For years now, I have been obsessed with how the human mind works. I have always asked myself questions as to why we think the way we do and why we do what we do. I found myself wanting to explore these and more ideas as I grew older and became more aware of the world around me. As I grew up, I also noticed changes within myself that I was not only unfamiliar with but almost frightened of. As I became more aware of the world around me, I also began to fixate on the smallest things around me. My thoughts began to have a mind of their own and wandered to places I never wished they had reached. It was as if these thoughts controlled every aspect of my life, and I could not get a moment’s rest from them, even in my dreams. For what would become years, I would struggle with these thoughts and how they ran wild in my mind. Eventually, I learned, rather than sooner, that I was experiencing anxiety and intrusive thoughts brought on by the anxiety itself. After finding out that I had anxiety and learning various coping methods and eventually getting on medication for it, I was finally able to live the life that I wanted to live, where I was the one who ran the show. After living with anxiety for so many years and being unaware of what it was, I wanted to find a way in which I would be able to spread awareness about not only anxiety but mental illness and health in general. This led me to pursue a bachelor’s degree in psychology at the University of the Incarnate Word with the hopes of pursuing it in the future for a master’s degree. My goal is to eventually become a therapist for children, teenagers, and young adults. I want to work with children, teenagers, and young adults because I want to be someone they can confide in without fear of judgment. Additionally, I want to be able to help people who are struggling with mental health or a mental illness by identifying coping methods that work with them and getting medication for them if necessary. Additionally, I want to open my own clinic that specializes in working with children, teenagers, and young adults who are racial minorities, live in underprivileged areas, or are a part of the LGBTQ+ community. I graduated from a high school where many of the students either had parents who immigrated, were immigrants themselves, a part of the LGBTQ+ community, or lived in underprivileged communities. Becoming friends with people who have come from all walks of life made me want to make sure everyone felt able to reach out for help, regardless of how they chose to identify or how they were raised. Finally, my biggest goal of them all is for me to be able to open an annual scholarship to help lessen the financial burden of those hoping to study psychology, counseling, and other related majors and fields. By having this scholarship, I would be able to help a student just like me who wants to better the lives of others by bringing more awareness to mental illness and health. Though I wish I was able to get help sooner for my anxiety, I am still grateful that I was able to get help at all. No one should have to go through years of struggling with their mental health or illness. I hope to eventually make it so that everyone can get the help that they need.

While growing up, I remember racing to the living room to turn on Disney Channel. One of my favorite shows that I looked forward to watching was Shake It Up. One of the characters that I became obsessed with was Rocky who Zendaya played. I was obsessed with what Zendaya wore on the show because, to me, she was always the one who expressed herself best through her fashion. As I got older and as Zendaya’s career expanded, I was able to witness how her fashion grew with her. Zendaya began to become more expressive with her fashion and chose to showcase that through her red carpet looks. The fact that not only does she have an immense sense of style and knows what clothes work for her, but the way she nods to the projects she is currently working on is incredible. One of the projects that she worked on recently where she used her fashion to promote one of her projects was ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’. For several of the movie’s premieres or other promotional events, Zendaya wore outfits inspired by the movie and its characters. One of the dresses that took the internet by storm was when Zendaya wore a Roberto Cavalli dress to the Ballon d’Or Awards. This dress was a seemingly simple yet sleek black dress with an open back and a golden spine, almost mechanical-looking, attached to the dress. The dress seemingly nods to the character Dr. Octopus in the movie. She did this yet again at the ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ LA premiere when she wore a Valentino dress. The dress was a simple nude illusion that was covered with black jeweled spider webs, seemingly nodding to the main character of the movie, Spider-Man. Not only has Zendaya been able to promote the projects she works on through her fashion, but she has also taken many creative liberties with what she wears. As Zendaya has gotten more comfortable with her fashion sense, she has become known to create stories through what she wears. One instance of this was when she attended the Met Gala in 2019. The Met Gala is a benefit that is held annually to raise funds for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York. This event is considered one of the most exclusive and high-end fashion events in the world. This is where you can see the world’s most culturally relevant people and see their fashion in its best form. Each year, the Met Gala has a theme inspired by the annual exhibition in the museum. Those invited to the benefit must curate their looks to that theme. When Zendaya attended the Met Gala in 2019, the gala’s theme was “Camp: Notes on Fashion." In terms of fashion, the word ‘camp’ means to be overly dramatic and exaggerated in a theatrical sense, and Zendaya did precisely that. That night, she adorned a custom Tommy Hilfiger dress that was a recreation of the dress from the movie ‘Cinderella’ where she goes to the ball. She even had her stylist dress up as her fairy godmother to complete the iconic scene from the classic movie. The dress was an enormous ballgown, but when Zendaya’s fairy godmother waved his wand, her dress suddenly started glowing with bright blue lights. Not only was Zendaya able to pull off an iconic dress from movie history, but she created a story through her fashion. Through her fashion, Zendaya has not only created an essential part to her multifaceted career but has created a fashion legacy for future generations to take inspiration from.

Netflix has brought joy to so many people's lives through their love of TV shows and movies. For years, Netflix has allowed people across the world to have connections with one another through these series and movies. One of the Netflix series that I have been obsessing over is The Crown. The Crown is a Netflix original series that details the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II. The reason this series is a must-watch is because it covers the entire life of a monarch who ruled for over seventy years. Though it series is on season 5, season 6 is currently being edited, it is addicting to watch to see the life of these monarchs play out. In the series, The Crown shows the scandals that the royal household had to deal with. Many of the scandals that are shown in The Crown deal with the relationships of the monarchs, which were the most interesting plots to watch. One of the relationships that is not only prominent through the first season, but the entire series is Princess Margaret's intimate relationship with Peter Townsend. The reason why their relationship was a scandal was because Peter was King George VI, Elizabeth and Margaret's father, former equerry. In addition to that, Peter was a divorcee whose former wife was still alive, which made it forbidden for Margaret to marry Peter. In the series, it shows how Elizabeth initially supported the relationship and even their marriage. Yet, over time Parliament and the Church set obstacles, slowing down the relationship and preventing the couple from getting married. It eventually led to the couple being forced to end their relationship. The end of their relationship drove a major wedge between Elizabeth and Margaret relationship for decades. Another relationship that was a major scandal and a prominent topic in The Crown was the marriage and divorce of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Everyone in the world knows that Prince Charles's marriage to Princess Diana was very public. The Crown details the relationship from the moment they first met, season 4, till the moment they divorced, season 5. Season 6 is supposedly to detail more of Diana’s life after their divorce up until her sudden death. The Crown also shows more of what their marriage was like from both Diana's and Queen Elizabeth’s perspectives. The series also details Prince Charles's affair with Camilla Parker Bowles when the two were married to different people. The Crown not only discusses the relationships of the monarchs but also the political rivalries and perspectives of Queen Elizabeth's reign. The series discusses several of Queen Elizabeth’s Prime Ministers; such as Winston Churchill, Anthony Eden, Harold Wilson, Margaret Thatcher, and John Major. Throughout the series, the show depicts the highs and lows of each Prime Minister and how they eventually fell out of power. The show shows the power struggle of the prime ministers and Queen Elizabeth. The Crown uses dramatic scenes with serious tones and music that give these historical figures and events an almost fictional feeling. It gives you chances to connect with these monarchs that seem so out of touch with society. The Crown also makes you learn all about the scandals, the political rivalries, the failed relationships, and the life that was dealt with by Queen Elizabeth II. The Crown makes you feel as if you were there to see all of this happening in the moment. Even though the show portrays historically accurate events, The Crown allows them to be displayed in an entertaining and addictive manner. The Crown is a show worthy of a weekend binge-watch!

Growing up as a young Mexican girl in Texas, I learned very quickly that I was expected to do things just because I was born a girl. I was always told as a little girl, even now as a young woman, how I was expected to take care of my husband once I got married and I was to take care of my children by myself. My mother would often tell me that as a girl, this was what I was meant to do with my life. Yet, even at such an early age, I knew already that that was not the life that I wanted for myself. I wanted for my life to be so much more than just a man and my children. I wanted my life to define who I am and what I have done throughout my career. For several years, I lived with my grandfather in Mission, Texas. I quickly became remarkably close to him. I would also find excuses to spend as much time with him as possible. However, everything changed when he was diagnosed with stage three pancreatic cancer. I saw that my grandfather was slowly deteriorating. He was not as active as he was when I first moved in with him. He also drastically lost weight and almost became unrecognizable. After over three years of fighting, with both remission and recurrence, he passed away. With the death of my grandfather, I spiraled into what seemed an infinite void that swallowed me whole. I began to develop severe anxiety and depression. Even though my anxiety and depression have lessened over the years, I still struggle with it today. Overcoming what seemed like an impossible obstacle inspired me to help others with their mental issues. Currently, I am a first-year student at The University of the Incarnate Word pursuing a bachelor’s degree in psychology. With this degree, I eventually hope to become a therapist for young children and teenagers. By becoming a therapist, I hope to help children who need help the most when it comes to mental illnesses. When I was at my lowest dealing with my anxiety and depression, I felt as though I could not trust anyone to help me. I felt unsafe and hesitant to reach out to any of my friends, family, and teachers. I want to make sure that I am a safe person and environment for any child or teenager. Even though I was not able to get the help when I needed it the most, I want to make sure that other people like me can get the help they deserve. Not only do I not want to do this as a therapist, but I also hope to start a nonprofit in honor of my cousin who struggled with his mental illness, but unfortunately lost his battle. I want this nonprofit to have free mental health resources for children and teenagers. I additionally want this nonprofit to have classes for parents and teachers to teach them the signs of mental illnesses in children and teenagers and how to support them. I never thought that I would be given that chance to pursue what I genuinely wanted to do in life growing up. I always thought that I would have to settle down with a husband and raise our children before I could even begin my career. Now, being at a distinguished university and pursuing a degree in something fascinating is a dream come true. I can now focus on building my dream career and hopefully positively impact the world with my career.

My Barbie Dream House would be found on an undiscovered beach surrounded by humongous rocks and towering palm trees. My house would have a path leading right up to the ocean. The ocean would be clear—clear enough to even see your feet in the water and the fish pass right by you. In the ocean, you will find a gorgeous coral reef close to the shore, inhabited by hundreds of vibrant, colorful fish. You can find other animals in the water, such as dolphins and turtles. On land, the sand would be white as snow, with a variety of seashells to find. The location would always be sunny and warm enough to go into the water at any time. For the actual Barbie Dream House, it would have modern Grecian-inspired architecture. The house would be bright white. The house would be made up of two floors. The interior of the house would have an incredibly open floor plan. In the primary areas of the house, it would have dark gray wood flooring. When you first enter the house, to your left you will see a large living room area that takes up the entire left side of the floor. There would be a large light gray sectional that is facing towards a flat-screen TV on the wall. The sectional would be big enough for at least 15 people. In the living room, you can also find arcade games like Pac-Man and Galaga. On the right side of the entrance, you will find a large modern kitchen. There would be a white marble island in the center of the island. Above the island, there would be lights hanging from the ceiling. The white marble of the island would match the rest of the counters in the kitchen. The cabinets in the kitchen would be solid white with simple silver handles. In the back right corner, across from the kitchen, there would be a large dining room table. The table would have a white marble top that matches the kitchen counters and island. In the center of the floor, there would be a spiral staircase leading up to the second floor of the house. The railing of the staircase would be made up of glass, with the steps being made up of dark gray wood. Once at the top of the staircase, you enter the only bedroom in the house. Against the middle of the wall is a king-size bed. The bed would have gray and white bedding and sheets. On either side of the bed, there would be a dark gray bedside table. On each table, there would be a modern-styled lamp. Under the bed, there would be a large white area rug that is big enough to step on when you get off the bed. To the left of the bed, you would find a closed-off area that leads to the restroom. When you first enter, in the middle there is a sink with a large white marble counter. On the wall is a large mirror that has lights on it. To the left of the sink is a closed area where the toilet is, and to the right of the sink is a walk-in shower closed off by glass. To the right of the bed, there is a large walk-in closet. In the closet, there is a large island that would hold all my jewelry and accessories. There would be a wall dedicated to shows, and the rest of the closet would big enough to hold over 1,000 outfits. That would be my Barbie Dream House!

Throughout my life, I have seen the normalization of gender disparity, especially within my culture. As a Mexican American woman living in Austin, Texas, gender disparity is normalized and few people take a moment to realize this. Growing up, I didn't realize that gender disparity was a part of my everyday life until later in my life. My mother would always be the one taking care of me and my brother. She would be solely responsible for cooking, cleaning, and working on top of everything. However, my father would work out of town every week and when he came home, he was able to relax. When I finally got curious and asked my mom why was it like this, she simply said, "Because I am the wife, and that is my job." This made me so confused because my father was her husband, yet he seem to be almost non-existent in the household chores and taking care of me. I then noticed that this was how it was done in my entire family. When we held parties, all the women would be the ones cooking in the kitchen and making sure the children were taken care of. One thing that I hated about these parties was that the women in my family would make it a priority to feed their spouses and significant others before they even feed themselves. Seeing this constantly repeatedly made me despise the gender disparity within my culture. Additionally, I consistently see that someone constantly doted the males in my family over while the females are seemingly neglected. From a young age, I see young girls constantly being told and taught how to be good wives and how they should care for their future families. Yet, I see young boys being told that they need to be the "man of the house" while simultaneously not being expected to be a part of their household. These experiences make me motivated because I want not only for my family to get rid of the gender disparity that they have become so accustomed to, but for other families in my culture. As a future psychology major, I want to teach my community about the consequences of keeping these normalized gender disparities within one's culture. Not only does it continue the cycle of making women 'less' just due to their gender, but it increases the risk of mental illness for those who experience it. I want to use my degree and become a therapist to eventually help those with mental illness who experienced gender disparity in their lives. Not only do I want to help those in my community, but especially those in my family. I want to eventually allow women to be treated equally and not treated unfairly because of their gender. My biggest hope is to eventually let women, like my mother, feed themselves first before they think about feeding their husbands.

Being able to say that I live in Texas is one of my pride and joys. During my childhood, I was constantly moving to different cities every couple of years. I was never really able to call one place my 'home'. For several years, my family lived in Mission, Texas. This time was when my personality and who I would become as a person began to show. I was more comfortable socializing with kids around my age. I thought that maybe this city could finally be my 'home'. However, in December 2014, my grandfather passed away from a relapse of pancreatic cancer. When he passed, I was in the fourth grade. This was my first real experience with losing someone close to me and truly dealing with grief. Since his death was so sudden, my parents hadn't been able to prepare me for what I was going to feel. So when I was experiencing all these emotions and not knowing how to cope with his death all at once, I couldn't handle it. I couldn't handle the idea that my grandfather had passed away. My grandfather's death led me to develop anxiety. For years, I became extremely cautious and reserved. In 2016, my family moved to Buda, Texas in hopes of creating a new chapter in our lives and to help my anxiety. Yet, this would only make things worse. Starting at a brand new school in a brand new city sounded terrifying to me. When I arrived, I knew no one and had no way to socialize with anyone. When I would try to reach out to the administration or other adults for help I would go unheard. From 6th grade, up until my freshmen year of high school, my anxiety worsened. After having enough of that school I transferred to another high school in the area. Even though I was terrified of the thought of having to go through being the "new kid" again, I knew it was the best thing for me. At my current school, I have never felt so calm and confident. Being at this school has allowed me to be my true self without being riddled with anxiety. My time here has taught me that I love getting involved with my community. I am involved with multiple clubs at my school such as being the fundraising manager for the school's newspaper and being president of the prom committee. I have also been able to participate in The Salvation Army's Angel Tree and give necessary clothing and toys to two siblings during the Holiday season. After having to cope with grief for my grandfather and find ways to manage my anxiety on my own, I have gained a passion for mental health awareness. I would eventually gain a master's degree in psychology and become a therapist for children, teens, and young adults. My ultimate goal is to open up a therapy clinic where I can help people with their mental health. Additionally, I would want to provide scholarships to Texas students who are pursuing a degree in psychology so that they do not have to be financially burdened. I want people to know that mental health is a serious issue, especially in the younger generations. There will be serious consequences if the world doesn't address this. I want to be an advocate for those who feel as if they don't have a voice or they don't know how to ask for help. I want to be there to help someone like I wanted when I was younger.

"Find something you're passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it". --Julia Child. When I was younger, I had trouble truly expressing how I felt. When someone would ask me how I was, I would simply respond, "okay." I never truly knew what that word meant. All I associated it with was that it's what people normally say when asked how they are doing. Even if I was feeling sad, mad, or happy, I would still always say "okay." That was until I was in third grade and I got invited to one of my friends' birthday parties. The main activity that she chose to do was paint. Before this, I had never painted once in my life, but after that day, I never stopped. As soon as I put that brush onto the canvas and made that first stroke, I was hooked. Painting made me realize that if I couldn't express my emotions through words, then I could express them through art. Since that day, I have painted my emotions. I was so happy that day that I didn't want to leave because all I wanted to do was paint. To this day, I still have that painting. Painting has not only allowed me to express my emotions, but it has allowed me to become more open about the way I feel. Slowly, I have been able to say how I feel. If it weren't for my passion for painting, I would probably still be saying "okay" to how I feel. However, today I can say that I am grateful for discovering this incredible passion of mine.

My mental health has been such a huge factor for me almost my entire life. Ever since the passing of my grandfather in 2014, I have struggled with depression and anxiety. In the short time, I knew him, I was very close to my grandfather. Before his passing, I never truly understood what death was. When he passed, I felt all of these different emotions at once and felt overwhelmed. I was very religious. I prayed to God every single night. I went to church, and I went to Sunday school. When he passed, my depression started to take a toll on my religious beliefs. I question why God would do this to my family. I became very suicidal. Not only was this happening to me, but my family had no idea this is how I felt. They still don't know to this day. During this time, I became very distant from all of my family. I didn't want to talk to them about how I felt. Yet all I could feel was alone, scared, and sad. Every single night, I would cry myself to sleep. I would ask God why he had to take my grandfather away from me. As time went on, my depression got better, but my anxiety went through the roof. I was scared to go anywhere. I kept thinking that the worst would happen to me if I stepped out of the house. Even with all this anxiety, I kept it inside. I have slowly been able to learn how to control my anxiety and depression. Now I am rebuilding my relationships with my family and trying to make up for the lost time. Even though I am not as religious as I used to be, I am trying to pray more often. I still struggle to go to church, but with time, I hope I can go whenever I am able to. Even though I still struggle with my mental health to this day, I have learned that life is too short to worry about the future. I have learned to live in the moment and not take anything for granted. As I have gotten older, I have realized that I want to do everything in my power to make sure that no one feels the way I did. I want to make sure that teenagers and children know that they have someone that they can talk to. This difficult time in my life has inspired me to become someone I didn't have back then. When I go to college, I want to major in psychology and become a therapist. I want people to know that it is okay to talk about their feelings, both good and bad. I don't ever want someone to think that there is no hope for them or that they can't talk to their family. By becoming a therapist, I hope to become this outlet for teenagers and children who were just like me.

Society has tried to put women down since the beginning of its existence. In recent centuries, women have had enough of male-controlled societies and have begun to rise against their societal norms. These norms for centuries have made women feel pressured to live up to these standards that men have put upon them. We, as a society, but as human beings, need to realize that these norms placed on women in the past do not correlate with where we are today. What we expected from women over a century ago should not be what we expect from them today. We as a society can effectively empower women today by breaking down those societal norms of women.    One of the most commonly known societal norms that women are dealing with today is the pressure of being a 'housewife'. According to Oxford Languages, a 'housewife' is "A woman whose main occupation is caring for her family, managing household affairs, and doing housework, while her husband or partner goes out to work." Even though this norm's pressure has gone down since its peak, many women are still facing pressure from either their significant others or their families. As a society, we can empower women by breaking down these norms. We can break down these norms by encouraging women to go into male-dominated careers, not forcing the pressure of becoming a mother, and telling them they don't have to marry someone at a young age and that they don't have to be a housewife. The more that we talk about how women can be more than what those societal norms expect them to be, the more we can empower them.  "A girl should be two things: who she is and what she wants." --Coco Chanel. Women should be the only ones who get to decide what they get to be. Not society, not a man, not their family, but her. Women can eventually be able to do this if society can break down those norms that are preventing them from doing what they want. Allow and encourage them to pursue their dreams of becoming an entrepreneur, an astronaut, or the CEO of their own company.We shouldn't hold them back from their passions just because that was the expectation in the past. Society needs to break down these norms to empower women. Not only will it be beneficial to women today, but it will be beneficial to women for generations to come.