I am constantly drowning under the pressure that I put on myself. As long as I can remember, I’ve forced myself to be perfect, even though I know how unhealthy my perfectionism is. I can’t handle my own shortcomings, even if they are minor; my faults tend to end in a mental breakdown. My grades are something that I cannot allow to become imperfect; in my mind, the only acceptable grade is an A. I consider a B essentially failing. If I get anything lower than a B, I tend to have an anxiety attack. One time I was studying for my DE US History test; it was getting late and I only knew half of my flashcards. All I could think about was how I wasn’t good enough as my eyes started to water. My mom came upstairs and told me I needed a break, but I told her I didn’t have time for one. I was balling and I could only think about how much of a failure I was, how stupid I felt, how I would never be able to go to college. I hated myself for crying, not because I felt silly or that I was being dramatic, but because I didn’t have time to cry; I needed to get an A. I feel the need to be perfect in many ways regarding my appearance. My hair, for example, needs to be breathtaking (voluminous, shiny, defined curls, etc.) in order for me to feel happy and comfortable. When I brush my hair, if there is a knot that I can’t untangle, I end up struggling and brushing so intensely that I break my hair. Everytime this happens, I start crying. It's not because it hurts to yank on my hair so hard, it's because my hair is shorter and uglier. Though I know no one could possibly notice, I know about it, and that’s more than enough to bring me to tears. My mental health is another issue that makes me feel imperfect and worthless. I have severe anxiety, depression, and ADHD; all of which I take medication for. There have been many periods of my life where I have stopped taking my medication for weeks at a time. It’s not that they weren’t working or that I didn’t think I needed them; but taking them meant every morning I had to admit that my brain wasn’t flawless and needed help to function like a perfect brain would; happy, confident, and carfree. Admitting that I needed help to be happy, confident, and carfree, would mean that my brain, and myself, aren’t perfect. I know it’s extremely unhealthy not to eat; getting as close as I can to perfect is all I care about. The only thing I allow to be flawed is my room; it’s almost always a mess. My mom constantly yells at me to clean it, but I enjoy the chaos, even though it’s cumbersome and flawed. My room has sort of become a way for me to channel my imperfections into something I can allow to be flawed. My room is an extension of myself, but only to a certain point; I chose the decorations and screwed my shelves into the wall. However, I don’t mind having a messy room, even if it reflects on myself. I can’t explain it, but having an imperfect room is a comfort; a safe haven from the endless perfectionism in my day-to-day life.

My name is Annika Godston. I'm a 17-year-old girl from Virginia who's fascinated by the human brain. Psychology is my passion and I plan on pursuing it at Virginia Tech, where I have been accepted as a Cognitive and behavioral Science major. I want to go to college because I want to learn everything I can about the brain. I can't think of another career field in which I have a chance of contributing to society. I'm internally motivated to pursue psychology, and that should be what drives people; not the career that makes the most money, but the career that they can love doing. My career goal is to become a psychological researcher to determine early symptoms of mental disorders so that they can be diagnosed sooner, as well as further understand the causes of disorders like Schizophrenia and Dissociative Identity Disorder. If I decide not to go into research, I will become a psychiatric nurse practitioner. If this is the case, I plan to open a practice so that I can help not only those who can afford psychiatric care but also offer pro-bono services to those who can't afford care, since they are often the people who need the most help. I have contributed to my community through a donation program I started. Last year, I rediscovered my love for crochet, and I wanted to try my hand at making stuffed animals. I did, and it turned out great. I knew I wanted to make more, but couldn't think of anything to do with them until my mom suggested donating them to hospitals so that they could be distributed to the children being treated there. I loved the idea and since then I've made numerous stuffed animals to be donated. This helps keep me grounded in many ways. Not only does it hold me accountable for how I use my time, as I can crochet a stuffed dog in 4-5 hours, but I used to use that time to sit around and watch television. It also reminds me that the world is unfair, and even the innocent aren't spared from cruelty. I remember that those few hours may be nothing to me, but that time is something that other people would kill to have. I've learned that life and the time we have on earth is precious, and shouldn't be taken for granted; we should spend time with the ones we love for as long as we can, as well as make time to help those who can't. I intend to continue this charity on campus, recruiting others to create or purchase stuffed animals that can be donated to children in hospitals.

My name is Annika Godston. I'm a 17-year-old girl who a single mother raised. My mother is my hero. She's my best friend and the strongest person I've ever met. When my parents separated, I was only in first grade, and my mom has been my rock ever since. She worked constantly to support my sister and me, since my father refused to pay child support, so that my sister and I could have the things we needed, and many of the things we wanted. Over the years, my mom has supported me in every aspect of my life, from my education to my hobbies, she has always been there for me when I needed her. Psychology is my passion and I plan on pursuing it at Virginia Tech, where I have been accepted as a Cognitive and Behavioral Science major. I want to go to college because I want to learn everything I can about the brain. I can't think of another career field in which I have a chance to contribute to society. I'm internally motivated to pursue psychology, and that should be what drives people; not the career that makes the most money, but the career that they can love doing. My career goal is to become a psychological researcher to determine early symptoms of mental disorders so that they can be diagnosed sooner, as well as further understand the causes of disorders like Schizophrenia and Dissociative Identity Disorder. If I decide not to go into research, I will become a psychiatric nurse practitioner. If this is the case, I plan to open a practice so that I can help not only those who can afford psychiatric care but also offer pro-bono services to those who can't afford care, since they are often the people who need the most help. When she was about my age, she had to waitress to put herself through college. Unfortunately, it didn't last long and she was forced to drop out. Instead of continuing to wait tables, she found someone to mentor her in accounting, eventually growing skilled enough to start her own accounting business. Last Fall, my mom was diagnosed with lymphoma, and that diagnosis itself was a blow, but it only got worse from there. She was placed on a treatment plan, and, as soon as her tumors began to shrink, one of the drugs used in her treatment was pulled, forcing her doctors to end her treatment, and put her on chemo. My mom could've allowed herself to fall into a depression, but instead, she leaned into her hobbies and learning new things, refusing to let her cancer control her. She's shown me that I really can do anything, as long as I work hard enough at it. If I'm granted this scholarship, I will use the money toward my tuition. My mother was recently diagnosed with cancer and hasn't been able to work as much due to the side effects of chemotherapy. Because of this, we worry that we will not get much from FAFSA and that I will have to take out large student loans.

I have severe anxiety, depression, and ADHD. The fact that I need to take medication every morning to function like a normal person used to be my greatest shame. Now, it pushes me towards all of my goals, both personal and professional. Psychology is my passion and I plan on pursuing it at Virginia Tech, where I have been accepted as a Cognitive and behavioral Science major. I want to go to college because I want to learn everything I can about the brain. I can't think of another career field in which I have a chance of contributing to society. I'm internally motivated to pursue psychology, and that should be what drives people; not the career that makes the most money, but the career that they can love doing. My career goal is to become a psychological researcher to determine early symptoms of mental disorders so that they can be diagnosed sooner, as well as further understanding the causes of disorders like Schizophrenia and Dissociative Identity Disorder. If I decide not to go into research, I will become a psychiatric nurse practitioner. If this is the case, I plan to open a practice so that I can help not only those who can afford psychiatric care, but also offer pro-bono services to those who can't afford care, since they are often the people who need the most help. My experience with anxiety has taught me to slow things down and work out my problem step by step. I can confide in my mom or a friend about what I’m struggling with, and vocalise my thought process to try and come up with a solution. For me, the most important part of living with a mental illness is having someone you trust who can be your shoulder to cry on. I’m that person for many of my friends, and it happens so many times that there seems to be no answer to your problem, but simply vocalizing your issues allows you to sort your thoughts so you can find the solution. Life comes with stress and anxiety, whether you're genetically predisposed to it or not, so it's good to have a process to calm yourself down. I start by trying to clear my calendar, if possible, so I can try to calm down without the stress of a time crunch. After that I clean my room, not only because it helps me to do a physical task, but also because it leaves me with a comfortable, familiar area to sort my issues in. Then, if I can, I talk to a friend or family member to sort out my problem.

My name is Annika Godston. I'm a 17-year-old girl from Virginia who's fascinated by the human brain. Psychology is my passion and I plan on pursuing it at Virginia Tech, where I have been accepted as a Cognitive and behavioral Science major. My career goal is to become a psychological researcher to determine early symptoms of mental disorders so that they can be diagnosed sooner, as well as further understanding the causes of disorders like Schizophrenia and Dissociative Identity Disorder. Recently, my mother was diagnosed with lymphoma and, due to her chemotherapy, has been unable to work as much as she used to. My parents divorced when I was young and my mother took on all of the financial burden of raising me, since my father never paid child support. Virginia Tech doesn't offer merit scholarships and, since she had a six-figure income before she was rendered unable to work, we're worried that funds provided by FAFSA will be insufficient and I will have to take out significant student loans. This scholarship would likely go towards textbooks or living expenses during my freshman year of college. I have contributed to my community through a donation program I started. Last year, I rediscovered my love for crochet, and I wanted to try my hand at making stuffed animals. I did, and it turned out great. I knew I wanted to make more, but couldn't think of anything to do with them, until my mom suggested donating them to hospitals so that they could be distributed to the children being treated there. I loved the idea and since then I've made numerous stuffed animals to be donated. This helps keep me grounded in many ways. Not only does it hold me accountable for how I use my time, as I can crochet a stuffed dog in 4-5 hours, whereas I used to use that time to sit around and watch television. It also reminds me that the world is unfair, and even the innocent aren't spared from cruelty. I remember that those few hours may be nothing to me, but that time is something that other people would kill to have. I've learned that life and the time we have on earth is precious, and shouldn't be taken for granted; that we should spend time with the ones we love for as long as we can, as well as make time to help those who can't.

My name is Annika Godston. I'm a 17-year-old girl who was raised by a single mother. My parents separated when I was in first grade, and my mom has been my rock ever since. She worked constantly to support my sister and I, since my father refused to pay child support. She worked so that my sister and I could have the things we needed, and many of the things we wanted. Over the years, my mom has supported me in every aspect of my life, from my education to my hobbies, she has always been there for me when I needed her. Last fall, my mother was constantly in and out of the hospital, her lungs filled with fluid needing to be drained through a procedure called a thoracentesis. She was going to the hospital every 2 weeks to get the fluid drained from her lungs and, slowly, the time in between procedures began to shrink until she needed one about every two days. I knew it was serious when she told me she was going to be in the hospital for the entirety of my birthday. A few days later, she told my sister and I that tissue from her lung was biopsied, and that she had been diagnosed with lymphoma. Initially, we were hopeful, as my mother began undergoing an experimental treatment at NIH so she could put off chemotherapy. Things were going amazing and her tumors had shrunk by over 75%, but one of the drug manufacturers pulled a necessary drug that was a part of her treatment, stopping all of her progress, and our hope, in its tracks. I was in the midst of volleyball season when she had initially begun her treatment and after 2 COVID-19 scares in a single week, we decided that it wasn't safe for me to stay at home, so I moved out of my house and stayed with friends for 6 weeks until volleyball season ended. Once volleyball season ended, I was able to move back home and help my mom with the household tasks, most of which fell to me, as chemotherapy exhausted her. My mom has taught me so many things, but her fight against cancer has been truly inspiring. She has shown me how important it is to stay strong and fight against whatever life throws at you. I always remember that when I'm struggling in a class or trying to study for a test. As long as I try my hardest, I'll end up okay, and then I can pick up the pieces and return as a stronger person. My goal is to become either a psychological researcher or a psychological nurse practitioner. With either career path, my goal is the same as it always has been; to help those who need it, but are often unable to ask. However, my mom's experience has given me a new goal - to keep financial gain from being a major factor in the medical field. My mother was so close to remission that her doctors thought that she would only need another month or so of treatment. However, I had to watch my best friend suffer because a company wanted to further line their pockets. I want to help people, and while I don't think I would be suited to work researching or treating cancer, my mother's strength fuels and propels me toward my goals.

I love math because of the patterns. It's complex, yet so simple at the same time. You get to use logic and reasoning to determine an answer and, once you do, it seems so obvious. It's the exact opposite of real life. Even the most complicated problem with countless variables, is nothing more than organized chaos; organized chaos has a solution. Life is pure chaos, with twists and turns and people who will be upset with you no matter what you decide in any given situation. Life is complicated. There's no manual or pattern: it's all chaos. In math, some steps take you to the right answer, as long as you do them correctly. I love math because, even in the most complex problems, all I have to do is break it down, step by step. You can try to do that with problems in real life and, if you're lucky, it'll work. But in real life, you factor in so many other details, like feelings and unforeseen consequences, that it's practically impossible to come up with a truly correct answer. In life, you have to decide on what's the best answer, but in math, you get to find the right answer.

I've watched "Gilmore Girls" so many times, but I always end up coming back to it. I've binged it, by myself, with my family, and with my friends, and it is always an amazing experience. Everyone should binge-watch "Gilmore Girls" because the characters are relatable, the plot is amazing, and the fanbase is so welcoming and kind. Lorelai Gilmore is a woman in her early thirties raising her daughter, Lorelai (who prefers to go by Rory), on her own. Rory is incredibly smart and is accepted into a prestigious private high school, so Lorelai is forced to go see her parents for the first time since Rory was born to ask them for money. It is at this point we learn that Lorelai is from an extremely rich family, despite her and her daughter living on just the necessities. Lorelai got pregnant with Rory when she was sixteen years old and ran away from home after her parents attempted to save face by having Lorelai marry Rory's father. Lorelai's parents, Emily and Richard, agree to give Lorelai the money she needs. However, Emily insists that she will only pay for Rory's education on the condition that Lorelai and Rory come over every week on Friday for a family dinner. All of the characters and situations that occur within the show are so relatable, that it's practically impossible to watch the entire show without seeing yourself in one of the main characters. Lorelai is sarcastic and quippy, often choosing to answer practically every serious question with a joke or innuendo. Rory does this as well, but not nearly as often as her mother. We even get to see where Lorelai gets her sharp wit as the show goes on, with Emily making her fair share of remarks. The plot of the show gets more intense, as Rory decides between going to Harvard and Yale, Lorelai tries to mend the broken relationship she has with her mother, and Lorelai and Rory struggle their way through relationships. Finally, the fan base of the show adds so much to the quality of the show. It could be argued that "Gilmore Girls" has as big of an audience as "The Office" or "Friends." I know many people who decided to rewatch "Gilmore Girls" this fall, including myself. If you walk up to someone and ask them if they've seen "Gilmore Girls," odds are, they have, and they loved it.

The Apple Crisp Oatmilk Macchiato holds a special place in my heart year-round, but it becomes the light of my life during fall when it reappears on the menu. Every Friday I would get up early and get ready as quickly as I could. Stepping out my front door, feeling the cool breeze blowing, and seeing the vibrant leaves barely clinging to the trees in my neighbor's yard, makes me feel at peace. The drive to Starbucks passes quickly, as I live less than half a mile away, and I'm grateful for the short waiting period. I step out of my car and walk swiftly to the door, opening it and smelling pumpkin spice in the store. My drink isn't ready yet, so I opt to look at the new tumblers and mugs that just released, contemplating the purchase of one of them for my friend's birthday. My thoughts are cut off by the sound of my name, so I walk over to order pickup, thank the barista who made my order, and make my way outside. I sit down at my usual table, facing the street that's lined with trees bearing vibrant orange leaves. I inhale. It's only September, so I can still smell the remnants of summer in the air. I sit there and think for as long as I can, until I check the time and, realizing I'm running late, grab my drink and what remains of my pumpkin cream cheese muffin, and rush to my car. The drive to school goes quickly since I'm listening to Noah Kahan and Taylor Swift. Traffic moved quickly, so I was able to get to school and park my car with plenty of time to spare, so I sit in my car, enjoying my Apple Crisp Oatmilk Macchiato, until my friends arrive. I see my friend's car pull in and park. Then, my friend, Emma, throws open the door, grabs her things, and moves to come join me in my car. She sits down, and immediately I notice she has a drink of her own, so we trade sips. She got a pumpkin spice latte; it was good, but didn't hold a candle to my drink. She asks me about my morning and I tell her, before asking in return. We notice that we've run out of time and head into the building. My school day ends and I step outside, once again greeted by a lovely breeze. The smell of summer has been washed clean from the air, in the few short hours I've been in school. I miss it, but not much; I prefer the sights, smells, and tastes of fall anyway.

It's difficult to stay in the music industry for as long as Taylor Swift has. She has been making music for almost 20 years, writing each song herself. It's incredibly inspiring. She is one of, if not the biggest name in music. You cannot talk about music without talking about Taylor Swift and the impact she has had on it. Taylor Swift has always been a big part of my life. She started making music a year or so after I was born, so I grew up with her music playing constantly on the radio. "Speak Now" was, and is, my favorite album of all time, and I attended a concert for her album, "Red," when I was only 6 years old. It was my first concert and I still remember parts of it today. One of my favorite things about Taylor Swift's music is that, although it's changed here and there, it still has the same themes and values. She pivoted from country to pop, but her music was so impactful that it didn't stifle her career, it propelled it forward. She still sings about love, friendship, and feminism, but she does it in ways that are new and unique. Taylor's music has gotten me through many difficult periods of my life. From my parent's divorce to the ruthless tormenting from my older sister, her lyrics helped me through it. I dreamed of being a singer like Taylor Swift and having little girls aspire to be like me. That was the first spark of determination I've ever had. She sparked my passion for music. She inspired me to start playing guitar. But, more than anything, she taught me to be sure of myself. When I was younger, I was shy and reserved. I didn't talk or try to make friends, I read books constantly and did school work. As Taylor grew up and became her own person, releasing music to match her new aspirations and emotions, I realized that my emotions weren't strange, but normal and were feelings that everyone had gone through, were going through, or were going to go through eventually. Taylor helped me realize that feelings are the most important part of life. We can't live life without our emotions, and we can't experience our emotions without living life. She helped me realize that a life that is constantly happy isn't a life worth living. Life is like a roller coaster; it's not fun if you are constantly going up, you need to plummet at one point or another so you can appreciate the highs.

I've been a fan of Zendaya since her time on "Shake It Up" on Disney Channel. I've listened to her music and kept up with her acting career, but my favorite aspect of her career is her fashion. Zendaya is an amazing actress. She does a beautiful job of embracing her characters and plays wildly different roles beautifully. This is all impressive, but it's not something that everyone will be able to notice or respect. Fashion, however, is something that is surface level, and doesn't typically require looking for a deeper meaning. Zendaya attends many premiers and red-carpet events for the shows and movies she stars in, as well as for galas and events, and every time, I'm wowed. She walks the line between modern and classic, bringing both something expected and a complete surprise. An example of this is the dress she wore at the "Spider-Man: No Way Home" premiere. This dress was a classic silhouette but was covered in bedazzled spider webs. Zendaya often does this, leaning into the theme of the movie when deciding what to wear to the premiere. Another example of this is the dress she wore to the premiere of "The Greatest Showman." This dress was styled to look like the wings of the monarch butterfly. At first, this just sounds like a pretty dress, but when you consider the theme of the movie, embracing what makes you unique, the dress takes on a new meaning.

Each actor brings a different version of Spider-Man to life, but Tom Holland was the best at encompassing all of his traits. Toby McGuire was great at emphasizing the geekiness of Peter Parker but was too old to play a young teenage boy. Andrew Garfield had a youthful appearance, but his portrayal was too cool, in my opinion. The character of Spider-Man is supposed to be a true Jekyll and Hyde. Peter Parker is a geeky, unpopular, and scrawny kid who gets picked on at school, but Spider-Man is beloved by New York City, agile, and respected by the kids who bully his counterpart. Tom Holland has all of these aspects. Even though he was in his early twenties when he filmed "Spider-Man Homecoming," it was still easy to believe he was a 15-year-old boy. Not only did he have the youthful glow of the Peter Parker we know and love from the comics, but he also managed to have the geeky personality of Peter Parker. Tom Holland's American accent is impressive, but he gives the character the tone of a nerdy teenage boy. It's hard to describe, but he keeps the accent in his upper register, giving the character the voice of a teenage boy who hasn't fully gone through puberty. I've seen all of the Spider-Man movies across all franchises, and, in my opinion, Tom Holland's Spider-Man was believable and a hero that I wanted to root for.

There are so many different aspects to Minecraft and so many different ways to play. From farming to collecting pets, or even speedrunning the game, you truly have limitless possibilities. I always start with building my house, which is an amazing aspect of Minecraft, especially in survival. I love looking around online for tutorials and blueprints for unique houses, booting up a new world, collecting materials, and working hard, for multiple in-game days, to build a virtual house to call my own. Building in different biomes and using different materials gives the player a new experience every time, and keeps them coming back for more. Although I love building the house itself, I may love decorating the interior even more. I always comb through all the possibilities of in-game materials, trying to find the closest match to a real-life item. For example, I tend to use quartz stairs to replicate a white leather couch. Even though I love both of these aspects of the game, my overall favorite has to be the story and character development that you can do. I love creating a backstory for my character and basing all of my decisions on that backstory. I give myself trauma and tragedy that I'm escaping from. That level of escapism is hard to create in a game, but Minecraft has been able to do it perfectly, simply by giving it's players and open world and unlimited opportunities to be creative.

"The Office" was the first adult show that I ever watched, so even now, it means a lot to me. I watched this show with my mom and older sister, and we all bonded over it since it was the only show we all could agree to watch. I related the most to Jim, as I have a great sense of humor, but I'm also the voice of reason when I have to be. Jim was always my favorite character, and, in my opinion, the best employee in the office. He knew how to balance work and fun. Jim heavily shaped my sense of humor. He was incredibly sarcastic, and his infamous look to the camera is burned into my memory. "The Office" helped me understand that, although it's important for your workplace to have a friendly, easy-going atmosphere, it's important to walk that line carefully to stay professional. Michael thinks he is an amazing boss, but in reality, he focuses too much on not being a typical boss and goes too far in the other extreme. He constantly made offensive jokes and pried into people's personal lives. He often made people uncomfortable, and always vilianized Toby, saying that, since he was from HR, he was technically corporate, and not a part of their workplace family. "The Office" was such an important part of my life, shaping my sense of humor and my vision of an office job since I was in third grade. It's an amazing show and the wide audience it's garnered shows that.

I have so many memories of tuning in to Disney shows, specifically animated ones. When I was a little girl, my favorite show was "Fish Hooks", but I started to appreciate more of their animated shows as I got older. If I could create a cross-over episode between two shows, I would choose "Star vs. the Forces of Evil" and "Gravity Falls." This episode, titled TITLE, opens up with Pony, Star's unicorn head companion, asking Star to have a girl's night. When Star refuses, Pony picks a fight with Star and uses her interdimensional scissors to storm off, traveling to Gravity Falls. We follow Pony as she travels through the woods, seeing various mythic creatures, leading her to assume she traveled to the Enchanted Forest in Mewni. Pony then runs into Bill Cipher and decides to befriend him, as she finds his riddles and vague threats entertaining and endearing, because of his small size. Pony and Bill hear a rustle in a bush. We flashback to Star, who is trying to find and apologize to Pony. By tracing her magical footprint, Star finds out Pony is in Gravity Falls. After begging Marco to come with her, they step through the portal to Gravity Falls, right in front of the Mystery Shack. Marco insists they go inside since Pony would be considered a definite mystery in this dimension. Once inside, Star and Marco meet Dipper, Mable, and Grunkle Stan. Mabel immediately introduces Star to her pig, and the two bond immediately. While Star and Mabel play around with Star's wand, Marco and Dipper, being the voices of reason, discuss the situation. Dipper tells Marco that, even though they often search for strange creatures, they haven't seen Pony, but offers to go with them to search for her. Marco agrees and thanks Dipper for his help. The group heads into the forest, and searches for Pony for hours. Dipper wants to give up the search, Mabel has lost interest in finding the talking pony head, and Marco tries to convince Star that Pony is okay and is just burning off some steam, but Star feels like something is wrong and refuses to give up the search. As the group starts to walk back to the Mystery Shack, Bill Cipher appears, telling them that he has Pony and that he won't release her, since she would make a perfect addition to Weirdmageddon. The group runs back to the Mystery Shack, enlisting the help of Grunkle Stan and his brother, Ford. We see the group try numerous portals and incantations to get to Bill's dimension, to no avail. Star uses her wand to summon a portal, and she can see Pony trapped in a cage. As she attempts to run into the portal, it fizzles away and she runs into the wall behind it. Marco runs over to her to make sure she is okay, and Star breaks down into tears, fearing that Pony's imprisonment is her fault. The rest of the group weighs their options for hours on end. Just as they are about to give up, a portal opens up showing Pony and Bill, who look exhausted and annoyed. Bill begs them to take her because she just won't shut up. At this point, we flashback to earlier in the day when Bill kidnapped Pony in the forest. We see time move as Pony talks, Bill growing a beard and starting to erode, like the real pyramids.

In this past year, I've been in a few relationships that ended swiftly, and I had my fair share of drama with friends, so I feel like there are numerous songs from "1989 (Taylor's Version)" that would be on my soundtrack. Last September, my mother was diagnosed with lymphoma and, because I was on my high school volleyball team and was heavily exposed to other people, I had to move out of my house and live with my best friend, Sophie. I was absolutely heart broken to be leaving my mom, but I knew Sophie would be there for me; I was wrong. Immediately she began acting strange, and refused to talk about it every time I asked, until she eventually gave in. She told me that she had felt that we had drifted apart and "lost our spark." I had no idea what to do, since I couldn't go home, but I couldn't look at her without bursting into tears. That moment would be represented through "Bad Blood." I eventually decided to move in with my friend Emma, who supported me whole heartedly, eventually becoming my best friend. The months that I spent living with her and her family, as well as all the time we've spent together since, is well represented by "New Romantics" and "Shake it off." The lyrics, "Cause baby, I could build a castle - Out of all the bricks they threw at me," are words that I related to especially, after Sophie ignored me for weeks, despite our saying that we were still going to be friends, since we were in the same friend group. Her pretending that I didn't exist continued to twist the knife; it made me feel like an idiot for trusting her, and like the entire situation was my fault. Emma pulled me out of that. She showed me that I deserve friends who are honest with me and want to support me when I need help. Eventually, Emma helped me get over Sophie's betrayal, and now, I would say that my relationship with Sophie is better represented through the song, "Now that We Don't Talk," specifically the lyrics, "I miss the old ways, you didn't have to change, but I guess I don't have a say - Now that we don't talk." Around this time, I started dating a boy I met in my weightlifting class, Miguel. He was sweet, confident, smart, and respectful. I really thought I couldn't ask for more, but I didn't realize I needed to ask if he was allowed to date: he wasn't. We broke up and, I was so upset, I had to miss school the next day. The timeline of this relationship is very well portrayed through numerous songs from "1989 (Taylor's Version)." In order, they are, "Style", "Wonderland", "Out of the Woods", and "Wildest Dreams." Even now, I still think about what would've happened if this relationship continued, but ultimately, I'm glad it didn't. It was an amazing experience and I wouldn't take it back, or trade it for anything, and I think that this sentiment parallels this album perfectly. I interpret this album as Taylor Swift's trip through young adulthood, where she learns that everything happens for a reason and part of life is learning to roll with the punches.

When Olivia sings, "But I fear that they've already gotten the best parts of me," I feel like I'm not alone in my fears. + There's no manual to growing up, so we have to make mistakes, see what works, and learn lessons the hard way. That's why going off to college is so terrifying. You make your mistakes and suffer the consequences, but you don't have your parents nearby to support you. I know not everyone is close with their parents, but my mom is one of my best friends. I'm terrified to go off to college and be 4 hours away from her. She is the first person I go to when I need advice or when I'm upset. I love this lyric, and this song as a whole, because it captures the uncertainty and anxiety that comes with growing up, leaving home, and becoming who you are. My father went to Johns Hopkins University and then attained his MBA from Harvard. However, due to his mental illness, he is currently jobless and homeless. I love him dearly, but my greatest fear is to end up like him; to have so many accomplishments lining my resume, but still find myself a failure despite all of my accomplishments. I chose the lyric, "They all say that it gets better, it gets better the more you grow - They all say that it gets better, it gets better, but what if I don't?" because it perfectly reflects my fear. I've worked incredibly hard during high school to keep my grades up and be a model student, and I have a lot of anxiety and fear of failure. I've spent so many nights reading over flashcards through tears. I desperately needed to take a break, but, in my mind, I couldn't. If I failed that test, my GPA would plummet, I would get rejected from every college I applied to, and all of the work I had put into my academic career and my theoretical future would be for naught. We are told every day by our parents that we are bound to be successful, both professionally and privately, and I desperately want to be able to consider myself successful. However, since I've seen first-hand how far you can fall despite how hard you work, I know how easy it can be to lose everything you've worked so hard to be proud of.

My favorite Nintendo game to play in co-op is Animal Crossing: New Horizons. This is my favorite because I started playing it during quarantine to pass the time, but I found a sense of normalcy that I wasn't able to attain in the real world anymore. I was able to make friends, craft, get creative, and have goals that I could work to accomplish. I also loved this game because it had such a large audience, that I was able to relate to many people on a common topic, which isn't something I can do all that often. At that time, I didn't have any hobbies at home; I mostly just hung out with my friends, went to the mall, or played volleyball, all of which I was unable to do because of social distancing. At one point in quarantine, I was finally able to convince my friend, Anna, to download the game, so we could "hang out" without seeing each other in person. She loved it as much, if not more, than I did. We spent so much time together online, we didn't drift apart during quarantine, like I did with some of my other friends. We would visit each other's islands, trade villagers, play games, and try to live virtual lives similar to our real ones, or at least the ones we used to have.