The reason I am so passionate about serving my community is solely due to my upbringing. It comes from the way I have experienced life and the environments that shaped me. Growing up, I saw firsthand what it looks like when families struggle financially and emotionally, and that made me much more aware of how many people around me could be quietly going through their own immense struggles. For me, helping others isn't just something I do to be recognized; it's almost like a responsibility for me. My parents raised me to show love to and help others in need, and it's what my heart pulls me to do and what my faith calls me to do. The main ways I have shown my commitment are with my involvement in volunteer programs and activities that center around helping others. As a member of my county's Health Sciences Academy, I have been exposed to how important care, empathy, service, and personability are in healthcare. The Academy has only strengthened my desire to become a nurse, because it's not just a career to me, it is a direct way to support people during some of their most vulnerable moments in their lives. I have been doing volunteering since middle school, but since I joined Health Sciences Academy, I have gained even more hunger to help those around me, and I have gained over 350 volunteer hours with the help of the program and those around me. In addition to Health Sciences Academy, my role on my school's Event Committee has allowed me to contribute to my school community differently. Planning and participating in events isn't exactly a traditional form of community service, but it is so important as it creates a sense of connection for the student body. I've learned that building a positive environment is also a way I can help others. It gives people a space where they feel included and supported. That is something that matters a lot, especially for students without a sense of stability outside of school, which is the case for many of my friends and classmates. Other than organized outreach efforts, my passion for helping others shows up in my personal life daily. I am always striving to be someone that people can rely on, whether that means offering support and advice to friends, showing kindness to those around me, or just being present for someone who needs it. Community service isn't always about huge and visible actions. Sometimes it's just about having that consistency and showing up for people every day in your personal life. It motivates me knowing how much of a difference support can make when someone is going through a difficult situation. Having even one person who cares can change how they move forward. That idea resonates with me and pushes me to keep choosing to give my time and energy to others every day, even if it isn't easy. As I continue my education and work toward a career in nursing, I plan to keep my commitment and moral conviction by serving even broader communities and giving my career 100% day in and day out. I want to be in a position to advocate for patients, give compassionate care, and create a system that truly supports those in need, because the healthcare field needs it- especially these days.

I have faced numerous challenges in life, but there is one constant that keeps me going, grounding me, and pushing me to stay true to who I am: my faith in God. Throughout my life, I have been hurt and betrayed by family and people I trusted; at times, those closest to me have tried to break me down or dim my personality. It hurt to find out from a young age that sometimes you shouldn't be worried about strangers because the people who harm you the most can be much closer than you expect. There have been moments where their actions made me question myself, which has left me feeling hopeless, wanting to build walls to keep everyone away, or be careless in how I treat others. However, my faith makes me want to be better than that. God would not want my heart to become hardened or for me to treat others with the same hurt I have experienced. The lord has helped me get through so many dark times myself, and I would be doing him and myself a disservice by carrying through life being a wicked person just because others have hurt me. I always try to wake up and choose light and love, and show up strongly for my circle, even if my past leaves me hesitant. This, in part, is what ambition means to me- the daily decision to grow into the person I know I am called to be, while staying true to my goals and my values. It is very difficult in such an increasingly dark world not to be negative and grim, but I conscientiously put the effort in every facet of my life to be an open and kind person and to be intentional in how I treat those around me. I am currently pursuing a degree in nursing because I find human biology incredibly fascinating, so to have the privilege to learn about it and use that knowledge to care for people during some of their most vulnerable moments would be an immeasurable reward. I care about others deeply, and I want to be someone who is reliable, loving, and understanding. At the end of the day, I have always been a hardworking person, and I will work hard to achieve my goals, but especially ones that shape my career and character. I want to be known for my drive to constantly progress my career, but also for how I treat others. If I am recognized as someone who does right by others and is always genuine and cares, my heart will always be full knowing that I am living a life that reflects my faith.

Venturing through into the depths of Hawkins's disheveled forest, a sense of uncertainty enveloped me, like a sheet of trepidation veiling my eyes. The rustling of leaves blowing in the wind and the frigid air of the crimson sky threatened to shake me from the ground my feet were planted on. The temptation to flee the perilous situation I found myself in was at an all-time high, but one look to the three beacons of strength around me was all the assurance needed to continue my journey even through the dire circumstances it might entail. One may ask who exactly were the people assisting me in the fight against the evil of the Upside-Down, to which I would say, Chief Hopper, Nancy Wheeler, and Eleven. I would choose these characters to help me defend the town of Hawkins because of their common resilience and eagerness to protect those around them. Along with these general reasons, there are specific skills that these individuals possess that motivate me to want them around in a moment of crisis. Jim Hopper is the Chief of the Hawkins police department for a reason. He is a great fighter, extremely skilled in hand-to-hand combat and firearms due to years of police and army experience. He has been shown to know Morse code and have the ability to set traps in previous seasons. Hopper is also sharp-minded, demonstrated by his investigation of Will's death being fabricated, immediately realizing his home had been wiretapped, and his strategy in keeping Eleven safe from government interference. His escaping death from an extreme explosion and a Russian prison camp are also notable in proving his persistence. These reasons are self-evident of why I would want him on my team. Nancy may seem like an unlikely choice, but she's proven herself a formidable fighter through her multi-season growth. Starting as a meek teenage girl, she has grown into a strong-willed young woman who has managed to learn multiple beneficial skills to get herself out of trouble. Similarly to her namesake, Wheeler is a bright thinker and her brilliant mind may be her greatest asset. She has constantly investigated the strange happenings of the town seeking a solution, driven strongly, whether anyone believes her or not. Examples of this were her looking into further explanation for Barb's disappearance and the rat problem of a Hawkins's inhabitant. It shouldn't be forgotten that her suspicions were, and usually are correct. She picks up on the supernatural incidents around her quickly and acts accordingly. Her cleverness allows her to naturally improvise well in physical combat and learn to use weapons quickly, as shown by her learning to use a handgun in a single day in the first season. Nancy's brainpower would be an irreplaceable asset in the battle against the Upside-Down. The most obvious choice for the last person in my alliance would be Eleven. She is not only physically connected to the Upside-Down, she created the connection between our world and it. She has the supernatural abilities to put up a worthwhile fight against any foes, and her resilience is shown by her strong will to survive and her ability to come back stronger each time her power is nearly depleted. Along with her powers, she will do anything to keep her friends safe, even at her own detriment, like in season two when sent herself to the Upside-Down to save her friends, unsure if she could ever return. Hopper's brawn, Nancy's brain, and Eleven's heart complete the all-rounder skills needed to perfect my absolute monster-fighting team and defeat evil once and for all.

There have been many actors throughout the years who have portrayed Spider-Man/Peter Parker. There have even been many different versions of Peter Parker in general, courtesy of the Spider-verse. That being said, my favorite Spider-Man actor of all time would have to be Andrew Garfield. Garfield's portrayal of Spider-Man is the most accurate to the comics, namely, the "Ultimate Spider-Man" comics. While this doesn't attest to the reason Garfield is my favorite actor, this is a prevalent reason for his Spider-Man being my favorite on-screen portrayal. The movies he appears in may be the most accurate to their source material out of any film or series that portrays Spider-Man in my opinion. Out of the three most well-known portrayals of the titular hero, Garfield is without a doubt the most talented and versatile actor. His acting is enjoyable, well-thought-out, and layered. This immensely boosts his ability to act out the many quirks and character arc of Peter Parker and shows the difference between Peter and his alter ego. Peter Parker at the start of the comics was an angsty, meek, and stern high school student, who was very intellectual. He was not a complete social pariah, which is a common misconception. Although he was not the most outgoing character at first, he was perceived as very attractive by many of his female counterparts. When he is bitten by the radioactive spider, his character majorly changes. He becomes confident, cocky even, and he also has an internal conflict about fulfilling his heroic duties as Spider-Man. Garfield truly embodies his role as Spider-Man in all of these listed aspects. He even fits the appearance of Peter Parker in the comics. Despite being in his late 20s at the time of his portrayal, he aces the ambiance of a socially awkward and angsty teenager, showcases the personality changes of Peter after becoming Spider-Man, and shows the internal struggle that may come in the situation of becoming a hero, in having to put yourself before others. His being involved in the creation of his villains also adds another layer to his character development, because it leaves room for growth from his mistakes. His humor and wittiness are also on par with Spider-Man in the comics, most likely due to his undeniable charisma. His delivery is very natural, and you can tell he has fun with it. They don't feel like movie-made comebacks, they feel like genuine reactions. The chemistry he had with Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy developed the crucial plot point of the romance very well. He hits points where the other actors ultimately fall flat for me. Tobey Maguire is great at portraying how timid/awkward Peter is, but in his portrayal, he lacks depth and progression in his character arc, at times his performance can be dull. Because of this, he feels too much like an everyday guy, when Spider-man is supposed to stand out. In Tom Holland's performance, the awkwardness of Peter is nowhere to be seen, nor the depth or flaws. The quips are overdone and his attempt to come off as quirky sort of feels like he is a parody or caricature of what Spider-Man is, he just doesn't seem like a real person. While I do enjoy these two actor's performances, Garfield's performance is the best, because it has the best balance of Peter and Spider-Man, he feels like a real person you could meet, and perhaps befriend, but he still has that sort of superhero wonder to him. That is the reason that Andrew Garfield is the most "Amazing Spider-Man."

“One Day at a Time” Television has no limits when it comes to transcending boundaries. A good show can make you feel immersed or like a part of the fun of the story. I personally have experienced this phenomenon through the Netflix series “One Day at a Time.” This heartfelt and intimate brilliantly written series hasn’t only been a source of solace and entertainment for me but also made me feel represented by and care deeply for the realistic characters. In this essay, I will talk about what makes this show so phenomenal, what keeps me hooked, reference an episode at supports these points, and prove why you should make time to view this masterpiece. The storyline of “One Day at a Time” revolves around the Alvarez family, led by Cuban-American single mother Penelope. This sitcom amazingly captures the essence of Hispanic culture, and what it is like to be a part of a Hispanic family. This representation of Hispanics, especially Hispanic Americans is lacking and well-needed in television. The show hits it out of the park in this aspect. The characters do not feel like stereotypes made to fulfill this quota, they feel like real people living life, who happen to be Hispanic. One of the many strengths of the show is its ability to bring attention to the universality of human experiences. Despite differences, the show has the ability to bring people of all different cultures, beliefs, and opinions together. The relationships, personalities, struggles, and heartfelt moments of the Alvarez’s are portrayed in a way that resonates with viewers of all backgrounds, men or women, young or old, queer or straight, black or white, or anything in between. An episode that shows this is season 2, episode 1, “The Turn.” In this episode, Penelope’s son Alex deals with outbursts of anger due to being a victim of racism, and Elena deals with issues of being mistaken for a white woman or labeled as not Latina enough. This resonates with me as a non-Hispanic person because I’ve dealt with pain from racist encounters. Penelope’s message that you can’t control the actions of others, but how you react to them, made me feel powerful and like I can do something about it. As far as Elena’s conflict, I have struggled with not feeling black enough due to comments from peers of all ethnicities. It hurts to be stripped of your heritage through the perception of others, but you can reclaim it by affirming your pride, as Elena does. This storyline made me feel seen and heard as a fellow woman of color. Despite entailing such a serious topic, the episode was full of natural, well-done comic relief, so it never felt too heavy. After Elena defends her family from stereotypes she is called “Anne Hathaway” It breaks the tension with a laugh but also shows her doing the honorable thing, walks away from the situation, which shows her growth as a character. This is the case with many episodes such as “Hermanos”, “She Drives Me Crazy”, “Outside”, and more. "One Day at a Time" is a series well worth watching. I have endless good things to say about it, and could speak about it for hours. It will hook you, make you laugh, make you cry, make you think, and make you feel. By portraying well-written characters, relatable themes, and addressing social issues. It’s proven television’s power to bring people together, resonate with audiences, and touch hearts. The show is a notable example of how effective storytelling surpasses the barriers of reality and endures in the hearts of its admirers.