To some, working in a lab, wearing protective gear, amidst many chemicals can be considered a tedious job. The work to get there, involving heavy math and science courses, is considered even more unfavorable. However, for me, it is my goal. Ever since I was introduced to the wonderful world of Agatha Christie's Poirot, I have been interested in forensic chemistry. It fascinated me to know so many little things are impacted by some kind of science. Knowing forensic chemistry can be used to prove someone innocent, narrow down a suspect, or even "catch a criminal" (as so many exaggerated TV shows like to claim). But what interests me more than this is the possibility of forensics being an emerging field that still have room for more discovery. Due to this, I am interested in pursuing my Ph.D. in forensic chemistry research. To achieve this goal, I have been putting my best foot forward in everything I do. In my freshman year of college, I received the First-Year Achievement in Chemistry award for my excellent scholarship achievements. This is what led to me being selected for the Student Faculty Collaborative Scholarship Program (SFCS). During the summer of 2022, I performed six weeks of research on alpha-Zirconium Phosphate Phosphonate hybrid reactions. This allowed me to gain experience in thermogravimetric analysis, nuclear magnetic resonance, IR spectroscopy, Powder X-ray diffraction analysis, centrifugation, and vacuum filtration. These skills are valuable in any chemistry field, including forensics. In my sophomore year, I aimed to gain more leadership experience. Being a chemist involves working with others on a team. As I was the only student researcher working on this project during the summer, I felt the need to seek other ways to gain this skill. This led to me becoming the Public Relations Chair and Secretary of my institution's American Chemical Society (ACS) chapter. Now a Junior (and soon to be senior), I have been promoted into the position of Chapter President. During my time in this position, I have encouraged more science based community service events. Thus far, my chapter has volunteered at the Winter Park Library and the Orlando Science Center to teach children about various topics in chemistry. As a Ph.D. would also require writing skills for publications, I have joined the Brushing Art and Literary Journal, a publication on campus, as a first reader. In this position, I have gained experience in proofreading submissions and learning more about the publication process. Finally, I am currently focusing on building up my presentation experience. As a chemistry researcher, public speaking experience is a very valuable subject. If one cannot convey the impact of their research, it is considered less valuable in the world of science. To date I have done a poster presentation at the Omicron Delta Kappa (National Leadership Honor Society) Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. As I act as Vice President of Operations for Omicron Delta Kappa, I was able to work on my networking skills as well. Additionally, I have been published via the University of Central Florida's Convergence Rhetoric Journal. As a first-generation, woman in STEM with a service dog, I have been working to break the stigma of service animals in the community. My comic is titled "My Life, My Health, and My Service Dog." I have spoken at the Knights Write Showcase Panel and at the Rollins College Celebration of Scholarship event on this topic. Finally, I have been accepted into the ACS Scholars and ACS Leaders programs. I hope to positively impact my future profession through my academics and willingness to aim higher.

Without a doubt, my mother has been a guiding light in my life. As cliche as it may sound, I have struggled with my health since a young age. I was constantly in and out of the hospital, struggling to find the right treatment that would help me feel better. During this time, my mother fought for me, made sure I was taken care of, and always told me I would be okay. As time passed, her words became true and my health improved. But, without my mother's care, the road ahead would be paved with more hardship. During this time, I had often seen many other children in the hospital. Yet, many of them did not have the same support I did. Some parents left their children in the hospital for long periods of time alone. I was lucky enough where my mother could be with me and give me comfort when needed. Heartbroken, I decided to do something about this. In 2012, I began my Project for Hope (cecilia-marie.com). I collected various stuffed animals, oftentimes using my own birthday money to buy even more. In total, I had over 100 stuffed animals to donate to children in the hospital. It is my hope that, by receiving a hug from a fluffy friend, those children can gain some hope for the future, just as I had. To this day, I have continued this project and expanded my reach to various different hospitals, such as the National Children's Hospital in Washington, D.C and Ronald McDonald House Charities in Orlando, Florida. Now grown up, my mother continues to be my rock during my hardest days. In 2021, just two weeks before I began my freshman year of college, I was rushed into the hospital for emergency surgery. The whole time I was there, my mother was by my side to give me strength. After this event, it became apparent that my health was serious enough that I required a service dog. My mother took the time out of her day to research and find the perfect service dog for me as I recovered from surgery. Now, as a Junior in college, I aim to graduate with my bachelor's in Chemistry. Being in a STEM field comes with rough days and difficult decisions. However, after observing first-hand my mother's determination and steadfast demeanor, I have learned from the best. Each semester, I am tackling issues using the skills I have learned from her. Inspired by my mother's kindness and goodwill, I have tried to give back to others and my community. I have volunteered at the Mead Botanical Garden, pulling weeds to help beautify the grounds. I have also volunteered at the Orlando Science Center and the Winter Park Library, teaching kids subjects in science. Additionally, I have presented at the University of Central Florida and Rollins College on the topic of service dogs and how to improve the community's view on them. Due to my mother's guidance, I have grown as a person and have begun to improve health-wise.

The game that began my Kirby obsession was "Kirby and the Rainbow Curse." Despite being very stylistically different than most other Kirby games, it still kept its adorable charm and creativity. Kirby, now in clay form, rolls around the map with you, forming a rainbow using your stylus, to guide him. My brother and I had discovered on accident that coop mode was available in the game. A simple misclick on the Wii controller led to a cute little Waddle Dee appearing on the screen. With a gasp, my brother and I began to play, ecstatic at our discovery. However, as siblings, we of course had to try and stop each other from completing the level. With my stylus, I had "blocked" my brother from moving thanks to Player 1's ability to control the rainbow thread. Onward I rolled, leaving my brother stuck behind me. Yet that didn't stop him from waddling behind me and blocking my path this time! Although this memory makes me chuckle, my real favorite memory was when we discovered the final boss was available for coop. Until this moment, I had never taken on the final boss by myself. Now with my brother at my side, I suddenly gained the confidence to continue on. In a tiny little Kirby rocket, my brother and I battled the final boss together. No tricks or trying to stop each other from succeeding. For the first time, I truly felt like we were working as a team. Although it has been many years since that day, I still remember the way we cheered after beating the boss and watching the credits roll. Although Kirby is a simple game, it earns a place in my heart as the game that never fails to bring joy into my life.

Every good story starts with a relatable cast of characters. For some, that means an idealized version of who they strive to be. For others, it could mean relating to their goals in life. However, if you are like me, we relate to a character's struggles. In Bungou Stray Dogs, an anime with a confusing name at first glance, is about a down-on-his-luck orphan who is about to turn to a life of crime to survive. Yet just as he is about to make that first move, he sees someone floating down the river. Although he had just made up his mind to only care for himself, he still selflessly dives into the water to save the man. To the protagonist's shock, the man is angry, stating he wanted to die in the first place. It's a strange start. And an even stranger story. In a world full of super-ability individuals, how could anyone relate to these characters? This story has it all. It can make you laugh, cheer, and cry for the challenges these characters face. Even the "bad guys" begin to worm their way into your heart. It becomes hard to deem anyone a true "villain" with how close they all appear to be. It becomes clear to the audience that this is the key theme of the story. It isn't a fantasy about revenge or an underdog story about making it to the top. Instead, the story makes the viewer feel a part of the family. These characters, each different in their own way, are tossed away by the world. They were all seen as "stray dogs," forever inclined to travel the world on their own with no place to call home. Yet, when gathered together, they become a family to each other. I can endlessly watch this anime due to the pure feelings emanating from it. As someone who can relate to being lonely or secluded, finding others who feel the same can be challenging. Bungou Stray Dogs perfectly encapsulates the feeling of loneliness and the joy that comes with being accepted by those around you. Despite these happy feelings, the show is never afraid to trample on their happiness. Yet when they band together, fighting side by side to achieve their goal, it makes the victory even sweeter. Although it is impossible to perfectly articulate what makes this show so special, it will always feel like a second home to me. A sanctuary where anyone, even a stray dog, can turn to for help.

There was never one, singular defining moment that led to where I am today. However, the gentle encouragement of many of my role models steadily led to my motivation to pursue further education. During my Junior year of high school, I began to put serious thought into what I wanted for my future. I had always had a drive for higher education, knowing that with knowledge comes a great capability for positive change in the world. However, it was difficult to choose one path. At this time, my chemistry teacher encouraged me to apply for a degree in science. Before then, I had never considered science a possible career path. However, after days of self-research, the idea began to grow on me. The more I thought of it, the more I could picture myself loving a job that involves lab research. During my senior year, I had fallen into hard times. I was undergoing multiple emergency surgeries on top of the pandemic. Despite all the panic that came with my health, I had found myself scared of being unable to achieve my goal of becoming a chemist. It was at this point I realized how deeply I cared for Chemistry, and that the thought of losing the opportunity to pursue higher education had deeply scarred me. After a tremendous amount of work, both mentally, physically, and emotionally, I was able to enter college safely. After just a few months, I felt even more confident in my choice to pursue Chemistry. During my time in college, I received the First-Year Achievement in Chemistry Award, joined the Student-Faculty Collaborative Research program, presented research, and became President of my college's American Chemical Society (ACS) chapter. Although I am now a Junior, my excitement toward Chemistry has not diminished. Instead, I have become even more acutely aware of how important chemistry research is to me and am now aiming to go toward my Ph.D. in the future. Additionally, as acting President of my college's ACS chapter, we have implemented a new initiative to promote more volunteer work. This includes teaching children at the local library about science topics such as Fluorescence and Sustainability. I have also continued my personal service project, titled "Project for Hope." I started this work in 2012, back when I was still a child who struggled with her health. After having many hospital experiences, I realized how important it was to have hope during such troubling times. As a kid, I felt holding a stuffed animal gave me that hope. After many donations to hospitals such as the National Children's Hospital in Washington D.C., Holy Name Hospital in NJ, and Ronald McDonald House charities in Orlando, FL, I want to continue doing more. Although my life has been busy since choosing to pursue Chemistry, I believe that my hard work will pay off and lead to more good for others.

Canela, my dog, is no ordinary pet by any means. And although many will say the same about their fluffy companions, it is especially true in my case. I have always struggled with my health, grappling with the ups and downs of my condition. However, two weeks before the beginning of my freshman year of college, I was rushed into emergency surgery. This experience, although traumatic, got me thinking of how difficult it is for me to maintain my health. I particularly struggled to determine when I was in pain or getting a flare-up, oftentimes ignoring it until it becomes impossible to handle-- oftentimes leading to fainting spells. After a long talk with my parents, we made a decision. I was getting a service dog. This process was no easy feat. I had to find a dog trainer who specializes in training service dogs as well as prepare for the coming of my first ever dog. We had decided to train my service dog as a puppy, rather than get a dog from a program, as many trainers agreed it was better to gain a stronger bond. However, when I first saw Canela, my heart melted. Canela, which is the Spanish word for 'cinnamon,' is a full golden retriever. The bottom half of her fur is a whiter-golden color, while the top of her fur is a darker golden, resembling a sprinkle of cinnamon. During her two years of training, Canela had demonstrated time and time again that she is here to protect and help me. As just a puppy in training, Canela had saved me. My favorite snack of all time is cashews. This particular day I had been eating quite a few. Suddenly, Canela began to bark at me. I ignored her at first, thinking she just wanted some of my food. But suddenly she began to "push" me with her head to sit down. I put down my snack, following her to the couch. As soon as I sat down, she immediately laid on my lap. I thought to myself, she must really want love today. However, as I began to pet her, I realized my throat was closing up. I began to get hives across my body. Canela, at not even a year old, knew I was getting an allergic reaction to nuts. This is just one of many stories of Canela saving me. As she began to grow, both as a puppy and a service dog, I learned to trust her and her instincts. Today, I am proud to say she is a fully trained service dog who can work with me full-time at college. As for me, working toward a degree in Chemistry is my goal in life. I even intend to go on to my Ph.D. after graduation. My dream job is to work in chemical research, applying what I know to develop new chemical applications. Although I fully understand being a woman in STEM with a service dog is a difficult dream, I intend to go as far as I can while I still can. Thanks to Canela, and her training to be in the lab with me, I believe I can still aim even further. In the images attached, Canela can be found in her lab gear, another shows the two of us together for our college's major madness event, and finally a picture of her happy and peaceful at home.

"Why did this happen to me?" is a common question every person asks, at least once, in their life. I have always struggled with my health, even as a child. However, as the time to start thinking about college arrived, I began to have hope. I thought that, as soon as I entered college, my health would begin to improve. I would be able to reach greater heights. I struggled with my college decisions, praying to make the right decision. Through a series of events, I decided to go into Chemistry and aim to become a lab researcher. Yet, just as I was heading toward my senior year, my health declined once more. The world was just put into lockdown. Now having more time, I suddenly noticed things I never noticed before. I was having extreme pain and struggled to breathe. I headed to the doctor, where I found out I had a large cyst in my chest and a double-deviated septum in my nose. All this time, I had been too busy with school, clubs, and my studies to even notice the chaos happening in my own body. In the middle of my senior year, I had undergone two surgeries back to back. During that time, I prayed fervently. "Why is this happening?" But I realized, that without lockdown, I would have never noticed I was struggling. Due to the deviated septum, my oxygen was cut by 30%. My doctors were terrified I would pass out and never wake up. As time went on, and I came closer to the start of my freshman year, another incident occurred. Two weeks before the start of the new semester, I awoke to the biggest pain in my life. One rushed hospital visit later, I was suddenly transferred into emergency surgery--- It was an ovarian cyst so large, that it was threatening to cut off my circulation left untouched. Once more, I prayed. I prayed that I would be able to keep going, keep pushing through my health conditions and be able to achieve my dreams of being a chemist. As I was waking up from surgery, I distinctly remember hearing a little voice calling out to me. On my left side, I left someone holding my hand, telling me "Wake up." When I awoke, my mother was on my right side, sitting in a chair. I asked her if she was originally on my left, holding my hand. She looked confused, asking why I would ask that coming right out of surgery. But, she was never on my left or even calling out to me. In my heart, I felt like God was there for me. Giving me the confidence to keep going. Although these events were painful, without them, I would be in even worse shape and health. Being alive felt like a miracle in itself. As I continue my academic career, I still feel as though my faith will guide me through my journey, just as it always has.

@cecilia03her

In middle school, I remember going to a small school with not much diversity. The school planned an event where students would bring food from their different cultures and teach about ethnicities. However, as I looked around the room, I felt very alone. Being a woman who descended from the Maya, Kaqchikel tribe, I grew up knowing very little about my culture. My father, who immigrated to the United States, grew up with the mentality that it is better to hide his native heritage. Due to problems in Guatemala that surrounded bias toward the Mayan tribes, he taught me and my brother very little about our culture and native language. Growing up without knowing much about my culture felt disappointing. In many history classes, the Mayan people were taught to have faded out of existence. Despite there being many different Maya tribes, little is known due to bias and a lack of communication. However, this does not just apply to the Maya. Many other indigenous tribes are seen as "unimportant" when it comes to STEM research. Since they are not the majority, many studies and research are overlooked. This is a terrible injustice that is keeping many STEM fields from finding new and innovative breakthroughs. When I went into my Chemistry degree, I did not go with high expectations to "change the world" or "prove myself." I decided to go in, proud of my heritage and how far I came to get here, and simply try my best. Simply being in the classroom meant that myself and other indigenous women were one step closer to being heard in a STEM setting. Despite this, I still occasionally felt discouraged at having a different background than others. There would be so many students who were smarter or came from a wealthy background. However, I always pushed through by telling myself that I made it here despite not having the same start. While going toward my degree, I was recently presented with an opportunity to research alpha-Zirconium phosphate and its possible applications. Among the many possible uses, alpha-Zirconium phosphate can be used to capture pollutants in water. I firmly believe that this research will positively benefit many communities once it is perfected. Although I have a long way to go, I feel honored that I was chosen amongst my peers to work on such a distinct research project. This gives me the hope that, one day, other women and indigenous STEM students will also have their voices heard. I plan to give back to my community through my current and future research. Additionally, I have my own service project which involves giving stuffed animals to children in the hospital, who I relate to due to my constant battle with my health. Although it may not be much, I hope to give a little hope to those around me in everything I do.

In 2021, I had been going through a very tough time with my health. It was a common occurrence for me. However, after coming through two surgeries, I was left feeling hopeless and scared. I felt that my health was preventing me from doing the things I loved and achieving my goals. It left me thinking about a lot of "what ifs." What if I need more surgeries in the future? What if it cuts into my education? What if I try my best and my health gets in the way? During this time, the movie "Encanto" came to theatres. I went with my brother, excited to hear all the wonderful songs Lin Manuel Miranda had helped compose for the film. Additionally, being someone of Hispanic heritage, I found myself excited to see how the film would portray each character. As the film began, I found myself in tears. Mirabel, the main character, had a struggle similar to my own. Before this, I had never seen a movie portray the trembling feeling of helplessness before. Just like Mirabel, I felt that my best was never enough. That no matter how hard I tried, I could never get to the same heights as others. As Mirabel sang about "waiting for a miracle," I strongly connected to her sentiments. The feeling of having to wait and see if something would change for the better is agonizing. It leaves you feeling helpless, spiraling into those same "what if" questions. As the movie came to a close, I had a newfound hope. Although this is just my personal experience, many others have been able to connect to countless Disney characters. To me, this means that people around the world can connect to each other. It allows for voices to be heard. Through creativity, art, and music, the talents of so many individuals are able to come together to form a story. And in these stories, the audience sees themselves going through the same struggles, triumphs, and failures. In other words, my favorite thing about Disney is how it forms connections of all different kinds. Whether that be emotionally, through a character on the screen, or with others, through art and music. Although I still have a long way to go in my own journey, taking the time to look back and appreciate the little moments that gave me hope puts a smile on my face.

In science, one question that is continuously repeated is "why?" "Why does this equation work?" "Why is adding acid to water first so important?" "Why is science important?" To answer that last question, science is important to understand the nature of the universe. However, more importantly, it is my job as a scientist to take that understanding and apply it to situations where it can help. Whether that be in forensics, to help identify or prove a suspect innocent through chemical analysis, or in physical chemistry, where the fundamental understanding of a structure can help create the solution to water pollution. It is for this reason that I am studying Chemistry. I am currently working toward building up my understanding to help me in my own educational and professional journey. During my journey, I was presented with the opportunity to work as a Student Researcher at Rollins College for six weeks over the summer. After my proposal was accepted, I was able to take my first steps into the chemistry lab and work on a very important project. As mentioned before, in physical chemistry, understanding structures can help tackle important problems like water pollution. My research entailed alpha-Zirconium phosphate-phosphonate (a-ZrP) reactions that involved multiple structural changes. To condense the nature of this research, a-ZrP has a layered structure that has small "pores" between each pillar and layer. These pores have the ability to trap things such as ions and take them out of aqueous substances like water. By creating different structures with different pillaring (aka creating bigger or smaller pores), we can test to see which allows for the most uptake (or taking the most ions out of water). Additionally, the structure would be able to revert back and forth to allow the structure to be reused. By doing this, we hope to one day take ions such as Zinc out of water. This research opportunity allowed me to cement my interest in chemistry. By working in the lab, creating new samples, and testing each one for its reactivity, I was able to understand the nature of chemistry before my eyes. By employing these concepts, Chemistry allows for new materials such as this. Although there is much more research to be done before it can be a regular staple in society, I am extremely proud and excited about how far I have come. Time and time again, I have been told how difficult it is for a woman, especially one that is part indigenous Mayan-Kachiquel, to get a STEM degree. However, when I look back and see how many times I have pushed past my obstacles, I know that my perseverance will help me go even further. This gives me the hope that, one day, other women and indigenous STEM students will also have their voices heard.

To say I have been waiting for someone to ask me this question is an understatement. Although I am neither rich nor an architect, in the depths of my imagination I have always been building my "Dream House." To begin, it would be in sunny Florida on the edge of a forest, but not deep inside one. Although wildlife will always be a concern, being too deep in the forest may potentially increase the number of bugs that may come creeping inside. I have always considered myself a minimalist, however, three rooms must absolutely be bigger than the rest. For one, my own room would be small. But, once you open the closet doors, it would reveal a large library with a skyline to stargaze out of. It would become my own personal hideaway to read to my heart's content. Second, I would have another large room with many different fish tanks. I have always dreamed of caring for small fish in one of those large aquarium tanks. However, despite being an "easy" pet, they require a lot of space to truly be happy in their environments. If I were to get my dream home, it would have a room dedicated to them in order to provide the best environment. Finally, the third room would be for my favorite hobby: tea. As a chemist, perhaps it was only natural that I would come to love the art of making tea. Not only do I love making tea, but I also love creating the perfect dining space to accompany it. In my dream home, I would have a tea room. In it would be shelves and cabinets full of teapots and fine china (aka plates that I painted myself with various video game characters on them). The outside of the house would look very unassuming. Since I hate unwanted attention, this would be the perfect disguise. However, once inside, it would look much bigger. All in all, although this house may never truly become a reality. It is at least a pleasure to imagine what it could be.

To be selfless, one must understand the hardship others have gone through, rather than mulling over their own. At a young age, I had been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that oftentimes left me hospitalized. This led to a plethora of medications, doctors, and pain. Being a child, this hardship left me feeling alone and hopeless in my struggle. That was, until I realized that other children, like me, were in the same boat. It was heart-wrenching to believe that others had to go through the same, or even worse, difficulties. Holding my stuffed animal close to my chest, I realized that there was something I could do. In 2012, that young child who felt helpless went on to collect over 100 stuffed animals to donate to other children in the hospital. Each one had a handwritten message from me with well-wishes for their recovery. This small act of kindness was meant to give hope and comfort to kids who felt that same fear I had. To this day, I have continued this project as it has become a vital part of who I am. With each donation, the number of children who receive these stuffed animals have grown. Additionally, I have expanded my reach to nursing homes and rehab facilities, as I wish to reach others who also feel alone. As I continue to grow and expand on my education, I have found my experience with service to shape who I am. Today, I am the Vice President of Operations of my college’s chapter of Omicron Delta Kappa, a leadership society based on community service. I have also volunteered at the Rollins College day of Service with U.S. Hunger (Feeding Children Everywhere), which focused on packaging food for those in need. In my spare time, I have also volunteered to teach students science at the Winter Park Library as part of the Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society college chapter. By putting the needs of others above my pain and sorrow, I found something greater than I could have ever imagined. My small act of selflessness has expanded into a way for me to continue helping my community and the people around me. Although I continue to go through many difficult battles with my health, I am set on helping others. Using my past pain to connect with others, I believe, in a small way, to have helped many children who have felt the same.

When I first began college, I always knew I wanted to be a part of a team. Having a title didn’t matter to me so long as I could help in some way. Now going into my junior year, you can imagine my surprise at having four different leadership positions. In my time during these positions, I have learned a lot about what it takes to be a leader: drive, communication, and a role model, Being president of the Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society chapter has shown me what a strong drive can do. Being a chemistry-based organization is difficult in more ways than one. Just saying the word “chemistry” often scares people away, making the assumption that chemistry is boring or dangerous. However, in order to combat this, our organization hosted “Happy Ester,” an egg hunt where the ester molecule was hand painted onto each egg. Although the preparation for this event took a month, the payoff was worth it. By applying my strong drive to the event, we were able to have a successful time, As vice president of operations at my college’s omicron delta kappa (ODK) chapter, I have learned that being a role model is an important aspect of being a leader. ODK is based on service and leadership, having events around volunteer work. As part of the ODK board, I quickly learned just how many members look to us as role models. As part of my work, I am tasked with organizing events and managing promotional accounts. Through this, I have learned to be a role model for others. In my final two positions, I have learned just how valuable communication is for a strong student organization. In my position as Secretary for the Archery Club and Finance Chair for the Textiles Club, I have been tasked with crafting promotional material, managing tasks, and dealing with finances. In both these positions, problems have arisen due to poor communication. To combat this, we implemented easier ways to communicate, such as group chats, along with organizational task lists that can be checked off when done or added to events. Although this was a simple fix, it amplified the need to be an effective communicator when acting as a leader. Through my leadership, I hope to guide the people around me, regardless of whether it is to volunteer more, have fun events, or understand something new. Additionally, I can apply these skills to my future career as a chemist. By working or leading a team of chemists, I hope to achieve more efficient work.

When I first began college, I always knew I wanted to be a part of a team. Having a title didn’t matter to me so long as I could help in some way. Now going into my junior year, you can imagine my surprise at having four different leadership positions. In my time during these positions, I have learned a lot about what it takes to be a leader: drive, communication, and a role model, Being president of the Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society chapter has shown me what a strong drive can do. Being a chemistry-based organization is difficult in more ways than one. Just saying the word “chemistry” often scares people away, making the assumption that chemistry is boring or dangerous. However, in order to combat this, our organization hosted “Happy Ester,” an egg hunt where the ester molecule was hand painted onto each egg. Although the preparation for this event took a month, the payoff was worth it. By applying my strong drive to the event, we were able to have a successful time, As vice president of operations at my college’s omicron delta kappa (ODK) chapter, I have learned that being a role model is an important aspect of being a leader. ODK is based on service and leadership, having events around volunteer work. As part of the ODK board, I quickly learned just how many members look to us as role models. As part of my work, I am tasked with organizing events and managing promotional accounts. Through this, I have learned to be a role model for others. In my final two positions, I have learned just how valuable communication is for a strong student organization. In my position as Secretary for the Archery Club and Finance Chair for the Textiles Club, I have been tasked with crafting promotional material, managing tasks, and dealing with finances. In both these positions, problems have arisen due to poor communication. To combat this, we implemented easier ways to communicate, such as group chats, along with organizational task lists that can be checked off when done or added to events. Although this was a simple fix, it amplified the need to be an effective communicator when acting as a leader. Through my leadership, I hope to guide the people around me, regardless of whether it is to volunteer more, have fun events, or understand something new. Additionally, I can apply these skills to my future career as a chemist. By working or leading a team of chemists, I hope to achieve more efficient work.

Although there are many ways to help others, such as through volunteer trips, donation drives, or a simple act of kindness, they all share one common thread. It is important to help others because it allows us to work with our humanity. Through each act of service, we are able to connect to others, no matter the cause. This is done by seeing each person in need on the same level as ourselves. Service has always been an important aspect of my life. In 2012, I was just a little kid going through a tough time with my health. I had been tired of the constant hospital trips, leading to dead ends and despair upon despair for my future. To cheer me up, my parents had gotten me a very fluffy stuffed animal to hold. This small act of kindness was what sparked an idea. If holding a stuffed animal could give me so much joy, why couldn’t it for others? I immediately got to work, taking what little funds I had saved up from birthdays to buy as many stuffed animals as I could. Word spread and soon, my local church, school, and neighbors pitched in to donate as many stuffed animals as possible. That same year, I donated over 100 stuffed animals to my local children’s hospital. I later received letters from nurses in the hospital, thanking me for bringing hope into the lives of sick children. This is what inspired the title of my service project: Project for Hope. After seeing the joy it could bring, I continued this project each year. To date, I have donated to over 7 different hospitals and over 700 stuffed animals, big and small. This experience is what led me to believe that service allows us to connect to our humanity. It is human to deal with difficulties in life. So, when seeing others who are struggling, it is important to lend a helping hand. Today, I am a proud member of Omicron Delta Kappa, a leadership society based on service to others, and act as the Vice President of Operations. Additionally, I act as the President of the Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society chapter, where we often hold volunteer events that involve teaching kids about the sciences. Although it is often a cliché phrase, it is true that it feels good to do good. I hope through my service, I can leave just a small amount of joy in the world, one act at a time.

In science, one question that is continuously repeated is "why?" "Why does this equation work?" "Why is adding acid to water first so important?" "Why is science important?" To answer that last question, science is important to understand the nature of the universe. However, more importantly, it is my job as a scientist to take that understanding and apply it to situations where it can help. Whether that be in forensics, to help identify or prove a suspect innocent through chemical analysis, or in physical chemistry, where the fundamental understanding of a structure can help create the solution to water pollution. It is for this reason that I am studying Chemistry. Although both fields interest me, I am currently working toward building up my understanding to help me in my own educational and professional journey. During my journey, I was presented with the opportunity to work as a Student Researcher at Rollins College for six weeks over the summer. After my proposal was accepted, I was able to take my first steps into the chemistry lab and work on a very important project. As mentioned before, in physical chemistry, understanding structures can help tackle important problems like water pollution. My research entailed alpha-Zirconium phosphate-phosphonate (a-ZrP) reactions that involved multiple structural changes. To condense the nature of this research, a-ZrP has a layered structure that has small "pores" between each pillar and layer. These pores have the ability to trap things such as ions and take them out of aqueous substances like water. By creating different structures with different pillaring (aka creating bigger or smaller pores), we can test to see which allows for the most uptake (or taking the most ions out of water). Additionally, the structure would be able to revert back and forth to allow the structure to be reused. By doing this, we hope to one day take ions such as Zinc out of water. This research opportunity allowed for me to cement my interest in chemistry. By working in the lab, creating new samples, and testing each one for its reactivity, I was able to understand the nature of chemistry before my eyes. By employing these concepts, Chemistry allows for new materials such as this. Although I have been told how difficult it is for a women, especially one that is part indigenous Mayan-Kachiquel, to get a STEM degree, when I look back and see how many times I have pushed past my obstacles, I know that my perseverance will help me go even further. However, I am extremely proud and excited of how far I have come.

In middle school, I remember going to a small school with not much diversity. The school planned an event where students would bring food from their different cultures and teach about ethnicities. However, as I looked around the room, I felt very alone. Being a woman who descended from the Maya, Kaqchikel tribe, I grew up knowing very little about my culture. My father, who immigrated to the United States, grew up with the mentality that it is better to hide his native heritage. Due to problems in Guatemala that surrounded bias toward the Mayan tribes, he taught me and my brother very little about our culture and native language. Growing up without knowing much about my culture felt disappointing. In many history classes, the Mayan people were taught to have faded out of existence. Despite there being many different Maya tribes, little is known due to bias and a lack of communication. However, this does not just apply to the Maya. Many other indigenous tribes are seen as "unimportant" when it comes to STEM research. Since they are not the majority, many studies and research are overlooked. This is a terrible injustice that is keeping many STEM fields from finding new and innovative breakthroughs. When I went into my Chemistry degree, I did not go with high expectations to "change the world" or "prove myself." I decided to go in, proud of my heritage and how far I came to get here, and simply try my best. Simply being in the classroom meant that myself and other indigenous women were one step closer to being heard in a STEM setting. Despite this, I still occasionally felt discouraged at having a different background than others. There would be so many students who were smarter or came from a wealthy background. However, I always pushed through by telling myself that I made it here despite not having the same start. While going toward my degree, I was recently presented with an opportunity to research alpha-Zirconium phosphate and its possible applications. Among the many possible uses, alpha-Zirconium phosphate can be used to capture pollutants in water. I firmly believe that this research will positively benefit many communities once it is perfected. Although I have a long way to go, I feel honored that I was chosen amongst my peers to work on such a distinct research project. This gives me the hope that, one day, other women and indigenous STEM students will also have their voices heard. I plan to give back to my community through my current and future research. Additionally, I have my own service project which involves giving stuffed animals to children in the hospital, who I relate to due to my constant battle with my health. Although it may not be much, I hope to give a little hope to those around me in everything I do.

To be selfless, one must understand the hardship others have gone through, rather than mulling over their own. At a young age, I had been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that oftentimes left me hospitalized. This led to a plethora of medications, doctors, and pain. Being a child, this hardship left me feeling alone and hopeless in my struggle. That was until I realized that other children, like me, were in the same boat. It was heart-wrenching to believe that others had to go through the same, or even worse, difficulties. Holding my stuffed animal close to my chest, I realized that there was something I could do. In 2012, that young child who felt helpless went on to collect over 100 stuffed animals to donate to other children in the hospital. Each one had a handwritten message from me with well-wishes for their recovery. This small act of kindness was meant to give hope and comfort to kids who felt that same fear I had. To this day, I have continued this project as it has become a vital part of who I am. With each donation, the number of children who receive these stuffed animals have grown. Additionally, I have expanded my reach to nursing homes and rehab facilities, as I wish to reach others who also feel alone. As I continue to grow and expand on my education, I have found my experience with service to shape who I am. Today, I am the Vice President of Operations of my college’s chapter of Omicron Delta Kappa, a leadership society based on community service. I have also volunteered at the Rollins College Day of Service with U.S. Hunger (Feeding Children Everywhere), which focused on packaging food for those in need. In my spare time, I have also volunteered to teach students science at the Winter Park Library as part of the Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society college chapter. By putting the needs of others above my pain and sorrow, I found something greater than I could have ever imagined. My small act of selflessness has expanded into a way for me to continue helping my community and the people around me. Although I continue to go through many difficult battles with my health, I am set on helping others. Using my past pain to connect with others, I believe, in a small way, to have helped many children who have felt the same.

Being a leader does not come naturally, as one often believes it does. Instead, leadership is a multitude of different qualities that differ from person to person. As each person is different, so too is their leadership style. However, to be a leader they must share one thing in common: the ability to be a guiding light to those around them. Before I began my leadership position in the Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society (SAACS), I was first just a confused freshman figuring things out for myself. Amid that confusion, the student leaders of SAACS helped show me what to do. I wanted to return the favor to other students and soon began my position as the Secretary and Public Relations Chair of the club. During this time, I was able to volunteer at the Winter Park Library to teach tweens about Fluorescence and the Radium Girls incident. This led to me wanting to do even more for my community. At this time, more teaching events are being planned for the future. In addition, I was able to volunteer at the Rollins College SPARC (Service, passion, action, Rollins College) day event. True to its name, service was a key part of this event. Which, I was able to work for the Feeding Children Everywhere food drive. This involved leading a group of students on how to package food, maintaining safety and health guidelines, and keeping count of the work done. Amid all my volunteer experience, the one that I hold closest to my heart is my "project for hope." In this project, I work to collect new, stuffed animals to donate to children in the hospital. Through this project, I aim to give hope to children who have gone through a similar experience as I did. I began this project in March 2012 and have continued it to this day. I have donated to many hospitals, such as the St. Joseph Children's Hospital in NJ, The National Children's Hospital in Washington, D.C., and even to nursing homes such as Bristol Manor. As my service project expands, so too does my ability in being a leader. Today, I am a proud leader of multiple different organizations. In each one, I help promote volunteer work and aim to guide each student to whatever path they want in life. Although I still have a long way to go, I feel confident in my abilities and aim to go even higher.

Being a leader does not come naturally, as one often believes it does. Instead, leadership is a multitude of different qualities that differ from person to person. As each person is different, so too is their leadership style. However, to be a leader they must share one thing in common: the ability to be a guiding light to those around them. Before I began my leadership position in the Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society (SAACS), I was first just a confused freshman figuring things out for myself. Amid that confusion, the student leaders of SAACS helped show me what to do. I wanted to return the favor to other students and soon began my position as the Secretary and Public Relations Chair of the club. During this time, I was able to volunteer at the Winter Park Library to teach tweens about Fluorescence and the Radium Girls incident. This led to me wanting to do even more for my community. At this time, more teaching events are being planned for the future. In addition, I was able to volunteer at the Rollins College SPARC (Service, passion, action, Rollins College) day event. True to its name, service was a key part of this event. Which, I was able to work for the Feeding Children Everywhere food drive. This involved leading a group of students on how to package food, maintaining safety and health guidelines, and keeping count of the work done. Amid all my volunteer experience, the one that I hold closest to my heart is my "project for hope." In this project, I work to collect new, stuffed animals to donate to children in the hospital. Through this project, I aim to give hope to children who have gone through a similar experience as I did. I began this project in March 2012 and have continued it to this day. I have donated to many hospitals, such as the St. Joseph Children's Hospital in NJ, The National Children's Hospital in Washington, D.C., and even to nursing homes such as Bristol Manor. As my service project expands, so too does my ability in being a leader. Today, I am a proud leader of multiple different organizations. In each one, I help promote volunteer work and aim to guide each student to whatever path they want in life. Although I still have a long way to go, I feel confident in my abilities and aim to go even higher.

In our modern-day society, it has been a common experience to have your wisdom teeth pulled out. After all, living with terrible dental pain is something everyone can agree is torturous (Since I just had my wisdom teeth out, I would know). However, imagine if there was no anesthesia. The patient would need to look on in horror (and terrible pain!) as the dentist rips every annoying tooth out of their gums. In the 1800s, William T.G. Morton was credited as the founder of modern anesthesia. Before his discovery, dentists were resigned to using lettuce (It's true, look it up)! Some other individuals asked to be strangled or knocked on the head until they passed out instead (which may have been dangerous but very wise when faced with the alternative). William Morton was originally credited for "discovering" anesthesia due to his diligence and willingness to try. After performing dental surgery using this method, many others were convinced that it was safe. (Perhaps they should also thank the brave individual who consented to this surgery as well!) This form of technology has inspired me to take risks. Without making attempts to change the world, new technology such as this would never have been invented. Despite it still being a relatively "dangerous" substance, science has allowed for people to use it in safe volumes. As someone who has had five surgeries in the past two years, I have found myself constantly thanking science for finding anesthesia. Without it, I shiver at what the world have have been subjected to... (years of dental pain)!

It is no secret that I struggle with my health. Just in these last two years, I have come through five surgeries and countless hospital visits. I learned very early on to hide my condition and put up with all the symptoms in order to "be more like the others." Due to all my conditions, I felt discouraged: as though there was nothing I could do and that I must simply resign to being different from others my age. While my classmates ran around carefree, I would always be told to "sit this out" and "wait until I'm better." However, as I grew up, I began to realize that there are certain things I can do. During one of my hospital visits, I found myself dejected at how many other children there were (like me) suffering. At the time, I surrounded myself with stuffed animals to "hug out" my problems. It never failed to cause a little hope to swell in my heart. This gave me an idea: If hugging a stuffed animal gave me hope, then why wouldn't it work for others? In 2012, I gathered up all the stuffed animals I could find. I teamed up with my local Build-A-Bear, church, and family friends and ended up donating over 100 stuffed animals to the children's hospital. I titled this service project my "Project for Hope." To this day, I am continuing the project my younger self had started. To create a larger positive impact, I accepted monetary donations from my more recent projects to donate to the Kohl's Cares program. This program allows all proceeds from the purchase of their stuffed animals to go toward families in need. In 2020, my local Kohl's teamed up with me and gave an overwhelming discount. Because of this overwhelming generosity by Khol and my school, I was able to donate over 200 stuffed animals. I have also expanded my charity to donate to nursing homes and hospice facilities. After all, anyone who is suffering deserves to know someone is hoping for their recovery. Although this project is small, my ten years of work have created a positive impact on others. By donating to hospitals such as Holy Name, St. Joseph's Children's hospital, the Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital, and the Children's National Medical Center, many children were able to receive a small hug from these stuffed animals and receive a little bit of hope toward their recovery.

Although the world is ever-changing, favoring stories with gripping romance, harrowing thrills, and constant action: one story that is forever ingrained in my heart is "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck. What feels like an eternity ago, I was assigned this book as summer reading before my freshman year of high school. After reading the first chapter, I felt tremendously disappointed. The premise of Wang Lung marrying a slave, O-Lan, who had no say in the marriage felt wrong, despite it being something that happened often during the period of this book. However, as the book continued to unfold, it revealed the rise and fall of a poor man becoming a rich man. Most modern-day stories portray this as a good thing. The "underdog" reaching great heights of fame, rejoicing at their achievements. However, "The Good Earth" gives the reader a more realistic story. A story where Wang Lung becomes so profitable that he ultimately forgets the love he has formed for his wife. A story where a man becomes so engulfed by his success and ego that he loses sight of who he was and what he wanted to stand for. At the very end of the book, Wang Lung is left with nothing. O-Lan had long since passed away and his youngest son ran away to join the war. However, his two eldest sons greedily discuss how much money they will receive after his death, agreeing to sell the land the reader had witnessed Wang Lung fight so hard to keep. In the end, his sons look at him believing he is an old fool and greedily smile at each other, knowing they will sell the land. In a day and age where social media has led to overnight sensations, such as pop stars or influencers, this story carries two important messages. 1) Fame and fortune do not last forever. 2) Greed can change a person to be the worst version of themselves. After reading this book, I became determined to become someone I can be proud of. In the story, the protagonist felt unfulfilled at the end due to his poor choices made with greed in mind. However, I intended to make choices I could look back on and be proud of. Through my love of reading, I have become an individual who is more aware of the world around me. By applying this knowledge, I have become someone the people around me can rely on.

In high school, I would often be surrounded by people who were exceptional at math. In one minute, hands would fly up to announce the (correct) answer to any question, no matter the difficulty. During exams, students would finish in half the time, rushing to the front in order to receive their A. However, knowing I would never achieve that level of skill always felt discouraging. Entering college, I was intimidated by the amount of math I would have to overcome to obtain my degree in Chemistry. Yet, after my first class, I became excited at the idea of "solving the puzzle." I quickly learned that the only person I needed to be better than was myself. In math, the time spent to find the answer is unimportant. The only factor that determined my worth was whether or not I understood the "why" behind each answer. This mentality was something I found to help in many walks of life, as it pushed me to be solely focused on my own progress rather than that of others. I found my interest to be solidified and proceeded to excel in my education. I was presented with the opportunity to perform research as part of the Student-Faculty Collaborative Research program. My project entailed researching alpha-Zirconium Phosphate-Phosphonate (a-ZrP) reaction that involved multiple structural changes along with the uptake from different solutions. During this chemistry research, I had the opportunity to apply the math I had learned along the way. From everyday calculations to longer, tougher problems, math had become important at every step of the way. After this experience, I had become more determined in my educational goals. Additionally, I had begun to love math and what it allowed me to do and achieve. Despite the difficulties that come with research, such as failure and confusion, my interest in math began to soar. With this new mentality in mind, I began to enjoy my time with math. Each problem became a puzzle to solve, and along with it came improvement. Despite the struggles that came with each new chapter, it allowed me to think outside the box and push myself to try again and again. Due to my experiences, I love math for its ability to push me to work harder and become better each day. With each new chapter, method, and formula, I can feel myself coming closer and closer to my dreams.

In high school, I would often be surrounded by people who were exceptional at math. In one minute, hands would fly up to announce the (correct) answer to any question, no matter the difficulty. However, knowing I would never achieve that level of skill always felt discouraging. Entering college, I was intimidated by the amount of math I would have to overcome to obtain my degree in Chemistry. Yet, after my first class, I became excited at the idea of "solving the puzzle." I quickly learned that the only person I needed to be better than was myself. In math, the time spent to find the answer is unimportant. The only factor that determined my worth was whether or not I understood the "why" behind each answer. With this new mentality in mind, I began to enjoy my time with math. Despite the struggles that came with each new chapter, it allowed me to think outside the box and push myself to try again and again. I love math for its ability to push me to work harder and become better each day. With each new chapter, method, and formula, I can feel myself coming closer and closer to my dreams.

In science, one question that is continuously repeated is "why?" "Why does this equation work?" "Why is adding acid to water first so important?" "Why is science important?" To answer that last question, science is important to understand the nature of the universe. However, more importantly, it is my job as a scientist to take that understanding and apply it to situations where it can help. Whether that be in forensics, to help identify or prove a suspect innocent through chemical analysis, or in physical chemistry, where the fundamental understanding of a structure can help create the solution to water pollution. It is for this reason that I am studying Chemistry. Although both fields interest me, I am currently working toward building up my understanding to help me in my own educational and professional journey. During my journey, I was presented with the opportunity to work as a Student Researcher at Rollins College for six weeks over the summer. After my proposal was accepted, I was able to take my first steps into the chemistry lab and work on a very important project. As mentioned before, in physical chemistry, understanding structures can help tackle important problems like water pollution. My research entailed alpha-Zirconium phosphate-phosphonate (a-ZrP) reactions that involved multiple structural changes. To condense the nature of this research, a-ZrP has a layered structure that has small "pores" between each pillar and layer. These pores have the ability to trap things such as ions and take them out of aqueous substances like water. By creating different structures with different pillaring (aka creating bigger or smaller pores), we can test to see which allows for the most uptake (or taking the most ions out of water). Additionally, the structure would be able to revert back and forth to allow the structure to be reused. By doing this, we hope to one day take ions such as Zinc out of water. This research opportunity allowed me to cement my interest in chemistry. By working in the lab, creating new samples, and testing each one for its reactivity, I was able to understand the nature of chemistry before my eyes. By employing these concepts, Chemistry allows for new materials such as this. Although there are many more questions before we can better understand the nature of our universe, by taking one step at a time, more information can be gained. In all aspects of life, our understanding of the world can help create positive change.

Although the world is ever-changing, favoring stories with gripping romance, harrowing thrills, and constant action: one story that is forever ingrained in my heart is "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck. What feels like an eternity ago, I was assigned this book as summer reading before my freshman year of high school. After reading the first chapter, I felt tremendously disappointed. The premise of Wang Lung marrying a slave, O-Lan, who had no say in the marriage felt wrong, despite it being something that happened often during the period of this book. However, as the book continued to unfold, it revealed the rise and fall of a poor man becoming a rich man. Most modern-day stories portray this as a good thing. The "underdog" reaching great heights of fame, rejoicing at their achievements. However, "The Good Earth" gives the reader a more realistic story. A story where Wang Lung becomes so profitable that he ultimately forgets the love he has formed for his wife. A story where a man becomes so engulfed by his success and ego that he loses sight of who he was and what he wanted to stand for. At the very end of the book, Wang Lung is left with nothing. O-Lan had long since passed away and his youngest son ran away to join the war. However, his two eldest sons greedily discuss how much money they will receive after his death, agreeing to sell the land the reader had witnessed Wang Lung fight so hard to keep. In the end, his sons look at him believing he is an old fool and greedily smile at each other, knowing they will sell the land. In a day and age where social media has led to overnight sensations, such as pop stars or influencers, this story carries two important messages. 1) Fame and fortune do not last forever. 2) Greed can change a person to be the worst version of themselves. I believe everyone should read this book for the impactful message of what greed and fortune can create. It would allow others to be wary of who they are becoming and how they should value the people in their lives.

In my dreams, I am someone who has achieved my vision of doing good through my chemistry research, my service project, and being someone who can be proud of myself.

“You can do anything you set your mind to” was a common phrase to be uttered at any career day at school. Even as young as first grade, I noticed how every great scientist presented to our class was male. In movies, cartoons, and even class textbooks, it was very rare to ever see a female scientist. At this time, I thought science simply wasn’t for me. However, as I continued on to high school, I found myself fascinated with science, lab research, and the possible discoveries it could lead to. I couldn’t deny it anymore; I wanted to be a scientist. Being a Mayan woman, I was met with many concerned onlookers who would question why I would want to go into a field known for being difficult for diverse women. To this question, I would always respond with “because I want to be a scientist. Isn’t that enough?” Continuing to college, I found my interest to be solidified and proceeded to excel in my education. After receiving the first-year achievement in Chemistry award, I was presented with the opportunity to perform research as part of the Student-Faculty Collaborative Research program. Through this program, I was able to research alpha-Zirconium Phosphate Phosphonate (aZrP) reactions as well as test its flexibility and reusability. Through this research, I was able to learn valuable techniques such as how to operate machines such as XRD, IR, and TGA. Through this work, aZrP has the application to perform selective uptake, in other words, take pollutants out of water. Through my education, I would be able to make a positive impact on the environment and progress research that can lead to world improvement. Despite the difficulties that come with research, such as failure and confusion, my interest in STEAM only increased. I was amazed to think there were multiple different fields of chemical research, and how each one impacted a different aspect of the world. Due to my interest, I was urged by my professors to further my education and think about going toward my Ph.D. Although I am still a sophomore, this decision left me with many questions. After making it this far in my education, would I be able to succeed in a much more stressful environment? Was I able to make it this far through luck or skill? I felt many doubts surrounding whether I would be able to succeed as a woman in STEAM. Suddenly, I realized the answer to my question: If I want to be a scientist, isn’t my interest enough? To doubt my future based on bias or fear would ultimately hold me back from pursuing my dreams. Although I still have a long road to go, I am confident in myself and my pursuits in chemistry.

Since I was five years old, I have been struggling with an invisible illness known as juvenile arthritis. To many, this disease is only attributed to people who are older and have lived long lives. However, I had barely begun my life and was already suffering from extreme pain that oftentimes left me physically paralyzed or bedridden. As a child, this put a damper on my goals in life and made me believe that I would never be able to enjoy life like the other children my age. When I was struggling with my health, many teachers and even doctors claimed that it was impossible for me to be in extreme pain since I was so young. Many people doubted my struggle and claimed that I was a liar. However, as I mentioned before, no one can know you just by looking on the outside. Although I looked young, I was suffering terribly on the inside. This lesson is what pushed me into taking action. Every time I went to the hospital, I was amazed by how many children who, just like me, were suffering from various illnesses. Being young and sentimental, I often told my parents how distraught I was at being unable to help the other young patients in the hospital. Thinking of how holding a stuffed animal in a tight hug made me smile even on my sickest days, an idea struck me. Getting straight to work, I began to collect various stuffed animals from anywhere and everywhere. I asked local churches, stores, family friends, and parishioners if they could donate to my cause. Soon, I had over a hundred stuffed animals to give away. My very first stuffed animal donation was at Holy Name Medical Center in New Jersey, all of which were distributed to the children in the hospital. I was proud to be able to help give a smile to people who were suffering. To this day, I have continued my stuffed animal donations with as much tenacity and drive as my younger self has. In this way, I hope to have impacted my community with a ray of hope. Despite having a particularly rocky summer in terms of my health, I have begun to recover and desire to work toward the goals I thought was once impossible. I hope by continuing my donations and working toward higher education, I can achieve my goal of genuinely helping others gain hope.

Since I was five-years-old, I have been struggling with an invisible illness known as juvenile arthritis. To many, this disease is only attributed to people who are older and have lived long lives. However, I had barely begun my life and was already suffering from extreme pain that oftentimes left me physically paralyzed or bedridden. As a child, this put a damper on my goals in life and made me believe that I would never be able to enjoy life like the other children my age. When I was struggling with my health, many teachers and even doctors claimed that it was impossible for me to be in extreme pain since I was so young. Many people doubted my struggle and claimed that I was a liar. However, as I mentioned before, no one can know you just by looking on the outside. Although I looked young, I was suffering terribly on the inside. This lesson is what pushed me into taking action. Every time I went to the hospital, I was amazed by how many children who, just like me, were suffering from various illnesses. Being young and sentimental, I often told my parents how distraught I was at being unable to help the other young patients in the hospital. Thinking of how holding a stuffed animal in a tight hug made me smile even on my sickest of days, an idea had struck me. Getting straight to work, I began to collect various stuffed animals from anywhere and everywhere. I asked local churches, stores, family friends, and parishioners if they could donate to my cause. Soon, I had over a hundred stuffed animals to give away. My very first stuffed animal donation was at Holy Name Medical Center in New Jersey, all of which were distributed to the children in the hospital. I was proud to be able to help give a smile to people who were suffering. However, as my health continued to spiral, I felt my goal of becoming a chemist was out of my reach. Despite the ever-growing fear and doubt, I had to make a mental change. If I never try to achieve my goal, I would only be left with the idea of what might have been. I decided to push on and continue my education toward a bachelor's in chemistry and intend to carry on toward a PhD in the future. To meet this goal, I was blessed to have a service dog assist me. Although this was a major change, having the support of my professors and service dog served as the right choice as it allowed me to fight against adversity in my life. As I go on toward my Junior year of college, I hope to continue pushing on pash the barriers surrounding me.

Since I was five-years-old, I have been struggling with an invisible illness known as juvenile arthritis. To many, this disease is only attributed to people who are older and have lived long lives. However, I had barely begun my life and was already suffering from extreme pain that oftentimes left me physically paralyzed or bedridden. As a child, this put a damper on my goals in life and made me believe that I would never be able to enjoy life like the other children my age. When I was struggling with my health, many teachers and even doctors claimed that it was impossible for me to be in extreme pain since I was so young. Many people doubted my struggle and claimed that I was a liar. However, as I mentioned before, no one can know you just by looking on the outside. Although I looked young, I was suffering terribly on the inside. This lesson is what pushed me into taking action. Every time I went to the hospital, I was amazed by how many children who, just like me, were suffering from various illnesses. Being young and sentimental, I often told my parents how distraught I was at being unable to help the other young patients in the hospital. Thinking of how holding a stuffed animal in a tight hug made me smile even on my sickest of days, an idea had struck me. Getting straight to work, I began to collect various stuffed animals from anywhere and everywhere. I asked local churches, stores, family friends, and parishioners if they could donate to my cause. Soon, I had over a hundred stuffed animals to give away. My very first stuffed animal donation was at Holy Name Medical Center in New Jersey, all of which were distributed to the children in the hospital. I was proud to be able to help give a smile to people who were suffering. However, as my health continued to spiral, I felt my goal of becoming a chemist was out of my reach. Despite the ever-growing fear and doubt, I had to make a mental change. If I never try to achieve my goal, I would only be left with the idea of what might have been. I decided to push on and continue my education toward a bachelor's in chemistry and intend to carry on toward a PhD in the future. To meet this goal, I was blessed to have a service dog assist me. Although this was a major change, having the support of my professors and service dog served as the right choice as it allowed me to fight against adversity in my life. As I go on toward my Junior year of college, I hope to continue pushing on pash the barriers surrounding me.

In middle school, I remember going to a small school with not much diversity. The school planned an event where students would bring food from their different cultures and teach about ethnicities. However, as I looked around the room, I felt very alone. Being a woman who descended from the Maya, Kaqchikel tribe, I grew up knowing very little about my culture. My father, who immigrated to the United States, grew up with the mentality that it is better to hide his native heritage. Due to problems in Guatemala that surrounded bias toward the Mayan tribes, he taught me and my brother very little about our culture and native language. Growing up without knowing much about my culture felt disappointing. In many history classes, the Mayan people were taught to have faded out of existence. Despite there being many different Maya tribes, little is known due to bias and a lack of communication. However, this does not just apply to the Maya. Many other indigenous tribes are seen as "unimportant" when it comes to STEM research. Since they are not the majority, many studies and research are overlooked. This is a terrible injustice that is keeping many STEM fields from finding new and innovative breakthroughs. When I went into my Chemistry degree, I did not go with high expectations to "change the world" or "prove myself." I decided to go in, proud of my heritage and how far I came to get here, and simply try my best. Simply being in the classroom meant that myself and other indigenous women were one step closer to being heard in a STEM setting. Despite this, I still occasionally felt discouraged at being having a different background than others. There would be so many students who were smarter or came from a wealthy background. However, I always pushed through by telling myself that I made it here despite not having the same start. While going toward my degree, I was recently presented with an opportunity to research alpha-Zirconium phosphate and its possible applications. Among the many possible uses, alpha-Zirconium phosphate can be used to capture pollutants in water. I firmly believe that this research will positively benefit many communities once it is perfected. Although I have a long way to go, I feel honored that I was chosen amongst my peers to work on such a distinct research project. This gives me the hope that, one day, other women and indigenous STEM students will also have their voices heard. I plan to give back to my community through my current and future research. Additionally, I have my own service project which involves giving stuffed animals to children in the hospital, who I relate to due to my constant battle with my health. Although it may not be much, I hope to give a little hope to those around me in everything I do.

In the midst of mountains of homework, responsibilities, and papers to write, it is easy to feel unattached to the world around you. In my life, I become so focused on the work in front of me that I often feel robotic and unemotional. That is why the song "I am not a robot" by Marina has such an important message to me. In a world where disassociation from vulnerability is commonplace, Marina's song describes how it is okay to be emotional and have needs that do not involve life's responsibilities. The lyrics "I'm vulnerable. I am not a robot" and "You're lovable [...] but you're just troubled" pull the listener in to the message of facing vulnerability. The song also pushes the idea that humans are inherently vulnerable and need to be loved, not admonished, for having emotions. Although my life will always include many responsibilities, Marina's song allows me to recognize "it's okay to say you've got a weak spot."

In middle school, I remember going to a small school with not much diversity. The school planned an event where students would bring food from their different cultures and teach about ethnicities. However, as I looked around the room, I felt very alone. Being a woman who descended from the Maya, Kaqchikel tribe, I grew up knowing very little about my culture. My father, who immigrated to the United States, grew up with the mentality that it is better to hide his native heritage. Due to problems in Guatemala that surrounded bias toward the Mayan tribes, he taught me and my brother very little about our culture and native language. Growing up without knowing much about my culture felt disappointing. In many history classes, the Mayan people were taught to have faded out of existence. Despite there being many different Maya tribes, little is known due to bias and a lack of communication. However, this does not just apply to the Maya. Many other indigenous tribes are seen as "unimportant" when it comes to STEM research. Since they are not the majority, many studies and research are overlooked. This is a terrible injustice that is keeping many STEM fields from finding new and innovative breakthroughs. When I went into my Chemistry degree, I did not go with high expectations to "change the world" or "prove myself." I decided to go in, proud of my heritage and how far I came to get here, and simply try my best. Simply being in the classroom meant that myself and other indigenous women were one step closer to being heard in a STEM setting. Despite this, I still occasionally felt discouraged at being having a different background than others. There would be so many students who were smarter or came from a wealthy background. However, I always pushed through by telling myself that I made it here despite not having the same start. While going toward my degree, I was recently presented with an opportunity to research alpha-Zirconium phosphate and its possible applications. Among the many possible uses, alpha-Zirconium phosphate can be used to capture pollutants in water. I firmly believe that this research will positively benefit many communities once it is perfected. Although I have a long way to go, I feel honored that I was chosen amongst my peers to work on such a distinct research project. This gives me the hope that, one day, other women and indigenous STEM students will also have their voices heard. I plan to give back to my community through my current and future research. Additionally, I have my own service project which involves giving stuffed animals to children in the hospital, who I relate to due to my constant battle with my health. Although it may not be much, I hope to give a little hope to those around me in everything I do.

I was under high stress. My first midterms of the college year were approaching fast. My heart was racing and I studied into the night, hoping that I would be prepared enough to tackle my first major exams. In the midst of my fear, my parents entered the room with my older brother trailing behind them. With wide smiles, they proclaimed "We are getting a dog!" The truth was, a week before this momentous occasion, I told my parents how worried I was about my health. Two weeks before the beginning of my freshman year in college, I was ushered into emergency surgery. And then, a year before that, I was pushed into two more important surgeries. Not to mention, I was constantly suffering from random dizzy spells. Although I am grateful to be alive, there was a common thread between each of my medical issues: they appeared out of the blue. Because of this, I suggested getting a service dog. Many of my doctors previously suggested it being a good idea, since a good dog could detect ahead of time if something was wrong. However my parents, at the time, thought a dog wouldn't be a good fit for out home. Despite this, they were soon proven wrong. At first sight, my parents knew Canela, a small golden retriever puppy, would be the perfect dog. My father, who previously was vehemently against a dog, had his heart melted and found himself giving in. Although I, like most people, love dogs. I never knew how much I would love Canela. As a puppy, Canela would follow me around and sleep on my feet. My heart melted and I knew she was the dog for me. Now, Canela is nine months old and on her way to becoming a certified service dog. After training in the basic class, she is now moving onto advanced. At the end of the class, Canela will take the Good Citizenship test. However, despite still being a puppy, Canela has already saved me from multiple dangers. For example, when I came back from school, I felt terrible. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I felt like something was wrong with me. As I ate some cashews, my favorite snack, Canela quickly ran over to me and started warning me. I learned that when Canela pushes her nose onto my leg, it means something is wrong. At the time, I brushed it off thinking she wanted my food. However, she kept pushing me and aggressively licking my arm, as if she was trying to get something off. After she laid on my lap, she continued to cry as if something would happen. Then I realized-- I had developed an allergy to tree nuts. My throat began to get itchy and I had trouble breathing. Canela quickly got help and stopped me from eating cashews before it got worse. Since I had eaten cashews so many times before, I had no idea that I could be allergic. That day, I had even taken some with me as a snack. However, since my father also developed this allergy around my age, it wasn't impossible. To this day, I am extremely grateful for Canela's help. I know that she will continue to help me and will always be by my side, just as I try to be by her.

In middle school, I remember going to a small school with not much diversity. The school planned an event where students would bring food from their different cultures and teach about ethnicities. However, as I looked around the room, I felt very alone. Being a woman who descended from the Maya, Kaqchikel tribe, I grew up knowing very little about my culture. My father, who immigrated to the United States, grew up with the mentality that it is better to hide his native heritage. Due to problems in Guatemala that surrounded bias toward the Mayan tribes, he taught me and my brother very little about our culture and native language. Growing up without knowing much about my culture felt disappointing. In many history classes, the Mayan people were taught to have faded out of existence. Despite there being many different Maya tribes, little is known due to bias and a lack of communication. However, this does not just apply to the Maya. Many other indigenous tribes are seen as "unimportant" when it comes to STEM research. Since they are not the majority, many studies and research are overlooked. This is a terrible injustice that is keeping many STEM fields from finding new and innovative breakthroughs. When I went into my Chemistry degree, I did not go with high expectations to "change the world" or "prove myself." I decided to go in, proud of my heritage and how far I came to get here, and simply try my best. Simply being in the classroom meant that myself and other indigenous women were one step closer to being heard in a STEM setting. Despite this, I still occasionally felt discouraged at being having a different background than others. There would be so many students who were smarter or came from a wealthy background. However, I always pushed through by telling myself that I made it here despite not having the same start. While going toward my degree, I was recently presented with an opportunity to research alpha-Zirconium phosphate and its possible applications. Among the many possible uses, alpha-Zirconium phosphate can be used to capture pollutants in water. I firmly believe that this research will positively benefit many communities once it is perfected. Although I have a long way to go, I feel honored that I was chosen amongst my peers to work on such a distinct research project. This gives me the hope that, one day, other women and indigenous STEM students will also have their voices heard. I plan to give back to my community through my current and future research. Additionally, I have my own service project which involves giving stuffed animals to children in the hospital, who I relate to due to my constant battle with my health. Although it may not be much, I hope to give a little hope to those around me in everything I do.

It is no secret that I have had a very difficult time with my health. Just in these last two years, I have come through five surgeries and countless hospital visits. Despite being young, I simply lost the genetic lottery and became ill from various conditions that made my life difficult. However, the one condition that plagued me more than most was my arthritis, an autoimmune disease that will be with me forever. I was five-years-old when I was first diagnosed. Being young, I never noticed living in pain and having swollen joints wasn't normal. I unfortunately had this disease when I was very young due to genetics. I remember being in middle school, excited to run on the playground and play soccer. However, my condition dashed my hopes of ever running faster than my friends and made it impossible to put up with the strain of soccer. My teachers, friends, and even some less than friendly doctors doubted me. I hold no grudge against them since it is very difficult to understand how someone so young could have a condition normally attributed to the elderly. I learned very early on to hide my condition and put up with all the symptoms in order to "be more like the others." Due to all my conditions, I felt discouraged: as though there was nothing I could do and that I must simply resign to being different than others my age. However, as I grew up, I began to realize that there are certain things I can do. During one of my hospital visits, I found myself dejected at how many other children there were (like me) suffering. At the time, I surrounded myself with stuffed animals to "hug out" my problems. It never failed to cause a little hope to swell in my heart. This gave me an idea: If hugging a stuffed animal gave me hope, then why wouldn't it work for the others? In 2012, I gathered up all the stuffed animals I could find. I teamed up with my local Build-A-Bear, church, and family friends and ended up donating over 100 stuffed animals to the children's hospital. I continued my service project all the way into 2020. In order to achieve the most good possible during my last donation, I collected money and donated it to the Khol's Cares program in exchange for more stuffed animals. Because of this overwhelming generosity by Khol's and my school, I was able to collect over 200 stuffed animals. I called this my "Project for Hope." I have also expanded my charity to donate to nursing homes and hospice facilities. After all, everyone who is suffering deserves to know there is someone hoping for their recovery. Since then, I have been able to expand my reach past my local community and donate to many different places such as the Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Sadly, due to Covid, I was unable to have another donation this year. However, I fully intend to work with my college and my community to have an even better donation next time. I hope through my mission, I can make a difference in the lives of sick children. Just by showing them that there is hope for their future and giving them a soft, stuffed friend to hold when it gets tough, I hope that it will make a difference in their journey with their health.

In middle school, I remember going to a small school with not much diversity. The school planned an event where students would bring food from their different cultures and teach about ethnicities. However, as I looked around the room, I felt very alone. Being a woman who descended from the Maya, Kaqchikel tribe, I grew up knowing very little about my culture. My father, who immigrated to the United States, grew up with the mentality that it is better to hide his native heritage. Due to problems in Guatemala that surrounded bias toward the Mayan tribes, he taught me and my brother very little about our culture and native language. Growing up without knowing much about my culture felt disappointing. In many history classes, the Mayan people were taught to have faded out of existence. Despite there being many different Maya tribes, little is known due to bias and a lack of communication. However, this does not just apply to the Maya. Many other indigenous tribes are seen as "unimportant" when it comes to STEM research. Since they are not the majority, many studies and research are overlooked. This is a terrible injustice that is keeping many STEM fields from finding new and innovative breakthroughs. When I went into my Chemistry degree, I did not go with high expectations to "change the world" or "prove myself." I decided to go in, proud of my heritage and how far I came to get here, and simply try my best. Simply being in the classroom meant that myself and other indigenous women were one step closer to being heard in a STEM setting. Despite this, I still occasionally felt discouraged at being having a different background than others. There would be so many students who were smarter or came from a wealthy background. However, I always pushed through by telling myself that I made it here despite not having the same start. While going toward my degree, I was recently presented with an opportunity to research alpha-Zirconium phosphate and its possible applications. Among the many possible uses, alpha-Zirconium phosphate can be used to capture pollutants in water. I firmly believe that this research will positively benefit many communities once it is perfected. Although I have a long way to go, I feel honored that I was chosen amongst my peers to work on such a distinct research project. This gives me the hope that, one day, other women and indigenous STEM students will also have their voices heard. I plan to give back to my community through my current and future research. Additionally, I have my own service project which involves giving stuffed animals to children in the hospital, who I relate to due to my constant battle with my health. Although it may not be much, I hope to give a little hope to those around me in everything I do.

In science, one question that is continuously repeated is "why?" "Why does this equation work?" "Why is adding acid to water first so important?" "Why is science important?" To answer that last question, science is important to understand the nature of the universe. However, more importantly, it is my job as a scientist to take that understanding and apply it to situations where it can help. Whether that be in forensics, to help identify or prove a suspect innocent through chemical analysis, or in physical chemistry, where the fundamental understanding of a structure can help create the solution to water pollution. It is for this reason that I am studying Chemistry. Although both fields interest me, I am currently working toward building up my understanding to help me in my own educational and professional journey. During my journey, I was presented with the opportunity to work as a Student Researcher at Rollins College for six weeks over the summer. After my proposal was accepted, I was able to take my first steps into the chemistry lab and work on a very important project. As mentioned before, in physical chemistry, understanding structures can help tackle important problems like water pollution. My research entailed alpha-Zirconium phosphate-phosphonate (a-ZrP) reactions that involved multiple structural changes. To condense the nature of this research, a-ZrP has a layered structure that has small "pores" between each pillar and layer. These pores have the ability to trap things such as ions and take them out of aqueous substances like water. By creating different structures with different pillaring (aka creating bigger or smaller pores), we can test to see which allows for the most uptake (or taking the most ions out of water). Additionally, the structure would be able to revert back and forth to allow the structure to be reused. By doing this, we hope to one day take ions such as Zinc out of water. This research opportunity allowed for me to cement my interest in chemistry. By working in the lab, creating new samples, and testing each one for its reactivity, I was able to understand the nature of chemistry before my eyes. By employing these concepts, Chemistry allows for new materials such as this. Although there is much more research to be done before it can be a regular staple in society, I am extremely proud and excited of how far I have come. Time and time again, I have been told how difficult it is for a women, especially one that is part indigenous Mayan-Kachiquel, to get a STEM degree. However, when I look back and see how many times I have pushed past my obstacles, I know that my perseverance will help me go even further. This gives me the hope that, one day, other women and indigenous STEM students will also have their voices heard.

Wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, elderberry, and dairy. Five very delicious groups of food that I am, unfortunately, allergic to. The thought of delicious foods like pizza or cashews felt out of reach. However, not only was the pursuit of good tasting food difficult, it was also hard to maintain a nutritional diet. At the time I was diagnosed, there were very little food alternatives available. Gluten free bread (at the time) tasted terrible and made it hard for me to even finish a sandwich. However, now that I am older, I have come to enjoy different superfoods. With so many allergies under my belt, I find it important to try new types of food. For example, I love to have tuna fish salad for lunch or salmon for dinner. And, like most people my age, I had to try avocado (gluten free) toast-- an extremely simple yet delicious combination that is perfect for breakfast. Additionally, I have come to have a love for green tea-- another superfood that is good for blood pressure and a healthy liver. After adding some honey, it becomes the perfect way to start the day. After starting college, it became a bit more difficult to maintain a healthy diet. Although there were many options in the cafeteria, my allergies made it difficult to try new things. Despite this, there were many everyday dishes that contain superfoods, such as broccoli, spinach, and tomatoes. These very simple yet delicious ingredients helped in my food journey. Ultimately, although it has been a difficult journey for me when it comes to food, I have come to love superfoods for how easy it is to incorporate in my diet and its nutritional value. As I continue to go through college, I hope to find even more delicious superfoods to try.

In middle school, I remember going to a small school with not much diversity. The school planned an event where students would bring food from their different cultures and teach about ethnicities. However, as I looked around the room, I felt very alone. Being a woman who descended from the Maya, Kaqchikel tribe, I grew up knowing very little about my culture. My father, who immigrated to the United States, grew up with the mentality that it is better to hide his native heritage. Due to problems in Guatemala that surrounded bias toward the Mayan tribes, he taught me and my brother very little about our culture and native language. Growing up without knowing much about my culture felt disappointing. In many history classes, the Mayan people were taught to have faded out of existence. Despite there being many different Maya tribes, little is known due to bias and a lack of communication. However, this does not just apply to the Maya. Many other indigenous tribes are seen as "unimportant" when it comes to STEM research. Since they are not the majority, many studies and research are overlooked. This is a terrible injustice that is keeping many STEM fields from finding new and innovative breakthroughs. When I went into my Chemistry degree, I decided to go in, proud of my heritage and how far I came to get here, and simply try my best. Simply being in the classroom meant that myself and other indigenous women were one step closer to being heard in a STEM setting. Despite this, I still occasionally felt discouraged at being having a different background than others. There would be so many students who were smarter or came from a wealthy background. However, I always pushed through by telling myself that I made it here despite not having the same start. While going toward my degree, I was recently presented with an opportunity to research alpha-Zirconium phosphate and its possible applications. Among the many possible uses, alpha-Zirconium phosphate can be used to capture pollutants in water. I firmly believe that this research will positively benefit many communities once it is perfected. Although I have a long way to go, I feel honored that I was chosen amongst my peers to work on such a distinct research project. This gives me the hope that, one day, other women and indigenous STEM students will also have their voices heard. I plan to give back to my community through my current and future research. Additionally, I have my own service project which involves giving stuffed animals to children in the hospital, who I relate to due to my constant battle with my health. Although it may not be much, I hope to give a little hope to those around me in everything I do.

No matter how much time passes, I have always thought of the importance of gratitude: big or small. With so many negative experiences under my belt, it is easy to fall into the spiral of believing "everything" is bad. However, thinking of the good in my life can easily help me come out of that state of mind. For example, I am grateful for the doctors and nurses that helped me through my many surgeries. I am grateful for my parents who have always strived to keep my healthy. I am grateful for my brother who is always willing to help me and my grandmother who lends me an ear. However, one experience I am always grateful for is the chance to help other children like me. In 2012, I started my charity titled "project for hope." In which, I collect stuffed animals to donate to children's hospitals. As someone who has always felt discouraged by my health, I felt that other children needed to know that there is some hope for the future and someone who wants them to get better soon. Thanks to my community, I was able to continue my service project to this day. My last donation was in early March of 2020 (right before quarantine hit) and resulted in a total of over 200 stuffed animals being donated to Holy Name Medical Center in New Jersey. With many other donation under my belt, I feel very grateful to have been given permission by multiple hospitals to continue this project. I hope that in the future I can continue and live with gratitude and appreciation for everything around me.

When it comes to mental health, there is no "right" way to do it. However, sometimes it is the little things that can help others overcome the stress and anxiety that comes with college life. For me, some of these tips are the following: - Focusing on your health: When I am feeling extremely stressed, I find myself almost "self destructing." To combat this, I remind myself to calm down and think about what I *need* at that moment. Most of the time, I remember I need to drink more water or have something to eat. Other times, I remember to take my vitamins or other important medication. Oftentimes, taking the time to listen to your body will help you think better and feel less stressed. - Talk it out: When it comes to stress, I always feel much better after talking to someone about it. After saying my problems out loud, they feel so much smaller and more manageable. However, some days I worry about burdening others. In this case, I take the time to write out my problems (whether on paper or on the computer). At the end, I feel more organized with my thoughts and feelings. - Go outside, literally: According to the National Library of Medicine, looking at plants (or any kind of natural greenery) reduces stress levels. One study even commented that seeing at least one plant a day keeps people sane. Although it may not be instant stress relief, it will definitely change your mood for the better. Keeping a plant on your desk, or have your desk facing a window can help promote a better atmosphere. Additionally, certain types of plants can help keep the air clean, which is important for one's health. - Creative Hobbies: Although some may disagree, I believe this to be the most important step to having good mental health. Since school often pushes students to give formulaic answers, having an "outside the box" creative activity can help give you a sense of balance in life. For me, I often try to learn new instruments, write something creative, or start an art project. Due to my high level of curiosity, I found myself learning many new hobbies, such as: painting, sculpting, and sewing. Even if you feel like your creative project didn't come out so good, you can at least feel accomplished for learning and trying something new. Additionally, having a mental break to focus on something else (that isn't stress) helps me clear my mind.

In our modern day society, it has been a common experience to have your wisdom teeth pulled out. After all, living with terrible dental pain is something everyone can agree is torturous (Since I just had my wisdom teeth out, I would know). However, imagine if there was no anesthesia. The patient would need to look on in horror (and terrible pain!) as the dentist rips every annoying tooth out of their gums. In around the 1800's, William T.G. Morton was credited as the founder of modern anesthesia. Before his discovery, dentists were resigned to using lettuce (It's true, look it up)! Some other individuals asked to be strangled or knocked on the head until they passed out instead (which may have been dangerous but very wise when faced with the alternative). William Morton was originally credited for "discovering" anesthesia due to his diligence and willingness to try. After performing a dental surgery using this method, many others were convinced that it was safe. (Perhaps they should also thank the brave individual who consented to this surgery as well!) Despite it still being a relatively "dangerous" substance, science has allowed for people to use it in safe volumes. As someone who has had five surgeries in the past two years, I have found myself constantly thanking science for finding anesthesia. Without it, I shiver at what the world have have been subjected to... (years of dental pain)!

I'm going to be honest: the past two years has been tough. I have gone through two ER visits and five surgeries. Throughout all this, I won't lie and say I never felt depressed or angry that this all happened to me. However, in my little moments of clarity, I take the time to realize that this may lead to a brighter future. That if I didn't receive those surgeries, my quality of life would be much worse. If I didn't go to the ER, the doctors would have never found the cause of my problems. Although it is hard to do, I need to realize that these tough times will bring me greater joy in the future. I used to believe optimism was impossible to achieve when things are so painful. However, I now know that optimism isn't just blind hope. It is the small voice in your head saying "it will be okay" and you believe it because that is everything you need to hold onto. So I held on and here I am, a year later, still going strong and starting to enjoy college. So yes, I do have hope for the future. I hope that I can keep holding on to my optimism and continue to give back to other children like me. And that's my hope.

See file attached.

Perseverance is not a trait that comes easily. At least, not without hardship. Although hardship comes in different forms for everyone, in my life I have been faced with chronic health problems. Just in these last two years, I have come through five surgeries and countless hospital visits. Despite being young, I simply lost the genetic lottery and became ill from various conditions that made my life difficult. However, the one condition that plagued me more than most was my arthritis, an autoimmune disease that will be with me forever. During one of my hospital visits, I found myself dejected at how many other children there were (like me) suffering. At the time, I surrounded myself with stuffed animals to "hug out" my problems. It never failed to cause a little hope to swell in my heart. This gave me an idea: If hugging a stuffed animal gave me hope, then why wouldn't it work for the others? In 2012, I gathered up all the stuffed animals I could find. I teamed up with my local Build-A-Bear, church, and family friends and ended up donating over 100 stuffed animals to the children's hospital. I continued my service project all the way into 2020. In order to achieve the most good possible during my last donation, I collected money and donated it to the Khol's Cares program in exchange for more stuffed animals. Because of this overwhelming generosity by Khol's and my school, I was able to collect over 200 stuffed animals. I called this my "Project for Hope." Along the years, some hospitals I have donated to are Holy Name Hospital in New Jersey, the St. Joseph's Children Hospital in New Jersey, the Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital (Hackensack UMC), and The Children's Medical Center (Washington, DC). In total, I completed 8 donations. I have also expanded my charity to donate to nursing homes and hospice facilities. After all, everyone who is suffering deserves to know there is someone hoping for their recovery. Selflessness is not just giving something up for another, but giving understanding and hope where people normally don't find. Although my part is small, it is my intention to give a little hope to those who receive these donations. By holding these stuffed animals close, I hope that people realize someone is rooting for them and waiting to give them a real hug when out of recovery.

In middle school, I remember going to a small school with not much diversity. The school planned an event where students would bring food from their different cultures and teach about ethnicities. However, as I looked around the room, I felt very alone. Being a woman who descended from the Maya, Kaqchikel tribe, I grew up knowing very little about my culture. My father, who immigrated to the United States, grew up with the mentality that it is better to hide his native heritage. Due to problems in Guatemala that surrounded bias toward the Mayan tribes, he taught me and my brother very little about our culture and native language. Growing up without knowing much about my culture felt disappointing. In many history classes, the Mayan people were taught to have faded out of existence. Despite there being many different Maya tribes, little is known due to bias and a lack of communication. However, this does not just apply to the Maya. Many other indigenous tribes are seen as "unimportant" when it comes to STEM research. Since they are not the majority, many studies and research are overlooked. This is a terrible injustice that is keeping many STEM fields from finding new and innovative breakthroughs. When I went into my Chemistry degree, I did not go with high expectations to "change the world" or "prove myself." I decided to go in, proud of my heritage and how far I came to get here, and simply try my best. Simply being in the classroom meant that myself and other indigenous women were one step closer to being heard in a STEM setting. Despite this, I still occasionally felt discouraged at being having a different background than others. There would be so many students who were smarter or came from a wealthy background. However, I always pushed through by telling myself that I made it here despite not having the same start. While going toward my degree, I was recently presented with an opportunity to research alpha-Zirconium phosphate and its possible applications. Among the many possible uses, alpha-Zirconium phosphate can be used to capture pollutants in water. I firmly believe that this research will positively benefit many communities once it is perfected. Although I have a long way to go, I feel honored that I was chosen amongst my peers to work on such a distinct research project. This gives me the hope that, one day, other women and indigenous STEM students will also have their voices heard. I plan to give back to my community through my current and future research. Additionally, I have my own service project which involves giving stuffed animals to children in the hospital, who I relate to due to my constant battle with my health. Although it may not be much, I hope to give a little hope to those around me in everything I do.

I was under high stress. My first midterms of the college year were approaching fast. My heart was racing and I studied into the night, hoping that I would be prepared enough to tackle my first major exams. In the midst of my fear, my parents entered the room with my older brother trailing behind them. With wide smiles, they proclaimed "We are getting a dog!" The truth was, a week before this momentous occasion, I told my parents how worried I was about my health. Two weeks before the beginning of my freshman year in college, I was ushered into emergency surgery. And then, a year before that, I was pushed into two more important surgeries. Not to mention, I was constantly suffering from random dizzy spells. Although I am grateful to be alive, there was a common thread between each of my medical issues: they appeared out of the blue. Because of this, I suggested getting a service dog. Many of my doctors previously suggested it being a good idea, since a good dog could detect ahead of time if something was wrong. However my parents, at the time, thought a dog wouldn't be a good fit for out home. Despite this, they were soon proven wrong. At first sight, my parents knew Canela, a small golden retriever puppy, would be the perfect dog. My father, who previously was vehemently against a dog, had his heart melted and found himself giving in. Although I, like most people, love dogs. I never knew how much I would love Canela. As a puppy, Canela would follow me around and sleep on my feet. My heart melted and I knew she was the dog for me. Now, Canela is nine months old and on her way to becoming a certified service dog. After training in the basic class, she is now moving onto advanced. At the end of the class, Canela will take the Good Citizenship test. However, despite still being a puppy, Canela has already saved me from multiple dangers. For example, when I came back from school, I felt terrible. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I felt like something was wrong with me. As I ate some cashews, my favorite snack, Canela quickly ran over to me and started warning me. I learned that when Canela pushes her nose onto my leg, it means something is wrong. At the time, I brushed it off thinking she wanted my food. However, she kept pushing me and aggressively licking my arm, as if she was trying to get something off. After she laid on my lap, she continued to cry as if something would happen. Then I realized-- I had developed an allergy to tree nuts. My throat began to get itchy and I had trouble breathing. Canela quickly got help and stopped me from eating cashews before it got worse. Since I had eaten cashews so many times before, I had no idea that I could be allergic. That day, I had even taken some with me as a snack. However, since my father also developed this allergy around my age, it wasn't impossible. To this day, I am extremely grateful for Canela's help. I know that she will continue to help me and will always be by my side, just as I try to be by her.

I was under high stress. My first midterms of the college year were approaching fast. My heart was racing and I studied into the night, hoping that I would be prepared enough to tackle my first major exams. In the midst of my fear, my parents entered the room with my older brother trailing behind them. With wide smiles, they proclaimed "We are getting a dog!" The truth was, a week before this momentous occasion, I told my parents how worried I was about my health. Two weeks before the beginning of my freshman year in college, I was ushered into emergency surgery. And then, a year before that, I was pushed into two more important surgeries. Not to mention, I was constantly suffering from random dizzy spells. Although I am grateful to be alive, there was a common thread between each of my medical issues: they appeared out of the blue. Because of this, I suggested getting a service dog. Many of my doctors previously suggested it being a good idea, since a good dog could detect ahead of time if something was wrong. However my parents, at the time, thought a dog wouldn't be a good fit for out home. Despite this, they were soon proven wrong. At first sight, my parents knew Canela, a small golden retriever puppy, would be the perfect dog. My father, who previously was vehemently against a dog, had his heart melted and found himself giving in. Although I, like most people, love dogs. I never knew how much I would love Canela. As a puppy, Canela would follow me around and sleep on my feet. My heart melted and I knew she was the dog for me. Now, Canela is nine months old and on her way to becoming a certified service dog. After training in the basic class, she is now moving onto advanced. At the end of the class, Canela will take the Good Citizenship test. However, despite still being a puppy, Canela has already saved me from multiple dangers. For example, when I came back from school, I felt terrible. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I felt like something was wrong with me. As I ate some cashews, my favorite snack, Canela quickly ran over to me and started warning me. I learned that when Canela pushes her nose onto my leg, it means something is wrong. At the time, I brushed it off thinking she wanted my food. However, she kept pushing me and aggressively licking my arm, as if she was trying to get something off. After she laid on my lap, she continued to cry as if something would happen. Then I realized-- I had developed an allergy to tree nuts. My throat began to get itchy and I had trouble breathing. Canela quickly got help and stopped me from eating cashews before it got worse. Since I had eaten cashews so many times before, I had no idea that I could be allergic. That day, I had even taken some with me as a snack. However, since my father also developed this allergy around my age, it wasn't impossible. To this day, I am extremely grateful for Canela's help. I know that she will continue to help me and will always be by my side, just as I try to be by her.

Being a woman who descended from the Maya, Kaqchikel tribe, I grew up knowing very little about my culture. My father, who immigrated to the United States, grew up with the mentality that it is better to hide his native heritage. Due to problems in Guatemala that surrounded bias toward the Mayan tribes, he taught me and my brother very little about our culture and native language. Growing up without knowing much about my culture felt disappointing. Despite there being many different Maya tribes, little is known due to bias and a lack of communication. However, this does not just apply to the Maya. Many other indigenous tribes are seen as "unimportant" when it comes to STEM research. Since they are not the majority, many studies and research are overlooked. This is a terrible injustice that is keeping many STEM fields back. When I went into my Chemistry degree, I did not go with high expectations to "change the world" or "prove myself." I decided to go in, proud of my heritage and how far I came to get here, and simply try my best. Simply being in the classroom meant that other indigenous women were one step closer to being heard in a STEM setting. While going toward my degree, I was recently presented with an opportunity to research alpha-Zirconium phosphate and its possible applications. Among the many possible uses, alpha-Zirconium phosphate can be used to capture pollutants in water. Although I have a long way to go, I feel honored that I was chosen amongst my peers to work on such a distinct research project. This gives me the hope that, one day, other women and indigenous STEM students will also have their voices heard.

There were many times where my arthritis would negatively affect me. Some days the pain would be so intense, it would be difficult to concentrate at all. However, I was able to pull through with the thought that one day, it would be worth it. During one of my hospital visits, I found myself dejected at how many other children there were (like me) suffering. At the time, I surrounded myself with stuffed animals to "hug out" my problems. It never failed to cause a little hope to swell in my heart. This gave me an idea: If hugging a stuffed animal gave me hope, then why wouldn't it work for the others? In 2012, I gathered up all the stuffed animals I could find. I teamed up with my local Build-A-Bear, church, and family friends and ended up donating over 100 stuffed animals to the children's hospital. I continued my service project all the way into 2020. In order to achieve the most good possible during my last donation, I collected money and donated it to the Khol's Cares program in exchange for more stuffed animals. Because of this overwhelming generosity by Khol's and my school, I was able to collect over 200 stuffed animals. I called this my "Project for Hope." I have also expanded my charity to donate to nursing homes and hospice facilities. After all, everyone who is suffering deserves to know there is someone hoping for their recovery. Now that I am in college, I hope to continue my education and service project. Through this scholarship's support, I would be able to continue pursuing my education.

Ever since I can remember, I have been in and out of hospitals, stumping doctors and nurses alike. I will never forget the time when I became paralyzed on Christmas Day due to my juvenile arthritis. That was the beginning of a very long, and bumpy, journey. Despite the terrible side effects from my medicine, I began to pick myself up and work toward a better me. In high school, I became the treasurer for "Exercise Club." A club that focuses on non-athlete students that just want to become healthier. Together, the club grew into a community that would lift each other up no matter what. However, toward the end, I was pushed down once again by my health. In these past two years, I have had five surgeries for various different conditions. After each surgery, I would be plagued with debilitating symptoms that left me bedridden. As of now, I am working toward my Chemistry degree. Time and time again, I have been told how difficult it is for a women, especially one that is part indigenous Mayan, to get a STEM degree. However, when I look back and see how many times I have pushed past my obstacles, I know that my perseverance will help me go even further. Today, I am very proud to have been chosen among my freshman class to work on a research project this summer. Despite my start, I have pushed through and am ready to give my all to this project. In which, I will be working on alpha-Zirconium phosphate and its abilities to capture pollutants in water. Thankfully, the school accepted my proposal and, with any luck, I will also be able to present at the American Chemical Society Conference next spring.

Perseverance is not a trait that comes easily. At least, not without hardship. Although hardship comes in different forms for everyone, in my life I have been faced with chronic health problems. Ever since I can remember, I have been in and out of hospitals, stumping doctors and nurses alike. I will never forget the time when I became paralyzed on Christmas Day due to my juvenile arthritis. That was the beginning of a very long, and bumpy, journey. Despite the terrible side effects from my medicine, I began to pick myself up and work toward a better me. In high school, I became the treasurer for "Exercise Club." A club that focuses on non-athlete students that just want to become healthier. Together, the club grew into a community that would lift each other up no matter what. However, toward the end, I was pushed down once again by my health. In these past two years, I have had five surgeries for various different conditions. After each surgery, I would be plagued with debilitating symptoms that left me bedridden. However, I was determined to persevere through this difficulty and continue my education. Two weeks before I started my freshman year of college, I was rushed into my third surgery. Despite having low energy, I pushed on and attended school on the very first day. Although I wish I could say I am better now, the very same thing happened two weeks before my second semester. No matter how many times I have been pushed down, I persevered. Despite the world telling me to stay down, I keep getting up. My perseverance is what keeps me going and helps me continue my education. Despite having a rocky start to each semester, I pushed on and became one of the best in my classes. As of now, I am working toward my Chemistry degree. Time and time again, I have been told how difficult it is for a women, especially one that is part indigenous Mayan, to get a STEM degree. However, when I look back and see how many times I have pushed past my obstacles, I know that my perseverance will help me go even further. Today, I am very proud to have been chosen among my freshman class to work on a research project this summer. Despite my start, I have pushed through and am ready to give my all to this project. In which, I will be working on alpha-Zirconium phosphate and its abilities to capture pollutants in water. Thankfully, the school accepted my proposal and, with any luck, I will also be able to present at the American Chemical Society Conference next spring. I hope that by persevering through this difficult field, I can help other women persevere and create a better STEM field for the future.

1. Live as a positive influence This has always been at the top of my bucket list. Due to shaky health, I have always felt as thought my influence in life would be miniscule. Something so small, no one would remember. At events, I would remember being the one on the sidelines, told that I can "play when I am better." However, for someone like me with juvenile arthritis, my pain would never truly go away. Because of this, I would put myself down and think "I can never shine as brightly as the others can." But, as I continued to grow up, I realized that there was something I could do. Back in 2012, I established my "Project for Hope." It is my community service project that entailed collecting stuffed animals for children in the hospital. Ever since I was little, I believed that holding a stuffed animal gave a little hope. Hope that someone is waiting for you at the end of this difficult journey, and something to hold when you are scared. I continued on with this service project, donating to nursing homes and hospice facilities as well. Although I have a lot to go, I believe one day I can check this off my bucket list and make even more goals to achieve.

Toward the end of my high school years, I was faced with a harrowing journey. My health was deteriorating and I had to undergo multiple surgeries. As of this year, I have undergone five in total. As this journey with my health was beginning, I began to feel discouraged. I felt as though there was nothing I could do. I kept pushing through, studying harder than ever to graduate. However, this was unfulfilling for me. I felt as though there had to be something else I could do, that only I could do. Because of this, I began to look inside myself and began to let my creativity flow. I began to enjoy art instead of stressing over perfectionism. I also tapped into an old childhood dream of mine to play an instrument. By the time I graduated, I had taken up clay sculpting, painting, drawing, playing ukulele, learning to play guitar, and making sewn plush toys by myself. Although I had a rough beginning, it was what pushed me to look outside of the box I was in. To be honest, a life with creativity is a beautiful one. And if I continued to feverishly study without rest, I would have never opened my eyes to see it.

"Never spend more than you have" is something my father has always told me since I was little. To most, it seems obvious and rather self-explanatory. However, this simple statement is what helped me understand the meaning of money. With his help, I was able to be more conscious of my spending. Every dollar that I received, I would put into my savings. Whenever I wanted something, I would budget myself in a way where I wouldn't spend all of my money at once. In other words, "never spend more than you have" does not just mean to "avoid being in debt" but to ensure you have a good foundation in case of an unexpected situation. For example, an unexpected situation can be paying for school play tickets last minute or finding the video game that sold out everywhere. By saving money in advance, I was able to afford this unexpected purchases. This advice was important to how I tackled credit cards and savings accounts. I knew that it was better to take a budget seriously rather than splurge. As I begin college, I now realize all those years of saving have given me enough money to use it on important things like textbooks, materials, and food. Additionally, I am able to save to get a few things for fun as well. Such as materials for my hobbies, such as sewing and painting. Or, getting gifts for my friends' birthdays.

The solution to mental health cannot be found through just one answer. It is an accumulation of multiple problems in today's society and the unwillingness to change them. During every "mental health awareness" discussion in school, many adults say the solution is to "talk to someone who is alone at lunch" or "invite them to play with you." What many adults fail to see if that anyone can be struggling with mental health, not just those who prefer to be quiet or stay by themselves. Instead of promoting children to forcibly interact with others, we should instead teach children how to identify mental illness and how to help others with it. For example, if a student has PTSD or suffers from panic attacks, the student could understand the situation and know how to properly calm someone down (i.e. the "5 things you can see" rule). After my experience in middle and high school, I have seen with my own eyes how mental illness affects the people closest to me. It does not just cause mental anguish, but shame and guilt at being "burdensome." Although some teachers and those in authority understand that mental illness is normal and nothing to be ashamed of, many students do not know this. Outwardly telling someone you suffer from a mental illness is seen as taboo in most schools. It can attract ridicule or many ignorant comments. Sometimes, it can even have the opposite effect and result in students "tip toeing" around the student, causing them to feel isolated and different. Although many strive for awareness for mental illness, what we really need to make a change is understanding. By having children learn that mental illness is natural, it can help more kids, teenagers, and adults to step forward and get the help they need.

Ever since I was young, I have struggled with my health. I had grown used to the multiple hospital visits and the distress I would feel from them. Due to my arthritis, I felt as thought I was restricted from playing like other kids did. However, as I grew up, I began to realize that there are certain things I can do. During one of my hospital visits, I found myself dejected at how many other children there were (like me) suffering. At the time, I surrounded myself with stuffed animals to "hug out" my problems. It never failed to cause a little hope to swell in my heart. This gave me an idea: If hugging a stuffed animal gave me hope, then why wouldn't it work for the others? In 2012, I gathered up all the stuffed animals I could find. I teamed up with my local Build-A-Bear, church, and family friends and ended up donating over 100 stuffed animals to the children's hospital. I continued my service project all the way into 2020. In order to achieve the most good possible during my last donation, I collected money and donated it to the Khol's Cares program in exchange for more stuffed animals. Because of this overwhelming generosity by Khol's and my school, I was able to collect over 200 stuffed animals. I called this my "Project for Hope." I have also expanded my charity to donate to nursing homes and hospice facilities. After all, everyone who is suffering deserves to know there is someone hoping for their recovery. Because of my experiences, I always try to show empathy to others. After all, I know the struggle many sick children go through.

After trying many different study methods, I always find myself going back to my own. One of my biggest problems when studying is finding myself overwhelmed with all the information. For example, when studying math, there are multiple different types of problems with a different way to solve each one. And each section has its own rules and exceptions. To solve this problem, I found myself re-writing my notes into little bite-size pieces. Since my notes are often written in a hurry during class, I can't study properly when I am constantly flipping the pages back and forth. To fix this, I take a second notebook and write down each type of problem and how many sections will be on the test. Then, I label each type of problem and section and give an example for each. With each example, I write the general steps next to it. Finally, I add any exceptions or side notes to remember. I go down the list and do this for each and every section until I am finished. This method has always worked for me since it condenses a multitude of information into a few pages. This way, I can see what I do well on and focus on what I struggle with. It also motivates me to say "I can do 90% of this, but need to study the other 10%." It helps put things into perspective.

I was under high stress. My first midterms of the college year were approaching fast. My heart was racing and I studied into the night, hoping that I would be prepared enough to tackle my first major exams. In the midst of my fear, my parents entered the room with my older brother trailing behind them. With wide smiles, they proclaimed "We are getting a dog!" The truth was, a week before this momentous occasion, I told my parents how worried I was about my health. Two weeks before the beginning of my freshman year in college, I was ushered into emergency surgery. And then, a year before that, I was pushed into two more important surgeries. Not to mention, I was constantly suffering from random dizzy spells. Although I am grateful to be alive, there was a common thread between each of my medical issues: they appeared out of the blue. Because of this, I suggested getting a service dog. Many of my doctors previously suggested it being a good idea, since a good dog could detect ahead of time if something was wrong. However my parents, at the time, thought a dog wouldn't be a good fit for out home. Despite this, they were soon proven wrong. At first sight, my parents knew Canela, a small golden retriever puppy, would be the perfect dog. My father, who previously was vehemently against a dog, had his heart melted and found himself giving in. Although I, like most people, love dogs. I never knew how much I would love Canela. As a puppy, Canela would follow me around and sleep on my feet. My heart melted and I knew she was the dog for me. Now, Canela is nine months old and on her way to becoming a certified service dog. After training in the basic class, she is now moving onto advanced. At the end of the class, Canela will take the Good Citizenship test. However, despite still being a puppy, Canela has already saved me from multiple dangers. For example, when I came back from school, I felt terrible. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I felt like something was wrong with me. As I ate some cashews, my favorite snack, Canela quickly ran over to me and started warning me. I learned that when Canela pushes her nose onto my leg, it means something is wrong. At the time, I brushed it off thinking she wanted my food. However, she kept pushing me and aggressively licking my arm, as if she was trying to get something off. After she laid on my lap, she continued to cry as if something would happen. Then I realized-- I had developed an allergy to tree nuts. My throat began to get itchy and I had trouble breathing. Canela quickly got help and stopped me from eating cashews before it got worse. Since I had eaten cashews so many times before, I had no idea that I could be allergic. That day, I had even taken some with me as a snack. However, since my father also developed this allergy around my age, it wasn't impossible. To this day, I am extremely grateful for Canela's help. I know that she will continue to help me and will always be by my side, just as I try to be by her.

My biggest obstacle in life will always be my health. After being in and out of the hospital constantly as a child, I came to realize how bleak and depressing the battle for health can be. Not only does it take a physical strain, but a mental one. As I suffered from arthritis from five years-old, many teachers and friends doubted my struggle. After all, arthritis is considered an "invisible illness" and it is often attributed to the elderly (despite this belief being false). Because of countless doubts from my peers, I began to try and hide my struggle. I wanted to be "normal" and healthy like everyone else I knew. However, I came to realize that my hurdles in life would always be higher than others. I found myself struggling to run and play sports due to intense joint pain. One time during gym, I was forced to get an injection in my knee after banging it. Everyone else who fell while playing was fine, however, my joints were just too fragile. I developed a growth mindset when I realized after so many years that trying to force yourself through an obstacle may do more harm than good. Growing involves thinking of thinks in a new way. Instead, I found a way to try and fix the problem in a different way. During one of my hospital visits, I found that there were many other children like me who were in pain. As I held onto one of my stuffed animals, I found that little hug gave me a little hope for the future. Getting to work, I asked my local community, church, and stores for help collecting stuffed animals of all kinds. In 2012, I was able to donate over 100 stuffed animals to my local children's hospital.

Sitting in the library, I can hear the phone ringing, kids chatting, and a dozen computer typing. Most days, I go to the library at 7:45 am and work through the day. However, with finals just around the corner, it is important to take a break. Packing up my things, I know exactly what to do. To take care of my mental health, I often go on walks and window shop. However, my favorite store is a tea shop. There is nothing more relaxing than smelling the different kinds of tea on display. Every season, the selection changes. However, the euphoria I get from smelling each one never does. Afterward, I go to my room and think to myself "what should I make today?" Coming to an answer, I get out my sewing kit and felt and create whatever is on my mind. After a stressful semester, I found myself learning a new hobby: sewing. There is something relaxing about creating something with your own hands. Oftentimes, I create little plush toys from popular video games, such as Kirby or Animal Crossing. Since this hobby is relatively cheap, I have fun putting together new creations and buying new materials to try out. Ultimately, mental health is important during times of high stress (and low-stress, too). Now that I have found out what I like to do, it is the highlight of my day.

In middle school, I remember going to a small school with not much diversity. The school planned an event where students would bring food from their different cultures and teach about ethnicities. However, as I looked around the room, I felt very alone. Being a woman who descended from the Maya, Kaqchikel tribe, I grew up knowing very little about my culture. My father, who immigrated to the United States, grew up with the mentality that it is better to hide his native heritage. Due to problems in Guatemala that surrounded bias toward the Mayan tribes, he taught me and my brother very little about our culture and native language. Growing up without knowing much about my culture felt disappointing. In many history classes, the Mayan people were taught to have faded out of existence. Despite there being many different Maya tribes, little is known due to bias and a lack of communication. However, this does not just apply to the Maya. Many other indigenous tribes are seen as "unimportant" when it comes to STEM research. Since they are not the majority, many studies and research are overlooked. This is a terrible injustice that is keeping many STEM fields from finding new and innovative breakthroughs. When I went into my Chemistry degree, I did not go with high expectations to "change the world" or "prove myself." I decided to go in, proud of my heritage and how far I came to get here, and simply try my best. Simply being in the classroom meant that myself and other indigenous women were one step closer to being heard in a STEM setting. Despite this, I still occasionally felt discouraged at being having a different background than others. There would be so many students who were smarter or came from a wealthy background. However, I always pushed through by telling myself that I made it here despite not having the same start. While going toward my degree, I was recently presented with an opportunity to research alpha-Zirconium phosphate and its possible applications. Among the many possible uses, alpha-Zirconium phosphate can be used to capture pollutants in water. I firmly believe that this research will positively benefit many communities once it is perfected. Although I have a long way to go, I feel honored that I was chosen amongst my peers to work on such a distinct research project. This gives me the hope that, one day, other women and indigenous STEM students will also have their voices heard. I plan to give back to my community through my current and future research. Additionally, I have my own service project which involves giving stuffed animals to children in the hospital, who I relate to due to my constant battle with my health. Although it may not be much, I hope to give a little hope to those around me in everything I do.

It is no secret that I struggle with my health. Just in these last two years, I have come through five surgeries and countless hospital visits. Despite being young, I simply lost the genetic lottery and became ill from various conditions that made my life difficult. However, the one condition that plagued me more than most was my arthritis, an autoimmune disease that will be with me forever. I remember being five-years-old, swollen with immense pain. On Christmas day, my joints finally gave in and locked up. In that moment, I was completely paralyzed in pain. Any movement would cause me to cry. I was rushed to the hospital where doctors agreed that my arthritis was severe enough to put me on strong medication. This diagnosis would lead to even more struggles. The medication had a plethora of side effects that made it difficult to "be normal." My teachers, friends, and even some less than friendly doctors doubted my struggle. I was told over and over again that I was "faking my condition" because children cannot have arthritis. I quickly learned that arthritis was often attributed to the elderly. I learned very early on to hide my condition and put up with all the symptoms in order to "be more like the others." Due to all my conditions, I felt discouraged: as though there was nothing I could do and that I must simply resign to being different from others my age. While my classmates ran around carefree, I would always be told to "sit this out" and "wait until I'm better." There were many times where my arthritis would negatively affect my education. Some days the pain would be so intense, it would be difficult to concentrate at all. However, I was able to pull through with the thought that one day, it would be worth it. However, as I grew up, I began to realize that there are certain things I can do. During one of my hospital visits, I found myself dejected at how many other children there were (like me) suffering. At the time, I surrounded myself with stuffed animals to "hug out" my problems. It never failed to cause a little hope to swell in my heart. This gave me an idea: If hugging a stuffed animal gave me hope, then why wouldn't it work for the others? In 2012, I gathered up all the stuffed animals I could find. I teamed up with my local Build-A-Bear, church, and family friends and ended up donating over 100 stuffed animals to the children's hospital. I continued my service project all the way into 2020. In order to achieve the most good possible during my last donation, I collected money and donated it to the Khol's Cares program in exchange for more stuffed animals. Because of this overwhelming generosity by Khol's and my school, I was able to collect over 200 stuffed animals. I called this my "Project for Hope." I have also expanded my charity to donate to nursing homes and hospice facilities. After all, everyone who is suffering deserves to know there is someone hoping for their recovery. Now that I am in college, I hope to continue my education and service project. Through this scholarship's support, I would be able to continue pursuing my education.

My biggest obstacle in life will always be my health. After being in and out of the hospital constantly as a child, I came to realize how bleak and depressing the battle for health can be. Not only does it take a physical strain, but a mental one. As I suffered from arthritis from five years-old, many teachers and friends doubted my struggle. After all, arthritis is considered an "invisible illness" and it is often attributed to the elderly (despite this belief being false). Because of countless doubts from my peers, I began to try and hide my struggle. I wanted to be "normal" and healthy like everyone else I knew. However, I came to realize that my hurdles in life would always be higher than others. I found myself struggling to run and play sports due to intense joint pain. One time during gym, I was forced to get an injection in my knee after banging it. Everyone else who fell while playing was fine, however, my joints were just too fragile. I overcome this obstacle not by "getting around it" but by accepting it. I realized after so many years that trying to force yourself through an obstacle may do more harm than good. Instead, I found a way to try and fix the problem in a different way. During one of my hospital visits, I found that there were many other children like me who were in pain. As I held onto one of my stuffed animals, I found that little hug gave me a little hope for the future. Getting to work, I asked my local community, church, and stores for help collecting stuffed animals of all kinds. In 2012, I was able to donate over 100 stuffed animals to my local children's hospital.

1. When I was in kindergarten, a boy in my class won the Nintendo DS Dogs game from my school raffle. However, this was only because he bought $100 worth of tickets and put it all into the bin. When he got the game, he proceeded to never play it. I believe I deserve this scholarship to make up for the past. 2. To become more like Senku from Dr. Stone, the anime. In other words, be a scientist. 3. It is hard to believe, but I broke my leg six times in second grade. Because of this, I had to give up playing soccer and resign to being an honor student instead. (Oh the horror!) However, I did overcome this obstacle and never broke my leg again (knock on wood!)

My biggest obstacle in life will always be my health. After being in and out of the hospital constantly as a child, I came to realize how bleak and depressing the battle for health can be. Not only does it take a physical strain, but a mental one. As I suffered from arthritis from five years-old, many teachers and friends doubted my struggle. After all, arthritis is considered an "invisible illness" and it is often attributed to the elderly. Because of countless doubts from my peers, I began to try and hide my struggle. I wanted to be "normal" and healthy like every one else I knew. However, I came to realize that my hurdles in life would always be higher than others. I overcame this obstacle not by "getting around it" but by accepting it. I realized after so many years that trying to force yourself through an obstacle may do more harm than good. Instead, I found a way to try and fix the problem in a different way. During one of my hospital visits, I found that there were many other children like me who were in pain. As I held onto one of my stuffed animals, I found that little hug gave me a little hope for the future. Getting to work, I asked my local community, church, and stores for help collecting stuffed animals of all kinds. In 2012, I was able to donate over 100 stuffed animals to my local children's hospital. To this day, I have continued my mission and have donated to over five different hospitals and hospice facilities. It is my hope that others can gain a little hope and persevere. Knowing that others like me can persevere helps give me hope that the future will be better.

My biggest obstacle in life will always be my health. After being in and out of the hospital constantly as a child, I came to realize how bleak and depressing the battle for health can be. Not only does it take a physical strain, but a mental one. As I suffered from arthritis from five years-old, many teachers and friends doubted my struggle. After all, arthritis is considered an "invisible illness" and it is often attributed to the elderly. Because of countless doubts from my peers, I began to try and hide my struggle. I wanted to be "normal" and healthy like every one else I knew. However, I came to realize that my hurdles in life would always be higher than others. I overcame this obstacle not by "getting around it" but by accepting it. I realized after so many years that trying to force yourself through an obstacle may do more harm than good. Instead, I found a way to try and fix the problem in a different way. During one of my hospital visits, I found that there were many other children like me who were in pain. As I held onto one of my stuffed animals, I found that little hug gave me a little hope for the future. Getting to work, I asked my local community, church, and stores for help collecting stuffed animals of all kinds. In 2012, I was able to donate over 100 stuffed animals to my local children's hospital. To this day, I have continued my mission and have donated to over five different hospitals and hospice facilities. It is my hope that others can gain a little hope and persevere. Now, I am attempting to continue persevering through every difficulty in my life by taking a new perspective.

It is no secret that I struggle with my health. I remember being five-years-old, swollen with immense pain. On Christmas day, my joints finally gave in and locked up. In that moment, I was completely paralyzed in pain. Any movement would cause me to cry. I was rushed to the hospital where doctors agreed that my arthritis was severe enough to put me on strong medication. Due to all my conditions, I felt discouraged: as though there was nothing I could do and that I must simply resign to being different from others my age. However, as I grew up, I began to realize that there is something I could do. During one of my hospital visits, I found myself dejected at how many other children there were (like me) suffering. At the time, I surrounded myself with stuffed animals to "hug out" my problems. It never failed to cause a little hope to swell in my heart. This gave me an idea: If hugging a stuffed animal gave me hope, then why wouldn't it work for the others? In 2012, I gathered up all the stuffed animals I could find. I teamed up with my local Build-A-Bear, church, and family friends and ended up donating over 100 stuffed animals to the children's hospital. I continued my service project all the way into 2020. In order to achieve the most good possible during my last donation, I collected money and donated it to the Khol's Cares program in exchange for more stuffed animals. Because of this overwhelming generosity by Khol's and my school, I was able to collect over 200 stuffed animals. I called this my "Project for Hope." Now that I am in college, I hope to continue my education and service project.

It is no secret that I struggle with my health. I remember being five-years-old, swollen with immense pain. On Christmas day, my joints finally gave in and locked up. In that moment, I was completely paralyzed in pain. Any movement would cause me to cry. I was rushed to the hospital where doctors agreed that my arthritis was severe enough to put me on strong medication. Due to all my conditions, I felt discouraged: as though there was nothing I could do and that I must simply resign to being different from others my age. However, as I grew up, I began to realize that there is something I could do. During one of my hospital visits, I found myself dejected at how many other children there were (like me) suffering. At the time, I surrounded myself with stuffed animals to "hug out" my problems. It never failed to cause a little hope to swell in my heart. This gave me an idea: If hugging a stuffed animal gave me hope, then why wouldn't it work for the others? In 2012, I gathered up all the stuffed animals I could find. I teamed up with my local Build-A-Bear, church, and family friends and ended up donating over 100 stuffed animals to the children's hospital. I continued my service project all the way into 2020. In order to achieve the most good possible during my last donation, I collected money and donated it to the Khol's Cares program in exchange for more stuffed animals. Because of this overwhelming generosity by Khol's and my school, I was able to collect over 200 stuffed animals. I called this my "Project for Hope." Now that I am in college, I hope to continue my education and service project.

It is no secret that I struggle with my health. I remember being five-years-old, swollen with immense pain. On Christmas day, my joints finally gave in and locked up. In that moment, I was completely paralyzed in pain. Any movement would cause me to cry. I was rushed to the hospital where doctors agreed that my arthritis was severe enough to put me on strong medication. Due to all my conditions, I felt discouraged: as though there was nothing I could do and that I must simply resign to being different from others my age. However, as I grew up, I began to realize that there is something I could do. During one of my hospital visits, I found myself dejected at how many other children there were (like me) suffering. At the time, I surrounded myself with stuffed animals to "hug out" my problems. It never failed to cause a little hope to swell in my heart. This gave me an idea: If hugging a stuffed animal gave me hope, then why wouldn't it work for the others? In 2012, I gathered up all the stuffed animals I could find. I teamed up with my local Build-A-Bear, church, and family friends and ended up donating over 100 stuffed animals to the children's hospital. I continued my service project all the way into 2020. In order to achieve the most good possible during my last donation, I collected money and donated it to the Khol's Cares program in exchange for more stuffed animals. Because of this overwhelming generosity by Khol's and my school, I was able to collect over 200 stuffed animals. I called this my "Project for Hope." Now that I am in college, I hope to continue my education and service project.

It is no secret that I struggle with my health. Just in these last two years, I have come through five surgeries and countless hospital visits. Despite being young, I simply lost the genetic lottery and became ill from various conditions that made my life difficult. However, the one condition that plagued me more than most was my arthritis, an autoimmune disease that will be with me forever. I remember being five-years-old, swollen with immense pain. On Christmas day, my joints finally gave in and locked up. In that moment, I was completely paralyzed in pain. Any movement would cause me to cry. I was rushed to the hospital where doctors agreed that my arthritis was severe enough to put me on strong medication. This diagnosis would lead to even more struggles. The medication had a plethora of side effects that made it difficult to "be normal." Of the many side effects, one would cause me to have a "foggy" memory. This made it heavily difficult to actively learn. Even as a child, I saw that my future goals would slowly be shattered. Any hope I had at playing a sport or dancing was taken out of my reach. My teachers, friends, and even some less than friendly doctors doubted my struggle. I was told over and over again that I was "faking my condition" because children cannot have arthritis. I quickly learned that arthritis was often attributed to the elderly. I learned very early on to hide my condition and put up with all the symptoms in order to "be more like the others." Due to all my conditions, I felt discouraged: as though there was nothing I could do and that I must simply resign to being different from others my age. While my classmates ran around carefree, I would always be told to "sit this out" and "wait until I'm better." However, as I grew up, I began to realize that there are certain things I can do. During one of my hospital visits, I found myself dejected at how many other children there were (like me) suffering. At the time, I surrounded myself with stuffed animals to "hug out" my problems. It never failed to cause a little hope to swell in my heart. This gave me an idea: If hugging a stuffed animal gave me hope, then why wouldn't it work for the others? In 2012, I gathered up all the stuffed animals I could find. I teamed up with my local Build-A-Bear, church, and family friends and ended up donating over 100 stuffed animals to the children's hospital. I continued my service project all the way into 2020. In order to achieve the most good possible during my last donation, I collected money and donated it to the Khol's Cares program in exchange for more stuffed animals. Because of this overwhelming generosity by Khol's and my school, I was able to collect over 200 stuffed animals. I call this my "Project for Hope." I have also expanded my charity to donate to nursing homes and hospice facilities. After all, everyone who is suffering deserves to know there is someone hoping for their recovery. Now that I am in college, I hope to continue my education and service project. Through this scholarship's support, I would be able to continue pursuing my education and prove that this autoimmune disease cannot tie me down as it did as a child.

A new type of technology that no one has heard of yet is Dawn by Ory Labratory: a robot made to help disabled people continue living life. After being paralyzed, many people were forced to stay in the hospital were their lives were brought to a stop. This led to the problem of having no way to make an income while bedridden. Thanks to "Dawn" the robot, bedridden patients are able to "go in" to work through the robot. It allows them to see and hear everything around them. The most popular story regarding this robot is the "robot cafe" where the majority of the employees are there robotically. Surprisingly, the robots are even able to make coffee by themselves. This new form of movement is revolutionary. It makes me excited to see how the future of these robots will affect those who are disable. As someone who has been constantly sick, I sympathize with others who suffer from long-term disabilities. It is very difficult to live a "normal" life. However, this robot shows that the future may be the start of something wonderful.

Self-care isn't easy for workaholics like myself. After scurrying around all day, trying to get as much done as possible, I find myself completely burnt out at the end of the day. However, once the weekend comes, I strive to put my mental health first and find a little peace. The first thing I like to do is organize my room. When everything I have tossed onto my desk is finally put in its correct place, my mind feels a bit clearer. Now that I have more room to work with, I pick a project for myself. After an art project years ago, I found myself obsessed with creating things by hand. One of my favorite, and most relaxing projects, is to create figurines with clay. I currently have eleven clay sculptures of popular video game characters. There is something about the careful, precise movements of working with clay that calms me down. When working with clay, I don't feel so afraid to make a mess and try new things. Seeing the final project always makes me smile and helps me feel like I did something productive. Ever since I started this form of self-care, I began to feel more confident and proud about what I can do. Ever since I was young, I always felt like I was only good at studying and nothing else. However, I finally felt a little pride in what I was able to create. Feeling refreshed, I happily show my friends my new creations.

One of my favorite study strategies is what I call "study and reward." Although the beginning may seem to be simply using flashcards, there is a twist. To begin, I make flashcards that go over multiple topics in one subject. I try to "group together" certain questions (such as definitions in one pile or periodic table elements in another). I found that putting cards in a "logical" order helps my brain remember it better. To study, I go through each flashcard and make another pile. One pile will be for "easy" questions that I know off the top of my head while the second pile will be for anything I struggle with. Here is where the twist appears: Holding the flashcards I struggle with, I pull up any kind of entertainment (youtube videos, TV shows, cartoons, ect). I will go through the flashcards again and each time I get a question correct, I watch 3 to 5 minutes of the show. Each time I get it wrong, I need to keep going over it until I have it memorized. This strategy works because, when I get something wrong, my brain pushes me to remember in order to get the "reward." When I get something right, I am able to better remember it for next time since I can attribute some part of the show to the information I learned. For example, when I think back to a particular moment in my show, I will think about the information on my flashcard (for example, a chemical equation). Since the brain naturally "groups" things together, by putting my memories and information together, I am able to retain more information.

My biggest obstacle in life will always be my health. After being in and out of the hospital constantly as a child, I came to realize how bleak and depressing the battle for health can be. Not only does it take a physical strain, but a mental one. As I suffered from arthritis from five years-old, many teachers and friends doubted my struggle. After all, arthritis is considered an "invisible illness" and it is often attributed to the elderly (despite this belief being false). Because of countless doubts from my peers, I began to try and hide my struggle. I wanted to be "normal" and healthy like every one else I knew. However, I came to realize that my hurdles in life would always be higher than others. I found myself struggling to run and play sports due to intense joint pain. One time during gym, I was forced to get an injection in my knee after banging it. Everyone else who fell while playing was fine, however, my joints were just too fragile. I overcame this obstacle not by "getting around it" but by accepting it. I realized after so many years that trying to force yourself through an obstacle may do more harm than good. Instead, I found a way to try and fix the problem in a different way. During one of my hospital visits, I found that there were many other children like me who were in pain. As I held onto one of my stuffed animals, I found that little hug gave me a little hope for the future. Getting to work, I asked my local community, church, and stores for help collecting stuffed animals of all kinds. In 2012, I was able to donate over 100 stuffed animals to my local children's hospital.

As someone who has grown up being sick, I know how it feels to be hospitalized. It is an overwhelming feeling of fear, dread, and despair. When I was much younger, I was hospitalized over and over again. During one of my hospital visits, I found myself dejected at how many other children there were (like me) suffering. At the time, I surrounded myself with stuffed animals to "hug out" my problems. It never failed to cause a little hope to swell in my heart. This gave me an idea: If hugging a stuffed animal gave me hope, then why wouldn't it work for the others? In 2012, I gathered up all the stuffed animals I could find. I teamed up with my local Build-A-Bear, church, and family friends and ended up donating over 100 stuffed animals to the children's hospital. I continued my service project all the way into 2020. In order to achieve the most good possible during my last donation, I collected money and donated it to the Khol's Cares program in exchange for more stuffed animals. Because of this overwhelming generosity by my community, I was able to collect over 200 stuffed animals. I called this my "Project for Hope." I have also expanded my charity to donate to nursing homes and hospice facilities. After all, everyone who is suffering deserves to know there is someone hoping for their recovery. I hope by doing this, everyone who suffers in the hospital can feel loved and gain a little hope for recovery. Sadly, due to Covid and my last five surgeries, I have been unable to do another donation since March of 2020. However, I fully intend to continue my project and work with my college and community to have an even better donation next time.

It is no secret that I have terrible health. Just in two years, I have come through five surgeries and countless hospital visits. Despite being young, I simply lost the genetic lottery and became ill from various conditions that made my life difficult My teachers, friends, and even some doctors doubted me. I hold no grudge against them since it is very difficult to understand how someone so young could be so sick. I learned very early on to hide my condition and put up with all the symptoms in order to "be more like the others." Due to all my conditions, I felt discouraged: as though there was nothing I could do and that I must simply resign to being different than others my age. However, as I grew up, I began to realize that there are certain things I can do. In 2012, I gathered up all the stuffed animals I could find. I teamed up with my local Build-A-Bear, church, and family friends and ended up donating over 100 stuffed animals to the children's hospital. I continued my service project all the way into 2020. In order to achieve the most good possible, I collected money and donated it to the Khol's Cares program in exchange for more stuffed animals. Because of this overwhelming generosity by my community, I was able to collect over 200 stuffed animals. I called this my "Project for Hope." I have also expanded my charity to donate to nursing homes and hospice facilities. After all, everyone who is suffering deserves to know there is someone hoping for their recovery. Sadly, due to Covid, I was unable to have another donation this year. However, I fully intend to work with my college and my community to have an even better donation next time.

To me, joy is something bigger than happiness. Happiness can be fleeting. Like that feeling when you bite into a soft donut after a tough exam. It makes the day better, but in ten years you may never remember it. Joy is a moment that lives with you forever. A memory that, when you think back to it, will never fail to put a smile on your face. After going through five surgeries in two years, I have found that joyful moments are fleeting but all the more needed. I seek out joy by being with my family, who never fail to help me through a difficult time. Even when I cannot find joy myself, they always try to help me find it. A moment that I will never forget is how, when I was feeling homesick, my family surprised me and my brother with a visit from our cousin. She popped out of the closet with a smile on her face and the room was filled with joy. We spent time talking, eating our favorite food, and just enjoying each others company. To me, this is a moment I will never forget and never fails to make me smile.

It is no secret that my health is a problem. Just in these last two years, I have come through five surgeries and countless hospital visits. I remember being in middle school, excited to run on the playground and play soccer. However, my condition dashed my hopes of ever running faster than my friends and made it impossible to put up with the strain of soccer. My teachers, friends, and even some less than friendly doctors doubted me. I hold no grudge against them since it is very difficult to understand how someone so young could have a condition normally attributed to the elderly. I learned very early on to hide my condition and put up with all the symptoms in order to "be more like the others." Due to all my conditions, I felt discouraged: as though there was nothing I could do and that I must simply resign to being different than others my age. However, as I grew up, I began to realize that there are certain things I can do. During one of my hospital visits, I found myself dejected at how many other children there were (like me) suffering. At the time, I surrounded myself with stuffed animals to "hug out" my problems. It never failed to cause a little hope to swell in my heart. This gave me an idea: If hugging a stuffed animal gave me hope, then why wouldn't it work for the others? In 2012, I gathered up all the stuffed animals I could find. I teamed up with my local Build-A-Bear, church, and family friends and ended up donating over 100 stuffed animals to the children's hospital. After continuing this project into 202, I consider this to be the best part of who I am today.

It is no secret that I have had a very difficult time with my health. Just in these last two years, I have come through five surgeries and countless hospital visits. Despite being young, I simply lost the genetic lottery and became ill from various conditions that made my life difficult. During one of my hospital visits, I found myself dejected at how many other children there were (like me) suffering. At the time, I surrounded myself with stuffed animals to "hug out" my problems. It never failed to cause a little hope to swell in my heart. This gave me an idea: If hugging a stuffed animal gave me hope, then why wouldn't it work for the others? In 2012, I gathered up all the stuffed animals I could find. I teamed up with my local Build-A-Bear, church, and family friends and ended up donating over 100 stuffed animals to the children's hospital. I continued my service project all the way into 2020. In order to achieve the most good possible during my last donation, I collected money and donated it to the Khol's Cares program in exchange for more stuffed animals. Because of this overwhelming generosity by my community, I was able to collect over 200 stuffed animals. I called this my "Project for Hope." I have also expanded my charity to donate to nursing homes and hospice facilities. After all, everyone who is suffering deserves to know there is someone hoping for their recovery. Sadly, due to Covid, I was unable to have another donation this year. However, I fully intend to work with my college and my community to have an even better donation next time.

It is no secret that I have had a very difficult time with my health. Just in these last two years, I have come through five surgeries and countless hospital visits. Despite being young, I simply lost the genetic lottery and became ill from various conditions that made my life difficult. However, the one condition that plagued me more than most was my arthritis, an autoimmune disease that will be with me forever. I was five-years-old when I was first diagnosed. Being young, I never noticed living in pain and having swollen joints wasn't normal. I unfortunately had this disease when I was very young due to genetics. I remember being in middle school, excited to run on the playground and play soccer. However, my condition dashed my hopes of ever running faster than my friends and made it impossible to put up with the strain of soccer. My teachers, friends, and even some less than friendly doctors doubted me. I hold no grudge against them since it is very difficult to understand how someone so young could have a condition normally attributed to the elderly. I learned very early on to hide my condition and put up with all the symptoms in order to "be more like the others." Due to all my conditions, I felt discouraged: as though there was nothing I could do and that I must simply resign to being different than others my age. However, as I grew up, I began to realize that there are certain things I can do. During one of my hospital visits, I found myself dejected at how many other children there were (like me) suffering. At the time, I surrounded myself with stuffed animals to "hug out" my problems. It never failed to cause a little hope to swell in my heart. This gave me an idea: If hugging a stuffed animal gave me hope, then why wouldn't it work for the others? In 2012, I gathered up all the stuffed animals I could find. I teamed up with my local Build-A-Bear, church, and family friends and ended up donating over 100 stuffed animals to the children's hospital. I continued my service project all the way into 2020. In order to achieve the most good possible during my last donation, I collected money and donated it to the Khol's Cares program in exchange for more stuffed animals. Because of this overwhelming generosity by Khol's and my school, I was able to collect over 200 stuffed animals. I called this my "Project for Hope." I have also expanded my charity to donate to nursing homes and hospice facilities. After all, everyone who is suffering deserves to know there is someone hoping for their recovery. Sadly, due to Covid, I was unable to have another donation this year. However, I fully intend to work with my college and my community to have an even better donation next time.

In our modern day society, it has been a common experience to have your wisdom teeth pulled out. After all, living with terrible dental pain is something everyone can agree is torturous (Since I just had my wisdom teeth out, I would know). However, imagine if there was no anesthesia. The patient would need to look on in horror (and terrible pain!) as the dentist rips every annoying tooth out of their gums. In around the 1800's, William T.G. Morton was credited as the founder of modern anesthesia. Before his discovery, dentists were resigned to using lettuce (It's true, look it up)! Some other individuals asked to be strangled or knocked on the head until they passed out instead (which may have been dangerous but very wise when faced with the alternative). William Morton was originally credited for "discovering" anesthesia due to his diligence and willingness to try. After performing a dental surgery using this method, many others were convinced that it was safe. (Perhaps they should also thank the brave individual who consented to this surgery as well!) Despite it still being a relatively "dangerous" substance, science has allowed for people to use it in safe volumes. As someone who has had five surgeries in the past two years, I have found myself constantly thanking science for finding anesthesia. Without it, I shiver at what the world have have been subjected to... (years of dental pain)!

It is no secret that I have had a very difficult time with my health. Just in these last two years, I have come through five surgeries and countless hospital visits. Despite being young, I simply lost the genetic lottery and became ill from various conditions that made my life difficult. I remember being in middle school, excited to run on the playground and play soccer. However, my asthma dashed my hopes of ever running faster than my friends and my arthritis made it impossible to put up with the strain of soccer. Due to all my conditions, I felt discouraged: as though there was nothing I could do and that I must simply resign to being different than others my age. However, as I grew up, I began to realize that there are certain things I can do. During 2020, I began to pick myself up and try new things. I began to learn how to play instruments, tried doing simpler exercises like yoga, and tried my hand at art. Although these topics may have been commonplace for many others during quarantine, for me it was a chance to get myself out of a dark, emotional shell. It was my way of proving to myself that, although I cannot do what I want, I can at least try and learn to find something else. My hopes for the future have grown now that I know that my horizons can be expanded. I found that my hardships have made it easier for me to pick myself and carry on. Due to my experiences, I decided to continue my service project and have ignited my hopes for further education

Think back to your high school years. Back when you sat in a classroom surrounded by kids who could be defined into "categories." For example, the sports kids, the cheerleaders, the bullies, the "nerds," and those who people just found strange. Although it may sound mean, many classmates will define their peers by at least one of these terms, despite never really knowing them from outside the classroom. In "One of Us is Lying," the same can be said about Nate McCauley, a boy who believes his whole class fits into these "categories." However, when one of his "enemies" at school is murdered, he is forced to connect to some of his classmates. Throughout the book, I was sitting on the edge of my seat wondering who could have possibly murdered an innocent teenager. Just as anyone would, I immediately applied mental categories to each student. It seemed "obvious" that Nate or Cooper, a baseball player, could have killed him. After all, Nate was already a convicted criminal and Cooper was an athlete with a bad temper. Yet, as the book continued, I found myself falling into the author's trap. My own bias toward these stereotypical characters was clouding my judgement. As the end of the book drew near, I felt my perception growing and evolving with the main character. Each student was not just a stereotype but a real person that had various circumstances behind their actions. After finding out the "innocent" victim was not so innocent after all, I realized there is more to this story than meets the eye. As someone who is studying for a forensic science position, I learned more about bias profiling in this book than in any of my classes. "One of Us is Lying" is a masterpiece that opened my eyes.

Toward the end of my Junior year of high school, I was rushed to the hospital multiple times. At first, I was met with more question than answers. I was forced to go to every specialist in order to try and find what was causing my uncontrollable tremors and pain. Every night, I would go into random and mentally draining episodes. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, I discovered I had a major cyst. Throughout all these medical appointments, anxiety, and stress, I continued to push myself in school. Even though the times were hard, I knew I had to persevere for myself. I needed to prove that I could make it through any situation. After a long time of waiting, the doctors were able to determine the problems and I was sent into surgery to extract the cyst. A week later, I went into surgery again to fix an extremely deviated septum, which may have been causing the tremors. Persevering is difficult to do. Even with practice, it never gets easier. In August of this year, I was pushed yet again into the anxiety and stress of surgery due to another cyst. Now that I am doing better, I am proud that I was able to overcome such a scary scenario.

When I was in the hospital as a child, I was terribly afraid. I always wondered why I could never be like other children. My friends would bounce back from anything, unafraid. However, as I laid down, bedridden, the world seemed unfair. With a knock on my door, I opened my eyes to see the cutest plush teddy bear. In one swift motion, I picked it up and hugged it tight. Just feeling the warmth of a tiny hug gave me so much hope. This small moment is forever in my mind. My family and friend's small gestures made me happier than before. To me, this is what generosity means: giving what little you can to make a difference. Because of this experience, I took it upon myself to continue that string of generosity. I started my "project for hope" in my local community. In which, I collected stuffed animals to donate to local hospitals and nursing homes to give forward that hope. For years, I continued this mission of mine of trying to spread as much hope as I can. My last bear donation was in March of 2020, just before the lockdown started in the United States. In that donation, I was overwhelmed with the amazing support of my community. I had collected over 200 stuffed animals. In order to do the most good possible, I partnered with my local Khol's to donate to their "Khol's Cares" in exchange for more stuffed animals. The money I used to buy stuffed animals was donated to their personal charity that helped families in need. In my heart, generosity is meant to be given to those around you. It shows that a little hope goes a long way.

Perseverance is not something that comes naturally to many people. It is a trait that comes with the terrifying reality that it is up to no one but yourself to make it through a difficult solution. Although there is no shame in asking for help, the first step is to find the courage in yourself to ask. However, in my situation, no amount of family and friends would make my experience any less difficult. Toward the end of my Junior year of high school, I was rushed to the hospital multiple times. At first, I was met with more question than answers. I was forced to go to every specialist in order to try and find what was causing my uncontrollable tremors and pain. Every night, I would go into random and mentally draining episodes. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, I discovered I had a major cyst. Throughout all these medical appointments, anxiety, and stress, I continued to push myself in school. Even though the times were hard, I knew I had to persevere for myself. I needed to prove that I could make it through any situation. After a long time of waiting, the doctors were able to determine the problems and I was sent into surgery to extract the cyst. A week later, I went into surgery again to fix an extremely deviated septum, which may have been causing the tremors. Persevering is difficult to do. Even with practice, it never gets easier. In August of this year, I was pushed yet again into the anxiety and stress of surgery due to another cyst. After all this time, I hope that the future will be brighter and that I can continue to overcome life's obstacles.

Overcoming difficulties is something every person dreads. For me, the hardest moment of my life was dealing with my middle school bullies. Every day, I fell deeper into a depressive state. The principle believe my bullies over me and, ultimately, I ended up in the hospital due to my bullies physical abuse. At that time, I was stuck in this mindset that I was always the one at fault. Even after I transferred out of that school, I was still trapped in my own head. As I grew, I felt that the world was still the same cruel one I grew up in. Yet, over time, I began to see things from a new perspective. Sure, there were terrible people in the world. However, I met some wonderful, close friends who showed me that it was okay to be a kid. Because of this, I gradually began to grow my perspective. I was able to overlook my bias and begin to understand people. To this day, I continue to grow in my perspective and learn more about those around me.

Going through difficulties in life is normal for everyone. Whether your struggles are big or small, it is important to remain patient with yourself. In my own case, I have been constantly waiting for the day when my sicknesses will heal and I will finally be able to enjoy life like others. However, that day has not come yet. Since I was five-years-old, I have been struggling with an invisible illness known as juvenile arthritis. To many, this disease is only attributed to people who are older and have lived long lives. However, I had barely begun my life and was already suffering from extreme pain that oftentimes left me physically paralyzed or bedridden. As a child, this put a damper on my goals in life and made me believe that I would never be able to enjoy life like the other children my age. When I was struggling with my health, many teachers and even doctors claimed that it was impossible for me to be in extreme pain since I was so young. Many people doubted my struggle and claimed that I was a liar. However, as I mentioned before, no one can know you just by looking on the outside. Although I looked young, I was suffering terribly on the inside. Whenever I was at my lowest, I reminded myself that these difficulties would not remain forever. I would wait, take a breathe, and be patient for the day when things would be better. Now that I am in college, things have gotten better. Despite the difficulties, I am continuing to take it day by day and remain patient.

Since I was five-years-old, I have been struggling with an invisible illness known as juvenile arthritis. To many, this disease is only attributed to people who are older and have lived long lives. However, I had barely begun my life and was already suffering from extreme pain that oftentimes left me physically paralyzed or bedridden. Every time I went to the hospital, I was amazed by how many children who, just like me, were suffering from various illnesses. Being young and sentimental, I often told my parents how distraught I was at being unable to help the other young patients in the hospital. Thinking of how holding a stuffed animal in a tight hug made me smile even on my sickest of days, an idea had struck me. Getting straight to work, I began to collect various stuffed animals from anywhere and everywhere. I asked local churches, stores, family friends, and parishioners if they could donate to my cause. Soon, I had over a hundred stuffed animals to give away. My very first stuffed animal donation was at Holy Name Medical Center in New Jersey, all of which were distributed to the children in the hospital. I was proud to be able to help give a smile to people who were suffering. To this day, I have continued my stuffed animal donations with as much tenacity and drive as my younger self has. In this way, I hope to have impacted my community with a ray of hope. Despite having a particularly rocky summer in terms of my health, I have begun to recover and desire to work toward the goals I thought were once impossible. I hope by continuing my donations and working toward higher education, I can achieve my goal of genuinely helping others gain hope.

In my own experience, I have seen with my own eyes just how unequal education can be for people. While I was struggling to maintain my grades in high school to maintain my scholarship and vigorously applying to outside scholarships so I could go to college, I would often seen kids crashing cars for fun and breaking expensive devices because they could (no joke). This angered me. All of the kids I mentioned above were going to college. All they had to do was pick one out of a hat and their parents would give them enough money to crash more cars and break more devices. Education should not be dependent of one's parent's money. It should be something that everyone has the right to achieve. Meanwhile, others were treating it like a privilege that is only reserved for those at the top of the social ladder. I truly believe educational inequity is something everyone should believe in. With the state of the job market today, having a college education is beneficial. Although I agree that some people may choose not to go to college, it should be of their own volition. Just as I and many of my friends struggled for four years in order to get a scholarship or opportunity in life, others should be able to get that same chance.

Since I was five-years-old, I have been struggling with an invisible illness known as juvenile arthritis. To many, this disease is only attributed to people who are older and have lived long lives. However, I had barely begun my life and was already suffering from extreme pain that oftentimes left me physically paralyzed or bedridden. As a child, this put a damper on my goals in life and made me believe that I would never be able to enjoy life like the other children my age. This lesson is what pushed me into taking action. Every time I went to the hospital, I was amazed by how many children who, like me, were suffering. Thinking of how holding a stuffed animal in a tight hug made me smile even on my sickest of days, an idea had struck me. Getting straight to work, I began to collect various stuffed animals from everywhere. I asked local churches, stores, family, and friends if they could donate to my cause. Soon, I had over a hundred stuffed animals to give away. My very first stuffed animal donation was at Holy Name Medical Center in New Jersey, all of which were distributed to the children in the hospital. I was proud to be able to help give a smile to people who were suffering. To this day, I have continued my stuffed animal donations with as much tenacity and drive as my younger self has. In this way, I hope to have impacted my community with a ray of hope. Despite having a particularly rocky summer in terms of my health, I have begun to recover and work toward the goals I thought were once impossible. I hope by continuing my donations, I can achieve my goal of genuinely helping others gain hope.

Since I was five-years-old, I have been struggling with an invisible illness known as juvenile arthritis. To many, this disease is only attributed to people who are older and have lived long lives. However, I had barely begun my life and was already suffering from extreme pain that oftentimes left me physically paralyzed or bedridden. As a child, this put a damper on my goals in life and made me believe that I would never be able to enjoy life like the other children my age. Many people doubted my struggle and claimed that I was a liar. This experience deeply affected me. I truly believed that hope was hard to find in such difficult times. Every time I went to the hospital, I was amazed by how many children who, just like me, were suffering from various illnesses. It only made me feel worse when I realized those children were feeling the same as I did. Thinking of how holding a stuffed animal in a tight hug made me smile even on my sickest of days, an idea had struck me. Getting straight to work, I began to collect various stuffed animals from anywhere and everywhere. I asked local churches, stores, family, friends, and parishioners if they could donate to my cause. Soon, I had over a hundred stuffed animals to give away. My very first stuffed animal donation was at Holy Name Medical Center in New Jersey, all of which were distributed to the children in the hospital. To this day, I have continued to donate more and more stuffed animals to various hospitals, nursing homes, and rehab centers. Although I understand this small project of mine will never "change the world," I continue to do it because it gives people a little hope. Just like when I was younger, I held onto my stuffed animals brimming with joy because it meant someone was thinking of me. I wasn't just a "sick kid" hidden behind one of the various windows of the hospital. I was a person who people wanted to get better and smile again. My project gives me hope for the future because I know these stuffed animals give those children the same hope I had. Even if it is small, I personally hope that my project will make the future of some of those kids better.

The strongest people in the world are those that go against the grain. In a world where many people from different ethnicities, genders, and traits are told to "conform" and ignore the problems at hand, Hattie McDaniel did not. In a era where African American actors were never seen on television, McDaniel defied this and performed one of the best and most important roles in "Gone with the Wind." The first time I saw this movie was for a school project. In which, we learned about the struggles that Hattie McDaniel went through after her debut. Despite all the horrible things people said and did, she continued to follow her career to the end. Her performance was amazing. Despite playing the role of a maid, McDaniel gave the character "Mammy" so much personality that she shone through. Her role was so astounding that she became the first African American woman to win an Oscar award. I admired McDaniel from the moment I saw her perform. Although our struggles are so very different and in different generations, I still understood what it was like to feel the pressure to "conform." When I was younger, many people berated me for my slight Spanish accent that I learned from my father. I was so terrorized at the thought of being different that I pushed Spanish into the back of my mind and promptly learned to speak in an "American" way. To this day, I deeply regret not continuing to learn Spanish and embracing my heritage. That is why Hattie McDaniel is so special to me: She did not just toss aside who she was for others. McDaniel has all the qualities people should strive for. In a time where there was much more violent outrage, McDaniel took her courage and stood tall.

Sitting in the back of the car crying, I told my mother what had happened in school. I was only around ten years old and my "friends" had betrayed me. They replaced me for not being "cool" enough and often accused me any and everything to the teacher. The principal was friends with my bully and always took her side of the story. Even before I could open my mouth, the principal would tell me "how can you be a girl when you aren't even pretty?" Oftentimes, my bullies would hate how I look and claimed I wasn't a girl because I didn't share their interests. "Every girl should like hot celebrities and post pictures on social media!" Despite them only being in middle school, they acted as though they were teenagers who had never seen someone who wasn't like them. Due to circumstances, I could not transfer schools until much later on in life. So, whenever I came to my mother crying about what they said to me, she would always say "What goes around, comes around." So I remained patient. And soon enough, I was able to transfer schools and (hopefully) never see those bullies or that principal again. Although I was away from my bullies, I still had lasting effects on my mental health. It was an extremely difficult childhood that I cannot put into words. Whenever I told my mother what happened, she would repeat those wise words to me again. As time went on, I later learned that those bullies each had their own terrible circumstances fall upon them. Some of them suffered from the same problems as I did, while my former principal lived alone. Although it is hard to accept tragedy, karma may come into play one day.

To be completely honest, my dream life is very normal. I want to be healthy and happy, just like anyone. As someone who has struggled through countless surgeries and doctor's visits, I hope to maintain my health for the future. This means taking my medication without fail, making healthier choices, and keeping myself calm. Career-wise, I hope to have a job in the forensic field. As I am currently studying Chemistry, I hope all my hard work will eventually pay off. My dream job, however, is working for the FBI or the CIA as a lab technician. I believe my skills would be better suited for lab work in an organization that prioritizes forensic attributes. In the service department, I want to continue my "Project for Hope." As stated before, I struggled through many medical emergencies as a child. To give back, I began giving stuffed animals to other sick children. It is my way of telling kids that they will be okay and that someone knows what they are going through. I hope that in the future my small project will be able to do more good in a larger way. Finally, in the "just because" section, I very much want a dog. I'm sure everyone would agree that having an animal friend is the best dream anyone can have.

"Never spend more than you have" is something my father has always told me since I was little. To most, it seems obvious and rather self-explanatory. However, this simple statement is what helped me understand the meaning of money. I remember when I was little and desperately wanted the newest video game on the Nintendo DS. Since both of my parents worked to help support me and my brother, I knew it was up to me to buy the game myself. I dove into my savings and counted every cent, nervously waiting to see if I had enough. However, I was a bit short. Disappointed, I gave up and decided to wait for the game to be on sale. Later on, my father told me how important it is to save money rather than spend it quickly. He taught me that spending all your money on a single item can make it harder to save for the next "great big thing" to buy. In other words, "never spend more than you have" does not just mean to "avoid being in debt" but to ensure you have a good foundation in case of an unexpected situation. As I begin college, I now realize all those years of saving have given me enough money to use it on important things like textbooks, materials, and food. This is what financial freedom entails: saving to be able to choose what you spend your money on. As an adult, it is important to make tough decisions on what to buy and what to let go. As someone who often has to make these choices, such as when saving to afford medication or necessary operations, it is important to have money. This is why "never spending more than you have" is such an important financial motto to me. By continuing to work hard, budget, maintain a savings and checking account, and maintaining my scholarship, I hope to have some financial freedom of my own soon. In the future, I want to prevent myself from falling in to debt. Even if I am faced with a sudden expense like a medical emergency, I want to be able to have a "cushion" in my savings account (or enough money to survive off of). Although it is very difficult to be prepared for any and every situation, it is something that everyone must do. In a world where money is becoming increasingly difficult to save, it is important that I take these lessons early and continue to grow with them.

Every day when I scroll through social media, I look at what each person stands for. Some post to make people laugh while others try to make lives a little better through tips and tricks to use. However, one thing I seem to never see is someone advocating for people who suffer from lifelong illnesses, like me. Although there are a few of these accounts hidden in the bottom-most reaches of the internet, it is hard to find one that accurately describes the feeling. As someone who suffers from juvenile arthritis and a multitude of other conditions, I know how absolutely heartbreaking it is to see so many of your peers being cheerful and achieving so many great things while you are stuck in your own "bubble." When I was younger, I desperately wanted to join a sport. It was just like on TV, I thought, where I could make tons of friends and have a sense of comradery. But no matter which one I tried, my sicknesses kept holding me back. It was either too much pressure on my joints or too hard on my lungs. Each one had some kind of drawback that prevented me from every feeling "normal." Although I am glad that my condition isn't as bad as others may have it, it still doesn't take away the pain of being "different." If I were an influential figure, I would want to be an outlet for those people (like me) who feel left out. Most importantly, I want to shout out the message that invisible illnesses exist and that no one should assume if someone is healthy or not just by looking at them.

"Do I have a story for you!" To be honest, I'm sure many of my friends are annoyed with how often I say that. I have so many funny stories that have happened to me. They sound outlandish and, in the moment they happen, terrible tragedies. However, after time goes on, I realize these terrible experiences are really funny in hindsight. Maybe I tell these stories to laugh off the bad times. But, either way, I love to see my friends laugh at my hilarious antics and memories. In one story, I went on a three day trip to Washington D.C. with my eighth grade class. However, during the course of the trip, we lost the same two students over ten times. It ended up flooding and no one had an umbrella or long pants. So everyone ended up walking a mile in almost knee high water. The school also planned a "mini cruise" on the lake and our class ended up tipping the boat slightly. To top it all off, our bus broke down five times. One time it broke down at a movie theatre and together our class watched "Guardians of the Galaxy 2." The teenagers behind the counter were very scared at the sudden crowd. Finally, our bus broke down in Baltimore and I had to chase someone who stole my friend's phone. In a last ditch attempt to get home, our principle called an Uber to take some kids back to the school (which was 2 hours away). The point of me telling you this story is to show that the part I love about myself is how I can make any bad experience into one of my favorite stories to tell. These moments are what make my life so interesting and I like it.

I'm going to be honest: the past year has been tough. I have gone through three different surgeries (one of which was a week before the start of college), went to the ER twice, and moved to a different state away from my friends. Throughout all this, I won't lie and say I never felt depressed or angry that this all happened to me. However, in my little moments of clarity, I take the time to realize that this may lead to a brighter future. That if I didn't receive those surgeries, my quality of life would be much worse. If I didn't go to the ER, the doctors would have never found the cause of my problems. If I never moved away, I would never get to experience what it is like to live in a much better area (that is better for my health and education). Although it is hard to do, I need to realize that these tough times will bring me greater joy in the future. I used to believe optimism was impossible to achieve when things are so painful. However, I now know that optimism isn't just blind hope. It is the small voice in your head saying "it will be okay" and you believe it because that is everything you need to hold onto. So I held on and I learned to play some instruments, like the ukulele and guitar. And I held on even longer and I wrote some stories for my friends. And here I am, a year later, still going strong and starting to enjoy college. So yes, I do have hope for the future. I hope that I can keep holding on to my optimism and continue to give back to other children like me. And that's my hope.

"Never spend more than you have" is something my father has always told me since I was little. To most, it seems obvious and rather self-explanatory. However, this simple statement is what helped me understand the meaning of money. I remember when I was little and desperately wanted the newest video game on the Nintendo DS. Since both of my parents worked to help support me and my brother, I knew it was up to me to buy the game myself. I dove into my savings and counted every cent, nervously waiting to see if I had enough. However, I was a bit short. Disappointed, I gave up and decided to wait for the game to be on sale. Later on, my father told me how important it is to save money rather than spend it quickly. He taught me that spending all your money on a single item can make it harder to save for the next "great big thing" to buy. With his help, I was able to be more conscious of my spending. In other words, "never spend more than you have" does not just mean to "avoid being in debt" but to ensure you have a good foundation in case of an unexpected situation. This advice came in handy in high school when most students would spend every penny on extra snacks or clothes, leaving themselves with nothing left. As I begin college, I now realize all those years of saving have given me enough money to use it on important things like textbooks, materials, and food.

Since I was five-years-old, I have been struggling with an invisible illness known as juvenile arthritis. To many, this disease is only attributed to people who are older and have lived long lives. However, I had barely begun my life and was already suffering from extreme pain that oftentimes left me physically paralyzed or bedridden. Every time I went to the hospital, I was amazed by how many children who, just like me, were suffering from various illnesses. Being young and sentimental, I often told my parents how distraught I was at being unable to help the other young patients in the hospital. Thinking of how holding a stuffed animal in a tight hug made me smile even on my sickest of days, an idea had struck me. Getting straight to work, I began to collect various stuffed animals from anywhere and everywhere. I asked local churches, stores, family friends, and parishioners if they could donate to my cause. Soon, I had over a hundred stuffed animals to give away. My very first stuffed animal donation was at Holy Name Medical Center in New Jersey, all of which were distributed to the children in the hospital. I was proud to be able to help give a smile to people who were suffering. To this day, I have continued my stuffed animal donations with as much tenacity and drive as my younger self has. In this way, I hope to have impacted my community with a ray of hope. Despite having a particularly rocky summer in terms of my health, I have begun to recover and desire to work toward my goals. I hope by continuing my donations and working toward higher education, I can achieve my goal of genuinely helping others gain hope.

One problem that is often overlooked by the majority of people is how terribly lonely the elderly community is. Anyone who has ever talked to someone in a nursing home can tell you how every resident wonders when their family will come to visit. Many have no family left to even yearn for. Each one looks toward their doors wondering if anyone even remembers they are still alive. It is a bleak reality and mindset of many elderly people. When my grandmother (85) was forced into a nursing home for her health, she told me how it is every elderly person's worst fear. Although my grandmother's stay only lasted about twenty days for post-surgery rehabilitation, she constantly lamented about the other residents and how she was the only one with visiting family. During this time, I was in the middle of my service project titled "Project for Hope." In which, I collect and donate stuffed animals with little "get well" sayings to children in the hospital. I did this to give a little hope to others and provide a small indirect "hug," as if to say "I understand what you are going through." As someone who has always been in and out of hospitals as a child, I could never imagine having no one to visit you. So, on February 1, 2015, I delivered another round of stuffed animals to Bristol Manor nursing home in New Jersey. The nursing home and its residents were very grateful to know someone was thinking of them. I hope, once the pandemic is fully over, to continue this imitative and provide more seniors a little smile.

Since art is a creative outlet, my favorite piece of art is the one that held all my genuine curiosity for crafting. When I was around ten-years old, I was a huge fan of Pokemon. So, when Halloween came around, I painted this huge pumpkin yellow and created ears from cardboard. It took me almost a whole week of painting, drying, crafting, and designing. As you can guess, it was a Pikachu pumpkin. It eventually won the local pumpkin contests in my town and left me with an extreme joy of arts and crafts. Because of that project, I have continued to paint and draw in my spare time as a way to cope with life. Although it has been many years since my first painted pumpkin, I still consider it my favorite "piece of art" today. To this day, I continue to paint pumpkins every Halloween as a way to connect with my inner child and express the things I love most.

Think back to your high school years. Back when you sat in a classroom surrounded by kids who could be defined into "categories." For example, the sports kids, the cheerleaders, the bullies, the "nerds," and those who people just found strange. Although it may sound mean, many classmates will define their peers by at least one of these terms, despite never really knowing them from outside the classroom. In "One of Us is Lying," the same can be said about Nate McCauley, a boy who believed his whole class fit into these "categories." However, when one of his "enemies" at school is murdered, he is forced to connect to some of his classmates. Throughout the book, I was sitting on the edge of my seat wondering who could have possibly murdered an innocent teenager. Just as anyone would, I immediately applied mental categories to each student. It seemed "obvious" that Nate or Cooper, a baseball player, could have killed him. After all, Nate was already a convicted criminal and Cooper was an athlete with a bad temper. Yet, as the book continued, I found myself falling into the author's trap. My own bias toward these stereotypical characters was clouding my judgement. As the end of the book drew near, I felt my perception growing and evolving with the main character. Each student was not just a stereotype but a real person that had various circumstances behind their actions. After finding out the "innocent" victim was not so innocent after all, I realized that crime is not just "black and white." As someone who is studying for a forensic science position, I learned more about bias profiling in this book than in any of my classes. "One of Us is Lying" is a masterpiece that made me realize my own bias.

"Never spend more than you have" is something my father has always told me since I was little. To most, it seems obvious and rather self-explanatory. However, this simple statement is what helped me understand the meaning of money. I remember when I was little and desperately wanted the newest video game on the Nintendo DS. Since both of my parents worked to help support me and my brother, I knew it was up to me to buy the game myself. I dove into my savings and counted every cent, nervously waiting to see if I had enough. However, I was a bit short. Disappointed, I gave up and decided to wait for the game to be on sale. Later on, my father told me how important it is to save money rather than spend it quickly. He taught me that spending all your money on a single item can make it harder to save for the next "great big thing" to buy. With his help, I was able to be more conscious of my spending. In other words, "never spend more than you have" does not just mean to "avoid being in debt" but to ensure you have a good foundation in case of an unexpected situation. This advice came in handy in high school when most students would spend every penny on extra snacks or clothes, leaving themselves with nothing left. As I begin college, I now realize all those years of saving have given me enough money to use it on important things like textbooks, materials, and food. Now, I hope to take this knowledge into my adult life and pay it forward.

Global warming. The name of the problem is to the point and, nowadays, deeply debated. Although it is obvious that the problem exists (despite scientists trying to make that fact known), what we are currently doing is not nearly enough to change the problem at hand. It is true that "every little bit helps," however, global warming will be coming to an all time high in less than twenty years and we have yet to make a real, lasting change. What is needed to solve this problem are long-lasting changes that impact the largest factors of global warming. For example, forcing big companies to stop emitting harmful gases into the air. Or, better yet, equip buildings that use large amounts of energy with renewable energy (such as solar panels). Although the best way to help global warming is to equip every house with renewable energy, it is impractical, expensive, and too time consuming. Logically speaking, not every family can afford to pay for solar panels. This is why we must first tackle the companies, buildings, and organizations that have the largest negative impact on global warming first.

The solution to mental health cannot be found through just one answer. It is an accumulation of multiple problems in today's society and the unwillingness to change them. During every "mental health awareness" discussion in school, many adults say the solution is to "talk to someone who is alone at lunch" or "invite them to play with you." What many adults fail to see if that anyone can be struggling with mental health, not just those who prefer to be quiet or stay by themselves. Instead of promoting children to forcibly interact with others, we should instead teach children how to identify mental illness and how to help others with it. For example, if a student has PTSD or suffers from panic attacks, the student could understand the situation and know how to properly calm someone down (i.e. the "5 things you can see" rule). After my experience in middle and high school, I have seen with my own eyes how mental illness affects the people closest to me. It does not just cause mental anguish, but shame and guilt at being "burdensome." Although some teachers and those in authority understand that mental illness is normal and nothing to be ashamed of, many students do not know this. Outwardly telling someone you suffer from a mental illness is seen as taboo in most schools. It can attract ridicule or many ignorant comments. Sometimes, it can even have the opposite effect and result in students "tip toeing" around the student, causing them to feel isolated and different. Although many strive for awareness for mental illness, what we really need to make a change is understanding. By having children learn that mental illness is natural, it can help more kids, teenagers, and adults to step forward and get the help they need.

Since I was five-years-old, I have been struggling with an invisible illness known as juvenile arthritis. To many, this disease is only attributed to people who are older and have lived long lives. However, I had barely begun my life and was already suffering from extreme pain that oftentimes left me physically paralyzed or bedridden. As a child, this put a damper on my goals in life and made me believe that I would never be able to enjoy life like the other children my age. When I was struggling with my health, many teachers and even doctors claimed that it was impossible for me to be in extreme pain since I was so young. Many people doubted my struggle and claimed that I was a liar. However, as I mentioned before, no one can know you just by looking on the outside. Although I looked young, I was suffering terribly on the inside. This lesson is what pushed me into taking action. Every time I went to the hospital, I was amazed by how many children who, just like me, were suffering from various illnesses. Being young and sentimental, I often told my parents how distraught I was at being unable to help the other young patients in the hospital. Thinking of how holding a stuffed animal in a tight hug made me smile even on my sickest of days, an idea had struck me. Getting straight to work, I began to collect various stuffed animals from anywhere and everywhere. I asked local churches, stores, family friends, and parishioners if they could donate to my cause. Soon, I had over a hundred stuffed animals to give away. My very first stuffed animal donation was at Holy Name Medical Center in New Jersey, all of which were distributed to the children in the hospital. I was proud to be able to help give a smile to people who were suffering. To this day, I have continued my stuffed animal donations with as much tenacity and drive as my younger self has. In this way, I hope to have impacted my community with a ray of hope. Despite having a particularly rocky summer in terms of my health, I have begun to recover and desire to work toward the goals I thought were once impossible. I hope by continuing my donations and working toward higher education, I can achieve my goal of genuinely helping others gain hope.

To sit and stare at the people around you teaches you nothing about what lies underneath. The most exciting part of this world is knowing that no two people are alike and that there is a story behind every person you meet. As someone who struggled medically throughout my life, I know this better than anyone. My name is Cecilia Hernandez and since I was five-years-old, I have been struggling with an invisible illness known as juvenile arthritis. To many, this disease is only attributed to people who are older and have lived long lives. However, I had barely begun my life and was already suffering from extreme pain that oftentimes left me physically paralyzed or bedridden. As a child, this put a damper on my goals in life and made me believe that I would never be able to enjoy life like the other children my age. This whole dreadful experience is what made me reevaluate my goals and how I could impact anything when I felt too weak to even try. It made me realize that I knew what it was truly like to feel hopeless, just like many other children in the hospital. This lesson is what pushed me into finally taking action and doing what only I could do. Thinking of how holding a stuffed animal in a tight hug made me smile even on my sickest of days, an idea had struck me. Getting straight to work, I began to collect various stuffed animals from anywhere and everywhere. I asked local churches, stores, family friends, and parishioners if they could donate to my cause. Soon, I had over a hundred stuffed animals to give away. My very first stuffed animal donation was at Holy Name Medical Center in New Jersey, all of which were distributed to the children in the hospital. I was proud to be able to help give a smile to people who were suffering. I have continued my stuffed animal donation and intend to continue my efforts in college (and beyond into the future) as I begin to study Chemistry. I hope by studying science, I can find more ways to help others in more constructive ways. Despite having a particularly rocky summer in terms of my health, I have begun to recover and desire to work toward the goals I thought were once impossible. I hope by working toward higher education, I can achieve my goal of genuinely helping others gain hope.

My name is Cecilia Hernandez, a Mayan-American from my father's side and since I was five-years-old, I have been struggling with an invisible illness known as juvenile arthritis. To many, this disease is only attributed to people who are older and have lived long lives. However, I had barely begun my life and was already suffering from extreme pain that oftentimes left me physically paralyzed or bedridden. As a child, this put a damper on my goals in life and made me believe that I would never be able to enjoy life like the other children my age. Every time I went to the hospital, I was amazed by how many children who, just like me, were suffering from various illnesses. Being young and sentimental, I often told my parents how distraught I was at being unable to help the other young patients in the hospital. Thinking of how holding a stuffed animal in a tight hug made me smile even on my sickest of days, an idea had struck me. Getting straight to work, I began to collect various stuffed animals from anywhere and everywhere. I asked local churches, stores, family friends, and parishioners if they could donate to my cause. Soon, I had over a hundred stuffed animals to give away. My very first stuffed animal donation was at Holy Name Medical Center in New Jersey, all of which were distributed to the children in the hospital. I was proud to be able to help give a smile to people who were suffering. To this day, I have continued my stuffed animal donations with as much tenacity and drive as my younger self has. In this way, I hope to have impacted my community with a ray of hope. Despite having a particularly rocky summer in terms of my health, I have begun to recover and desire to work toward the goals I thought were once impossible As I now head off into college, I have decided to pursue a degree in Chemistry. I am confident that chemistry can help benefit the world and create new ways to heal and recover. Science is a fast growing field that can lead to many new and important discoveries. It is my hope that through my studies, I can help other children like me have hope for their future. No matter how preoccupied I may be in college, I am determined to continue my service project and give back to my community.

"Dr. Frost," a webtoon by JongBeom Lee, is about the story of a man with the inability to process his own emotions. However, the doctor is able to determine the exact cause of each character's psychological trauma with extreme accuracy. The author puts meticulous care into researching each disorder and making it realistic rather than dramatic. As I began to read Dr. Frost, I connected to the main character's want to understand others despite not understanding themselves. With a desire to do the same, I applied for the Harvard Summer School Program in Psychology. After being accepted with a full scholarship, I was able to find out more about myself and what I truly wanted in life. Although I am now going into Chemistry, I owe much to the webtoon that pushed me in the right direction and caused me to look into my own emotions.

"It's not by rejecting different ideas, but by accepting different ideas that the world creates a chemical reaction. This is truly the formula for changing the world." ~N from Pokémon Black and White (2011) When I recite this quote to people, their initial reaction is to say how wise it sounds. The second, however, is one of disdain for where I discovered this mantra. Despite coming from a children's video game, these words came to me at one of the lowest points in my life. After being severely bullied, to the point of being hospitalized for a concussion, I was lonely and afraid of what may come next. Although I transferred schools and began a "new life," so to speak, I was terrified of meeting someone who was opposed to me once again. After processing those words again, I realized that there will always be someone who will hate me or be against me in one way or another. However, change can only occur in a world where these opposing forces are accepted. Although there is no way to please everyone in the world, it is possible to accept the differences and create a compromise (even if it is to agree to disagree). Now, as I head into the future, I hope to keep this lesson with me and build on it.

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and sorry I could not travel both, and be one traveler, long I stood, and looked down one as far as I could, to where it bent in the undergrowth." The rhythmic words recited above are from the popular poem "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost, a man who pondered on the choices life gives us and if they have any meaning. For me, I was once that "traveler" who could not decide which road to take. Being someone who came from small beginnings and terrible social and medical hardships, I found it difficult to think outside the box. For most of my young life, I was prone to studying meticulously without rest. I believe that all my problems could be solved with enough knowledge and dedication. Despite this being partially true, my younger self was missing out on all the little things that make life worth wild. When I reached high school, I honed in on keeping my scholarship and graduating with the highest grades possible. However, I found myself feeling empty and unfulfilled. This is what led me to my first "diverged" road in my life. I had the option to continue living life the way I was, focused only on my goals, or diverge and let myself find new activities and goals along the way. Reluctantly, I changed direction and found myself enjoying many different hobbies. During my four years of high school, I had become the treasurer of the Exercise Club, leader of my own service project, titled "Cecilia's Project for Hope," an avid reader of the book club, and a hard working member of the newspaper club. These experiences allowed me to learn more about what I, as a person, believe in and hope to achieve. Ultimately, I realized that I want to pursue higher education in Chemistry due to my love of science. However, without the activities I had participated in, I would have graduated without much motivation or love for my major. Despite the pandemic putting a damper on my final years of high school, I decided to take the time to explore even more of my passions. This allowed me to find my current passion: music. While trying to find a distraction from the stress happening in the outside world, I became absorbed in my childhood love of music. I soon began learning the ukulele and, from there, took to trying out more instruments. Now I am the proud owner of a guitar, piano, ocarina, ukulele, and tambourine (which was gifted to me by my grandmother). Although I am no expert musician, I am enjoying the learning process and loving every minute. In the end, I am happy with my choice and how my "road" has been travelled. Just as Robert Frost wrote the end of his own journey, "I shall be telling this with a sigh, somewhere ages and ages hence. Two roads diverged in a wood, and I- I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."

Like most young children, I grew up on old reruns of Bill Nye the science guy. Besides nostalgia, Bill Nye put himself out there to show children how interesting (and fun!) science can be. Although the show is long over, he continues to be an advocate for the planet and pushed for people to take the pandemic seriously. All in all, he is a true inspiration and role model and heavily influenced how I view science.

In seventh grade, my family moved from a big house to a tiny apartment located a mile away from my new school. Before this, I had been to three different schools and transferred for multiple different reasons. One of those reasons, besides moving to a new house, was excessive psychological and physical bullying. Despite being away from the danger, I constantly felt at odds with my new classmates. It was a struggle to speak without thinking there was an ulterior motive or hidden hate for me. This mindset plummeted me into a terrible spiral of self-doubt that ultimately affected my education. My grades had plummeted and my love for learning was beginning to fade away. My new school was bigger than any school I had been to before. There were so many hallways, lockers, and classrooms that I often found myself lost in between classes. In the middle of this, I was behind my peers in terms of education and found it difficult to keep up with the accelerated course of study the school prided itself on. Just when I was about to sink into mental depravity, someone said to me "I like your socks!" It is funny to think about now, but that silly and juvenile compliment made my day. The person who spoke to me was my seventh grade math teacher, who I sadly never knew her name. Despite this, she recognized my problems and often helped me in her own ways. Whenever I was lost in the hallway and found myself unable to speak, she often noticed me right away and showed me the way. When I found myself behind in math, unable to comprehend the very first question on a test, she took the time to reteach me. She never made me feel intellectually challenge or belittled my plight. My teacher genuinely taught me the material and, soon enough, I found myself loving math. It was something I could understand and felt accomplished in. Sadly, I transferred schools again halfway through the year. Because of this, I was unable to remember her name after so many years. However, I still remember her kindness to me and the impact she had on my life. If it wasn't for her, I would have lost my love of learning and my motivation completely. So, when I graduated middle school as part of the "Honor Guard" (a group of students ranked by their grades) I was beyond surprised and thrilled. In my heart, I know I owe it all to that one nameless teacher who swayed me to better myself. Now that I have graduated high school and move on the college, I hold my teacher's lesson close to my chest and hope to excel even further.

As everyone knows, college is an exciting experience with tons of new lessons to be learns: both academically and socially. However, just like anything in life, unexpected expenses may pop up and cause problems. From books to tuition, every little bit helps in the grand scheme of things. For me, I would use this scholarship to help pay for those unexpected fees I will eventually need to pay.

One of my earliest and fondest memories is sitting next to my ‘Babci,’ or ‘grandmother’ in Polish, and watching various murder mysteries on TV. Being a young girl with two hardworking parents, I was often home alone with my grandmother as I waited for them to come home at the end of the day. My grandmother practically raised me during my younger years and took me to “Babci school” (a term we used to describe when my grandmother taught me how to read and write before Kindergarten). To say my grandmother influenced my life would be an understatement. Without her, I doubt I would have my love of learning and voluminous vocabulary. As mentioned before, my grandmother and I watched many mystery-themed TV shows. Even years later, I still continue to sit by her and laugh as we solve and theorize every mystery show we watch. However, looking back, this experience helped me realize my passion for forensic science. Although many people mistakenly think of forensics as primarily detective work or dramatic searches for the suspect, it is fundamentally rooted in chemistry. By doing lac work, such as analyzing blood and biological samples, forensic scientists are doing more than just “finding the murderer,” they are helping narrow down the suspects and proving someone’s innocence. Without chemistry, it would be hard to prove someone’s innocence in a crime they did not commit. Nowadays, scientists are beginning to use blood samples to find the real perpetrator of the crime (even if it was more than thirty years ago). When I began high school, afraid and unsure of my passions in life, my grandmother was always a rock who would listen to my stories and give helpful advice, even if it was just words of encouragement. I would have never known that those little moments with her, watching television in my free time, would considerably influence my future career. When the time came for my Junior year to begin, I excitedly told my grandmother how I would be taking Forensic Science as my elective. Every day after school, I would passionately tell her the chemistry behind each case and how it helped find the suspect. Just by reiterating what I learned to her, I was able to remember more myself. Even though college will be much harder, I can always look back at my passionate discussions with my grandmother to energize myself to learn. Although any career in the STEM field is difficult, it is not impossible. As I have learned through my many difficulties growing up, sometimes it just takes a guiding hand to get to where you need to go. I know that once I begin my next chapter of life, I can count on my grandmother’s past lessons to help me along the way.

Since I was five-years-old, I have been struggling with an invisible illness known as juvenile arthritis. To many, this disease is only attributed to people who are older and have lived long lives. However, I had barely begun my life and was already suffering from extreme pain that oftentimes left me physically paralyzed or bedridden. As a child, this put a damper on my goals in life and made me believe that I would never be able to enjoy life like the other children my age. When I was struggling with my health, many teachers and even doctors claimed that it was impossible for me to be in extreme pain since I was so young. Many people doubted my struggle and claimed that I was a liar. However, as I mentioned before, no one can know you just by looking on the outside. Although I looked young, I was suffering terribly on the inside. This lesson is what pushed me into taking action. Every time I went to the hospital, I was amazed by how many children who, just like me, were suffering from various illnesses. Being young and sentimental, I often told my parents how distraught I was at being unable to help the other young patients in the hospital. Thinking of how holding a stuffed animal in a tight hug made me smile even on my sickest of days, an idea had struck me. Getting straight to work, I began to collect various stuffed animals from anywhere and everywhere. I asked local churches, stores, family friends, and parishioners if they could donate to my cause. Soon, I had over a hundred stuffed animals to give away. My very first stuffed animal donation was at Holy Name Medical Center in New Jersey, all of which were distributed to the children in the hospital. I was proud to be able to help give a smile to people who were suffering. To this day, I have continued my stuffed animal donations with as much tenacity and drive as my younger self has. In this way, I hope to have impacted my community with a ray of hope. Despite having a particularly rocky summer in terms of my health, I have begun to recover and desire to work toward the goals I thought were once impossible. I hope by continuing my donations and working toward higher education, I can achieve my goal of genuinely helping others gain hope. Through my struggles and difficulties, I learned that a little bit of hope can go a long way.

Since I was five-years-old, I have been struggling with an invisible illness known as juvenile arthritis. To many, this disease is only attributed to people who are older and have lived long lives. However, I had barely begun my life and was already suffering from extreme pain that oftentimes left me physically paralyzed or bedridden. As a child, this put a damper on my goals in life and made me believe that I would never be able to enjoy life like the other children my age. This lesson is what pushed me into taking action. Every time I went to the hospital, I was amazed by how many children who, just like me, were suffering from various illnesses. Being young and sentimental, I often told my parents how distraught I was at being unable to help the other young patients in the hospital. Thinking of how holding a stuffed animal in a tight hug made me smile even on my sickest of days, an idea had struck me. Getting straight to work, I began to collect various stuffed animals from anywhere and everywhere. I asked local churches, stores, family friends, and parishioners if they could donate to my cause. Soon, I had over a hundred stuffed animals to give away. My very first stuffed animal donation was at Holy Name Medical Center in New Jersey, all of which were distributed to the children in the hospital. I was proud to be able to help give a smile to people who were suffering. I had begun these donations in 2012 and continued to do more. My last donation was in March of 2020, right before the pandemic sent my area in lockdown. Each time I donate, I try to create more of an impact. My latest donation was over three hundred stuffed animals. Using the donation money I received, I bought more stuffed animals from the Kohl's Cares selection. This way, I was able to do a "double donation" which allowed Kohl's to use the money for their charity while I was able to donate the stuffed animals to the children's hospital. In this way, I have always been tenacious and looking for the best way to approach any situation. I hope to take the lessons I learned from my donation drives into college with me. In this way, I hope to have impacted my community with a ray of hope. Despite having a particularly rocky summer in terms of my health, I have begun to recover and desire to work toward the goals I thought were once impossible Now that I am older, I wish to continue and expand my impact on my community. There are so many children who, like me, feel hindered by their health struggles. Some are ignored and told that being young comes with no worries. However, I know this is far from true. I want to change the way children see their problems. Even if for a moment, my younger self hoped that holding a stuffed animal would give someone hope for their future.

To sit and stare at the people around you teaches you nothing about what lies underneath each face. The most exciting part of this world is knowing that no two people are alike and that there is a story behind every person you meet. As someone who struggled medically throughout my life, I know this better than anyone. Since I was five-years-old, I have been struggling with an invisible illness known as juvenile arthritis. To many, this disease is only attributed to people who are older and have lived long lives. However, I had barely begun my life and was already suffering from extreme pain that oftentimes left me physically paralyzed or bedridden. As a child, this put a damper on my goals in life and made me believe that I would never be able to enjoy life like the other children my age. There were so many things I wanted to do, such as continuing to learn piano or running around on the playground. But my health made it difficult to play piano with swelled hands or run around when the pain would drag me down. When I was struggling with my health, many teachers and even doctors claimed that it was impossible for me to be in extreme pain since I was so young. Many people doubted my struggle and claimed that I was a liar. However, as I mentioned before, no one can know you just by looking on the outside. Although I looked young, I was suffering terribly on the inside. This lesson is what pushed me into taking action. Every time I went to the hospital, I was amazed by how many children who, just like me, were suffering from various illnesses. Being young and sentimental, I often told my parents how distraught I was at being unable to help the other young patients in the hospital. Thinking of how holding a stuffed animal in a tight hug made me smile even on my sickest of days, an idea had struck me. Getting straight to work, I began to collect various stuffed animals from anywhere and everywhere. I asked local churches, stores, family friends, and parishioners if they could donate to my cause. Soon, I had over a hundred stuffed animals to give away. My very first stuffed animal donation was at Holy Name Medical Center in New Jersey, all of which were distributed to the children in the hospital. I was proud to be able to help give a smile to people who were suffering. To this day, I have continued my stuffed animal donations with as much tenacity and drive as my younger self has. In this way, I hope to have impacted my community with a ray of hope. Despite having a particularly rocky summer in terms of my health, I have begun to recover and desire to work toward the goals I thought were once impossible. I hope by continuing my donations and working toward higher education, I can achieve my goal of genuinely helping others gain hope.

In March 2020, right before COVID-19 sent everyone in quarantine, I was able to donate 315 stuffed animals to Saint Joseph's hospital in New Jersey. By working together with my friends, my school, and Khol's, the donation was a huge success and the largest I have ever done. I started this project back in 2012 and intend to continue it in college. In the picture, I am with my friend posing with all the stuffed animals collected.

One of my earliest and fondest memories is sitting next to my ‘Babci,’ or ‘grandmother’ in Polish, and watching various murder mysteries on TV. Being a young girl with two hardworking parents, I was often home alone with my grandmother as I waited for them to come home at the end of the day. My grandmother practically raised me during my younger years and took me to “Babci school” (a term we used to describe when my grandmother taught me how to read and write before Kindergarten). To say my grandmother influenced my life would be an understatement. Without her, I doubt I would have my love of learning and voluminous vocabulary. As mentioned before, my grandmother and I watched many mystery-themed TV shows. Even years later, I still continue to sit by her and laugh as we solve and theorize every mystery show we watch. However, looking back, this experience helped me realize my passion for forensic science. Although many people mistakenly think of forensics as primarily detective work or dramatic searches for the suspect, it is fundamentally rooted in chemistry. By doing lac work, such as analyzing blood and biological samples, forensic scientists are doing more than just “finding the murderer,” they are helping narrow down the suspects and proving someone’s innocence. Without chemistry, it would be hard to prove someone’s innocence in a crime they did not commit. Nowadays, scientists are beginning to use blood samples to find the real perpetrator of the crime (even if it was more than thirty years ago). When I began high school, afraid and unsure of my passions in life, my grandmother was always a rock who would listen to my stories and give helpful advice, even if it was just words of encouragement. I would have never known that those little moments with her, watching television in my free time, would considerably influence my future career. When the time came for my Junior year to begin, I excitedly told my grandmother how I would be taking Forensic Science as my elective. Every day after school, I would passionately tell her the chemistry behind each case and how it helped find the suspect. Just by reiterating what I learned to her, I was able to remember more myself. Even though college will be much harder, I can always look back at my passionate discussions with my grandmother to energize myself to learn. Although any career in the STEM field is difficult, it is not impossible. As I have learned through my many difficulties growing up, sometimes it just takes a guiding hand to get to where you need to go. I know that once I begin my next chapter of life, I can count on my grandmother’s past lessons to help me along the way.

To most people, STEM careers are tremendously difficult, reserved for the smartest, and limited to lab work. However, this is far from true. STEM careers are vital for both the workforce and society. For the world to change, more students need to realize the multitude of doors STEM opens. For me, I am determined to go into Forensic Science (Chemistry). This field has often gone unnoticed by many people as a viable option. However, forensic science has been around since 1902. It is often described as a science with the purpose of aiding the law. The science involved is not just to "find a criminal" but to help defend innocent people from being convicted of a crime. Hence, I believe becoming a forensic scientist will allow me to help defend others from being falsely convicted. After I graduate, I plan to build my career up step by step. After all, experience is the best teacher in the world. After I feel confident in my abilities, I plan to try and build up other students who want to learn more about forensic science. Whether this be through teaching or volunteering at workshops, I hope my knowledge can help build up others.

When I was five, I would sit on the warm, fuzzy carpet in my grandmother's room and listen to her countless stories. Whether that be funny trips she took as a teenager or stories about family members who had passed away decades before my time, one story stood out in particular: My grandfather's life. As a young child, I found it magical to hear about someone so close to you, yet so far away from your reach. My grandfather, my role model in life, had died a few years before I was born, yet he had such an amazing impact on those around him. He worked as an organist for Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Church. It was a modest living that most people would call foolish nowadays. However, my grandfather played the organ for hours on end, not just to pay the bills, but because he genuinely enjoyed the magic it brought into his life. And, despite the long hours, he still managed to form a close bond with each of his six children. When I was about ten years old, I had suffered traumatic bullying that once brought me to a hospital bed. My parents swiftly transferred me to a different school, hoping things would be better. This school was attached to the Church my grandfather played in. As a young child who was terrified of new people and places, being in that school somehow calmed me down. I felt as though my grandfather was right there with me, playing his organ with a smile (just as he always had). Despite never being in that school before, many adults would run up to me and say "Your grandfather was the gem of this Church" and tell me stories of how he played the organ and sang in different languages so well that they were moved to tears. Now that I am nearing adulthood, my grandfather has been proven to be my greatest role model in life. He taught me that if you live your life with strong values and a hobby you love, then you will never regret your life when you die. So, when I applied to go to the Harvard Pre-College program and they asked me the same question, "Who is a role model in your life," I proudly answered "my grandfather." Despite my odd answer, I was admitted into the program with a full scholarship and was able to have the most eye-opening two weeks of my life. For this, I am eternally grateful to my grandfather. Without knowing his life, I would have never had to courage to even apply. By using my grandfather's lessons, this is how I hope to pay what I have learned forward. As I head into my first years at college, I am hoping to live exactly as my grandfather wanted me to: with courage and love for what I do.