Am I really to be damned to hell just for liking girls? And does that really make me a "bad" Christian? Both are Questions I have asked myself ever since I was 13 years old and came to the realization that I wasn't as straight as I had thought. The same 13-year-old girl who grew up in the church and loved God down to her bones. How could the two things coexist? After all, everyone knows God denounces the gays. Right? He doesn't support their "lifestyle". Right? But God loves all of us... right? I grew up in the church, and before my family fell apart, we went to church every week. Perhaps a Wednesday bible study every now and then. When we stopped going I fell out of my faith, and when I realized I was bisexual, I fell out of it even more. I was fortunate to have made friends at the start of high school that reintroduced me to faith. And I vividly recall breaking down in tears at my first sermon after a hiatus spanning over half a decade. At that moment, it dawned on me that even after falling out of my faith, it was still a vital part of me. There was still the dilemma of how I was going to serve God and be true to myself. That dilemma racked my brain, desperately searching for an answer. Until I realized that's exactly what my problem was. I was searching, searching to others, searching online, searching anywhere but within myself. The church is a wonderful place for like-minded believers to come together, build community, and help grow relationships with God. But going to church is not needed to have a healthy, bountiful, and strong relationship with God. In some cases, the church can do more harm than good. That sentiment resonates with me as I am nondenominational so most churches will not align with every value that I hold when it comes to my experience with Christianity. After years of contemplating, questioning, and confusion, I've come to my conclusion. I love God and I do not doubt him, he made me in his image, and he created me with the capacity to love more. I can be true to my religion while still being true to myself. After all, it would be a waste to deny the beauty of his creation, to deny my beauty.

Chappell Roan is an artist that is not new to the music industry, but is definitely new to her stardom. Chappell has had an array of smash hits with her recent album "The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess" and her single "Good Luck Babe". Her music explores topics sexuality, hookup culture, exes, breakups, feminism, love, and family dynamics. This variety of topics makes her music easily relatable to many people, including myself. One of Chappell’s greatest qualities is how outspoken and expressive she is. Whether it be on social media or during performances, she always says whatever is on her mind and she is very set in her morals when it comes to political and personal issues. She is how many would describe “For the girls, and the gays” as she is queer herself and is fully open about her sexuality in her music and outside of it. Her personal style is the cherry on top, oftentimes wearing extravagant colors, patterns, and costumes, along with her makeup being inspired by drag and queer media. All of these things set her apart from most popular pop artists nowadays. I can relate to her in many ways because I too am a queer woman who is open about my sexuality in all aspects. And like Chappell, I am unapologetically myself and steadfast in my beliefs, even if the people around me may not agree. I don’t have the skills to do drag makeup, but I have a deep appreciation of the art of drag in its entirety. And most importantly, her music gives me an outlet to explore new themes and ideas. And she’s honestly just an amazing artist and vocalist, plain and simple and it makes my artsy heart very happy to see someone do something they love so well. Thank you in advance for your consideration!

In my home, I did not have the expansive version of Minecraft, so whenever I went to my cousin's house the first thing we did was play Minecraft. We were all quite anxious when playing survival mode, especially when it got dark, so we opted for creative mode. We did the typical stupid stuff like pouring lava everywhere, blowing up the land with TNT, and creating houses out of diamond and gold blocks. But one day we had the bright idea to make a world that we would actually build on. So we suited up in our enchanted armor and headed to the enderworld to slay the enderdragon, we were going to build an entire community in the enderworld. We built chem labs, a bowling alley, classrooms, and much more. This project that my sister, my cousin, and I contributed to meant something to us. It was something we did together, something we found common interest in. It's been some years since we last worked on it, but I think of it now and then as it reminds me of a time when I was a kid and things were a lot simpler. That's what Minecraft means to me, It's my nostalgia.

I have been a theatre kid since day one. Okay, that may be a bit of an exaggeration, I became a theatre kid when my friend in 6th grade introduced me to Hamilton. So in a way, that was my day one. My first day of discovering the passion that would follow me to the end of my high school career. Discovering Hamilton led to discovering 21 Chump Street, which led to In the Heights, which led to Phantom of the Opera, and so on. While it is apparent that I love musicals, I do have a love for screen acting as well. The art of acting has already impacted the world. Television, film, and other productions spark dialogue, build community, and implore creativity. And I plan to contribute to that. I want to use my skills as I grow and develop as an actor to create things that can be related to and enjoyed. I want to act in comedies to make people laugh, I want to act in dramas to make people enthralled in the story, and I want to act in horrors to leave people on the edge of their seats. This is my life’s passion. Music goes hand in hand with acting and has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. From singing songs at church during praise, to singing Party in the USA in my living room, to exploring more genres in my teenage years. There’s no limit to what music can accomplish. Our knowledge of what we think music is growing everyday with the creation of new, unique sounds. Similar to acting, music allows one to experience a range of emotions and feelings. Calm, happy, exhilarated, enlightened, melancholy, heartbreak, overwhelmed, all of these can be felt when listening to music. Music has impacted my life specifically by helping me cope with my struggles in life. When I have problems at home I listen to songs that can uplift me, when I’m going through problems with someone I care about I listen to songs I can relate to, and when I’m feeling down I listen to songs that will better my mood. The effects of music fall flat on some, but not on me, I fully understand the power music holds. When music can be used for therapeutic purposes to ease issues of the mind, it tells you that It’s something very important. If I could do one thing for my community, it would be to create more—more music, more productions, more art. We have so much of it already, but there could always be more. What the human mind can create has no limits, I just hope that one day I'll be able to test my limits on a project. Thank you in advance for considering my application!

My one true passion in life is theatre. It’s the one thing that truly makes sense to me. The one thing that entirely resonates with me. The one thing I completely understand. There is no other art form in which I believe I can express myself, my experiences, and the experiences of others better. And the thing that draws me to theatre the most is the storytelling. Storytelling isn’t just some fantastical exchange of words or ideas. Storytelling within acting and theatre can build worlds, expand perspectives, and convey messages; that is a powerful thing. The art of theatre itself is inspiring, the fact that the human species was able to come up with a form of entertainment that is so enjoyable but still can be so deep and impactful is incredible. It is inspiring to see actors put their all into roles. Some actors method act nearly every day of their lives, all so they can portray their characters to absolute perfection. Spend countless hours shooting scenes until they get that take that exceeds expectations, oftentimes giving up their time and energy, all so they can fulfill their role to the best of their capabilities. I don't know who wouldn't find that inspiring. The wonderful thing about acting, whether it be on screen or stage, is that you can be anybody. For a moment in your existence, you can step outside the boundaries of what it means to be you and live your life, to be someone else. That is how theatre creates dialogue and evokes emotions. In no other medium of art can emotions be so attainable, so real, and so impactful, as it is felt in theatre. And no other medium is as extensive and versatile. Thriller and action make us feel the adrenaline. (Psychological) horror makes us feel fear. Romance makes us yearn. Drama leaves us on the edge of our seats. Comedy makes us laugh. Musicals implore us to sing along. And the list goes on. Acting has already created a better world. It builds communities, sparks creativity, challenges our thinking, and more. An example of this is Hamilton. A modern-day, Broadway, hip-hop, rap, musical about Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. It sounds ridiculous, but it has been executed well and has built a community of people who can come together, share, collaborate, and explore ideas. Hamilton also pulls multiple genres from different media into one show to further build community. Creativity is fostered every year with the creation of new concepts in shows and movies, and it is known that acting covers subject matters that not all viewers experience. Shows and movies allow viewers who have not or do not experience the things they’re viewing to expand their world, and that challenges our thinking. These facts and my own experiences push me to pursue the art of theatre. I want nothing more than to have the opportunity to be on a screen or a stage making emotional impacts in others' lives and continuing to grow in this art form. Thank you in advance for considering my application!

Olivia Rodrigo is an artist who is no stranger to talent and songwriting. She’s used her experiences in her adolescence to describe many aspects of the teenage experience perfectly. Her topics range from wanting to feel accepted, to insecurities, love, betrayal, and heartbreak. Very few artists can successfully portray the teenage experience with the accuracy that Olivia does. There is no shortage of lyrics that I could’ve chosen from the 12 songs she put on her album. But I feel that one lyric wraps them all up very well. The lyric I chose is “I don’t get angry when I’m pissed / I’m the eternal optimist / I scream inside to deal with it / Like, “Ah” / Like “Ah” from her introduction to the album, “all-american bitch”. There is nothing simple or easy about being a teenager. There are many aspects of a teenager's life that they just have to figure out. Teenagers oftentimes actually scream inside to deal with all of the stress of their lives. Many teenagers dabble in love and relationships, and depending on the outcome of that experimentation, it can have wonderful or devastating effects. Heartbreak is unfortunately a common human experience. For a teenager, however, it’s a world-ending experience. On the other hand, being in an abusive relationship, whether that be emotional or physical, can have lasting psychological effects on a teenager. It’s worse because teenagers' brains are still developing so any romantic experience will affect their future experiences. Problems at home also cause tension in a teenager's life. Whether that be siblings or parents, home life shapes who a teenager is. If a teenager feels that they are unseen, constantly invalidated, or neglected in any way by their parents, or anything else, they will grow up generally unhappy. If someone lives in a home with a lot of siblings they could feel that they’re not the priority or that they have no privacy or space to themselves. All of this can build up resentment towards their siblings and parents. Friends heavily shape a teenager’s identity, even if it shouldn’t be that way. Throughout a person's entire K-12 school experience, they will experience peer pressure and bad friend choices. But in no grade is that fact so vital as it is in high school. In high school, you’re most likely still figuring out who you are, and depending on the friends you choose to associate yourself with, your identity can change for the worse or the better. If you decide to hang around people who you “think” are cool, just for the sake of fitting in and being “cool” yourself, you’re hurting yourself in the long run. And to put it plainly, “friend drama” is one the most stressful experiences to go through in high school. However, the one universal experience of all teenagers is insecurities. I cannot express how much insecurities can grab hold of your life and follow you wherever you go. In unlucky cases insecurities can manifest into eating disorders, body dysmorphia, abuse of appearnace enhacing substances, and other self-destructive behaviors. These things can cripple a teenager's quality of life and completely shatter their self-esteem indefinitely. Not to mention the emotions and constant changes that are caused by hormones and puberty. All of these reasons are why I believe the lyric I chose captures the essence of adolescence. Thank you in advance for considering my application!

Many aspects of my life have changed this past year, the most notable aspect is my love life. I understand that a teenager's love issues are seen as trivial or dramatic. Still, teenagers are capable of feeling the same heartbreak, euphoria, struggle, and love that adults do in their relationships. Four songs from Taylor’s 1989 album perfectly encapsulate my year of love and they are Clean, You Are In Love, Slut, and This Love. In March my ex decided to reach out again for the millionth time. I swore I wouldn’t take him back, I swore I would be strong. Unfortunately, I was stuck on the idea of who he was in my head and couldn’t come to terms with who he actually was. After being in contact for a short time, I officially decided to cut it off. I cleansed myself of that toxic neverending cycle, I was clean. “Clean” is the start of my soundtrack for this year. “And by morning, gone was any trace of you. I think I am finally clean”. A month later in April, I met my current boyfriend. It was something straight out of a movie. We hit it off immediately as friends, developed into more, and went to prom together, from then on we were smooth sailing. No song more perfectly describes that period of my life than “You Are In Love”. It was so effortless, so right, I knew quickly that I loved him. I loved him so much that I questioned whether I had ever loved anyone else because that love was something more magical than I’d ever experienced. “‘Cause you can hear it in the silence. You can feel it on the way home. You can see it with the lights out. You are in love. True love”. Unfortunately, problems arose in August and things ended between us. The situation as a whole was difficult to navigate on both sides. In Taylor Swift’s “Slut!” she says in many ways that she is in love with a person that people don’t necessarily approve of her being with this person, or in my case, getting back with them. I can relate to this because my friends have been skeptical. But as Taylor said, “And if I’m gonna be drunk. I might as well be drunk in love”, metaphorically of course. Here I am, current day. We’ve taken time apart and we’ve come back together. Considering my past, this seems like an “unwise” decision. However, I refuse to live without taking chances and following my heart. It’s my decision and I’ll live with whatever outcome is handed to me. “This love is alive back from the dead. These hands had to let it go free. And this love came back to me.” from “This Love”, my last song for this year's soundtrack. I’ve loved being able to share my personal experiences over the year while being able to talk about some of my favorite songs. Thank you in advance for considering my application!

Billie Eilish is an artist I’ve listened to for most of my adolescence. I’ve seen her music grow, I’ve seen it change, I’ve seen it blossom. Billie has recently come out with a new album with some of her most incredible works on it. But I want to go back to 2019 and 2021 with her albums WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? (WWAFAWDWG?) and Happier Than Ever. The first song that I’ve selected is “i love you" from her 2019 album WWAFAWDWG?. This song is one of her most emotionally raw, vulnerable, and saddening songs. Some may hear the sadness in this song and be turned away from it, but I embrace it. It’s such a wonderful thing to be able to feel so deeply. It’s even more incredible to be able to put those feelings into a song. To be able to break them down and simplify something as complex as the feeling of love. Those very facts are why this song resonates with me so much. I am very in touch with my emotions and at times I could look at it as burdensome. But, I could change my perspective and think “I am blessed to be able to feel so much”. I am blessed with the capability to have the capacity to understand human emotion on such a deep level that it aids my understanding of others and their situations. The second song that I’ve selected is “listen before i go”, also from her 2019 album WWAFAWDWG?. This song’s topic is suicide which is a rather taboo topic in society. No one wants to talk about every devastating, negative aspect that comes from someone attempting or committing. But suicide is real, it’s happening every day. Billie tackles this subject by describing the way she’s experienced suicidal ideologies. It’s very blunt and she heavily utilizes imagery and storytelling to paint the picture. This song is special to me because I found it when I was at my lowest. Throughout the song Billie keeps apologizing for the act she’s about to commit, feeling trapped and helpless in this situation. She also makes mention of her friends, she goes from saying she’s not sorry to plain out “sorry”. That aspect of the song changed my whole perspective on suicide. Suicide doesn’t just affect you, it has lasting effects for everyone around you as well. And that devastation is something I would never wish to inflict on anyone I love. The third and final song is “my future” from her 2021 album Happier Than Ever. This song to me is about confidence, assurance, and finding oneself. Billie touches on stuff of the past including a past partner and leaving her home. Billie says she’s in love with her future and I simply love that phrasing. Typically you’re in love with someone or something, but Billie is in love with the idea of her future. Her potential to be someone great, her potential to do something great, her potential to learn from the mistakes of the past and do better, be better. I think that is a beautiful perspective and this song is beautiful as well. It's such a creative way to express self-growth. I've loved being able to share perspectives and personal experiences with Billie's music. Thank you in advance for considering my application!

New York Times Connections is a game that I love engaging in at school during my free time. It challenges me to think outside the box and use critical thinking. After playing Connections for the past year, I’ve noticed patterns within creating the categories. Common themes have categories that follow along these lines: “ends/starts with ___”, “things at/in a ___”, or a blanket word/definition that covers all of the words in that category. Using this knowledge I created a Connections game that somewhat comes from my personal experiences, is clever, and not too obvious. My first category is “___ friend”. My thinking behind this category is simply because the "blank" category is a classic and is in almost every Connections game. The words that will fall under this category are Girl, Boy, Be, and Best. A trick I used with this category is making three of the words obvious, as they are used as a title (e.g. girlfriend), but “befriend” is used as a verb. My second category is Cheer Terminology. This category is very catered to me, but that fact makes it easy to come up with cohesive, but vague terms. The words that will fall under this category are Base, Clean, Basket, and Elevator. To the everyday person, these words would mean something completely different in a different context. For example, in the sport of cheer, an Elevator is a type of stunt, but in real life, It’s a vertically moving box inside of a building that transports people and goods. My third category is Disney Movies. It's not lost on me that everyone knows of Disney so I had to find a way to make this category apparent, but not blatantly obvious. With that being said, my strategy was to pick movies that are within the 20th century, one word long, and aren’t too obvious. The words that will fall under this category are Up, Holes, Bolt, and Frozen. I do realize that Frozen may be a recognizable title, but Frozen is a word and not a name (e.g. Dumbo) so I believe It’s not too obvious. I also used movies with titles that are one word long because if I were to use something like Toy Story it would give it away immediately. My fourth and final category is “Messed Up, Needs Fixing” and I have a trick I've used for this one. The words that will fall under this category are Tangled, Twisted, Warped, and Contorted. Now I did not mention this previously in my introduction, but Connections oftentimes likes to have a word be seemingly able to be grouped in with words that are outside of its actual category. That’s what gets players thrown off, or at least me. The way I utilized this knowledge was with the word “Tangled”. If you are an avid Disney watcher you’ll know that “Tangled” is the story/movie about Princess Rapunzel. It just so happens that tangled is also a word that has a different meaning outside of its usage in the movie's title. I've had a lot of fun coming up with my categories and I want to say thank you in advance for considering my application!

My brand new challenge for Love Island is titled “Judge Jenga” and the aim of the game is to determine the opposite gender's team guilty. There will be a human-sized Jenga tower with scenarios (in first-person) inscribed on each block. For purposes of explanation, one of the girls will pull a block and it’ll say something like “I have cheated on a past partner” or “I have a body count over 100”. Then the boys will act as the jury and determine with signs or whiteboards whether they think the accused girl is guilty or not. One boy will be separate from the rest and act as the judge, he’ll be the determining factor to the conviction. If the boys assume correctly then they get a point, and this is vice versa for the girls. This game can either be just for fun or to fill/kill time, or, there can be a reward tied to the winner. For example, if the boys win they could go on a “boys retreat”, perhaps to the casa amor villa which is a clever way to launch casa amor. The attire for this challenge is formal chic/business casual, so most likely a blazer for the boys and for the girls a white button-up shirt and a tie. And any other accesories that scream "I'm in courtroom but I still want to look good".