My mother raised me as a single parent, and it's probably made me a stronger and more empathetic person. My mother wasn't always able to provide the things that I wanted growing up, but I always got the most important thing, and that was her love and attention. She sacrificed so much for me so that I could have a brighter future. Moving to an entirely different country at 14 and starting over would certainly classify me as a non-traditional student. There is a quote that states, "Hard times make strong men," and if that's true, I should be able to lift a building. For such a young person, I have experienced a great deal of trauma in my life, but on the other side of it, I've done a lot of healing and have grown into the successful and hopeful person that I am today. Regardless of what I've been through, I love the person that I am. I've learned about strength and resiliency from my mother, who raised me on her own. We made the decision to start over by leaving Canada and moving to Florida three years again because my father was not a good person and caused a lot of damage in my life. I've had to endure anxiety and even a diagnosis of PTSD because of my relationship with him. There was a time in my life when I didn't really think I would have the opportunity to go to college. My mother, however, always told me that regardless of what I was going through, I was capable of great things and could do anything I set my mind to. It turns out she was right. I've been in Florida for three years and have flourished. I love my life in the Sunshine State, and it's brought a lot of sunshine into my life. I'm in a healthy relationship, I have great friends, and most importantly, I'm a straight-A student with every reason to believe that she has a bright future ahead of her. It's always been my dream to help others, and because of the times I have felt helpless in my life, I have been drawn to helping rescue animals at sanctuaries. I dream of going to college for Zoology Technology and working at a wildlife sanctuary. I hope to one day own my own sanctuary where I can help even more animals. Over the years, I have volunteered at wildlife rescue centers to gain the experience I need for college. I've always been taught that it's important to volunteer within your community and help those in need. I believe I am meant for great things, and this scholarship could be the beginning of what I need to start my future. I appreciate the time you take to read my story and share in my journey.

Being a new kid has truly been an eye-opening experience. Traveling from another country and starting over from scratch gives a new meaning to being a new kid. At 14, I moved from Canada to the United States, specifically Florida. Not only did I have to get used to a completely new environment, but I had to start over at a new high school where I knew no one. I suffer from anxiety and it made that whole experience all the more overwhelming. Being the new kid impacted my life by making me realize just how strong I am. Not too many people could go through the things that I had and still be resilient. My mother always told me that I could do anything and that I would have a better future than my past, and she was right. I have flourished since moving here. Not only have I met amazing people and great friends, but I have become a straight-A student, ready to graduate and go on to college. Being the new kid shaped me in ways that made me strong and confident. I believe now that I can do anything I put my mind to because nothing can be harder than what I've already gone through. I know what it's like to be helpless, and I've always been drawn to helping animals. I've volunteered at multiple animal sanctuaries, and it has led me to want to move into a career in Zoology Technology. After college, I would move to get a job as a wildlife specialist at a wildlife sanctuary. The strength that I've gained over the years has allowed me to be resilient in tough times. I would like to one day own my own sanctuary where I can help so many more animals in need. Being the new kid is not easy by any means, and there were times when I wasn't sure if I was going to make connections with other people. But I believed I was brought here for a reason, and I've done nothing but grow and heal here. Now I have wonderful friends and a solid support system right there with me when I am once again the new kid in my college classes. Thank you for taking the time to consider me for this scholarship and reading my story. This experience has allowed me to grow into a better person.

Moving to an entirely different country at 14 and starting over would certainly classify me as a non-traditional student. There is a quote that states, "Hard times make strong men," and if that's true, I should be able to lift a building. For such a young person, I have experienced a great deal of trauma in my life, but on the other side of it, I've done a lot of healing and have grown into the successful and hopeful person that I am today. Regardless of what I've been through, I love the person that I am. I've learned about strength and resiliency from my mother, who raised me on her own. We made the decision to start over by leaving Canada and moving to Florida three years again because my father was not a good person and caused a lot of damage in my life. I've had to endure anxiety and even a diagnosis of PTSD because of my relationship with him. There was a time in my life when I didn't really think I would have the opportunity to go to college. My mother, however, always told me that regardless of what I was going through, I was capable of great things and could do anything I set my mind to. It turns out she was right. I've been in Florida for three years and have flourished. I love my life in the Sunshine State, and it's brought a lot of sunshine into my life. I'm in a healthy relationship, I have great friends, and most importantly, I'm a straight-A student with every reason to believe that she has a bright future ahead of her. It's always been my dream to help others, and because of the times I have felt helpless in my life, I have been drawn to helping rescue animals at sanctuaries. I dream of going to college for Zoology Technology and working at a wildlife sanctuary. I hope to one day own my own sanctuary where I can help even more animals. Over the years, I have volunteered at wildlife rescue centers to gain the experience I need for college. I've always been taught that it's important to volunteer within your community and help those in need. I believe I am meant for great things, and this scholarship could be the beginning of what I need to start my future. I appreciate the time you take to read my story and share in my journey.

Moving to an entirely different country at 14 and starting over would certainly classify me as a non-traditional student. There is a quote that states, "Hard times make strong men," and if that's true, I should be able to lift a building. For such a young person, I have experienced a great deal of trauma in my life, but on the other side of it, I've done a lot of healing and have grown into the successful and hopeful person that I am today. Regardless of what I've been through, I love the person that I am. I've learned about strength and resiliency from my mother, who raised me on her own. We made the decision to start over by leaving Canada and moving to Florida three years again because my father was not a good person and caused a lot of damage in my life. I've had to endure anxiety and even a diagnosis of PTSD because of my relationship with him. There was a time in my life when I didn't really think I would have the opportunity to go to college. My mother, however, always told me that regardless of what I was going through, I was capable of great things and could do anything I set my mind to. It turns out she was right. I have been volunteering at animal rescues since I was nine years old. First, I was in Canada at Wings Animal Rescue, and then in Florida at Chase Wildlife Sanctuary. I also was part of the Sumter County Sheriff's Department Explorer program where we participated in charities such as Toys for Tots and Shop with a Cop. I have always had a belief in helping others and I will continue doing it my whole life. I've been in Florida for three years and have flourished. I love my life in the Sunshine State, and it's brought a lot of sunshine into my life. I'm in a healthy relationship, I have great friends, and most importantly, I'm a straight-A student with every reason to believe that she has a bright future ahead of her. It's always been my dream to help others, and because of the times I have felt helpless in my life, I have been drawn to helping rescue animals at sanctuaries. I dream of going to college to study Zoology Technology and work at a wildlife sanctuary. I hope to one day own my own sanctuary to help even more animals. That would be the charity that I want to invest in. I know what it's like to feel helpless, and I want to be able to help animals who can't help themselves. I would advocate for volunteers to come in and be of service to animals by cleaning cages, feeding or administering rehabilitation aid. Over the years, I have volunteered at wildlife rescue centers to gain the experience I need for college. I've always been taught that it's important to volunteer within your community and help those in need. I believe I am meant for great things, and this scholarship could be the beginning of what I need to start my future. I appreciate the time you take to read my story and share in my journey.

Moving to an entirely different country at 14 and starting over would certainly classify me as a non-traditional student. There is a quote that states, "Hard times make strong men," and if that's true, I should be able to lift a building. For such a young person, I have experienced a great deal of trauma in my life, but on the other side of it, I've done a lot of healing and have grown into the successful and hopeful person that I am today. Regardless of what I've been through, I love the person that I am. I've learned about strength and resiliency from my mother, who raised me on her own. We made the decision to start over by leaving Canada and moving to Florida three years again because my father was not a good person and caused a lot of damage in my life. I've had to endure anxiety and even a diagnosis of PTSD because of my relationship with him. There was a time in my life when I didn't really think I would have the opportunity to go to college. My mother, however, always told me that regardless of what I was going through, I was capable of great things and could do anything I set my mind to. It turns out she was right. I've been in Florida for three years and have flourished. I love my life in the Sunshine State, and it's brought a lot of sunshine into my life. I'm in a healthy relationship, I have great friends, and most importantly, I'm a straight-A student with every reason to believe that she has a bright future ahead of her. It's always been my dream to help others, and because of the times I have felt helpless in my life, I have been drawn to helping rescue animals at sanctuaries. I dream of going to college for Zoology Technology and working at a wildlife sanctuary. I hope to one day own my own sanctuary where I can help even more animals. Over the years, I have volunteered at wildlife rescue centers to gain the experience I need for college. I've always been taught that it's important to volunteer within your community and help those in need. I believe I am meant for great things, and this scholarship could be the beginning of what I need to start my future. I have learned through my struggles that you don't have to let those struggles win. You can choose to give in, or you can choose to rise above it, and that's what I've done. I won't let my past beat me. I deserve to be a happy and successful woman. My mother has always been my biggest supporter. She has sacrificed a lot in her life to make sure that I was safe and happy. She chose to leave her life behind for us to have a fresh start somewhere else, and it's made all the difference in the world in my mental health. I appreciate the time you take to read my story and share in my journey.

Moving to an entirely different country at 14 and starting over would certainly classify me as a non-traditional student. There is a quote that states, "Hard times make strong men," and if that's true, I should be able to lift a building. For such a young person, I have experienced a great deal of trauma in my life, but on the other side of it, I've done a lot of healing and have grown into the successful and hopeful person that I am today. Regardless of what I've been through, I love the person that I am. I've learned about strength and resiliency from my mother, who raised me on her own. We made the decision to start over by leaving Canada and moving to Florida three years again because my father was not a good person and caused a lot of damage in my life. I've had to endure anxiety and even a diagnosis of PTSD because of my relationship with him. There was a time in my life when I didn't really think I would have the opportunity to go to college. My mother, however, always told me that regardless of what I was going through, I was capable of great things and could do anything I set my mind to. It turns out she was right. I've been in Florida for three years and have flourished. I love my life in the Sunshine State, and it's brought a lot of sunshine into my life. I'm in a healthy relationship, I have great friends, and most importantly, I'm a straight-A student with every reason to believe that she has a bright future ahead of her. It's always been my dream to help others, and because of the times I have felt helpless in my life, I have been drawn to helping rescue animals at sanctuaries. I dream of going to college for Zoology Technology and working at a wildlife sanctuary. I hope to one day own my own sanctuary where I can help even more animals. Over the years, I have volunteered at wildlife rescue centers to gain the experience I need for college. I've always been taught that it's important to volunteer within your community and help those in need. I believe I am meant for great things, and this scholarship could be the beginning of what I need to start my future. I appreciate the time you take to read my story and share in my journey.

Abuse has completely shaped my life, and it's the reason why a single parent raised me. I no longer have contact with my father, and that has shaped my life in so many ways. Thankfully, I have a strong and supportive mother who has shaped my life positively. There have been times that I have wondered if I would even get to go to college. I developed PTSD due to an abusive relationship with my father. I struggled for a while, trying to cope with these parts. It was the most rewarding journey of my life because it brought me here to this moment. I have come so far from the young girl who was always afraid. Now, I am a straight-A student who gets to look forward to college and a future in my dream career as a wildlife specialist. My mother is the person who has supported me in reaching my educational goals. Firstly, she's always made me believe that despite any limitations that I thought I had, that I could do or be anything I wanted to be, I was allowed to dream, and those dreams have brought me to this place. She instilled in me an entrepreneurial spirit, teaching me that whatever job I desired could be turned into owning my own business. This is why I hope one day, my wildlife specialist experience will help me open my own wildlife sanctuary. My mother has supported my dreams and helped me through learning and education in areas where I needed help. She was always there if I needed to talk or ask questions about how I could achieve my dream job. She helped me study when I had tests or if I was struggling with homework. She has been my support system throughout all of this, and I know that I would not be here today if it weren't for her sacrificial love and the free spirit that she has. She made me believe in myself when I was unsure of what I wanted or thought I could achieve. I know when I go to college, she will be there every step of the way to help me in any way she can. I will always be grateful for everything that she has done for me. I know that this scholarship will continue to help me reach my dreams and support my future. I appreciate your consideration.

My favorite animal is a slinky and mysterious snake. Helping rescued animals has always been a dream of mine. I am a senior in high school with plans to go to college to study Zoology Technology. Snakes have always fascinated me; I think they are among the most incredible animals. Snakes are considered "cool" for a variety of reasons, including their biological adaptations. Snakes have evolved with unique biological adaptations that make them fascinating to study. They can dislocate their jaws to swallow prey larger than their head, and some species have heat-sensing pits to detect warm-blooded prey. Snakes play a crucial role in maintaining balance in the ecosystem by controlling rodent populations and serving as prey for larger predators. Snakes often evoke a sense of fear and respect due to their potential danger, which can also make them intriguing. It's one pet that I intend to own one day. I've always had pets in my life, mainly dogs and cats, but this past year, we have acquired ducks, which are mine to take care of primarily. I have raised them from ducklings to full-grown ducks. It's my responsibility to clean out their pond and living quarters, feed them daily, and even bathe them from time to time. I've always had a love for animals, and being able to care for them made me realize that I wanted to do it as a career. I felt for these animals that were helpless and wanted to be able to make a difference in the world. I have volunteered at animal rescue centers and wildlife sanctuaries since I was 9. While working with these animals, I have grown close to them and have taken on the tasks of animal husbandry, food prep, cleaning their cages, feeding the animals, and bathing them. I've also learned how to feed animals through a syringe and am continuously learning. These opportunities have influenced my desire to pursue a career centered around them. I have a passion for taking care of animals and making their quality of life better. I find the work rewarding because these animals come into these sanctuaries looking for help or are on an endangered list, and it makes me feel good when I can help them in any small way. I look forward to the day when I can start a full-time career in zoology technology, where I can eventually open my own sanctuary and help more animals along the way. I appreciate your consideration.

Mental health affects everyone; in my case, I suffer from PTSD. People are shocked when I tell them that. After all, how can a 17-year-old child have severe anxiety and PTSD? Lucky me. Mental health is very important to me as a student. It can be extremely difficult for someone who is a student to maintain good grades and a healthy social life without becoming overwhelmed. As a student, you're already under pressure to get good grades, be presentable, and focus on learning. But as someone who does all that while dealing with mental illness, the most simplest tasks can seem overwhelming. Mental health is important as a student because if you don't have good mental health, it can cause difficulties with doing projects, concentrating on tests, using general hygiene, or even getting up on time to get to school. Anxiety has affected me my whole life, especially as a student. Sometimes, I feel like I have to work harder than everyone else to make sure I'm passing my classes. I've come a long way over the years, but feeling like you're different from everyone else can be daunting at times. I want to succeed just like everyone else. I've always been a big believer in volunteering. Helping others, helps me to feel better about the life that I'm trying to build. I've dealt with abuse in my life, and I think that has made me sensitive to helping others who are in need. I've volunteered over the years at animal sanctuaries and animal rescue shelters. I've always had a big heart when it comes to animals, and I have a soft spot for rescued animals because I know what it feels like to be helpless and scared. I want to help these animals recover from what's happened to them and move back out into the world, healthy and free. Despite not being an animal, I greatly relate to that feeling. Feeling helpless or like you can't do something you want is one of the worst feelings. I've been raised to believe that despite my challenges, I can be anything or do anything that I set my mind to. I want to work with animals full-time in my career, and that's the purpose of asking for this scholarship. I've been volunteering at a sanctuary in Florida, and once I graduate from college, I want to work with animals full-time. Thank you for your consideration.

Creating brings joy to me as well as gives me the opportunity to give to others. Making things for others brings me a lot of joy, and I think that alone can make the world a better place. I have a few different creative passions; I tend to bounce back and forth, creating a few things. I like arts and crafts, so I do a lot of different things. My two main passions, however, include drawing and creating quilts from yarn. I think you can make the world a better place through kindness. I've created quilts and donated them to retirement homes at Christmas for the elderly who didn't have families. I was able to create items through my passion, but I also was able to put a smile on someone's face. I feel like everyone could use their art in some small way to help someone else. If I had 24 extra hours in a day, I would use that time to create or try new projects that I wanted to do. I don't always have time to create or draw because I'm in school fulltime, I have a part-time job, and I volunteer at an animal sanctuary. It doesn't leave a lot of extra time for me to draw, create quilts, or even try anything new. So with extra hours in the day, I would have so much more time to work on the things I'm passionate about. I struggle with anxiety, so I feel that having that extra time and using it for art would also help my mental health, making me a happier and more well-rounded person. I think we all focus too much on what we have to do instead of what we want to do. I feel more creative at night. I'm a little bit of a night hawk, so I usually sit in my room, on my bed, and draw the things going on in my mind or start on a new quilt. I've been known to stay up late with a movie playing in the background while I worked on my passion. I'm not much of a morning person, so anything that I create is most likely to happen at night. I believe that my mind is more open to possibilities in the evening as well. I'm relaxing from the day, and I'm more likely to be open to new possibilities. Thank you so much for your consideration. This would certainly help me along my path of following my true passions.

Trauma has brought physical and emotional challenges to my life. I can relate to Malgorzata's challenges in a couple of ways. Firstly I can relate to having to move to the United States to improve your life but having to start over from scratch. Secondly, I can relate to her challenges as someone who is going through life not being 100% healthy. I experienced trauma at a young age, and that shaped who I am as a person. My mother brought me to the United States for a fresh new life because what I left behind was part of my trauma. It wasn't easy moving over to the States at first. I had to start over in grade 10 and make new friends, which wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. I always had good grades, but being put in a whole new environment affected me at first, and it took some time for me to grasp my new life. Being in a new country was very different for me, but after being here for three years, I couldn't be happier. My mother sacrificed a lot for me to be here, and she did it because she knew that I needed a new start. I've made so many great friends and found my "tribe" of people that I know that I can depend on. I have healed a lot from my past, and I have the United States and my mother to thank for that. I got to move to another country, a free country, that a lot of people don't get to experience. For that, I'm truly grateful. I relate to Malgorzata's challenges in the sense that I have to go through life with anxiety and PTSD. Although I've healed a lot from my past, these things still affect every aspect of my life. The stress of school and work, starting new relationships and even learning how to drive. I relate to her challenges, but I also relate to her perseverance. Despite her health challenges, she fought for the things that she wanted. It didn't matter what was going on in her life, she knew what she wanted, and she went for it. That's something that I can relate to. I've been through a lot in my life, but I know the kind of future I want, and I'm willing to fight for it. I think I'm a lot like Malgorzata in that way. Thank you for your consideration.

Trauma has shaped my life both in good ways and in bad. So, I know just how important mental health is. I take great care in maintaining my mental health because I'm not quite myself when I don't. I had a traumatic experience in my childhood that changed my life for the worse. I developed PTSD and anxiety as a result of it. It was one of the worst experiences of my life, and for a while, I wondered if I would ever be able to have a normal life. That was five years ago, and throughout these years, I had to do a lot of healing to get to where I am today. It was these experiences that made me realize just how precious good mental health is. Protecting mine at all costs is the most important thing to me now. I have to in order to exist on a day-to-day basis. Mental health, even on a basic level, is important because people who just overwork themselves end up getting burned out. They aren't taking the time to take care of themselves and relax. When you don't do that, your health starts to fail. For me, mental health is important because having poor mental health can cause me to be unable to do the simplest tasks, like brushing my teeth. I know there are certain things that I need to do daily to keep myself in great mental health. There are a few things that I do to maintain my mental health wellness. I take vitamins and supplements daily to make sure that my mental health is tip-top. It's important for me to take chamomile and Magnesium to keep stress levels down. I also listen to calming sounds when I'm trying to get ready for bed. When it comes to work or school work, I always ensure not to overwhelm myself and take breaks as needed. I know myself enough that I can burn out quickly if I put too much on my shoulders. One thing I have learned over the years is the importance of asking for help when you need it. It's unrealistic to think that I can do everything by myself at all times, and there is no shame in asking for assistance instead of putting everything on my shoulders. The best thing anyone can do for their mental health is to take calming breaths if they feel themselves getting overwhelmed or stressed out. Nothing is worth damaging your mental health.

Healing others is how I heal myself. The positive impact I want to make in the world includes animals. I have volunteered at various rescue sanctuaries for wildlife since I was nine. I loved being around these helpless and broken animals who needed help to make them better again. I loved being able to help these animals through kindness and care. Some people might think these animals need to be euthanized or wouldn't think twice about letting them go. But I have learned that everyone, including broken animals, deserve a second chance. I experienced trauma at a young age that shaped my life, both present and future. It took some time to heal from that. Working with animals has helped me heal a lot, and knowing that I can help someone else, even an animal, changes me every day. That's why I chose being a wildlife specialist as my future career because I can bring hope to an animal's life, and that will always have a positive impact on the world. Due to the trauma that I've experienced, I developed anxiety and PTSD. I've undergone therapy and a great deal of healing. But there are still scars that might always be there. The obstacle that I anticipate happening through my college education is the anxiety that is always there. The experiences that I've had in my life have made me stronger and more resilient, but much like those animals I help every day, I need to remember to get help when I need it. The ways in which I will overcome these obstacles are the same things that I've been doing for years. I will continue my journey through healing, and to ask my support system for help when I need it. I always put my life in God's hands and allow him to take the lead in my life when I struggle to move on. I know that anxiety might always be a part of my life, but I don't need to carry the burden alone. I know when to ask for help if I become overwhelmed at any point during my college experience. My passions in life include my family and friends. They have been there for me during the hardest parts of my life. They are my passion, and loving them the best that I can, serves God as well. Besides that, I enjoy art, especially drawing. I love to sit in my room at times and create. I've dabbled in poetry over the years as well, and was published at the age of 11. Lastly, working at the sanctuary amongst the animals is a passion because I love to help them, and it brings me peace. This scholarship will help me to succeed in my passion and to have a career in which I can help animals. Thank you for your consideration.

Trauma changed my life, both good and bad. I experienced traumatic psychological abuse from my father for years. It was my mother that took me out of that environment and provided me with a better life. I developed anxiety and PTSD due to my experiences with my father, and it affected me so profoundly that I had a hard time going to public places like the grocery store because I was afraid I would run into him. It caused so much fear that just the thought of it would cause anxiety to build up. There was a time when I wasn't sure that I was ever going to be okay. I thought I would be trapped within the mess of anxiety my whole life, never being able to go out without feeling fear. My mother moved us out of the country to start a new life in Florida, and it completely changed my life. I no longer had to look over my shoulder at every turn. I could finally breathe. I always wondered why this happened to me, wishing that I had never experienced the things that I have. I wanted to be a different person. But the truth is that I wouldn't be the person I am today, if I erased my past. I'm not sure why these things happened, but I believe that things happen for a reason. I've gone through a lot of healing, and although I still have PTSD and have anxiety attacks, I've come a long way from the girl who used to freak out in the grocery store. The positive aspect of it is that its made me a stronger, more empathic person. I find that I can feel literal pain when someone else is suffering. I tried to put people first in my life and help those in need as much as I am able to. It lead me to my career choice, which is being a wildlife specialist in a sanctuary. I have volunteered since I was nine years old at wildlife rescues, and it's taught me a lot about animals and the human spirit. I want to be able to help broken and vulnerable animals who just need some kindness and love in their life. It's been my dream to work with animals and prepare them to go out into the world again. I want to be able to heal them in the way that I was healed.

Trauma has shaped my life in profound ways, both good and bad. I experienced abuse at the hands of my father for years. It caused me to be diagnosed with anxiety and PTSD, which has certainly affected my life in many ways. It took some time for me to heal from the experiences that I had. I had to learn to let go of the past and see that there was a bright future ahead of me. That was the beginning of my healing journey. PTSD and anxiety have affected my life in the sense that it took away the ability for me to trust myself. I lived a life where I was scared of everything, mainly scared to go places in case I accidentally ran into my father. It's a mind-numbing feeling. Through therapy and the love of my mother, I was able to overcome my past and get to the point where I could find peace. I still struggle with anxiety and can get easily overwhelmed when it comes to added stress in my life. I'm determined to have everything that I want in life despite my struggles. I've learned that I deserve everything good in life, and I won't let anyone take that away from me. That led me to have a desire to help others. I've had a passion my whole life for working with animals. I have volunteered at an animal rescue since I was nine years old. I've nursed, fed, and rehabilitated animals that grew close to my heart. I knew that helping broken and vulnerable animals was what I wanted to do with my life. It brought me joy to help animals who couldn't help themselves. My plans for the future include graduating high school and going to University for a BA in Animal Behavior and Wildlife Conservation. I have a dream of helping animals my whole life because I relate to the feeling of being helpless, and I want to help these animals heal in the same way that I learned to heal. After University, I plan to intern at a wildlife sanctuary where I will further my career in the industry. One day, I will own a sanctuary of my own where I will be able to help make the world better for the wildlife on our planet. This scholarship would greatly help in my endeavors. Thank you so much for your consideration.

Freedom, happiness, security, and peace is my idea of the American Dream. Let me explain...the American Dream is different for everyone. For me, I've dealt with trauma at a young age, so it allowed me to not take anything for granted. I've struggled in my life, and my mother was my saving grace. She taught me that despite anything I've been through, I could do anything or be anything that I wanted. I grew up to be strong despite the things that have happened in my past. America is known for its freedom, and it's one of the main reasons why people choose to move there. I've dealt with moving from a country due to a lack of freedom, so because of that, it's not something that I could ever take for granted. I spent a large part of my life unhappy and insecure because of the abuse I suffered. There was a time when I wondered if I would ever find happiness. Part of my American Dream is just finding happiness, and that coincides with the ability to find love, have a successful career, get married, be able to purchase a home, and possibly have children. Finding happiness and fulfillment in life is one of my main goals because, for the longest time, I wasn't sure that I would ever have the opportunity. Security and peace go hand in hand, and it's another thing that I lacked as a child. The American Dream to me is being in a country and having a life where I feel at peace. This isn't an easy task with the way the world is right now, but I know I can find a sense of peace in my own life. The American Dream means everything to me in the sense that it's a country where you can have anything that you want if you're willing to work hard for it. My American Dream consists of working hard through college and learning how to be a wildlife specialist. My dream includes being able to help others, and I want to be able to do that at a sanctuary where animals come looking for someone to care for them. I hope to one day own my own sanctuary where I can make a bigger difference in the world of animals. Winning this scholarship is part of helping me to live out my dreams and to move forward with college. Thank you for your consideration.

Leadership and confidence go hand in hand and believing in your abilities is part of that. There are a few different things I do in my life to exemplify leadership in my everyday life. One of those things is standing up for the people in my life. Whether that's my best friend, boyfriend, mom, or anyone else. If someone in my life is being talked about or bullied, I make it a point to speak up about it. Bullying is something that will never change until people step up and say no. I know what it's like to be bullied, and I would never wish that type of struggle on anyone. I don't just stand up for people, but animals as well. Through volunteering, I advocate on behalf of animals in dangerous situations that are endangered and vulnerable. When animals come into the sanctuary, they are broken and helpless. They need kindness and care from people who wouldn't first think about euthanizing them. They need care until they are able to go back out into the wild again. At my job, I work diligently and tend to do tasks without being asked first. I know what's require of me at my job and try to help coworkers when they need extra help. I always stand up when I see a problem and help out whenever it's needed. In order to grow at any career, you need to be able to show initiative. Leaders grow in their careers because they don't need to be told how to do their job, they always go above and beyond to get the job done. The same can be said of how I operate when I'm in school. Much the same as work, I try and guide members of a group to do their best and put myself up to standards where I do my best. If I'm working in the group setting, I don't allow others to do all the work for me. I ensure that regardless of whether I'm group leader or not, that I make sure that I pull my weight so that the whole project isn't put on one person's shoulders. I believe that a true leader is always looking out for other people and always has to make decisions about what is right. There are too many failed leaders in the world, and the next generation needs to step up if we have hope of changing the world. What I hope to achieve in the future is to work in a wildlife sanctuary where I can help animals who are broken or wounded. I want to make a better life for myself and them through my passion for helping others.

Leadership and confidence go hand in hand and believing in your abilities is part of that. There are a few different things I do in my life to exemplify leadership in my everyday life. One of those things is standing up for the people in my life. Whether that's my best friend, boyfriend, mom, or anyone else. If someone in my life is being talked about or bullied, I make it a point to speak up about it. Bullying is something that will never change until people step up and say no. I know what it's like to be bullied, and I would never wish that type of struggle on anyone. I don't just stand up for people, but animals as well. Through volunteering, I advocate on behalf of animals in dangerous situations that are endangered and vulnerable. When animals come into the sanctuary, they are broken and helpless. They need kindness and care from people who wouldn't first think about euthanizing them. They need care until they are able to go back out into the wild again. At my job, I work diligently and tend to do tasks without being asked first. I know what's require of me at my job and try to help coworkers when they need extra help. I always stand up when I see a problem and help out whenever it's needed. In order to grow at any career, you need to be able to show initiative. Leaders grow in their careers because they don't need to be told how to do their job, they always go above and beyond to get the job done. The same can be said of how I operate when I'm in school. Much the same as work, I try and guide members of a group to do their best and put myself up to standards where I do my best. If I'm working in the group setting, I don't allow others to do all the work for me. I ensure that regardless of whether I'm group leader or not, that I make sure that I pull my weight so that the whole project isn't put on one person's shoulders. I believe that a true leader is always looking out for other people and always has to make decisions about what is right. There are too many failed leaders in the world, and the next generation needs to step up if we have hope of changing the world.

Trauma has affected me in many ways, like feeling the heartbeat of every living thing. I've been through things in my life that have changed me so profoundly that all I want to do is help others. I recognize pain in others easily and it breaks my heart when I see people struggling. I embody selflessness by trying to put others needs ahead of my own. When it comes to decisions, I think about what choice could benefit others before it benefits me. I make sure that the people I care about are happy and taken care of before myself. I want to be be a wildlife specialist within a sanctuary environment. I've been taking care of animals my whole life. I started volunteering at rescue sanctuaries at 9 years old. Taking care of something broken and helpless is the most pure form of love that I can think of. I currently volunteer to help endangered and rescued animals at a wildlife sanctuary in my town. They are home to lemurs and other animals who have been harmed in the wild and need to be cared for. Caring for others isn't a completely selfless act as I find that it brings me a measure of healing in my own life. I've always tried to look for creative ways of helping others. When I was younger, I had a paper route and one of my customers was elderly and it was a big deal for her, that she get handed her paper because she couldn't bend to her mailbox. So I made it a point to spend the extra time to knock on the door and hand it to her. I've also helped people in need by donating clothing and items. My mom and i wanted to donate Christmas gifts to an elderly woman in a retirement home and I decided to knit her a scarf to go with her gift. These are people who don't have family at Christmas so we drop off gifts so they have something at Christmas. We've also made up care bags that we hand out to the homeless if we happen to be out running errands. These are just some of the ways that I try to reach out to others. Life can get busy at times and it's always important to think of others in need. You never know what others are going through and kindness goes a long way.

Welcome to Brooks dream house! Featured in the mountains of beautiful Sedona, Arizona, under the bright Arizona sun. The house is surrounded by lush greenery with a backdrop of red mountains. As you pull up the driveway, you will be greeted by Fred and Daphne the house ducks. Raised from birth, they are the first animals of the house but not the last. The exterior of the house is a white homestead that houses an indoor greenhouse. When you walk inside you tour many different passageways. These are used for animals that lead out to an outdoor animal sanctuary with 100 acress of property behind to allow the animals some freedom to roam. This allows the animals to roam freely without restrictions. The inside smells like eucalyptus and there are plants throughout the house that give a naturalistic vibe. The color pallete for the inside is white with green accents. Knowing how much Barbie loves and cares for animals, it inspired me to create a home where I could welcome rescue animals in that need some help. It's been a dream of mine to do the same and this dream house is the beginning of creating a life that brings me joy.

A courageous, fearless entrepreneur operating a well-funded wildlife sanctuary in Sedona, Arizona, striving to care for and rehabilitate animals.

When I was younger, I always thought my mom was the coolest in the world. She had cool clothes, cool stories and always had the most interesting birthday parties. But most importantly, growing up with a single mom opened my eyes to a different view of the world and I think that shaped me to be more mature and aware of what was going on around me at a young age. When I was little, my mom never really talked to me like I was a baby. She used normal words to describe normal things. She was a writer after all and she didn’t see the point in dumbing down words when I had to learn them eventually. I think this is where the maturity at a young age was instilled. I understood concepts at my age that other kids in my grade hadn’t even really thought about yet and used big words that I had to explain to my friends, which I thought everyone just knew. My mom’s love for writing must have been genetic because I absolutely loved poetry. I entered some competitions and got published and it showed me the power my words held. When I was a bit older, I started to go through some troubles with my father. I’d see him every other week and signs of abuse started to show. It had taken me some time to be able to tell my mom because I feared what my dad might do. When I finally mustered up the courage to tell her, she was immediately at my side fighting to get me out of there. It took years of hard work and meetings, but she was there the whole way. If someone ever tried to belittle me or questioned if I was really seeing everything clearly cause “dads can be mean sometimes”, she was there backing me up. I was left with a lot of mental scars of anxiety and PTSD but we won the battle in the end. My mental health was declining, and it got to the point where I couldn’t leave the house without panicking. My mom saw this and decided to drop everything and move, not just a town over, but across a whole other country. A month or so later we packed up the car and hopped over to Florida, where my life has been changed so much for the better. I learned at a very young age that being the daughter of a single mother came with its struggles but there isn't another person on this planet who would sacrifice more for me than her. She not only has saved me from dangerous situations, but she’s also taught me that I can beat anything. I can do anything that I put my mind to regardless of my anxiety, and she will always be there for me. She’s helped me realize that I am worthy of the best and I should never lower my standards. There have been times that I’ve doubted myself and my future and I look back at all I’ve been through and I can see that if I could get through all of that then what is happening right now is barely the worst. My mom has made me stronger and confident and without her guidance I don’t think I would have gained those qualities alone.

I never thought that I would ever struggle with mental health issues until an altercation with my father caused me to leave the country with my mother. Most people have happy memories with their fathers who protected them through thick and thin, I can't really say the same for myself. The scars left by my father were issues with severe anxiety and PTSD. Healing from those experiences certainly has shaped my goals, relationships and understanding of the world. Ever since my altercation, I’ve been shoved into a world of problems I never even knew existed, let alone be mine. I’ve always been a socially anxious kid, palms sweating, lump in your throat, stomach sinking, can’t find the words trying to present kind of a kid. But that’s normal, you grow out of it eventually in one way or another but still hold on to the awkwardness in public or overthinking about the small things. That’s the only anxiousness I ever knew. So, when I got the diagnosis of severe generalized anxiety disorder with a side of PTSD. I was in disbelief, What did that even mean for me? Well, it meant that I expressed my stress with tears. I became self-conscious of crying. It had become so common for me to burst into tears at any inconvenience, and not because I wanted to (because trust me I never wanted to) but because I had no control over how my body reacted. It was like being in the control room of a bursting dam pressing all the buttons to stop it but the connection between the dam and the control center had been cut years ago and all you could do was watch it flood out. Since I was cursed with crying that came whenever it pleased, I avoided confrontation with people like a plague. This led me to be a pushover and teased being called a crybaby. I hated how people perceived me, this led me to lash out at people when they asked what was wrong, because nothing was wrong, I just couldn’t get a grip. This made my relationships with my family, friends and significant others rocky at times. I’d take something my mom, friend or boyfriend said wrong, stress about it, cry, and apologize because I know it looks like I’m crying but trust me I’m not actually crying. Complicated right? This stressed everyone out. Realizing the stems of my problems has helped me rise above my problems. Coming to terms with the things people say to me isn’t meant to be personal or hurtful helped so much. Moving from Canada to Florida definitely was difficult, having to adjust and make new friends was hard but I’m surrounded by people that understand me and have played a crucial part in helping me heal and get to a point where I don’t have to stress about if they have my best interest in mind. Everything I’ve gone through has helped me see things from another point of view, I can spot when a relationship is unhealthy, and I have learned to navigate around my problems rather than set limits to what I can do. Ever since I was little, I've always wanted to lend a helping hand in any way. When I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I always said a vet, I loved animals and wanted nothing more than to make everyone feel all better again. Something I realized later in life was that helping others made me feel better. Getting into high school my job plans changed, I became obsessed with the idea of being a detective. I loved true crime and craved the mystery of an investigation. I ended up joining a program with my local sheriff's office so I could see how I’d like this job. This is when the struggles that had been forced upon me by my father broke through in the worst ways. We were put through scenarios that depicted people angry when being arrested for a murder warrant and the intensity of a felony traffic stop with yelling and realistic gunfire from guns shooting blanks. I broke down all the time and what was worse was it was out of my control. No matter how hard I fought tears and told everyone just to pretend it wasn’t happening it never prevailed. This led me to be excused from my program because I “just couldn’t hold up well in this career.” This crushed me. I thought leaving the country would relieve me of the hold my father had on me but even 1,121 miles away he infected my life like a stubborn cancer that couldn’t let go. The job of my dreams had been snatched away from me and it wasn’t even my choice anymore. I cycled through a few other jobs after that, not feeling the passion I’d gotten from detective till I revisited my childhood dream. I did some research and I stumbled across the “wildlife rehabilitator” title, it was perfect. It includes the raising, rescuing, and rehabilitation of wildlife. I’ve found that the problems I’ve been left with gives me a different appreciation when helping animals because I know what it feels like to be helpless. I hope to take my experiences and apply them to this career to be the best wildlife rehabilitator I can be.