My favorite book is "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson. This book is special to me because it tells the stories of one very influential man, Bryan Stevenson. Stevenson is a defense lawyer who has spent the last 40 years fighting for those who are underrepresented or discriminated against in our criminal justice system, especially those facing capital punishment. "Just Mercy" highlights individual cases of prejudice taken by Mr. Stevenson and shows how only with extreme grit and determination can such instances of blatant discrimination be conquered. One particularly moving case was that of Walter McMillian. Walter was a black man from Monroeville, Alabama who in 1987 was sentenced to death for a murder to which he did not commit. What was so enlightening about this case was that Walter had over a dozen witnesses to positively confirm his alibi and consequently rule out any involvement in the crime. Yet the confirmation bias, obtrusive racism, and pressure to find and convict the murder led to tens of police and public officials to lie and manipulate a jury into killing an innocent man. Fortunately, the diligence and persistence of Mr. Stevenson saved Walter's life. Yet this was not until he had already spent six years of his life on death row and had received such severe mental abuse and trauma that would later manifest in early-onset dementia. The story of a man's life that was utterly ruined simply for the color of his skin is such a tragedy and evokes such empathy that allows for "Just Mercy" to be elevated as my favorite book. This memoir reminds me that we are all in this together and that we all have a responsibility to fight for justice. But finally, this book helped me learn that each and every one of us deserves mercy.

My playlist is based around Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" in that all are songs of unity and love. These songs inspire me to be a more empathetic and wholesome person with their infectious message of power in harmony. When listening to such uplifting songs, one can not help but be engulfed by their kind-spirited nature. But the most potent reason I am so inspirited by this collection of tracks can be summarized by a quote from Marvin Gaye himself. "War is not the answer, because only love can conquer hate."

After years of hard work, I became the first person in the history of my High School Swimming men's team to break a team record as a freshman. This race symbolized a culmination of the immense dedication I have given to the sport of swimming and to my team. Against the pain and difficulty of this sport, I was able to reach my goal through hard work and commitment.