Trusting people was hard and for as far back as I can remember, it has always been. But when I met him, it wasn't. For this essay, let's call 'him', Gabe. In my sophomore year of high school, I had just turned 16 and was finally allowed to hang out with boys. My parent's rule and it was one they had to abide by as well when they were teenagers. I was beyond excited once my birthday had hit because I had a special guy in mind I knew I'd want to hang out with. Gabe. Tall, kind, athletic, funny, popular, Gabe. When the day finally had arrived I would go over to Gabe's house. I had been planning the whole week around this day and couldn't imagine how things would go when I finally got to see him, alone. He called thirty minutes before 8 to make sure we were still hanging out. I told him by 8 I would be ready and he could pick me up then. As I was adding my final touches of makeup, I never would have imagined what it was, I was preparing for. At 8 Gabe picks me up and during the duration of the car ride he's asking questions about me while telling me about himself. I feel butterflies but can mask the feeling with the pain of the smile glued to my face, mesmerized by Gabe. After a short while, we arrive at his house and he opens my door. Nervous I slowly follow behind him while he unlocks the door. As we enter the house, I notice the absence of family and the presence of tools and gadgets instead. Displaying the confusion on my face Gabe tells me this is his brother's office for their car repair business, and reassures me that everything will be fine. Having no reason to refute, I took my shoes off and followed Gabe inside. I asked to watch a show I had recently started on Netflix, he agreed, and turned it on. As the show got further in, Gabe slowly moved closer and closer to me, which I was okay with. Once the show went off, we had watched three episodes and an hour and a half passed; things began to change. Gabe started to pull my face towards his and had a sudden aggressiveness to him. Confused but not against it, we began to kiss. After a while, he wanted more. He got up and started pulling my pants and then tugging at my hip for my underwear. In this situation I was stunned. Unaware, unsure, unprepared and frozen. Gabe turned me around and I could feel him trying to take things further. A week after this encounter with Gabe, and fed up with the guilty feeling I possessed, I scheduled a meeting with a school counselor. Sharing my story with her, feeling heard and respected, and understanding I was taken advantage of, I vowed to avoid an instance like this happening again to me or any of the other girls within the community. For so long I protected him and thought, maybe Gabe didn't know what he did. Two years later, and the first time admitting it, I was sexually assaulted by someone I thought I could trust. Moving forward from this incident, I plan to major in criminal justice, with a minor in psychology, working to understand those affected by assault, while hearing them and being there for them, mentally and physically. All in hopes that no one else will ever have to go through what I went through, alone.

Our universe needs our help. To truly have the capability of better understanding our universe we first need to be able to take care of what we have now, with addressing the current standing issues. With the recent efforts to push the importance of climate aid and to lower fossil fuel usage, in hopes of decreasing the earth's temperature, humans have to collectively work together and change their lifestyles, for the better. The sake of our planet is in our hands. For years, climate activists have been professing the importance of getting a headstart on this taxing issue, before the effects were too deep upon us. Cutting down our carbon footprints, using physical activities as a means of fitness, and upcycling, are all things needed to be incorporated into our daily lives to impact our environmental footprint, for the better. For the 2023 National Speech and Debate Associations category of Public Oral Interpretation/ Prose Poetry, I decided to craft a piece called Bi-Polar. In this piece, I use different perspectives on climate change to effectively communicate the changes that need to be made and the relevance of making them sooner rather than later. Alexis Grub, John Murr, Edward Durand, and Greta Thumburg are either authors or public speakers, who highlight their love for nature and the significance of working toward the betterment of the environment. We as a human race must work with the issues we've instituted into normality before we move on and attempt involvement in other intriguing earthly categories. Involving ourselves in climate rights and working for the betterment of our planet is important so we can then better understand the multitude of capabilities our planet is capable of infiltrating. In my career, I plan to understand how economic, political, and social issues of the world impact people and can lead them to crime. Majoring in criminal justice, with the hopes of being a criminal defense Lawyer, future clients must have a world that they can positively impact. I believe when other factors influence people's lives, crime is seen as an option to give their life purpose, therefore people flee to it. Especially in inner-city situations, people allow their circumstances to shape them and unfortunately become products of their environment. Furthering my education, and working towards my goals, I know that it is possible that we can jointly work together to eliminate the taxing problems we currently face, for the betterment of our future, as the human race.

Growing up I was always aware of who I was as a person. I was Briana. Since a young age, I had been known by my teachers and peers as, a tall, vivacious, inquisitive little girl with a thirst for more. However, in fifth grade, I moved from my inner city, mostly Black, grade school, to a Roman Catholic, mostly White, learning institution. Despite this newness, I wouldn't let my differences set me apart from other kids. I knew I was made to stand out and would continue to be myself, embracing my differences. As time went on, and I grew up, these qualities that made me, myself, slowly died down. When puberty hit, I began to look different and subconsciously behave differently. I wasn't confident in who I was anymore, and this consumed all of me, specifically my thoughts. Not only would my actions and mindset change, but my features would as well. My once prepubescent body transformed into a lean build with wide shoulders. My chubby kid-like cheeks were less chubby, and a bit more noticeable and higher up. To top it off, my once inviting and cheerful resting face would turn into a serious stoic expression. The changes I was undergoing were impossible to ignore, and I wondered why my transformation was becoming so noticeable. On a day out visiting my grandma, she noticed my inward behaviors and asked me what was wrong. I couldn't think of a real answer so I didn't respond. I had been going through so much recently and couldn't pinpoint my answer to a singular entity. My face remained blank and I can imagine began to turn reddish in my reservation of speech. "Briana you look just like how my mom looked when I was young", she said with a soft authentic smile. "You look the most Indian of us all, embrace that." "Indian?", I thought to myself. My confusion managed to take over my facial expression to the point where my grandma called on me again. "Briana, can I tell you a story?" After about an hour of listening to stories about my grandma's childhood and her mother, Mariah, I finally felt like I belonged. I felt accepted into a community, as though I had a newfound identity. Ensuing that conversation, and with some self-reflection, I now understood my heritage and where it is I truly belong as a Cherokee-Blackfoot-African American. I was always meant to stand out and be myself, embracing my differences. Though I never got to meet my great-grandma, Mariah, I continue to involve myself in learning of my family's heritage, and the struggles and inequalities we faced in America. Knowing where it is I belong, I will continue to learn more and become more informed about my community.

Ode To Millennials-Gen Z, tells how there's so much hope, for a (economically) hopeless generation. Recent babies, clinging to their mother's womb, now adults figuring out what to do. Is it possible we can amount to success nonetheless? Gen Z claimed to be the "Greatest Generation 2.0", has a lot of mess to clean up, that they aren't necessarily responsible for. The earth is reaching never-before-seen temperatures, computers are replacing human jobs, and 32 deadly wars/conflicts are currently unraveling. Yet, the youth is to focus on themselves and maintain their grades to be successful in the future. As we watch the world around us slowly crumble, how can we cling to any sense of stability for a future to call our own? Ranging from being as young as 10 to being as experienced as 26 years old, Generation Z has the spotlight. In comparison, the original "Greatest Generation" went from times of deep sadness to times of immense shared strength during World War 2. This generation grieved together over a sense of emptiness and then transformed these deep feelings into a passion for American nationalism. Once the war was over a shared sense of relief was amongst everyone. Looking back on the accomplishments and history of the original Greatest Generation, the turnaround of America, and the advancements we have today, are all owed to this generation. But how did they collectively do it? When looking at the present day and the expectations of the youth, it's evident to acknowledge the outbreak of COVID-19 and the bearings and restrictions it plagued adolescents. Despite no current war on American soil, this pandemic allowed most of the generation to feel at war with themselves. The increased number of teens with depressive symptoms as well as the suicide rate increase during the duration of the pandemic, are not coincidental numbers when considering the whole picture. In the modern world, following the downtrend of relevancy of the pandemic, as well as, the push to return to "normal life", factors such as weakened cyber security, the advancements of artificial intelligence, and the increase of cyber scamming, our youth is now fighting against computers for jobs we need filled. Although the negatives and competition are more advanced than ever before, many youths find themselves up for the challenge. Robots work hard but we can work harder. As a member of Generation Z, and on the path of finding myself, it is easy to get discouraged by the latest happenings around the world or the latest advancements. But remembering what it is I want to succeed in, in my lifetime, as well as what it is I need to accomplish throughout my life, I know without a doubt that regardless of the world's fate, my will is possible. Thanks to Ode To Millennials-Gen Z, I want our generation to be remembered for being as polite and kind, as we actually are. Agreeing with the text, resentment, and wrongful wishes get us no further than we were, and are therefore purposeless. If I can continue to possess a level-headed mentality and remain hopeful, I know that there can be hope for the hopeless, and nonetheless, I can achieve success.