In school, I have been discriminated against for having ADHD and autism. Students have bullied me, and teachers have been frustrated with me. Ridiculed for the time it takes for me to understand something and yelled at for my sensitive hearing. Blame me for my reactions to loud noises and overwhelming environments. Most of all are bothered by this, searching for cures. But what if they thought how I felt? If my disability bothers them, then why don't they think of how it bothers me? Why treat me differently for having a disability if I am a human and bleed red too? My brain functions differently, but we are still the same. You hear I have AuDHD and think I'm hyperactive, over-flawed, and too reactive. Maybe you might infantilize me and treat me like a child as everyone else. You may think I'm an idiot for having AuDHD, but there is no greater idiot than those who are ignorant. Trying to "cure" us by spanking, electrocution, unreasonable punishment, drugging us with stimulants, or putting us in sports we don't even like. There is no cure for me, for I was made like this by Higher Powers and genetics. Treating me differently from others won't do anything nor will it benefit anyone. However, this is not even half of what millions of people with autism, ADHD, and AuDHD experience. What most don't realize is that my AuDHD makes me a stronger person. My mind is never quiet, which leaves room for much creativity that's not seen in neurotypicals. My hyperfocus and attention to detail are far from that of a neurotypical, which opens doors to motivation and special interests. These later become learning opportunities, inspirations, careers, sway, and personal growth. Like any other person, career growth is possible through only education and learning. My attention to detail and good memory will fit with any prestigious school or job that wants to welcome a neurodivergent with open arms. The negativity that has been engraved in my already oddly-structured mind was difficult to overcome since they have been there for a long time. However, learning from life experiences gives coping mechanisms and life lessons. Loud noises and overstimulation became "tantrums", which then became insults and more triggers. With learning to cope with my triggers, meltdowns were scarce. By learning about my learning style, being "stupid" became a noticeable intelligence. By learning not to take things to heart, my social anxiety became strong social skills and benevolence. People with AuDHD can do anything they wish if they have the right kind of support. My education is motivated by my past and those currently experiencing what I have lived. I wish to inspire neurodivergent people to care for themselves and give them motivation to learn positive things with no limits. Having a brain that's made different won't make you any more or less successful. Success comes from motivation, not from brain structure or being "normal", which is what I want all neurodivergent people to understand.

In school, I have been discriminated against for having ADHD and autism. Students have bullied me, and teachers have been frustrated with me. Ridiculed for the time it takes for me to understand something and yelled at for my sensitive hearing. Blame me for my reactions to loud noises and overwhelming environments. Most of all are bothered by this, searching for cures. But what if they thought how I felt? If my disability bothers them, then why don't they think of how it bothers me? Why treat me differently for having a disability if I am a human and bleed red too? My brain functions differently, but we are still the same. You hear I have AuDHD and think I'm hyperactive, over-flawed, and too reactive. Maybe you might infantilize me and treat me like a child as everyone else. You may think I'm an idiot for having AuDHD, but there is no greater idiot than those who are ignorant. Trying to "cure" us by spanking, electrocution, unreasonable punishment, drugging us with stimulants, or putting us in sports we don't even like. There is no cure for me, for I was made like this by Higher Powers and genetics. Treating me differently from others won't do anything nor will it benefit anyone. However, this is not even half of what millions of people with autism, ADHD, and AuDHD experience. What most don't realize is that my AuDHD makes me a stronger person. My mind is never quiet, which leaves room for much creativity that's not seen in neurotypicals. My hyperfocus and attention to detail are far from that of a neurotypical, which opens doors to motivation and special interests. These later become learning opportunities, inspirations, careers, sway, and personal growth. Like any other person, career growth is possible through only education and learning. My attention to detail and good memory will fit with any prestigious school or job that wants to welcome a neurodivergent with open arms. The negativity that has been engraved in my already oddly-structured mind was difficult to overcome since they have been there for a long time. However, learning from life experiences gives coping mechanisms and life lessons. Loud noises and overstimulation became "tantrums", which then became insults and more triggers. With learning to cope with my triggers, meltdowns were scarce. By learning about my learning style, being "stupid" became a noticeable intelligence. By learning not to take things to heart, my social anxiety became strong social skills and benevolence. People with AuDHD can do anything they wish if they have the right kind of support. My education is motivated by my past and those currently experiencing what I have lived. I wish to inspire neurodivergent people to care for themselves and give them motivation to learn positive things with no limits. Having a brain that's made different won't make you any more or less successful. Success comes from motivation, not from brain structure or being "normal", which is what I want all neurodivergent people to understand.

In school, I have been discriminated against for having ADHD and autism. Students have bullied me, and teachers have been frustrated with me. Ridiculed for the time it takes for me to understand something and yelled at for my sensitive hearing. Blame me for my reactions to loud noises and overwhelming environments. Most of all are bothered by this, searching for cures. But what if they thought how I felt? If my disability bothers them, then why don't they think of how it bothers me? Why treat me differently for having a disability if I am a human and bleed red too? My brain functions differently, but we are still the same. You hear I have AuDHD and think I'm hyperactive, over-flawed, and too reactive. Maybe you might infantilize me and treat me like a child as everyone else. You may think I'm an idiot for having AuDHD, but there is no greater idiot than those who are ignorant. Trying to "cure" us by spanking, electrocution, unreasonable punishment, drugging us with stimulants, or putting us in sports we don't even like. There is no cure for me, for I was made like this by Higher Powers and genetics. Treating me differently from others won't do anything nor will it benefit anyone. However, this is not even half of what millions of people with autism, ADHD, and AuDHD experience. What most don't realize is that my AuDHD makes me a stronger person. My mind is never quiet, which leaves room for much creativity that's not seen in neurotypicals. My hyperfocus and attention to detail are far from that of a neurotypical, which opens doors to motivation and special interests. These later become learning opportunities, inspirations, careers, sway, and personal growth. Like any other person, career growth is possible through only education and learning. My attention to detail and good memory will fit with any prestigious school or job that wants to welcome a neurodivergent with open arms. The negativity that has been engraved in my already oddly-structured mind was difficult to overcome since they have been there for a long time. However, learning from life experiences gives coping mechanisms and life lessons. Loud noises and overstimulation became "tantrums", which then became insults and more triggers. With learning to cope with my triggers, meltdowns were scarce. By learning about my learning style, being "stupid" became a noticeable intelligence. By learning not to take things to heart, my social anxiety became strong social skills and benevolence. People with AuDHD can do anything they wish if they have the right kind of support. My education is motivated by my past and those currently experiencing what I have lived. I wish to inspire neurodivergent people to care for themselves and give them motivation to learn positive things with no limits. Having a brain that's made different won't make you any more or less successful. Success comes from motivation, not from brain structure or being "normal", which is what I want all neurodivergent people to understand.

In school, I have been discriminated against for having ADHD and autism. Students have bullied me, and teachers have been frustrated with me. Ridiculed for the time it takes for me to understand something and yelled at for my sensitive hearing. Blame me for my reactions to loud noises and overwhelming environments. Most of all are bothered by this, searching for cures. But what if they thought how I felt? If my disability bothers them, then why don't they think of how it bothers me? Why treat me differently for having a disability if I am a human and bleed red too? My brain functions differently, but we are still the same. You hear I have AuDHD and think I'm hyperactive, over-flawed, and too reactive. Maybe you might infantilize me and treat me like a child as everyone else. You may think I'm an idiot for having AuDHD, but there is no greater idiot than those who are ignorant. Trying to "cure" us by spanking, electrocution, unreasonable punishment, drugging us with stimulants, or putting us in sports we don't even like. There is no cure for me, for I was made like this by Higher Powers and genetics. Treating me differently from others won't do anything nor will it benefit anyone. However, this is not even half of what millions of people with autism, ADHD, and AuDHD experience. What most don't realize is that my AuDHD makes me a stronger person. My mind is never quiet, which leaves room for much creativity that's not seen in neurotypicals. My hyperfocus and attention to detail are far from that of a neurotypical, which opens doors to motivation and special interests. These later become learning opportunities, inspirations, careers, sway, and personal growth. Like any other person, career growth is possible through only education and learning. My attention to detail and good memory will fit with any prestigious school or job that wants to welcome a neurodivergent with open arms. The negativity that has been engraved in my already oddly-structured mind was difficult to overcome since they have been there for a long time. However, learning from life experiences gives coping mechanisms and life lessons. Loud noises and overstimulation became "tantrums", which then became insults and more triggers. With learning to cope with my triggers, meltdowns were scarce. By learning about my learning style, being "stupid" became a noticeable intelligence. By learning not to take things to heart, my social anxiety became strong social skills and benevolence. People with AuDHD can do anything they wish if they have the right kind of support. My education is motivated by my past and those currently experiencing what I have lived. I wish to inspire neurodivergent people to care for themselves and give them motivation to learn positive things with no limits. Having a brain that's made different won't make you any more or less successful. Success comes from motivation, not from brain structure or being "normal", which is what I want all neurodivergent people to understand.

The world needs to be a better place in all sorts of ways. More humanity, fewer diseases, no climate change, and better people. This little list of mine isn't even one-sixteenth of what the world needs. I want to be an emergency physician for many reasons. If someone had a family member that needed severe treatment due to an accident, I would like to be the person helping them. If there were to be a new disease, I would want to find a cure. I would make a great emergency physician due to my character as a person. Since I was a kid, my parents have always said that I was the sweetest and had the biggest heart out of 4. I'm the type of person who would help an elderly cross the street or give a needy person my last water bottle. I've always lived by the philosophy of "treat everyone as you would like to be treated" and by being an emergency physician, I hope to be able to pass that, as well as my heart full of life, onto others. Being an emergency physician will not be easy because it's about 12 years in school, not counting the fact that it's also a life-threatening job. Patients and their families can become violent, you could catch a disease, and you could even end up traumatized from the job. Being an emergency physician takes a lot of courage and I'm willing to take every risk in the book if that means I can save a life. Emergency physicians change the world in more ways than you could imagine. Without them, the world would be a mess! There would be more deaths caused by accidents, as well as no one to count on when your child stuck his finger in a can and needs stitches. There would also be no one to properly save a life if emergency physicians didn't exist. I want to change the world with my career in as many ways as possible. I wish to educate others on why they need to care for themselves, how to do certain procedures if there is no doctor present, and answer any questions anyone may have regarding the medical field. I also want to see people smile when they hear that their loved one survived a tragic accident or the excitement on a parent's face when they hear that their child is going to be okay. I want to be an emergency physician not only for myself but mostly for other people. If I was to be given the opportunity to change the world with being an emergency physician, I would do that in a heartbeat.

My favorite Disney character is Mulan for many reasons. Mulan endured lots of pressure in her life as a Chinese woman in the Han Dynasty. During that period, women were not allowed to speak for themselves, had to obey men, had no say in family matters except raising children, and had very limited lives. Mulan however, did not let this stop her from saving the empire. As a child, Mulan was much criticized for being a "tomboy" and choosing to not follow her role as a woman in the Han Dynasty. All of the comments the people made to her did not stop her from achieving her goal: to save her father and find her identity. To achieve this, she dressed as a man and went to war, which is something women were not allowed to do during the Han Dynasty. The punishment for women in the war, even as much as being interested, was execution and dishonor on your family. Despite that, she did not care for the punishment. She also used intelligent tactics and tricks to fight off the Huns and save her empire. This is one reason why Mulan is my favorite Disney character. Mulan was dishonored by everyone in the empire for being the way she was. Due to the roles of women that she did not fit in with, she struggled with identity issues. This brought embarrassment and chaos into her life due to the society she lived in. Because of her society's norms, Mulan struggled with identity issues and self-confidence, and being wished dishonor on her family did not help. Dishonor to your family was one of the worst things that one can experience in the Han Dynasty. Her identity issues did not stop her from being brave. Fighting in the war fixed her identity issues and she later brought honor to her family for saving China and for her bravery. This is why Mulan is my favorite Disney character.

Finances significantly affect a person's life, let alone a student. Researchers concluded that roughly 60% of the US student population is in debt. That's nearly 44.5 million people in the US alone. Students in the US need to pay for tuition, rent, living costs, food, gas, and car insurance as well as textbooks, health insurance, and other things. Students tend to buy lots of things they don't need on impulse. A great example is a 26-year-old education student in Target. You'd be very surprised if you looked at her shopping cart and the total price of it. All of these can be cash vacuums if your finances aren't well managed. As a student, finances are the first thing you should have in mind. Without addressing them, you would pretty much be a pastoral nomad in the 21st century. You could even end up homeless as a result! When you're attempting to apply for a credit card or buy a car, for instance, they will typically look at your credit score to see if you're financially stable. Your credit score determines the likelihood of you paying your debt on time. If you have a low credit score, lenders are less likely to give you the credit card or sell you the car of your dreams. This is because they want their money. If your eyes aren't facing your finances, you might not succeed at all in life. You'll end up hungry for years, even decades! The worse your finances are, the more debt you will have. And the more debt you have, the worse your life will be. As a high school student, I do some things to manage my finances that I don't even see adults doing, which concerns me. Impulse buying impacts 93.8% of the US population, which is a huge cash vacuum. To prevent impulse buying, I like to plan my purchases before going to the store. This can be done either on a piece of paper or the notes app on your phone. Studies have shown that planning your shopping trips minimizes the chance of impulse buying by 13%. That may not seem like much, but numbers add up quickly, which is why more than half of the population is in debt. Another thing I like to do to manage my finances is to check the prices of products in other stores. If I really need to get something, I want to get it at the lowest price possible. Doing research on the products' prices is a great way to save money. The fact that I don't see the adults around me doing this explains the high percentage of people in debt, let alone the worldwide stereotypes about Americans. Finances are critical in your life as a student, whether you like it or not. Money doesn't grow on trees!

When someone hears you have ADHD and bipolar disorder, they look at you and treat you like you're crazy. I have lived with the looks and the teasing since someone diagnosed me. I have always found it weird because it's not like I want to have these conditions. All I ever wanted from people was to treat me like any other kid. I’ve dealt with bullying by both kids and adults because of my conditions, so I can say from experience that it’s not only kids that are mean. My ADHD and bipolar disorder shape my passion for medicine for many reasons. Medicine is an area of study where you are treated equally because there's no doubt that we all bleed red. We are all human and should be treated as such, and living with the wish of being treated equally is the main factor of my passion for medicine. To make matters better, medicine is also anti-bullying, given the fact that they are the ones mending victims. Medicine does not judge you based on your skin color, mental illness, religion, sexual orientation, or gender, which is what I love about it. My conditions dispel my chances of having new relationships because not many people want to put up with them. When I meet someone for the first time, I tend to dump all of my trauma and personal information on that person to an overwhelming point, and my ADHD is the main culprit. My bipolar disorder also plays in on that situation depending on the mood I’m in for the week. If I’m manic, I unload more information on the person, which immediately drives them away. If I’m in a depressive episode, forget even seeing them because they left in the blink of an eye. A funny thing about ADHD is object permanence: when something is not in my sight for about more than a week, I completely forget that it exists. This also happens with people, which sounds sad because it is. When it comes to object permanence with people, it happens in situations when I have not seen or heard of them in a long time. Dealing with my mental conditions has made me understand that the world truly is cruel. It has made me realize people are very judgemental. The reason for it, however, is something I could never understand. It’s not like I can magically get rid of my ADHD and bipolar disorder. I’ve learned to embrace it, but it is still a struggle. It melts me to see others treating people like they’re different because it’s truly traumatizing and I say that from experience. Mental health is equally as important as your physical health. That’s something I know that is not in everyone’s understanding. They call us sensitive and dramatic for coping and dealing with ourselves, but it’s not like we have a choice. My life with ADHD and bipolar disorder has also made me understand that the world is so ignorant. I've heard things such as "that's a made-up disease" or "just get your act together". One thing I wish I could understand about the world, however, is why they can't educate themselves and in lieu, judge others. In simplified terms, the world is uneducated and cruel unless it applies to them.

When someone hears you have ADHD and bipolar disorder, they look at you and treat you like you're crazy. I have lived with the looks and the teasing since someone diagnosed me. I have always found it weird because it's not like I want to have these conditions. All I ever wanted from people was to treat me like any other kid. I’ve dealt with bullying by both kids and adults because of my conditions, so I can say from experience that it’s not only kids that are mean. My ADHD and bipolar disorder shape my passion for medicine for many reasons. Medicine is an area of study where you are treated equally because there's no doubt that we all bleed red. We are all human and should be treated as such, and living with the wish of being treated equally is the main factor of my passion for medicine. To make matters better, medicine is also anti-bullying, given the fact that they are the ones mending victims. Medicine does not judge you based on your skin color, mental illness, religion, sexual orientation, or gender, which is what I love about it. My conditions dispel my chances of having new relationships because not many people want to put up with them. When I meet someone for the first time, I tend to dump all of my trauma and personal information on that person to an overwhelming point, and my ADHD is the main culprit. My bipolar disorder also plays in on that situation depending on the mood I’m in for the week. If I’m manic, I unload more information on the person, which immediately drives them away. If I’m in a depressive episode, forget even seeing them because they left in the blink of an eye. A funny thing about ADHD is object permanence: when something is not in my sight for about more than a week, I completely forget that it exists. This also happens with people, which sounds sad because it is. When it comes to object permanence with people, it happens in situations when I have not seen or heard of them in a long time. Dealing with my mental conditions has made me understand that the world truly is cruel. It has made me realize people are very judgemental. The reason for it, however, is something I could never understand. It’s not like I can magically get rid of my ADHD and bipolar disorder. I’ve learned to embrace it, but it is still a struggle. It melts me to see others treating people like they’re different because it’s truly traumatizing and I say that from experience. Mental health is equally as important as your physical health. That’s something I know that is not in everyone’s understanding. They call us sensitive and dramatic for coping and dealing with ourselves, but it’s not like we have a choice.

It's no secret that the world needs to change. The world is full of hatred, and the source of that is hateful, uneducated people. A change I'd like to see in the world is professional reform. My definition of professional reform is to educate employees on ethics and train them to be better people. Some things that can be taught through professional reform are the importance of diversity, inclusion, and equality. Diversity is critical in today's world because no one is the same. We are all human and bleed red, which is why we should all be treated equally. Equality means to treat everyone the same regardless of their race, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, or disability. This means not making racial, homophobic, sexist, or discriminatory comments or gestures to others, as well as treating everyone the same. Inclusion is providing help for another person that needs it. Some ways one can be more inclusive is by putting captions in videos for those hard of hearing, providing menus in braille, ramps in an entrance for wheelchair users, a family/handicapped bathroom, sensory toys for those with autism, and more. What the world needs is inclusivity because now is when our differences are being most noticed. One concept that should be taught in professional reform is that equality and equity are not the same. Equality is treating people the same way and equity means treating everyone with fairness. Equity is still treating everyone the same, but it's about providing more help to those who need it. Say one man gets a scrape on his knee and another man gets a bullet to his chest. They both need help, but one would likely provide more help to the gunshot victim because he needs more help. That is one of the many examples of equity. With that analogy, equity is what we need in this world. Equity can be achieved with professional reform, as can diversity and equality.

Feminism is the fight for equal rights for both genders, not just women. Feminism is the fight for men and women to be treated equally, regardless of gender. That is something that not everyone understands. Many people, mainly men, will say that feminism only supports women, but that is not the case. Feminism is about equality, not superiority. This is vital everywhere in the world because men and women are the same. The only differences we have are our genitals and hormones. Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, professionally known as “Bad Bunny”, is a male Puertorican rapper that uses his platform to speak about feminism and the problems women face in the world, specifically the femicide issue in Puerto Rico. His drastic takes on feminism with his songs are super influential because he shows he cares about equal rights. Not everyone with a big platform, like Bad Bunny, speaks about these issues. For instance, his song “Andrea” speaks of a specific case of femicide that occurred in Puerto Rico in August 2021, where Andrea Ruiz was killed by her abusive ex-boyfriend after trying to get a restraining order and plea for his arrest for domestic violence, which was denied by the government. Bad Bunny’s action of writing this song, retelling her story, shows how much he cares about this issue. In that song, he states “She wants to stay in PR, not go to the states. But everything got complicated as if being a woman was a sin [...].” This lyric is preeminent to the feminist movement because he shows compassion for Andrea’s story. He also used the words “as if being a woman was a sin” to show his anger toward femicide and sexism, which is influential to the feminist movement coming from a man. This is why Bad Bunny is a significant person in the feminist movement. Listening to feminist artists and sharing the issue on social media is how I’m contributing to the feminist movement in my community. I’m also contributing to it by talking about it with my family and friends. The least one can do about the issue is spread awareness about it. Spread information that supports equal rights. Talk about the issues with your peers. Educate yourself on what else you can do to help support the movement. Post about the issue online. Write a message supporting the fight with chalk on a sidewalk. Protest, if you can. The methods listed are some of the many ways that one can contribute to the feminist movement.

When someone thinks about a kid with ADHD, they see a hyperactive 11-year-old bouncing off the walls. Although it is sometimes like this, that is only one of the three types of ADHD known until now. Even though I was fortunate enough to be struck with the inattentive type, I still had it rough for many reasons. People were ignorant. I was always distracted and bored, lost and forgot my things frequently, I couldn’t stop moving and bouncing my leg, you name it. Despite all of this, I was a bright kid, and I hardly needed accommodations. My ADHD has its strengths and shortcoming thanks to the almighty hyper-focus. Hyper-focus is an odd state of mind for someone with ADHD because it’s when you focus so hard on something that everything in your world just shuts off and you’re only focused on that one thing. This is one problem with ADHD medication because it’s supposed to help you focus, but not what to focus on. Taking a capsule of Vyvanse, for instance, will sometimes make you watch YouTube videos for eight hours rather than help you focus on your paper due at 11:59 pm. Few people with ADHD talk about this, however, because not everyone understands how it feels to be in our shoes, in our minds. My ADHD in the medical field can help many people in many ways. For one, it allows for diversity and inclusion in the medical field. When you search “how many doctors have ADHD” online, it reverses your question. Instead, it finds you some ADHD doctors nearby. This needs to change because doing this will make the ADHD community feel accepted and welcomed by the medical community and shines a light on a situation that may have been avoided for years. People treat those with ADHD like they are incompetent, or that they won’t be anything because of their condition when it’s the total opposite. A person with ADHD is just as competent as a neurotypical and there is no reason we have to suffer from that sort of discrimination. This scholarship is an excellent opportunity for me to show the world, and everyone that has looked down on me, that I can achieve anything I want in this life. ADHD shouldn’t be the wall blocking my success. If I can somehow change someone’s life by sharing my struggles with ADHD, I’ll do that in a heartbeat. That’s why I want to be in the medical field. The medical field must have more inclusion for those with disabilities. Whether it is race, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, or disability, the fight for inclusion will never stop.

When someone hears you have ADHD and bipolar disorder, they look at you and treat you like you're crazy. I have lived with the looks and the teasing since someone diagnosed me. I have always found it weird because it's not like I want to have these conditions. All I ever wanted from people was to treat me like any other kid. I’ve dealt with bullying by both kids and adults because of my conditions, so I can say from experience that it’s not only kids that are mean. My ADHD and bipolar disorder shape my passion for medicine for many reasons. Medicine is an area of study where you are treated equally because there's no doubt that we all bleed red. We are all human and should be treated as such, and living with the wish of being treated equally is the main factor of my passion for medicine. To make matters better, medicine is also anti-bullying, given the fact that they are the ones mending victims. Medicine does not judge you based on your skin color, mental illness, religion, sexual orientation, or gender, which is what I love about it. My conditions dispel my chances of having new relationships because not many people want to put up with them. When I meet someone for the first time, I tend to dump all of my trauma and personal information on that person to an overwhelming point, and my ADHD is the main culprit. My bipolar disorder also plays in on that situation depending on the mood I’m in for the week. If I’m manic, I unload more information on the person, which immediately drives them away. If I’m in a depressive episode, forget even seeing them because they left in the blink of an eye. A funny thing about ADHD is object permanence: when something is not in my sight for about more than a week, I completely forget that it exists. This also happens with people, which sounds sad because it is. When it comes to object permanence with people, it happens in situations when I have not seen or heard of them in a long time. Dealing with my mental conditions has made me understand that the world truly is cruel. It has made me realize people are very judgemental. The reason for it, however, is something I could never understand. It’s not like I can magically get rid of my ADHD and bipolar disorder. I’ve learned to embrace it, but it is still a struggle. It melts me to see others treating people like they’re different because it’s truly traumatizing and I say that from experience. Mental health is equally as important as your physical health. That’s something I know that is not in everyone’s understanding. They call us sensitive and dramatic for coping and dealing with ourselves, but it’s not like we have a choice.