Worldwide I want to see an increase in compassion and selflessness. So many people struggle everyday, and it is easy to be kind to one another. It does not have to be a lot, you do not have to be rich. Kindness of any sort goes a long way for people. Locally, I volunteer in a few different ways. I volunteer in the nursery with autistic children. I wanted to do this because neurodivergent children deserve patience and kindness. Many of the previous nursery volunteers were impatient and were not understanding of the way the children were acting. Loud noises and crowds caused the kids to get upset. Many saw this as a tantrum or outburst so I wanted to educate the other helpers and provide a calming presence for these kids so that they could express their feelings without getting in trouble. I also help clean the church. I noticed that the volunteer cleaning list was only elderly people of the church. I felt disappointed in my younger generation. We are much more fit for difficult and physically demanding jobs. I decided to be the first young person to be added to the cleaning list. I take on jobs like sweeping, mopping, and cleaning windows because the older people I clean with told me that those jobs hurt their back. I want to give the people that attend the church a clean environment to help prevent the elderly from getting sick as well as to prevent them from being the ones who have to clean it. I also make kindergartner readiness bags for the school. Kindergarten is a big and scary jump. I know that as a kid I liked to see what I would be learning ahead of time so that I could prepare and be less nervous. I like to do these knowing that nervous children like I once was can go into kindergarten with some more confidence. Especially because these bags helped special needs children. Lastly, I offer free tutoring for my peers. The year I did this the most was the year I took biology. This was the first hard science class that my peers and I had taken and it surprised many of them to see their grades go down. Everyday in study hall I would get with any students that were struggling and teach them the topics they needed help with. I loved watching their test scores gradually increase and the happiness on their faces when they told me about how they did. It also felt nice to know that I could help people just by being myself. It did not take anything special. Just being good at biology allowed me to help others. I look forward to finishing college and getting a good job because I want to use my money to buy large amounts of food and cook for those who are in need. I felt inspired by women I saw online who were rich and used their money for cooking and feeding children in countries less privileged than ours. I am excited to be like those women when I become successful. Until then I like to help out in ways that do not cost money because it does not take any money to spread kindness.

Understanding the nature of the universe is important for a multitude of different reasons. It allows us to learn more about ourselves, our past, where we came from, where we are headed, and teaches us more about things we cannot find or recreate on Earth. The importance of this knowledge is equally as infinite as the universe. The more we learn about the universe, the more we learn about ourselves as humans. The elements that help make us up such as hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon are all elements found in stars and are released in supernovas. Without looking to the universe and discovering the makeup of stars we would not have been able to learn where we got the key components of our physical forms. We are all a part of the universe where matter and energy are transferred so the best way to understand ourselves is to keep learning more about the universe where all that matter originated. Besides learning about ourselves we also learn about our planet. By looking at how other planets and solar systems were formed in the universe we are able to discover where Earth came from and how it began to turn into the planet it is today. Gas and dust got pulled by gravity into orbit. Through a series of collisions amongst the dust and other objects, enough matter was able to be pulled together to form Earth and the last collision which allowed the moon to form. Scientists were able to discover this by taking samples from the moon, Earth, and other objects in space. Reaching the moon helped provide a lot of necessary information to learn more about our planet. As we continue to learn more about the universe we learn about our future and where we are headed. This can mean a few different things. We learned about the way our galaxy moves throughout space and the future collision with the Andromeda Galaxy. We also learned about the conditions on Mars which happen to be similar to the conditions on Earth. The future could very likely contain missions to get astronauts to Mars. Our discoveries not only teach us about where we are going but also pave the way for us as we begin to determine where we want to go. Along with learning about ourselves and our planet we also learn about things we never could have recreated or known about without learning about the universe. Space discoveries taught us everything we know about zero gravity, orbits, the vacuum of space, and how physics works for each of these. It also taught us about space objects and events we otherwise would have no way of knowing such as black holes, supernovas, meteorites, and dark matter. Each are extremely important to know about. Black holes are both the centers of galaxies and potential threats to be aware of. Supernovas are the way energy and matter get distributed so that they can be transferred to something else. Meteorites contain old materials that allow us to discover more about the past and the formation of our solar system. Dark matter helped galaxies during their formation and helps us to start learning about the potential size of the universe in the future. Without further studying each of these, we would be missing key information that benefits us in so many ways. I am going to be studying physics in college and it is my dream to work at NASA afterward. It is my goal to be a scientist or engineer so that I can contribute to discoveries and technologies that help us better understand the nature of the universe. Some concepts I will study and work to understand are quantum mechanics, cosmology, and the laws of physics because these ideas are key to understanding the universe. Implementing them and having a good understanding of how the universe works will allow me to take what I know and use it to further the knowledge we have currently.

I currently own a dog and lived with the family dog from my childhood. These two dogs were my best friends. Dogs always seem to know when you need some love. I could count on those two when I was having a bad day or not feeling well. My childhood dog was named Pup. He was a small chihuahua with tan fur. I had a hard time with kids at school. I got bullied throughout elementary school so Pup was my only friend. I learned quickly in life that people lie and pretend. I loved that dogs couldn't do that. Pup loved me and spent time with me and there was no motive or reason behind it. I knew that he was just a loving dog and there was nothing else to it. I loved taking care of him. It was my way of showing Pup that I was grateful for him. It was a hard few years after Pup passed. My little sister is allergic to dogs so we never got another after Pup. I felt very lonely and I would always beg my parents for another dog. They decided a little over a year ago to see if my sister would be able to comfortably live with a hypoallergenic dog. She did well so my parents decided it was time for another dog. That is when we got Ollie. Ollie is a golden doodle with black and white fur. He grew to be almost as tall as me and reached sixty pounds recently. He started out small enough to fit in my arms. I couldn't believe the day actually came that we got another dog. After years I thought I wouldn't have a dog companion again. He fell asleep on my lap on the way home and I felt whole again. He loves to cuddle and is always sleepy. He can tell when I am feeling stressed even when we are separate rooms. He comes and finds me when I am doing homework, filling out scholarships, or just having a bad day. I was hoping for a comforting dog that kept me company when I needed it and that is exactly what he does. He is laying with me as I write this essay now. I am grateful everyday for dogs and their loving nature. It helps to have a friend that loves you no matter what in a world filled with lots of negativity and hate. I know that if there is no one else I can rely on, I can rely on Ollie. My dogs have all the qualities I look for in friends. I base who I talk to on if they are loving, honest, and loyal because Pup and Ollie taught me that is what real friends are like.

My mental health is so important because it affects me on a daily basis and changes my overall health if not properly cared for. I have anxiety and it can take control of many aspects of life if I do not keep up with maintaining it. There are many things I do in order to take care of myself. Something I have started recently is journaling. I have a guided journal with questions meant to help me work through my specific struggles. It allows me to find answers within myself and teaches me how to rely on my own strength and mind to get through difficult times. I try to take some time before bed to journal a few times a week. One thing that has helped me for a long time is staying active. My favorite hobby is skateboarding. It is a great way for me to get moving and distract me from anything causing me anxiety. It is freeing to get out after a hard day. During cold weather when I can't skate I snowboard instead. Getting active allows me to spend my energy on something beneficial and healthy rather than worrying. Getting outside in general is also helpful. Connecting with nature and appreciating the simple things in life helps me calm down. It is good to get an occasional reminder that life is beautiful and more simple than my anxiety makes it seem. I like to be outside as much as possible when the weather is nice. Another way I maintain my mental health is by maintaining my nutritional health. What you put in your body affects how you feel. I take vitamins like vitamin D and ashwagandha root which are specifically helpful for depression and anxiety. I also reduce the amount of sugar and caffeine I consume because both have caused noticeable negative effects on my mental health. Making choices of tea and juice rather than pop and energy drinks helps me have fewer anxiety attacks throughout the day. In the event of an anxiety attack that can not be prevented, I try to reduce the amount of noise and light around me. Overstimulation worsens my anxiety so I go somewhere quiet and calm in the house. I also talk to my parents because both of them have struggled with anxiety too so they understand me. Sometimes it helps to get a different perspective or some reassurance over the things I am struggling with. It is still difficult sometimes but I try my best to keep up with the things I mentioned above because I know it will help and I know that my mental health is extremely important to take care of.

My overall health is extremely important to me and I value making time for self-care amidst a busy school schedule. Even little things like taking my vitamins or drinking tea while I do homework is valuable and I make sure to set aside some self-care days and time for the bigger things. Starting with the most difficult for me personally, I dedicate most of my efforts to my mental health. It is easy for stress and negativity to build up during the school year. I like to journal about my difficult emotions a few times a week. I have a guided journal with questions to answer specifically for my areas of struggle. Understanding my mental health is an important step in recovery. I also make sure to find time for my hobbies. One of my favorite hobbies is skateboarding. It takes my mind off of everything and gets me outside. I try to make time for a quick skate as often as possible. It is rewarding to get through my homework knowing I get to have fun once it's finished. I also make sure to talk to my parents about my health. Both of my parents have anxiety too, they understand me and find ways to help. Lastly, I take vitamins that are specifically meant to help with the mental health issues I struggle with. Vitamin D and ashwagandha root are helpful for depression and anxiety. Next is my physical health. This is so important to me because I value an active lifestyle and I want to continue doing the activities I love for as long as my body is able. I take care of myself physically by weightlifting and doing yoga on the days I'm not journaling. I really enjoy working out because it takes my mind off my worries and helps me stay strong for my hobbies in the process. My hobbies like skating and surfing are also good for my physical health and increase my stamina. I value stretching and yoga after these activities to help prevent injuries. Lastly, is my nutritional health. Nutrition is the key to maintaining mental and physical health. You can not have as good of health without taking care of yourself nutritionally. I have been vegan for eight years. I have noticed benefits to my health overall because of it. It improves my mental health because I feel happy knowing that being vegan saves animals and it has helped me feel better physically because I don't get sick after eating anymore. I prioritize plant protein in my diet which has helped me build muscle as I work out. Along with the vitamins I take for my mental health, I take iron and daily supplements to ensure that I am not missing out on anything in my meals. Vitamins are such an easy and little thing to do that ultimately is so beneficial. Lastly, I replaced pop with tea and juice. My family no longer buys pop because it badly affects my parents' health so I have also stopped drinking it to ensure I will not have issues too. Maintaining health throughout school can be a very difficult thing to do. It takes time and students do not always have it. There are times through the year when I can not keep up but my health is important to me so I do my best to find time for everything I mentioned above.

I plan to pursue physics because my passion for space science saved my life and gave me strength when it seemed like anxiety would control me forever. Anxiety is one constant in my life that has been with me from the beginning. My anxiety attacks started in preschool, where my biggest fears were my mom leaving me and getting forced to sing silly songs. My anxiety grew as I did, often becoming too big for someone so small. By elementary school, I was sick to my stomach on the morning bus ride, hands shaking, haunted by the knowledge that I had many more years of stress ahead. My biggest fears turned into finding a seat at lunch and presentations. I felt far away, like an adult trapped in a child's body. My classes moved too slowly, and I was already so afraid I was wasting my time. I loved to learn but not under these conditions. I reached third-grade reading class, tapping my feet under my desk, afraid of what my teacher would make us do. We had a new reading that day. The topic was Mars and space travel. My mind suddenly cleared for a moment. I wasn't an adult observing my child self anymore because, for the first time, I saw through my own eyes. I had felt childlike wonder. It was a new feeling for me. I had always looked at something and thought it was too stressful, too childish, or something I had learned already. I felt like I was there in that spaceship and touching the red Mars soil. I learned something entirely new that day, something I couldn't have imagined. That moment defined me. I spent the new few weeks talking nonstop to my mom about space on the way to gymnastics. I started going to the big kid part of the library to grab textbooks about the universe. I let my thoughts and fears melt away for a few hours each day I read those books. The unknown, which so many fear, became my saving grace from the fear that otherwise consumes me. My dad suggested I work for NASA someday to learn and discover for a living. At this point, I reached middle school, and my anxiety continued growing. Though this time, I had a reason to stay strong. To make it to college and NASA, I knew I would have to work hard and do well in school. My mental health would decline, but my motivation and grades could not. So they never did. I got up and did my presentations with shaking hands and a sick stomach. I passed my tests despite tossing and turning the night before. Without passion, there would be no reason to push myself that way, no reason to do what I disliked the most. It motivated me to do the things I fear. I am now in high school. My biggest fears are the transition to in-person college, presentations, and interviews. No matter how much my anxiety has grown, I push through it for this passion. I dream of success despite all odds, reaching the stars against the fear trying to pull me back down. My passion for science and space outgrew my anxiety. It can't eliminate my fear, so it adds to my strength against it, and for that, I owe it my all.

Anxiety is one constant in my life that has been with me from the beginning. My anxiety attacks started in preschool, where my biggest fears were my mom leaving me and getting forced to sing silly songs. My anxiety grew as I did, often becoming too big for someone so small. By elementary school, I was sick to my stomach on the morning bus ride, hands shaking, haunted by the knowledge that I had many more years of stress ahead. My biggest fears turned into finding a seat at lunch and presentations. I felt far away, like an adult trapped in a child's body. My classes moved too slowly, and I was already so afraid I was wasting my time. I loved to learn but not under these conditions. I reached third-grade reading class, tapping my feet under my desk, afraid of what my teacher would make us do. We had a new reading that day. The topic was Mars and space travel. My mind suddenly cleared for a moment. I wasn't an adult observing my child self anymore because, for the first time, I saw through my own eyes. I had felt childlike wonder. It was a new feeling for me. I had always looked at something and thought it was too stressful, too childish, or something I had learned already. I felt like I was there in that spaceship and touching the red Mars soil. I learned something entirely new that day, something I couldn't have imagined. That moment defined me. I spent the new few weeks talking nonstop to my mom about space on the way to gymnastics. I would go to the library to grab textbooks about the universe. I let my thoughts and fears melt away for a few hours each day I read those books. The unknown, which so many fear, became my saving grace from the fear that otherwise consumes me. My dad suggested I work for NASA someday to learn and discover for a living. At this point, I reached middle school, and my anxiety continued growing. Though this time, I had a reason to stay strong. To make it to college and NASA, I knew I would have to work hard and do well in school. My mental health would decline, but my motivation and grades could not. So they never did. I got up and did my presentations with shaking hands and a sick stomach. I passed my tests despite tossing and turning the night before. Without passion, there would be no reason to push myself that way. It motivated me to do the things I fear. I am now in high school. My biggest fears are the transition to in-person college, presentations, and interviews. I have let anxiety control so many aspects of my life, but I refuse to let this be one of them. I dream of success despite all odds, reaching the stars against the fear trying to pull me back down. My passion for science and space outgrew my anxiety. It can't eliminate my fear, so it adds to my strength against it. I want to use my future achievements to inspire others like me. I want to show people affected by their mental health that they can be successful, overcome, and reach their dreams. Sometimes all you need is proof, an example, that someone else who struggles could make it. As a person in that position, I will also be able to raise awareness. Scientists have a good salary, I want to use that money to donate to institutions that help people with mental illnesses.

Anxiety is one constant in my life that has been with me from the beginning. My anxiety attacks started in preschool, where my biggest fears were my mom leaving me and getting forced to sing silly songs. My anxiety grew as I did, often becoming too big for someone so small. By elementary school, I was sick to my stomach on the morning bus ride, hands shaking, haunted by the knowledge that I had many more years of stress ahead. My biggest fears turned into finding a seat at lunch and presentations. I felt far away, like an adult trapped in a child's body. My classes moved too slowly, and I was already so afraid I was wasting my time. I loved to learn but not under these conditions. I reached third-grade reading class, tapping my feet under my desk, afraid of what my teacher would make us do. We had a new reading that day. The topic was Mars and space travel. My mind suddenly cleared for a moment. I wasn't an adult observing my child self anymore because, for the first time, I saw through my own eyes. I had felt childlike wonder. It was a new feeling for me. I had always looked at something and thought it was too stressful, too childish, or something I had learned already. I felt like I was there in that spaceship and touching the red Mars soil. I learned something entirely new that day, something I couldn't have imagined. That moment defined me. I spent the new few weeks talking nonstop to my mom about space on the way to gymnastics. I started going to the big kid part of the library to grab textbooks about the universe. I let my thoughts and fears melt away for a few hours each day I read those books. The unknown, which so many fear, became my saving grace from the fear that otherwise consumes me. My dad suggested that I work for NASA someday so I can learn and discover for a living. At this point, I reached middle school, and my anxiety continued growing. Though this time, I had a reason to stay strong. To make it to college and NASA, I knew I would have to work hard and do well in school. My mental health would decline, but my motivation and grades could not. So they never did. I got up and did my presentations with shaking hands and a sick stomach. I passed my tests despite tossing and turning the night before. Without passion, there would be no reason to push myself that way, no reason to do what I disliked the most. It motivated me to do the things I fear. I am now in high school. My biggest fears are the transition to in-person college, presentations, and interviews. No matter how much my anxiety has grown, I push through it for this passion. I'll walk to class with shaking hands, and my feet will tap under my desk, but I will show up every day. My best effort will be given, even towards something I fear doing. I have let anxiety control so many aspects of my life, but I refuse to let this be one of them. I dream of success despite all odds, reaching the stars against the fear trying to pull me back down. My passion for science and space outgrew my anxiety. It can't eliminate my fear, so it adds to my strength against it, and for that, I owe it my all. I give this saving grace everything I have in me. Anxiety took so much away from me. It will not take this too. Through adversities to the stars.

Higher education is important to me because a college degree is one of the final steps that will lead toward my lifelong dreams. I decided I wanted to pursue a higher education in elementary school. I have always had a passion for learning and I knew I wanted a job that would allow me to learn and make discoveries for a living. When asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answer was always a NASA scientist. I felt like this was what I was meant to do. I was always so amazed when I read about the accomplishments of NASA and all the smart people that made it possible. I wanted to be a part of the team, I wanted to contribute to all these incredible missions and discoveries I read about. I knew that this was going to be my passion and my biggest goal. It became my main source of motivation in life. I pushed through all my hard times and fears because this goal of mine was the most important thing to me. I loved to push the boundaries of my mind by attempting to learn the most difficult topics I could find like calculus and rocket science. I want to know the limits of my potential. I don't think I would feel satisfied if I didn't aim for a higher education because I would never know what I'm capable of. I want to keep learning and keep trying more difficult things until I reach the entirety of my potential. The further I push myself, the further I will go at NASA, and the more I will contribute. Receiving a higher education and using it to get my dream job will allow me to give myself everything I have dreamed about all my life and prove to myself that I could do it. I look forward to the day that I get to look back on everything I did and know that every minute I dedicated to my education was worth it. I know that as I am working at NASA I will be grateful for the priority I placed on receiving a college degree. I can know that none of my potential was wasted and that I took advantage of everything I was given. Working on my education now will lead to pride, my dream job, and happiness for me in the future and that makes it matter more than anything to me.

I am pursuing a college degree so that my passions can burn brighter than my fears. Anxiety is one constant in my life that has been with me from the beginning. It controlled almost everything in my life. My panic attacks started in preschool. I went to school every day feeling sick to my stomach and my hands shaking. Presentations, social interactions, and perfectionism caused anxiety at school. It wasn't until third-grade reading class that I discovered something I wanted to fight for. We read about Mars and space travel in class one day and that was when my passion began. I was so amazed, I felt like I was touching the red soil not sitting in a classroom. I let my curiosity lead me to the textbooks in the library. I would read those books for hours and feel like I was in a different world. I never stopped talking to my parents about what I learned. My dad saw this passion and suggested I work at NASA someday so I can learn and make discoveries for a living. My mindset shifted once I reached middle school. I knew that in order to be a scientist I would need to go to college and do a lot of things that scared me. I also knew that this dream was worth every panic attack, and every bad day I encountered on the way. I was right, every minute of stress and fear was worth making it this far. I fought through presentations I didn't want to do, tests I was stressed about, and all my darkest times for this dream. Passion was the only thing stronger than fear, my anxiety would have consumed me without it. A college degree is another leap closer to my dreams, and another battle won against anxiety. Each step leading to the ultimate goal gets a little scarier, but the closer I get the more desire I feel. I look forward to the moment that I reach the stars despite all the fear trying to pull me back down. I won't let it hide me away. Passion saved my life, so I'll give everything in me to it. There's a quote that keeps me going every time my anxiety starts getting too much. Per aspera ad astra, which means through adversities to the stars. This quote describes my whole life's purpose. I know that I will remain strong against it all so that I can take my next step. Once I get my degree and reach NASA I will have won this battle.

I believe it's important to have healthy eating habits because everything, both internal and external, depends on the quality of what you put in your body. I went vegan eight years ago and I couldn't feel better than I do now. My mental health surrounding food and well-being improved as well as my physical health. The benefits were to my mental health first. I felt at peace knowing that as a vegan I would be less at risk for heart disease because my cholesterol levels would be much lower and my risk for some cancers would decrease as well. Every day after I finish my meals I think about how being vegan is beneficial not only to me but to the environment as well. A vegan saves over a hundred animals per year and nothing could make me happier than knowing that. Being vegan has also helped me to maintain a physique that I can be confident in with much less effort required. I get to do the things I love and eat foods that make me feel good and know that I'll look better just from living this lifestyle. This helped my overall self-esteem. I live a very active life because I love to skateboard, surf, and go for walks. I want to be able to do these things for as long as I possibly can. Eating healthy comforts me because I know that my body will be strong and healthy enough to support the lifestyle that matters so much to me. I look forward to a future where I can grow and make all my food from scratch rather than buying food with preservatives so that I can do more with my body for longer. Over time I watched my physical health improve. My skin became much clearer and healthier and my hair grew thicker. I noticed that I put on muscle mass quicker after my workouts because I prioritized a lot of plant-based proteins. I even began to get fewer stomach aches because dairy products did not agree well with me. It was hard to get enough food in a day before because I felt so sick after just a small amount of food. Now I'm able to eat more to get a proper amount of nutrients without feeling unwell afterward. Maintaining this diet is very important to me as I prepare for life at college. I want to be in the best condition physically and mentally so that I can better handle the stress and hard work that will come.

I am pursuing a major in physics. I chose this major because it has been my dream since I was a little girl to go to college and become a NASA scientist. I grew up with anxiety that has affected most aspects of my life. I have always had a passion for learning but my anxiety made enjoying school very difficult. Presentations, important tests, due dates, and social interactions all caused anxiety attacks. I was so used to feeling like an adult trapped in a child's body, my worries were for people much older than me. I remember third-grade reading class was where my love for STEM began. We read about Mars and space travel. I felt excitement, and I felt childlike wonder. My feet stopped nervously tapping under my desk at that moment. After that day I'd go to the big kid part of the library to grab textbooks. I was always reading about space and I would talk my mom's ear off on the way to gymnastics about everything I learned. I knew at that point that I'd do anything for my dream of being a NASA scientist. I knew that I would need to work hard and go to college. This passion burned so much brighter than my fears. I got through my presentations and tests despite feeling anxious. My dreams have kept me going through the darkest parts of my life. I knew I could rely on my telescope to distract me when I was having a bad night. The infinite universe reminds me that these fears of mine are so small and that I have an equally infinite amount of desire to succeed despite them. This dream of mine has saved me from fear that otherwise consumed me. I owe everything to STEM, every ounce of effort in me because I have it to thank for everything. I would not be this strong, and I would not be me without it. Through these adversities to the stars.