I am Anna McRay, a second year political science student with a minor in Peace and Conflict Studies enrolled at Bowling Green State University (BGSU). I am active in the Undergraduate Student Government as a senator for the Honors College. I am also a leader for the Chapman Learning Community, an organization dedicated to service learning, leadership development, and volunteering with nonprofits. Part of my role as a leader in these two settings is to create service projects for my peers to participate in. One of the service projects that I have worked on this year is collaborating with the Wood County Child Protective Services to help them set up a pinwheel garden near the campus of BGSU for child abuse awareness. I am excited for my peers to be apart of this project this year because child abuse prevention is a passion of mine. Every year Wood County Child Protective Services sets up a pinwheel garden in April with one pinwheel representing one case they worked on during the past year. They do this because April is National Child Abuse Prevention month. My service project with them is not an anomaly. An innumerable amount of communities plant pinwheels in April because they represent not just victims of child abuse, but innocent children, whom love the simple joys of life like pinwheels. The gardens inform and educate adults on the dangers of child abuse, since many people do not understand what it is, who it affects, and what happens when a kid is abused. For example, pinwheel gardens magnify my story. My grandfather is a pedophile and two days after I turned nine, my mom walked in on him in bed with me. This started a long three year Child Protective Services journey that eventually sentenced my grandfather to prison for one year, and the rest of his life on parole with other restrictions. I am a pinwheel. I stand with hundreds of other students at BGSU who are also victims of child abuse. However, many people do not know this about me unless I tell them because people often hold untrue stereotypes about characteristics and outcomes of victims. Most people do not understand the amount of children who suffer from abuse or how it can happen to any child. The goal of the gardens is to inform adults about the truths of child abuse. When a person sees a large pinwheel garden sitting in front of a community space and learns that one pinwheel represents just a single child in the local area, they will start to think about how many more pinwheels would be sitting there if preventative work and community education never started. The gardens make people desire to learn more about child abuse so they can take the necessary actions when a child they love is at risk. This service project fosters hope. Hundreds of cars are going to drive by the garden in Bowling Green and see children who are no longer voiceless. Through small changes, education, and preventive measures, child abuse will eventually diminish–that is the vision. As a survivor, I am empowered when I see a pinwheel garden because I know I am there along with countless other children who have been or who are going to be hurt. The gardens mean we are not silenced. I have planned pinwheels before in the past, and I intend to plant many more in the future. It is with great honor that I am going to lead Chapman students and my Undergraduate Student Government peers through my event this year.

I am Anna McRay, a second-year Bowling Green State University (BGSU) student studying political science with a minor in Peace and Conflict Studies. I have a mission to change the world. Since I was a young girl, I read biographies about incredible women who stood up to injustices and left lasting impacts for generations to come. By third grade, I knew who Harriet Tubman, Susan B. Anthony, Sally Ride, and other historical figures were. I developed a hunger to do anything I could to become like my heroes. From studying to volunteering to leading, I work hard every day to prove to that young, aspiring activist that I can make a difference in this world. I will be someone who creates positive change, advancing the causes my heroes sacrificed themselves for. My education and aspirations are setting a path for my plans to triumph. I am grateful to pursue an education that I love. I am a leader of the Chapman Learning Community, a community dedicated to leadership development through the social change model. I reach out to nonprofits to create volunteering opportunities for my peers so we can learn how positive change is curated through nonprofits and services. I love volunteering with all my heart because no matter what service project I partake in, I learn how anyone who makes small differences can be a leader. I surround myself with leaders and high achievers so I can learn from others, which is why I am also a senator in the undergraduate student government and a campus tour guide. My successes come from surrounding myself with a community that uplifts me as much as I uplift them. An uplifting community is essential for making a positive difference. I decided in high school, when I interned with my community development director, that I would dedicate myself to helping the community I live in. My plan for my future career is to be a lawyer specializing in low-income cities and housing disparity or an urban planner with a PhD. As of now, I am studying political science with a minor in peace and conflict studies, and I am a research assistant with BGSU’s Center of Regional Development. I desire to learn all I can about how communities operate, both on a small and large scale. I also intend to accelerate into the Master of Public Administration degree during my senior year of undergraduate studies and earn it one year later. I plan to then earn acceptance into the University of Michigan Law School and pursue a dual degree in law and urban and regional planning (JD+MURP). I have researched other PhD and JD options too, but this is my number one goal. No matter what path I take, I will focus on advocating for my community members' needs. My career will reflect my passion for advocacy. As an urban planner or lawyer with a specialization in urban planning, I will ensure that people can enjoy living, working, and playing within my community. Safety, affordability, and accessibility will be my top priorities. If I assist just one of my neighbors by easing their living burdens, then my mission will be accomplished. I will not back down from struggles of inequality, disparity, politics, or lack of resources. I know from research how hard a career in public service can be. However, none of my heroes quit when they were sacrificing for others' rights. I will follow their example and work extremely hard, learning everything I can to improve my community. I will change this world for the good.