In the realm of Minecraft players, I'm not the most adventurous. I don't go mining often, I go to sleep as soon as I can, I turn the volume down so the mob noises don't scare me, and I've yet to beat the Ender Dragon alone. All this being said, I still play the game constantly, just with a different objective. My favorite aspect of the game is playing on a creative world with my brother. From building to storytelling, creative mode with my brother has given me some of the best memories I can ask for. I always say Minecraft has never felt like a one person game to me and is best experienced as a team. My love for Minecraft starts back in my third grade year. After school every day my brother and I would first finish our homework together, then play outside with the neighborhood kids, after that we would eat dinner, and finally we would hop on the PlayStation and play Minecraft. We built hospitals, petting zoos, White Houses, and movie theatres. Our imaginations were endless and the best part was being able to experience it together. Even when we weren't playing, we were on the internet listening to Minecraft parodies and animated music videos. Later that year, December 29th, my mother was sent to the hospital. It was sudden, it didn't make any sense, and we were scared. Our daily routines changed, but carried the same sentiment. After school our dad picked us up, took us to the hospital, we spent time with mom, did our homework, went home, ate dinner, and went downstairs to play Minecraft. In a world ever changing and complicated for growing kids, our solace was found in our own world. As the months went on each day was different in real life, but in Minecraft I always had what I needed. Every day we added a new room to the house, we took our horses for a ride, and I collected wool from my sheep farm. Slowly but surely, my mom started to get better, and eventually she came home. As we grew older, Minecraft left the cycle of our daily routine. It became a special occasion every couple of months for me and my brother, but it began a new tradition of my recruitment for new Minecraft buddies. Every time I let a new friend into my intimate ritual of blocks and buildings, I felt my trust in them grow and our relationship prosper. I thank Minecraft for a lot of different things. Giving me an outlet for creativity, bonding me and my brother even closer, helping me through my mom's sickness, and building relationships with other people. Every time I hear Mice On Venus or Cat I can feel the warmth in my heart lingering from that childlike wonder. I can't wait to keep making Minecraft memories and I will always cherish the gifts its given me.

I've read and annotated each book in the trilogy twice, watched the show the show four times through, and can confidently say that Team Conrad is where I have and will always stand. The obvious first explanation of this logic can be found in the first chapter of "We'll Always Have Summer". To painfully refresh all our memories, Belly joined Jeremiah at Finch and was having a fun time at a party, when she discovered that Jeremiah cheated on Belly while on his spring break vacation. Aside from the many other icks Jeremiah provides throughout the series, (being a frat boy, ditching Belly at the Deb ball, and his incessant need to put Conrad down to gain approval from their father), cheating has to be the top of the list. While I am the first to admit Conrad has his faults, he has never been disloyal to Belly during their times of communicated shared romantic attraction. The next topic is every English teacher's favorite, symbolism! Belly and Conrad have iconic symbols that drive their love through the show. Most notably, Junior Mint and the Infinity necklace. While at different points in the books and show they give the gifts to each other, take them back, and put them in storage, but they always wind up where they're supposed to be. Junior Mint stays at the summer house. This is to symbolize how Bonrad's love started there and continues to grow there every summer. The infinity necklace fills the opposite side of the coin. It bounces between the two just like the circles of infinity showing that their love in infinite despite time and space apart. In "The Summer I Turned Pretty" book, we get to see the first introduction of Belly's new and "improved" post puberty self. While we later hear from Jeremiah in the series about how that moment changed everything with Belly as he saw her in a new light, on page eight of the book Conrad's first words to her are, "I liked you better with glasses". This shows that Conrad has always cared for Belly the way he does throughout the series. He has moments were he doesn't show it out of fear for Belly and Jeremiah, but his feelings were always there. They didn't sprout because she began to look different. We can also see this when Belly gets a new pair of short shorts and begins to wear them around the house and Conrad comments on them being too short. Belly responds saying he liked it when Angie, Red Sox girl, wore similar ones. Conrad always noticed Belly and always cared for her in a way Jeremiah didn't. Our favorite side characters are just as heavy in this debate as we are, as we saw in the last episode of season two. Stephen and Taylor get into a bit of an argument about who Belly should truly be with. Stephen is undoubtably team Conrad and just goes to show further why it is the undeniable truth. While Taylor is a great best friend, nothing can top the insight Stephen has as a brother and a witness to every summer they've had together. Taylor has heard a warped version of Belly's unreliable narrating thinking Conrad didn't share feelings for Belly, but Stephen has the perspective of being best friends with both of them. Alongside this is Susannah who in her letters to the boys she wrote before passing, tells Conrad she always knew he would marry Belly. They face challenges, but at the end of the day they are End Game. Team Conrad forever.

The first concert I ever attended was Sabrina Carpenter when I was in the fifth grade. My mom surprised me with tickets because I was a big fan of her TV show. After showing me the tickets I felt bad telling her I actually knew none of her songs other than the inro song to the show. She told me it wasn't a problem and bought me her album, Eyes Wide Open, on Apple Music. I spent every day afterschool with my wired headphones and Sabrina Carpenter in my ear. Once we got to the concert it was unlike anything I'd experienced before. I could feel the bass move through my bones and into my heart. I sang along with the lyrics that felt like they carried up to the sky. Surrounded by fans young, old, and in between I fell in love with live music and the connections it created. During a transition moment in the show, I mustered up my little voice to scream out a little, "I love you!". I didn't expect a response, but I saw Sabrina let out a little chuckle and bring the microphone to her lips to respond with, "I love you too!". That night sent me on a mission to take every opportunity I could to experience live music. My favorite concert was the Class of 2023 Senior Recital at my high school. This concert was known to be short and sweet featuring only the best musicians the senior class had to offer. This year, my best friend Roger would be performing. Roger was known the musical prodigy of our school. He was involved in every auditioned ensemble the instrumental organization had to offer and even involved himself with vocals on the side. Because he was my best friend, I had the exclusive knowledge that a video would play to accompany his piano during his live performance. In the months leading up to his performance, I watched him in practice rooms after school meticulously recording each instrumental and vocal part in his song of choice. Once he started playing, it was the main melody of La La Land, my favorite movie of all time. As the song went on he appeared on the screen with trumpets, violas, drum sets, and anything else you could thinks of. Towards the end, there was a message on the screen. It talked about his struggles with carpal tunnel, mental health, and familial issues. He then explained how he got through all of this through the help and support of his friends and mentors, naming my whole family. When he played his last beautiful chord and the lights went up, I became intensely aware of the tears streaming down my face. I had forgotten how music could be a tool to so seamlessly connect people. I looked around the half full auditorium and every person was misty eyed. Next to me my mother, just as distraught, was tapped on her shoulder. Behind her sat my sophomore year algebra teacher and she asked, "Is that your son? He was amazing! You must be so proud.", and I had to excuse myself to the bathroom. That conversation was too hard to listen to knowing his parents could have come, but always chose to stay home. This is my favorite concert I've ever been to. It reminded me of the power of live music, the power of love and chosen family. I will remember how these concerts made me feel for the rest of my life and will continue to share music with strangers and loved ones alike.

One of the best parts of serving as a Drum Major in my high school's marching band was being able to give back to the community. Traveling to football games and leading the loudest band next to the loudest fans was an unforgettable experiences. Volunteering for pep bands and seeing the smiles on the faces of veterans, business owners, student athletes, and other members of the community was heart warming and fulfilling. All of these opportunities were wonderful, but my favorite of all was volunteering my hours after school and rehearsals to give free private music instruction to my peers. Whether it was vocal passages for our spring musical or clarinet runs in our fall field show, I loved being able to work with people and see the glimmer in their eyes as they felt the power of music. The man who taught me these lessons, the value of leadership and education, was Mr. Ballentine. As a music educator he knew no limits to his sacrifice. He pushed me at my best and was kind but stern with me at my worst. He interviewed me, evaluated my auditions, read my letters of rec, and scored my essay to place me in the position of Drum Major. Seeing him form a relationship with every member of the music program and positively impact hundreds of lives was inspiring. I learned that the role of a teacher is not to order and demand. An educator will grow with the group they are a part of. The role of a teacher is to motivate and guide themselves, their peers, and their students to a common goal of excellence by continuing to raise the standard through their dedication, empathy, and honesty. They will make mistakes, but they will have the tenacity to get up after they’ve been hit and find the will to keep going. Their role is to serve and to give. A teacher’s role is to give themselves to others to help them be the best version of themselves. Now, I push through the hottest days, the longest runs, and all the mistakes I make with a positive attitude. I refuse to accept failure and I will always learn and adapt to grow as a person rather than back down. Becoming a Drum Major was my biggest dream for many years. Partly because the Drum Majors before me represented the traits I wanted to showcase, they affected me positively in a way I strived to help others, and partly because I wanted to give back to the band for all the wonderful things it has done for me. I had the opportunity to teach fundamentals of marching, music, student leadership, cooperation, and tradition. I was privileged enough to work with the community and feel my heart grow watching pride and joy spread. Fulfilling this role, and Mr. Ballentine's guidance gave me the greatest gift of realizing I wanted to pursue music education. Now, my dream has become to continue on this journey of leadership and education. I wish to positively impact the students around me the same way Mr. Ballentine did. I'm eager to help teach the next generation of student leaders to see them teach each other and further the cycle of education. I cannot wait to see music education change lives like it did mine. I will continue to work diligently to improve myself in every way possible to help all students, to be a better person, to be a better leader, and achieve my dream of becoming an educator.

Growing up I thought leaders, and ergo teachers, were people who gave orders. I thought that leadership was easy and all it required was a voice like a megaphone and an attitude sharp as a knife. Slowly, as peers rejected this style of leadership, I began to use different methods. First, I asked many questions. To teachers, parents, and coaches. How do you get people to listen to you? How do you motivate others? How do you know you’re doing the right thing? All I wanted was to help but I had no idea the right path to take. Then, I joined the Middle School Marching band. Student leaders and teachers lead with kindness, sincerity, and dedication. They held my hand and walked me through my first day in a new family I would grow to be unable to live without. I began to see that leadership and education were one in the same. I learned that the role of a teacher is not to order and demand. An educator will grow with the group they are a part of. The role of a teacher is to motivate and guide themselves, their peers, and their students to a common goal of excellence by continuing to raise the standard through their dedication, empathy, and honesty. They will make mistakes, but they will have the tenacity to get up after they’ve been hit and find the will to keep going. Their role is to serve and to give. A teacher’s role is to give themselves to others to help them be the best version of themselves. Now, I push through the hottest days, the longest runs, and all the mistakes I make with a positive attitude. I refuse to accept failure and I will always learn and adapt to grow as a person rather than back down. The teacher who showed me this the most was my high school band director, Mr. Ballentine. He had no limit to his sacrifice for the band. He pushed me at my best and was kind but stern with me at my worst. Seeing him form a relationship with every member of the music program and positively impact hundreds of lives was inspiring. Through interviews and auditions he selected me to become a Drum Major senior year, a leadership position in marching band. Achieving this was my biggest dream for many years. Partly because the Drum Majors before me represented the traits I wanted to showcase, they affected me positively in a way I strived to help others, and partly because I wanted to give back to the band for all the wonderful things it has done for me. I had the opportunity to teach fundamentals of marching, music, student leadership, cooperation, and tradition. I was privileged enough to work with the community and feel my heart grow watching pride and joy spread. Fulfilling this role, and Mr. Ballentine's guidance gave me the greatest gift of realizing I wanted to pursue music education. Now, my dream has become to continue on this journey of leadership and education. I wish to positively impact the students around me the same way Mr. Ballentine did. I'm eager to help teach the next generation of student leaders to see them teach each other and further the cycle of education. I cannot wait to see music education change lives like it did mine. I will continue to work diligently to improve myself in every way possible to help all students, to be a better person, to be a better leader, and achieve my dream of becoming an educator.

I don't remember a time in my life in which I didn't know the feeling of anxiety. When trying to make friends growing up in a 1950s esc suburbia, my fleshy hands would shake, and my short legs would wobble. My heart would thump in my chest harder than the pit in my stomach would drop, and my anxiety would take control of every remote in my body. While my brother bounded around the playground, making friends and screaming like a Chupacabra, I usually sat twirling the strings of my headphones attached to my iPod. My favorite thing to do for years was listen to music. My earliest memory is of a warm summer day. My brother was playing baseball at a rec game. I was sitting on my Dora blanket in the grass and coloring rather than playing with the other kids. I had this feeling in my stomach like I had to throw up, so I tugged on my moms jeans without making a peep while she talked to her friends. When I had successfully caught her attention, I told her I had a stomach ache. As most moms would, she told me I was just hungry and have me the grapes she has neatly packed in her purse. The first twelve years of my life are jam packed of memories just like that. Memories of sitting on the bench at recess reading comic books, being chased around the playground by a bully and her henchman threatening to rip up my beloved graphic novels, and finally picking a new reading spot by the dumpster where I couldn't be found. This isn't to say that I never had friends. In first grade I started to build a sturdy circle of girl friends! They constantly made fun of me and instilled some serious self-confidence issues, but at least I wasn't alone. Once we got to middle school I grew tired. I was exhausted of the voices in my head that were constantly questioning, belittling, and catastrophizing. I was finished with the voices of my friends making fun of my hobbies, clothes, and weight. I decided that enough was enough, and I moved towards a fresh start. I stopped talking to the friends that held me back and began to put myself out there. I went to countless auditions and tried every new thing that interested me. I even joined sports teams and fought my unathletic asthmatic lungs, but I learned that there was endless fun in leaving my comfort zone. The failures and the rejections would sting and discourage me, but the little victories kept pushing me forward. I successfully auditioned for the school musical, and joined the marching band on the flute. I discovered a new dream of becoming a drum major. I made friends who remain my support in life, academics, and leadership. Every doubt and negative thought became a motivation to push further, and it has allowed me to find my true self and accomplish anything I set my mind to. My experience with my anxiety has taught me many important lessons. I used to resent my anxiety for holding me back, but through my struggle I've learned that my anxiety is truly a propeller to my success. It taught me to be cautious, analytical, and hardworking. In my passions it drove me to reach my dreams. I became president of my musical theatre program, Drum Major in my marching band, and I found loving friends in each creative space. Now my anxiety helps me to set new goals as I listen to my worries and doubts to push me further. My dream now is to become the first ever female Drum Major in the Blue Band at Penn State. My anxiety tells me all the reasons it isn't possible, and I tackle them one day at a time to accomplish my goal. It has never been done before, I fear I'll never be able to accomplish it, and everyday my anxiety of rejection grows closer, but that is what continues to push me and fill me with excitement everyday. I am grateful for my moments of depression because they teach me to appreciate the moments of bliss. I am grateful for my anxiety because it taught me the value of confidence and hard work. Every experience I have had with my mental health is still apart of me, not something to ignore or grow out of, but something to evolve with and appreciate in a new way. Thanks to my experiences with mental health I have grown in belief in myself, others, and my goals.

Technology offered a smaller version of myself her introduction to the state of overwhelming and complex emotions. I can envision my tiny hands wrapped around the small egg shaped toy, bulging eyes welling with tears, and lump in my throat slowly crawling up. This technology in question was the Tamagotchi. Don't laugh, even though it is technology that existed before my time on the planet its legacy remains strong. The struggle it created in a toddler's world ignited life long lessons of empathy and responsibility. I had to learn how to care for it properly with consistency and patience. I wanted the toy to be something that was easy. A thing I could forget about for a month and play with when I got bored, but that wouldn't have been as useful to the development of my character. This piece of technology gives me faith in the future of technology and how it will inspire a better world. Handling this relic requires faith. The Tamagotchi teaches you to have faith in these obscure creatures created from ones and zeroes. Despite their origins you learn to love and care for them. Lastly, you learn to have faith in yourself. Faith that despite logic and skepticism, you will still make the right choice. To show kindness to a helpless creature despite its futile technological life. Today, the rise in discussions of ethics surrounding A.I technology brings me back to that simple Tamagotchi. I have faith that this technology of the past has instilled values in the new generations that will drive the world to become a better place. Lessons of kindness, responsibility, and faith have taught children to show love in the face of adversity to make the world a better place.