This upcoming fall, I will be attending the University at Buffalo and majoring in Criminology. Many people often ask what criminology is, or how it differs from Criminal Justice or Law. One of the biggest focuses in criminology is the psychology behind criminal behavior. During my time at UB, I will study theories of the nature and causes of crime, criminal behavior, and how society reacts to and is impacted by crime. I will also learn about how criminal justice systems reflect and reinforce systems of power and social inequality, such as racism, sexism, and classism. I have been impacted by racism throughout the entirety of my life, being one of just a few diverse kids to attend a PWI (predominantly white institution), which drives my passion to help fight for equality, especially within law enforcement and criminal justice institutions. There are so many employment options available to those with a criminology degree, so I don't have a specific post-graduation plan yet, but I hope to find a career in either a behavioral analyst or a criminal profiler. I had hoped to intern with a police department during the duration of my high school career, but unfortunately, it did not work out as I took a study abroad educational year during my junior year, and my senior year was so busy to make up classes I missed while abroad. But my exchange has opened up many opportunities for me as a volunteer. The program I went abroad with AFS has graciously allowed me to become a volunteer, despite my young age. AFS, which stands for American Field Service, is an exchange program with study abroad opportunities set up all around the world for people of all different ages. My job as a volunteer contains many tasks, but a lot of what I do is working one-on-one and independently with exchange students currently placed in the U.S., and helping them naviate themselves through their year. I met them at their orientation, and have helped several meetings with them all independently to ensure their year is going smoothly, from their education to their living situations. I also work with our older volunteers to help organize and plan meetings, both for AFS workers and our exchange students, so everyone is able to connect with each other and build relationships. I am also in charge of organizing orientation for our local American Students going abroad, offering them advice, informing them of important travel notifications, customs they should know about their host country before going abroad, etc. This community service has helped make me into a leader. It helped me build confidence in taking charge and providing services to comfort those in new and unsettling environments. This ties into my criminology major because, just working with the psychological side of criminals, I will also be working with victims of all crimes, not just violent, who need someone to lean on and have someone to support them.

When I was 15, I sat down by myself, computer in hand, and applied to study abroad in Germany. I knew nothing of the country; I had only left the U.S. once before on a quick trip to Niagara Falls, but I knew in my heart that it was what I needed to do. My high school had hosted exchange students before, and they became my closest friends. We had students from Germany, Switzerland, Chile, Indonesia, and I became close with them all. I would always bother them with questions about their lives back home, the culture, how different their schools were from the U.S., how travel was there, whatever I could think of. And one by one, as they all returned to their home countries, they told me that their year abroad in the U.S. was the best year of their lives, and if I ever get the opportunity to do it, I should. I researched program after program, trying to find the best fit for me, until finally I had it. There is a program called AFS, which stands for American Field Service. They have study abroad programs in place all around the world, but they partner with another program, CBYX, which offers students a full-ride scholarship to Germany for an educational year. I put all my time into my application, writing essay after essay, letters to my future host family, whatever it took, and in March of 2024, I received the letter that I was one of 50 students accepted into the AFS-CBYX program. I didn't know it then, but my whole life was about to change. During my first month in Germany, I stayed in a small hostel in Hamburg with the other 49 students in my program and attended a daily language camp to better my German. And these kids became a second family to me. I had never been closer to anyone; the whole group was inseparable, and we still are to this day. After our first month came to an end, I moved to Saxony to live with my host family. I had two host sisters and amazing host parents. They were so supportive of me, but encouraged my independence, and I am so thankful they did. During my year, I did a lot of independent traveling, learning how to navigate foreign buses and train schedules. I formed lifelong friendships with people I met abroad, and I experienced new cultures and traditions I had never even heard about. One of my favorite parts about my year abroad, apart from the travel and education in a foreign country, was my trip to the Bundestag. The Bundestag is the German government, and I was able to go in and speak with German politicians and representatives, many of whom I am still able to speak with and refer to for advice. I am now 17 years old, a senior in high school, on my way to university, and I have connections worldwide. I am more independent and confident than I ever have been, and I know that the application I submitted at 15 was the root of it all, that this would have never happened if I hadn't taken that first small step. This taught me to take risks, to fight for my future, and to take as many opportunities as I can, because my whole life changed that year, my soul changed. And I know there is still a whole world waiting out there for me, but I need to go out and explore it; it's not coming to me.

I have met many people in my life, all with different passions and life trajectories. I have spent time with people of drastically opposing interests, from music to sport management, politics to education, but no person grasped my interests like my schools rescource officer, Deputy Boyer. In the upcoming fall, I will be attending the University at Buffalo to major in Criminology. This has been my dream educational goal for many years, as I have seen firsthand the damage criminal acts can cause, and questioned the psychology of what could make a person commit such unspeakable acts against others. Deputy Boyer always took time to sit down with me and discuss all my questions, from what he has seen in his line of policing to how he believes the environment in which one person is placed impacts their mental state, and the overall effect it has on why people commit crimes. His insight has helped me realize just how important it is to have people out in the world, spending their lives learning how to lower crime rates and finding what really makes a person "tick". He has encouraged me to spend my free time completing independent research and studies, not just to prepare myself for university, but to help me get a better understanding of what "Criminology" truly is, and learn how it affects our communities. He even helped support me as I wrote my research paper on "Why people with ASD are often misinterpreted and criminalized by law enforcement", where I wrote on how often people with autism are seen as threats and violent people to law enforcement officers who can't tell the difference between autism and someone under the influence of substances. Many people don't see that there are so many unnecessary deaths due to a lack of police training about ASD and autism. One of the reasons Deputy Boyer is an inspiration to me is his motivation and willingness to fight for a cause. After reading my research paper, he took the time to speak with our local police department about starting up an educational program for both police officers and the public to help recognize the signs of autism and learn how to safely de-escalate situations so no one gets hurt. Deputy Boyer's commitment to me and my education on law enforcement and criminology has made me more observant of criminal events that take place, not just nationally, but locally in my own town, and has encouraged me to take this next step in my life to help resolve crime and bring justice to victims all around.