My experience with mental health has significantly influenced my beliefs, relationships, and career aspirations. Not only have I seen firsthand the detrimental aspects of poor mental health and the harm it can cause, but I have personally experienced the effects of such a destructive dilemma. Not only does damaged mental health affect the way you view yourself, but it also influences the way you view and interact with others. This can, in turn, lead to unhealthy and futile attempts at connecting with others and maintaining relationships with them. Lack of successful interconnection with others can further increase the deterioration of your mental health and potentially lead to a worsened state of mind and ability to work through difficult circumstances. My knowledge of these damaging effects of poor mental health has altered not only the way I go about making relationships with others, but it has also caused me to modify my personal career aspirations for the future. Last year, I had the biggest mental fall I have ever experienced. Several things happened and I lost many relationships with people who I had always thought were going to stay in my life, and more than a few times I felt completely and utterly alone. I had a very difficult time coping with this great sense of loss, guilt, and shame, and I turned to starvation and isolation as an attempt to survive the stress and pressure I was constantly facing. I never confided in anybody about the struggles I was facing and I put on fake smiles and artificial positive attitudes virtually every single day. I lost my sense of happiness and was pushed to the point where I convinced myself that my life was no longer living. In a last-ditch attempt at seeing if anybody truly cared about me, I made one comment about how unhealthy, desperate, and miserable I was, and sure enough, along came one single person who reminded me that I am, indeed, worth so much and that I have a lot of life to live still and that the best is yet to come. Ordinarily, one person making a comment such as this would not phase me and I wouldn't believe them, but this person pulled me out of the depths of my despair and gave me hope, assuring me that my future was worth waiting for and that the only place you can go after hitting rock bottom is up. He walked me through the hardest 6 months of my life and has led me to a much better place and given me the ability to say that I am finally truly happy again. Along this journey and in the midst of my darkest times, I have learned to find self-confidence, self-worth, and an immense amount of thankfulness for my life and for those who helped me find the real me. I also learned how to depend on only trustworthy people whom I know won't betray me if the opportunity arises. That experience was very knowledgeable and even though I went through a lot, the wisdom I gained has impacted and assisted me to this very day. Perhaps the most significant thing I was able to learn from my pain was that everyone goes through some amount of hardship and that it's extremely crucial to be there for others during those times and to continually remind them that they will make it through their problems and that they'll be okay. Because of my experience with the loss and regaining of my mental health, and also just by noting the other difficulties people have gone through, I have been encouraged to alter my career path and I now desire to be a social worker. Before this past summer, I had full intentions of getting a college degree as a paralegal, but based on my childhood life and the occurrences of last summer, my eyes were opened to the world and to what ordinary people face every single day, even if they never mention the true extent of the challenging circumstances they are going through. Growing up, I was in foster care and I was adopted on my eighth birthday, so I was virtually rescued from a life of destitution and isolation. Although, I know that there are several children in the world today that face the everyday struggles of being in foster care and not living with the people who created you and were supposed to be the ones that always supported and loved you. This lifestyle can have a very detrimental impact on your mentality, and so I have noted that it is crucial to help these kids and, most importantly, just remind them that they are not alone in the trials they face. My family is also currently a foster family, and we have had a few kids for almost two years now, and it has been an incredibly insightful opportunity to be able to impact and play a positive role in these kids' lives. Even such little things like giving them hugs goodnight or playing outside with them is something that improves all of our attitudes and has really opened my eyes to the significance of taking in children and sacrificing all that you can to provide these kids with all of the love and compassion that you can. Doing so will very quickly teach you that it really does make a huge difference in the lives of everyone involved and that all of your sacrifices are worth it a billion times over, just to know that you helped impact the lives of precious children. I have seen that being a social worker requires an immense amount of dedication, empathy, and compassion, and those are all qualities that I strive to improve on a daily basis and social work is where my passions lie, so I am thankful for the opportunities that led me to change my career aspirations. I am also thankful for the lessons my pain and hardships taught me.

One change I would like to see in my community and throughout the world in general is the acceptance of each individual and equality in all areas of life. Several people face an immense amount of injustice and grievances daily, whether that is because of their race, gender, sexuality, social status, or a variety of other personal characteristics. It is extremely disheartening to see such discrimination and oppression being present in so many scenarios in which these types of labels - white, black, male, female, etc. - are not even relevant to the situation. For example, job and housing discrimination and even social divergence occur every day because of these unjustified polarities, and several people are left without jobs, homes, or even a significant social status because of these issues. The most outrageous thing about extreme prejudice is that most of these characteristics that people are being abused for are things that they cannot even alter and have no control over whatsoever, such as skin color and gender. Perhaps the most tragic thing about such inequality is that ordinary people begin to feel an overwhelming sense of feeling unacceptable within society and they oftentimes search for ways to alter their appearance to satisfy the wants of society, and they lose a great portion of their self-worth. This, unfortunately, typically harms the individual being harassed and they are left in an even poorer state of mind and health, sometimes being persecuted to the point that they develop depression, anxiety, stress, suicidal thoughts, and a substantial loss of mental, physical, and emotional health. This immense amount of discrimination is completely unjustified and if nothing else is accomplished, I hope that equal acceptance of each person can occur - no matter what background they come from or what characteristics they inhibit that others unwarrantedly ridicule. One prominent example of discrimination in today's society is racial segregation. Several African Americans, Asians, and other groups have been mistreated purely due to the color of their skin, and the severity of these occurrences has caused people to go to the extent of bleaching their skin so they have a lighter complexion purely to satisfy societal expectations. This is such a sad thing to read and hear about and it creates an overwhelming sense of sympathy for the people who have to continuously face these pressing circumstances. This is especially disheartening considering that skin color does not affect the way we move, behave, or carry out everyday objects, yet people are being persecuted for this characteristic that they can neither change nor should feel like they need to change. Another prominent factor of discrimination in our society is gender. This used to be more of a significant factor during previous decades when women were expected to stay home and watch the kids, cook the meals, and clean the house. Nowadays, we face different expectations of people from each gender, but divisions still occur. Gender inequalities often emerge within social structures that have established institutionalized concepts of gender differences. Typically, this is present in the workplace. Many laws are continually being passed to eliminate discrimination in the workplace, but it still occurs. Other areas in which gender inequality is present and distinguished are freedom of marriage, divorce rights, citizenship, combat, custody rights, and health care. Social status is also eminently based on divides within people groups. Gender, race/ethnicity, occupation place and position, religion, educational attainment, and income are all characteristics that can establish an individual's social status. To some extent, certain levels of establishment within society are acceptable and are possibly even healthy - given its allowance of providing people with the opportunity to form relationships with like-minded and similar people. Although, today's society is extremely prejudiced and there are often significant divergences between people of various social groups, which regularly create avoidable hostility in daily life. Wealthy people tend to associate themselves with the poorer part of society only when they want attention for doing so. This, obviously, doesn't happen with every affluent person, but that's usually the case. Harmony between every individual is something that's not currently present in our world, but it is certainly something that can be sought. Our society ought to act in harmony with one another and avoid violence, oppression, and polarity at all costs, and this goal of unity is something I desire our world to achieve. This, of course, takes many people and a significant amount of time to accomplish, but even just a few people working together practically and jointly can make a notable difference in our communities, countries, and the world as a whole. I, personally, work to achieve this goal by treating every individual equally - regardless of whatever status they obtain in their lives. I remain unbiased and understanding of every individual and of the backgrounds they come from. I maintain the idea that skin color, gender, and economic and social status don't define you. In my opinion, what defines you is the way you treat others and your willingness to serve and assist them when needed. Persecution is cruel and is not something any of us should be taking part in. We should be accepting of every individual within society and we should create equal opportunities for everyone. Harmony and unity are what we should strive for every day.

One way I stay true to myself in daily life is that I remain steadfast to the goals I have set for myself. It is oftentimes easy to give up and abandon the hopes we have set for our futures just because we are tired or just don't feel like staying committed to doing something, but that is how we stay stagnant and eliminate any opportunities of growth that we had created. I remain persistent in pursuing my goals until I have achieved success, which is not always an easy thing to do. Another thing I do to stay true to myself is being honest about my feelings, thoughts, values, and desires. I allow myself the opportunity to confide in others and let them help me with my struggles and I allow only truthful words to escape my mouth. It is really hard for me personally to open up to others about the hardships that I am facing, but when I allow myself to open up about my insecurities and let others help me find ways to remove them, I can then find true inner peace and a sense of joy. I also personally find it very important to not allow negative thoughts and actions to occur because of me. I try every day to maintain only positive thoughts and to not think degrading things about myself or others. I also seek to remain honest and pure in my actions so I don't dignify myself over others or let others degrade me. Being honest with both myself and others are things that help me remain true to my honest, compassionate self.

I practice self-care in many ways. One thing I do is set apart specific times of my day to reflect on things and brainstorm ways I can be more successful and honest in my thoughts, actions, and intentions. I also read my Bible every day and spend time reflecting on God's word. This brings an immense amount of inner peace, joy, and satisfaction, and is very easily incorporated into my daily routine. I also enjoy working out, which is something that is not only physically challenging, but it creates an opportunity to focus on stepping out of my boundaries and improving my physical and mental well-being. I also really enjoy doing my skincare routine after my showers. This may sound silly and very random, but it not only provides physical self-care, but also a time for me to focus on establishing personal self-confidence and finding both my inner and outer beauty, which is always a good thing to think about. And lastly, and maybe even most importantly, I always seek out ways that I can improve the lives of others and make them smile. I find an immense amount of joy by making other people happy and just seeing someone else smile can brighten up my own day. So, I attempt to do at least 3 things every day to make others happy, even if they are just simple things like saying hi or giving people notes that let them know they are appreciated. Mentality and mindset are the most significant factors in practicing self-care and all of the things I just listed provide an opportunity for me to focus on and improve my state of mind. These self-care practices provide self-satisfaction and joy and make life an enjoyable experience for myself and others.

In my opinion, the word friendship should be defined as the bond between people that allows for trust, affection, and compassion for each individual involved in the relationship. Friendship, of course, can occur between several people simultaneously and between multiple social groups, but the term "friends" is more complicated than the light manner in which it is expressed as in today's society. Friendship entails a mutually beneficial relationship between a number of individuals in which each person is equally represented and cared for. True friendship means that each person has an equal opportunity to share with others their pains, griefs, and joys, and they should be comforted and supported by their friends. Being a true friend means that you stick with the other person/people, no matter what circumstances may arise. You should look out for your friends and have an immense amount of compassion and empathy for them. You should be there to comfort them when they are facing times of stress and pain, and you should do everything in your power to alleviate their burdens. Of course, you should respect their boundaries and maintain a communicative relationship with them, but you should do everything you can to help them feel better. Another important factor in legitimate friendship is that you only speak the truth of your friends. Gossiping and lying about them should never occur because that is toxic and is not how you ought to treat people that you call your friends. Friendship means being willing to sacrifice yourself to see the betterment of your friends and it means that you should always be there to support and love them, rather than abandoning them during challenging times. Friendship means being authentic and true to your friends and genuinely caring for their wellbeing and success. You love them honestly.

Patience is an important virtue to possess and demonstrate because it enables us to analyze situations beyond their face value and it gives us an opportunity to face life's circumstances with an open mind. Patience leads to wisdom and success and it allows for confidence, decisiveness, and a positive and thoughtful outlook on life. Personally, I believe it is more sensible and wise to place your input into a situation only after you have heard or seen all of the parts of the situation. People will be much more respectful and understanding of your opinion if you have been patient and respectful while they state their opinions and beliefs or reports of a circumstance. Also, it's pointless to argue about something and rattle off your opinion before you even learn about all of the things involved. Doing this will make you seem less sensible and most likely rude. On the flip side, demonstrating patience will make you appear more thoughtful, calm, and empathetic. It also establishes a sense of inner peace and leads to a more fulfilling and beauty-filled life. Patience serves as a key in helping us achieve our goals and it gives us the quality of perseverance that is needed to remain consistent in our efforts of accomplishing things. And, lastly, patience leads to mental and physical health because it reduces our stress levels and gives us the opportunity to let go of several of the things we tend to unnecessarily worry about. Sometimes, things must unfold in their own time, and the acceptance of this is the underlining factor of the concept of patience. This is significant in establishing personal mental and physical health and is an important characteristic for every individual to maintain.

There are multiple things that I do to maintain a growth mindset. The most significant thing I implement into my daily routine is time for reflection. It is vital to set apart time to acknowledge, reflect upon, and embrace your successes, as well as your failures. Awareness of the areas you can improve upon in life will encourage you to strive for success and maintain the determination to do so. Overlooking your weaknesses and sweeping them away only causes stagnation and creates no room for growth and improvement. Facing your flaws head-on will direct you on a path of perseverance and dedication to improving yourself. Another significant way I maintain a growth mindset is facing challenges with a mindset of persistence and resolute focus. It's very easy to back away from challenging circumstances and to instead take the easy route, but there is absolutely no way to grow unless you face new circumstances and do things that challenge you in various areas of your life. Staying persistent during challenging times improves your mental mindset, and you often find that the situations you are facing aren't actually as demanding as they seem at first. Pushing through these things often shatters your negative perceptions of the challenges and creates personal success. Another thing I do to maintain a growth mindset is establishing personal goals and outlining ways to accomplish those things. Establishing clear and realistic goals based on my passions creates a sense of personal purpose and reflects what I seek to accomplish in life. I also make sure to set a reasonable amount of time to achieve these goals, because everything takes practice and patience to conquer. Lastly, it is important to maintain a positive attitude and be mindful that failures occur, and that we shouldn't let our mistakes define us.

In my opinion, generosity means being compassionate and being willing to sacrifice your time, energy, and resources to help serve others. It means putting your own desires and preferences aside to assist others and do whatever you possibly can to improve the quality of their lives. Generosity is providing not only physical assistance in a variety of situations, but it also means being willing to provide certain emotional and mental support for others. Sometimes, certain scenarios require an immense amount of dedication and support in a variety of areas, but even the smallest of actions, such as sending someone flowers on their birthday or smiling at a stranger in the grocery store, can be seen as generous acts and will reap a great amount of satisfaction for both parties involved. Generosity can most certainly be present in times of happiness and joy, but it can also be provided during times of pain and sorrow as well. It is vital to be willing to provide support for others in times of strife and stress, and also throughout every situation in which kindness and compassion are being sought. According to my judgment, generosity is a quality that can always be improved upon and is something that typically selfless and altruistic people inhibit and demonstrate, but it should be a concept that every individual seeks to truly understand and convey throughout their daily lives.

One thing that gives me hope that the future will be better are the promises that God has declared. Jeremiah 29:11 proclaims "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." God always holds us in his hands, even if we stray from him and his Word. He remains dedicated to our lives and continually reminds us that he has control over our futures, regardless of whether we happen to forget that or if we don't always feel like it is true. It's also significant to me that I remember that the only place you can go after hitting rock bottom is up, so once the worst has occurred, you can only improve and grow from there. Even if I may feel stuck or discouraged by the events that are happening in my life, I can always turn to God for assurance that things will improve and that the best is yet to come, if only I remain persistent, hopeful, and dedicated to improving the quality of my life. It can oftentimes be very easy to get stuck in a rut of sorts and to forget to stay positive, especially with the increasing amount of insecurities that are arising in our world more often than not nowadays, but we can always be sure that the pain and sadness can't last forever. Perseverance, tenacity, and endurance are qualities that we must strive to maintain and expand upon daily so that we never forget the true blessings and positive things that are happening all around us, even if we are not the ones that are directly reaping the benefits of these occurrences. Even if we may feel down or disheartened, it's important to always attempt to maintain a positive attitude, and when this seems difficult to do, we can always turn to the one who loves us consistently, regardless of our attitudes, behaviors, or mindset. My faith in the Lord has given me hope and faith that the best of this life is yet to come and that the future is more amazing than I can possibly even imagine.

My education plans consist of completing high school and then attending Ball State to obtain a degree in social work. My career aspirations were completely defined by my experience as a foster child when I was younger, and the fact that my family is currently a foster family, so I am still being affected and influenced by the foster care system on a daily basis. I lived with my birth parents until I was four years old, but I was removed from their household after several incidents involving drugs, alcohol, abuse, and neglect occurred. I was then placed in foster care and lived in a few different foster homes until I was adopted on my eighth birthday. My current family has since then obtained their fostering license again and several children have resided in our home through the foster care system and even through respite during a few weekends. I have not only experienced the trials and emotions of being a foster child, but I have been able to see the ways other kids have been affected through experiencing similar circumstances. We currently have ten people in our household, three of them being foster kids, and one of which we are currently in the process of adopting. We have had two of the children for more than a year now, a two-year-old girl and a four-year-old boy, and it has been such a unique and incredible opportunity to watch them grow up and learn from us. They, of course, are not at the age yet where they completely understand the details of their circumstances, and they haven't really had any sense of feeling like they don't belong or were discarded by their birth parents. Although, when I was in foster care, I was old enough to understand these things, and a feeling of loss and shame was usually incorporated into my daily thoughts and mentality. I have also seen similar emotional instabilities in the fifteen-year-old foster boy that has been living with us for six months or so. Seeing such insecurities and vulnerabilities in other people is something that affects me greatly personally, especially when I come from a similar background as the people who are struggling, so these things have most definitely influenced the career aspirations I have composed for my future. Being a social worker takes an immense amount of dedication, compassion, and kindness, and these are all traits that I desire to expand and improve upon daily, so being active in this line of work will not only be beneficial for my attempts at improving my own character and personality, but I can also work to refine and enhance the mentalities and mannerisms of others. Serving others and sacrificing my time, energy, and resources for others has always been something that I am passionate about, even to the extent where I may be hurt in the process. It is exceedingly important to me that others are happy and know their self-worth, so I am more than willing to sacrifice what is needed to assist others with the betterment of themselves. Social work is a wonderful opportunity to take part in making positive impacts on the lives of others, all while being an extremely rewarding and gratifying career, and I am thankful for the experiences I have had that led me to such aspirations for my future.

One practical solution for helping people who struggle with mental health is implementing a required course in high schools to educate people while they are still young about the dangers of poor mental health and effective ways to cope with these dilemmas. According to recent studies, fifty percent of mental illnesses begin by age 14 and about seventy-five percent by age 24. Many people are age 14 when they begin high school, so I believe it would be extremely beneficial to incorporate a mental health awareness class into the required freshman curriculum, or at least during some year of high school. I have seen and experienced firsthand the detrimental aspects of poor mental health, and I have noted the true vitality of acknowledging that these issues do exist and need to be addressed before they lead to something extremely serious and painfully harmful. Not only can a miserable state of mind lead to sadness, depression, and anxiety, but it can also lead to self-harm and physical issues as well as mental deterioration and emotional instability. It is overwhelmingly crucial to acqaint, inform, and prepare people for the impact that declined, or absent, mental health can have. I also believe it is valuable to make the mental health awareness class a required course because these dilemmas affect each and every individual, whether primarily or secondhandedly. Such topics may be hard to discusss or teach about, but it would be such a worthwhile investment to not only elaborate on the potential mental collapses that may occur, but also the ways to deal with these frailties. If anything, it would be significant, through these courses, to show teens know that they are not alone in the trials and afflictions they face. Having such classes would be extremely beneficial for mental health awareness.

My dream life entails completing this year in high school and then attending Ball State for either 3 or 4 years to obtain a degree in social work. Ideally, I would love to only be in college for 3 years so that I can get married and have a few kids of my own while I'm still young. Since I was placed in foster care when I was 4 years old and was adopted on my 8th birthday, I was able to catch a glimpse of the struggles and hardships that kids in foster care face, and since then it has always been my dream to have foster kids in my future family, so it would be incredible if I was able to take advantage of my resources and create a safe place for various foster kids to reside and grow up. I dream of having a healthy, successful, and loving marriage where both my husband and I follow and serve the Lord, and where we can teach our kids to do likewise. I dream of having a successful career and I would love to be an adoption social worker so I can continue to have a positive impact and influence in the lives of children and to make a positive impact on society in general. And, lastly, I would love to be able to travel and see the various wondrous landscapes throughout the world and spread positivity and joy in places other than my hometown.

My experience with mental health has significantly influenced my beliefs, relationships, and career aspirations. Not only have I seen firsthand the detrimental aspects of poor mental health and the harm it can cause, but I have personally experienced the effects of such a destructive dilemma. Not only does damaged mental health affect the way you view yourself, but it also influences the way you view and interact with others. This can, in turn, lead to unhealthy and futile attempts at connecting with others and maintaining relationships with them. Lack of successful interconnection with others can further increase the deterioration of your mental health and potentially lead to a worsened state of mind and ability to work through difficult circumstances. My knowledge of these damaging effects of poor mental health has altered not only the way I go about making relationships with others, but has also caused me to modify my personal career aspirations for the future. Last year, I had the biggest mental fall I have ever experienced. Several things happened and I lost many relationships with people who I had always thought were going to stay in my life, and more than a few times I felt completely and utterly alone. I had a very difficult time coping with this great sense of loss, guilt, and shame, and I turned to starvation and isolation as an attempt to survive the stress and pressure I was constantly facing. I never confided in anybody about the struggles I was facing and I put on fake smiles and artificial positive attitudes virtually every single day. I lost my sense of happiness and was pushed to the point where I convinced myself that my life was no longer living. In a last-ditch attempt at seeing if anybody truly cared about me, I made one comment about how unhealthy, desperate, and miserable I was, and sure enough, along came one single person who reminded me that I am, indeed, worth so much and that I have a lot of life to live still and that the best is yet to come. Ordinarily, one person making a comment such as this would not phase me and I wouldn't believe them, but this person pulled me out of the depths of my despair and gave me hope, assuring me that my future was worth waiting for and that the only place you can go after hitting rock bottom is up. He walked me through the hardest 6 months of my life and has led me to a much better place and given me the ability to say that I am finally truly happy again. Along this journey and in the midst of my darkest times, I have learned to find self-confidence, self-worth, and an immense amount of thankfulness for my life and for those who helped me find the real me. I also learned how to depend on only trustworthy people whom I know won't betray me if the opportunity arises. That experience was very knowledgeable and even though I went through a lot, the wisdom I gained has impacted and assisted me to this very day. Perhaps the most significant thing I was able to learn from my pain was that everyone goes through some amount of hardship and that it's extremely crucial to be there for others during those times and to continually remind them that they will make it through their problems and that they'll be okay. Because of my experience with the loss and regaining of my mental health, and also just by noting the other difficulties people have gone through, I have been encouraged to alter my career path and I now desire to be a social worker. Before this past summer, I had full intentions of getting a college degree as a paralegal, but based on my childhood life and the occurrences of last summer, my eyes were opened to the world and to what ordinary people face every single day, even if they never mention the true extent of the challenging circumstances they are going through. Growing up, I was in foster care and I was adopted on my eighth birthday, so I was virtually rescued from a life of destitution and isolation. Although, I know that there are several children in the world today that face the everyday struggles of being in foster care and not living with the people who created you and were supposed to be the ones that always supported and loved you. This lifestyle can have a very detrimental impact on your mentality, and so I have noted that it is crucial to help these kids and, most importantly, just remind them that they are not alone in the trials they face. My family is also currently a foster family, and we have had a few kids for almost two years now, and it has been an incredibly insightful opportunity to be able to impact and play a positive role in these kids' lives. Even such little things like giving them hugs goodnight or playing outside with them is something that improves all of our attitudes and has really opened my eyes to the significance of taking in children and sacrificing all that you can to provide these kids with all of the love and compassion that you can. Doing so will very quickly teach you that it really does make a huge difference in the lives of everyone involved and that all of your sacrifices are worth it a billion times over, just to know that you helped impact the lives of precious children. I have seen that being a social worker requires an immense amount of dedication, empathy, and compassion, and those are all qualities that I strive to improve on a daily basis and social work is where my passions lie, so I am thankful for the opportunities that led me to change my career aspirations. I am also thankful for all the lessons my pain and hardships taught me.

The most prominent problem that the world currently faces is racial injustice and gender inequality. Discrimination in these areas have been prevalent for many decades, but our current society has further accentuated these issues. With each increasing year, new struggles arise for those suffering from the effects of such expansive social inequality. New groups have been labeled throughout society and the term "minority" is now applicable to those of increased age, women, immigrants, and those of Hispanic, African American, Asian, and other racial statuses. Sexual harassment and stereotypes involving gender roles have played out in several circumstances, from the workplace to everyday places such as the grocery store, and yet such injustice is still protuberant within our society and is increasingly more accepted with the birth of each new generation. For those who experience such abuse and oppression on a daily basis, attending school or work and even making a public appearance can be a time of great anxiety and stress and can potentially inhibit such people from completing daily activities that every individual should have the guaranteed right to access and complete without feeling suppressed or persecuted. Throughout the past few years, civil rights have been a hot topic and a few pieces of legislature have been passed to extinguish some of the inhumanity in our society - such as the Equality Act of 2019 - but there is still a great frequency of the occurrence of these issues. One way we can fix this problem is to have more educational courses to inform people of the true bias that is so notorious in our world and how such inequality can have devastating effects on people and our country as a whole. Supplemental information on these topics is necessary for the betterment and positive development of our society.

I would like to be educated in paralegal studies in college, and whatever other law classes I also decide to join. I would like to become a paralegal after I get my college education because I love the concept of law and having to search and dig for explanations of situations, especially challenging ones in which you are forced to dig deeper and think harder than just what is on the surface level. I love being forced to use my brain more and to expand my thoughts, and if I could put that into practice, I am more than willing to jump into that opportunity. I also am favorable of the ability to represent people and their rights, because I love advocating for and explicating such circumstances.

One of the most influential people in my life and one of my greatest role models is the teacher that I had when I was in second grade. She made me the person who I am today and she showed me how to be a great example of love, kindness, and integrity throughout our deteriorating world. When I was in second grade, I was going through a new phase of my life because I was transitioning from being in foster care, where I was for 4 years, into being adopted. I was only 7, of course, so I didn't know what to expect because I was being taken away from all that I had known, which was my foster family. I didn't really have many friends at school when I was that young and I was pretty quiet and shy. But, my teacher reached out to me and supported me throughout the whole process. She would talk to me every day and gave me kind notes to continually encourage me. One time, she even gave me a stuffed animal, which was a great emblem of her love that I still have to this day. Mrs. Baker was kind to everyone; whether it was me, my classmates, other teachers, or a random person she came across in the grocery store. Her kindness reached out of the classroom and spread throughout our whole community, improving and enhancing our way of life. She is the kindest person I know and she never, ever would make anyone feel bad about themselves or put them down in any way. She went above and beyond her daily expectations to set a good example for her students and was a very good leader, even in regards of demonstrating to us the little things, such as smiling and waving at someone or telling someone good morning when they look like they are having a bad day. She taught us to be selfless, generous, and compassionate and to think of others before focusing on our mundane wants and things that we could live without. She taught us to be reasonable and to think before acting, especially because you never know how greatly your words can affect someone. She taught us to love and how to freely give grace and to be understanding because nobody is perfect and we all have our individual faults, but that's makes us who we are. She taught us to encourage one another and to lift others up, not tear them down. She taught us how to work together to carry out a common goal and she demonstrated the significance of being willing to fail, but also to get back up and try again. My teacher was where a great portion of my support and guidance came from and I don't think I would be the person I am today, had she not shown me her kindness and grace and how to see the good in every person and every situation, regardless of what they may seem like on the surface because we all have a purpose and are significant in our world.