My name is Deisi but you say it ''Dasiy''. Pretty interesting right? As a kid, I always thought that my name was weird and never understood why my parents could not give me a regular name like Faith or Taylor. But over time as I got older I started to understand that every name has not only a story/ purpose but meaning as well. To me, my name means risk-taker, goal-reacher, and adventurous. Although, other sources may say that it is derived from the name of a flower and that it means day's eye. To me, it doesn't because I know that it means what I have stated. I am a person of determination wanting to reach my goals whenever I have the chance. And also take risks if I know I will benefit from them. This not only included that but taking risks to seek new adventures in life and what it has to offer. This all might sound very cliché but it's true. I enjoy living up to these clichés that people mention in life because that is what takes you onto loving the way you are living which then defines you and the name that you have. To me, my name is important because 1st my parents named me that and I would not be here without them. All of the success that I have had throughout my lifetime I owe part of it to them. Because without their support that they have with every choice that I make I would not be writing this essay just to be able to attend college. Second of all, it's important to me because it's a big part of who I am and what I want to be. It is what connects me to my roots/ethnicity. My name is like a book title and my life is the story that comes with it. This is why it makes my name important. When people hear my name I want them to think of me as a kind, risk-taking person and all the great things I always tried to achieve in life. My name holds the power of willingness. As a person of color sometimes I am seen as someone who wants to take advantage of everything that society has to offer. Which is never the case. I hold the power of willingness because I want to be able to do things on my own and not have to rely on society or what others tell me how and what to do. I will do whatever it takes to reach my goals so I can show other young people of color that with that hard work you can achieve anything you want in life despite what society tells you just because you are of a different race. And that is the power that my name holds because I am able to show the willingness to reach what I can in life.

Education has shaped my worldwide view by showing me different aspects of how our society is shaped nowadays. I was able to learn throughout the course of my high school career that we are sometimes living a life of privileges and stereotypes. If I had to choose one class that not only helped me educationally but in my view of the world it would have to be this class called current world issues that I took the 1st semester of my senior year. I was able to learn about different aspects of the world whether it was the mass media, poverty, education, health care, crime, population, environmental crisis, or war/terrorism. I was able to get a better grasp of these concepts from different points of view and learn why these things go about. And it honestly has helped me better understand why our society is shaped the way it is and why our communities run the way they do. Never in my life have I been more glad to be able to have access to the education I did because through it my mind was able to shape in many ways that many would not think about. And as I move on with my life in education I know that my worldview will keep shaping itself and growing because education is what helps feed the mind with the knowledge that you can't get access to anywhere but in that concept of education.

The meaning of life is doing what drives you to want to live longer. Meaning to do what you love and do what makes you happy. It might sound a bit cliché, but sometimes the most cliché meanings are the truest. Doing what you love makes you want to live longer, and I believe that doing anything that makes you want to live your life forever is the meaning of life whether it's learning how to snowboard or becoming a doctor to help others. Even if it means you want to become a teddy bear surgeon. If it makes you happy, then you have found the true meaning of life. Because when you do what you love, it makes you want to live forever because you have found the beauty in your life. Many people strive to have the best career or have the most money, but they lack the love of living because they never seek to look for what they love. The way that I achieve this is by doing what I enjoy the most, which is baking and creating things. I have always been a hands-on person, and I love to make things because it keeps me busy and makes me very happy. Baking to me is like serotonin it helps me relax and find peace in my mind. For everyone, it's different but always remember that life is not about competing on who has the most money or has the best career. But about doing what strives you to want to live your life forever.

The characteristic that I value the most in myself is being very self-driven. Throughout my life, I have always viewed myself as not as great of a person as others. I would always see myself as less than and wished for qualities that others hand, like singing, being intelligent, and having extraordinary physical abilities. But once I started to think about everyone else's excellent qualities I began to think of mine. Most of the time, we are asked what qualities do you look for in a person and not what qualities do you value the most about ourselves. This is why this question stuck out to me. I am self-driven. It took me a while to figure this out through middle school and high school. Once I became homeschooled I started to realize that I was able to do things I have always wanted to do and I would motivate myself to do things. And one of the things about being self-driven is that it helps you come out of your comfort zone, and you start to become the person you have always wanted to be. This is why I value this characteristic of mine. I have been able to reach my goals and desires through this trait without the motivation of anyone. Through this characteristic, I have made mistakes, but I have also never given up. Just like the saying," A winner will never quit and a quitter will never win." People come and go in life and if we hold on to people to help us get through life we will never get anywhere. That's why being self-driven is important you can become your own motivation and be your own best friend. Don't get me word having friends is amazing but they also how desires of their own and if we follow them because we have no other motivation we will never be able to reach for that furthest star that we want. I feel like being self-driven will help me through my life journey because I will be able to reach my dreams without letting anyone down or myself. I will be able to live my life with a purpose, passion, and goal. I'll be able to take those risks that many won't take with the fear of failure. And being able to take those risks will help me make progress in life. Also throughout life, I will run into people who probably feel unmotivated to do things and I can be the influence in their life to keep going and motivate them to reach for what people think they cannot —That's how I feel it will help me in my life journey. "Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle." - Steve Jobs

When it comes to treating others with empathy, I always make sure that I'm giving them my best encouragement and advice. One of the things that I love to do when others are feeling down is sending them a message of encouragement either through text or just a random note. I also like to show random acts of kindness as well like if I see a person at a coffee shop who seems to be having a bad day, I will either buy for them or just say, "Hey, it will be okay," or ask them if they are okay. Whenever it comes to my friends having a tough day, I like to cheer them up by taking them out to eat or simply sitting down and talking to them. Showing empathy for others is not just about encouraging them but also listening to them. Letting people express their feelings and hurt towards you will help the person let go of what they are holding and show how as a friend, you can be counted on because of the empathy you are showing them. Another way that I show empathy towards others is by not being selfish. Sometimes our actions can hurt others in a way that we may not know. This is where the saying " looking at the bigger picture" comes in. Sometimes we are so laser-focused on what we want to do that we forget those around us and hurt them unintentionally. Taking in for regard other people's feelings when doing something is another way I show empathy towards my family, friends, and community.

I have stayed optimistic through tough times by meditating on the challenging situations that I may be going through. As humans, we tend to look at the wrong side of problems and expect the worse most of the time. And honestly, it does tend to happen. But once we start to look at the positive side of those situations, it helps us learn and understand the world a little more. For a while, I felt alone back in 2019, because I had no one during challenging situations. From that, I have learned not to rely on others too much and enjoy my own company. Because in life, we tend to seek others for happiness, and if we never know to find it on our own, we will never be genuinely happy because humans can fail. I like to stay positive and hopeful by not overthinking about the future. Thinking about our future too much can be stressful because we focus too much on how I will pay this or how I am going to do that. And honestly, it is hard, but if we focus too much on those things, they can eventually tear us down. Admitting to my mistakes is another way I stay optimistic during hard times as crazy as that may sound. In life, I have made a lot of mistakes and when I do not admit to them I live with that guilt and that's one thing that can really keep us from being optimistic during hard times. Something that I love to do to stay joyful is by appreciating the small things in life even a little as staring into a field of apple trees or flowers, things like this make me love life and want to live it to the fullest.

“In every life we have some trouble, but when you worry you make it double. Don't worry. Be happy.” ― Bobby McFerrin This quote means a lot to me because it has helped me through hard times. Back in the year 2018, I was going through a bad phase of anxiety. I was always worried about everything that I did, whether if it was good or bad. Every little tribulation that I would go through would frighten me, even if it were the smallest things, like forgetting to shut the house door or did my brother make it on the bus this morning. Simple things like that would bother me and scare me all day, but little did I know that thinking about those little things too much made it even worse. I have a younger brother who has autism, and even though he has a mental disability, he is always happy. He would go through so much in school, but yet he would come home with a huge smile on his face. Seeing him smile made me smile, but I would still have this horrible worry for him. That is when one day I heard him say this quote after school " don't worry, be happy." that quote stuck with me for the rest of the month. I decided to do my research and find the full version of the quote or poem. The start of it said, " In every life we have some trouble, but when you worry you make it double..." It spoke to my heart the moment I read it because it is true. Everything that I was worried about, I was the one who made it double I made the situation worse when everyone in life goes through hard times too, and not just me. Hearing my brother say that quote inspired me to keep going and not worry about what life is about to throw at me. Instead, I decided to take those hurdles as a challenge for learning experiences and adventures. Moreover, no matter the situation or worry in life, I will be happy because we only live once, and we should live it like it is our last. So if there is anything in life that I have learned is to put my worry aside and not make a bigger deal out of them, but to keep going and living my life happy and free from worries; this is why this quote means a lot to me and why it is special.

Someone that I admire from history is Susan B. Anthony. I admire Susan B. Anthony because she was a very independent and outspoken woman. She was an American writer, lecturer, and activist for woman's rights. Susan B. Anthony and her family were also part of the fight to end slavery in the 1840s, known as the abolitionist movement. She is one of the people I admire because she always spoke about her ideas and what she thought was right. I want to follow her in her footsteps because she spoke her ideas, and she did that for a change in society. Being able to be outspoken and talk to others about the issues we have in society is essential to be able to be an impact in a specific area. Also, working together will help us spread awareness of specific issues that may be going on. I want to be able to help others through my ideas and my concerns for civilization. Susan B. Anthony never gave up on fighting for woman's right to vote. Moreover, because she never gave up, she and a group of people made a change. I admire making some difference in this world for the better, like Susan B. Anthony. On my own, I may not be able to make some significant change, by I know I can make a difference. However, if we want to change, then as a society, we need to get together and put our great minds together to make that change in the world we live in.

Whenever it comes to being the leader of something or someone, I always strive to have a positive mindset despite the challenge we face. Because keeping a positive mindset not only helps you cope with the challenges you're facing in a positive way but always ends up helping others and encouraging them that a challenge should not stop us from completing our goals. I remember once that I and some friends had to do a project, and it included public speaking, which I am terrified of. None of my friends wanted to do it out of fear, so I decided to take the incentive and do it; whether I liked it or not, I chose to be the leader because I wanted to show them not to let fear stop them from reaching a goal. Not only were they impressed by the way I took the initiative to do it, but how I did it by having a positive mindset about it instead of freaking out about it. Being a leader to me means showing others that not mattering the trial you are facing, whether it be good or bad, we can always get through it one way or the other. To me, it also means having people aspire to follow in your footsteps because they know you will try your hardest to take the best path. Let us take Elon Musk, for example; he is a leader of Space X. He wanted to build the best rocket out there, but he failed multiple times, and a lot of the people he inspired to thought he was crazy and told him to give up at this point. However, he decided to be a leader and show others that despite the challenge, he would make it happen. After trying multiple times, he was successful and launched a rocket into space. Now he owns one of the most excellent space satellites and rockets out there. This is what being a leader means to me. I will apply this to my time beyond high school in the way to never give up. When it comes to facing challenges and others cannot seem to do anything else, take the challenge of being a leader to show others that going into that challenge will help you become a stronger person because the most successful people were never the followers but the leaders and to strive to be a leader of your own life and show everyone the greatness in everything and help others.