"Once a Jew, always a Jew:" a phrase said to hold pride in Jewish ancestry. Certainly, I am a proud Jew, but that quote had a different influence on me. Ethnically, I am Jewish. Sure, my dad went to Hebrew school and my family lights the menorah every Hanukkah, but my family never followed Judaism---even if we were part of God's chosen people. Nonetheless, I had---and have---so much respect for my people. We have fought through so many genocides and oppressions. Jewish people, especially my father and his family, are some of the most determined, hard-working people I've ever met. Long story short, I am a proud Jewish woman. However, my deep dive into the Jewish faith only started September 2024, and that led me to the greatest thing: Jesus. This may sound weird, but my deep dive started when I found out I had curly hair. I don't know how I didn't realize it before, but it opened up so many doors for me. Little did I know, that was God beginning my journey towards Jesus. I can't even explain how it felt when I realized I had curly hair, but you're not really supposed to understand everything God does, right? It was like everything I learned about my heritage flooded my brain. I'm still not sure to this day why that moment was so important, but it was and I'm grateful. I began to look into Judaism. Apps downloaded, videos watched, and articles read. A Star of David bought, prayers absolutely butchered, and pork avoided---as best as I could, of course. I hate to admit it, but as God pushes honesty, I'll expose my truth: I have never been more prideful and stubborn than during those two months. I thought that since I was a chosen child of God, I was better than everyone else. That couldn't have been further from the truth! Even though I was getting closer to God, I was following laws that Jesus defeated on the cross. Even though I felt more content with myself, I was making others feel excluded. That reality hit me in November, coming from the person I trusted the most: my boyfriend. We've been dating for almost two and a half years. I want to be with him for eternity. Praise God, because the purpose my boyfriend had from God helped me in the most impactful way: it led me to pick up my cross and follow Him. We had been talking about Jesus for a while over the phone and---probably because of my little faith---I was scared. He knew so much about God and the Bible, it made me feel conflicted and afraid that what I was doing was wrong. One night, we went to Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner. He asked if I believed in Jesus. "Probably. I know He's definitely the Messiah," was my unsure response. "He's God, do you believe that?" I paused. I didn't know. My stubbornness flooded back, "I don't know, I just know He's the Messiah." I was in denial. There was a spiritual war inside of me, and had been for a while, disguised by self-validation and acting like a victim. It was as if my sins spoke for me. I felt disgusting and confused and nervous and upset. My boyfriend was very calm, teaching me many things in the restaurant and car ride back to our houses. I got back home, with my family out on an errand, and started crying and hyperventilating. That phrase "once a Jew, always a Jew," meant for gratitude and honor, manifested into a spiritually devastating mindset that led me to this mess. "I'm a Jew, and only a Jew," my mind echoed, "so how could I betray God and follow Jesus? That's not right! I'm one of God's chosen people, I can't betray Him!" Then, a revelation. God led me to look up what the number thirty-three meant---the number I've been seeing constantly for nearly two years and interpreting incorrectly. Thirty-three represents divinity of the Holy Trinity, Jesus' age at death, and the closest-connected number to Jesus' life, crucifixion, and resurrection. To say I cried would be an understatement. The Lord Jesus was speaking to me for two years, and I didn't listen. I wept. I cried out to God like never before, wailing and asking for forgiveness. Not only did I ask for forgiveness, but I gave Jesus the ultimate thanks. I proclaimed Him as the Christ that night, and made a vow to pick up my cross and turn from my old life. I haven't gone back since. My boyfriend---the beautiful, perfect vessel God used to guide me to Him---and I now talk about Jesus all the time, help each other with our faith, read Bibles, go to church, and have gotten baptized. Truly, I have never known more peace. My worries were gone and my mind was quiet. It was exactly what I needed to realize why following Judaism was impossible: "It is finished." While on the cross, He killed all those laws, killed all sin, while still giving us hope in Him and the new traditions He'd bring to mix in with the old. I never want to leave Him. I talk to Jesus all the time, since I know He hears me. That in itself is beautiful, the fact that the Creator who spoke the universe into existence listens to me. I messed up so bad, hearing that, as a Jewish woman, following Jesus would betray the covenant God made with my ancestors. Hearing that I absolutely had to stick to Jewish traditions or else I would be a disappointment, and I followed that. I followed the ideas of the world, judged others constantly, lusted, lied, cursed. Yet, God listened to me. He still showed me thirty-threes and answered my prayers on a whim. I get tears in my eyes every time I think about that---even now as I'm writing. It's because I didn't deserve it. I still don't. But, I am redeemed. I am glad in times of suffering. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I am delivered. I am a child of God, equal to everyone no matter of ethnicity or status. I am saved because of the sacrifice of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. God has put it in my heart---within the last three years---of the career He wants for me. Because of my interest in organization, art, and decor, He has led me to interior design. I don't think there's a better job out there for me than to be an interior designer. God led me to be accepted into the Rochester Institute of Technology for not only a bachelor's degree in interior design, but a master's degree in architecture. This scholarship, even if it is small, could help me so much. It would give me more help to use my God-given talents. Besides, I plan to be enrolled at RIT for six years because of the combined program, so any money can help. Truly, this award would be such a blessing for two people: my parents. Even the smallest amount of money that is gifted towards my tuition is a smaller weight off their shoulders. To know that the funds for my academics are being lessened would be an incredible sound for them to hear. The Lord has given me the best parents. I know every child says that, but I mean it. They support me in every way, so I want to help them too. As a woman in this day and age, I am seeing more and more people say they hate children and babies. The most heartbreaking, however, is that I'm hearing more women, and younger girls, get abortions. I mourn for them, both the mothers and unborn gifts. God has given me such a large heart for children and babies, blessing me to yearn for children in the future. I want to help raise the next generation of God-fearing children. I want to help a child live. It is one of my special, God-given duties as a woman to care for and birth God's lovely, precious creations. I pray to have children and a godly husband someday. This money could help to fund that. I could save it and bless my children or husband with it in the future. Plus, diapers are expensive! However, there is one true reason I can achieve anything. "With God, all things are possible," Matthew 19:26.

Every room is a blank canvas waiting to reflect the person inhabiting it. Either in a subtle or profound way, a room can become a sanctuary for the person or people living in it. But it doesn't happen overnight. It takes an artistic eye, a sense of balance, and a deep understanding of how someone views their room setting. That is the beauty of interior design. It is an endeavor to enhance someone's well-being---not to only be aesthetic. To create joy, liveliness, and the feeling above all: comfort. Interior design is my comfort, and I strive to spread that to others through the simple yet intricate process of organizing a space. Even when I had no idea what my future career would be, I greatly enjoyed aspects of interior design. Art, balance, color theory, lighting, organization, you name it. Heck, I would even organize my family's things! During my freshman year, it finally clicked what I was meant to become. I was exploring jobs and what careers matched my interests. My computer screamed, "Job Match: Interior Designer." I knew it. For some reason, I just knew that would be my path. And what a path it has been so far. I have helped teachers and friends pick out decorations for their houses, sorted shelves in mine, created tablescapes out of minimal materials, and learned to sew from nothing to create interior textile work during a Textiles and Fashion class. It has all been without a degree or much professional learning, but with a love for design and aesthetics. However, I have learned---both in class and outside research---that interior design is way more than aesthetics, but a way of life. Not just a way to make money, but a way to give life. A way for life to thrive. That is, if it is done correctly, and with the pure intention to give someone comfort. My favorite teacher---Ms. Harris---taught me everything I needed to know about textiles during my time in a Textiles and Fashion program. Part of that was interior design related. During a class, Ms. Harris told us a story about an interior designer she used to know. She was well-known in her community and was trusted to give comfort to others through an appropriately decorated room setting. A mother requested help to decorate her 14-year-old son's bedroom. He spoke to the interior designer privately, "Black walls, black carpet, black bed, black everything." It was an odd request, but a request that she could fulfill, nonetheless. The room was decorated how he wanted, and the interior designer went home per usual, happy to have made another customer satisfied. The boy committed suicide a few weeks later. The interior designer made a huge mistake. It may be a rough topic, but it is part of an interior designer's duty to do the absolute best thing for their client, even if it means raising a concern or denying a choice. That involves the largest part of interior design: invoking human emotions through a space. So, how could there be any good emotions coming from a pure black room? In that design environment, life cannot thrive. So, I want to be the person to change those negative, desolate environments. Enhancing positive emotions through colors, light, textures, or empty space is how life can thrive in a room. Interior design brings out the best in me, so I want to the same for everyone else in a home or building environment. It is both aesthetic and healthy, a perfect opportunity to help others.

One of the oldest and most popular sports in history is track and field. It has become so popular in the United States, allowing this glorious country's strength and people to showcase their talent and sportsmanship. As a track and field athlete myself, I have a special place in my heart for the sport, especially field events. Sadly---through TV and personal experiences---I've found that the coverage and support for field events is far less than running events. Of course, there's so much to look at in a track stadium. Running events are impressive, absolutely, but the different skills and techniques used in field events are so unique. Seen as the easiest field event, long jump in particular takes perfect timing and execution to gain the Olympic title. But one athlete---through a major comeback---won women's long jump with perfect execution and spirit: Tara Davis-Woodhall. I have never seen a track and field athlete that captures the American spirit more than Tara Davis-Woodhall. She is hard-working, strong, patriotic, and beautiful. Most of all, she is free. Free to practice. Free to train. Free to do what she loves and is good at. She has the ability to access beautiful opportunities---in training and in personal life. That's really the point of the free United States: to give everyone equal access to opportunities to achieve their dreams. Truly, Tara represents America, not only in personality, but actions. It is very enjoyable to watch anyone pull through into a win. An almost loss to a comeback win is one of the most nerve-racking and impressive stunts someone can pull off. Watching Tara do just that was no short of a victory. She wasn't doing this for herself, but for Team USA. So---while watching her comeback during her last long jump attempt---I felt like I could do anything. I felt like I could jump over seven meters too, again and again! That if she could come from the bottom and succeed, then I could too! I wasn't expecting to be so inspired and excited for her, but I was. It was a glorious victory for her. A glorious victory for Team USA. Just like the United States, Tara was---and still is---a winner. She pushed and fought and put in some elbow grease to achieve victory against her or the world's doubts, similar to the United States during the Revolutionary War. Nobody thought they could win, but they proved higher powers wrong through their strength, willpower, and patriotism. So, not only is Tara Davis-Woodhall my favorite Team USA athlete to watch compete, but I also feel connected with her. We both love this wonderful country and our sport. However, she embodies the American spirit more than I do, or, really, more than any other Olympic athlete I have seen. More than many ordinary people I've met, as well. I greatly look forward to supporting her in the future. I cannot wait to see how she grows as an athlete and as an American. Tara is the definition of an American Girl.

Imagine playing for a high school sports team, but the catch is, it's without a coach. That would be hard, wouldn't it? Unfortunately, that has been the biggest problem of my sports career in high school. I am a varsity athlete on my high school's Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field team and have been since November 15, 2021. Since the start of my high school sports career, there has been a lack of coaching in the field events specifically. My team has a head coach for sprinting and distance---which is understandable, because running is much more popular to watch than field events. However, we only have a throws and jumps coach in the spring season, and even that is an every-other-day thing. Basically, I have become an "assistant coach" during the winter and whenever else the coaches are absent. I wasn't really appointed or asked to be in that position, rather, I was thrown into that position. I volunteered to coach my teammates. It has been very hard as some points, considering that I had to teach people to high jump or triple jump or throw shot put who have never been on a track before. I had to create a system and drills that other upperclassmen have passed onto me, which was difficult to start. I had to critique other people's form, while ignoring my own to an extent. It was bittersweet---helping others get personal records when others couldn't help me as much as I did for them---especially because, to start, I was selfish. I initially thought it was unfair that someone who never high jumped or threw shot put before was able to succeed more than I was (someone with 5+ years of field event experience). But I was able to pull through and learn many helpful things in the process. I knew that by helping others and their performance, I could visualize my jumps or throws without a video and feel what I needed to fix in that exact moment. I knew that by my help and teachings, others were able to succeed and accomplish their goals. I learned to feel proud for their success, and determined to help them reach bigger personal records. Additionally, I learned generosity, more sportsmanship, humbleness, praise for others' success instead of mine, and a larger respect for others on my team. My struggles in track & field have definitely changed my perspective on the sport, the different aspects of it, and everyone that plays the sport. Through that, my love for track & field, and coaching others has increased a lot.

From January 2024-January 2025, I was selected to be a student in the Carroll County Career and Technology Center's Textiles & Fashion Program. This was a difficult program, and school, to get into. The school included programs such as autobody, cosmetology, baking/culinary, drone technology, etc. So, the school had many teachers so invested in their career path, that they were eager teach it to the next generation. My teacher, Ms. Catherine Harris, was the pinnacle of that. Every day, she expressed her love for her job and the textile, fashion, and interior design industries. Most importantly, she showed her love for her students. When I had her as my teacher, she would always praise me and my classmates for our skills and creativity. Ms. Harris was always available to help us, even though she was balancing this class, separate events at the school, her family, and clients walking through the door. Ms. Harris brought me---a student who didn't know how to sew---up to use industrial sergers, irons, heat pressers, and computerized sewing machines. I learned how to line garments, create a queen-size quilt, embroider and embellish, hem dresses, great an outfit out of recycled materials, sew collars on to shirts, sew zippers, and everything in between. She taught me things I never thought I would have interest in, considering I only went to the program for the interior design aspect, and to cherish my creativity when it comes to textiles, fashion, and interior design. Not only did Ms. Harris teach me hands-on skills, but she also increased my horizon about businesses in general. I interacted with real clients, learned how to budget, create a portfolio, submit job applications, and know the key factors of starting or maintaining a business. Additionally, I learned time management skills, and the importance of deadlines, organization, research, and asking questions. Due to that, I was able to gain knowledge that would help me before, during, and after college. She helped me feel prepared and confident in my future, more than any other teacher has. Thanks to Ms. Harris, my viewpoint many aspects of my life have changed. As Ms. Harris was a pure being of joy and positivity, I have looked more into the joy of seemingly bad situations. As Ms. Harris was forgiving and kind, I have learned to give more grace to others and take into account their situations. As Ms. Harris was generous, my generosity and want to help others has increased immensely. As Ms. Harris connected deeply with her students and everyone around her, I have socialized more and gone out of my comfort zone to make others feel heard and special. Honestly, the person who I was before that Textiles & Fashion Program was someone who I wouldn't know now, and I wouldn't want to go back to that point. Through Ms. Harris, I feel confident, joyful, and willing to challenge myself to honor everything she taught me. She was the best teacher I ever had, and probably ever will have.

I have always been fascinated by art, always yearning to take an art class each year of middle and high school. Each time I take an art class I fall in love with it even more. I searched for what I wanted to do for a future career, knowing it would revolve around art. Eventually, I found the art of my dreams: interior design. I am very passionate about interior design, while also loving hand-made art---drawing, sketching, coloring, painting, etc. I aim to study interior design in college and graduate with a bachelor's degree. Maybe, I could create my own design company with my intended business minor. Firstly, I am passionate about interior design because of the sheer diversity and broadness of the industry. You can create drawings and paintings for a space, show your personal style in a room, implement color theory into a space, impact the emotions of people in a room just by the decor, and set the tone for an entire building. I mean, the possibilities are endless, and I love doing it all! Secondly, I love interior design due to my love for creativity. I have experience making interior design accessories for projects during my time at the Carroll County Career and Technology Center's Textiles & Fashion program, which was something I absolutely adored doing. I organize spaces around my house, create art for a space, help arrange wall decor for my family and declutter often. All of these smaller skills within the large interior design industry require intense creativity and a precise design process, and I love being challenged by it. Finally, interior design intrigues me because of the organization and work ethic needed. The amount of determination, organization, and knowledge it takes to manage and transform a space is an incredible talent. Interior design showcases the best of someone's organization, knowledge of color theory, space, dimensions, mathematical skills, and more. In summary, you need a lot of skills to successfully showcase interior design to your best ability. So, it truly strikes my eye to see an interior designer at work, which is why I am so influenced to become one myself. Interior design, and art in general, has enhanced my life by expanding my knowledge of dimensions, colors, lighting, interacting with clients, creating a budget, comparing and contrasting different elements, textures, and more. Not only does this knowledge help me, but the others around me. Clients searching for help designing and decorating a room use the knowledge I have to portray their own vision. The interior of a room can makes or breaks a client's house and emotions, because interior design has such an important connection to psychology and emotions that it can improve someone's mental health and make them feel safe and calm in a space. Essentially, through the knowledge interior design gives me and the help it can bring others, the industry can impact the whole world.

I am involved in the National Honors Society that is based in my high school, Manchester Valley High School. Not only am I passionate about the NHS because of the help I can give to other in my school, but the help I can give back to my community who has nurtured me since childhood. For example, I help students at my school by tutoring them in math and Spanish subjects, allowing their academics to shine through. But specifically, I am part of the Honoring Heroes Committee, which is one of my favorite parts of being in the NHS. I get to give back to veterans, EMS/police officers, school nurses and janitors, doctors, bus drivers, teachers, and much more through writing cards, making crafts, donating food, giving out gift cards, and just showing our community's everyday heroes---no matter how big or small--our deep appreciation. Another extracurricular activity I am blessed to be a part of is being a Varsity athlete on my school's Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field team. I have always loved athletics, and being active, and my freshman year allowed me to find my passion: the "field" in track and field. I have done every field event except pole vault, giving me experience in 5/6 field events where coaching could be lacking. Every practice, when a coach isn't available, I do my best to help out my teammates in any way I can in their events, while also coaching myself on how to improve my own performance and knowledge. Both activities, the NHS and Track & Field, have taught me, more or less, the same important ideas: discipline, generosity, and respect. Through strict requirements to keep a good standing in the NHS, I have learned to gain discipline to further my volunteerism to help my community be a safer, calmer place as many times as I can. Plus, through rigorous track practices and constant drills, I have learned personal self-control to my anger and discipline to improve my coaching abilities to help my teammates succeed. Of course, through volunteering and coaching, I have learned more and more to be generous to others. I consider their situations, offer them help or guidance, and show my kindness to show them I can be trusted---both with personal matters and athletics. Finally, I have learned to respect everyone and give them more grace, especially recently. I show my honesty, relate to a person as much as I can, walk them down a smoother path, and show them the respect they deserve. Therefore, even though I only do two extracurricular activities, the lessons I have learned and the knowledge I have gotten through them have been priceless. I will use them for the rest of my life and will have a special place in my heart for them and the help I have given others through them.