I am someone who will take any opportunity to teach others. Whether this is through paid tutoring or volunteer activities, I always have a profound desire to educate. This academic year, I undertook a volunteer position as a religious education teacher at my local Catholic church, of which I am also a devout parishioner. This position required everything that is required of a traditional classroom teaching position: curating lesson plans, creating content to be used, collaborating with other teachers, and instructing a small group of students. I volunteered for this position knowing that it would provide me with the invaluable experience I will need as a future teacher. From a young age, I have dreamed of becoming a teacher. In third grade, I would often look around the classroom, imagining how I would design the space to be an educational and organized environment. This led me to desire a career in elementary or middle school education, but later on, I discovered a unique talent and passion for foreign languages. Now, I am pursuing a double major in Spanish and French, along with a secondary education certification program. My ultimate career goal is to be dually certified to teach both languages at the secondary level, more specifically at the high school I attended. One of the most important aspects of a good foreign language education is the incorporation of different cultures. I aspire to study abroad while in college, and this scholarship would greatly aid me in achieving this goal. I hope to be able to provide my students with the most global education possible in the hopes that they will take what they learn to form the meaningful connections needed to make the world a better place. What amazes me about teaching is that it is so much bigger than the instructor; teaching truly does have the power to change the world. Being and doing something bigger than myself, knowing that I have the potential to change the world, is of utmost importance to me. What is also important to me is being able to care for others by caring for myself. For a little over six years, I have suffered from an incurable form of chronic pain. After seeing over twenty different specialists and being told by insurance companies that I could not attend hospital programs specialized in the treatment of my condition, I have a new outlook on life. For years, I was unable to attend school normally. As all my friends began getting jobs, I was left unable to walk. I cannot help but feel a little behind in life. More often than not, my teachers were the people who encouraged me and let me know that my path would be a little different than that of my peers. Their encouragement and advice have allowed me to form enduring connections with them, even after graduating from high school. Receiving this scholarship would help fund my education so that I can arrive at a point in life when I can do the same thing. I can't wait for the day to come when I can help people through education.

Almost every movie I have watched and every book I have read contains a lesson that viewers or readers should learn. Whether this lesson is hidden in the complex characters of a book or in the cinematic action of popular films, there always seems to be a moral to the story. This is something that I have begun to notice as I have gotten older. Despite being a college student, I still appreciate animated movies designed for children and books intended for teen audiences. Going back in time to my childhood has allowed me to uncover so many more lessons that I never would have understood at a younger age. This is how and why I have learned that every book and film has a lesson to be taught. This lesson that I have learned is also true of the Bible. As a devout Catholic, I learn every week about the wonders of God and His only son, Jesus Christ. Whether these lessons are taught in readings from the Old Testament or one of the four Gospels in the New Testament, there is always something to be learned about the faith and what we believe in. The priest facilitates our comprehension of the lessons needing to be learned through his homily, just as a teacher would explain to his or her students what is to be learned in class. For the longest time, I have wanted to become a teacher. In third grade, I would often imagine how I would design my own classroom as an organized and educational space. This led me to desire a career in elementary or middle school education, but later on, I discovered an unlikely talent and passion for foreign languages. Now, I am pursuing a double major in Spanish and French, along with a secondary education certification program. My teachers have greatly encouraged the expansion of my passion and have led me to where I am today. In every conversation with them, there was a lesson to be learned, similar to how there is a lesson to be learned in books and films. In my future career, I plan on living by this lesson that I have learned. I imagine being a teacher who will teach her students in any way possible, whether it be through hands-on activities or through recounting my own educational experiences. One of the most important aspects of a good foreign language education is the incorporation of different cultures around the world. I hope to be able to travel and study abroad while in school, which I believe will serve as an invaluable tool in my teacher toolbox. Through foreign language education, I would aim to give students the most global education possible in the hopes that they will take what they learn to form the meaningful connections we need in order to change the world. As someone who has suffered from chronic pain for over six years, I know what it is like to need connectivity in life. I would hope to provide this to my students so that they can help themselves and each other, remembering that there is a lesson to be learned in whatever we come across.

It might seem unfitting to say this, but higher education seems to be my side job because of how much work I do off-campus! When choosing a college, I knew I wanted to stay close to home to continue to be involved in my community. I had a weekend job as a busser at a restaurant for my senior year of high school, and I knew that this job would offer growth the longer I stayed. This would also help sustain me, as I have to pay my own educational expenses. Now, I am one of the head waitresses at the restaurant. I have taken on more responsibilities, including opening and closing the restaurant on multiple days. I have also taken on some online content creation for the restaurant, which involves communicating with different staff members to create a fun and engaging monthly calendar. I love what I do and being able to communicate with the wider community in one place. On top of this part-time job, I am also a private tutor. This occupation is more aligned with my career goal, as I aspire to be a foreign language teacher in the future! This job, even though I am only involved in it for about two hours a week, affords me the opportunity to gain valuable teaching skills and help members of my community. The money also helps to sustain my education, but it is helping people succeed that is the most valuable part of this job. My final job is an on-campus job as a research assistant. One of the professors whom I had the pleasure of working with in class my first semester offered me a position as her research assistant for my second semester. While this position did not entail a heavy workload, spending an hour or so each week provided me with more experience in education at the collegiate level. I am looking forward to returning to this position during my second year! Then, there comes the community service that I am involved in every week. I volunteer as a fourth-grade religion teacher at my local Catholic church, of which I am also a parishioner. This unpaid position involves curating lesson plans, creating content for activities, and teaching in a formal classroom setting once per week. This job, while not providing any monetary support for my education, has been the most important work I have done because I have been able to uncover my true passion and calling for education. My schooling has never taken a back seat to these various positions. I have had to be more disciplined in terms of how I spend my time. I always try my hardest to complete assignments before they are due so that I am never stuck at the last minute, especially if a tutoring session or extra work task arises. I have been diligent about ensuring my focus, not stopping a task until it is completed. Whenever I do find some free time, I put it towards something valuable, such as applying for scholarships that might offer me more financial assistance. My six-year battle with chronic pain has played a role in my level of focus and discipline, but what I am learning about time management and dedication now will undoubtedly help me in the future as a teacher!

I cannot say that I have experienced success until I reverse the troublesome aspects of my life. Unfortunately, these troubles are related to something that someone should not have to struggle to have access to: education. From a young age, I have always been a high-performing student, someone obsessed with learning new things and having the grades to prove it. My teachers would push me with advanced coursework because they knew that I could handle the challenge, and I was always up for it. This ideal visual of my own education came crashing down during my junior year of high school when my chronic pain reached a new extreme. I was diagnosed with Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, a form of incurable chronic pain, in the seventh grade. While it looked like I could participate in all activities, I continued to walk on the side of my foot because the pain had made a home in the ball of my left foot. I tried walking boots, countless medicines, different therapies, and novel techniques like taping to try to diminish the pain. After four years of walking on the side of my foot, the pain traveled up to my hip, leaving me even more unable to walk and unable to sit comfortably in any situation. My school had just finished a year of online learning because of the pandemic, and this was something that I thought I would be able to revert back to because of my increasing pain. However, this was not the case. Everyone wanted me to be in school because they felt that it was the best thing I could do, but I knew my body couldn't handle it. I was offered IEPs, 504 plans, and wheelchairs to try to get me into school, but no one would listen to my body's needs. Before I knew it, I was tackling my hardest year of high school on my own, from my living room couch. I did have two home tutors provided through the district, both of whom suffered with me as it grew increasingly hard to get a hold of my teachers at school. Most of my subjects remained uncovered by home tutoring, meaning that I had to teach myself in order to learn. I would try to reach out to my teachers in an effort to stay caught up with class materials, but many teachers never responded to my communications. This made me feel as though I had been tossed aside because I couldn't be physically present in the classroom, something that I thought shouldn't matter to a good teacher. This is what I want to change. I have wanted to become a teacher for as long as I can remember. I initially wanted to teach because I thought that it would provide me with a rewarding creative outlet, but now I want to teach in order to change this troubling aspect of the education that I experienced. I desire to become a teacher who cares for and appreciates all their students, no matter the circumstances. I want to be a teacher who is there for their students, whether they are physically present or not. I want to be a teacher who lets their students know that they are not alone, a feat that is made possible by my own experiences. The only thing that stands in my way of achieving these goals is a degree. Receiving this funding would help me get the degree I need in order to make these changes and be the person that so many students need in their lives. I have uncovered a deep passion for foreign languages, and this funding could also help me study abroad so I could offer my future students the most wholesome education I could ever imagine. When this happens, I will be able to say that I have had tremendous success in life. Seeing my students be successful would be the icing on the cake!

What bothers me most about being physically disabled is that I am not often recognized as someone who is physically disabled, simply because the condition I have been diagnosed with does not meet one's typical ideas of a disability. I was diagnosed with Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy six years ago after not being able to walk because of constant pain in the ball of my left foot. I was forced to walk on the side of my foot in order to function in my daily life, but eventually, this caused the pain to spread to my hip. This left me unable to go to school because I could not walk throughout my large high school, nor could I sit in the wheelchair that everyone tried to offer me. I knew what my body needed, but no one else would listen. This eventually forced me to take prescribed medications to alleviate the pain, something that I did not want to do long-term because of my young age. While I don't have the same pain that I used to, my condition is still present and lets me know that every once in a while. Being physically disabled has allowed me to connect to other people, especially some of my teachers, who have had similar experiences themselves or with their children. This type of trauma bonding has brought me countless meaningful relationships that I am sure to hold onto for the rest of my life. As I get older, I am beginning to hear even more about the health stories of others and learning that I am far from being alone in my struggles. This has taught me that it is okay to be open about my struggles with the people I can trust, something that I think the whole world should know and practice. Some people will be on my side, some people won't, and that's the way life goes. I have wanted to become a teacher for as long as I can remember, something that I initially thought would be a way for me to be creative while fostering creative minds. However, because my education was one of the most painful parts of being disabled, I now want to teach in order to change the negative experiences I had. I often felt as though my teachers ceased to care about me, as they would neglect to respond to my emails while I was trying my hardest to learn from home with minimal guidance. As a teacher, I would make sure that all my students felt seen and heard, without regard to where they might be learning from. I would be more responsive and considerate than many of my teachers were, making sure that absent students could be part of the class no matter what. I would guide my students to be respectful of their peers' situations through this example. Children pick up a lot of information through the words and actions of their teachers, and if I can set a good example for them, I think there would be great success for the disabled community and the world as a whole.

I haven't been able to feel my pinky toe for about a month now. Why? Well, my doctor insists that this phenomenon occurs because I am cold. I have a feeling, though, that this symptom is a continuation of the six-year battle that I have had against Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, one of the most painful chronic pain conditions known to man. I struggled with this condition without relief for four long years before I started taking a medicine that has erased nearly all of my pain. This medicine makes me exhausted, which is better than being unable to walk. I danced competitively for five years before I bruised my foot, the catalyst behind my struggle. Since then, I have seen over twenty different specialists and tried to get into two inpatient hospital programs to treat the pain. When insurance would not support either of the inpatient programs, I had to make the difficult decision to take medication, something that I didn't want to do because of so many failures in the past. Taking this medicine helped me get back on track with dance and school after spending almost two full years learning and watching my sister continue to dance from the couch. I have wanted to become a teacher for as long as I can remember, and in high school, I uncovered a passion for foreign languages. Now, my dream is to teach Spanish and French at the secondary level. Initially, I wanted to teach because I thought that it would be a way for me to be creative. I remember sitting in my third-grade classroom looking around and imagining how I would set up the same room someday. Now, I want to teach in order to change the way that I was taught and to set an example for other teachers regarding how they should aid students with physical and/or mental ailments.  My education was one of the most painful aspects of my chronic pain condition. I had always been a high-performing student, and not being in the classroom pained me greatly, but I simply could not walk throughout my large high school. I made countless efforts to reach out to some of my teachers to make sure that I was on track with class materials, but to my annoyance, some teachers would never respond. This made me feel as though I was no longer a member of the class, someone who had been tossed aside because I couldn't be physically present in the classroom. I want to change this troubling aspect of my education by making sure that I attend to all students and their needs, whether they are in class or not. I want to be someone who provides help to students when they need it, whether it be for academic or personal reasons. I feel that my experiences provide me with a better understanding of what it is like to struggle as a student, and I plan on putting these experiences to good use in the future.

My education was greatly affected by my condition called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, a form of incurable chronic pain. I fought against administrators to be able to learn from home because I could not walk, and my teachers seemed unavailable to teach me as if I were "normal" like everyone else. As an aspiring educator, I would strive to change this troubling aspect of my own education. I would make time to be available to talk with students who have physical and mental struggles, even if our conversations needed to take place online during my free time. I would try my best to make my classroom comfortable for students who may have invisible health conditions, even if it meant spending my own money on back pillows or blankets to store in my classroom. I just do not want any other student to experience the discomfort that I experienced in school, and I would do anything in my power to help disabled students in these and other ways.

Growing up, two of my favorite Disney Channel shows were Good Luck, Charlie, and Shake it Up. I was drawn to Good Luck, Charlie because of the family-oriented storylines and the recurring idea of leaving videos for a younger sibling to learn from. I always used to imagine transforming my basement to create a room just like Teddy's! Shake it Up grabbed my attention because of its focus on dance. I danced between the ages of 3 and 18, but despite no longer dancing, I still like to imagine choreography in my mind whenever I hear a song I like. I know that there has already been a crossover episode between these two shows, but I would love to see a more updated version, especially now that the main characters are mature and grown. The title of this exciting revamped crossover would be "Good Luck Up North." In this episode, the Duncan family would travel to the northern reaches of North America for a fun family getaway. CeCe and Rocky would also be in the region for a worldwide dance tour. The Duncan family would attempt to see their show while on vacation, but not without some setbacks. The family would miss their flight after one of the children got lost in the large airport, and the only rescheduled flight would be delayed indefinitely because of a blizzard. The family would be forced to camp out in the airport as everyone else boarded their flights to their desired destinations. Amy Duncan, upset with the situation and growing sadder about not seeing CeCe and Rocky dance together, would try to put on her own show at the airport, much to the despair of the rest of the family. Just when all hope is lost, some unexpected travelers pass by in the airport. CeCe and Rocky wheel their suitcases behind them, and the Duncan's catch a glance of the dancing superstars. The younger children start frantically waving at the stars, who now have no choice but to converse with the family for a few moments. The Duncans mention that they were about to head to their show up north, and the stars graciously offer the family seats on their private jet ride to the location of the show. The family is overwhelmed by the offer, but Amy, now head-over-heels, convinces the family to board the jet with the two girls. During the flight, CeCe and Rocky are able to tell the family more details about the show and the fantastic routines included. The stars also reveal that the venue will be open for the finale of the show so that all the spectators can see the Northern Lights! Now that the whole family is excited about the show, they all watch from the front-row seats that CeCe and Rocky gave them during the flight.  Of course, Teddy has her camera ready to record parts of the show for the family to remember this exciting experience while trying to see their favorite dancers take the stage. Little does the family know that Charlie will be invited onstage by the stars to do a special dance with CeCe and Rocky!

I truly believe that I am incredibly lucky to call some of my mentors my friends. Not many people have the opportunity to come across someone, especially a fellow woman, who can guide and support them in both their educational and career endeavors. I am so fortunate to have more than one incredible woman in my life who has helped guide me through life. While I would love to discuss my amazing mother, I feel that response would leave out one special person in my life who was my teacher, is now a friend, and will hopefully be a colleague in the future. I walked into a Spanish exam in a high school that would be my own, not expecting anything special to happen. During the speaking portion of the exam, the teacher administering the exam took time out of the guided conversation to tell me that I had an incredibly unique talent for speaking and understanding the language. She had told me that I could possibly skip a level of Spanish once my freshman year had begun, a far-fetched dream that I had as I prepared to go to high school. With her encouragement and guidance, I was placed in her Spanish class, a level above where I had planned to be. Now that I am in college, this teacher has continued to guide me along my career path. I now aspire to be a Spanish and/or French teacher, something that being in her class and receiving her guidance made me realize. She has shared her own educational experiences, going as far as telling me specific details about her time abroad in the hopes that I will go abroad, too. She never ceases to amaze me with finding materials that will help me, either. She has taken so much time out of her life to find scholarships that support my educational and career interests, even guiding me to winning a national scholarship prize during my senior year of high school. I recently reached out to her after not getting specific answers from professors at my college regarding my career goals, and not much to my surprise, she returned my email with one that contained links to websites with information I might need, advice about what credits are required, and a proposal to meet for lunch in the near future. Not only has this teacher championed me academically, but when it comes to personal matters, she was always there to support me. I have a history of incurable chronic pain, along with resulting issues, and being able to talk with her after class reassured me that everything would be okay. She often offered her own personal experiences to let me know that I was not alone, which is something I often felt. She was sad to hear about setbacks and happy to hear about successes. She is and always will be one of my greatest fans! I can't wait for the day to come when I'll be teaching alongside her, hopefully right across the hall.

My mom enrolled me and my sister in dance classes at the age of 3. Little did we all know that both my sister and I would become competitive dancers for ten years of our lives. Throughout this time, family members would buy us dance-themed ornaments to hang on our Christmas trees, and my sister and I would put on dance shows for visiting family members. This passion for dance inspired us to watch the Disney Channel show "Shake it Up," which starred Zendaya. Many of the dances showcased on the show were so captivating that I would look them up on YouTube afterward; there are still times when I think of my favorite dances on the show, my absolute favorite being when the dancers are disguised as figures in a museum before coming alive and dancing to the song "Total Access." Zendaya was never far from the spotlight in introducing these dances, and as a child, it seemed that she was the one bringing these dances into our living room. Her ability to bring dance to us continued when the show produced a dance competition that featured incredibly talented dancers—people that I looked up to as a young dancer. We couldn't get enough of the TV show, so the three soundtracks that were produced for the show made their way into our home. I have these playlists downloaded on my phone so that I can reminisce on the happiness that Zendaya and the entire show brought me. I even did an audition to one of Zendaya's songs from the first album! In my eyes, Zendaya was the perfect image of a singer and dancer, which is why I still admire these aspects of her career the most to this day.

One of the reasons why I decided to commute to college instead of living on campus was so that I could continue to stay involved in my community. I have been a parishioner at my local Catholic church since birth, and this is the community that I am most active in. I have wanted to be a teacher for some time now, so any activity that involved teaching children or helping out with youth activities was always on my radar. I remember not being able to wait for the day that I would finish seventh-grade and be able to help out at the annual Vacation Bible School programs that my church offered. Now that I am an adult, I teach a fourth-grade religion class for an hour and a half each week; every week, this hour and a half brings me such great joy! Through the teaching that I do, I instruct my students to not only follow the guidance of the church but also to act as valuable and polite members of today's society. I try to involve my students in discussions and readings as often as I possibly can because having a voice is what will give them more agency as grown individuals. This is the principal way in which I give back to the community, especially as I am in this position as a volunteer and not as a paid employee. I have to prepare lesson plans every week and follow a specific curriculum, all without receiving a dime. This never bothers me, though, because the smiles on my students' faces are worth more than I could ever be paid. Perhaps the spirit of excellence that I exhibit in these roles is my ability to be active in the community despite personal struggles. I was diagnosed with an incurable chronic pain condition called reflex sympathetic dystrophy over five and a half years ago. The relentless pain forced me to resort to medication to allow me to walk normally again, a medication that has been miraculously effective. That being said, I often struggle with fatigue that can sometimes seem severe because of the nature of the medication I take. I do occasionally have minor flare-ups, but these never stop me. Carrying a smile on my face is another aspect of the spirit of excellence I possess. I have often been commended for my enthusiasm and positive energy, both in volunteer and paid positions. Being able to make someone smile and feel respected is something that is often overlooked, yet this can cause a chain reaction that can make the whole world a better place. In the future, I hope to continue giving back to my community in the same fashion, but also as a foreign language teacher. I have learned so much about the world and people around me through learning other languages, and I can't wait for the time to come when I can also give students the tools they need in order to form meaningful connections that can change the world.

Sustainable living was one of the main topics of my AP Environmental Science class in my senior year of high school. We learned about how different forms of energy cause more harm to our environment, and we even went as far as to calculate our own carbon footprints! One of the most fascinating themes we covered, though, was the idea of hidden water. While we think that the only water we consume is through drinking, bathing, and hygiene, we consume so much more water than we think we do. Water is used to grow the grass that cows, pigs, and other animals eat—the same animals that might appear on our dinner tables one night. We often drink water out of recyclable plastic bottles, but little do we know that making these bottles requires the steam power of heavy machinery. When we neglect to recycle these and similar products, the water used to fabricate them is sent down the drain, literally and figuratively. These ideas often guide my practices in my home, school, and work environments. While I don't have any complaints about my job as a waitress, it bothers me that we do not have the proper infrastructure to recycle all the plastic products that are produced in the restaurant. These can range from refundable drink bottles to the cups we give people when they ask for water, soda, iced tea, or lemonade. It's amazing how, where I live in New York, there is a 5-cent per bottle incentive to recycle the bottles, yet this sustainable practice is still overlooked. That is why I have recently started to bring home all the plastic bottles that I possibly can from my job. I set aside a small bucket for the bottles to be thrown in so that they are not thrown in the trash. If I see a bottle near the top of the trashcan, I will gently pick it out and place it in the bucket instead. I have brought up this point with some of my bosses, many of whom are happy to see that I am taking the initiative to recycle. I can't help but look back on that AP Environmental Science course to get a better idea of what would happen if I didn't make this intentional choice at work. The improper disposal of recyclable materials creates a need to continue producing these products, a process that pollutes the air while also using precious natural resources. The steam and other particles released from this process often damage the ozone in our atmosphere, perhaps the most important layer of protection against the rays of the sun. With this now-damaged protection from the sun, our world has been hotter than it has ever been before, a phenomenon often referred to simply as global warming. This elusive idea that people talk about is very much a reality, one that can be prevented if we make the right choices. It is for this reason that we should reduce our carbon footprint because when we live in an unsustainable way, we hurt ourselves, others, the environment, and the world as a whole.

Because of the nature of the chronic pain condition I have been fighting for five and a half years, I was told that it would be impossible for me not to have anxiety. I was told that simply living in pain would induce anxiety in me, yet I never felt the symptoms that usually characterize this serious condition. The worst part about this scenario is that a doctor shared this information with me. I was consulting this doctor to treat the problem at hand, not to tell me about ones that I didn't think I had. As time went on, I began to reflect on the words of the doctor. I began to question my own sanity and mental state as I grappled with the question of whether or not I actually had anxiety. I was unwilling to dive deeper into this concern after having already consulted 20 other doctors to find a solution for my pain, but therapy would be on the cards for me. My doctors and physical therapists alike believed that I would benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy, a form of therapy that would address my current behaviors and offer me the methods needed to overcome the barriers I faced on a daily basis. Accessing this therapy was something that my family found rather difficult because of a lack of pediatric specialists in our area and a lack of providers who accepted our health insurance. My parents would have to pay out-of-pocket for these sessions, which really got me nowhere. The doctors who recommended this "treatment" believed that the pain was literally in my head at this point because none of the physical treatment methods had been effective. This assumption infuriated me because the symptoms of my pain were so obviously visible. I didn't think that my foot turning all different shades of purple and blue because of a lack of circulation would be considered a mental problem, but this is what the people around me started to think it was. I am now taking an antidepressant to manage this chronic pain, and this medication has been the only one to work for me long-term. The efficacy of this medication causes me to question whether or not the doctors' assumptions were truthful. Was I really depressed and anxious without even knowing it? What I know now, though, is that my mind is constantly swirling in the realm of trauma. Throughout my battle with chronic pain, I have always been extremely leery of letting people touch me because every touch that came from a doctor or physical therapist was hurtful. Now, as I hear stories about my friends having a significant other in college, I struggle with the idea of being without a life partner because my mind refuses the concept of physical contact. Additionally, I struggle with the trauma induced by activities like sitting normally in chairs. If I let my feet dangle from a chair, my left foot would turn black because the circulation was so poor. At eighteen years old, I still don't have a license because my mind constantly tells me that sitting with my feet up in the car is the safest way for me to position myself. I find myself lagging behind in terms of achievements and life goals because of the trauma I now have to deal with. I am lucky to have had wonderful people along my path to support me, though. Some of the most influential people were my high school teachers, who would listen to me and offer me the best advice they possibly could. Sometimes, I would find a common struggle between me and my teachers, a point that we were often able to bond over. In a way, I can say that my struggles have helped me form relationships that have lasted beyond my time in high school. These teachers have set a superb example of what it takes to be a well-rounded teacher, and I hope to implement some of their examples in my own classroom someday. I can only hope that I will be the person a student in need turns to to confide in because I know that I would be willing to help. While my personal struggles with the physical and mental aspects of chronic pain have not directed me into the healthcare field, I feel that being a voice of support and reason for a young person going through similar battles is just as important.

Language is perhaps one of the most underrecognized forms of art. I first fell in love with the study of foreign languages in the fourth grade with my first exposure to Spanish. From there, I quickly discovered that I had a unique and unusual talent for speaking and understanding the language. My talent has led me to study French in addition to Spanish. It is essential that I give credit to the foreign language teachers who have instructed me and guided me to expand upon my abilities and always shoot for the stars. They have taught me the art of being able to communicate with people from all over the world, which is something that I believe the world truly needs in this time of conflict. Throughout elementary and middle school, I had always dreamed of becoming a teacher. I would sit in class imagining how I would organize my own classroom and what kind of activities I would engage students in. While this initial desire has not changed too much, I have been able to narrow the scope of this generalized desire: I now desire to be a foreign language teacher myself. The teachers I have had have undoubtedly played a large role in the formation of this career goal, yet some of my own desires have also influenced this aspiration. When I say that it is an art to communicate with people from different backgrounds and walks of life, I mean this with all sincerity. The languages themselves are a form of art that one can use to express oneself, verbally or in writing. Each language has its own distinct patterns and rules, which leads me to conclude that this discipline can also be considered a science. Either way, I strive to share this art with the students of the future. I always say that I want to teach foreign languages so that I can give students the tools they need to form meaningful connections that can change the world. I have already started practicing this desire through tutoring privately, in both Spanish and French. I have also gotten involved at my Catholic parish as the volunteer teacher of a fourth-grade religion class. These activities provide an escape from the worries of school and work and reassure me that I have the right career in mind. I plan on studying Spanish and French throughout college in order to provide the best and most wholesome education in the future, and I cannot wait for the day when I can share my favorite form of art in my very own classroom!

This text is rather striking, especially as the world faces a new set of challenges that branch far beyond the world economy. As a member of Generation Z, I can proudly agree that destiny is in our future because of our relentless desire to achieve what we believe is right. This is especially true at the college level, where students are able to gather peacefully to fight for positive change. We may have inherited a world ravaged by war and economic hardship, but it is important that we see the present world in a similar light. Over the past couple of years, the world has witnessed the outbreak of a horrible conflict between Russia and Ukraine. As we listened to news reports about the escalating conflict, my parents wondered if this wouldn't be the start of the third world war. Despite these fears, the younger generations have been the ones to fight for justice all over the world. I have witnessed the formation of different clubs and organizations at my high school and now at my college to support the weakened nation of Ukraine. From fundraisers to other events, it has been the young people who have fought to drive this change. Even at the cafe where I work, yellow and blue flowers decorated the tables, and loyal patrons would appreciate this showing of support. Seeing signs along the streets that depict the Ukrainian flags is just another portrayal of the younger generations striving to make a change and create their own destiny. Even more recently, the outbreak of conflict between Israel and Palestine has caused an uprising among Generation Z. At my own college, there have been countless gatherings to support both sides of the conflict, and it is most important to acknowledge that these gatherings have been completely organized by students who are all members of Generation Z. Even on social media sites, there is constant discussion between supporters of both sides of the conflict. Once again, the world we are currently experiencing is incredibly synonymous with the world that the Greatest Generation left behind for us. One of the most profound differences between generations of the past and those of the present, though, is the use of technology. It is true that most (if not all) members of the Millennial and Generation Z groups have cell phones. We have these devices that can facilitate our communication with people across the world from each other, yet I completely agree that we fail to pick up the phone to talk to these people. While this is a sad reality, there is a whole other side to this phenomenon. Do we fail to pick up the phone because we are too busy using these devices to fight for change? Young people know that a single post on a popular social media site can reach so many more people than a one-way phone call can. Wider audiences can be reached if we organize events on public calendars instead of relying on one person to share information about an event. Most of the movements against global conflicts are organized via social media pages, so while we fail to pick up the phone, we use these devices to drive the changes that we want to see in the world. I myself can be considered one who has had a rendezvous with destiny. I have struggled with an incurable chronic pain condition for five and a half years. The reason that I can say I'm better now is because I never stopped fighting for what I believed was right for me. While my relief came in the form of making a decision I was scared to make in the past, I never stopped fighting for what I knew was right for me. I fought against my parents and my school to learn from home in order to save myself from the pain that walking around a large school caused me. I truly believe that this fighting spirit is unique to Generation Z—something similar yet more powerful than the sentiments that members of the Greatest Generation exhibited. With this relentlessness, there is no doubt that Millennials and members of Generation Z can make this world a better place for the people to come.

To have the qualities of a good leader is truly a blessing. There are many people in this world who follow the popular and mainstream practices of the people around them, which can lead to undesirable situations. People who are leaders, though, will try to make positive changes in their lives, followed by making positive changes in their communities and the world. As someone who seeks to be a leader, I believe leadership is an important instructional tool; teaching others is perhaps the best way to ensure that more positive practices and perspectives blossom in small and large communities. Personally, leadership involves putting personal desires and time aside to help people in a meaningful and wholesome way. As a college student, I know many peers who choose to fulfill personal desires before reaching out to help the people around them. It can be hard to find time to be active in the community between school work and extracurricular activities, but I have made leadership my primary activity outside of the college classroom. For an hour and a half each week, I teach a fourth-grade religion class at my church. This is a volunteer position that requires much work behind the scenes, including creating engaging lesson plans and interacting with the students and their parents. Not only does this position afford me the opportunity to lead my three students, but it also allows me to pave the path for more young individuals to lead in this way. I believe that I am the only teacher below the age of forty, which goes to show something about how involved young people are in their communities. If I can inspire at least one young individual to step up and be a leader, I can proudly say that I have accomplished my goal of being a leader. In my situation, leadership has also meant putting aside personal struggles and pain to do something that helps other people. I have suffered from an incurable chronic pain condition for five and a half years. Before the pain was managed by medication, I would do whatever it took to volunteer at my church's Vacation Bible School programs. There were times when I would hobble along beside the children in a walking boot, just so that I could be able to walk with them to their various activities. There were times when I would sit down in a chair while the children would go along dancing and singing, but I can still say that I was involved and leading. Inspiring younger leaders is just one aspect of leadership that makes it an important goal for me. Participating in leadership activities at a young age also ensures the strength of even better leadership skills at an older age. I aspire to become a foreign language teacher, and I can undoubtedly say that my experiences as a leader in the present will help me in my future endeavors. Being willing to help people, despite my personal schedule and struggles, is something that I pride myself on. I am incredibly thankful to have had so many outstanding leadership opportunities at this young age, and I can't wait for the day when I can exercise these skills and experiences in a classroom.

On March 14, 2018, I woke up and was unable to walk. My feet were so incredibly swollen and painful that I simply could not put pressure on them. I had just had a weekend-long dance competition through which I experienced some discomfort and bruising, but the sight and sensations of this new pain were extreme. I navigated the hallways at school wearing slippers, walking in a manner that someone thought resembled that of a duck. So, there I was at the age of twelve, walking like a duck because of a pain that I never thought I would experience. Little did I know that that morning would lead to what has now been a struggle that has endured for over five years. About a week or two into this newfound struggle, I consulted with a podiatrist for the first time. His recommendations were not to my liking; I had no idea how a compression sock would help my swollen, now cold, and purple toes heal. After two weeks of prescription medication, the swelling in my right foot had been eliminated, but there was still something glaringly wrong with my left foot. My toes were as cold as ice, swollen, and immobile. After consulting with a few more doctors, it was found that I had tendonitis in two of my toes near the ball of my foot. A walking boot did nothing to ease the pain, nor did the various topical treatments that were prescribed. It was time to take the next step, which was to see a rheumatologist. We were all hopeful that this new step would bring some sense to the situation, a sense that turned out to be the diagnosis of an incurable chronic pain condition. With this diagnosis and the failure of prescribed treatments, my family and I went on a hunt to find a cause for this pain, consulting doctors in fields that ranged from genetics to neurology to neurosurgery. By the time my junior year of high school came around, I had spent most of my high school career on my living room couch. The pandemic was my lifesaver, but life had to go on, which was something that my body was not ready for. After missing out on so much of life and being sidelined from dance, I knew that something needed to change once my fourth anniversary of pain arrived. I made the courageous decision to take a medicine that was not approved for people my age, keeping in mind that I was only seventeen at the time. Without hesitation, this was the best decision that I ever made. Within two weeks, all signs of past struggles had been erased. I could walk, dance, and attend school again! I would say that the struggle is still far from over, as I find myself missing out on college events because of the fatigue that this medicine induces within me. As a college freshman suffering from this fatigue, I find it difficult to make new friends in a new environment. Luckily, I still have my parents since I decided to commute from home for this reason. I learned that they are the people who will always be there for me and that it is necessary to make unwanted decisions in order to save yourself from something worse. I persevered by keeping my eyes wide open to the future and the good that would come from it. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel and people who will stand by you along the way.

One author who has recently become one of my favorites is Elizabeth Acevedo. What I love most about her work is that she is able to seamlessly integrate her Dominican heritage into her powerful and moving stories. She gives readers countless lessons and opportunities to learn about people of different cultures, which everyone should appreciate. For these and other reasons, I would tell the world to read "Clap When You Land" by Elizabeth Acevedo. Written in prose, "Clap When You Land" can be seen as a relatively easy read for many; Acevedo avoids writing lengthy paragraphs, which allows readers to better understand and connect to the story that is being told. This particular novel is about the experience of two sisters who, before the tragic passing of their father, had no idea they each had a sister. One sister lives in the concrete jungle of New York City, and the other lives along the coast of the Dominican Republic. The two sisters lead very different lives, but they find similarities in each other once they meet in the Dominican Republic for the funeral of their shared father. One similarity is that both sisters had been kept in the dark about the double life their father led before his plane from New York to the Dominican Republic crashed. Learning about each other inspires readers to learn more about themselves, which is a uniquely special aspect of this novel. As someone who aspires to become a foreign language teacher, the lessons about another culture that Acevedo effortlessly weaves into her writing are invaluable. The title of the novel itself is a lesson about Dominican culture, too. When Dominicans make their way to their homeland by plane, they clap upon landing as a way to celebrate a safe arrival to their land. This lesson alone brings me great joy and a sense of awe, which the world needs to experience after such a dark time following the pandemic. For all these reasons, "Clap When You Land" is a must-read for people all over the world.

While I have never considered myself a huge fan of reading, I would consider myself an avid reader when I find a book that I simply cannot put down. As someone who is interested in learning foreign languages, namely Spanish and French, it can be difficult to find books that fit my interests. I always aim to find books written by Hispanic authors that contain valuable cultural or linguistic information, and I grow even more excited when I come across a work of fiction with a French title! I do come across significant difficulties getting my hands on books of these genres, though. After getting lost on the Goodreads app, I sadly discovered that many of the books I wanted to read were not available in my local public library system. Such books are hard to find in stores, too. Despite these difficulties, I am able to get a little dose of Spanish or French in most of the books I pick up! At this very moment in time, I would say that Elizabeth Acevedo is my favorite author. With her Dominican heritage, she is able to effortlessly weave cultural details and short passages written in Spanish into her works. These cultural details and the intriguing storylines are what keep me from putting her books down. What I love most about her works is that the transition between English and Spanish flows so smoothly through my mind; it is almost as if I am still reading in English! I aspire to be a foreign language teacher at the secondary level, and it would mean the world to me to teach my students a new language so that they, too, can enjoy works that contain information about other people. What would be the icing on the cake is if, after spending time in my class, my students didn't skip a beat when they came across a short passage written in a different language! Reading books that contain such valuable cultural and linguistic information continues to inspire me to deliver the same type of experience in a classroom someday. Throughout my own education, I have learned that associating a language with a culture might be the most important part of learning a new language. Perhaps this is the aspect of reading that I enjoy the most: learning. Every book I read, whether a novel of fiction for pleasure or an ethnography for my class in cultural anthropology, learning new things about the world and people around me is what keeps me going back for more. While I have lost a significant amount of time to read for pleasure since starting my college studies, I am looking forward to diving into new novels whenever I have the chance!

Just a couple of years ago, I wasn't sure if I would be able to attend college because of a persistent and debilitating chronic pain condition. I spent an entire year learning from home, not including the additional year and a half that I spent at home because of the pandemic. This condition forced me to give up some of the hobbies that I had enjoyed for almost my entire life, which included competitive dance and playing badminton in the backyard during the summer months. My life had no real direction at this point, and I could tell when my mother bought me a variety of different crafts for Christmas one year. Luckily, I was surrounded by people, both in person and virtually, who cared for me and wanted to see me succeed in life. I have dreamed of becoming a teacher since third grade; I was simply fascinated with the idea of being able to decorate my classroom as an environment in which young individuals could thrive. My initial vision of teaching at the elementary level began to change as I was introduced to Spanish and eventually French. I found myself advancing so quickly in the study of both languages that I started to want to exercise this newfound passion daily. It is for this reason that I plan to become a Spanish and/or French teacher once I complete my college studies. While I am only a freshman at Vassar College, some of my high school teachers have already been fighting over me for when I need to complete student teaching activities! Language teachers are especially hard to come by these days, which is something that I have heard repeatedly. Being a teacher of this type requires a unique amount of experience, knowledge, dedication, and strength. The process for becoming a foreign language teacher often includes required study abroad and cultural immersion programs, as well as trainings and other activities. These activities often come at a cost. By helping me invest in my own education, this scholarship would really be helping me invest in the education of future generations. By being able to afford experiences abroad and in local communities, I would be able to provide a more wholesome and immersive experience in a classroom setting that would go far beyond simply teaching a language. After having such an unstable past few years, this goal is something that I am certain of.

To put it simply, I am not a follower. I have never been one to attach myself to the ideas of others, or the most recent trends that tend to take over entire generations. I pride myself on being someone who does not need to rely on others, especially in a classroom setting. I enjoy working alone so that my ideas can flourish and be seen, but I am quick to offer aid to anyone who finds themself in a hard place. Instructing others with the knowledge that I have is a goal that I have met time and time again through volunteer activities and helping my school teachers whenever I have the chance. These are some of the qualities that make me a leader. Being a leader does not always mean being the one in charge; in my experience, being a helper is a great way to exercise leadership skills. Working with children is something that I have always enjoyed, and I practiced this passion through Vacation Bible School programs at my parish. While I was never entrusted with the care of a group of young children, I was able to help more mature leaders and lead the children in a more gentle way that was still effective. This year, I will be starting a new journey as a Faith Formation teacher at my parish; I will be teaching a fourth-grade class with a curriculum that focuses heavily on some of the pillars of the Catholic faith. I will not be getting paid for this work, but that is one of the most important qualities that a leader should possess: humility. It would be honest for me to say that these experiences do not even begin to cover my future potential as an even better leader. My dream career is to be a Spanish and/or French teacher at the secondary level, and I have been told on many occasions that individuals in this field are hard to come by. If I achieve this goal, I believe that I will be able to achieve my full potential as a leader. Instructing young minds in the study of a foreign language and culture requires extensive knowledge, discipline, and strength. I have had opportunities to exercise these characteristics through leadership roles in my high school's French and Spanish Honor Societies, along with experiences in helping when teachers were absent while the other students were overjoyed at the teacher's absence. Once again, I was able to lead by not following the crowd. Needless to say, I believe that my past experiences have shaped me into the leader that I currently am. In my opinion, being a leader also incorporates the eternal hope of becoming an even better and stronger leader through seeking different ways to lead. Being a leader involves realizing that there is always room to grow more steadfast in the methods of leading others, which is something that I am looking forward to doing as I grow older. I am a leader because of what I have done in the past, what I am doing in the present, and what I hope to do in the future.

Over the years, I have been told by many that I have great characteristics. Some might look at my strong work ethic as being my best quality, while others might simply tell me that I have a great smile. These comments always make me feel better about how I impact people, and they let me know that I am doing something right or good. Many of these comments, though, never truly touch on the quality that I value the most in myself, which is my unwavering determination to achieve what I know is possible. I have no doubt that this quality will greatly aid me down the road, especially because it has already helped me tremendously. For nearly five years, I have suffered from a chronic pain condition called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, which is a form of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. This condition has been cited as the most pain that a human being can feel, according to the McGill Pain Index. These words alone express just how difficult the past five years have truly been for me and my family. Because this condition affects the nervous system, especially the brain, other symptoms and issues can develop as a result of the brain not functioning properly. This is what happened to me, and I needed to consult about twenty different doctors in order to find a cause for the unrelenting pain, as well as to address the numerous other health concerns that arose. Some people say that there is no cure for this condition, yet I was determined to get better. After not being in school and being social for a long time, my family and I started to look into inpatient hospital programs that specifically treat chronic pain in adolescents. I got so close to being admitted to programs like these, yet there was always an issue with insurance. I wasn't going to let an insurance company dictate whether or not I would be normal again, so I made the decision to go on medication to ease the pain. This was probably the best decision that I have ever made since over the past nine months, I have gotten my life back! While I do still technically have chronic pain, the medication does just enough to mask the pain and allow me to function as a normal teenager should. My unwavering determination got me here, and I plan on exercising this determination even more as I enter the next chapter of my life: college. Being a teacher is something that I have wanted to do for a while now, and I have been told by my peers and current teachers alike that I would be an amazing teacher in the future! However, no matter how much talent I may have for teaching, becoming a teacher is a career that can only be satisfied through post-secondary education. I am so determined to achieve my dream of being a Spanish and/or French teacher that I will not let anything stand in my way; I am ready to tackle any obstacles that may arise and complete all the necessary steps in order to achieve my dream! If I become a teacher, I will use my determination to ensure that my students have a wholesome and meaningful education that will help them become better global citizens in today's ever-changing world. My endless determination will carry me through life because I have every confidence that my determination will help me maintain my drive to succeed!

Over the past year, most of my growth has been physical. However, this physical growth has changed some of the perspectives that I had when I was younger. As someone who has suffered from an incurable chronic pain disorder, medications were always suggested as a means of easing the pain. The only hesitation that I had with taking a prescription medication was that all the medications offered to me were not approved for people under the age of eighteen. After a period of physical growth, I decided to try a medication. My newfound willingness to try something new has not only helped me grow more confident in my beliefs, but it has also given me my life back! For much of my adolescence, I was unable to perform tasks that most people my age did, including going to school. I spent too much time on the couch, wondering if I would ever be able to walk normally again. A light finally started to appear at the end of the tunnel when I was presented with the option of participating in an inpatient hospital program specializing in the treatment of chronic pain in adolescents. However, all hope of participating in this program was destroyed when my health insurance would not approve the treatment. This is the event that led me to change my perspective on medication. Without any hesitation, choosing to take a prescription medication was one of the best decisions that I ever made! My life has changed so much, and all for the better. Since starting to take the medication that I am currently on, I have been able to return to school and competitive dance after a two-year break. I have been in more constant contact with my friends and the people who mean the most to me, which has aided my social development in ways that I didn't know I needed to be helped. The people around me have noticed that I am generally happier than before. I never thought that I was unhappy before, but I can see now that my happiness is more genuine than it has ever been. Despite my life changing so much, my hopes and dreams for the future have not changed. I have wanted to be a foreign language teacher for some time now, and my desire to get into this career has never been stronger; being back in school has helped me expand my desire to be a teacher immensely. If there is one thing I have learned on this journey of re-discovering myself after trauma, it is that you must first and foremost trust yourself. I never wanted to take medication when I was younger because I feared the long-term consequences of taking medication, yet now that I am older, I trust that the timing of my beginning a newfound life was perfect. As people told me what would be the best approach for combating my unrelenting pain, I never lost sight of what I knew my body needed at every moment. In resuming all my formerly normal activities, I have been able to do only what I can handle without letting the people around me push me beyond my limits. In analyzing this immense growth, I am now realizing that I have grown more in the past year than I ever thought would be possible!

Disney has always had a special place in my life. I grew up loving the princesses, Mickey Mouse, and all the fun characters in between. After seeing so many different characters cross my television screen over the years, it is hard to identify a single favorite character. However, out of all the Disney characters that I have been introduced to, I would have to say that my favorite is Princess Jasmine. One of the characteristics of Jasmine that drew me in from a young age was her sense of style throughout the movie Aladdin. I remember that at the age of five, I was fascinated by the sheerness of some of the fabrics she wore; the vibrant colors that she wore also caught my attention at that age. I was so drawn in by her appearance that I even dressed up as Princess Jasmine for Halloween when I was in kindergarten! The companionship that Jasmine shares with her tiger, Raja, was another one of the exterior characteristics of Jasmine that made me like her so much. Of course, at such a young age, I just thought that Raja was adorable! Now that I am older, I am drawn to Princess Jasmine even more because of her interior characteristics. Princess Jasmine never stops fighting for her happiness, which is something that I have needed to do over the past few years as I have battled a chronic pain condition that has no obvious cure. Her commitment to her beliefs and strong-headedness were similar to the techniques that I needed to use as doctors told me things I didn't want to hear. Additionally, Princess Jasmine always has a vision of justice in her mind. I often find myself wanting to bring justice to a situation that I see as being unjust, whether in school or at home. These visions of justice are often the catalysts for some of my words and actions, just as they are for Princess Jasmine. Princess Jasmine can be cited as a great example for anyone in any walk of life, which makes her my favorite Disney character. Now that I have reflected on Jasmine's internal characteristics in a new light, I can't help but wonder if my current actions were inspired by watching her as a young girl. I hope that my favorite Disney character can continue to inspire and impact people everywhere!

As someone who has suffered from chronic pain for more than four years, I have gained an immense understanding of the importance of having healthy habits. Such healthy habits might not be the kind that one would normally think of, like eating more plant-based products or being more active. Some of the healthy habits that I have needed to maintain include communicating regularly with the people around me who care about my well-being, wearing clothes that would prevent a flare-up because of cold temperatures, and simply listening to my mind and body. Now that my condition has improved tremendously, I am able to better exercise these and other habits to maintain my mental, physical, and nutritional health. Dance has been a huge part of my life since a young age, and dance is one of the methods I utilize to maintain my physical health. Though I often get many bruises from the repetitiveness of some movements, being active on at least three nights every week enables me to strengthen my muscles and keep my posture correct. In studying some forms of dance more in depth than others, I have learned to focus more on my breath and how breathing through the steps increases the fluidity of movements. Dance has also provided me with many mental health benefits, as being at a dance class allows me to socialize with people with similar interests. Needless to say, dance has had many positive impacts on my life and aids me tremendously in the maintenance of my overall health. My daily activities have little effect on my nutritional health, making it the most difficult aspect of my health to maintain. Each day, I try my best to fuel my body with protein-rich foods in order to make it through a full school day without being hungry. Once school is over, I make my best efforts to eat a lunch-like meal in order to make up for the meal that I did not eat during school hours. Finally, I always eat a healthy and well-portioned dinner with my family. Not only does this daily practice ensure the good quality of my nutritional health, but my mental health also benefits as I am able to share my feelings with the people closest to me in a safe environment. While I enjoy sweets once in a while, I try to avoid eating too many of them. It is amazing how many ways to maintain my mental health are presented to me every day. After being separated from the rest of society for so long because of the pandemic and then being unable to attend school because of my chronic pain, I now see every interaction as a way to supplement my mental health. Even the simplest of conversations can benefit my mental health, whether it be one in which I need to let my emotions run loose or laugh so hard that it hurts! I try to make time for doing the things that matter to me, whether that be watching television with my sister or taking a break from the world by scrolling through social media. Getting adequate sleep also benefits my mental health, as not being tired leaves me with a feeling of optimism as I move through each day. Maintaining all aspects of my health has not been easy throughout my teenage years, but having a positive self-image makes it easier to keep good and healthy habits. Being happy in life also helps, because when one radiates positivity, positive things will come in return.

   For any person, learning is a continuous journey throughout life. Whether we realize it or not, we learn many new things each day. Whether it be how to say a word in a different language, a random science factoid, or how to cook a new dish, we are always absorbing the new things that surround us. If we were not always learning, we would not be able to adapt to the ever-changing world around us. If we stopped learning, we would be limiting ourselves to a small range of possibilities when the actual amount of opportunities waiting for us is infinite.    Without even knowing me at a personal level, people have a sense that I am someone who genuinely loves to learn. The more I learn, the more connected I feel to the people around me. The things that I love learning more than anything else are foreign languages. From a young age, I have been interested in the Spanish language and culture, and as my love for that language expanded, so did my love for others. As I learn about the different languages and cultures that surround me each and every day, I am able to gain a better understanding of what life is like for others, and I am able to develop a stronger sense of empathy and connectedness through learning this. Not only do languages and cultures help me feel more connected to the people around me, but learning the little facts about people also gives me a better idea of who surrounds me. These small facts can include the age of a person, where they grew up, what they liked to learn in school, or even how they are feeling at a particular moment. If I stopped trying to learn about the people around me, the relationships that I have now would not exist.    Learning not only benefits me, but it can also benefit the people around me, as learning is needed in order to teach. Not too long after I discovered my love for the Spanish language and culture, I knew that I wanted to be a foreign language teacher at the secondary level. In this sense, learning is important for me so that I can give my future students the most immersive and meaningful experience possible so that they, too, can learn about the world around them. Pursuing a college degree will greatly aid the continuation of my learning journey, as I hope to study abroad in order to keep learning about the world. Teaching will also aid the continuation of my learning journey, as I will have the pleasure of learning about the different interests and talents of my students.    The most important fact that I need to remember is that as long as I am alive, I will never stop leaning. There is so much more to life than having a job and making money, and I hope that the majority of my learning will be done on a real-life basis. I have dreams of having a family someday, and I long to reach the days when my children come home and teach me about what they learned in school that day. My learning journey will never stop, as long as I continue to seize each and every opportunity that I have to learn something new.

   Pursuing a college degree is often a dream that parents have for their children. In the eyes of parents, seeing their child graduate from a college or university indicates that their child is ready for whatever life might have in store and that their child is set up for a successful future. I know that my parents definitely want to see my twin sister and me receive college degrees, but it is not the pride that I seek in pursuing a college degree. I will be pursuing a college degree in order to help more people become aware of the world around them.    Ever since I was about ten years old, the Spanish language and culture have tugged on my interest in a way that nothing else ever has. Around the same time, my teacher started to notice that I had quite the natural talent for speaking the language, too. As time went on, I fell completely in love with the study of Spanish, to the point that my teacher would say that I could be the next Spanish teacher at the school. One of these interactions early on in my teenage years would eventually lead me to have the career goal that I have today: being a foreign language teacher.    Teaching is something that has been in my blood since birth, as my mother was also a teacher. I have also always enjoyed helping younger children with whatever they needed help with, whether it was learning the colors of the rainbow or putting a bandage on a scraped knee. As I have gotten older, more interactions with a wider variety of teachers and peers have made me realize that I have a natural ability to teach and lead, which has also led me to want to be a foreign language teacher.    Needless to say, the reason that I will be pursuing a college degree is to become a foreign language teacher. Pursuing a college degree will allow me to further immerse myself in the study of foreign languages and cultures, whether domestically or internationally. Additionally, pursuing a college degree will allow me to develop my passions and my craft so that I can be the best teacher that I possibly can be. The amount of money that I will make in my career has no impact on my decision to pursue a college degree, as it is the amount paid in knowledge that I am most looking forward to receiving and distributing to students of my own. In today's day and age, being aware of the world and people around us has never been more important. If pursuing a college degree will enable me to share my knowledge and love for world languages and cultures with the next generations of learners and teachers, then I will certainly put myself through the rigors of a college education to make the world a better place as I share the world with others.

   At this point in my life, there is nothing more important to me than receiving a higher education. There are an innumerable number of reasons that prompt me to make that powerful statement. At a young age, my reception of a higher education was an idea and a dream that my parents had for me. Now, higher education is a necessity as I have discovered what I want to accomplish in life. If I am to achieve my dreams and expand my horizons, I would be honored to do so through higher education.    From a young age, I was interested in the languages and cultures that surrounded me each and every day. I started to fall in love with the Spanish language at the age of ten, and my immense love for the Spanish language and culture has led me to the study of other languages. Unfortunately, in a high school setting, language classes only occur once each day. Attending a post-secondary educational institution would allow me to practice what I love more often than I am now, which could broaden my love for the world around me. The study abroad opportunities offered through higher education are unlike any that I would have outside of attending a college or university, and I could see those as reinforcements and strengtheners of my love for foreign languages.    As I have studied a couple of new languages, I have grown quite close to some of my foreign language teachers. Their belief in me and constant recognition of my unique talents have led me to want to pursue a degree in foreign language education at the secondary level. Leading young minds in activities or explorations of new topics has been something that I have also loved for some time, and it is also something that is in my blood, as my mother was also a teacher. However, I would not be able to do any of this without a degree. It is unfortunate that raw talent and passion are not enough to enable someone to teach a particular subject area, which is why higher education is a necessity for me if I am to achieve my goals. I want to be able to bring the world into a classroom that enriches the knowledge of young minds in the hopes that they, too, will want to share the world and its diversity with others.    Overall, higher education is important for me because it will give me the means to explore the world, take it all in, and then share it with others. While receiving a higher education would make my loved ones proud, it is not the pride that makes higher education as important as it is. Receiving a post-secondary education would also put to rest any doubts that people may have had regarding my academic abilities, but it is not the proof that I seek to find either. If receiving a higher education is the only way in which I would be able to share the world and its many languages and cultures with younger individuals, then the global education that my future students will hopefully receive is the true measure of the importance of higher education for me.

Though only about a month long, my scholarship application process has been enjoyable and enriching. Some of the essays that I have had to write forced me to examine the world around me in a way that I had never done before. Additionally, some of the essays brought me to a new level of self-awareness as I was tasked with examining myself and some of my experiences in life. What I have learned about myself and the world around me in this seemingly long and tedious process has been more engaging than the material that I would learn in any classroom.  One of the first things that I learned when I started to apply for scholarships was that there are so many people and organizations out there who are willing to help educate today's youth. I was overwhelmed when I first saw the amount of scholarships that I was eligible for, and I didn't know which ones to apply for and which to pass by. Determining the credibility of some sites and scholarship opportunities has taught me to be more careful on the internet, as some scholarship searches have taken me to the far corners of the internet. This crash-course in online safety is something that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.  In writing some of the essays required for applications, I have analyzed my life, the lives of others, and the world around me in ways I wouldn't have done otherwise. A couple of the essays that I wrote recently brought me to a greater understanding of the importance of veterans and people of Hispanic heritage in the community. Furthermore, one of the essays that I have written prompted me to evaluate my experiences with mental health issues. As someone who has had chronic pain for over four and a half years, I never recognized the mental health battles that came along with relentless physical pain. However, in evaluating the differences between my life with pain and my newfound life without pain, I was able to realize just how affected my mental health was because of my physical struggles. In this way, I have learned more about myself because of scholarship applications.  Perhaps the most important lesson that I have learned in my scholarship application process is how helpful the money awarded through scholarships can be. Though I have not won any scholarships at this time, I have seen how scholarships are able to change the lives of students. Whether it is because a family cannot afford to send their child to college or the student himself is looking to have some extra money in the bank for a rainy day, scholarships have the ability to make the lives of students and parents alike less stressful throughout the college admissions process.  It is for all these reasons that I have learned that applying for scholarships has the power to teach an individual more than they would learn otherwise. While the process might be discouraging at times, I will not stop applying for scholarships because I know that there are lessons more valuable than any amount of money that are waiting to be learned.

As a young individual who has dealt with a chronic pain condition called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome for over four and a half years, I have heard my fair share about mental health and had my fair share of therapy sessions. Throughout my battle against this chronic pain condition, I personally never saw my mental health declining; I never felt more anxious or less happy than I did before the onset of my chronic pain condition, yet doctors would tell me that I was crazy if I didn't have anxiety because of the pain and struggles. As we fought to find a solution, I saw the struggle starting to wear on my parents, too. My mom would cry with me as we would hit another road block, and my father would grow increasingly frustrated as this happened. Now that I am physically better thanks to an effective medication, I am starting to see just how my mental health was actually impacted. While I dealt with my chronic pain, people always told me that they would never know that something was wrong; I never seemed depressed, and I never stopped doing most the things that I normally did before the start of my pain. This sentiment was shared by the therapists who treated me; they never knew how to treat me, and they would often end the treatment that I was requested to receive because they didn't see any true mental health issue. Of course, finding someone who would treat an adolescent with chronic pain was especially difficult because of the nature of our area and insurance. While I was in therapy, my parents, family members, and I all felt that it was a waste of time and resources. I had always held the typical belief that therapy was for people who had visible mental health issues, and attending therapy sessions strengthened this belief of mine. I do realize that the work that therapists and psychologists do is essential to the well-being of our society, but it just wasn't something for me. My mom was one of the people who really went through this battle with me, and I have to say that we grew closer as we shared our thoughts and feelings about my journey and treatment. We did disagree at times, but I feel that my journey brought me closer to her as we were able to have more meaningful, adult conversations. I feel that the physical struggle along with the invisible disappointment connected me with others who had similar struggles and wanted to see me better, too. At the same time, being physically unable to go to school and dance dampened some of the relationships that I had with my friends. This was one of the more profound parts of my journey with chronic pain, and I felt left out not being able to do the things that my friends were doing and alone when no one would reach out to me to check in. Despite these feelings, I never really let them affect me because I always knew that I had something to be happy about. Now that I am taking an effective medication, everyone says that I am a different person. Because I am back at school and dance with my friends, my mom says that I am generally happier. I personally don't feel any different than I did just a few short months ago, but if the people around me are noticing a dramatic positive change, I am beginning to think that my mental health was in a worse condition than what I had originally thought. This entire journey from being somewhat disabled to being normal again has made me realize more of the characteristics of mental health issues, such as that they might be invisible. I want to beocme a tecaher someday, and I feel that the obstacles that I have faced with regards to both physical and mental health will make me more aware and concerned of the mental health of the students that would be in my classes. I feel that as a teacher, I will be more likely to be forgiving and understanding because I know that school itself isn't easy and is capable of causing a lot of stress. I have never really expressed my journey with chronic pain as a truly terrible part of my life, and looking back as I write this essay, I am beginning to realize just how much my experiences have taught me, even about the mental health aspect that I originally thought didn't exist or apply to me. I am realizing now the true scope of my mental health as I dealt with physical issues, and I hope to be able to help people going through similar issues because I see now that it is important for you and the people around you to be your best self.