A portal-like opening is cut out of wild grapes and cotton tree branches to enter the forest-river alcove. Once past the thicket, a girl will step into the hidden entrance where a stone path leads her further in and closer to the river. Stepping off of the dry stones that protect one's feet from the mud of the river, she comes to the plank where native grass and clover hungrily grow around it, excited to take advantage of the dryer land. Once off the plank, she fully steps onto the grass that grows because of the elevation which protects it from the mud patch. Her feet will carry her to a personally made moss bed, derived from different kinds of moss throughout the forest and replaced just over the roots of an oak tree to give her feet bedding. My single mother moved my sister and I to achieve her dream of living on an animal farm. She chose a refuge which provided us an environment filled to the brim with nature and plants and wildlife and water and Earth. As an impressionable child, I grew more of a connection to the animals on the farm, until I discovered these unnoticed creatures that can be seen anywhere and everywhere, were offering me their company. They offer comfort from the loudness of my home. While I love my mother, living in a household with a single mother can become stressful. Thus, I began to seek solace and accommodation inside the treeline of the forest. As previously mentioned, I have a deep connection to nature, and it's aided me in “speaking the language” of many animals. I know long blinks to a cat means comfort, screeching in front of a chicken means go away, scratches on a horse's withers is a kiss that tells you everything will be okay. Now that I have learned plants also have their own language, I have since become ravenous to learn anything and everything about them, and their cognitive functions. My thirst for knowledge runs deep when I'm so passionate about something. My connection with plants, animals and the natural world runs deep and I do not think I will feel fulfilled unless I find out everything I possibly can about it. I was unsure about what I wanted to do with my life: first I wanted to become a vet, then a forensic scientist, a radiologist, then forensic science again. Now, I have never been so sure about a passion of mine which is botany. I know I'm connected; to the vast, natural world of plants and to my small, reserved alcove just between the depth of the forest and the real world. I want to change the world by healing the environment through the wonders of botanical science. Now she arrives at a canopy between two trees with a wood platform covering the distance. In the trees are all kinds of trinkets, rocks, and collectible items I've found. I am always picking up any plastic or trash I find in the alcove, past the river into the neighboring forest, or of course, in the river. This is where I seek my peace, where I find solace, where I grew my connection to plants, how I discovered their company. It mostly started with learning that plants had their own way of listening to us. The willow trees could hear me speaking to myself, the violet irises could hear me singing my favorite songs. I would go out of my way to traipse into the forest to sing and tell stories to all that would listen.

For as long as I remember, I have dealt with the effects of OCD. This disorder mostly affects my thoughts and feelings, supplying me with intrusive thoughts at any time of day. As a child, my OCD was much more visible. I remember watching TV one summer years ago, then running out of my living room to do something, anything. If I didn't get back to my living room or I was not in the position where I told myself I needed to be, anxiety would take over my body. I didn't know why I did this to myself, why I couldn't step on cracks or divets in the sidewalk, why I needed to count the times I turned the dial on my locker, why I would fall into a world of chaos when I didn't make my bed perfectly even. At some point, I started going to therapy which helped me in gaining a bit more willpower to not give into OCD. Therapy, however, didn't keep my intrusive thoughts in check, nor did it stop "the feeling". The feeling is how I know I have had OCD my whole life; it has always made itself present at random times. It's a feeling like none other, even describing it makes me incredibly uncomfortable. At any given time, I will be overtaken by the most vile feeling growing in my stomach. It tells me that I should be ashamed of myself, I am disgusting and dirty, that I show too much skin even when my body is covered head to toe in clothing. There have been times where I have had to excuse myself at family gatherings, even asking to use the restroom at school, hoping that I could somehow make the feeling go away. There is nothing I can do to stop it, however. I will try to cover up my body, breathe in and out, think of anything else beside the feeling in an attempt to make it go away. I have had to experience the malevolent side of OCD in a world that only looks at the light side of it; the person who simply needs everything neat and clean. OCD is so much more than that. My mental health has most certainly held me back from performing to my best abilities in any setting, not just school. If I put too much effort into my appearance for going out or going to school, something bad will happen. If I finish all of my schoolwork the day it is assigned, something bad will happen. If I am happy for too long, something bad will happen. OCD is a shadow that stands behind the angel and the devil on your shoulders. It whispers into your ear, telling you to do and think of the most awful things, pressuring you to give in. When the shadow makes it's voice known, the angel may weep, but even the devil cowers in fear. This has been my reality for as long as I can remember. I only was medicated for my mental health just before I started high school, and I was only being treated for dysthymia at the time. It did definitely aid my academic success, but not completely. I was only officially diagnosed with OCD a few months ago once I was finally able to talk about my intrusive thoughts, and was medicated promptly after. I have been battling with my mental health all of my life, but now that I know the signs and how to cope, I am able to push through it with all of my might.

As a child who grew up being raised by a single mother, I knew my life would always be hard from the get go. Since I was a child, I have had to be a witness to illness and injury, domestic violence, and food insecurity. And on top of all of this, I was actively struggling with my mental health and sexual identity. Now that I am older and many of my struggles and my family's struggles are in the past, I now know what I want, who I am, and where I am going to be. Quite recently, I was diagnosed with OCD, something that I have realized has been affecting me my entire life. For example, when I was between 8 years old and 10 years old, I had a genuine fear of being gay, as silly as it sounds. It also did not help that at this time, there was not enough representation and reach from the LGBT+ community, so I also genuinely thought that there were two options: you were either gay or straight. I tried to repress the feeling that I liked girls for a while because I also liked guys, and I did not want to go one way or the other, so I hid it for many years. I was in eighth grade when COVID hit, and that was when I really became immersed in the internet. I have had a phone since I was a kid, however I was never active on social media or the media in general. 2020 was the year I began to see it all, good and bad. I saw too much and sometimes still wish I remained ignorant to certain things. Now that I have grown, I have been able to take the role of an onlooker of all of the chaos and complexity in the world. One good thing that came out of this time period however, is that I realized I was bisexual and did not have to chose between one gender or the other. I am actually laughing now thinking about it as I write. It is strange to think back now at how silly of an idea I was haunted by, but from the direct help from the LGBT+ community, I was able to realize that. My major can also be loosely drawn back to my experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. I was lonely, of course, who wasn't? Thankfully, I have lived on a farm my whole life so I had my animals to keep me company. The days I needed to be away from them, however, I sought solace in the woods. Here is where I grew my connection to life itself, realized how precious it was, plant life specifically. I saw the trees, the native grasses, the bashful does running back to their herd away from me, I saw simplicity for once. Everyone was just trying to stay alive. But in the plants and the mosses and the mushrooms, I saw consciousness, existence. Since then, I have become infatuated with botanical science and biology, my preferred majors. I have also done research on the studies of Monica Gagliano, who I and many others consider to be a revolutionary in the botanical science field. I have chosen this major to find some simplicity, to find something complicated that I can still pick apart. That's all I need.

I did not have much of a sense of cultural identity growing up; neither side of my family practised cultural traditions that we had probably brought over from Europe at some point in our ancestry. I had never really given much thought to where I came from; I just had a general idea that everyone was from multiple different countries. From that I deemed that our culture, my culture, was not very important because my Irish-Italian lineage was most likely just a miniscule percent of what made me, me. I was under the impression that you had to be almost directly from another country to take part in that society's culture. As I grew older, I started to see the people close to me begin to become aware and attempt to re-assimilate with their heritage. My father (the Italian side of my family) started to become interested in more Italian traditions and culture, despite being almost completely disconnected from Italy over the years. He began to practice these traditions not only to reconnect with our culture, however, but also as a way to find closure with his father. His father, who had immigrated to America from Italy as a child, died when my father was young. My father had never gotten the chance to learn where he came from once he lost his father. So when he proposed that we start to partake in the "Seven Fishes" tradition, I saw the double meaning of the message. Around the same time, my grandmother (My mother's side, the Irish-Hungarian side) exhibited the interest of wanting to create a family tree so we could track the history of our family back to Ireland and Hungary. However, she quickly hit a road gap due to the fact that our ancestors did not leave us with a lot of information. Frankly, they left no information. Seeing my father reconnect us to our Italian heritage, I became very interested in connecting my mothers side back to our Irish lineage. We certainly had an already strong connection to our culture I found, however, even at times without even realizing. Every St. Patrick's Day, we would get together for the holiday to eat corned beef and cabbage; a traditional Irish food cooked for the holiday specifically. Oftentimes, we would invite family members to our homes for a bonfire, but little did we know that lighting bonfires was a common practice in older Irish culture. Seeing that we were able to connect with our roots without even trying sometimes, gave me a better sense of identity. I now feel like I can connect better to all of my Italian friends because of our common heritage. I do however still stand out a little, seeing that I was from the northern part of Italy while most of my friends are southern. Nonetheless, it is still something I feel pride over, and in the future, I will try to reconnect with my roots and defy the American "Melting Pot". I plan on using my education in a very ambitious way. I have done extensive personal research about botanical science, and I will be able to use a vaster education in this area to create and grow a better environment on Earth. My ambition and drive for botany was also motivated by Monica Gagliano, a Ph.D. and also an Italian-Australian. I have been very passionate about this subject for so long, and I am determined to help the world with my education.

There have been many moments in my life where I felt I was in a chaotic, confusing, and uncontrollable state. I was being suffocated by the constant intake of schoolwork, responsibilities at home, and the constant drift moving me away from reality. When I fear that I am experiencing one of my deepest lows, I seek higher guidance to help me live on. Most often, this entails that I will go out into the woods and meditate until I feel a bit more sane and collected. However, as we near the coldest ravine of winter, the forest has chosen to slumber, taking all of it's life into the ground with it. While I still visit from time to time, sometimes I feel as if I am looking in the wrong place. In response, I seek further guidance from my tarot or oracle decks. A bit before my senior year of highschool began, I started twirling into a downwards spiral because of someone who I was very close to. He had undergone a sharp change in personality and I do not feel that it was for the better. I had asked my deck about the state of our relationship many times, and quite literally, our relationship had changed from The Lovers to The Tower. For many months, I tried to ignore my pulling of The Tower as I tried to ignore the signs that we were not going to last. Despite my deck's warning, I clung onto the fact that I had pulled The Lovers for us, and how well and long our relationship was lasting. After straining for so long, however, there was only so much I could do until I finally let go. As I recovered, I asked for guidance from my tarot deck seeing that I had fallen into a deep rut. I shuffled them well, careful not to look at any cards and make sure their positions moved throughout the deck. Placing the shuffled deck onto the ground, I lifted the top card and flipped it over. The Wheel of Fortune. Inevitable change, a higher plan, a cycle beginning again. I sat with the card and pondered it for a moment, feeling the intensity of pulling a major arcana at such a harsh moment of my life. I felt that there were forces and guides working in my favor, that I will find a brighter path if I trusted and remembered that "this too, shall pass". I genuinely felt and am still feeling like I have restarted a cycle again, rising from the rut like a phoenix from the ashes. I would become better again, I will adapt to this change and become resilient. The most significant card in the deck is not The Lovers that provided a momentary comfort, not The Tower that sounded a loud siren that rung in my ears. The most significant card is The Wheel of Fortune, because it reminded me of the inevitable truth.

For as long as I remember, I have dealt with the effects of OCD. This disorder mostly affects my thoughts and feelings, supplying me with intrusive thoughts at any time of day. As a child, my OCD was much more visible. I remember watching TV one summer years ago, then running out of my living room to do something, anything. If I didn't get back to my living room or I was not in the position where I told myself I needed to be, anxiety would take over my body. I didn't know why I did this to myself, why I couldn't step on cracks or divets in the sidewalk, why I needed to count the times I turned the dial on my locker, why I would fall into a world of chaos when I didn't make my bed perfectly even. At some point, I started going to therapy which helped me in gaining a bit more willpower to not give into OCD. Therapy, however, didn't keep my intrusive thoughts in check, nor did it stop "the feeling". The feeling is how I know I have had OCD my whole life; it has always made itself present at random times. It's a feeling like none other, even describing it makes me incredibly uncomfortable. At any given time, I will be overtaken by the most vile feeling growing in my stomach. It tells me that I should be ashamed of myself, I am disgusting and dirty, that I show too much skin even when my body is covered head to toe in clothing. There have been times where I have had to excuse myself at family gatherings, even asking to use the restroom at school, hoping that I could somehow make the feeling go away. There is nothing I can do to stop it, however. I will try to cover up my body, breathe in and out, think of anything else beside the feeling in an attempt to make it go away. I have had to experience the malevolent side of OCD in a world that only looks at the light side of it; the person who simply needs everything neat and clean. OCD is so much more than that. My mental health has most certainly held me back from performing to my best abilities in any setting, not just school. If I put too much effort into my appearance for going out or going to school, something bad will happen. If I finish all of my schoolwork the day it is assigned, something bad will happen. If I am happy for too long, something bad will happen. OCD is a shadow that stands behind the angel and the devil on your shoulders. It whispers into your ear, telling you to do and think of the most awful things, pressuring you to give in. When the shadow makes it's voice known, the angel may weep, but even the devil cowers in fear. This has been my reality for as long as I can remember. I only was medicated for my mental health just before I started high school, and I was only being treated for dysthymia at the time. It did definitely aid my academic success, but not completely. I was only officially diagnosed with OCD a few months ago once I was finally able to talk about my intrusive thoughts, and was medicated promptly after. I have been battling with my mental health all of my life, but now that I know the signs and how to cope, I am able to push through it with all of my might.

A portal-like opening has been cut out of wild grapes and cotton tree branches to enter the forest-river alcove. Once past the thicket, a girl will step into the hidden entrance where a stone path leads her further in and closer to the river. Stepping off of the dry stones that protect one's feet from the mud of the river, she comes to the plank where native grass and clover hungrily grow around it, excited to take advantage of the dryer land. Once off the plank, she fully steps onto the green grass that grows because of the elevation which protects it from the mud patch. Her feet will carry her to a personally made moss bed, derived from different kinds of moss throughout the forest and replaced just over the roots of an oak tree to give her feet bedding. My single mother moved my sister and I to achieve her dream of living on an animal farm. She chose a refuge which provided us an environment filled to the brim with nature and plants and wildlife and water and Earth. As an impressionable child, I grew more of a connection to the animals on the farm, until I discovered these unnoticed creatures that can be seen anywhere and everywhere, were offering me their company. They offer a comfort from the loudness of my home. While I love and respect my mother, living in a household with a single mother can become stressful. Thus, I began to seek solace and accommodation just inside the treeline of the forest. As previously mentioned, I have a deep love and connection to nature, and it has aided me in “speaking the language” of many animals. I know long blinks to a cat means comfort, screeching to a chicken means go away, scratches on a horse's withers is a kiss that tells you everything will be okay. Now that I have learned plants also have their own language, I have become ravenous to learn everything about them, and their cognitive functions. My thirst for knowledge runs deep when I am this passionate about something. My connection with plants, animals and the natural world runs deep and I will not feel fulfilled unless I find out everything I possibly can about it. I was unsure about what I wanted to do with my life: first I wanted to become a vet, then a forensic scientist, then a radiologist, then forensic science again. Now, however, I have never been so sure about a passion of mine which is botany. I know I am connected; to the vast, natural world of plants and to my small, reserved alcove just between the depth of the forest and the real world. I want to change the world by healing the environment through the wonders of botanical science. Now she arrives at a canopy between two trees with a wood platform. In the trees are all kinds of trinkets, rocks, and collectible items I have found. I am always picking up any plastic or trash I find in the alcove, past the river into the neighboring forest, or of course, in the river. This is where I seek my peace, where I find solace, where I grew my connection to plants, how I discovered their company. It started with learning that plants had their own way of listening to us. The willow trees could hear me speaking, the violet irises could hear me singing my favorite songs. I would go out of my way to traipse into the forest to sing and tell stories to all that would listen.

A portal-like opening has been cut out of wild grapes and cotton tree branches to enter the forest-river alcove. Once past the sweet smelling thicket, a girl will step into the hidden entrance where a stone path leads her further in and closer to the river. Stepping off of the dry stones that protect one's feet from the mud of the river, she comes to the plank where native grass and clover hungrily grow around it, excited to take advantage of the dryer land. Once off the plank, she fully steps onto the thick, green grass that grows because of the elevation which protects it from the mud patch. Even further so, her feet will carry her to a personally made moss bed, derived from different kinds of moss all throughout the forest and replaced just over the roots of an oak tree to give her feet bedding. My mother, who had recently divorced my father, moved my sister and I to achieve her dream of living on an animal farm. She chose a refuge which provided us an environment filled to the brim with nature and plants and wildlife and water and Earth. As a young, impressionable child, I grew more of a liking and connection to the animals on the farm, until I discovered these reserved and unnoticed creatures that can be seen anywhere and everywhere, were also offering me their company. They offer a comfort from the loudness of my home. While I very much so love and respect my mother, living in a household with a single mother can become greatly stressful. Thus, I began to seek solace and accommodation just inside the treeline of the forest. As previously mentioned, I have a deep love and connection to nature and animals, and it has aided me in “speaking the language” of many animals. I know long blinks to a cat means comfort, screeching in front of a chicken means go away, scratches on a horse's withers is a kiss that tells you everything is going to be okay. Now that I have learned plants also have their own language, I have since become ravenous to learn anything and everything about them, and their cognitive functions. My thirst for knowledge runs deep when I am so passionate about something.My connection with plants, animals and the natural world runs deep and I do not think I will feel fulfilled unless I find out everything I possibly can about it. I was unsure about what I wanted to do with my life: first I wanted to become a vet, then a forensic scientist, then a radiologist, then back to forensic science again. Now, however, I have never been so sure about a passion of mine which is botany. I know I am connected; to the vast, natural world of plants and to my small, reserved alcove just between the depth of the forest and the real world. Now she arrives at a canopy between two trees with a wood platform covering the distance. In the trees are all kinds of trinkets, rocks, and collectible items I have found. I am always picking up any plastic or trash I find in the alcove, past the river into the neighboring forest, or of course, in the river. This is where I seek my peace, where I find solace, where I grew my connection to plants, how I discovered their company. It mostly started with learning that plants had their own way of listening to us. The willow trees could hear me speaking to myself, the violet irises could hear me singing my favorite songs. I would go out of my way to traipse into the forest to sing and tell stories to all that would listen.

A portal-like opening has been cut out of wild grapes and cotton tree branches to enter the forest-river alcove. Once past the thicket, a girl will step into the hidden entrance where a stone path leads her further in and closer to the river. Stepping off of the dry stones that protect one's feet from the mud of the river, she comes to the plank where native grass and clover hungrily grow around it, excited to take advantage of the dryer land. Once off the plank, she fully steps onto the green grass that grows because of the elevation which protects it from the mud patch. Her feet will carry her to a personally made moss bed, derived from different kinds of moss throughout the forest and replaced just over the roots of an oak tree to give her feet bedding. My single mother moved my sister and I to achieve her dream of living on an animal farm. She chose a refuge which provided us an environment filled to the brim with nature and plants and wildlife and water and Earth. As an impressionable child, I grew more of a connection to the animals on the farm, until I discovered these unnoticed creatures that can be seen anywhere and everywhere, were offering me their company. They offer a comfort from the loudness of my home. While I love and respect my mother, living in a household with a single mother can become stressful. Thus, I began to seek solace and accommodation just inside the treeline of the forest. As previously mentioned, I have a deep love and connection to nature, and it has aided me in “speaking the language” of many animals. I know long blinks to a cat means comfort, screeching to a chicken means go away, scratches on a horse's withers is a kiss that tells you everything will be okay. Now that I have learned plants also have their own language, I have become ravenous to learn everything about them, and their cognitive functions. My thirst for knowledge runs deep when I am this passionate about something. My connection with plants, animals and the natural world runs deep and I will not feel fulfilled unless I find out everything I possibly can about it. I was unsure about what I wanted to do with my life: first I wanted to become a vet, then a forensic scientist, then a radiologist, then forensic science again. Now, however, I have never been so sure about a passion of mine which is botany. I know I am connected; to the vast, natural world of plants and to my small, reserved alcove just between the depth of the forest and the real world. I want to change the world by healing the environment through the wonders of botanical science. Now she arrives at a canopy between two trees with a wood platform. In the trees are all kinds of trinkets, rocks, and collectible items I have found. I am always picking up any plastic or trash I find in the alcove, past the river into the neighboring forest, or of course, in the river. This is where I seek my peace, where I find solace, where I grew my connection to plants, how I discovered their company. It started with learning that plants had their own way of listening to us. The willow trees could hear me speaking, the violet irises could hear me singing my favorite songs. I would go out of my way to traipse into the forest to sing and tell stories to all that would listen.

A portal-like opening has been cut out of wild grapes and cotton tree branches to enter the forest-river alcove. Once past the thicket, a girl will step into the hidden entrance where a stone path leads her further in and closer to the river. Stepping off of the dry stones that protect one's feet from the mud of the river, she comes to the plank where native grass and clover hungrily grow around it, excited to take advantage of the dryer land. Once off the plank, she fully steps onto the green grass that grows because of the elevation which protects it from the mud patch. Her feet will carry her to a personally made moss bed, derived from different kinds of moss throughout the forest and replaced just over the roots of an oak tree to give her feet bedding. My single mother moved my sister and I to achieve her dream of living on an animal farm. She chose a refuge which provided us an environment filled to the brim with nature and plants and wildlife and water and Earth. As an impressionable child, I grew more of a connection to the animals on the farm, until I discovered these unnoticed creatures that can be seen anywhere and everywhere, were offering me their company. They offer a comfort from the loudness of my home. While I love and respect my mother, living in a household with a single mother can become stressful. Thus, I began to seek solace and accommodation just inside the treeline of the forest. As previously mentioned, I have a deep love and connection to nature, and it has aided me in “speaking the language” of many animals. I know long blinks to a cat means comfort, screeching to a chicken means go away, scratches on a horse's withers is a kiss that tells you everything will be okay. Now that I have learned plants also have their own language, I have become ravenous to learn everything about them, and their cognitive functions. My thirst for knowledge runs deep when I am this passionate about something. My connection with plants, animals and the natural world runs deep and I will not feel fulfilled unless I find out everything I possibly can about it. I was unsure about what I wanted to do with my life: first I wanted to become a vet, then a forensic scientist, then a radiologist, then forensic science again. Now, however, I have never been so sure about a passion of mine which is botany. I know I am connected; to the vast, natural world of plants and to my small, reserved alcove just between the depth of the forest and the real world. I want to change the world by healing the environment through the wonders of botanical science. Now she arrives at a canopy between two trees with a wood platform. In the trees are all kinds of trinkets, rocks, and collectible items I have found. I am always picking up any plastic or trash I find in the alcove, past the river into the neighboring forest, or of course, in the river. This is where I seek my peace, where I find solace, where I grew my connection to plants, how I discovered their company. It started with learning that plants had their own way of listening to us. The willow trees could hear me speaking, the violet irises could hear me singing my favorite songs. I would go out of my way to traipse into the forest to sing and tell stories to all that would listen.

A portal-like opening has been cut out of wild grapes and cotton tree branches to enter the forest-river alcove. Once past the thicket, a girl will step into the hidden entrance where a stone path leads her further in and closer to the river. Stepping off of the dry stones that protect one's feet from the mud of the river, she comes to the plank where native grass and clover hungrily grow around it, excited to take advantage of the dryer land. Once off the plank, she fully steps onto the green grass that grows because of the elevation which protects it from the mud patch. Her feet will carry her to a personally made moss bed, derived from different kinds of moss throughout the forest and replaced just over the roots of an oak tree to give her feet bedding. My single mother moved my sister and I to achieve her dream of living on an animal farm. She chose a refuge which provided us an environment filled to the brim with nature and plants and wildlife and water and Earth. As an impressionable child, I grew more of a connection to the animals on the farm, until I discovered these unnoticed creatures that can be seen anywhere and everywhere, were offering me their company. They offer a comfort from the loudness of my home. While I love and respect my mother, living in a household with a single mother can become stressful. Thus, I began to seek solace and accommodation just inside the treeline of the forest. As previously mentioned, I have a deep love and connection to nature, and it has aided me in “speaking the language” of many animals. I know long blinks to a cat means comfort, screeching in front of a chicken means go away, scratches on a horse's withers is a kiss that tells you everything is going to be okay. Now that I have learned plants also have their own language, I have since become ravenous to learn anything and everything about them, and their cognitive functions. My thirst for knowledge runs deep when I am so passionate about something.My connection with plants, animals and the natural world runs deep and I do not think I will feel fulfilled unless I find out everything I possibly can about it. I was unsure about what I wanted to do with my life: first I wanted to become a vet, then a forensic scientist, then a radiologist, then forensic science again. Now, however, I have never been so sure about a passion of mine which is botany. I know I am connected; to the vast, natural world of plants and to my small, reserved alcove just between the depth of the forest and the real world. Now she arrives at a canopy between two trees with a wood platform covering the distance. In the trees are all kinds of trinkets, rocks, and collectible items I have found. I am always picking up any plastic or trash I find in the alcove, past the river into the neighboring forest, or of course, in the river. This is where I seek my peace, where I find solace, where I grew my connection to plants, how I discovered their company. It mostly started with learning that plants had their own way of listening to us. The willow trees could hear me speaking to myself, the violet irises could hear me singing my favorite songs. I would go out of my way to traipse into the forest to sing and tell stories to all that would listen.

A portal-like opening has been cut out of wild grapes and cotton tree branches to enter the forest-river alcove. Once past the thicket, a girl will step into the hidden entrance where a stone path leads her further in and closer to the river. Stepping off of the dry stones that protect one's feet from the mud of the river, she comes to the plank where native grass and clover hungrily grow around it, excited to take advantage of the dryer land. Once off the plank, she fully steps onto the green grass that grows because of the elevation which protects it from the mud patch. Her feet will carry her to a personally made moss bed, derived from different kinds of moss throughout the forest and replaced just over the roots of an oak tree to give her feet bedding. My single mother moved my sister and I to achieve her dream of living on an animal farm. She chose a refuge which provided us an environment filled to the brim with nature and plants and wildlife and water and Earth. As an impressionable child, I grew more of a connection to the animals on the farm, until I discovered these unnoticed creatures that can be seen anywhere and everywhere, were offering me their company. They offer a comfort from the loudness of my home. While I love and respect my mother, living in a household with a single mother can become stressful. Thus, I began to seek solace and accommodation just inside the treeline of the forest. As previously mentioned, I have a deep love and connection to nature, and it has aided me in “speaking the language” of many animals. I know long blinks to a cat means comfort, screeching in front of a chicken means go away, scratches on a horse's withers is a kiss that tells you everything is going to be okay. Now that I have learned plants also have their own language, I have since become ravenous to learn anything and everything about them, and their cognitive functions. My thirst for knowledge runs deep when I am so passionate about something.My connection with plants, animals and the natural world runs deep and I do not think I will feel fulfilled unless I find out everything I possibly can about it. I was unsure about what I wanted to do with my life: first I wanted to become a vet, then a forensic scientist, then a radiologist, then forensic science again. Now, however, I have never been so sure about a passion of mine which is botany. I know I am connected; to the vast, natural world of plants and to my small, reserved alcove just between the depth of the forest and the real world. Now she arrives at a canopy between two trees with a wood platform covering the distance. In the trees are all kinds of trinkets, rocks, and collectible items I have found. I am always picking up any plastic or trash I find in the alcove, past the river into the neighboring forest, or of course, in the river. This is where I seek my peace, where I find solace, where I grew my connection to plants, how I discovered their company. It mostly started with learning that plants had their own way of listening to us. The willow trees could hear me speaking to myself, the violet irises could hear me singing my favorite songs. I would go out of my way to traipse into the forest to sing and tell stories to all that would listen.

A portal-like opening has been cut out of wild grapes and cotton tree branches to enter the forest-river alcove. Once past the thicket, a girl will step into the hidden entrance where a stone path leads her further in and closer to the river. Stepping off of the dry stones that protect one's feet from the mud of the river, she comes to the plank where native grass and clover hungrily grow around it, excited to take advantage of the dryer land. Once off the plank, she fully steps onto the green grass that grows because of the elevation which protects it from the mud patch. Her feet will carry her to a personally made moss bed, derived from different kinds of moss throughout the forest and replaced just over the roots of an oak tree to give her feet bedding. My single mother moved my sister and I to achieve her dream of living on an animal farm. She chose a refuge which provided us an environment filled to the brim with nature and plants and wildlife and water and Earth. As an impressionable child, I grew more of a connection to the animals on the farm, until I discovered these unnoticed creatures that can be seen anywhere and everywhere, were offering me their company. They offer a comfort from the loudness of my home. While I love and respect my mother, living in a household with a single mother can become stressful. Thus, I began to seek solace and accommodation just inside the treeline of the forest. As previously mentioned, I have a deep love and connection to nature, and it has aided me in “speaking the language” of many animals. I know long blinks to a cat means comfort, screeching in front of a chicken means go away, scratches on a horse's withers is a kiss that tells you everything is going to be okay. Now that I have learned plants also have their own language, I have since become ravenous to learn anything and everything about them, and their cognitive functions. My thirst for knowledge runs deep when I am so passionate about something.My connection with plants, animals and the natural world runs deep and I do not think I will feel fulfilled unless I find out everything I possibly can about it. I was unsure about what I wanted to do with my life: first I wanted to become a vet, then a forensic scientist, then a radiologist, then forensic science again. Now, however, I have never been so sure about a passion of mine which is botany. I know I am connected; to the vast, natural world of plants and to my small, reserved alcove just between the depth of the forest and the real world. Now she arrives at a canopy between two trees with a wood platform covering the distance. In the trees are all kinds of trinkets, rocks, and collectible items I have found. I am always picking up any plastic or trash I find in the alcove, past the river into the neighboring forest, or of course, in the river. This is where I seek my peace, where I find solace, where I grew my connection to plants, how I discovered their company. It mostly started with learning that plants had their own way of listening to us. The willow trees could hear me speaking to myself, the violet irises could hear me singing my favorite songs. I would go out of my way to traipse into the forest to sing and tell stories to all that would listen.

A portal-like opening has been cut out of wild grapes and cotton tree branches to enter the forest-river alcove. Once past the thicket, a girl will step into the hidden entrance where a stone path leads her further in and closer to the river. Stepping off of the dry stones that protect one's feet from the mud of the river, she comes to the plank where native grass and clover hungrily grow around it, excited to take advantage of the dryer land. Once off the plank, she fully steps onto the green grass that grows because of the elevation which protects it from the mud patch. Her feet will carry her to a personally made moss bed, derived from different kinds of moss throughout the forest and replaced just over the roots of an oak tree to give her feet bedding. I have a deep love and connection to nature, and it has aided me in “speaking the language” of many animals. I know long blinks to a cat means comfort, screeching in front of a chicken means go away, scratches on a horse's withers is a kiss that tells you everything is going to be okay. Now that I have learned plants also have their own language, I have since become ravenous to learn anything and everything about them, and their cognitive functions. My thirst for knowledge runs deep when I am so passionate about something.My connection with plants, animals and the natural world runs deep and I do not think I will feel fulfilled unless I find out everything I possibly can about it. I was unsure about what I wanted to do with my life: first I wanted to become a vet, then a forensic scientist, then a radiologist, then forensic science again. Now, however, I have never been so sure about a passion of mine which is botany. I know I am connected; to the vast, natural world of plants and to my small, reserved alcove just between the depth of the forest and the real world. I try and keep up with new developments in botanical science, and I have become ever so curious about the theory of plant cognition. Specifically, I have read and listened to the research developed by Monica Gagliano, a PhD in botanical science who has avidly done work to develop such a radical theory. At some point in the future, I hope to continue her work in plant cognition and possibly work along side her, in hopes to discover the mystery behind botanical cognition. Now she arrives at a canopy between two trees with a wood platform covering the distance. In the trees are all kinds of trinkets, rocks, and collectible items I have found. I am always picking up any plastic or trash I find in the alcove, past the river into the neighboring forest, or of course, in the river. This is where I seek my peace, where I find solace, where I grew my connection to plants, how I discovered their company. It mostly started with learning that plants had their own way of listening to us. The willow trees could hear me speaking to myself, the violet irises could hear me singing my favorite songs. I would go out of my way to traipse into the forest to sing and tell stories to all that would listen.

A portal-like opening has been cut out of wild grapes and cotton tree branches to enter the forest-river alcove. Once past the thicket, a girl will step into the hidden entrance where a stone path leads her further in and closer to the river. Stepping off of the dry stones that protect one's feet from the mud of the river, she comes to the plank where native grass and clover hungrily grow around it, excited to take advantage of the dryer land. Once off the plank, she fully steps onto the green grass that grows because of the elevation which protects it from the mud patch. Her feet will carry her to a personally made moss bed, derived from different kinds of moss throughout the forest and replaced just over the roots of an oak tree to give her feet bedding. My single mother moved my sister and I to achieve her dream of living on an animal farm. She chose a refuge which provided us an environment filled to the brim with nature and plants and wildlife and water and Earth. As an impressionable child, I grew more of a connection to the animals on the farm, until I discovered these unnoticed creatures that can be seen anywhere and everywhere, were offering me their company. They offer a comfort from the loudness of my home. While I love and respect my mother, living in a household with a single mother can become stressful. Thus, I began to seek solace and accommodation just inside the treeline of the forest. As previously mentioned, I have a deep love and connection to nature, and it has aided me in “speaking the language” of many animals. I know long blinks to a cat means comfort, screeching in front of a chicken means go away, scratches on a horse's withers is a kiss that tells you everything is going to be okay. Now that I have learned plants also have their own language, I have since become ravenous to learn anything and everything about them, and their cognitive functions. My thirst for knowledge runs deep when I am so passionate about something.My connection with plants, animals and the natural world runs deep and I do not think I will feel fulfilled unless I find out everything I possibly can about it. I was unsure about what I wanted to do with my life: first I wanted to become a vet, then a forensic scientist, then a radiologist, then forensic science again. Now, however, I have never been so sure about a passion of mine which is botany. I know I am connected; to the vast, natural world of plants and to my small, reserved alcove just between the depth of the forest and the real world. Now she arrives at a canopy between two trees with a wood platform covering the distance. In the trees are all kinds of trinkets, rocks, and collectible items I have found. I am always picking up any plastic or trash I find in the alcove, past the river into the neighboring forest, or of course, in the river. This is where I seek my peace, where I find solace, where I grew my connection to plants, how I discovered their company. It mostly started with learning that plants had their own way of listening to us. The willow trees could hear me speaking to myself, the violet irises could hear me singing my favorite songs. I would go out of my way to traipse into the forest to sing and tell stories to all that would listen.

My mother, who had recently divorced my father, moved my sister and I to achieve her dream of living on an animal farm. She chose a refuge which provided us an environment filled to the brim with nature and plants and wildlife and water and Earth. As a young, impressionable child, I grew more of a liking and connection to the animals on the farm, until I discovered these reserved and unnoticed creatures that can be seen anywhere and everywhere, were also offering me their company. They offer a comfort from the loudness of my home. While I very much so love and respect my mother, living in a household with a single mother can become greatly stressful. Thus, I began to seek solace and accommodation just inside the treeline of the forest. As previously mentioned, I have a deep love and connection to nature and animals, and it has aided me in “speaking the language” of many animals. I know long blinks to a cat means comfort, screeching in front of a chicken means go away, scratches on a horse's withers is a kiss that tells you everything is going to be okay. Now that I have learned plants also have their own language, I have since become ravenous to learn anything and everything about them, and their cognitive functions. My thirst for knowledge runs deep when I am so passionate about something.My connection with plants, animals and the natural world runs deep and I do not think I will feel fulfilled unless I find out everything I possibly can about it. I was unsure about what I wanted to do with my life: first I wanted to become a vet, then a forensic scientist, then a radiologist, then back to forensic science again. Now, however, I have never been so sure about a passion of mine which is botany. I know I am connected; to the vast, natural world of plants and to my small, reserved alcove just between the depth of the forest and the real world. As a woman, I feel empowered and obligated to go into a STEM major in botanical science or biology. I want my pursuit of botany to empower and inspire other women like me; I hope they see that in a male-dominated field and world, and with a little extra work, all women still have the power to attain their goals. I hope my presence in the future adds on to the confidence of other women to also pursue STEM. Now I arrive at a canopy between two trees with a wood platform covering the distance. In the trees are all kinds of trinkets, rocks, and collectible items I have found. I am always picking up any plastic or trash I find in the alcove, past the river into the neighboring forest, or of course, in the river. This is where I seek my peace, where I find solace, where I grew my connection to plants, how I discovered their company. It mostly started with learning that plants had their own way of listening to us. The willow trees could hear me speaking to myself, the violet irises could hear me singing my favorite songs. I would go out of my way to traipse into the forest to sing and tell stories to all that would listen.

A portal-like opening has been cut out of wild grapes and cotton tree branches to enter the forest-river alcove. Once past the thicket, a girl will step into the hidden entrance where a stone path leads her closer to the river. Stepping off of the dry stones that protect one's feet from the mud of the river, she comes to the plank where native grass and clover hungrily grow around it, excited to take advantage of the dryer land. Once off the plank, she fully steps onto the thick, green grass that grows because of the elevation which protects it from the mud patch. Her feet will carry her to a personally made moss bed, derived from different kinds of moss throughout the forest and placed over the roots of an oak tree to give her feet bedding. My single mother moved my sister and I to achieve her dream of living on an animal farm. She chose a refuge which provided us an environment filled to the brim with nature and plants and wildlife and water and Earth. As an impressionable child, I grew more of a liking and connection to the animals on the farm, until I discovered these unnoticed creatures that can be seen anywhere and everywhere, were offering me their company. They offer a comfort from the loudness of my home. While I love and respect my mother, living in a household with a single mother can become greatly stressful. Thus, I began to seek solace and accommodation inside the treeline of the forest. As previously mentioned, I have a deep love and connection to nature, and it has aided me in “speaking the language” of many animals. I know long blinks to a cat means comfort, screeching in front of a chicken means go away, scratches on a horse's withers is a kiss that tells you everything is going to be okay. Now that I have learned plants also have their own language, I have since become ravenous to learn anything and everything about them, and their cognitive functions. My thirst for knowledge runs deep when I am so passionate about something.My connection with plants, animals and the natural world runs deep and I do not think I will feel fulfilled unless I find out everything I possibly can about it. I was unsure about what I wanted to do with my life: first I wanted to become a vet, then a forensic scientist, then a radiologist, then back to forensic science again. Now, however, I have never been so sure about a passion of mine which is botany. I know I am connected; to the vast, natural world of plants and to my small, reserved alcove just between the depth of the forest and the real world. Now she arrives at a canopy between two trees with a wood platform covering the distance. In the trees are all kinds of trinkets, rocks, and collectible items I have found. I am always picking up any plastic or trash I find in the alcove, past the river into the neighboring forest, or of course, in the river. This is where I seek my peace, where I find solace, where I grew my connection to plants, how I discovered their company. It mostly started with learning that plants had their own way of listening to us. The willow trees could hear me speaking to myself, the violet irises could hear me singing my favorite songs. I would go out of my way to traipse into the forest to sing and tell stories to all that would listen.