The phrase "life long learner" doesn't just apply to classroom education. Life long learning includes training for a new job, starting a new hobby, googling more about a topic that interests you, as well as a million other things. I have always thought of myself of a life long learner not only because I love to immerse myself in the world of education, but also because I am constantly learning more about this life I live, and how to navigate its many ups and downs. On this journey of learning, I have had to come to terms with a lot of difficult life lessons. There have been challenges in my life that I never thought I would face, and I have learned more from those challenges than I ever thought possible. One of my most difficult lessons to learn - it took me more than a few tries to finally accept the reality - was that no matter how hard you work, you can't always win... and "losing" can still mean you are doing your best. I have always prided myself on being a hard worker, and as such, I have quite often found myself as being the "winner" of things that weren't really competitions, but that I had made up as competitions in my mind. I graduated as a Valedictorian from my high school, I was the best goalie on my lacrosse team, I entered the honors college at my university, I was the president of our Panhellenic association... the list goes on. I pushed myself to be the best in absolutely everything that I could when it came to academics, social situations, extra circulars and relationships. I was convinced that if I worked the hardest and did the most and had the most friends that I would be considered the "best", and that being the best would finally make me happy with myself. But it should come as no surprise to you that I wasn't able to be the best at everything. I didn't get elected as the president of my sorority. I didn't graduate top of my class in the honors college. I didn't get the job I wanted right out of undergrad. I wasn't voted most likely to succeed within my graduating class. I didn't win the grants I applied for to help pay for graduate school. I was never asked to be a research fellow in the university Anthropology lab. There were things that I absolutely thrived in... and then there were things that I just couldn't be the "best" at. No matter how hard I worked, there were some things that weren't going to be made for me. And boy, was that a tough pill to swallow. Although it was hard when i finally realized in college that I couldn't be the best at everything, it was also liberating. I had been pushing myself to be the best in everything that I possibly could be my entire life, and I was losing who I was as a person because I wasn't prioritizing the things that I actually wanted to do. I was stretching myself thin to try to be super woman at everything, when I could have just been enjoying the things that I actually enjoyed. Even though it was a process, realizing that being the best at everything is possible nor is it really important at all has been liberating. I am working towards being proud of myself as long as I know I do my personal best, and my happiness has increased ten fold because of it.

I have written a lot of these scholarships about my career goals; I feel like that is usually what the prompt wants, and so I do my best to deliver. However, I have another goal that I think is almost more important than that career goal, even though they do go hand in hand. I want to be financially stable. I want to have my loans paid off and be able to help my husband support our family. I want to always know where my next meal is coming from and that the electric bill will get paid. I don't want to have to live paycheck to paycheck... that is one of my big goals. Since starting graduate school, things have been really tight. The reality of needing to pay back loans in the future is looming ever closer, the financial burden of planning a wedding and helping my fiancé pay for his graduate program as well, and pursuing a program based out of one of the most expensive cities in the country have all been aspects of my life weighing my down and causing more panic than I would like. I work two jobs, save every penny that I possibly can, get free groceries from stores that have expired, and do my best to invest in my future. Every struggle I go through financially puts me one step closer to achieving that goal, but it doesn't come without sacrifice; missing out on the fun aspects of city living like eating out and going to bars and events has really had a toll on my mental health, but I am reaching towards the day it all pays off. I hope I will look back at this season of my life and be proud that I made it.

To me, the best way to live a long and healthy life is to fall in love with walking. It sounds silly, I know, but I have been so much more active since I started going on walks; it has spurred me to want to be more physically active, it gets me outside to get some fresh air, it helps me clear my head and work through negative emotions, as well as so many other things. I love going on walks, and I think falling in love with walking has started me on a path to living a long, healthy life. When I moved, I was trying to figure out a bus schedule to commute to my new job. It wasn't too far from where I lived, but it was a 35-minute walk, which felt way too long for me. I couldn't imagine walking an hour and 10 minutes round trip every day I went to work. Flash forward to a negative experience on the bus one day, and my mind had changed. I started walking not only to work but everywhere that I went... and I fell in love with it. I loved the time to myself and I loved how my body felt after I moved it. I would show up to work in a better mood, I would make myself healthier food to fuel myself for my walks, and I was getting about triple the physical activity than I would before. If I missed a workout, I didn't feel bad about it because I knew I still moved my body that day. Starting to walk where I needed to go changed my mindset in so many ways, and I think it is going to be my personal key to living a long, healthy life.

To me, being a friend means genuinely caring about someone regardless of what they can do for you. Being a friend means always being there for someone and never expecting them to "make it up to you". Being an actual friend, a genuine friend, a true friend, means being selfless in your actions. If someone is only there for you when it benefits them, then they aren't your friend. I have had a lot of people in my life in the past who have only been friends with me for personal gain. I feel like we have all had a handful of people like that in our lives. Some people were only friends with me so I would help them with schoolwork. Some people were only friends with me because they wanted to date my brother. Some people were only friends with me because they thought I had other connections that would benefit them. Those people weren't friends. They were aquaintances. They were people in my life, but not people I would have had at my wedding, per se. To me, friendship really comes down to selflessness, and everyone deserves those kinds of friends.

One of my mantras recently has been "My now doesn't need to be my later". It is something I tell myself when I am feeling stuck in my job, uninspired with the results of my most recent decisions, or really just unhappy with how things are going. I to keep myself open to the fact that the "Me" of today won't be the "Me" of tomorrow; after all, the Averi of tomorrow has had more experience on this planet than the Averi of today... so she should be a little different. That is how I keep my growth mindset. I don't put myself on any timeline and don't like to maintain rigid expectations for the process of my life. I am not navigating life on a linear path. I am constantly learning and reevaluating the choices I make and changing course depending on what I think will be able to best serve me for my future goals. What I thought was a great idea yesterday, might not seem like the best idea a week from now, and that is okay! As long as I allow myself to change course - as long as I navigate the roadblock and don't come to a full stop - I am still moving forward. My now certainly does not need to be my later. And if my growth is any indication, my now is wonderful, but my later will be even better.

My goal in life is to be truly fulfilled. My way of doing that is through my education and my career. I feel my happiest when I know I am making a difference; this desire has drawn me to the public sector, and more specifically, to museums. In order to achieve that dream of working within a museum space, I needed to get a Master's degree to learn how to effectively navigate that world and bring the most that I can to the organizations I wish to serve - so that is what I am doing. I moved across the country (who doesn't love a new adventure?) to chase these opportunities in the museum field. I used to be timid within museum spaces. I used to feel like I didn't belong, and I had a hard time allowing myself to take up space within museums, even as a kid. I wish I would have been empowered to embrace these institutions and to use the resources that were offered to me... but I wasn't. I know I can connect with these communities that felt isolated and disconnected. I know I can make education exciting. I know I can be a benefit to the museum field... so I am going out and doing it. I have done a lot of thinking and a lot of exploring different career paths. If you would have asked me a year and a half ago, I wouldn't have been able to tell you where I wanted to land. Now, I can confidently tell you that I want to land in the education department of a museum, potentially even the director of a Children's museum. That is because I know these institutions make a difference through their education initiatives, but I also know there is a lot of room to grow. I want to be a part of that growth. I foresee my future being one where I have a hand in building educational programs for children and members of my community. I foresee my efforts empowering children and even adults to learn and explore new things within the world in which we live. I foresee myself working within organizations that help grow the community in meaningful and beneficial ways. I foresee myself using museum resources to partner with school systems and local community groups and other organizations that help bring life-changing and maybe just fun and interesting educational initiatives to the people we serve. I foresee myself changing the lives of the people that I touch through the public sector, and I am absolutely thrilled. I am going to feel fulfilled through fulfilling others. That is my dream, and I am going to do that through museums.

When I was around 11 years old, my grandmother moved in with us. She had been put on oxygen and could no longer fully take care of herself. The oxygen tanks were too heavy and getting all of the household chores done was just too much for her body to take every day. She wasn't thrilled about having to leave her home, but I was thrilled that my best friend was moving in with us. From that day on for the next two years, my grandmother would wait for me every day after school and we would go sit on her bed and talk about my day. She would ask me about class and linch period and if any of the boys had a crush on me. We would sit in her room and talk and giggle for hours simply enjoying time together. She passed away right before I turned 13, and it was those moments with her that I missed - and absolutely still miss - the most. It wasn't one specific memory with my grandmother that has stuck with me; it is a combination of all of the little ones. My grandma showed me that life really is about those simple, everyday moments. It is the cup of morning coffee, the hug shared with your sibling, the walk on the way to work, and the sound of the crickets outside of your window before you fall asleep. My grandma taught me that the moments we end up cherishing the most aren't the big birthdays or weddings or promotions; it is the small conversations and the feelings of love. My memories with my grandmother taught me to soak it all in and to live life for the day-to-day... and I'm so thankful that she did.

I have been living my life as an independent woman for many years now. I have been paying my bills, buying my food, making my own dinner, attending class, making my own schedules, working multiple jobs, and really just being in charge of my own life since I was about 20 years old. To me, independence is simply the fact of living life on my own terms and conditions. Now, that doesn't mean that everything will be wonderful and amazing all of the time. I will be the first to tell you, living with my parents would be a lot easier. I would have fewer expenses, I would probably only need to have one job, I could have actual days off, I could share groceries... things would just be easier. However, easier doesn't mean more fulfilling, and that is what I really get from independence. I have always loved the mental reward of knowing that I completed something. I love checking something off of my list and knowing that I got done what I needed to get done. If I stayed living with my parents and being able to split bills with them I wouldn't really have gotten that same sense of fulfillment - the sense that I really did it, and I did it of my own volition. So, independence gives me fulfillment. Independence might make my life a little bit more challenging, but it gives me the satisfaction of knowing that I did it. Independence is something in my life I can be proud of, so I wouldn't change it for the world... even if it would be a little bit easier.

This might seem silly, but I compost. I know, I know. Everyone should be composting. Everyone should be recycling and reducing waste. I know that composting doesn't make me special or a superstar. However, I think we need to start celebrating these very tangible and accessible ways to help save the planet and solve our climate crisis. The climate crisis is a big issue and the idea of fixing it or of making an impact can be incredibly overwhelming for everyday people like me; we feel like we can't make any kind of difference, so why even try? Well, little choices add up. The little things we do without everyday life change the world around us one little drop in the bucket at a time. Can you imagine how much better off our climate would be if every single person who had the ability to compost simply did it? And I am not talking about buying one of those fancy tabletop composters or even having one of the big bins outside in the backyard. Not everyone has the money or space to support these options. I am talking about my composting... I have a coffee can that sits on my counter. A coffee can with a plastic lid that I throw my food scraps in. I have been doing it long enough so my can is a little slimy and gross, but man oh man it composts well. When it gets full, I go to my local community garden and throw it in their main compost. If I didn't have a community garden, maybe my city has a program. Maybe a neighbor has a garden. Maybe a university has a composting program. Start small and take steps. It's doable. So, I might not be saving the world, but I'm composting.

Celebrating the big moments in life can be really exciting and wonderful. Weddings, new babies, promotions, graduations, buying your first home, and so many other milestones can be some of the most thrilling moments in life. However, if we live life milestone by milestone, and we don't stop to celebrate the little moments, we will miss out on so many of the good parts. I love the smell of coffee in the morning. It reminds me of childhood mornings with my mom and dad rushing around and getting us ready for school; it is nostalgic. I love the feeling of a cold breeze on my face. It makes my skin tingle and my lungs feel full; it is exhilarating. I love the smell of the yellow-cap Downey fabric softener and how it makes my comforter feel when I sleep underneath it for the first time after a wash. It makes me feel safe like when my mom used to cuddle with me under the blankets; it is comforting. I love wearing a dress on a warm day. It makes me feel free and confident and beautiful like the main character in a romantic movie; it is playful. I love rubbing the ear of my childhood stuffed animal on my cheek like I did when I was young. It makes me feel like a kid again; it is reassuring. These in-between moments make me happy. There are only so many milestones we can achieve in this one life we have. They are all a part of the journey of life, but they shouldn't be the only things we find our happiness in. It is those in-between moments that are really special, and that really reminds you what it feels like to be alive.

There are a lot of things in this world that make me happy. However, what brings me true joy and happiness is when I am able to make someone else happy. I have always struggled with looking on the bright side of life. I have the tendency to perseverate on the negatives and to tear myself and my accomplishments apart piece by piece until I am left with nothing but emptiness and disappointment. When I recognized this about myself, it was a turning point. I realized that I needed to be uplifted not only by my own words but also by others. I needed to reach out for encouragement and support, but it took me a while to realize that. If I would have had that support earlier, who knows what kind of happiness I could have found in my challenging moments. Because I struggled with happiness, I now get joy from spreading happiness to others; I find joy in bringing happiness to others because I wish someone would have gone out of their way to do that for me. It makes me happy to give out genuine compliments. It makes me happy to share the accomplishments of others and celebrate their achievements. It makes me happy to be a good listener and to help people through their hard times. It makes me happy to know that I am putting a smile on someone's face or helping with some burden they face. I find happiness in bringing happiness to others, and I wish I had realized that sooner. My mom used to always sing the song "love grows where my Rosemary goes" to me when I was a child, but she would replace Rosemary with my name and now I try to make that reality... and that makes me happy.

At this point in my life, self-care is hard. Self-care is something that I often let slip by the wayside, but I am trying to get better. I am trying to learn how to take care of my heart and mind in new and accessible ways for myself, and here are some of the ways how. Recently, I am drinking tea while I try to wind down at the end of the day. I am taking time and slowing down at night time and letting myself embrace the simple, warm beverage. I am letting myself feel soothed in the same way that tea used to soothe me when my mother would brew it for both of us after a long day when I was a teenager. I am trying to let those memories calm me in the same way they used to. I am also reading more. I am letting myself fade away into the fantasy world of Tolkien and escape reality one page at a time. That brain break allows me to relax and recenter. It allows me to let my mind wander and use my imagination in ways I am not often able to within my academic responsibilities. I am letting the joy of being away from a screen fully wash over me, and it has been feeling really wonderful. I am not great at the whole self-care thing, but I am doing my best. I have never been a face-ask person, nor am I the kind of person to take a bubble bath or write in a gratitude journal. However, I am doing my best, and right now my best is working out. My self-care might now be the most elaborate, but it is simple. And right now, my busy mind thrives with the simple.

I am passionate about being a great partner. My fiancé is currently in graduate school like I am. He is in his final year of Pharmacy school, and boy is he stressed about it. He is constantly studying and putting in hours of work to make sure he is the best student and best Pharmacist that he can be. I am incredibly proud of him, and I know he is making large sacrifices for his career and for our future family. I know he is giving so much of himself to his education right now, and I know that he needs my support. I am so incredibly passionate about being by his side and doing everything that I can to encourage him not only because he deserves it, but because relationships take work and dedication and there is nobody else I would want to do that work with. My parents have a wonderful, supportive relationship. They are loving and caring and encouraging as partners, and they have both grown as people because of it. Fostering a solid relationship with your partner will not only benefit them but will also make you grow into the best version of yourself that you can be. Being with my fiancé not only makes me want to be the best and most supportive partner I can be, but also just the best person I can be. My fiancé has always and will always be my rock, and that makes me want to be his rock. He will always be my best friend, and I want to make sure I am the best partner for him as well. I love him, and I am passionate about being the best partner because he deserves it, and I know I deserve it too.

I love the word "joy". Just saying the word brings about positive feelings and clears my mind. Simply thinking about the notion of joy lightens my heart and brings a little sparkle to my eyes. Joy is truly an amazing feeling... and in a lot of moments, it is a choice. I used to think that "choose joy" was a saying as trite as they come. However, I have learned through my graduate school experience that the grind never really stops, and finding joy in the small moments that you can is a choice and not something you happen upon. When you are speel deprived, overworked, and simply fried from pushing yourself with work and school and extracurriculars and internships and trying to have a social life, everything can feel overwhelming and frankly, joyless. In those moments when it feels like life is just too much, you have to choose joy, and you have to choose it very intentionally. I choose to find joy in my morning cup of coffee. I choose to find joy in the sunrise and the san Francisco breeze. I choose to find joy in wearing my favorite sweatshirt to class and in using my pink pen that glides on the page. I choose to find joy in the little things that I experience every day, and my life is better because of it. I have learned that intentionally choosing joy is important for me, and it has gotten me through a lot of tough times. Right now, as I type this, I am choosing to find joy in the opportunity to pursue scholarships and speak my truth through these essays. It might be small in the grand scheme of things, but little choices add up and can lead to a life overflowing with joy.

I am brave... and I love that about myself. It has been said a million times in a handful of different ways; bravery isn't the absence of fear, but simply not letting that fear stop you. My parents raised me to dream big. They raised me to go after what I wanted no matter how scary that risk of failure and the unknowns might be. My parents taught me that if my dreams weren't at least a little bit scary, I wasn't thinking big enough... and boy I took them seriously. When I was 19, I moved to Chicago, and that terrified me. Chicago was a city I have dreamed of living in since I was a little girl, but the big city was something I was completely unfamiliar with. I had no idea what to expect and it was my first time living away from home. I moved away to chase a childhood dream and I was terrified... but I am so glad I did it. In Chicago, I pursued a degree that people told me not to. I did it anyway. And I am glad I did. I moved across the country to live in San Francisco - another city I had always dreamed of - and I was so nervous. But I did it anyway, and I am beyond glad that I did. Once I make a decision I believe in, I stick with it no matter scary the unknowns are. I am one of the bravest people I know, and I am so proud of it. There are so many things in my life I would have missed out on if I let fear change my mind. But my parents taught me to be brave, and I am beyond thankful that they did.

I think the meaning of life is different for different people. To me though, the meaning of life is finding joy in as many of my experiences as I can... even the seemingly insignificant ones. There are a lot of mundane moments in the lives that we live. There are many mornings where I eat the same bowl of oatmeal, make the same cup of coffee, and take the same route to work as I have for so many days in a row. So many pieces of our day-to-day are repetitive and expected; not everything we do can be a grand adventure or an exciting new experience. However, it is learning to find the peace and joy in these little daily moments that make us - makes me - feel alive. I try to feel joy every time I taste my coffee in the morning - my favorite beverage. I smile every time I look at myself in the mirror and see my smile lines - a recognition of that joy. I attempt to find peace and beauty in every sunrise and sunset, no matter how many times I have seen it rise and fall behind the same tree line. Life goes by too quickly to ignore all of the joy within these small moments. To truly live in the moment, to truly experience life, to truly embrace my personal meaning and purpose, I need to embrace that joy. To me, that is the meaning of life, and I will strive for that joy every single day.

I like to embroider. I like to sing. I like to thrift shop. I like to watch movies. I like to cook. There are many things I would consider hobbies. I have always been someone who liked to dabble in many things and who likes to spread my interest around so as to not get bored. I play the saxophone. I do nail art. I read fantasy novels. I create fun photo edits. I play cards with my friends. I do yoga. I go for runs. I have never been the kind of person who can focus on one thing. I like to learn new things and I like to constantly be growing and changing and adapting and exploring. Because of this, I have picked up a lot of hobbies along the way, and I plan on picking up more as I go through this beautiful and unpredictable life. I write poetry. I crochet mittens. I dabble with blogging. I play around with makeup. I am teaching myself Spanish. I bake cookies. I rollerblade. I am a jack of all trades and a master of none... but that is the way I like it. Doing a lot of different things for fun is what brings a spark to my life, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I am always on the move and my soul is always on the lookout for something new and fun to learn. I keep myself on my toes, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I will be the first person to admit that relaxation is now one of my strengths. I am constantly caught up in the fast-paced world that we live in and am always looking towards the next thing and the next and the next. However, despite my desire to constantly be on the go and my emphasis on productivity, there are still days where I recognize the need to sit back and truly relax... as hard as that concept can be for me. When I need a day to unwind and calm my mind, I always (and I really do mean always) start my morning with yoga and meditation. There isn't much in this world that can truly quiet the buzz going on in my mind, but spending some time alone with my body on my yoga mat is what gets me to that calm place. Focusing on my breath, feeling the connection between my mind and my muscles, and letting the stress of the day and the responsibilities of life flow out of my mind for even just an hour does so much good for my overall mental health. Even though it is sometimes hard to get myself to start the day on that mat, I feel so much lighter and clear-headed afterward. When I need to relax, some yoga and meditation are what I can always count on to help me truly unwind.

My best skill is my time management. I can take any chaotic and jampacked week and schedule myself down to the minute with travel time, food breaks, and whatever else I need to accomplish my tasks. I thrive on a busy schedule, and I can only do that effectively when I schedule out and manage my time well... so I have definitely gotten good at it over the years. I say all of this - and don't get me wrong, I am organized to the nines - but the pandemic really did throw a little wrench in my methods. The uncertainty revolving around future plans and the inability to really form any type of schedule on a consistent basis had me slipping into the habit of procrastination; I knew I would have time the next day, so I stopped scheduling myself and pushed things off. For a while, it worked out okay. Once the world started picking back up though... boy oh boy I needed to snap back into my routines. So, I have started using my planner again (don't worry, it is fully color-coded). I have started scheduling my workouts and meal-prepping again. I have started organizing my time in a way that makes me feel accomplished, busy enough, as well as fulfilled knowing I am getting everything done that I need to. I am improving this skill by simply practicing it every day. It would be so easy to fall off the wagon and just let my days pass by doing tasks as they come my way, but I know I wouldn't thrive. Every time I am intentional with my planning, it becomes more of a habit. It becomes easier. It becomes more second nature. I improve one color-coded week at a time.

This might seem silly, but I try to take myself to a new world whenever I walk. I live in San Francisco, and because it is such a small city, I walk everywhere I go. I walk to work. I walk to class. I work to my tutoring. I walk to my voulnteering. When I want to go somewhere a little further I walk to the bus stop three blocks from my apartment. I am always walking. Because I am always walking, it takes up a large portion of my day; I spend a lot of time simply traveling from point a to point b. In order to make those moments more exciting... I use a little imagination. When I am on a walk further than a few blocks, I decide it's an adventure, and I write myself a little story in my head. I picture a different landscape, dress the people in different clothes, and sometimes pretend that the cars are horse-drawn carriages with members of the nobility who could afford such luxury. Sometimes I am in the middle ages, sometimes I am exploring a jungle, sometimes I am wandering a hidden garden - it all depends on how I'm feeling. So, I use my creativity to take myself to new places every single day; every time I actually am in the process of taking myself someplace. I use creativity to explore while I am simply going about my usual day-to-day. I use creativity to spice up the routines and make the repetitive aspects of my life more exciting.

My niece gives me hope. My niece is my best friend. She is five years old, sweeter than a chocolate bar, sassier than any five year old has any business being, smart as a whip, and cute as a button. She is my world and then some. When I look at her little face and see the joy in those eyes, I can't help but be excited about her future. I can't help but want to share the world with her. I have no choice but to be hopeful for the future... because my niece, and all of the little kiddos out there, deserve it. Growing up, I was always taught to leave things better than how you found them. If you went to the beach and there was some trash washed ashore, you picked it up. If you were making food in the kitchen and the sink already had dishes from the night before, you cleaned them. If you were camping and someone made a mess of the fire ring, you put it back together. I would say that most people try to apply this philosophy to the world at large; we want to leave this planet, economy, and society better than we found them for the generations that come after us. I have always thought this way, but it didn't really hit close to home until I became an aunt. After that, it became my main priority. I want the next generations to thrive. I want them to experience beautiful nature, prosperous economies and live without fear of war or poverty. I want my niece to grow up and come into adulthood knowing that she has a future, and not being uncertain of the state of the world like many of us are now. In order for that to happen, we need to put in a lot of work, but there is no energy and vigor for such a large undertaking unless we maintain our hope. So I have hope for the future because of my niece. I have hope for the future because I have to; I have hope for the future because there is a lot of work to do, and I am ready and willing to do it. When I wake up in the morning and try to do right by the world, I think of my niece. I think of her future. I think of all the things I can do to make a difference... and I work, I advocate... and I hope.

I have always said that my happy place is in a forest somewhere, lost in a sea of trees. There is something really special about the woods; something enchanting that takes your breath away while simultaneously filling your lungs with fresh air and your heart with a renewed spirit. There is something so peaceful yet so invigorating about staring up at the stars on a clear night and listening to the crickets chirp all around you. When people say they want to go out and connect with nature, I think that is true... but I think nature more so helps us re-connect with ourselves. The society we live in is incredibly fast-paced and task-driven. You go to work, complete your duties for the day, go to the grocery store, complete your workouts, cook for your family, finish the laundry, cash your paycheck, go out to eat with the neighbors, mow the lawn, and so on and so on and so on. Our lives tend to click on one task after the other so quickly that we forget to stop and appreciate it; we get lost in the business that we don't allow ourselves to breathe in the beauty that comes with simply being alive. Although "nature" means different things to different people, getting outside and connecting yourself with it - whether that is laying outside on a lawn, surfing in the ocean, listening to the birds, or hiking a mountain - gives us a chance to step away from the noise. It gives us a chance to embrace the simplicities of living, and to enjoy the breath filling our body and the sensations of just living. If I didn't have nature as an escape, I would lose myself to our busy society... and I know I'm not the only one.

Studying has always been difficult for me. I was a high achiever in high school, so I never really learned the foundational study tactics that you tend to pick up as a teenager. Instead, I was thrust into the college atmosphere and forced to sink or swim. To be honest, it was touch and go there for a while... but I eventually figured it out. The only thing that consistently works for me when it comes to studying isn't an actual method or technique. I don't rely on exclusively flashcards or highlighters or a set time structure. In fact, my method for studying tends to vary a large amount depending on the content. However, no matter what I am studying for, in order for me to really focus, I need to have someone there with me to hold me accountable; I NEED a study buddy. In my undergraduate studies, study buddies were easy to come by. It wasn't hard to convince a friend to go to the library to go over notes with you before a big exam. In graduate school, where everyone is busy with work and families and other commitments outside of the program... well it's a lot harder. Thankfully, we live in a world where there is facetime, and I have a loving fiancé who is always willing to be my study buddy, albeit virtually. It might not be the most conventional study technique, but it works for me. Having another face on the other end of my laptop for some reason helps me stay focused, and you know what they say... if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

I struggle when people ask me about my goals... because frankly, I have a lot of them. I have never been the kind of person that pictured a linear path for myself. By that, I mean I never saw life as being one step after another as gradual progressions towards a goal. Instead, I see every decision as contributing to a different piece of life's adventures. Going to school is helping my adventure into the museum field. Getting engaged is one step towards the adventure of marriage. Moving to San Fransisco is one more city to check off of the bucket list. I have a lot of goals. Not all of them career-oriented. Not all of them are realistically measurable. Not all of them are things I am working on at this moment. I want to live in Boston someday. I want to run an education department in a children's museum. I want to be married. I want to learn how to garden. I want to have a fruitful and loving marriage. I want to be a regular at a local bar. I want to own a rescue farm. I want to learn how to crochet mittens. I want to be a good mom. I want to make a difference in my local community. I want to inspire the generations to come after me. I want to write a memoir. I want to make those around me constantly feel loved. Life can be challenging and it can also present you with endless opportunities. I have a lot of goals, and I am working on achieving them as I go. I might not have a linear path laid out, but that is how I like it. I still have goals to achieve and beautiful life to live.

You know, I have applied for this scholarship before. I believe it was a few months ago that I applied thinking my essay was amazing, but when it came down to it I wasn't selected. I have been applying for various scholarships over the course of my academic career and haven't gotten many, except for academic based from my institutions. Getting rejected all of the time can be... well, quite discouraging, frankly. I have had multiple conversations with my mom about how putting in the effort feels fruitless and how I am disappointed in myself for just not doing the best. While my mom always tries to hear me out and validate my feelings, she always ended the conversations by telling me that I am allowed to be proud of myself for trying, even if I don't "win". I really struggle with that. I have been a success and achievement-driven woman my entire life; I measure my value and worth based on how many merits I have and how well I rank amongst my peers. I have always wanted to measure up - always wanted to be the best at everything that I tried. So, hearing my mom say that I can be proud of myself even when I am not the best... just felt wrong. But the more and more she said it to me, the more I allowed it to ruminate with me. I don't expect perfections from others... only myself. My best might not be the best, but I know that no matter what I always give my everything to whatever I do. Being reminded to take pride in your efforts might not seem groundbreaking to everyone, but it sure was for me.

Optimism has always been hard for me. I am a practical person who has always strayed away from looking for the silver lining or from hoping for the best out of fear of being disappointed or being let down. I have never wanted to expect something good out of fear of the outcome actually being bad. And let me tell you, that is a sad and exhausting way to live. I didn't realize how draining pessimism can be until I started dating my now fiancé. As a self-proclaimed "blind optimist", my fiancé is always hoping for the best. he likes to see the best in people, views the world through rose-colored glasses, and embraces the unexpected through the lens of opportunity instead of insecurity and instability. He looks at things as a glass-half-full instead of half-empty... and he always feels so good. So hopeful. So full of joy and life. I wanted to be like that, and thankfully, he has been showing me how. I know it is rather cliché to talk about how much of a better person your partner makes you, but my fiancé has truly opened my eyes to a whole new way of looking at the world; he has truly given me the tools to change my mindset and has had my back the entire way through my journey of learning how to be an optimist. My heart has been opened to the simple joys in life, and I have him to thank. I have my fiancé to thank for opening my heart to a life full of light and steering me away from dreading the unknown and instead embracing it. He has brought that level of happiness into my life for so many reasons, but I thank him the most for my newfound optimism.

I have battled suicidal thoughts for a while. I was always the girl who was on top of things. Always the girl who got straight A's was in all of the extracurriculars, president of the clubs, and who would help you with your homework or do some yardwork or babysit your kid at a moment's notice. I was busy. I was stressed. But I was accomplished... at least that is what everyone was always saying. I constantly piled more and more on my plate to keep me distracted from my own feelings and insecurities. I was always biting off more than I could chew to keep me from having time to stop and think. I was avoiding getting full nights of sleep so I wouldn't have to deal with the nightmares. I avoided sitting and having real, substantive conversations with my friends because I was afraid my real emotions would come out. I had developed a toxic relationship with productivity tied to my self-worth and avoidance of my emotions that carried me all the way through my undergraduate degree... and then I hit a wall. In my first semester of graduate school, I realized I couldn't keep it up. I couldn't keep piling things on my plate, because with my new workload, the stress of planning a wedding, and just trying to pay bills, I was already drowning. I realized that my entire identity I had built up around productivity and accomplishments and being busy was a coping mechanism and a way to avoid my real problems. I realized that wanting to kill myself for not doing the dishes or feeling the need to self ham whenever I got a B in class wasn't something I should have let slip and ignored. I realized that I had been using productivity to mask depression and suicidal thoughts and let me tell me... that realization hurt. The way I had framed my entire world was unhealthy and downright unsafe. I had to completely re-wire everything within my life in order to get to some kind of place where I can let myself sit on the couch and watch a show without doing the dishes, checking my email, or dusting the furniture. I had to teach myself that relaxing is okay, and it doesn't need to be justified with some kind of multitasking productivity. Don't get me wrong, I still have a lot of work to do. But I have realized that, although I have career ambitions and goals, I am allowed to have no career and academic success-oriented goals. I am allowed to want things that aren't tied to measurable achievements or traditional success. I am allowed to want to travel. I am allowed to budget in time to sit in the sun just because I want to. I am allowed to want to take dance lessons and learn how to crochet and rollerblade and watch my favorite shows. Batteling my mental health issues and working on coming out the other side has shown me, slowly but surely, that there is more to life than just metrics. There is more to success than just a career or academics, and the approval of others doesn't really mean anything if you aren't happy with yourself. Finally coming to terms with and working on my mental health Has given me a completely new view of life. I am working on letting myself enjoy the little things. I m working on taking life one day at a time and giving myself permission to stop and smell the roses. Now, instead of just having academic and career-oriented goals, I have general life goals. I want to have a happy marriage. I want to have a child. I want to travel. I want to drink wine and eat food all over the world. I want to find a new favorite board game and learn how to arrange flowers. I want to learn how to scuba dive and I want to snorkel with coral reefs. I am allowing myself to have new types of goals, and I finally feel like I am starting to actually live.

The most inspiring book or I suppose I should say books, I have ever read might be a little surprising. I even have to admit that until reading this prompt, I didn't realize how much of an impact these books had on me. However, I can confidently say that the most inspiring books I have ever read were the Trixie Beldon books when I was a little girl. Weird answer, I know. After all, I don't think I could even tell you any of my other friends that would even know what those books were. But to me, Trixie was a hero. And to me, Trixie was a character that I could identify with. The Trixie Beldon books were inspiring to me individually because I was able to see myself in Trixie. To the little 3rd grade girl reading those bright pink and blue children's mystery novels, I was able to see myself in a character that I loved and admired. Trixie Beldon was an inquisitive, cumming, funny, and beautiful young girl who solved mysteries in her free time... to me, she was the coolest character I had ever read about. The fact that a little bit of me related to her... now that was awesome. I know the Trixie Beldon books probably aren't "inspiring" to that many people, but to me, they started me on a journey of confidence and determination that I think has pushed me all the way to where I am today. Maybe I owe a little bit more of my perseverance to Trixie than I ever imagined. So for that, thanks, Trixie. Thanks for the inspiration.

I enjoy wandering the halls of an art museum and standing in awe at the beautiful sculptures, drawings, photographs, and paintings. I like to get lost in the streets of Paris, relax on a beach, or see myself eating a meal with established monarchs through the lens of an artist just like the next guy. However, my favorite piece of art isn't a Manet, a Picasso, or a Degas. The piece of art that I have been drawing the most inspiration from recently actually isn't something that you can see at any museum, nor are there any copies of it on the internet. The piece that is currently inspiring me is an abstract drawing of a ladybug my 5-year-old niece gave to me. I will be the first to say her ladybug isn't the picture of realism by any means. Nor is it traditional impressionism, dot-work, or watercolor. Her ladybug is a little wonky... but it is perfect. Her drawing inspires me because of the look on her face when she gave it to me - that giant grin. My niece's drawing reminds me that it doesn't matter how the world sees your creations, your creativity, your passions. It doesn't matter if we get approval from others and it doesn't matter if someone thinks our hobbies are silly or trite. All that matters is that we get joy out of what we are doing; all that matters is that we have a smile on our faces as big as hers when we are done with our big project, performance, or hobby. My niece's drawing inspires me because it shows me I can do anything I love and love everything that I do regardless of how "good" I am at it. As long as I have fun... it is perfect.

I love learning how to do new things. I love taking on a challenge and being able to enjoy the journey of progressing and developing a new skill while also adding a fun new task or talent to my day. Right now, the new thing I am learning is how to rollerskate... and it is currently my favorite hobby. When I was a little girl, my mom bought my twin brother and me matching rollerskates. Now, it is not exaggerating to say that was one of the single best days of my childhood. I mean, I had just gotten rollerblades... how cool is that?! Do you want to know what was even better than having my own pair of "street skates" as we used to call them? My twin brother was so bad at it. Nine-year-old me simply could not have been happier. From that day on, I have always loved rollerblading and the thought of strapping on some wheels and cruising through the city. The only problem was that those skates were the only skates my parents ever bought me. So, the minute I grew out of them... I stopped rollerskating. It's fine, I can just pick it back up when I have the money to buy myself a new pair of skates! It's probably like riding a bike - I will never really forget how to do it. Boy oh boy was I wrong. Flash forward to 2021 when I finally bought myself my second ever pair of rollerskates. I. Was. Awful. I am still kinda awful. Just keeping myself from falling flat on my face was so incredibly hard... and I loved it. It had been so long since I allowed myself the thrill of learning a new, tangible skill, and I was (and still very much am) so excited. I strapped on those skates, clicked my helmet into place, and - carefully - took off! I love rollerskating because it reminds me of my childhood. I like rollerskating because it allows me to flex my brain and learn a new thing. I like rollerskating because I'm not good at it right now, but I absolutely can be in the future; and if I practice enough and embrace that childhood excitement, I will be good at it eventually. In previous years I have taught myself how to crochet, how to embroider, how to play the saxophone... and this year I will teach myself how to rollerskate.

I have had a handful of mentors already in my life. I have had good ones and bad ones, attentive ones and absent ones, fun ones and strict ones. There are so many qualities in my past mentors I could praise. Many of them were driven, accomplished, informative, supportive, encouraging, and truly pushed me to be the best version of myself for whatever I was doing. However, one of my mentors stands apart from the rest; there is one woman I always go back to when I need help or a letter of recommendation or just a sounding board for career ideas and life situations. What separated her from all the rest wasn't her impressive wall of degrees or her interesting doctoral research. What sets her apart is her amazing capacity for empathy and ability to make me feel heard and truly understood. Listen, life can be hard. So often, the mentor and mentee relationship is structured in a way where the mentor is always pushing - always telling you you can do better and achieve more. While that is important to instill in someone - they can achieve their goals if they really dedicate themselves to them - it shouldn't be the only thing. The empathy and grace I experienced working with my favorite mentor taught me to be realistic with myself. It taught me that quantifiable achievements and awards are not the only way to measure success. She gave me the kind of confidence that no good grade or extra degree will ever give me; she showed me how to be okay with my failures and embrace the fact that I simply tried. It is that confidence, that support, and that level of empathy I hope to instill in my mentees. They deserve it. We all do, really.

This question is refreshing to me. So often, people in their 20s as well as in their teens are asked what their "dream job" is. What bothers me about that is that I, along with many people, don't necessarily have a dream "job". I have dreams of making a difference. Dreams of helping people. Dreams of growing myself through education and experiences so I can be a better citizen of the world we live in. I have a dream life, and it doesn't revolve around my job. In my dream life, I run my own small, hands-on-styled history museum. A museum where children and adults can come to learn history through tactile means. I want to make a change through education in a way I wish I could have been educated. I also own a rescue farm on a large plot of land as well as a cafe in this beautiful dream life I am creating. In the cafe we serve all-vegan brunch items and the dining area will have a beautiful view out of the bay window overlooking the rescue farm and all of the animals I love and care for. I will travel the world and spend weeks at a time away from my phone because I am too busy hiking waterfalls, getting lost in cultural institutions, and forming relationships with new people and communities. There is too much world to stay in one place forever... so I simply won't. Oh, one last thing; my amazing partner will be there walking this beautiful path of life with me. He will help me run the farm and the cafe. He will share in my pain and my joy and my trials and my celebrations - a true partnership. I'm ready for the dream life... not just the dream job.

I love to read. I love to read because I love to escape to new worlds. That being said, I am a big reader of fantasy. Mythical beings, magic and spells, heroic battles... yeah, that stuff is my jam. My favorite world to escape to is Middle Earth, carefully crafted by J.R.R. Tolkein himself. My favorite way to travel there is through his pages of The Hobbit. Not only do I love the rolling hills of the Shire, get swept away in the descriptions of elven villages, and get excited about traveling across the lands to help save the realm... I have also always kind of identified with Bilbo. Bilbo was a simple kind of guy with a hidden desire for adventure. He had no reason to go, but he also had nothing keeping him tied to the Shire. He was afraid of actually going, but knew he wanted to try; well, that's me in a nutshell. I have always had a thirst for adventure. I have always wanted to escape and explore and adventure. But wow, that's pretty scary. Going new places, trying new things, uprooting my life is both exhilarating as well as terrifying - how incredible! I want all of those things, and my favorite book told me that it would be worth it. Now, saving all of Middle Earth and helping your friends reclaim old land doesn't really fully translate to me moving across the country to go to graduate school, but it sure is fun to picture myself as Bilbo, running off on my grand adventure. I love The Hobbit because it's set in one of my favorite worlds, written by my favorite author, telling one amazing and captivating story. The Hobbit inspired me to make my life captivating... it will always be my favorite.

One of the biggest issues facing our world right now is climate change. Climate change is impacting everything in our daily lives. The clothes that we wear when we go out, the natural disasters we have to endure and prepare for, the wildlife we are able to experience... everything. It is a problem that each generation seems to pass the buck on, and the buck finally seems to be stopping within Generation Z; they are the ones that are left to deal with and essentially reverse the issues that previous generations have nonchalantly passed down into their hands. There are many things we can do to help fight climate change. We can cut down our use of single-use plastics. We can bring out own bags to the grocery stores. We can walk or ride bikes to work if we are able to. We can compost our food scraps and use grow some of our own food if we have the space. But the single best way to fight climate change... is to embrace a plant-based diet. This is not new information and it is not pulled out of thin air; it is supported by cutting-edge scientific evidence. Researchers at The Loma Linda University in California found that Vegans have the smallest carbon footprint by a large margin. After its own research, Harvard University is promoting plant-based diets as a way to cut back student and faculty emissions. An article posted by Stanford University states that going Vegan would have a drastic positive impact on the planet. Even the WHO recently released statements promoting plant-based food to fight climate change. Plant-based eating and going vegan won't solve the problem. But, boy oh boy will it make a huge impact. Climate change is a huge problem... we need huge solutions. Go Vegan!

I never thought that I would be an investor. When I think of investing, I think of the individuals on Wallstreet working day in and day out in their fancy outfits using big words and terms that I don't know and coming away with millions of dollars. As you can tell from my profile, I don't really fit that archetype... But here I am. I have an investment portfolio that I put money into every month and I am already saving for my future. I am somewhere that I never thought I would be, and honestly, somewhere that I thought I never would want to be. How did I get here? Well, the only piece of investing advice I have ever really taken to heart is "you shouldn't be afraid to invest." so here I am. I know that is pretty basic. I should probably be answering this question with some trading tactic or maybe a specific way to select the companies I choose to invest in (can you tell already that I don't know much about the investing world?), but that would be me lying to you. I was told that I shouldn't be afraid - that investing can be for everybody. So, I downloaded one of those apps that makes it as easy as paying my credit card bill, and off I went. I know, not really a fancy "investor", am I? Honestly, I don't even check my stocks (I really wouldn't even know how). But I know how to check my portfolio and see how much I've made off of my money already. I might now be great at it, but I'm trying, and I'm kind of having some fun. So yeah... just being told to invest, was good enough for me.

It's a marathon, not a sprint. That can be said about many things, but none fit this metaphor better than life itself. We live in a fast-paced - constantly on the go and looking towards the next thing - society. We are always rushing from one place to the next and often we forget to stop and breathe. We are hard-pressed to remember the last time we simply sat and stared up at the moon or stood in the yard and let the wind kiss our faces. There is this idea, this feeling, that if we don't hurry up and complete our tasks and move on to the next phase of life, all of these opportunities and all of these experiences will be gone before we can get there. When in reality, it is quite the opposite. There is no use in trying to rush time. There is no use in trying to speed through life to get to the next big job or move, or life event. There is no reason to speed through moments to get to the "better" ones because the ones you are trying to pass over are already the best. Practicing patience means experiencing life. Practicing patience means letting yourself be right where you are without trying to rush for the seasons ahead. It means smelling the roses and taking the time to dance in the rain without obsessing over the end of the storm. Being patient with yourself, with others, with the world, allows you to breathe in life one breath at a time and truly fill your lungs to the brim with its joy. Life already moves faster than I would like it to. I have no desire to rush it further. So I choose to be patient.

What fuels my life right now is my amazing fiancé. I am one of those lucky individuals who found love early in life. I met my now fiancé in middle school, was friends with him all through high school and undergrad, and now, in graduate school, we figured out all of those years of friendship laid an amazing foundation for a beautiful love story. I recently moved away from him to pursue my dream of becoming a museum professional while he studies to be a pharmacist. Being away from each other (2,293 miles to be exact) has had its challenges, but it has given me, even more, drive to achieve my goals and aspirations. I wake up every morning knowing I have an amazing partner who is cheering me on. Even on the days where I am disappointed in myself, where I know I could have done better on a paper or an exam, I know he is proud of me for just putting myself out there and working hard every single day. He is my biggest supporter and my biggest joy. He gets me through the rough times and his encouragement is what drives me on my hardest days. My fiancé, my partner, my absolute teammate is the person who fuels my life, and I am beyond lucky to have him. With him by my side, I know there is nothing I can't achieve... anything we can't achieve. Things are challenging right now, but the day we take on the world together will be one for the record books in the absolute best way.

Well... this is hard for me. You see, I haven't really received many pieces of actually helpful advice. Being that I am on the cusp between Millenials and Generation Z, the advice that I get usually consists of "don't take out more loans than you can afford to pay back", "make sure you marry someone who is willing to take on your debt", "just get a side hustle to make more money", and "work as much as you can through grad school. I worked my way through college and didn't have to take out a single loan"... that last one is my personal favorite (I love when people pretend like inflation doesn't exist). My demographic of young people often just get told not to spend any money and to stay out of debt... which on its own, is inherently unhelpful advice. I was once told to wait until I get married to a man with a good paying job to decide if I wanted to go to college - advice that I obviously didn't take because I was too busy trying to achieve my own dreams and not ride the coattails of my partner. I think the best advice I have ever gotten was as simple as "make sure you pay your credit card bill on time." and you know what, I have never missed a credit card payment. I think my generation is lacking when it comes to easily digestible, and actually helpful resources on how to achieve our financial goals. We don't want people to tell us we need to work 60 hours a week for the next 10 years so we can enjoy our 40s. We want practical advice. Don't get me wrong, ill keep making my credit card payments. But I need some more advice.

I am a hands-on learner. I have never been one to listen to a speaker or read a book and fully understand a concept. I need to do it. To experience it in a tactile way. To have some kind of physical representation. As kids, this is an accepted learning style. You are allowed to want to be immersed in the subject matter in a very physical, and tangible way. However, as an adult, that type of learning is surrounded by a little bit more stigma. Nowhere is this more evident than in our museum spaces. Picture a children's museum. What do you see? If I had to guess, you pictured large tactile installations, sensory exhibits, and a lot of bright colors. You pictured a fun, exciting, and inviting space that doubles as an educational institution opening up minds and introducing new concepts. Now picture a regular museum space... much less exciting. I have a passion for hands-on learning. I have a passion for the museum field. Put those two together, and you have a 23-year-old museum professional with a dream of making tactile, hands-on, sensory exhibits geared towards not just children, but also adults. My dream is to be an exhibit designer. My dream is to lead teams in creating immersive sensory experiences that allow adults to explore in-depth and complicated concepts and histories from around the world. I want to make learning fun and exciting again for those of us who can't absorb information from just reading a label on a wall. My dream is to re-inspire adults who have lost their passion for education, and I want to do that through interactive museum exhibits. Why should the kids get to have all of the fun?

My mental health journey has been a rollercoaster, to put it lightly. It has kind of felt like a yo-yo diet, but for my brain. Do you know what I mean? It is like when your mom joins WeightWatchers, loses that stubborn 20 pounds, only to put it back on in a few months, grow increasingly frustrated, and start back over from square one. Yeah, that is pretty much how my experience with anxiety and depression has felt. Super fun, I know. I first notices that I wasn't "okay" in high school. Comparing myself to my peers around me, I just didn't find as much joy in the things I was supposed to. I was constantly trying to act happy because that was what all my friends were doing. At one point, I had convinced myself that everyone felt this way and that we were all in this big game of pretending together... but then I realized I was the only one playing, and everyone else was simply living. Through high school, I spiraled, slowly but surely. I started self-harming and convinced myself that once I went away to college, once I got to start over, I would stop. Everything would be okay. I would have a new lease on life. I could be different. And you know what... I was right for a while. My first semester of college was amazing. My classes were going well, I was taking time to practice gratitude, I was going to the gym, I was making new friends. Everything was shaping up to be pretty wonderful, just as I had hoped. But, almost like clockwork, the spiral started at the beginning of the second semester, and thus, the endless yo-yo began. I would go through periods of seeing a therapist and getting on new medication and feeling better, to feeling disconnected from my therapist and my medication no longer doing the trick and wondering if any of the hassle was worth it. I would briefly start self-harming again only to be abruptly snapped out of it by some internal motivation and feeling of self-worth that I would barely recognize, but would embrace nonetheless and cling to as a way to pull me from my own darkness. I've been trying to find some kind of equilibrium, but in the meantime, I have learned I'm really good at pretending. I am good at making it seem like I'm having a good day. I'm good at crafting the perfect social media presence. I am good at acting like the words of others don't hurt me and like I don't critique my own every micromovement. I am good at seeming good, even when I am far from it. I am good at hiding my struggles... and that made me realize that there are probably other people out there hiding their struggles too. My mental health rollercoaster has been awful. I am working on myself and working for myself to get to a place where I can genuinely be happy... not just for a few days at a time. I am trying to understand myself better and find ways to process my emotions and feelings in a productive way that allows me to live the kind of life I want to live. However, going through these ups and downs has tremendously grown my empathy for other people, and that is something I am actually grateful for. My mom always says to picture yourself in someone else's shoes... but you can't really do that unless you have tried those shoes on and taken them out for a walk. You don't really understand the struggles of someone with mental health issues unless you have struggled from some kind of mental health issue yourself. My struggles have taught me to lead with compassion and grace. They have taught me to never judge a book by its cover and never judge a person by the smile on their face or lack thereof. It has taught me that the need for mental health days in the workplace and flexibility with people is needed in order for us to take care of ourselves and each other. I would never wish my struggles on anyone, and I honestly wish I didn't have to go through them myself. But, I am grateful that I have this perspective and that I can use my own pain to potentially ease the burden on others. I just want to go into the world giving people the benefit of the doubt and opening my heart to anyone who needs it. I am tired of yo-yoing, and I am sure there are others like me. My mental health journey has made me want to be better not only for myself but has made me want to be better for others too.

My Grandmother was my best friend. Now that I think about it, somewhere deep inside of me she still is. We used to sit and watch reality TV together on her bed, talk about what my future husband would be like, gossip about my aunts and uncles, and every once in a while, she would give me a snippet of advice and wisdom. Most of it was silly. She would say things like "you don't breed two chihuahuas and get a Great Dane" and "Scotch doesn't burn if you drink it with coffee"... but sometimes she would say something that really made me stop and think. Although I love whispering her little phrases to myself like "Lord love a duck" and "oo-gee-buh-gah-gah", it's one of her most simple sentences that I find myself coming back to over and over again. "Averi, there is no sense worrying until you have something to worry about." Self-explanatory? Well... yeah. But is it something I often need to remind myself? Also yeah. I'm one of those people who is constantly looking towards the next thing. I am always making a plan and thinking up Plan Bs, Cs, and even Ds just in case something happens. I am the Queen of preparing for the worst-case scenario -hoping for the best and expecting the worst. And let me tell you, it's exhausting. Over the years I have turned into a worrier, much to my own chagrin. And you know what... I really don't need to be. Grandma Helen was right. Why waste time worrying about what could go wrong when it could also go perfectly right. No sense worrying about the bad when you haven't even given the good a chance to bloom. Life is too short to spend it worrying about the future. Thanks, Grandma.

My favorite scientific discovery was the unearthing of Homo Naledi in the Rising Star cave system. Yup, I just outed myself as an Anthropology nerd, but hear me out. It wasn't necessarily the fact that H. Naledi was discovered, but more so how the discovery happened. This excavation was one of the first excavations full of women... female excavators leading the way towards the next big archeological discovery! As a historically male-dominated field, Archeology is slower to the jump of embracing female involvement. Anthropology - the umbrella discipline - has been swiftly becoming a female-dominated field, however, the term Archeologist still conjures up images of a man wearing an Indiana Jones outfit in most minds. Although this discovery alone may not have ushered in an era of gender equality and equity within the field, it was a piece of the puzzle. For an aspiring museum professional whose passion was originally sparked by the field of archeology, that means a lot to me. These women who squeezed themselves through the Superman Crawl and climbed the Dragon's Back to being a part of scientific and archeological history are inspirations to me. They showed me that I can be a leader, and innovator, a success story in whatever field I choose... they are my favorite scientists. So, it just makes sense that they would be the ones responsible for my favorite discovery... doesn't it?

We live in a world where we walk around with small computers in our pockets. Children use tablets at the dinner table, our cars have touchscreen interfaces and there's an app for everything. We are so immersed in the world of technology that it almost seems like there are few needs left that we need to be catered to... but that is only if the "we" I am speaking about is exclusive to able-bodied individuals. We have the opportunity to change the museum space - the industry I hope to work in someday - into a more inclusive and welcoming atmosphere for people of all different abilities through the power of innovative technology. The tech I am the most excited about is interactive touch tech, specifically implemented within the art museum space - a technology catered towards those with vision impairments that would allow them to experience the art as a unique and immersive sensory experience. Believe it or not, many blind individuals love going to museums. It may seem curious to full-sighted individuals because we are so used to relying on our eyes to give us almost all of our information around the world around us. We use these tools for reading museum labels, watching videos and slideshows, looking upon a painted masterpiece, or a collection of photos. To an individual who is used to taking in the world with their eyes, it is hard to picture experiencing a museum in any other way. But there are other ways, and we just need to get creative in how we bring those modalities to the museum space. Touch tech - being able to put on a set of VR gloves and "feel" a sculpture or the texture of paint on an 18th-century work of art - is a new technology that could revolutionize the way people experience their museum visits. Not only would bringing this technology into our institutions add a whole new depth of accessibility, but it would also allow sighted individuals to experience these pieces they are so used to seeing only through a visual modality in a new, tactile way. Nobody is allowed to touch things in museums outside of exhibitions created specifically for hands-on interaction. You won't see any curator inviting you to touch a Parthenon Marble or a leftover fragment of Myan pottery... but bringing this technology into these spaces would allow us to do this (virtually, of course). It would revolutionize how everyone is able to experience the museum space, and to me, that is beyond exciting. So yeah, I'm obviously excited for the next iPhone and maybe for a self-driving car in the future. But what I am most excited about is bringing technology, and increased accessibility along with it, into the museum space. It is time to re-think how we present art and culture, and I think VR touch-tech is a great way to dive right in.

Well hi there. My name is Averi, but you can call me Ri. The story of me is the story of a small-town girl from Michigan who thought she wanted to grow up and be a doctor. So, she did what she thought every aspiring doctor would do and applied to universities that had good medical schools. She attended Loyola University Chicago and loved it... but didn't get her degree in anything medical-related. Nope, young Averi graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.S in Anthropology, and boy oh boy was she proud of herself. Fun story, right? The story of me - a girl who found herself in university and graduated with a degree in a subject that really sparked joy. It is a story with a happy ending (or rather a happy "to be continued"), but it didn't come without its hurdles and hardships. In Highschool, I attended a STEM school; for the second half of the day, I drove to a separate school and take exclusively math, science, and physics-related courses. I was one of 14 students in my district who had high enough test scores to be accepted, and we were considered the "Nerd Herd". Now, being a member of the Nerd Herd was a point of pride for many of us - myself included. We were the smart kids who loved school, got 32s and above on our ACTs, and were fighting it out for valedictorian and top scholarship dollars. Much of our identities were wrapped up in being STEM kids, and many of us went on to pursue STEM-related degrees and careers... again, myself included. My whole identity seemed to hinge upon the fact that I was a female in STEM, and the idea of breaking away from that hadn't even crossed my mind as a possibility. If I wasn't a woman in STEM, I didn't know who I was. Well, flash forward to my second semester of undergrad. I think it goes without saying, but I hated my studies. I got no joy from learning about the human body and my math classes were frankly more stressful than they were worth. I was still getting good grades but I wasn't passionate about the material. When I sat down and envisioned a life full of this stuff... ouch. Cue my first identity crisis. Ever since I was 15 I defined myself as a woman in STEM. I had drawn my worth from the fact that I was good in these fields and never imagined a future in anything else. If I wasn't going to be a doctor or scientist or engineer... I was going to be a failure. Yeah, I know, that sounds pretty dramatic. But to a Freshman who was already struggling to find her place in the university, it was kind of the end of the world. It took a lot of tearful phone calls with my mom, therapy from a guidance counselor, and a long email thread with my favorite professor to realize my worth isn't defined by the field that I chose to go into. Heck, I could drop out and I would still be just as important. My crisis gave me a much-needed confidence boost as well as inspiration to pursue a field that I enjoy. I am now pursuing a Master's degree in Museum Studies. My goal is to make the museum space a more accepting and equitable place. I chose to pursue humanity, and I am loving every second of it. I changed my life in a positive way, and I am never going back... thanks identity crisis.

Thinking about myself in a positive light is something I have historically. Up until about a year ago, I would be hard-pressed to name something positive about myself. It wasn't until the senior year of my undergraduate studies that I really started to treat myself with kindness. It took a pandemic to make me realize I really was working hard. I really was doing my best. I really was conquering mountains one small step at a time. In my senior year of college I realized how much I have been through and how much I have grown; My senior year of college I started to recognize, appreciate, and admire my incredible perseverance. Throughout my undergraduate career, I faced failing grades, roommate conflicts, and homesickness. I continued dedicating myself to my studies through an awful breakup, the loss of loved ones, and while supporting my father through his cancer treatment. I lead the largest student organization through a pandemic and pushed myself into graduating with high honors. I went through a lot in undergrad and, even when circumstances felt insurmountable, I made it through. I know it is easier to appreciate what I have been through now that I have made it to the other side... and boy do I appreciate it. The Averi that fought and clawed her way through all of the challenges undergrads brought her was strong and determined. She perservered. It is because of that Averi that we do not have this Averi... the one typing this essay. It is because of her perseverance that I have the confidence, strength, and opportunities that I have today. Through struggle, I have learned that I can (and oh I will) persevere. Knowing that... I can take on the world.

A few years ago I went vegan. I realized that my lifestyle choices were not aligning with who I said I was; I was not living out my morals and I was existing in a life of hypocrisy. I called myself a compassionate person, yet I was allowing my actions to cause immense pain to other living things. I needed to change, so I did. When I made this one change in my life, it started a domino effect in my life. I put less emphasis on material things and started living for moments. I decided that our obligation and stewardship to one another were far more important than getting that promotion or landing that glamorous jab. I became a person who lived not only for myself but also for others - human and animal. When I went vegan, I started living a life full of abundant compassion, and that is what I hope to be remembered for. Some of us want to be remembered as entrepreneurs, as famous performers, as talented artists. Those are all wonderful and valiant legacies of talent and passion to leave behind for the world. However, when my days are finally up, I hope I leave a legacy of compassion.

Oh boy, how this essay feels like a chiché waiting to happen... you feel it too, right? "Friendship" is one of those words that we say frequently, and think about rarely. When asked what friendship means to us, many of us immediately think of trust and honesty, and someone who is willing to get in the trenches and stand by you when the going gets tough. We all have similar thoughts when it comes to friendship because it feels so ubiquitous... right? Well, I am here to suggest something different. To me, friendship is someone who won't hold your absence or silence against you. Friendship doesn't mean that the person is always there. Heck, you might only see your real friends once a year, and someone who is a real friend understands that. I am twenty-three. I am attending graduate school. I just moved across the country. I just got engaged and am planning a wedding long distance from my fiancé who is 2,298 miles away. I am working full-time on top of pursuing my education. All of this is to say... boy, I'm busy. I don't have a lot of time to hang out with people or to facetime or text. As a raging introvert, my time not spent at work or in class is spent reading a book, applying to scholarships, planning my wedding, or talking on the phone with my fiancé. I don't go out much and recently haven't had much energy to pour into my friendships. I haven't had much love and time to give to the people that I care for most... and they understand that. The people who love me give me my space, and they don't hold my silence against me. They understand that adult friendships can be different... and that is friendship.

Life doesn't happen on your timeline. In fact, the universe quite frequently has its own idea of how your life will go... much to my frustration. The fact of the matter is, life rarely goes to plan. There is always a bump in the road, a turn that you didn't expect, and some kind of setback that could potentially change your path altogether. Naturally, these setbacks take time. The re-adjusting and changing courses take time. In order to make it through all of these changes... you need to have patience. Don't get me wrong here. I'm no Mother Teresa. I get frustrated, have my mini meltdowns, and yell into the oblivion asking why things couldn't just go how I wanted them like every other twenty-three-year-old waiting for their life to really start taking off and blooming. However, the thing is, rushing life doesn't make it more enjoyable. Rushing life doesn't make the good things come to you faster; all it does is make you hate the journey. In order to truly enjoy life - to truly squeeze every last drop of joy out of the beautiful moments we are given - we need to sit in patience. We need to allow things to come to us when the time is right, and we need to recognize when our timing might not be the right timing. Now, that isn't to say that we shouldn't work hard. I have a side hustle just like every other member of Gen Z. I just mean that we need to learn to embrace the setbacks and the redirections. We need to lead with a mindset of patience and flexibility when we go into the world. You can't rush your life, so you might as well sit back and patiently enjoy the ride.

Food insecurity is a huge problem in our world. There are so many people who go to bed every night not knowing where their next meal is going to come from or how they are going to put food on the table for their family. Food is a basic human right, and there are so many of us that are being denied that right on a daily basis... even though we have the resources as a society to feed everyone. Now, my idea isn't show-stopping. It isn't something that you will want to call the news over, and it isn't really even something new. In fact, this is an old tried and true concept that has benefited so many different communities around the world. I think that almost every community, and mine specifically, could benefit greatly from a community garden. Yeah, I know, this isn't the big revelation that you are probably looking for. It isn't something that drastically pushes the boundaries, nor is it something that revolutionizes how we look at food insecurity. However, I think that is what makes it wonderful. The fact of the matter is that our society has enough food. We have the ability to feed everyone, and we simply aren't. We have a simple problem; simple problems call for simple solutions. If the infrastructure we have in place isn't going to give us what we need, it is time we start making the changes that we want to see in the world. It is time to start taking care of our community members. I currently live in San Francisco. High rent prices, high food prices, and a massive homeless population. Despite the high prices, there are still so many people out there who are doing well for themselves. There are tech giants, business owners, CEOs, inventment bankers, and even some servers working the higher class restaurants that are doing well. There are people like me, making minimum wage, but who would be willing to chip in some extra labor or a few dollars here and there when I had the chance. In a community where we are all facing our own struggles - many of which are monetary - we could be so much stronger together. We would stand such a better chance of providing for each other if we worked together. Not to toot my own horn, but I have a bit of a green thumb. I have been known by my family and peers to have way too many plants and to always be able to bring a sad-looking sprout back to its blossoming, lively self again. I can't contribute too much to this idea in the way of money, but I am more than ready to donate my time and abilities. Although every idea needs funding, there still needs to be boots on the ground making it happen in order for it to really take off and thrive. You can have all the money in the world, but if you don't have someone willing to put in the work, nothing will ever happen. I am that person. I am ready to put in the work. And I am ready to feed my community. Again, it is a simple idea. It is my utopian way of addressing my community's homelessness problem as well as food insecurity. it is my tangible idea to help people. Yeah, there are other needs that have to be met, but this is a project that I can take on. Everyone can do their part. Everyone has something to offer. Everyone has their own idea, and it just takes a little encouragement and elbow grease to get it up and running. Everyone can help their communities in their own ways... and my way is to create a garden. So, the next time you hear from me, I hope my hands are covered in dirt and there is a little plot of land being tended and cared to as it blossoms in abundance with food to feed my community. I hope I am one step closer to changing my little corner of the world for the better. I hope my community officially has its garden because it is a small and simple project that could really make a big difference.

My best skill is my writing. I know, that sounds rather trite while typing away at a scholarship essay, doesn't it? But it is true, and I am once again in my life a real-life cliché. When I feel something, I write about it. When I write about it, I can't help but explore it within myself further. I initially started writing as a form of therapy; I wanted to hear my own voice - experience my own words - in a way that I can't do by simply listening to my thoughts in my head. I wanted to put my words and sentence fragments out into the world for not only myself to enjoy, but for whoever else wanted to listen. To do this, I started a blog. Once again, ladies and gentlemen, she is a walking Generation Z cliché. A 23-year-old writing a scholarship essay because she needs help paying for college... good thing she has that blog though *intense sarcasm*. Some people may see starting a blog as silly, and that's okay. It brings me joy to exercise a skill that I enjoy and to put my stream of consciousness out onto the internet. I like my blog, and I like honing my skills, honing my voice, and honing my passion for punctuation through its unique, quirky, and freeing avenues. I have a skill for writing. To build that skill, I started a blog. I guess you could say that makes me a blogger... but regardless, it makes me a much better essay writer.

When we think of education, most of the time we envision our schools. We think of children sitting in classrooms being instructed by a teacher and turning in their homework assignments. Well, yes, that is indeed education... or at least part of it. However, the traditional classroom setting isn't the only place where education takes place. Children are learning new things in the home, in parks, and on the internet. To me, one of the most influential places where education has the potential to speak something inside of a child is a museum. When a child steps foot in a museum space, they are transported into a world of immersive education. They come face to face with real-life examples of the concepts that they learn in class, and in many instances, have the opportunity to interact in a hands-on way with these pieces or concepts. There are audio tours telling stories, workshops demonstrating science concepts, and photos from the past showing you the faces and realities of the people that came before us. These spaces are so integral to the education of our young people... but they lack accessibility. Point blank, it costs money to get into a museum. Even on field trips, students or their parents are often required to pay for their own ticket in order to attend the school outing. This monetary caveat in standing in between a young person and an immersive educational experience already sets some students at a disadvantage. In order to level the playing field and give all of our students - not just those who can afford the cost of a ticket - the amazing educational opportunities and resources that the institution of a museum presents, these institutions need to offer more free days, as well as decreased or assisted admission cost programs in order to increase their accessibility and not just be available for the upper classes. Although not a direct change to any curriculum or fundamental methodology or educating in the classroom, I believe that this change could have an incredibly positive impact on the educations of our young people. By allowing students to experience the history and educational concepts in a different way, we could transform the way that they view learning new things. We could spark a passion in kids that aren't excited in a general classroom setting. By making admission to museums something attainable for students of all socioeconomic situations, we can make a huge positive impact on our outlook on education in general.

I have read this prompt a few times. The word hope has never really sat well with me. I have written and re-written this essay about three times, and the idea that I have hope for the future has always felt disingenuous to me... I don't think I have "hope" in the traditional sense of the word. Hope implies a sense of faith and belief in something outside of yourself - there is something out there in the universe that is working for you or working with you to achieve the ultimate goal. Maybe it is faith. Maybe it is the universe. Maybe it is a higher power. Maybe it is just dumb luck. No matter what it is, the idea of "hope" seems to give a nod to one of these forces, and I don't think my feelings for the future do. When I think of the future, it is not a blind optimism that makes me think things will get better... it is through a mindset of determination out of pure necessity. I am a member of Generation Z. We have, for lack of a better word, been utterly screwed over in a lot of senses. We inherited a country full of debt, an environment pushing the point of no return, and an economy funneling us one by one into a future full of student loan debt and joblessness. But you know what... that hasn't stopped us... because we can't let it. Our survival in this world, and honestly, the survival of the world in general, is dependant on our determination. We are not hoping that the future gets better because we can't afford to sit around and wait for someone to solve our problems. We know that the future will get better because we need it to. We need to address climate change and homelessness and the mounting student loan debt crisis. We are staring down our future, and unless we make some big moves, there might not even be one. So, I don't have hope for the future. I have confidence in myself and my generation. I have a determination and an awareness of the necessity for change that drives me. I have a work ethic born out of self-reliance and a feeling of responsibility to make the world a better place (or simply just still a place) for the generations that will come after me. If you want to call that hope, I won't object. After all, you may read my words and see no difference between your definition of the word and my feelings on the topic. But when I look at it, I see and feel so much more. Hope doesn't really even begin to scratch the surface. Determination, confidence, necessity, responsibility... those words together seem to be a better fit.

I am pursuing my Master's degree in Museum Studies. I know what you are thinking... feels a little elitist... doesn't it? Yeah, I know, it kind of does. But that is exactly why I am doing it. Museums have been historically rich, European, male, and straight. That is the comfort zone where these institutions have sat for decades and there has been little done to change that. People from underserved communities are rarely welcomed or thought of when it comes to the presentations and accessibility that museums offer with their subject material, and that simply needs to change. I am white. I have benefited from the institutional racism that has enveloped these institutions since their inception. I have a position of privilege where it is my responsibility to amplify the voices of those who have been silenced; that is why I am entering the world of museums. The museum as an institution is beautiful, enchanting, educational, wonderful, and also a highly problematic space. There is so much room for improvement, and I am ready to take on the field as an agent and advocate for change. Museums need to be more cognizant of physical disabilities. Museums need to decolonize their narrative of history. Museums need to acknowledge their role in the education gap through paid admission. Museums need to emphasize repatiation. Museums need to digitize and increase the accessibility of their educational matierals. Museums need to actively denounce their past rooted in white supremacy.... and these things are only the beginning. I am educating myself within the context of this field so I will be well equipped to tackle these challenges. Every child and adult deserves to feel welcomed and represented within the museum space, and that is what I aim to do. The elitist era of the museum as an institution is on its last legs, and it is time to fully plunge into the next chapter - a chapter full of equity, accurate history, and accessibility. I will be honest and say that I don't read a lot. I work three jobs part-time and go to school full time... there aren't a lot of extra hours in the day. But when I do read, I like to read things that take me away. Things that are rooted in fantasy worlds or medieval times that are unlike the time that we are in now. I suppose it is this interest in the past, or in alternate realities of the past and future, that lead to my interest in the museum space. The telling of history has always been so fascinating to me, and the spin that those retellings can take on has been even more so. The great George Orwell said in his classic 1984 "Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past"; those who come out on top - those who win the wars and claim supremacy - have been able to control the past, despite their retellings being biased and skewed. Like the books that I like to read, the past and our history are not exactly like the time that we live in now. It is different and nuanced in unique ways. It is individualized and complex. We can't tell the stories of history through one perspective unless we want to be incredibly flawed in our telling. We need to expand our information beyond the white, male European narrative... and I am more than ready to be an agent of that change.

Self-care is a word that people throw around all over the place these days. Yes, self-care is important, but I think we have lost track of what self-care really is. At its core, self-care is really simple; it is doing things that take care of your mind, body, and spirit. I think we have somehow forgotten this simple and expansive definition and replaced it with a narrow, and somewhat elitist version that permeates our Instagram and Facebook feeds. Self-care no longer means just doing things that better your life, your mind, your relationships... you. Self-care now means facemasks and bubble baths and lit candles. Yes, all of these things can be versions of self-care, but they are not the exclusive definition. I practice self-care regularly, but it's not very Instagram-able and it's not any type of social media aesthetic. My self-care often consists of meal prepping so I don't have to cook when I come home exhausted from classes or taking some time to pick up my apartment before I go to bed so I can wake up to a clean space. Yes, I do my skincare routine, take the occasional bubble bath, and go on walks to snap some photos of the Golden Gate Park, and those things all fall under my umbrella of self-care. I have been known to buy myself a fancy coffee I don't need or meditate on my floor during a hectic day; those things are self-care too. I take care of myself in a variety of ways, and I include all of those - not just the photo-worthy ones - in my definition of self-care. Realizing self-care is more than just an Instagram aesthetic made me realize I can prioritize myself in so many ways, and my life is better because of it.

Holograms are incredible. Their possibility to bridge the future and the past is something that we have never before had out hands on, and the possibility for retaining oral histories and experiences is simply more valuable that we could ever imagine. I am a museum studies student, and this technology will be revolutionizing how museums go about educating. This is the most evident in the field of oral histories. This type of information and experience is something that we can't write down. Yes, it is something that we can film. You can have a recording of a Native American tribal leader telling the stories that his ancestors have told for generations.... but the ability to record and program a hologram to interact with those who are being told the story... well now that experience would be awe inspiring. As we grapple in the field with how to preserve the integrity of our in person educational programs, programable holograms seem to offer an interesting and profound solution to the questions we are asking ourselves. How do you present the story of a holocaust survivor accurately without having someone there to tell the story from their own experiences? How do we involve visitors and answer their questions on these stories when they truly aren't our stories to tell? Well with a programable hologram, we are able to keep some of that original integrity from the story teller. We are able to make these people feel as if they are face to face with a survivor in the flesh, and we are able to fully integrate and explain the gravity of these historical events through the words and voices and likenesses of the people who have the right to tell these stories. When many people think about hologram technology, I would guarantee that they think of Star Wars or another SciFi type of story. However, the educational possibility of this technology is incredible and far surpasses the other tools that we have been using in the past. It might be a cool piece of tech that you can use to watch movies on in a new type of 3D, or to make your video games feel a little bit more lifelike... but what I am interested in, and what the museum field is interested in, is the educational value.

Deciding on a field of study is a big deal. I went to a STEM school, was always pushed towards the more scientific and analytical fields, and never really considered any career outside of a doctor or scientists of some degree. But then my first year of Undergraduate study showed me that I had zero passion for the traditional STEM fields. I had no drive to continue learning, and I was about to make the decision that a college education simply wasn't for me. Then I took my first Anthropology class as a filler... and boy did m perspective change. I was introduced to a whole new world of learning, and a whole new world of mentors, that changed my life and perspective forever. That following Spring semester, I took a human evolution course with my now mentor and friend, Dr. Kristin Krueger. She was a master at making the content exciting, but also applicable to real world careers and pursuits. I was introduced to the concept of a field school (that I was scheduled to attend, but COVID had other plans), and cultural research, and so many other aspects of the discipline of human study that I never knew existed. Dr.Krueger inspired me, and taught with so much grace that I knew when I entered the world, I wanted to be just like her. She made my future look bright and exciting, and I hadn't felt that way in a long time. Then the following year, I hit a slump. I loved the content I was learning, but I didn't feel like I would ever be qualified for any of the careers that applied it. I didn't think I was cut out for any graduate program, and I slipped into a time of self doubt that was foreign to me. I again felt unmotivated and lost as to where I was supposed to go after graduation. It was after class one day that Dr.K calmed me down. A 45 minute face-time full of tears, self doubt, and hesitancy for the future was met with the same grace and encouragement that she showed every single day in her classroom. This woman told me that I was determined. I was a hard worker. I was just as deserving of achieving my dreams as any other graduate student or PhD holder. I was worthy and I was smart and I was going to achieve big things as long as I believed in myself as much as she believed in me. So I went out and applied to a few graduate programs (with Dr.K holding my hand through every step), and I got accepted. I am attending my dream school to pursue a career in something I never would have considered before a few years ago. I am becoming the version of myself that I wanted to be, and I never would have had the courage, or confidence to do it without Dr.Kristin Krueger supporting me... without the help of my superhero.

I know you are expecting me to pull out some fancy quote for this essay. Maybe something from my favorite author. Maybe something from a famed political leader or civil rights activist. That seems to make the most sense in this situation, doesn't it? Not only would I show my understanding of the significance of the quote, but could also demonstrate my conceptualization of the impact that these historical figures play on our modern world and lives. However, if I did that, I wouldn't be being honest with myself. The quote that has been resonating with me for the past few years isn't from a President Obama, Martin Luther King Jr. or Sylvia Plath. When I lay in bed at night, the words that I sit with are from the one and only Andy from the Office: "I wish there was a way to know you're in the good old days before you've actually left them". I have always struggled with living in the moment. I am one of those people who is always looking to the next thing, planning for the next big achievement, and thinking about how to make tomorrow the best day I have ever had. While all of those things are great (there is always a time and a place for preparation and planning), I found myself feeling like I wasn't experiencing life; life was merely happening to me and around me. I wasn't soaking in the hugs, embracing the challenges, or recognizing that every breath and every little moment is something precious that I will never get back, and that I want to experience every last little drop of. In high school, I was always the girl with the plan. I knew what I wanted to do with my life, and I knew how I was going to achieve it. Every decision that I made was with the thought process of "once I do this, THEN my life will really start"... but we all know that isn't how life works. I was constantly waiting for my life to "begin", when in all reality, it was passing me by without a second thought. It was a late night Netflix binge, a carton of ice cream, and a fictional character wearing a pink bowtie that finally - and thankful - changed that. It might seem silly to put so much weight in to something said by a sitcom character, but no matter who said it - real or imagined - I needed to hear it. I needed to realize that there is no start button that we push on life. There is no line we cross that quantifies the beginning, and no horn that will blare telling me when to go. Every day is a good old day, and if we aren't careful, we will let them slip away without even savoring them. Andy taught me to savor these days... and from now on, I always will.

Not all women menstruate, and not all people who menstruate are women. However, the sigma that surrounds "that time of the month" is something that impacts all female presenting bodies. There is this stigma surrounding periods that suggests women are unclean, or too emotional, and to some, even unholy. It is the reason young girls get severe anxiety changing period products at school, and fuels arguments still today as to why women are too unstable or unpredictable to hold important positions of power. In order to truly empower women, we need to erase this stigma and take back the narrative of the period. We need to give menstruating people AND non-menstruaters a more thorough education about the female body, and show our children that a period is nothing to be ashamed of, feared, or belittled for. When I went through sex education I was really only taught one way to take care of my period; I could use a pad. There was no education on the different types of blood, no explanation of contraceptives, no tutorial on how to use a tampon, and not even a hint at the fact that reusable menstrual products exist. It wasn't until I got to college and started learning about my body on my own, that I learned what a wonderful process menstruation is, and that I had many options of how to experience it. That knowledge that I found on my own time took away that feeling of shame for me. I no longer would tolerate "that time of the month" jokes, or the grossed out faces men would make when I would mention my period; I wasn't letting people introduce shame into my life simply because I was born with a female reproductive system, and it was a wonderful feeling. This is the type of education that we should be giving our children. There is no reason why we can't educate our daughters AND sons on the inner workings of the female reproductive system, and absolutely NO reason why girls and boys should be given separate educations on such. I remember in middle school when we were given "the talk" the girls had one program and the boys had another. I see no problem with splitting up the groups, and I could see where learning about your bodies is a very intimate and sensitive subject, but there is no reason that female education was only for the females, and male for males. If we want to empower women, we shouldn't be teaching them that this integral part of their bodies is something to be kept secret and ashamed of. We should be showing them that it is just another piece of knowledge, and not something that men should be protected from. In addition to more expansive, and equal education in our sexual education classes, I also think that in order to truly empower the period, and therefore, all female presenting bodies, we need to give equal access to period managing products; the simplest, and most sustainable way to do this, is by funding programs that provide reusable menstrual products to those that can't afford them. Period poverty is a serious thing, and no little girl or working woman should have to miss out on something because they are menstruating. Funding organizations like OrganiCup that make it apart of their company mission to give out these products to those in need is one of the solutions to this problem. In order to empower women, we need to empower the period; it is time that we expand on our education and access to products.

Women are nurturers, CEOs, teammates, educators, inventors, athletes, and so much more... and we do it all while being told that we can't, or that we shouldn't. I am proud to be a woman, because there have been so many incredible women who have come before me and shown me exactly what women can do. Instagram: @averibeck

Close your eyes and listen to your breathing. Feel the breath pulsate in and out of your chest, cycling like a wave of the ocean as it cascades in and back out of your nose. That simple action - breathing - is so integral to our bodies; it is so integral to life. It is a reminder to us to slow down and just feel. It is a reminder to take things one instant, one moment, and one cycle of breath at a time. In 2020, we were faced with many moments where we felt that we could not breath - from the stress of an ever-mounting pandemic, to the human rights violations against Black Americans, to the constant questioning of when we will get hug out loved ones agains. This past year did all that it could to distract and dishearten us. However, in all the chaos, I learned how to step back, center myself, and simply breath despite the social suffocation. In this past year, life was turned on it's head. We, as a global society, have faced an immense amount of loss and turmoil. We will bear the scars of this trauma for decades to come, and out outlooks are forever changed because of it. As someone who was a self-proclaimed pessimist going into the pandemic, I quickly learned that my outlook in times of true discomfort and distress was not sustainable. My constant need to call out the worst possible scenario became exhausting, and in fact, started my journey of medicated relief; this pandemic plunged me into an anxious state that I hadn't ever experienced before and was one that required medication for a "quick fix" to get things under control. Being faced with the pain and social discomfort and feeling of loss that the pandemic brought along with it, my mental health drastically suffered, as I believe it has for many. However, it was that suffering that encouraged me to take charge of my life and take things one day at a time. Even one breath at a time. Our breath is a powerful thing. It can center us, cleanse us, and ground us in the present moment. When starting the whirlwind that was my 2020 mental health journey, a friend recommended to me some breathing techniques to do when stressed, and some routines to do before bed to help calm my mind and embrace the positive things that were experienced in my day. Now, I know how that may sound. I was just put on medication, and now a friend is trying to get me to stop? That sounds anti-medicine, anti-modern health, and just anti-commonsense. But I wasn't quitting my medication, just doing things to center myself in a very physical, and even spiritual way. I started expanding my centering and meditation to morning and night, and sometimes even a small meditation before each meal. I was finding myself not only less anxious and scared of my day, but more present and open to the experiences that were happening to me in each moment. I was grounded in the present, and my meditation was making me feel more of myself. My breathing was making me feel more in tune with my body, and that was a liberating experience. Now, I still take my medication daily. The trauma of 2020 won't be erased in a few months. I still have moments where I struggle with the uncertainty of the future and the feelings of a year lost to a deadly virus. However, this year has pushed me to look inside of myself and to connect with the very simple, yet life giving, things that my body does for me every day. My legs have the ability to take me on walks and carry me where I want to go. My mind allows me to learn and read and have conversations with those that I love. My eyes are able to take in the beauty of a sunrise and enjoy the scenes of a favorite TV show. My hands can feel so many sensations, and my nose is keen to the beautiful smells that travel through the world. And most importantly, my breath fuels my lungs, my brain, my entire body; it centers me, grounds me, and reminds me that living in the moment is the easiest way to have a happy heart and mind. So every morning, and at every stressful moment, I stop and simply breath. I feel the air fill my lungs and remember that every breath is a gift. In a time where we feel suffocated - physically, spiritually, and emotionally - we are lucky for, and blessed with, every breath that we are able to take. It's a simple lesson that 2020 taught me, but one that will last a lifetime.