The experience of being sucked into the world of story cannot be replicated by any other experience. Reading a book that paints a vivid picture of the story transforms an ordinary day into an epic adventure. This is why I would have everyone read "The Count of Monte Cristo." This book takes the reader to the exotic world of France set during the post-Napoleonic era. It follows the adventures of Edmond Dantes on his quest for revenge after being betrayed and falsely imprisoned for years. As the book follows the development of Dantes from a fresh innocent youth to an embittered, hard, vengeful man, the reader experiences the whole scope of human emotion and learns alongside Dantes that revenge will not satisfy you in the end. The revenge that Dantes seeks comes from the deep wound he experienced from his betrayal. The reader ultimately gets to see that what Dantes desires is to be loved fully by another and that everything he desires has been right before him all along. This is the most fundamental desire present in every human being. We all want to be loved fully and unconditionally. Often we don't know what we want. We go looking in all sorts of different directions and places for it. This book shows this trend in the human heart clearly and can help every person to realize the journey that life takes them on. This book reveals human nature in a clear way that also engages your emotions and refuses to let go. I think everyone should read this book because it can teach us the important lesson that often what we want is right before us. We just have to develop the eyes to see it.

After completing my master's in Bioethics, I will go on to become a personal bioethics consultant, where I will be working as an advocate for the vulnerable in my community, answering questions concerning ethics and advancing research in the bioethics field to help uphold the dignity of the human person through every stage of life.

I was riveted to my seat as I watched Andrew Garfield play Desmond T. Doss in the film "Hacksaw Ridge". In the film, which is set during WWII, Desmond goes to fight as an Army Medic while holding true to his religious belief which is to not kill anyone. He is a pacifist who refuses to carry a gun into battle and is reviled for his controversial beliefs. However, he goes on to save the lives of 75 men during one of the bloodiest battles of WWII after all the other soldiers had given up on them. As I watched the movie I remember being moved to tears at how committed Desmond was to caring for his fellow soldiers while not compromising on his religious beliefs. He was willing to be looked down upon for his beliefs even to the point of rejection and still, he stayed firm. I remember thinking that I wanted to be able to do the same if I were in his shoes. This film helped me to develop the ability to stand firm about what I believe even in the midst of controversy. It also helped me realize how the vulnerable in our society need advocates to stand up for them and represent them when they can't do so for themselves. I realized that I wanted to be that advocate who could stand up for the vulnerable and make sure that they would be treated with dignity and respect. As I grew in this realization I decided that the way I could be an advocate for the vulnerable in my society would be to study Bioethics and become a clinical ethicist. Growing up in a family of ten taught me the value of each human life from a very young age. As I learned how to take care of my younger siblings I grew in the virtues of love and service. My work as a Certified Nursing Assistant also helped to teach me each person's value. By studying Bioethics I hope to be a voice for the very young and the very old. I believe that each person has dignity not based on what or how much they can do but who they are as a child of God. This dignity cannot be taken away no matter what state the person is in or how old they are. It can often be difficult to determine how to answer end-of-life questions or what the ethical treatment options are for sick individuals. By becoming educated in the ethical issues prevalent in society today I hope to be an advocate for individuals in difficult situations where the best course of action is not clear. I want to be able to answer any questions the family has and walk with them through their trials and sufferings while also upholding the dignity of the vulnerable person. Above all I want to treat everyone I meet with love and respect while holding firmly to my beliefs and standing up for what is right.

Life begins at conception and has value all the way until death. This is a scientific fact and, although it is most highlighted by religion, was not made up by religion. The American College of Pediatricians published an article in 2017 on when human life begins stating, "The predominance of human biological research confirms that human life begins at conception - fertilization." Being pro-life is a core part of who I am. Every human being deserves to be treated with dignity and respect solely because they are. Each person deserves to be encountered with love and compassion no matter who they are or what season of life they are in. I seek to live this out in my everyday life and most specifically in my job as a Certified Nursing Assistant at my local nursing home. As a CNA, I work in a memory care unit and have the privileged position of caring for some of the most vulnerable people in society. Each of my residents is unique and has value and dignity. Their worth is not determined by how much they can do or what they can give back to society but simply by the fact that each one was created by God to be loved and cherished. In my mind, my job is not about just helping my residents with daily life. My job is to see the whole person I am caring for and encounter each one with compassion and love. Just as the elderly are vulnerable, the unborn are even more so. Some of my earliest memories are of my mom taking me to pray outside abortion clinics. Those experiences deeply affected me and formed me into who I am today. I remember one moment in particular at the beginning of my high school years when I was praying outside a Planned Parenthood. Towards the end of my time there I noticed a young girl sitting in her car alone. It looked as if she was waiting for someone. I remember getting the feeling that she was very alone and I began to pray for her and her baby. Eventually, two other girls drove up and joined her and they all started walking into the Planned Parenthood together. Watching her walk toward that door I had a distinct feeling of sadness and a deep desire to do something to help her. I wanted to run over to her and tell her that there were other options and that she wasn't alone. I wanted to tell her that her baby was precious and had value and dignity and that she did as well. I wanted her to know that she was loved. I prayed for that girl until my family left and I still think of her and pray for her today. Since that day I have had an intense desire to be involved in pro-life work. Throughout high school, I would go to pray outside abortion clinics and last fall I took the opportunity to go to a sidewalk counselor training seminar put on by Live Action. In the future, I plan to use this training to counsel and educate women and men going into abortion clinics. I desire to be an advocate for every human life and to live a life that shows these values.

The two things that defined me the most as I grew up were my personal relationship with God and my education. These two things are the driving force behind all of my goals in life. Growing up in a strong Catholic household and being homeschooled by my mom allowed me to develop strong moral principles and a deep love for learning. The way that my mom taught me allowed me the freedom to be independent in thought and inspired me to pursue my interests. My Catholic faith and relationship with God gave me a firm foundation off of which I could build. The fact that there is always something more to learn is also what excites me the most about the world. I never want to stop learning. Each new thing that I learn gives me a new perspective on the world and the complexity of creation. It inspires me to never stop probing, stretching, and developing my mind and thoughts. Each new thing sparks more wonder at the beauty of creation. It makes me more passionate about life and deepens my desire to share my passion with others. Experiencing the growth in my life from loving to learn also creates a passion within me to change the world for the better through education. The change I want for the world can only happen through concrete experiences with individuals. From a young age, I have seen how wounded the world is and experienced that woundedness personally through the relationships in my life. The world needs healing, love, and people who are passionate about living. My goal in life is to nurture critical independent thinkers who love learning and are also passionate about living life as the best versions of themselves. How I want to do this is by being a Montessori teacher and a mother. I believe that the best way to achieve this goal is by first developing a solid foundation for myself through studying theology. I believe that real knowledge depends first on knowledge of God. With a solid theological foundation, I can better teach and nurture children, instill in them a love of learning, and give them the confidence to follow their passions and dreams. After receiving my BA in theology I can then go on to become a certified Montessori teacher. I hope to one day inspire my students and children to be who God created them to be not simply be what the world tells them to be. This is how change happens. The world needs strong young people who are not afraid to stand up for what they believe in and pursue truth. Helping form these principles in the young is how I want to give back to my community and the world.

Life begins at conception and has value all the way until death. This is a scientific fact and, although it is most highlighted by religion, was not made up by religion. The American College of Pediatricians published an article in 2017 on when human life begins stating, "The predominance of human biological research confirms that human life begins at conception - fertilization." Being pro-life is a core part of who I am. Every human being deserves to be treated with dignity and respect solely because they are. Each person deserves to be encountered with love and compassion no matter who they are or what season of life they are in. I seek to live this out in my everyday life and most specifically in my job as a Certified Nursing Assistant at my local nursing home. As a CNA, I work in a memory care unit and have the privileged position of caring for some of the most vulnerable people in society. Each of my residents is unique and has value and dignity. Their worth is not determined by how much they can do or what they can give back to society but simply by the fact that each one was created by God to be loved and cherished. In my mind, my job is not about just helping my residents with daily life. My job is to see the whole person I am caring for and encounter each one with compassion and love. Just as the elderly are vulnerable, the unborn are even more so. Some of my earliest memories are of my mom taking me to pray outside abortion clinics. Those experiences deeply affected me and formed me into who I am today. I remember one moment in particular at the beginning of my high school years when I was praying outside a Planned Parenthood. Towards the end of my time there I noticed a young girl sitting in her car alone. It looked as if she was waiting for someone. I remember getting the feeling that she was very alone and I began to pray for her and her baby. Eventually, two other girls drove up and joined her and they all started walking into the Planned Parenthood together. Watching her walk toward that door I had a distinct feeling of sadness and a deep desire to do something to help her. I wanted to run over to her and tell her that there were other options and that she wasn't alone. I wanted to tell her that her baby was precious and had value and dignity and that she did as well. I wanted her to know that she was loved. I prayed for that girl until my family left and I still think of her and pray for her today. Since that day I have had an intense desire to be involved in pro-life work. Throughout high school, I would go to pray outside abortion clinics and last fall I took the opportunity to go to a sidewalk counselor training seminar put on by Live Action. In the future, I plan to use this training to counsel and educate women and men going into abortion clinics. I desire to be an advocate for every human life and to live a life that shows these values.

The world changes one person at a time. My ultimate goal in receiving higher education is to contribute as much as I can to make the world a better place. I believe that the biggest changes happen through education and I desire to use my education to ignite the love of learning in children. I have always loved learning. Delving into a subject that I was passionate about while growing up was deeply satisfying and fulfilling for me. I believe that my love of learning and insatiable curiosity about the world allowed me to develop a view of life that is full of hope and joy. When I see potential in myself, I must take advantage of it and realize that potential. When I do realize my full potential in an area I feel deeply satisfied and fulfilled. This is a big part of my motivation for pursuing higher education. I desire to push myself intellectually and in that process become a competent, well-rounded individual. However, I do not want to stop at myself with my education. After first forming my mind I want to give back to the world by nurturing the love of learning in children as a teacher. I desire to also help others achieve full potential in the pursuit of their individual passions. There are many extracurriculars that I participate in. I sing in the choir at my church and I love going to the practices and working on various pieces of music to sing on Sundays. I recently began learning how to crochet and am currently working on a baby blanket. I read books as often as I can. Nothing can beat finding a good book and reading it with a cup of tea. I also enjoy hosting friends for bonfires and fun activities. My passion right now is experiencing life to the full one moment at a time. Each moment is full of opportunity just waiting to be grasped. It doesn't matter what you are doing. Taking hold of it and truly living in that moment can make even mundane things exciting and fulfilling. I believe the most important thing a person can learn is how to take advantage of right now and not be constantly living in the future. Right now is when you are most fully yourself and when you discover who you want to be. Being present in the moment is also when you experience genuine connections with other people. So often people don't invest in the relationships right in front of them because of technology and plans getting in the way. Living fully right where you are, naturally allows a vision of the future to come into focus and is the way to be fully alive every step of the way.