When I was 14 years old, my mother was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. From the moment she came home from the doctor and told my sister and I this terrible news, my life was forever altered. After a long and difficult battle, she passed away in October of 2025. Throughout my mother's battle with cancer, she remained resilient and positive. Despite everything working against her, she continued to show love to her family, friends, and even strangers. I will always miss my mom. Some days I think of her and it doesn’t hurt. Other times, it seems impossible that I will survive the rest of my life without her. These hard days are excruciating, and I cannot imagine how I will ever stop crying. Grief is the most isolating experience in the world, but it can also bring people closer. We were well loved by those who rallied around us, and very well loved by our mother in the short time that she was able to be with us. She fought to stay much longer than expected, which was the greatest gift she could have given to us. The academic world isn’t designed to allow time for grieving, and I sometimes resent it for this reason. I view my commitment to continuing as a way to honor my mother and her strength. She is my biggest inspiration, and I strive to be more like her in many ways; her love for others, her selflessness, her honesty, her perseverance, and her gratitude. Pancreatic cancer is a terrifying diagnosis that is almost impossible to survive. I believe that it was her determination and love for my sister, father, and me that allowed her to live just over seven years after being diagnosed. There were no easy moments during these years, but she was consistently intentional about having joy. There are so many people that she inspired, both loved ones and even strangers going through a similar cancer battle. She found ways to laugh and love in the face of her pain and fear. She was proud, fun, exciting, and gracious. Cancer may have stolen her life, but it never quieted her spirit. After my mother's diagnosis, my uncle also got cancer and passed away tragically. Just in the last calendar year, my father had a series of strokes that left him disabled, my grandmother got cancer and passed away, my father got cancer, and my great aunt got cancer. Not only was my mother's strength shown through these trials, but my father's was as well. He continues to fight every day to treat his cancer and regain his strength. After losing so much in such a short span of time, many would grow to be cynical and hateful of the world. Instead, he chooses gratitude and love. Even today, as he continues to receive chemotherapy and is unable to live without support, he is still positive. In a world where so many do not have the blessing of a loving home, I am incredibly grateful to have had two parents who loved each other, their family, and others so fully. What I have gained in all of my losses is a strong sense of gratitude, understanding, resilience, and love. I am constantly reminded of my parents, and I strive to be like them. Cancer kills and destroys, but the gift of life, even a short one, is still worth the difficulty of living.

"3:00 PM: Cut fingernails, every Tuesday" may be the most intriguing alarm you will ever find on my phone. It is, coincidentally, one of the most used. The reasoning behind such a bizarre reminder is that I have piano practice on Tuesdays at 3:20. You may still be confused, which is understandable unless you, too, are a pianist. One of the most annoying things in the world is the clicking of overgrown fingernails on the keys. Mrs. Kaye, my piano teacher, constantly tells me to "curve those fingers." The only problem is that it is much harder to play with fingertips when your nails are too long. So, as a result, the alarm was set. All of this being said, it may be evident that I have been playing piano for a while now. I am going on my tenth year. Piano has been one of the many joys in my life. It is an outlet and a distraction when I have too many emotions. Also, I love the way it sounds. I mostly play classical music, but I also enjoy modern songs that have been adapted for piano solos. Two of my most recent favorites are from TikTok: Runaway by Kanye and What falling in love sounds like. I have many other hobbies: hiking, kayaking, painting, and tennis. However, piano takes the cake. I have been doing it the longest, and it is certainly a major aspect of my life. Funny enough, I was more proud of learning Solfeggietto than I was of being the Salutatorian of my senior class. I get a great sense of accomplishment and happiness from piano that I am grateful for. I believe hobbies are more important in life's satisfaction than grades or promotions. The excitement of having the best scores on the SAT will fade with time, but a good hobby can be carried and treasured throughout your life.