People would describe me as a very free thinker. I have many dreams, and one of the biggest is my future career. I mean, that will be my life one day, right? Might as well shoot high. My dad always tells me to choose a career where I will never have to work another day in my life. In other words, choose something I love to do so much, that it doesn't even feel like work. This, for me, is music business. I am in love with music, whether it be listening, or making, you'll always see me connected to it. My family and I are all musically gifted. I play the guitar, piano, Cajon, and a little ukulele. (I wanted to be Grace Vanderwall when I was younger, so naturally, that was something I wanted to pick up.) Being part of the business aspect in music and being able to, not just be surrounded by it, but make a career out of it is my dream. I have recently been accepted to the University of North Texas, which has one of the best music programs in the nation and I couldn't be more thrilled. Dreams are meant to not only be big but also be achieved, and I plan on accomplishing nothing less than what I'm dreaming of.

My name is Azlyn Terry. I'm a senior at Sam Rayburn High School out in our small town, Ivanhoe, Texas. Most of my time is spent doing school work, playing sports, attending church events, or hanging out with family and friends. My family consists of my four other siblings, my mother, and my father, which makes for a very busy and chaotic life. Because there are many people in my family, money doesn't always come easy, and everyone has to play their part. Growing up, I have understood that the show isn't all about me. I have four little ones to not only share the spotlight but also care for as my own. Going off to college, I realize that it may be difficult money-wise because I'm not the only child my parents are supporting, and college is in no way cheap. To avoid college debt, I can't rely only on my parents. I have to work hard, myself. My whole school career, my mom and dad have told me to keep my grades up because colleges and scholarship donators notice that and reward me for it. Since then, I have kept my GPA as high as possible while juggling my positions as Beta Vice-President, Cheer Captain, Volleyball Co-Captain, FFA Reporter, and my spot on the tennis team. It's a busy life, but I couldn't imagine it any other way. In addition to my school responsibilities, I work as a hostess at a local Cajun restaurant and help my family lead worship at my church. I'm in this race not only for myself, but for my parents and my siblings that will one day be in my position: almost off to college and in need of making difficult decisions that will affect their lives forever. My plan to stay away from college debt is to apply for all the scholarships I can get my hands on and keep my grades up, all while staying very involved in my school, church, and community. I stay motivated by knowing God is on my side and will never give me anything that I can't handle so long as I am with him. He believes in me, my family believes in me, and I believe in myself, which keeps me going and giving my all. Because of my work ethic and people helping and pushing me forward, I know that my efforts will pay off in the end.

"If at first, you don't succeed, try try again." We have all heard this very memorable quote numerous times in our lives. I try to keep this simple phrase in mind to help me remember to grow in all aspects of life. A perfect example is playing volleyball. Our school just got high school volleyball last year, whereas other schools have had their programs going for a while. We may not have as much playing time and experience under our belt as these other teams, however, we work just as hard, if not more hard, to succeed. We have had many discouraging times in these past two years, but the point is, we have come so far, improved so much, and grown in our skills and as team members. What's important is that we always look for the positive, stay united as a team, and most importantly, as soon as we make a mistake, we learn from it and try diligently to correct it the next time. People will never excel in life if they don't learn from their errors and try to fix them for the future. Even though I'm very new to the sport and am not the best, I love playing volleyball because I know to have a growth mindset that keeps me going and having fun doing it.

"Start saving young." I have been told that simple piece of advice probably since I was 12 years old. Now at that age, no one is really thinking realistically about what is going to happen in their future so naturally, those words just went right over my head. Looking back, I wish I would have listened to my elders because what they were saying would be the easiest yet most important thing I should have done in my younger years leading up to now. Truth is, I'm not where I thought I would be at 17. As a little kid, I figured I would have plenty of money to get me started in the real world, a job I loved, and be overall ready for what was to come in my future. In reality, I have lived out none of that because that's just life. If I were to have started putting money away at a younger age, I would be in a very different place now and would be more set for what is to come. To name one piece of advice I think would be most helpful, not only for me, but everyone that has finances, saving young is definitely what I would go with.

Self-care is an essential part of life. Loving yourself, the way you look, and the way you feel is starting to become more and more uncommon. It states in Mark 12:31 that we need to love our neighbors as ourselves, so how are we supposed to love others if we aren't taking care of ourselves first. Some self-care practices that I have are making sure that I'm healthy, staying connected with God, and treating myself every once and a while. Keeping myself healthy is crucial to living a wholesome life. I like to eat healthy and exercise to keep my body functioning the right way. If I feel great, each day I live will be great. Another important aspect of self-care is staying in touch with God. People have told me to think of my life as a cup that is continuously pouring into others. I can't pour what I have into others if I'm not constantly getting refreshed and replenished by keeping my relationship with God strong. The final thing I do is treat myself occasionally. Every now and then it's nice to get something good for dinner, get a massage or a pedicure, or maybe get some time to myself in a nice bubble bath with a good book. Whatever it may be, I love to show myself some TLC and unwind. All of these practices have greatly affected my life by making it easier to love myself and as a result, easier to love others. If everyone has their own way of taking care of themselves, we will truly thrive as individuals and as a community.

Close your eyes and imagine you are living the life you have always dreamed of. You are successful in your career, have an amazing family and loyal friends, and everything is just as you have always planned it would be. Now imagine that all of that is actually true. If I were to be living my dream life, I would be attending my college of choice, Dallas Baptist University, studying law. While continuously staying on top of school, I would also be excelling at my job and maintaining a social life. After completing my study in law I would move to Colorado where I would focus on my work as an attorney and eventually settle down and start a family. I would have two kids, a boy and a girl and my husband and I would take them on skiing trips and hikes in the mountains as often as we could. I would be able to contribute to my family, job, and friends equally. I would be attending church somewhere nearby where the spirit of the Lord would be overwhelmingly strong and the church acted as a unit that constantly served others and the Lord. Eventually I would retire and my husband and I would have saved up money to pursue our dream of international travel because we love seeing what else is out there and experiencing other cultures. All in all that is how I picture my dream life and to actually have all of it come true would be amazing. It is all a goal I will constantly work towards and pray for so that one day I may be able to achieve it.