I am the eldest of my parents' three children. They divorced when I was eight years old, It was really rocky before they divorced. When they finally told us, it was no surprise. I remember the fighting and my mom sleeping in my brother's room at night, I remember my dad falling asleep on the couch and going to my uncle's to play without my mom. We moved out with my dad at first to live with my grandparents; when he started dating and "working late," I took care of my siblings because they would not listen to our grandparents. There was never time for me to be upset because I still had to get my siblings and me ready, go to school, and be there for them at home. We swapped from our dads to our moms and back for a while, and they both had custody at one point, but during COVID-19, my mom got full custody, and my dad sees us every other weekend. I will not discuss the details, but it has always felt like I had to pick a side. I have heard my peers say their parents still talk and everyone gets along, but that is not my story. My whole childhood felt like a never-ending battle of who was the good guy; it should not have been that way, but it was. In no way do I wish they were still married; I love my parents and my step-parents very much, but I wish it had been more civil. The way they are now is great; no one bad talks the other, and they are not screaming at each other. Why was it not this way when I was younger? Why could they not have hidden these things from me? I was the one who had to tell two five-year-olds what divorce meant and deal with them crying, thinking they were the reason for the divorce. I do not think my parents remember all of this, maybe because they were not there. The late-night texts to my dad were deleted when he got home. I always knew he was not at work, and I never knew why my mom did not call or come over. I knew they were arguing, but we needed our parents; I was the one stuck being a parental figure. I am always asked how I am so mature for my age; it is because I was never able to be a kid. I had to grow up too fast and deal with things no one should, especially at eight years old. I have never understood why my dad went out instead of staying home, leaving his kids without either of our parents. Our whole world crumbled down in a matter of a few months; nothing we once knew was the same. They asked me if I had wanted them to stay together and be miserable just so we could be one family. That is when I understood our feelings did not matter to them, not in that way, at least.

I have struggled with self-confidence issues my whole life. I was always pushed to be better, even when I was trying my best. It was engraved in my head that I had to know everything, and if I did not, then I was a failure; so I never asked questions. While others asked for help or made connections, I sat there doing my work. I have never had a problem with understanding things; I have always picked up knowledge very quickly, but when I did have a hiccup, I never asked for help. Ninth grade Biology was a huge hiccup, I would put something on the test but be told it was wrong then when I retook it, my teacher would say the first thing was correct; I had no idea what to do, but I never asked for help. Instead, I started studying relentlessly, only for it to continue. I ended up passing but with a B instead of my usual A. This teacher was not the one who changed me, but my tenth-grade Physical Science teacher, Mrs. Reynolds. I transferred schools in my tenth-grade year, and it was rough on me. My old friends were now being mean to me, and I did not know anyone at my new school. After the biology incident, I had a distaste for science when I used to love it. When she first started teaching, I was mesmerized; it was nothing like I had seen before. When she spoke about chemistry and physics, it was like she loved it; she was not teaching it because she had to, but because she wanted to. I had great teachers before her, but no one was as passionate as Mrs. Reynolds. She genuinely asked us if we needed help or had any questions; I was finally free to ask for help or make connections out loud as my classmates did. She never made me feel dumb when I asked what I thought were stupid questions; she genuinely cared, and I could feel it. I never wanted to leave her classroom; it was my safe place. My favorite thing she taught was physics, so I joined her physics class my senior year. Once again, I could ask questions, and if I needed extra time, I could come in during her other classes. I never felt like a burden in her class, so I signed up to be her teacher's aide during my spring semester. She has taught me so many things, including science and how to be a good person. She will forever be one of my role models. Because of Mrs. Reynolds, I am confident enough to ask questions because even if others think they are dumb, I know they are not. She has given me the confidence I so badly needed, and now I am ready to take on anything because I know I can always look to her for the right thing to do.

When I was a child, I was set on being a music artist. I was constantly writing my own songs and learning how to be better at what I loved to do. It wasn't just because I liked singing to the radio; I loved the idea of expressing myself through music. I was going through a lot at the time, my parents' divorce wasn't the cleanest, so I decided to write songs about it. I would even go as far as to write songs about the life I wished I had, one with parents who still loved one another. I had this dream for years, and when others knew nothing about their ten-year plan, I knew it all. I wanted to take choir in high school and then go to Juliard. It was a big goal for a child, but I was so set on it that ten-year-old me wanted to apply right then and there. I wish I could say that I stuck with that dream, I know that the younger me would be so crushed, but I also know she would love our path now: accounting. While I was singing and writing songs, I was also doing math. I have loved it for as long as I can remember, it must be in my blood because my mom was a mathlete in high school. When I was too sad to sing, I could always write down a math problem and get to work. Math has always been able to take my mind off anything; it has always made me feel safe and happy. I know that might be weird to some, but I need to have my mind occupied, and math has always been able to do that for me. I love reading and writing, but math is just different. When others were crying over the harder math problems, I was waiting for something to challenge me. I was working ahead in our books and even looking up impossible problems to try my luck at them. I needed a challenge so badly that I started my attempt at solving the Collatz Conjecture, which I would work on after I finished my actual math work. Of course, I was getting weird looks, but I didn't care one bit. Accounting wasn't the first major I thought of when applying to college, even though it is usually at the top of the list, but I am so glad that it changed. There are so many job opportunities that I would absolutely love to do, such as a forensic accountant. Singing and music are still some of my favorite hobbies. I even play the flute and piccolo, but that isn't what my heart is set on now. I know singing could have been fun, but I want to be fulfilled in my job choice, and singing doesn't fill that void in my heart like math does. Although childhood me isn't getting her dream singing job, I know she would love what I chose for our career path.

As soon as I turned eight, I got my social media accounts: Instagram, FaceBook, and TikTok. Everything was normal for a little while. I wasn't on it too much, and when I was, it was all just harmless fun. But, soon enough, it started to take a toll on my mental health and self-esteem. I kept seeing all of these people's "perfect" lives that looked completely different than mine. By the time I was eleven, I was going through things no one should ever go through, especially a child. I was very depressed and anxious, so much so that I was admitted to a mental health facility. They had to record all of the scars and cuts I had on my body, some of which I had done myself. Constantly seeing these women with perfect bodies and families with perfect homes had finally pushed me over the edge. I wasn't that tall or that skinny; my parents weren't still together; why wasn't my life like the ones online? The doctors and therapists at the facility all told my parents to take my social media away; it was only making things worse. My parents were smart enough to listen, and I am so glad they did. My mental state improved, and I haven't had social media since. It took a few years, but I finally realized that nearly everything you see online is fake, they don't show you their issues or insecurities, only the things that make them seem perfect. Now, whenever I see my friends go on social media, I wonder if they feel the same way I did when I was eleven; I wonder if they hate their lives as much as I used to. I know you can never really know someone's true emotions, but I swear I see the same sadness I used to when they come across fake perfect pictures on Instagram. The social media craze the United States has right now has gotten out of hand. We don't need to see everyone's lives through a screen, whatever happened to just living in the moment without taking pictures and feeling the need to post it for everyone to see. There are people out there whose only "happiness" is seeing these photos and dreaming of a better life; this isn't how life should be. We should have fun with our loved ones and do things that make us happy. Social media may have started as a good thing, and there may be some good that comes from it, but does anyone see how big a toll it takes on so many people? Do these social media creators see how their actions are ruining people's lives and taking away others' self-esteem? I know it isn't all their fault, but they are part of the problem. Social media is no longer doing what it was intended for; it was created so we could connect with our loved ones and people who have the same beliefs/interests as us. Instead, we are using it as entertainment, and for most, it is their whole lives. When TikTok was banned, I saw nearly every kid at school freaking out, saying that their life was over. Social media is supposed to just be an app, not someone's whole livelihood, so why were so many people freaking out over an app? We, as a society, need to think about what social media has evolved into, is this really what we want for our children?

I was around eight years old when my parents had a messy divorce. I'll spare you most of the details but due to this divorce, I have gained issues with familial relationships, friendships, and honestly trust in general. At first, I felt like I had to be a parent to my siblings because no one else would be a good role model; I know I wasn't the best but what else could I have done at that age? I want to go into Family Law so no other child has to go through what I have, I want to be the one fighting for the rights of the kids who are in abusive households or have a rough home life. I know how those kids must feel and I want to be the one to help them because I know deep down that I am the best person to do that. I believe that no child should have to be abused, mentally or physically, should always be accepted in their household, and should not have to listen to their parents/guardians go through a messy divorce like my siblings and I did. It is with great hope that I can help at least one child in my life, if that never happens I don't think my life will ever feel complete. What I feel is a calling to help those in need and I will not stop trying until I do so.

Ever since I was a little girl, math has intrigued me, and as a result, my math skills have developed faster than others. I even took harder math classes because the normal ones were always too easy, and I learned the material faster than everyone else. Getting math to challenge me was always hard for me when I was younger, the main thing I would do in my free time was math problems. I have even gone as far as to attempt to solve the Collatz Conjecture (the 3x+1 problem). If you are not familiar with this it is a seemingly unprovable math equation as you have to find a number to plug in for the variable, if it is even then you divide by two, if odd you multiply by three then add one, then repeat the process with the result of the previous trial. The goal of this equation is to find a number that will never reach one; even though I know it has yet to be solved, even by computers, I can't help but go for the notebook I started it in and try to figure it out. I think I love it so much due to it's comfort. Whenever I am stressed, I can always turn to math, no matter how difficult it may be. Even when I was younger, especially when I was going through hard times, I would open my notebook to solve made-up math problems. Math has always been there for me; I don't know where I would be right now if I hadn't found my love and need for math early on.

I was around eight years old when my parents had a messy divorce. I'll spare you most of the details but due to this divorce, I have gained issues with familial relationships, friendships, and honestly trust in general. At first, I felt like I had to be a parent to my siblings because no one else would be a good role model; I know I wasn't the best but what else could I have done at that age? I want to go into Family Law so no other child has to go through what I have, I want to be the one fighting for the rights of the kids who are in abusive households or have a rough home life. I know how those kids must feel and I want to be the one to help them because I know deep down that I am the best person to do that. I believe that no child should have to be abused, mentally or physically, should always be accepted in their household, and should not have to listen to their parents/guardians go through a messy divorce like my siblings and I did. It is with great hope that I can help at least one child in my life, if that never happens I don't think my life will ever feel complete. What I feel is a calling to help those in need and I will not stop trying until I do so.