A Tuesday in May my Junior year. I stand forty feet away from a high jump matt, like I stood at my past two high schools. I am surrounded by team members whose names I do not know, on a track I've visited countless times wearing opposing uniforms. I feel like a stranger surrounded by friends I used to know. I remember why I'm here ant take a deep breath. Even after two transfers, I never stopped practicing. When the change became too much, I would put on a smile and think about the opportunities. To handle my stress, I would break out my front door and run miles while I cleared my mind. I would do toe raises in the shower to stop myself from dwelling on the friends I lost touch with. Each squat pushed me to move past the pain and build newer, stronger relationships. I hold handstands to refresh my circulation and clear my mind to focus on schoolwork. My family situation forced my first transfer but a deep rooted passion for a dream to study abroad forced the second to pursue the IB diploma. I used dance and high jumping as an outlet for my stress amidst this change. I always looked on the upside despite the change. I met new people, started new programs, and even got elected student body president. I was open and accepting of the change because I knew - that just like my toe raises - I would only get as much out as I put in. The high jump matt has always been a special object for me. It was the only constancy between my high schools and family situations. Whenever I look down the track, I let go all the anxiety and focus on my line. I rock back, rock forward, and sprint. I feel the wind beneath my feet like an entrechat over the bar, moving my hips and arch my back as I change my shape to mold to my new obstacle.

Being an American holds a profound significance for me, rooted in the values of freedom and opportunity that define our nation. My family, with deep rural roots in North Carolina and a proud military legacy through my grandfather, instilled in me a profound appreciation for the liberties that make America unique. Our distinct national pride, willingness to venture headstrong into the unknown, and profound ability to utilize the best of our nation's talents sets us apart from other nations. What makes me proud is not just our history but our potential for further progress based on these uniquely American attributes. However, witnessing the closed-mindedness within my family has fueled my desire for a change in our country's dialogue. I'm proud of being part of a nation that values freedom and expression, but I recognize the need for broader acceptance and understanding. One change I aspire to see is a more open-minded and critical America, where diverse voices are not just heard but implemented. I believe this implementation forms the backbone of our nations growth. American advancement has strived on the best aspects of other cultures: in economics, through the implementation of Keynesian economics; social through the Jewish support pushing the advancement of the civil rights movement; and technological, through the profound efforts of European scientist collaborating to position America as not only the first nuclear nation but also the global leader in lunar and space exploration. With modern tendencies, however, I greatly fear that our nation has become more closed minded on both poles of the political spectrum. Through my experience as a political advocate, I met many individuals along all positions of the social and economic spectrums. This experience opened my eyes to the sheer volume of potential sources for American to receive their information - all of which harboring a terrifying reality. Because our media capitalizes from user-retention, so often people lose themselves to increasingly polarizing statements, until, like Edgar Maddison Welch with the Pizzagate controversy, we drive ourselves mad with fabrications loosely based in reality. This issue is then made acceptable through its normalization to block out and neglect opposing viewpoints, leaving to the unilateral cessation of American progress since the beautiful beast of American development is pulled in all directions in a futile tug of war - with each struggle cancelling the efforts of another until no movement is made. Only through confrontation of these opposing views as well as our own can we truly make progress. Although the questioning of one's foundational principles is counterintuitive to the human instinct - as Earnest Becker references in his book Denial of Death. We are so quick to kill opposing views because we feel that our own safety is compromised by their existence; however, this could not be farther from the truth, since if our nation does not grow, it will rot - and growth is ceased by the rejection of lifeline ideologies calling out mistakes in our current rhetoric. Therefore, only through addressing holes in our own logic and implementing beneficial aspects of otherwise underappreciated cultures or ideologies can the clogged airways of hitherto lubricated American progress be relieved of their blockages. To effect change amidst this upsetting reality, I initiate conversations within my broader communities that promote recognizing the valuable aspects of our neighbors. Through my involvement in student leadership, ethics bowl, and international experiences, I've honed my ability to bridge cultural gaps and foster dialogue. I believe that change begins with dialogue, and by embracing differing perspectives, we can build a more efficient and unified America.

I began my highschool career at Summit Country Day, where I had been attending for eight years and believed I would be attending for four more. I met my soon to be girlfriend in that time and was overall very content in life. Summer of my Freshman year, however, my mother married a teacher at another school, and since money was running tight, this prompted a transfer the beginning of my Sophomore year to the larger St. Xavier Highschool. Things with my girlfriend went well and she was arguably the reason I kept stable throughout the journey. I steadily grew distant from my tight friend group at Summit, but was beyond thankful for the Saint Xavier theater community for accepting me. This prompted me to join several St. Xavier plays and eventually start my own club, Ethics Bowl, which would allow for open and supportive discourse of real-world issues. I registered Ethics Bowl with the University of Cincinnati so we could compete in regional and national championships, making it to semifinals our first year of competition. However, as my time at St. Xavier progressed, my new stepfather began looking for other employment, and the college search caused an attraction to the International Baccalaureate programme available at another school. Taking advantage of both of these, I made a second transfer halfway through my Junior year to Purcell Marian. Transferring as an upperclassmen, I felt even more lost and without roots than the first transfer. Furthermore, the additional requirements of missing a semester from seven high level IB classes greatly contributed to a status of incredibly high stress. I still tried to meet new friends, becoming an attorney for mock trial and later the starting high jumper for track based on past experience. However, I underestimated the intellectual strain of this task as was furthermore inundated with work. I pushed on, but as I focused more on my studies, my girlfriend of, at this time, two years began to grow distant. Other issues arose and now my most reliable means of support had severed aswell. I was heartbroken but persisted nevertheless. I competed with pride on behalf of Purcell's mock trial team and registered another Ethics Bowl club with the University of Cincinnati. Furthermore, although starting off as a joke, I decided to run for student body president. I gave some speeches and made some funny posters but thought it simply an opportunity to make friends. Then, when transferring in January, I was elected student body president in April. I now lead the student section at sports games, give daily morning announcements, and could not be more happy with the relationships I have cultivated since my transfer. Embarking on the journey of being "the new kid" has been a series of emotional upheavals. Each transition from Summit to Saint Xavier and finally to Purcell Marian engendered pain of loss and anxiety of the unknown. Moving from Summit, where I formed deep connections, to Saint Xavier introduced a larger world but left me grappling with the loss of cherished friendships. The subsequent shift to Purcell Marian brought fresh challenges as I navigated a new cultural and academic landscape, compounded by the pain of losing contact with friends from both Summit and Saint Xavier. Despite the emotional turbulence, I've taken intentional actions to succeed. At each juncture, I immersed myself in activities, becoming deeply involved in theater, ethics bowl, and student leadership. These endeavors not only provided solace amidst the pain but also allowed me to form meaningful connections, turning the challenges of being "the new kid" into catalysts for personal growth and resilience.