I have always loved helping people, and in May of 2022, I started volunteering at my local Memory Care Center. My job is to work with the activities director to prepare, participate, and invite residents to join in various activities from gardening to exercise to arts and crafts. Helping people gives me a sense of purpose. Every person in that home has a story, and they love sharing their stories with people willing to listen. I feel like what I do is really making a difference for those people. As they near the end of their lives, it is my job to ensure they are comfortable and having fun. I plan on entering the medical field after high school. My mother is a nurse, as was my grandmother before her, and they tell me tales from the hospital and what I should expect, as well as what would be expected of me. They save lives. They make sure people go home to their families. They ensure their patients' kids have parents to raise them. When my mom steps into the hospital, she is not just fighting for her patients' lives; she's fighting for their friends and families, as well. She sees the terrible things that happen to people of all ages. Her eyes are opened to the darkest parts of humanity. Yet she carries on because people are relying on her. She is a hero, and like how a kid aspires to be like Superman or Wonder Woman, I aspire to be like my mom. Brave, strong, kind, and resilient. All of which can describe any comic book superhero. All of which describe my mom. My experience as a volunteer at the Memory Care Center not only builds a strong resume for nursing school but also prepares me for that possible future in healthcare. Even if my job is entertaining residents, it is a job that requires patience, kindness, and a gentle touch, which is also necessary for nursing. You cannot just patch up a wound or put a broken limb in a cast; you have to help the patients want to get better. I have learned in my time as a humble activity volunteer that a smile and a kind heart go a long way, and I want to transfer that to my work as a nurse. Being a nurse does not just mean saving lives. You have to show the patients that their lives are worth saving, and that is what my mother does. That is what I want to do.

As an LGBTQIA+ student who was also raised in the Mormon Church, I can say that I have had my share of heartache. I have had family tell me that being queer is a disease and I am just confused, I've been told to stop talking about it with my friends, who also happen to be my safe space, otherwise, I wouldn't be allowed to talk to them again, and I constantly fear the rest of my family finding out. One of my greatest fears is reaching the end of my life only to find the God I had been told to worship, that I had been told had unconditional love, actually had a condition against being queer. I have played soccer my whole life, and in it, I have found people who relate to me, people I can confide in. Soccer has always been a way for me to escape the world and focus on winning. When I play, there is no fear of the future. No fear of who I am. I can be who I want without complaint. Soccer has always been so freeing for me in that way. It has taught me to be strong and to have courage, which has translated to all aspects of my life. Now, as I prepare to walk into the real world after high school, I look back at my struggles and fears, at everything I have learned about myself on the field with a soccer ball under my cleat. I have come to find beauty in my queerness. I have never before believed so strongly that God and Jesus Christ love me no matter what. I can be who I want, and as I continue playing the Beautiful Game, I will find freedom in knowing there will always be a place for me and people like me. In the future, I hope to share my story with other queer youth who might be going through something similar or who just need a safe space. I hope to be that safe space for them. In a world where people continuously shout their opinions, trying to hurt others who walk outside their vision of right and wrong, I hope to provide a sanctuary where queer youth can come to find some peace and quiet, especially if they have experienced any sort of religious trauma. I want to assure them that they are not alone, they are not confused or a mistake, and that they are loved.