Society runs on two types of principal roles, roles of conflict and roles of peacebuilding. In my opinion, there are two roles of peacebuilding, properly harnessing natural resources and further developing early warning indicators and early action plans. Mechanism should explore and further inform themselves on the importance and influence of the roles of conflict and peacebuilding. Knowing the two types of principal roles and how they individually impact society can help increase the standard of living and help conflict avoidance. The absence of low-value resources can quickly cause conflict. Low-value resources have low costs yet they are important for living such as water, food, shelter, education, fertile land, etc. Darfur, a region in Sudan, has experienced civil unrest due to the scarcity of low-value resources. Sudan has experienced water scarcity, climate variability, and loss of fertile land (Halle, 2009). These issues have left thousands dead as well as causing nearly 5 million people to be food-insecure. Additionally, Darfur has been labeled as the “first climate change conflict” (The first climate change conflict, 2020, para.5). Climate change being the main principle of conflict is extremely problematic. Per The U.N. Environmental Programme “mean temperatures are likely to increase across Sudan and South Sudan in the coming decades, and yields for major crops like sorghum may fall by as much as 70 percent in that same period.” (The first climate change conflict, 2020, para.9). To help resolve conflict due to an absence of low-value resources governments and communities need to capitalize on environmental cooperation. Protecting and opening access to energy, biodiversity, water, fertile land, forestry, etc, will decrease conflict. Having access to these resources can catalyze dialogue, confidence, and cooperation between communities (Halle, 2009). The environment and natural resources are not solely a principal role in the conflict, it is influential in peacebuilding as well. Harnessing natural resources can assist economic recovery (Halle, 2009). Mauritania, a country in Africa, has harnessed its natural resources, promoting sustainable development and economic growth. Mauritania had an impressive growth rate of 6.7% in 2013 as well as increased macroeconomic stability (World Bank Group, 2014). Carefully harnessing local resources has allowed inclusive and sustainable development. Properly managing these resources creates revenues that don't risk conflict or unsustainability. Additionally, it creates transparency and accountability between communities (Halle, 2009). Harnessing natural resources is allowing Mauritania to escape extreme poverty. An additional principal role of peacebuilding is further developing early warning indicators and early action plans. Administering early warning indicators and early action plans will help slow down/stop the conflict. However, the implementation of these systems is not easy to come by. Per From conflict to peacebuilding “governance of natural resources and the environment should be viewed as an investment in conflict prevention.” (Halle, 2009, p.5) An example of early warning indicators and early action plans is seen in Madagascar. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and its partners created these systems with an emphasis on climate forecasts, food security, and agriculture production (FAO, 2019). The indicators were centered on food production and hunger. These strategies have proved helpful in producing peace and decreasing potential conflict in Madagascar. Due to the success in Madagascar early warning, early action is now being integrated into national strategies (FAO, 2019). Conversely, Mechanism should strengthen peacebuilding roles such as: harnessing natural resources and further developing early warning indicators and early action plans. Understanding and influencing the two types of principal roles and how they individually impact society can help increase the standard of living and help conflict avoidance. Works Cited: FAO. (2019). Madagascar – impact of early warning early action. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved December 11, 2021, from https://www.fao.org/3/ca3933en/ca3933en.pdf. Halle, S. (2009). From conflict to peacebuilding: The role of Natural Resources and the environment. United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP. The first climate change conflict. World Food Program USA. (2020, December 19). Retrieved December 10, 2021, from https://www.wfpusa.org/articles/the-first-climate-change-conflict/. World Bank Group. (2014, August 27). Mauritania: Harnessing the country's natural resources to promote economic growth and sustainable development. World Bank. Retrieved December 11, 2021, from https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2014/08/21/mauritania-harnessing-the-countrys-natural-resources-to-promote-economic-growth-and-sustainable-development.

Normal. One word, six letters, has the power to tear people apart. Normal is used to attack and belittle people that are different from society’s ridiculous standards. The only normal thing about society is that we are all different! Some of the strongest stigmas are towards people with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD’s). Individuals with IDDs are constantly facing discrimination. Retard, stupid, and special, are often used to attack people with intellectual or developmental disabilities. The lack of equality surrounding people with IDD’s has lead to stigma in society. Everyone deserves the same rights and equality. Because of this, I joined my high school Best Buddies chapter freshman year. Best Buddies is a non-profit organization. Their mission is to create one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, and inclusive living. When I first joined my high school's chapter it was something to do in my free time. Nevertheless, I soon fell in love with the people and their mission. We became family! I have been involved in Best Buddies for four years and am thrilled to say I was elected as the Prairie High School chapter president. I want to make a difference in my community and leave an impact. Best Buddies is allowing me to see and be a part of the change in my community. We are creating friendships and everyday opportunities for people with IDD’s, opportunities that should already be given. My first buddy pair was with a girl named Cheyenne. Buddy pairs are when two people, one with a disability and one without are paired up to spend time inside and outside of school, hopefully creating a friendship. When we met I was a little intimidated, I was nervous I wasn’t going to be a good friend, someone she could look up to. Even though I had my nerves we both jumped right into our buddy pair and soon became best friends. I have found that people with IDD’s don’t pass judgment or hatred. The thing I admire most about Cheyenne is that she can see the best in people. This is what makes me want to be around my Best Buddies family all the time! Because of the Best Buddie mission and the family-like aspect, I plan to be a part of Best Buddies throughout college and create more chapters throughout the state of Iowa. People with IDDs are constantly facing discrimination. Whether it’s being called a retard, stupid, or special, the lack of equality surrounding people with IDD’s has lead to stigma in society. You and I can stop this stigma by giving equal opportunities to people with IDD’s. Whether these opportunities are inclusive jobs, friendships, leadership positions, and even inclusive living. We can make this the new normal. I have and will continue to contribute my future endeavors to fight the stigma surrounding IDD's.

My favorite quote is, "Curiosity killed the cat but, satisfaction brought it back." This quote has undergone many transformations, the first being by Ben Jonson "Helter skelter, hang sorrow, care will kill a cat, up-tails all, and a pox on the hangman." I find myself referencing this quote weekly. In my opinion, this quote signifies defying comfort. In life, you will accomplish many things that scare you. Discomfort is what one should strive for. Pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone allows you to face new challenges and experiences. This quote helps me to push outside of my comfort zone. I have always been a logical thinker. Because of this, I often overanalyze things. This quote gives me the push I need to have fun and let go of my worries. Looking within and constantly improving is one of my biggest motivations. Currently, that is accepting discomfort. I don't want my perturbation to get in the way of my life. "Curiosity killed the cat but, satisfaction brought it back." reminds me of the rewards that come out of expanding my comfort zone. Moreover, this is important now more than ever. Moving away from home is one of the biggest challenges I have faced so far. I am both excited yet nervous for the next chapter of my life. The future will bring new highs and lows to my life. It will not be easy, yet I know it will be worthwhile. Fortunately, this proverb will resonate and inspire me on my journey.

The COVID-19 pandemic has given me a fanatical year! During the start of the pandemic, I was lucky enough to be hired in a medical pavilion. My position is that of a concierge. Working in a medical pavilion allowed me to connect with my community in ways I never thought possible. I saw the lives that were impacted by the pandemic and the ways in which frontline workers braved the pandemic. It solidified my career of study, medicine. Additionally, the pandemic gave me the opportunity to work on myself. I became a better person by living through a pandemic. The gratitude that I have for my job, house, and food is immense. Living through a global pandemic has been unparalleled. I am appreciative of the progress I've made.

For the past two years, I have been accustomed to changes and challenges. The most significant challenge the past year involves my uncle. On August 18th, the day of my graduation party, I was told my uncle was missing. His car, phone, wallet, and keys had been found on a bridge over the Mississippi River. Although he wasn't officially declared dead, my immediate family knew he committed suicide. My uncle was in a constant battle with his mental health for the past decade. His past suicide attempts and depressive lows brought insight into mental health. He was, unfortunately, a victim of the pandemic, but not in a typical way. He found electric shock therapy to be an effective way to deal with his mental health. He was undergoing this therapy when the pandemic hit. Sadly, the hospital felt electric shock therapy was not essential. His mental health quickly deteriorated, leading him to take life. His death was a punch to the stomach. It made me question my strengths and abilities. Overcoming his passing changed me as a person. I became stronger while also more in tune with myself and my family members. I learned a lot about the way others act, struggle, and how I hold grief. It has helped me become more aware of the world around me. His struggle with mental health taught me the importance of support systems. I am lucky to have several support systems in my life. I have found my support systems to be family and friends. The first support system is my mom. My mom has always been supportive of my ideas, caring, and has always had my back. I have often found myself going to my mom for help or getting her advice on topics. For example, she was the person to teach me how to deal with grief and loss. She showed me how to grieve healthily and validated the emotions I felt. I would not be the same person today without her. The second support system I have is my sister, Callie. I found my sister to be the first person I go to when I need support. She understands me on a level that nobody else does. However, we tend to handle things differently. Therefore, we use each other to find the best way to handle a situation. Next is my friends. My friends have always been supportive while also giving me their opinions. They have always made me know that I am loved with whatever I do. However, at the same time, they will tell me if I am making a mistake. It is their advice that has helped me with school, relationships, work, and grieving. As I stated above, I found out my uncle was missing the morning of my grad party. Having my friends around provided support and a distraction. Additionally, his death helped me appreciate the importance of being open-minded and understanding. I find open-mindedness to give me meaning. I believe that being open-minded makes life more enjoyable. Having an open mind allows me to learn about different ways of life and culture. On the other hand, it has made it easier to understand the struggles we face. Having an open mind helped me to accept my uncle's battle with mental illness. I will never be able to fully comprehend his pain. But having an open mind and a conversation about mental health allowed me to grieve and accept his death.

My case is one commonly heard from undergraduates around the world. I am a full-time student working two jobs, trying to afford my car payment and rent, much less tuition. This scholarship would allow me to buy books, food; and make a car payment without worry. The money would allow me to be focused solely on school for a month or two. It might not sound like a lot, yet, any broke college student knows $510 can go a long way. I'm doing my best to find and apply cost-saving options to my everyday life. There are good resources available to college students like Honey and Capital One Shopping. I have always been financially smart by using the tools and resources available, but I am still struggling financially. No matter how much I work or the time put into finding cost-saving options it feels as though I can't get ahead. Unfortunately, as I stated earlier, this is not new for college students. Scholarships such as these allow students to have a sigh of relief. It would be liberating to win this scholarship and use it for my expenses.

Hello! My name is Chloe Kyte; I'm 18 years old. My goal is to get my Doctorate in Biochemistry while on a Pre-Med track. My leadership qualities would consist of helpfulness, intelligence, and hard-working. These leadership traits have helped me be a successful leader as well as cope with everyday life. A strength I possess is my willingness to help people. Helpfulness was a factor when deciding my major. I knew that I wanted to help people. My ability to help people has also increased my comfort in asking for help. I have always found it difficult to ask for help. Helping others has allowed me to break out of my shell. The following traits go hand in hand: I'm intelligent and hard-working. I found this has helped me the most in my school and work life. I'm the proudest of my intelligence. I've struggled with school up until 7th grade. It was at this point that I started to change my perspective on learning. Changing my viewpoint has helped me succeed in a classroom setting. As I stated, hard-working goes hand in hand with intelligence. As a kid, I started to work hard to get better grades than my sister; I am a twin. However, it has now turned into a strength. I continue to work hard to prove myself. Being a hard worker is helpful in any setting. I also find that this makes me more confident in my abilities. Winning a scholarship would allow me to follow my dreams. My meaning in life comes from helping others. I learned from a young age that I wanted to help people. High School helped reinforce this idea by allowing me to use my extra time to volunteer and lead clubs. I found love and joy in helping others. It was at that point that I decided on a career in medicine. I want to become a doctor to help individuals both physically and emotionally. Winning a scholarship would help me do so. I would be a great candidate because I want to improve the world. I was a leader in both my high school and community. Those experiences have given me great values and work ethic. I know that I will continue to use these values and work ethic to further my career. I would love to receive a scholarship to help make my aspirations a reality. I currently work in a medical pavilion. This job has allowed me to work hand in hand with medical providers. This first-hand experience has allowed me to see the positive impact that medical providers have on my community. Once I obtain my degree, I hope to use it as my colleagues have used theirs. Specifically, I want to bring comfort and awareness to patients when going to the doctor. There is a stigma surrounding medical care and minorities. My goal is to destigmatize these experiences and validate patients' struggles. Everyone has the right to get proper medical care.

One day I aspire to have an impact like Marie Curie, minus the radiation poisoning. Maire Curie's work changed the way we practice medicine. Her ambition and dedication to her work helped save countless lives. I wish she could learn of her work's impact; she was an exemplary scientist.