Golf has always been a positive outlet for me. I began playing golf when I was around 8 years old. My mom would want some alone time, so she would send me with my dad to go to the range or play a few holes. At first, I absolutely despised going golfing. My dad got me in lessons and I remember crying before every lesson because I was scared of embarrassing myself in front of my coach (the pro), the other boys and men at the range during my lesson. I never saw any women at the course, let alone girls my age. After a summer of tears and practice, it finally began to click. With a combined effort of my pink bedazzled Callaway hat and new swing, and I began to look forward to golfing. It became fun and exciting to me. I guess some would say "I caught the bug". I still have a clear memory of the day I decided to play competitive. My childhood best friend, Brooke and I were at an ice cream parlor. We were "the twins" since we were the same age and both named Brooke. She handed me a flyer for a summer junior league and asked me to play with her, hesitantly, I agreed and the rest is history. I love the way golf is always in beautiful scenery. Wether the local city course or a prestigious country club. Golf always has it's beauty. There is no better feeling than when you flush a ball and it goes exactly the way you want. For me, golf has always been a great environment to bond with my family and friends. Evenings at the golf course with my dad and siblings has always been so therapeutic. As I played throughout high school, I love bonding with my teammates over golf. My coaches and teammates are still to this day some of my favorite people of all time. They have seen me at my best and my worst and have supported me through it all. I enjoy golf knowing I have good company with me. Although I enjoy playing golf, there are many challenges that come with the sport. Golf is funny in the way that one day you play "lights out" and the next day can feel like it's your first time playing. As I played growing up, there were many tournaments where things just went bad. It was mentally hard to continue playing, knowing that I was not going to get the score or place that I wanted. Not only that, it was difficult being a female golfer. In high school, my team outperformed the boys golf team almost every year, yet it seemed no one cared. All that mattered was the boys team. We always got less practice time, worse season of the year, less qualified coaches, and less recognition. Instead of that getting me down, it motivated me to be better. I felt inspired to prove to 8 year old me that I could do hard things, regardless of the less ideal circumstances. I am forever grateful for the sport of golf. It has shaped me into the person I am today and continues to bring joy.

My name is Brooke Norton, and I am a student at Utah State University studying accounting with a minor in finance. I have known since I was a little girl that I would pursue a degree in business, specifically finance-related. I remember that, in 4th grade, I would finish my math so quickly that my teacher had me walk around the room and help the other students so that she could do her work. I would make duct tape wallets and sell them for a profit at school, and from then on, I knew that was my path in life. I love math, and I love the idea of business. However, my journey has not been easy. As a woman in business and finance, there have been plenty of doubters. Many people have told me I should marry a rich man and not worry about my career. My peers have been overwhelmingly male-dominated throughout the past few years of school. Personally, this has only increased my ambition. As people doubt, there is a direct correlation to my drive. I am determined to make my younger self proud and pursue my career in finance and business. Throughout the years, I have thought a lot about how to change the industry, specifically how to change the industry for women. This is a complex problem with many different aspects that would be moving parts. First and foremost, women need solid representation in the industry. There can't be an expected change when there is no representation. According to IE, only 15% of executive positions are occupied by women. When 47% of the workforce is women, there should be a similar number of women in leadership. I have a long-term goal of working in an executive position. If I do my part, I could be an advocate and voice for women in the field. Giving women a voice in the industry would improve the industry. Another way to improve the system is to implement a more flexible and inclusive schedule. Since many women have or expect to have families, being able to be with their families is a high priority. For many years, the workforce was dominated by men. Therefore, men created the rules of the game in the system. Adjusting the system to be more flexible and inclusive would create a high market for women and men. Remote jobs have become increasingly popular and are an excellent opportunity for individuals with families. If I were in an executive position, I would be sure to have remote, hybrid, or flexible hours to implement for those employees who need it. A third way to improve the system would be to ensure equal pay. We all know that the pay gap is real. This can be a real disheartening for women trying to join the workforce. If all employers could ensure that there would be equal pay, this would incentivize more women to enter the industry, knowing that they would be able to make just as much money regardless of their gender or circumstance. For my part, I know that I can help this by voting for representatives who will take the initiative to make equal pay required and, as an employer, pay equally. Overall, I am hopeful that throughout the next few years we will see good change in the world of finance.

When I was a young child, I have the distinct memory of all my parents' cards getting declined when all we were trying to do is go see a movie I had been dying to see. I have memories of waking up from naps by myself and having to walk to my neighbor's house on my own so that she could babysit me because my mom had to go back to work. I remember my family not having a car because ours broke down and it was too expensive to fix. My family struggled with money for years. Luckily for me, my dad bought a very successful business, and now about fifteen years later, we are so blessed. My family has plenty of money and for me, this is the reason I want to give back. I know what it's like to be poor. I know what it's like to not know how to pay the bills or not to have enough money to see a movie. Since my family is much more financially stable, we love to help others. To give back I try and give people resources who are in need, or donate to charity or go out and do service. Giving is so important because you never know what the other person is going through. The neighbors that babysat me when I was just 5 years old, had no idea how much that meant to me. This inspires me to always be sensitive to those around me and give it back.

When we really look deeply into our lives, we can find that there are simple pleasures in almost every aspect. Some of the simple pleasures I find are things like a warm shower, a computer to use, a car ride with my sister, lunch with a friend, or even a sunny day. A warm shower means so much to me because at first glance it seems simple. All I do is turn the faucet to warm and hop in. There are millions of people that don't have running water, let alone warm running water. A computer to use also might seem simple because everyone seems to have computers. There are billions of people that don't have computer access all of the time, so I should consider myself so lucky. My sister is my best friend. Even a quick car ride from school can improve my mood and just brings me a simple pleasure of happiness. There are so many simple pleasures that I need to take advantage of every day.

In recent years I feel like as a society we have made a breakthrough about mental health. Millions and Millions of people struggle with mental health every single day. I have been very blessed to only experience moderate mental health issues. For me, depression and anxiety run in the family. My grandma, my aunt, my grandpa, my uncle, and my mom, have all been diagnosed with depression, and my grandpa, my aunt, my cousin, and my sister have been diagnosed with anxiety. I also have a handful of friends who have been diagnosed with depression and anxiety. It should be no secret that a lot of people struggle with mental health issues. Because of my mental health, my relationships with my friends and family have been influenced greatly. I know because of mental health I should make sure that they are feeling okay and that I need to show my love and support for them. My beliefs changed when I realized how hard it is and how I need to trust them and trust doctors. My career dream has always been something business and because of mental health, I want to make sure that everyone involved in my business is doing good with their mental health. For many years one of my closest friends experienced severe depression. He was miserable all of the time. The reason he didn't do anything about his depression is that he pretended he was fine. He was a teenage boy, how could he have depression? He forced himself to try and believe this because there is a stigma that "boys shouldn't cry", "you are just trying to get attention", or "teens are the best years of your life, there is no reason you should be sad". I would never wish this suffering upon anyone. No one should ever have to experience mental health issues alone. Watching the people suffer in my life has really made me want to help and make sure that everyone experiencing these real health issues knows that there is a way out and that they are loved. It is important that we all be aware of the realness of mental health. We all could do better at being a little kinder or compassionate. This is a battle we all should be fighting in order to de-stigmatize mental health. I hope that I can continue to try and make a difference.

When I was a young child, I have the distinct memory of all my parents' cards getting declined when all we were trying to do is go see a movie I had been dying to see. I have memories of waking up from naps by myself and having to walk to my neighbor's house on my own so that she could babysit me because my mom had to go back to work. I remember my family not having a car because ours broke down and it was too expensive to fix. My family struggled with money for years. Luckily for me, my dad bought a very successful business, and now about fifteen years later, we are so blessed. My family has plenty of money and for me, this is the reason I want to give back. I know what it's like to be poor. I know what it's like to not know how to pay the bills or not to have enough money to see a movie. Since my family is much more financially stable, we love to help others. To give back I try and give people resources who are in need, or donate to charity or go out and do service. Giving is so important because you never know what the other person is going through. The neighbors that babysat me when I was just 5 years old, had no idea how much that meant to me. This inspires me to always be sensitive to those around me and give it back.

Feeling loved is such an important aspect of our lives. We all want to feel loved. With my family, I love to make dinner for them. Food is one way to someone's heart. When we all sit down together and enjoy a meal, we all feel so loved. With my friends, I show my love for them by texting or calling them and letting them rant to me. We also love to send each other funny videos. I try and make my friends feel loved by spending time with them and being uplifting. I tell all of my friends and family when I am leaving, hanging up the phone, or headed to work "I love you". If something were to happen, I would want that to be the last thing I said to someone I love. With other people I don't know as well the things I do are simpler. Things like smiles, waves, or "how's your day going?" make people feel loved (at least it does for me). There are so many ways that we can show our love and it is so important that we take advantage of that.

Without joy, I would be empty inside. As humans, it seems our number one goal is to feel joy. There are so many things in my life that bring me joy, but sometimes when life is hard, it's hard to see the good in your life. For me, joy isn't conditional. Even when life is hard, I try my very best to make sure I can see all the ways I am blessed and see the joy even through the sorrow. Some of the big things that I am blessed with are a roof over my head, running water, food in my kitchen, a loving family, and so much more. Sometimes it is the little things that bring me joy like a good meal, or time with friends, or when my favorite song comes on, or even a bright blue sky. I seek joy by seeking happiness no matter the circumstance.

I remember that when I was in 5th grade our main focus in math for the year was to have a growth mindset. At the time, I was 11 years old and had no idea what my teacher meant by a "growth mindset". even by the end of the year I still didn't understand. However, six years later, I finally understand what my math teacher meant and why he wanted it to be the theme of the year. It is not easy keeping a growth mindset all of the time. It is easy when life is going smoothly, but not so easy when life isn't going well. Yet, it is most important to have a growth mindset when we are going through life's trials. I keep a growth mindset by remembering whatever I am going through will help me in the end. I know that if I remember that everything is going to be okay and that this is something I will only learn from, I can keep a growth mindset.

Being patient is defiantly one of my weaknesses. However, it is something I work on every day to improve. It took a while for me to realize that not being patient is basically like throwing away the present time. If we are constantly wanting the future to come, then we miss out on the now. When we are patient we get so much more out of life. So much worrying and wasting is saved. I used to have this app on my phone that would count down the days until certain events I was looking forward to, but I realized that this was not a smart decision. I was being impatient waiting on these events to happen and it was so hard to wait. Once I learned that it was all about the journey there, not the final product I was so much happier. I enjoy life so much more by being patient and knowing that everything will work out.

My favorite scientist is Katherine Johnson. She was an amazing woman who defied the odds as a black female. She played a key role in the space program and was responsible for many of the key calculations for many space expeditions. I love that she continued working for 33 years, even though she was severely underappreciated and discriminated against for the majority of the time she worked at NASA.

When asked what my "why?" is it took me a second. Why do I get out of bed each morning and try to make the best of every day? Adversity has been a part of every single one of our lives. It isn't about the adversity itself, but more about how we overcame it. One form of adversity that I have overcome is seasonal depression. I live in Utah and so that means for about 4-5 months of the year it is cold, rainy/snowy, cloudy, and uncomfortable outside. Being a person who loves the heat and is always cold, winters are hard for me. It may sound like it is not that big of a deal, but it affects me. I am unmotivated, sad, and just unenthusiastic during winter because of the effects of seasonal depression. To overcome this adversity it took 17 years of living in the cold to realize that all you can do is make the best of the day. We will never have this day, hour, minute, or second back. Why not make the best of it? I realized I can have fun and get things done no matter the circumstances. All it took was a little perspective and attitude change. I learned that even though I don't feel my best in the winter, there are so many good things going on in my life still. There is so much to love and be thankful for so don't focus on the negative. Inspiring and helping others are extremely important to me. I am convinced that it is one of the worst feelings in the world to feel helpless or unmotivated. Many members of my family suffer from depression and it breaks my heart to see people down, especially when I know that I am a person who can help. I am the oldest in my family with 3 younger siblings. I try to inspire and help them, even when it's hard. Giving people someone to look up to and count on gives hope and motivation to continue. I never want anyone to feel like they are alone or have no one. We have all been in that place before where you just need a little help and I hope the people in my life know that they can count on me. Sometimes in life, we just need some words of encouragement, some inspiration, and a little help to get in a good place and be happy.

When someone first asks "What is your best skill?" my instinct is to name a sport or instrument or something like that. However, I think we all have a personality skill that many people don't recognize. My best skill is that when I get something in my head, I do not quit until it is done. I am a very determined person. When my mind gets set on accomplishing something, if I really want it, I will go to extreme lengths to accomplish my goals. My parents have even told me since I was young that I have always had a determination about me. My mom hung a quote in my room that says "She believed she could, so she did". This accurately sums up one of my best skills. I am improving my skills everyday as I make goals. I set goals for the next day every night. This is improving my determination and perseverance by having to try my best every day.

I believe that the biggest problem the world is facing right now is division. Everywhere I look there seems to be an argument. There never seems to be unity as a world. Recently, with the Covid-19 outbreak, there seemed to be a short period of time where we all united. However, since then, there seems to be a problem with division yet again. Between politics and money, there is always division. In all areas of the world there is division, nowhere is except. One way we can work on this is to have more love and kindness. It is not easy to love everyone, but with practice it can be done. All it would take to have world peace is everyone treating others with love and kindness no matter the circumstances. Imagine a world where there is no contention and fights. Life would be much simpler. There are so many problems in the world that could be fixed with a little unity. If we are join together to fight the evil in the world, division and contention could be solved. I hope that one day no one will have to go outside with fear. We can all unite together to just love and accept one another. Using a basketball analogy, think of all the "baskets" that could be scored if we were all on the same team. Instead of fighting each other and fighting for the small victories, lets join together and win as a world. One day this could all be accomplished.

Remember the times when our guardians would have to wake us up in the morning and tell us to go brush our teeth and make our breakfast? That was obviously not acting independently. To me, being independent means that I can live the life that I want completely on my own. Being independent has always been a goal of mine. We are raised by our parents from the time we are little and learning to become self-reliant and not rely on our parents is an extremely vital part of becoming independent. Being independent impacts me every day. When I am independent then I get to where I need to be on time and meet all my responsibilities on my own. I feel much more confident and ready for life when I am acting independently. If I was not independent and had my parents telling me exactly what I needed to get done in life, my life would be extremely unsuccessful.