Law is important because it lays down the foundations that the nation has been built and governed upon. Some of the most crucial pieces of law in America come from the US Constitution and the First Amendment. Many are familiar with the First Amendment, which states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” This is essentially stating that people’s rights of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition are protected. When addressing a censorship concern, the First Amendment is highly integral. Censorship is not a word used in common vernacular, but it is something that is of importance to everyone as it can revoke some of the liberties given by the First Amendment in regards to the freedom of speech and press. In more simplistic terms, censorship is “the suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, etc. that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable, or a threat to security.” A drastic modern day example of censorship occurred during the Second Red Scare. This was a period of time following WWII in which a cultural wave of anti-communist paranoia occurred, heavily influenced and led by Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee, also referred to as HUAC. Essentially, McCarthy would cry “communist” on an ever-expanding list of “public enemies” that he suspected were communists trying to encroach America with their systems and beliefs; HUAC built off of this and also falsely accused people of crimes. During this time, authors, actors, and civil-rights activists were heavily targeted as they used their freedom of speech and assembly, granted by the First Amendment, to express things that didn’t necessarily align with McCarthy or HUAC’s agenda, and this typically resulted in them being black-listed or arrested. Unfortunately, the courts were more focused on getting names to condemn than justice, which further hindered these victims. As a result, the voices of many were silenced in fear and organizations were dismembered as to not be suspicious. By censoring what people had to say, McCarthyism enticed a fear far greater than the Red Scare initially did because the only thing people could say was what was forced upon them and not necessarily what they knew to be true or believed. Alternatively, free speech can be liberating. An example of this derived from the Second Red Scare through Arthur Miller’s 1953 play titled “The Crucible.” Miller uses an allegory, or story that uses symbolism to drive its meaning, by taking the current events that affected him – the Red Scare and people, including himself, being accused of communism – and putting them in a past-setting – the Salem Witch Trials – in order to portray how these “witch hunts” can occur at any time, and have occurred many times throughout history, whenever false rumors are spread by someone who holds a lot of power. In the case of Salem, it was Abigail Williams due to her lust for John Proctor. In the case of the Red Scare, it was John McCarthy due to his greed for power. Miller defied censorship in order to prevent these “witch hunts” from occurring again and to show that the government should be working for the people, not against them; the fundamental principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that the nation was built upon should be ensured. Overall, this work illuminated the scary realities faced by many that were not verbalized due to censorship and used free speech in the face of adversity to convey that message. Although these were historical, as well as large-scale, examples of censorship and free speech, my own life is not exempt from the pitfalls of censorship and blessing of free speech. At my school, I am a member of the journalism staff, where we are extensively taught about the First Amendment and its relation to our work as the school’s press. I’ve been able to write many articles that I am proud to have published, but they must undergo some form of review before being released due to the Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier case in 1968; from this case, it was decided that it is the right of high school administration to prior review material before it is published but must legally justify their censoring acts. None of my articles have been sensitive enough to be censored, but it is a case that the staff has to be aware of since it directly affects our work. Due to the freedom of speech I have been granted, I have been able to write articles on many different topics relating to campus-life, including sports, clubs, and academics. My favorite piece that I’ve had published was an editorial, or opinion article, on kindness and sportsmanship that covers World Kindness Day, our school’s rival football game, campus courtesy, and community service. If I had not been able to express my thoughts and feelings on the subject as extensively as I was granted, I don’t think the message would’ve had as profound an impact on readers. My experience in journalism has driven the importance of free speech into me; it is a privilege to be able to express thoughts, feelings, and, above all else, opinions. As someone who can be very passionate about certain things, as many people are, being able to get those messages out there is a valuable liberty. It’s fairly conclusive that free speech is better than censorship because it’s not as restrictive and allows for beneficial changes. This ties back to the importance of law as this freedom would not be accessible in America if it had not been for the US Constitution, which sets up the standards for law within the country.

"Here we all are, with nothing but our wit and our will to save the world!" - Nick Fury Ever since 2012, upon the release of the original Avengers movie, I had been fixated on becoming some sort of superhero. Unfortunately, I wasn't blessed with any superhuman abilities, but that's not much of a hinderance when it comes to helping people. In the MCU, all of the heroes have some form of special ability that contributes to fulfilling their objective, and so do I. I have compassion. Every year, I try to contribute as much service I can to charity, whether that be in the form of time, money, or both. By paying my good fortune and kindness forward to others, I hope to bring more positivity and light into their lives. I've come to learn that the smallest actions can have the most profound impacts on someone. This path month, an organization that I'm a part of "adopted-a-family" for Christmas, in which we got a list of their wants, needs, and interests to buy presents for them. At a celebration with the family, we got to see their faces opening the gifts, and it absolutely melted my heart. My ultimate goal is to be able to do more work like that for more people. The impact that I hope to leave on the world comes in small chunks similar to what I did this Christmas season. By helping a person or a family here and there, a bit more brightness is brought into the world that I hope will continue to expand and light the lives of many. While the Avengers are leaving a mark on the world in what are realistically intangible ways, I can have a smaller, yet equally meaningful, impact using my wit and will.

As a member of my school's newspaper, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to write an opinion article on kindness that would be published for all of the community to see. One of the focal points of this piece was charity and community service, which are two things that are very important to me as my school's Beta Club President. My main goal in including this topic was to encourage more people to pay kindness forward or give back to the community. As the holiday season progresses, it is more widely encouraged for people to donate, volunteer, and gift-give, as these things are more conventional and convenient as the holidays near. Some of my favorite ways to participate in charity are doing an "Adopt-A-Family" or a "Christmas Tree Angel," since I am fortunate enough to be able to provide gifts composed of others wants and needs. I've been able to do at least one of these services every year for as long as I can remember, as charitability is a value that has been instilled in me by my parents from an early age. Another way I like to give back is by writing letters of gratitude to members of the military; this is a simple act that can make someone's day. These men and women put everything on the line in order for the United States to remain a free country, which is an incredible blessing that shouldn't go undervalued or underappreciated. Kindness is ultimately something that is easy and free, so it should be encouraged. I've found that simple acts of kindness are some of the most rewarding ways to give back. If I have the means to pay kindness forward, either through time or other services, then I'm going to because it's what's morally right.

Finance is most basically defined as "money or other liquid resources of a government, business, group of individual" by Webster Dictionary. Similarly, freedom is "the power to do what you want to do: the ability to move or act freely." These two words seem almost primary, but when combined, they take on a new meaning. To me, financial freedom means more than just having my own money to spend on what I choose; it means that I am not dependent on someone else when it comes to expenses, and that I have enough to afford both wants and needs. I define financial freedom this way because independence is something that means a lot to me. For as long as I can remember, I've always been ready to take the next big step on the road to being on my own: getting a car, getting a job, paying for my own things, picking out a college, figuring out what I want to pursue. Although I'm still young and haven't had much real-world experience entirely on my own, outside of the limited freedoms I've been granted such as driving, I always want to take a prepared next-step, guided by others with experience, but ultimately, on my own. It's like tight-rope walker having a net there to catch them in case they fall; I hope I won't need someone to fall back on, but it's reassuring to have them there while I find my balance. Heading into the future, I would like to be less dependent on people when it comes to figuring out how to handle my money. I still am unsure of how to pay certain things, like taxes or my car note, but my parents help me through it right now so that I can eventually become knowledgeable enough to start doing these types of things on my own. They also monitor my spending, which helps keep me in check; despite being relatively money-conscious, I do sometimes let going out with friends tempt me a bit too much and spend more than I should. Progressively, I would like to further my knowledge and develop better habits in order to completely take over my finances. I'm always a stickler for things being done the right way, and find that doing them myself tends to have the best results because I understand the where everything's coming from and going. Additionally, I believe that a part of financial freedom is being able to have liberty in where my money goes, as in it goes into more than just my needs. With college upcoming, I know I'll be putting a lot into that, but I would also like to be able to have the financial backing to enjoy myself simultaneously. I feel that I'll achieve financial freedom when I can maintain a healthy balance between wants and needs. While financial freedom doesn't have a structured definition, it is defined by structure. There are wants and there are needs; the key to financial freedom is knowing the difference between the two and where to dedicate money two within those categories. I hope to progressively gain financial freedom as I become more informed about the all of the sub-categories it contains.

It doesn't matter who you are or where you come from, educational inequity is an issue that affects us all. Although it is not an issue that we all see everyday, it is one that is prevalent in the lives of many every day. Most educational inequity occurs due to divides in socio-economic status, which unjustly limits opportunities for people who have the potential for success and greatness but are prohibited by factors out of their control. Just become someone was born into a particular life doesn't mean they should be stuck there. If people can fall from grace with ease, why should it be so hard to rise to the top, especially when someone has knowledge or skills that should warrant them being there? Educational inequity prevents not only our nation, but our world, from making advancements for the greater good; someone who has many gifts to offer is being withheld from maxing their potential because they do not have the chance to receive the education that would refine their abilities and make use of them. Overall, we all need to stand for this issue because it's one that directly affects us all, even if we don't realize it. Just because some people are granted an easier path in life, it doesn't warrant making others lives that much harder; the imbalance between the powerful and the weak comes from the oppression of the lesser through issues such as the one addressed. Educational inequity deserves an important conversation and resolution.

It may be a cliche, but dance, or dance team to be more specific, has become almost my entire life over these past four years; it seems like I barely have time for a life outside of it. Although some people question how I can be so committed, it really isn't much of a hardship. Some of my best friends have come from this opportunity, like Emma. Emma was born with hip dysplasia, which is when the hip ball and socket do not align, and has had to have three surgeries due to injuries related to this in combination with dance. Through all of the up and downs that come with recovery, I've been there for her. The one that impacted me the most was the second go-round though. It all started one day at practice, when we did a quick stretch and went for a run around campus to warm-up. She had confided in me that she wasn't feeling good beforehand; I hadn't thought much of it because I thought it was related to some typical high-school drama, but I agreed to run with her nonetheless. Towards the end of our first lap, she began crying and I didn't know how to react, so I encouraged her to push-through and finish it out until we could get back to the gym. It soon became evident that it wasn't something on her mind that was upsetting her, but that she was in pain so I walked her back to the gym, shaken from the whole event. Soon after, she went to the doctor and called three of us together for a dinner to inform us of what was happening before the rest of the team. Sadly, she had torn her labrum, a piece of cartilage in the hip socket, and wouldn't be able to dance that season. Leading up to her surgery, she and I hung out often and would do things to ease her mind about what was coming. This surgery was more common than her previous one, but it didn't make it any less daunting. Through her recovery, I was constantly by her side; I visited her in the hospital and showered her in gifts. She has since been able to return to normalcy, but the entire process was difficult to be there for in the moment. There were many times that she disclosed where she was at in her recovery with me, including her hopes and fears regarding it. There were times that it was obviously hard on her, but I did my best to bring light to those dark times. This experience impacted me by showing just how quickly things can take a turn for the worst, but also how much a positive mindset can make it better. Even on the worst of days, I put on a bright front for Emma, which I don't think I've been able to take off since. Positivity has such a large role in my life now, and it's largely due to the realizations I had during these times. Being there for one of my best friends has also allowed me to realize how much I want to do more to help people, now and in the future. Small actions, such as giving people compliments, are now daily occurrences because Emma taught me that little things have big impacts, and you never know what someone is going through. By being there for Emma through those tough times, I feel that the lasting impact it had on me was that I want to spread kindness and aid to those in need.

Deciding what I want to do for the rest of my life has been a scary thing: what if I pick a career that boxes me in and doesn’t hold my interest? That was, until I began venturing out the types of classes I took to get a broader perspective of what I may be interested in pursuing. One such class that was out of my comfort zone was accounting, a business position that I thought I’d have dreaded and found tedious until I actually started learning and realized that it was a great fit for me. Although accounting may seem boring to some, it seemed like an excellent career path for me based on the type of work it consisted of. Two of the most fundamental things I learned how to do while taking the accounting course at my school were basic forms of the Income Statement and Balance Sheet. As a perfectionist, creating these was enjoyable work; there was a specific layout to them that was clear-cut and organized. Once I memorized the structure of the spreadsheets, it was like a game to fit in the situational information. Additionally, during the summer of 2021, I was fortunate enough to be accepted to an accounting camp at Mississippi State University, where I learned from students and professors. The main take-away I got from the camp was a deeper understanding of accounting, including how vital it is to individuals, businesses, and the government and the way that one degree can be used for numerous types of positions and careers. Something that I found interesting was the way no two accountants, or accounting majors, had the same plan or experience within the field. One of the primary reasons I’m interested in a career in accounting is because there are a lot of options and opportunities within the field, meaning that I wouldn’t be tied down to doing one thing immediately. Accounting is an ever-evolving role, and I like to learn new things as well as take on challenges. Whenever a person decides to enter the field of accounting, they are choosing a job that has both structure and a lack thereof. The types of places that accountants work in could be standard offices, or more open-concept and creative buildings. The type of work accountants do could be looking at spreadsheets all day or going out into the field and surveying. Due to my desire to constantly be improving my skill sets, this career path seems like a strong role for me. I also would like to work in a field that benefits people; accounting fits this criteria as there are many ways that accountants can work for people, either individually or through a larger company. It’s reassuring to know that the need for accountants and their skill sets will never go out of demand because of how essential they are to so many people and organizations. Although job security doesn’t outweigh my desire to find a career that suits my interests, it is a nice benefit that draws me in further. Ultimately, accounting is the career choice that drew me into the marketing, business, and advertising field; it’s a traditional role that has a right and wrong way of being done, which is something that is right up my alley. In pursuing accounting, I’ll be able to help people and organizations find stability while also doing something ever-evolving and interesting from my perspective.

During my middle and high school years, I've become progressively health-conscious. Over time, I've come to learn that health isn't just about physical appearances; it's about both mental and physical well-being. With that in mind, I've been able to invest more time into educating and integrating self-care habits in my daily life. My number one self-care practice is exercising, and I enjoy varying the types of activities I do. As a dancer, I have an appreciation for stagnant stretching and yoga, as well as dancing cardio workouts. These allow me to stretch and move, as well as build up my endurance and break a sweat. Additionally, I have been involved in weightlifting and pilates, which help strength and sculpt my body. My personal favorite type of exercise is pilates because it allows me to tune into my body and focus on whatever piece I'm engaging. I also practice self-care through my nutritional habits. Over the past year or so, I've found a deep-found appreciation for hydration and have come to realize its importance in my functionality; I can't perform to the best of my ability if I do not drink enough water. I also try to eat foods that fuel my body instead of unhealthy snacks and sweets. Fruit and vegetables have slowly become staples in my meals. By engaging in self-care practices, my mental health has improved drastically, which positively impacts my life. I've always struggled with my appearance and others' perspective of me, but being able to focus on bettering myself has started to lay those insecurities to rest. I've been able to be bolder and happier on the daily, which is especially beneficial when getting to know new people. If it hadn't been for self-care, I truly wouldn't be the same person I am today.

A quick google search will show that friendship is defined as "a voluntary relationship... in which those involved tend to be concerned with meeting the others' needs and interests as well as satisfying their own desires." Despite this formality, there's a lot more to friendship that can't be as easily defined. Personally, my broad definition of friendship would be that friends are companions, for however long they're involved in each others' lives, that can be turned to in any situation, good or bad. Friends know when to push and when to pull; friendship can be the difference between success and failure. Beyond a broad standpoint, each friend has some specific characteristic that adds value to their companions' lives. My best friend for years and I hardly shared any interests, but we enjoyed talking and spending time together. She was very outdoorsy and creative, whereas I was an inside person who preferred to stay inside the box. Despite our differences, we complemented one another and helped each other broaden our interests and experiences. There are a lot of things that I never would've gotten to do if it hadn't been for our close-knit relationship. My more recent best friend and I have a lot of similar interests but that wasn't necessarily what brought us together; it was only after we had established a bond that we began uncovering these bits. What initially brought us together was mutual friends, and then we began to go off on our own and talk about things we both saw eye to eye and were passionate about. As we got closer, we both realized that there were a lot of things that made us "the same person" and other things that kept us individual. Conclusively, friendship is something dependent and independent, based on wants and needs.

Admittedly, I am a fast-paced type of person; if I'm not doing something to move forward, I'll feel like I'm falling behind. Despite this, I try to understand the virtue of patience and incorporate it into my life. The biggest reason I value patience is because things don't tend to get better if they're not given time. Whether it be in learning or dealing with a situation, not getting ahead of myself is important. In school, I wouldn't consider myself a struggler in any of the core subjects, but sometimes it takes me longer to understand certain topics. When this occurs, I often get upset with myself. These are the times when I slow down my pace and focus in harder; often times, the things that I started off struggling to understand are the things I excel in most down the line because I had the patience to dive deeper into knowing the what, how, and why for success. Alternatively, dance is something that I've never been stand-out in, but I don't let that dissuade me from practicing to improve. At my lowest, I had contemplated quitting the sport due to an array of issues: I had an unsupportive coach, I felt like I was the worst on the team, and I felt as if all of my attempts to get better were for naught. I had ultimately decided to stick it out, and by being patient with the cards dealt by the hands of life, change began to occur that bettered the situation. With a new coach and a new outlook, I felt like there were more goals for me to shoot for and that I had the support to reach them. Patience is a servant in the lives of those who welcome it, which is why it's important.

Success is one of the most subjective terms in the English language. For one person, success is becoming a billionaire; for another, it's getting an A in a class. For me, success is measured in the impact my actions have on others. If it's positive, I can allow myself to feel accomplished; if it's negative, I evaluate what I did wrong for future reference. Success has always been a very future-oriented concept in my mind. The way I viewed success transitioned from material to abstract in March of 2020. At this time, I felt as if my entire life was falling apart. First, I tore my ACL and wouldn't be able to dance for at least nine months; then, lockdown began and I felt disconnected from everyone and everything that had given me regularity and stability. In the face of these adversities, I did not give up on myself. I set new goals: what did I want my future to be? How was I going to achieve this? This marked the shift to when my education took a more central role in my life so that I could determine what I wanted to do later on down the line. For as long as I can remember, my dad has pushed me into the field of engineering. With math being one of the stronger subjects, it had always felt like the right fit. The only question was what type of engineering I wanted to pursue. This is what led to me taking the "Intro to Engineering" course my high school offered junior year. This class introduces students to a wide variety of career paths that relate to the field of engineering. My three favorites were industrial, mechanical, and biomedical. Industrial engineering focuses on systems and efficiency. It asks the question: what are we doing and how can we make it better? The thing that I liked was being able to take a complex task, break it down, and simplify it to make it easier and quicker. Mechanical engineering and biomedical engineering are similar to each other in that they both develop things that make the lives of people easier. Mechanical engineers do more "civil" work, with things like cars or elevators, whereas biomedical engineers use biology to directly help people. What drew me in was that they both made people's lives better, either in efficiency or health. From my junior year on, my educational goals revolved around graduating college with a degree in biomedical engineering in the hopes to secure a job developing prosthetics. The thing that inspired me to pursue it is that this profession's work significantly impacts the lives of almost everyone; biomedical engineers develop new devices used to improve human health. After interviewing a current biomedical engineer, I learned that they're responsible for most of the equipment used in hospitals, such as patient monitors and EKG machines. Another thing that sparked my interest in pursuing biomedical engineering was that there was the possibility of needing a graft when I underwent my ACL surgery. Fortunately, I did not need one, but it did captivate my attention that biomedical engineers were the people who developed these. After surgery, I had a lot of support from those around me: friends, family, teammates, physical therapists, teachers, and so on. It became a goal to reciprocate that type of support for someone else. The overarching goal I've set for myself is to do work that will benefit others. Overall, the adversities I faced before and during quarantine allowed me to strive for bigger and better things for my future outside of it.

There are two “big bads” in life: over and under-consumption; the best way to live a long, healthy life is in moderation. From young ages, society dictates what’s good and bad. It’s taught that exercise is the best way to be healthy, but the misconceptions developed here are that what’s “too much” or “too little” isn’t verbalized, leading to bigger issues. Either end of the spectrum in an excess is bad. When someone becomes addicted to exercise, they tend to push their bodies to what’s essentially a breaking point. By overworking their bodies, in combination with lacking sleep or fuel, they don’t give themselves a recovery period when necessary, which ultimately hurts their progress. Another common occurrence amongst people who overdo exercise is body dysmorphia, in which they don’t see themselves for how they truly look, both in healthy and unhealthy ways. On the other end of the spectrum, those who do not exercise at all are, quite literally, dormant. They see no progression in their health because they aren’t working for it. In fact, people who do not engage in some form of physical activity are more likely to be affected by health issues than those who do. For this reason, a way to live healthily is to not over or under-work the body. The human body does need to be worked to a degree in order to function properly, but pushing it too far beyond that degree is equally as dangerous as doing nothing. So, by being in a healthy and happy medium, the longevity and quality of life increases.

Progress is something that makes me immeasurably happy. Whether it be in extracurriculars or relationships, enhancing ability in multiple facets lends itself to a better quality of life, and that leaves me with a good feeling. Throughout my life, I’ve tried out almost every sport that comes to mind. Although dance was the one that stuck, that doesn’t mean I didn’t contribute my best to every sport I’ve done when I was involved with them. Trial and error is what allows passion to emerge and thrive. Now, I can reflect on my past participation and draw fond memories from it while also enjoying what I’m doing in the present. Participating in clubs with missions aimed at helping people gives me a sense of fulfillment because my biggest goal in life is to be of service to others. The way I see it: doing things I enjoy and finding ways to make the world a better place are the best ways to maintain happiness. Filling my life with people who value positivity is a great way to fill my life with happiness. My energy is a reflection of the energy of people around me, so I shouldn’t waste my time with people who drag themselves and those around them down. I try to spread my un-hindering optimism with everyone I possibly can in the form of positive interactions, such as sharing a compliment. From a mental health perspective, a few, simple words can have a strong impact on someone, whether that be positive or negative. Even without knowing someone’s situation, being kind is free, easy, and a way to make their day a little brighter. Ultimately, being a progressor of positivity in the lives of those around me as well as my own is something that makes me happy.

March 2020 marks a considerable shift in the lives of many; on top of the US going into lockdown, I was distanced from dancing due to a major ACL tear. When quarantine hit, I was a week out from surgery, and it was then postponed until the end of April due to its elective nature. The time between the start of lockdown and my surgery date marked the beginning of my change in relationship with athletics. I began to hold myself more accountable when it came to working out; I was sure to do some form of exercise every day, whether it be for thirty minutes or several hours. Following surgery and throughout recovery, I held myself to a similar standard. Although I wasn’t as strong as before, I held steadfast in pushing myself, within reason, in order to come back stronger than I’d left. This change in focus may largely have to do with the confidence I attained due to the prioritization on dance I was able to have due to the pandemic’s restrictions; since there wasn’t much else to do, I was able to work my body past limits I didn’t know I had. The largest impact confidence had on me was reflected in my performance; for dance, performance is all about facials, body language, and the message conveyed through these elements. If it hadn’t been for the pandemic, my relationship with sports wouldn’t be nearly the same as it is now. During and post-pandemic, I have a newfound passion for dance and other forms of exercise, including weightlifting and pilates. Consistency and discipline were newfound principles that added value to my life. Overall, the pandemic benefitted my relationship with sports as it emphasized centralizing myself in order to grow.

Currently, my favorite book is “All the Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr. The story follows Marie-Laure Leblanc, a blind French girl, and Werner Pfennig, a German orphan, along their starkly different, albeit coexisting, experiences of World War II. The development of how setting affects character and use of symbolism stood out to me as they created a distinct divide in the mental and physical well-being of these characters. The color white becomes more frequently mentioned as a descriptor from Werner’s side as the book progresses, possibly to highlight the loss of innocence the characters experience due to their experiences within the war. The lack of color on Marie-Laure’s part, with the world turning grey for her, goes to show how the war sucked the life out of everything for everyone, making the world mundane and full of dismay. Werner also constantly mentions descending during his time in the field, which goes to show how he feels about his participation in the war; by being a Nazi, he is hurting people, whether they be innocent or not, and it makes him feel less like a person, like he’s only an element of destruction, a tool to be used. On the other hand, Marie-Laure talks about going upward, whether it be going up the stairs of the house, up the ladder in the attic, or up a hill in the garden, which goes to show how she feels that her actions have been good and have raised the standard of who she is as a person. Overall, this book holds a special place in my heart because it depicts how circumstances affect situations, and that people should be defined as individuals.

“Sometimes things fall apart so that better things can fall together.” -Marilyn Monroe I would define myself as someone who is a perfectionist, so it can be difficult to cope when things don’t meet my standards. The way I overcome these setbacks is by keeping an optimistic attitude. I’ve always been a passionate person in everything that I do, and I’ve found that a great outlet for this energy is to spread positivity. Whether it be to a friend or a complete stranger, I have no reservations towards giving them compliments or helping them out if they’re struggling with something. By being optimistic, I have been able to accomplish many goals I’ve set for myself. When going into something new, I don’t let my mind fall to negative or “what if” thoughts. Instead, I look on the bright side of possibility. By not raising my expectations to an unmatchable standard, I don’t fall disappointed with realistic outcomes. Being optimistic will continue to help me be successful throughout my life by maintaining the mindset that challenges are only as difficult as I let them be. From my experience in optimistic thinking, I should be able to meet all of the goals I set for myself. For example, I can gain friends and connections by spreading positivity and I can find success in my future work by doing something that has a positive impact on people. Overall, I am able to maintain a growth mindset by being realistic but also optimistic. Just because one thing doesn’t work out doesn’t mean something else, something better, won’t come together in its place.

In my opinion, the biggest problem the world is currently facing is that people do not respect each other, leading to unnecessary conflicts arising when the better option would be to listen, educate, and civilly respond. The reason being: it is my belief that the world can not be viewed in black and white, there is a lot of grey area. No one person can ever be entirely right, although they may hold fast in their beliefs and others may have similar outlooks, because there are always two sides to an argument. The golden rule that many are taught from youth is to “treat others as you would like to be treated.” When people speak, they want to be listened to. Although the audience may disagree with what the speaker has to say, they should not try to discredit what someone else thinks is right without having proper, factual backing to disprove it. Even then, they should counter the original statement respectfully, because impertinence detracts from credibility. Additionally, to argue without familiarizing oneself with the opposition detracts from a well-rounded understanding of the topic; linear thinking results in misconceptions due to the evidence being biased. For an argument to be sound, it needs to include an informed opinion, and informed opinions rely on unbiased evidence that later formulates an angle on the topic. Overall, I believe the issue of lacking respect can be resolved by people thinking before doing and being mannerly.

Albeit a more modern figure, Emma Watson’s work for feminism will have her name going down in history. I admire the unapologetic yet self-reflective approach Emma Watson takes to speaking about social issues and injustices. I was introduced to Emma Watson by her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series and reintroduced to the actress in 2017 with her role as Belle in Disney’s live-action adaptation of “Beauty and the Beast.” In both films, she portrays strong, independent characters who don’t reserve their thoughts or intelligence in order to appease others. Additionally, they exhibit desires to understand the world around them and enact changes for the betterment of it. From a young age, I’ve tried to mimic these characteristics. I was initially drawn to these characters by their appearances, as they reflected my own, and later realized I valued the ways they presented themselves. This is what led me to grow into a person who wants the best for everyone and agrees that there are changes that need to be initiated in order for this to be a reality. Emma Watson became a role model to me because her real-life persona holds these strong qualities and amplifies them in the form of being a proponent of women’s rights. The examples she’s set through her activist work has led me to also be feminist. Feminism is not a war on or between gender, it’s identifying and fixing issues regarding the imbalance of rights and opportunities based on sex. Being the larger voice for like-minded people, Emma Watson holds herself to commendable standards, facing backlash with grace and educating herself when new information arises. In many ways, Emma Watson sets an example for what I want to do and be. For this reason, I see her as an admirable figure.