Flow of Water- Current, Wave, Ripple, Stream (All these words have double meanings. Whoever is playing may think "Current" is referring to the present, and might be confused. "Wave" could be an action as well as a part of water. "Ripple" might be confused with the ripple chip, and "stream" may be thought to go with the TV show category) TV Show- Season, Finale, Show, Arc (Again, most of these words have double meanings. "Season" might be mixed up with the natural seasons in our world. "Show" can be a verb as well as a noun, and most people don't understand what the word "arc" is used for when referring to a TV show) Small Things- Minute, Compact, Toy, Minor ("Minute" might be thought of as the measurement of time, a "compact" is also an accoutrement women use, "toy" might refer to what children play with, and "minor" might refer to a child itself) Where People Come Together- Ball, Fair, Park, Bar ("Ball" can be mixed up with another kind of ball, "fair" may refer to the shade of a person's skin, or if something is fair or not, "park" might refer to what a car does, and "bar" is not only a place but an object) Season Wave Compact Show Toy Ball Ripple Arc Park Bar Current Stream Minute Minor Fair Finale

For as long as I can remember, I've had trouble focusing. I was a good student, sure, but I could never listen well. Instructions would go in one ear and out the other, sarcasm flew right over my head, and I would forget all the time. Coupled with these struggles, I'd have problems with textures, was unable to read body language, and would hyperfocus and hyper fixate on topics that seemed irrelevant. I never had the words to describe how I was. Labels were simply slapped on my forehead like a product in the store; "Weird", "Sensitive", "Stiff." I could never understand what was wrong with me, and my parents never took me to the doctor, the school counselor never looked at me, and I was never diagnosed. I'm not sure if it was due to me doing well in school, my lack of meltdowns, or other signs that are exhibited in other people with autism, but I was never tested, and never diagnosed. My entire life, autism was seen as something taboo, along with ADHD. If you thought someone was acting weird, I'd hear my mother say in a hushed voice, "I think they're autistic," or, "I think they have ADHD." Another reason why I was not tested, was because of that fear surrounding these neurodiverse conditions. I didn't want to be the "weird kid" who had to go down to the office at lunch and take medication, or seen as anything other than me. So, once again, my condition was overlooked. I have yet to be tested or diagnosed with either of these conditions, but exhibit strong signs of them. My struggles with focusing, following instructions, and remembering simple tasks point to ADHD, while my hyper fixations, inability to read sarcasm or body language, and hyper empathy are symptoms of autism. I have also taken the official autism test online (though it's not a replacement for a concrete diagnosis from a doctor) and scored where most autistic people lie. Thankfully, I have learned that autism and ADHD aren't as taboo as they seemed when I was younger. People talk openly about these things now, and I no longer feel like I need to change myself to "fit in" and not be associated with those who are different. After all, neurodiversity isn't a curse, but a blessing. Because of my suspected ADHD, I have learned how to improve my problem solving skills, creativity, and spontaneity in conversations and my work. I plan on majoring in graphic design, and these skills I have gained from ADHD has helped a lot with that. My suspected autism has given my hyper empathy, and the skills the understand people who come from vastly different backgrounds and personalities than my own. I have hyper focused on details over the years, so although I have trouble reading sarcasm, I notice little things about a person, which keeps me in the loop during conversations. My hyper fixations have helped open the door to a multitude of books, movies, and TV shows, which has helped me enjoy so many different stories. Although I've never been diagnosed, I show signs of autism and ADHD, but that doesn't weigh me down. It lifts me up. I know that despite these learning disabilities, I am smart. I am creative, I am caring, and I am me. Neurodiversity isn't something that should be whispered about behind closed doors, and we should see more people with it succeed in this world. And I think if we accepted those that were different more freely, we'd be a better world in the end.

I have been writing for as long as I can remember. From little stories I would write and illustrate myself, creative writing assignments in school, to my first four books. The power writing gives me is a great one, especially when creating my own worlds within my stories. I have always been a big fan of fantasy, and have made independent countries, cultures, and traditions in two separate book series I am working on. One of my favorite things about writing is the way I can take myself out of the patterns and monotony of the real world, and indulge myself in a fantasy of my own creation. No longer do I think about what a classmate said during school today, when I can envelop myself in the niceties between two characters that sprang from my head. Another thing that I love about writing is how therapeutic it is. After a stressful day at school or work, I look forward to sitting behind my computer and typing out pages upon pages of a scenario of my own creation. For some time, I struggled with depression and anxiety, and my writing in actuality relieved that. I could take myself out of that dark place in my mind, and apply my nervous energy and free time to my works, creating something I could love. Writing has even saved my life, keeping me grounded and able to stay on this worth. Whenever I would have dark thoughts about my place in this world, and questioning if I should stay in it, I would think about what I was working on, and think about how if I was no longer here, it would never be finished. So, I stayed. Throughout high school, I have started three different projects I have been working on, and have been typing them out furiously whenever I have a chance. There was an instance before I started high school where I lost an entire draft and was forced to start over, but it only made my writing better, as I was able to rewrite some scenes that did not make any sense, polish some paragraphs, and overall make the draft longer and more easy to read. Although I do not plan on majoring in creative writing, I plan to continue writing in college, finishing some of the drafts and projects I have started over the years. In the future, I hope to publish my works, and become an inspiration to young writers like myself.

After a long and hard struggle to find what I wanted to major in for college, I eventually stumbled upon a major I had never heard of before; graphic design. But suddenly, it all made sense. This is the major I have been chosen for my entire life. Even in kindergarten, I've always had a sense for detail and art, such as the assignment I was given around Halloween time when I was five years old, asking me to draw what I was going to dress up for Halloween. Since I was going to be Rapunzel, naturally, I drew her. But behind the princess, I also drew her tower...and each individual stone in it. I still remember my father saying, "That's some impressive detail. You're really good." His words stuck with me to continue to work in the arts. I've been in different classes for the fine arts: drawing, choir, and theater. But this year, I'm taking a digital design class, which will teach me the fundamentals of graphic design and photography. I have also been writing many drafts for books the last few years, which is one of my passions. Through my major and hobbies, I hope to create designs for companies, corporations, small businesses, and volunteer work. I also plan on continuing my writing career to create stories for the world to see, and enjoy. But most of all, I wish that through my work, I can inspire other young creatives to keep pushing at what they love, and succeed as I hope to.

In March of 2023, after a long battle with prostate cancer, my grandfather finally slipped into sleep for the last time. I'd like to say I was there, but living an hour away and being forbidden from going, I was not. But I knew the moment my dad's phone rang. We were sitting there, my aunt and cousin having been visiting for the weekend, having just finished dinner. It was just my dad and I left sitting at the table, but I didn't mind. Sometimes we just sat and talked, or let the dogs sit on our laps. But then his phone rang, and I heard my father say, "Yeah, hun." I knew it was my mom calling. The daughter of my grandpa and one of the few people at the Hospice center looking after him. As my father stood and began pacing the front room, I felt myself look at my lap. I knew what was happening. I always get this sixth sense right as someone has died. And we all knew Grandaddy was going to go here pretty soon, it was just that he had stayed a lot longer than we thought. After my dad hung up, he called my siblings into the dining room with us. I could feel my heart begin to break. So I was right. My dad started to say, "Fifteen minutes ago, Grandaddy passed away-" but I was already running out of the room, tears in my eyes. Even though I knew it was coming, I still wasn't ready. These past few years, I had gotten increasingly closer with my grandfather. I wrote him letters to tell him things I could only speak to on paper, interviewed him for a school project on his life, and how I thought of him as a hero. I gained so much knowledge of his life, and spent so much time with him, because I knew I didn't have much left. I could remember when he first started going through chemo, the hair loss, the heat flashes, and his constant pain and fatigue. He wasn't the strong grandfather I knew anymore who could carry me on my shoulders and make me feel tall. But he kept fighting. And ultimately, I think that added another ten years to his life. But because of his cancer, because of his battle, because of his fight, I grew to learn an important lesson, the lesson written on cards given out at his funeral; be kind.

Video games have positively impacted my life in many ways. They have taught me hand-eye coordination, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. Tekken has taught me the value of patterns and memorization, as well as quick thinking during a match. Call of Duty has given me skills in accuracy and respect for the military, especially what they go through each day. They have also exposed me to a multitude of different worlds, from the not-so far away future in games like Call of Duty, or the distant galaxy in Halo. I have seen characters like Leon Kennedy fight monsters and zombies alike, his bravery inspiring me to be brave, as well. I have watched Ethan Winters go through hell and back to save his daughter, sacrificing himself in the end, and proving that selflessness is one of the greatest virtues, as well as warmed my heart to see how far the love of a father can go. Video games can be funny, too, and I have often laughed at the Lego versions of movies such as Harry Potter, Star Wars, and Marvel, with their slapstick easing the frustration of not being able to solve a puzzle. These games have also helped me grow closer to my family. Whether it's playing a round of Call of Duty multiplayer with my brother or father, or helping on of my younger sisters out on a certain level, video games bring us together. Sure, we may have our fights about who actually won the round, but we're always excited to play the next day. Finally, video games have given me the inspiration to keep my creativity going. I value the hard work that goes into each frame of animation, every background that has been hand painted or digitized by a person behind a computer. I appreciate every story that each video game has, from the simple to the complicated. I want to be like the writers who have given me characters I love, and cry whenever they are killed off. I wish to be as talented as the graphic designers who design the different pages and loading screens, the modelers for every person, entity, or animal. I want to have my own work to go as far as these video games, and be loved by other people. But most of all, I want to inspire more young people in my future, so they can see how much creativity can shine, and that even they can accomplish something as big as a video game, too.