In the future, the version of myself that I dream to see is an individual who continues to help people through both medical services and by writing truthful journalism in hopes to improve the world and myself.

Music creates a path to my current self. When listening to music I have always found a way to attach myself to certain singers or bands and create a bond. When looking back at these artists and songs I can picture exactly where I was in my lifetime and what struggles I was facing to get to where I am now. In my senior year of high school, I was involved in a class called "songwriting" and it allowed me to write my music and create my very own songs. However, it was not that simple nor easy, it required me to create my songs and perform them in front of the entire class. Then, I would get feedback from my peers and teacher. This grew my confidence in myself and my singing abilities. It was interesting to see how other people wrote their songs and how they would choose to perform them. I was also able to see how these individuals grew with their talents of singing, but also with the confidence they had in themselves. This class also gave me the chance to plan and produce a whole music festival. Now, it's not the ones that you would normally think about, it was a school event. However, it was three hours of pure performances on two stages. This was about 50 acts in total. We had to create the art and design for the festival, audition these people, pick the ones who had the best potential, section them off between stages, send out confirmation emails, set up and take down the venue, run each stage to make sure that we did not go off of schedule, and put on a successful show while also being regular high school students. This was a whole new experience for me and it was so fun. It introduced me to music in a way that I never had to interact with it before. Even though it was stressful doing these things and it was a bunch of hard work, it was totally worth it in the end as it brought so many people joy. Creating music is an outlet for many people, so seeing the satisfaction on the audience's faces made everything worth wild. Music itself comes from people with different backgrounds and different stories who decide to come together to create something for the world. Everyone loves music. The best part, making music is completely free. My teacher explained it to me this way; anything you have around you can be made into an instrument. Then, you can sing to it. People can come around and join you, and in the end, it is completely free. He would show us his guitar and he said that he could pull endless amounts of songs out of his guitar and he would never run out. He could create as much music as he wanted to, and because of that, he said that it provided endless joy. That was the perfect way to describe it. So, I am grateful that music provides a view of endless joy when you need it in a world that is not always joyful.

Ever since I was little I knew that my passion was to somehow help people on the front lines. When I was in elementary school my dream was to go into the military and serve our country, then when I was in middle school my ideas changed and I wanted to be a police officer, in high school I finally decided that I wanted to become a firefighter. High school has allowed me to do this through the LBJ fire academy. In my freshman year of high school, I went to a presentation that involved a large number of juniors and seniors explaining the academy. This challenge, and extreme expectations, were something that I wanted to live up to, so in my sophomore year, I applied to the fire academy and was accepted that summer. Throughout my junior year, I was faced with many obstacles that I never once thought I would have to overcome. Not only that, but I have gained so many life lessons and skills that I will carry with me throughout my life. I have never been a person who was focused on sports or ever played on a team, so the physical aspect was something that I was nervous about, but I was willing to train so that I could be beneficial to my crew in times when they need to rely on me. This is exactly what I did. Most weekends I would take home all of my gear and set up an obstacle course in a nearby parking lot. This obstacle course would consist of a ten-yard tire drag, hitting a tire ten times with a sledgehammer, crawling under poles, climbing a ladder, and lifting weights from one parking space to another, and this process would repeat. Because of this, and training during school hours, my strength grew tremendously. This academy allowed me to gain skills, unlike any other class I have ever taken. I have learned how to raise and extend a 25-foot firefighting ladder, how to operate a chainsaw several feet in the air, how to take a defensive strategy against a fire, how to operate a fire hydrant and nozzle, how to cut out a windshield and separate the top of a car from the bottom during vehicle extrication, and how to conduct search and rescue in intense situations with zero visibility. These are all of the skills I learned in just one year of the academy. With one year still ahead of me involving hazmat and EMT training, I was going to continue to learn techniques that would allow me to help people in the ways that I had always wanted to. Another opportunity this academy has given me true friendship and trust as I have never experienced before. My class is like a family to me. We started as strangers, and are now always there for one another any time of day. I would be lost without the people I have met in this academy. They have encouraged me to do things that I never thought I could do, and they continue to encourage and inspire me to be a better person every single day. The LBJ fire academy is both an opportunity and a challenge of a lifetime. Though there were times when I felt like giving up, I never did, and I kept going and pushing myself. Because of this, I know that the person that I have become as an outcome of this academy is someone who will never back down from a challenge and will cherish every opportunity presented to her in the future.

When I chose my high school I knew exactly what I was signing up for. The name was Liberal Arts and Science Academy, LASA for short. You apply, you take a written exam, you write some essays, and then they decide whether or not you are worthy to attend their prestigious school. I was accepted and during the introduction ceremony, they told me exactly what I was up against. At this school, there are no dances, sports events are not important, your social skills don't get used at all, the kids are not the same as in other schools, you don't have free time as it is all spent doing school work, so your world must revolve around your work. I understood the words, and I knew what they meant, but I didn't know EXACTLY what they meant till I graduated. The assignments were my life. There was not a moment that I wasn't working or stressing about the things that needed to get done. I developed an extreme stress response. I was stressed and anxious all of the time. My heart would race to where it felt like it was coming out of my chest, my thoughts would hyper-focus on the worry I had towards the numerical values that were given on assignments, and my hands would turn ice cold as if my body decided that there were bigger things to worry about then circulating blood to my hands, I stopped eating lunch because I no longer saw the point and the energy drinks would get me through the day for the most part so why would I need to eat, but I never cried. Well not in public anyway, okay maybe once or twice. I learned to live with it. I had no mental capacity to think of a genuine response to the question that people would ask that went "Are you okay?" so I created an automated response "I'm okay, I'm fine, let's talk about you." Why would I need someone there if I had done all of this stuff by myself? I mean I got into Liberal Arts and Science Academy, LASA for short, where I applied, took a written test, wrote some essays, and got into the prestigious school by myself. That state of mind was never good for me. I never asked the teachers for help, even when I needed it. I would struggle till I got the right answer or would give up halfway. I felt the need to do everything on my own. That, combined with the constant stress, anxiety, and fear that I would mess something up, consumed my life for a while. There were times when I wondered that if I went to another school, would things have been different? I concluded that no they probably wouldn't be. Because even though I wouldn't have had to take all of those AP classes, pull lots of all-nighters, or struggle to be at the top of my class, I don't think that I would have allowed my standards to drop and I would have continued to be just as hard on myself. Overall, I think that my choice of Liberal Arts and Science Academy, LASA for short, was the best possible choice that I could have made. I struggled, a lot, but as it tore me down it began to build a stronger foundation for me as a person. I am proud of who I am today and I'm thankful for the challenges that led me here.

Ever since I was little I knew that my passion was to somehow help people on the front lines. When I was in elementary school my dream was to go into the military and serve our country, then when I was in middle school my ideas changed and I wanted to be a police officer, then in high school, I finally decided that I wanted to become a firefighter. High school has allowed me to do this through the LBJ fire academy. In my freshman year of high school, I went to a presentation that involved a large number of juniors and seniors explaining the academy. This challenge, and extreme expectations, were something that I wanted to live up to, so in my sophomore year, I applied to the fire academy and was accepted that summer. Throughout my junior year, I was faced with many obstacles that I never once thought I would have to overcome. Not only that, but I have gained so many life lessons and skills that I will carry with me throughout my life. I have never been a person who was focused on sports or ever played on a team, so the physical aspect of the fire academy was something that I was initially very nervous about, but I was willing to train and better myself so that I could be beneficial to my crew in times when they need to rely on me. This is exactly what I did. Most weekends I would take home all of my gear and set up an obstacle course in a nearby parking lot. This obstacle course would consist of a ten-yard tire drag, hitting a tire ten times with a sledgehammer, crawling under poles, climbing a ladder, and lifting weights from one parking space to another, and this process would repeat. Because of this, and training during school hours, my strength grew tremendously. This academy allowed me to gain skills, unlike any other class I have ever taken. I have learned how to raise and extend a 25-foot firefighting ladder, how to operate a chainsaw several feet in the air, how to take a defensive strategy against a fire, how to operate a fire hydrant and nozzle, how to cut out a windshield and separate the top of a car from the bottom during vehicle extrication, and how to conduct search and rescue in intense situations with zero visibility. These are all of the skills I learned in just one year of the academy. With my senior year involving hazmat and EMT training, I will learn techniques that would allow me to help people in the ways that I had always wanted to. Another opportunity this academy has given me is true friendship I had never experienced before. My class is like a family to me. We started as strangers, and are now always there for one another any time of day. I would be lost without the people I have met in this academy. They have encouraged me to do things that I never thought I could do, and they continue to encourage and inspire me to be a better person every day. The LBJ fire academy is both an opportunity and a challenge of a lifetime. Though there were times when I felt like giving up, I never did, and I kept going and pushing myself. Because of this, I know that the person that I have become as an outcome of this academy is someone who will never back down from a challenge and will cherish every opportunity presented to her in the future.

Life seems to continuously be chaotic. There is always something happening and other things that need to get done, so in that way, people act selfishly whether they mean to or not. Consequently, environmentally conscious acts get put on the back burner. People like to do what is most convenient for them, so that means if someone has something that needs to be recycled, but they are closer to a trash can, they are more likely to put the item in the trash rather than take the time to find a recycle. Choices like these impact the environment an extreme amount because individuals have the mindset that “someone else will do it” and that means that no one is taking the time to make the choices that are better for the environment. These selfish acts are the primary reasons that pollution and climate change have gotten out of hand, and to combat this, society must create a sustainable living environment for its people. A sustainable lifestyle would decrease the quality of life for many people, but for this example, I will just be focusing on people in America. A major factor that creates the ecological footprint of the United States and provides convenience for its citizens, hence improving their quality of life, is carbon dioxide. The excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere comes from the extreme amounts of fossil fuels that are burnt constantly to keep up with the demand for everyday items like motorized vehicles. The per capita ecological footprint in the United States is 8.2 gha/person, and for the United States to be considered sustainable, it must reduce its per capita ecological footprint by 4.46 gha/person to achieve 3.76 gha/person to align with the biocapacity of the area. However, if an individual wanted to make their life more sustainable they could change little things about their day to decrease their ecological footprint. Some examples that I do in my daily life are turn off lights in the house when they are not being used, recycle items, and minimize water use by doing simple things like turning off the water when I am brushing my teeth. Another thing that I do that impacts other people rather than just myself is that I take a carpool to school, therefore, reducing carbon emissions. I try my best to remind myself about the actions that I am taking each day and how they may impact the environment. In all honesty, that is quite a difficult task since the current society is not made to run in an environment that's goal is aiming towards sustainability. As underdeveloped countries grow, they will repeat the process of the United State’s industrialization and create an environment that is even more unsustainable. However, if the United States takes the initiative and creates laws that will change the direction that we are currently heading in, then other countries will follow behind. This will allow everyone in the world to someday strive to live sustainably every day.

Throughout my life, I have never really been a sports person, and I know what you are thinking, why would someone be applying to this scholarship if they are not a sports person? Well, I'll tell you. The sports that I have been in have forever changed my life from the pure enjoyment that I got from them. I used to be a dancer, and I would do it competitively, but after some time my mindset grew out of a class format way of dancing to a point where I knew I needed to stop. So, I did. However, this lead me to almost forget dancing, and I barely indulged in this sport that I used to deeply enjoy, so the passion remained in the back of my mind, sort of like a forgotten piece of clothing tucked away in a closet. Then covid hit. My mental health deteriorated and it felt like I was missing something in my life, and I honestly was missing quite a few things at the time of the lockdown. One day though, my family and I decided that it was a great day to clean out the garage, and by the time we were done the whole place was empty. Clean to a point where you could see the floors and you could walk around the place in a manner that doesn't involve tripping or finding yourself in a dangerous situation. Suddenly, I now had a dance floor. I had always wanted something like that in my life ever since I was little. Now, was it a big room with wooden floors and a big glass mirror? No, but it was mine. I had this Bluetooth speaker, and so I would use it to play my favorite songs on max volume and I would start to learn the choreography to dances that I would love to watch. Particularly Michael Jackson. With this open space and blaring music, I would spend my nights dancing. No one else was around, but this solo dancing is what I found to make me happy at this time. It was a way for me to release the built-up energy I had, while also expressing it in a way that made sense to me. Feeling the sweat drip down my face after doing the same chores for the tenth time is what I needed. It made me feel alive again at a time when everything felt so dull. So, I would go to midnight and beyond. When I was on my dance floor it became my joy. I was dance. Dance was me. Then covid started to fade away and the responsibilities that I once held came flooding back. Then I was busy. The time that I gave myself to dance had slipped through my fingers. I lost that time I had for myself. However, I will never let myself fully lose this sport ever again. Whenever I am alone I go back to that state of mind and I let the music move me. Dance has always been so inspirational to me, so with every move I make, I do it with love and care. Reminding myself that all is truly well, and allowing the dance to give me a peaceful state of mind.

Life seems to continuously be chaotic. There is always something happening and other things that need to get done, so in that way, people act selfishly whether they mean to or not. Consequently, environmentally conscious acts get put on the back burner. People like to do what is most convenient for them, so that means if someone has something that needs to be recycled, but they are closer to a trash can, they are more likely to put the item in the trash rather than take the time to find a recycle. Choices like these impact the environment an extreme amount because individuals have the mindset that “someone else will do it” and that means that no one is taking the time to make the choices that are better for the environment. These selfish acts are the primary reasons that pollution and climate change have gotten out of hand, and to combat this, society must create a sustainable living environment for its people. A sustainable lifestyle would decrease the quality of life for many people, but for this example, I will just be focusing on people in America. A major factor that creates the ecological footprint of the United States and provides convenience for its citizens, hence improving their quality of life, is carbon dioxide. The excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere comes from the extreme amounts of fossil fuels that are burnt constantly to keep up with the demand for everyday items like motorized vehicles. The per capita ecological footprint in the United States is 8.2 gha/person, and for the United States to be considered sustainable, it must reduce its per capita ecological footprint by 4.46 gha/person to achieve 3.76 gha/person to align with the biocapacity of the area. However, if an individual wanted to make their life more sustainable they could change little things about their day to decrease their ecological footprint. Some examples that I do in my daily life are turn off lights in the house when they are not being used, recycle items, and minimize water use by doing simple things like turning off the water when I am brushing my teeth. Another thing that I do that impact other people rather than just myself is that I take a carpool to school, therefore, reducing carbon emissions. I try my best to remind myself about the actions that I am taking each day and how they may impact the environment. In all honesty, that is quite a difficult task since the current society is not made to run in an environment that's goal is aiming towards sustainability. As underdeveloped countries grow, they will repeat the process of the United State’s industrialization and create an environment that is even more unsustainable. However, if the United States takes the initiative and creates laws that will change the direction that we are currently heading in, then other countries will follow behind. This will allow everyone in the world to someday strive to live sustainably every day.

I wake up each morning and I do what most people do; I grab my phone and check all of my social media platforms that provide that one second of brain stimulation. That's how I start my day. However, unfortunately, the news that I happen to come across on these platforms is rather horrifying, and every single day it seems like we are taking steps backward rather than forwards. The world seems to be losing its feminist qualities that we have grown eversocarefuly to create the rights that are deserved, yet not given. Feminism is the belief, respect, and advocacy for the rights of women, and a feminist is a person who strives to protect those rights. Feminism grows in its importance every day, because the paths that we have carved to create a world that is just slightly more equal than before, are being destroyed and covered up by people who don't even bother to speak for us. After the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the world has gone to shambles when it comes to women's rights, and rather the right to privacy. It was never specifically written down in the constitution, so every right that we own as women can be taken away so quickly in a way that seems unnatural as if we never had them to begin with. The ground that we stand on is shaky, so to build stability we all must stand together to create an overarching feminist movement to gain back the rights that should have never been taken away in the first place. For this reason, and many others, feminism will always be extremely important. There is not just one woman who has impacted my view on feminism, but every single one of them. I see protests throughout the streets every day filled with women who are fighting for all of the rights that we hold, and all of the rights that should be given to us but unfortunately are not. It seemed to create a domino effect with Roe v. Wade was overturned. Every state now has the right to prohibit a women's access to an abortion, and because of this they also can make laws regarding this concept, and multiple states already have. Each law permits the suffering of women, and people are standing by like it isn't happening everwhere. We must use feminism not just as a mindset, but as a tactic to rebuild the structure that we once had, however, we must also try to work together as one unit to accomplish this goal. The one way that I have found to make an impact on others when it comes to feminism, and to inspire a change in the world that we live in today, is just to simply spread the right information. Whether that be in person talking face to face with people, or online by reposting situations and information, anything like that helps. Someday people have to wake up to what is happening around us and realize that fundamental rights should be clearly stated to also apply to women. The feminist movement must grow and flourish so that maybe one day there truly will be equality. Today, and in the future, I will continue speaking my truth and informing people of the reality they are living in, and I will encourage them to develop a mindset that relates to feminism because I know that one day we will live in a world where the rights of women are glorified and cherished.

Throughout my time in school, I was never inclined to the math and science fields. I found that whenever it came to a math and science test I would dread it and the material that came with it. However, I found some grace when learning algebra. My sophomore year of high school, which landed on the year of virtuality due to the Covid-19 Virus, led me to have to teach myself the entirety of algebra two. This gave me such great love and respect for the subject area. When transitioning into eighth grade I moved up a level into algebra one, which is typically a class for high school freshmen, and I found that I greatly excelled at this subject. It seemed as though every calculation that I was doing just made sense. Every time I would solve a problem it was like connecting a puzzle piece, and it eventually became very fun for me and I longed for the challenge. Unfortunately, when I began learning geometry, I started to struggle with the concepts that they were teaching. This made me realize that I had a love-hate relationship with math. I think that it is extremely important that every student gets taught each subject of math, but I also believe that it is absolutely okay for students to do well in certain areas of math and struggle in others. I loved how math showed me how different, yet similar, people are to one another. For example, I used to ask my friends which subject they did better in; algebra or geometry. I would always get an answer where they would explain where they did really well in one and hated the other. I loved this weird separation that math created, but it also brought people together as people love helping others solve a puzzle by finding the last piece. That is what makes math fun to me. When I got to my sophomore year of high school and had to teach myself the whole curriculum of algebra two, I knew that it was going to be very overwhelming, but over time it became fun. This allowed me to grow my confidence in the field and encouraged me to try solving the puzzles that may take me a little more time because they were more challenging.

Throughout my time in school, I was never inclined to the math and science fields. I found that whenever it came to a math and science test I would dread it and the material that came with it. However, I found some grace when learning algebra. My sophomore year of high school, which landed on the year of virtuality due to the Covid-19 Virus, led me to have to teach myself the entirety of algebra two. This gave me such great love and respect for the subject area. When transitioning into eighth grade I moved up a level into algebra one, which is typically a class for high school freshmen, and I found that I greatly excelled at this subject. It seemed as though every calculation that I was doing just made sense. Every time I would solve a problem it was like connecting a puzzle piece, and it eventually became very fun for me and I longed for the challenge. I appreciated being able to help others who were struggling with the subject, and when people came to me asking for help, I was more than willing to explain the problem as it made sense to me. Unfortunately, when I began learning geometry, I started to struggle with the concepts that they were teaching. This made me realize that I had a love-hate relationship with math. I think that it is extremely important that every student gets taught each subject of math, but I also believe that it is absolutely okay for students to do well in certain areas of math and struggle in others. I loved how math showed me how different, yet similar, people are to one another. For example, I used to ask my friends which subject they did better in; algebra or geometry. I would always get an answer where they would explain where they did really well in one and hated the other. I loved this weird separation that math created, but it also brought people together as people love helping others solve a puzzle by finding the last piece. That is what makes math fun to me. When I got to my sophomore year of high school and had to teach myself the whole curriculum of algebra two, I knew that it was going to be very overwhelming, but over time it became fun. Since I already enjoyed the idea of algebra, I appreciated having the freedom to make the connections on my own and solve problems in a way that made sense to me. This also allowed me to grow my confidence in the field and encouraged me to try solving the puzzles that may take me a little more time because they were more challenging.

As a student who is transitioning from high school to college, it is vital to recognize the importance of managing one's finances. This change is the starting point of adulthood for most students, so by starting the student in high school with knowledge about how to manage money is something that allows them to develop a sense of responsibility and stability. Responsibility develops by explaining the importance of money and how it works, and how one must maintain it or they will quickly run out. This ties to the characteristic of stability because once they figure out a process that works for them, they will feel comfortable handling their money and therefore create a sense of financial stability. I began managing my finances in my second year of high school. I was able to get a debit card and then track my spending in my bank app. This was an eye-opening experience because for the first time in my life, I realized how much things cost, and I was able to develop a sense of how much I would be willing to spend each time I would go to the store. It gave me balance as it allowed me to focus more on the things that I needed to buy rather than what I wanted to buy. This also gave me the opportunity to experience what it was like to have money, and what challenges came along with it. I was able to deal with what happens when my card gets stolen and then used for other purchases as I went through the whole process of talking with both the businesses and my bank, and then finding the resources to then get a new card to replace my old one. I am so appreciative that I was able to work this out with people around me to help as I was still a minor and was only just learning how to properly handle my money. In my junior and senior years of high school, I got my first credit card. This introduced me to the phenomenon of credit scores. It also forced me to develop a schedule with my money because if I didn't, I would go into debt. Paying off what I owed on my credit card has allowed me to establish a good credit score for myself and remain out of debt. Credit cards also work as a limit to how much an individual can spend, and this creates a mechanism for an individual to realize how much they spend. This idea influenced me to make a monthly budget. So, I created a spreadsheet on my computer that shows me how much I spend in certain areas per month versus how much I am making at my job. Therefore, furthering my financial stability. I will continue to develop my skills when it comes to managing money throughout both my college career and my life. However, knowing that I have made a foundation for myself with my finances has relieved such a big burden from my shoulders as I can focus on other things. In college, most of my attention will be dedicated to my academics, so I will not be able to spend as much time organizing my money and creating a plan as to where I want to dedicate it towards. By making plans now, I have lessened the stress that is put on my future self. In the future, I aim to share my advice with people. I want others to feel grounded in their finances when coming out of high school, and to be prepared for the challenges that will come later in life. Most kids feel lost when it comes to money, or they end up spending it all too fast, but if I can share some of my advice with them, such as budgeting tactics, then maybe I can help a few individuals feel confident when they step into the working world. It is incredibly important for a student to develop the skill of managing their finances, and it is equally important for them to have some experience with it before they are thrown into the process as adults. Doing this allows them to experience responsibility by creating financial stability for themselves at an early age.

As a student who is transitioning from high school to college, it is vital to recognize the importance of managing one's finances. This change is the starting point of adulthood for most students, so by starting the student in high school with knowledge about how to manage money is something that allows them to develop a sense of responsibility and stability. Responsibility develops by explaining the importance of money and how it works, and how one must maintain it or they will quickly run out. This ties to the characteristic of stability because once they figure out a process that works for them, they will feel comfortable handling their money and therefore create a sense of financial stability. I began managing my finances in my second year of high school. I was able to get a debit card and then track my spending in my bank app. This was an eye-opening experience because for the first time in my life, I realized how much things cost, and I was able to develop a sense of how much I would be willing to spend each time I would go to the store. It gave me balance as it allowed me to focus more on the things that I needed to buy rather than what I wanted to buy. This also gave me the opportunity to experience what it was like to have money, and what challenges came along with it. I was able to deal with what happens when my card gets stolen and then used for other purchases. I went through the whole process of talking with business, and my bank, and then finding the resources to then get a new card to replace my old one. I am so appreciative that I was able to work this out with people around me to help. In my junior and senior years of high school, I got my first credit card. This introduced me to the phenomenon of credit scores. It also forced me to develop a schedule with my money because if I didn't, I would go into debt. Paying off what I owed on my credit card has allowed me to establish a good credit score for myself and remain out of debt. Credit cards also work as a limit to how much an individual can spend, and this creates a mechanism for an individual to realize how much they spend. This idea also influenced me to make a monthly budget. So, I created a spreadsheet on my computer that shows me how much I spend in certain areas per month versus how much I am making at my job. Therefore, furthering my financial stability. It is incredibly important for a student to develop the skill of managing their finances, and it is equally important for them to have some experience with it before they are thrown into the process as adults. Doing this allows them to experience responsibility by creating financial stability for themselves at an early age.

As a student who is transitioning from high school to college, it is vital to recognize the importance of managing one's finances. This change is the starting point of adulthood for most students, so by starting the student in high school with knowledge about how to manage money is something that allows them to develop a sense of responsibility and stability. Responsibility develops by explaining the importance of money and how it works, and how one must maintain it or they will quickly run out. This ties to the characteristic of stability because once they figure out a process that works for them, they will feel comfortable handling their money and therefore create a sense of financial stability. I began managing my finances in my second year of high school. I was able to get a debit card and then track my spending in my bank app. This was an eye-opening experience because for the first time in my life, I realized how much things cost, and I was able to develop a sense of how much I would be willing to spend each time I would go to the store. It gave me balance as it allowed me to focus more on the things that I needed to buy rather than what I wanted to buy. This also gave me the opportunity to experience what it was like to have money, and what challenges came along with it. I was able to deal with what happens when my card gets stolen and then used for other purchases. I went through the whole process of talking with business, and my bank, and then finding the resources to then get a new card to replace my old one. I am so appreciative that I was able to work this out with people around me to help. In my junior and senior years of high school, I got my first credit card. This introduced me to the phenomenon of credit scores. It also forced me to develop a schedule with my money because if I didn't, I would go into debt. Paying off what I owed on my credit card has allowed me to establish a good credit score for myself and remain out of debt. Credit cards also work as a limit to how much an individual can spend, and this creates a mechanism for an individual to realize how much they spend. This idea also influenced me to make a monthly budget. So, I created a spreadsheet on my computer that shows me how much I spend in certain areas per month versus how much I am making at my job. Therefore, furthering my financial stability. It is incredibly important for a student to develop the skill of managing their finances, and it is equally important for them to have some experience with it before they are thrown into the process as adults. Doing this allows them to experience responsibility by creating financial stability for themselves at an early age.

When examining my life, I seem to consistently come across the characteristic of stubbornness. While I value this quality that I have, it is like we have a love-hate relationship. On one hand, my stubbornness has allowed me to start a task and not stop till I am finished with it, but then end up with a good result. On the other hand, I will spend as much time as it takes no matter how much time and energy it takes from me. This is both a good and a bad thing, because ultimately I will end up with a good final product, however, was it worth breaking myself just to get to the end? Often, I don't have a choice in the matter, I am going to be stubborn no matter what the situation is, so I guess I have to find a way to manage it. I appreciate where my stubbornness has gotten me. Especially with education. I have managed to get myself into a high school that is one of the best in my state, and from working hard throughout my time there I have gotten myself into my dream college. How could I not be grateful for that? Well, of course, I am grateful for it and proud of myself for doing it, but at the same time, I wish I wasn't so hard on myself. Beginning stubborn in education has helped me tremedisouly, it has allowed me to discover how I learn and how to help myself when I realized others couldn't teach me in the way I could learn the material. Being able to teach myself things has given me such a good base when it comes to general life tasks that I have to get through. With stubbornness comes the high expectations that an individual holds for themselves, whether they mean to or not. So, to get that good grade that I'm desiring, I will take so much time out of my day just doing assignments instead of doing things that make me happy. The amount of stress that I carry with me every day just because of school assignments is sad both literally and figuratively. It is sad in the way that it is bad for my health, and because a normal student would typically not put so much thought into school. However, I believe that this characteristic will continue to help me in life. It encourages me to continue the things that I love and to strive for the things that I long to achieve. I am proud of myself for the hard work that I have accomplished, and for all of the work I will accomplish in the future. I think that this quality will also allow me to help others along with myself. I am training to be a first responder, so my stubbornness combined with my wanting to work hard, will allow me to provide the best quality of care that I can to help people to the best of my abilities. I will carry this characteristic with pride, as I know that it will continue to help me throughout my life journey.

Ever since I was little I knew that my passion was to somehow help people on the front lines. When I was in elementary school my dream was to go into the military and serve our country, then when I was in middle school my ideas changed and I wanted to be a police officer, then in high school, I finally decided that I wanted to become a firefighter. High school has allowed me to do this through the LBJ fire academy. In my freshman year of high school, I went to a presentation that involved a large number of juniors and seniors explaining the academy. This challenge, and extreme expectations, were something that I wanted to live up to, so in my sophomore year, I applied to the fire academy and was accepted that summer. Throughout my junior year, I was faced with many obstacles that I never once thought I would have to overcome. Not only that, but I have gained so many life lessons and skills that I will carry with me throughout my life. I have never been a person who was focused on sports or ever played on a team, so the physical aspect of the fire academy was something that I was initially very nervous about, but I was willing to train and better myself so that I could be beneficial to my crew in times when they need to rely on me. This is exactly what I did. Most weekends I would take home all of my gear and set up an obstacle course in a nearby parking lot. This obstacle course would consist of a ten-yard tire drag, hitting a tire ten times with a sledgehammer, crawling under poles, climbing a ladder, and lifting weights from one parking space to another, and this process would repeat. Because of this, and training during school hours, my strength grew tremendously. This academy allowed me to gain skills, unlike any other class I have ever taken. I have learned how to raise and extend a 25-foot firefighting ladder, how to operate a chainsaw several feet in the air, how to take a defensive strategy against a fire, how to operate a fire hydrant and nozzle, how to cut out a windshield and separate the top of a car from the bottom during vehicle extrication, and how to conduct search and rescue in intense situations with zero visibility. These are all of the skills I learned in just one year of the academy, and I am going to continue to learn techniques that would allow me to help people in the ways that I had always wanted to. Another opportunity this academy has given me true friendship and trust like I have never experienced before. My class is like a family to me. We started as strangers, and are now always there for one another any time of day. I would be lost without the people I have met in this academy. They have encouraged me to do things that I never thought I could do, and they continue to encourage and inspire me to be a better person every single day. The LBJ fire academy is both an opportunity and a challenge of a lifetime. Though there were times when I felt like giving up, I never did, and I kept going and pushing myself. Because of this, I know that the person that I have become as an outcome of this academy is someone who will never back down from a challenge, and will cherish every opportunity presented to her in the future.

Ever since I was little I knew that my passion was to somehow help people on the front lines. When I was in elementary school my dream was to go into the military and serve our country, then when I was in middle school my ideas changed and I wanted to be a police officer, then in high school, I finally decided that I wanted to become a firefighter. High school has allowed me to do this through the LBJ fire academy. In my freshman year of high school, I went to a presentation that involved a large number of juniors and seniors explaining the academy. This challenge, and extreme expectations, were something that I wanted to live up to, so in my sophomore year, I applied to the fire academy and was accepted that summer. Throughout my junior year, I was faced with many obstacles that I never once thought I would have to overcome. Not only that, but I have gained so many life lessons and skills that I will carry with me throughout my life. I have never been a person who was focused on sports or ever played on a team, so the physical aspect of the fire academy was something that I was initially very nervous about, but I was willing to train and better myself so that I could be beneficial to my crew in times when they need to rely on me. This is exactly what I did. Most weekends I would take home all of my gear and set up an obstacle course in a nearby parking lot. This obstacle course would consist of a ten-yard tire drag, hitting a tire ten times with a sledgehammer, crawling under poles, climbing a ladder, and lifting weights from one parking space to another, and this process would repeat. Because of this, and training during school hours, my strength grew tremendously. This academy allowed me to gain skills, unlike any other class I have ever taken. I have learned how to raise and extend a 25-foot firefighting ladder, how to operate a chainsaw several feet in the air, how to take a defensive strategy against a fire, how to operate a fire hydrant and nozzle, how to cut out a windshield and separate the top of a car from the bottom during vehicle extrication, and how to conduct search and rescue in intense situations with zero visibility. These are all of the skills I learned in just one year of the academy. With one year still ahead of me involving hazmat and EMT training, I was going to continue to learn techniques that would allow me to help people in the ways that I had always wanted to. Another opportunity this academy has given me true friendship and trust like I have never experienced before. My class is like a family to me. We started as strangers, and are now always there for one another any time of day. I would be lost without the people I have met in this academy. They have encouraged me to do things that I never thought I could do, and they continue to encourage and inspire me to be a better person every single day. The LBJ fire academy is both an opportunity and a challenge of a lifetime. Because of this, I know that the person that I have become as an outcome of this academy is someone who will never back down from a challenge, and will cherish every opportunity presented to her in the future.

Emotions come in waves. An intense and overwhelming sense of urgency to allow these feelings to escape is something that bombards me every day. For this process to happen, and then to cycle through the next day, I have to express myself through writing. The most common way I do this is through the art of poetry and songwriting. I have found that I enjoy how words sound together. How they trick the mind through rhyme, alliteration, and all of the other clever ways words can be manipulated. Not only that, but it is something that the writer is in charge of. However, I believe that poetry is about the freedom of the reader. I may write a piece of poetry for a specific reason that relates to my life, but if someone reads my work and connects with it differently, I find that to be what makes the art beautiful. See, schools get poetry all wrong. They have you try to dissect the writing to decipher a true meaning out of it when in fact that was not what it was made for. You can do that with other pieces of writing to try and find the 'main idea’, but poetry doesn’t just have one idea. Poetry is emotion put to words and emotions are chaotic. When done correctly, the freedom of poetry is something that lets me escape my mind because now it is all just printed on paper. I have always been passionate about writing, however, I can’t always sit down and create a piece on the spot because it is the inspiration that drives me. This is so important to me because it allows me to remember that I am in fact still a human. Someone who can process things and have ideas that create something meaningful for me and possibly someone else. There is no mystery behind the inspiration, it is that light in the dark for the times when you lose yourself. Writing helps to ground me in the times when I feel that everything else is falling apart. Poetry goes hand in hand with songwriting and so I have always believed that songs are just poetry put to music. This music allows you to feel your emotion in a different way. With poetry, your words may be sad and that is what you will feel when reading it, however, if there are sad lyrics in a song that is put to an upbeat chord progression, your sorrow can turn into something that you and others can dance to and enjoy. Suddenly, the time that felt unmanageable turned into something exciting and beautiful. The power that words hold is something that entices me, and I will always try to use them in a way to show others the beauty that they can create.

I appreciate everything that I have learned from every single one of my teachers because I believe that each one taught me something very valuable. However, when I think about who had the greatest impact on my life, one teacher always comes to my mind; Mr. December. I have had him twice in my four years in high school; once in my freshman year in Advanced Biology, and once in my senior year in AP Environmental Science. Being in his class, and getting to learn about him as an individual has inspired me to not only go above and beyond when it comes to his class, but he has also encouraged me to take on challenges and strive for the things I want. When I was a freshman I was new to every aspect of high school. It was a struggle just to get my studies straight, nonetheless creating meaningful relationships with both my peers and my teachers. However, when I went to Mr. In December's class I was able to truly learn in the environment that he created in his classroom. He would crack jokes, but he would also make sure to go one-on-one with a student when he knew that they needed his help. I appreciated that so much as I had never been a student that had done well in science. In my sophomore year, I applied for this program that allowed me to train to become a certified firefighter and EMT by the time I graduate in my senior year but to do that I knew that I needed a teacher's recommendation. That’s when I knew I had to ask Mr. December because I believed from my time in his class in my freshman year that he was someone that would be honest in his recommendation letter. Thanks to him I was accepted into the program and it has changed my life. In my senior year, I fought a live propane fire and I invited him to come and see it so that he knew he was a major reason why I was there, and that it had paid off. As an incoming senior, I had pretty much given up on science. I failed tests in both Chemistry and Physics and so I never believed that it would be any different in my senior year. Not until I noticed that my teacher was Mr. December again. He made science fun again. He allowed me to see the meaning behind what I was learning. He would go above and beyond when it came to the curriculum, and he would tell me that he would choose the hardest questions for our tests because he believed that we would be able to do them. And we did. Not only did he help me succeed academically, but he also inspired me personally. Throughout my senior year, he has shared with me many meaningful experiences that he has had in his life and every story convinces me that he is a person that I want to look up to. He was a Sergeant in the military and he had shared stories of ultimate courage and bravery with me while also showing that anyone can do anything that they set their mind to. He has had multiple careers in his life, is continuing his education by getting a master's degree, and has a plan for the next five or more years of his life. These characteristics are some that I admire deeply.

I would change how the entirety of the school system looks at students. Students are categorized based on factors that make them better or equivalent to other students from the view of an academic professional for the essential purpose of money. We are encouraged to, if not forced, to take standardized tests that are supposed to show a student's mastery over a subject, however, I believe that this is ridiculous and rather harmful to the students. An individual could have phenomenal grades in all of their classes, take school very seriously, balance multiple activities to fit their schedule, and do other impressive things, but if they had one bad day when completing a standardized test, then they will immediately be looked down upon. This needs to change. This has influenced our school system as we base all of our curriculum on AP tests. There is no longer any freedom for our teachers to teach the way they would like to. Not only that, but the College Board has dumbed down the curriculum to very basic things in a way that eliminates a student's ability to develop critical thinking skills. Children are supposed to learn the material, memorize it, and repeat it back to their educators. We’ve stopped learning due to this enforced teaching style and are almost being programmed to perform like robots. These mentally damaging tests and the lack of an innovative curriculum puts students in an awkward position. The curriculum that we are learning is not up to date as the methods that we have created for teaching today's students are not easily adaptable to a changing environment. We need changes like this in our school systems so students can be prepared for today, and they can’t do that by learning the curriculum that was made to prepare them for yesterday. From the first day a student enters the classroom, they are branded by their education with a number that stays with them till they complete high school. This is the start of how the school system tracks its students. As technology has advanced they have made this process easier for themselves while also taking rights away from their students. There are tools for educators to essentially hack each student's electronic devices at whatever time they desire. This was originally done for testing purposes so that students would be caught if they were cheating, but at this point, the privilege has been abused. It is almost as if schools want you to do something wrong so that they can continue to brand you. This creates an environment where students are no longer trusted by their administrators, and with this comes a lack of educational stability as students avoid creating connections with their teachers because of the absence of trust. Changes must be made to these systems in a way that will benefit every student, revive the trust between students and teachers, and give our teachers the freedom they deserve when teaching their students. The future is in the hands of the school systems, and to create the best possible outcome, they must be willing to change.

Journalism is one of the most fundamental acts in this country. The news floods the channels on the tv, the social media platforms, and the radio stations every second, and so the words of a journalist can impact someone's whole day, week, or even year. What the public relies on is the fact that a journalist is truthful and provides reputable information. However, when I turn on my phone, the tv, or the radio I am bombarded with frightening or devastating stories and facts that have the power to ruin my day. Not often do I watch the news and see a happy story, one that encourages the viewer or reader to smile rather than cry. I believe that the innovative curriculum of a journalism program will allow me to start making this needed change in the world of journalism. Breaking boundaries and challenging the click-bait-based societal norms that have formed around the news as we know it today is something that I will strive to do with every word, action, and assignment that I share during my time as a student and after. I plan to change the world by simply changing the words. Change how the word is written, spoken, and absorbed by my audience by implementing strategies learned from this journalism program with every single story I write. If I could change how one person views the world by altering how they see the news and showing that there is more good in the world than they realize; that would be enough for me.

Life seems to continuously be chaotic. There is always something happening and other things that need to get done, so in that way, people act selfishly whether they mean to or not. Consequently, environmentally conscious acts get put on the back burner. People like to do what is most convenient for them, so that means if someone has something that needs to be recycled, but they are closer to a trash can, they are more likely to put the item in the trash rather than take the time to find a recycle. Choices like these impact the environment an extreme amount because individuals have the mindset that “someone else will do it” and that means that no one is taking the time to make the choices that are better for the environment. A sustainable lifestyle would decrease the quality of life for many people, but for this example, I will just be focusing on people in America. A major factor that creates the ecological footprint of the United States and provides connivance for its citizens, hence improving their quality of life, is carbon dioxide. The excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere comes from the extreme amounts of fossil fuels that are burnt constantly to keep up with the demand for everyday items like motorized vehicles. The per capita ecological footprint in the United States is 8.2, and for the United States to be considered sustainable, it must reduce its per capita ecological footprint by 4.46 to achieve 3.76 to align with the biocapacity of the area. However, if an individual wanted to make their life more sustainable they could change little things about their day to decrease their ecological footprint. Some examples that I do in my daily life are turn off lights in the house when they are not being used, recycle items, and minimize water use by doing simple things like turning off the water when I am brushing my teeth. Another thing that I do that impact other people rather than just myself is that I take a carpool to school, therefore, reducing carbon emissions. I try my best to remind myself about the actions that I am taking each day and how they may impact the environment. In all honesty, that is quite a difficult task since the current society is not made to run in an environment that's goal is aiming towards sustainability. As underdeveloped countries grow, they will repeat the process of the United State’s industrialization and create an environment that is even more unsustainable. However, if the United States takes the initiative and creates laws that will change the direction that we are currently heading in, then other countries will follow behind. This will allow everyone in the world to someday strive to live sustainably every day.

I appreciate everything that I have learned from every single one of my teachers because I believe that each one taught me something very valuable. However, when I think about who had the greatest impact on my life, one teacher always comes to my mind; Mr. December. I have had him twice in my four years in high school; once in my freshman year in Advanced Biology, and once in my senior year in AP Environmental Science. Being in his class, and getting to learn about him as an individual has inspired me to not only go above and beyond when it comes to his class, but he has also encouraged me to take on challenges and strive for the things I want. When I was a freshman I was new to every aspect of high school. It was a struggle just to get my studies straight, nonetheless, creating meaningful relationships with both my peers and my teachers. However, when I went to Mr. In December's class I was able to truly learn in the environment that he created in his classroom. He would crack jokes, but he would also make sure to go one-on-one with a student when he knew that they needed his help. I appreciated that so much as I had never been a student that had done well in science. In my sophomore year, I applied for this program that allowed me to train to become a certified firefighter and EMT by the time I graduate in my senior year but to do that I knew that I needed a teacher's recommendation. That’s when I knew I had to ask Mr. December because I believed from my time in his class in my freshman year that he was someone that would be honest in his recommendation letter. Thanks to him I was accepted into the program and it has changed my life. In my senior year, I fought a live propane fire and I invited him to come and see it so that he knew he was a major reason why I was there, and that it had paid off. As an incoming senior, I had pretty much given up on science. I failed tests in both Chemistry and Physics and so I never believed that it would be any different in my senior year. Not until I noticed that my teacher was Mr. December again. He made science fun again. He allowed me to see the meaning behind what I was learning. He would go above and beyond when it came to the curriculum, and he would tell me that he would choose the hardest questions for our tests because he believed that we would be able to do them. And we did. Not only did he help me succeed academically, but he also inspired me personally. Throughout my senior year, he has shared with me many meaningful experiences that he has had in his life and every story convinces me that he is a person that I want to look up to. He was a Sergeant in the military and he had shared stories of ultimate courage and bravery with me while also showing that anyone can do anything that they set their mind to. He has had multiple careers in his life, is continuing his education by getting a master's degree, and has a plan for the next five or more years of his life. These characteristics are some that I admire deeply.

Ever since I was little I knew that my passion was to help people on the front lines somehow. When I was in elementary school my dream was to go into the military and serve our country, then when I was in middle school my ideas changed and I wanted to be a police officer, then in high school, I finally decided that I wanted to become a firefighter. High school has allowed me to do this through the LBJ fire academy. In my freshman year of high school, I went to a presentation that involved a large number of juniors and seniors explaining the academy and all of the difficult and interesting tasks that the students are faced with. This challenge, and its extreme expectations, were something that I wanted to live up to, so in my sophomore year, I applied to the fire academy and was accepted that summer. Throughout my junior year, I faced many obstacles that I never once thought I would have to overcome. Not only that, but I have gained so many life lessons and skills that I will carry with me throughout my life. I have never been a person who was focused on sports or ever played on a team, so the physical aspect of the fire academy was something that I was initially very nervous about, but I was willing to train and better myself so that I could be beneficial to my crew in times when they need to rely on me. This is exactly what I did. Most weekends I would take home all of my gear and set up an obstacle course in a nearby parking lot. This obstacle course would consist of a ten-yard tire drag, hitting a tire ten times with a sledgehammer, crawling under poles, climbing a ladder, and lifting weights from one parking space to another, and this process would repeat. Because of this, and training during school hours, my strength grew tremendously. This academy allowed me to gain skills, unlike any other class I have ever taken. I have learned how to raise and extend a 25-foot firefighting ladder, how to operate a chainsaw several feet in the air, how to take a defensive strategy against a fire, how to operate a fire hydrant and nozzle, how to cut out a windshield and separate the top of a car from the bottom during vehicle extrication, and how to conduct search and rescue in intense situations with zero visibility. These are all the skills I have learned in just one year of the academy. With one year still ahead of me involving hazmat and EMT training, I am going to continue learning things that will allow me to help people in the ways that I have always wanted to. Another opportunity this academy has given me is the space for friendship and trust that I have never seen before. My class is like a family to me. We started as strangers, and are now always there for one another at any time of the day. I would be lost without the people I have met in this academy. They have encouraged me to do things that I never thought I could do, and they continue to encourage and inspire me to be a better person every single day. The LBJ fire academy is both an opportunity and a challenge of a lifetime. Though there were times when I felt like giving up, I never did, and I kept going and pushing myself. Because of this, I know that the person that I have become as an outcome of this academy is someone who will never back down from a challenge, and will cherish every opportunity presented to her in the future.

6. Distance by Emma Bailey why have you been so distant lately all this blank noise is driving me crazy I can't seem to find the reason why you've changed with the season now if it was you all things would stop my heart would drop I would be here for you an open ear for you arms are open wide but it's getting colder but now it's me I'm tossed to the side the things you said before? well I guess you lied because our texts are dry unlike my eyes it's getting colder why have you been so distant lately all this blank noise is driving me crazy I can't seem to find the reason why you've changed with the season it's getting colder not the air I mean your shoulder the one you gave for me to cry on but I guess that's when you were lying how I wish that offer stood for longer

Ever since I was little I knew that my passion was to help people on the front lines somehow. When I was in elementary school my dream was to go into the military and serve our country, then when I was in middle school my ideas changed and I wanted to be a police officer, then in high school, I finally decided that I wanted to become a firefighter. High school has allowed me to do this through the LBJ fire academy. In my freshman year of high school, I went to a presentation that involved a large number of juniors and seniors explaining the academy. This challenge, and its extreme expectations, were something that I wanted to live up to, so in my sophomore year, I applied to the fire academy and was accepted that summer. Throughout my junior year, I faced many obstacles that I never once thought I would have to overcome. Not only that, but I have gained so many life lessons and skills that I will carry with me throughout my life. I have never been a person who was focused on sports or ever played on a team, so the physical aspect of the fire academy was something that I was initially very nervous about, but I was willing to train and better myself so that I could be beneficial to my crew in times when they need to rely on me. This is exactly what I did. Most weekends I would take home all of my gear and set up an obstacle course in a nearby parking lot. This obstacle course would consist of a ten-yard tire drag, hitting a tire ten times with a sledgehammer, crawling under poles, climbing a ladder, and lifting weights from one parking space to another, and this process would repeat. Because of this, and training during school hours, my strength grew tremendously. This academy allowed me to gain skills, unlike any other class I have ever taken. I have learned how to raise and extend a 25-foot firefighting ladder, how to operate a chainsaw several feet in the air, how to take a defensive strategy against a fire, how to operate a fire hydrant and nozzle, how to cut out a windshield and separate the top of a car from the bottom during vehicle extrication, and how to conduct search and rescue in intense situations with zero visibility. With one year still ahead of me involving hazmat and EMT training, I am going to continue learning things that will allow me to help people in the ways that I have always wanted to. Another opportunity this academy has given me is the space for friendship and trust that I have never seen before. My class is like a family to me. We started as strangers, and are now always there for one another any time of day. I would be lost without the people I have met in this academy. They have encouraged me to do things that I never thought I could do, and they continue to encourage and inspire me to be a better person every single day. The LBJ fire academy is both an opportunity and a challenge of a lifetime. Though there were times when I felt like giving up, I never did, and I kept going and pushing myself. Because of this, I know that the person that I have become as an outcome of this academy is someone who will never back down from a challenge, and will cherish every opportunity presented to her in the future.

Ever since I was little I knew that my passion was to help people on the front lines somehow. When I was in elementary school my dream was to go into the military and serve our country, then when I was in middle school my ideas changed and I wanted to be a police officer, then in high school, I finally decided that I wanted to become a firefighter. High school has allowed me to do this through the LBJ fire academy. In my freshman year of high school, I went to a presentation that involved a large number of juniors and seniors explaining the academy. This challenge, and its extreme expectations, were something that I wanted to live up to, so in my sophomore year, I applied to the fire academy and was accepted that summer. Throughout my junior year, I faced many obstacles that I never once thought I would have to overcome. Not only that, but I have gained so many life lessons and skills that I will carry with me throughout my life. I have never been a person who was focused on sports or ever played on a team, so the physical aspect of the fire academy was something that I was initially very nervous about, but I was willing to train and better myself so that I could be beneficial to my crew in times when they need to rely on me. This is exactly what I did. Most weekends I would take home all of my gear and set up an obstacle course in a nearby parking lot. This obstacle course would consist of a ten-yard tire drag, hitting a tire ten times with a sledgehammer, crawling under poles, climbing a ladder, and lifting weights from one parking space to another, and this process would repeat. Because of this, and training during school hours, my strength grew tremendously. This academy allowed me to gain skills, unlike any other class I have ever taken. I have learned how to raise and extend a 25-foot firefighting ladder, how to operate a chainsaw several feet in the air, how to take a defensive strategy against a fire, how to operate a fire hydrant and nozzle, how to cut out a windshield and separate the top of a car from the bottom during vehicle extrication, and how to conduct search and rescue in intense situations with zero visibility. With one year still ahead of me involving hazmat and EMT training, I am going to continue learning things that will allow me to help people in the ways that I have always wanted to. Another opportunity this academy has given me is the space for friendship and trust that I have never seen before. My class is like a family to me. We started as strangers, and are now always there for one another at any time of the day. I would be lost without the people I have met in this academy. They have encouraged me to do things that I never thought I could do, and they continue to encourage and inspire me to be a better person every single day. The LBJ fire academy is both an opportunity and a challenge of a lifetime. Though there were times when I felt like giving up, I never did, and I kept going and pushing myself. Because of this, I know that the person that I have become as an outcome of this academy is someone who will never back down from a challenge, and will cherish every opportunity presented to her in the future.

Ever since I was little I knew that my passion was to help people on the front lines somehow. When I was in elementary school my dream was to go into the military and serve our country, then when I was in middle school my ideas changed and I wanted to be a police officer, then in high school, I finally decided that I wanted to become a firefighter. High school has allowed me to do this through the LBJ fire academy. In my freshman year of high school, I went to a presentation that involved a large number of juniors and seniors explaining the academy. The challenge, and its extreme expectations, were something that I wanted to live up to, so in my sophomore year, I applied to the fire academy and was accepted that summer. Throughout my junior year, I faced many obstacles that I never once thought I would have to overcome. Not only that, but I have gained so many life lessons and skills that I will carry with me throughout my life. I have never been a person who was focused on sports or ever played on a team, so the physical aspect of the fire academy was something that I was initially very nervous about, but I was willing to train and better myself so that I could be beneficial to my crew in times when they need to rely on me. This is exactly what I did. Most weekends I would take home all of my gear and set up an obstacle course in a nearby parking lot. This obstacle course would consist of a ten-yard tire drag, hitting a tire ten times with a sledgehammer, crawling under poles, climbing a ladder, and lifting weights from one parking space to another, and this process would repeat. Because of this, and training during school hours, my strength grew tremendously. This academy allowed me to gain skills, unlike any other class I have ever taken. I have learned how to raise and extend a 25-foot firefighting ladder, how to operate a chainsaw several feet in the air, how to take a defensive strategy against a fire, how to operate a fire hydrant and nozzle, how to cut out a windshield and separate the top of a car from the bottom during vehicle extrication, and how to conduct search and rescue in intense situations with zero visibility. With one year still ahead of me involving hazmat and EMT training, I am going to continue learning things that will allow me to help people in the ways that I have always wanted to. Another opportunity this academy has given me is the space for friendship and trust that I have never seen before. My class is like a family to me. We started as strangers, and are now always there for one another at any time of the day. I would be lost without the people I have met in this academy. They have encouraged me to do things that I never thought I could do, and they continue to encourage and inspire me to be a better person every single day. The LBJ fire academy is both an opportunity and a challenge of a lifetime. Though there were times when I felt like giving up, I never did, and I kept going and pushing myself. Because of this, I know that the person that I have become as an outcome of this academy is someone who will never back down from a challenge, and will cherish every opportunity presented to her in the future.

Life seems to continuously be chaotic. There is always something happening and other things that need to get done, so in that way, people act selfishly whether they mean to or not. The song "Earth Song" by Michael Jackson, allows me to get out of my head for a while. It is a reminder that even though I am busy doing my own thing, there is a whole planet full of different animals and environments that are suffering. If I just took some time out of my day and dedicate it to them, then just maybe this world could change a little bit for the better. The main chorus of this song is a sort of "oo" and "ah" sound that I believe mimics a scream. He is screaming to remind people that there are so many other terrible things that are happening in the world because we get up every day and ignore the problems and focus on ourselves rather than a solution. I believe that this song has an incredibly important message because every time I listen to it I want to get up and do something about it. A song that can motivate someone like that is truly powerful. This song will always be relevant, and that is another reason why the message is so important. As society advances, we are bound to continue messing up environments and eventually the ecosystem as a whole to a point where it may not be reversible. So, people need to listen to this song, understand the meaning, and get up and try to do something about it. That is what I will strive to do.

In my freshman year of high school, I went to a presentation that involved a large number of juniors and seniors explaining the academy and all of the difficult and interesting tasks that the students are faced with. This challenge, and extreme expectations, were something that I wanted to live up to, so in my sophomore year, I applied to the fire academy and was accepted that summer. Throughout my junior year, I was faced with many obstacles that I never once thought I would have to overcome. Not only that, but I have gained so many life lessons and skills that I will carry with me throughout my life. I have never been a person who was focused on sports or ever played on a team, so the physical aspect of the fire academy was something that I was initially very nervous about, but I was willing to train and better myself so that I could be beneficial to my crew in times when they need to rely on me. This is exactly what I did. Most weekends I would take home all of my gear and set up an obstacle course in a nearby parking lot. This obstacle course would consist of a ten-yard tire drag, hitting a tire ten times with a sledgehammer, crawling under poles, climbing a ladder, and lifting weights from one parking space to another, and this process would repeat. Because of this, and training during school hours, my strength grew tremendously. This academy allowed me to gain skills, unlike any other class I have ever taken. I have learned how to raise and extend a 25-foot firefighting ladder, how to operate a chainsaw several feet in the air, how to take a defensive strategy against a fire, how to operate a fire hydrant and nozzle, how to cut out a windshield and separate the top of a car from the bottom during vehicle extrication, and how to conduct search and rescue in intense situations with zero visibility. These are all of the skills I learned in just one year of the academy. With one year still ahead of me involving hazmat and EMT training, I was going to continue to learn techniques that would allow me to help people in the ways that I had always wanted to. Another opportunity this academy has given me true friendship and trust like I have never experienced before. My class is like a family to me. We started as strangers, and are now always there for one another at any time of the day. I would be lost without the people I have met in this academy. They have encouraged me to do things that I never thought I could do, and they continue to encourage and inspire me to be a better person every single day. The LBJ fire academy is both an opportunity and a challenge of a lifetime. Though there were times when I felt like giving up, I never did, and I kept going and pushing myself. Because of this, I know that the person that I have become as an outcome of this academy is someone who will never back down from a challenge, and will cherish every opportunity presented to her in the future.

In my freshman year of high school, I went to a presentation that involved a large number of juniors and seniors explaining the academy and all of the difficult and interesting tasks that the students are faced with. This challenge, and extreme expectations, were something that I wanted to live up to, so in my sophomore year, I applied to the fire academy and was accepted that summer. Throughout my junior year, I was faced with many obstacles that I never once thought I would have to overcome. Not only that, but I have gained so many life lessons and skills that I will carry with me throughout my life. I have never been a person who was focused on sports or ever played on a team, so the physical aspect of the fire academy was something that I was initially very nervous about, but I was willing to train and better myself so that I could be beneficial to my crew in times when they need to rely on me. This is exactly what I did. Most weekends I would take home all of my gear and set up an obstacle course in a nearby parking lot. This obstacle course would consist of a ten-yard tire drag, hitting a tire ten times with a sledgehammer, crawling under poles, climbing a ladder, and lifting weights from one parking space to another, and this process would repeat. Because of this, and training during school hours, my strength grew tremendously. This academy allowed me to gain skills, unlike any other class I have ever taken. I have learned how to raise and extend a 25-foot firefighting ladder, how to operate a chainsaw several feet in the air, how to take a defensive strategy against a fire, how to operate a fire hydrant and nozzle, how to cut out a windshield and separate the top of a car from the bottom during vehicle extrication, and how to conduct search and rescue in intense situations with zero visibility. These are all of the skills I learned in just one year of the academy. With one year still ahead of me involving hazmat and EMT training, I was going to continue to learn techniques that would allow me to help people in the ways that I had always wanted to. Another opportunity this academy has given me true friendship and trust like I have never experienced before. My class is like a family to me. We started as strangers, and are now always there for one another at any time of the day. I would be lost without the people I have met in this academy. They have encouraged me to do things that I never thought I could do, and they continue to encourage and inspire me to be a better person every single day. The LBJ fire academy is both an opportunity and a challenge of a lifetime. Though there were times when I felt like giving up, I never did, and I kept going and pushing myself. Because of this, I know that the person that I have become as an outcome of this academy is someone who will never back down from a challenge, and will cherish every opportunity presented to her in the future.