My name is Christian Ross. I am a senior at Bartlesville High School in Oklahoma. I am President of a club named “Students Standing Strong”. I put this club together for Bartlesville High School students that want to deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ along with faith filled fellowship with other students. We meet every two weeks for one hour and we worship, pray and have bible studies. There has been over 100 students attending at any given time. I feel I am a good leader and organizer, but most importantly I want to lead people to their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I am passionate about powerlifting and spending time in the gym. I intern at Power Training Center where I clean, organize and teach some classes with my favorite classes being little kids. My goal is to one day open a Christian gym. After high school I would like to attend the Engineering program at the University of Oklahoma. I plan to find a church and youth group as soon as possible and will also continue powerlifting after I find a gym. I hope to be a good example for my dedication to the sport along with my love for Jesus. I have won a state medal in powerlifting, so I want to have a positive influence there. My dream for a charity would be to raise money to purchase bibles to distribute on the streets, especially to homeless people. I once gave my cherished, personal bible to a homeless man and I will never regret it. I remember that day well. I was leaving the Walmart parking lot and noticed a homeless man sitting at the corner of the parking lot under a tree. I parked and went back in to Walmart to purchase some water and some food. I gave it to him and he was very grateful. Through our conversation, I could tell he was depressed and feeling hopeless. I went back to my car, grabbed my bible and ministered to him for about an hour. I could tell he was hungry for God’s word because it gave him hope that some day he will live in glory in the afterlife instead of on the streets alone, hot in the summer and freezing in the winter. When I realized how beneficial this bible would be to him, I immediately handed it to him and told him to keep it. He had tears in his eyes as he took it from my hands. I never saw him again after that day and have often wondered what happened to him. However, I am filled with happiness knowing he has my bible and I pray he has found comfort in God’s word.

ADHD is a term that a lot of people throw around these days. It's become a buzzword—something many use as a crutch to explain why they struggle in school, rather than admitting they may not be putting in the effort. But for those of us who truly live with ADHD, it’s not a quirk or an excuse. It’s a constant challenge, a shadow that follows us everywhere. Hi, I’m Christian, and I have ADHD. I grew up in northern Oklahoma and have always been a creative kid. I played sports—football, wrestling, and eventually powerlifting, which I now compete in at the collegiate level. I’ve always loved doodling, too. But like many people with ADHD, I’ve struggled with tasks that require discipline without immediate motivation. While others may joke about ADHD online, as if it’s something quirky or funny, it’s been a real and often painful struggle in my life—affecting me mentally and, at times, physically as a result. The feeling of constantly struggling to focus, to the point where it feels like nothing is getting done, is devastating. I remember being in second grade and taking medication for my ADHD. It helped, but it didn’t solve everything. One day, my teacher caught me not doing an assignment and decided to scold me in front of the entire class, saying, “Your magical pills aren’t doing anything for you.” As harsh as that was, in some ways, she had a point. It felt like nothing I did was working, and no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t stay focused. The early years of high school were tough. ADHD made them even tougher. My inability to concentrate made me feel isolated, as if something about me was fundamentally different from the other kids. While I won’t say ADHD directly led me to the lowest point in my life, it certainly contributed to my lack of self-esteem. That lack of confidence eventually helped lead me down a dark path—one where I considered ending my own life. It sounds extreme, but at the time, I genuinely hated myself. ADHD didn’t cause that hatred, but it definitely didn’t help. Despite it all, I came out stronger. ADHD will be part of my life forever, but how I choose to let it affect me is entirely up to me. No pill will “fix” me completely. Medication can help, but it won’t heal everything. What motivates me to continue my education is the fact that, despite the struggles, I’ve proven—time and time again—that I have the strength and capability to overcome my challenges. I’m becoming a better, more resilient person because of it.

I’m a fiend for doing dumb stuff—but okay, hear me out. I grew up as a kid who wasn’t a bad student. I had good grades and all, but I wasn’t exactly the teacher’s pet either. For example, my friends and I would pass each other notes about brain rot in class while also taking actual notes. We were good kids—we just liked to have fun. Speaking of fun, we started making YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram videos as a hobby! We film everything from silly moments to gym motivation edits, and we’ve been doing pretty well so far—with a lot of room to grow. One of our best clips was us blasting Thick of It by KSI while driving down a backroad… with a whole table in the bed of my truck. Real sigma behavior. We also made a video where we competed to see who could glide on water the longest while being pulled by a boat. I used to be really shy, but at this point, I’ve survived so many dumb side quests that I genuinely couldn’t care less what people think. I’m just living it.

Growing up, my dad was a bully to me. I took his abuse without question, and it was a real struggle for a long time. I believed I wasn’t good enough, and that belief led me down a spiral of sadness. At times, I even became a bully myself. During my freshman year of high school, I played football and wrestled. I let that get to my head. Between the struggle at home and the arrogance I developed through sports, I let those experiences dictate my behavior. I stopped treating others with the kindness I once had. I believe this was also rooted in not being accepted by the football team and being bullied there for not having as much money as the other “preppy” kids. I hated my life, and in turn, I treated others poorly. One night, everything got to me, and I attempted to take my own life. Early the next morning, I woke up on a cold floor and noticed a dusty book on my desk—it was a Bible. In that moment, I realized I needed to change and become not only the person I wanted to be, but also the person God wanted me to be. From that day forward, I began to speak out against my “old friends.” I found a sense of purpose and identity in my new love for doing what’s right. There was a serious hazing problem on the wrestling team, and I decided to put a stop to it. Calling out my old teammates was scary and uncomfortable, but it was also freeing. I saw people make decisions—either to join me or to turn their backs on me as if I had betrayed them. Now, I find it easier to stand up to bullies because I understand them. I know when someone bullies out of pain and sadness, and I know when someone is just being cruel. Either way, I remember what my old football coach used to say: “If you nip the offense for trying to do something... they won’t.” Since then, I’ve lost and gained friends, but I’ve found strength in standing for what’s right. People need to know that they are more than their bank account. Coming from a home with limited resources has taught me to work hard for what I want and to find value in the things I do have. I want to attend Baylor, and I know it won’t be easy—but I also know it’s possible. If a boy who used to pick fights with just about anyone can change and learn to love as many people as possible, then I know I can face this next challenge. God bless.

How a Teacher Saved My Life During my sophomore year of high school, my stepdad domestically abused my family. This is the story of how a teacher helped change—and quite possibly save—my life. Hi, my name is Christian Ross, and I’m an 18-year-old high school senior. Two years ago, my stepdad's abuse reached a breaking point. As an athlete, I used sports as a way to escape the pain. Football and wrestling were my outlets—contact sports that let me release anger and emotion, though not always in the healthiest way. After yet another violent episode, I had my stepfather arrested. In retaliation, my family kicked me out, leaving me on the streets. I was at an all-time low and in desperate need of support. I called my biological father and moved to live with him in Texas. It was there, in a new state and at a new school, that I met Ms. Carter—a teacher who would become one of the most influential people in my life. At that point, I was struggling: starting over in a new place, trying to make friends, and recovering from a serious injury I sustained on my second day of football practice. I felt lost. One day after class, Ms. Carter simply asked me, “Are you okay?” That moment changed everything. I opened up to her, pouring out everything I had been holding in. From that day forward, I visited her every day just to talk. We became close, and she became a mentor to me. I even joke that she’s like my second mom. On Mother’s Day, I got her a gift because I no longer had my own mother figure in my life—and she had stepped into that role without hesitation. On the last day of school, I went to see her one final time before summer break. She looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, “I’m so proud of how far you’ve come.” I carry those words with me every day. Ms. Carter was my Spanish teacher, but the lessons she taught me went far beyond the classroom. We still keep in touch today, and I even got to meet her for coffee when I visited Texas last week. Ms. Carter has shown me that there is a light inside me and that I can and will break away from the sins of the man who came before me. Thank you Ms. Carter for teaching me more than Spanish.

I grew up in an abusive household. My dad was not around, and my stepdad was an abuser and alcoholic. I found solace in football and wrestling—my saving graces from a rough home life. These sports became my escape, a way to prove to myself and others that I wasn't useless. I remember one night when my stepfather told me how useless I was. I believed him. Believing I had no value, I attempted to take my own life. Thankfully, the attempt was unsuccessful, and I now consider that moment the beginning of a new stage in my life. However as much as I would like to say things got better after this they did not. one day, when my stepfather was brutally beating my mother, I took matters into my own hands and had him arrested. In retaliation, I was kicked out of the house and sent to live in Texas with my biological father. It was there that I discovered a passion for weightlifting and developed an interest in coaching and entrepreneurship. Through all the pain, abuse, and mental health struggles, I found the Lord. It's strange, but when I woke up on the cold ground after my suicide attempt, the first thing I saw clearly was a Bible I had received from a speaker at a football camp. I opened it to a psalm written by King David. One particular verse stood out to me—Psalm 23:4: "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." Those words have guided my life ever since. I learned that God has a plan for me and that I don’t have to become the man my father and stepfather were. Instead, I can—and will—be better. Now, I’m interning at a gym, hoping to one day start my own in Waco, Texas. In the time since those dark days, I’ve become a collegiate athlete and a state champion powerlifter with aspirations of winning a world title. My life goal—Lord willing—is to pursue entrepreneurship through my coaching business and eventually build a meat company and supplement line designed specifically for athletes. My coach tells me they’re big goals and he loves that, but at the end of the day, the most important one is simple: to be a better man than the man before.