I am a huge fan of track and field. My dad ran track and cross country in high school, so it's always been running on the TV in our house for as long as I can remember. However, it wasn't until about three years ago that I really became invested in it, and it was three years that I was introduced to my favorite athlete on Team USA: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. Sydney runs the 400-meter hurdles. She has won gold in the event at the Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Oregon. She is also the defending world record holder. At the 2024 U.S. National Championships, which is also track and field's Olympic Trials, she broke her world record for the fifth time. Three years earlier at the Olympic Trials for the Tokyo Olympics, going sub-52 was unheard of, but Sydney was the first woman to do it, running 51.90 and winning a national championship, qualifying for the Olympics, and breaking the world record set by fellow Team USA athlete Dalilah Muhammad. Since then, she has continued to raise the bar in the event, breaking her own world record nearly every time she sets foot on the track. Since setting the world record at the Olympics Trials in 2021, she has the world record down to 50.65. While she is a well-decorated athlete, she doesn't take the credit as her own. Sydney runs with grace and poise, and off the track, she is gentle and doesn't want her success to point to her. In the interviews she does after a race, she doesn't want it to be about her and how well she's done. She is gracious and humble, and she gives the credit to something greater than herself. Not only is she an amazing athlete who I enjoy watching and fangirling over, but she is also a role model for me. I will never be able to do what Sydney does. I will never be able to run insanely fast like her, but it is her character that makes her my favorite athlete. That in combination with her talent is what makes me excited to her run this summer in Paris. I want to see her bring home gold in the 400-meter hurdles for a second time and maybe even bring her world record down just a little bit more. If she could go sub-50, the world of track and field, including myself, would be spellbound. While the spectacle of the race is fun and exciting, I am most excited to just witness her being there. Whenever I see her run, its more than just the race I enjoy. I enjoy seeing the person who I admire, and every time I watch her, I learn more and more from her example.

For the past five years, I have suffered from bouts of anxiety and depression. In some cases, especially early on, it was extreme. I would feel suffocated and crippled by it. Recently, it has gotten better with the help of medications, counseling, and other coping mechanisms. Academically, when I have been at my lowest, my grades have suffered, and when I see my grades lower, my anxiety worsens. As a perfectionist, if my grades are below an eighty, I don't think that's good enough. I am a straight-A student. When I see a fifty on an assignment, my anxiety increases. However, I have learned throughout my academic career that my grades do not define who I am, and neither does the pressure and anxiety I get from it. Learning will always be important to me, and when my anxiety and depression conflict with that love of learning, perfectionism starts to take hold, which affects my overall academic performance. Anxiety and depression have also significantly affected my personal life. Early on, I wasn't properly diagnosed with anxiety and depression, but I knew something was off. Part of this might have stemmed from the bullying I was experiencing at the time, but mentally, something didn't seem right. I began avoiding a lot of people, even some of my own friends. Many of these relationship I am glad I cut off. I realized they were doing me more harm than good on a personal level. However, many of these relationship I wish I had maintained better because now I either have little to no contact with these people who were once my friends. My family also noticed that something wasn't right, and many of my struggles with anxiety and depression have put a strain on our relationship, especially my relationship with my mother. When I was at my lowest, when I wanted to do myself irreversible harm, my parents worried about me. They wanted to do something to help me, but they weren't exactly sure how. When my mental health began to worsen beyond my own control, that was when they sought help. We began with counseling sessions. By going to my counselor once a week, I am able to learn more about why my mind is the way it is and what ways there are to help me cope with my anxiety and depression. However, there was still more that needed to be done. A little over a year ago, I put on an anti-depressant. This has significantly helped me go about my life without my anxiety and depression taking control. While I sometimes struggle to remember to take it like I should, I recognize its benefits for improving my life. I also do meditation occasionally, which helps me center myself and realize areas within myself where I can improve. Overall, mental health has played a huge role in my life. It has had an effect on me academically and personally, but I have also found a way to make peace with it. In the future, I plan on doing something in film, writing, and music. In my stories, in whatever medium that may be, I want to make the issue of mental health central. It may not be a main character, but it will present. Understanding how the mind works has always fascinated me, and my main goal as an artist is to make others aware of the importance of mental health.

For the past five years, I have suffered from bouts of anxiety and depression. In some cases, especially early on, it was extreme. I would feel suffocated and crippled by it. Recently, it has gotten better with the help of medications, counseling, and other coping mechanisms. Academically, when I have been at my lowest, my grades have suffered, and when I see my grades lower, my anxiety worsens. As a perfectionist, if my grades are below an eighty, I don't think that's good enough. I am a straight-A student. When I see a fifty on an assignment, my anxiety increases. However, I have learned throughout my academic career that my grades do not define who I am, and neither does the pressure and anxiety I get from it. Learning will always be important to me, and when my anxiety and depression conflict with that love of learning, perfectionism starts to take hold, which affects my overall academic performance. Anxiety and depression have also significantly affected my personal life. Early on, I wasn't properly diagnosed with anxiety and depression, but I knew something was off. Part of this might have stemmed from the bullying I was experiencing at the time, but mentally, something didn't seem right. I began avoiding a lot of people, even some of my own friends. Many of these relationship I am glad I cut off. I realized they were doing me more harm than good on a personal level. However, many of these relationship I wish I had maintained better because now I either have little to no contact with these people who were once my friends. My family also noticed that something wasn't right, and many of my struggles with anxiety and depression have put a strain on our relationship, especially my relationship with my mother. When I was at my lowest, when I wanted to do myself irreversible harm, my parents worried about me. They wanted to do something to help me, but they weren't exactly sure how. When my mental health began to worsen beyond my own control, that was when they sought help. We began with counseling sessions. By going to my counselor once a week, I am able to learn more about why my mind is the way it is and what ways there are to help me cope with my anxiety and depression. However, there was still more that needed to be done. A little over a year ago, I put on an anti-depressant. This has significantly helped me go about my life without my anxiety and depression taking control. While I sometimes struggle to remember to take it like I should, I recognize its benefits for improving my life. I also do meditation occasionally, which helps me center myself and realize areas within myself where I can improve. Overall, mental health has played a huge role in my life. It has had an effect on me academically and personally, but I have also found a way to make peace with it. In the future, I plan on doing something in film, writing, and music. In my stories, in whatever medium that may be, I want to make the issue of mental health central. It may not be a main character, but it will present. Understanding how the mind works has always fascinated me, and my main goal as an artist is to make others aware of the importance of mental health.

For the past five years, I have suffered from bouts of anxiety and sometimes even depression. In some cases, especially early on, it was extreme. I would feel suffocated and crippled by it. Recently, it has gotten better with the help of medications, counseling, and other coping mechanisms. Academically, when I have been at my lowest, my grades have suffered, and when I see my grades lower, my anxiety worsens. As a perfectionist, if my grades are below an eighty, I don't think that's good enough. I am a straight-A student. When I see a fifty on an assignment, my anxiety increases. However, I have learned throughout my academic career that my grades do not define who I am, and neither does the pressure and anxiety I get from it. Learning will always be important to me, and when my anxiety and depression conflict with that love of learning, perfectionism starts to take hold, which affects my overall academic performance. Anxiety and depression have also significantly affected my personal life. Early on, I wasn't properly diagnosed with anxiety and depression, but I knew something was off. Part of this might have stemmed from the bullying I was experiencing at the time, but mentally, something didn't seem right. I began avoiding a lot of people, even some of my own friends. Many of these relationship I am glad I cut off. I realized they were doing me more harm than good on a personal level. However, many of these relationship I wish I had maintained better because now I either have little to no contact with these people who were once my friends. My family also noticed that something wasn't right, and many of my struggles with anxiety and depression have put a strain on our relationship, especially my relationship with my mother. When I was at my lowest, when I wanted to do myself irreversible harm, my parents worried about me. They wanted to do something to help me, but they weren't exactly sure how. When my mental health began to worsen beyond my own control, that was when they sought help. We began with counseling sessions. By going to my counselor once a week, I am able to learn more about why my mind is the way it is and what ways there are to help me cope with my anxiety and depression. However, there was still more that needed to be done. A little over a year ago, I put on an anti-depressant. This has significantly helped me go about my life without my anxiety and depression taking control. While I sometimes struggle to remember to take it like I should, I recognize its benefits for improving my life. I also do meditation occasionally, which helps me center myself and realize areas within myself where I can improve. Pursuing a college degree is important to me because in the field I plan on going into, understanding how the mind works is very important. I plan on doing film and media studies and music composition, and through these mediums, I want to tell stories that will inform people about mental health illnesses, such as anxiety. While taking my main courses, I also want to take some philosophy or psychology courses. Doing these courses allow me to understand why people think the way they do and how that can have an affect on my art.

For the past five years, I have suffered from bouts of anxiety and depression. In some cases, especially early on, it was extreme. I would feel suffocated and crippled by it. Recently, it has gotten better with the help of medications, counseling, and other coping mechanisms. Academically, when I have been at my lowest, my grades have suffered, and when I see my grades lower, my anxiety worsens. As a perfectionist, if my grades are below an eighty, I don't think that's good enough. I am a straight-A student. When I see a fifty on an assignment, my anxiety increases. However, I have learned throughout my academic career that my grades do not define who I am, and neither does the pressure and anxiety I get from it. Learning will always be important to me, and when my anxiety and depression conflict with that love of learning, perfectionism starts to take hold, which affects my overall academic performance. Anxiety and depression have also significantly affected my personal life. Early on, I wasn't properly diagnosed with anxiety and depression, but I knew something was off. Part of this might have stemmed from the bullying I was experiencing at the time, but mentally, something didn't seem right. I began avoiding a lot of people, even some of my own friends. Many of these relationship I am glad I cut off. I realized they were doing me more harm than good on a personal level. However, many of these relationship I wish I had maintained better because now I either have little to no contact with these people who were once my friends. My family also noticed that something wasn't right, and many of my struggles with anxiety and depression have put a strain on our relationship, especially my relationship with my mother. When I was at my lowest, when I wanted to do myself irreversible harm, my parents worried about me. They wanted to do something to help me, but they weren't exactly sure how. When my mental health began to worsen beyond my own control, that was when they sought help. We began with counseling sessions. By going to my counselor once a week, I am able to learn more about why my mind is the way it is and what ways there are to help me cope with my anxiety and depression. However, there was still more that needed to be done. A little over a year ago, I put on an anti-depressant. This has significantly helped me go about my life without my anxiety and depression taking control. While I sometimes struggle to remember to take it like I should, I recognize its benefits for improving my life. I also do meditation occasionally, which helps me center myself and realize areas within myself where I can improve. Overall, mental health has played a huge role in my life. It has had an effect on me academically and personally, but I have also found a way to make peace with it. Currently, I do a lot in film, writing, and music, and I plan on doing more of it in the future. In my stories, in whatever medium that may be, I want to make the issue of mental health central. It may not be a main character, but it will present. Understanding how the mind works has always fascinated me, and my main goal as an artist is to make others aware of the importance of mental health.

Over the past few years, I have struggled with anxiety and depression. Having to deal with two illnesses, even with the help of medication, has significantly impacted my life. The way I view the world and society around me has been seen through this illness's filter. When there is an event that occurs, or there is an upcoming event, my mind will sometimes jump to the worst possible scenario. When I look at the news, I always fear the worst will happen in whatever story they are coming. When my youth pastor had to pull me and my brother aside to tell us our grandmother was in the hospital, I immediately thought that someone in my family had died. When I have to go to a youth event, I think that I might be humiliated or mocked by someone there, so I am always a little on edge. It is an unhealthy habit I have developed due to anxiety and depression. Especially when I wasn't on medication, I cut myself off from many people in my life. I shrunk into this place that I thought was comforting at the time, but it only isolated me even more than before. I lost friends from middle school because of this, and I avoided contact with my youth group at the time. Many of the people I cut off I haven't spoken to since the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Some of these people I wish I didn't push away from me, but there are others who I cut off that I think helped me sort myself out personally and emotionally. However, as the years progressed and my anxiety and depression worsened, it put a strain on my relationship with my parents. They weren't sure what to do with me or my illness. I knew they were worried, but they didn't know where to begin to give me help that they themselves were already giving. Inside, I knew something wasn't right. I wanted to be happy and at peace, but all I felt was unrest and despair. My condition worsened, and I began to consider taking my own life. This stemmed from thinking that I wasn't enough or that what I did wasn't worth it. I felt like if I took my life, it wouldn't make a difference in the world and that it might, in fact, benefit some people in my life, but that wasn't true at all. There were people in my life - friends, family, teachers, and other acquaintances - who would be affected by that decision I'd make. After this incident, I was placed in counseling and prescribed an anti-depressant. Soon, I began to notice a change within myself. I started to feel happy and at peace. I began to look back and heal some wounds that contributed to my anxiety and depression. While I still sometimes experience periods of extreme anxiety and depression, I now have ways to deal with it, and I am getting better every day. For my future career, I want to be a writer-director and composer. I love telling stories about people, especially people who have gone through circumstances such as myself. Writing and telling stories about the human psyche is something that has always captivated me, and it has also been a type of therapy for me to work out my own mental health issues. Music is a way I can communicate my emotions to others, and because music is a universal language, words and translations are not needed to explain what I experience within. I want my art - whether it be through writing, film, or music - to show those who are also struggling with mental health illnesses that everything will be alright and that there is hope for a better tomorrow. Things will get brighter, and there are people who are there for them.

Over the past few years, I have struggled with anxiety and depression. Having to deal with two illnesses, even with the help of medication, has significantly impacted my life. The way I view the world and society around me has been seen through this illness's filter. When there is an event that occurs, or there is an upcoming event, my mind will sometimes jump to the worst possible scenario. When I look at the news, I always fear the worst will happen in whatever story they are coming. When my youth pastor had to pull me and my brother aside to tell us our grandmother was in the hospital, I immediately thought that someone in my family had died. When I have to go to a youth event, I think that I might be humiliated or mocked by someone there, so I am always a little on edge. It is an unhealthy habit I have developed due to anxiety and depression. Especially when I wasn't on medication, I cut myself off from many people in my life. I shrunk into this place that I thought was comforting at the time, but it only isolated me even more than before. I lost friends from middle school because of this, and I avoided contact with my youth group at the time. Many of the people I cut off I haven't spoken to since the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Some of these people I wish I didn't push away from me, but there are others who I cut off that I think helped me sort myself out personally and emotionally. However, as the years progressed and my anxiety and depression worsened, it put a strain on my relationship with my parents. They weren't sure what to do with me or my illness. I knew they were worried, but they didn't know where to begin to give me help that they themselves were already giving. Inside, I knew something wasn't right. I wanted to be happy and at peace, but all I felt was unrest and despair. My condition worsened, and I began to consider taking my own life. This stemmed from thinking that I wasn't enough or that what I did wasn't worth it. I felt like if I took my life, it wouldn't make a difference in the world and that it might, in fact, benefit some people in my life, but that wasn't true at all. There were people in my life - friends, family, teachers, and other acquaintances - who would be affected by that decision I'd make. After this incident, I was placed in counseling and prescribed an anti-depressant. Soon, I began to notice a change within myself. I started to feel happy and at peace. I began to look back and heal some wounds that contributed to my anxiety and depression. While I still sometimes experience periods of extreme anxiety and depression, I now have ways to deal with it, and I am getting better every day. In the future, I plan on doing something in film, writing, and music. In my stories, in whatever medium that may be, I want to make the issue of mental health central. It may not be a main character, but it will present. In short, my main goal is to make others aware of the importance of mental health. I want my art to show those who are also struggling with mental illnesses that everything will be alright and that there is hope for a better tomorrow. Things will get brighter, and there are people who are there for them.

Over the past few years, I have struggled with anxiety and depression. Having to deal with two illnesses, even with the help of medication, has significantly impacted my life. The way I view the world and society around me has been seen through this illness's filter. When there is an event that occurs, or there is an upcoming event, my mind will sometimes jump to the worst possible scenario. When I look at the news, I always fear the worst will happen in whatever story they are coming. When my youth pastor had to pull me and my brother aside to tell us our grandmother was in the hospital, I immediately thought that someone in my family had died. When I have to go to a youth event, I think that I might be humiliated or mocked by someone there, so I am always a little on edge. It is an unhealthy habit I have developed due to anxiety and depression. Especially when I wasn't on medication, I cut myself off from many people in my life. I shrunk into this place that I thought was comforting at the time, but it only isolated me even more than before. I lost friends from middle school because of this, and I avoided contact with my youth group at the time. Many of the people I cut off I haven't spoken to since the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Some of these people I wish I didn't push away from me, but there are others who I cut off that I think helped me sort myself out personally and emotionally. However, as the years progressed and my anxiety and depression worsened, it put a strain on my relationship with my parents. They weren't sure what to do with me or my illness. I knew they were worried, but they didn't know where to begin to give me help that they themselves were already giving. Inside, I knew something wasn't right. I wanted to be happy and at peace, but all I felt was unrest and despair. My condition worsened, and I began to consider taking my own life. This stemmed from thinking that I wasn't enough or that what I did wasn't worth it. I felt like if I took my life, it wouldn't make a difference in the world and that it might, in fact, benefit some people in my life, but that wasn't true at all. There were people in my life - friends, family, teachers, and other acquaintances - who would be affected by that decision I'd make. After this incident, I was placed in counseling and prescribed an anti-depressant. Soon, I began to notice a change within myself. I started to feel happy and at peace. I began to look back and heal some wounds that contributed to my anxiety and depression. While I still sometimes experience periods of extreme anxiety and depression, I now have ways to deal with it, and I am getting better every day.

For the past five years, I have suffered from bouts of anxiety and depression. In some cases, especially early on, it was extreme. I would feel suffocated and crippled by it. Recently, it has gotten better with the help of medications, counseling, and other coping mechanisms. Academically, when I have been at my lowest, my grades have suffered, and when I see my grades lower, my anxiety worsens. As a perfectionist, if my grades are below an eighty, I don't think that's good enough. I am a straight-A student. When I see a fifty on an assignment, my anxiety increases. However, I have learned throughout my academic career that my grades do not define who I am, and neither does the pressure and anxiety I get from it. Learning will always be important to me, and when my anxiety and depression conflict with that love of learning, perfectionism starts to take hold, which affects my overall academic performance. Anxiety and depression have also significantly affected my personal life. Early on, I wasn't properly diagnosed with anxiety and depression, but I knew something was off. Part of this might have stemmed from the bullying I was experiencing at the time, but mentally, something didn't seem right. I began avoiding a lot of people, even some of my own friends. Many of these relationship I am glad I cut off. I realized they were doing me more harm than good on a personal level. However, many of these relationship I wish I had maintained better because now I either have little to no contact with these people who were once my friends. My family also noticed that something wasn't right, and many of my struggles with anxiety and depression have put a strain on our relationship, especially my relationship with my mother. When I was at my lowest, when I wanted to do myself irreversible harm, my parents worried about me. They wanted to do something to help me, but they weren't exactly sure how. When my mental health began to worsen beyond my own control, that was when they sought help. We began with counseling sessions. By going to my counselor once a week, I am able to learn more about why my mind is the way it is and what ways there are to help me cope with my anxiety and depression. However, there was still more that needed to be done. A little over a year ago, I put on an anti-depressant. This has significantly helped me go about my life without my anxiety and depression taking control. While I sometimes struggle to remember to take it like I should, I recognize its benefits for improving my life. I also do meditation occasionally, which helps me center myself and realize areas within myself where I can improve. Overall, mental health has played a huge role in my life. It has had an effect on me academically and personally, but I have also found a way to make peace with it. In the future, I plan on doing something in film, writing, and music. In my stories, in whatever medium that may be, I want to make the issue of mental health central. It may not be a main character, but it will present. Understanding how the mind works has always fascinated me, and my main goal as an artist is to make others aware of the importance of mental health.

The event that marked my transition from childhood to adulthood was when I started to ignore what people said they wanted me to be and instead chose to be my own individual. Particularly in middle school and my freshman and sophomore year, I felt like the person who I was and wanted to be didn’t fit the mold that others wanted to put me in. I am not like most people in my generation. When most are playing video games or sports, I am reading, writing, making films, doing Bible Quizzing, or making music. When some follow the latest trends, I am going to thrift stores or looking through clearance racks at Free People to find clothes with a boho vibe. A huge part of my identity is my love of music. I don’t listen to Taylor Swift, rap, hip-hop, or other popular artists and genres of today. I’m mostly a fan of ‘60s and ‘70s music – such as the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Electric Light Orchestra, Joan Baez, just to name a few. I also listen to a lot of classical music, particularly Robert and Clara Schumann and a lot of composers that aren’t listened to often, and I am also a huge fan of newer artists like Lauren Daigle, Jon Batiste, and Laufey. The music I like has been a point of contention among my peers for a while now. In middle school, it was my love of classical music, and because people were constantly telling me to find artists that people actually listen to. To be fair, I was a little stubborn at the time, but being told that I needed to change began to wear on my mental health. Eventually, I discovered the Beatles. Of course, I knew who they were, but I had never seriously listened to their music, and I immediately fell in love with their music. I would only listen to their music and each member’s solo work. However, my love of the Beatles soon became a point of contention in my youth group. Why was I always listening to the Beatles? Couldn’t I listen to someone else? I felt guilty about listening to my favorite band of all time after that. I began to discover other artists. One of these was the Electric Light Orchestra. This group combined my two favorite things: rock music and classical music and instrumentation. This made me realize that I could combine both genres and not have to pick one over the other. This is also when I seriously considered taking up music composition. While I sort of began to find my own voice, I still felt like I needed to be what my generation is. I couldn’t be who God created me to be. It wasn’t until the summer before and the start of my junior year that I began to shed that ideation. I met people on the North Carolina Nazarene district who were also really into the music that I like and who were accepting of who I was. These people are now some of my closest friends. I also entered my fourth year in the Charlotte Symphony Youth. I was the veteran, and a lot of the people were new or I hadn’t talked to them yet. When I started talking to these people about the classical music and rock music I listened to, they understood what I was talking about and got as excited as I was about talking about it. When I mentioned something about Shostakovich, Tchaikovsky, the Schumanns, Rachmaninoff, Chaminade, Chopin, Debussy, Ravel, and many other composers, we would immediately start a conversation about it, and the reality of it is that a lot of the musicians there don’t get to talk about music, especially classical music, in areas outside of orchestra. Because of the encounters I had with these people, I began to revisit the classical music that I really enjoyed, and the difference about listening to it this time was that I wasn’t ashamed of listening to it like I used to be. God did not create me to be like someone else. He did not create me to be someone that I am not meant to be. God created me in His Image, and He created me to be a unique individual with my own thoughts, ideas, and beliefs and with my own pleasures and enjoyments. I was not created to be like my parents. I was not created to be like my best friend or the popular kid in class. I was not created to be like the leaders in my church. I was not created to be like the celebrities and heroes I admire and strive to be like. I was created to be Aubry. I was created to be a Child of God. I was created to reflect the Image of Christ and be a light for the world by using the talents and gifts I have been given and being the person He created me to be.

There are so many different things I am passionate about that it is difficult to pick just one. One of the things that I am passionate about is the arts, and for as long as I can remember, I have been enamored by the field and have wanted everyone to have access to it. I particularly have an interest in music, film, writing, and visual arts; however, this also includes theatre, dance, architecture, fashion and so many other avenues. Because I've had this deep passion for the arts since I was a child, I've decided to pursue it as a career. I am also passionate about environmental awareness and sustainability. Issues like climate change are ever-present in my mind, and I want to do as much as I can to limit it, such as living sustainably. Another thing I am passionate about is women's issues and other social issues, such as mental health and inclusivity. These passions I hope to use in my future career and inspire people with them. Throughout my life, specifically in my high school career, there have been many situations where I have shown perseverance. The most prominent one for me is school. I have been doing online school since the eighth grade, and for a while now, I have struggled to stay on pace with my work. Some of this has to do with my perfectionism and my long battle with anxiety and depression. I have tried to do better at staying on track and not getting behind, but time and time again I have failed to succeed. It wasn't until just recently when I visited my dream school in San Diego, California, that I saw what staying on track and completing my work, even the work that I struggled with, could amount to. I also saw one of my friends who attends the school, and she gave the greatest advice I have received about school. She told me to do my best in my schoolwork and to not make it the most perfect thing in the world. Since that visit and throughout this second semester, I have made great progress in my schoolwork to hopefully finish at a decent time, unlike past years. In college, I plan to study film and media studies and music composition. I have always enjoyed telling stories and sharing them with others, and I enjoy entertaining people, whether that be through music, through film, or through the written word. I want my stories to reach people that need to hear or read something that will encourage or inspire them. I want people to learn about different issues and topics and apply what they learn to their own lives. I want people to think as they read, listen to, or watch my work. What does this story mean to me? What should I take away from this? How can I apply this to my own life? If I am able to make someone happy or inspire them through my work, that will be my greatest honor.

In the portfolio, I wanted to capture the essence of Alaskan life. In these pictures, and in most pictures I take, I want to draw my audience into the image and have them connect with it in whatever way they choose. When I visited Alaska, one of the things I got to do was go on a whale-watching excursion. While we were out there, there were fishermen in the harbor on a raft with seals and whales about them. There were also boats nearby - some for fishing, some for leisure. My philosophy behind photography is that every picture has to tell a story. It doesn't have to be a complex story like short stories, novels, or screenplays, but it should make people ask questions about the image they are seeing. Who are these people? What is it like living in the isolated state of Alaska? What are their lives like beyond this snapshot in time? This is the basis of storytelling. Then I want to make the shots interesting, such as the way I present the main subject and what surrounds them. I also the viewers to feel as if they are in the scene the picture presents. What emotions do these pictures bring up? Do they put the viewer at peace? Does it make them curious? When the person looking at my photography is asking questions and finding personal meaning to a photograph, I know I am doing something right as an artist.

The movie that has had the greatest impact on my life is "The Fabelmans" by the classic American director Steven Speilberg. This film soldified and sparked my desire to become a filmmaker. "The Fabelmans" is Speilberg's semi-autobiographical film about how he became a filmmaker and his family. In the film, Sammy, who is the fictional version of Speilberg, starts making films at a very young age, beginning with a scene of a train crashing based on one of the first films he watched. He then goes on to make films with his family, whether they are fiction or not, and he also makes films with his friends, ranging from westerns to war films. He even films his high school class's end-of-year senior beach trip. Along the way, he gets new equipment to help him with the filmmaking process, such as different cameras, rolls of film, and film editors. Showing the filmmaking process in this film was something I absorbed with film, along with the rest of the story. The misconception I have always had is that filmmaking is difficult to do on your own. In order to do it properly, you need professional equipment and to be on a real film set. However, as is seen in this film, that isn't the case. I have the ability to make films at home, whether it is on my phone or my Canon camera, and I can do scriptwriting and editing on platforms like StudioBinder and Filmora. I don't need to have expensive, professional equipment. I can hone my craft at home and eventually, like Sammy, work up to professional equipment. Seeing that translated on screen was really inspiring. However, there are also some challenges that Sammy faces along the way. His parents separate, he faces antisemitism from some of his peers, and he struggles to break into the film industry. Some of these challenges parallel with my own life. Not many women enter the film industry as filmmakers. The film industry is mostly dominated by men, and especially for women entering as directors, that number is very few. That is one major obstacle I will have to face in my journey to become a filmmaker, and this relates to struggling to break into the film industry. I may not be at the same level as Steven Speilberg and many of his other contemporaries, but I just want to tell stories that are worth watching. That is something Spielberg shows in "The Fabelmans" and many of his other films, and that is something I will take with me throughout my artistic journey.

If I could only watch one movie for the rest of my life, I would watch "Moonrise Kingdom" by the auteur American director Wes Anderson. "Moonrise Kingdom" tells this beautiful coming-of-age love story about a boy scout and an introverted bookworm who run away to be together on an isolated beach where the adults in their lives couldn't tell them who they needed to be. Wes Anderson is one of my favorite directors, and this is the first film of his that I saw. There are numerous reasons why I adore it so much, including the story, cinematography, and color palette. Beginning with the story, Anderson's writing style is very unique and stands out among other films. It's very snappy and quick, which brings a distinct quality to the dialogue. Looking at the overall story that Anderson is telling, it is very sweet and intimate. It isn't trying to be grand. It has a childlike quality, much like the main characters of this film. This movie is classified as a comedy, and there are numerous comedic bits to it, whether it's Edward Norton's quick wit or Bob Balaban's Jean Cousteau monologues. While the comedy in this movie is on point, there are also moments of sincerity. At the heart of this film, it is about two young children who love each other and are dedicated to one another no matter the circumstances. The cinematography in this film, as in all of Anderson's films, is very unique. Anderson's cinematography style has a reputation in the film industry and among the general public. Everything in the shot is symmetrical, whether it is a person, an object, or even scenery. He also draws heavy influence on films from '30s and '40s, which can be seen in how he shoots his films. Having such a unique cinematography is something that I really enjoy, and it adds to Anderson's vivid storytelling. The last aspect is the color palette. Anderson is known for his distinct color palette, which pairs well with his cinematography. The colors used in his films pop and are highly saturated. He uses bright reds and yellows, which are seen prominently throughout this film and many of his other works. However, he also uses a lot of pastel colors, such as pinks, blues, and greens. Everything in this film is bright and happy, and the colors reflect that and its childlike personality. However, there are also scenes where the tone darkens. Even when the scene does darken, the colors still pop and provide light in the midst of chaos. These bright colors make certain objects stand out and make each character unforgettable.

Music has meant so much to me, and I want to share that joy with others. I love performing works from various different genres and artists or composers because they each have a different story to tell and something unique to bring to the table. My favorite genre is classical music, and that is what I primarily play. When I have the opportunity to perform in public, I love performing the works of Robert and Clara Schumann, Amy Beach, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Debussy, and so many others. This can vary from solo performances or ensemble performances like orchestra, piano trios, flute choir, or wind ensembles. Much of this is instrumental, but people can still feel so many emotions behind these composers' music. An example of this is the third movement of Robert Schumann's "Fantasie in C Major." It starts with these quiet arpeggios that grows and evolves with so many raw, romantic emotions until, at last, it reaches its climax. When I perform that piece I want it to touch someone in the way in the way that it touched me when I first listened to it. However, I don't want to just play the music of my compositional heroes. I am also a composer, and I want to share the music I write with others. I want to spark so many different emotions in the people who hear my music and make them feel something that will leave them walking away feeling refreshed and whole. That is my ultimate goal, both as a composer and a performer in this field.

Writing is important to me because it allows me to express myself in ways that I may not necessarily be able to. I am able to explore different types of characters, worlds, and ideas that other mediums may not offer. This applies to so many different genres. When I am writing about real people or a historical event, I get to dive into a lot of research. I get to learn about the people, the world they were living in, how certain factors might affect the way they view the world, etc. When I wrote a short story about Bob Dylan, I got to research his life in Minnesota, why he moved to New York, why Woody Guthrie was his biggest idol, who the people he met were, why he was such an important influence on the Civil Rights movement, why he changed his name to Bob Dylan, and so many other questions like that. A screenplay I wrote about the Beatles followed similar questions, but it mostly related to the rock culture of the 1960s, the British Invasion, why the Beatles broke up, how they became so big in the first place, etc. Another example is a screenplay I wrote about Clara Schumann. I got to research her and Robert Schumann's marriage, what it was like being a female concert pianist and composer in the 1800s and in Germany, what their personalities were like, etc. I also like to write science fiction and fantasy stories. While I may not be researching true events, I can still take the research mentality that I have for my historical stories and apply it to this genre. I can research multiple different fields and apply what I have learned to my writing. I can use psychology to develop complex characters and make them human and relatable. I can research different science topics to make some of the science aspects in my science fiction stories more believable. Perhaps even the historical research I am used to can be applied to inspire certain aspects of the story's plot and be something of an allegory. Doing this research makes these make-believe stories more believable and relatable to a general audience. Writing has always been a way for me to learn about our world and its past and future. By creating these stories, I can create something new, which brings me the greatest joy. To bring stories, real or not, gives me the greatest pleasure, and to share these stories with others is something I enjoy even more and am honored to do.

Over the past few years, I have struggled with anxiety and depression. Having to deal with two illnesses, even with the help of medication, has significantly impacted my life. The way I view the world and society around me has been seen through this illness's filter. When there is an event that occurs, or there is an upcoming event, my mind will sometimes jump to the worst possible scenario. When I look at the news, I always fear the worst will happen in whatever story they are coming. When my youth pastor had to pull me and my brother aside to tell us our grandmother was in the hospital, I immediately thought that someone in my family had died. When I have to go to a youth event, I think that I might be humiliated or mocked by someone there, so I am always a little on edge. It is an unhealthy habit I have developed due to anxiety and depression. Especially when I wasn't on medication, I cut myself off from many people in my life. I shrunk into this place that I thought was comforting at the time, but it only isolated me even more than before. I lost friends from middle school because of this, and I avoided contact with my youth group at the time. Many of the people I cut off I haven't spoken to since the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Some of these people I wish I didn't push away from me, but there are others who I cut off that I think helped me sort myself out personally and emotionally. However, as the years progressed and my anxiety and depression worsened, it put a strain on my relationship with my parents. They weren't sure what to do with me or my illness. I knew they were worried, but they didn't know where to begin to give me help that they themselves were already giving. Inside, I knew something wasn't right. I wanted to be happy and at peace, but all I felt was unrest and despair. My condition worsened, and I began to consider taking my own life. This stemmed from thinking that I wasn't enough or that what I did wasn't worth it. I felt like if I took my life, it wouldn't make a difference in the world and that it might, in fact, benefit some people in my life, but that wasn't true at all. There were people in my life - friends, family, teachers, and other acquaintances - who would be affected by that decision I'd make. After this incident, I was placed in counseling and prescribed an anti-depressant. Soon, I began to notice a change within myself. I started to feel happy and at peace. I began to look back and heal some wounds that contributed to my anxiety and depression. While I still sometimes experience periods of extreme anxiety and depression, I now have ways to deal with it, and I am getting better every day. For my future career, I want to be a writer-director and composer. I love telling stories about people, especially people who have gone through circumstances such as myself. Writing and telling stories about the human psyche is something that has always captivated me, and it has also been a type of therapy for me to work out my own mental health issues. Music is a way I can communicate my emotions to others, and because music is a universal language, words and translations are not needed to explain what I experience within. I want my art - whether it be through writing, film, or music - to show those who are also struggling with mental health illnesses that everything will be alright and that there is hope for a better tomorrow. Things will get brighter, and there are people who are there for them.

Recently, I've been really into the Wes Anderson short films that were released in September 2023. They are based on a set of short stories that Roald Dahl wrote, and I have been watching them non-stop. Previously, the director, Wes Anderson, had done "The Fantastic Mr. Fox" in 2009, which I have also seen multiple times, and when these short films came out, I was interested in seeing what he would do with it; in interviews, he had said that they were a challenge to adapt and do the original source and author justice. The set of four short films stars six actors, Ralph Fiennes (who plays Roald Dahl and several small roles), Benedict Cumberbatch, Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley, Richard Ayoade, and Rupert Friend, who are well-known and well-respected by many. I would like to start by saying that I am a huge Wes Anderson fan. I must say that Wes is an acquired taste, but for me, he is a director I look up to as an aspiring writer and filmmaker. I enjoy his writing and filmmaking style because of how unique it is. Many describe as an auteur of his craft. His films are always bright and colorful, and the camera is always centered, which makes his films stand out from others. These short films utilized something that he started using in his 2021 film "The French Dispatch" which is filming it as if watching a play (elements of this can also be seen in his 2023 film "Asteroid City"). The sets move around, and the prop department, make-up and hair department, and stagehands are clearly seen. This sometimes means that there are very long shots, which can be very difficult to pull off, but they are accomplished seamlessly. These short films also utilize practical effects from the 30s and 40s and stop-motion animation, which I find to be very interesting. For some scenes, the character will use a wooden box that is painted to look like the surrounding environment, which gives the effect that the person is levitating. Stop-motion animation is blatantly used in one short film for a rat on a filling station, which was pulled off really well, and, at least from my own understanding, is used in another for a swan in a lake and a boy in a tree. The writing style for these short films I am also really fascinated by. It's like many of Wes' other movies where the dialogue is very quick and very snappy. However, what I find interesting about these short films is that it directly pulls from Dahl's own writing. Essentially, the character's dialogue is them narrating the story while also talking with each other. Each of these short films - The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, The Swan, The Rat Catcher, and Poison - are phenomenally well made and are definitely worth watching.

@aubry.wilhelm

This is a video of me performing "Kinderszenen (Scenes from Childhood) Op. 15, No. 1: Von fremden Ländern und Menschen (Of Foreign Lands and People)" by Robert Schumann. https://youtu.be/BoTN27s1oOY This is a short film I made on anxiety and depression using John Lennon's song "Look At Me" as the premise. https://youtu.be/QxbdhF-iNrY

Music and art have played a huge and important part in my life. For me, music and art can affect people in a way that is indescribable and often in ways other mediums can't. Music is a primary way I express myself and share ideas and emotions with a broader audience. Playing for people is something I enjoy. Music can stir something within people that other mediums of art can't. When I play the works of Schumann, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Sibelius, Mendelssohn, Mozart, and many others on piano or flute, I try to express to the audience so many complex emotions and ideas that often can not be expressed through speech or written words. As much as I love playing the works of others, I also like playing my own music. On occasion, I will compose short pieces for piano. Through these short pieces, I express a part of myself. I express anger that rages within me. I express the joy that runs through my veins, and I express the sadness that overflows from my soul. On top of just those three emotions, there are so many others: nostalgia, melancholy, depression, peace, enthusiasm, calm, etc. Through the works I create or the works of others, I want to express these emotions and many more. I want, foremost, to entertain, but I also want to tell stories through music and to stir within my audience something that will last forever. People are beings that feel, and music can explore the emotions that are either ever-present or are suppressed and locked away.