I have always been curious about other cultures and people - there is so much to learn from other perspectives and other ways of living. Languages are so intriguing because they are a window into the culture itself - revealing mindsets, customs, and more. My dream is to travel and interact with new people and places, so I am pursuing a degree in teaching English as a foreign language. Because I would be working in other countries, I would need to know the language of that area. I'm planning to study Korean and French, as those are the national languages of the countries I am most interested in teaching in. Learning languages has helped me become more globally minded, and has ignited a proverbial spark in me to learn more about others. I've gained more respect for those who know multiple languages. Although I've always known that English is not everyone's first language, learning other languages really cemented that concept in my mind. This has helped me appreciate how important efforts to become more conscious about other cultures are. I am so excited to learn more about the world, and get insight into other cultures, mindsets, experiences, and people. I will always value the knowledge that I have the privilege to gain, and that certainly includes any of my knowledge about languages other than my native one.

I am a child of an LGBTQ+ parent, and I am also LGBTQ+ myself. I didn't discover this about myself until I was about 15, and I am still discovering things about myself and my queerness. When I came out to my mother, thankfully, she was very supportive. She was also supportive when my sibling came out as nonbinary. I often wondered if she was also LGBTQ+, because she would make comments that seemed as though she was perhaps in denial about her own identity. Almost a year ago, after my sibling came out to her, we were all in the kitchen preparing dinner. She said, nonchalantly, that she was queer and wanted our love and support. Of course, there was absolutely no reason that we wouldn't give that to her, but I know she was still scared - coming out is always scary, no matter what your circumstances are. Fast-forward a few months to today, and I can tell how our experiences differ and how those differences impact how we see the world. She was born in a different generation than I was, so she has internalized more prejudice and discrimination than I have. This can impact how we see certain issues in relation to the community, and that difference in viewpoints and opinions has made us take a look at ourselves and our relationship. Although there are some things we may have tension about, overall, those differences have helped our relationship grow stronger. It is partly because of this experience that I have learned to place more value on diversity of thought in every part of my life, including education. I want to obtain a broader education where I can be exposed to many different thoughts and people that come from many different walks of life. Because of where I live, I have a pretty limited amount of exposure to different viewpoints, but getting involved with my high school's GSA has helped me become a better, more driven person, which will impact how I interact with others and the world around me - hopefully for the better. I am already working with my high school's GSA to make an impact on our own community, from attending the first Pride hosted by my county to petitioning for a gender-neutral bathroom in the school. It's certainly slow going, and I may not see major changes while I am here working towards it, but even giving our society a push in the right direction is so incredibly important. Being able to get an education will be vital in helping increase awareness and finding new, bold ways to help foster acceptance and friendliness between all groups of people.