I knew that I wanted to major in psychology ever since I took an AP Psychology course during my junior year in high school. It was the first time I came across this field but I fell in love with it almost instantly. One of the many aspects that drew me into this major is the limitless opportunities it can give to the people that pursue it and that contrary to the popular belief, psychology is not only for people that want to become psychologists or therapists in the future. I was very surprised when I realized that this major could also be beneficial for careers in business, marketing, education, and even criminal justice. In addition to my interest in the human brain and behavior, the fact that I did not have a specific career in mind was a significant factor that made me choose psychology as my major. When I entered my community college, I started researching more about the different fields of psychology that I might be interested in. Initially, I thought about becoming a clinical psychologist, which I am still considering as one of my options. However, when I came across the field of industrial-organizational psychology, I realized that this career could be perfect for me. I had never heard about this profession before, but the concept of applying psychological concepts to the workplace sounded very interesting to me. Besides psychology, I am also interested in the fundamentals of business, which is why I believe that the combination of these two fields could result in a fulfilling career for me. As someone who was born and lived in Europe for most of their life, over the last few years I noticed that the United States lacks structure in the employment sector. Unlike most of the other wealthy nations, there are no governmental regulations regarding certain benefits like paid time vacation, paid sick time, including maternity leave, or guaranteed yearly bonuses. Although I know that I cannot change the whole system nationwide, I believe that as an industrial-organizational psychologist, I could have an influence on the company that I will work at. I am a strong advocate of the well-being and work satisfaction of employees and I believe that providing adequate benefits will not only improve the workers’ gratification but also the company’s performance. I am deeply inspired by this subject and motivated to continue my studies and earn the degrees I need to become an I-O psychologist. Next semester, I am planning to transfer to a four-year university to start my upper-division courses leading to my bachelor’s degree in psychology. I am excited about what the future holds for me and willing to do whatever it takes to achieve my goals.

I knew that I wanted to major in psychology ever since I took an AP Psychology course during my junior year in high school. It was the first time I came across this field but I fell in love with it almost instantly. One of the many aspects that drew me into this major is the limitless opportunities it can give to the people that pursue it and that contrary to the popular belief, psychology is not only for people that want to become psychologists or therapists in the future. I was very surprised when I realized that this major could also be beneficial for careers in business, marketing, education, and even criminal justice. In addition to my interest in the human brain and behavior, the fact that I did not have a specific career in mind was a significant factor that made me choose psychology as my major. When I entered my community college, I started researching more about the different fields of psychology that I might be interested in. Initially, I thought about becoming a clinical psychologist, which I am still considering as one of my options. However, when I came across the field of industrial-organizational psychology, I realized that this career could be perfect for me. I had never heard about this profession before, but the concept of applying psychological concepts to the workplace sounded very interesting to me. Besides psychology, I am also interested in the fundamentals of business, which is why I believe that the combination of these two fields could result in a fulfilling career for me. As someone who was born and lived in Europe for most of their life, over the last few years I noticed that the United States lacks structure in the employment sector. Unlike most of the other wealthy nations, there are no governmental regulations regarding certain benefits like paid time vacation, paid sick time, including maternity leave, or guaranteed yearly bonuses. Although I know that I cannot change the whole system nationwide, I believe that as an industrial-organizational psychologist, I could have an influence on the company that I will work at. I am a strong advocate of the well-being and work satisfaction of employees and I believe that providing adequate benefits will not only improve the workers’ gratification but also the company’s performance. I am deeply inspired by this subject and motivated to continue my studies and earn the degrees I need to become an I-O psychologist. Next semester, I am planning to transfer to a four-year university to start my upper-division courses leading to my bachelor’s degree in psychology. I am excited about what the future holds for me and willing to do whatever it takes to achieve my goals.

To me, independence means being able to direct and support one's own life without the help of others. Ever since I moved to the United States, I become much more independent due to having to figure out the American lifestyle and educational system all by myself. I was able to learn how to prepare myself for college and plan ahead my future courses without the help of my family. Independence is deeply related to one's financial aspects. I have not been able to achieve financial independence so far since I am a college student, but it is not the only way that a person can become independent. Learning about adulthood and making a plan for the future is something that all of us can do and something that makes us be more mature and responsible for our own lives. Being as independent as possible is important to me because I want to show myself and others that I am a grown person and able to make important decisions by myself. I think that's the first and most important thing when it comes to independence, and the financial aspect will come eventually.

Artist Name: Catania Playlist Name: Old-Fashioned College Spirit 1. "I'm So Excited" by The Pointer Sisters 2. "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac 3. "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper 3. "Mad World" by Michael Andrews 4. "Tragedy" by Bee Gees 5. "Break My Stride" by Matthew Wilder 6. "It's My Life" by Talk Talk

My favorite scientific discovery is the Heliocentric Theory of the universe proposed by Nicolaus Copernicus. This theory simply states that the Earth and other planets circle around the sun, and not the opposite. It's fascinating to me because today it seems to be common knowledge but in the past, some people considered this theory to be false and unrealistic. I am particularly interested in space and the universe and I consider the study of our solar system to be extremely stimulating, which is why I think that this theory was the major breakthrough in the scientific world. Another reason why I like this discovery so much is that Nicolaus Copernicus was Polish, just like I am. I am proud that a Polish scientist was able to come up with such an important theory, that changed the scientific world forever. This figure also inspires me because he proved that he was right even when no one else believed in his theory. That is something I strive for as well - being able to stand up for myself and achieve my goals.

Since I can remember, I have always taken my education very seriously. Instead of treating it as an obligation, I realized that it was a privilege at a very young age. Therefore, my persistence and determination to gain knowledge have been with me ever since I entered first grade. While in school, I learned how to study efficiently and perform well in class and on exams, and I can proudly say that I have never received a grade lower than an A in a class, both in grade school and in college. I always strived for the best because I knew that it was my chance to uncover endless possibilities for my future. When I was sixteen, my mother and I decided to make a life-changing decision. Within a matter of a few months, we packed our most important belongings and move to the United States from Poland. We had this opportunity because of my grandmother who has lived here for a long time and made it possible for us to take advantage of what this country has to offer, especially when it comes to my education. Although I love my country and will always identify myself as Polish, I can't and never have been able to picture my future life there. Education has always been important to me, but when I lived in Poland and didn't know yet that I was going to move to the United States, I never pictured myself going to college. I always thought that my life would look similar to the members of my family, who started a family and full-time work right after high school. However, when I was growing up, I noticed that so many major discoveries have been made by scientists from the United States. I became familiar with some of the most famous universities in America as well. I knew that this country was the future of science and those who pursue education there, have a great chance of being someone who could be responsible for one of those major discoveries. So when I had an opportunity to move here, I didn't think twice. Although I knew that I had a long way ahead of me, I was ready to change my life and take advantage of all the educational opportunities given to me. Enrolling in high school that differed so much from where I went to in Poland, and learning how to speak a new language while being a student was extremely hard but at every point of this journey, I remembered what was still ahead of me. During my senior year in high school, I discovered that I have a great interest in psychology. Therefore, after graduating, I enrolled in an Associate in Psychology major at a community college. I have taken various psychology courses each semester, and I plan to take more before transferring to a 4-year university. Although I am not entirely sure what type of career I would like to pursue in the future, having my mind stimulated by different disciplines of psychology fascinates me and gives me limitless ideas for my future profession. I am deeply in love with studying the principles of behavior, partially due to experiencing mental issues myself and witnessing them in my family. Therefore, I believe that having extensive knowledge in this subject will not only help me find my dream career path but also resolve some personal struggles as well as help me understand a variety of global issues.

I grew up witnessing the toxic marriage of my parents. My father was verbally abusive towards my mother and later towards me and my sister, but as a child, I did not realize that the things he did to our family were not normal. I blindly believed that each argument caused by my father would be the last, but unfortunately, we cannot magically change the mindsets and temperaments of other people. As a teenager, I realized that we need to let go of those who cause us harm, even if that person is our parent. When my parents divorced when I was 15, I took my mother's side but tried to be neutral towards my father. However, that was not enough for him, and he decided that I was not his daughter anymore. I haven't seen him since then. My childhood experience with my parents is something that I always have in mind when I think about starting a family. I have been in a relationship for over three years, and sometimes I worry that I might've inherited some of my father's toxic traits, but I am aware of my behavior and try my best to be honest and kind towards my partner. I would like to have children in the future, and my priority is to give them a loving home that makes them feel safe. I don't want them to go through anything similar to what I have experienced in my past but I do want them to have a good relationship with both me and their father. It's important to me to have a strong family and I will do anything to provide that to my kids.

I struggled a lot with my body image as a teenager but as a 21-year-old woman, I now know how to appreciate my body not only for how it looks but also for what it does for me. Ever since I started working out a few years ago, I noticed that my body was getting stronger and healthier and even though sometimes I wish some parts were smaller or bigger, I do not get obsessed about those thoughts anymore. I love my body no matter what because it keeps me alive and functions like it's supposed to. It is also proof that putting hard work into something can result in a positive change because I have seen it change for the better after I started taking care of it. I know that nothing can be perfect in this world, which is why I learned to appreciate and love what I have.

When I entered my community college, I started researching more about the different fields of psychology that I might be interested in. Initially, I thought about becoming a clinical psychologist because I am motivated to pursue a career that helps others solve their problems. However, when I came across the field of industrial-organizational psychology, I realized that this career could be perfect for me. I had never heard about this profession before but the concept of applying psychological concepts into the workplace sounded very interesting to me due to the impact that I could potentially have on the world. As someone who was born and lived in Europe for most of their life, over the last few years I noticed that the United States lacks structure in the employment sector. Unlike most of the other wealthy nations, there are no governmental regulations regarding certain benefits like paid time vacation, paid sick time, including maternity leave, or guaranteed yearly bonuses. Although I know that I cannot change the whole system nationwide, I believe that as an industrial-organizational psychologist, I could have an influence on the company that I will work at. I am a strong advocate of the well-being and work satisfaction of employees and I believe that providing adequate benefits will not only improve the workers’ gratification but also the company’s performance.

I don't and never have been pretending to be someone who I'm not, even though I don't like a lot of things about myself. But instead of hiding it, I have learned how to embrace the negative things about myself and change them into positive things. I have social anxiety and it's always been extremely hard for me to engage in social interactions, which is the reason why I have often been called "the quiet one" or "the shy one". To avoid negative comments from others, I started forcing myself to explain my behaviors to the people that I interact with so that they can understand why I act the way I act. Most people are extremely understanding about my problem and I find it easier to be myself when the people I am with know about my problem and don't call me out on it. I learned that I need to accept myself the way I am instead of trying to mask it because I will never reach my full potential if I pretend to be someone else.

I have always enjoyed arts and crafts but it wasn't until my mother introduced me to embroidery when I was in third grade that I started to have a real hobby. I quickly learned different embroidery techniques and still continue to perform this activity in my free time. When I was in elementary school, I learned about a regional, Christmas-themed embroidery contest that my school was promoting to students. I had no experience with embroidery but I knew that I was capable of learning new skills quickly and that my mother could teach me the basics. At first, I was motivated to learn it because of the idea of winning the contest but quickly this activity turned into something I truly enjoyed. I spent a few hours every day working on my cross-stitch embroidery piece featuring the holy family and I was proud to be announced the winner of the contest. Not many students my age were interested in crafts like that at my school but I started embracing my abilities and spending more time on perfecting my skills. Embroidery began to feel like an escape from reality where I can forget about all my problems and focus on the piece of art in front of me. I like to embroider when I need to relax or take my mind off some serious things and my favorite to do it is in my backyard, where I can enjoy the fresh air and listen to some relaxing music. I believe that this activity stimulates my artistic side and creativity but sometimes I also feel like it improves my thinking abilities because I often come up with some interesting ideas while I'm embroidering. It is often my way to destress after a long day and to remind myself that I have a talent that other people might appreciate. I enjoy creating embroidery pieces that I gift to other people because it makes me feel like I am offering them a unique piece of my character, which I can't offer in any other way. It's a hobby that I developed as a child but still continues to be one of my favorite activities.

A personal finance lesson that has benefited me greatly so far is to put away a part of each paycheck into a savings account. It does not matter how much we are able to save each month as long as we keep it a habit to transfer at least a small amount of our earnings for savings and emergencies. I am a college student and have been working part-time for several years and my savings account has been growing constantly due to following that one simple rule. A lot of people find it hard to start savings, however, it does need to be complicated. The toughest parts are learning how to budget as well as remembering to add funds into a savings account each month, even when we don't have a lot of extra money. It only takes a few months to have a good amount saved up, especially if we are able to transfer at least 20% of our monthly income, and seeing the increasing funds will motivate us to save even more.

Moving to the United States was a life-changing opportunity, however, this dramatic change also caused me to suffer from getting adjusted to the new environment. For this reason, I consider the first year of living here as the most challenging time in my life. I came to the United States with a basic understanding of how to speak and use English, however, I soon realized that my abilities were not as good as I thought. This gradually led me to doubt myself, which resulted in isolating myself from my classmates and family. I could spend most days at school without exchanging any words with anybody unless I was required to speak by the teacher. My intrusive thoughts and doubts became bigger each day, and my mental health was suffering greatly. I developed strong social anxiety and suffered from mild depression for about a year. I still struggle with anxiety, however, my mental health improved greatly when I reached for professional help and started taking steps to improve my language skills and learn how to adjust to the new circumstances. With time, I managed to overcome my problems and learn how to be better at functioning in the new environment. My determination and hard work made it possible to remain excellent at my studies, and shortly after I got better, I developed a passion for psychology. Even though I was at a very low point in my life, my educational goals didn't change, and I did everything I could to not let my mental issues affect my education. I took AP Psychology during my junior year in high school and I fell in love with it almost instantly. One of the many aspects that drew me into this major is the limitless opportunities it can give people that pursue and that contrary to the popular belief, psychology is not only for people that want to become psychologists or therapists in the future. I was surprised when I realized that this major could also be beneficial for careers in business, marketing, education, and even criminal justice. In addition to my interest in the human brain and behavior, the fact that I did not have a specific career in mind was a significant factor that made me choose psychology as my major. When I entered my community college, I started researching more about the different fields of psychology that I might be interested in. When I came across the field of industrial-organizational psychology, I realized that this career could be right for me. The concept of applying psychological concepts into the workplace sounded very interesting to me because as someone who was born and lived in Europe for most of their life, I noticed that the United States lacks structure in the employment sector. Unlike most of the other wealthy nations, there are no governmental regulations regarding certain benefits like paid time vacation, paid sick time, including maternity leave, or guaranteed yearly bonuses. I am a strong advocate of the well-being and work satisfaction of employees and I believe that providing adequate benefits will not only improve the workers’ gratification but also the company’s performance. I am deeply inspired by this subject and motivated to continue my studies and earn the degrees I need to become an I-O psychologist. Although I know that I cannot change the whole system nationwide, I believe that as an industrial-organizational psychologist, I could influence the company that I will work at. I am excited about what the future holds for me and willing to do whatever it takes to achieve my goals.

Before moving to the United States from Poland as a sophomore in high school, I never thought seriously about going to college. I grew up in a family where everyone went straight to work right after high school and naturally I thought that I would be just like them. Although it is free, higher education in Poland always seemed unattainable to me, and when I think about it now I do not understand why I thought that because I have always been a straight A's student and took my elementary education very seriously. When I moved to America, I realized that the vast majority of high school students are planning to go to college. I learned that it is considered a norm to have a degree and that it is not only for the privileged and highly intelligent people, which is something that I used to think. After learning about the cost of college in the United States, I was even more surprised that people still wanted to get higher education. But it made me realize that if everyone else can do it, then why couldn't I? For the first time, I thought about having a successful future and I became motivated to do anything I could to achieve it. Once I entered a community college right after high school, I began to feel more mature and responsible for my life. I was no longer a lost and confused girl but a grown-up woman who knows what she needs to do to reach her dreams. I have carefully planned all my educational steps and so far have been able to follow them. I am motivated to pursue my goals and right my education is the priority in my life. I am planning to transfer to a university and earn my bachelor’s degree in psychology. I am highly interested in this field because I believe that it can open many paths for me in the future. I enjoy learning about the human brain and behavior and I have a particularly high interest in learning how to treat mental illnesses. I have taken various psychology classes at my community college and I believe that I am strongly prepared to enroll in upper-division courses at a 4-year university. I have not yet decided what type of career I would like to pursue in the future, however, I have been considering two different future paths more seriously. The first option I am considering after earning my bachelor’s degree is to enroll in a master’s program in industrial-organizational psychology. I am drawn to this field because of the opportunities it can give me to apply my knowledge in the workforce. I am a strong supporter of workers’ rights and I believe that every company should employ an industrial-organizational psychologist to make the workplace safe and rewarding. The next option for my future that I am considering is to earn my doctorate degree and become a clinical psychologist. I believe that there could never be an abundance of psychologists or therapists because so many people struggle mentally and are in need of therapy. I am a strong advocate for therapy and I think that it can improve the lives of many people, even those who do not think they need it. Helping others and making their lives better is a goal of mine that I hope to achieve one day.

As someone with very low confidence and self-esteem, I do not tend to talk about my positive qualities. However, there is something about my personality that I am grateful for and find extremely helpful with going through my life. This quality is my organizational and planning skills and although it may not seem like an unusual quality to have, I believe that I have always been extremely organized and able to plan out important things coming up in my life. Ever since I became a teenager, I began aware of my responsibilities and realized that those responsibilities needed to be done by a certain time. I always made sure to meet my deadlines and as I grew older, I even started to perform my tasks as soon as I could so that I would finish them ahead of time. In my 21-year-old life, there have only been a few times when I found myself procrastinating. Even though we could say it is natural for people to procrastinate on certain things, I always find it even more stressful, which makes me not want to do it at all. I think it's one of the best feelings to be done with a task in advance and have a lot of time saved to do other things like enjoying my hobbies or relaxing. I enjoy spending time planning my days, weeks, and future years. I find it peaceful to have a plan for the near and far future because making plans and setting goals makes me feel like I have a purpose that I will achieve one day through my hard work and determination. I know that the steps I am taking now are crucial in determining my future, and realizing that I am closer to my goals with each day puts a smile on my face. My planning and organizational skills so far have been extremely helpful throughout my college journey. I have planned my educational path and all of my coursework by myself, and I already have the next few years, including transferring to a 4-year university planned out. After graduating college, I am hoping to go to a graduate school to pursue the education needed to become an industrial-organizational psychologist because it's a field that I am deeply drawn to due to the prospects of making positive changes in various workplaces and the satisfaction of workers. I believe that my planning and organizational skills will help me pursue this career because even the name suggests that industrial-organizational psychology focuses on managing the structures within an organization. I do not like to show off my qualities to others but I think those skills are something to be proud of. Nowadays, it can be hard to keep up with one's life and responsibilities, especially during the recent years of the Covid-19 pandemic. But I kept going forward and I don't think I'll ever lose the motivation to plan the future for myself.

I have struggled with mental issues ever since I became a teenager. However, for many years I hid my emotions and pretended to be fine in front of others because I was afraid of being judged. I have struggled with an eating disorder and extremely low self-image at first, which then turned into strong social anxiety and depression. When I was 16 years old, I lost all my friends and until now, I still haven't been able to make any new connections. Nevertheless, there was one exception. A few years ago I met my boyfriend with whom I still am today. At first, I was struggling to open myself up to him due to my anxiety and feeling of not being worthy of being in someone else's life. However, as time passed, I started to notice that he was similar to me in more ways than I thought. My boyfriend also struggled with mental health and was able to understand me as no one else could. He showed me that mental health is not something that we should hide because there are so many people in this world who struggle just like we do. With him, I learned that I need to seek help instead of hiding my problems because that's what a mature and responsible person does. Once we started being in a relationship, I forced myself to seek treatment for my issues and with time, I started being happier with my life. My boyfriend showed me that changing the things we don't like in ourselves is absolutely possible if we really want it. Once I changed my perspective, my life changed too and I will forever be grateful for realizing it.

I may not be very involved in the lives of elderly people in my community, however, I do and have lived with my grandmother for several years and I am actively involved in her daily life. I help her with many everyday activities, as well as some things that she finds difficulty handling due to her poor English abilities. I am always the person who helps her deal with many financial and medical issues and concerns that otherwise, she wouldn't be able to handle herself. I am also aware of her decreasing physical and cognitive abilities, therefore, I make sure to support our household by cleaning our house, cooking, and helping her shop for groceries. My grandmother is very important to me because she is the only person in my family who supports me in my decision to go to college and has expressed her intentions to help me throughout this journey. She has also taught me a lot about life in America because she has lived here over 20 years longer than me and although I was quick to adapt to my new life, she was the first person to show me some major differences between the USA and my home country, Poland. Now, after several years have passed, I am beginning to take over the role of a mentor and help her handle the things that she feels overwhelmed with. I think caring for seniors is very important because many of them begin to feel lonely as they get older. I make sure to take care of my grandma, and everyone else should do the same for their families as well.

My name is Anna and I am 21 years old. I am Polish and moved to the USA when I was 16 years old. I am currently in a community college and will transfer to a 4-year university this fall to pursue my Bachelor's degree in Psychology. I ultimately want to go to graduate school to become an industrial-organizational psychologist. I have always been a hard worker and never finished a class with a grade lower than A. I love cats, reading, spending time in nature, watching drama shows, and spending time with my boyfriend who is also my best and only friend.

I think most can agree that there is one significant factor that prevents millions of young people to seek higher education. It's the cost of college that be the single determinant causing people to decide whether they should or should not attend it. Each year, the cost of higher education increases and it will continue to increase unless the US government changes the educational system in our country and makes college free, or at least more affordable. It is utterly disturbing that the most wealthy nation in the world continues to put its citizens who pursue higher education in a lot of debt each year. Unfortunately, the majority of students in this country end up taking loans to attend their universities. The insanely high cost of college also makes it impossible for a lot of people to even attend college, and many of them would have probably gone to college if they lived in a country where higher education was free. If the less wealthy nations in this world can provide access to free or affordable education, then why can't we? The United States has a long history with many ups and downs. In that history, colleges and universities were once free and people did not have to worry about ending up with thousands of dollars in student debt. This started changing in the 1960s when tuition started no longer be free and with time became a topic causing fear and anxiety for many aspiring young students. However, history likes to repeat itself, which is why I believe that our country can do better and make changes to the educational system that could result in many more people having access to higher education. Our political leaders have already taken some steps to make education more accessible, including offering tuition-free community college for students who have good grades, but it's not enough to change the whole system. The government needs to significantly lower the cost of all public universities and offer free tuition for those with low income so that there is nothing that stops those people from attending college other than their willingness to do it. Making college free would not only make future generations have easier access to attend it, but it would also increase the graduation rate, lower the debt across the country, and make more people have formal education, which would strengthen the economic system of the United States. It might take years, or even decades to achieve it, but I believe that if the future leaders of this country focus on this issue more, our descendants could have access to cheap education resulting in a life with much less stress.

Marie Skłodowska Curie is a historical figure that I admire deeply. I have a lot of respect towards her because she was Polish, just like I am, and she was one of the first women who accomplished great scientifical discoveries. She won two Nobel Prizes, and what's even more fascinating is that she won them in two different disciplines - chemistry and physics. Only two people, including Curie, have done that so far in the entire history. Marie is the person who discovered not one but two chemical elements, one of which she named Polonium to represent her nationality. Being born and raised in Poland, it makes me proud that she made my country respected and recognizable in science, especially in chemistry. She is now one of the most famous women in STEM, and although it's not a field that I am interested in, she still has a lot of impact on me because she inspires me to achieve the unachievable. Curie was able to change the scientific world, and I hope to have at least a fraction of that kind of influence in the psychological field. I am planning to become an industrial-organizational psychologist and work on developing different work policies and strategies that could have the potential to change not only the profits of a company but also the satisfaction of workers. Although what Marie Skłodowska Curie is known for is completely unrelated to my goals, she motivates me in some ways that no others can. She makes me believe that I am capable of more than I think I am and that's exactly what I need to attain what I want.

Through my mentorship to others, I hope to help people become the best versions of themselves. I have been acting as an academic mentor to my boyfriend, who has struggled with finding the motivation to seek higher education and also found it difficult to handle things related to applying to colleges and maintaining his GPA in online classes. I was able to help him find the determination and willingness to go above and beyond when it comes to his education. I wanted to inspire him and make him feel worthy of his efforts because I knew that they would pay off in the future. I think that's what mentorship should be about - striving for the greatest in oneself. I believe that through the support and encouragement we can achieve many good changes in others. During my college education as well as in my future career, I am hoping to continue offer my help to others, whether it comes to academic, lifestyle or any other problems that people may be experiencing.

My favorite book of all time is Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Why? Because it's the first book that drove me towards reading when I was in first grade. I have read this book as well as all the other books in the Harry Potter series multiple times, and every time it felt like I was reading it for the first time. This book allowed the young version of me to open my imagination and immerse myself in the fascinating world of magic and wizardry. Each time I read it, I realized that there were so many details that I had missed before, and having these realizations made the re-reading process even more exciting. I also used this book to support my learning of the English language when I found out that I was moving to the United States from Poland. I thought that reading this story that I loved and already knew by heart in English would make the learning process easier and more enjoyable. And I turned out to be right. When I first read that book in English, I could already understand what was going on in the story, even though I still didn't know most of the words I was reading. But I kept going and although I was reading it much slower than I did in Polish, I eventually finished the whole book and later, the whole series. I will always feel sentimental towards the Harry Potter series. These books were one of the first things that I became passionate about in my life and I think I'll never forget how I felt when I was reading them in elementary school. They had a great influence on my cognitive and mental development and I will forever be grateful for having access to them.

One thing that I do to have a positive impact on the climate is driving as little as possible or carpooling whenever I have the chance to. I live in California and unfortunately, people need cars to commute to most places around here. Public transport is not very well developed either so it can be hard to use it to go to places like school or work. However, when I get the chance to, I always choose to carpool with my boyfriend to school instead of driving separately. It's a small change and it not only gives us more time to spend together but also has a positive impact on the environment. I also schedule my plans for the day ahead of time and drive to all the places I need to in one trip instead of taking many trips during the day. For example, on the days I work, I usually go to the gym right after work instead of going home to rest first. It saves not only my time but also my gas and mileage, therefore, reducing the harmful effects that driving has on the environment! There are many small driving habits that we all can learn and when combined together, they can have a huge impact on the climate.

Americans face a huge problem when it comes to health care, which includes mental health care - it's expensive. It's unacceptable to let people suffer from both physical and mental illnesses just because they don't have the financial resources to get help. Mental health problems affect over a quarter of all Americans. That's more than 80 million people in the United States who need to get professional help in order to fix their problems. However, the number of people who have affordable access to that help is much lower. That is the problem with our medical system and in order to provide resources for all of those who need it, we must take steps to create programs that are available to those who can't afford medical insurance. A practical solution to this problem is for the states to invest more into community-based mental health care programs, where behavioral professionals are available to the low-income and uninsured individuals who need mental health assistance. These programs should offer individual and group therapy, as well as free or reduced-price medications for those who need them. Mental health awareness should be advocated more within the communities and we could do that by organizing fundraisers, from which the donations would be used towards the county mental health programs. These donations combined with the state funds could make a difference in the quality of life of many people who struggle with their mental health by giving them the necessary resources they need. We have to support those people as much as we can because often they are not able to get help by themselves.

When I got my first job in high school, I felt a sense of independence due to having my own money that I could spend on whatever I wanted and because I didn't have to ask my family for favors anymore. So when my grandmother told me to use the benefit my job offered and open a 401k account, I did not take her seriously. I was only 17 years old and I thought "Why would I open a retirement account at this age? I probably won't even retire for another 50 years!" It wasn't until she showed me her own 401k balance that she started when she and her husband started in their adulthood when I realized that in America we need to plan our retirement all alone and that the funds we save throughout our lives will be the only resource we'll have during old age. After seeing how much my grandmother was able to save for her retirement, I enrolled in the 401k plan with a 6% company match that my job offered. I was worried that due to the monthly contributions to the plan I would suddenly have less income, but this turned out to be not an issue because the rates were small enough to go unnoticeable. I rarely checked my retirement account and when I saw how much money I already saved up after a year had passed, I was in shock. I was excited thinking about the money I could save during my whole life and realized that I had the potential to provide a good future for myself. The advice from my grandmother taught me that it is never too early to start saving for retirement.

One of the most vivid memories that I have from my childhood is watching my mother struggling with her eating disorder. She suffered from bulimia and even though I was too young to understand it, I watched her vomiting after almost every meal, drinking metabolism-boosting teas constantly throughout the day, and sometimes binge eating followed by immediately rushing to the bathroom to vomit and cry afterward. My mother was trying to hide her disease from her family, and especially from my abusive father, but she wasn't concerned about having me around because I was only a child who she thought was too young to understand or have memories of her disease in the future. And though I did not know her behavior resulted from a mental illness at the time, I do have those terrible memories of my mother, who was not only be controlled by her illness but also often used me as a way to hide it from others. We lived in a tiny apartment and when my father was home, she knew he would hear her vomit so she would take me on a walk just so she could do it in a public trash can behind our apartment building. That's how sick she was. Thankfully, after a few years, my mother got the help she needed. But the memories of her suffering have left a huge mark on me and affected the way I developed as well. When I was about thirteen years old, I started experiencing extreme discomfort in my own body and believed that I was too fat and unattractive. I was a little chubby as a child and was often teased by my peers but when I became a teenager, my feelings intensified and I suddenly started taking the innocent jokes of my peers very seriously. I remember when once my "best friend" at the time jokingly told me that my belly looked like I was pregnant. I tried to act like I knew it was a joke but the feeling of shame and disgust took over my body immediately and I quickly had to make an excuse to go home. I cried the whole day after this happened. About a year later I started developing bad eating habits. I was obsessed with calories and had to have all my meals planned out throughout the day by the hour. My eating schedule affected my social life because I would often decline hanging out with my friends due to interrupting my eating schedule or having to eat something unhealthy if I went out with them. I also exercised every single day, doing mostly cardio or anything that would make me sweat. I never reached for help, but I knew that my behavior wasn't healthy. Fortunately, when I moved to the United States and changed my environment, slowly my problems started resolving on their own. I was lucky enough that I hadn't developed an eating disorder and was able to learn how to control my habits. My experience with eating disorders has taught me that such disorders can often be overlooked. People who struggle with them are often ashamed and don't want anybody to find out about their problems. During my college experience, I plan to be involved in community programs and university clubs that work with people struggling with eating disorders. I know that reaching out for help is most likely the hardest step in overcoming such diseases, and I want to be the person who can provide that help to those who need it.

A piece of art that inspires me is the statue of mine and my boyfriend's holding hands. It is a statue made of clay that we made recently as a symbol of our love and support. It has a great influence on me because when I look at it, I remember that I have someone who is always there for me and loves me unconditionally, which is something that I did not experience that strongly during my childhood. I often have bad days, when I fear about my future and my ability to provide a good life for myself. I also tend to have low self-esteem and a lot of self-doubts, however, my boyfriend is one of the only people who believe in me and my capabilities. To me, the statue is not only a reminder of our love but also a personal motivation for me to keep going through my life with pride and confidence. It gives me the strength to believe in myself and in what I can achieve one day. I have never been passionate about art and do not consider myself to be highly artistic. However, I believe that art can have a big influence on people, especially if it has a special meaning to them. It can inspire, motivate, and uplift anyone who appreciates it.

Most will agree that over the last few years, one word has been consistent in causing people to experience various negative emotions, ranging from sadness and despair to extreme anger and hate. That word is Covid or Coronavirus, and as I'm sure everyone knows, it's the disease that entered our world in late 2019 and still continues to challenge the lives of people all around the world. I doubt that many people with no experience in science or medicine actually thought that we would still be in the pandemic phase in 2022 when the infection started spreading rapidly around the world two years ago. It was the time when life suddenly stopped and we had to switch our behavior and habits completely, fearing about our safety. Back then, Covid caused people to fear to go outside, shake a stranger's hand, and even see their family members who didn't live with them. Fast-forward to 2022, we can see that the fear of Covid has diminished significantly. People have learned how to live during the pandemic and often seem to forget that the disease is still around us. Many are tired of the mask requirements and can't wait for the day the government will announce that they are not required anymore. And fortunately for them, some local governments have lately been lifting the masking requirement, which will again put a much higher population at risk of getting infected. The best way to end this pandemic is simple - keep wearing the mask. Whether it is required or not, we are still in the pandemic phase and it won't end anytime soon if people decide to stop wearing masks. It's not worth to put your slight discomfort above the life of the entire global population.

There is one word that comes to my mind when I think about my dream life - happiness. I don't have a specific image of what I want my life to look like but I know that the most important thing I want from it is to be fulfilled with what I had built for myself through my education, career, and family. Sometimes living in a one-bedroom apartment with barely any room for your personal belongings could be more fulfilling than having a $10 million mansion by the ocean somewhere in Southern California. What I truly want from my life is to be surrounded by the people that I care about and that support all my decisions. I also want to be happy with my job and do something that I am truly passionate about and that makes me feel like I have a purpose in this life. I am hoping to be married to the love of my life and have one or two children. Having my own little family is extremely important to me because I want to be a role model for someone else one day. I have experienced a lot of pain and darkness in my life but when I think about the future, all I hope to see is brightness. That's what I want my dream life to look like.