Until high school, there was nothing I was super passionate about until learning about the many issues that LGBTQ+community face. They face discrimination in so many parts of their lives, but many people don’t know how much of the wedding industry is filled with homophobia. Many queer couples struggle to have a wedding that fits them because of this. It can be difficult to decide between going traditional and being told you are trying to mimic heterosexuality or being alternative and told that you aren’t having a “real wedding”. As someone who hopes to become a wedding planner, I can work with couples to find this balance and create the wedding they want without having to worry about homophobia. Homophobic vendors are another huge issue in the wedding industry. Since they are private companies, they have every right to refuse service to LGBTQ+ couples, but that doesn't make it a good thing. Imagine planning your wedding and finishing the perfect vendor only to have them refuse because of who you're marrying. Constantly running into these hurdles can be so disheartening and makes the process very difficult. As a wedding planner, I can help couples avoid this altogether. I am inspired by the opportunity to create change, improve the world, and bring positivity to the lives of LGBTQ+ people around me. Realistically, I know that I will not be the one to stop these issues from existing, but that doesn’t mean I can’t make a difference. While I might not be the one to fix large-scale issues there are lots of small-scale issues I can make a difference in, while fighting for change.

Throughout high school I watched many friends battle mental illnesses and struggle to manage because of it. In Freshman year, one of my friends attempted suicide but thankfully got help. In sophomore year, my childhood best friend was told that she should be admitted to a mental hospital. During Junior year I experienced multiple panic attacks that left me terrified of basic things. In Senior year, my best friend's mental health crumbled as she tried to balance the stress of many AP classes, leadership roles, and familial problems. Mental illness went from being some far-off problem to being something I personally experienced. I never expected to see so many friends and peers fall apart because of mental illnesses, let alone myself. It ended up being something I witnessed every single day. Our mental health wasn't considered by many adults in our lives, especially those in our school. We fought invisible battles that no one ever saw and overcame challenges we didn't tell anyone about, but they barely noticed or cared. Seeing the way the mental health of teenagers was treated changed me. I was upset by how little the people in charge seemed to care about the things I saw destroying people I cared about. In the past few years, I have done everything I can to share resources that can help people around me who are struggling. I try to tear down myths about mental illnesses, advocate for change and support my friends in any way I can. I may only be one person, but I can still have a positive impact and create change. My drama teacher was only one person and no one can deny that he made a difference. Sometimes one person, choosing to make a difference, is all that's needed to save a life.

Until high school, there was nothing I was super passionate about until learning about the many issues that LGBTQ+community face. They face discrimination in so many parts of their lives, but many people don’t know how much of the wedding industry is filled with homophobia. Many queer couples struggle to have a wedding that fits them because of this. It can be difficult to decide between going traditional and being told you are trying to mimic heterosexuality or being alternative and told that you aren’t having a “real wedding”. As someone who hopes to become a wedding planner, I can work with couples to find this balance and create the wedding they want without having to worry about homophobia. Homophobic vendors are another huge issue in the wedding industry. Since they are private companies, they have every right to refuse service to LGBTQ+ couples, but that doesn't make it a good thing. Imagine planning your wedding and finishing the perfect vendor only to have them refuse because of who you're marrying. Constantly running into these hurdles can be so disheartening and makes the process very difficult. As a wedding planner, I can help couples avoid this altogether. I am inspired by the opportunity to create change, improve the world, and bring positivity to the lives of LGBTQ+ people around me. Realistically, I know that I will not be the one to stop these issues from existing, but that doesn’t mean I can’t make a difference. While I might not be the one to fix large-scale issues there are lots of small-scale issues I can make a difference in, while fighting for change.

Before the pandemic, it was my biggest aspiration to become a pastry chef. However, during the pandemic, I had a lot of time to think and realized that I didn't actually want to do that. I did some self-evaluation and came to realize that I wanted to pursue a completely different career which I am now in a bachelor's program for. I don't think I would've come to this conclusion until probably at least several years into an unhappy career if it wasn't for the pandemic.

Throughout high school I watched many of my close friends battle mental illnesses. In my Freshman year, one of my friends attempted suicide but thankfully survived. In sophomore year, my childhood best friend was told she should be admitted to a mental hospital to help with her illnesses. She decided not to because she was too scared to miss out on school and extra circulars. During Junior year I experienced multiple panic attacks that left me terrified of simple things. In my Senior year, my best friend's mental health crumble as she tried to balance the stress of her many AP classes, leadership roles, and familial problems. When I started high school I would've never expected to see so many of my friends and peers fall apart because of mental illnesses, but it was something I witnessed every single day. Our mental health was not considered by many of the adults in our lives. We fought invisible battles that no one ever saw and overcame challenges we didn't tell anyone about. Seeing the way the mental health of teenagers was treated radicalized me. I was upset by how little the people in charge seemed to care about the things I saw destroying people I cared about. Our mental health was not considered by many of the adults in our lives, especially the adults in our school. We fought invisible battles that no one ever saw and overcame challenges we didn't tell anyone about, but they barely noticed or cared. I was upset by how little the people in charge seemed to care. I was so scared of people being upset that I was struggling with mental illnesses that I didn’t tell my parents for months. Getting help and support from people who care can make a huge difference, and there was one teacher who did care, my senior drama teacher. When my classmate was reminded of triggering memories, he reminded the class not to talk about those things and offered support. When students were stressed by their workload he would work with us and sometimes even adjust deadlines to help us. When he noticed that some of my anxiety responses were harmful, he helped me stop. He cared when few others did, and it inspired me to care. In the past few years, I have done everything I can to share resources that can help, tear down myths, advocate for change and support my friends in any way I can. I may only be one person, but I can still have a positive impact and create change. Sometimes one person, choosing to make a difference, is all that's needed to save a life. When I had my first major panic attack, I was at school volunteering for the drama department. I was completely and utterly terrified the entire time. My friends tried to help me through it but ended up getting yelled at by a teacher for not doing what they were supposed to. I experienced firsthand how little they cared and how scarcely support was given to students that were struggling.

Throughout high school I watched many of my close friends battle mental illnesses. In my Freshman year, one of my friends attempted suicide but thankfully survived. In sophomore year, my childhood best friend was told she should be admitted to a mental hospital to help with her illnesses. She decided not to because she was too scared to miss out on school and extra circulars. During Junior year I experienced multiple panic attacks that left me terrified of simple things. In my Senior year, my best friend's mental health crumble as she tried to balance the stress of her many AP classes, leadership roles, and familial problems. When I started high school I would've never expected to see so many of my friends and peers fall apart because of mental illnesses, but it was something I witnessed every single day. Our mental health was not considered by many of the adults in our lives. We fought invisible battles that no one ever saw and overcame challenges we didn't tell anyone about. Seeing the way the mental health of teenagers was treated radicalized me. I was upset by how little the people in charge seemed to care about the things I saw destroying people I cared about. Our mental health was not considered by many of the adults in our lives, especially the adults in our school. We fought invisible battles that no one ever saw and overcame challenges we didn't tell anyone about, but they barely noticed or cared. I was upset by how little the people in charge seemed to care. I was so scared of people being upset that I was struggling with mental illnesses that I didn’t tell my parents for months. Getting help and support from people who care can make a huge difference, and there was one teacher who did care, my senior drama teacher. When my classmate was reminded of triggering memories, he reminded the class not to talk about those things and offered support. When students were stressed by their workload he would work with us and sometimes even adjust deadlines to help us. When he noticed that some of my anxiety responses were harmful, he helped me stop. He cared when few others did, and it inspired me to care. In the past few years, I have done everything I can to share resources that can help, tear down myths, advocate for change and support my friends in any way I can. I may only be one person, but I can still have a positive impact and create change. Sometimes one person, choosing to make a difference, is all that's needed to save a life. When I had my first major panic attack, I was at school volunteering for the drama department. I was completely and utterly terrified the entire time. My friends tried to help me through it but ended up getting yelled at by a teacher for not doing what they were supposed to. I experienced firsthand how little they cared and how scarcely support was given to students that were struggling.

This is my dog, Duke. He is an explosive detection dog with the federal government. In this picture, he has just found an odor during training and is very excited to get his reward, a toy.

The best way to live a long life is to surround yourself with amazing people. Having amazing people around you in the toughest time will make things better in many ways. It's even great to go through good times with amazing people because you have someone to celebrate with. There is no downside to having amazing people in our lives. They can encourage us when things are bad and help us keep going. They can help remind us to stay healthy or change the things in our life that are hurting us. They can make us happier when things are already great. They can be there for us in everything we face. They can give us someone else to care for besides ourselves. Surrounding ourselves with amazing people makes living better and if life isn't good, if you aren't surrounded by people you love, then what's the point of living a long life in the first place.

The biggest way that I practice self-care is by watching movies. I love consuming creative content that others have created. There are so many movies out there that I can watch, and I love doing it. Watching them always makes me feel a little bit better. The best example of this for me is my comfort media. For some reason that I couldn't really explain, my biggest comfort movie is The Avengers (2012). There have been many times when I'm feeling bad either physically or mentally and watching this movie makes me feel better. It sparks joy, as Marie Kondo would say. My friends and I often joke that I need to reevaluate my life anytime I randomly turn on The Avengers. There's something great about knowing you're about to be taken to another world, experience another story, or see someone's creative project. No other version of self-care tops watching a movie under a cozy blanket with some snacks.

To me, friendship means more than some people who are close and hang out with each other. Friendship is long drives with no destination singing loudly to our favorite songs. Friendship is sneaking Panda Express into the movie theater and struggling not to laugh about it. Friendship is knowing the other person's favorite candy and buying some for them for no reason. Friendship is lying with your head in their lap talking about random things with no end in sight. Friendship is forgetting what life was like before you knew them. Friendship is sending each other memes late at night because you know they'll love it. Friendship is laughing in a Barnes & Noble about things nobody else understands. Friendship is tight hugs after time apart at school. Friendship is texting them when you have a problem because they always have your back. Friendship is wearing whatever you want around them because it no longer matters. Friendship is having someone who loves you platonically without anything more expected.

Although it's very basic, the piece of art that inspires me the most is Vincent VanGogh's The Starry Night. It's well known that VanGogh painted that piece while he was in a mental hospital. The painting is actually the view from his window in the hospital. I am inspired by this piece because I struggle with several mental illnesses of my own. Starry Night is a beautiful painting that I absolutely adore. It reminds me that no matter how dark our minds may be when we're struggling, the world can still be beautiful. There's still beauty around us, sometimes just outside your window. VanGogh was in a dark mental place when he created this amazing work of art. He still saw the world in such an amazing way despite his mental health struggles. People who are struggling can still create incredible things, and I am inspired by that every time I see The Starry Night.

If I could share one sentence with the world, I would share this one; "If it makes you happy, it's not a waste of time." There's been a lot of things throughout my life that have brought me joy that I felt shame of putting time into. Other people made me feel like the things I enjoyed weren't worth my time. From my hobbies to the fandoms I was a part of to even some of the classes I was interested in taking. I felt guilt for enjoying these things and putting my time into them, but then I found this quote. This quote reminded me that it didn't matter what other people said. If I enjoyed doing something or learning about something, then it was worth my time. I think there's a lot of people out there who could benefit from hearing this quote too. So many people abandon things they like because others made them feel like it was a waste of time. We shouldn't be giving up on things that make us happy. If they make us happy it's worth our time.

I want my legacy to be one of kindness and positivity. This past summer my friend's mom passed away. I remember going to the viewing and the funeral and being amazed at the kind of positive impact she had on those around her. There were so many people that she had touched simply being a good person. If I can have a legacy like her I will be very happy. Being a good person matters so much more to me than being famous or widely remembered. I want the people who I knew when I was alive to think of me fondly, to tell stories about how I impacted their life for good. If even just a few people remember me that way, that's enough for me. My friend's mom was taken from this world much sooner than anyone had anticipated, but she still left behind an incredible legacy because of her kindness, positivity, and good heart. I hope that whenever I pass, people will be able to say the same about me.

Over the past few years, I've realized that I don't want kids. Growing up, I always thought I wanted kids. I would play with baby dolls in elementary school and pick out baby names in middle school. But, in late high school, I realized that I didn't actually want to have kids. The part of me that thought I did was lying because that's what I was expected to want. From the time I was in preschool people started forcing the idea that girls grow up and become moms. One day I was going to grow up and have a kid and love being a mom because that's what I was supposed to do. It wasn't expected of me because it's what I wanted, it was expected of me because it was what society wanted. Realizing I didn't actually want was a big deal for me. In a way it kind of set me free. I remember in my freshman year googling what it was like to be a wedding planner and learning about their wacky hours. My first thought was that I couldn't do that because I had to be there for my hypothetical children. When I came to the realization that I didn't actually want kids allowed me to come back to that career that I was really interested in and now I am pursuing a degree in event management. I don't know if I would've come back to this career if I still thought I wanted kids.

I am motivated every day by a desire to prove myself. I am a mentally ill queer female, there's a lot that the world doesn't think that I should be able to do because of who I am. Every day when I wake up and go to class or work on a project I am proving that they don't get determine what I'm capable of. I try not to let my mental illnesses get the best of me. I fight every day to overcome those obstacles. I am currently working on an event management degree so I can become a wedding planner. The wedding industry has a lot of homophobia in it so that will be interesting when considering my own sexuality. In addition, it's no secret that the patriarchy impacts our world in negative ways. I often see my male peers underestimate me in classes. By continuing to work towards my goals every day I can prove that all of these things don't matter. I am an incredibly capable human being despite what society expects from me.

My favorite way to help others is by making them laugh. They say laughter is the best medicine and I think that's true. When you laugh your body releases endorphins which can make you less stressed. Laughter also releases the HGH hormone which can help boost your immune system. In addition, laughing together has been proven to make people closer. But most importantly to me is the joy I get from making others happy. I know just how much humor can help me. When I feel depressed I often turn to Netflix and rewatch specials from my favorite comedians. Their jokes make me laugh and bring me a little bit of joy when I feel like I can't be happy. I am nowhere near being a professional comedian, and it's not something I desire. But if I can bring even a little piece of joy to those in my life by making them laugh, then I think that's a great way to help others.

I think my best skill is my vulnerability. I am willing to be open about what I've experienced and how it's affected me. In my experience being vulnerable encourages other people to open up and to ask for help with the things they're going through. The past few summers I've had the opportunity to work at a Christian summer camp. A few times a week a staff member will have a chance to share a short message with the teens who volunteer with us. Despite how scared it has made me I have now spoken about my struggle with anxiety and my depression. I was able to witness firsthand how being open about my experiences positively impacted others. Several teens and other staff members came up to me afterward and thanked me for sharing, I even had a few who opened up to me about their own struggles. I am trying to improve when it comes to my fear of being vulnerable. I know that I'm good at it and that it can do good things, but that doesn't stop my own fear every time that I go to be vulnerable. I am trying to work on being brave and thinking about how this could help others instead.

I've been going to church since I was in preschool. It was always a part of my life. As I grew up it stopped being something I did because my family went but because it was something I believed in. I never really had a problem with my beliefs or those who shared them with me. But when I was in high school I realized that I was queer and things got complicated. Upon this realization, I was forced to confront the flaws of people who shared my faith. As soon as I was no longer straight, many Christians cared less about me. They wanted me to change, they didn't think I belonged anymore, some even hated that part of me. I was no longer the nice straight Christian girl they wanted and expected me to be, so they stopped caring. A large part of Christianity is loving others no matter what. One could even argue that it's the biggest part of being a Christian. So when people who were supposed to show unconditional love to everyone stopped loving me because of who I was, it made me worry. The people I'd grown up with, who taught me to be loving and kind were unwilling to love those unlike them despite what they claimed to believe. If these people can't even show love to others, how can I believe that humanity can be loving to each other in the future? Conversely, the queer community, as amazing and accepting as they are, has often shown me animosity because of my faith. Christians have hurt them and it makes it difficult to want to be around people of faith. Many of my queer friends also struggle to understand how I can still put my faith in God when his people have treated us poorly. There is so much tension between these two groups and I often find myself being stuck in the middle. The queer community often prides itself on its inclusivity but because of the tension that exists between them and Christians, this can't always be true. I understand where they're coming from and don't expect anyone to be perfect. But similarly to with fellow Christians, the fact that people who claim to be welcoming struggle to welcome me because of my faith, it worries me. These two communities claim to be loving and accepting places but because of the tension between them are failing to do so and it makes me worry for the future of humanity. We as people aren't going to be able to get very far if we can't love each other. We need to be loving and kind to those who are different than us so we can make the world a better place.

Being a part of the world means that we should be changing and growing too. There are lots of ways to do that, but in my mind, there's no better way than to learn about the changing and growing world that's around me. I am always trying to learn new things to help continue my own growth. I love learning about almost everything, from history to movie facts to school-related things to other cultures and everything in between. Learning about the world around me in all the various ways I can do it makes me feel more connected to the world. There's so much to learn about, so many different experiences and cultures and facts I could learn about today or tomorrow or sometime in the future and that is so exciting to me. The world is amazing and ever-changing and that is amazing, why not learn more about it?

For me, patience is less about waiting for exciting things to finally happen, but more about waiting for the right time. The biggest example of this in my own life was my choice to take a gap year. Throughout my entire high school experience, the idea of going to college right after high school was treated as the only viable option. It was pushed on us constantly. I planned to follow that path and go to culinary school the fall after I graduated. I came to realize that I wasn't doing that because it's what I wanted, I was doing it because that's what was expected of me. I didn't want to go to culinary school and I wasn't ready to start school yet. I needed more time before I started my higher education journey and realizing that was really important. Everyone around me was taking that step and I wasn't. I needed to wait, and that was okay.

Nothing makes me happier than a delicious bowl of ice cream. Vanilla, mint chocolate chip, mango, cookies and cream, moose tracks, peppermint, and everything in between. I love it all. Ice cream is truly a gift to humanity from God himself. When I'm sad, ice cream makes me happy. When I'm stressed out beyond all reason, ice cream makes it easier. When things are going well, ice cream makes them better. There's just something about ice cream that never fails to make me happy. It's sweet and tasty and reminds me of good things. If I woke up tomorrow and was told I was lactose intolerant, that wouldn't stop me from eating ice cream. The joy I feel from eating ice cream is worth whatever potential discomfort it may cause. I love ice cream and I will never stop enjoying it because ice cream makes me happy, and everyone deserves happiness.

Beat the Executive Dysfunction Up (Playlist) 1. Animal - Noah Kahan 2. I Want to Break Free - Queen 3. Boys Will Be Bugs - Cavetown 4. Dancing Queen - ABBA 5. Fine - Noah Kahan

During my second week of college, the March on Voting Rights was scheduled to happen. I go to school very close to D.C., where the march would be happening, and a lot of my friends were planning to go. I had never been to a march or a rally or a protest or anything like that. It was something I was too scared to do back home. But I decided to go with my friends because I cared about the issue and it was a great opportunity. I didn't realize how big of a deal this event was until I got there. When we arrived in McPherson Square there were hundreds of people waiting for the march to start. Dozens of handmade signs with witty sayings were being held high. It was swelteringly hot but nobody really seemed to care. Everyone was excited to be there and make change. When the march to the National Mall started I saw just how huge this march was. There were even more people than I had realized and it felt amazing to be marching with them. As we walked through the streets we would pass professional photographers standing on top of steps, barricades, and ledges to get pictures of the crowd. It was kind of surreal to realize that I was a part of something kind of historical that wasn't linked to global illness. The feeling of being in that crowd, fighting for change was truly incredible. I hope I can take part in more marches for change in the future. It was an amazing and empowering experience.

I would stand for equality. There is no reason that after approximately 200,000 years of human existence some people are still treated as less than others both by other people and the law. Things can and should be better than they are. Women shouldn't be getting paid less just for being a woman. Neighbors shouldn't be getting assaulted for not being white. The LGBTQ+ community shouldn't be constantly worried about if their rights will be taken away again. People shouldn't have to fight twice as hard for the same opportunities as others just because of where they were born. There are countless more issues like this that have no reason to exist. What's most frustrating about all of this is the fact that many people see this as debatable. They believe that basic human rights should be debated and not just common sense. Treating other human beings well shouldn't be a political issue, but unfortunately, it is. That is what I would stand for and try to change if I was highly influential.

Mental illness has played a large role in my life for many years now. I am diagnosed with Anxiety, Depression, and ADHD. Every day is a fight against my own brain just to function normally, or as close to normal as I can. I often wonder how my life would look if I didn't have to battle every day. Would I be happier, more successful, in different relationships? When everything is affected, it's hard to tell what it would be like without mental illnesses. Still, I know that I wouldn't be where I am today without my struggles. Last spring, I dealt with a lot of anxiety, specifically about my future. As much as the anxiety sucked at the moment, if it weren't for the anxiety I might be headed off to college and pursuing a career that I would end up hating. My anxiety is also the reason that I work so hard on scholarships. It is rare for me to get through a week without having at least one anxiety spiral about paying for college without the help of my parents. I hate the constant worry. Despite that, it is what motivates me. There is no way that I would be working as hard on this if it wasn't for the anxious voice in the back of my head. No matter how much my mental illnesses negatively affect me, there will always be a bit of good that came from it. I can wonder about my happiness, success, and relationships, but that doesn't change anything. I wouldn't be the person I am today without those crucial pieces of me, and there is no point in trying to deny that. I am proud of myself for just how much strength I have that I didn’t even know about.

When I started college I knew things were going to change. That's what college is all about, growth and change. I'm living away from home, learning things I didn't know before, and trying new things. I was expecting those changes. However, one change I wasn't expecting was how much I would care about natural foods. Eating at college dining halls or from piles of snacks in my dorm is definitely different than the way I ate at home. I didn't have to think about it as much at home, healthy natural foods were just there. But at school, it requires a more conscious effort to get these foods. I've also noticed that these kinds of foods are often what I race, more than most other snacks. I was ridiculously excited when they started having green apples in the dining hall and even more excited when my roommate bought hummus. I didn't realize how much these foods mattered to me until my access to them was more restrained. Despite this new lessened access to natural foods, I am still way better off than a lot of people. Natural foods should be accessible to everyone, they're a huge part of leading a healthy life and taking care of yourself. Even so, the USDA found that most Americans live 2 miles from the nearest grocery store which limits access to natural food to those with personal vehicles. We should be doing more to increase access to these natural foods. As I learned more about this issue I came to find out that people who live in areas without access to natural foods, or food deserts, are often forced to rely on more processed foods. Processed foods are not only worse for our bodies, but also the environment. Low processed foods have a relatively low impact on the environment (BBC 2021). Most of the negative environmental impact they produce comes from transport, which could be minimized by creating easier access to this food. If people don't have to travel as far to get natural foods, then the carbon footprint would be less. High processed foods on the other hand can have a much greater impact. Many ultra-processed foods contain soy and palm oils, which have been found to have substantial negative environmental effects" (Seferidi 2020). However, what it really comes down to isn't the process of creating the foods we eat, it's the waste. "If you waste vegetables, there’s still an environmental impact, but it's much smaller because the amount of energy that goes into producing them is much smaller," explains one expert on the topic (BBC 2021). Waste from highly processed foods is very damaging to the environment, but unfortunately, this is some people's only option. Increasing access to natural foods is not only better for our bodies, but it's better for the environment. Highly processed foods don't give us nearly enough of the nutrients that we need, and the impact its waste produces negatively affects the environment. However, natural and low processed foods do amazing things for our bodies, while simultaneously being better for the environment. There are lots of people out there who would probably love the eat better in order to help the environment by just don't have that option because of where they live. We can fix that! There are dozens of organizations working to bring natural foods to people without easy access to them. Whether it be through planting a garden in a city or delivering fresh fruits and veggies to their doors, they are taking the necessary steps to increase access to natural foods.

LGBTQ+ people face discrimination in so many parts of their lives. Until the summer of 2020, it was legal for employers to fire people on the basis of their sexuality and gender identity in America. The international rate of suicide in queer youth is double the rate of straight youth. Healthcare rights for LGBTQ+ people have been given and taken away multiple times in the past few years alone. Needless to say, the list of issues and injustices queer people face is not a short one. To many people, the many challenges and injustices seem like an impossible hurdle and that dampens their spirit. My spirit is not dampened by this. I see issues that need to be fixed and that can be fixed; that inspires me. Realistically, I know that I will not be the one to stop these issues from existing, but that doesn’t mean I can’t make a difference. While I might not be the one to fix large-scale issues there are lots of small-scale issues I can make a difference in, while fighting for large-scale change. I am inspired by the opportunity to create change, to improve the world, and to bring positivity to the lives of LGBTQ+ people around me. I know that any impact I can have is a good impact and I cannot wait to start having that impact. That is what inspires me. I believe my desire to go after these inspirations and do something about it is why I am worthy of this scholarship.

I never expected to see so many of my friends and peers fall apart because of mental illnesses, let alone myself. Our mental health was not considered by many of the adults in our lives, especially the adults in our school. We fought invisible battles that no one ever saw and overcame challenges we didn't tell anyone about, but they barely noticed or cared. Seeing the way the mental health of teenagers was treated changed me. I was upset by how little the people in charge seemed to care about the things I saw destroying people I cared about. Getting help and support from people who care can make a huge difference, and there was one teacher who did care. My senior year drama teacher always looked out for our mental health. When my classmate was reminded of triggering memories, he reminded the class not to talk about those things and offered them student support. When students were stressed by their workload he would work with us and sometimes even adjust deadlines to help. When he noticed that some of my anxiety responses were physically harmful, he reminded me to avoid them and helped me stop. He cared when few others did, and it inspired me to care. In the past few years, I have done everything I can to share resources that can help people around me who are struggling. I try to tear down myths about mental illnesses, advocate for change and support my friends in any way I can. I may only be one person, but I can still have a positive impact and create change. My drama teacher was only one person, but sometimes one person, choosing to make a difference, is all that's needed to save a life.

When I had my first major panic attack, I was at school volunteering for the drama department. I was completely and utterly terrified the entire time. My friends tried to help me through it but ended up getting yelled at by a teacher for not doing what they were supposed to. I experienced firsthand how little they cared and how scarcely support was given to students that were struggling. Our mental health was not considered by many of the adults in our lives, especially the adults in our school. We fought invisible battles that no one ever saw and overcame challenges we didn't tell anyone about, but they barely noticed or cared. I was upset by how little the people in charge seemed to care. I was so scared of people being upset that I was struggling with mental illnesses that I didn’t tell my parents for months. Getting help and support from people who care can make a huge difference, and there was one teacher who did care, my senior drama teacher. When my classmate was reminded of triggering memories, he reminded the class not to talk about those things and offered support. When students were stressed by their workload he would work with us and sometimes even adjust deadlines to help us. When he noticed that some of my anxiety responses were harmful, he helped me stop. He cared when few others did, and it inspired me to care. In the past few years, I have done everything I can to share resources that can help people around me who are struggling. I try to tear down myths about mental illnesses, advocate for change and support my friends in any way I can. I may only be one person, but I can still have a positive impact and create change. My drama teacher was only one person and no one can deny that he made a difference. Sometimes one person, choosing to make a difference, is all that's needed to save a life.

Hawkeye #19 from the Fraction run is an incredible comic. We experience the world as a deafend Clint Barton is experiencing it. Speech bubbles are left empty when Clint is unable to lip-read and most of the dialogue is ASL. The issue actually got delayed to ensure accuracy. The world is shifted in as hearing readers become the ones struggling to understand while deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHOH) readers not only understand but see themselves represented. The head artist David Aja, said, “If while reading [...] you feel you don’t get it at all if you find obstacles, congrats, you’re starting to learn what being disabled is.” This issue has so much power and gives so much representation to DHOH readers. To see an Avenger become deaf and have it very openly display is so impactful to young DHOH readers. They can see themselves and realize just how capable they are.

Since I was 10 years old I was certain I wanted to be a pastry chef, I structured my classes in high school around trying to achieve this goal. However, late into my senior year, weel after I had already been accepted to culinary school, I came to realize that this wasn’t what I wanted anymore. I continued to try and convince myself this is what I wanted because it had been true for so long. Now it wasn’t the case and everything changed. I no longer wanted to be a pastry chef, I wanted to be a wedding planner. I rejected my admission to culinary school and began looking into Universities where I could pursue a degree in my new field. I chose to take a gap year to fund my new goals and to give myself time to make these changes. I am now on my way to beginning my post-secondary education and am beyond excited. I don’t want to become a wedding planner just because it’s a cool career, which it is, I want to create change. The wedding industry can be improved for the better in many ways and the one I hope to have an impact on is homophobia. LGBTQ weddings are not treated the same as heterosexual weddings. An LGBTQ couple can be and often is, turned down by vendors simply because of who they’re marrying. Couples struggle to find a balance between going traditional and being told they’re mimicking heterosexuality and going alternative and being told they are proving they’re not a real couple. A third of Americans still oppose same-sex marriage to this day. When someone is getting married they shouldn’t have to deal with hate throughout the process. I hope to collaborate with other people in the industry to create more love and acceptance for LGBTQ couples. I want to be a buffer between my clients and homophobia. I aspire to create enough change that one day we won’t need buffers or people advocating for acceptance. In both my personal and professional life I want to cultivate an environment full of love and acceptance and positive change to better impact everyone around me. Throughout High School, I participated in a variety of activities both in and out of school. I was a part of the Bel Air Drama Company for 4 years during which I played various roles in 7 different shows. In my Junior year, I became head of the Properties Department in the Company and held this position until I graduated. In my senior year, I also joined the student leadership council for the Drama Company. Aside from drama, I was also an active member of the National Honor Society, International Thespian Honor Society, and National English Honor Society. I was a regular member of my school’s book club and my church’s youth group. I also regularly volunteered with multiple organizations.

The summer before I started high school I attended a theater camp. At this camp, my leader was a recent graduate who had run the props department at her school. She spent her free time telling us about the amazing props she had created for the show and the process she went through each season as head of her department. I was completely enthralled by every word she said. The technical aspect of the theater was something I had never considered and now it was something I desperately wanted to do. During my freshman year, I acted in both seasons and attempted to assist the props department whenever possible. The problem was, they didn’t want my help. The head of the department at the time had their people and didn’t want or need more people helping them. When my sophomore year came around I decided to take a more active role in pursuing my desire to work in the props department. I contacted both of the props department heads and asked to be a part of their crew in the coming year and they agreed. Throughout that year I learned a lot about props along with two other girls on the crew. We helped make some absolutely amazing props and I was very proud of what we had accomplished. That spring, the current heads of the department graduated and their spots were up for grabs. The history of the props department at my school was one riddled with nepotism. The department head 2 years before I attended was a favorite person of the directors. The girls who were co-heads when I started had received every honor, award, and role from the directors they could dream of. Then there were the 2 other girls on the props crew with me. One of them was a good friend of one of the current department heads, and the other was the girlfriend of the other head’s brother. I, on the other hand, had no connection to current or former props heads or favoritism to work towards my benefit. If I wanted to become props head, I would need to work my ass off for it. So I did. I was there every tech workday learning and creating and asking questions about everything I could. In my Junior year, I became co-head of the props department. In my first season as department head my company was putting on 2 musicals at one and we only had 5 tech workdays to get all of the props and set dressing together, and my co-head wasn’t going to be there for half of them. We had nearly 100 props to find or make and we didn’t even have the full list until the second to last day. All and all there was so much to do but I had so much fun. I loved searching through the cupboard of props to find exactly the right item and redecorating old pieces so they would better fit the show. Despite all of the stress, I experienced that season, and the following one, it was an amazing experience. And once again, my hard work paid off; I was nominated to MVP in my drama company for all of the work I did as props head during my first season. Being nominated for MVP was such a huge honor. It made all the hours of work I put in worth it and I was being acknowledged for it. Everything I had dreamed of since before I started high school had come together. During my senior year, a lot changed. We lost 2 of our directors and got a new director with very little experience. The shows we did were much smaller and the way things operated were very different because of that. But the new director noticed the work had been done before under the previous leadership and with the help of a co-props head, and he trusted me to do it again and to run the department on my own. Being props head over the past 2 years has been an incredible experience. Props combine so many of my interests and creative desires into one place. Above everything else, I was so proud of how far I'd come and everything I had done in the department.

From a young age, I was told by lots of adults that even though I'm young, I can create change, I can make a difference. Until high school, there was nothing I was super passionate about until learning about the many issues that LGBTQ+community face. LGBTQ+ people face discrimination in so many parts of their lives, but many people don’t know how much of the wedding industry is filled with homophobia. Many queer couples struggle to have a wedding that fits them due to this. It can be difficult to decide between going traditional and being told you are trying to mimic heterosexuality or being alternative and told that you aren’t having a “real wedding”. As someone who hopes to become a wedding planner, I can work with couples to find this balance and create the wedding they want without having to worry about homophobia. Homophobic vendors are another huge issue in the wedding industry. Since they are private companies, they have every right to refuse service to LGBTQ+ couples, but that doesn't make it a good thing. Imagine planning your wedding and finishing the perfect vendor only to have them refuse because of who you're marrying. Constantly running into these hurdles can be so disheartening and makes the process very difficult. As a wedding planner, I can help couples avoid this altogether. I am inspired by the opportunity to create change, to improve the world, and to bring positivity to the lives of LGBTQ+ people around me. I know that any impact I can have is a good impact and I cannot wait. Pursuing a degree in Event Management will be the first step in hopefully creating a lot of amazing change in my community, and this scholarship would help me to begin that journey. Despite dealing with both anxiety and depression, I tend to set very high goals for myself. The goals of helping tear down homophobia in the wedding industry are an example of this. Trying to achieve my goals through the struggles of mental illness is hard. I often find myself without motivation or doubting whether my efforts would be worth it. But every day I try to keep going, I fight back and keep going. I go after my goals despite everything going on in my head. When I decided I wanted to change majors and go to a different school, I was terrified of disappointing people. But I did research and pressed on with confidence, and they were supportive. When I didn't get as much federal aid as I had hoped for, I set a very lofty goal of applying for a scholarship every day. My depression has made this difficult at times and my anxiety has tried to tell me it won't be worth it. But I have continued to apply and I am proud of what I have achieved. My goals may be ambitious but I know that despite my illnesses, I can achieve them.

The most compelling thing I've ever read was a quote from the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She says; "Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you." She inspires me every day to do better and to be better. When I read this quote, I feel called to stand up and fight for the things that matter to me, to make a difference in the world. However, her quote also reminds me that I cannot win any fight or end any injustice on my own. Even the most brilliant and influential people throughout history couldn't have changed the world alone. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is recognized across the United States for the progress she made in the fight for women's rights, but that never would've happened if she was the only one who cared. The same is true of the issues that we face today. No matter how much I care about the injustice I see or how hard I fight to end it. Nothing will change if I am the only one in the fight. We need others to fight with us or the status quo will always remain unchanged. This quote reminds me of many things. It reminds me of the importance of fighting for what we believe in, it reminds me to be strong and it reminds me that it's okay to care about things and want to fight for them. But most importantly it reminds me of how I should fight, and if I hope to generate positive change in the world, that is most crucial.

Red. War. For ten weeks over the summer I worked at a day camp. It was the most amazing experience I have ever had. I was completely myself in every way, except for one: my sexual identity. The place I worked at was a Christian camp and many of my co-workers were homophobic. Being in a place that I loved so much but, unbeknownst to them, didn’t love me was incredibly taxing on my faith and personal identity. Orange. Encouragement. Only three people that I worked with knew I was queer. I was lucky enough to find another queer Christian early on in the summer and I would not have survived without her. When homophobic comments entered staff conversation we were able to love and support each other afterward. Knowing that someone else there understood our struggle and would be there to carry us through it was crucial to getting through those moments. Yellow. Clarity. When I first realized I wasn’t straight, my faith was something I had to struggle with. I remember in the days following I wondered if God still loves me or if I’m was going to go to hell for who I am. It has been a long and painful journey to be where I am now, and I’m not done yet. Despite what other people say, God loves me exactly as I am. Knowing that is a massive step for both my faith and personal identity. Green. Growth. Over the past few years, my identity has developed greatly. I went from thinking I was a straight ally to being proudly queer while at the same time becoming stronger in my faith. I hope in the coming years I can continue both of those journeys. I often think about coming out to everyone at the summer camp I worked at. Deep down I know I can’t do that without jeopardizing too much, but I hope that one-day things will have changed just enough for me to do that. But there is growth that needs to happen both at camp and in my own life before then. Blue. Faith. Every time someone at camp said anything homophobic I was forced to grapple with my own identity again. Several great mornings were ruined by the things said around me. A walk with God is never easy, but when the people who are there to support me on my walk don’t support my identity, it becomes much harder. Many Christians don’t understand the impact their comments have. However, each time I remind myself of who I am and who made me. My faith doesn’t magically fix my problems, but it makes them a little easier to handle. Purple. Pride. Every queer person is forced to wonder if the people in their lives love them unconditionally. We are forced to realize that the people we love may not love us unconditionally, without even realizing it. I was born queer, I am Christian. Those things may seem like they can’t coexist, but I am proud to be both. It would be easy for me to abandon either my faith or my identity, but the fact that I have both proves to me just how right they are.

There are large parts of my Junior year that I don't remember. I was battling both depression and anxiety that entire year, and it caused my brain to try and forget that year. I have to focus incredibly hard to remember days from that time. But one thing I do remember well is music. After my second major panic attack, I remember wanting to feel something different and I decided to try listening to music. I wasn't really huge into music throughout most of middle school and high school. I would listen to movie soundtracks and broadway albums occasionally, but that was about it. I don't know why I was drawn to music in that moment, but I'm so happy I was. I asked a friend for some recommendations and I ended up finding a song that was exactly what I needed to hear. The song was about recovering from mental illness, about the pain felt after pain attacks and depressive episodes, and about picking yourself back up. It was about being there for someone who was struggling. When I felt alone and helpless because of my mental illnesses, this song really helped me. It reminded me that I could get better, I could get up, I could heal. The song also made me feel like there was someone there for me. It was just one song, a few minutes long, but I remember it and I remember how it made me feel. Despite all the things I've forgotten from my Junior year, I remember this song and others like it pulling me through it. Music helped me get through one of my hardest years, and I am incredibly thankful for music powerful enough to do that.

Bill Nye the science guy is my favorite scientist by far. In school, we always watched him, which was fun, but I like him even more now. Bill Nye uses his platform to debunk myths about climate change, sexuality, and health amongst other things. He does a lot of good in a really fun way.

Our society was built for men. Men are paid more than women. Men are less likely to be raped than, women. Men see themselves represented in media more than women. That's just a few examples of the many ways that society benefits men. Any woman would be able to tell you about even more examples of men benefiting from something in society while women struggle. It's hard to be a woman. It can be downright exhausting, and most days society doesn't seem to care. If that doesn't stop you from feeling empowered, you're probably a superhero. One major way society can empower women is by shutting down negativity. Everywhere we look women are being told how they should look or act and being criticized or insulted if they aren't like that. To make matters worse often the things women are being told contact themselves and create double standards. For example, a woman who wears more revealing clothing is often told to be more modest, but a woman who dresses modestly may get told to show some skin. If society did more to shut down this negativity it could do so much to empower women. It would be incredible to be received positively for how women look or act even if it isn't what women are told to be like. Positivity has been proven to lower rates of depression and stress, which definitely helps with empowerment. Another way that society can empower women is by giving more support to mothers. Most women only get 12 weeks of paid maternity leave in the United States. The support given to mothers after they return to work is also very lacking. Mothers are often expected to work as if they don't have children and mothers as if they don't have a job. It can be really hard and incredibly stressful. In New Zealand, the minimum amount of paid maternity leave was recently increased from 22 weeks to 26 weeks, over double what the average American woman receives. Sweden, the leader in paid maternity leave, offers 70 weeks of paid maternity leave. Longer maternity leave is proven to correlate to positive mother-child interactions, it can also help decrease postpartum depression for mothers. One final way society can continue to empower women is by having more women in the places where decisions are being made. In 2016, men held 78.8% of S&P 500 board seats, while women held 21.2%. The 117th US Congress has been called the most diverse Congress ever, but only a quarter of congress members are women. Only 11.9% of the world's billionaires are female. How are we supposed to feel empowered if the most powerful people in our world are primarily men? Aside from the empowering impact this could have on women, imagine the impact it could have on young girls. Seeing powerful women just as an ordinary thing in their lives would do so much to empower them from a young age. Young girls deserve to see important positions being filled by women. Empowerment is such an amazing and powerful feeling. There are so many ways society can change to empower more women and create positive change. Having a society filled with empowered women is such an exciting idea and society should do everything in its power to create more and more amazing empowered women.

Since I was a kid I knew I wanted to be a pastry chef, but when COVID-19 shut down the world, I had a lot of time to think, probably too much time. I came to realize that the dream I'd had for years wasn't what I wanted anymore and it scared me. I didn't know who I was supposed to be anymore. Over the past year, I have been figuring it out. I have found a new career path and have toured, applied, and accepted multiple schools on this path. I found a new exciting path despite my fears.

2020 taught me how broken the world was and inspired me to try and help fix it. We've all seen the memes of how each month in 2020 had a disater. Anything that could go wrong, did go wrong. But 2020 wawsn't the year that started the chaos, it was just the year we realized it. A dying planet full of racial injustices and horrible politicians who refused to create a system that actually cared for the people in it, was already the world we lived in before Janury 1st, 2020. The things we witnessed in 2020 infuruated me. There was no reason the world needed to be this broken. We know what would solve the problems, but we aren't doing anything about it. In 2020 problems weren't solved, and I got tired of it. I decided to speak out and do something when the rest of the world was letting me down. I spoke out against racial inequality and the violence that came from it. I consistently followed covid guidelines and encouraged others to do so. I voted for change and did everything I could to get my friends to do the same. When I 2020 reminded us how broken the world was it also reminded us that we could do something to fix it.

When I started high school I knew very little about mental illness, but that changed very quickly. Throughout high school I watched many of my close friends battle mental illnesses and struggle to manage their daily lives because of it. In my Freshman year, one of my friends attempted suicide but thankfully survived and got help. In sophomore year, my childhood best friend was told by her therapist that she should be admitted to a mental hospital to help with her illnesses. She decided not to because she was too scared to miss out on school and extra circulars. During Junior year I experienced multiple panic attacks that left me terrified of simple things. In my Senior year, my best friend's mental health crumble as she tried to balance the stress of her many AP classes, leadership roles, and familial problems. Mental illness went from being some far-off problem that other people dealt with to being something I personally experienced. I never expected to see so many of my friends and peers fall apart because of mental illnesses, let alone myself. It ended up being something I witnessed every single day. Our mental health was not considered by many of the adults in our lives, especially the adults in our school. We fought invisible battles that no one ever saw and overcame challenges we didn't tell anyone about, but they barely noticed or cared. Seeing the way the mental health of teenagers was treated changed me. I was upset by how little the people in charge seemed to care about the things I saw destroying people I cared about. When I had my first major panic attack, I was at school volunteering for the drama department. I was completely and utterly terrified the entire time. My friends tried to help me through it but ended up getting yelled at by the adult in charge for not doing what they were supposed to. I experienced firsthand how little they cared and how scarcely support was given to students that were struggling. I was so scared of people being upset that I was struggling with mental illnesses that I didn’t tell my parents for months. Going to therapy and getting help was a huge part of me moving forward. It taught me to love myself more and to spread that love to others. Supporting students who are struggling can do so much good. Getting that own self-love when I was in a dark place inspired me to try and spread it. In the past few years, I have done everything I can to share resources that can help people around me who are struggling. I try to tear down myths about mental illnesses, advocate for change and support my friends in any way I can. I may only be one person, but I can still have a positive impact and create change. Sometimes one person, choosing to make a difference, is all that's needed to save a life.

When I started high school I knew very little about mental illness, but that changed very quickly. Throughout high school I watched many of my close friends battle mental illnesses and struggle to manage their daily lives because of it. In my Freshman year, one of my friends attempted suicide but thankfully survived and got help. In sophomore year, my childhood best friend was told by her therapist that she should be admitted to a mental hospital to help with her illnesses. She decided not to because she was too scared to miss out on school and extra circulars. During Junior year I experienced multiple panic attacks that left me terrified of simple things. In my Senior year, my best friend's mental health crumble as she tried to balance the stress of her many AP classes, leadership roles, and familial problems. Mental illness went from being some far-off problem that other people dealt with to being something I personally experienced. I never expected to see so many of my friends and peers fall apart because of mental illnesses, let alone myself. It ended up being something I witnessed every single day. Our mental health was not considered by many of the adults in our lives, especially the adults in our school. We fought invisible battles that no one ever saw and overcame challenges we didn't tell anyone about, but they barely noticed or cared. Seeing the way the mental health of teenagers was treated changed me. I was upset by how little the people in charge seemed to care about the things I saw destroying people I cared about. When I had my first major panic attack, I was at school volunteering for the drama department. I was completely and utterly terrified the entire time. My friends tried to help me through it but ended up getting yelled at by the adult in charge for not doing what they were supposed to. I experienced firsthand how little they cared and how scarcely support was given to students that were struggling. I was so scared of people being upset that I was struggling with mental illnesses that I didn’t tell my parents for months. Getting help and support from people who care can make a huge difference, and there was one teacher who did care. My senior year drama teacher always looked out for our mental health. When my classmate was reminded of triggering memories, he reminded the class not to talk about those things and offered the student support. When his students were stressed by their workload he would work with us and sometimes even adjust his deadlines to help us. When he noticed that some of my anxiety responses were harmful, he reminded me to avoid them and helped me stop. He cared when few others did, and it inspired me to care. In the past few years, I have done everything I can to share resources that can help people around me who are struggling. I try to tear down myths about mental illnesses, advocate for change and support my friends in any way I can. I may only be one person, but I can still have a positive impact and create change. My drama teacher was only one person and no one can deny that he made a difference. Sometimes one person, choosing to make a difference, is all that's needed to save a life.

When I started high school I knew very little about mental illness, but that changed very quickly. Throughout high school I watched many of my close friends battle mental illnesses and struggle to manage their daily lives because of it. In my Freshman year, one of my friends attempted suicide but thankfully survived and got help. In sophomore year, my childhood best friend was told by her therapist that she should be admitted to a mental hospital to help with her illnesses. She decided not to because she was too scared to miss out on school and extra circulars. During Junior year I experienced multiple panic attacks that left me terrified of simple things. In my Senior year, my best friend's mental health crumble as she tried to balance the stress of her many AP classes, leadership roles, and familial problems. Mental illness went from being some far-off problem that other people dealt with to being something I personally experienced. I never expected to see so many of my friends and peers fall apart because of mental illnesses, let alone myself. It ended up being something I witnessed every single day. Our mental health was not considered by many of the adults in our lives, especially the adults in our school. We fought invisible battles that no one ever saw and overcame challenges we didn't tell anyone about, but they barely noticed or cared. Seeing the way the mental health of teenagers was treated changed me. I was upset by how little the people in charge seemed to care about the things I saw destroying people I cared about. When I had my first major panic attack, I was at school volunteering for the drama department. I was completely and utterly terrified the entire time. My friends tried to help me through it but ended up getting yelled at by the adult in charge for not doing what they were supposed to. I experienced firsthand how little they cared and how scarcely support was given to students that were struggling. I was so scared of people being upset that I was struggling with mental illnesses that I didn’t tell my parents for months. Getting help and support from people who care can make a huge difference, and there was one teacher who did care. My senior year drama teacher always looked out for our mental health. When my classmate was reminded of triggering memories, he reminded the class not to talk about those things and offered the student support. When his students were stressed by their workload he would work with us and sometimes even adjust his deadlines to help us. When he noticed that some of my anxiety responses were harmful, he reminded me to avoid them and helped me stop. He cared when few others did, and it inspired me to care. In the past few years, I have done everything I can to share resources that can help people around me who are struggling. I try to tear down myths about mental illnesses, advocate for change and support my friends in any way I can. I may only be one person, but I can still have a positive impact and create change. My drama teacher was only one person and no one can deny that he made a difference. Sometimes one person, choosing to make a difference, is all that's needed to save a life.

When I started high school I knew very little about mental illness, but that changed very quickly. Throughout high school I watched many of my close friends battle mental illnesses and struggle to manage their daily lives because of it. In my Freshman year, one of my friends attempted suicide but thankfully survived and got help. In sophomore year, my childhood best friend was told by her therapist that she should be admitted to a mental hospital to help with her illnesses. She decided not to because she was too scared to miss out on school and extra circulars. During Junior year I experienced multiple panic attacks that left me terrified of simple things. In my Senior year, my best friend's mental health crumble as she tried to balance the stress of her many AP classes, leadership roles, and familial problems. Mental illness went from being some far-off problem that other people dealt with to being something I personally experienced. I never expected to see so many of my friends and peers fall apart because of mental illnesses, let alone myself. It ended up being something I witnessed every single day. Our mental health was not considered by many of the adults in our lives, especially the adults in our school. We fought invisible battles that no one ever saw and overcame challenges we didn't tell anyone about, but they barely noticed or cared. Seeing the way the mental health of teenagers was treated changed me. I was upset by how little the people in charge seemed to care about the things I saw destroying people I cared about. When I had my first major panic attack, I was at school volunteering for the drama department. I was completely and utterly terrified the entire time. My friends tried to help me through it but ended up getting yelled at by the adult in charge for not doing what they were supposed to. I experienced firsthand how little they cared and how scarcely support was given to students that were struggling. I was so scared of people being upset that I was struggling with mental illnesses that I didn’t tell my parents for months. Getting help and support from people who care can make a huge difference, and there was one teacher who did care. My senior year drama teacher always looked out for our mental health. When my classmate was reminded of triggering memories, he reminded the class not to talk about those things and offered the student support. When his students were stressed by their workload he would work with us and sometimes even adjust his deadlines to help us. When he noticed that some of my anxiety responses were harmful, he reminded me to avoid them and helped me stop. He cared when few others did, and it inspired me to care. In the past few years, I have done everything I can to share resources that can help people around me who are struggling. I try to tear down myths about mental illnesses, advocate for change and support my friends in any way I can. I may only be one person, but I can still have a positive impact and create change. My drama teacher was only one person and no one can deny that he made a difference. Sometimes one person, choosing to make a difference, is all that's needed to save a life.

Throughout high school I watched many of my close friends battle mental illnesses. In my Freshman year, one of my friends attempted suicide but thankfully survived. In sophomore year, my childhood best friend was told she should be admitted to a mental hospital to help with her illnesses. She decided not to because she was too scared to miss out on school and extra circulars. During Junior year I experienced multiple panic attacks that left me terrified of simple things. In my Senior year, my best friend's mental health crumble as she tried to balance the stress of her many AP classes, leadership roles, and familial problems. When I started high school I would've never expected to see so many of my friends and peers fall apart because of mental illnesses, but it was something I witnessed every single day. Our mental health was not considered by many of the adults in our lives. We fought invisible battles that no one ever saw and overcame challenges we didn't tell anyone about. Seeing the way the mental health of teenagers was treated radicalized me. I was upset by how little the people in charge seemed to care about the things I saw destroying people I cared about. There was one teacher who did care, my senior year drama teacher. When my classmate was reminded of triggering memories, he reminded the class not to talk about those things and offered the student support. When he noticed that some of my anxiety responses were harmful, he reminded me to avoid them and helped me stop. He cared when few others did, and it inspired me to care. In the past few years, I have done everything I can to share resources that can help, tear down myths, advocate for change and support my friends in any way I can. I may only be one person, but I can still have a positive impact and create change. Sometimes one person, choosing to make a difference, is all that's needed to save a life.

I find inspiration in lots of different places; my creative interests, inspiring politicians, and my family to name a few. However, there is one thing that inspires me more than anything else. The thing that inspires me the most in life is the desire to improve the world around me. From a young age, I was told by lots of adults in my life that just because I was young didn’t mean I couldn’t make a difference. I have always known that I can create change, that I could make a difference. Until high school, there was nothing I was super passionate about changing, but then started learning about the many issues that LGBTQ+community have faced and continue to face. Even though I had previously been inspired by improving the world by fighting to end gender, race and class divides, LGBTQ+ quickly became the issue that inspired me more than any other. LGBTQ+ people face discrimination in so many parts of their lives. Until the summer of 2020, it was legal for employers to fire people on the basis of their sexuality and gender identity in America. The international rate of suicide in queer youth is double the rate of straight youth. Healthcare rights for LGBTQ+ people have been given and taken away multiple times in the past few years alone. Needless to say, the list of issues and injustices queer people face is not a short one. To many people, the many challenges and injustices seem like an impossible hurdle and that dampens their spirit. My spirit is not dampened by this. I see issues that need to be fixed and that can be fixed; that inspires me. Many people don’t know how much of the wedding industry is filled with homophobia. Lots of queer couples struggle to have a wedding that fits them due to this. It can be difficult to decide between going traditional and possibly being told you are trying to mimic heterosexuality or being alternative and being told that you aren’t having a “real wedding”. As someone who will, hopefully, work in the wedding industry, I can work with couples to find this balance and create the wedding they want without having to worry about homophobic vendors. Homophobic vendors are another huge issue in the wedding industry. Since they are private companies, wedding vendors have every right to refuse service to LGBTQ+ couples. That doesn’t make it a good thing though. Imagine planning your wedding and finishing the perfect vendor only to reach out and have them refuse because you are marrying someone of the same gender. Constantly running into these hurdles can be so disheartening and makes the process very difficult. As a wedding planner, I can help couples avoid this altogether. These may be small things, but it can create so much good for the people it impacts, and that is what’s important. I am inspired by the opportunity to create change, to improve the world, and to bring positivity to the lives of LGBTQ+ people around me. I know that any impact I can have is a good impact and I cannot wait to start having that impact. That is what inspires me. Pursuing a degree in Event Management will be the first step in hopefully creating a lot of amazing change in my community, and this scholarship would help me to begin that journey.

This is a picture of my dog, Duke, training as an explosive detection dog. Whenever he finds explosive odors he gets to play with his toy. As you can tell from this photo, Duke loves finding odors and getting his toy. He's a hard-working boy who plays even harder.

Legacy is meaningless. The world wants us to believe that it matters, that what the world thinks of us matters. The world wants us to care about it so much. It wants that so much that it convinces us legacy means something. It doesn't. It's a lie. We can try all we want to leave behind a legacy but it will still be meaningless. It does not matter what we leave behind on a dying world full of dying people who are too broken to try and remember us. Legacy is, and always will be meaningless. Legacy is defined as "anything handed down from the past, as from an ancestor or predecessor". If this is the thing that we're supposed to be striving for, it is complete and utter garbage. An antique dish from your grandmother can have more legacy than us by this definition. If all we are striving for in a legacy is to be passed down from the past then we should become antique dishes. They will be passed down and remembered for years to come. Why are we trying to be like them? There is so much more to life than being remembered when it's over.

During my Junior year, I became head of the Props Department in my Drama Company. I was extremely honored to have this job and worked extremely hard to do it well, but it was very stressful. There were a lot of things that had to be done before the show and the directors were not always the best about communicating with the Department heads. On top of all of this, I was also dealing with stress from my Junior year classes, disagreements with my dad, prepping for my AP exam, and worsening mental health overall. There was a lot going on in my life and on a tech workday, all of that became very apparent. I had a very bad panic attack in the sound booth. I remember feeling fine one moment and then suddenly feeling like I couldn't breathe, I couldn't get air into my lungs. I sat down and put my head in between my legs in an attempt to control my breathing but it wasn't working. I was terrified, I couldn't think of anything except stress and fear. I felt like my skin was shaking and I had no clue what to do. My friends tried to calm me down but they could only do so much. During this, one of our directors came to the sound booth to make sure people were doing what they were supposed to. He saw a bunch of people standing around and talking. He didn't realize they were standing around because they wanted to help me and that they were talking about what to do. He was furious that there were nearly ten people in there, in his eyes, doing nothing. One of my friends told him that I was having a panic attack and they were trying to help me, but the anger had already made things worse for me. He made everyone leave the sound booth and told us that one person could take me to see the other director. My friend Michael took me. I was still shaking and had barely caught my breath. My mind was still reeling and I could barely think straight. After that, I was allowed to go into a quiet room by myself until I calmed down. I cried, a lot. Eventually, I was okay, but that experience stayed with me. For months afterward, anytime my hands felt shaky I would get anxious that I was about to have another panic attack. Any bad mental health day felt like it could be dangerous. Despite all of this, there were positive things that came from all of this. I became much more aware of my own mental health and started taking some steps to get better, and I began looking out for other people with anxiety and sharing information about panic attacks. There are a lot of misconceptions about anxiety attacks and panic attacks. After my experience, I did some research on it and shared the differences with my friends. I wanted to make sure that people knew what they were experiencing and how to handle it. Even people who never experience panic attacks can still benefit from this knowledge. I have been fortunate enough to not have any major panic attacks since then but I still deal with mental health issues and anxiety attacks. The experience I had allowed me to become more educated and aware. I can take better care of both myself and my friends when we face this because of what I dealt with. It terrified me when it happened, and for a while afterward, but it enabled me to make things better in the world around me.

I am a huge history nerd. I love learning random facts about life in the past and the intricacies of different major events, I think all of it is so fascinating. As a result of this, I have stumbled into the history meme corner of the internet many times. In my sophomore year, I was a part of a history memes group chat with a few of my classmates, all we did was send each other stupid history memes. To this day I will still revise the occasional history meme from one of these people. I love history and I love finding ways to laugh at it, because history can be pretty funny, and when it isn't we can use humor to deflect! When you take all of this and combined it with my deep love of John Mulaney, there is no way I could ever avoid loving this meme.

I graduated High School during a pandemic, if that wasn't enough craziness I also had a bit of an identity crisis around this time. Since I was 10 years old I was certain I wanted to be a pastry chef. It was my biggest dream and I did everything I could to make that dream happen. I took multiple food and hospitality classes in high school and started working in food service to better prepare myself for being in culinary school. But during COVID-19 everything stopped and I had a lot of time to think, and I realized that I didn't want that anymore. I wanted something different, even though I'd already started my education and gotten accepted to multiple culinary schools. So, things were changing and I needed to adapt. I realized that I wanted to be a wedding planner, so I was going to pursue a bachelor's degree in Event management. I declined my acceptance to culinary school and decided to take a gap year. I knew that if I wanted to go to a four-year university I would need to work and start saving money to pay for it. The extra year also gave me time to research and apply to new schools and scholarships, and that is what I have been doing ever since. I have been accepted to all of the schools I applied to for Event Management and have applied to over 50 scholarships. I am so incredibly excited to begin this next part of my educational journey.

My all-time favorite movie is the 2019 film Knives Out, directed by Rian Johnson. This movie is artistically stunning but in a very non-traditional sense. It doesn't feel like your typical artsy murder mystery. It is unique and creative. Despite taking place in modern times it perfectly captures the style of an Agathe Criste Esque mystery. Everything from the props and set dressing of the manor to the fantastic score make the style of this film I could talk about for hours, much to my family's dismay. Aside from the cinematography, the story itself is amazing. The setup of the whole ordeal is executed perfectly, there are multiple amazing twists, tone shifts done so well you barely notice the shift and wonderfully timed humor. All of this on its own would make it an amazing movie, but the cast is incredible! The performances of Chris Evans as an arrogant douchebag and Daniel Craig as a southern detective are surprising compared to many of their other roles, but they absolutely kill it. Ana de Armas' performance is incredible from start to finish. Even the minor characters in the movie are played by incredible actors who give amazing performances. From Jamie Lee Curtis to Kathrine Langford and Christopher Plumber. Every person in this cast is a huge part of why the movie is so good and why I love it so much.

Jacinda Ardern is the current Prime Minister of New Zealand. In her time so far she has done amazing things for her country. She is only the second female state leader ever to have a baby while in office and she contributed to rule effectively throughout her pregnancy and early motherhood, even bringing her baby to the UN General Assembly. In 2020, she lead the fight against the coronavirus in her country and eliminated it in a matter of months. She has banned semi-automatic weapons after a terrorist attack in New Zealand, became the first prime minister to march in a pride parade in her country, and recently pledged to provide free period products to all schools in New Zealand. Jacinda Ardern is a real-world superhero who inspires millions every day, including myself. Every day she strives to improve her country and rule in the best way possible all while never sacrificing her personal ambitions, like motherhood, or letting existing gender barriers stand in her way. I could learn so much just by existing as her for a day. It would be so amazing to understand what she does every single day and all the things that go into her many achievements. Switching places with her, even for just one day would allow me to learn so much about being a strong, accomplished, powerful woman. That is something I hope I can be, and Jacinda Arden is already doing that every day.

From a young age, I was told by lots of adults in my life that just because I was young didn’t mean I couldn’t make a difference. I have always known that I can create change, that I could make a difference. Until high school, there was nothing I was super passionate about changing, but then I started learning about various forms of social injustice. It started with gender inequality because that is something that directly affected me. I then started learning about racial injustice and classism. Late into my junior year, I realized that I was queer and started learning about the many issues that LGBTQ+ have faced and continue to face. Even though I had previously been inspired by improving the world by fighting to end gender, race and class divides, LGBTQ+ quickly became the issue that inspired me more than any other. LGBTQ+ people face discrimination in so many parts of their lives. Until the summer of 2020, it was legal for employers to fire people on the basis of their sexuality and gender identity in America. The international rate of suicide in queer youth is double the rate of the straight youth. Healthcare rights for LGBTQ+ people have been given and taken away multiple times in the past few years alone. Needless to say, the list of issues and injustices queer people face is not a short one. To many people, the many challenges and injustices seem like an impossible hurdle and that dampens their spirit. My spirit is not dampened by this. I see issues that need to be fixed and that can be fixed; that inspires me. Realistically, I know that I will not be the one to stop these issues from existing, but that doesn’t mean I can’t make any difference. While I might not be the one to fix large scale issues there are lots of small scale issues I can make a difference in, while fighting for large scale change. I plan on studying event management and then becoming a wedding planner; I know that I can be a part of positive change in this future career. Many people don’t know how much of the wedding industry is filled with homophobia. Lots of queer couples struggle to have a wedding that fits them due to this. It can be difficult to decide between going traditional and possibly being told you are trying to mimic heterosexuality or being alternative and being told that you aren’t having a “real wedding”. As someone who will, hopefully, work in the wedding industry, I can work with couples to find this balance and create the wedding they want without having to worry about homophobic vendors. Homophobic vendors are another huge issue in the wedding industry. Since they are private companies, wedding vendors have every right to refuse service to LGBTQ+ couples. That doesn’t make it a good thing though. Imagine planning your wedding and finishing the perfect vendor only to reach out and have them refuse because you are marrying someone of the same gender. Constantly running into these hurdles can be so disheartening and makes the process very difficult. As a wedding planner, I can be a buffer between homophobic vendors and couples. Hopefully, after some time in the industry, I will be able to have a large repertoire of vendors to use who I know aren’t homophobic and be able to get rid of the need for a buffer altogether. These may be small things, but it can create so much good for the people it impacts in my community, and that is what’s important.