Since the second grade, I have been obese. The second grade. I ate what my parents made for breakfast and dinner, and had a school lunch like everyone else. But I was still doing something wrong. My parents limited snacks in the household and switched to diet sodas for us all to try to be healthier around this time. I started volleyball in the second grade. Throughout elementary school, I joined leagues for softball and basketball as well. My falls and springs were booked with practices and games. I weighed myself every week in my parents' bathroom after I got home from school, but never saw much progress. In the seventh grade, I was told I was 174 pounds and had hypertension. I was told to lose weight. I was very active in P.E. and kept up with basketball and softball. I decided to become a vegetarian. I lost 14 pounds in two weeks, but never saw progress after that. I quit after 6 months when I realized I was tired and I wasn't happy. I decided to do daily walks around my neighborhood in addition to my recreational sports. Still no more progress. We moved to a new state for my dad's job and I started high school at over 200 pounds. I skipped breakfast most mornings, had school lunch, ate what was made for dinner, joined the school's marching band, and started on a recreational volleyball team. I enjoyed snacks, but in my household, they didn't last long enough for me to overindulge. Sophomore year of high school, I weighed 225 pounds and I got a job at a fast-food restaurant. I got my meal breaks around 9:00 pm most nights, choosing grilled chicken options over fried. I ate half of a grilled wrap for dinner and saved the rest for my lunch at school the next day. I can't recall one morning that I had breakfast. Junior year, I didn't lose or gain any weight. I worked full-time, was a leader in the band, and joined the winter guard. I went to bed at 1:00 am and woke up at 6:00 am for school. I felt okay around this time, I was happy in school and work. I googled reasons for weight loss issues and saw that thyroid issues could be the cause, but was instead encouraged to just eat better and exercise. Senior year of high school, the pandemic hit. I had just quit my job to work as a waitress in the hopes of making more money. Through my first year of college, my exercise was stationary and I didn't pay much mind to what I ate. In my second year of college, I decided to be more serious about my health as I reached 250 pounds. I saw a physician who finally medicated me for high blood pressure instead of just telling me to lose weight. I started birth control to ease other health concerns. Through labs and scans, I found out that my cholesterol and blood sugar levels were in the normal range and that my bladder and kidneys were healthy. Unfortunately, the results showed that my thyroid hormones were underperforming and that I had a fat coating on my liver. My doctor was hesitant to medicate me for the thyroid issues because my levels were barely past the concerning level and the treatment is a life-long commitment. This changed with a blood test two weeks ago. My thyroid levels heightened and a second test confirmed they were rising. I am finally being medicated and hopeful that my efforts will finally work.

I echo your words You shatter me Since I was young When I started to see Just how mean we are To each other and me It was all I knew It was all we would be While your words hurt I learned to deflect Just the same, repeated But not the same effect I received all the blame All the hate All the shame But I never once said On my own From my head I simply gave to you What you gave to me All your own words But you’d never see So I became your mirror So I became your parrot So I echo your words Yet you shatter me

I was born into a military family, with my dad being active duty in the army. I didn’t understand what having a dad in the military meant until he was deployed for fifteen months when I was seven years old. I remember my dad asking me if it was okay that he brought our family’s Nintendo Wii with him for the other soldiers, but seven-year-old me refused. I wondered why my dad would want the console for a little trip because I didn’t understand what deployment actually was. I eventually agreed on giving up the Wii once my dad promised to find another console to be shipped to our house as soon as possible. He also had a karaoke game shipped for my birthday to go with my new Wii. This was just the first deployment I remember, but my mom knows more. My dad was deployed just seven months after my older sister was born and 4 months after I was born. It seems even more extreme considering that my dad was completing training that was two and a half hours away from home and almost missed my birth to make it on time, due to the strict rules that would require him to start over if he was late. I was thankfully born around 6:00 AM, just a couple of hours before he had to leave. My military experience hasn’t all been missed time, it has formed so many core memories. My mom served as a Family Readiness Group Leader, more commonly phrased as an FRG Leader, and she would bring my sister and me to every meeting. The moments I value most are putting together welcome baskets for new soldiers, wrapping presents to ship to soldiers away from home, and helping my mom make paninis, wraps, and cookies for the evening meetings. I have learned as a military dependent that the experience isn’t always stressful and isolating; there is a whole network of people who know exactly how you feel. There are multiple opportunities to be involved in the community and education assistance can be possible. I know that I probably wouldn’t have been able to afford my first two years of university if I didn’t have the VA’s assistance. My degree program in Business Administration has a focus on marketing and I am pursuing a career as an Eco-friendly Marketing Representative to help the environment. I am not a very science-inclined student, but I tend to excel in business and math-based courses. While I have been succeeding in the business core courses, I still take geoscience courses in preparation for my dream job. My program has been an enrichment in my education, and I am very confident in my academic career preparing me for my long-term goal of making a difference. The military was a key factor for me growing up into the person I am now, and I predict that it will still help me as I finish the last half of my undergraduate program.

Generosity is due diligence. Well, not always in the legal term, but essentially using responsibility and accountability as more than just the bare minimum, to the best of the group. I hold a position called the Vice President of Membership Integrity where I file status paperwork, have access to confidential information, and just happen to be in everyone's business. Everyone feared or hated M.I. because of it's negative connotation to being in trouble, so I changed my responsibilities to include overall improvement instead of punishment. Even though it wasn't part of my responsibilities, I made sure my position changed to be a positive position in my organization. A common occurrence for me is calling in a member for misconduct or a violation that warrants a meeting with my board. Before, when I didn't have my VP position, I served as a Board Representative where I stood as a peer for people who were called into a meeting. Usually, the instance they were told they violated a rule or had a moment of misconduct, they would ask how to drop their membership. When I became VPMI, I sought to change that. Every time I had to call someone in, I would structure a game plan for conversation. We would allocate any form of resources or solutions to help the member and better their experience for their own good and the good of the organization. I have helped prevent a total of five members from dropping their memberships and worked to improve their experience and connection with our organization. As of today, all five people are active and valued members. Even though it can be stressful and overwhelming, I know that I am helping our members and any future VPMI overcome anything brought to them.

My best friend Twix is the underdog. We first adopted her and her brother Snickers, just a couple weeks after my previous dog, Dolly, had passed away unexpectedly. At first, I was mad. I was mad that my parents would get not only one, but two dogs after my best friend had passed away. I was mad that no one would let me be sad. I was mad that I did not get the time to heal. I spent so much time being mad that I refused to spend time with either dog. Twix was born with a cognitive dysfunction, and a vet gave us the prognosis of cerebellar hyperplasia, otherwise known as wobbly cat syndrome. Whenever a new person would see Twix, they would adore her cuteness and her wiggles, but I would feel some sort of spite, because Dolly used to be the dog everyone was fond of. It took only a month for me to recognize that it wasn't Twix's fault that Dolly died. It wasn't her fault that she wiggles and that other people find her adorable. It was completely my fault that I was holding all of these things against her when she didn't deserve it. Now she is my best friend. I get made fun of for the way I put her on a pedestal. I work so that I can provide for her. I consider her family. Every morning she waits for me to wake up at the bottom of the stairs. When I come home for college she doesn't leave my side; I have to escort her outside and to her food because she will spend hours next to me in the living room and dining room. I love dogs because they don't hold grudges the same way that humans do. Even though I harbored negative feelings towards my dogs, they never harbored them back. It feels as though Twix forgives me for my initial attitude, even if she doesn't really understand how I felt in the first place. I know that I will spend every day I have left with Twix and Snickers making sure that they are happy, supported, and loved to make up for the times that I didn't. I regret that I spent so much time being mad at this amazing dog who I know loves me so much. It took me too much time to realize that I wasn't replacing my best friend, I was gifted another.

I chose my university because I wanted to experience life in a large city. Unfortunately, my first year in college was fall of 2020, so my experiences were limited from coronavirus. I was supposed to be rooming with three other students, but one never showed up and one moved out after two weeks to go back home. I occasionally chatted with my remaining roommate, but she moved out early in November of that year because she signed a lease for a new apartment. Even before she moved out, it was very lonely. All classes were moved online but I decided to stay in the city because my housing was already paid for and it would be a new experience. Every day felt the same. There would be the daily assignments due at 11:59 pm, but I remember just feeling unstimulated. Unmotivated. My days would start at 4:00 pm and end at 4:00 am because time felt like nothing. I would try to visit my family as much as possible. I never felt at home. I felt bored, sad, and lonely nearly everyday. Eventually, I was able to join a student organization. I realized, I was craving socialization. Some of the organizations members ended up living right down the hall. I found a group that changed the entire directory of my college experience. I was even elected into a vice president officer position in the organization last year. To this day, they are my closest friends. I don't think they'll ever know how much they helped me through a low period of my life.

I like to paint the world around me. While I have tried different styles, my favorite and best developed skill is still-life of nature. I was first interested in painting when I was in the second grade and joined an after school art club. The first thing we were allowed to do was paint a canvas with anything that we wanted. I had an obsession with the movie "Free Willy" so I painted an orca on my canvas. Another student said my sunset was very good and that was the day I decided painting would be my favorite hobby. My next step of developing my skills was to use paint-by-numbers to try a make a cohesive piece instead of simply free-handing. Later, I understood that the paint-by-numbers actually helped me develop the skill of depth. The next step I tried was copying other paintings I saw on my own, without tracing. This really helped me in the development of still-life that I am currently trying to master. I have also tried other trends to figure out what creative measures I like, such as melting crayons on a canvas or using a hairdryer to make the paint have a marbled effect. If you're interested, here is a link to one piece of my own work, Honeysuckle: https://twitter.com/seriousleighw/status/1526652411426881536/photo/1

To me, confidence is really seeing yourself as you are, in a positive light. The best part about confidence is how easy it can become once you let it take over. I used to be very insecure about myself. I was insecure about my weight, my looks, and my style so severely that it was all I thought about. The first time I remember being insecure about my weight was when I was in the fourth grade. My older sister used to only let me in her room on special occasions when I brought her a snack and one day I brought her crackers to be let in. She was in a very irritated mood and eventually told me to leave. As I was walking out her door she mentioned that I shouldn't be allowed to wear my shorts to school because it was against the dress code. When I told her that my school didn't have a dress code, she told me that her middle school, my future one, had a strict dress code that targeted students who were "our size." That was the first moment I looked in the mirror and noticed how much larger my thighs were than others. Since then, I noticed how much larger everything else was, too. It wasn't until the end of my first year of college that I got tired of being insecure and comparing myself to everyone. I hated being mad at my body. I decided to only acknowledge the parts I liked, and that changed my mood. I accepted compliments instead of deflecting them. It's always a work in progress to improve my mindset but even though I know I don't look perfect, I know I definitely look confident.

I treat others with empathy in my student organization. I was appointed then reelected into a position called the Vice President of Membership Integrity. This position is entrusted with a lot of responsibility, such as communicating with headquarters, submitting paperwork, approving status changes, placing members on probation and suspension, approving and denying excuses, track attendance patterns, oversee finances and academics, and holding biweekly meetings with my own Membership Integrity Board. Since this position has access to a lot of confidential information, I am very careful with the conversations I have with my members. The meetings can either be straight to the point or they can be emotional. I am always prepared to listen and help whenever I call someone in, because they almost always have something to say that I was not aware about prior to the meeting. Before I took my position, it was considered a bad thing. Nobody wanted M.I. emails or meetings. I made it my mission to turn it into something positive. Meetings have become a medium for professional conversation, to make the member heard and supported instead of them feeling attacked. I make sure my board knows everything I know beforehand and then remind them that we are probably going to be enlightened about something completely different than what we were primed with. Using my method of approach and support, I have successfully retained all memberships of those who wanted to drop their membership when called in. My board and I have been able to find a way to maintain their interests and fix whatever they needed help to fix or address whatever they needed to address. We helped sensitive issues of finances and academics specifically when the members came to us for help or concern and provided all the support or resources they needed.

My future career involves helping with sustainability and stewardship for the environment. My degree program in Business Administration has a focus on Marketing. I am pursuing a career as an Eco-friendly Marketing Representative to help the environment. I am not a very science-inclined student, but I tend to excel in business and math-based courses. While I have been succeeding in the business core courses, I still take geoscience courses in preparation for my dream job. My program has been an enrichment in my education, and I am very confident in my academic career preparing me for my long-term goal of making a difference. I have always valued my education and applied myself in all courses, even when my performance wasn't always the best. In those instances, I sought out help from professors to identify my problem areas to better understand the material. As I enter my third year at my university, I am a few credits ahead of graduating on time, meaning that if I can afford to take more classes and enroll in the summer semesters, I can graduate early and start my career sooner. I aim to live a sustainable life through mass transit, carpooling, recycling, and utilizing reusable products like water bottles and shopping bags. Although I am proud of what I try to do, I feel very limited in what I can do to lead a greener lifestyle. My plan is to find a platform where I can promote sustainability and the conservation of resources on a larger scale, helping to make the world a better place.

My bucket list has been: - Have a tourist day in Atlanta - Visit New York City - Leave the country - See the Northern Lights - Make some positive change in the world. I actually have not really achieved any of these goals, except possibly the last one. It may seem ridiculous that I haven't had a tourist day in Atlanta, given that I live there during fall/spring semesters, but I want the event to be genuine, discounted, and not rushed. I haven't visited NYC because it was supposed to be the trip for my senior year in band when I was in high school, but it got cancelled due to COVID-19. My friends and I all promised we would make it to NYC one day and see and do everything we were supposed to on the original trip. I haven't left the country but I really want to see the world. I have no other reason other than pure curiosity. I have so many friends who got to go on worldly trips when they were growing up, but my family only had time to travel to our extended family that lived in the continental U.S. I want to see the Northern Lights because of I promise I made with someone special. I think they may have forgotten that we made plans so long ago, but I'm hoping to surprise them one day. I want to make a positive change in the world and this is probably the most attainable. My goal is sustainability, and even though my actions may be small, like reusing and recycling, they are not unremarkable.

My favorite hobby for the past couple years has been painting. I was first interested in painting when I was in the second grade and joined an after school art club. The first thing we were allowed to do was paint a canvas with anything that we wanted. I had an obsession with the movie "Free Willy" so I painted an orca on my canvas. Another student said my sunset was very good and that was the day I decided painting would be my favorite hobby. My next step of developing my skills was to use paint-by-numbers to try a make a cohesive piece instead of simply free-handing. Later, I understood that the paint-by-numbers actually helped me develop the skill of depth. The next step I tried was copying other paintings I saw on my own, without tracing. This really helped me in the development of still-life that I am currently trying to master. I have also tried other trends to figure out what creative measures I like, such as melting crayons on a canvas or using a hairdryer to make the paint have a marbled effect. My current still-life skill is being practiced with nature shots. My current favorite piece that I consider my best work is a shot of a honeysuckle with a blue sky.

The best way I relax to take care of myself is to make sure I have clean laundry. It seems like something so normal and a basic expectation, but when things go downhill and everything feels out of hand, having clean laundry is a step back to normalcy. In my darkest, most stressful moments I had during college, the first step I would take would be a nice shower, then I find clean clothes, and then I get to work cleaning the rest of my dorm room. I am a very messy person, so it's not hard for me to mess up my room very quickly, and this can stress me out and affect my mood and academic performance. I have to make sure all trash is taken out, surfaces like my desk are sanitized then organized, and that my carpeted floor is vacuumed. Sometimes, if I really want to start fresh, I will rearrange my room. This has been something I've done since I was in elementary school to make me feel like I have a brand new room, like it's a new start. The last thing I do is make sure I have clean linens to put on my bed. My mom always told me that the best way to make a room look clean is to have your bed made. Sometimes if I don't have the energy to do this complete checklist, I will make sure that my bed is at least made up nicely.

The talent I am most proud of is painting. I was first interested in painting when I was in the second grade and joined an after school art club. The first thing we were allowed to do was paint a canvas with anything that we wanted. I had an obsession with the movie "Free Willy" so I painted an orca on my canvas. Another student said my sunset was very good and that was the day I decided painting would be my favorite hobby. My next step of developing my skills was to use paint-by-numbers to try a make a cohesive piece instead of simply free-handing. Later, I understood that the paint-by-numbers actually helped me develop the skill of depth. The next step I tried was copying other paintings I saw on my own, without tracing. This really helped me in the development of still-life that I am currently trying to master. I have also tried other trends to figure out what creative measures I like, such as melting crayons on a canvas or using a hairdryer to make the paint have a marbled effect. My current still-life skill is being practiced with nature shots. My current favorite piece that I consider my best work is a shot of a honeysuckle with a blue sky.

I am motivated by my degree. I used to dread going to school when I was in high school because of my heavy schedule, but college is so different. I like making my own schedule and choosing which classes I can take. I like being able to determine how my week goes and when I can work on assignments. I like the student organizations and the time I can actually dedicate to extracurriculars now. Being in college is a new level of freedom where I still have a large connection to my family, like coming home for long weekends and breaks. Even during the summer, I can take classes to get ahead in my program. In my free time, I have began an extensive scholarship search to alleviate financial burden from my parents and myself, since I don't have classes start for another month. I feel that time-wise, going to college to get my degree solidified my own schedule, research, and helped me confirm that I am doing what I want to do.

My favorite way to help others is through my student organization. I hold a position called the Vice President of Membership Integrity where I file status paperwork, have access to confidential information, and just happen to be in everyone's business. A common occurrence that stands out to me is that I have to call a member in for misconduct or a violation that warrants a meeting with my board. Before, when I didn't have my VP position, I served as a Board Representative where I stood as a peer for people who were called into a meeting. Usually, the instance they were told they violated a rule or had a moment of misconduct, they would ask how to drop their membership. When I became VPMI, I sought to change that. Every time I had to call someone in, I would structure a game plan for conversation. We would allocate any form of resources or solutions to help the member and better their experience for their own good and the good of the organization. I have helped prevent a total of five members from dropping their memberships and worked to improve their experience and connection with our organization. As of today, all five people are active and valued members. Even though it can be stressful and overwhelming, I know that I am helping our members and any future VPMI overcome anything brought to them.

"We need to fix the Earth right now." I am an avid environmentalist, and I am very passionate about sustainability and stewardship. I have this kind of save-the-world mentality, but I feel like there is not much I can do, personally. On my own level, I reduce, reuse, and recycle, but in the grand scheme of things, I can't do anything significant and that makes me mad. I want to be significant. I want this so that I can make the change in this world that the planet needs. If I could just have the influence to share my sentence with the world, we could do something. We need industries to be held accountable. We need regulations and policies that everyone needs to adhere to. We need our leaders to care about the issues that have been plaguing us since industrialization. If we're being told to make change at the individual level, then we need to tell them to make change at the global level.

I had to persevere when I moved to a completely new city where I did not know anyone. I chose my university because I wanted to experience life in a large city. Unfortunately, my first year in college was fall of 2020, so my experiences were limited from coronavirus. I was supposed to be rooming with three other students, but one never showed up and one moved out after two weeks to go back home. I occasionally chatted with my remaining roommate, but she moved out early in November of that year because she signed a lease for a new apartment. Even before she moved out, it was very lonely. All classes were moved online but I decided to stay in the city because my housing was already paid for and it would be a new experience. Every day felt the same. There would be the daily assignments due at 11:59 pm, but I remember just feeling unstimulated. Unmotivated. My days would start at 4:00 pm and end at 4:00 am because time felt like nothing. I would try to visit my family as much as possible. I never felt at home. I felt bored, sad, and lonely nearly everyday. Eventually, I was able to join a student organization. I realized, I was craving socialization. Some of the organizations members ended up living right down the hall. To this day, they are my closest friends. I don't think they'll ever know how much they helped me through a low period of my life.

My dog Twix makes me happy. It may seem odd, but I didn't like Twix when my family first got her. My late dog, Dolly, had just passed away and my mom couldn't stand not having a furry friend in the house, so she adopted Twix and her brother Snickers from our local shelter. I felt like I didn't have the proper healing time from my dog passing away, it felt too soon to get another dog. I felt like my family was replacing her. It took too long for me to realize that Twix wasn't replacing Dolly, they're both amazing, loving dogs in their own way. I eventually got to know the dogs and bonded with Twix very easily. Twix got a prognosis from the vet that suggested Cerebellar Hyperplasia, otherwise known as "Wobbly Cat Syndrome." Usually people make fun of Twix because she is always wiggling when she moves, and I got defensive over her. I make sure that she feels just much love as everyone gives Snickers. In return, Twix is always excited to me. Even when I leave the room for a split second, she tries to follow me. When I come home from semester breaks, she never leaves my side. When she's sleeping and hears my voice, her ears perk up and her tail starts wagging. Twix has become my best friend and companion. I can only hope she feels the same about me.

Joy is when you are able to realize that you are happy. Happiness itself can come-and-go without realizing it, but I think the action of reflecting on yourself and understanding that you feel happiness is what joy is about. I seek joy in my friendships because I think it is important to be able to reflect on relationships to see if they are truly valuable. This isn't a direct cost-benefit analysis, but I think it is worth it to measure if the relationship makes both sides happy, has healthy communication, and has work put into it. Personally, it took me too long to realize that I had some friendships that weren't truly valuable because I wasn't actually happy. I often found myself stressed and overworked from putting all of the work into the friendship and when I didn't put as much work in, then the friendship fell apart too easily. Since then, I make sure that I find and support people who, in turn, also support me, and those friendships bring me the most joy. My friendships mean so much to me. My friends are great people who I want to see achieve and who I want to be by my side when I achieve as well. They are the first people I want to tell good and bad news to. Through it all, I can see that I am happy because I have a strong support system. My happiness is joy.

My best skill is painting. It was something I was interested in when I was in the second grade because my elementary school started offering after-school activities. I knew that painting was something I wanted to keep doing when a fifth-grader said she liked my painting of an orca and I felt like the coolest person in the world. In middle school, I started paint-by-numbers to try and get a sense of depth. I remember being very proud any time I would finish one because they would take me hours to complete. In high school, I would google search different paintings and try to recreate them in my own style. I would also try any interesting trends I saw online to see what I could use, like melting crayons on a canvas. I still have my paint-covered hair dryer from when I was obsessed with the era of blow drying canvasses to make paint look marbled. Now, in college, I have attempted to paint still-life nature shots. My first attempt was a honeysuckle flower, because that is my significant other's favorite flower. I felt encouraged to keep developing this skill when my dad complimented the painting because of it's depth and texture, and I felt like I completed a life skill from the times I used paint-by-numbers. I think my next goal will be to paint something that I don't need a reference for, to test the skill for imagination, which I have not yet been able to discover.

I make the people in my life feel loved by gift giving, or spending a little bit of money on them. I know that money can't buy happiness, but I have some money that I put aside specifically for presents and spontaneity. I don't really know how to explain it, but if I have some pocket money, I don't want to use it on myself, so I find a way to use it to surprise my friends and family. This is usually by bringing home my mom her favorite sundae when I come home for a break during the semester or by sending my friend $5 on Venmo when they had a bad day. I am a member of a student organization in my university, and one tradition is for older members to treat new members to a nice dinner or dessert. One day last semester, one of friends said she invited one new member out for a nice dinner but the new member invited a few friends of her own and my friend was worried that she couldn't pay for all of them since she was waiting on a paycheck to come. I told my friend not to worry and used Venmo to send her money to cover the additional new members and said to it's in place of me not being able to attend in person. My friend was very thankful that she could treat all of the new members without stressing about the cost. Gifts and money probably isn't a traditional answer for how to make people feel loved, but I use it to show people that I pay attention to their likes and that I'm always there to help if I have the means.

The song My Tears Ricochet by Taylor Swift inspires me. When I first listened to the song, I had no idea about Swift's battle to own her masters, which started when her record label sold the rights to her first six studio albums to Scooter Braun. The song is beautifully written and now I see it as a metaphor for her feelings about the betrayal. The specific line "I can go anywhere I want/Anywhere I want just not home" shows how her success and fame has given her status, privilege, and wealth, but it can't do the one thing that matters to her, which is owning her own work. In the battle for her masters, Swift has decided to rerecord her albums, and I am most excited for the rerecording of Speak Now, her only entirely self-written studio album. "And I still talk to you (when I'm screaming at the sky)/And when you can't sleep at night (you hear my stolen lullabies)" are the most expressive lines to me from Swift's discography. I think the lines perfectly envision her frustration and how she knows this situation will haunt the people who wronged her. It's also very believable that the new owners of her masters will be haunted by their decision because of how prominent Taylor Swift is in the industry. It was the very thing that they thought would benefit them that will backfire because of Swift's retaliation and fan support.

I am inspired by Irises by Vincent van Gogh. This was the first painting of van Gogh's that he made when he checked into an asylum. It is known to contrast his other works because there are no known drawings of the painting, likely because van Gogh considered the painting a study rather than a piece of work. Irises is also one of the most expensive paintings of Vincent van Gogh's that has been sold. A painting that may have not even been intended as a masterpiece became a masterpiece. Van Gogh wrote to his brother when he started painting in the asylum, and his brother later saw Irises as more than a study and submitted it into an exhibition. I am also touched that Vincent van Gogh admired the act of painting in the asylum's garden. He appreciated that others were fascinated by his work and would watch him paint, and he told his brother in a letter that life isn't so sad because life happens above the garden. It seemed like painting was a part of his own healing process.

The most inspiring book I read was Twelve by Lauren Myracle, which is a part of The Winnie Years series, a coming-of-age saga about Winnie who goes through the stages of growing up. This series meant so much to me because I was the same age as Winnie when I was reading the series. The main impact this book had on me stemmed from Winnie's friendships with her friends and family. Winnie's internal struggle is the lost relationship with her childhood friend and the formation of her new relationships. She sees one friend as wanting to be grown and mature and her other friend as wanting to stay the same which creates another struggle of not knowing where she belongs. I related to this struggle because I had to move to a new state and had to make new friends. My old friends and I promised to stay in touch, but I realized very soon that I was always the one to initiate phone calls and text conversations. It was hard to recognize that I lost those relationships like Winnie did, and I saw myself having friends who wanted things to stay the same while others wanted more experiences. Winnie also constantly has the pressure from her parents to be the agreeable sibling, to always take responsibility and be the bigger person. I had to be this sibling when I was a child, even though I was the youngest. It was nice to finally see that frustration written into words; not wanting to always have to give in and knowing that if you don't, then there will be even more conflict. This series is a reflection of who I am.

I learned that I know more than I think I do, and I use this knowledge to custom make my personal study habits. For example, in my Accounting course, our professor stressed how important exams were, because they were, in total, 75% of our grade in the course. Since exams were so prominent in our overall grade, I thought that I would have to study weeks before hand and stressed so much before our first midterm. I utilized a very precise study method where I repeated everything on the study guide over and over through an online document, written guide, and flashcards. I made an A+ on the midterm, but realized that memorization was a large part of the exam, which I find is easier for myself than the questions for applying the material. For the next midterm, I distinguished which terms would be memory questions that I wouldn't have to study as much and which terms would become application questions that I could focus on. In my Plant Resources in the Environment course, the exams only totaled 40% of the grade, but all questions were application of the material, not just memorization. Being able to discern what specific topics I need to dedicate my time to has helped me personalize my study schedule to best fit my course needs and has helped me maintain a GPA that I am satisfied with.

The best study strategy I have found is repetition through different channels. This strategy mainly works for me in my math-based courses like Statistics, Information Systems, and Accounting. Using Accounting as an example, we were given a study guide before the exam so I would type all of the information directly onto the study document. From there, I would mark important formulas and key words in bright red text. I know that writing things down helps with memory, so I copy all of the information down from the study guide into my Accounting notebook. All of the important formulas and key words would be marked with a highlighter, and I would make shorthand reminders in the margin; If I needed to know Assets equal Liabilities plus Stockholders' Equity, I would write "A=L+SE" in the margin; If I needed to remember that Assets, Expenses, and Dividends were the only terms that debits had a positive impact on, I would write "+AED+" in the margin as a reminder. While writing things down is important to memory, so is the practice of repetition, so I would copy down all of the noted important formulas and key words onto written flash cards. On the first run throughs, I would look at the term to recall the answer and then switch it to the inverse, look at the answer to recall the term. I have achieved an A+ on each exam I used this study technique.

I want my legacy to be an improvement on Earth's sustainability. Sustainability and stewardship are two topics from environmental science that have followed me since I first learned about them in high school. My goal for improving sustainability is being a positive influence and educator on the individual level. I have already influenced my family and friends to follow the easiest environmentally practices such as recycling, composting, using mass transit, and utilizing reusable products like water bottles and shopping bags. These seem like minimal actions but are so much larger when you consider how many single use plastics become waste and the carbon footprint we leave from everything we do. I think the promotion of sustainability represents our stewardship of the Earth from the phrase "we are renting the environment from our future generations." We have to be conscious as a society of the resources we use and need to replenish and how our use of some resources produce emissions that negatively impact our environment. I strongly feel like my influence on others' view on sustainability and stewardship are creating a difference, and this difference, no matter how small, is worth recognizing.

1. My application went through and I need a scholarship because I cannot remember the password for my loan provider account. 2. I plan on leaving college pretty soon and it would look better to leave with a degree in hand. 3. I had to put up with my dad calling my Kia a bumper car because I accidentally hit a cement block and and ran over a tire.

My favorite piece of art is the Sunflowers painting by Vincent van Gogh. This painting stood out to me because I had an obsession with sunflowers growing up-- I was raised in Kansas and the state flower is the sunflower-- but the history behind the painting has so much more meaning. There are actually many renditions of the Sunflower painting showing the flower's lifecycle and on one set of canvasses, van Gogh used only yellow paint. He also thought that the painting grew in richness and saw that the sunflowers represent gratitude. This marked a period of van Gogh's optimism, which is a stark contrast to his known history of depression. There are different historical accounts of a visit from one of van Gogh's friends that describe either hostility or support for the Sunflowers collection and preceded the events that lead to van Gogh's death. What originally was just an admiration for a painting turned into an appreciation and understanding of van Gogh's history. Sunflowers is a bright, yellow, and optimistic painting, and it shows that there can be so much more behind the canvas that is not as bright or optimistic as depicted.

My favorite book is Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot. I have read almost every book by this author, but this one is my favorite because I see myself in the main character so clearly. The main character is named Lizzie and she has to finish her thesis for her degree in fashion but isn't aware of this requirement until after her graduation ceremony. There are also so many other mishaps that occur during the story where I feel like Lizzie's bad luck mirrors my own. Lizzie has a tendency to always say the wrong thing at the wrong time. I relate to this book and this character because I have always felt like small bad things just happen to me and I'm afraid of saying something wrong to someone and overthinking the conversations I have with people. One thing Lizzie does that I admire is using her skills to her advantage. Lizzie always holds true to her integrity and uses her fashion skills to alter a wedding dress just hours before the ceremony. If there is anything important about me, it's that I value my integrity above everything else, and I have even been elected to a position called the Vice President of Membership Integrity because of this trait. I admire that Lizzie never doubts her skills, even when others put her down for her aspirations. This is the kind of book I will reread on an annual cycle and use on nights when I want comfort and familiarity.

I have stayed optimistic in times of strife with friends. One thing I've learned from my friends and myself is that nothing ever goes according to plan and it is valid to be frustrated because of this. The problem that follows is that if everyone is frustrated, then we're stuck. There was one specific night when one friend wanted to go to a party with our group and another friend planned on attending our university's carnival with some of her other friends. While we could have gone our separate ways for the night, the group decided to go to the carnival altogether and brought the morale down with their disappointment. The first issue was trying to figure out transportation but was easily solved by our university's mass transit. The group became more frustrated by the wait times and my friend who was looking forward to the carnival was berated by the rest of the group because of their frustration. Each time they would try to take out their feelings on each other, I would try to offer a solution for either side, such as finding them a ride to their party if they did not want to wait or reminding them that the carnival is supposed to be fun so we should find something that would make us happy. In the end, I was able to make sure we enjoyed the event and found time and transportation for the group to make it to their party before it was too late. Some friends pulled me aside afterward and thanked me for being a positive voice of reason when they could not be one for themselves. I believe my friends and I have grown to support each other and that they would do the same for me.