opponents; its weapon, syncope upon standing. POTS stripped me of my independence, dignity, and pride. For a while, I was sure that POTS was the final conflict of the war inside me; I remember contemplating resignation to lifelong bedrest. Amidst my gloom, however, with the aid of my family and doctors, I realized that I could fight back against my disorders with a legion of my own weapons. The first of these weapons was medication; a heavy-duty biologic medication (the very same I hope to learn how to make, with a degree in BME, someday) essentially saved my life and well-being, and with it, I grew able to use other weapons against my disease. The next was diet modifications. I cleaned up my eating---choosing fruits, nuts, and organic meats over chips, sugar, and fried foods. I nourished my body with smoothies, veggies, and other healthful foods that it needed in order to heal. Finally, I turned to exercise. I implemented a workout regimen, originally consisting of consistent weightlifting and running---it has since evolved into yoga, long slow distance, walking, hiking, and calisthenic exercises. With yoga came a mindset of peace and appreciation for my mind, body, and soul; this practice opened up my mind to other restorative, reflective practices. I started to meditate, allowing myself to become in tune with my thoughts, feelings, and anxieties. I began journaling consistently, letting my woes out in a healthy, productive manner. Now, I feel better than ever. By employing practices that enable me to work towards a healthy mind, body, and soul, I brought myself out of an incredibly dark place of disease and disorder---but this is not the summation of my health journey. Well into my future, I will continue to work towards goals that aim to better my health because I know that health is a constantly-evolving, never-ending expedition that will continue to challenge me in a variety of unique ways.

Science is the most fascinating subject on the planet. I know that might be an incredibly bold statement, but it has always rung true for me. I do not know how many 'future jobs' I cycled through when I was a child, but I do know that each and every one of them was something related to the sciences---from a chemist, to a gastroenterologist, to an equine ophthalmologist, to an aerospace engineer, to a physicist, to a microbiologist, and finally to a biomedical engineer. I have always been completely fascinated by science; to this day, I keep up with fascinating discoveries, from the ground-breaking confirmation of Stephen Hawking's infamous black holes to the 224 new species that were discovered in Greater Mekong in 2020. My love for science has been fostered so thoroughly and completely that I am not deterred from the field even when I find myself experiencing the two major obstacles that most women of color experience in the STEM field; racism and sexism from people who don't want people like me in their spaces. At this point, those do not bother me, and I keep my head held high in demonstration that I, too, can be present in STEM spaces---and not only keep up, but succeed. Nowadays, most of the obstacles that I find myself thinking about are specifically related to my major. Even though it is incredibly fascinating to me, I've been warned many times that Biomedical Engineering majors can have difficulty finding employment because it is such a specific degree. However, I believe that having a niche will benefit me in the long road, as the field continues to grow and evolve. I eventually will have a unique degree and skillset that will set me apart from others in the field; with Mechanical Engineering or other generalized degrees. And even if I don't, I wouldn't trade the degree for anything else, because the concept of Biomedical Engineering is inherently fascinating, and it is without a doubt what I want to do with my life. I do not know what else I would study, at this point---and that holds true for my involvement in STEM as a whole. I am studying STEM because there is simply no other option for me out there. Sure, I could toil away in an office sorting papers and doing reports, or I could marry and become a housewife, but I know that neither of those options, while perfect for other people, will ever give me fulfillment. I know that I have to pursue something that will make me proud of myself, and STEM, despite its downfalls, setbacks, and obstacles, is the only field in which I can truly see myself thriving.

Generally, I like to think that I maintain a healthy lifestyle. I take my medication on time, I get at least seven hours of sleep per night, I love to meditate, journal, and practice art and music to reduce stress levels, and I make sure that my social life is healthy. I practice yoga, my favorite being vinyasa flow yoga, at least three times per week, for at least forty-five minutes each session. I also am an avid walker---several times per week, I enjoy taking my two little dogs out on their leashes and taking laps around my neighborhood. I also love to retreat into a small park nestled in a hilly space between two streets to go hiking with my mother. Recently, I have started focusing more on kinesthetic training instead of weightlifting, and I have begun incorporating planking, pushups, and other body-weight exercises into my routine. My diet is relatively clean---I do not eat processed foods if I can avoid them. I don't eat nitrates or hydrogenated products, and I limit trans fats, artificial colors, and artificial flavors. I look for organic, natural products, I love vegan ice cream, and I try not to eat out at fast food joints (and if I do, I usually find a Panera Bread, because their salads and soups are delicious). The reason why it's important to live a healthy lifestyle can be illustrated by looking at the statistics of what could happen to me if I didn't. If tomorrow, I stopped doing everything that I do to maintain my health---it wouldn't take long for me to start seeing negative effects. If I switched my diet to a diet high in sugar, low in nutrients, and overate, I would see a reduction in energy, possible digestive issues, and a buildup of bad cholesterol in my blood vessels. I would start to gain weight without exercise and a proper diet---then, my weight would grow into overweight, and eventually obesity. My joints would suffer, and I would most likely develop one or several of the following: heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, gallbladder disease, fatty liver disease, and even some cancers. I would have a higher chance of being unable to work and having to be on disability, and accessibility to public spaces would become sparse. I would have a fair chance of developing a mental illness like depression or anxiety, and my projected lifespan would become smaller. Without meditation, socialization, and proper sleep, my cognition would decline, and eventually, I would become a shell of my former self, merely existing, but not living. That kind of existence is not what I strive for in my life. I want to be able to go out into the world without any hindrance and experience life. I want to be able to work, contribute to society, and cherish my life in a very physical way that is nearly impossible to achieve without actually taking care of my body. I believe that it's incredibly important to maintain a healthy lifestyle because both our bodies and our minds are the vessels through which we explore the world, and if we do not take care of them, then our ability to truly connect with our environment, be it physically or mentally, will slowly erode away.

I have IBD---Inflammatory Bowel Disease. IBD, contrary to popular belief, affects far more than just the digestive system. It also affects the skin, with angry, red lesions, and it can affect the liver, the bones, and the joints as well. When in a flare (the name given to periods when the illness is active and out of control) my entire body feels as though it's being attacked, and even doing little tasks is incredibly difficult. Being in an active period of my illness saps the energy out of me completely. Thankfully, I have not had a flare in several years. However, years ago, there was a very long period of time in my life, when my IBD was unmedicated, that I was so fatigued---each and every day---that I could not even muster up the energy to drag myself out of bed. Showering seemed like an immeasurable chore, and eating was a terrible task that left me feeling ill every single time I tried. At a certain point, I could barely walk because I was in so much pain. I was completely focused on merely existing; moving from one day to the next. For the most part, I neglected to take care of myself simply because it was far too exhausting to do so---and I had bigger problems than thinking about properly maintaining a traditionally 'healthy lifestyle.' But even so, I craved it. I craved the taste of a vegetable that wouldn't make me sick---the taste of healthful, natural foods that would settle my stomach. I wanted to escape the confines of my sickly room---I wanted to run, I wanted to leap, dance, and spin around with utter fervor. All simply because I couldn't. I was a prisoner in my own body. I cried myself to sleep many nights because I wanted to lift weights with my mother or go for a nice walk with my friends. I yearned for the feeling of the sun on my face on a nice hike through the mountains, and the gentle embrace of a loving, restful yoga pose after a long day. Slowly, with the aid of my amazing healthcare team, I was able to drag myself out of the hole that I was in and work towards those seemingly unreachable goals. It took a long time, but increment by increment, I prospered. Instead of sleeping all day, I found time for reading, watching television, and doing my schoolwork. Instead of lying in my bed, I sat up and walked around---eventually, I danced around the house in between my study hours. Nowadays, I have far more good moments than bad moments, and though I still struggle with my disorder, I am able to mitigate it into near-invisibility with a combination of proper lifestyle choices and medication. But when I eat my vegetables, and imagine that I could be eating something that tastes far better, I tend to think of the time when I could not consume anything without puking it back up. When I am struggling to hold myself up in a yoga pose, and I wonder why I bother showing up on my mat at all, I think of the time when I could not even lift myself out of bed. When I bemoan an activity that might not be fun to do but is good for me---I simply think of when I couldn't do it at all. Then, instead of that familiar, begrudging bitterness that comes with doing something hard, but beneficial, I feel appreciation---appreciation for how far I've come, how well I'm doing, and how much better my body looks and feels with proper love and care. This feeling encourages me to approach healthful living with gratitude instead of opposition. Presently, I value and cherish every single healthy choice that I am able to make, and make time for a healthy lifestyle full of nurturing activities for my body. Living a healthy lifestyle is incredibly important to me---not just because it is a beautiful thing to be able to provide proper nourishment and exercise for my body, but because there was once a dark, depressing time in my life when I physically could not, even if I wanted to.

My name is Amani Cooper---in Arabic, Amani means 'wishes,' in Swahili, Amani means 'peace,' and in Japanese... Amani means 'flaxseed.' I have to say, that's my favorite name meaning, simply because flaxseed flowers are so pretty; and they're purple, my second favorite color, after my long-time favorite color, blue. Besides my favorite color, here are some of my other favorites; my favorite dish is gumbo, my favorite eukaryotic organisms are fungi, and my favorite song (as of current) is You Don't Own Me by lesbian icon Lesley Gore. For my background, I'm an 18-year-old half-white, quarter-black, quarter Creole woman, and I've only recently come to identify with my cultural group as a Louisiana Creole---but now I am proud to say that I have a heritage that stretches back hundreds of years, nestled between the traditions and practices of Cajuns and other cultural minorities that reside in Louisiana. I grew up in Northern California, in a small gated community where I was at the local park almost every day after school, squabbling amongst the other children before our mothers called us in for dinner. I was always a strange child, the type of curious kid with little boundaries; I loved picking up bugs, even though the squiggly creatures frightened my peers, and I loved all manner of math and science. My father, ever a fosterer of my STEM passion, bought me small robot kits, showed me how he worked on his cars, and signed me up for inquisitive, fun classes designed for young girls interested in STEM. I settled into a happy routine of pursuing my STEM interests and being a generally carefree child until my family and I were uprooted by my father's new job opportunity and I was thrown into the world of Los Angeles halfway through 6th grade. I fell in love with LA only after we moved back to Northern California, and I'm pursuing my zest for Southern California by returning to school down in Irvine, at the University of California, Irvine---to study Biomedical Engineering. As I go to college, I am eternally excited to finally be exploring my passions in a university setting where I have the resources to fully execute everything that I want to do, because as much as my 9-year-old self was confident in my paper-and-glitter inventions, making things in my room out of paper isn't an effective method for any long-term project. I'm excited to have access to robots, power tools, and everything in between (including advanced mathematics and computer skills) that will help me to invent my dreams. I want to translate my ever-loving passion for STEM into something positive for the world---I want my inventions, my contributions, and my observations to be beneficial for not just my community, but the world as a whole. I know I have grand ambitions to be a great inventor, a great prostheses designer, and a great engineer---but every 'great' anybody starts somewhere. Ultimately, I plan to make a positive impact on the world by staying true to myself and chasing my lifelong dreams of being a scientist, an innovator, and an engineer.

The Argus II retinal implant was available from 2014 to 2019 and was a small prosthesis that imitated the human eye's natural photoreceptive properties---and subsequently provided artificial vision to patients affected by severe retinitis pigmentosa (a group of genetic diseases that periodically breaks down the retinal tissues of the eye, causing vision loss over time). This technology, to me, is the shining example of what advanced prostheses can do for the human race---when I learn of technology like Argus II, I can realistically imagine a world where blindness is treated with a small implant. Where previously blind people could be considered fully abled. I can then go on further to imagine a world where perhaps cochlear implants have shrunk to the size of a grain of rice, and deafness is no more---or perhaps a world where artificial arms are completely seamless and integrated into each and every nerve, muscle, and bone that forms an arm. With each new medical technology that comes out, I feel renewed excitement for the infinite possibilities that our furthered understanding of robotics, engineering, and the human body can produce. Advanced prostheses inspire me as I move into the undergraduate study of the field of Biomedical Engineering; the very engineering that will prepare me to contribute to the exact same technology that I find so fascinating. I have always loved science fiction---seemingly futuristic cyborgs, Iron Man, Bucky Barnes, and other characters of fictional worlds that exorcise omnifabrication of human advancement have captivated my attention since I was a child. But when I see technology like Argus II, the little science fiction nerd inside of me starts to become excited. I can start to envision a world where those amazing human-machine concepts are actually present in our day-to-day lives, transforming the lives of people with loss of limb, organ failure, vision loss, hearing loss, and a plethora of other conditions---and eradicating the concept of disability as a whole.

My favorite scientific discovery is the discovery of computer programming---and the realization that computers can, in fact, be told what to do in a variety of complex and intriguing ways. Ada Lovelace is credited with being the first computer programmer, and in 1843 she annotated a paper about the Analytical Engine; one of her edits, how to calculate Bernoulli numbers, is considered the first ever computer program. I absolutely love this discovery because of everything that it has led to in our modern lives; from innovative DaVinci surgery robots to self-driving vehicles to the powerful smartphones we hold in our hands each and every day, Ada Lovelace's contributions to science are woven into the fabric of our very lives. Almost everything in the modern world is reliant on some form of technology, which makes it in turn reliant on some sort of programming. Computer programming holds the modern world together---we use it for recreation, education, business, healthcare, and everything in between. Programming has been a rapid catalyst of international communication and the founding mother of brand new billion-dollar industries. As a society, and as a planet, we owe so many recent discoveries, and so many discoveries yet to happen---to the advancement of computer programming. I interact with computers and machines all of the time, and cannot even remember a time when they didn't exist. Computer programming is the discovery that I hold most near and dear because I cannot imagine my life---or the world---without it, and I truly believe that it will continue to be the impetus of futuristic innovation for generations to come.

More than anything else in my repertoire of personality traits, I absolutely love that I have always had a desire to create. To see how my creativity will help me in my future, I only need to look at my journey so far. When I was young, I could often be found fiddling around with sticks and tape, designing my own "flying machines" that would never work in practicality. Eventually, I managed to rope my father into buying me glitter-lined paper to stud out my synthetic wings, and as I flew through my younger years, my floundering creativity continued---a testament to my inventiveness, I once tried to create a time machine out of plastic and paper towels. As I grew, I progressed to contraptions and bobbles that actually worked. I built tiny robots with simple circuits that came from kits that my parents purchased me, and I built larger robots within the walls of my robotics classroom in middle school---still, to this day, my favorite class that I have ever taken. Fueled further still by creativity and a desire to expand upon my initial creations, programming languages graced my fingertips, and soon I found myself coding robots that could recognize color, and act according to a pre-programmed command. Of course, I elected for my little innovations to perform different types of dances upon detecting certain hues. As a freshman in high school, I had the opportunity to attend a workshop that taught me how to service planes---I walked into the workshop with a flat mindset, considering the fact my father had been the one to sign me up, and I was not looking forward to what I perceived as a boring, stagnant course in what was basically a tiny introduction to the basics of aerospace engineering. However, wielding drills and tools of every shape and size, my hands were cut and calloused as I bolted metal and learned the ins and outs of aircraft maintenance---and loved it. I was inspired by the beautiful way the metal bent beneath saws, at bolts, and sparks flying, and I found myself running rampant with ideas rooted in creation. I wanted to make every adjustment possible, and try out every single different metallic structure I could fathom. Directed by members of the first all-female aviation team in America, that workshop was one of the many things that sparked inspiration into my young, curious mind, and helped to lead me down the creative path that I crave to pursue in my life. Today, I foster a desire for creativity of all types—from painting self-portraits, to plucking the strings of my guitar until my fingers bleed to get that "perfect song," to designing hypothetical Iron Man suits in my designated Biomedical Engineering sketchbook, I have integrated my drive to create in all aspects of my everyday life. I am endlessly fascinated by possibility, and, at the very least, I am never bored. I know that creativity will help me in my life journey by encouraging me to be and refusing to let me roll over and be content with doing nothing. It will be my incentive to tinker, paint, draw, sing, strum, and try over, and over, and over again just to create something new. It will guide me in everything that I do, helping me to see the world with an artistic spin. Creativity will keep me afloat, curious, and motivated. I know this with absolute certainty, because, looking at my past---it already has.

Ever since I was young, I have gravitated towards STEM. I remember hoarding encyclopedias before I was allowed access to the internet, and once I finally was, Wikipedia was (and still is) my most frequented website. From researching microbiology to robotics, I was immersed in science. I fell in love with Benjamin Franklin in elementary school, when I was asked to do a project on someone that inspired me---I chose to dress up as Franklin and give a presentation on his inventions. My 'idol' was amiss amongst the many fathers, famous athletes, and actors/actresses the other kids chose. As I progressed through my school years, I learned of Edison, Tesla, and other scientific greats, and felt a certain degree of awe towards them---but as a teenager, I faced racism and sexism from my male STEM classmates. I began to seek sisterhood in science; through private studies, I furthered my appreciation for women scientists---finding solidarity in Mary Jackson, the first black mathematician to work at NASA in 1958. After digging, it was comforting to find a shared identity in minority women like Sara Josephine Baker and Alma Levant Hayden. However, it was not particularly easy to find them. Their achievements and contributions to the scientific world are found nowhere except for specific corners of the internet---not in textbooks, curricula, or media. It took active work to get where I am, now---accepted into university for Biomedical Engineering. At first, I was blissfully unaware of social constraints, and chose my idols based on nothing but their achievements and notoriety. Then, I experienced discrimination—which turned my attention back to my white male idols. I remember fretting: 'Would any of my idols actually… like me? Respect me? Would any of them look my way, if I had the opportunity to meet them?' Based on the actions of my classmates, I came to the cold conclusion that science as a collective was male-dominated---and my idols probably would have laughed in my face. This is the catalyst of STEM abandonment for many young women. I find the main reason why women (particularly women of color) reject STEM to be some sort of discrimination. Personally, I refused to believe that there was no place for me in the STEM world, so I put in work to find people who were like me, who looked like me, who shared my identities—so I could continue to be inspired by scientific minds without having the niggling feeling that I might not be supported by them. That is why I am here, now, to be studying Biomedical Engineering; because there was just a little diversity in the STEM workplace. Just enough for me to find intelligent women who looked like me to look up to. I am studying Biomedical Engineering because I once looked up at a woman in STEM fighting back against the droves of men who fought to keep her down---and I was convinced I could also do it. I am studying Biomedical Engineering because maybe, someday, if I may be so lucky, another young woman might look up at me one day and think to herself that she could do it too.