Growing up as a member of the LGBTQ community in a world that is becoming more accepting is a complicated experience. Born and raised in Colorado, I am grateful to live in a place where diversity is more accepted than in others. Even so, I have often felt that my identity was treated as taboo, obscene, or unserious. Being a bisexual young woman, I noticed how people's behavior changed depending on who I brought home. When it was boys, people recognized and respected the relationship without question. I never worried about how others would respond when mentioning him in conversation. When it was girls, however, I observed a clear shift. As a traditionally feminine-presenting, cisgender woman, people were often surprised when I referred to my partner as my “girlfriend.” Even after months of being in an obvious romantic relationship, we were frequently dismissed as close friends. While I felt proud of my identity, I couldn’t help but feel extremely anxious about mentioning my partner to new people or even my older family members. One of the most significant challenges I faced because of my identity occurred during my senior year of high school, when my girlfriend and I ran for homecoming royalty. In previous years, winners were limited to one male and one female only, usually the most popular senior couple. That year, being on the student council cabinet, I had a voice in how the election would be run. After weeks of advocacy, we succeeded in changing the rules to allow same-sex couples to participate. We began our campaign excitedly, and to our surprise, we won, making us the first same-sex homecoming royalty in our school’s history. For a brief moment, I was elated. That feeling was quickly shot down when we returned to the student section and were met with harsh criticism from some peers. A popular girl and her boyfriend, who had dominated the underclassman court the past three years, had strong opinions about losing to us. Their friends called us slurs, accused us of tampering with the results, and insulted our appearances–continuing well after that night. Hearing this language from people I once considered friends was deeply painful. Over time, however, I realized the irony that those who led a religious club and preached kindness online had completely compromised their “values” over plastic crowns and a sash. Though the experience was upsetting, it revealed the homophobia that still exists in our culture and strengthened my motivation to rewrite the narrative surrounding it. I believe the media has more influence on society’s perspectives than we give it credit for, which is why I chose to study communications. I want to help move society toward greater acceptance for people of diverse identities. I am studying journalism and communications at the University of Oregon because I am passionate about storytelling and amplifying voices that are often overlooked. My dream is to work in the media industry and contribute to more consistent, accurate, and meaningful representation of LGBTQ individuals. In my lifetime, I want to see a world where love in all forms is accepted without hesitation. I want LGBTQ youth to receive the same education, representation, and affirmation as their heterosexual or cisgender counterparts.This starts with exposure, making the press a key factor to shifting people’s views over time. While society has made notable progress toward LGBTQ normalization, there is still work to be done. I hope my contributions help create a world where LGBTQ people are not only silently accepted, but loved and celebrated.

As a recent high school graduate, I am realizing that moving to college and starting my career are no longer distant ideas. Leaving behind everything that I am used to, like my hometown, friends and family, my choir, theater, student council and yearbook staff is daunting. Although I have had my doubts and experienced all of the bittersweet moments that come with graduation, I am ready to move out-of-state and study Communications and Marketing at my dream school, the University of Oregon. Receiving this scholarship will support me in handling the growing financial burden of studying in a new place and allow me to set aside more time toward building my future. My passion for public speaking, marketing, and storytelling has shaped my decision to pursue a degree in Marketing and Communications. Over the past four years, I have gained relevant experience through my school’s theatre department and yearbook staff. These activities have developed my skills in public speaking, collaboration, leadership, organization and so much more. The National Honor Society also taught me about community involvement and making a difference in my city. In addition to these roles, I also managed social media pages, advertising the yearbook to the student body. In college, I am particularly interested in broadening my experience with content creation. I feel as though my major combines components of everything I am interested in into one path. My goal is to one day become a Marketing Manager that specializes in videography and graphic design. Even if I find that my journey leads down a different path than intended, my hard-earned skills can be translated to any career field. To get to this point, I have maintained a 4.06 GPA and have excelled in challenging classes such as Honors English, Math, and Science, AP Language and Composition, and AP Environmental Science. This journey came with difficulties. Entering high school soon after the pandemic, I was not prepared for the academic transition from middle school to high school. I was insecure in my identity, skills, and goals and felt hopeless for a large part of my freshman and sophomore years of high school. What motivated me to keep showing up to class every day was being able to immerse myself in extracurricular activities. I am passionate about music and singing and I hope to continue growing as a musician later in life. Throughout high school, I participated in the Chamber Choir, small group jazz choir, and even the Colorado All-State choir. One of my most memorable moments this year was winning the Outstanding Choral Musician and Class of 2025 Scholar Artist awards resulting from my commitment and support of others within arts programs. Even through the difficult times, I still managed to prioritize my grades and keep up with more challenging and fast paced course work. I have come so far since my freshman year, and I am dedicated to doing the same in college. Years of creative work and leadership has led me to this moment, and I am looking forward to experiencing living away from home and taking advantage of the opportunities at the University of Oregon. I want to use my passion and skills to improve the environments of the teams I work with and help them produce high quality content. I would be endlessly grateful for the opportunities and support this scholarship will provide. Not only will it ease the stress of the high cost of education in 2025, but it will empower me to focus on my journey of growth as a leader, creator, communicator, and creative professional.

As a recent high school graduate, I am realizing that moving to college and starting my career are no longer distant ideas. Leaving behind everything that I am used to, like my hometown, friends and family, my choir, theater, student council and yearbook staff is daunting. Although I have had my doubts and experienced all of the bittersweet moments that come with graduation, I am ready to move out-of-state and study Journalism and Communications at my dream school, the University of Oregon. Receiving this scholarship will support me in handling the growing financial burden of studying in a new place, further develop my passion for cultural literacy and the arts, and allow me to set aside more time toward building my future. My passion for public speaking, marketing, and storytelling has shaped my decision to pursue a degree in Journalism and Communications.Throughout high school, I have gained relevant experience through my school’s theatre department and yearbook staff. These activities have developed my skills in public speaking, collaboration, leadership, organization and so much more. The National Honor Society also taught me about community involvement and making a difference in my city. I want to make a difference by commenting on current events in our world through the media. I feel as though my major combines components of everything I am interested in into one path. I will use my set of skills I’ve gained as a yearbook editor and advanced actress to advocate for many voices and create impactful content. To get to this point, I have maintained a 4.06 GPA and have excelled in challenging classes such as Honors English, Math, and Science, AP Language and Composition, and AP Environmental Science. This journey came with difficulties. Entering high school soon after the pandemic, I was insecure in my identity, skills, and goals and felt hopeless for a large part of my freshman and sophomore years of high school. What motivated me to keep showing up to class every day was being able to immerse myself in extracurricular activities. I am passionate about music and singing and I hope to continue growing as an artist later in life. Throughout high school, I participated in the Chamber Choir, small group jazz choir, and even the Colorado All-State choir. One of my most memorable moments this year was winning the Outstanding Choral Musician and Class of 2025 Scholar Artist awards resulting from my commitment and support of others within arts programs. Even through the difficult times, I still managed to prioritize my grades and keep up with challenging and fast paced course work. I have come so far since my freshman year, and I am dedicated to doing the same in college. Years of creative work and leadership has led me to this moment, and I am looking forward to experiencing living away from home and taking advantage of the opportunities at the University of Oregon. I want to use my passion and skills to improve the environments of the teams I work with and help them produce high quality, meaningful content. I would be endlessly grateful for the opportunities and support this scholarship will provide. Not only will it ease the stress of the high cost of education in 2025, but it will empower me to focus on my journey of growth as a leader, creator, communicator, and creative professional.