Cyberbullying is like a virus that has infected social media. One of the benefits of social media and the internet is the constant feeling of connection. Social media can have positive effects on people’s lives. People have made friends through social media, learned new things, and can feel like they’re a part of something bigger than themselves. But a virus attacks, things that used to run smoothly start to crumble. When cyberbullying takes root, social media begins to have destructive effects. Part of what can cause this issue to be so detrimental is the lack of media literacy, especially concerning social media. This is part of the reason I volunteer at the library. The library is a treasure trove of information, and there are a lot of great resources when it comes to bullying prevention and awareness. The library is also home to several programs aimed at helping the community they serve. It is a great resource for the community to learn about these issues and how to combat them. Alongside this more pragmatic reason is a more personal one. Growing up, the library was a safe space for me. It was incredibly easy for me to get lost in the many worlds on the bookshelves, imagining myself as the heroine of each story. I got to be a superhero and a princess, and I was able to ignore the harsher world that waited outside the library doors. Within the library walls, I was invincible, surrounded by a crew of my favorite characters. I want to be a part of helping to create a similar warm environment for the children of my community, where they can be themselves without fear of rejection or ridicule. I want to be a safe space for children in my community, just as the librarians were to me growing up. If a love of learning was enough to pay for college, I would be walking on to campus with a full ride. But despite the love for reading and knowledge that the library instilled in me, I know it is not enough to go to college. I am working hard to be able to pay for some of it myself, but my family and I cannot afford it all alone. My parents have another child to take care of and they must also care for themselves. I want to continue to support and uplift my community, and I know I will succeed in this goal no matter what. But I also know that higher education will help me reach this goal and cause my positive impact to grow tenfold. Protecting our community from cyberbullying and its devastating consequences is an important cause. College can help me expand my skill base and help me find new ways to protect my community.

It wasn’t very far into my academic career when I realised that math was not my strong suit. Of course, not everyone fits into the “bad at math, good at English” stereotype. But I certainly do. Ever since I was a young child, my parents read to me at night. They nurtured a love for words and stories within me with so much passion that I can’t help but laugh when they act surprised that I love writing so much. When I read, I am transported to a whole new world that I am able to explore. But as a reader, my role is much more passive than when I am writing. As a writer, I am no longer confined by the bounds of a previously written story, because I am the story-maker. The premise of the story is mine, and mine alone. I started writing when I was in the fifth grade by creating a collaborative story with my friends. It was required that we wrote for a certain amount of time during the day at school, so we decided to work together on the project. At first, we wrote a story where each one of my friends had a character, and each one of us got to write a chapter some said character’s perspective. Then we started making a collection of stories that all existed in the same universe. We all worked together, but it quickly became apparent that one of us was a lot more invested than the others. And that person was me. Soon in our table of contents, the majority of the stories were written by me. When my friends grew bored and stopped writing, I remained, carefully crafting my storylines. I was the lone story teller, and nothing could get between me and my pen. I slowly began to branch out to other types of stories. When writing for school, I tired poetry, as well as slower and more thought provoking short stories. Eventually when the book died down, I struck out on my own. I began to write whatever came to mind, drawing inspiration from my favorite books and movies. I wrote outside of class and for my own enjoyment. My imagination ran wild and I was able to explore new ideas, all from the safety of my computer screen or notebook. Writing had been a wonderful creative outlet for me, which is why I could never give it up. Writing will be with me for life, so it will definitely be coming with me to college. Since my roots of writing began collaboratively, I want to go back to that. I haven’t written with a group of people since elementary school, nor have I discussed writing with fellow writers. College is a place to try new things and explore yourself and the community around you, so I want to find like-minded people on campus who feel the same way about writing as I do. A writing club or even just a group of friends who have the same passions as me will be a great resource for me and my writing. Even if I don’t end up finding this community, I know that I will be writing. Writing is a part of me that nobody could take away from me. Even with no access to a writing utensil, I will begin to write a story in my head. Writing is my past, present and future. It is where I can explore new topics and make my own rules. And for that, I am forever grateful.

When I’ve gone through some of the roughest periods of my life, there have been people who have helped me. It might have been the smallest thing, but it had a huge impact on me and my life. It has been my mission to be like the people who are the reason I am here today. One of the places that has been a safe space for me is the library. Growing up it was my favorite place. I loved loosing myself amongst the bookshelves and the stories, and imagining myself within the tales. Part of what made the library so magical was the librarians that helped me along my journey. So when I got older, I decided to volunteer at the library. I wanted to be able to give back to my community, and I figured that helping the place where I felt the safest would create a positive impact in the world. I see myself continuing this in the future and expanding on it as well. I want to volunteer there even more, and continue to reach the rest of my community by way of the library. The resources that it offers can seriously help the people in my community, and I refuse to stop until everyone has gotten the help they need. In the current social climate, it seems that lots of groups of people are at odds. The way I see it, the library can be a meeting place where people can begin to reconcile their differences. It is a treasure trove of knowledge where we can find a mutual basis of understanding. At the library, there are volumes filled of stories from an entirely new perspective. With the resources it offers, it is a place where one can get help in any situation, wether that be understanding how to apply for a job online to simply wanting a cool place to read a book for a while. Any place that can encourage such a warm and welcoming environment is a place I think is worth investing in. Fostering an environment of inclusion, where anybody can be loved and cared for, where you can learn about anything, is something I think we need more of in the world right now. I believe my past work in the library has contributed to a future where the library is a bigger part of the community. And I will not rest until I reach a world where the library is an even bigger positive force in the world.

I was listening to a pop playlist when I first heard Chappell Roan. The song was Pink Pony Club and it made me stop doing my homework just to listen to it. I related to the idea of feeling like you didn’t belong and I wanting to escape to a new future. After I heard the song, I started listening to it constantly. It helped remind me that I needed to keep going to achieve what I wanted in life. It led me to listen to the rest of Chappell Roan’s music, and I was not disappointed at all. When I began to learn her story, I was even more inspired. Chappell Roan worked tirelessly for years before she saw even a modicum of success. I know that to achieve my dreams, I might face the same challenges. But I know that just like her, if I work hard I can go to my top school. I can move and live in the place of my dreams. If I work hard at school, I’ll go and reach the places I want to be. Chappell Roan has inspired me and let me know that it is possible. So with her in my headphones, I know I can take on the world.

Jane Austen is a name I heard a lot in middle school. I loved reading, and so I was very familiar with her novel Pride and Prejudice. Despite my love for reading, I never read the book in middle school, even though that was when I had my biggest reading phase. Growing up, my dad always said that I could never watch the movies before I read the books. I’ll admit, I broke his rule. I watched the 2005 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice before I read the book. But this ended up working out in my favor. While watching the movie, I was enamored with the beautiful English landscapes, the colors of the candlelit balls, and the lilting accents of the characters who spoke in such sophisticated prose. Watching the film I was transported into another world, one where I could walk among the gardens everyday and read books by the sunlight with my friends. I knew as soon as I finished the movie that I had to pick up the book. I ran to my nearest half-priced books and lo and behold, Pride and Prejudice was there! (It was $2.99, which I let everybody know because it’s super cheap.) As soon as the book was in my possession, I opened it up and started reading. I inhaled that book. Any second that I had to spare, it went to reading. Having previously seen the movie adaptation helped me understand Austen’s writing style. When I was confused over the wordings of certain passages, I could remember what occurred in the movie, and the actor’s performances would help me comprehend how the characters were feeling. Keira Knightly, Matthew Macfadyen and the rest of the ensemble were so real and subtle in their acting, yet still memorable, that I had no trouble at all imagining how Lizzie and Mr. Darcy looked during certain moments. Of course, there are several differences between the book and this film adaptation. The novel is incredibly dense, with lots of details and dialogue throughout the story. The film does not cover every single scene like some other adaptations of this story. But the film makes up for this in its rich setting and costume design. The settings are incredibly detailed and are so charming it makes me feel like I’m living with the Bennets in the English countryside. The costumes are thoughtfully designed, aligning with the characters and their personalities. For me, the aesthetic side of the film makes up for any scene that is found in the book, yet missing in the film. The film also made me realise how important more classical literature is. Up until that point, literature that was older was literature that I avoided. I assumed that it would be hard to understand, boring, and completely alien to me. However this story has caused me to realise that some stories are universal. And the 2005 adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice helped me realise that.