As a child, I endured all sorts of medical abnormalities without ever telling a soul. I had anxiety all growing up, broke a finger without mentioning it to a single medical professional, and sat with an undiagnosed eating disorder as a growing girl. I never was properly educated on what was happening within my own body and worried that I would be deemed as 'overreacting' once I sat down inside of the clinic. Looking back on my younger self, I wish that I could've spoken up and gotten help instead of toughing it out at the age of seven years old. This has instilled a passion within me to be the nurse that I wish I would've had. Someone who is willing to teach others rather than shame them and care for others rather than checking off boxes on their care plan. My dream is to someday become a nurse within the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, meaning I would be able to provide care for babies born with health complications and provide relief to their parents. I believe that the mission of the NICU perfectly aligns with my core value of 'advocating for those who cannot advocate for themselves'. Out of all the patients I could encounter, babies are by far the most helpless yet in need of the most care. Their parents are at a a loss for hope, their first experiences on this Earth are irregular, and there's no way for the patient to express their feelings and pains to the medical professionals. But nurses are powerful within the sense that they can do everything in their power to ease the burdens placed upon these families' shoulders. While it is a high stakes environment, I believe that my passion will push me through the trials and difficult days that I know come with a career centered around people. My mother struggled a lot with infertility and I saw her lose children that could've fought for their lives with current medical practices. Thinking about the love and care I would've provided her growing up (had I known her circumstances), pushes me towards this field. I want to be a part of the community that is saving the lives that used to not get a fight. I want to be a nurse that gives individuals the opportunity to take their babies home. I want to showcase my strong sense of empathy and love through my career. I want to be the nurse I wish I could've had.

"Mommy, why are you crying?" I asked, pulling the blanket away from her face. It was Mothers' Day, what on Earth could be the matter? She had breakfast in bed, handmade cards, and a chilled soda I had brought her all upon her bedside table. What had I done wrong? I wandered into the kitchen to find a letter ripped open on the counter and it read, 'We are so sorry for your loss'. All the gears in my head began to spin and it all clicked. My mother had miscarried that day. The day that was meant to celebrate the hard work she puts into being an example quickly turned sour as she was reminded how close she was to loving one more child of her own. My mother wanted more than anything to have a large family. While she was blessed with three baby girls, she lost so many souls along the way. I've always ached for how my mother must feel and wondered what I could do to make a difference for women like her. Women who don't know if their babies are going to make it but need reassurance of their value. Women who need to be lifted up in some of the hardest times imaginable. Women who wants to feel safe, valued, and heard while giving themselves up to someone else's care. My dream career is to be a nurse within the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. One of my biggest goals when career hunting in early high school was wanting to be 'an advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves'. After lots of consideration I realized the people I would be the most honored to serve are mothers and their children. We are all born vulnerable and in need of careful love and attention. Some children, however, need even further care and need someone to reflect their worth and value through attention to treatment. I am able to care for these precious souls through my future career every single day. While many see the NICU as a place of fear and disappointment I have reflected upon it as a place of hope. This is a unit that is only improving through technology and research, saving more and more children's lives, and serving mothers all over the globe. While none of my mom's babies made it into the NICU, I'm sure my honorary brothers and sisters would smile down on me from heaven seeing me serve so many like them. I also know that my mom is going to be so proud of me seeing my empathy assist other women experiencing the same fears and anxieties that she did. I want to pursue a career in nursing to be a part of something that is bigger than myself. I want to save as many lives as possible. Every child deserves to feel as though someone is on their team. Thank you for your time and consideration.

My name is Chloe Mae Dunn. I am a sister, old-soul, daughter, singer, best friend, scrapbooker, and aspiring nurse. Since I was six years old, I've been taking care of everyone around me. I helped my parents through intense mental health issues, took care of my baby sisters, and tried to be a friend to everyone I encountered. Through every experience I've had up to this point my core values have been structured and can be defined by the following phrases, 'every human life is precious', 'it takes a long time before a soul fully shows itself', and 'I hold the power to make a difference, all I must do is act'. As someone who is combatting health complications, I have had a lot of experiences in healthcare that don't align with any of my core values. Being mocked, slighted, and disrespected by many healthcare professionals in my area makes me want to become a change. Empathy is one's ability to find a solution to aide hurt, even if you have not experienced it yourself. Whether this hurt is in the form of grieving, physical injury, or mental challenges, someone with empathy does what they are able to lessen this strain on an individual. This is the most significant personality trait within the healthcare field because you are trained to assist all walks of life. You have no idea exactly how they're feeling, and they may never reveal the full extent of the pain they are holding. Without empathy, you are not able to effectively communicate with, serve, or work with your patients. While a mother who is a labor and delivery nurse may have insight on the anxieties surrounding child-birth, she may have never have had to give birth to a still-born. Experiences are helpful, but not key for providing patients relief. The specific health related field I want to end up in after graduating is becoming a nurse in the NICU. I believe that if I can work alongside my core values I mentioned previously, I can make my job one that is focused on improving the life quality of individuals I care for. I am able emphasize the how precious each individual's life is through advocating for those who cannot advocate for themselves in the NICU. By being an understanding nurse rather than a pushy one, I can gain mothers' trust going through the pains associated with complications at birth. Within the realm of nursing, individuals are able to work for a cause that is bigger than themselves. That in itself is so powerful. It would be an honor to go into the workplace to ensure that everyone I come in contact with feels understood and loved. Thank you for your time and consideration.

When I tell individuals what my dream job is, I am most of the time met with a dropped jaw or a confused, "but... why?". Even though my future career path will not be easy and may strike some as being impossible, I know my passions and perspectives will help me to perfect the skills needed to be an incredible nurse within the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. I have been taking care of small children since I was twelve-years-old. I was often deemed an "old-soul" by adults in my vicinity and was able to learn a lot from being their kids' caretaker. Now, I work in a job for my City where I run inclusive programs for my community's youth. I've loved caring for them, learning about their development, and finding ways for them to see how valued and loved they are. Through this lens, tinted by the value of human life, I often reflect on how we all start out in the same way. We start in a vulnerable, defenseless state as we are held in the arms of our mothers. For most, the moment of meeting your baby is one filled with the biggest wave of relief and happiness. For others, the anxiety only increases as health complications make their way to the light. These babies are sent to the NICU for further treatment. So, why do I WANT to work in the NICU? For some, the NICU seems like a place filled with fears, uncertainties, and inevitable casualties. It makes sense why so many individuals question my career path when they themselves have heard horror stories or had bad experiences. But for me, the NICU is a place of hope, a place where all the nurses have the same goal. To save every child and give them the best life possible in regards to their health after leaving the NICU's care. I have the power to ease the nerves of a terrified mother by caring for her child. I have the power to change the quality of life for a precious soul. I have the power to be a nurse working in a unit that's only improving and expanding. I hope to contribute to my community through empathy and kindness in my relations with every patient I encounter. I hope I contribute saved lives and medical breakthroughs to my community. I hope I can be the change that I wish to see in the healthcare field. I hope I can be the nurse that makes patients feel comfortable, heard, and loved in a field filled with so many who push clients away. My community has always been very special to me and I've watched as it has supplied me with jobs, friends, and opportunities. This career would be my effort to pay forward everything I have been given. While nursing school is no simple task, and I often feel overwhelmed, I frequently picture myself as a little girl. She wanted to help everyone so badly, even the people she couldn't save on her own. I know that if I could see my toddler self standing in front of me with her curly hair and dreams of hosting charity lemonade stands to save the world, she'd be so proud of me. I pursue nursing for her. I pursue nursing for every child that deserves a life and love. I pursue nursing to prove to myself that I hold power to change lives. Thank you for your time and consideration.

I'm lucky that I'm alive. When my mother was in labor, we found out that my umbilical cord was wrapped around my neck. Twice. The doctor was urging my mom to take so many different routes to speed up the process of my birth. While my mom wanted to meet her baby so badly, she had a gut feeling that none of the solutions being proposed were the right one. It wasn't until a nurse suggested an emergency C-section that my mom felt her baby's life was safe. All thanks to that nurse's intuition, my life was saved. While my mom likes to joke about how "high maintenance" my birthday was, we're both so grateful there was a professional in the room with a desire to help my mom feel safe in such a vulnerable situation. This story solidifies my passion for nursing because it shows how humanizing they can make the healthcare field become. I've had health issues my entire life and I would spend days before going into a doctor's office dreading the treatment, testing, or examination process I'd have to experience. However, every nurse that has led me to my examination room or took my vitals has been kind and gentle and ready to help. Nurses assist in setting the tone within a healthcare setting and provide peace in a place that's often dreadful for individuals to visit. I hope that once I enter the field I can take my strengths in compassion and hospitality and apply them in providing every soul optimal care. I want patients to feel like a person rather than exclusively being a patient. If I had to describe my personality in three words it would probably go as follows: authentic, compassionate, and dreamy. I'm a collector of books, vinyl records, guitars, and scrapbooks. I have the hobbies and style of a 1970s grandmother. My biggest drive in life is music. I write SO much music and love to share it with others. I hope to someday take that passion I have for singing and start a program where individuals can volunteers to sing to babies in the NICU. Singing helps me with my mental health in so many ways and I have learned so much about how influential it is for a child's development. Every angel who in the NICU deserves to hear a song and be held and cared for. Ultimately, it is my dream to be an advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves. Ever since I was 12 years old I have been employed by others to take care of children. I've nannied and babysat for dozens of families since then and had 3 childcare jobs since I was 16. I've seen the world through so many children's eyes and their ideas and feelings are quite easy to miss if you don't know where to look for them. Expressing yourself while still discovering who you are is extremely difficult and we expect kids to do it every single day. I've seen how precious the life of every child is and I want to help every child experience a childhood. This is why I would like to specialize in the NICU. There are so many parents that are unsure if their baby will make it past day one. How will they see the joys of childhood innocence if no one is there to help their child heal? I hope to take every ounce of passion I have for children and aide those with difficulty in getting strong enough to be with their families. Even though they cannot tell me who they are, how scared they feel, or what they wonder, I know they deserve to both find out what their future holds and receive the best care imaginable.

I've had many career aspirations over the years. In kindergarten, my heart was set on caring for every type of animal as a zookeeper. In middle school I chased my literary dreams and started typing drafts for chapter books I was convinced would be New York Times bestsellers. It wasn't until my junior year of high school that I realized I was supposed to become a nurse. My whole entire life I have just wanted to help others. I have been an older sister since I was three, a babysitter since I was twelve, and a summer camp counselor for the past 4 years. I have always valued the characteristics of authenticity, empathy, and emotional maturity as I have grown. So, as I was urged more and more often by the adults in my life to start pursing a career I realized that's exactly what good nurses are called to do in their careers. It is more than merely providing care for the patient, but caring about each patient. One of my greatest passions is teaching and caring for those who cannot care for themselves, specifically children and infants. As a child, I was hyper-aware of everything that was happening in my little world and it caused me to be very anxious. I was a perfectionist and praised by teachers and peers but I was terrified of them. As I grow up, I strive to become an approachable adult for children in every setting. I treat those who are younger than me as equals rather than doubting their experiences and belittling their victories. I feel as though I have done this within my current career paths, and hope to do so within the nursing realm as well. My dream area of specialty is the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. As I previously mentioned I love to help individuals who cannot advocate or assist themselves and these precious lives are the epitome of this passion. Complications at birth are a terrifying roadblock for new or experienced mothers, and I would love to alleviate that stress by being someone in such a specialized career that has a deep passion for their work. By knowing there is a nurse caring for your precious child who truly cares, some amount of stress is taken off shoulders of families experiencing this overwhelming stress. I am also an individual who values motherhood so deeply, I think it is one of the most empowering experiences a woman can have. Although I have never had children of my own, I have felt of children's love in all sorts of ways. Their love is pure and appreciative, they just want to be assisted in an understanding manner. By seeing the endless potential in every child's life, it has pushed me to want to assist them from the starting point. I am also unsure if I will be able to have children of my own, which terrifies me. But instead of letting this hold me back, I want to assist any mother I can in experiencing the miracle of motherhood. If I can benefit the quality of life for any child, that makes this career path more than worth it to me.

I will never forget the Mother's Day where my mom cried all day long. I remember walking into her room with a breakfast-in-bed tray in one hand and a bouquet of flowers in the other. I quietly creaked opened my mother's bedroom door to see her crying on her bed with a letter in hand. I carefully placed down everything I was carrying and ran to hug her. In her hand was the worst news a mother could have received that day, she had miscarried. This experience and many others, have opened my eyes to the terrifying nature of motherhood and how uncertain it can feel for so many women. Which is what has drawn me to pursue the career of a nurse within the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Becoming a nurse would mean that I get to help countless mothers and children as they experience the complex yet wholly rewarding experience of motherhood. I have grown up as a nurturer of two younger sisters and had careers teaching and assisting children my whole life and I believe it is what my calling is. My goal is to be able to provide relief to mothers who have uncertainties when there are complications at birth. If they know they have someone on their side who is so passionate about providing both their children and themselves the best care possible, it makes some emotions surrounding this terrifying instance more manageable. I believe that I am equipped for this career because I have emotional maturity, deep empathy, so much child care experience, and a desire to educate women on how their children are being cared for. I hope to be a good coworker, nurse, provider for myself, and daughter through my career as a nurse. I will get to work with other fantastic individuals who hold the same values that I do of caring for the community and helping the most vulnerable population in the world, newborn babies. I am still unsure if I will be able to have kids of my own one day, and that is my worst fear imaginable. Through this career path I will be able to assist other women during one of the most fulfilling and important moments in their life. Even if having children isn't written for me in my future, I at least will be making differences in their lives through this career. Being a nurse means providing peace that I know some people have never received in their experiences with the healthcare system. Being a nurse means helping women become mothers for the first, second, or seventh time. Being a nurse means embracing my passions and advocating for souls who can not advocate for themselves.

From a very young age I got used to the idea of only receiving participation ribbons. No matter how often I put myself out there, it felt like I was always being held back from success. I didn't matter how hard I practiced for auditions, I never got the lead role. Who cares how perfectly I hit every note, I never received a solo in choir. While green ribbons adorned my walls rather than those of blue and red I wondered if it was due to bias or a lack of talent on my end. I feel as though my experience with music growing up is similar to how Chappell was thrown out by her record label before her meteoric rise to fame with 'The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess'. Something that is so beautiful about Chappell's rise to fame is she never gave up on herself and the identity she was portraying with the project she was working on. Instead of internalizing the pushback from the music industry as a personal failure, she used it as motivation to become the face of the revival of pop music. She is such an icon for so many different groups of people and advocates for what is important for her, which has the potential to ruin certain aspects of the career if people disagree but she holds her priorities close and protects them. About a year ago, I came across Chappell Roan's 'Tiny Desk Concert' hosted by NPR. I was very impressed by her and adored her messy, drag-queen inspired look she portrayed. Everything from her big, beautiful red wig to the lipstick on her teeth was calculated. She was bright. She was colorful. She was having FUN. It was so unique to see a pop artist who was so dedicated to their craft rather than the monetary repercussions. I felt so incredibly inspired that I pulled out my dozens of notebooks spanning from the past 5 years of life and found all the songs I gave up on. I pieced together some of my old music and finally worked up the courage to turn back to this creative outlet. This year I entered NPR's Tiny Desk Concert Contest. While I might not win against the hundreds of other insanely talented musicians, it is a testament to how I put my work out in the public domain. If I someday perform on Tiny Desk like Chappell, I hope I too can be show stopping, inspiring, and stand up for what I believe in.

"Are you okay?" Hannah asked me, pulling me into a huge hug. I stood there, tears clinging to my cheeks as I tried to scream every lyric to the song I have deemed the epitome of girlhood, 'teenage dream'. Nothing could have been more perfect, Olivia Rodrigo, a picture-perfect icon for many women and girls alike, sitting on stage so vulnerably voicing her feelings of inadequacy. As she played my favorite 'GUTS' track of all time, my best friend embraced me and shared a moment with me that I will never forget. For me personally, my teenage experience was so significant in facilitating the healing of my inner child. For as long as I can remember I have been anxious about anything and everything. Test scores, what I'd wear to school, being kind to others, what my friends thought, and if my parents were proud of me. I could never place a finger on why I felt inclined to think this way but it was constantly with me and drained me from a very young age. By the time I reached my teenage years I realized I had wasted so much time worrying and hardly any of it living for myself. While in high school, navigating my growing pains and dealing with my inadequacies, I found my favorite people in the whole world. They brought out the best parts of me and helped me make up for that lost time. For the first time, I felt content in the moment rather than antagonizing my future. They supported me in following all of my crazy pipe dreams and continue to do so. Olivia Rodrigo so beautifully pours these feelings it in her song 'teenage dream', "They all say that it gets better, it gets better the more you grow. They all say that it gets better, it gets better but what if I don't?" This lyric makes me feel so seen as a teenage girl who so desperately wants to rise up to expectations that no one has set for her but herself. Watching videos of young Olivia Rodrigo performing concerts for her parents in her living room made me realize that I can accomplish all the things that younger Chloe wanted for her future too. So even if I feel as though I have already given all I can and my future cannot truly 'get better', I know the little Chloe in my locket would smile knowing I gave all I could to make her dreams come true. "Yeah, I'm okay." I told Hannah, "I think I'm going to write an album!" Hannah smiled at me, "It's about time, Chloe! I can't wait to go to your concert." I am now currently 3 songs deep into writing my first album. The only thing that was holding me back from my 'teenage dream' was the anxiety of inadequacy but I now realize that I can be in my own corner and heal the girl who was so afraid of judgement for her passions. Just like Olivia I hope to go from living room concerts to sold-out tours.

Reading has always been an escape for me. Whenever I realized I had worked myself too hard with studying for finals or needed to stop thinking about something that had been bugging me, I knew I could read for a little while to cheer me up. But beyond that, literature has such much to offer through the morals and perspectives you can gain through studying it. The book that got me back into reading at the beginning of this year is 'Anxious People' by Fredrik Backman. This book was so immersive and well-written that I sat down and finished all 397 pages in one sitting. This book presents the stories of dozen of characters, each with unique life stories that contribute to the contents of their personality. This book helped me learn how drastically different humans are but how at our core, we all share the same emotions, just expressing them differently. This lesson helped me realize how fragile humans are and that we need to proceed with caution when interacting with one another. I aim to add high amounts of empathy and sympathy into my work in the future as I aim to become a nurse. My favorite book is 'Lovely War' by Julie Berry which explores the perspectives of four different characters scattered around the landscape of World War II. This book taught me the importance of cherishing the relationships that you are lucky enough to create. You have no idea what others you meet may be facing or what their intentions are so the best you can do is continue to reach out and be someone that they feel like approaching. If you waste these moments you have with others sitting in constant uncertainty, you may end up Colette and Aubrey who will forever regret how they spent their last moments together. This book totally flipped my perspective on the value I place on my relationships and how small the world can really be. It became so important to me to start spending time in the people who invest in me so I can show them how much they truly mean to me. As I go on to achieve my goals, I want to have good relations with the people I'll have to interact with. Finally, I recently did a re-read of 'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald and something that has always stuck out to me in this book is Gatsby's undying dedication to a goal he has outgrown. He remains clinging to a false hope of a happy future he hopes to spend with Daisy but this would never be the case. Despite Nick's attempts to help him reevaluate what could make him happy, seeing that Daisy has grown apart from him and built her own life, Gatsby refuses to create a life dedicated to himself. There is irony in Gatsby's death near the end of the book in the fact that he dies during the first time he uses his own pool. The moment Gatsby takes time for himself, it becomes his last moment. This book made me accept the idea that if my goals need to change, it's okay, it's part of adjusting to always changing circumstances we experience in life. If I spend all my time making decisions around someone else and what makes them happy, I will never have truly lived for myself when my life comes to an end.

My mother is my muse. Through her eyes I have seen how incredibly difficult but rewarding the experience of being a mother truly is. One thing that I think is taken for granted so often is how powerful it is that women have the opportunity to bring new lives into the world and nurture them into the type of human beings who make the world a better place. My mom never failed to help me memorize every word for my spelling test, or dress a wound when I fell off my bike. My mom has supported me through every crazy career path I've declared being interested in whether it was a princess, graphic designer, or nurse. And my mother was front row at my school's awards ceremony when I got my medallion for graduating ninth in my class. My admiration of my mother pushed me to find my deepest passion, nursing. My mother has always been a helper. She dropped off meals to those who were sick at the drop of a hat, even when she didn't even have time for her to-do list. She invited all of the neighborhood kids into our home when other moms needed a break. I've always seen that in her and I hope to see that within the work I do one day too. When I go to school and strive to become a Registered Nurse, my goal is to one day work within the NICU, or Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. This unit is where babies that are born early or with health defects are cared for. Mothers who experience these types of issues with their baby's health are oftentimes scared for what the future may hold. If I can provide even an ounce of relief during this time filled with unknowns for these women, that will make the rigorous work that nursing school will hand me all worth it. If I can watch as women get a second chance with their child who at times thought all hope might be lost that will make this worth it. Watching women become mothers and embracing that aspect of their femininity that wants nothing but the best for their baby is so beautiful. Imagining someday that they too will watch their kids walk but help them when they fall. They will lead them to make good choices but guide them through mistakes. I cannot wait to provide mothers with the opportunity to hold their miracle babies for the first time after any complications that may have stood in the way. My mother's shining example of motherhood has left an impression on me that has inspired me to want to give this opportunity to other women as well. I acknowledge that neither of our paths will be easy but both will be rewarding. It is such a beautiful thing to help other women embrace one of the bravest aspects of being a woman, caring for and embracing these precious lives that we assist in coming to the world.

"Why on Earth are we lining up 3 hours early?" I asked my friends as we stepped towards the venue. My friends had found out my favorite band at the time was Beach Bunny, bought me tickets to their show for my birthday, and did everything in their power to make this concert the best it could possibly be. So while we did wait three hours to be crammed into the tiny venue, pushing our way to the front of the general admission pit, it was all worth it because I was in the front row! My hands held onto the edge of the stage as I awaited the opener at my very first concert. Everything about the concert experience is just exciting, watching the band stride onto the stage after counting down the days to be here, feeling the bass rise in your throat as the music turns up, rushing to the merchandise lines to buy matching shirts with your friends, and taking commemorative photos by the stage. But, the one moment of this concert that stood out to me was the silence that followed my favorite song, 'Painkiller', as everyone anxiously awaited the next song. However, I took this opportunity to tell the lead singer Lili, "I love your hair!" to which she smiled and waved at me. It was incredible to be able to hear the music that I loved being played by the passionate artists while being surrounded by people who loved the songs just as much as I did. We all screamed the lyrics to 'Sports', cried when we heard 'Racetrack', and freaked out when Beach Bunny debuted an unreleased track, 'Karaoke' at our show. I will never forget this night, the music I got to experience, the friends I made these memories with, and the newly cemented love for concerts that would become so dear to me. Since this Beach Bunny concert two years ago, I have gone to eight others, with many more on my calendar in the future. Five of these concerts have been with my best friend Hannah, and all the memories made at these shows with her have been my favorite. Music has been a bonding point to many of my friends throughout the years and Hannah was no exception. So when I heard of Taylor Swift debuting the now infamous 'Eras Tour' in my state, I immediately thought of listening to the album 'Lover' by Taylor Swift on repeat with Hannah throughout our junior high growing pains and there is no one else I would rather go to that concert with. By some miracle, I snagged two lower bowl tickets to night two of the Eras Tour and called Hannah to tell her that we were going to the Eras Tour. We planned our outfits for months, counted down the days, and memorized every song we suspected might be on the setlist. The night finally came that we would see Taylor Swift perform in front of our very eyes, we found our seats and squealed with excitement. The concert was magical and truly felt like a dream come true. Aside from seeing my favorite artist live and losing my voice from singing so loud, my favorite part of this concert was getting to share the memory with Hannah. We have had the goal to go to a Taylor Swift concert together ever since we were in junior high and finally got to check it off our bucket list, together. Concerts bring so many people together and they have kept me and Hannah together through all phases of life.

I clearly remember watching the live stream of Taylor Swift's final tour date at the Sofi Stadium. As Taylor came to the microphone in her blue dress, flashing the brand-new album cover on the screen I was taken back to 2014. I could see myself dancing in the living room to 'Shake It Off' with my dad, my sister trying her best to copy Taylor's moves in the music video, and I could hear myself singing every last word. This album was the keystone of my pop music obsession as a kid and still is today. But, I used to turn to 1989 for my karaoke playlist to have fun with friends but with Taylor's re-recording it is more emotional than nostalgic. This year has been a bitter-sweet one for me, with graduating high school comes many challenges rooted in change. Taylor Swift beautifully reflects the feelings of these growing pains in the song 'Clean'. I have faced numerous challenges concerning my self-worth throughout high school and not being able to be happy with the kind of person I was. This was all due to constant comparison of myself to role models and unrealistic expectations. However, all it took was one of my closest friends telling me she admired my authenticity which completely changed my mindset. The lyric "The water filled my lungs, I screamed so loud but no one heard a thing." is relatable to so many in my phase of life. My friend had no idea that I was struggling with finding myself at this time, I was crying for help but nobody could hear me. But, by saying she felt like she could be herself around me since she knew I was being genuine, I was able to accept the person I am still becoming. Taylor also wrote, "Ten months older, I won't give in. Now that I'm clean, I'm never gonna risk it." This reflects the realization I came to in this moment. While most people might relate this song to sobriety of some sort, which is incredibly powerful, I can relate it to the acceptance of developing myself into the type of friend I always wanted to have. There were times when I didn't feel like I could accept myself but as soon as I felt seen and heard I became more comfortable in my skin. I was "finally clean" from the negative self-talk that separated me from my infinite potential. On a more sweet note, this year has also been filled with many opportunities for me. The right friends, workplace, and creative outlets have all clicked into place this year. I have always viewed my senior year as intimidating or impossible but now that I am facing it head-on, it feels achievable. This feeling of jumping head-first, fearless, into a new chapter is intimidating but essential to growing up and learning to be happy throughout all circumstances. My favorite lyric from the song is "Like any true love, it drives you crazy. But you know you wouldn't change anything, anything, anything." This is how I've felt about this year as a whole, there have been so many changes but there's also been so many memories. As I hang up polaroids of my experiences from this past year on my wall this song perfectly sums up the nostalgia I feel about growing up and facing my fate that's been waiting for me.

Education is the chance to better myself through learning all the things I have the potential to accomplish. Through a higher education, I hope to provide a better future for myself which has been a wish of my parents since I was very young. Neither of my parents originally graduated from college and have advised me to take my passion for learning to the next level by getting a college degree. My mother is my biggest inspiration because as a mom with three kids, she saw the opportunities a higher education could bring to her and she worked to get her bachelor's degree through an online college program. I could not be more proud of her and seeing her succeed has pushed me to want to make her feel the same way towards me- by following her incredible example and prioritizing my education. Currently, I try to put my education first by keeping my grades at a level I'm happy with, always giving 110% in my school work, and being respectful to my teachers. I also believe that a true education is applied to all aspects of your life so I try to consider my studies outside the classroom. I read, write, and create all sorts of things in my free time. In school, we had to create a project about our dream career and I remember feeling so overwhelmed because I had no idea what I wanted to do. I remember taking this project home to my dad who asked me, "What would make you happy?" which was exactly what I needed to hear. In my life, I have felt the happiest when I was in the service of others. As I thought about it more and more, all I knew was that I wanted to help people in a way that would impact my community and help others in their lives. One thing that is very important to me is being a mother one day and providing a happy life for my children- just like my mom was able to provide for me. When I searched for jobs involving childcare and interacting with family dynamics- a certain type of nursing caught my eye. I learned of the position of a nurse in the NICU. Seeing all of these families' lives being influenced by the acts of a nurse's dedication to save these babies was extremely inspiring. A family in my neighborhood had their first baby prematurely and she was not expected to live. Their family was able to remain intact due to the heroic acts of the nurses within the NICU. This job is what a bright future looks like for me. My life goal to provide me with that brighter future is to become a registered nurse. Nursing school is known as being quite difficult and tedious at times but I am willing to push myself to accomplish my dreams. By bettering myself and gaining as much knowledge as I can about my passions, I can further my education which will provide me with a future I love.

Even though millions of fans scream Taylor Swift's compelling lyrics at her concerts each night, something about Taylor Swift's songwriting feels so personal and individual to each member of the audience. I remember singing the song "Mean" in the car with my mom as a self-defensive tactic against harsh words from classmates in elementary school. Or bonding over the lyrics in 'Daylight' with my best friend during the pandemic, singing together over Zoom calls. It is very evident that Taylor Swift has made an incredible impact on my girlhood and continues to help me through growing up. When the Eras Tour made its debut in my city, I made it a priority to go to the concert that would help me understand the beauty of being emotional and authentic. In preparation for the concert, I made sure to study every lyric- not wanting to miss out on any experiences. When the night arrived and I was in the Eras Tour attire- I never had felt more like myself. A teenage girl who loves music and authenticity. I was alongside my best friend and we were overwhelmed with every emotion- happiness, disbelief, and acceptance. Everyone who was at that concert was there to sing Taylor's lines of poetry at the top of their lungs. The audience shimmered in their over-the-top but authentic outfits. This experience helped me realize the impact Taylor Swift and her music have made on each person in that crowd. Taylor has given me and thousands of others a place to connect with others, lyrics to study, and someone to relate to since her experiences are so similar to my experiences. One song that has got me through the past rough patch in my life is "this is me trying" off of the folklore album. At first glance, it may seem cryptic and hard to understand but it has been the biggest source of comfort throughout my next chapter of girlhood- graduating high school. This song was my surprise song during the acoustic set and it was one of my favorite moments from the show. This song perfectly highlights the honesty that you have with yourself through struggling. It emphasizes the self-reflection that I have experienced in moments of weakness. The song makes me realize that I can get through anything- even if the circumstances are not ideal. As long as I recognize that I am trying my best I can push through the trials of daily life. We all have bad days but I think it is beautiful that Taylor acknowledges her efforts as an accomplishment, despite it not looking the same for everyone. She sings, "I just wanted you to know that this is me trying. At least I'm trying." Even though we may be viewed as weak in certain moments, we are the only ones who can live in the truth of knowing how our efforts impact our lives. For some people trying looks like managing to get out of bed in the morning but for others it is running a marathon. No matter what phase of life you are in, your efforts are so significant. This song helped me discover that I am proud of where I am in my life, even if those around me see my efforts as small. The powerful words of Taylor Swift are taken to heart by millions of fans every day. I am lucky enough to have had her legacy leave an impact on how I view myself and how I motivate myself to keep reaching for my dreams.

High school is all about growing pains, finding yourself, and deciding what mark you want to leave on the world. But, under the surface of each teenager's skin, is the desire to fit in, searching for confidence that everybody lacks, and the deep stresses and anxieties surrounding the future. 'GUTS' by Olivia Rodrigo perfectly reflects the bittersweet parallels of growing up in today's modern age and how young adults tend to approach their issues. My favorite lyric from the entire album is the outro that repeats itself over and over in the song 'teenage dream', the album's closing song. The lyric reads "They all say that it gets better, it gets better the more you grow. Yeah, they all say that it gets better, it gets better, but what if I don't?". Everything about this song is so well thought out and perfectly reflects the stress I feel about my future. My whole life I have been told that life is better once I can be entrusted with more responsibilities and choose to grow up. While the journey of growing up has been exciting and I've enjoyed most of its aspects, the adults who are encouraging you to be your best self fail to mention the growing stress of not meeting expectations that piles up on young adults. I have always wanted to succeed and wanted to have a job I love so I can create a life I love in the future, but what if it doesn't turn out that way? Olivia's use of such a general and relatable phrase "...it gets better, it gets better" makes the song both relatable and reminds each listener of when they've heard that phrase- whether they're in that stage of life or past it. The repetition of these words also shows the overbearing effect that asking about young adults' futures has on them. It oftentimes feels like the adults we are surrounded by in our day-to-day lives seem to only care about what's happening in the next chapter of our lives instead of being proud of the past accomplishments that we have worked so hard for. By constantly being asked about the future, teenagers feel discredited by what they have already accomplished. The final part of this lyric is what really struck a chord with me, "...but what if I don't?". This is where we truly see the effects of this phrase taking place within the young adult mind. With all these expectations for a successful future being set into place, it makes it hard to not question the worst-case scenario. It is especially difficult in our day and age when access to other's accomplishments is right at our fingertips, ready for us to compare ourselves to. This constant worry and stress of not meeting high, self-imposed expectations is so common among youth and Olivia reflects that so perfectly throughout the entirety of the 'GUTS' album. Through her simplistic yet poetic choice of words throughout 'teenage dream' Olivia is able to convey the sorrowful and worried perspective of teenagers who want to grow up and be successful but are unsure how to begin. As a student trying to begin my next chapter and become the "teenage dream" my loved ones want me to be I see myself reflected through Olivia's ballad of anxious hope for the future.