Over the few years, I slowly swapped to veganism. And I found much more joy in plant-based eating. The satisfaction I found from consuming more fruits and vegetables beat out any greasy burger. I never enjoyed the lifestyle of the standard American, frequently eating greasy, meaty dishes. So I took over my nutrition and began cooking for myself. But I experienced extreme hardships in taking control of my diet. My family members lacked the same desire to eat my newfound diet. My dad even explicitly said to me that "Every dish needs to have meat or it's not complete." I felt devastated, I spent my nights cooking for my family, and yet my creations weren't enough. So I continued to cook their normal meaty dishes. But in turn, my nutrition suffered greatly. as I was only able to eat simple Oatmeals and salads. Finding very few options for any proteins or irons. But now, I finally fully figured out my options. Consuming diverse plethoras of legumes, leafy greens, and collared greens. With that, my health greatly improved, and I reached a healthy weight of 115. started gaining muscle with a workout regimen. Supplemented heavily by my new diet, I saw immense results. I experienced more energy and better vitamin levels. I drank more water and gained important minerals that my family lacked, whereas I thrived. Because of this, I see plant-based eating becoming the future of our planet. Producing millions of tonnes less carbon than the meat industry, while also being less caloric and more nutrient dense. Over time, I foresee more countries making the shift from fast food to a more careful diet. Especially as people begin to fully realize the obesity epidemic's effect on all parts of life. Putting strain on healthcare employees as they deal with the effects of diabetes and obesity in patients. Farmers as they have to produce more meat to meet the demands. Scientists, as they try and solve the global warming crisis, are only fueled by the food industries. And as I near my college career, in which I aim to join the healthcare force. I find it imperative to solve the issues caused by obesity before humanity is too far gone. And we are nearing the end of that possible time. As obesity and weights skyrocket, it becomes daunting as people refuse to change their ways from a meat-based diet. To a healthy plant-based diet.

Generational wealth is the gradual transfer of wealth from parent to child. Granting greater opportunity to anyone who can come into a family of wealth. But in cases where a child is born without the wealth given by their parents, life is extremely hard to get started. The ability to attend school in America is a privilege that is wholly understated. Almost every job requires at least a high school diploma, and the ones that can sustain a human life require a college degree, if not multiple. This is why accruing some form of generational wealth is imperative to raising a child. I, however, grew up without that wealth. My parents spent all of my early life just trying to get by. My dad worked graveyard shifts, and my mother worked all morning and afternoon. Feeding us in the evening and morning. So I was never granted an easy way through my schooling. It was a struggle to afford all of my needed clothes and stationaries. As I grew older, I became more responsible for affording my own. And yet my love for school remained all through my years. Only getting stronger as the years go on. So the ability to provide my children the same opportunity to love school the same way I always have remained important to me. Without having to worry about the same issues I did. And if I can find success beyond just my family, I hope to provide a scholarship to other biomedical students who look towards finding a cure for Parkinson's. A disease that stalks my family, having taken the life of my grandmother. I intend on providing this opportunity by saving for my college education. During my Junior year of high school, I will be attending the "Running Start" program and beginning my AAS degree in Biochemistry. After obtaining my AAS, I want to start working for a research firm. Pursuing my doctorate so I can find a firm. To create solutions to the world's current reigning issue. Fundraising and collaborating to find the cheapest solution that can help the most people. Using profits to pay workers and provide large donations to charities Mainly ones fighting climate change and those striving to help those in need. Such as disaster relief funds, homeless shelters, and food banks. By doing so, I can guarantee that other people can accrue their futures. Just the same way I did.

Who invented the board game Monopoly, Charles Darrow, right? Well, in 1904 a woman named Lizzie Magie created the original game "Landlords." Charles distributed the game as his own after acquiring a copy from Lizzie. Only then was the patent for Lizzie's game "Landlords" purchased for a mere 500$. This pattern repeats endlessly, which is why STEM needs to experience diversity. Only through diversifying the field will better tech be founded. Including more people in science, only then will new viewpoints be seen. African Americans are more than 30% more likely to develop cases of heart disease. Yet most teams researching cardiovascular diseases are predominately white. But if teams of African American researchers were enlisted, higher productivity would be seen across the entire field. People are more likely to output a greater set of work if they are interested in a topic. And some of the greatest research has been done by individuals directly impacted by a cause. For example, the field of prosthetics. Some of the largest advancements have come from BIPOC individuals. For example, Max Ortiz-Catalan and his team. Who created a prosthetic arm capable of being surgically attached. Enabling movement through the nerve endings in the patient's arm. Creating both fluid movement and sensation for them. Max's studies found a vast improvement in patients' lives. Including but not limited to self-esteem, social, and emotional. (Middleton & Chris Catalan, 2020) By taking the thoughts and opinions of the affected. Only then can improvements be made to technology to reflect the desires of the people. Patients felt limited by traditional prosthetics. But by representing patients' needs in his research. A better final product was made. Another such example is the gradual introduction of inhalable insulin products. Reducing the number of injections for patients. And therefore making it more accessible for children. Created and sold by Afreeza, a company founded by Alfred Mann. A Jewish man who devoted his life to advancing biomedicine. Afreeza devotes itself to "... Develop therapeutic products and devices that can help people manage serious medical conditions so that they can experience the very best that life has to offer." By understanding the inconsistent and cumbersome methods of obtaining medicine. It made the desire for a product similar to what Afreeza produced. Only by considering the thoughts and wishes of the people you are affecting, can you create a solution that will work. When historically solutions were made without the consideration of the affected population. Such as the creation of the disposable razor. While invented to aid men in shaving their beards in safer methods than the straight razor. Was forced women to make them shave their legs, a standard that wasn't present before the invention of the disposable razor. In the same vein, the creation of the tampon was done by Earl Haas. Who invented the early forms of a tampon, but due to the stigmatization of women's sexual health. Required women to apply the tampon with an external device. This was done to "protect" Women from touching their vaginas in any regard. Despite his taking and capitalizing on the idea of his friend, who provided him with the idea of inserting a sponge into the vaginal cavity. While the tampon improved the lives of working-class women. It failed to consider their needs as women. This is why it is imperative to include a diverse group of people in science. Otherwise, solutions that are inaccurate become the reigning discovery.

Mathematics; a complex set of formulas that form several main practices. Its used in every career, from the obvious disciplines like teachers and architecture, to creative studies like art and theatre. Yet is under-appreciated by every student in school. At a young age, math is taught in basic arithmetic. Formulas for addition and subtraction are introduced in kindergarten. As a child I adored them, often requesting more work from my teacher for fun. The structure present in math always enticed me, and the challenge present in solving each equation always seemed to bring joy. That interest only continued to grow as we learned division and multiplication. One of my fondest memories comes from a lesson in third grade, where I realized how numbers multiplied in either direction. I spent hours staring in awe at multiplication charts, swapping between the same two digits equaling the same total. A pattern not in division or subtraction. And a lesson I always felt proud of learning. I began to realize just how interested I was in math at this point, now considering math my favorite subject. And connecting math and science only further cemented my attraction to math. I was always the inventive type, often drafting ideas on how to solve problems. Whether it be massive issues like plastic pollution or small ones such as opening a stuck door. Yet more so as my academics continued. In 8th grade, I took Algebra I; one of my favorite classes. The puzzling ways to isolate a variable felt therapeutic. My love for math even extended to my desired career. I always wanted to be a nurse, and even though nursing seemingly relies more on compassion than math, math is the most necessary skills to care for a patient. Such as the ability to measure dosages, or weighing a meal for a child. Where the slightest miscalculation could have diverse effects on a patient's recovery. Stresses the need for math and science in nursing. It doesn't matter what area of life you look in, math is found universally. The keyboard I write this essay on is a miracle of mathematics, the code required to input the proper bits and be stored in a binary system. That system plugs into a massive wiring of information and algorithms. All of this is powered by the astounding discoveries of humans from centuries ago. The studies of mathēmatike tekhnē, mathematical science.

Ever since my first 20 dollars, I've managed my cash, I constantly check and balance my funds, I opened my first bank account when I was 10, and since then I've been trying to save up for my future. Currently I've applied to 3 jobs, saved over 450$ from small paychecks from the little work I've managed. I've saved for a car since I was 7. Whenever I would go to buy something I would complain that I was spending my college fund or my car money. And those ideas have stuck with me. It taught me about my own finance. I've learned how to balance my spending. I've figured out how to keep groceries cheap and effective while remaining nutritious. I pride myself on this, it made it possible for me to look into my future. I aspire to attend a program called "Running Start." A program that allows sophomores to attend a community college. But won't provide any transportation. So my careful management allowed me to pursue my dreams.

“One small crack does not mean that you are broken, it means that you were put to the test, and you didn't fall apart.” — Linda Poindexter. In my life I have experienced strain, sadness, I've been on the brink of collapse, and yet I somehow kept going. Despite my self-sabotage, I fixed myself long enough to stumble to the checkpoint. One of my major nets is baking. When I find I'm upset I find myself in the kitchen, whisking together ingredients to make sweets and confectionaries. However, the sweets seem to pile high, to the dismay of my family and partner. And to the disdain of their waistline. When I ran out of butter, and I scraped the bottom of the flour bag. I saw solace in exercise. During the summer I noticed a major dip in my mental health. So, to try and comfort me, I resorted to bike rides. Starting at noon and ending at the turn of the evening. It spanned miles, heading from home to the grocery store several miles away. I would buy groceries and haul them back home. But I found that it brought me more pain and sadness than joy to cook, clean, and bake all day. This brought back one of my old coping mechanisms, gaming I generally dislike gaming as it makes me feel unproductive, and as if I'm wasting my time. Instead of facing my problem, I douse it in a layer of wax. It holds for a while before melting away and revealing the core. A vicious cycle that only leads to more sadness as it came back each time. Strong and stronger until it was unbearable. I was at my breaking point. I saw the cracks in myself, I felt unstable as if nobody will love me. A failure to the world, cast out by my hand. And yet I somehow held on. by a stroke of luck or sheer stubbornness. I held on for the ones I cared about. I felt that if I left, I would cause them harm. My partner is the main example of this. They made it possible for me to function, they gave me something to hold on to when I fell over. They guided me through my darkest phase and made it possible for me to write this now. I have since then made progress. I feel capable to function, managing a 3.8 GPA. I set my eyes on the future, looking to get college credits from Running start and move on to greater projects, such as a medical school where I will study for my doctorate in Paediatrician medicines. By no means am I perfect, nor am I fixed? But glue can only dry so fast. Thank you so much for reading, have a great day.

Spokane Washington, 2007, born in hospital dorm. That is where my life has roamed. My name is Blake Thornton, a mixed female living in western Washington, discovering myself as the days go by. At a young age, I dreamed to be a Veterinarian, but like the waves of the Puget, I've shifted away. I wish to be a pediatrician, live at the bleeding edge of science, and help patients in their time of need, just as they've helped us in ours. It's our time to repay our debts to the old generations. And I hope to start strong.