One of the most metamorphic experiences that I've had thus far in high school was last spring, when I played on my school's Unified Basketball team with a couple of my friends who are in the learning disability/compensatory education program at our school. Although I will never claim to be a basketball star, the season was incredibly engaging, and I can't wait to participate again this year. Over the course of the spring, I got to know each individual on the team as a person. Each and every person had incredible morale and a great deal of talent. One of my teammates, a boy who was my age, could hit astonishing shots from half-court, but instead of gloating, he would make sure to include the whole team in his success, cheering everyone on and giving high-fives all around. A girl on the team, who was a year younger than me, was an impeccable play-maker; she would get the ball to the open player every time, without fail. Each of these players inspired me, and they drew me even closer to the program than I had been. Towards the end of the season, a friend on the team and I realized that two of the students on the team were Seniors, and that they would soon be graduating. We wanted to show how much they meant to the team, and that we would miss them greatly; so, alongside our coach, we organized a Senior Night for them. Our coach ordered balloons and streamers, while my friend and I made posters for each of the two boys, filled with pictures that encompassed their high school experiences. We spent hours gluing down photos and aligning the names and outlines to ensure that they looked perfect for the game. We wanted to make sure that the boys would feel appreciated and make a memory that would last forever. On the day of the game, my friend and I picked up the balloons and decorations on Main Street and walked up to the school with our posters tucked under our arms and unrestrained smiles stretching across our faces. We set up the gymnasium and waited for the athletes with anticipation. I will never forget the looks of joy that revealed themselves on the Seniors' faces that day. The second they walked in, they noticed the decorations, but they weren't entirely sure of what they were for yet. As each player got ready to play the final game of the season, I could feel the excitement fill the room. Then, just before the game started up, the Seniors' ceremony began. Our principal congratulated the boys, and we brought out their posters. I cannot speak to how each of the two felt on the inside, but on the outside, all I could see was pure glee. This moment, their moment of happiness, is one of the most memorable of my life; I have never felt such delight from the emotions or experiences of others as I did that day. I truly hope that I impacted my teammates, because the truth is, they changed and inspired me. I aspire to one day have the talent of the team, the drive of the students, the respectfulness of the people, and the amicable spirit of my friends.

Throughout my life, I have noticed a major trend that I tend to follow en route to little successes. Whether it be winning a soccer game or finishing an essay or teaching my little sister how to speak Spanish, I am always sure to envision the outcome before I try to reach it. Every day on my walk to school, as I blast "Kings of Leon" in my ears to drown out the sound of traffic, rhythmic visions of what I will accomplish during that day appear in my head. To the beat of 'Molly's Chambers' I envision myself making a game-saving tackle, with the adrenaline filled sound of 'Sex on fire' I envision myself flying through my argumentative paper or Pre-calc test, by the flow of 'Golden Restless Age', I envision my little sister growing up understanding the community around her due to the foundations that we built together for her in the Spanish language. Overall, as I see it, a healthy amount of will and music motivate me to accomplish my goals on a daily basis; a powerful mixture balanced mix of both allow me to excel in whichever area I need to.

When I think about legacy, I think about my grandma's grandfather, my great-great-grandfather, who built a life and legacy that has lasted to this day. When my great-great-grandfather was 13, he was living through the great depression, and, as the only person in his family who had a job (as a sanitation worker for the town), he was supporting the very people who had raised him. When he lost that job, his family, my ancestors, were devastated, but through effort and hard work, he quickly put himself back into the workplace and fought to continue to provide for his loved ones. The dedication and devotion that my great-great-grandfather exemplified have inspired me to build a legacy of my own. In my life, two of the most important things to me are the environment and my family. Contributing to the creation of a world that will be healthy enough for future generations to survive in is a key part of my life, a goal that I hope others share. That's why my legacy will be in STEM, working to create solutions for various environmental problems and side-effects, such as water potability, clean energy, water desalination, and more. My legacy will be as a creator, on the front lines, fighting against the oncoming environmental crisis. My legacy will be as someone helping to undo the damage that humanity has done to its only home. My legacy will be as someone working to make a difference.

In order to enact positive change in my community, I have become an avid volunteer worker in my small town. Amongst other things, I teach kids how to speak Spanish over the summer, I volunteer at my local thrift store, I help out at the town soccer clinic, and I clean up the streets and river beaches alongside my environmental group. I feel like being an active community member has not only helped me to grow as a person, but has also allowed me to help create a safe and healthy environment for my neighbors and friends. As I help to lay the foundation for a brighter future in my small riverside community, I hope to inspire those I am surrounded by to do the same. By working with kids in Spanish as well as at the soccer clinic, I hope to encourage them to do the same when they're my age. By cleaning up my town I hope that others see and decide to join the cause or pay it forward. By volunteering at the IFCA thrift store, I hope to instill hope in those going through hard times. In every activity I engage in within my community, I want to affect positive change by sharing my hope with others, because my town deserves it.

My dream life is one that I believe will fulfill my happiness, as well as help to better our world. As I've grown, I've realized quite a few things about myself; I don't need a lot to be happy, and I need to accept myself before I see any true positive change. As I pursue my goals (career-wise), I hope to find my niche within the field of environmental engineering. I dream of working alongside prominent researchers within said field to develop sustainable technology that will promote the health and longevity of our planet. I don't plan on being Bill Gates or Elon Musk, but I want to be able to earn a good salary so that I can travel the world, take risks, promote environmental health, and find myself. As I move around, creating change, I hope to have grown to accept myself for who I truly am, to have maintained my strong feminist beliefs, and to have found people who support me and form a healthy environment for my mental health. Overall, I don't wish for a lavish life--it seems a bit over the top--, I just want to make a difference in the way that matters to me.

One piece of technology that inspires me about the way in which technology can make the world a better place is the camera. When the first 'camera' was invented in 1816 by Joseph Nicéphore Niépc, I doubt that he had any idea of the great impact that his heliographic technique--using paper sensitized with silver chloride and light to create a partial image--would have. A few tweaks later, the camera grew to become a quintessential part of the average person's daily life. Memories, laughter, growth; all have been captured on camera. The development of the camera allowed for the expression of art and feeling through a new medium. In addition to the beauty that this invention allowed for, it also had many practical applications: evidence, tracking, monitoring, and more. The camera created tangible evidence that would help to put away criminals, it allowed emergency personnel to track and find missing citizens, it allowed for the monitoring of scientific development, such as plant growth. The camera changed the way that society functions, creating new methods to utilize when approaching various problems. This invention helped to shape the world as we know it, and showed me that it, along with other technology, has truly helped to improve our society. I personally realized the importance of the camera the first time I held a real one--a Nikon D7000--, and since then, I have captured the most essential moments of my life; my little sister's birth, my parents' 25th anniversary, my grandfather's first day out of the hospital, and so many more. Whilst my main goal in life is to go on to invent something that carries the same effect as Niépc's creation, I know that photography has had such a major impact on me that I will do so with a camera by my side. Overall, while many different technologies have changed or bettered our lives, the camera has been a stand out invention since it was first introduced. Without it, who's to say what the world would look like today? The camera has truly made the world a better place, and it is an exemplary model for other innovative minds who hope to create something outstanding.