For many, going to college is one of the single greatest things that they will do in their lives. Through college you learn to be independent, acquire knowledge in your desired field of study, make new friends, and possibly even find your soulmate! Nonetheless, the transition is not always easy. Multiple students decide to go out-of-state, or even in-state but still far from their hometown. They have to leave family and friends behind, and are put to the test to see how well they can live life on their own. This can affect a student’s mental, spiritual, and even physical health. Either way, these challenges are meant to be passed and there are many ways to do so. Since I was in high school college has always excited me. The whole college experience: making new lifelong friends, living in a dorm, going to crazy school events filled with school spirit, and finally being able to take classes that relate to what I care about and what I want to do in life. Going to college is a once in a lifetime experience, and although it is not for everybody, everybody who does go to college never forgets it. It is like a rite of passage from teenagerhood to adulthood. That space in between where you are still a kid but a grown up at the same time. There really is nothing quite like it. With all this in mind though, it is not always butterflies and rainbows. College can be exhausting. The workload is heavier than it is in high school, teachers are stricter, and many have to work part-time or even full-time jobs at the same time to be able to afford it. This can make it very challenging for a student to keep up with their mental, physical, and spiritual health while on their journey. However, not all hope is lost. There are things I have done that have helped me in this struggle that many go through. To keep my mental and spiritual health in check, nothing has helped me more than my Christian faith. Simply finding the time to either read some Scripture or pray, even if it is just five minutes, does a myriad of wonders. I feel more grounded and it gives me hope to keep going. Even if all else fails, I have somebody up there who has my back at all times. I definitely believe most people would benefit from finding a faith to adhere to. It does not necessarily have to be Christianity, but anything that gives them an endless source of hope. Keeping my physical health in check has not been as hard, but it definitely is not as easy as it was in high school. Working out only should take about forty-five minutes to an hour of your day. You can most definitely squeeze in a quick workout whether between classes, work, or right before bed or after waking up. All things considered, college is both exciting and exhausting. There are many things to look forward to, but also challenges that will take some determination to get over. Yet again, college is an unforgettable experience that many of us go through that will teach us life long lessons and hopefully make us better people by the end of it.

Over the years, mankind’s cleanliness has gone down. We have started eating unhealthier foods with ingredients that contaminate our body, and the way these foods are made contaminate the environment. By choosing to live cleaner, not only do you help yourself but the world around you as well. Living clean is important if we care about the longevity of the world and ourselves. Of course it is not easy. Today, most of the products we purchase are not “clean”, but are available everywhere and are usually very affordable. The availability and affordability of these products is what makes it hard to live cleaner. People do not choose to live “dirty” per se, it is just the path of least resistance. Mass produced foods and products are much cheaper than organic or locally farmed foods. They are also not as readily available as your local McDonald’s down the corner. However, we can come to the realization that if we continue in this path, it will not end well for the planet nor for the individual. I care about the cleanliness of the world, the people around me, and myself, because only by being clean will we live long and happy lives. There are a couple ways in which I incorporate clean living practices into my daily life. One of these ways is researching and looking at the ingredient list of a food I am going to buy. Are the ingredients used sustainable? Are they potentially harmful to human health or the health of other species? And if it is a product containing any sort of meat, were the animals used to produce this food treated with care and cleanliness? Another thing to look at is if the materials used are reusable or recyclable. An additional practice I take is making an effort to recycle. Recycling is not always very accessible, and can cost money, but many places now such as Walmart and Best Buy have recycling centers free of charge. You can also always look to see if your county or area has a free recycling center open to the public. One last practice I take is by simply choosing not to engage with or purchase products from companies that do not care about cleanliness. By making that conscious decision, others such as your friends and family members will see that and start to do the same as well. Eventually, a company will lose customers and sales, which will force them to change the production process of their products so that it is cleaner for both their customers and the environment. Even though our cleanliness has gone down, it is not too late. People can still make a conscious effort to start living cleaner. They can eat cleaner foods so that their body feels better, and by eating clean foods and buying cleaner products, the environment will also feel better. There are many practices one can take in order to start living cleaner, but what is important is for the change to start now.

If you like a good challenge, take on a sport. Sports are the perfect combination of companionship and competition. It is either your team or you, against a rival. Everybody should try a sport at least once in their lifetime, and most likely they will find at least one that they really like and will keep playing it for the rest of their life, even if it is recreationally. Sports and athletics have played a big role in my life. I have never been very good at most of them, but I always had fun playing them. In middle school I played soccer, rugby, and was a swimmer. In high school I played tennis, table tennis, and started bodybuilding. Different sports teach you different things. Soccer and rugby taught me to be a better team player and put the team first before me. Swimming taught me how to swim, which can be lifesaving. Tennis and table tennis taught me better reflexes, and along with bodybuilding, since they are single-person sports, if something goes wrong, it is one-hundred percent your fault and the only person you can blame is yourself. Sports always challenge you to be better, which is why I love them so much. In my career, I hope to be a Physical Therapist, leaning more on the sports and athletic side. My dream is to be able to rehabilitate big league players whether it is from the NFL, NBA, or any other organization. I want to help them get back in tip-top condition, so they can get back to playing the game they love and strive towards success in it. Some injuries athletes get can be career-threatening, and it is devastating seeing a great athlete or an athlete with potential go down the drain because of an injury. They do not deserve that. I wish to provide the best care for them so that in a matter of no time they can get back to it. In the end, sports are great. They unite us, but also create friendly competition so that we can better ourselves and always improve. They have played a big role in my life and shaped me into the person I am today, and because of that, I want to give back. I believe that there will be nothing more rewarding than being one of the reasons an athlete gets back on the field playing the sport they love.

A healthy life is a good life. If one wants to have the energy and drive to pursue their goals and dreams, one should make their health a priority. Neglecting your health at first seems like it is not that big of a deal, especially when you are young, but later on you will realize the damage it can cause and will bring tons of regret. Not to mention your lifespan will greatly increase if you properly take care of yourself! It is very important to have a healthy lifestyle. Without living healthy, you are not really living. Making changes to your diet, sleep schedule, activity levels, and mindfulness can bring upon a great impact for the better on a person. If you can give to your body what it needs, you can give to anything. When you start taking action and making healthier choices, which at first are hard, your body rewards you handsomely. You have more energy, less moody, a clearer mind, and just a general feeling of wellbeing. You are better able to work and do the things you like without feeling sluggish. I have maintained a healthy lifestyle by taking care of my physical and mental wellbeing. I lift weights five times a week with some cardio at the end of my workouts. I eat a balanced diet with enough fats, proteins, and carbs, along with the micronutrients and vitamins that my body needs to be at peak performance. I practice meditation every day anywhere from ten to thirty minutes. I go to sleep at a regular time every night and wake up at the same time every morning. These four habits are the most basic yet fundamental and life changing behaviors one can have to notice a plethora of benefits once an individual puts them in practice. They have definitely helped me a lot, since now I feel energized everyday, able to take on anything the day throws at me. Living a healthy lifestyle is important and should be a priority for anybody who wants to wake up feeling like a superhuman. You will wake up everyday feeling motivated and not sluggish. Just start with one healthy habit and watch as the other ones will easily develop as you go. By adding four big yet simple habits into my lifestyle, my life has changed dramatically, and although it might be hard at first, it is not impossible.

“The best wealth is health”. Nothing is more true than that. One of the best ways to better optimize your potential in achieving your goals is by living a healthier lifestyle. Once I started caring more for my health, both mental and physical, I noticed a massive difference in a short period of time! Setting your health as one of your priorities can really change your life. The first change I made to my lifestyle to become more healthy was to start working out. My freshman year in high school, I set a New Year’s Resolution that I would start lifting weights. On January 15th, 2019, I went with my mom to our nearest commercial gym, and from then on there, I have never stopped. The changes were noticeable the first month of working out; my strength skyrocketed and my arms, chest, back, and legs were already gaining some size. These so-called “newbie” gains inspired me even more to keep going on this journey. Now of course, the second change I made to my lifestyle was to start eating healthier. If I was going to work out five days a week, I needed good fuel for my body to use during my workout sessions. I started tracking my calories and macronutrients using a free app on my phone, and every single meal and snack went on the app. By tracking my calories I truly saw how much I was eating and what went into my body. I started to consume less fast food and snacks, and decided to start eating more healthy home-cooked whole foods. Once you start eating more balanced and healthy meals, you also notice the difference very quickly. You have more stable energy levels throughout the day and a more stable mood. The third, but not final change, was that I decided to have a more strict sleeping schedule. I used to go to bed late, even on school nights, only getting about 4-6 hours of sleep. This is much below the recommended 8 hours of sleep, and because I was working out now, my body needed even more rest, most likely 10 hours. I decided to start going to bed a lot earlier, going to bed at the same time every night, even on weekends, and waking up at the same time everyday, no sleeping in. Once I started doing this, I also noticed I would not wake up tired, or feeling like I did not get a good night’s sleep. These three major changes to my lifestyle have allowed me to be a lot more healthy, and by investing more into my health, I am investing into my productivity. Because of these changes, I have more energy to pursue and work towards my goals. Everybody should try to at least start with one change, and soon enough it will be a Domino effect where once you start with one change, the rest will come easily.

We are only given one body, so it should be our responsibility to take good care of it. Caring about your physical and mental wellbeing of course brings a plethora of benefits and although maintaining a healthy lifestyle can sometimes be challenging, it actually ends up making life easier. Ever since I began lifting weights my freshman year of high school and started tracking my nutrition, my eyes were opened. I took a new interest in living a healthier lifestyle, and I noticed the benefits very quickly. When you start working out, whether through resistance training or cardio, it is hard at first, and you do not really want to do it. Eventually, it starts getting easier, and you start enjoying working out. Not to mention the fact that you become stronger, your muscles grow, your resting heart rate decreases, and overall your mood is more stable. You also offset multiple diseases that can haunt you later on in life if you choose not to be healthy and active. From working out I decided to also eat healthier. In just a matter of days you feel the difference when you go from eating junk food and fast food almost everyday to home-cooked, balanced, healthy meals that meet your body’s requirements to have energy. When you begin to opt for a healthier activity, even if it is just one, such as starting to do cardio, or eating better, eventually it spreads to all areas of your life. Maybe you start running, but then after that you want to start eating healthier. After eating healthier, you want to start going to sleep at a regular time and wake up at a regular time to optimize your circadian rhythm. After that you want to start lifting weights. After lifting weights, you want to start stretching and gain more mobility, and so on. One simple activity then leads to multiple healthy habits that change your whole life around. In my personal experience, choosing to live healthier has allowed me to have more focus, energy, and ambition to pursue my goals. I do not feel groggy, tired, and weak. I constantly feel energized everyday to do my chores and tasks that lead me to reaching closer to the goals I want to achieve. Now I am devoted as well to pursuing a career in health (Physical Therapy) in order to promote healthier lifestyles to others so they as well can reap the rewards of caring for their wellness. Everybody deserves the opportunity and the knowledge to be able to take action and start living healthier lives. It has become very easy in today’s day and age to not be healthy and fit. We drive everywhere and rarely walk, fast food chains are in every corner of the country, and now the spread of the Internet has given us the capability to do things from the comfort of our home such as buying groceries rather than actually going to the grocery store. “It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable” as Socrates once said. It is very unfortunate that only 2.7% of Americans meet healthy lifestyle standards, and we should try and get more people to really see how life changing it can be. Living a healthy lifestyle surely changed my life for the better, which is why it is so important to me and I preach it to others as well.

“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest” - Benjamin Franklin. Higher education surely is a big investment, especially in America with rising tuition costs. However, the investment into higher education pays off well. If you choose a career that requires a higher education, and you pursue it with everything you have, it will pay off. Higher education has always been important to me. A higher education means a desire and hunger for knowledge. It means you want to excel in your field of study. By the education you gain, you get a chance to change lives, or even the world. I have always wanted to have that opportunity. I want to gain knowledge and wisdom over a certain field of study and use it to change lives, and progress society forward. Knowledge truly is power. Only by having an educated population can the world change. Without education, the world would be stuck. We would never seek a higher understanding of the environment around us and simply keep making the same mistakes we do. It starts with one person. One person decides to step up to be educated, and pursue higher education, which inspires others to do the same. Eventually you have a big populace that can make real and big changes, but it started with one person that decided to seek out that higher education. I want to be that person. I want to seek higher education to pull up and inspire others to do the same. Everybody is capable of pursuing it, and anybody who wants to make a real change on our planet should consider it. The hard work that consists of seeking a higher education will always pay off, and not only for the individual, but for many others as well. All in all, higher education means the ability to change the world, change lives. I do not want to take that opportunity for granted, which is why I decided to pursue it so desperately.

It is true. In life, how we choose to respond to life’s challenges is what shapes our life. Many times, things will be thrown at us that are not under our control. Many circumstances and situations simply just happen without you asking for them. However, what you can control is your attitude toward them. You can either choose to be helpless and that there is no hope; that your circumstances are greater than you. You let your circumstances control you. But you can also choose to be stronger and greater than your circumstances. You will not let yourself be controlled by them. You cannot change the cards you were dealt with, but you still can make your best play. Living with a mother that struggles with alcohol abuse has given me more insight into this statement. The thing is, you cannot help someone that does not want to be helped. It is impossible. You can try your best to persuade them and get them to change, but change has to come from within. Many times I have broken down, been upset, depressed, and even blamed their addiction on myself. It would get so bad that I would beat myself up for it, thinking I could do better, and that it is all my fault that they are addicted. Sometimes I would cry out, saying, “Why me? What did I do to deserve this?”, but again, that mentality gets you nowhere either. What I have come to realize is that I truly have no control over the situation. It is not under my hands. It is what it is. I can always keep trying to help and persuade my parent into giving up their addiction, but again, it will never stop unless they want to stop it. Realizing this and changing my attitude towards the situation is what helped me move forward. Rather than being stuck in my mind, thinking how it could be better if this situation was not the case, I decided the best thing to do is to simply try my best to react positively to the situation, and do stress about the things I can control. I can decide to keep working hard towards my goals and achievements, while still trying my best to always be there for my parent if they ever change their mind on their addiction. By doing this, hopefully one day I am able to help and give to organizations that help with drug and alcohol abuse. It truly is one of the worst things for somebody to have. A loved one that is addicted. The pain it causes is something that I would not wish even on my worst enemy. Nobody deserves to have a loved one that has fallen trap to addiction, nor does anybody deserve to fall into addiction. When you see that loved one sober it brings you so much joy, but when they fall back or relapse, it feels like you have lost them again, and they are not the same. To sum up, we can choose how to respond to life’s challenges, and it will shape our life. Many things are not under our control, but what is under our control is how we react to it. It is devastating to have a parent that is a victim to addiction, but the best we can do is always be there for them and help them as much as we can.

Determination is a quality that many people can benefit from having. When you have determination, and you decide you are going to work on something, absolutely nothing can stop you. Determination is a quality that I have that I value and appreciate, since it has helped me to get where I am. My freshman year of high school was not the best. I had a C and a couple Bs and I was not content with that. I wanted straight As. At the end of freshman year I made a decision and decided that I will only get straight As from now on forward. Later on in my years in high school, my determination was what kept my straight As, because I was DETERMINED I would get straight As. I would take time after school, before school, during lunch period, off blocks, and any other opportunity I had to talk to teachers if I ever did not understand something in the class or I was not happy with the grade I had. I always stayed on top of my grades and my teachers to make sure the grade posted was the most updated grade. Doing my homework as quickly as possible, even during class, was another characteristic of my determination to get the grades I wanted. I am very glad to have this characteristic, because it will help me a lot in my life journey. Anytime I set my mind on something and I really want it, absolutely nothing can stop me. I give it my all. I am fully determined to achieve it no matter the cost. Now today, I have a new goal. I am determined to get scholarships, and possibly a full-ride scholarship to pay for my education. I wish to get my Bachelor’s and later go on to graduate school to become a Physical Therapist. However, higher education in America is very expensive, and I do not want a financial burden for my parents or me for the next 10 to 15 years. I come from a low-income family, so it really is not an option for me to pay for college. I am going to work hard and give it my all at this moment to be able to get the scholarships that I need to reduce the price of college as much as I can. Later on in life, I wish to give back. Once I get the scholarships or the scholarship that I need to pay for my full education, both undergraduate and graduate, I want to give back by being a donor myself. It is not fair for students who have the hunger and desire to be educated to have to be in debt for a long period of their life and not be able to enjoy the fruits of their labor. I am fully and absolutely determined I will get the scholarships that I need, and in the future, I promise to give back, and help students in need like I have been helped. To resume, determination is the quality I most value in myself. It helps me get things done, and it helps me achieve my goals. Without it, I would not be able to do the things that I do. It is truly a blessing, but it is not a unique trait. Anybody can be determined. You just have to really want it.

Being in high school, working a job, and doing two sports, all at the same time is not an easy job. Not only that, but actually performing well in all these activities and balancing them in your schedule is the real challenge. However, having such a rigorous schedule demands you to learn time management and how to use it effectively for all areas of your life. Coming from a low-income household, my parents could not afford the things that I wanted or needed for the various activities I was enrolled in in high school. Books, supplies, food, musical instruments, and gear for sports were all expenses that I had to pay for on my own. When my schedule first became this rigorous around sophomore year, it was definitely stressful. I did not know how I would handle everything and it seemed as if I had bitten off more than I could chew. An average day consisted of waking up early for Jazz Band before school, then school, then tennis, then working out at the gym, and then finally going to work. After work, heading back home, doing any homework or assignments from the day, and then finally hitting the hay and doing it all over again the next day. On top of that, I had to make time for tennis matches and games at other schools, concerts for jazz band, and finding time off from work to be able to attend those activities. I had very limited free time which was usually on weekends but it was enough to be able to socialize and hang out with friends to unwind from the week. Later on during Junior year I was able to join the NHS which added another expense and another duty to my schedule. I had to complete 15 hours of community service each semester to stay in the program all the way through Senior year. Yet regardless of all these things on my calendar, learning time management skills made it so much easier to manage and lessened the stress from participating in all these activities. Through writing it all down on a calendar and planner, I could easily see what an average week consisted of. I could see what days I would have special events from my extracurriculars and shift other activities around it so that I would not miss that event. I would set designated times as well for homework so that I would not lack behind in school. On top of all, I managed to keep a GPA above a 4.0, (thanks to AP classes and dual enrollment classes which are weighted), achieving Honor Roll and High Honor Roll, performing well in my AP tests, (received the AP Scholar with Honor award), receiving the CHSAA Academic All-State First Team in tennis, and receiving the Jazz Musician of the Year award in Jazz Band. All in all, sometimes learning the hard way is the best way to learn something, and by putting myself in such a rigorous schedule forced me to learn these necessary life-long skills that many can benefit from. By learning how to effectively use time management I was able to participate in so many different activities at the same time, while also performing well in them.