My favorite song on Taylor Swift's "1989" album is "Style." I never thought that I would become a Swiftie, but hearing "Style" changed my mind. The first time I heard the song was when I was watching "The Voice" with my aunt. I didn't enjoy the contestant's rendition of the song, but I loved the instrumental and I was shocked to find out it was a Taylor Swift song. I thought that Taylor Swift only made country music, but I decided to listen to the song anyways. It was love at my first listen. The electric guitar riff hooked me immediately. The song creates a groovy sound with the addition of atmospheric noise, synths, distorted keyboard notes, and a thumping beat. Taylor's voice comes in and perfectly complements the song with her timbre. She uses spacing in her delivery to emphasize both the lyrics and the instrumental, crafting a story about two past lovers reconnecting in secret. The pre-chorus clarifies the distorted piano from the verse and the song crescendos into my favorite chorus on the entire album. The synths swell to create a sound that's spaced out and grounded at the same time whilst the layered vocals and beat highlight Taylor's singing. I always get "You got that James Dean daydream look in your eye/And I got that red lip classic thing that you like" stuck in my head because the rhyme scheme and cadence are so catchy. The whole chorus of the song is pop-songwriting genius. The song goes into its equally amazing second verse and chorus, but the bridge is a pleasant surprise that injects so much energy into the song. Taylor belts "Take me home!" as she realizes that she and her lover will inevitably find their way back to each other. The chorus repeats for one final time, mirroring the way that both people always circle back to each other. The song always ends before I want it to, and I spent the whole night listening to it. I loved the song so much that I decided to listen to the whole album, which turned me into a full-fledged Swiftie. I started to watch her live performances, listen to her old albums, and make friends with other fans. I even went to her concert during the Eras tour! "1989" is one of my favorite Taylor albums and I enjoyed every song on the album, but I always find myself returning to "Style." To me, it's the best song on the album and not because it's the reason I started listening to Taylor. "Style" fits perfectly into the track list as the third song, but it can also stand on its own. It manages to have a minimal instrumental without sounding incomplete like "Blank Space" or "Bad Blood" can sound in comparison. The chorus of "Style" also manages to be catchy without relying entirely on repetition like "Out of the Woods," which increases its replay value exponentially. It's also the only song on the album that I can listen to no matter how I feel or what I'm doing. I love "Wildest Dreams" and "Clean," but I need to be in a certain mood to enjoy those songs to the fullest. "Style" is timeless, and its combination of synths and reverbed drums makes it reminiscent of the 80s synth sound that has been recently revived in pop music. With "Style," Taylor Swift managed to create a song that will never go out of style to me.

For a long time, I was ashamed to be a Hufflepuff. I remember being so excited to be sorted into my Hogwarts house, but I stared at the results on the Pottermore website in disbelief. Everyone made fun of Hufflepuff for being the most boring house and I begrudgingly agreed. Gryffindors were brave, Ravenclaws were smart, Slytherins were cunning, and Hufflepuffs were boring. At first. As I grew older, I grew to understand the value of the Hufflepuff house and its place in Harry Potter. Hufflepuffs are known to be patient, loyal, humble, cheerful, friendly, fair, noble, and hardworking. My morals align with these traits perfectly. I prefer collaboration over competition and I'm an incredibly positive person. I'm not afraid of working hard or waiting to achieve my goals. I'm loyal to a fault and I love to make friends. Even Hufflepuff's house colors, yellow and black, are my favorite. My initial disappointment was replaced by delight since I was sorted into the perfect house. I am a perfect fit for Hufflepuff because I agree with their educational values. Helga Hufflepuff created Hufflepuff to "teach the lot and treat them just the same." Instead of only accepting Pureblood wizards, Helga accepted everyone and viewed them as equals. This led to Hufflepuffs being falsely viewed as less talented than the other houses. As a woman of color, I can relate to being underestimated or devalued in educational settings despite being equally educated. I strongly agree with Helga Hufflepuff's principles of education equality and human decency. Hufflepuff values multiple admirable traits instead of one, which creates more well-rounded and conscientious people. Similarly, I try to focus on being a versatile person instead of relying on one trait or skill. I also enjoy gardening and I would love to learn Herbology, a course about caring for magical plants that Hufflepuffs excel in. Even though Hufflepuffs are rarely highlighted in the Harry Potter series, their presence in the story reinforces that people should do the right thing instead of what is the easiest. Hufflepuff has produced the fewest Dark Wizards due to our dedication to fairness, hard work, and positivity. When Hogwarts was taken over by Voldemort's forces, Hufflepuff students and teachers stayed to defend the school against the Dark Arts. Head of House Pomona Sprout led attacks against the Death Eaters and healed the injured in the Battle of Hogwarts. Cedric Diggory embodied Hufflepuff's best traits and was immortalized for his devotion to righteousness after his premature death. Hufflepuffs are not known for their bravery, but they show tenacity and courage in perilous situations. Like the badger, Hufflepuffs are unassuming but extremely protective and tough. I also fight tooth and nail to protect my loved ones even though I am usually meek. I have a strong moral compass that leads me to do the right thing, even if it doesn't benefit me. Hufflepuff has a bad reputation for being the most boring house, but its values of hard work and fairness are extremely underrated. In many ways, we embody the best traits of humanity and of the other Hogwarts houses. We have the bravery of a Gryffindor, the acceptance of a Ravenclaw, and the determination of a Slytherin. J.K. Rowling's favorite house is Hufflepuff, and for good reason. We rise to meet challenges without the need to show off. We accept everyone and treat them fairly. That's why I'm proud to be a Hufflepuff.

A happy woman who provides for her family and inspires people to smile again by providing affordable dental care to marginalized groups.

I wanted to go into the medical field ever since I was a kid, but I never knew which profession to choose. I knew that I wanted to improve an area of people's health that was ignored, so dentistry was always at the back of my mind. But my passion was solidified when I needed to get my braces. My crossbite had gotten so bad that I would bite the inner lining of my cheek every time I ate. My buccal mucosa was constantly scarred, and the problem was only amplified by my underbite. However, braces are considered a cosmetic procedure and they were not covered by my insurance. My insurance didn't even cover yearly dentist appointments, so I hadn't been to the dentist in years. My mom could not afford to pay the standard price for braces, but she also didn't want to see me in pain. So, she found a way for me to get my braces at a price she could afford. In other words, I got my braces put on in a shed. Dr. Marcos was surprisingly professional for a man who ran a dental practice in his backyard. He had medical-grade equipment and a large clientele base. He had gotten his dental license in Cuba but did not go back to school to get educated in a program accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). But he provided a necessary service for an affordable price, so he was popular. My mom’s friend referred us to Dr. Marcos after he performed a root canal on a tooth that he otherwise couldn’t afford to fix. I began to see Dr. Marcos in the 7th grade. He assessed the state of my teeth, planned a way to fix my underbite and crossbite, put on my braces, tightened them once a month, and even made me a retainer. The abnormalities in my mouth were corrected and I was not in pain anymore. It was completely normal. Except I could not tell anyone where I was getting my braces done. And we had to pretend we were related to Dr. Marcos so his neighbors wouldn’t get suspicious and call the police. The longer I went to Dr. Marcos, the more I realized about the inequalities in the dental field. His patients mostly consisted of undocumented immigrants and lower-class people. My mom’s friend had been taking painkillers to deal with a toothache he had for years before going to Dr. Marcos. These people had little or no medical insurance and had gone years or even decades without going to the dentist before Dr. Marcos arrived. I had met people with multiple teeth rotting in their mouth or debilitating jaw pain who could only afford this makeshift clinic. However, practicing without a license is unethical and dangerous. I got lucky with Dr. Marcos. Hundreds of Floridians have gotten infections or permanent damage to their teeth when going to unlicensed dentists. Dr. Marcos was caught running a dental practice without a license. He got raided and hit with criminal charges then moved to New York. But the people who need dental care are still here. I’ll never forget about those people and I’m dedicating my life to helping people receive dental care regardless of their socioeconomic status and citizenship. I want to advocate for affordable dentistry and more full coverage health insurance that covers all dental care, so people do not have to risk their health with unlicensed practitioners. I'm going to complete my degree, get my licensure, and open my own dental clinic.

Old habits die hard. That's especially true for eating habits. A person who eats healthy, balanced meals can occasionally treat themselves to dessert or fast food and still retain their lifestyle. Likewise, a person who eats fast food every day is unlikely to change their ways after eating one salad. Healthy eating habits are important to develop since a consistent, nutritious diet vastly improves physical and mental health. Eating various fruits and vegetables daily improves digestion, settles your appetite, and provides the body with essential vitamins and minerals. Consuming healthy food also prevents health conditions such as high cholesterol, obesity, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and even certain types of cancer. Avoiding refined sugar can prevent similar ailments as well as warding off tooth decay, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and inflammation. The key to any healthy habit is moderation and balance. A healthy diet should include fruits and vegetables, legumes, protein, unsaturated fats, whole grains and nuts, and water. Any foods with excessive sodium, sugar, or saturated fats should only be eaten sparingly to prevent health problems. I did not notice how much my diet was affecting my life until I decided to start eating healthier. I dismissed my acne and moodiness to the stereotypical behavior of a middle schooler, but it was the result of eating too much unhealthy food. I would eat chips or drink soda every other day and eat fast food frequently. I also did not drink enough water. One day, my mom put her foot down and decided that she would stop buying spicy chips for the household because she didn't want us to develop stomach ulcers. It felt like I was quitting a vice cold turkey, but I slowly stopped craving them. Once I saw that my skin improved, I realized that improving my eating habits in other ways would only benefit me. So, I decided that I would start to eat healthier by including more fruits and veggies in my diet. I started adding fresh produce to shopping lists and searching for sales or coupons when we went to the grocery store. My mom noticed my efforts and started doing the same. She would make green smoothies or help us pick fruit from my grandma's garden. Once I had one healthy eating habit it was easy to pick up others. When my mom asked us what we wanted for dinner, I would chime in with balanced meal ideas instead of fast food. I started to up my water intake and cut down on sugary drinks. The effect was immediate. My skin had cleared up completely, I had more energy, and my mood improved vastly. I also became more motivated to take my health in my own hands. My healthy eating habits directly inspired my other healthy habits. I began to run, do at-home workouts with my sister, meditate, and do yoga. I feel like I changed for the better since I started eating healthier, and it inspired me to take care of myself in other areas of life. Old habits die hard, but healthy eating habits make you live forever.

For a long time, I struggled with opening up to people about my anxiety. It was either ignored or brushed off as a regular part of the Black experience. My mom taught me to be cautious around everyone and everything because people weren't going to look out for me or give the benefit of the doubt. There's always a sense of unease in the back of my mind about the safety of my family and friends who live in a world that doesn't protect them. All it takes is the wrong police officer pulling them over or being put in the wrong environment for them to be killed. It's common to mistrust therapists who have historically misdiagnosed and overmedicated Black patients who don't line up with a diagnostic manual that was modeled after white people. So, I was convinced that my anxiety was normal and that I didn't need to see a therapist. Therapy was only for people who had something wrong with them. But it became harder to ignore that something was wrong with me too. My heart would drop in large crowds. I became afraid of going to unfamiliar places in fear of something happening. The world became a dark and scary place. One day, I had my mom drive me to urgent care instead of school because I thought I was having a heart attack. It turned out to be the first of many panic attacks. My life became ruled by fear. Every news story of a Black person being killed by a police officer or assaulted by a racist just added to my unease. I became debilitatingly concerned that something horrible would happen to the people I love. I began to cling to them too much. They always told me that I was overreacting when I shared my worries with them, but it was the only thing I could do. I couldn't protect my family from the world, but I could show them how much I loved them. I always remind them to be safe. I always hope that my reminder will somehow shield them from the world's injustices. I realized that I needed to get help when my anxiety reached a fever pitch. Stress about college applications and the pandemic made me more prone to anxiousness. I became too afraid to leave my house two days in a row. I was constantly shifting between intense paranoia and numbness due to anxiety burnout. I automatically assumed the worst-case scenario and became too afraid to live. My panic attacks had increased dramatically, but I stopped telling my mother about them since she said my first attack happened because I was "breathing weird". The whisper in the back of my head telling me that I was never safe turned into a shout. One of my loved ones would fall off the map or enter an unsafe situation and I would be paralyzed with fear. If I told anyone about my concerns, they would look at me like I was crazy. Why couldn't they understand? I became bitter towards my mother. Why did she look at me like I was going off the deep end? I was just taking her lessons to heart. She always told me to trust nothing and no one except family, but I was somehow wrong for listening to her. But I could see that I needed help. If I kept my worries to myself, I would fall down a hole I couldn't get out of. When my mom started going to therapy, I realized that she wouldn't judge me for doing the same. So, I told my mom about the panic attacks, and she took me to see a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist talked to me about my anxiety and asked how it was affecting my life. I told her everything. It was the first time I had exposed the complete extent of my anxieties. Our sessions started with talk therapy, which progressed to her teaching me new ways to cope. I could talk about how anxiety impacted me without placing a burden on my family. I learned how to identify and combat patterns of thought that led to anxiety. I even started meditating after she recommended it. But I still found myself falling into the same hole and I couldn't shake that feeling of underlying fear. Eventually, my psychiatrist suggested medication. After trying a few different medications and experiencing the different side effects of each, we decided which pill was the best fit for me. The combination of medication and therapy finally made me feel better. The sources of my anxiety haven't gone away, but they don't torment my every waking moment like they used to. I can go outside and live my life without being flooded with apprehension. The world can still be a scary place, but I can navigate it with caution instead of fear. I have slowly started to open up to my family about my anxiety, and they have been really supportive. Talking through my issues given me the tools to understand my mother's perspective and strengthen our relationship. I can finally set goals and focus on myself now that I'm not stuck in survival mode. The hardship that the Black community faces has not gone away, but we shouldn't be expected to shoulder the burden alone. Having to struggle through life without any help should not be normalized or celebrated. The false notion that therapy is only for white people further disenfranchises Black people and stops us from getting the help that we need. We need to normalize talking about mental health and going to therapy. There is nothing wrong with admitting you need help or prioritizing your mental health. It's scary to be Black in America. It's scary to put trust into a system that has mistreated and harmed us in the past. But creating an open dialogue within our community about our struggles and fears will only make us stronger.

I was interested in going into the medical field ever since I was a kid, but I never knew which profession to do. I wanted to help people, but I could not stomach being responsible for someone living or dying. I knew that I wanted to improve an area of people's health that was ignored, so dentistry was always at the back of my mind. But that passion was solidified when I needed to get my braces. My crossbite had gotten so bad that I would bite the inner lining of my cheek every time I ate. My buccal mucosa was constantly scarred, and the problem was only amplified by my underbite. However, braces are considered a cosmetic procedure and they were not covered by my insurance. My mom could not afford to pay the standard price for braces, but she also didn't want to see me in pain. So, she found a way for me to get my braces at a dental clinic and at a price she could afford. In other words, I got my braces put on in a shed. Dr. Marcos was surprisingly professional for a man who ran a dental practice in his backyard. He had medical-grade equipment and a large clientele base. He had gotten his dental license in Cuba but didn't want to or was not able to go back to school to get educated in a program accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). But he provided a necessary service for a fraction of the price, so he was popular. My mom’s friend referred us to Dr. Marcos after he performed a root canal on a tooth that he otherwise couldn’t afford to fix. I began to see Dr. Marcos in the fall of my 7th grade year. He assessed the state of my teeth, planned a way to fix my underbite and crossbite, put on my braces, tightened them once a month, and even made me a retainer. The abnormalities in my mouth were corrected and I was not in pain anymore. It was completely normal. Except I could not tell anyone where I was getting my braces done. And we had to pretend we were related to Dr. Marcos so his neighbors wouldn’t get suspicious and call the police. The longer I went to Dr. Marcos, the more I realized about the inequalities in the dental field. His patients mostly consisted of undocumented immigrants and lower-class people. My mom’s friend had been taking painkillers to deal with a toothache he had for years before going to Dr. Marcos. These people had little or no medical insurance and had gone years or even decades without going to the dentist before Dr. Marcos arrived. I had met people with multiple teeth rotting in their mouth or debilitating jaw pain who got better because of this makeshift clinic. However, practicing without a license is unethical and dangerous. I got lucky with Dr. Marcos. But hundreds of Floridians have gotten infections or permanent damage to their teeth when going to unlicensed dentists. Dr. Marcos was caught running a dental practice without a license. He got raided and hit with criminal charges then moved to New York. But the people who need dental care are still here. I’ll never forget about those people and I’m dedicating my life to providing dental care regardless of socioeconomic status and citizenship. I want to advocate for affordable dentistry and more full coverage health insurance that covers all dental care, so people do not have to risk their health with unlicensed practitioners.

Chances to go to school in person and finding groups of likeminded people in a new place is what excites me the most about college. I never returned to in-person school after the pandemic since my mom is immuno-compromised, so COVID robbed me of a traditional high school experience. I did not get to sit in classrooms with other students, go to football games or dances, and I had fewer opportunities to participate in the after-school activities I was a part of. Going to college will give me a chance to create new memories in-person and grow as a person. However, I know the transition of high school to college is difficult for students. I'm leaving home for the first time and must start fresh in a new area. This will be especially difficult for me as someone with generalized anxiety disorder. To make the most of my time in college, I have to maintain a healthy mind, body and soul amidst the challenges I will face. To maintain a healthy mind, I will use a combination of healthy habits I have set in high school and new habits that I have been researching. Continuing my consistent sleep schedule will ensure that my mind is rested and alert for class. I will also schedule breaks from studying and socializing to avoid becoming overstimulated or overworked. To stimulate my brain, I am going to learn how to sew and speak Spanish. I would also like to set up a workout schedule to relieve stress and improve physical health. Most importantly, I want to make use of my university's mental health resources and schedule a few therapy sessions at my college's counseling and wellness center. In addition to my workout schedule, I want to maintain my physical health in many ways. My university has a gym that is free for all students to use, and I go to the gym at least three times a week. I will mostly focus on upper-body weight training using the gym's free weights and weight machines to gain strength. To do my cardio, I'll take advantage of the numerous options on campus. There are more than enough opportunities for cardiovascular exercise between walking to classes, taking free dance classes, running laps on the track, biking around Gainsville, and swimming in pools or cold springs. To stay healthy, I will try to avoid eating ramen and other processed foods like a stereotypical college student. Having a balanced and nutritious diet is an essential part of staying healthy. Caring for the mind and body will allow me to enjoy my time in college, but nourishing my soul will help me feel complete and grow as a person. In high school, I began to meditate once a day to achieve peace of mind and mental clarity, which I will continue to do in college. I will also try attending yoga lessons to strengthen my mind-body connection and get in tune with my inner spirit. Keeping a journal of my inner thoughts and feelings also allows me to understand who I am and who I want to become. I hope college will help me discover other ways to heal my soul. It’s essential to keep the mind, body, and soul healthy in the face of significiant life changes, good or bad. Keeping track of my diet, exercise, sleep schedule, mental health, inner spirit, and how I spend my free time is how I will preserve my health.

My mom went on these crazy health kicks when I was a kid. One day, she would wake up and decide that our family was going to start eating an organic diet or begin a new exercise craze. She would go from meal-prepping nutritious, whole-food recipes and getting gym memberships to buying us fast food and staying at home a few weeks later. Naturally, my fitness journey started in a similar way. I would set unrealistic goals for myself, fail to reach them, become upset at myself, and fall into even unhealthier habits than I had started with. I never thought much about this pattern until my sister started going to the gym. She got a gym membership, bought protein powder and creatine, started meal-prepping, and bought cute fitness gear. But she didn't quit after a couple of weeks. She still goes to the gym every day, creating diet plans with high protein, researching ways to improve her form on certain exercises, and posting her progress on social media. My older sister is more determined than anyone else in our family but seeing her achieve her fitness goals inspired me to do the same. One day, my sister invited me to go to the gym with her. I said yes. I decided to ask her for the fitness routine that she used when she first started out at the gym. But I quickly became overwhelmed with the thought of diet plans and planning consistent workouts on top of my busy school and work schedule. I accepted that I wouldn't be able to dedicate that much time to becoming fit, but I still wanted to improve my health. So, I started monitoring how many fruits and vegetables I ate daily. I began to increase the amount of fruit and vegetables I ate as well as diversifying the types of produce I consumed. Junk food slowly got replaced by healthier options like fruit or nuts. My skin started to clear up, and I had more energy than I did before. I had little to no problems committing to this minor change because I slowly adjusted to it instead of diving into an extreme lifestyle choice. Gradually transitioning to a healthy lifestyle choice made me realize that my fitness journey should reflect my needs and interests instead of trying to copy other people. I am only competing with myself to become the best I can be. This realization made it easier for me to commit to other healthier choices. Instead of going on runs like my sister, I started dancing to increase my cardiovascular exercise. I enjoy dancing way more than running and I found myself becoming excited for workouts instead of dreading it. Every day, I play Just Dance, attend a dance class, learn choreography to one of my favorite songs, or just have a dance party in my room. I also began to meditate and journal to reduce my anxiety. I even started drinking more water, which has always been hard for me. My health journey may not look impressive to other people, but it doesn't matter. Making my health journey about me instead of other people is the best lifestyle change I have ever made. My fitness journey is far from over! I recently decided to start strength-training, and I'm not afraid of failure anymore. I know that I can become healthier by making gradual changes that suit my lifestyle and remembering that the road to a healthy life starts with a step, not a kick.

A lot of people love what comes easy to them, but I love math because it challenges me. I was always more interested in reading or writing, and I did not care about math. As I grew older, math became increasingly challenging for me. The addition of letters in algebra was so jarring and the number of formulas I had to memorize doubled. I felt like trying would only reveal that I was stupid, and I did not want to embarrass myself. I trapped myself in a negative cycle of not understanding a certain topic, being too afraid to ask for help, getting bad grades, and hating math even more when it was time to learn the next concept. I thought I would hate math forever. Then, I met Ms. Benge. Ms. Benge was my 6th grade algebra teacher. The first thing she told us was that the only thing that would make us stupid is being too scared to ask for help. Ms. Benge offered help during class, but she also offered peer tutoring and allowed students to ask questions after class. I felt less nervous about asking for help when I was not in front of the whole class, so I started going to after-school tutoring. I realized that I was not the only kid that did not understand quadratic equations and Ms. Benge made sure that every student understood the concept. I realized that I never hated math. I hated asking for help and feeling stupid. Once I got over that fear, I decided to dedicate myself to passing algebra no matter what. I began to attend tutoring sessions frequently. I also began to study at home. Eventually, I became confident enough to participate in class and my grades saw massive improvements. I went from failing my math classes to getting an A in algebra. Ms. Benge taught me about how math is prevalent in all aspects of society, even if its involvement is not immediately recognizable. Cooking involves using fractions, cooking times, and ratios to make consistently delicious food. Music is made up of formulaic chord progressions, beats per minute, and the use of patterns. Finance requires understanding patterns in the economic market, basic number literacy, budgeting, and investing. Major advancements in science and technology are directly tied to mathematics. When Ms. Benge taught me about the importance of math, it motivated me to learn algebra so I could improve in my other hobbies, especially playing the clarinet and cooking. When I ended up in Ms. Benge's geometry class the next year, she asked me to join the mathletes team. Her invitation shocked me. I thought that joining mathletes was only for smart kids, but I realized that I knew just as much as they did. Once I committed myself to learning, my understanding of math transformed. Math taught me not to give up on things that I am not naturally good at. I love math because it showed me the value of hard work and asking for help. Math is important because it encourages critical thinking and problem-solving. Understanding different mathematical concepts also allows people to comprehend other topics such as finances and technology.

A lot of people love what comes easy to them, but I love math because it challenges me. I was always more interested in reading or writing, and I did not care about math. As I grew older, math became increasingly challenging for me. The addition of letters in algebra was so jarring and the number of formulas I had to memorize doubled. I felt like trying would only reveal that I was stupid, and I did not want to embarrass myself. I trapped myself in a negative cycle of not understanding a certain topic, being too afraid to ask for help, getting bad grades, and hating math even more when it was time to learn the next concept. I thought I would hate math forever. Then, I met Ms. Benge. Ms. Benge was my 6th grade algebra teacher. The first thing she told us was that the only thing that would make us stupid is being too scared to ask for help. Ms. Benge offered help during class, but she also offered peer tutoring and allowed students to ask questions after class. I felt less nervous about asking for help when I was not in front of the whole class, so I started going to after-school tutoring. I realized that I was not the only kid that did not understand quadratic equations and Ms. Benge made sure that every student understood the concept. I realized that I never hated math. I hated asking for help and feeling stupid. Once I got over that fear, I decided to dedicate myself to passing algebra no matter what. I began to attend tutoring sessions frequently. I also began to study at home. Eventually, I became confident enough to participate in class and my grades saw massive improvements. I went from failing my math classes to getting an A in algebra. When I ended up in Ms. Benge's geometry class the next year, she asked me to join the mathletes team. Her invitation shocked me. I thought that joining mathletes was only for smart kids, but I realized that I knew just as much as they did. Once I committed myself to learning, my understanding of math transformed. Math taught me not to give up on things that I am not naturally good at. I love math because it showed me the value of hard work and asking for help.

It's funny how an eggroll can change your perspective. I work at a fried rice place that serves eggrolls and dumplings as a side dish. Whenever there were leftover side dishes at the end of the night, employees were allowed to eat them or give them to a customer for free. This system worked incredibly well and we did not have to throw out food. However, a few customers started coming to the restaurant right before we closed to get the eggrolls and dumplings. This made it harder for us to close the store on time and lessened our profits. One of my coworkers also started making extra dumplings so he could take them home. So, my manager changed the restaurant's policy. All employees were required to throw away leftover side dishes at the end of the night, with no exceptions. He made it clear that employees would be punished for giving the food to customers or eating it themselves. This made me incredibly sad since there are homeless people who sit outside the strip mall my job is located in. The Eggroll Policy, as I like to call it, also made me more aware of food waste and how to prevent it. According to Feeding America, around 40% of food in the United States is wasted every year. That means 108 billion pounds of edible food is thrown away on the journey from farm to table. In particular, a lot of restaurants get rid of their food waste instead of donating it to the needy. Even though we have an abundance of food, people are still going hungry. The U.S. Department of Agriculture revealed that 10.2% of American households experienced food insecurity and that 12.5% of American households with children were affected by food insecurity in 2021. Our country has the food that is required to feed these people, but it gets thrown out and misused. Edible food waste consists of food that does not meet aesthetic requirements (such as color or appearance), overproduced crops that rot in fields, food that gets displaced during transportation or production, and uneaten food. By reallocating this food, we can solve the problems of food waste and malnutrition simultaneously. Solving the problem of food waste is a very daunting task, but there are several steps that the average person can take to reduce biowaste. It can start with cooking less food so that there are fewer uneaten leftovers or using fresh produce before it goes bad. Shoppers can also buy groceries according to which fruits and vegetables are seasonal to prevent abundant crops from spoiling. People can even petition their state environmental agencies, such as the Florida Department of Environmental Protection or the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, to advocate for better legislation regarding food composting and donation. I want people all over the country to start making changes in their lives that reduce food waste. These actions can be big or small. For example, I convinced my manager to change the Eggroll Policy. I told him that we should not be throwing out food just because we will not make a profit off of it, and he agreed. We were not allowed to make eggrolls or dumplings after a certain time or give the remaining side dishes to the customers, but we were allowed to take them home. When it is my turn to take home the eggrolls, I give them to a homeless person or my family. I also practice mindful shopping by buying seasonal produce that I eat immediately or freeze to prevent it from spoiling. These actions can be big or small, but any effort toward reallocating food waste helps people with food insecurity.

"Doo Wop (That Thing)" by Ms. Lauren Hill is one of the greatest songs ever written, and it has the most important message to me. Hill uses a piano sample from The 5th Dimension's "Together Let's Find Love," bombastic horns, and an infectious beat to send a universal message of self-love to the world. The song's verses illustrate the unfulfilled lives of people who rely on shallow validation from others instead of respecting themselves. Lauren criticizes men that are too focused on wealth and their friend's opinions to care about the women in their lives. She also condemns women who go against their religious and personal beliefs to gain affection from men. The chorus of the song warns people that placing importance on trivial things such as money or physical appearance will attract romantic partners that will exploit them for these qualities. Most importantly, Lauren tells the listener that they cannot succeed in life if they have a superficial mindset. The song's message is especially important to me since I heard the song at the perfect time. When I was in 6th grade, I tried my best to change my appearance so that boys would notice me. My personality slowly began to change so I could make friends. One day, I told my mom that I felt like a different person, and she played me this song. It stuck with me all day, and I realized that I should not change myself to make other people like me. If I did, they would only want the fake version of me that I portrayed. I decided to be myself and I made genuine friendships that I still cherish. "Doo Wop (That Thing)" has inspired people like me to be themselves instead of adhering to other people's desires.