Alone, drowning in an endless void without any glimpse of light. So many people feel this when they come into contact with obstacles. I felt this when my grandfather died. He was my only friend, and his death shattered me. I was only surviving, and not truly living. Over time, I overcame my grief with the help of my family and therapy, and what I experienced motivated me to pursue pharmacy, so that I can ensure that no family suffers from what I have. My grandfather died during the Covid-19 Pandemic, just ten days before Christmas. When he first was admitted to the hospital he was told that he only had pneumonia. However, at the hospital, he caught Covid. Even now, I can still remember my family telling me the news. However, I held onto hope. The doctors and nurses told me that he was improving. However, my grandfather wasn't improving, but declining. In December, he was put on a ventilator. Before this, I told him how much he meant to me. My grandfather told me that he loved me. This was the last time that I would ever hear his voice. When I heard the news of my grandfather's passing, I broke. I felt numb, and so alone. The weeks went by in a blur, filled with anxiety and sorrow. I was terrified that I would lose someone else. I could barely function, as grief-stricken as I was. I stopped doing everything that I enjoyed, and was only surviving. In the end, it was the help of my family and therapy that helped me overcome this obstacle. I went to therapy for over a year after my grandfather died. The therapist sat down with me, and worked me through my anxiety. He helped me manage my worries. He told me that there is nothing that anyone can do to stop the future, so I have to enjoy the present. My family told me that my grandfather wouldn't want me to drown in my grief. He would want me to enjoy life. This broke me out of my pit of despair. I started doing the things that I loved again, and started truly living. I overcame this obstacle, and what I learned from this heart ache pushed me onto the field of pharmacy. Due to what I experienced, the goal ensuring that no one goes through what I did, formed within me. I know that I could never be a doctor, due to the blood and bodily fluids that they have to deal with. So, I decided to go down the path of pharmacy. As a pharmacist, I can still play a role in helping others, and ensuring that they go back to their families. In a hospital setting, I will provide medication to people of all different ages and ailments. Pharmacists are key to every hospital, as without them, patients can't get better. I will become a pharmacist, so that I can help these people go back to their families. My grandfather's death broke me. I was drowning in a pit of despair, and it was only the words of my family and therapist that helped me heal. When I was myself again, I was pushed by the path of pharmacy, motivated by the passion of ensuring that patients go back to their families. I desire to help as many as I can, so that no family has to go through what I did. I overcame this obstacle, and saw the light, and want to ensure to no family sees feels the dark void that I nearly drowned in.

Many different actors have portrayed Spider-Man on the big screen, with each bringing their own flair to the character. Toby Maguire was the first individual who brought Spider-Man to life. He is the individual who garnered a fan base for the character, whom he portrayed as nerdy and heroic. After his time was done, Andrew Garfield took up the mantle. His character was snarky, and quick witted. Garfield's actions only continued to make the character shine. After him, came Tom Holland, who still holds up the mantle today. He portrayed Spider Man as a kind individual, who wants to do whatever he can to help others. This is why Tom Holland is my favorite Spider-Man, along with the fact that I can relate to him. I see myself in glimpses, when I see Tom Holland's Spider-Man. A few characteristics, I myself can relate to. The character feels awkward in high school, a fact that I relate to. I often find it difficult to talk to others, and worry about fitting in. Just like him, I don't have many friends. Additionally, his personality almost completely matches mine. He seeks to help others, just as I do, even in the face of adversity, and when others kick you down. I admire the actions of this character. In Infinity War, he did whatever he could to defeat Thanos. Even though it failed at the end of the movie, at least he tried. I admire his perseverance. I believe that Tom Holland's Spider-Man is the most realistic of the three, which also adds to the fact that he is my favorite actor who plays the character. With him in the role, Spider-Man doesn't feel like a perfect, foreign figure. He feels more down to earth, and realistic. Spider-Man, in Holland's movies, isn't without his faults, and makes many mistakes. This, along with other factors, makes Tom Holland my favorite Spider-Man.

Everyone is influenced by someone else, be it a parental figure, or a teacher. These figures guide one's life, by the advice that they offer, and the help that they give. My father has been the most influential person in my life, and has taught me much. I have learned to never give up and to pursue my dreams, due to what he told me. My life hasn't been picture perfect. When I was little, my father divorced my biological mother. Though he has married someone else now (whom I am close to), for ten years or so, it was just me and him. He did whatever he could to provide for me, even though he didn't make that much. He is a teacher, and when I was younger, he only earned fifty to sixty thousand. It was difficult, but we made it. Without him, I don't know who I would be today. I hesitate to imagine who I would be, if I had been raised by another. When I first started school, my father told me to never give up. This may seem like common sense, but this piece of advice impacted me greatly. Many times when I was younger, I felt like giving up. I felt like the assignments in school were too hard, and that I would never get an A. My father was the one who motivated me. He helped me in school, and as such, my confidence grew. He told me how he had given up a few times in school, and went on to regret it. Due to his advice, I have gone on to make Honor Roll every year. Currently, I am at the top of my high school class with a 4.18 GPA. I have won many awards, am an Illinois State Scholar, and have scored a 28 on my ACT, all because I never gave up. The advice to always pursue my dreams has also impacted me greatly. He told me of a time where he let his dreams die, including a dream of becoming a pharmacist. He told me to pursue my dreams, no matter what. I have gone on to do so, both in my personal and educational life. Archery is a dream of mine. I have always loved it, though I have not always been as good as I am today. When I first started, I could barely hit the target. My father kept me pursuing my dream, and helped me with archery. Due to his advice, I have gone on to place in state tournaments, and win a spot on a college archery team. Furthermore, my father's words have motivated me to pursue my dreams of becoming a pharmacist. He gave up on this dream, and told me not to do the same. I have always been interested in pharmacy, and wondering how medication works. However, the cost of pharmacy school has thrown me off, as I know we can't afford it. My father reassured me, and told me that I can pay off any debts, due to what I will make. Due to his words, I have made out a plan for the future, that will take me onto the path towards my dream career. I learned from my father's experiences to never give up, and to pursue my dreams. I have learned from his mistakes. Due to his words, I have gone on to be at the top of my class. I am pursuing my dreams, because of his words. I have learned many things from my father's advice and experiences.

Over the course of my life, I have helped many individuals in need. However, the event that comes to the forefront of my mind, when I think about helping others, was when I organized a fundraiser for a disabled man. The man in question is wheel-chair bound, and suffers from Guillain Barre Syndrome. He is also on dialysis. A few years ago, his car broke down, and he could no longer get to and from his appointments. This was a major problem, because to survive, he had to go to his doctor appointments. Without them, his health would rapidly decline. No one else was stepping forward to help, so I, alongside my family, decided to do something to garner support for the man. The event that I came up with was called Dice for Dinner, and was held at my local community center. The idea of the event was to host a variety of games for people to play. At the event, they could donate at the door, put money into the prize pool for door prizes, pay for a plate of food, or buy games that a local game shop donated. I got the news of the event out through the newspaper, social media, and by walking around in a shirt that I had made, that advertised the event. The game shop was a key factor to the success of our event. Crash Comics brought in a couple hundred dollars, due to the games that they sold. Many people know about the shop, and some came in just to buy games. Some of these people even stayed, and donated more, to play with their friends. We had Magic the Gathering, Dungeons and Dragons, and even card games for people to play. The event lasted for hours, with dozens of people coming and going. By the end of the event, we had raised hundreds, enough to get the man's car fixed. Our event, in a way, saved his life. Due to the fact that he now had a car, he could make his appointments, and kept as healthy as he could be. Whenever I think of a time that I helped others, I think back to this event, and the person that I helped save.

Millions of children in the world have a medical condition that affects their life, and very future. I am one of those individuals. I suffer from visual snow syndrome, a recently studied neurological disorder. This disorder is characterized by a constant flickering of dots across one's entire vision field, even when one's eyes are closed. For comparison, it is like a person looking at the world around them through a TV screen. I have suffered from this for as long as I can remember, and it has been difficult to get to where I am today due to my disorder. When I was little, I would go to the eye doctor for appointments. I didn't know at this point what I suffered from. I just thought that I had a little worse eyesight than everyone else, and that static was the norm. Nothing was done when I was little to fix my eyesight, as VSS doesn't show up on any eye exam. There is an error with the brain, and not with the eyes. As such, when I was younger, I never got any glasses. Though I have them now, it is for a different reason, an astigmatism, that only slightly impacts my disorder. Along with my visual snow, I suffer from constant headaches, ever present tinnitus, and a sensitivity to light. This has greatly impacted my school life. My migraines made it hard to concentrate in class. Oftentimes, I missed important information, because I was in too much pain to really pay attention. My tinnitus distracted me, and got worse in loud environments, until the noise all melded together into a chaotic slush, where I couldn't listen to the important conversations. My light sensitivity has only worsened my headaches. So many characteristics of my disorder worsen the others, and have made my school life difficult indeed. Sometimes, I missed questions on tests, and got lower grades on homework, because I struggled to function. I had to strive to get where I am today, at the top of my class with a 4.18 GPA. I had to study more than what was normal, in order to keep my grades up, in spite of my disorder. I had to force myself to adapt, in order to succeed in school. Over the years, I have overcome my disorder, and have learned to live with it. I have glasses now, and though they don't cure my vision, they do lessen my headaches. I have found that ignoring the static and ringing in my ears is the best way to function. If I focus on other things, then what I see and hear goes into the background. Now, I find that I don't struggle as much in school as I did before, and though I didn't cure myself of my disorder, I have learned to live with it. I have many goals for the future, that I will achieve without my disorder holding me back. I aspire to be a pharmacist, so that I can make a difference in the world. In order to achieve this dream, I will have to complete six years of college and two years of residency, where I hope to be at the top of my class. I have always been fascinated with chemistry, and want to know how medications work. I want to know if a medication will ever be made that can effectively treat my disorder. It is a dream of mine to put my Doctorate to good use, and help people in a hospital setting, so that they can go back home to their families.

Everyone, at some point in their lives, will know what it feels like to lose someone close to them. Like countless others, I am not a stranger to loss. In 2020, during the height of the Covid-19 Pandemic, I lost my grandfather. He had been in the hospital for two weeks before his death, and every day was a struggle. Even so, I kept hoping that he would get better, even when he was put on a ventilator. The doctors all told me that I would see him again. However, I would never be able to. On December 15, days before Christmas, my grandfather, my best friend, died. Losing my grandfather shattered me. I never had friends growing up, and as such, I was extremely close to him. We did everything together. He took me fishing, and taught me how to hunt. He was the one who got me into archery, which I have gone on to get a college scholarship for (though he never got to see me earn this opportunity). When he died, it was like something died inside of me, and my heart was replaced by a gaping void. Some days, I barely felt alive, as if I was the one who was gone from the world. Other days, I drowned in my emotions, as if they were a vast ocean of grief and despair. I could hardly function, as my anxiety consumed me. I was so worried that I would lose another person that I held dear. I hardly left the house. Everything terrified me. When my family drove around, I would imagine the car crashing. When someone got a small cut, I would imagine an infection setting in. Even the sound of someone coughing brought me back to my grandfather's death. Due to my trauma, I always assumed that coughing meant that someone had Covid. I could hardly function, for months on end, only moving forward out of necessity, until I went to therapy. Therapy helped me greatly, and allowed me to move on. I talked about my feelings, my grief and anxiety, and how it was ruling my life. I talked to my therapist about my grandfather's death, and how it broke me. Though I was never put on medicine for my ailments, talking helped me overcome them. My therapist told me advice that I will always remember. "If you always worry, you are only surviving, not truly living" is what he told me. This advice helped me heal, and become the person that I am today. Losing my grandfather has shaped my life greatly, and has pushed me down my chosen career path. I aspire to become a pharmacist, so that I can help people, and prevent others from experiencing what I did. I know that I can't become a doctor, due to blood and bodily fluids, but as a pharmacist, I can still help others. I can play a part in something greater than myself, and help my patients get better. By prescribing medication, I can keep them as healthy as can be, and get them back to their families. I never got this chance, but I hope that through my efforts in the future, I can give this opportunity to others. My experience of profound loss has pushed me down the path towards pharmacy, and has made me truly appreciate the moment. No one knows how many days they have. Any day could be their last. So, to truly live, and not just survive, one has to appreciate the time that they do have.

All around the world, people find themselves in different situations. Some live lies full of strife. Others find their path ahead void of obstacles. I am one of the former, and have come across many points of adversity in my life. Jack Terry's story has inspired me greatly, showing that no matter where you come from, you can get ahead in life. A neurological disorder of mine has been a large point of adversity in my life, which I have eventually overcome and learned to never give up, which fueled my desire to become a pharmacist so that I can help those in my community. Jack Terry's story is greatly inspiring to me. I can only imagine what he went through during those times. He came from misfortune and strife, and lost all that he ever knew. He had nothing, but still rose up against adversity. It is inspiring that he could accomplish so much. His story shows me that anyone, regardless of the circumstances of their life, can accomplish their dreams and be successful. I myself don't come from money. Without scholarships or loans, I will be unable to complete college. Even so, due to the story of Jack Terry, I know that I get ahead. If he was successful, with all that was against him, I can as well. I have faced many instances of adversity in my life. One such adversity relates to my neurological condition. I suffer from visual snow syndrome, which causes me to see tiny flickering dots across my entire field of vision. This has greatly impacted my education in the past. Due to my disorder, I suffer from tinnitus and headaches. In school, I often found it hard to concentrate. I was plagued with constant headaches. I had to work hard in school, and sometimes, my grades were impacted. What I went through made it hard to focus on tests. Even so, I didn't let this adversity bring me down. I received glasses, which, though they didn't cure my eyesight, made my headaches lessen. I learned to tune out the ringing through sheer effort alone. This experience showed me that even when things seem tough, I can overcome them. Due to what I learned, I have achieved a 4.18 GPA and many awards, including College Board ones. I know that I can still be successful in life, even when things seem impossible. I overcame this adversity, and won't let it rule me. I aspire to become a pharmacist, a career I know will be difficult to achieve. Even so, I know that I can finish college and earn this degree. I want to be a pharmacist so that I can give back to my community. I have always wanted to help people, for as long as I can remember. As a pharmacist, I will play a role in ensuring that my community is happy and healthy. I will be able to help a community as underserved as mine is. As a pharmacist, I can give back to all those who have helped me, and ensure that they can live to the fullest. People come from all sorts of backgrounds and opportunities. Some individuals have a lot, while others have very little. Jack Terry's story showed me that even if everything seems hopeless, one can still achieve their dreams. I have overcome my neurological disorder, learned to live with it, and know that I can be successful in life. I will put my pharmacy degree to good use by helping my community. Jack Terry's story has inspired me greatly, and showed me many things.

At some point in life, everyone experiences loss. From family members to loved ones, everyone knows how hard grief hits them. I have experienced this grief first hand, having lost a loved one to Covid. This death broke me, and I had to put myself back together. The loss of my grandfather pushed me to focus on what matters most, living life to the fullest and pursuing all of my passions, and has led me to fight to achieve my dream of becoming a pharmacist, so that I can help others like him. My grandfather got sick in the fall of 2020, during the height of the Covid epidemic. I remember being shocked, and scared. This worry turned to relief, when I found out that he just had pneumonia. This, however, wouldn't last, and he soon tested positive for Covid as well. My hope shattered, and I broke down. I remember feeling numb, during the weeks leading up to his death. Even now, I can recall the last time that I saw him. I called him just before he was put on a ventilator. I told him just how much I loved him, and that I couldn't wait to spend time with him again. He told me that he loved me, and those were the last words I ever heard. Less than a week later, he passed away. He had been getting better, and in the span of a day, everything came crashing down. I was lost, in the weeks after his death. I didn't know what to think. I was consumed by fear, worrying about death, and losing another person that I cared about. However, this changed, when I thought back on what my grandfather would want. My grandfather wouldn't want me to live in fear. He would want me to live life to the fullest. He always said that being happy was the most important thing in life. As such, I tried to focus on being happier, and living without so much worry, so that I could honor his memory. I started drawing again, a passion of mine that I had dropped during and after his death. I put my feelings into what I created, as an outlet for my sorrow, so that I could become happier. Additionally, I started shooting my bow again. This is one of my favorite hobbies. My grandfather was the one who taught me everything I know. I stopped doing archery when he died, because it reminded me of his death. Though, it was his memory that changed this thought. His memory pushed me to focus on what matters most. I started to pursue happiness, and my passions, because it was what he would have wanted me to do. I drew, practiced archery, and became much happier, because I didn't want to disgrace his memory. Losing my grandfather has pushed me towards a dream that I will fight to achieve. This dream is pharmacy. I want to become a pharmacist, so that I can help others, including ones like my grandfather. I know that I will never be able to be a doctor or nurse, due to all the bodily fluids that they have to come into contact with. Being a pharmacist is my way of helping others, and ensuring that they are healthy, so that no family will have to experience what mine did. I will attend six years of schooling, followed by two years of residency, so that I can get as much experience as I can before starting my career. I am confident that I can get a 90 on the NAPLEX and MPJE exams, which are necessary to get one's license. I will help ensure that the people in my community are healthy, by giving them the medicine that they need to stay alive and healthy. I want to play a role in helping others, so that no family will have to fell the grief that I did when my grandfather died. Losing my grandfather broke me, and sent me into a spiral of depression and fear. I was so scared that I would lose another loved one. I stopped doing everything that I loved. This all changed, when I thought about what he would want me to do. My grandfather wouldn't want me to be sad. HE would want me to be happy. As such, I started pursuing my passions again. I started drawing and shooting my bow, and found happiness, because I wanted to honor his memory. Additionally, his death pushed me down the path of pharmacy. As a pharmacist, I can help people, and ensure that no one has gone what I went through. Though my grandfather's death broke me, I learned to heal, and focus on my happiness, the most important thing in life.

All over the world, countless people struggle with their mental health. Some struggle alone, in the dark, without anyone to help them. Others are able to seek out help, be it with their family, or therapists. Students, especially, struggle with their mental health. My mental health determines how my life goes, and when it struggles, so does my academic performance. To make my mental health a priority, I have to take time to calm down in silence, and go through mental exercises, in order to perform at my best. My schoolwork is very important to me. I pride myself on my 4.18 GPA and grades. However, many times, my mental health has negatively impacted this. Due to my anxiety, I constantly worry about making good grades, to the point where I forget things that I need to know. On every test, I worry to the point where I feel like I'm drowning. I overthink things constantly, even when I know the answer. A few times, I have changed my answer, and gotten lower scores that I should have. On one exam, I got a low B, because I second guessed myself. My anxiety drives me to study for hours upon hours, more than is necessary. This causes me to stress, over and over again, about if I am studying enough. My personal life takes a hit as well, as I worry so much over my schooling, that I struggle to relax and unwind at home. I push off doing things that I enjoy because of this. I stress so much, that I get debilitating migraines. This further impacts my school work, as it is hard to focus when my head is hurting so much. Even though I have gone through so much in regards to my mental health, I do many things to combat my struggles. To make my mental health a priority, and reduce my worries, I have found that unwinding in silence, and going through mental exercises, works best. I don't like loud noises. I feel like I am drowning, when the noises get too loud. I feel so overwhelmed, and start to lose focus of all that's around me, when I am in a loud environment. School is relatively loud, and doesn't help lessen my anxiety and stress. So, mainly at lunch, I go into the guidance office to unwind. As I sit in silence, my anxiety and stress gradually go down. I can think upon what I am going through, and tell myself how I am a good student, and shouldn't worry so much about my grades. This usually works, and when I get back to class I feel much better. Additionally, I daydream and think up all sorts of fantastical scenarios, in order to calm down. I create new stories, one involving things from dragons and magic, to entire alien worlds. Thinking these things grounds me, and helps me calm down. By doing these exercises, my mental health has improved greatly. In the world, the mental health of so many suffer. I have suffered from mental fatigue many times. My stress and anxiety have impacted me negatively, hurting my grades, and reducing my personal life to a shadow of its former self. In order to combat this, and make my mental health the priority that it should be, I have sat in silence to calm down, and created fantasy worlds within my head. These exercises have grounded me, and have ensured that I can function to the best of my ability.

All of the characters in Stranger Things are powerful in their own right, as they have faced countless threats in the past, from the Demogorgon, to the Mind Flayer. Recently, even though they lost, they put up a good fight against Vecna. Any one of them would be helpful in facing a new supernatural threat, but if I had to choose three, I would choose Eleven, Hopper, and Joyce. I would choose them for their remarkable psychic powers, survival tactics, and intellect. Eleven is the central figure to my squad. Her powers would be key to our survival. she has vanquished many Demogorgons in the past, put up a good fight against Vecna, and essentially brought Max back to life. She could severely hurt, or even kill, the supernatural creature that we are up against. She could do this in a variety of ways, from levitating it, hurting it with nearby objects, and even by invading its mind. Additionally, her newly revealed healing powers could help keep us alive. Any injuries we received from fighting the beast could possibly be reversed, or we could be brought back to life, as Max was. Our fight wouldn't be the same without her, and we would surely lose without her input. Hopper is also a key figure in our fight against the supernatural threat. His survival abilities are key in keeping our squad alive. He survived in the cold, harsh environment of Russia, all the while being imprisoned and hunted by beasts of the Upside Down. If we had him on our squad, our chances of survival would be much higher. In any environment that we found ourselves in, he could help us survive. He would teach us how to use our environment to find weapons, and fight the beast. Hopper would keep us safe, and find us places to hide when things got too dangerous. While not the center focus of our group, Hopper is still a key part of it. On the other hand, Joyce is essential due to her intellect and plan-making abilities. This is evident due to her actions during Season 1 of Stranger Things, when she knew that Will survived, and kept striving to find her son, even with all the evidence stacked against her. In Season 2, she helped Will fight off the possession of the Mind Flayer. Her plans worked, and the cast of Stranger Things defeated the denizens of the Upside Down. In our fight with a new enemy, her mind would be indispensable. She could make plans for us, and help us figure out how to defeat our enemy. She would see weak spots, and our circumstances from new angles, in ways that we could never imagine. Joyce would be the binding force behind our squad, allowing for the abilities of the members to work in harmony. With her help, and well thought out plans, we would have a chance to defeat the supernatural threat once and for all. Eleven, Hopper, and Joyce are those that I would choose to stand by me in the fight against a new supernatural threat. El's powers would be priceless, as they could defeat the creature, or at least weaken it. Hopper could keep us alive in whatever environment we found ourselves in. Joyce would make our plans, allowing for us to have the best chance of survival. In all, with these three individuals, we have a shot of defeating the new enemy.

Creativity is a constant in our modern world. People strive to make things, to share with others. Some create to bring focus to a particular topic, while others simply create to make people happy. My creative passion is making art, which makes the world a better place by bringing amusement and joy to those who view my artwork. If I had an extra 24 hours in a day, I would spend it by honing my art skills, and creating new things, especially at night, when I am my most creative. I have created many things over the years. I have a few mediums that I enjoy in particular. I love sculpting, making digital art, and drawing in monochromatic colors. Sculpting has to be my favorite hobby. It takes a lot of time to make a sculpture, but it is equally rewarding. Many of my sculptures have been about mental health issues. For an art competition, I made a wire sculpture of a man, holding a mask, who was sitting on an hourglass. His chest was open, exposing a heart made out of cracked red beads. This was meant to symbolize the passage of time, and the fact that so many wear masks that hide what they are feeling inside. Other works of mine, however, were less dark. I have made digital art pieces of frogs and other cute creatures, along with ink drawings of whimsical beings. Many people have complimented my work, remarking on how it made them think, laugh, or smile. Though my work didn’t make an earth shattering impact, it made a difference to a few, therefore, in its own way, making the world a better place. Additionally, if I had an extra 24 hours in a day, I would spend these hours making art, and perfecting my skills. Everything that I know about art, has been self taught. I have not had any instructor guide me. I learned everything by myself. I believe that I am talented, but I know that I can improve. If I had more hours in a day, I would do so, specifically focusing on humanoids and making things more realistic. In the process, I would simply create, most likely sculptures, as they take the longest. At night, I would sit and think, as this is when I am my most creative. Most of the ideas that I have come to me at night. The sculpture of the man came to me when I couldn’t sleep. The new medium that I’m trying out, one with paint and white out, came to me when the moon was out. I hardly have enough time in a day to create art, so if I had more hours available to me, I know just what I would do. So many people, in a variety of countries, create. Imagination runs through everyone, in one way or another. I use my imagination to create works of art, from sculptures, to digital drawings, and even ones of a single shade. My work impacts the world by influencing the emotions of others. People enjoy my art, and it brings them joy. With an extra 24 hours in a day, I would continue to create, and hone my art skills, spending the nights dreaming up ideas. I love creating, and like so many others, hope that my work can change the world.

Everyone faces challenges at some point in their lives. Some struggles are born from a person's circumstances. Others occur due to random chance. No matter how obstacles form, people always try to overcome them. I am the same. I have been through many challenges in life. One personal challenge was when a family friend's car broke down, and he was unable to go to the doctor for his lifesaving treatment, a fact that burdened my whole family. I overcame this challenge through determination, fundraising, and charity work, which eventually pushed me towards a career in pharmacy. Quite a while ago, a family friend went on dialysis. This treatment was essential to keeping him alive. He was always able to get to his appointments on time, though this changed when his car broke down. A few weeks went by, of the family friend struggling to get to his appointments, when my family and I came up with a plan. We organized a gaming event, where food was served, to raise enough money to get the family friend a new car. We sold games to raise money and accepted donations. Dozens of people showed up, and by the end of the event, we had more than met our goal. I overcame this challenge through my determination; never giving up even when things got rough. I made fundraisers and helped the community, which resulted in this obstacle being overcome. This experience has had a large impact on me as a person. Following this event, I began thinking more about how fortunate my family was. I come from a rural and underserved community, where poverty runs high. I began thinking more about my community, and what I could do to help. I helped at a local church, bagging food for hungry children. I volunteered at the Centershot Archery program, where I taught children how to properly, and safely, shoot a bow. This event has made me think about how lucky I am and has made me strive to help those less fortunate than I am. Moreover, this event has impacted my desire to become a pharmacist, by putting the idea in my head in the first place. Following the fundraiser, I began thinking about how I could help people, and truly make a difference in their lives. My first thought was to become a nurse or a doctor, but I knew that I couldn't handle blood and other fluids. So, I began looking for other careers in the medical field, where I could make a difference. Pharmacy is what stood out to me. I could help people, without having to interact with them directly. I could help, and truly make a difference. These thoughts are what drove me to get the grades that I have, (all A's) and has enabled me to be an Illinois scholar. Ultimately, this event drove me toward my future career path. I have dealt with many obstacles in my life. A family friend being at risk was one of those situations, as without a car, his very health was affected. To overcome this, I helped set up a fundraiser, which raised enough money for him to buy a car. Due to this, I began helping others, and my outlook on my circumstances evolved. Moreover, my start in pharmacy came to be due to my experience. I wanted to help people, without having to come into contact with bodily fluids. I was resilient, and have achieved the grades needed to get into pharmacy school. this event has changed my life and has enabled me to grow into a better person.

The world today is a very different place than it was decades ago, when the Baby Boomers were the same age as the Millennials and Gen Z are today. During that time, the economy was booming. Today, however, it is on the other end of the spectrum. Then, prosperity flourished. Today, debt rules us all. I agree with the state of the world, as illustrated in the Ode to Millennials-Gen Z text, along with the fact that many such individuals are trying their best to fix the world they were born into. Many could say that Millennials and Gen Z were born into a broken world. In a way, I agree with this. As stated in the excerpt, student loan debts are at an all-time high. When Baby Boomers were in college, tuition costs were extremely low. Today, they are shockingly high. Some colleges cost upwards of $50,000 a year to attend. Hardly anyone can afford this without taking out student loans, which perpetuates the cycle of debt. To achieve a lucrative career, one must go into debt, as any degree that provides a path to a better life is expensive. I also agree that Millennials and Gen Z are trying to fix the world, and aren’t letting the negatives break them. This part of the ode was enlightening. There is a push to fix climate change, which would undoubtedly help the world. Millennials and Gen Z are fighting deforestation. They are fighting to protect endangered creatures. They strive to end world hunger. Many organizations whose sole purpose is to fix the world, are led by Millennials and Gen Z. They don’t let all that is wrong with the world drown them. Instead, they look at the possibilities. From experience alone, I very much agree with what is illustrated in the Ode to Millennials-Gen Z text. There are many enlightening things that I have found in Ode to Millennials-Gen Z. The world is different today, and Millennials and Gen Z are born in a broken world, where the economy is shaking. However, they don’t let this break them, and strive to help the world. They have created many organizations for the sole purpose of making the world a better place. I agree with the Ode to Millennials-Gen Z text, as I, too, am a Gen Z.

Netflix is filled with amazing shows. Their content tells stories that capture one’s attention, drawing them in for hours at a time. Netflix is a platform born from creativity and passion. Out of all the shows and movies, The Dragon Prince is undoubtedly my favorite, due to its DND-esque storyline and all the dragons found throughout the show. What first drew me to the show is all the parallels that I can draw between it and DND. This game is something that I deeply enjoy playing with my friends and family. It allows for my creativity to run wild. I enjoy all the fantasy elements and chaos associated with it. The same can be said for The Dragon Prince. The show is set in a medieval, fantasy world filled with monsters and magic, much like DND. I believe that the show is bingeable due to that fact. Millions of people all around the world love DND, and as such, would be drawn into the masterpiece that is The Dragon Prince. The show is chaotic, and funny, with the interactions between Callum and Ezran making me laugh the most. Aaravos offers an air of mystery, making people dissect who and what he truly is. The show's world itself, coupled with the characters, draws one in. Moreover, the dragons are what I truly love about the show. Anything dragon, I adore, and The Dragon Prince has this aplenty. Dragons remind me of power, beauty, and freedom. I can see these concepts in the designs of the creatures from the show. People who love dragons would adore this show and would find themselves drawn into the characters and their appearances. My favorite dragon is Zym, the character who got me to watch the show in the first place. He is extremely adorable, and I know that others would be similarly drawn in. Out of all the shows and movies on Netflix, The Dragon Prince draws me in the most. I have found myself watching it countless times. I know that others will find themselves drawn to it as well. The DND elements of the show caught my attention and fueled my imagination. The world itself filled me with wonder. The dragons added to my interest, drawing me in with their power and beauty. Others would find themselves in the same boat, binging the series, and rewatching it again and again. I love this series, and I hope that others will too.

All around the world, in communities big and small, there are leaders. Some seek to better their communities as a whole. Others, however, only lead for their personal gain. Leaders come in all varieties of creeds, with many different meanings defining their title. To me, leadership means standing up for what is right. It means aiding others above all else. Leadership is important because it leads to a functional society. I believe that leaders should stand up for what they, and their community, believe in. They should strive to improve their community and the lives of their citizens. They should desire to ensure that their community doesn’t fall to ruin. Leadership means putting others before yourself. It means putting others on the path to success and prosperity. Leaders should want to see their people succeed in all aspects of life. If leaders do not help others, then they will not be much of a leader at all. Those who truly embody leadership do not falter in the face of adversity. Even when everything seems to be against them, they strive to do their best. Leadership means advocating for what is right and protecting one's community. Leadership is exceptionally important, for without it, the world would quickly fall into chaos. Leaders ensure that all aspects of society function the way that it does. They ensure that laws are passed and upheld, through all the people under their authority. They ensure that their communities don’t devolve into a lawless dystopia. Leaders ensure that the economy is stable. When it starts to go down, they put plans into place to get the economy running again. The many facets of a society are held together by leaders. They plan out education, manage healthcare, and hand out jobs. These individuals solve the issues of their communities. Without leadership, communities would soon fall into disarray. The world would be nothing but chaos and anarchy, without leadership. Leadership is an important aspect of the societies of the world. It has many meanings, depending on how one looks at it. Leadership means aiding others before oneself and standing up for what is right. Leadership means seeking to see others succeed. True leaders strive to help their community and to see their people succeed in life. They hold their communities together. Without leadership, society would fall to ruin. Leaders hold society together and ensure that it functions, an essential part of our modern world.

Harry Potter is a franchise ingrained in the minds of millions across the world. People find themselves drawn to the story, be it the books or movies. When a person thinks about the world of Harry Potter, one of the first things they think of is the houses. Gryffindor for bravery, Hufflepuff for loyalty, Ravenclaw for wisdom, and ambition for Slytherin. Out of all the houses, I believe that I would be sorted into Slytherin, for I am a person with very ambitious goals that I am determined to achieve. I have numerous goals in life, many of which will be difficult to achieve. However, I will not let my dreams die. I will let my ambition fuel me, and lead me towards achieving my goals. I aspire to become a licensed pharmacist. To do so will be extremely difficult in more ways than one. I will need to go through a lot of schooling. I will first need to complete a two-year pre-pharmacy program. Then, I will need to attend a four-year professional pharmacy program. Following this, I will need to finish two years of residency. During this time, I will need to pass the NAPLEX and MPJE, tests essential to practicing pharmacy. I know that this schooling may be difficult, but I am determined to succeed. It is my ambition, and drive, that ensure this. I currently have straight A’s and have kept up this record throughout high school. I am determined to keep up this record throughout my college years. In addition, I have ambition in the face of adversity, a key feature that ties me to the Slytherin house. Pharmacy school is notoriously expensive, a fact that turns many away from pursuing this field. At the very least, I will have to pay $120,000. I can’t pay this by myself without help from scholarships and loans. However, I will not back down. I am determined to succeed. I will take out loans, and search for every scholarship that I can, to chase my dream. I will do whatever it takes to accomplish this. This ambition, this drive and passion, is what makes me a Slytherin. Everyone can relate to a Hogwarts house in one way or another. Some relate to Griffindor, seeing themselves as brave individuals who never back down from a challenge. On the flip side, others relate to Hufflepuff, finding friendship and loyalty the most important things of all. Many seek out knowledge and hold great wisdom, perfect for Ravenclaw house. Others, like myself, relate to Slytherin, holding great ambition, and seeking above all, to accomplish their dreams. I hold ambition closely in my heart, seeking to become a pharmacist no matter the cost. I seek to achieve all eight years of my schooling to the best of my ability, even though others in my place would have turned back. I seek to attend college, despite the great cost, which could drown me in debt. I seek to do all in my power to succeed, just like a Slytherin would.

All around the world, numerous people struggle with their mental health. Some find themselves struggling to find help, be it due to the fact that it is not offered, or they are too hesitant to seek it out. My mental health is extremely important to me, as it allows me to function to the best of my ability in school when it isn’t damaged. I maintain my mental wellness by going into a quiet space when I get stressed and by doing my favored hobbies. I have dealt with mental health issues in the past, and I know what it is like when one’s mental state isn’t the greatest. This is why my mental health is important, for without it being steady, I wouldn’t do my best in life. Having a stable mental state transfers to my school days. When I am not struggling, I don’t struggle in school. I find that my days pass quickly, and I understand the lessons easier when I am not drowning in my own mind. When I am not overwhelmed with stress and anxiety, I find that my grades are a lot better. With prioritizing my mental health, I have gotten A’s in all my high school classes so far, even the Advanced Placement ones. I have gotten two fours and two fives on the AP exams because I didn’t let my mind rule me. If I had not prioritized my mental health, I may not have gotten those scores. I know from experience that I would have started spiraling, worrying about the exams. I would have started second-guessing myself, and spacing out, which could have led to worse scores. My mental health is essential, for without it being stable, I would not function to the best of my ability at school. It is de-stressing in silence, and performing my hobbies, that I maintain my mental well-being. Even though my mental health is currently fine, there are days in which I struggle. I particularly find myself affected by stress and anxiety. Oftentimes, the worries fill my head and suffocate me. Noise only makes it worse. However, the silence causes these worries to go away. When I get worried, I go into a room or even outside, anywhere that’s quiet, to clear my mind. I have found that it works rather well, and my mental health can get better after a while in the quiet. I also find that drawing, writing, and shooting my bow helps to maintain my mental wellness. I greatly enjoy doing these hobbies. Drawing is relaxing, and I can let my creativity run wild. Writing allows me to get my mind off of other things. Archery requires such intense focus, that I don’t have time to pay attention to my worries, and soon forget about them. I prioritize my mental wellness, and relaxing in the quiet and performing my hobbies helps to maintain it. Mental health is a topic many around the world find themselves familiar with. My mental health is essential to me because a sound mind translates to good grades in school. A good mental state is important to me because it allows me to get straight A’s on my report cards and tests. If my mental state wasn’t stable, then my grades would suffer. I prioritize my mental health by sitting in silence to shut out my worries and by doing my hobbies. I can de-stress, in the silence, and when I am drawing, writing, and shooting my bow. My mental health is essential to my very well-being.

In today’s world, there are issues everywhere. Many organizations have been formed to fix the problems of the world, in any way that they can. I, myself, have been involved in many community service projects in the past. I believe that my volunteer experience has influenced my core values of compassion and selflessness, by showing me the impact that my actions have on others. In the future, as I work towards my goals of becoming a pharmacist and living a comfortable life, I will continue to serve my community. I have been involved in many volunteer activities throughout high school. One activity that shaped my core values was volunteering at a local church. The program was called Weekend Blessings. We would collect food and meet weekly. We bagged up food that would go to hungry students in the community so that they would have enough to eat over the weekend. Each week, we made around one hundred bags, and I have spent at least thirty hours volunteering for this group. This has made an impact on me as a person and fostered my compassion because I know that my actions made a difference. With this program, I ensured that kids had enough to eat. Every week, I could see that what I did helped my community. Moreover, another project that I volunteered in had a large impact on me as a person. The group that I helped is called the Centershot Archery Program. We met multiple times quarterly. During this program, I worked as a volunteer archery coach. My actions made my core values grow because I could see the positive impact that I had on the children around me, which made me only strive to help more. I was tasked with teaching children how to shoot a bow safely and efficiently. I ensured that the children in the program were safe and had fun. In all, I believe that this group only made me grow as a person. In addition, I have many goals in life that I hope to achieve. I seek to become a licensed pharmacist, a career that will require a lot of money and time to achieve. I will need to complete six years of college, followed by two years of residency. My pharmacy schooling will cost $120,000 at the very least. I know that I will need scholarships and federal loans to get the degree. Without these, I won’t be able to pursue my dreams. Even so, I will strive towards my goals, and do whatever it takes to complete them. By becoming a pharmacist, I will be able to live comfortably. I won’t live paycheck to paycheck. I will be able to give to charities and pay it forward. I will be able to vacation to places I wish to see and live to my heart’s content. Volunteering is important to me and has made me grow as a person. My core values wouldn’t be the same without that experience. My work with a local church group, bagging goods for hungry children, made my compassion for others grow, as I knew that my work was helping those in need. Working as a volunteer archery coach made my selflessness bloom, as I could see the impact that my actions had on the people around me. I will continue to volunteer in the future after I have completed my dreams. I will become a licensed pharmacist, no matter the cost, so that I can live a comfortable life, without having to worry if I have enough money to survive.

In today’s world, so many people are in need. People all come from different backgrounds. Some are wealthy and hardly help others at all. Others don’t have much at all and still take the time out of their day to help their community. I have been greatly involved with my community throughout the last several years. I believe that everyone should help others. Everyone should work to make the world a better place. I believe that I embody selflessness through my volunteer work at a local church and a children's archery program. I think that my donations to charities have shown my belief that through giving, people can make this world a better place. I have spent a lot of my time during high school helping my community. The first large-scale charity work that I did was for a local church. We had a Weekend Blessings program, which was created to help hungry school children. Under this program, we would collect various food items. Every Wednesday we would meet to bag up the food items, to deliver to the various schools the next day. We typically helped 100 students a week and ensured that they would not go hungry over the weekend. I spent around 80 hours over my four years of high school helping this church, and by association, the people in my community. It makes me feel happy that my actions helped others. I also volunteered for a children's archery program, which was held at a different church in a nearby town. With this program, we would meet weekly, for a couple of months in the winter and spring. I would teach children how to use a bow safely and effectively. This may have not directly helped the community in the traditional sense, but it made the lives of the children who attended the program brighter. They got to do something that they loved, in an environment where they were safe. I enjoy being selfless, and it makes me happy that I could help make a difference in the world. In addition, I believe that by donating to various charities in my local community, I have shown my perseverance in my beliefs that giving makes a better world. In the past, I have donated to a local animal shelter. I have given them animal food, toys, and my time where I helped clean the animal cages. I have donated food to a local food pantry and helped them sort through it. I have raised money to get a local disabled man enough funds to buy a car, which he used to travel to and from his doctor appointments. I believe that my actions showcase my beliefs in full. I hope that I made a difference. I hope that I made the world a better place, in any way that I could. Many things today are filled with negativity. So many people fall into selfishness and don’t help people in the slightest. I believe that people must be selfless, and I have tried my best to exemplify that so that the world can be a little bit better. I have aided my local community greatly, by helping pack lunches at a local church for hungry kids, and by teaching at a nonprofit archery program. I have donated to local charities, both with items and my time, to show my belief that with a little bit of selflessness, the world can become so much better.

Books are so intrinsically intertwined with our society. They help us learn, as children and as adults. They provide entertainment, allowing people to escape from reality. Books can make us laugh and they can make us cry. If I could have everyone in the world read a book, it would be How Sugar Changed the World, so that people will know the origins of sugar and just how poorly people in the past were treated. Sugar is a common commodity today. It is found in vast amounts of food, like cookies, fruit snacks, and drinks. It is consumed by millions and is a part of everyday life. So many people only see it by its surface value, as a food additive, and don’t stop to think about where sugar came from. This is why I want people to read How Sugar Changed the World. I want people to know where sugar originated from. Sugar, as common as it is today, came from harsh slave labor and death. Harvesting sugar was a harsh process, especially in the Caribbeans. Sugar had to be cut from canes and heated to extract the sugar crystals. Many slaves were injured in the process, which doesn’t even bring into account the injustice suffered by the owners of the plantations. I want the people of the world to know that sugar originated from the labor of slaves, and how grueling those circumstances were. Slaves who worked on the sugar plantations were treated as less than animals, as property. Plantation owners would beat anyone who didn’t meet their quota, even if said quota was nigh impossible to meet. Many slaves were killed, and no one cared. Those who worked on the plantations were utterly alone. I want the people of the world to know just how terribly the slaves were treated, in a way that no person deserves to be. Books are a key part of the world, found in every part of life. People find themselves drawn to books for one reason or another. If I could get everyone in the world to read one book, it would be How Sugar Changed the World. I want them to know that sugar came from slave labor. I want them to know just how horribly the slaves were treated. I want people to know the history of the product that they overlook and take for granted.

Minecraft is a game with endless possibilities. Players can create their own adventures and even entire worlds. My favorite aspect of the game is that we can create anything that we wish, from tall, ruined temples, to quaint little towns. This feature resonates with me because it allows me to do things that I know I won’t be able to do in real life and gives me an outlet to express my creativity. I love creating things. I have so many ideas floating around in my head, which Minecraft allows me to express. With the variety of blocks in the game, I can build whatever I wish. The possibilities are endless. I know that in reality, I can’t build buildings. I can’t build old temples floating in space. I am limited by the laws of nature. In Minecraft, however, I am not. I can do anything in the game, and that makes me happy. I love that I can build whatever I wish without being limited, a fact that deeply resonates with me. I have built many things over the years in Minecraft, and what I built has allowed me to expand upon my creativity. I have built entire stories around my creations. I built an ancient pyramid sprouting out of the ocean, with a town and monsters inside. I made a story that the pyramid was an echo of a lost civilization, built by the same people that constructed the Ocean Monument. I imagined that the creatures inside were the remnants of the ancient people, twisted by time. I also made a city in the End, floating beneath the islands. I imagined that the End was once a paradise, and that a sorcerer brought about its end. They created the dragon, turning the End into a nightmare. I imagined that the Endermen were once those people, who were twisted by the corruption of the great dragon. Minecraft is truly a wondrous creation. People are only limited by their own imaginations. I love playing the game, and being able to create anything I wish continuously draws me back to the game. With this aspect of the game, I can feed my creativity, and do things I can’t do in reality. Minecraft, with its aspects of creation, holds a very special place in my heart.

Books, so deeply entrenched in every aspect of the world. People all across the globe read books in their everyday lives, be it during school, work time, or even online. Books are extremely important to me and have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Books have taught me to never give up, no matter the setbacks, and they have shaped my goals by molding me into a perfectionist who strives for academic success, so I can realize my dreams of financial stability. Reading was my favorite pastime in elementary school. By second grade, though I read books, I didn’t read them every day. This all changed in second grade. My school had a program where, if a second grader got 100 AR points for reading, then the teacher would take them to an arcade at the end of the year. I had 99.5 points, and was getting ready to take a test worth 0.5 points. However, the teacher made me leave the computer lab. I was saddened by this, but eventually forgot about it, until a few weeks later. My grandparents took me to the arcade the same day that the second-grade class went. We didn’t know about this, but even so, my second-grade teacher made us leave, guilt-tripping me to the point of tears. This was a changing point in my life. Up until I graduated from sixth grade, I never stopped reading. Books pushed me to never give up. I read and I read, to prove my teacher wrong. I was disheartened, and almost gave up many times, but the words that I read kept me going, and I didn’t give up. By the end of sixth grade, I had amassed around 1,400 AR points, completely decimating the school record. I had proved the teacher wrong. I had proved that I was intelligent. Reading changed me, and even now, I hold onto the lessons that I learned. I know to never give up, no matter how bleak things may seem. In addition, books have made me into a perfectionist, therefore shaping my goals of becoming a pharmacist. In reading, I learned many things. I learned about art, science, math, and creating things. Books led me to trying things out, and trying hard in school. I perfected my skills. I made things in art, winning many awards. I built projects in science, earning over a 110 for the year. I reviewed math time and time again until I could get an A on the tests. Books made me into a perfectionist, and so far, I have gotten an A in every class. This has impacted me deeply in how I will achieve my goals. Pharmacy school is notoriously difficult. Many students drop out. I may have as well, if I wasn’t such a perfectionist. My personality, molded by reading, will not let me be second best. I can’t drop out, when I can do so much better. It is due to books that I can accomplish my dreams. Without them, I don’t know where I would be. Books have been a part of my life for years on end. They have made me realize that no matter what, I will not give up, no matter how bad things may seem. From my experiences in second grade, I learned to keep trying, again and again. Books have changed how I will go about completing my goal. They have made me into a perfectionist, which is vital to being a Pharmacist. Books have completely, and utterly, changed my life.

All over the world, countless people struggle in their day-to-day lives. Though many people in the world find themselves needing very little to get by, others are not so lucky. Many people struggle to find the basic necessities, including food and shelter. To make a positive impact on the world, in an age where negativity is spread like an all-consuming smog, I strive to help the underprivileged and the needy by providing food to those who are starving and by donating to charities so that people around the globe can have their lives improved. Many times in the past, I have helped pack lunch bags for hungry schoolchildren at my local church. Every week we met for half an hour, and roughly 150 bags were packed each time. These bags went to at least 5 schools, sometimes 6 if there was a need. The packed bags would last the children through the weekend so that they had food to eat when school was out. Before any long breaks, we would pack double the food, so that the children of my community wouldn't go hungry over the long holidays. Just as I am doing now, I seek to continue on into the future by helping other individuals, children and adults alike, have the food that they need to thrive. Although my impact through this program is minuscule, to those helped by it, it means the world. In the future, once I get a stable career as a pharmacist, I will donate to many charities, so that people everywhere can have their lives improved. I want to help people, to make them see the world a little brighter, and bring a smile to their faces. Though I alone can't do what charities do, through donations, I can make a positive impact on the world. St. Judes is one such charity that I want to donate to. I want to help children battling cancer. I want to help their families as well so that they can get their children the help that they deserve. I also want to donate to the Red Cross in the future. I have heard about all the good they do for people overseas. I am fortunate in my living situation, but I know that many don't have that luxury. In donating, I want to help people find housing. I want them to feel hope, and know that they can pick themselves back up. Even though I don't personally know the people that charities help, I still want to donate, to make a positive impact on the world, in any way that I can. All over the world, many people struggle in their daily lives. Some struggle to acquire food while others struggle to find a place to live. Though I am but one teenage girl, I strive to make a positive impact on the world and improve the lives of many, even those who I do not know. By volunteering at food drives, I will ensure that children won't go hungry. They will feel loved and cared for, a part of their community. By donating to charities, I can ensure that people in all walks of life can get the aid that they need. Parents won’t have to worry about getting their children’s hospital bills covered. People will be able to find a place to live and to get more opportunities in life. Just like now, I hope to continue aiding the needy, so that the world can be a better place, however minuscule my aid may be in the grand scheme of things.