I have always had a great passion for nature, but recently have been able to discover a more niche interest in caving. I was introduced to caving through going on a trip with my friend (Trent) and his family. We visited a cave local to Kentucky called Raymond Cave, where I navigated the cave with just Trent and his dad. We had to shimmy through tight spaces, crawl through water, and even navigate cave canyons. While we were in the cave, we discovered a lost box turtle that had wandered far from home. Seeing as box turtles are not native to caves, the turtle would have had no food to sustain him and did not have the other resources he needed to survive. He was trapped in the cave as the entrance/exit had was a steep climb to get to. So, we carried him with us throughout our caving journey and eventually relocated him to outside of the cave where he was safe. We also discovered a frog that was not cave dwelling either. We attempted to carry him with us outside of the cave, but he sprung out of my hand and escaped back into the darkness. On our way home from the cave, we moved around 10 box turtles out of the road and to safety. Since then, I have gone on several other cave trips and really enjoy the actual trip and the feeling of accomplishment that follows. This was influential to me because it has expanded my love for the outdoors and the opportunities I can pursue related to it. Overall, I have a huge passion for sustainability and conservation. I have furthered this passion by becoming a vegetarian to reduce my carbon emissions, adopting a bee hive, and trying to avoid fast fashion and to instead buy secondhand. Along with this, I am the happy parent of a Yellow Bellied Slider named Todd and a Pacman frog named Dirt. I am furthering my passion by working for the Louisville Nature Center this summer in their Welcome Center to help greet guests, answer questions, help out with teaching when needed, and help out with office management. This fall I am going to Ohio University in order to study Field Ecology through the honors college to pursue my dream of becoming a Park Ranger. I hope to be able to do research while in college at a variety of areas and one day dream to do a tour of the national parks.

Throughout 2020 and 2021, the United States was in a state of turmoil over the brutal murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless other innocent Black people who suffered at the hands of law enforcement. I was more directly affect by this because I am from Louisville, Kentucky, the home and resting place of Breonna Taylor. Although protests took place all across the country, Louisville became a focal point for protests and media attention. I participated in multiple peaceful protests during this time, in my smaller local community and in the greater Louisville area. One protest I participated in was a student led one for my school district. At this protest, we discussed how these events had made students of color feel unsafe in not only our city, but our school systems. As our school has an officer at it at all times, it created a more hostile environments because of recent events. One of my friends who is a woman of color at the time expressed that she was scared to go on runs in her neighborhood alone because of the events that led to the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. It was a time that involved a lot of fear, but at the protest we discussed what we could do to help Black people in our community feel more safe. Another protest I attended in Louisville was held outside of the courthouse where they were voting on No Knock Warrants, which played a crucial part in Breonna Taylor's death. We chanted "No more No Knocks" in hopes that they would be able to hear us and we could influence their decision. Along with these on site protests, I wrote to my local representatives expressing my concerns. At the time, I was a member of the WE Day Youth Council and more specifically on the Mayor's Council. I got the unique opportunity to meet with Louisville's mayor, Greg Fischer, and directly ask how he planned to address over policing of Black communities, police brutality, and other distinct discriminatory practices in our city. Although the answers he gave did not satisfy the direct action the council was looking for, we were able to apply pressure and voice the concerns that youth in Kentucky consider prevalent. Through these experiences I have tried my best to be a strong ally to marginalized communities in Kentucky and throughout America. My time on the WE Day Council and participating in protests has had a strong impact on me because it has taught me not only the importance of speaking up for the unheard, but how a vital part of allyship is amplifying marginalized voices and making room for these groups to share their concerns. Rather than constantly attempting to have my opinion heard, I have tried to highlight the thoughts of those in my community who do not have a platform to voice their thoughts.

In November 2020, I attempted suicide. During the 5 weeks before my school was shut down, I watched my life unravel from an outside point of view. I was unable to control my body and unsure who was doing it. I could have never guessed that my 16 years of living with a general anxiety disorder and 6 years with clinical depression would finally reach their breaking point on what was just an ordinary Thursday afternoon. When I got home I made final preparations, I was comfortable with my life reaching an unextraordinary end, it felt fitting. My mom came into my room and told me my therapist had called her and wanted to talk to me. After a long conversation that ended with both my therapist and I crying, my mom and I headed for the ER. I was admitted into the Norton Children’s Hospital Psychiatric Facility where I stayed for a week. Through my stay at the hospital, I learned that people are a lot like plants. Each plant has its own needs. Similarly, humans have individualistic needs. My brain is different from a neurotypical brain, but that can be remedied. Outside of treatments such as medicine and therapy, treating myself with the kindness I provide to my plants has been essential for my recovery. I would not deprive my plants of what they need to survive, therefore I cannot neglect myself either. Similarly, when I begin to become overwhelmed by my mental illness, I do my best to avoid becoming angry with myself. Instead, I adapt my routine to account for my changing needs. The human mind is a lot like a plant, when faced with neglect it begins to die, but when provided with kindness it can have the power to bloom.

In November 2020, I was hospitalized after a suicide attempt and stayed in the psychiatric ward of a hospital for a week. This experience has largely shaped who I am today. Along with depression and anxiety, I struggle with disassociation. During this period, I had been disassociating for a considerable period of time and felt as though I was no longer in control of my actions. After an extended period of feeling as though I was watching my life through a screen, I decided I couldn't take it any longer. I emailed my therapist saying I was feeling suicidal, but after she didn't get back with me for several hours, I decided to take my life. I combined all my past anti-depressants into one pill bottle and was determined to take them all. Luckily, my therapist called my mother and told her to check on me. Her timing could not have been more miraculous. My mom drove me to the Emergency Room where I went through a Psych evaluation and it was determined that I needed to be admitted. During my seven day stay I met people I will never forget and learned valuable lessons. All the kids there had been through awful challenges in their lifetimes, yet each one of them woke up each morning and made the conscious choice to keep trying. For me, that was the turning point. I realized that it wasn't enough to just wake up each morning, I had to choose to be alive. One boy there stuck out to me, he had very similar anxiety to me and actually went to (and still goes to) my school. He taught me how to meditate. Meditation has taught me how to experience peace within myself and has provided me with the strength to choose life.

I was diagnosed with depression when I was 15, but I have struggled with depression since I was 10. Happiness has always been something I have struggled to obtain, the joy I have experienced I have worked tirelessly towards. Happiness is just not something that comes easily to me. But, I have always had a passion for the environment. Ever since I was little I have been obsessed with doing my part to combat climate change and have worked to reduce my carbon footprint. Likely because of this obsession, one thing that makes me happy is plants. I have over 25 plants in my room at the moment and caring for them brings me immeasurable amounts of joy. My obsession with plants came shortly after I was hospitalized because of a suicide attempt in November 2020. I found that through having something other than myself dependent on me for survival, I could more easily convince myself to stay alive. Outside of treatments such as medicine and therapy, treating myself with the kindness I provide to my plants has been essential for my recovery. I would not deprive my plants of what they need to survive, therefore I cannot neglect myself either. When a plant turns yellow or gets brown tips, I don’t get mad at the plant; I find out what is wrong and adapt my care for it accordingly. Similarly, when I begin to become overwhelmed by my mental illness, I do my best to avoid becoming angry with myself. Instead, I adapt my routine to account for my changing needs. The human mind is a lot like a plant, when faced with neglect it begins to die, but when provided with kindness it can have the power to bloom.

I have always been enraptured with our world and the outstanding nature that encompasses it and upon getting older have become devastated by the disasters taking over our world. I remember as early as elementary school, making my mom drive me to the library to check out books about greenhouse gases and climate change. Even then I knew I needed to make a difference somehow. My first step in reducing my carbon footprint was becoming a vegetarian, livestock produce 14.5% of greenhouse gases globally. Although I know that my individual sacrifice will not make a substantial difference, I hope that my efforts will encourage those around me to be more conscious of their consumption and its impact on the environment. Along with that, I have tried to reduce my impact within the fashion industry. The current fast fashion movement, polluted by microtrends, is extremely harmful to both environmental and human sustainability. The fashion industry and the waste it produces is responsible for 10% of carbon emissions by humans along with being comprised of businesses using primarily unethical labor practices. In order to reduce my impact in this area I have tried to buy my clothing second hand as much as possible and only purchase when absolutely necessary. When the planet is harmed, animals are also harmed as their habitats and ecosystems are destroyed. One notable example is the honey bee, this species is in danger as human actions have affected their habitat. Last year, I convinced my parents to become better stewards of our planet by becoming beekeepers. My passion for the environment has quickly taken over my life and been a key factor in many of the decisions I make every day.