Olivia Rodrigo serves as a death omen for my relationships because every time an album of hers is released, my relationship will soon end. This was true for Sour and especially timely for GUTS predating my breakup by approximately six days. I had to assume that the album was written for me due to the intense relatability from relationship issues to reckoning with personal flaws. One song spoke to me in particular, "Making The Bed." This song is intensely relatable for me but also made me cry in an airport, specifically her Tiny Desk Performance of the song. One lyric in particular resonated with me which was "I got the things I wanted, it's just not what I imagined." These lyrics mirror the rapidly changing landscape of adolescence and how often you work so hard for something only for it to change or end quickly. As a senior in high school, I worked tirelessly to apply to several schools in a desperate attempt to go to a top school. I luckily was admitted to the University of Michigan, and I was ecstatic and so excited for the perfect college experience. However, my first year was wrought with relationship issues, friendships ending, and academic struggles. The first and the last were things I had never dealt with. With GUTS release, I was transported back to these times as I got into the school I toiled over for months yet was faced with never-ending misery that made me nearly regret my decision to go to this school. However, to flip the turns of phrase in Rodrigo's lyrics, there was beauty in some of the unexpected. I found one of my roommates in a Calculus class and another on a social forum when she needed help with a transfer application to Engineering. Our friendship is so beautiful and slightly born out of the previous friendships ending. Some of the relationship issues I faced, thankfully I'm long over them, allowed me to blossom into someone confident to know I could be loved, but I deserve better. I need someone who makes me want to scream So American in the car. In terms of academic struggles, the mechanics class that I still wake up in a cold sweat about led to one of my closest friendships, and it also served as a swift reality check that no one is going to glide through school to achieve perfection. The biggest takeaway from adolescence is that challenges or experiences can never be expected no matter how much preparation or dreaming you achieve. However, there is beauty that can flourish out of awful experiences. So I "got some of the things I wanted" and it "was not what I imagined" I wouldn't trade it for the world.

When I was younger, I remember struggling with the concept of picking a career. Even from a young age, the idea of careers and what you want to do tends to prevail, and I felt so confused and lost at times. I switched careers so many times from astronaut to architect to geneticist and to a variety of other careers that escape me at this time. No matter what, I always just felt wrong about my choice though, until my love for Chemistry and other sciences started to become more prominent in my high school years. Those subjects with my combined interest in medicine, from years of doctors appointments due to my mother’s Multiple Sclerosis, sister’s Autism, and my own personal medical problems, led to me considering medical research through Biomedical Engineering. From that point forward, I never questioned my career again. I knew that this was the right path for me. Once I seemed to settle on a path to pursue, I decided to research the pathway of medical research to engage with it beyond the concept of just researching diseases or new medicines. My need to pursue this field was only broadened during this research period. I began to read these heartbreaking stories of loved ones lost to diseases that were under researched or people buckling under the exorbitant costs of the American healthcare system. I wanted to find a way to help these people because no one deserves to suffer financially because of something they typically cannot control. I decided on pursuing researching expansive cures and treatments because it would alleviate the physical suffering. Additionally, I realized that I wanted to work to lower costs and make sure future treatments aren’t incredibly expensive. Curing diseases would stop medical costs after the patient is cured. Healthcare isn’t only for the rich. Seeing the injustices of healthcare pushed me even further into knowing that I wanted to work in medical research. On a personal note, as I mentioned previously, my mother suffers from Multiple Sclerosis. She was diagnosed in 2012, and I’ve seen the toll that Multiple Sclerosis can take on a person. My mother has the relapsing-remitting form, which is less aggressive than other forms, but I know how serious the illness is. A huge part of me entering medical research is to cure Multiple Sclerosis for my mother. She has done so much for me to make sure I have the best that she can offer from her resources. It’s time for me to return the favor and change her life for the better. Her treatment process has also inspired me though. She’s currently getting a monthly infusion called Tysabri, and while her Multiple Sclerosis is still causing the decline of her body, Tysabri has slowed it considerably. I have seen the wonder that medical treatments and cures can bring into people’s lives. Why wouldn’t I want to be part of that wonder?

The most important thing that you will ever learn and have to accept is that the world is pretty terrible. Everyday, you read these horrid stories in the news, and you're devastated that this news has become commonplace. You feel hopeless and powerless in this wide expanse where everything seems to be falling apart. However, nihilism and pessimism will only get you so far because while it is important to accept and realize the world isn't great, you can't let it define your existence here. Learning that the world can be pretty terrible no matter what, I have managed to try to live life exactly how I want and enjoy the little moments, as it is beautiful to find happiness in the chaos. Joy is the most important emotion currently because it seems as if everything is trying to take it from you. I struggle with it myself, but it is so important to realize that having fun, being yourself, and relishing in happiness is quite possible. Even when the world is falling apart, I surround myself with friends and family that I love because you need to prioritize your happiness to an extent. While you can always work towards change and a better world, your joy is of the utmost importance. It is, in a sense, a rebellion against the terror and horror that the world is constantly trying to throw in your face. It's made me appreciate the little moments and the peace in the chaos far more.

I've found that the best way to stay optimistic through tough times is to embrace pessimism to a certain degree. My brain likes to worry about every aspect of life at all times, and I tend to fear the worst from every situation. Your optimism can fade especially if those fears start to come true, which has happened to me. However, I've learned that if you continue to fear the worst while hoping for the best, your optimism can remain even through the worst of times. My mom gave me the prior advice, and I've found it is so important. When you continue to imagine and fear the worst, it's never truly a shock to you. You've already mentally lived through the situation, so you know you can make it through it. However, on the same side of the coin, while fearing the worst you have neglected the best, this can lead to you being pleasantly surprised by the good things that happen in your life. The best things in life can take you by surprise, and for me, it has led to continued optimism because I know good things exist out there even if I fear they don't. This philosophy has taught me that sometimes life is just plain terrible, but there are those moments that make it worth living and remind you that happiness and joy are constantly terrible. You aren't discouraged or destroyed by the terrible times or the tragedies, and you can keep going even when life doesn't seem like it'll get better. You can just wait for the next surprise happiness because you never know when it's going to happen.

My name is Cole Weber, and I just finished my freshmen year at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. There, I began my studies into Biomedical Engineering where I plan to pursue a Bachelors Degree in Biomedical Engineering, and a PhD in a related field. With these degrees, I plan to work primarily in research specifically into cures and treatments for different diseases and disorders, especially Multiple Sclerosis. Leadership plays into this aspect of my life because research at that scope needs intense and powerful research at the helm. With my degrees, I plan to lead my own research teams into creating treatments or curing diseases and changing the medical world forever. Ever since I was young, I've always gravitated into the de facto role of leader. I never was a subordinate or bowed down to other people's will, and I tended to lead teams towards success and hard work. However, I don't believe in typical roles of leadership. I find that a lot of leaders find they need to entirely delegate work and their role is solely for managing and assigning. Instead, I believe that a leader should be taking on the brunt of their work on top of coordinating and organizing. I find that aspect of my leadership always led to good results because I knew if I was working hard alongside the people I was leading, they would find solace in the fact that they aren't just typical subordinates working for a higher-up. My leadership ideas and execution is incredibly important to accomplishing my goals in the medical field because I want to be working alongside them while still organizing. I want my work to be a major part of the project instead of everyone else's work with my name plastered on it, and I feel like this will produce much better results. Additionally, I want the people I technically lead to feel like they have an important role and voice while working on the project. I believe that you cannot lead effectively if you act like a dictator. Everyone must have a voice while you lead because everyone has important and diverse perspectives that can truly influence the final product of what you're working towards. I'm incredibly passionate about my ideas of leadership and applying it to science because it is an incredibly taxing and meticulous field. Breaking the mold by curing or treating diseases is incredibly hard work. With ineffective leadership, it will be nearly impossible. Different voices must be heard, and you must be willing to adapt and change at all times. My biggest goal as a leader is to eventually cure Multiple Sclerosis with the help of my team because my mother has the disease. I'm aware I'm going to need intense and passionate leadership if I plan to achieve this goal because otherwise, I will never find results nor progress in the field I'm pursuing. I know that if I take my ideas of leadership and progress and apply them to the world of medicine, I can change the world for the better by curing people of diseases and changing the medical landscape. It's a daunting but eventually rewarding goal, and I know my eventual leadership as a research head will factor immensely into the achievement of said goal.

My favorite scientific discovery is Alexander Fleming's discovery of penicillin. He accidentally discovered one of the most used medicines through accidental contamination of a lab experiment. As someone who wants to create medicine and discover cures/treatments myself, it has always fascinated me with how unorthodox the discovery of new medicines can be. I find scientists can be extremely by the book sometimes, which there is nothing wrong with, but I think some of the most fascinating and groundbreaking innovations can come from breaking the mold, penicillin pun unintended. Alexander Fleming offers a blatant example of how discovery and change can come in the most unlikely places, and it reminds me as an aspiring scientist to never discount anything. Additionally, it reminds me that every aspect of a field needs to be delved into. You may have a preconceived notion of where a cure or treatment may lie, but that doesn't mean you should overlook anything else. Change can't come from remaining narrow-minded. Another aspect of this that I appreciate is that Fleming was known to not be the best lab technician. While I don't plan to aspire to me incompetent in my field, I think it is important to know that you can change your field entirely even if you aren't the best at your experiments. Obviously, you want to continue to get better and better, but it's okay to make mistakes. Mistakes always have a benefit, and sometimes, it's one of the most useful medicines in the known world.

My favorite piece of art is "Dinner in March" by Anna M. Tendler. This piece is a photograph of Tendler photographing herself looking longingly at the empty seat at the table across from her. The piece is inspired by her divorce from that March and the feelings that she felt that March. This is my favorite piece of art because she manages to convey and capture the intense emotion that she was feeling during this period. When I look at the image, I can understand exactly what she is going through. I love the set plate across from her showing how a part of her still holds onto the hope that he'll come back. It's heartbreakingly beautiful. Additionally, I love this piece because I am obsessed with Victorian-esque drama and clothing styles. The pose she is holding in the video reminds me of those dramatic Victorian faints you see in older movies and such. Also, she is wearing this flowing white dress that I adore because something about long flowing dresses is so wistful and beautiful to me. I also appreciate the use of white, as it's a subtle reminder of wedding dresses which is ironic for a photo mourning her divorce. I think it shows the genius of Tendler that she isn't explicitly telling you what the photo is about; however, a single glance allows you to understand her commentary on her life. Also, further looks reveal those intimate details that make you appreciate the care she put into a singular photograph.

While I'm not a business person, I've realized that knowing about finance and its many ventures is vital to surviving in the world nowadays. With the ever shifting economy and current political climate, it has become apparent that investing has become more important than ever before. It reflects the best piece of advice that I've ever received: invest! I'm currently working three different jobs so I can follow this piece of advice closely. With the money from my jobs, I plan to invest in the stock market, as well as, putting my money into bonds and other similar investment concepts. I think this financial venture is incredibly important because the job market is fickle, and even if you're qualified to the utmost degree, you can still struggle to find a job. However, if I invest, I'll have a safety net of sorts especially since I currently am making decent money with my three different jobs. As I continue further into my financial future, I also want to invest in rental housing especially in college towns. Student apartments will always be in demand, so it's an incredibly wise investment. Additionally, if I make enough money where I'm comfortable financially for my entire life, I could rent these houses out to super cheap prices to help out low income students. The money they save from this venture could lead to their investment future and continue the trend I was a part of. I could also invest into new businesses to help them out achieve their dreams while still ensuring financial gain on my end, so it's a win-win for everyone. While the concept of finance and investing seems daunting, I know that I will be much better for participating in it and ensuring my financial future.

My favorite book depends on where I'm at life. During times of peace and happiness, I tend to lead towards wild, expansive fantasies because they're fun and dynamic. However, during times of stress or turmoil, I tend to lean towards character studies about tragedy and family dynamics. Currently, my favorite book is a book I read quite recently which is Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng. When I first read the book I was enthralled by Celeste Ng's storytelling and her deep-dive into an Asian-American family. I was quite busy with school at the time, but I loved the book so much I managed to finish it in three days. The book spoke to me because it's main focus was on the weight of dreams and how they affect future generations. The main daughter reminded me of myself because she was a student who did everything in her power to please her mother with perfect grades and being the perfect daughter. While my mom wasn't as overbearing as hers, I still feel that obligation in my life. I try my best to be the perfect student, perfect child, perfect friends, and so much more, and this book reminded me that you need to take time for yourself and your happiness. If not, tragic consequences could ensue because at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is what you want. Another aspect of the book I liked was that every character was flawed but understandable. Some of the characters did terrible things, but Celeste Ng allowed me to understand them and their motivations. This is important to me as a reader because most people are flawed but genuinely good, so I like to see actual people reflected in the novels I read.

One of my bucket list items is to backpack around Europe. I became obsessed with the idea after watching Gilmore Girls when Lorelai and Rory did just that. The idea of amercing myself into the cultures of several different countries with unique histories and origins is incredibly fascinating, and it would make me feel like I've taken the time to explore the world that I was born in. It plays into my biggest bucket list which is just to explore and discover as much as possible. I'm afflicted with wanderlust, so I want to see as much as possible. The Europe trip is a mere aspect of that. I've only been to one other country, Canada, but it was one of the best experiences of my life. I spent a week there on a school trip, and I saw so many beautiful places and learned so much about the country. While I think my bucket list of exploring the world is important, there is a bigger bucket list item that I know I have to achieve. My biggest goal in life is just to have the most fun I can have. To be frank, it's a basic item. However, it's incredibly important to me. So far, I've dedicated myself to work and school in my life, and fun has taken a backseat role in my life. However, I've realized it's slowly made me miserable and just wildly unhappy. To me, anything new and different is fun. For example, recently, I went to a concert and just sang my heart out. It was so much fun because I lost myself in the music and forgot about my troubles for a brief moment. It was one of the best moments of my life.

Confidence is not doubting every decision you make. Confidence is looking in the mirror and appreciating every aspect of your being. Confidence is knowing that you are worth it every single day no matter what life throws at you. The road to self-confidence has been a treacherous one to say the least. When I was in elementary school, I was bullied relentlessly for every aspect of my being. I was bullied for being queer, for having Tourette's, for my looks, and a myriad of other things. My confidence was shot to say the least because it's devastating to hear every aspect of your being ripped apart. However, I knew that the cruel things that people said about me truly had nothing to do with my worth as a being. I'm working on being confident by embracing those aspects of me that I was tormented for. For example, I went on a date today, and I told him right away about my Tourette's. I wanted to be confident in who I am, and he was so nice about it. It proved to me that being confident in who you are and the aspects that shape you is a true positive. Additionally, I work on confidence by shedding away people's opinions of me. Because of my experience in elementary school, I was so worried about everyone's opinions about me, but at the end of the day, they don't make you happy. Living your life authentically and confidently is what makes you happy in life.

I didn't know it but my future career started in the many doctor's offices that I spent time in as a child. My mother has Multiple Sclerosis, and I have several medical issues myself. I was fascinated by the process of treatment as a child and how a single medicine can change someone's entire life. So, when I began applying to colleges, I realized that what I wanted to pursue was medical research. I wanted to be the person behind those fascinating medicines and treatments. Currently, I'm a freshmen at the University of Michigan studying Biomedical Engineering, and I'm already part of a medical research lab. For my entire undergraduate career, I will be working on a lab focused in lung repair. My dreams are already being fulfilled. However, I plan to take my research a step further. Once I graduate, I want to focus in Multiple Sclerosis treatment for my mother. She is the best part of my world, and I need to change hers for the better. To accomplish this dream, I plan to pursue a doctorate in Biomedical Engineering or a related field. With this degree, I want to lead research teams in Multiple Sclerosis, and one day, I'll find a cure for her. It seems ambitious, but I have the drive to accomplish this goal. I will do it for her. However, once I cure Multiple Sclerosis, I want to focus in other cures and treatments for a range of diseases. The concept of sickness is heartbreaking to me, and I want to be able to stop the suffering related to it. I'll use my years of training and practice to hopefully change the world for the ill and bring a new hope for them.

I think having goals, albeit big or small, is incredibly conducive to success and progress, as they give you something to work towards even if life becomes grim or tedious. I also think a diverse set of goals is also incredibly important. If you put all of your effort into one area of life, I think you will be unfulfilled as a person. My career goal is to become a medical researcher. Ever since I was a kid, I've been fascinated by doctors, cures, and treatments, but I never wanted to be a doctor working with patients. I wanted to be behind the scenes making new medicines and treatments, and I plan to do just that. My biggest goal within this field is to cure Multiple Sclerosis for my mother because she gave me life, and I want to give her that gift back. I'm already achieving success in this field because as a freshmen in college, I'm already part of a medical research lab focused on lung repair. Every week I get to perform new experiments and learn new techniques to advance our research. However, as I mentioned earlier, I have goals outside of my career goals. My academic goal is to get a doctorate in Biomedical Engineering or a related field to one day lead my own research teams. Yet, I also have personal goals. I, one day, hope to have a husband and children. I've always been great with children, and I'm a natural nurturer. I want to raise kids that will be kind and change the world. In terms of a husband, I think true love is the purest feeling on this family. I'm willing to put in that time and effort to one day achieve that.

In high school, I don't think I ever truly relaxed. I was constantly studying for school, participating in extracurriculars, or working. However, when I got to college, I was almost at the point of burn out when I realized I needed to figure out how to relax otherwise my grades and other aspects of my life would begin to suffer. It's been an interesting journey, and I don't think I've perfected it quite yet. However, I've found myself to be far more at peace and relaxed. The first step to my relaxation is trying to take at least one complete break day a week. Honestly, this is the hardest part of my relaxation process due to exams and other pressing assignments, but I still try to take one day to just do no school work. Last week, I read an entire book during my break day, and it was so nice to focus on non-academic reading. Additionally, when I relax, I have a specific relaxation playlist because the music is calming and soothing. They say that music can have an impact on your mental health, so I try to exploit this to calm my mental health. I also try to hang out with friends as much as possible during my relaxation periods. Often, I find myself relaxed and happy around friends because I love and care about them so much. I try to prioritize spending time with them because it not only relaxes me, but it also builds my social relationships.

The wisest thing I've heard is that "you can always do chores, you can always work, you can always watch, but you can't always make up for time with people." My mom told me in this in a conversation, and it really stuck with me because I want to apply it to every aspect of my life. As we know, "grind culture" is incredibly prevalent where people have begun to prioritize work and tasks over loved ones in a hope to attain more money. However, I want to move away from that culture because while I am dedicated and a hard worker, I know I won't be happy if I let work and school define every aspect of my being. The supreme reality of this statement really sticks with me because my mom has Multiple Sclerosis. It's an autoimmune disease that attacks the brain and spine, so her lifespan is shortened. I don't want to prioritize anything over my mother because she is my best friend in the entire world. I want to make sure I'm maximizing the time I can spend with her and other people. Additionally, this applies to friends of mine as well. Even if they don't have intense diseases, I think it is still important to consistently surround myself and listen to people who I adore. It brings me deep happiness to know that I'm maximizing time with others because it is the thing in life that I care about most. I can do my math homework later, fold my laundry later, or anything else. However, I could lose someone if I don't prioritize them, their feelings, and our time together.

The diversity of nature is the most beautiful part about it and why it means so much to me. While walking through a natural area, you can see flowers spanning the entire rainbow, gorgeous weeping willows, and a wide array of other plants in one single trip. It means so much to me because it shows how the intermingling and mixing of different plants of all different shapes, sizes, and colors can bring about such beauty. Additionally, the undisturbed, usually, peace of nature is another amazing aspect of it. Whenever I walk through nature, I feel this intense peace wash over me. My worries and troubles fade away, and I become one with the blooming plants craving sunshine and peace. It makes me forget my problems for a brief moment which is a great stress reliever for someone who worries too much about literally everything. However, I realize as a nature appreciator, I need to take my love for it a step further. As everyone knows, nature is constantly facing harmful destruction from corporations and expansion, so I've made it a mission of mine to combat this. I try to only support political candidates in favor of conservation and expansion of the environment, and I also look deeper than that. I look into candidates who favor green energy because nature will always suffer if we don't switch. Additionally, I try to clean up nature whenever I'm in it because it shouldn't be desecrated or disturbed. It is offering its beauty and peace to us, so we should always make sure to return that favor.

Often, generosity is seen as being nice or kind. That is incredibly important to being generous because kindness should never be discouraged; however, I think another aspect of generosity is incredibly important. In my opinion, generosity means putting yourself at a disadvantage or out of your comfort zone in order to help someone or bring kindness into the world. There has been numerous cases of true generosity in my opinion, but I think the simplest one is my mother. My mother is an incredibly kind woman; however, she constantly listens to me drone on about subjects she doesn't like or care for because she knows I love to talk about them. Her generosity allows me to feel heard and talk about the things I love, and it's greatly appreciated. She doesn't have to listen to me, but she does. That is the spirit of generosity. Additionally, I think another important aspect of generosity is the general concept of giving. Giving has an essential role in being generous because I think it is hard to truly devote yourself to being kind without giving something. It doesn't have to be a tangible gift, but it could be something like time or love. You have to be willing to give something to someone else, and you may lose it permanently. It's worth it. However, you're being truly generous and hopefully changing someone's life for the better.

When I entered college, I was ecstatic that I had previously gotten into the research program here at University of Michigan. Through this program, I would be able to take on research as a freshman which was amazing especially as I planned to pursue research. However, when I began the program and began applying to research, I was faced with an insurmountable brick wall. Every time I applied to a project, I was either outright ignored or rejected after an interview. To say I was dejected would be an understatement, I began to question why I was even at this university. Was I good enough? Did I get into the university as a fluke? I still continued to apply for projects though because the only thing worse than failing is to stop trying. However, a very kind researcher during my interview informed me that I was an amazing candidate; however, my fall semester schedule was incredibly incompatible with research demands especially in health and medicine. It opened my eyes to the fact that I wasn't a reject or incompetent, but it was completely out of my control. Fortunately, they offered me the ability to apply again for research in the winter semester. The experience wasn't much better, worse I would say as most people didn't even reply; however, I got an interview with a Lung Repair lab. She offered me the position almost immediately and informed me that I could work with her throughout the entirety of my undergraduate with the lab. All of my hard work paid off in a lab directly in the field of medicine and treatments which is what I want to do. Additionally, the time spent in the lab over these four years will give me experience perfect for applying to graduate school.

There was a scientific study that said that writing down information especially in colorful pens aids in memorization of material. In a lot of classes memorization is incredibly important, so I've begun to handwrite all of my lecture slides or chapters from the textbook in different colored pens. I'm not going to lie and pretend this method isn't tedious or time-consuming; however, once I started doing this, I already saw a drastic improvement in my grades. I went from the median in my Biology class to near the top within one test using this method. I find it forces me to reflect on and go over all the material, and to me, I've proven that this scientific study was correct. However, that is not my only study strategy. My other favorite method of practice is practice questions or tests. I find these are incredibly helpful because they are a reflection of the types of questions and material that you see on tests. Yet, I like to add an extra layer to practicing questions by writing down any mistakes I make or important information I garner from the questions. Once again, this plays into the writing it down methodology I discussed in the previous paragraph. I find it also reinforces the material that you got wrong. My last study method is working with people who are behind on the material or just need help in general. I find this method is incredibly helpful because I often have to break a concept down to its smallest parts or explain it in great detail which enhances my learning and makes me understand it better. Additionally, I get to help other people do better as well, so it's mutually beneficial.

A wide variety of goals relating to different aspects of your life is incredibly important in my opinion because it gives you something to work towards and acts as a source of motivation. I have career, relationship, and general goals in my life, and I know that I'll achieve all of them. Firstly, my biggest career goal is to cure Multiple Sclerosis. I'm currently pursuing a degree in Biomedical Engineering in order to achieve this goal because I know it's possible if I devote myself to it entirely. My mother is the primary reason for this goal because she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis when I was young, and the goal is a bit selfish because I want more time with her as she is my best friend. I can't imagine a life without her, so I'm doing my best to extend it as much as possible. In terms of relationship goals, I would one day to have a husband and kids. I've been told over and over again that I would be an amazing dad, so I don't want those skills to go to waste. I want to raise a child to change the world, be kind, and strive for better. Additionally, I think getting married would be amazing because love is one of the most beautiful forces on the planet. I want to have someone who knows me intimately and is my best friend through so many aspects of life. My last huge goal in life is to implement and sponsor more science related extracurriculars for underprivileged students. I wasn't afforded science related opportunities when I was in high school, and I felt a barrier in college due to that. However, I want to end that vicious cycle for the next generation.

Hobbies are incredibly important to peace of mind in my opinion, as they typically allow you an escape from the toils of work and school for some. During college, it can be incredibly hard, not to much expensive, to foster hobbies; however, I'm trying my best to continue to participate in my hobbies. My two favorite hobbies are fashion and reading. Reading is an important hobby of mine because I almost exclusively read books that have nothing to do with me or things I've experienced. It allows me to have true escapism and live in a different world for a while, which is incredibly beneficial on stressful days. Additionally, it allows me to sometimes learn about different cultures, ways of thinking, and different perspectives. It's important to me to continue to broaden my knowledge which still enjoying myself. The escapism in reading is incredibly important to me because college is incredibly stressful, so the ability to escape from the horrors of physics and Calculus II is relieving to say the least. Fashion is a relatively new hobby of mine. Weirdly enough, I started to pay attention to it more after starting to watch RuPaul's Drag Race because some of the queens have an intense focus on fashion, and I began to have an appreciation for it. Now, I love to pore over different fashion shows, and I'm even learning to create my own clothes. I don't have the funds for some of these amazing pieces, but if I learn to properly sew, I can make my own versions and have an incredibly interesting wardrobe.

My life so far has entirely revolved around school and academics. From a young age, I put everything I had into school-related activities. I craved the validation, and I got it as long as I worked hard enough. It worked out for me because I got into a great university, and I've received so many opportunities relating to my career path. However, recently, I've started to realize how much I've based myself around academics and how it's defined my self worth and mental health. This semester, I've really been struggling with physics, which is no reflection of me; however, I'm letting it eat away at me and destroy my self worth. This instance has shaped my hope for the future because I want to decenter academics and related activities as my life goes on. I love academics, and I do plan to pursue a PhD because I want to lead research teams in medicine. However, I want to find happiness and validation in other places because I know it exists. I want to be able to find peace without an A on a test or a completed assignment. It's a hard process because as I said, everything revolved around academics for so long. Yet, I know I can change the path of my life and prioritize things that make me happy outside of the classroom. Additionally, because of dependence on academics I've fostered, I want to promote and work on stopping this in others. I want to work on activities for high-achieving students outside of academic-related fields because they deserve and need fun and happiness outside of the classroom. They won't be in a classroom forever, and I want them to be able to cope and thrive.

If I had $1,000, I would immediately put it in the bank for savings and not touch it until next year. I attend the University of Michigan as an out of state student, so tuition is incredibly expensive. My mom was kind enough to take out a parent plus loan for the first year of my education; however, I'm currently trying to reduce/get completely rid of her loan for the future years. I would save the money because next year I plan on getting an apartment and paying it for myself to reduce this for my mom, as she has already done enough for me. I'm paying for this apartment with three different jobs I'm currently working. I'm a research assistant, academic tutor/tech assistant, and a community center assistant, and it's a lot of work. However, I'm aware that with my choice of university I need to put that work in to make it fair to my mom and the other people who support me. The money would allow me to have a bigger safety net for food and rent which would allow me to not work as hard during weeks I have exams. I could devote more time to studying and rest which would be incredibly beneficial.

Perseverance is part of the human experience. Nothing ever goes perfectly for everyone all the time no matter your background, so I feel everyone has different perseverance stories. I have stories of persevering through homophobia, lack of opportunities, and a majority of other things. However, I just want to share a simple story of my Biology Exam that has happened within the past few weeks. When I started my introductory Biology course at my college, my oh so humble self wasn't too worried about it. I figured I would breeze through it, pass the course, and continue onto further classes. However, after my first exam, I had to quickly readjust my priorities and ego. The score was less than ideal, and I was a bit upset to be honest. I think that and a physics exam I wish to never speak of again truly opened my eyes to the idea that college isn't the breeze I thought my first semester was. However, instead of blaming the instructor or saying the test was too hard, I accepted the score and realized I simply needed to study and do better. In the three weeks between the first and second exam, I started hand copying the slides word for word, reading the chapters several time, making practice exams, and a variety of other things to ensure success. I was so adsorbed in the concept of biology, but it ended up working out well. I just got my score back for the second exam and it was a 92%, incredibly hard to achieve in this "weeder course." I'm incredibly proud of myself for not giving up at the first sign of struggle or failure and keeping going. College is incredibly stressful, but it can be rewarding as long as you realize how to commit.

My favorite way to help others is through academic help and tutoring. I am lucky enough to quite good with different academic subjects and standardized tests, and I think that it is rather selfish to hoard those abilities. The best gifts are spread to others to help make others better and get farther in life. I have a myriad of ways that I help others with academics, and my main way is through my tutoring. Firstly, I am employed as an academic tutor at a local virtual academy where I help students who are struggling in subjects or failed them entirely. My work with these students has led to students passing classes with As and continuing onto the next grade which is honestly the best part of my job. Additionally, I offer free to extremely cheap ACT tutoring. Often, I find that tutoring is behind a huge paywall which puts lower class people at a disadvantage for getting into university and getting scholarships. However, I want to combat this as best as I can. I try my best to offer tutoring based on financial status, so sometimes it is free while other times it does cost money because I am a broke college student. However, even when students do have to pay, it isn't much, and under my tutoring, students have gotten thousands in scholarships and admissions to university. I am so proud of the accomplishments they have made, and I'm glad I was able to be a part of their journey. Academics define so much of our lives, and success through help or skill can truly change someone's life. I am glad to offer this help to students of all academic and financial statuses.

Legacy is a scary word in a world riddled by climate change and political unrest, but I still think that dreams of a legacy are incredibly important. A dream allows you to have something to work towards, and that is why I dream of the legacy I wish to leave. The legacy that I personally want to leave is I want to be known as a world-changing scientist, specifically in medicine, who was kind, charitable, and made an impact not only scientifically but socially. I'm not going to pretend that the legacy I want to leave on the world isn't ambitious, but I know I'm going to achieve this legacy because I will do whatever it takes. Firstly, in terms of the science legacy I wish to leave, I want to cure Multiple Sclerosis. My mom suffers from the disease, and I want to alleviate of her of that burden. Additionally, I just find the concept of curing and treating diseases so interesting, and I hope my work for Multiple Sclerosis can be applied to other autoimmune disorders. I want nothing more than for my work to create and help different cures and treatments across the world of medicine. In terms of my social legacy, I'm going to strive to be kind, charitable, and make social change. With my extra money from my job and other endeavors, I really want to put that into different charities but also Gofundmes and things of that nature to make sure people are benefitting from the money. In terms of social change, I would love to promote and help universal healthcare become a nationwide policy because healthcare is a right not a privilege. So many people would be much better off with consistent and good care without the threat of debt and bankruptcy.

I would be nowhere without the people I love. They've helped me through so many bad times and have been there for me so through much turmoil. However, I know that when loved ones are there for me, I need to return that love tenfold. I realize that the trick to making others feel loved is to pay attention to how they want to be loved. Some people treat everyone with love identically; however, that often doesn't work. You have to employ and listen to people's different love languages. For example, my mom's love language is acts of service. I try my best to allot plenty of time to help her with different tasks, and I go out of my way to take care of things I know she needs done. It makes her happy and feel loved because I'm helping with what she needs. One of my sister's love language is quality time, so I try to facetime her while I'm away or organize playing video games with her. It shows that I care and love her dearly. Speaking of my mom, I want her to know I love her so much that I'm dedicating my career to her. My mother suffers from Multiple Sclerosis, and I'm pursuing medical research with a plan to cure Multiple Sclerosis. I cannot think of a better way to showcase my love and let her know how much I care about her. Love is going above and beyond for someone else no matter what you have to do, and I hope that I am doing that for everyone around me.

My best skill without a doubt is my tenacity and determination. Some people may say I'm stubborn or bull-headed, but I personally think of it as a strength. I refuse to give up nor quit even when something is giving me intense trouble, and I think that is the best skill to have. I also realize that you need to constantly hone and improve this skill, otherwise you may lose it and become complacent. My determination is my best skill because I know exactly what I want, and I'm not afraid to get it. When I was in 8th grade, I desired nothing more than to have contacts. I didn't think I looked nice in glasses, but I was terrible at putting in contacts. However, I spent hours practicing putting in contacts and failed for hours until I finally got it. Now, I wear contacts constantly, and without my determination, I would still be stuck with glasses. I think this instance is representative of my determination because I will stop at nothing to get what I want. This skill is so important because the world is incredibly competitive today and without this skill, I could easily be lost in the chaos and competition. However, I also know that I need to improve this skill constantly. I do this through trying out things that I know I'm going to fail at. For example, I'm a scientifically minded person without much artistic skill, but I've been challenging myself to learn how to sew and make clothes. I've failed numerous times, but I use each instance as a learning opportunity. It also helps foster my tenacity and makes sure that I will never give up no matter what challenge I face even if it's outside of my comfort zone.

When Blank Space by Taylor Swift first dropped, the world was enraptured with her persona of a vicious girlfriend wreaking havoc upon the lives of her boyfriends. People loved the beat and the tongue-in-cheek lyrics. Even with the heavy satire, I did find inspiration in this song and the meaning behind it. While I don't plan on ripping up paintings or destroying cars with golf clubs any time soon, I think the most inspirational part of the song is the backstory. Taylor Swift wrote this song as a retort to the media framing her as the bitter and insane ex-girlfriend. She chose to embrace the narrative and profit off of it. It inspires me to take the terrible things people say about me or the shortcomings they call out and to spin them into a success story. People are always going to be vicious, so you might as well make something good out of the vitriol. It also inspires me to embrace the negative parts of my life and find a positive about it. While I'm sure Taylor isn't happy about the rampant slut-shaming in the media or the terrible ex-boyfriends, she still managed to find a positive through this song. Everyone has negative parts of their life obviously, and I think I and others let the negatives engulf us far too often. However, Taylor inspires me to take these negatives, embrace them, and find a positive within them. For her, the negatives got her several Grammys and a #1 hit, but I could make a success story out of my lack of opportunities and discrimination I had when I lived in Louisiana. Taylor Swift's writing prowess and wit have allowed me to inspired by a satirical song through her embracing and twisting of the negative.

Everyone should have big motivations in their life. The motivation could be curing diseases, helping the poor, directing a blockbuster movie, but I also think it is also good to have small motivations in life. You need daily small motivations because it can be hard to get through life with your bigger motivations taking a long time to achieve. My daily motivations vary on the situation or type of day that I'm having. For example, whenever I'm having a bad day, my motivation lies in Elle Woods or Gilmore Girls. I'm reminded of the times they failed, got back up, and surpassed their competition. It motivates me to not give up and to continue working because even if people underestimate you because of your background, you can always prove them wrong. However, sometimes my motivation lies in helping other people. I try to help someone with something albeit big or small daily because it motivates me to continue helping others and to get through my day. The concept of making someone else's day better consistently motivates me because it lifts my spirits, and I believe in the concept of karma. So if I strive to be a good person and help others, I know it will come back to me one day. Additionally, my motivations can be incredibly small. For example, sometimes I tell myself I can get a coffee or decoration I've had my eye on if I complete this task or achieve this goal. It's a small motivation, but it works exceptionally.

I've struggled for so long with the idea of happiness. At first, I found happiness through academics and validation, but I realized how fragile that concept of happiness is. Then, I tried a long list of different hobbies to try to figure out what made me happy. None of them really brought me much joy, but after a while, I found out that the thing that made me most happy was human companionship. At first, I thought that friends were always supposed to be having these wild nights and crazy stories, but I've found an intense happiness in just the presence of someone I love and care about. I've learned to appreciate the late night Target runs, silently working on schoolwork together, or the quick lunches in between classes. When I was younger, my primary companionship was novels, so I think I spend most of my days craving that human connection. This lack of human connection has allowed me to truly appreciate what I have now. It brings me so much joy because at times, it is so pure and simple. It doesn't have to be complex or planned out. Some of my best nights have been when I decided to stay in with my friends and watch movies. There is something beautiful about doing "boring things" with the people you love. It reminds me that I've reached a point in my life where I don't have to be over the top or wild for people to enjoy my company. People are appreciating and content with my simple existence. Happiness is an ever-evolving and fragile concept at times, but through the people around me, I've found a permanent and beautiful happiness that I cherish every day.

I deserve this scholarship because I'm different than everyone else also applying for scholarships. Most people applying for scholarships are incredibly accomplished with so many extracurriculars and achievements. However, I'm different because I don't care whether or not I get this scholarship. What other applicant can say that? Additionally, I deserve it because I'm easily the hottest applicant. I haven't seen the other applicants, but I'm confident in that statement. My career goals is to watch Netflix every day while my rich husband makes millions for me to live in luxury. I'm going to have to put a lot of work into this goal because finding a rich, I mean good, man is hard nowadays. Currently I'm in college, but I do plan on dropping out when I find a man with exactly what I'm looking for: a trust fund. I think the biggest obstacle I've ever overcome happened when I came back from college. I wanted to eat at my favorite restaurant, but when I returned, they were closed because of staff members being sick. I was devastated. I cried at the front of the restaurant for 12 hours, and I still wake up thinking about it. However, I picked myself up and went to Olive Garden.

I learn more from consequences than the positives more often that not. I've never read a book about something accomplishing a huge goal or becoming a much better person and felt inspired by it to be fully honest. However, I found inspiration in one of the saddest novels that I've ever read, "Everything I Never Told You" by Celeste Ng. The premise of the book is about a family's truth coming out after the death of a daughter. However, the book discussed intensively about failed dreams and the weight they can have on others. It inspired me in a bizarre way because it reminded me in a morbid way to not let my dreams die or fail. I saw how the weight of the mother's failed doctor dream affected her daughter leading to her eventual death. It showed me that you can't abandon your dreams in favor of something smaller because you cannot let it destroy everything around you. Your dreams are dreams for a reason, and you should never ever abandon them no matter how tempting something may be. Another way it inspired me was in the story of the daughter. She studied and was so lonely to impress her mother with her grades, and it reminded me to stop myself from constantly being in that headspace with grades. I let school be a stressor in my life almost 100% of the time, and I saw the eventual affect on her. I need to calm down and enjoy life outside of school because otherwise I could end up having the same fate as her.

The word Calculus manages to instill fear in thousands of people and brings back painful memories of the classes they had to take in their undergraduate years. They shudder at the thought of doing an integral by parts or having to revolve a shaded portion of the graph around an axis. However, while I can admit Calculus can be incredibly scary and stressful, it is also the basis for almost every part of STEM. Without Calculus, how would we find the volumes or areas of the devices Biomedical Engineers are creating? How would mechanical engineers understand the work a support system is holding without integrals? The beauty of Calculus is the basis it has not only in the STEM field but in every aspect of life. While I think some of the more practical aspects of Calculus are incredibly important in STEM fields, the strength of Calculus lies in the concept and the approach to it. People are drawn to STEM often because they want to solve problems. They may want to cure diseases, build better bridges, refine nuclear power, or a myriad of other things that can be solved. However, how are you going to solve these problems without a problem-solving method or approach? Luckily, Calculus offers just that. Calculus instills a sense of problem solving in its students. A typical Calculus problem is never straight forward. You're given a few pieces of information, and from there, you have to conceptualize a solution. I think this is incredibly important because most STEM problem are structured similarly, as no problem lies out the exact pieces you need to get to a solution. Calculus trains the future generations of engineers, doctors, nurses, and more to approach problems from an analytical standpoint and realize that often you have to use the few pieces allotted to get a much bigger picture. It offers an introductory, in early Calculus, or intense, later Calculus, practice in solving problems that carries over far into their careers. Additionally, another strength of Calculus is its universality. The beautiful thing about math is that it is always constant amongst different cultures, languages, and even beyond our planet. Our universe is bounded by set mathematical formulas. People who are going into STEM are going into an incredibly diverse job field with many different people, places, and ideas to tackle. It's important to have a universal language, and calculus offers just that. Additionally, the universality helps you understand the universe around you. It's much easier to tackle a space-related problem if you understand the space mathematical principles, and once again, that is impossible without Calculus. It allows a universality amongst both the people around you and in the universe that we spend every moment of our lives in. Calculus is beautiful in so many ways to me. The beauty of solving a problem, getting a solution, or seeing something proven never fails to astound me because these problems we do in class have constant real world applications. This is why Calculus is so important in the STEM field because without it, you'll be sorely missing problem solving skills and knowledge of the universe around you. It'll be hard to communicate in the world of STEM without the universe's language: Calculus.

I spent most of my precollegiate schooling in Southern Louisiana. I was openly queer during this time, and I faced many issues because of that. Parents trying to break up friendships because "I was a terrible person," or refusing to let them hang out with me after school because they were "afraid of what he might do since he's gay." It hurt to here these things, but I eventually just grew a mental barrier against what these ignorant people said. If I let everything they said eat at me, I would've been ripped apart. It's a sad reality that a kid has to learn to ignore the voices of people much older than them solely because of who they love, but it is one that is unfortunately real. However, as an adult, I want to try to fight against this seclusion that I once felt by working with local schools to establish student-run LGBTQ+ focused organizations. I think it would be great to have societies focused on science, arts, robotics etc. that allow for LGBTQ+ people who have shared interests to interact and have a safe space to interact. I think this would have relieved me of so much seclusion in my school days and also allowed an outlet for my interests that was lacking. I think another huge barrier I faced in Louisiana was the academic opportunities and growth possible within the state. When I was applying to colleges, I was against people who had taken several aps, been on national award winning robotics teams, and so many other amazing things. Meanwhile, I left high school with one AP class and some clubs that didn't really do much. I know they always said that if you want something done you should do it yourself, but I can't establish more AP classes at a school or somehow procure enough funding to start a variety of teams. I tried to fundraise for my Quiz Bowl team by sending letters asking for sponsorship from every business in town. I didn't get a single reply. I luckily managed to gain admission to the University of Michigan, and I just feel so far behind compared to everyone else. So many people here get to skip entire sequences of classes and graduate early because of opportunities their high school gave them. It makes me feel dejected at times because it feels like I can't catch up. However, I know I can, and I'm going to. I'll graduate in four years with my degree in Biomedical Engineering where I'll eventually pursue a PHD in the same subject. Using this degree, I don't want students in upcoming generations to face this same lack of academic opportunity that I faced, so I have a plan to combat it. I mentioned earlier that I wanted to work with schools to establish LGBTQ+ focused organizations, but I also want to establish some STEM related ones. With my education, I could be a coach for competition teams or even help high school students get research opportunities in different labs. I could coordinate job shadowing and a variety of opportunities that I never got. If possible, I want to work on a local school board wherever I live and petition for more AP, IB, and advanced classes. There is so much unlocked potential in these underfunded schools, and we're missing out because these students never see their full potential. I would want nothing more than to bring about future change and innovation because a group of kids finally realized how amazing they truly were.

To be honest, when I first started doing acts of services for others, it was mainly for college applications. I thought it would make me look better in college's eyes; however, as I started to delve into these fields, I started to realize how fulfilling acts of service were. Now, I engage in these acts of service beyond college applications and the best thing I receive from them is the gratification and peace of knowing I made someone's day better. My main act of service is through academic help. I offer free tutoring for underprivileged students because I know that standardized tests and education in general can be hidden behind a paywall, which I find ridiculous. I work with kids on ACT prep, general subject help, and a myriad of other things. My work has led to students getting thousands of dollars in scholarships and finally being able to go to college debt-free. It brings me the most joy possible to know I'm not selfishly keeping my academic talents to myself. I believe if you have a gift you should spread it. I've even created online ACT resources on Google Classroom, so people can get ACT help without having to do in-person tutoring. Other acts of service I engaged in were animal shelter cleaning and organization, fundraiser organizing, school fundraising, retirement home work, medical foundation work, and many other opportunities I participated in through my school. I think the best part about them was truly seeing the smiles on people's, or animal's, faces after you helped them with something or were simply there to keep them company. It reminded me that a simple bit of my time and service could truly change someone's day.

When Cady Heron was asked why she loved math so much, she said "Because it's the same in every country." While Mean Girls may be a movie about cliques and drama, I think they hit the nail on the head in terms of what makes math so great. Math is so important and why I love it is because it is truly the universal language and is the fundamentals for so much in our known universe. I remember when I was younger, I detested math. I thought it was pointless and confusing, but then in 4th grade, I won the best in Math award at the end of the year. I find when you find out you're good at something you tend to take a liking to it. From then on, I found a new love for math. I competed in so many competitions, and I've been trying to take as many math classes as I could. I started to actually enjoy sitting down for these math competitions and studying for them. I started to become a person who got excited to take a math test. To a person outside of math, it sounds deranged, but I think all lovers of math truly understand. I'm even considering a math minor in college. I find math deeply comforting because there is almost always a definite answer. I haven't gotten into the deepest reaches of math quite yet, but currently, every time a problem is laid out in front of me, I can find a single solution to it. It offers me peace because so much in the world today is chaotic, and there isn't a single solution. Solace always lie in math because it is definite and provides a sense of accomplishment. Another reason I like math is because I find there is always something more to learn. I'm naturally curious, and I always want to learn more. Some subjects that I enjoy have gotten exhausted, and I practically know everything there is to know about it. However, I don't think math ever ends. It's a constant barrage of information and new discoveries, and it's so involved with everything else. Math doesn't just end within classes labeled Math. It's intertwined with chemistry, physics, biology, art, and so many other things. Math is a communicator for every facet of the planet, and it reminds me that everything is connected in some way. It also offers the idea that there is a basis and explanation for everything through math which is once again a nice source of comfort from a subject people only find pain in. Just like math itself, I think words could continue on forever and forever explaining the different facets of math that I enjoy and partake in. However, I think once again Cady Heron's words describe exactly how much I love math. "The limit does not exist."

Actively listening is a sign of care and true companionship in my opinion because to truly love or care about someone you have to know them. You can't learn about someone without actively listening. Listening to me shows that you are making an effort to learn and care about me, and it is always greatly appreciated especially because it isn't incredibly hard. Actively listening to those around you is a task not many do I find, but it makes the people around you feel heard, supported, and cared about. The primary way I actively listen to everyone around me is by engaging in what they are saying. I try to offer pieces of advice or thoughts on anything that they say to me. It shows that not only am I actually listening to what you are saying, but I'm also processing and thinking about it to show I care about you. For example, if someone is telling me their academic troubles, I would show I'm actively listening by offering different academic tips or advice while they're speaking to me. I think another important aspect of actively listening is not just done with your ears. Sometimes, you have to listen to people's body language or emotions in a sense. People often communicate beyond just their words, and it's important to pay attention to that as well. One of my best friends has severe anxiety, and I can always tell when she begins to shut down in huge public situations. To show I'm actively listening to what she's communicating, I usually try to remove us from the situation. Actively listening is a great asset to have, as it will make everyone around you make you genuinely believe you love and care about them.

I believe there is a fine balance in the universe. You cannot receive good things in your life and opportunities, if you don't give back and uplift people yourself. This concept is precisely why I believe giving is important, as it balances the world that you live in. Another great aspect of giving is that sometimes a gift or act of service can change someone's world entirely, and I believe in a roundabout way if you do good onto others, good will come back to you eventually. There are a multitude of things I do to give back. The primary one I participate in is animal help and care. I volunteer at animal shelters, foster animals, and a variety of other animal-related tasks. It's my way of giving back because animals are known to bring peace and love into people's lives when they need it, so if I help these animals out and prepare them to live with other people, that chain of peace and love continues. Additionally, I also like to help out in medical volunteer organizations. I'm apart of the Multiple Sclerosis Awareness club in college, and I volunteered at a local medical foundation when I was younger. I've received so much medical help due to a variety of disorders, so I want to help other people receive that care. My mom also has Multiple Sclerosis, so I want to give back to the help she has offered to me by raising awareness and money for the research of her disease.

I struggled for so long with what I wanted to do for a living and how to make an impact on this world, but I was in my junior year Chemistry class when I began to realize my aptitude and interest in STEM. From there, I combined my interested in STEM and medicine and realized I wanted to research cures and treatments for different diseases. I already have a plan on how to pursue this impact and specific impacts I hope to leave. Firstly, I've already joined a medical research lab during college. I'm working on research into Lung Repair to help people with Fibrosis, and my research could already achieve part of my goal. If the work I'm doing with them is successful, I could genuinely help so many people suffering. Additionally, I'm learning so many techniques in the lab that will be important for my future in medical research. I also plan to pursue a PHD in Biomedical Engineering because I want to lead research teams in the future. With this leadership role, I want to focus my team on different diseases especially Multiple Sclerosis. My mother suffers from the disease, so my life goal is to cure the disease for her. When I cure Multiple Sclerosis, I plan to shift my focus to a variety of other diseases especially autoimmune diseases. I could use my research from Multiple Sclerosis to hopefully cure or treat other autoimmune diseases. Lastly, I've also joined several student organizations focused on medical outreach and awareness, as I know a significant part of changing people's lives with medicine is getting it to them and educating them about it. The impact I plan to leave with medical research into cures and treatments is so exciting, and I'm excited to see where it takes me.

The key to living a long and healthy life is being in tune with yourself and understanding what your mind and body needs at all times. Everyone has different genetic codes which lead to different health conditions or different capacities for what they need, so everyone needs to understand what works for them. What is good for someone may be terrible for someone else, so it's all about knowing you. A key aspect to being in tune with yourself is to understand that you deserve happiness and peace. In today's world, people often get caught up in "the grind" and forego mental health and self-care in the name of money and promotions at work, but that isn't going to lead a long and healthy life. It has been proven by so many scientists that happiness is needed for you to live a good life. Having fun with your friends, seeing a movie, or any other thing that you find fun or brings you joy is needed for a long, healthy life. Additionally, I think it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle in terms of food and exercise as well. I'm highly against diet culture in order to meet society's weight ideals, but it is important to incorporate the daily nutrients you need. However, I think it's also important to eat foods you love even if they aren't the healthiest because they play into that idea of happiness. I think exercise, in moderation, is also important because exercise actually boosts chemicals in your brain that make you happier and gives you more energy throughout the day. Both of these aspects lead to a longer and healthier life.

I think it is incredibly important for people to have a variety of goals for their future because it's hard to go day to day without something to look forward to or work towards. Everyone should have career, academic, and domestic goals, in my opinion, and I have goals in each of those categories. My career goal is to become a leader of a research team in Multiple Sclerosis, my academic goal is to pursue a PHD in Biomedical Engineering, and my domestic goal is to have a nice house with a husband and a kid. My career goal is mostly related to the fact that my mother has Multiple Sclerosis. She has done so much for me in my life by aiding me in funds for college and teaching me so many life lessons that I would be worse off without. The only thing I can do to repay her in my opinion is to cure/treat the disease that she has. My academic goal is related to my career goal because I need a PHD to lead research teams. I also want to get a PHD because I know that the job market is an incredibly scary place, so I want to put as much work into my academics as possible in order to have a nice safety net for my future. Additionally, pursuing a PHD would allow me to research my own topic which is incredibly intriguing. My domestic goal is pretty self explanatory. While my other goals are a bit lofty and complicated, I want a nice family life. The idea of coming home to my loving husband and then helping my kid with their homework is just the dream to me. It's nice to have a dream that isn't so complicated, and it is easily achievable.

When I was younger, and at times I still do, I dreamed of this magnificent and complex pleasures and how I would love for them to happen to me. I'm going to be honest, I'm still not opposed to those pleasures happening to me because they were magnificent for a reason, but I've also gained an appreciation for the smaller pleasures in life. I love the moments of quietly during your homework with the people you love, going on Target runs for snacks, watching your favorite movies together, failing at playing squash together, and so much more. In short, the simple pleasures of life for me are those moments spent with the people you love doing literally anything no matter how small. These pleasures make me so happy because it reminds me that I've built a life where people can enjoy these small moments with me. I don't have to be extravagant to capture their attention. They like me even in my moments of getting frustrated over homework or lying on a rug because I'm so tired. It reminds me that I'm worthy of enjoying the simple pleasures because people are sharing them with me. Additionally, I love these simple pleasures because it reminds me that happiness and love can be found everywhere. At times, I think we get caught up in these monumental proposals and confessions of love that we don't appreciate the littler moments. I love these moments because love is with me constantly, and I cannot think of anything better.

Passion is the biggest driver in life in my opinion. Without passion, it's hard to achieve goals and to even have them. Frankly, I have a lot of passions: love, reading, my family, beautiful things, music, and several others. However, I think one passion outweighs the rest of them: curing my mom's Multiple Sclerosis. My mom is my favorite person on the entire planet. Her story and her rise from terribleness into being a terrific mother could fill up pages upon pages, but just know, I would be nothing without her, biologically and figuratively. In 2012, my mom was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, and over the years, I've seen the slow toll it has taken on her. However, instead of idly standing by, I want to actively help her. I'm pursuing a career in Biomedical Engineering with a plan to cure Multiple Sclerosis because I know I can do it. The funny thing about passions is how they can push you to the ends of the Earth to pursue them. I'm so passionate about curing my mother's Multiple Sclerosis, I will do whatever it takes, and I know I'm going to do it for her. I don't think I'll ever achieve true fulfillment until I complete this endeavor because I know the ability to cure it exists somewhere. I'm not going to pretend that naivety and boldness doesn't play into my confidence, but I also believe that no huge goal will be accomplished without someone willing to do it. My road to pursuing and fulfilling my passion is long, tedious, and daunting; however I know I can do it because I'm not going to ever think otherwise.

I'm not a Art person in anyway. My stick figures are lopsided, and I don't think I could draw a flower if my life depended on it. However, even though some people may think so, I believe that anyone is capable of creativity in their chosen field, and art isn't the only outlet of creativity. My current plan for the future is to become a Biomedical Engineer; however, I have a plan to apply creativity in that field and experience. Firstly, in college, I want to take a variety of different classes in at least every discipline. It would improve my creativity because I would learn how to think in different disciplines and how to solve problems from different pathways. It would be incredibly beneficial to my engineering because I could think of a creative solution to a problem that no one has thought before. Another way I like to apply creativity in my life is taking photos. My mother is a photographer, so when I look around and take pictures, I feel connected to her even though we're thousands of miles apart. However, it also applies creativity to my life every day because I have to look at the world through a different lens. How will different aspect ratios, saturations, and exposures change the world I'm looking at? It forces me to think about the world differently than I usually do which boosts my creativity and gets me to evaluate everything differently. I believe it is crucial for everyone to branch out as much as possible and to do an activity that boosts their creativity every day because creativity leads to innovation and change. It may seem small, but it could change so much.

Weirdly enough, the best investing tip I've ever gotten was from a Tiktok. As everyone knows, inflation is an all-time high, and the economy is constantly teetering between really good and terrible. The Tiktok I'm referencing said that in order to have a retirement, you should invest in the stock market. Frankly, economics have always been over my head, as I was always a man of STEM related subjects. However, I think that video put it into perspective that I need to learn, or I'll be at a severe disadvantage in the future. Additionally, I believe strongly in retirement and taking a break from working especially in later life, so I want to start investing in and building a portfolio in the stock market. Luckily, I have several friends majoring in business or economics that I can consult for advice because I know I need to do this. Currently, it'll just be small trading and things I can afford since I'm a broke college student. However, it's still good to start even if it's just a small amount. Once I'm established in my career, I'll probably just pay someone to handle my stocks because I can tell you I genuinely don't understand much about the economy. It's the one subject I can't wrap my head around, but luckily, I have a plan of attack on how to apply this investing tip to heart.

Nothing comes easily. The best things in life can be either unexpected or take hard work and determination, and this is why patience is important to me. If I become impatient, I will lose out on many of the best things in my life, and I'm not willing to sacrifice that. A notable time my patience was tested was applying for research during my freshman year of college. I sent approximately 3x the amount of expected applications for research, and I didn't hear anything. I would get interviews, but then they would consistently reject me. I was dejected and ready to give up, but I hung on for one more interview. That was the lab that finally accepted me, and they offered me a position for all four years of undergraduate schooling and an ability to write a senior thesis. If I was impatient, that opportunity would have flown by, and I wouldn't be aware that I missed it. Patience, to me, is so important because it always pays off. It may seem tedious and painstaking, but I've never been patient with negative ramifications. Also, I find that patience doesn't only apply to hard work but other parts of life as well. If you become impatient and expectant of social situations or other aspects of your life, I find that it never really works out. However, if you're patient, the best thing may find you unexpectedly. Patience also allows you to appreciate what you have when you finally get it. If you indulge in instant gratification, it will begin to lose its luster. However, if you wait for something, the gratification will be so much sweeter.

As someone grows older, they encounter and meet hundreds of new people. You may consider them to be friendly, but I find that a true friend has a very different definition. To me, a true friend is someone who you can come to with any emotion in life. If you want to have fun, you can call them up, and they'll go out on the town with you. If you just got broken up with, they'll console you on the phone and show up with some Ben and Jerry's. If you just got the job promotion you've been seeking, they'll take you out for a celebratory party with your other friends. A true friend is someone you won't hesitate to call at any point in your life, and I am so blessed to have many of those people in my life. I'm able to Facetime in the middle of the night or take long car rides with them talking about anything. The beauty of friendship in my opinion is how diverse and flexible it is. A friend, as described above, can be there for you with different solutions and ideas in different times of life. They're someone you know you can trust with your secrets without fear of them leaking. A large majority of my life has been figuring out the meaning of friendship and how to hold true friendships. However, after realizing the true meaning above, my life has known such joy knowing I have these amazing people around you.

Throughout my life, hobbies have come and gone. I find it's common especially as you grow older because your brain develops and changes rapidly, but one of my hobbies has remained constant over my entire life. Ever since I was a child, my favorite hobby was reading. It's a simple hobby, and at times, I wish I read more than I have the time for, but I still love it dearly. Reading, to me, combines two of my favorite aspects of life: escapism and learning. When I enter a novel's world, I'm able to let go of my own problems that plague me daily and worry about someone else for a change. It's beautiful because I get incredibly invested in these fictional lives, but at the end of the day, it doesn't affect me or drastically changes the outcome of my life. I'm able to indulge in problems that are completely unrelated to my daily trials and tribulations. Additionally, I get to explore worlds entirely different from my own. The landscapes and creatures that inhabit the worlds vary, but the explorer remains the same. For brief moments in time, I'm a wizard facing an ancient foe or a student tasked with saving the world. I'm able to live out my wildest fantasies while not actually facing the dangers of these mystical worlds, and it most importantly allows for a break from this world. Even if the world I live in is beautiful and filled with joy, it's still amazing to take a break at times. I mentioned previously that reading also incorporates my love of learning. An anecdote from my childhood encapsulates this quite well because as most moms do, my mom used to read to me as a child. However, I would demand to hold the book, so I could match the words she was saying to the letters on the page. I practically learned how to read that way. My learning through literature didn't stop there. People often think that fictional worlds offer no educational values, but they often incorporate different cultures and ways of life that exist in our world today. I enjoy learning about different people and their ways through a fictional lens because it's both informative and fun. Personally, I also learn so much about people from books. While it is true that characters are often caricatures of people we face in real life, I still there is worth in learning how to analyze and understand people within books. I try to read a few character studies a year to help with this idea especially because when I was younger, I never really got people. However, books helped me form new relationships and finally understand those around me. Reading is somehow a common and undervalued hobby, but its escapism and learning is what makes it truly beautiful to me. I couldn't imagine the world I live in today without all of the books I have read.

I used to be terrible at self-care. I would constantly prioritize everything in my life over myself, and it eventually grew incredibly taxing. I would put everything into school and extra-curriculars, and I would feel like an empty shell once I got home. I felt miserable all the time, and I just kept going because of the fear of failure. At that point, I realized I needed to dedicate more time to myself and self-care. By no means is my self-care perfect, but it has been helping with my happiness and peace significantly. The first thing I like to do daily is take at least an hour to do something for myself unrelated to school, work, or any other responsibility in life. I read, play video games, hang out with friends, or numerous other fun and relaxing activities. It has made me just happier in general, and it has allowed me to be more productive in my commitments. Additionally, I've been exercising and trying to eat healthier. I haven't started going to the gym for 3 hours a day or eating perfectly, but it has helped me feel better with my body. I also feel as if I have more energy which is important because my other commitments have been rather taxing. Lastly, I try to take frequent breaks and don't let myself work for hours on a single task. It has allowed me to separate myself from stressing about grades and work, and it has also aided in my productivity. I find if I get wrapped up in something for hours, I start to become tired and less productive. Taking care of myself has not only helped my happiness and peace, but it has allowed me to improve in the areas of life that initially caused stress.

My brain has always worked in numbers. I find myself calculating percentages, fractions, and other mathematical concepts constantly, and this aspect of my being has really formed my mindset. We all know that math is the groundwork for our universe, but I see it completely differently. Whenever I'm stuck in life or having an issue, I just think of it as a math problem. When you can't solve a math problem, you seek help, learn more, or just practice a bit more, and that can be applied to growing as a person. When you need to grow as a person, you may need to approach it exactly as you would a math problem. This has allowed me to foster a growth mindset for so long because I'm reminded that there is always a solution or end goal. It may take a while, more training, or a variety of other things, but it exists. Additionally, I find it easier to keep a growth mindset when I'm reminded that everyone else is going through similar struggles or growth periods. No one remains stagnant throughout their entire life. Whenever I feel stuck, it's nice to know that other people have had that feeling before, and they made it out. Lastly, another great way to keep a growth mindset is to remind yourself constantly that people fail all the time, and some people have failed catastrophically worse than you have. It's okay to fail and falter. We all do it, even if some people don't want to admit it. It's more about picking yourself up off the ground earlier and learning from it. There is so much to be learned from every aspect of life especially failure.

True empathy is almost impossible because you can't truly understand the pain of someone part of a different group than you or going through something that you've never gone through before. However, it is still important to take strides towards being empathetic towards everyone especially because your empathy could save someone's life. There are a variety of ways I try to practice empathy, but I find that the three most important are listening to other people, responding in a timely manner, and trying to help find a solution for their problems. These aspects are important to building empathy because they remind others that you are there for them and that you care. For example, actually listening to others is incredibly important for showing empathy because you can't even begin to understand someone without listening to them. Additionally, I find listening to others offers a sense of comfort to others because they know that someone is beginning to understand and actually cares. I also found that responding in a timely manner is important to treating others with empathy because it shows you care enough. Often, people take forever to respond without reason, and it signifies to other people that they don't care enough about that person. Also, responding in a timely manner reminds people you're listening and paying attention which is incredibly important. Lastly, I always try to help solve the problems they're facing because it shows you recognize they are important issues and deserve a solution. It shows you care enough to better their life. At times, that's all a person wants to feel in terms of empathy. I'll say it time and time again, but empathy is sorely lacking in our society today. However, it can genuinely save lives to know that people understand and care about you.

"... And I hope that they all get their happy end in the end" I listen to a lot of music to put it plainly, and often, I find myself relating to many aspects of it. Whether it's anger, sadness, yearning, or a variety of other moments, you can find inspiration and solace in the vast array of music available. However, "The Story" by Conan Gray is the most inspiring for me due to its focus on growth, finding happiness and peace after chaos, and hope. The messages in "The Story" are important to me because it acts as a reminder even when my life takes a turn for the worse. He spends the beginning of the song talking about the horrors and pains of his past, but he ends it talking about how he looks back on it now from a better place knowing that nothing is ever the end. It's inspiring to me because when you're confronted by something terrible, you always feel like its the end of the world. However, this song acts as a melodic reminder that pains and failures isn't what defines you, and one day, you'll look back on it knowing you made it through. Another aspect of the song that inspires me is the lyric "the movie's always running in my head, all the people, all the lovers, all my friends." I find solace and inspiration in this lyric because it's a reminder that the love and happiness you had will still exist within you. I don't quite know how to describe it, but the idea of everything in my life surrounding me constantly reminds me that everything has formed me into who I am. It reminds me to think about my impact and trying to make it positive as people will remember.

I'm always incredibly thankful for everything in my life. I have had so many opportunities and experiences that some people will never have, and I try to think about that every day. I try to show my thanks for those moments by working as hard as possible or taking full advantage of them. I feel as if you don't do this when experiencing things in life, then you aren't showing proper thanks. If someone else would work harder or be more appreciative, you aren't doing it correctly. However, the thing I try to live with the most gratitude for is my mother. My mother has helped me through everything in my life. She made sure I got an amazing education, the best opportunities, and that I was never without anything I needed or wanted. I almost feel like it's impossible to show gratitude to her because words cannot express the sheer multitude of what she has done. However, I feel like I'm coming close to living with gratitude. Firstly, I'm going into medical research partially for her because I want to focus on Multiple Sclerosis, the disease she has. I'm going to cure it for her. Additionally, I want to buy her the bookstore that she has always dreamed of. She helped so many of my dreams come true, it's the least I could do. Gratitude is a hard thing to define and express, but I'm trying my best to bring it with me in everything I do. I want to show gratitude to those around me by taking full advantage of the opportunities I'm given and changing my mother's world. It's a hard thing to live up to and accomplish at times, but it'll not only be good for the ones you're showing gratitude towards but also yourself.

For years, I felt lost. I was watching people around me in middle and high school knowing exactly what they wanted to. They were going to be a pediatrician, an ortho surgeon, a theatre director, and a myriad of other things. However, I felt alienated because I didn't know what I was going to do and how I would apply the knowledge everyone said I possessed. This enormous pressure just kept building, and people talk about this eureka moment where they finally figured out what they were going to do. I didn't have that moment, but over time due to different concepts and moments in my life, I began to figure out exactly what I wanted to do. Through chemistry courses, my mother's Multiple Sclerosis, and my intense interest in mystery and puzzle solving, I was able to figure out what I wanted to create and how I wanted to impact the world around me. I wanted to create cures and treatments for the diseases that affect people across the world especially Multiple Sclerosis for my mom. Everything I do, I do it for my mother. My mother inspires me every single day because she made so much from so little. In short, she came from a terrible home, but she managed to build a nice life around her with three successful children. She never let the obstacles of her childhood and her Multiple Sclerosis stop her from being a great person and helping so many people around her. She was there for my friend when their house burned down, and she helped my best friend for 5 years now get the medical help she needed. She inspires me to be a better person everyday because she never let anything stop her even if it was something that would halt an incredibly strong person. She reminds me that no obstacle is permanent unless you let it be. The pain and hurt may still exist, but you can't let it define you. I've become a better and better person with every moment that I spent with her because she inspires me to always work harder for myself and others around me. Additionally, her constant helping of other people even if she didn't necessarily have the means reminds me that we should always do our part to help others around me. If you help others, it will eventually come back to you in a time of need. Back to the aforementioned cures and treatments, that is the technology I want to contribute to the world. Technology isn't just flying cars, robots, and your phone, but it is simply the application of scientific knowledge. Therefore, I want to apply my love and knowledge in science to better people's lives. Scientists struggle every day because of the puzzles of science and how to cure these diseases. However, I want to combine my love of puzzles and science in order to revolutionize the scientific world. I've already started on my work by working with a research lab to learn about and treat lung damage, and I want to continue that work for the rest of my life. As I said, my biggest goal that I will accomplish in my lifetime is to find a cure for Multiple Sclerosis. Due to its status of being an autoimmune disease, it seems daunting, but I'll do anything for my mother. I think the impact of my work on the world is rather obvious because if I manage to cure or treat these diseases, the lives of so many will be improved.

"You are only as strong as your weakest link." I live by this motto because someone isn't truly trying to change the world or do better without uplifting those around them. I employ a host of different methods in order to encourage the people around me. Firstly, I also offer help no matter if it's with schoolwork, talking about feelings, running to the store for them, or a variety of other things. I think this is an interesting method of encouragement because by being there for others, you are encouraging the same behavior in others. Additionally, when people know they have someone they can rely on, they are encouraged to keep going and work harder in life. Another thing I do to encourage others around me is help them come with a plan when they're stuck in one of life's many problems. It can be a great form of encouragement because it helps encourage them to move past the problem and do better. Lastly, I try to bring the same energy to every achievement no matter how big or small. In the world, you always feel like someone is doing better than you and it could be a damper on your mood and spirit. However, for those around me, I bring the same energy to everything to combat this to make them feel special and encourage them to keep moving forward. If they see someone is genuinely happy for their achievement, they'll want to go further. Everyone needs encouragement no matter how big or small it is, so I hope everyone tries to make a bigger effort to encourage everyone around them not just the ones closest to them.

My name is Cole Weber, and one day, I'm going to cure Multiple Sclerosis for my mother. Other than that, I'm the world's biggest Taylor Swift fan, as I've been a fan since I was six years old. I also enjoy reading romance novels that make me believe in unattainable ideals and fantasy novels that make me dream of a world that doesn't exist. Additionally, I absolutely adore Gilmore Girls and talking exactly like them at the behest of those around me. I also am proudly gay and know far too much about drag competition shows.

I live by the maxim that change never happens lying down. Through this maxim, I stay committed to speaking my mind because I believe that change can always occur and is needed. I believe that everyone was put on this planet with a purpose and our own individual identity, so why should it be silenced? I stay committed to speaking my mind because if I'm working somewhere or am a part of something, I have a seat at the table. If you have that seat, you should use it because some people may not have that seat quite yet. I hope it helps people from facing the frankly terrifying experience of speaking out, and change is made from my words. Also, I've found that speaking your mind has positive effects quite often. People enjoy when someone is confident and driven; additionally, people are often too scared to speak out on the same thing that you're speaking about. Therefore, you'll find support where you never expected it, and change for the better can occur. Also, speaking your mind is important to staying true to your identity. As I mentioned previously, everyone has a purpose and identity, and if you don't speak your mind, you're compromising your identity in my opinion. When I'm afraid of speaking my mind, I like to remind myself that I'm not living authentically to who I am.

My career goals, the concept of fun, and literature are all primary concepts that influence and fuel my life at all times. Firstly, my biggest career goal is to cure Multiple Sclerosis. I'm currently studying Biomedical Engineering at the University of Michigan, and it's an intensive program. I've already faced many pitfalls and obstacles when it comes to finding research and not having the same opportunities as others. However, when I'm feeling dejected by the events, I'm reminded I will cure Multiple Sclerosis someday especially because it's for my mother who has my disease. If I give up, I won't change my mom's life. Another huge motivator in my life is fun. I firmly believe that everyone's life should have a bit of fun in it no matter where you are in life. Life isn't meant to be miserable, so I try to always have fun. I try out different things like disc golf, new tv shows, and a variety of other things to make sure I'm having fun. I believe it's hard to get through life and achieve your goals if your life doesn't have any semblance of fun. It's important to balance your work and life at all times because we've all seen The Shining. Lastly, literature plays a huge role in my life. I've been a voracious reader ever since I was a child, and it fuels me because it causes me to examine and analyze the things around me. It's an odd source of fuel, but it keeps me interested in the world around me and allows me to romanticize life to an extent. I find new ideas in literature in life, and it has continually enforced curiosity and appreciation of everything since a young age.

Since I'm on Christmas break, I've actually been contemplating my life so far and all the factors that led to where I am and what I plan to do. Often, I find for a brief moment that I regret doing something or regret a missed opportunity, but I've had a great life all things considered. I made the most of my opportunities even though they weren't plentiful, and I even created some of my own to get where I am now at The University of Michigan. However, I think the part of my life that has shaped me and my hopes for the future is the focus in life on health and medicine. As a child, I was no stranger to doctor's offices. I personally have Tourette's, Thalassemia, Acrocyanosis, and ADHD. Yet, my mom has Multiple Sclerosis, and I had to spend time with her at appointments often. I think my interest in medicine really stemmed from these experiences, and now, I want to create medicine and treatments from everyone. Not only did I see my own and my mom's pain, but I also saw the pain of the people in the waiting rooms. It made me realize there was nothing better than finding something to ease someone's pain and make their life better. My biggest goal is to cure Multiple Sclerosis for my mother, and that goal would obviously not exist if it weren't for my mom. It's saddening that my mom suffers from the disease, but I hope to change the world for the better because of it. I have found throughout my life that good can be derived from any place or person if you are willing to do it, and I apply that to everything I do.

When I committed to the University of Michigan, I was incredibly excited for many aspects of the school. However, as a future medical researcher, the undergraduate research opportunities present were too good to pass up. I applied to and was accepted to the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program, and I was tasked with finding a research project. I should've known it was too easy, as finding a research project was one of the biggest obstacles I had to face. As someone who plans to do research, I didn't want to let go of this opportunity. However, every time, I applied to a project I was rejected due it already being full or my schedule not working. I applied to nearly 30 projects with no positive response because of many factors. I never stopped applying though because I needed to do research and learn the different skills. I did several interviews which led to nowhere, but I used the interview experience to get better and better to secure a project. I was nearly at my wits end when I applied to an incredibly interesting project on Lung Repair. It took a few days, but I finally got a reply. She invited me for an interview, and we talked about her project. It was perfect. A few days after the interview, I reached out and found out I was accepted to the project. I had told myself that if I didn't get this project I would give up. However, I could've given up far earlier like many of my peers did. Luckily, I stuck out and got an amazing research project. I now have a lab for my entire undergraduate career, and I will be able to coauthor many research papers which is amazing experience.

As an eighteen year old, promoting equality and diversity can be incredibly hard due to a lack of true power in the world. However, I have been lucky enough to hold some positions that have allowed me to promote those two ideals. For three years, I was Quiz Bowl Captain. Previously, the activity had been male-dominated, so I worked to promote and bring women into the team. My endeavor was successful, and the team now has several women that are making our team so much better. Additionally, I'm a tech assistant/tutor at a local virtual academy. All of my coworkers were white, so I tried to bring different races into the workplace. Now, my workplace has different races tutoring the kids which is great, as students of different races will have someone that looks like them to help them. It is important for children to see people who look like them to see people in positions of power and education in my opinion. While the plan hasn't been fully set into motion because of my age, I do have a plan for when I become a medical researcher to promote equality and diversity. When I've established myself in my career, I hope to open my own research lab where I plan to hire scientists from all backgrounds and identities. My plan hopes to combat the scientific field being dominated by white cisgender straight males because I believe there is so much knowledge and innovation waiting to happen if we hire equally.

Confidence is a hard concept to pinpoint because it varies from person to person, and it tends to take different forms based on a variety of situations. However, confidence, to me, is the ability to do anything you want, within reason, without worrying about the gaze of others or what people may think. Additionally, to me, confidence entails not questioning yourself or your decisions. When I was younger, I fit all of these criteria of confidence perfectly. I never cared what others thought nor questioned myself. However, as I grew up, I faced bullying and general societal pressures, so that confidence I once held began to dissipate. I've really began to turn it around though because everyone deserves confidence. Firstly, I always ask myself, "Would people really care?" I find that I, and others, find ourselves worrying about aspects of our perception that no one truly cares about. If I want to wear something daring or interesting in public, is it really going to cross people's minds? Often, the answer is no. Additionally, to boost my confidence in not questioning myself, I try to make one decision a day that I don't spend hours questioning myself about. It helps me not only make a decision confidently and with ease, but it also often has a good result. It causes me to see that confident decisions can have a great impact on my life. Lastly, I try to do something mildly ridiculous at least once a week. People do want to have fun and be silly, but once again, society makes them believe that they're a deviant for doing so. I try to do something a bit outrageous to boost my confidence and prove to myself that society doesn't care as much as you think they do.

I find beauty in almost everything because I believe there is good and light in everything even if it seems to be the contrary. To me, nature is always beautiful because it is often pure and uninterrupted. Firstly, nature is a place of peace to me because it allows me to have a break from humanity and its influences. A lot of the world's problems are caused by humanity, so it is nice to have a break from that in the form of nature. I get to look at trees untouched by humanity and the unhindered symmetry of nature. It offers a constant beautiful relief from the perils of humanity. Additionally, I appreciate nature for the fun outings it can inspire with friends. My friends and I love to go to "The Arb" at my college together for a group outing. Nature has also inspired many other outings with my friends whether it be a hike or tubing. Nature promotes peace and fun not only within yourself but also with your friends. I try to appreciate nature in a variety of ways. Firstly, I never try to destroy or harm nature while I'm in it. I take special care to make sure nature is left exactly how I found it. Additionally, I support conservation and efforts to reduce climate change because you don't truly appreciate nature if you're not trying to save it. Appreciating something is also wanting to save and preserve it.

A goal of mine is to become a Biomedical Engineer with a focus in pharmaceutical engineering. My biggest goal within this is to cure Multiple Sclerosis for my mother who suffers from the disease. It's a lofty goal, but I know I can do it because I will do anything for my mother because she has done so much for me. I'm already working towards that goal by joining a Multiple Sclerosis lab group and conducting medical research at my university. Another big goal of mine is to have a family and nice home. It's a much simpler goal than my previous; however, I want to have kids one day with my future husband. I've worked with kids as a tutor a lot, and I want to raise one to hopefully change the world. Children are always our future, and I want to contribute to it. Additionally, I want a nice home with my family because I love to decorate, and I want to be able to design the decorations in my home. I have so many ideas of gorgeous rooms with different themes and inspirations. My last goal is to learn how to fully sew and make my own clothes. I'm obsessed with fashion and clothes; however, without paying thousands, I can't drees how I truly want. So, I want to learn to make all my clothes for more diversity and interesting clothes. Additionally, it's great for the environment because fashion is one of the biggest polluters, so I would be cutting down on my contribution to pollution. .

Sometimes I still struggle to relax. As a college student and living in current times, it can be overwhelming to simply exist. However, I have several ways to relax, and often, I have to employ them at different times based on my mood and state of mind. Firstly, for relaxation, I can always turn to reading. I tend to read primarily fantasy books for two reasons. The first reason is they are typically entirely devoid of characteristics of the world I live in. There are aliens, fairies, and so much more that allow me to stop thinking of modern problems. Additionally, fantasy novels are typically complex, so I have to immerse myself fully into the novels allowing me space and rest from the outside world. I have ADHD, so I always feel a little bit antsy. However, I found a way to combat this while still relaxing. I like to either sew or cross-stitch. It's a repetitive process, so it isn't particularly difficult. However, it still keeps my hands busy and allows me to feel like I'm still accomplishing something. Lastly, music is another mental health caretaker and relaxation method. I listen to a lot of music, so I'm always able to find solace in the way that I'm feeling with a song on my playlist. Additionally, sometimes I just have to dance to music. I put on my most up-beat songs and just dance around my room for hours. I always feel better and more relaxed, so I know I can count on it for a mood boost. Relaxation is hard in modern times, but it is possible if you can find something that allows you to fully immerse yourself into it.

My bucket list is incredibly broad and diverse, but I plan to complete all of it within my lifetime. Firstly, I want to travel to as many places and countries as possible. I want to learn about the different cultures and traditions across the world and see the absolutely astounding sights. The world is meant for exploring and appreciating. I'm not as far along as I hoped due to the pandemic; however, I have been to Canada and many states and cities across the United States. Once I graduate college, my mom and I want to go on a backpacking trip throughout Europe just like in Gilmore Girls. We're already planning it, and I cannot wait until it reaches fruition. On my bucket list, I also have a long list of things I'd like to do at least once. Some of them are riding a roller-coaster, jet skiing, tubing, going to at least once concert for each of my favorite artists, and doing an insane obstacle course. However, broadly, I want to try everything at least once. It doesn't matter if its scary or expensive. I just want to feel fulfilled and cultured by the end of my life. I haven't done most of these on my list; however, I do have tickets for Lorde and Conan Gray this upcoming spring. I will be making progress towards that bucket list item quite soon.

In the future, my biggest goal is to cure Multiple Sclerosis. My mom was diagnosed in 2012 with the disease, so I strive to cure it for her. I'm already getting started with this goal because I am a part of a Multiple Sclerosis research team. I play a small role right now, but as I advance through college, I'm sure I'll be able to take on a larger role. Additionally, I'm currently doing laboratory research in lung repair. It gives me the needed lab skills and teaches me the ins and outs of medical research. Additionally, I'm part of the Multiple Sclerosis Awareness club at the University of Michigan- Ann Arbor, so I'm also doing community work with M.S. I have another huge goal to be financially stable after college and to be able to afford a comfortable life. I'm currently achieving this through working three different jobs throughout college. I do web design and formatting with a local virtual academy, secretary and mail work at my college, and lab research. These three jobs will allow me to afford an off-campus apartment in the upcoming years and pay more money towards my tuition. This plan will decrease any student loans I have to take and also allow me to save money for after college. It benefits me both short and long term.

I didn't have to study during my earlier schooling because I found the classes not challenging. However, as I entered college, I realized good study habits are incredibly important, and I have now created a study plan that has allowed me to thrive in college. Firstly, I try to dedicate at least 15 minutes a day to every class that I'm taking. Sometimes, I do a few practice problems or read a few pages in my textbook, but I have found it keeps my brain from forgetting aspects of the subject. Additionally, I learn something new or work towards mastering a concept which is incredibly important while studying. Another study strategy I use is index cards. While studying for an exam, I make "cheat sheet" notecards where I write tips, definitions, and strategies for the test. I like to do them in bright memorable colors because they say if you write in a colorful pen, your brain will remember the material better. I have found this strategy to be beneficial because it allows for comprehensive studying without incredibly taxing note-taking. I have two more study strategies that go hand in hand. On the day of the test, I don't study. It tends to overload your brain, and you will be tired of the material by the time you take the test. Additionally, I take many breaks during studying. The brain is prone to overexertion, so I combat that with small breaks throughout my study sessions. Studying can be incredibly difficult, but there are so many strategies that anyone can find something that works.

While working and studying in college, I find it is hard to devote time and energy to hobbies. However, whenever I have free time, I devote myself to my two favorite hobbies: reading and playing video games. They may be common hobbies, but I find a commonality between them that assists in my enjoyment. The books that I love to read are fantasy series with political themes and intense magic systems. I find it fascinating because I just want to learn about new things and study human behavior, and I believe these series encompass that. I'm currently reading the Dune series, and I find it fascinating how they can blend these relatable characters with complex fantasy systems. I find similar solace in video games because I tend to play games in a similar genre. I tend to focus on RPGs or story-heavy video games, such as Final Fantasy or Resident Evil. A commonality I have found is they all have complex lore and systems that allow me to constantly be entertained. Part of me wants to learn about different things constantly, and I feel as if these games and books allow me to do that by allowing me into their complex and nuanced worlds. Another thing about my humanity is that the video games and fantasy series I read tend to have a basis in science. It makes a lot of sense because I do plan to be a biomedical engineer, so I can explore aspects of the science I plan to spend my life doing with the enjoyment of a hobby.

Growing up, bravery seemed to be a wild and unattainable concept. To be brave, the media portrayed it as you had to jump off cliffs to save people or run into a burning building to achieve that. However, I think bravery is a lot simpler than that. Bravery can be as simple as standing up for yourself or others against unjust and unfair things. I practice bravery every day by always standing up for myself. My mom raised me to always question things and to never take anything lying down, so I do just that. If I know something is unjust or wrong, I'll stand against it vocally. Sometime it's scary to stand up against people especially authority figures; however, if it's the right thing to do for myself or the people around. For example, I was once in a production where they were mistreating several cast members and members of my own family, and I stood up to the people in charge demanding fair treatment or I would walk. They refused, so I walked away from that production. I think that moment was true bravery because it was terrifying to approach someone who I had previously looked up to with a request like that, but I knew it was worth it for the people around me. No one deserves to be mistreated, and the brave, and right, thing to do is stand up against that. Bravery is terrifying at times, and often, there is a price to pay for it. However, bravery is worth it when you're protecting your morals or the people you love, and I know it will be worth it one day. Bravery will get you much further because it proves you know what you want and care for and will do anything for it.

I think everyone can have a different meaning of life. The meaning of life may vary between the different things find passions in, but to me, the meaning of life is constantly finding joy and having fun. I feel if you make the meaning of life simple and attainable, then your life will be so much better. I try to seek my meaning of life in a variety of ways. Firstly, I never say no when my friends ask to hang out or do something fun. My friends fill me with so much joy, and I always have a blast with them. So, I try to never say no because then I would be denying myself joy and in turn the meaning of life. Additionally, I try to push the boundaries of what I know and love. Often, joy can be hidden in places you never expected or are too afraid to try. I try something new about once a day, and I think its not only opened up my horizons but brought me considerable joy. Additionally, I often have fun with the new things I try, so it fulfills both criteria of what I consider to be the meaning of life. Lastly, I do something I really enjoy for at least 30 minutes a day. Often, I find myself getting caught up in schoolwork or my job, so I make it an effort to find "the meaning of life" by dedicating time everyday to something I know I enjoy. The meaning of life is complex and varied; however, I think it's easily attainable if you simplify it. I find the meaning of life through joy and fun, and I know I'll be thankful that I tried to achieve it every day.

When I was a child, I just loved to solve everything. I would read books about dinosaurs to figure out what happened to them, I loved Scooby Doo, and I even figured out the "mystery" of reading by figuring out how the words my mom said corresponded to the page in front of me. While I loved solving mysteries, my interests lied in chemistry and medicine; however, I found a way to apply my love of mysteries to chemistry and medicine. I want to become a Biomedical Engineer with a focus in pharmaceutical engineering. Essentially, I want to research and create treatments and cures for the variety of illnesses that plague our planet. I want to solve the mystery of how to fix these ailments. My biggest goal is to cure Multiple Sclerosis. I want and will do this because my mother suffers from the disease, and I want to help her as much as I can. She facilitated both my interests in mysteries and medicine, so I want to do it all for her. Additionally, research into Multiple Sclerosis is incredibly important because it is an autoimmune disease, so the research and cure could be used across the variety of autoimmune diseases. Curing and treating diseases is a tedious and long line of work. However, I'm more than excited to do it for the possibility of helping my mom and solving mysteries. I may not catch the spooky miner haunting the town, but I will solve the mystery one of the world's biggest problems: disease.

I was incredibly fortunate to have scored a perfect score on my ACT during my junior year of high school. I studied for hours and learned the test inside and out; however, I didn't want all of that time to go to waste on just me. So, I started offering free tutoring to individuals who were financially struggling and couldn't afford ACT tutoring. With my tutoring program, I raised several different peoples scores and saw scholarships increase tenfold. I even created a Google Classroom during the pandemic where I would post ACT practice every day for people to do to help boost their scores. I quite enjoyed this act of service because I was able to apply something I knew and enjoyed learning about, and I helped many different people go to college. I didn't just focus on ACT tutoring. I offer tutoring or academic help in most other areas to people who needed it. I let people know they could text or call me if they ever needed academic help, and many people took me up on it. I actually had just helped my friend Amelia with some math problems she had before her exam tomorrow, and she seems to have a much better grasp now. I helped people pass math courses and raise grades that suffered because of the pandemic. My acts of service actually led to a job at a local school tutoring children that I still have to this day. I think it's a waste when people have a lot of academic talent or knowledge and don't share it, so I'm glad to share the knowledge every day. I'm able to help and boost students every day, and it brings me true joy to do so.

Throughout my life, I've found it quite easy to find passion in the things I enjoy. I passionately enjoyed doing schoolwork, reading, building LEGOS, and so much more, but I've found something that I'm endlessly passionate about. I'm passionate about helping my mom and bettering her life in any way possible. I'm endlessly stunned by the things my mom has accomplished with the hand she was dealt. She became pregnant with me at nineteen years old only a year after she left her abusive parent's household, and she raised me and my two sisters, that came later, amazingly. She gave us so many opportunities and let me flourish and grow with as much as love and acceptance that anyone could ask for. All of these factors influence what I want to do for my mom. Firstly, my mom suffers from Multiple Sclerosis, so I'm purposely going into medical research with plans to cure it for her. Additionally, my mom has always dreamed of owning a bookstore, and I'm going to get it for her. I already have a plan in motion to save up money, so I can buy her the bookstore she has always dreamed of. I want to pay her back in the best way possible after everything she has done for me. These two things are just the beginning of the lifetime of things I want to do for her. I can't think of someone more deserving.

People often don't realize that active listening and "listening" are entirely different things. I learned a while ago that unless you make an effort to actively listen even if you were "listening," people will think you either don't care or are not listening. The basic idea of listening is paying attention to someone while they are speaking or even beyond that "listening" to their actions and emotions. You listen to actions and emotions through noticing and paying attention to changes or unique things that change in those two aspects. However, active listening is making changes in your behavior, doing things that reflect you listened, or something else to show you are "actively" engaging in the conversation. Personally, I make a strong effort to actively listen to the people around me. Firstly, whenever I'm listening to someone speak, I try to do little actions to show that I'm listening while they're speaking. Additionally, after they have finished, I try to address everything they talked about in my response to show that I was paying attention to everything they said. Also, I show I actively listen by changing my behavior if its warranted. For example, if a friend has an issue with something I've done, I show I've listened to them actively by changing the behavior that upset them or making it up to them somehow. Listening sometimes feels like its a dying art, but it is nuanced and still possible. You just need to understand the basics of listening and how to actively listen. You won't only see an improvement in your relationships, but also in yourself if you decide to fully commit to listening entirely.

Ever since I was a kid, I dreamed of leaving a mark on this world. I wanted to be remembered for something I did and immortalized in history. However, I toiled with how I would accomplish this. Would I go to the moon? Would I cure cancer? Would I design amazing buildings? However, I figured out how I would leave a lasting impact on the world when my mom was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. I figured out after spending hours in medical appointments with her that I wanted to contribute to medical treatments and cures especially in Multiple Sclerosis. There are a lot of ways to tackle this lofty goal. However, in my freshmen year of college, I've already started. Firstly, I've joined a lab research team in lung repair. I will get a multitude of lab experience, and I will begin to also learn the ins and outs of treating diseases in a lab. Additionally, I'm part of a lab group focused on Multiple Sclerosis where we discuss the illness, and some members do clinical research we discuss. Yet, I do have plans for further on to accomplish this task. I plan to get a PhD in Biomedical Engineering with a concentration in pharmaceutical engineering. With this degree, I want to lead my own research team in discovering and synthesizing the cure to Multiple Sclerosis. I want to combine all the different scientific techniques and disciplines because I think that is the best way to find a cure. The impact I want to leave on the world is ambitious and large; however, I know I can do it. I will do it for my mom, and I will follow the plan I've already set into motion.

For years as a child, I was terrified of the future. I didn't know what it would bring, and I wasn't sure of what I wanted to do with my life. However, after some fantastic science teachers and living with my mom, I realized exactly what I want to do in the future. I want to get a PhD in Biomedical Engineering to create a cure for Multiple Sclerosis. I want to cure Multiple Sclerosis for my mother who suffers from the disease, as she raised me through so many difficult circumstances. I cannot think of a better way to pay her back. Additionally, I know the cure to Multiple Sclerosis could lead to breakthroughs for treatments/cures for other autoimmune diseases. The impact on the world could be huge, and it could end the suffering of millions. I cannot think of dedicating myself to something better. When I'm successful in curing Multiple Sclerosis, I want to continue looking into other diseases and curing or providing better treatments from them. The money I get from working in this field I plan to use to buy a bookstore for my mom. She has always dreamed of owning a bookstore, but she has never had the financials to do. I want to help her with this dream because even though I'm already going to cure her Multiple Sclerosis, I still want to bring as much joy as possible to her life. In terms of scope, my goal for the future is rather lofty and ambitious. However, I'm determined, and I don't let a challenge stop me especially because it's all for my mother. If these goals are all I manage to achieve in my lifetime, I will be extremely content.

During my senior year, I was elected senior class president. I was ecstatic, for a while, I enjoyed doing the job and led the senior class to great achievements. However, problems started to arise when we got closer to graduation/prom season. My senior year happened during the pandemic, so we had to think of safety at every event. However, due to being in a state where they practically denied the existence of the pandemic, I faced backlash for wanting to prioritize safety. Some of my fellow students and even council members thought that I was acting outrageously for not sanctioning graduation parties and a full prom because of the pandemic. Honestly, it hurt to see people I had called friends for years turn against me, but I stuck to what I said. I didn't let their rude words sway me wanting to keep my fellow students safe. I wish I could say that the story resolves beautifully where we all realized that we could compromise or I was in the right, but it didn't. I left senior year hated by a good chunk of the student body, even being called homophobic things over social media at graduation. However, I persevered through this situation by graduating and sticking close to my true friends. I had a small but close group of friends after that, and I'm now in college. In college, people realize the importance of safety, and I'm not demeaned for being gay. I have real friends who don't turn their back at me trying to prioritize safety.

The beauty of joy to me is the many different definitions and ways to find it. Often, humanity thinks of something as having a finite answer and method to get something, and as a scientist, I often fall into that same method of thinking. However, it is clear that joy is truly indefinable and limitless. To me, joy is fully losing yourself in the moment, and you begin to forget about the stresses and lows in your life. The main way I seek out joy is never saying no, to a certain extent. Often, friends want to hang out or do something fun, but it tends to have a financial or time toll that people worry about. However, if you are constantly worried about money, it'll be hard to find real joy. Therefore, when people want to do something or make plans, within reason, I never say no because I could miss out on an entirely joyous occasion. Additionally, I try to do something that I like every day. We as people get too caught up in the daily stresses and tolls, so I try to dedicate at least 30 minutes to something I know brings me joy. It could be a video game or lunch with friends, but I know I'll leave those 30 minutes more joyous than before. Joy is mindless fun and becoming absorbed in something to where you forget about anything. Joy is family and friends. Joy is walking with your best friend while you shop, and the snow is flurrying around you. Joy is limitless and constantly around you.

For years, I thought that you could make everyone feel loved in the same way, and any gesture would make anyone incredibly happy. However, I have found that you often need to adapt your methods to the specific person to truly make them feel loved. Some people prefer to spend time with you while others prefer a gift that reminded you of them. While it takes a while to learn the ins and out of what makes someone feel loved, it is incredibly important to me to make everyone around me feel loved. The person I always want to feel loved is my mom. She is so amazing, so I've learned the different aspects that make her feel loved. Firstly, whenever I can, I go shopping with her because she loves shopping, and she mentioned that she really loved doing so with me. I try to take time whenever I visit to take her to her favorite stores. Additionally, I live far away, so I text her good morning and good night and little updates about my day. I know it makes her feel loved because she feels included even from so far away. My friend Ben is entirely different though because he doesn't seem to be into gifts and such. However, I notice that he loves quality time with people. I try to go on a weekly walk with him, so he feels loved and cared about. I want him to know that I'm paying attention to him and what he loves. Love is confusing concept, but with enough time, you can figure out how to make someone feel loved. It's an important aspect of life, and I'm glad to have learned how to individually make everyone in my life feel loved.

Giving is important to me because everyone does it to you every day. I often like to think about where I would be or if I would be as happy or successful if it wasn't for others helping and giving. I realized that I would nowhere if it wasn't for people giving me opportunities, time, and energy, so I want to pay everyone back who has helped me. However, I also want to help people who didn't help me. I believe that giving has a domino effect often, and I want that domino effect to continue. Giving is also important to me because sometimes we don't realize how much a little gift or help can push someone towards greatness or to the place they need to be in life. There are many ways I give. I often buy little gifts to give to people that remind me of them. I also help them out with whatever they need whether it is moving, taking out their trash, or helping them clean up. Yet, in my opinion, I give back the best with my academic tutoring. I am lucky enough to have received a great education and the opportunity to study and score incredibly high on the ACT, but I didn't want all that time I devoted to go to waste. So, I decided to give back to my community by offering free ACT tutoring. I got to see scores and scholarships increase dramatically after my tutoring, so my giving is having great effects. Giving is one of the best and most important things that someone can do, and I will continue to give every day of my life. With a simple gift, you can change the world and I cannot think of something better.

There are so many simple pleasures in life that I could spend hours naming all of them; however, after reflection, they all make me happy in the same way. The simple pleasures in life often let me forget about the stresses and tribulations of daily life, and they let me bask in the moment without any interference. I remember at lunch the other day while chatting with a few friends we started talking about the variety of games that we played in elementary school. We talked about all the different types of tag, and we eventually got onto the topic of four square. Instead of reminiscing more, we decided to actually play four square. In those moments, I felt so free because I was simply worried about moving to the top square. The stress of my organic chemistry exam was gone entirely, and I could just worry about the present moment. I have a lot of other simple pleasures though. I love long walks with my best friend while we talk about whatever crosses our mind. I love listening to Taylor Swift in the dark with just my fairy lights on. I love driving around right after it rains and listening to my playlist I made for those exact moments. I love waking up to a chilly room and walking around the room barefoot. The beauty of simple pleasures lies in their ability to take you away from the common problems. Their simplicity doesn't require much thought or effort, so you can simply live in the moment. The idea of letting go of your stresses for just a moment seems nearly impossible, but simple pleasures can aid in that letting go and a better life.

While I find often too much blame is put on the individual for the rapidly changing climate, I still think it is important to reduce pollution and your carbon footprint. There are a variety of things I do to accomplish this goal, and I hope that they impact our planet. I also hope other people do the same things. Firstly, the thing I try to do most is walk everywhere. Cars provide an insane amount of pollution, so I want to reduce my use of my car as much as possible. If I am able to walk somewhere, I do it. As an extra bonus, I get some exercise which is always great. Also, I try to recycle as much as possible. Luckily, my university offers a comprehensive recycling program, so I've been contributing to the recycling of materials more than ever. Additionally, I've been trying to reduce my consumption of meat, as I know that the meat industry is a heavy pollutant in our planet. If I, and other people, reduce our consumption of meat, then they will stop manufacturing as much. This will lead to a heavy decrease in pollution and animal cruelty. Lastly, I try to educate as much other people as much as possible. I teach them the ways in which I try to positively impact the climate, but I also teach them how there are heavier polluters, such as corporations. I hope to inspire both personal and political change. Our climate is changing rapidly, and it seems terrifying. However, if we enact personal and political change right now, we can save our planet and make the world a much better place.

Technology is defined as the practical application of scientific knowledge; however, we often only view technology as computers, phones, and things of a similar nature. Yet, I have a piece of technology that I'm incredibly excited about that is in testing currently. The HIV vaccine is my most anticipated piece of technology, and its benefits and implications could truly change the world. I have a personal connection to the HIV vaccine as a gay man. While I don't suffer from the disease, I know several people who do, and I face many of the stigmas related to HIV. For example, most sexually active gay man are barred from donating blood. I'm so excited about this vaccine because I think it could lead to destruction of the stigma around gay man, and it would truly change so many peoples lives. While the vaccine only stops people from contracting HIV currently, I hope through research it can be expanded to help people who currently have it. This expansion could change so many lives and lead to the eventual eradication of HIV/AIDS. Also, in the 80s, I know the people who suffered during the epidemic would be in awe of a vaccine only 30 years in the future. Additionally, it brings me so much joy to know that people who suffer from the stigma around the disease will finally have a reprieve. Another aspect of the vaccine that is exciting is the mRNA aspect. While we saw the use, and success, of mRNA vaccines with COVID-19, I'm interested in the implications of the use on more permanent diseases. As we know, HIV progresses into AIDS which is an autoimmune disease. Personally, I plan on entering medical research to cure Multiple Sclerosis for my mother who suffers from it. If the HIV vaccine is an entire success, it could impact autoimmune research monumentally. While HIV isn't technically an autoimmune disorder until its final stages, it could still offer valuable insight in how to stave away autoimmune disorders, and through that we could discover how to treat people who already live with them. As a future medical researcher and humanitarian, the HIV vaccine is one of the most exciting things to ever happen in my lifetime. I hope that it lays the groundwork for so many different breakthroughs in science from treating people who suffer with HIV to people who suffer from autoimmune diseases. This vaccine could change the world, and one day in the future, I would like nothing more than to be on a research team that brings about the same amount of possible change.

In my sophomore year of high school, I was elected as Varsity Quiz Bowl Captain. Frankly, I was a bit confused why. I had only one year of Quiz Bowl experience, and there were members with more Quiz Bowl and leadership experience. However, I didn't let my mild confusion stop me from doing what I know I needed to: lead the team to success. While deciding my leadership plan, I needed to figure out what good leadership was. I consulted several people including my mother, the senior class president, and a fellow Quiz Bowl team member. They all told me different things, but from their words, I managed to formulate an idea of good leadership. Firstly, as a leader, you need to listen. You need to listen to people who are above you, as I did with the people I consulted. Additionally, you need to listen to the people who you are leading. At the end of the day, what you do affects them the most, so you need to listen to their ideas and critiques. Secondly, being a good leader is knowing who you are leading and playing to their strengths. For example, in Quiz Bowl, we had six members. Two of the members were fantastic at social studies, one was fantastic at practically everything, two were fantastic with literature, and one was fantastic with science. I decided to play both to our strengths and overall strength. Our panel only allowed four people, so I chose one social studies, one everything, one literature, and one science person. It allowed me to feel covered in all aspects of the competition while showing that I understood and knew the strength of my team. Lastly, I think great leadership is challenging and helping the people you lead. Our previous captain didn't really engage our Quiz Bowl members, so I challenged them with reading new articles and trying out different types of questions. It was a challenge at first for them, but it eventually helped them. They learned about a wider variety of subjects, and they improved immensely. In my junior year, just one year after taking over as captain, we won the school's very first championship title. It was hard fought, and I'm incredibly proud of our team. Leadership is important to me because I love to help people and see them succeed. I think one of the most effective ways to help people is to lead them. You can lead them towards more knowledge and better practices, and it makes me incredibly helpful because I feel as I have made a genuine impact on their life. Additionally, I think good leadership causes a rippling effect that leads to better things in the world and great leaders. For example, one of the Quiz Bowl teammates that I helped a lot throughout high school eventually succeeded me as captain. Leadership is a complex topic, but I am incredibly proud of my time as a leader in Quiz Bowl and the effects it had.

I always keep a growth mindset by looking at the results. We as human beings tend to live in the moment, which there is nothing wrong with, but it often leaves us feeling dejected and useless. Whenever an obstacle crosses our path that we don't know how to overcome, we crumble and fall apart. However, if you look at the results in your life, you will always be willing to grow. If you know that something good will eventually come out of the hard work and trials, you're going to be more willing to keep growing. Additionally, I often find myself doing things that I detest, so I try to cut those out of my life. This often stops our growth mindset because we hate the things that we're trying to grow in. At first, it sounds like a quitter's mindset, but it makes sense. Why would you waste your time doing the things you don't like? It'll not only make you not enjoy learning and growing, but it'll also take away from the things that encourage your growth mindset. Often, we need to realize our limitations and wants because that is an important part of keeping that growth mindset. If we constantly do things against our wants, the growth mindset will fade away. Lastly, I keep a growth mindset by trying to do something new every day. If you try to do something new every day, you will grow in both knowledge and experience. I find it encourages the growth mindset because you look forward to growing and trying something new. By doing things we enjoy, reveling in the results, and trying new things, we can always foster and encourage a growth mindset.

Patience is important to me because nothing great happens in a day. When I was younger, I was incredibly impatient, and I expected everything great to happen moments after I put in the work. I became reliant on instant gratification. I began to realize the slow burn joys are much better. Patience allows me to gain more joy out of everything in life. When you wait for something great, I tend to enjoy it a lot more. The pay-off of a long period of work or waiting is much better than instant gratification. Patience is also important while working with other people. After working with a tutoring company, I realized the extent to which people work and think differently. It made me realize that practicing patience with other people is incredibly important because people may not have the same opportunities or thought processes as you. However, if you practice patience, you can see that person succeed, and you may be able to change their world. Lastly, patience is incredibly important for adulthood. The adult world is incredibly slow, and some processes take forever. Patience is incredibly important because there is almost no instant gratification. You have to get used to long waits for proposals or funding, and if you don't learn patience, you will struggle a lot as an adult. There are many ways in which patience is important to me because it is important for being an adult, working with other people, and bringing joy in your life. I hope everyone realizes the importance of patience and tries to work on improving it every day.

Everyone is born with a quality/characteristic that distinguishes them from everyone around them. It may be musical talent, artistic talent, or another important characteristic, but everyone has one. In my opinion, the characteristic I value most about myself is my ability to work hard no matter what I'm tackling. Throughout my life, I refused to give up on something no matter what because there is always a solution or way to do something. I'm proud of my ability to look at challenges head-on and tackle them because it has afforded me so many good opportunities. Also, in a world that is rapidly changing, having a skill that can be applied to so many things is incredibly beneficial. My mind tends to do the best in STEM subjects; however, my ability to work hard allows me to thrive in other fields such as teaching, writing, and public relations. I think one of my most notable instances of demonstrating my hard-working personality was in my 10th grade Talented and Gifted Academics class. We were tasked with creating a vessel for a marble to travel from Point A to Point B, but we were only given a cup, a piece of string, and paper clips. It was a test of physics, and physics isn't particularly my forte. However, I tried over and over and over again until I finally got it right. My teacher even remarked that she had never seen someone so determined to solve a project. My determination and hard work are incredibly beneficial for my life journey for reasons that I mentioned previously, but it is also incredibly important for my chosen career: biomedical engineering. I want to go into Biomedical Engineering, specifically cure and treatment research, mainly for my mother who suffers from Multiple Sclerosis. My main goal is to cure Multiple Sclerosis for her. To achieve this goal, my tenacity will be incredibly important. There will be many long days in the lab and days where it seems like there isn't a solution in sight. However, I will continue to try different techniques to solve the problem. Medical research can be grueling and tedious; however, I plan to tackle it head-on and change the world. It also requires a lot of incredibly difficult schooling especially being in the engineering discipline. I plan on working through those classes no matter how many hours it takes or if I have to seek out different avenues than expected to help me in these classes. It may a daunting task, but I'm willing to take it on to help my mom. Hard work, in my opinion, is not only how well you try to tackle the problems in front of you but also the ability to figure out and workshop problems that you aren't familiar with. In life, I'll see a myriad of both of these concepts, so I'm incredibly grateful for my determination and ability to work hard at anything. With this ability, I plan to change the world not only for my mom but for everyone else with Multiple Sclerosis by curing Multiple Sclerosis no matter what it takes.

My best skill is my ability to work hard and work through an issue no matter how hard it is. Throughout my life, I refused to give up no matter what because there is always a solution or way to do something. I'm proud of my ability to look at challenges head-on and tackle them because it has afforded me so many good opportunities. Also, in a world that is rapidly changing, having a skill that can be applied to so many things is incredibly beneficial. My mind tends to do the best in STEM subjects; however, my ability to work hard allows me to thrive in other fields such as teaching, writing, and public relations. I'm improving my ability to work hard by tackling things that I know I'm not good at. It allows me to improve because I'm forced to work through the failures and pitfalls. Additionally, whenever there is a small victory, I'm allowed to rejoice in that and realize the benefits of hard work. I've been working on photography recently, and I'm not artistically inclined. However, I just keep taking more and more pictures trying to figure out exposure, angles, focus, etc. It's hard when something doesn't go as planned, but I simply just figure out a different way to tackle the problem at hand. My mother always tells me that I refuse to give up because I'm far too stubborn, but I think it affords me benefits and opportunities that would have been impossible without that determination. I'm proud of my skill of working hard because sadly enough, it isn't that common nowadays. It allows me to stand out.

My favorite way to help others is through academic help and tutoring. Often, people struggle in academics due to subjects, teachers, and a myriad of other things, and it is difficult to find the proper help. Sometimes, the proper help is hidden behind a massive cost barrier that makes it impossible for lower-class individuals to get the help they need and deserve. So, I like to offer my time and help in different subjects, standardized testing, and the creation of study tools. Throughout high school, I made so many different study tools to help my classmates, and often they said that it helped immensely. It gave me the utmost satisfaction to know that my work was making an impact. Additionally, I offered cheap or sometimes even free tutoring on the ACT. So many collegiate scholarships can be awarded solely based on the ACT, so I dedicated so much time to helping people with the different subjects they struggled in. Math and Science were the subjects I helped with the most. I was able to see scores go up in front of my eyes, and colleges awarded thousands of dollars in scholarships to the students I helped. I think academic tutoring is my favorite way to help others because I get to watch them grow and do better. Also, sometimes they receive these amazing opportunities from my tutoring that allows me to see I am genuinely bettering lives and hopefully changing the world. There is no better feeling than getting a text saying they aced their test after you spent hours studying with them.

There are so many things that the world needs to hear because it has far too many problems. However, I have an incredibly simple sentence that I wish I could tell the whole world: communicate! While it is only one word, I think its message needs to be heard. How many problems in our world arise due to communication errors? Shakespeare tried to tell us about what happens when you don't communicate centuries ago with Romeo and Juliet, but humanity isn't listening. If I share this sentence with the entire world, so many problems could be avoided. We could have relationships that prosper because of proper communication, better relations amongst world powers, and a myriad of other benefits. Additionally, I think communication could bring us closer together as people. If we took the time to not only say our feelings and beliefs but also listen to other people's experiences, we may have a better understanding of humanity as a whole. This communication amongst people could lead to true equality in our society which is ideal. Lastly, communication is something that is just generally important for our daily life, so my message is eternal and always pertinent. Communication is key. It's not just a boring adage.

Often, people want specific things to leave behind as their legacy, but I have found that life is never that simple. There is one specific goal I hope to leave behind as my legacy; however, I have more general goals to achieve now. Firstly, my specific goal is to cure Multiple Sclerosis. My mother suffers from the disease, and I want nothing more than to cure it. If this is the only piece of my legacy that I leave behind, I will be content because I know that I helped the person who meant the most to me. However, I have a more general legacy I hope to leave behind as well. Primarily, I want to have helped people throughout my entire life. I don't think there is anything nobler than helping people because you are bettering the people you are helping, and in turn, you are bettering the world. I think that every action has a domino effect related to the action. Therefore, if I spend my life helping people, it will continue to domino effect, and I'll make an intensely helpful impact on the world. I mainly hope to help by creating medicine and cures, but I plan to practice it in small ways as well. I want this to be my legacy because I will be content in knowing that I tried to better the people around me. I won't have to worry about whether or not I will be remembered because the rippling effects of my actions will be traces of me throughout the world.

My daily source of motivation is my mother for a myriad of reasons. Firstly, she is the reason that I'm entering the field that I am. She suffers from Multiple Sclerosis, so I want to pursue Biomedical Engineering with a plan to cure her Multiple Sclerosis. Whenever I'm struggling with college coursework or such, I can just think about how much I'd like to change her world, and I'm motivated to work through it. Additionally, her Multiple Sclerosis offers a different sort of motivation. Even though the disease has left several scars in her spinal cord and brain, she continues to be active, does the things she loves, and not let them impede her daily life. Her power motivates me because she is case and proof that you shouldn't let hardship stop you, and you can work through any obstacle, no matter how hard. Also, my mom and I have this special connection where our brains just complement each other perfectly. She motivates me because often she helps me figure out a problem I'm having or gets me through a creative or academic rut. It's motivating to have this because whenever I'm having an issue I know that my mom is there to help me through it and to offer me guidance when I need it. Lastly, my mother motivates me in terms of how I care for people. My mother had a rough childhood, but she didn't continue the behaviors of her parents. She cares so deeply about the people she loves, and it motivates me to bring that level of care and love not only to the people around me but the things I dedicate myself to. My mother is a constant source of motivation, and I'm so thankful to have her in my life.

I didn't realize it until I started my job at a local virtual school, but I've found that I'm a natural caretaker and helper. I've found this helpful because it's helped shape some of my current activities as well as my future career. Firstly, there is no one on this planet that I want to help more than my mom. She has helped me through so much and offered me everything to get me ahead and help out. So, I want to pursue medical research as a career for her because I want nothing more than to cure Multiple Sclerosis. Due to my natural helpfulness, I am determined to help someone until they're satisfied, so I'm going to cure Multiple Sclerosis for my mother no matter how hard it is. Additionally, my natural helpfulness has allowed me to become a Community Center Assistant at my university. Not only does it allow me to make some money, which is great, but it also allows me to help people every day. I always feel amazing after I help someone because I feel like I made a genuine change in the world. However, I've also had to pay attention to the people that surround me ever since I came to this realization about my helpfulness. People like to take advantage of people who are helpful often at the detriment of said person. I have to be mindful to make sure that doesn't happen to me, but I manage. I've learned to balance my helpfulness while not letting myself suffer from my helpfulness, but I'm happy that I've learned this about myself. It has truly shaped my future and who I am.

Last Saturday, my friend Ben and I decided to take a walk around the Arboretum on my college campus. It was a simple experience because we just walked around and admired the changing nature around us; however, it brought me a sense of peace and happiness that was unmatched. For an hour, we sat at an overlook and just relaxed. I think the tranquility of nature along with having my best friend by my side allowed me to let go of my current struggles and worries and bask in the beauty of nature.

Healthy eating and exercise are incredibly factors to a long and healthy life. However, I don't think it is the key factor to living a long, healthy life. In my opinion, the best way to pursue a long, healthy life is to destress your life. A scientific study once said that increased stress takes off years of your life. In our modern world, everyone is incredibly stressed. However, that isn't helping anyone pursue a happy life. So, the best way is to pursue health is to find ways to destress. One of the best ways to do that is to learn time management. I used to be terrible at time management, but after I started college, I needed to change that. Once I made the change by learning important time management, my life became so much happier. I was able to dedicate time to things that brought me happiness compared to one of my many responsibilities. Happiness is key to being healthy. Additionally, another way to destress is to let go of unnecessary tasks or responsibilities. Projects that take up your happiness and time are a major stress factor, so cut them out of your life. Once you make that change, your stress will decrease exponentially. This will in turn lead to a longer and healthier life. Stress is one of the most common feelings in our current world; however, we don't address nor manage it. However, time management and cutting out of draining projects or concepts can change your life forever. If you cut out stress, your lifespan will increase, basic science.

There are so many things in life that make me happy. Taking long walks with friends, nature, books, food, and watching television all make me quite happy. However, one thing brings unmatched happiness: music. Ever since I was young, I've felt this intense draw to music, and I constantly listened to it. My favorite artist ever since I was 6 years old was Taylor Swift, and I still love her today. The composition, lyrics, and production of her songs bring this intense happiness because it is so pleasing to my ears. Additionally, there is a sense of community amongst Taylor Swift fans. We all theorize about her album drops, the meanings of her songs, and a myriad of other things. A sense of happiness is brought to this community because it's nice to know some people love something just as much as you do. Other musical artists bring similar feelings to me notably Troye Sivan, Olivia Rodrigo, Lorde, Phoebe Bridgers, and more. I think this happiness caused by music is mainly brought on by the relatability often found in music. No matter the genre, you can always find a song that just speaks to you. Happiness is often found in relatability. Lastly, there is nothing better than an upbeat song on a bad day to pick you back up and remind you that there are better times ahead. Music wraps you in a blanket of your choosing and can entirely change your mood. Music is the biggest source of my happiness and the most dynamic.

The iconic drag artists The Boulet Brothers always say that drag is art and art is subjective. Ever since I started watching RuPaul's Drag Race, I've become enamored with drag artists and the art they create. It isn't your typical painting or sculpture, but if you think about it, it is. The makeup is a painting, and their outfits are the sculpture. The look from one of my favorite drag artists Sasha Velour attached below is inspiring for a variety of reasons. Firstly, I think drag art, in general, needs to be included more in the definition of art, and I think that idea can be applied to a lot of things in our world. I'm inspired by the idea that we need to broaden our views of not only what art is but also many other things in our world. It's a message of inclusivity and love. Also, I love the devilish iconography in the image. Queer people have been villainized for decades, so I think it is incredibly clever to use that villainization to create something beautiful. Sasha Velour's look inspires me to take the things that are thrown at me and spin them into a positive. Reclaiming things that hurt you is important for healing and growing as a person. Lastly, the choice of no hair is also inspiring. It encourages beauty ideas that aren't normal in society and proves that anyone no matter how they look can be beautiful. It reinforces the idea that beauty is universal. It doesn't lie in one type of look.

During the summer of 2020, I started to take on the role of a mentor. I was employed at a local online academy to help tutor kids who had fallen behind in academics due to the pandemic. I helped them massively with their grades, and they were able to go on to the next year in school. While it was nice to know that I had a positive impact on their academics, I wanted my mentorship and help to have a different impact than that. I hope that the mentorship I bestowed upon these children will encourage them to help other students. I am currently a student, so I hope that the example I set will help these children begin to branch out and help their classmates. If they follow this example, we could see a rippling domino effect of students helping each other out. This could lead to a massive boost in academics and comradery in the future generation. Another impact I hope to have is an innate curiosity. While I was a mentor, I encouraged the students to ask questions, learn more about the world around them, and always seek more. I want the students to continue these practices onto everything in the world because curiosity leads to discovery. If they continue to be curious, they could discover something amazing that is would change the world. I think mentorship is a delicate task, but I believe that it can cause a domino effect that can truly change the world.

I've had a torrid relationship with friendship. In elementary school, I was practically friendless and bullied relentlessly, but now in college, I have a plethora of friends. I've had a lot of time to reflect on what friendship means to me, and it's hard to put into words. However, I think some key ideas represent friendship's meaning. The key detail to friendship in my opinion is communication. If someone is going to be your friend, they need to understand the importance of communicating their feelings and thoughts. People fight and have disagreements. It's normal. However, how someone communicates their feelings about these disagreements is crucial to the survival of a friendship. Friends need to be clear in how they relate their ideas and feelings because ambiguity and passive aggression lead to the downfall of a friendship. Also, as a friend, you need to be willing to forgive, in most cases, because people make mistakes. Another key detail of what friendship means to me is to enjoy each other's company. As friends, you should be able to enjoy time together even if it's not a wild activity or something along those lines. Friends need to be able to enjoy sitting in a room together while playing on their phones or just having a meal together. It seems like bizarre criteria of friendship, but if your friendship is only built off of doing crazy things together, is it the friendship you like or the activities? Also, comfort with someone is a key feature to friendship, and enjoying the mundane with someone is comfort. Friendship is one of those intensely nuanced concepts, but I think communication and comfort are incredibly important to the start and survival of a friendship.

In my senior year AP Literature class, we were given a project to choose a novel out of a list she had prepared. We were supposed to read the novel and write an essay about it. I decided to overachieve and choose three novels to read: Frankenstein, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and Never Let Me Go. I adored all of the novels, but Never Let Me Go has stuck with me ever since. The novel tackles a group of school children who are raised to fulfill a mysterious purpose that is revealed slowly throughout the novel. However, I found inspiration in the way they lived their lives. The purpose that they had to fulfill was tragic, but they never stopped it from letting them have fun, forming relationships, and enjoying their short life. There is something beautiful in that because our future seems uncertain with the looming climate crisis, and it made me realize the importance of finding joy in things even if the world is falling to pieces. I found another piece of inspiration in the way that they cared for each other. Even though all of their lives were going to be tragically cut short, the characters in the novel loved each other dearly. As someone who cares a bit too passionately about my loved ones, it was inspiring to realize that it was okay and encouraged to hold everyone around you tightly. You never know when things are going to rapidly change or end, so it is important to cherish the people you love and make sure they know how much you care. While the novel does have a heartbreaking ending, I still find the final moment one of hope, and I'll always remember that in the desolation of everything, a single glimmer of hope remains.

Back in high school, I threw myself into my academics at the expense of my mental health. I constantly had the best grades in the class, but my mental health was terrible. I almost worked myself to burnout; however, once I started college, I wanted to change my practices. Firstly, I focused on making sure I do something every day that I enjoy. Simply, I watch a movie I like or spend time with friends, and my day becomes so much better. Ever since I focused on doing something good for myself every day, my mental health and outlook on life have increased exponentially. Additionally, I take mental health breaks from classes when I need them. Two weeks ago, I had a Calculus midterm in the evening, and I spent the entire weekend studying for it. I was so worried about the exam, but hours before the test, I skipped my Chemistry lecture, not a big deal as they post it online, and took a walk through the arboretum near campus. It distressed me, and I ended up getting a perfect score on the midterm. Sometimes, taking a break from the stresses in your life can make your life and grades so much better. Lastly, I take a walk every morning around campus. The fresh air and exercise boost my health and outlook on life. I've noticed a major improvement in how I see the world ever since I started practicing these methods of self-care daily. I think I'm finally working past the academic burnout of high school, and I'm finally enjoying life fully and not relying on academics for validation and happiness.

When I did theatre, my dream role was taken from me because of the cruelty of other people. Not only did I lose the role I worked so hard on and dreamed of getting, but I also lost a majority of my friends. I had grown to love so many of these people because of my time in the theatre, but now, they hated my guts. After that night, I practically had to start over. My mother always taught me that nothing changes if you sit there and wallow. I picked myself back up, and I started making new friends. I connected a lot with my friend Seth during this period because we were already friends but not very close. However, I got to know him a lot better during this time, and I’m very lucky to still call him one of my best friends. I also love to participate in extracurriculars, so I decided to join a new one: track. I absolutely detested track. I like running and such, but I found out I had chronic shin splints during this period. I was miserable. However, I made a lot of new friends during this period, and I learned a lot about teamwork in different spaces that I now use in every space that requires it. Because of Track, my friends realized I did enjoy physical activity, just not track, so I was invited to join the tennis team. Tennis ended up being one of my favorite things to do. I eventually reconnected with some of my friends when I explained to them what happened in detail, and we took our time in repairing those relationships. Whenever something bad happens now, I take a moment to take it in, and then I figure out how to fix the problem.

My favorite scientist of all time is Alan Turing. Firstly, he is the primary reason that we won World War II because he cracked the code; additionally, he set the standards for what computing is today that is still relevant in today's day and age. However, his most important aspect to me is his sexuality because he was gay, like me, and I think it is phenomenal to have someone who shares an identity with you accomplish such great things. He was a victim of his time's prejudices; however, I want to continue his legacy by being a proud LGBTQ+ engineer who changes the medicine world similarly to how he changed the world of computing.

From age 6, I was a huge Taylor Swift fan. I was obsessed with every song of hers and the stories behind them; however, it gave me a completely unrealistic view of romance and love. I grew up with these ideas of wildly romantic first kisses and stunning romantic gestures. When I entered the world of romance, I learned that romance isn't like a Taylor Swift song. I think I've moved past being a hopeless romantic especially after a particularly bad relationship, but that's okay. Through the rejection of what I thought love would be like, I have found inner peace in life. I realized the importance of not only loving yourself but also platonic love. Ever since I changed my perspective on romance, my life has been so much better. I spend a lot of time with friends just doing the things I love instead of worrying about finding a boyfriend or who my next kiss will be. Self-contentment is rare nowadays, so I'm glad I found it through my changing perspective on love. While love may not be like a Taylor Swift song, platonic love and self-love are far more important. Once people begin to realize that, their life will improve drastically.

Looking Up by Orion 1. State of Grace by Taylor Swift 2. In a Dream by Troye Sivan 3. Love Me 4 Me by Rina Sawayama 4. Idle Town by Conan Gray 5. Happier than Ever by Billie Eilish 6. A World Alone by Lorde 7. Begin Again by Taylor Swift

In the popular Disney movie, Inside Out, they introduced the concept of core memories. They were memories that shaped who you were and taught you important skills or traits that would continue for the rest of your life. When I watched that movie for the first time, I examined what my "core memories" would be, and I think after a lot of thought, one sticks out to me: the time I had to leave my dream role in Willy Wonka to stand up for my family. In my sophomore year of high school, I got my dream theatre role of Charlie Bucket in Willy Wonka, and I was over the moon. I learned all of my lines in one week, I took special vocal lessons to perfect the songs, and I was the first to every rehearsal and the last to leave. My mom wanted to be involved with the musical, so she offered to help build the sets. However, the theatre teacher started disrespecting my mother constantly about the sets and her in general, and it even extended to my sisters who helped out with the sets on occasion. It came to a head two days before the show when the teacher did something particularly vile, and I chose to leave the production. At the end of the day, acting roles are opportunities and fun, but family is what matters. It taught me the importance of sticking to what you believe because if I wouldn't have left, my morals wouldn't have been reflected. Additionally, my family meant so much more to me than a, in retrospect, silly role. I lost so many friends because they viewed me as a traitor, but I go to bed every night knowing I stuck up for the people who mattered.

Before I even knew I was gay, I was bullied for being effeminate and having "gay traits." I was bullied to the point where I hated these aspects of myself, and to this day, I'm still unlearning some of the hatred and rhetoric spewed my way. However, I'm in a much better place now than I once was, and I'm trying to be authentic as possible. Firstly, I've started to paint my nails constantly. That sounds like such a little thing, but I love the look of painted nails. I used to be terrified of painting them because I was scared of what people would say or how they would perceive me, but now I don't care what they think. If someone is going to genuinely judge and berate you for nail polish, they are troubled and don't deserve to take up any space in your mind. Secondly, I am trying my best to be unapologetically queer in any space I'm in. I don't try to hide my identity or any traits that people perceive as gay anymore. I talk about boys I like, pop artists, drag queens, and many other things. If people are averse to the things you enjoy and judge you for that, it's just so ridiculous. Imagine if I started being rude to people because they like football, the idea is just so asinine. Lastly, I wear whatever clothes I want to wear. Fabric doesn't have a gender, sex, or anything like that. It's a piece of cloth. I believe that this culture of judging people for wanting to wear clothes that aren't in their "gender binary" needs to stop, so I wear whatever clothes I want. If I think it looks cute, I'm going to wear it.

Often in finances, people focus too much on the present. They worry about buying luxuries for themselves now instead of focusing on where they will be financially in the future. That's why I think the most important financial lesson that I've learned is to invest. This seems like a really basic financial lesson because everyone will tell you to invest in stocks, a 401k, or something along those lines. However, a lot of people neglect this advice, and then they're at a disadvantage in the future. Investment is incredibly important because it gives you a financial future. If you take a small amount out of your monthly check or use holiday money and invest it in stocks, a CD, or the numerous other investment options, the value of your investment will continue to grow. No one loves anything more than free money especially when the money doesn't have to do anything except sit there. Investment is incredibly easy nowadays especially with the invention of apps that you can easily invest money into some stocks, and the app will monitor it for you. If you listen to the people around you and invest, your later life will be so much easier. You'll be able to retire without constantly worrying about finances, and everyone deserves peace when they're older. So, after you finish reading this, go invest in something that makes sense for you, you'll thank me later.

Everyone dreams of influence and power. They believe that they'll be the ones to "really change things" or not be corruptible. However, we have seen time and time again that this feat is almost impossible. I want to be the one person who would not change when I get a chance in the spotlight, so the main thing I would stand for is animal rights and the end to animal cruelty. Firstly, this cause is incredibly important because animal abuse happens every day right in front of our eyes. For example, Sea World notoriously abuses their orcas and animals, yet they're still open. They need to be shut down. The world also needs to expand laws to protect animals because so much animal abuse is legal under the law. Also, I would stand for animal rights if I were given the chance because I think it is one of the only things that isn't corruptible. Animals are the purest thing on this planet because they love unconditionally and care so much about the things around them. I think if someone is given the chance to be highly influential, it would take the darkest of hearts to turn their back on animals. Lastly, my mother taught me how to love and take care of animals, so it would also be for her. I know how happy she would be to see someone with influence fighting for things that can't fight for themselves. It would fill my heart with the utmost joy knowing I could make her proud.

I believe that so many people have this mildly flawed idea of independence because they want to seem strong and capable. Yet, it leads to problems because they think they need to cut people out of their life to achieve this arbitrary goal of independence. However, I have an entirely different view of the concept because I believe that independence is being able to function and accomplish what you want on your own. You can be in a relationship or not physically alone while being independent in my opinion. You don't have to be physically alone or cut off from everyone to achieve independence. Independence can have a profound impact on someone's life because it causes you to become in tune with your needs and what works best for you. When you start to take care of yourself and accomplish your own goals without other people's interference, you start to realize who you are truly, and you realize that some of the ideas imposed upon you in your youth don't work very well. Independence also has a different impact than you realize the importance of having other people in your life. I was so excited to start college a month ago because the idea of being completely independent and such was novel. However, I quickly learned that you need a support system in college because having people you can rely on will give you the help you need when you ask. They will also step back when you ask giving you that sense of independence once again. Independence is a constantly evolving concept, and it can be different for everyone. However, the root of it in my opinion is knowing who you are and what you need.

In a world of cryptocurrency, internet businesses, and a multitude of "get rich quick" schemes, financial advice is bountiful and sometimes flawed. However, I still managed to garner a piece of financial advice from my mother that I'll take with me everywhere: take the risk. It's a broad and varied piece of advice, but it works. My college tuition is expensive, but my mom told me "take the risk." Sometimes with financials, the risk will be quickly outweighed by the reward. I'm only a month into my time at the University of Michigan, and I'm already establishing research and business connections that will benefit me in the many years to come. The risk can also be as simple as buying something small. For example, I bought a $30 signed Taylor Swift CD yesterday because I wanted it. That purchase was a "financial risk" because I didn't need it. In a financial pinch, I could sell it for much more than I paid, and I could turn this risk into a reward. I'm a firm believer that everything comes at a price, so it makes sense that this can apply to financials. Life changes constantly, and the risk you took could blow up immensely. People who initially invested in Bitcoin were told that it was a major risk, but who's laughing now? Don't deny yourself happiness or an opportunity out of fear of failure. Risks are necessary every day, and it may seem scary. However, your life will benefit in both financials and in general if you "take the risk."

My dream life is a mixture of simplicity and complexity because I only desire three things. However, these three things are incredibly hard to achieve. Firstly, my dream life is one where I have cured Multiple Sclerosis. My mother suffers from the disease, and I wish nothing more than to cure it for her to repay her for everything she has ever done for me. Honestly, if I did this, I would be so content with my life and living my dream. Not only would I be able to stop my mother's pain but I would also be able to stop the pain of millions globally. My research and cure could lead to more treatments and cures for other autoimmune diseases. Another aspect of my dream life has to do with my mother as well. Another dream of mine is to buy my mother a bookstore. She has dreamed of nothing more than owning a bookstore for her entire life, and I would like nothing more than to provide that for her. She deserves it more than anything, and bookstores are dying. We need more than ever. Lastly, my final dream is rather simple: a family. I want a good husband who truly loves me, and I want a kid who I can raise to also change the world. I want to pass on love and knowledge to the next generation, and I just want to be so happy to go home every day to two people who I love. If all of these things were to come true, I would simply think I was in heaven because I would be living the dream.

It has been repeated to "look at the silver linings," becoming a tired maxim. Yet, I ascribe to the belief. I always remember whenever you come across enemies or a tough puzzle in a video game, you are going in the correct direction. Whenever I'm going through tough times, I just remember that challenge is simply a hurdle on the way to better times. There are so many maxims about how nothing good comes easy. I agree with that statement fully. If everything good came easy, the world would be entirely different. Hope and joy lie on the other side of any toughness. Additionally, I take solace in the fact that I'm not alone in my feelings. The internet has allowed me to meet and discuss shared situations with people. Some people think that the idea is wallowing in grief or sadness. However, humanity is constantly striving for a connection. If you find someone you connect with over something even if it's not amazing, it can bring joy to your life. It truly does get better. I learned that sometimes things are only bad because you are letting negativity overpower your entire life. Whenever my friends are going through a rough time, I look at them and say "Is this going to matter in 5 years?" It always brings a sort of comfort because it puts the problem to scale. I believe everyone should think that when something has gone wrong.

What I love most about myself is my desire to help other people. I find immense pleasure and peace in constantly helping people whether it's buying them food, helping them with homework, or a myriad of other things. I always want to be a helping hand for everyone around me because sometimes people don't have someone they can depend on, so I want to be there for the people who don't. I love this trait of mine so much because it makes me feel like I'm having a major impact on the world. Since I was young, I worried about the idea of impacting the world and whether or not I would be remembered. Yet, I feel that my constant desire to help people gives me this sense of purpose because I know even if it's little things, it could have a major impact on someone's life. Additionally, I find happiness and love in the idea that my actions could have a positive domino effect. The help I provide someone could lead to something bigger than I am in a long chain of events and even if I don't know it, I can rest easy knowing that my actions can have such positive effects on our world even if they seem small to me.

The pet's name in the photo is Atticus Nibblesworth. In the picture below, he is snuggled up in some blankets watching tv with my sister. I recently left for college, so they've been sending me a multitude of photos of Atticus. This photo is so adorable, and it gives me warmth knowing that he still Is living at the height of comfort even while I'm away at college.

In our rapidly changing world, the chance to reflect and change is rare. However, when the pandemic struck in March 2020, ample time was presented to reflect and change, and I had a major political and social awakening during the pandemic. Previously, I was aware of many social justice movements and supported them, but I didn't understand them. Yet, being stuck at home gave me the chance to read first-hand perspectives and educational sources about these movements. The time at home also gave me time to reflect on things I was saying or doing that were having detrimental effects of enforcing racist, transphobic, xenophobic, etc. standards. I think the pandemic has made me into a much better person because I claimed I was a humanitarian before the pandemic, but the pandemic allowed me to actually come into that role and actively change the world for the better instead of hoping that it would get better. Also, it helped me realize the intersection of my career path of medicine and the racism in the medical community, and as a researcher, I want to destroy the barriers that BIPOC face and help work to fix the wrongs committed by the scientific community.

Romeo dying because the messenger didn't inform him of Juliet's fake death is an iconic example of miscommunication in media that everyone knows. While people delight in the chaos of Romeo and Juliet, they fail to see the reflection of the biggest problem in the world: lack of communication. The world is constantly suffering from disasters and massive consequences because people refuse to communicate. Personally, once I started to realize the consequences of my lack of communication, I started to communicate literally everything, and my life has taken a drastic upturn. I feel that if everyone started to truly communicate with each other even if it starts small, we could see actual change in the world because we would be able to communicate. This communication could lead to teamwork because we would actually see and listen to contrasting views, realize what problems exist in different communities, and a myriad of other things. This teamwork could lead to amazing changes in the world we live in. Also, I believe that asking questions is a great way of communication because how many times have we seen someone terrified of asking a question leading to a drastic consequence? If we took time to ask questions and clarify, it could lead to far fewer errors and human failures. Instead of conversing with people to get to know them, people often form prejudiced views of someone, and it is another example of failure in communication. If people actually talked to each other and got to know who someone is without a baseless judgment, the world could change for the better. Communication is truly key, and I wish people would see that as the truth instead of a useless idiom.

What started as a simple fantastical heist turns into a deep look into social class, race, and prejudice in a fantasy world in Roshani Chokshi's The Gilded Wolves. The book is the first in a fantasy series set in 1800s Europe and it follows a group of six "outcasts" who are enlisted to steal a fantastical object. While the idea of melding magic and group heists isn't unique in Young Adult Fiction (Six of Crows is another great example of the work), it is in its characters that it shines. The cast features several BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and neurodivergent characters. The inclusion of these identities is amazing because many times fantasy series neglect to include that level of diversity within the works. With these character's identities, it examines the role they not only play in the magical society but also in 1800's Europe. It's a fascinating blend of politics, culture, and magic, and I think it is an important conversation to be had about discrimination and prejudice that lacks in many other fantasy stories. What I also adore about this book is the character interaction's because you see the different dynamics between the entire group but also between the individuals themselves. Romance, hatred, friendship, and other emotions play a key role in the development of the heist and the characters, and I love it when the characters are extremely detailed and three-dimensional. It makes the story relatable, and I think it takes the work of a true genius to take a book set 200 years ago with fantasy elements and to make it relatable.

My favorite scientific discovery is the Covid-19 vaccine. I may be biased since I witnessed the discovery actually happening in real-time, but it also shows the marvels of science. In less than a year, scientists mastered a vaccine to help combat the infectious disease ravaging the entire planet. The vaccine has proven to save lives and stop serious cases which is amazing. Also, the technology of the mRNA vaccine is amazing because it is genius. It allows for people who are immunocompromised to get the vaccine because there is no dead virus in the vaccine instead it is simply programming your body to make the antibodies. What I like most about the development of the Covid-19 vaccine is the unity that I saw. Governments put forth money, people volunteered, and scientists worked tirelessly to develop this vaccine, and I think it's amazing because it shows what humanity can accomplish if it works together. Humanity is incredibly divided nowadays even over this vaccine, but a glimpse of unity was seen with the vaccine. I hope this unity persists, and it leads to further scientific developments. Another interesting aspect of the vaccine to me is the education it provided. Due to the development of the vaccine in a short period of time, so many people learned about the different aspects and meanings of an mRNA vaccine and what it can accomplish. I think scientific education is so important since it permeates every aspect of life, so I'm glad that so many people learned about a small aspect of science. With the development of the Covid-19 vaccine, I hope that the life-changing developments continue, and I know one day as a medical researcher, I will be a part of it.

My photo submission represents school spirit because it shows a drive to go further to benefit your school. My class was competing in a school spirit sports-themed contest, and I knew we needed to go further than simply dressing as baseball players or something like that. I took it a step further and dressed as the baseball, and I think that encompasses school spirit because sometimes you need to take it farther to truly show that you are spirited. It also shows a level of creativity and fun that I think is also incredibly important.

Little things matter when you try to change the world. Whether it is holding the door for someone, picking up a lost card, or a variety of other things, they can have a huge impact on the world because it inspires kindness and help. While I try to incorporate small acts of kindness to boost my positive impact on the world, the biggest impact I want to have on the world is with my future medical research. I plan to cure Multiple Sclerosis for my mom but also the thousands of others who suffer from the illness. I want to genuinely change lives for the better and I cannot think of a better way to accomplish something like that then curing diseases. I'm also hoping that my work will cause a domino effect by creating a foundation for other autoimmune diseases, so my work will spiral and can cure a variety of other diseases. I can go to bed at night feeling accomplished and at peace knowing that I saved people from suffering and pain. I cannot think of a more fulfilling career. I'm aware that my positive impact on the world is lofty, but lofty ambitions need to exist. Otherwise, nothing huge will be accomplished. We need people who want to accomplish monumental tasks, and I hope that when I cure Multiple Sclerosis, it'll ripple into inspiring others in taking on monumental goals because it is clearly possible. I want my work to have a true domino effect in life not only inspiring other scientific research but others. I know one day my positive impact will be achieved and I simply cannot wait for it.

Imagine saving the entire world by helping break the German code during WWII but then being chemically castrated for who you love/are attracted to. Unfortunately, Alan Turing doesn't have to imagine that painful situation that eventually led to his suicide. I admire Alan Turing more than anyone because he was a genius mathematician who not only cracked the German Code leading to the Allied Forces winning several battles, but he also created fundamentals for modern day computing including the infamous Turing Test. However, his achievements were wiped away due to him being gay and he was prosecuted for "homosexual acts" leading to his chemical castration. The British government was willing to mentally destroy someone because he loved men, but I admire him because even in the face of this, he still revolutionized science and was proud of who he was. He didn't deny his homosexuality even knowing the consequences of this admittance, and I think it is so admirable to have pride in yourself even if the entire world thinks who you live is disgusting. As a gay man who has faced scrutiny (not to his level of course), it makes me ecstatic to see someone like me make such lasting accomplishments. Also, as someone who wishes to make a mark in scientific history, I admire him for having such long lasting effects on the science of computing and mathematics. He also did intense interest and provided useful research into morphogenesis or mathematical biology. I also admire this because he didn't confine himself into one field of study and instead delved into a variety of topics. As someone who wishes to tackle many issues (social justice, medical research, etc.), I can look up to him and know it is possible.