What started as a way to earn service hours has become my passion. In the summer of 2020, I joined Clean Miami Beach. While striving to be the best, I was recognized for picking up the most trash at every cleanup and realized how much trash there really is.. I fell in love with beach cleanups and helping the environment, so I started my own organization: Sunny Isles Beach Cleanup. Through research on the environmental impacts of how polluted beaches affect the wild and marine life, the reality of the situation broke my heart. Trash was everywhere: beaches, sidewalks, streets, ocean, mangroves, and woods; wherever people congregated, a trail of trash. I couldn’t sit idle as places I love were destroyed; I started going out to the beach and picking up trash myself, finding enough trash on Sunny Isles beach to fill two full trash bags within forty-five minutes. At first, only two other people joined me, then ten. Ten turned into fifteen, and more people became aware of environmental pollution and its impact. My cleanups became social and educational while also benefiting the environment. I looked for more opportunities to help and learned about a march to save Biscayne Bay. At the march, I met Miami’s mayor, the WPLG Local 10 news reporter Louis Aguirre, and many others that were as passionate as me about helping the environment. This expanded my contacts in the environmental area. As word of my efforts spread, the organization called Fill A Bag contacted me. They install wooden poles with buckets so that on the beach whoever wants to clean up can just borrow a bucket and return it when they are done. They wanted me to help install their stations at the beaches where I organize my cleanups. I formally presented to The City of Sunny Isles Beach to request permission to install the stations; the idea was approved. A week later, we met and began installing three stations on the city’s beach. After hearing about the work I was doing, the Hilton Hotel on South Beach asked me to organize a cleanup for them. I felt proud seeing how much of a difference my cleanups and efforts were making. There were more than forty people that came, and we collected over ninety pounds of trash. I was even called into the city’s commission meeting to speak to the residents in order to bring awareness and focus on creating positive environmental changes. Most recently, I received a call from the WPLG Local 10 news, inviting me to do a segment on my cleanups. The cleanup volunteers and I were filmed and then aired on the Don’t Trash Our Treasure report to spread the importance of cleaning up and being eco-friendly. I’ve also used my resources to advocate for the environment and inspire others. I have organized beach cleanups with the Marine Science club as well as hosted lectures with guest speakers about marine debris and why it is important to keep our earth clean. With the Green Sharks club, I have been working on a proposal to replace the plastic utensils in the cafeteria with a biodegradable option. These experiences have motivated me to become a better person. In college, I will continue to work with others to protect our environment and raise awareness of environmental issues, and of course continue to clean the local beaches (or other landscapes so be it). There is pollution everywhere to some extent, but one by one, we can each make changes that will drastically impact our environment for the better.

Ever since I was little, all I wanted to do is to become a psychologist. My mom, who studied hard to become one, taught to me so many things as I grew up. The way she disciplined me and used psychological strategies greatly prepared me for the real world. When we’re little, all we want to do is have fun and not have any responsibilities. I was taught from an early age that I have to clean the dishes, do the laundry, watch after my brother, do my homework, and talk in a respectful way. It might seem like simple tasks, before a seven-year-old girl it is definitely a challenge. having a mom that has a psychologist had its ups and downs, from being able to learn from her and tell what peoples intentions are, or how I should approach a situation, to constantly having my mom analyze me. Of course, it is not a bad thing, and it only taught me the best, and I’m so grateful for that. After years of hard work at school, I finally got accepted to my dream school, Tulane university, where I knew right away that I belonged and it was the place for me. The problem is, is that it’s expensive. Being an international student has a lot of disadvantages, like not being able to get a lot of scholarships, grants, and not being able to apply for loans. I sat down every day, looking for a scholarship that would fit me and would only come across a few out of hundreds. When I found this scholarship that matched my current interest, I was so excited about it. I decided to write this informal story about my childhood and my life experiences. The scholarship would truly help with my finances for my university. Sadly to say, my mom got extremely sick October 2022. She has stage 4 breast and liver cancer and is fighting for her life. All of our money is going towards her treatments, which is making it hard to save up for college. To know that my role model, my amazing and loving mom is sick, breaks my heart. I keep on telling myself that I have to be strong and not give up even though it is hard, that does not stop me from searching for more opportunities, because I know that I need this. I want to study psychology to be able to learn more about it myself, help, others, and understand how an individuals behavior can change. Because my mom taught me ever since I was little, I have gotten way better at predicting one’s behavior. I’m way more likely to understand someone, especially if they’re going through a hard time. When I finish studying, I want to be able to work with individuals and use those exact principles of positive support, so I can determine how to improve one’s quality of life. This specifically means planning accordingly, connecting with the patient, working closely with them, and making sure they are always put first. It is important to have this connection so that you can better understand the individual, especially with developmental disabilities. I am a tennis coach, and I have worked with many kids with developmental disabilities, and from what I know, you have to use a certain strategy to be able to connect with them. It’s almost as if you have to understand how they’re feeling to be able to help them, especially when it comes to learning tennis, word requires undivided attention. So I do what it takes, and use my words, think of different games that would help them focus better, and most importantly put them first. There are a lot of things that come to play when you’re talking about behavioral analysis, and I might not know all of it, but that is exactly why I want to study even more, and become more successful at helping others to improve the quality of life, whether it is hitting a tennis ball, learning something, or even living a good life.

Gayatri Mantra, by Deva Premal, is a song that has a deep meaning which resonates with me. When I was a young girl, I used to hear my mom listen to the song all the time. It was like one of those childhood memories, and when I heard it all grown up, and brought me a great and calm feeling. I soon began to play that song in my room, listening into the words. Even though I did not understand what it said, it still brought me tranquility. I now used this melody to calm myself when I was stressed. I remember having bad anxiety over a biology exam, and I couldn’t even think straight. After turning on Gayatri Mantra I once again felt at peace, letting go of all my problems. After a while, deeper into the songs meaning by finally looking into its meaning. I realized that it was a song to god, almost as a meditation, asking for your pain to go away. It only hoped to guide us on the right path, and be an inspiration and a light in our day. How could something that I didn’t understand before make perfect sense to me? Even though I didn’t know the meaning, it felt as if it was a stronger connection with god. The song brought me joy, hope, and happiness, that I couldn’t even describe. It is the only song that I have connected with on a deeper level, nothing compared to others, this one was truly special to me.

My passion is Sunny Isles Beach Cleanup, which I founded in August of 2020 and lead every Sunday rain or shine. One might think, what is so special about cleanups? How hard can it be? Well, I will let you in on this process and my journey. This is my guide to the life of an environmental organization in which I am CEO, volunteer, planner, trash sorter, photographer, researcher, social media editor, educator, environmentalist, and many more. It takes me roughly four hours every day to achieve and plan a successful cleanup. It starts with an enjoyable Sunday afternoon. I carry a heavy wagon of buckets, flags, signs, papers, tables, and chairs. It is important to arrive thirty minutes earlier to set up and get everything ready for the volunteers. When the time comes, I sign everyone in, give a speech about the importance of what each one of them is doing, and speak to them about how the cleanup works. As everyone is sent out to clean up, I pick up the trash myself, take photos of the volunteers picking up and make videos so that the Instagram account can be managed. When everyone is back, their trash is picked up, and weighed, data is collected, and we all get together to take a group photo. Then it's time for me to wash all the buckets and gloves, put everything together, and go back home to dry all the supplies, including getting things ready for the next cleanup. It is now Monday, a time to start working on all the behind-the-scenes aspects. I make an announcement about upcoming cleanups for the week on volunteercleanup.org, send out directions, and emails, post photos and videos on Instagram, and make flyers. There are also a copious amount of meetings and calls for the week, and community service documentation to go through. Occasionally, I present at commission meetings along with schools and have interviews for articles which take preparation. All emails also have to be answered which include getting back to companies that want to plan cleanups with me, and companies that want to interview me comparatively being Local 10 News capturing my cleanups and efforts in their segment which would interest others and unite our community. It all takes a big chunk of my time to complete these tasks, but when I do something that I love, it's rather enjoyable. The opportunity to take a stand, organize, and participate in helping the earth is everything I wanted. I believe it is our duty as citizens of this earth to take care of our environment and protect our animals and marine species, especially if they cannot help themselves. Once many people become aware of this global issue and are motivated, we can make a bigger impact, one piece at a time, one mind at a time. So, long story short, it is more than just a beach cleanup, it is an environmental community that is more complicated than it seems.

Rain, or shine, I lead Sunny Isles Beach Cleanup every Sunday. My efforts are made to help the earth, impact, and bring the community together, and combat climate change, one step at a time. This has truly become my passion when I first went to a cleanup in Miami Beach. There was so much trash, and I couldn’t sit idle in the face watching the earth become more and more polluted. I had to step in, make a change, and act upon the issue. This motivated me to start my own weekly beach cleanups in August of 2020 called Sunny Isles Beach Cleanup because I also saw how polluted my local beach was. One might think, what is so special about cleanups? How hard can it be? Well, I will let you in on this process and my journey. This is my guide to the life of an environmental organization in which I am CEO, volunteer, planner, trash sorter, photographer, researcher, social media editor, educator, environmentalist, and many more. It takes me roughly four hours every day to achieve and plan a successful cleanup. It starts with an enjoyable Sunday afternoon. I carry a heavy wagon of buckets, flags, signs, papers, tables, and chairs. It is important to arrive thirty minutes earlier to set up and get everything ready for the volunteers. When the time comes, I sign everyone in, give a speech about the importance of what each one of them is doing, and speak to them about how the cleanup works. As everyone is sent out to clean up, I pick up the trash myself, take photos of the volunteers picking up and make videos so that the Instagram account can be managed. When everyone is back, their trash is picked up, and weighed, data is collected, and we all get together to take a group photo. Then it's time for me to wash all the buckets and gloves, put everything together, and go back home to dry all the supplies, including getting things ready for the next cleanup. It is now Monday, a time to start working on all the behind-the-scenes aspects. I make an announcement about upcoming cleanups for the week on volunteercleanup.org, send out directions, and emails, post photos and videos on Instagram, and make flyers. There are also a copious amount of meetings and calls for the week, and community service documentation to go through. Occasionally, I present at commission meetings along with schools and have interviews for articles which take preparation. All emails also have to be answered which include getting back to companies that want to plan cleanups with me, and companies that want to interview me comparatively being Local 10 News capturing my cleanups and efforts in their segment which would interest others and unite our community. It all takes a big chunk of my time to complete these tasks, but when I do something that I love, it's rather enjoyable. The opportunity to take a stand, organize, and participate in helping the earth is everything I wanted. I believe it is our duty as citizens of this earth to take care of our environment and protect our animals and marine species, especially if they cannot help themselves. Once many people become aware of this global issue and are motivated, we can make a bigger impact, one piece at a time, one mind at a time. So, long story short, it is more than just a beach cleanup, it is an environmental community that is more complicated than it seems.

Growing up in Russia, living in an apartment in a 6 story building, around the same people, didn’t quite give me a wide perspective on life. Most of what I remember is the playground right downstairs from my house where I would spend most of my time. Of course, there were many more moments that made my childhood amazing, but it almost felt as if it wasn’t enough. Looking back at those times, I am really grateful that I went through them as it has shaped me who I am today. When I turned 9, my family and I went to America for my mom to give birth to my baby brother. Even though I was very sad that we left, as time passed by, I started seeing the good in this and realizing how many opportunities there are out there. I was fascinated by America and what it could hold for me. School looked so much different with there being different classrooms you can go to instead of sitting in one all day. The environment and climate was also very different and took some time to adapt to. Additionally, the people around me and who lived in Miami were very different. In Russia, the cultural standards and expectations were different. When greeting, we kiss each other on the cheek 3 times starting from the left side. There is different etiquette and rules when it comes to getting acquainted with each other too. In school, girls were expected to raise their hands with one laying on the desk and the other one up on the hand that is laying down, and we had to wear polka dot dresses. When coming to America, everything was different, and I had to adapt to the different cultural norms which would later shape the way I view how people behave. I could see how they had different values, opinions, and outlooks on life. Most importantly, whether it was at a grocery store or at a park, most people always seemed so nice and at the same time were very distinct. While adapting to the environment, I was learning new things and my values and morals were starting to come together. Based on what I learned, what my parents taught me, the environment I was in, the many different opinions I heard, and what people I was around, this shaped my perspective of life and identity. I also began to recognize that some of the ideas or values that I had, sometimes didn’t sit straight with my parents. I was realizing that depending on what country you are and who you are around, your identity is impacted. I have grown, learned important life lessons, as well as made mistakes that shaped who I am today. My morals, values, and my identity has changed a lot throughout the years and I always believe that it is only for the better. Being an immigrant from Russia to the USA has impacted me and was also a great thing as I now have views of two different countries together, and am able to form an identity based on many factors. I am similar to Maggie as I learn how to adapt to a new environment, take advantage of every opportunity, and most importantly am stronger when it comes to overcoming obstacles.

Growing up in Russia, living in an apartment in a 6 story building, around the same people, didn’t quite give me a wide perspective on life. Most of what I remember is the playground right downstairs from my house where I would spend most of my time. Of course, there were many more moments that made my childhood amazing, but it almost felt as if it wasn’t enough. Looking back at those times, I am really grateful that I went through them as it has shaped me who I am today. When I turned 9, my family and I went to America for my mom to give birth to my baby brother. Even though I was very sad that we left, as time passed by, I started seeing the good in this and realizing how many opportunities there are out there. I was fascinated by America and what it could hold for me. School looked so much different with there being different classrooms you can go to instead of sitting in one all day. The environment and climate was also very different and took some time to adapt to. Additionally, the people around me and who lived in Miami were very different. In Russia, the cultural standards and expectations were different. When greeting, we kiss each other on the cheek 3 times starting from the left side. There is different etiquette and rules when it comes to getting acquainted with each other too. In school, girls were expected to raise their hand with one laying on the desk and the other one up on the hand that is laying down, and we had to wear polka dot dresses. When coming to America, everything was different, and I had to adapt to the different cultural norms which would later shape the way I view how people behave. I could see how they had different values, opinions, and outlooks on life. Most importantly, whether it was at a grocery store or at a park, most people always seemed so nice and at the same time were very distinct. While adapting to the environment, I was learning new things and my values and morals were starting to come together. Based on what I learned, what my parents taught me, the environment I was in, the many different opinions I heard, and what people I was around, this shaped my perspective of life and identity. I also began to recognize that some of the ideas or values that I had, sometimes didn’t sit straight with my parents. I was realizing that depending on what country you are and who you are around, your identity is impacted. I have grown, learned important life lessons, as well as made mistakes which shaped who I am today. My morals, values, and my identity has changed a lot throughout the years and I always believe that it is only for the better. Being an immigrant from Russia to the USA, has impacted me and was also a great thing as I now have views of two different countries together, and am able to form an identity based on many factors. This characteristic of not giving up and adapting to the environment easier, will help me overcome obstacles in the future.

Each one of us has our own dreams and passions. I discovered mine two years ago. My love for science grew by the second. I went to a cleanup in Miami Beach and was so fascinated and shocked by the amount of trash there was, that I decided to do more research about the matter. I cleaned up my beach on Sunny Isles and noticed that there was so much trash. I decided to start my own cleanup called Sunny Isles Beach Cleanup, which I have been leading rain or shine every single week starting from August of 2020. I’ve been very successful in what I do, was featured on the news, and most importantly am making a difference. I have worked so hard that I am now even giving lectures to kids in schools on our environment and how we can help. But there’s more. This passion made me want to look more into science and explore my options. I started taking a part in a HOSA competition at my school where are my team and I were finalists in the international competition, speaking about the health disparities of the Hispanic minorities. We also studied discrimination and I have done extensive research in the public health field. My passion for STEM grew even more and I decided to volunteer at a Florida Health clinic in Miami, specifically in the Family Planning unit. I got a chance to find out more about the different contraceptive methods such as IUD's. I have learned so much, was taught to gree the patient, aske some personal information, take their weight, height and blood pressure, and to this day still continue to volunteer and help out those in need. I have always considered myself to be a person that would help others in need, which is what also made me want to go into the medical field. In the future, I want to continue helping people with their needs and save lives. My degree in this program will help me become a person who helps treat and save people. I want to truly make a change in the world and be able to rise above, becoming a successful individual in the medical field, specifically a pediatrician, and with the right education be able to help others. I also will always continue helping the earth and will still keep organizing my beach cleanups. I strive to be the change in the world that I want to see.

Each one of us has our own dreams and passions. I discovered mine two years ago. My love for science grew by the second. I went to a cleanup in Miami Beach and was so fascinated and shocked by the amount of trash there was, that I decided to do more research about the matter. I cleaned up my beach on Sunny Isles and noticed that there was so much trash. I decided to start my own cleanup called Sunny Isles Beach Cleanup, which I have been leading rain or shine every single week starting from August of 2020. I’ve been very successful in what I do, was featured on the news, and most importantly am making a difference. I have worked so hard that I am now even giving lectures to kids in schools on our environment and how we can help. But there’s more. This passion made me want to look more into science and explore my options. I started taking a part in a HOSA competition at my school where are my team and I were finalists in the international competition, speaking about the health disparities of the Hispanic minorities. We also studied discrimination and I have done extensive research in the public health field. My passion for STEM grew even more and I decided to volunteer at a Florida Health clinic in Miami, specifically in the Family Planning unit. I was able to learn about different contraceptive methods such as IUD's and more. I was taught to welcome the patient, ask them personal information, take their weight, height, and blood pressure. I have learned so much, which inspired me to get into the medical field even more and to this day still continue to volunteer and help out those in need. I have always considered myself to be a person that would help others in need, which is what also made me want to go into the medical field. In the future, I want to continue helping people with their needs and save lives. Specifically to become a pediatrician, and help out people, with the necessary education that I am determined to receive. My degree in this program will help me become a person who helps treat and save people. I want to truly make a change in the world and be able to rise above, becoming a successful individual in the medical field. I also will always continue helping the earth and will still keep organizing my beach cleanups.

My community service experience is Sunny Isles Beach Cleanup which I lead every Sunday, rain, or shine. These efforts are made to help the earth, impact, bring the community together, and combat climate change, one step at a time. I began the weekly beach cleanups in August of 2020 because I saw how polluted my local beach was, and by going to cleanups myself, decided to take a stand and start my very own cleanup, Sunny Isles Beach Cleanup. This has truly become my passion when I first went to clean up in Miami Beach. There was so much trash, and I couldn’t sit idle in the face of watching the earth become more and more polluted. I had to step in, make a change, and act upon the issue. Everyone of all ages benefits from this as it is a community service project as well as a great opportunity to help and do what we can to have an impact and make a change. Anyone who is interested can come and join, at any age, and the volunteers, the environment, and the animals are what are benefitting from this project. The reason is that every piece you pick up matters and makes a change. My beach cleanups are extremely important to me. The opportunity to take a stand, organize, and be able to participate in helping the earth is everything I wanted. I fell in love with the beach and began realizing how polluted it really is. I believe it is our duty as citizens of this earth to take care of our environment and protect our animals and marine species. When it comes to my beach cleanups, my role is very critical. Not only do I spend hours picking up trash myself, but I also organize and plan all of the logistics out as well as get ready for the cleanup. I make flyers, run the Instagram, transfer all the cleanup supplies to the beach, answer the many questions of others, get everything ready, as well as speak up and give directions on what others should do. From this service project, the cleanups impact the world by bringing others together to socialize, make individuals aware of the pollution, and then act upon it. The microplastic that is on the beach is picked up, and not only does it make the world cleaner and prevent marine species and animals from ingesting it, but we can also use this to make jewelry and many other things. All these steps are made in efforts to decrease the amount of pollution on our earth, keep the animals away from harm, as well as decrease the number of greenhouse gases that are being used which is exactly what causes climate change, damaging our earth, impacting people, as well as negatively impacting the community and its economy. It also gave me an opportunity to revitalize the previously dormant Marine Science club with not over 50 members and become a part of the Green Sharks club as well as start a Project Get Green Proposal which focused on researching and weighing the outcomes of switching our schools’ plastic utensils to eco-friendly ones which are currently in progress. Some other big event that has occurred that showed the impact of my efforts is the WPLG Local 10 News filming a Don’t Trash Our Treasure segment capturing my cleanups, efforts, and myself which would be aired in December 2021, to showcase my efforts, impacts, and unite the community. This passion was really grown for me, I fell in love with helping the earth, and community service. I envision my beach cleanups to continue expanding and attracting more volunteers. This project is sustainable as it ensures there are always people to play a part in saving our earth, motivated, hardworking, and determined individuals that strive for a change. It is important to give back to our earth and community, with community service, we can make the world a better place. I want to see a change in my community to where there is a cleaner environment.

Starting from when I was little, my favorite Disney character has always been Belle, from Beauty and the Beast. Belle always had this effect on me, being so kind, caring, and even flawless. She inspired me from when I was little to never judge a book by its cover. This example is clearly illustrated by when we see how Belle is so accepting of the beast, not looking on the outside but the inside. She did not care what the beast looked like, she valued him for his personality, and the way he treated her. Every story has its own life lesson, but I believe the Beauty and the Beast in particular, has an amazing lesson which teaches us important values from a young age. Of course, as young children we can’t quite observe the morals or values fully, but the story does stay with us in our memories and we remember the beautiful colors, gorgeous castle, as well as the relationship that Belle has with the beast. The title itself, Beauty and the Beast, holds a tremendous amount of power as it describes two different people, however, we can see that in the story, as it develops, the characters are very similar and understanding. It is understandable that he is a beast and they are portrayed as scary, but the lesson here is that when it comes to a person, you must get to know him first and don’t automatically judge him by them by their looks. This is not just a valuable movie for children to watch before adults to learn from as well. We often make mistakes and don’t realize them until we are either told or learn from them, so it is important of everyone to be educated on these types of values. Belle is the perfect example of someone fearless, strong, and loving.

When it comes to passion, it is no doubt that mine is my beach cleanup organization called Sunny Isles Beach Cleanup. I started it in August 2020 and I have organized around 100 cleanups. This started when Covid happened and I was sitting at home doing nothing. Suddenly, I had the idea to go out there and Volunteer, and with the help of my mom, she found an organization called Clean Miami Beach that hosts cleanups on Miami Beach. I was so excited to go and the first time I went it was an amazing experience, even though I was deeply saddened by seeing how dirty the beach was. It is only when you start helping out and giving back to your community do you notice things like trash in the bushes, or micro plastic in seaweed. I started going to many of those cleanups and soon enough I was so intrigued and happy by what I was doing that I decided to start my own cleanup with the help of the founder of the organization, Sophie Ringel. She walked me through everything I need, and having no experience, I let my passion grow. Now I know that it was the best decision I ever made. Not only have I help the earth, animals, and picked up the trash, I have also made long lasting friendships and connections. I soon started to get recognized by news channels and magazines, I was called into the city to speak in a commission meeting, and was the first want to be featured in their community spotlight article. I started to read books, learning more about the environments and its issues, as well as taking classes related to the subject at my school. All these steps are made in efforts to decrease the amount of pollution on our earth, keep the animals away from harm, as well as decrease the amount of greenhouse gases that are being used which is exactly what causes climate change, damaging our earth, impacting people, as well as negatively impacting the community and its economy. It also gave me an opportunity to revitalize the previously dormant Marine Science club with not over 50 members and become a part of the Green Sharks club as well as start a Project Get Green Proposal which focused on researching and weighing the outcomes of switching our schools’ plastic utensils to eco-friendly ones which is currently in progress even after I graduated. I began to realize how the movement that I started has really been changing the world and me. I tried, like no other time I felt myself doing what I love, being able to express myself, without any hesitation. I felt free and truly happy, knowing that I am not only doing something that I love, but I also am helping many others. I believe it is our duty as citizens of this earth to take care of our environment and protect our animals and marine species.

When it comes to tough times, I have encountered many obstacles in my life and an example is my recent college problem that I faced. After spending part of Junior and whole Senior year sending my applications and preparing to attend college next year, I stumbled across this tremendous problem that at first, made me deeply sad and I felt hopeless. Two months before I graduated high school, I found out that in order to change my visa status I’m supposed to wait around a year. I was told by people that I could just take a gap year and it’s not a big deal, but in my conscious I constantly thought to myself that I can’t do a gap year because I want to go to college and learn right away after summer. However, as time passed by I realized that instead of fighting it and not knowing what to do, I quickly thought of the things I can do during my gap year. Not only can I lead my beach cleanups, founded in August 2020 (Sunny Isles Beach Cleanup), but I can also volunteer, learn on my own and also take a small break. I understood that this isn't bad at all, it gave me hope for the future. I have now learned that even though you might think something is completely out of your control, you should always look at the other side of the problem, as well as continue being hopeful. It’s important to know that everything happens for a reason and that if you might think that the universe went against you and everything is doomed, that just means that the universe is working on another path towards you, a path that you might not realize is there, always for the better.

The biggest problem that the world is facing right now is definitely pollution. I began the weekly beach cleanups in August of 2020 because I saw how polluted my local beach was, and by going to cleanups myself, decided to take a stand and start her very own cleanup, Sunny Isles Beach Cleanup. There was so much trash, and I couldn’t sit idle in the face watching the earth become more and more polluted. I had to step in, make a change, and act upon the issue. Everyone all ages benefit from this as it is a community service project as well as a great opportunity to help and do what we can to have an impact and make a change. Anyone who is interested can come and join, at any age, and the volunteers, the environment, and animals are what is benefitting from this project. The reason is that every piece you pick up matters and makes a change. My beach cleanups are extremely important to me. The opportunity to take a stand, organize, and be able to participate in helping the earth is everything I wanted. I fell in love with the beach and began realizing how polluted it really is. I believe it is our duty as citizens of this earth to take care of our environment and protect our animals and marine species. We must help those in need and also help the ones that can’t help themselves. Taking action and motivating others to do so as well is what is important. Once many people become aware of this global issue, we can really place a bigger impact and change the world, one piece at a time, one mind at a time changed. And with this, we can work to help save our world.

I have been using creativity for as long as I remember from making bracelets to sell to others when I was little, to organizing beach cleanups and making earrings out of the microplastic collected from the beach. I began the weekly beach cleanups in August of 2020 because I saw how polluted my local beach was, and by going to cleanups myself, decided to take a stand and start her very own cleanup, Sunny Isles Beach Cleanup. There was so much trash, and I couldn’t sit idle in the face of watching the earth become more and more polluted. I had to step in, make a change, and act upon the issue. Creativity came in when I started thinking of different ways I could help. The microplastic that is on the beach is picked up, and not only does it make the world cleaner and prevent marine species and animals from ingesting it, but we can also use this to make jewelry out of it. These efforts are done to decrease the amount of pollution on our earth, keep the animals away from harm, as well as decrease the amounts of greenhouse gases that are being used which is exactly what causes climate change, damaging our earth, impacting people, as well as negatively impacting the community and its economy. It gave me an opportunity to revitalize the previously dormant Marine Science club with now over 50 members and become a part of the Green Sharks club as well as start a Project Get Green Proposal which focused on researching and weighing the outcomes of switching our schools’ plastic utensils to eco-friendly ones which is currently in progress. I've used creativity in many different ways for the betterment of out world and continue to find solutions and ways to help out.

1. I deserve this scholarship because I know that I am the most qualified and there is no one better. This is the best opportunity for me and I want to win money. 2. I don't have any academic goals or career goals, I will just find someone who can provide for me and live my best life. 3. I don't really have any obstacles at all. Life is really easy for me, plus I have people always doing things for me so I don't need to worry about that. Can't wait to see my monetary prize and regonition! Thank me later for applying for this and being the best candidate!!

My passion for nature thrived when I saw how polluted my local beach was by going to cleanups myself, therefore, decided to take a stand and start my very own cleanup, Sunny Isles Beach Cleanup in August 2020. There was so much trash, and I couldn’t sit idle in the face watching the earth become more and more polluted. I had to step in, make a change, and act upon the issue. My beach cleanups are extremely important to me. The opportunity to take a stand, organize, and be able to participate in helping the earth is everything I wanted. I fell in love with the beach and began realizing how polluted it really is. I believe it is our duty as citizens of this earth to take care of our environment and protect our animals and marine species. My appreciation goes above an beyond with not only organizing weekly beach cleanups and get together a large group of volunteers, but I also advocate for it. I envision my beach cleanups to continue expanding and attracting more volunteers. This project is sustainable as it ensures there are always people to play a part in saving our earth, motivated, hardworking, and determined individuals that strive for a change.

Growing up in Russia, living in an apartment in a 6 story building, around the same people, didn’t quite give me a wide perspective on life. Most of what I remember is the playground right downstairs from my house where I would spend most of my time. Of course, there were many more moments that made my childhood amazing, but it almost felt as if it wasn’t enough. Looking back at those times, I am really grateful that I went through them as it has shaped me who I am today. When I turned 9, my family and I went to America for my mom to give birth to my baby brother. Even though I was very sad that we left, as time passed by, I started seeing the good in this and realizing how many opportunities there are out there. I was fascinated by America and what it could hold for me. School looked so much different with there being different classrooms you can go to instead of sitting in one all day. The environment and climate was also very different and took some time to adapt to. Additionally, the people around me and who lived in Miami were very different. In Russia, the cultural standards and expectations were different. When greeting, we kiss each other on the cheek 3 times starting from the left side. There is different etiquette and rules when it comes to getting acquainted with each other too. In school, girls were expected to raise their hand with one laying on the desk and the other one up on the hand that is laying down, and we had to wear polka dot dresses. When coming to America, everything was different, and I had to adapt to the different cultural norms which would later shape the way I view how people behave. I could see how they had different values, opinions, and outlooks on life. Most importantly, whether it was at a grocery store or at a park, most people always seemed so nice and at the same time were very distinct. While adapting to the environment, I was learning new things and my values and morals were starting to come together. Based on what I learned, what my parents taught me, the environment I was in, the many different opinions I heard, and what people I was around, this shaped my perspective of life and identity. I also began to recognize that some of the ideas or values that I had, sometimes didn’t sit straight with my parents. I was realizing that depending on what country you are and who you are around, your identity is impacted. I have grown, learned important life lessons, as well as made mistakes which shaped who I am today. My morals, values, and my identity has changed a lot throughout the years and I always believe that it is only for the better. Being an immigrant from Russia to the USA, has impacted me and was also a great thing as I now have views of two different countries together, and am able to form an identity based on many factors.

Every person strives to live a healthier lifestyle. Whether this lifestyle is working out, helping others, eating healthy, or changing the way you think, it is a basic human need. An important factor of this is to make sure that we live in a clean and safe environment, especially for the elderly out of the human population. The elderly have a higher risk of getting sick due to the fact that their bodies immunity weakens. One thing that I do for the community is organize beach cleanups, which I started in August 2020. My organization is called Sunny Isles Beach Cleanup, and I have people different ages come out and help. This improves the lives of elderly people in my community because my mission is to achieve a cleaner community in our city, therefore taking care of the elderly by preventing the pollution problems that we face. I have also attended many commission meetings in the city of Sunny Isles Beach to make more people, majorly elderly (at the meetings), aware of the ongoing problem, but yet to make sure that others are protected. I do my part not only protect the environment and the animals, but the people, our community, and the elderly.

To be persistent, is to not give up on your goal and stay on the same path. My mother has always taught me to stay persistent and not give in to whatever someone says. This is truly helped me become many obstacles in my life, and at the same time I realized that persistence makes ones character stronger. There have been many events in my life where I thought that there was no way out of a certain situation, but with my mom’s hole, she quickly always put me on the same path and told me to try over and over and not give up. One of the best examples out of many that I can give for being persistent to overcome a certain obstacle is definitely money issues. I have grown up in a comfortable lifestyle, but like any other, there are times when people face issues. One year, my family had trouble paying for my tuition at my school. Me and my parents spent many meetings trying to work out a solution. After many times, I was reminded by my mothers lessons to always be persistent, so I decided to go by myself and to explain the situation and work it out. My parents didn’t know that I went to discuss those matters, and turns out, my persistence worked! No matter how hard things were, I managed to convince the school to give us time in order to pay off the late payment. I was so proud of myself and happy that I didn’t give up and even decided to take matters in my own hands. I now know that hard work and persistence always pays off, it is important to keep on trying and not give up.

It is essential to always make goals in your life. In mine, I work tremendously hard towards the things I desire. Helping the community, environment, and becoming a doctor, are the most important ones. I began weekly beach cleanups in August of 2020 because I saw how polluted my local beach was, and by going to cleanups myself, decided to take a stand and start my very own cleanup, Sunny Isles Beach Cleanup. This has truly become my passion when I first went to a cleanup in Miami Beach. There was so much trash, and I couldn’t sit idle in the face watching the earth become more and more polluted. I had to step in, make a change, and act upon the issue. Now, seeing the result that this passion is giving me, my goal is to continue growing my cleanup as well as helping others and the environment. And lastly, my other major goal is to become a doctor by getting an amazing education and passing tests (mini goals that are to be completed). I am attending Tulane University and am determined to achieve this goal. It is important to know that you must work hard do get what you want. Nothing comes easy in life which is why when you have goals, they guide you towards meetings your milestones.

Do you know what being selfless means? By definition, it is when an individual is concerned more about someone else than themselves. Of course, sometimes you have to put your needs before others, however, we must not forget that everything we do towards others always finds a way to come back to us. In my life, I’ve had a role model whom showed and taught me how to be selfless. “You have to learn how to give in order to get”, says my mom. All of my life, I have looked up at my mother for putting my and my brother’s needs before hers. She has taught me that it is the right and holy thing to do. Because of that, I have always tried to be as selfless as possible towards others, make the world better, and bring smiles to peoples faces. Because of this, a major example of how I help someone in need, are my beach cleanups, which I began in August of 2020 because I saw how polluted my local beach was, and by going to cleanups myself, decided to take a stand and start my very own cleanup, Sunny Isles Beach Cleanup. This has truly become my passion when I first went to a cleanup in Miami Beach. There was so much trash, and I couldn’t sit idle in the face watching the earth become more and more polluted. I had to step in, make a change, and act upon the issue. This motivated me to start my own cleanup in my city, spread the word, and get others to help because of how critical and damaging this is for our whole world. Now you might think that this is just a regular beach cleanup, but surely enough it is just like some other ones. However, my mission is very different. I not only want to help the earth, animals, and our environment that is clearly in need, but I also strive to help people. Some might come to volunteer for service hours, but some come with an open mind, deeply caring about the environment, and wanting to change their perspective. Through my beach cleanups, I helped many. I tell them facts or stories related to the environment that they don't know. I open my heart to and welcome every single person that joins me on this journey. I have had people come to me and ask for help to start their own cleanup or people who wanted to film a video whether it is for a school project, research, or news. My efforts have been noticed by many: my city, Local 10 News, a news station that filmed a segment on me, multiple articles, magazines, and many more. Individuals have aproched me and thanked me for making such a large impact on them and helping them see things that they thought weren't there (such as thinking the beach was clean before taking a close look and knowing where to look). I am overjoyed knowing that I make such a difference to people and help many that are in need. And lastly, to leave off with a statement that I very truly believe: "Every piece you pick up matters, and every person or animal you help matters as well".

I began the weekly beach cleanups in August of 2020 because I saw how polluted my local beach was, and by going to cleanups myself, decided to take a stand and start my very own cleanup, Sunny Isles Beach Cleanup. There was so much trash, and I couldn’t sit idle in the face watching the earth become more and more polluted. I had to step in, make a change, and act upon the issue. This motivated me to start my own cleanup in my city, spread the word, and get others to help because of how critical and damaging this is for our whole world. With me doing good for the world I truly make a difference. There have been many times where multiple individuals come up to me either with questions about our environment or how even they can get more involved. This is great mentorship as it changes peoples perspectives to not only do better and become more motivated, but to also help out our earth. I like to say that ever piece you pick up matters so same can relate to people, every person you impact matters. When we teach others to do better, overtime, a larger group changes as well. I envision my beach cleanups to continue expanding and attracting more volunteers. This organization is sustainable as it ensures there are always people to play a part in saving our earth, motivated, hardworking, and determined individuals that strive for a change.

Rain, or shine, I lead Sunny Isles Beach Cleanup every Sunday. My efforts are made to help the earth, impact, and bring the community together, and combat climate change, one step at a time. This has truly become my passion when I first went to a cleanup in Miami Beach. There was so much trash, and I couldn’t sit idle in the face watching the earth become more and more polluted. I had to step in, make a change, and act upon the issue. This motivated me to start my own weekly beach cleanups in August of 2020 because I saw how polluted my local beach was, and by going to cleanups myself, decided to take a stand and start my very own cleanup, Sunny Isles Beach Cleanup. Anyone who is interested can come and join, at any age, and the volunteers, the environment, and animals are what is benefitting from this. We must help those in need and also help the ones that can’t help themselves. Taking action and motivating others to do so as well is what is important. Once many people become aware of this global issue, we can really place a bigger impact and change the world, one piece at a time, one mind at a time changed. The cleanups impact the world by bringing others together to socialize, make individuals aware of the pollution, and then act upon it. All these steps are made in efforts to decrease the amount of pollution on our earth, keep the animals away from harm, as well as decrease the amount of greenhouse gases that are being used which is exactly what causes climate change, damaging our earth, impacting people, and negatively impacting the community and its economy.

What is the guide to a friendship? Well, there isn't an official manual that can tell you how to build that. Everyone has a different one, unique to you. For me, friendship comes a long way. I believe that it is special connection between people who help, support and care for each other. For me, this connection is especially expressed with my best friend which has always been there for me without asking anything in return and is always genuine. We have gone through so many obstacles together such as long distance, arguements, and us not always agreeing with each other. But what I think is important to understand is that you need this very balance for a true and successfull friendship. After we have seen one another at our worst and best, and have been through many obstacles, I know that this only strengthens our friendship and know that after many tests that god placed in our path that could have torn us apart, we still remained friends and always make sure to have honest conversations with each other to figure our our problems. My friendship with her means the world to me as I know that I have a true friend by my side that will never judge me nor leave me for a small inconvinience. I can always count on her helping me stand back up when I fall, and give me advice.

Growing up, I was always surrounded by love and kindness. My parents always taugh me to be the same way to others and said "treat others how you want to be treated". This saying has always stuck with me and I followed that concept every single time. I believe that love is the building block to every relationship. Knowing this very well, when I see anyone that look like they are struggling or are sad, the first thing that comes up to my mind is to check up on that person. I ask them if they are okay and most importantly listen and empathize in order to build a bridge which would allow me to connect with them, help them with their issue, and express my love. Love is a very deep feeling of affection, and when you connect with an individual, it opens up a pathway to expressing your feelings and making the other person feel loved.

My passion is environmental sustainability and community service. My beach cleanup which is called Sunny Isles Beach Cleanup that I founded in August of 2020 is extremely important to me. The opportunity to take a stand, organize, and be able to participate in helping the earth is everything I wanted. I fell in love with the beach and began realizing how polluted it really is. I believe it is our duty as citizens of this earth to take care of our environment and protect our animals and marine species. We must help those in need and also help the ones that can’t help themselves. Taking action and motivating others to do so as well is what is important. Once many people become aware of this global issue, we can really place a bigger impact and change the world, one piece at a time, one mind at a time changed. I realize how much of an impact I am really making and continue leading my cleanups as they are truly my passion which all started from a cleanup, I had gone to in the first place. This impacts the world, people around me, as well as the environment, making a significant change. My goal for the future is to have a safer and cleaner environment by cleaning up, and inspire others to do the same, as well as serve as a lead example to others.

My passion is environmental sustainability and community service. My beach cleanup which is called Sunny Isles Beach Cleanup that I founded in August of 2020 is extremely important to me. The opportunity to take a stand, organize, and be able to participate in helping the earth is everything I wanted. I fell in love with the beach and began realizing how polluted it really is. I believe it is our duty as citizens of this earth to take care of our environment and protect our animals and marine species. We must help those in need and also help the ones that can’t help themselves. Taking action and motivating others to do so as well is what is important. Once many people become aware of this global issue, we can really place a bigger impact and change the world, one piece at a time, one mind at a time changed. I realize how much of an impact I am really making and continue leading my cleanups as they are truly my passion which all started from a cleanup, I had gone to in the first place. This impacts the world, people around me, as well as the environment, making a significant change.

I began the weekly beach cleanups in August of 2020 because I saw how polluted my local beach was, and by going to cleanups myself, decided to take a stand and start my very own cleanup, Sunny Isles Beach Cleanup. This has truly become my passion when I first went to a cleanup in Miami Beach. There was so much trash, and I couldn’t sit idle in the face watching the earth become more and more polluted. I had to step in, make a change, and act upon the issue. This motivated me to spread the word and get others to help because of how critical and damaging this is for our whole world. Everyone of all ages benefit from this as it is a community service project as well as a great opportunity to help and do what we can to have an impact and make a change. Anyone who is interested can come and join, at any age, and the volunteers, the environment, and animals are benefitting from this project. My beach cleanups are extremely important to me. The opportunity to take a stand, organize, and be able to participate in helping the earth is everything I wanted.I believe it is our duty as citizens of this earth to take care of our environment and protect our animals and marine species. We must help those in need and also help the ones that can’t help themselves. Taking action and motivating others to do so as well is what is important. Once many people become aware of this global issue, we can really place a bigger impact and change the world, one piece at a time, one mind at a time changed.

I began weekly beach cleanups in August of 2020 because I saw how polluted my local beach was, and by going to cleanups myself, decided to take a stand and start my very own cleanup, Sunny Isles Beach Cleanup. This has truly become my passion when I first went to a beach cleanup in Miami Beach. There was so much trash, and I couldn’t sit idle in the face watching the earth become more and more polluted. I had to step in, make a change, and act upon the issue. This motivated me to spread the word and get others to help because of how critical and damaging this is for our whole world. Everyone of all ages benefits from this as it is a community service project as well as a great opportunity to help and do what we can to have an impact and make a change. Anyone who is interested can come and join, at any age, and the volunteers, the environment, and animals are benefitting from this project. The reason is that every piece you pick up matters and makes a change. My beach cleanups are extremely important to me. The opportunity to take a stand, organize, and be able to participate in helping the earth is everything I wanted. I believe it is our duty as citizens of this earth to take care of our environment and protect our animals and marine species. We must help those in need and also help the ones that can’t help themselves. Taking action and motivating others to do so as well is what is important. Once many people become aware of this global issue, we can really place a bigger impact and change the world, one piece at a time, one mind at a time changed.

I founded Sunny Isles Beach Cleanup in August of 2020 because I noticed how polluted my beach really was. This has truly become my passion when I first went to a beach cleanup in Miami Beach. There was so much trash, and I couldn’t sit idle in the face watching the earth become more and more polluted. I had to step in, make a change, and act upon the issue. My cleanups impact the world by bringing others together to socialize, make individuals aware of the pollution, and then act upon it. For example, microplastic that is picked up on the beach, doesn't only make the world cleaner and prevent marine species and animals from ingesting it, but we can also use it to make jewelry and many other things out of it. All these steps are made in efforts to decrease the amount of pollution on our earth, keep the animals away from harm, as well as decrease the amount of greenhouse gases that are being used which is exactly what causes climate change, damaging our earth, impacting people, as well as negatively impacting the community and its economy. It also gave me an opportunity to revitalize the previously dormant Marine Science club with not over 50 members and become a part of the Green Sharks club as well as start a Project Get Green Proposal which focused on researching and weighing the outcomes of switching our schools’ plastic utensils to eco-friendly ones which is currently in progress. Some other big event that has occurred that showed the impact of my efforts is the WPLG Local 10 News filming a Don’t Trash Our Treasure segment capturing my cleanups, efforts, and myself which would be aired December 2021, to showcase my efforts, impacts, and unite the community.

My passion is environmental sustainability and community service. My beach cleanup which is called Sunny Isles Beach Cleanup that I founded in August of 2020 is extremely important to me. The opportunity to take a stand, organize, and be able to participate in helping the earth is everything I wanted. I fell in love with the beach and began realizing how polluted it really is. I believe it is our duty as citizens of this earth to take care of our environment and protect our animals and marine species. We must help those in need and also help the ones that can’t help themselves. Taking action and motivating others to do so as well is what is important. Once many people become aware of this global issue, we can really place a bigger impact and change the world, one piece at a time, one mind at a time changed. I realize how much of an impact I am really making and continue leading my cleanups as they are truly my passion which all started from a cleanup, I had gone to in the first place. This impacts the world, people around me, as well as the environment, making a significant change.

A time where I had to preserve through a difficult situation was during my beach cleanups, an organization called Sunny Isles Beach Cleanup which I founded in August of 2020. The obstacles that I have encountered is working with people who are uncooperative which sometimes just come for the service hours. This can be very upsetting, especially knowing how much work, time, and effort I put into organizing this. On the other hand, there are way more people that are thankful, happy to help, and are very supportive. It can also be very stressful dealing with so many texts, planning, and requests. But at the end of the day, I realize how much of an impact I am really making and continue leading my cleanups as they are truly my passion which all started from a cleanup, I had gone to in the first place. This impacts the world, people around me, as well as the environment, making a significant change.

My favorite way to help others is by organizing my beach cleanups. I founded Sunny Isles Beach Cleanup which I lead every Sunday, rain, or shine in August of 2020. These efforts are made to help the earth, impact, bring the community together, and combat climate change, one step at a time. I saw how polluted my local beach was, and by going to cleanups myself, decided to take a stand and start my very own cleanup, Sunny Isles Beach Cleanup. This has truly become my passion when I first went to a beach cleanup in Miami Beach. There was so much trash, and I couldn’t sit idle in the face watching the earth become more and more polluted. I had to step in, make a change, and act upon the issue. This motivated me to start my own cleanup in my city, spread the word, and get others to help because of how critical and damaging this is for our whole world. Everyone all ages benefit from this as it is a community service project as well as a great opportunity to help and do what we can to have an impact and make a change. Anyone who is interested can come and join, at any age, and the volunteers, the environment, and animals are what is benefitting from this project. Every piece you pick up matters and makes a change, so if many people come together, it creates a big movement. Not only does this help the environment, but it also helps animals, and ourselves, as it impacts us to begin with.

The biggest problem that the world is facing right now is pollution. We don't reaize how much of an affect we have on our earth. We must do our best to protect the world we live in. I began weekly beach cleanups in August of 2020 because I saw how polluted my local beach was, and by going to cleanups myself, decided to take a stand and start my very own cleanup, Sunny Isles Beach Cleanup. This has truly become my passion when I first went to a cleanup in Miami Beach. There was so much trash, and I couldn’t sit idle in the face watching the earth become more and more polluted. I had to step in, make a change, and act upon the issue. This motivated me to spread the word and get others to help because of how critical and damaging this is for our whole world. Everyone all ages benefit from this as it is a community service project as well as a great opportunity to help and do what we can to have an impact and make a change. Every piece you pick up matters and makes a change. The opportunity to take a stand, organize, and be able to participate in helping the earth is everything I wanted. I believe it is our duty as citizens of this earth to take care of our environment and protect our animals and marine species. We must help those in need and also help the ones that can’t help themselves. Taking action and motivating others to do so as well is what is important. Once many people become aware of this global issue, we can really place a bigger impact and change the world, one piece at a time, one mind at a time changed.

I hope to impact the world by continuing to organize my beach cleanups. I started Sunny Isles Beach Cleanup in August of 2020 after realizing how dirty the beach in my city actually was with the aim to clean and inspire and make others aware to do so as well. I have organized more than ninety beach cleanups and have an average of twenty to thirty people that come out to help every Sunday. Not only am I leaving an impact by cleaning our earth, I am also organizing a very fun, social, and educational event. People of many ages come out to my cleanups and because of my efforts, younger kids are inspired to care for our earth. Not only does our earth suffer, but people and animals are impacted as well. We must do our best to protect our earth and I am on that mission of doing so. Every piece you pick up matters and it is important to contribute to the world we live in. I plan to continue giving back to my community and the world.