This year, my school moved back to in-person class, and although it’s been an adjustment, getting to spend time with my friends before we all move on to bigger things has been a gift. A few weeks before I filled out this application, I actually had the coronavirus and was quarantined in the guest bedroom of my home. I woke up at 8:00 a.m. and opened my window so I can let some fresh air in and try to work. With the exception of the third day of isolation where I briefly went insane and found myself rearranging all the furniture, I tried my best to make the most of that time and started reflecting on the big decisions I was making and the ones I was about to. In a few months, my family and I will say our goodbyes as we move me in to my dorm, my friends and I will go on one last adventure before we too part ways, and my twin sister is going to find herself in a new city, whether that be with or without me. I guess with the rush of senior year and trying to do everything I can to prepare myself for college I forgot about preparing myself to say goodbye to high school. Although being locked away in quarantine wasn’t ideal, I’m honestly thankful that I got that brief moment to pause and be grateful for everything that I’ve been given in this life so far. People really do need people, and I’m so happy I got to spend my childhood with amazing friends and family, and I’m looking forward to being together again as we all embark on our next adventure in life.

1) First rule of Fight Club: Let no one know you have gum 2) My name never gets called in class. It has been used in a math problem where I bought 75 watermelons though. 3) back of the bus, no man's land, same difference. Instagram handle: @bonniehorn3

Billie Jean and Thriller are my cats! They are both incredibly adorable with two different personalities. Believe it or not, Billie is the bold fearless kitty while Thriller doesn't live up to her name very well and is afraid of everything. Nevertheless, I love them both very much. This is my chihuahua, Ellie. She does not love the cats.

On a rare day in Texas, rain falls and mist covers the ground. Lunging at this opportunity, I grab a blanket and a copy of Pride and Prejudice, allowing the outside world to fade into a Victorian-era ballroom, where people are enjoying each other’s company and mingling over the music. Although this book is sadly a work of fiction, I can’t help but feel that the idea of gathering and learning each other’s story rings true. Despite the fact that today’s society may have turned away from the idea of weekly balls, there’s something about the idea of friendship and community that in my opinion, we as a human race have lost and simply stopped caring about. Once, people used to want to listen to what makes each and everyone one of us authentic and real. At some point, we got caught up in the idea of convenience simplicity and began looking at one another not as stories brimming with love and loss, but rather as the tiny blurb at the back of the cover. I believe that if we all decided to listen intentionally and hear the cries of everyone around this world, maybe humanity could heal, and everyone would finally look at one another as equals. For the past three years I’ve been a part of my life group, I’ve not only grown in my faith, but I’ve also learned what it means to be a leader and how to share Jesus’ love with others around me. My youth group has participated in multiple acts of community service and made it a point to be a reflection of Jesus. When I walk the halls of my school I try my best to be an example of what being kind can do for your heart and others. I believe that leading the way through simple acts of service, whether that be leaving sweet messages on sticky notes in the bathroom or offering a seat next to you at the lunch table, can start a chain reaction of positivity and make this lovely world we live in feel like home.

I grew up confessing over cheesecake with the Golden Girls, sipping coffee in Central Perk, listening to the considerate advice of Dr. Frasier Crane, and escaping from a bad day into the bar where everybody knows your name. To me, watching television has never been just a way to pass the time. Some of the best moments of my life have been curling up by the T.V. with my mom and sister and laughing uncontrollably at witty remarks, sobbing over an untimely death, quoting memorable lines, and debating over how a show should have ended. We became more than just family through television; we became best friends. The memories that I have of all of us being together and enjoying each other’s company while watching television are memories that I will cherish forever. The impact that beautifully written dialogue and gripping plots from my favorite tv series had on my life made me realize that I had fallen in love with storytelling, and I want my life’s work to be on the silver screen. Nothing gives me the same rush I feel when I’m writing a script that’s brimming with what I want to put into this world. The freedom of just pouring my heart out onto a page and writing whatever I feel is an indescribable experience. To me, nothing is more magical than expressing myself through my stories. Someday, I hope that my work makes other people feel the same happiness I do when I hear the theme song to a nostalgic sitcom or the zing of a snappy one-liner. And above all else, I hope that it will bond families together the way other shows have for mine. In college, I will be studying film with an emphasis in dramatic writing so I can accomplish just that.

I grew up confessing over cheesecake with the Golden Girls, sipping coffee in Central Perk, listening to the considerate advice of Dr. Frasier Crane, and escaping from a bad day into the bar where everybody knows your name. To me, watching television has never been just a way to pass the time. Some of the best moments of my life have been curling up by the T.V. with my mom and sister and laughing uncontrollably at witty remarks, sobbing over an untimely death, quoting memorable lines, and debating over how a show should have ended. We became more than just family through television; we became best friends. The memories that I have of all of us being together and enjoying each other’s company while watching television are memories that I will cherish forever. The impact that beautifully written dialogue and gripping plots from my favorite tv series had on my life made me realize that I had fallen in love with storytelling, and I want my life’s work to be on the silver screen. Nothing gives me the same rush I feel when I’m writing a script that’s brimming with what I want to put into this world. The freedom of just pouring my heart out onto a page and writing whatever I feel is an indescribable experience. To me, nothing is more magical than expressing myself through my stories. Someday, I hope that my work makes other people feel the same happiness I do when I hear the theme song to a nostalgic sitcom or the zing of a snappy one-liner. And above all else, I hope that it will bond families together the way other shows have for mine.

I am named after a woman who came from nothing yet gave everything she had to those she loved most. My great-grandma Bonnie was born in poverty and learned quickly how to provide for herself while taking care of others. She sewed all of her own clothes and well as her children and husbands. She got crafty in the kitchen, whipping up new homemade creations every night. Bonnie was a fiercely independent woman who wholeheartedly believed that the sky was the limit as long as you kept your head held high and a smile on. As I enter this next phase of my life where I am beginning college and taking my first steps in my career as a screenwriter, I am honored that I had such an amazing role model as Bonnie. I will carry her values in my heart and never give up, just as she didn't. More than anything, I hope that she and I have more than just our name in common, but I also love at least half as much as she did.

I grew up with a built-in best friend, my twin Emma, and not a single day throughout elementary and middle school passed where I ever had to wonder what it would be like to face a monster on my own. Lunchtime would arrive and I had a seat saved for me. I never had that sick feeling in my chest when teachers would say that you could choose your project partners because my sister would already put my name down with her’s. Bus rides with older kids were never frightening because Emma was always there to look out for me. As a kid who struggled with social anxiety growing up, having my sister as my rock to lean on when times got tough was one of the greatest blessings I ever had. For a while, I was content living in a stress-free bubble as long as I had my sister by my side. However, as time went by and I made it to high school, this bubble quickly popped as my sister and I’s schedules didn’t align and I knew I had to break out of my shell and make new friends on my own. Letting my walls come down and putting myself out there wasn’t easy for me, but with time I found my people, and once again I fell back into the arms of predictability, and not being bold enough to meet new people. During the first week of my freshman year, my friends and I were gathered around the lunch table and having the stereotypical freshman conversation of how scary high school could be. While cracking jokes about how I was never going to show up to English class on time if I kept losing my map, my friend Michelle brought up what it was like for her to move from England to Texas, and how alone she felt when she had to leave her best friends behind. A few other of my friends had similar situations as Michelle, and pretty soon we were all passing around tissues as they talked about how lonely it was not feeling like you would ever belong in your new school. Having this heart to heart with my friends made me realize just how selfish and blind I had been to my school situation. I had never had to pack up my bags and say goodbye to those I loved most. I never had to look at my friend’s social media and wonder if they had already forgotten about me. From that moment I knew I had learned my lesson to never take my situation for granted and as soon as school got out that day I signed myself up for Student To Student, a club that would change my high school experience entirely. Student To Student is committed to making new students feel welcome when walking the halls of their new home. From the first event I went to, a new student breakfast, I realized just how big of a difference this organization made at my school. I love listening to people’s stories and getting to learn about their culture. Seeing another student come to life when they told me about their dreams changed my life immeasurably, and I’ll always hold the friendships I made through S2S close to my heart. At the end of my sophomore year of school, the teacher sponsor for S2S asked me if I would become an officer, and I lunged at the opportunity. Becoming a leader of S2S gave me even more insight on how to make every student feel welcome as they go about their high school years, making irreplaceable impacts no matter where they go. The journey that I embarked on when joining S2S has changed my life for the better, but it never would have happened without that tissue filled conversation my freshman year. While I have learned much from my time in S2S, one of my biggest takeaways was the power of sharing your story and the sparks that can grow from a single conversation. I’ll always be grateful for the opportunity that I got to lead my school’s S2S group, and for every story I heard along the way.

This meme never fails to put a smile on my face because I find myself in this situation all the time. There are so many things that I wish I had said but never did out of fear. It's nice to know that there are others out there who feel the same way. 😂

I grew up confessing over cheesecake with the Golden Girls, sipping coffee in Central Perk, listening to the considerate advice of Dr. Frasier Crane, and escaping from a bad day into the bar where everybody knows your name. To me, watching television has never been just a way to pass the time. Some of the best moments of my life have been curling up by the T.V. with my mom and sister and laughing uncontrollably at witty remarks, sobbing over an untimely death, quoting memorable lines, and debating over how a show should have ended. We became more than just family through television; we became best friends. The memories that I have of all of us being together and enjoying each other’s company while watching television are memories that I will cherish forever. The impact that beautifully written dialogue and gripping plots from my favorite tv series had on my life made me realize that I had fallen in love with storytelling, and I want my life’s work to be on the silver screen. This year, I will be attending the Radio Television and Film program at the University of Texas in Austin in hopes that the quality education I will receive there will kickstart my dreams of becoming a screenwriter. Someday, I hope that my work makes other people feel the same happiness I do when I hear the theme song to a nostalgic sitcom or the zing of a snappy one-liner. And above all else, I hope that it will bond families together the way other shows have for mine.